Forget my Pride

I own nothing TMNT wise. And such

The warm, treasure filled steam completely relaxed his overly tense muscles. Drops of perspiration spilled slowly down his entire body, smiling lightly as his muscles completely loosened. It was a great fight, it was. They had taken down the foot with incredible strength. None of them would be dealing with the foot, nor Karai for a long time to come. Both of the wretched kunoichi's arms had been broken, and her left leg had been completely shattered. Leonardo sank deeper into the burning, yet soothing water, chuckling quietly to himself. They finally would probably be done with Karai. The shredder was long gone, and her injuries could lead her to never being able to walk again. Nor pick up a weapon. Yes. This success was, indeed, going to make his life easier. Forest green lids slid closed luxuriously as the water around him resembled to a sauna. Everything was coming together for him. But, even though Karai was finally done for, that was only just one of his stresses abolished. Ever since Splinter died, Leonardo had basically taken up roll as father. And sometimes mother. All four of them still worked together as a team, but, Leonardo was respected more. The eldest had to toughen up after his fathers death three years ago. That was when they were all only 14, age 17 now. But, Leonardo wasn't the only one who changed over the last three years. Donatello had become more social, not locking himself in his lab anymore for nearly weeks on end. Michelangelo had stayed the same, but he had become A TON more serious when it came to battles. But, it was Raphael who had changed the most, and for the better. Leonardo and him didn't fight half as much as they used to. Raphael thought as Leonardo as his father now. Thats just how it had been since they were 14. Raphael had also gained an extremely strong sense of over protectiveness. Especially over the youngest's. They had all watched Raphael brutally demolish different enemies since they had dared hurt his brothers. A once simple battle with the purple dragons; ended in a nightmare bloodier than The Civil War. One. Only one purple dragon punk had hit Donatello on his shell, taking a tiny piece off. The olive green warrior hadn't even been that bothered or even hurt by the injury. But, Raphael completely lost himself after he saw what happened to his younger brother. His anger was more intense and terrifying than it had ever been before. Blood was all over him after he had massacred every purple dragon. The look on his face showed pure devastation, terror of himself, and distraught sadness. Raphael had fell to the ground and curled up tightly, blocking his entire front from view, and kept begging for his brothers to "look away." Leonardo arched his brow and sighed at the memory, bubbles blowing from the water with his breath. But the conclusion was easily drawn, being a father/mother figure was anything BUT easy. Black pearl gems shot open at the sound of a faint thud. The eldest eyed the door suspiciously as silence was met after the sound. His brothers should be asleep. Well, thats how he last found them before he came to bathe, nearly, an hour and a half ago. Leonardo drained the steamed glory water, before standing from the tub, water dripping from all over his luscious skin and beautiful figure. The eldest stepped out quietly, keeping sharp hearing out for another sound as he dried himself off. Towel hung around his neck, the forest green traveled closer to the door. He was about to turn the knob to open the wooden barrier, but was stopped by the low sounds of sobbing, and whispering. A surge more powerful than overposessiveness, and more powerful than any normal overprotective feeling shot through him, causing him to gasp lightly. Something was wrong with one of his brothers, and the eldest wasted no time, as he sprinted off towards the sound. The silent sobbing had come from the dark area of the kitchen, which Leonardo had to hesitantly stop. He wasn't...COMPLETELY afraid of the dark. Yet, the darkness that seemed pure and devilish is the area of dark he could never stand. And the kitchen always possessed that darkness. The eldest had to restrain himself from reaching for his trustee blades.
"Its only one of my brothers. Only one of my brothers."
The forest green warrior repeated that in his head like a mantra as he made his way into the accursed darkness, gulping as he searched for the light switch. He practically scrambled to switch it on once it was found, and was met by the sight of Raphael bent over and hunched against the kitchen sink, his shoulders trembling violently. Leonardo narrowed his eyes in concern as he moved slowly towards his little brother.
"Raph? A-are you ok?"
Raphael made no form of movement at Leonardo's call. Not even bothering to seize his trembling, and simply ignored him. Leonardo was nearly arms length away from his emerald green sibling, and was hesitant on wether to reach out or not. The decision was made for him as his arm subconsciously moved, and he grasped Raphael's shoulder. The immediate eldest flinched hard at the contact and flew fast to the side, his eyes wide, and his breathing coming fast. His golden orbs searched in every area of the kitchen, confusion written all over his face. When the frick did the lights turn on? And where did Leonardo come from? Realisation hit the emerald ninja hard. First; he was crying, and he NEVER wanted to anyone to see him in such weak state. Second; Leonardo was in the kitchen with him, which meant hastily wiped the tears from his cheeks and eyes, smoothly hiding his right arm as he backed away slowly.
"Ooh, uhh...hey, Leo. Wassup, bro?"
