Afterglow - Chapter 7

Rated : T

Chapter Summary: Raph and April learn the joys of showering together. Fluff ensues.


A little correction from last chapter - it was a midterm she was working on for Fall Semester. I didn't want to bypass the Halloween themed chapter coming up with a error in the timeline. Sorry about that. :-) Happy reading, y'all.


Languidly stretching across cool navy blue sheets as the heat from the sunlight filtering through the window dancing across her skin, April was certain there was no better way to start the morning.

Rolling over slightly to curl up next to her boyfriend, she realized she'd spoken too soon.

The contrasting warmth from the light and the coolness of his bare skin against the warm expanse of her own felt like paradise. It incited intimate memories from the night before...

Last night was wonderful.

April was certain when she woke up this morning after they proceeded to make love, not only once, but twice, she expected all hell to break loose between her legs much like the first time. To say the least, she was pleasantly surprised to find barely a hint of soreness when she rolled out of bed this morning. It made getting up at the crack of dawn to finish her paper before climbing back into warm sheets with her favorite terrapin much easier.

Taking a quick glance at the clock, she sadly realized that all good things must come to an end. The bright green blinking 10:30 signaled that her class started in two hours and her father would be returning home soon.

Pursing pink lips, she gingerly traced the lightening shaped crack on his plastron. She'd always wanted to ask how he'd gotten the trademark crack, but never was certain if it would be something Raphael would willingly talk about. Blue eyes lifting to his serene face, April smiled, the rapturous feelings from the previous night rising to the surface as she leaned over and kissed his face. While it may be time to get up and get ready for the day, she sure as hell planned to make the most of it.

...Raphael instantly became aware of three things as he tried in vain to wake up.

First was the sun filtering through the room and upon his cold-blooded skin. Used to spending nearly your whole life underneath the ground in dank dark sewers to waking up in an apartment with the sun on your face was a moment you never took for granted. While him and his brothers enjoyed the heat lamps Donatello created, the artificial light had nothing on reality. The sun's rays seeped into your body and warmed you in a way those flickering blue lights never could. Sadly, now that he had it, he was going to have a fucking hard time waking up anywhere else.

Second thing he'd noticed was the press of a warm body curled against his side. While him and April slept in the same bed regularly only months into their relationship, there was something about waking up with the person you made love to the night before. It was an intimate moment only lovers share and he still couldn't fuckin' believe how good it felt to be with her. Not only the sexual relationship, just the fact that this beautiful girl who could have anyone she wanted chose a hotheaded freaking mutant turtle. An involuntary rise of his lips brought upon the first awareness of the loss of the grasp of sleep.

Eyes flickering when the third sensation flooded his system. The press of her lips on him. That feathery soft mouth brushing so lovingly upon his thick reptilian skin brought him nearly to full consciousness. His eyes cracked open to witness his redheaded girlfriend kissing along his plastron, stroking thin fingers along the lightening shaped fissure.

"Morning." he grunted, running a hand along her bare shoulder, savoring the feel of smooth skin underneath his calloused digits.

"Hmm. Good morning." April asked, lifting her self up to press a sweet kiss upon his lips while resting her upper body upon his thick chest plates. "...How'd you sleep?"

"Like a freakin' baby." He chuckled, the vibration of that deep chested laugh making her skin prickle excitedly. "What about you?"

"Great... Best sleep I've had in a loooong time." April giggled, pressing her face in the concave of his throat.

"You're welcome." Raph replied only to get thwacked on his plastron.

"Such a cocky ass..." April laughed, running her nose along his pulse point.

"Yeah, cocky sounds about right." Raph agreed cheekily, a devilish smirk tipping up the corners of his mouth while his hands busied themselves with re-learning her body strictly through touch.

"Ugh... What am I gonna go with you?"

"I dunno - I may have a few ideas..." he growled, cupping her ass, which to his disappointment was now covered with her bright pink pajama pants.

"Mmm..." April agreed, throwing her thin arms around his thickly corded neck. "You're so bad sometimes..."

"Hrn. I'll show you bad." he said, lifting her face up with a thick digit before eagerly kissing those soft pink lips. Encouraged by her soft moaning at his actions, roving over her body, silently planning to slip a hand over her ass and between her thighs.

All of a sudden, April pulled away.

Raph opened in eyes in pure confusion, the desire that began pulling in his groin swiftly disappeared as April grasped his hand and tried to encourage him to sit up.

