True Fools

Quote 1: It's Easy to Fool The Eye, But Hard to Fool The Heart - Al Pacino
Quote 2: Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone) - Cinderella

It may seem natural. But Love can either be as complicated as the Hardest Math Problem.
Or Love can be as Easy as 2 + 2.

At the beginning, it was hard for both Raphael and Michelangelo.

Mikey felt that his love and adoration for Donatello would bring him over to the orange-banded turtle's side.

That his beaming light of energy would pull the nerdy turtle from the dark recesses of his lab. That, compared to Raph being annoyed with him & Leo treating him strictly as the 'baby brother to be protected and nothing else'…Donnie seemed like a natural choice.

They were 'The B-Team' (as called by the self-appointed 'Leo and Raph, The A-Team' squad)! They were the two younger brothers VS. the two older brothers! It was hard to hang out with one brother who seemed to try to bully you at any chance they had. It was hard to hang out with another who was too busy being a leader, and one who perhaps treated you as if you were more like his 'Kid' than his Actual Brother. But with Donnie? Mikey couldn't help but feel a certain pull and attraction that grew day after day. And then week after week.

But, it seemed an impossible task to take Donatello's eyes off of his genius brother's prize,. That of one April O'Neil.

When Donatello told Michelangelo that resounding 'No', followed by a tone of horror in the purple-banded turtle's voice of even suggesting the ideas of incest…all Mike could do was look somewhat shyly to the side.

When Donatello gave the suggestion that it was all just a part of 'Nature. Part Of Our Animal Instincts. An Act of Desperation to even Consider the Thought, which must have been brought about because of the Logical Thinking and Feeling of Not Wanting to Be Alone In This World' …all Mikey could do was simply act like the whole thing was a joke,. Just a new and brave attempt at a prank to throw the taller turtle off. Only when Mikey left and slipped into his bed for the night, did he accept the fact that he felt like the biggest fool in the world at that moment.

Raphael felt like it was just natural that he and Leonardo would quote 'Get Together'.

That perhaps all of the years of Fighting? The back and forth banter? The pushing and shoving? The childhood friends who became bickering brothers? It was all a front from the both of them, in order to hide their true feelings deep within for each other.

To hide deep thoughts that wanted to come out. Raph's anger? His violence? Perhaps so that Raph could keep fighting within himself.

But fighting about what? That he was Gay, and 'Boo' to the thought of Gayness from a Tough Guy? That it made him weak, or a 'Sissy'? That the thought of incest made him feel like even more of a freak than he already was?

For Raphael, dealing with Leo was just a matter of 'He pushed, and I pulled. I pulled, and He pushed.' For the hothead, it seemed like the haze and atmosphere of nervousness that existed from time to time between them just had to lead to something Worthwhile.

To Raph? The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Leo did feel something, but it just wasn't for him.

Karai. Leo's nervousness was not about the idea of incest, but because of the idea to date & court the daughter of their Master. Raphael wasn't used to putting his heart out there.

But when one did, and the other looked at him with that certain pitiful gaze…those eyes and words that said how 'Wrong'. 'Dishonorable'. 'Unethical'.

Raph didn't know what to say. All he could was just scoff, give out a cocky look, and just start spouting off about how the whole thing was just 'A Load Of BS' to 'Tick Leo-Nerdo Off'. It wasn't until he left, and crept back into his room, when Raph accepted the fact that he felt like the biggest ass in the world at that moment.

To Donatello and Leonardo, neither of them bought the excuses of 'pranks', 'jokes', or 'sarcastic replies'. Their minds were enveloped with 'Saddened thoughts mixed with Feelings of Pity for their two brightly-colored brothers'. They truly did wish that they could take their pain away, but they both also knew that they had to let them know right Off the Bat that there was no course of action to be taken on that route.

Leo and Don didn't want to play and fool around with their brothers' hearts, so for them it was the right thing to be truthful and let them down from the get go.

As days and weeks went by, Don began to woo April. Leo began to court Karai. Weirdly enough, it was the strength of their brothers' admittance of their secrets that prompted both Leonardo and Donatello to quote 'Go For It'.

