5.45am
The lair was still dark. Nobody was awake. Even Donnie managed to go to the bed that Master Splinter set in his lab to avoid painfull neckaches by constantly sleeping on his working chair.
But for Leonardo light wasn't so necessary, he remembered the way to the kitchen. Besides, ninjas had to walk in the dark all the time. He was used to the dark and also to wake up early and meditate before the sun rose.
He was leading to the kitchen to prepare his favorite kind of tea to prepare himself for the upcoming day and to calm his nerves. This whole moody-Raphael situation wasn't helping his insomnia. He really wanted to help his brother, he really did, but every time he tried to broach the subject, Raph always rejected him. He was impossible to talk to. The saddest thing was that it was getting worse day by day, because he knew, everybody knew, how Raph was bad the previous evening; how his corneas were red; how pale was his skin; the dark circles under his eyes…
And then he saw Casey's figure who was just leaving a bedroom and Oh my God, why is his shirt in his hand and not on his body? Leo noticed, besides the almost nakedness of his firend, that he was trying to be stealthly. Failing, of course. He was going to call the vigilante by his name and asking him why the hell he was in the lair, but he stopped right away, realizing that Casey just went out of the room next to his. Raph's room.
Even though Leo's mind was still tired, he managed to do simple calculus and figuring out that Casey was somehow linked to his borther's mood.
Suddendly, Casey took his phone form his pocket and dealt a phone number. Leo knew he shouldn't have been there, should have left and, but he hid himself in the shadows and waited.
A familiar voice answered up. The leader could hear it was April's voice screaming: "Casey Harold Jones, where the fuck are you? I've been waiting for you all night!"
"H-hey baby, I'm so sorry I was here with..in the lair, you know. Raph didn't feel well yesterday and he called me…" Casey started to explain himself, but he knew he was in big trouble. "Uhuh…no I know I should have warned you but I…I forgot, I'm sorry I'm coming back."
All Leonardo could do was blinking. Why didn't his brother ask him for his help? Why not Splinter? Why Casey? He knew Casey is Raph's best friend and if he needed help he would have never admited it. But they were his family.
The thing was serious.
He must have been moved, because the next thing he remembered was finding himself sitting on one of the chairs in the kitchen, while starring at the wall. He wondered how much time he had spent in there.
Just when he was standing up to make tea, Raph entered in the kitchen. He looked even paler and more greyish than the previous night. Seeing his brother like that made Leo's heart tightening.
"Hey, zup?"
"H-hello! I'm fine." Leo bit his tongue before he could say what he really thought about Raph's look and said instead "How did you sleep? You looked really tired last evening"
"Like a rock." He rubbed the back of his head "Sorry for leaving you guys early"
Raphael was sorry? This must not be good.
"I saw Casey leaving your room before." Leo cursed himself for saying it. He ruined everything, Raph was surely going to close himself up again.
To his surprise, his brother only staid still and his skin became even paler. "Y-yeah, Casey wasn't feeling too good. He was totally wasted last night and asked me to crush here…I guess he was too scared for April's lecture, eheh."
Raph definetly needs some lessons from Mikey on how to lie properly.
He put a hand on Raph's shoulder: "Raph, I know you're lying. Just tell me truth. I know you're suffering, but I can't help you if you keep rejecting me."
"And what if I don't need any help, uh?" Raph shouted with anger " Stop being behind my back every day of my useless fucking life!"
"Please, I'm your family. If you don't want my help at least talk to Master Splinter or any of our brothers. We just want you to be happy."
The hot head looked his brother right in his eyes and breathed heavily, not knowing what to do. He knew he was sick for this whole affair with Casey, but could he really trust Leo? What could he possibly loose?
Raph was desperate after all, somebody's help could be really useful. Even if he was from his lame big brother.
"Do you promise me not to tell a word of what I'm going to reveal to you?"
Leo didn't know if he could promise such a thing. Their sensei, who was like a father to the turtles, had the right to know what his son's troubles. But the sick look on Raph's face made him change his mind. His brother needed him right now, he was ready to do anything for him.
"I promise. I care a lot about you, probably more than you think."
Raph widened his eyes for a brief moment , but he tried to compose himself and not to show his emotions. He took a deep a deep beath (Though, it sounded more like a rantle to Leo) and started telling what was going on between him and his best friend.
Raph told everything to his big brother, even the nights alone with Casey, how it started, how Casey promised him to ditch April for him…
Leo couldn't do anything but listen. In those few brief neverending minutes of revelation, all the words faded from his made sense now. He finally knew why his younger brother had that weird behaviour in these months.
When Raph stopped there was nothing but silence.
"I..I..You..What..?" Leo tried to speak coherently, but the news shocked him. After a minute, he could only say "Why?"
Raph staid siletly for a bit but then he just whispered loudly enough to be heard "Because I thought he loved me as much as I love him."
The blue clad turtle couldn't believe what he just heard. His hot head-ed borther was in love with someone. Not just someone. With Casey. His best friend, already engaged with his other best friend: April.
How was he supposed to help Raph in this situation?
"So what are you going to do?"
Silence.
Leo sighed and lowed his head a bit.
"Ok, but at least answer to this question: do you think you will happy if Casey officially breaks up with April?"
Raph turn his head to the side, avoiding his brother's stare. He was trying to hide it, but the leader noticed a tear escaping from his right eye.
The only thing Raph was able to choke after few moments was a single feeble…
"No."
A/N Aahahahahah I'm not dead and surely I still have a lot of ideas for this story. I'm sorry for letting you wait so much, but this year was a hell of a year. I hope next one will be better and less stressful.
Welp here it is. Chapter 4…I feel I could have done so much better. (Especially the beginning)
Please, tell me what you think of this chapter (I appreciates honest opinions)