Leonardo narrowed his eyes in anger at his brothers suspiciousness, and the fact that he was trying to hide what was wrong with him.
"Hi, Raph. Now, I'm not going to play footsies here, or try to break the ice. Why were you crying just now, Raph? I want a straight answer. This could've been a lot easier for you, if you had just gone out and told me truth, but you had to hide it."
Tears almost threatened to build into his eyes, but held it in and lowered his head. Leonardo sighed as he calmed himself down quickly, walking towards his little brother.
"Raph, come on. Talk to me. I've never seen you cry before. Well...not since Father died."
"He ain' dead, Leo. He's jus'...deceased. We gonna see 'im again."
Leonardo smiled sadly at Raphael nodding slowly in agreement.
"Yes, thats true. We will see father again. But that still doesn't tell me why you were crying."
The forest green brother stepped up and pulled his brother to his chest, placing his face in the crook of Raphael's neck.
"Tell me, Raph. You've been so different ever since that Purple Dragons incident. You refuse to go near Mikey and Donnie, and you won't talk anymore, and I don't remember the last time you even used your Sais. Yet, there always with you."
Raphael tensed at the mention of the Purple Dragons. He had brutally killed every single one of them. And in the most terrible way. He had literally ripped one man, in half. Ripped him like his was merely paper. And Raphael just couldn't bare the fact that he had done that. With his own hands. Michelangelo and Donatello were both terrified of him now. Everytime he would try to go near them, the youngest would cower away, and Donatello would stand in front of him in a protective manor. Their actions confused the emerald warrior. Even though he loathed himself for what he had done, he had did FOR his brothers, and now the only one who didn't hate him was Leonardo. But, they had a right. What he did in front of them, it terrified HIMSELF to know that...he was the one who did that. Tears began to form in Raphael's beautiful golden diamonds, and before he knew it, the immediate eldest was bawling, clinging onto Leonardo like a life-line. The eldest was greatly taken aback. What could be wrong with Raphael that it would cause him drop his pride, and...sob? Raphael began to sink to his knees as his sobbing became more powerful, unwrapping around Leonardo's waist, and digging his palms in his tightly shut eyes. The eldest gasped lightly as he caught his brother and fell to the ground with him, silent tears spilling from his own souls.
"Oh, Raphie. Please tell me whats wrong. I hate seeing you this way, it hurts me so much."
Raphael gripped Leonardo's shell firmly, digging his head in his shoulder, trying hopelessly to control his breathing.
"Th-the-they h-hate me, L-Leo! M'-M'a m-monster!"
Leonardo lowered his head so to place his face back in the crook of Raphael's neck, placing gentle kisses along the left side, stroking the back of his emerald head. He now knew that the problem was what he did to all of those Purple Dragons.
"Raph. Your not a monster, and you know that. What you did was-"
"Disgusting! Dishonorable! Crude! Evil! Yer all gonna tell me that m'a monster, Leo! My only baby brothers hate me, and are...AFRAID of me! And I KNOW you think da exac' same way 'bout me!"
Leonardo embraced Raphael tighter, not believing that his brother would think this way.
"Stop, raph! You know thats not true! I would NEVER think that way about you! Your precious to me, and I would never do ANYTHING to break your trust! Especially by thinking such horrible things about you!"
Leonardo leaned back and cupped both sides of his brothers face, lowering his voice to a loving whisper, wiping the tears from Raphael's cheeks with his thumbs.
"And I love you, my little angel. There's nothing on this ever loving Earth you could do that would make me think your a monster. And NOTHING will ever make me hate you."
Raphael's sobbing had finally seized, yet, his tears still fell. The immediate eldest slowly shut his eyes, his head lowering to rest on his big brothers chest. Leonardo leaned down and nuzzled his baby brothers temple, picking him up bridal style. Raphael couldn't care less at the moment. His heart was too broken for him to keep up his pride. As his thoughts ran, the emerald brother snuggled closer to Leonardo, the eldest chuckled as he laid them both on the couch, staring into eachothers eyes. Leonardo smiled as he raised his hand to stroke Raphael's cheek, wiping away any stray tears with his finger.
"Random fact, Raph. Your eyes...are beautiful. Their so...golden, and bright, and I love them."
Raphael smirked as Leonardo leaned forward, leaving a light kiss on both closed lids.
"T'anks, fea'less. I don' normally pay 'ttention to 'em anyway."
The forest green brother pulled his emotionally exhausted sibling into his arms, and within seconds, Raphael was out like a light. Leonardo ducked his angel's head under his chin, and cuddled him closer, shutting his eyes and tired bliss, whispering softly.
"I love you, Raphie. Your my angel, and I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Know that I would never think of you in such hateful ways, and know, too, that you are so precious to me. My baby."

Leonardo slowly slid open his forest green lids, revealing his mesmerizing sleep hazed black pearl irises. The eldest moved his head to the side, feeling an odd sensation in his arms. The forest green warrior smiled lovingly at the sight of his baby brothers holding Raphael's hands, their heads rested upon the side of the emerald turtles thigh.
"See, Raph. Your not a monster, nor are you alone."

Well...this is how it is keeds. It makes me happy :)