As their love blossomed, things seemed to diminish for Raph and Mikey. Mikey brought on the fake smiles, but they seemed even faker than before. Raph kept to himself more in his room, and it seemed as if his emotions were kept even less at bay.

Until Mikey, missing the presence of the one he can have fun & joke with at times, knocked on the hothead's door. Which led to awkwardness, and certain phrases like 'Go Away', before finally letting his baby brother inside.

And they both just sat. Raph being confused, since Mikey was usually much more talkative…and yet all he did was sit and stay silent. For Mikey, he was concerned. Yes, Raph is usually moody. But the recent behavior was more in the style of Deep Depression.

So both turtles sat. And stared. Then questions were asked, while revelations were made.

Mikey, being the one whose heart was the most shown for all to see, was the first to reveal what had happened. And all Raph could do was think. And relate. And feel bad for the sadness that crawled every inch of his brother's face. All the hothead could do was relate his own story, which surprised the youngster. It was quickly followed by a heartfelt 'apology' that things didn't work out well between him and Leo.

"Nothing to be sorry about. Not your fault. And, uhm. Sorry too. I mean. You and Donnie. And…yeah."

Small talk conversed. And more small talk came to be. They both could relate on an even deeper level now. Both having secrets that they were shameful of, hiding deep down within their own bubbles of 'annoyance/cheeriness' or 'anger/rage'. One hiding behind a smile. The other hiding behind a frown. And now both at least had someone to talk to and look at without having it stir up mean-spirited feelings.

For Mikey? To see Donnie was to remind him of his on-going love and courtship of April. His inability to 'get over it' and his 'love life' that never came to be.

And to see Leo? A certain anger for their leader. The pain he/himself was feeling inside shouldn't happen to another of his family. He knew that by Raph's tones of voice at various times, as well his brother's movements (let alone the fact that Raph had even Opened Up to the Youngster at All) meant that this wasn't just some 'Passing Effect'. It was a deeper one. He felt bad for Raph. Felt bad that his hotheaded brother had to go through what was currently happening to him. Especially for one who, many times in the past, had protected him. That's why Mikey always wanted to put a smile on Raph's face. To see a smile, or a laugh, or a chuckle? That seemed like such a rare event.

For Raph? To see Leo just made him pissed off. Plain and simple.

And yet, at the same time, it made him realize that…well…what else was he supposed to do?

Make him? Force him? Turncoat on him? He might not be the 'most sensitive', but even he know that wasn't any definition of "Love". Not at all. It still didn't mean that it didn't hurt any less.

As for Donnie? The hothead was pissed at him too. Raph always felt that Donnie would never get anywhere with April…although, it seemed that things actually Were happening on that front. He just hated to see his baby brother, well, that broken. That upset. Raph was always protective of his baby brother. He hated seeing that frown on him.

So, small talk led to hanging out. While Leo and Donnie graduated to dates outside of the lair, the two remaining brothers felt better Together than alone in their rooms. It led to even more small talk. Eventually to how it seemed like they/themselves really were "The B-Team", while Don and Leo were the new "A-Team".

Leo had the prestige of being the leader, of being the hero to risk his life more than once to save the day against the Kraang, and to being the 'best student' of their father. Donnie was the genius. The smart one who could make retro-mutagen, or cure this. Fix that. Help with this…

But for Mikey, he was just the guy who made mistake after mistake. Who would make the bad choice to befriend a guy like Chris Bradford, or a Punk Frog who wanted to hurt his family. At times, it seemed like Ice Cream Kitty was his only friend. Weirdly enough, when Raph opened up to him? A certain warmth overcame him. And it wasn't simply the fact that Raph was opening up to HIM, of all people. The best way Mikey could describe it was that he felt extremely sad for his older brother.

When Mikey had gotten done with his thoughts & feelings, Raph had shushed him up and said that the whole thing was stupid. The older brother began talking about how Mikey had led them through Dimension X. How Mikey was the one who stopped those Squirrelnoids, or had remembered Donnie's formula when they were possessed by those parasites. Raphael's list of his baby brother's accomplishments went on, and on, and on.

But when Raph looked at himself? If anyone was useless, it was him. What had He brought to the family recently?

The hothead thought he could be a leader, which lead to that leafy prick Snakeweed to bashing his baby brother. Hard. No matter how hard he tried to stop his anger, it either led to being humiliated when his family shot him with arrow darts. Or getting his stupid self mind-controlled by the Shredder. Or getting himself turned into a damn Plant when they were hiding at the farm house. Raph even reminded Mikey that it was indeed younger brother himself who had saved Raph from that one Punk Frog, who was ready to attack and hurt the hothead.

Even the whole Spike/Slash debacle. HE was the one who got Spike mutated. It was HIS words that had caused Spike, or he should say Slash, to hurt his family.

All for Mikey to step in front of Raph and remind him of a few more things. Raph giving him comforting words after the humiliation of his first time meeting with Chris Bradford. Watching Leo day in and day out when the turtle was in a coma, and making sure that the rest continued with their training in Leo's absence. That it was Raph's face, and Raph's hands, that was in front of the younger turtle's eyes while being pulled to safety, just as the baby brother was just about to be pulled into a swirling whirlpool of water & death while a creature was attached to his leg.

Small talk ended. Awkwardness arose. Things were suggested. Some video games, perhaps? Movies, as well. Hour after hour. Day after day. Things started to grow. One started to understand the other. And Vice Versa.

One was angry not just to be hateful, but to be loved & accepted. One was loud not just to be annoying, but to be noticed and wanted. They could both relate to losing someone close. One was named Spike. The other was named Leatherhead. Raph was taught the inner workings of video games while the freckled-faced expert showed the way. Mikey was taught the satisfaction of fixing something out of nothing while fixing one of the vehicles, all the while encouraged by a figure wearing a red & tattered bandanna.

Day by Day, more things grew. One suggested to the other that, in order to hide 'humiliation', perhaps the suggestion that they should 'Be Together'. A Ruse. A Lie.

That way, there were no more 'Pitiful' looks from Leonardo. No more 'Sad & Pontificating glances' from Donatello. It was meant to be nothing at first. Just so that the 'B-Team' didn't feel much like B-Graded beings. They just didn't want to keep feeling like Fools.

And that's how it started. At first, they slept in separate rooms. But to keep the act going, they knew they had to stay in the same room. At least for a while. Mikey just thought of it as a 'fun sleepover', which got a shake and a smirk from Raph.

The small talks grew and grew. Raph finding out where Mikey got that weird bit of 'underwear' from…Mikey finding out Raph's true thoughts of his Jagged Scar that caressed his plastron.

That Raph could be sweeter than one would notice. That Mikey could be smarter and have much more instinct than one would notice. Games were played. Movies were watched. Raph found out Mikey liked to draw. Mikey found out Raph liked to write. Collaborations were born. Fun was made, and it grew & grew.

Then Mikey started noticing Raph's powerful strides in his walk. Devilish smirks. He was hypnotized, more and more with each passing day, with his brother's green eyes. So very different from the others. Raph's scent, which he noticed more and more, seemed so arousing.

Raph started to notice Mikey's cute freckles. The way Mikey bit his bottom lip when he got nervous, or stuck his tongue out when deep in thought. How soft his brother's skin was when wrestling with him on the ground in a playful manner.

Days and weeks went by. Touches, scents, and fantasies grew. Then that turned into soft kisses. Soft touches. Two turtles who didn't care about 'incest'. Who weren't upheld by 'moral codes', or 'societies rules', and quite frankly didn't believe in 'Just Animal Urges'.

Instead, they believed in more Passionate things.

Both grew to appreciate the others' sounds. Moans. Tastes. Fantasies. Mikey felt like he was in a dream that he didn't want to wake up, when he felt Raph cum inside him for the first time. The excitement of his hotheaded brother making him a Virgin No More.

Raph felt like he had won some kind of lottery when he first came inside his baby brother's mouth. He would notice how the younger one seemed determined to milk, and squeeze, and swallow every single drop.

One was not as innocent as they seemed. The other was not as much of an 'asshole' as thought before.

The sex grew. Became kinkier, hotter, more frequent, more exotic, more loving, soft at times, rough at times. But it was always Addicting. Intoxicating. Erotic. Fulfilling. Until weeks became a year. One Exact Year, to the Date, to be exact.

For their One Year Anniversary of being together, Raph had approached Mikey and had asked the younger one to close his eyes. The younger complied, only to feel a bracelet placed onto his wrist. Blue Eyes shimmied in wetness as he witnessed words of love that had been etched inside. Mike could tell from the look in Raph's eyes that it was the hothead himself who had done the etching…

"You're My A+"

Michelangelo couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered a conversation that the two had with each other long ago. A conversation where they mentioned the fact that their feelings for one another made them feel not of 'The B-Team', but of 'The A+ Team'.

"You're So Going to Get Some Nookie Tonight, Raphie-boy"

That was another thing that occurred. His own pet name for his mate. Mikey could hear the 'Grrr' from his hothead, but a quick kiss on emerald cheek from a freckled face erased those growls away.

With a plan to go out, Mikey quickly went to the kitchen. Surprised at seeing Donnie and Leo there, he gave out a beaming "Hello" and started packing a few things.

It seemed like, for a long while, that the two dynamos of Red & Orange were so wrapped up with each other that they rarely were giving the time of day to Leo and Don.

'Have to change that.'

"Uh, what's that, Mikey?"

Surprised by Leo's voice, it took the youngster a second or two before looking down and realizing what their leader was talking about.

"Oh, this? Raphie-boy gave it to me! Isn't it So Cool? I always knew he was a Big Softie. No matter how many times I tell him, he still wants to deny it. But you see? I Have Proof Now!"

Donnie was the next to speak up:

"You actually call him 'Raphie'? And you're still among the living?"

Sticking his tongue out at Donnie, Mikey finished packing his things up.

"He says he hates it, but between you and me? I think he Loves It!"

Leonardo stared down at the bracelet that caressed over his brother's skin.

"So…Raph really made that for you?"

Mikey couldn't help but smile and say a triumphant "Yep!"

"Oh," was Leo's only reply.

Donnie softly replied with, "You seem extremely happy, Mikey…"

Michelangelo couldn't help but notice that both of his brothers' voices seemed down. Low pitched.

'Must be women troubles. It'll work out though!'

"Absolutely, bro. Honestly, I've never been happier! I really haven't. Well, gotta go! Don't keep the lights on for us. Hey Raph! Booyakasha!"

As Mikey left, growls were heard. Only to be replaced by a chorus of Churrs. And Moans. And even a little panting, before a few giggles erupted between the two turtles as they left the lair for their anniversary enjoyment and fun.

"Wow…didn't know that Raph was…that romantic…"
"Heh, me neither, Leo. Me neither. Mikey was really happy, wasn't he Leo? Really happy…"
"Yes. Guess they both are. Huh. Hmm."

For Leo and Donnie, it was tough. For Don, romance with April led to uneasy hardships. Different lifestyles. Species. Arguments. Separation had grown and grown, until April's heart had led herself into the life of one Casey Jones. Donnie sadly smiled. Mikey was positively beaming. Glowing! And Raph was romantic enough to make something like a bracelet?

'Huh. Guess he's not much of a meathead. Not much at all.'

For Leo, romance with Karai didn't fare any better. She was too busy wanting to rebuild the Foot. To turn them into something to make her real father, Master Splinter, extremely proud.

And stupid Raph. With his stupid, hearty chuckles. That stupid smile that grew from what was usually a frown on that face. How it glowed for Mikey's eyes only. Stupid Raph who Leo could only guess was much more romantic. Erotic. More selfless than Leo had thought…more…*Sigh*

"Donnie. We're some pretty stupid, damned Fools. Aren't we?"
"Yeah, Leo. True Fools. Indeed."

And as two turtles went on to have a fantastic anniversary that would be remembered for the ages, two others sat. And thought. And pondered on what they could have had…what was right in front of their faces & under their noses the whole time.

Ones who they threw away. Ones they would never get back.

The colorful mixture of Red & Orange? They would go on to know the value of True Love for a very, very long time.

As for the grouping of Blue & Purple? Thinking. Pondering. And the on-going realization that they, indeed, were purely True Fools.