What the hell? The only thought roaming through Raph's lust clouded mind.

"C'mon. Let's go shower." April said happily, quickly giving up on pulling up the nearly 400 pound terrapin before heading over to the adjoining bathroom instead.

Raph could do nothing but stare at the pretty redhead, who stood over in the bathroom doorway and looked back at him in anticipation. Suddenly and without warning, April pulled her thin camisole over her head and kicked off her pants, leaving her completely bare to his stunned, slack-jawed gaze. Swallowing the sudden lump clogging his throat, Raphael was sure his heart stopped dead in his heaving chest. Sure, he'd seen his girlfriend naked before, but never in this much natural light. Her skin was glowing and every womanly curve contrasted beautifully with the dark shower curtain behind her. He was certain he was drooling but really couldn't care less at this point.

"Raph, I'm getting cold over here. Let's go. What are you waiting for?" April asked, placing dainty hands on her flared naked hips. Having to suppress a smile at his expression, eyes bulged and his pupils mere pinpricks, she sauntered over to the bed, where Raph had still yet to move, reaching over to grasp his hand again. "Come on, babe, I wanna see you all wet..." she chuckled, leaning over to kiss his flushed red cheek.

"...Wait. What?" He asked, suddenly aware of what she was asking him rather than her enticing view of her gorgeous naked body.

"We're showering. I need to get ready for class, but doesn't mean we don't have time to shower together first."

"April, how the hell am I supposed to fit in there? You do realize I'm a freaking huge mutant turtle, right?" Raph asked, finally pulling himself up to sit on the edge of the bed.

"No, I didn't notice, Raph..." April muttered sarcastically, pretty blue eyes rolling as she returned back to the bathroom leaving a stunned Raph to stare at her sparsely-freckled ass as she went. "Now, come on ya big lug. You'll fit. Listen, I have to go to class soon and you need to get your cute butt out of here before my dad comes back home. And I don't know about you, but I don't think you really wanna home to your three brothers and father smelling like sweat and sex, do you?"

That comment got the terrapin moving. Standing to his sluggish legs, he walked the distance over to her bathroom, scratching the back of his head as he went. He quickly scanned over the surface of her bathroom, realizing for perhaps the first time just how big he felt in it. While he showered at her place a few times, it was always alone and was even cramped then. He had no idea how in hell this was even going to work, but he couldn't say no when April looked at him like that.

"You alright over there, big guy?" April asked softly, bending over the tub to move some items to higher shelves so they could be in easy reach during their shower.

Oh, hell, yeah... Raph thought, nearly choking on his own spit when he took in her current positioning.

"Y-Yeah." he replied, clearing his throat before turning away from the enticing scene before he embarrassed himself.

"Come on! You're not thinking about backing out now, are you?" April said, carefully stepping in the tub before holding a hand out in encouragement for the green-eyed terrapin to join her.

With little hesitation, he stepped into the white porcelain tub, watching with a dry mouth as April brushed temptingly alongside him in order to close the curtain. He stumbled around awkwardly, figuring out the best way to position his massive feet in the narrow space without stepping on April's dainty toes. Once closed, April turned on the tap, instantly showering both of them with a spray of cleansing warm water. His view of April's back, consistently taking in every movement - soapy hands roaming lithe arms and fingers through drenched shoulder length sun-kissed red hair. His eyes followed every drip of water cascading down her pearly white skin; memorizing the constellations of cinnamon freckles speckled all over that gorgeous canvas.

"Wow. You're unusually quiet back there." April laughed, the airy sound prickling pleasantly through his plastron.

"Heh. Eh, just thinking."

"Don't hurt yourself now." April grinned, looking back and smiling him over her thin shoulder.

"Hardy Har-har. Very funny, O'Neil" Raph replied, not being able to contain the smirk creasing the edges of his lips.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and scrub my back?" she asked, handing him a bar of soap.

The corners of his mouth lifting in a devilish smirk, he closed the space between them. Placing large hands to cup those gorgeous naked hips, his plastron pressed firmly against her warm smooth back. He chuckled deep in his chest, head sliding easily against the curve of her shoulder to press against the side of her neck. "I don't know, April... What's in it for me?" Raph groaned, lips brushing sensually along her ear lobe.

"I'll be sure to return the favor." April replied, pressing deeper into his chest.

"Interesting offer, but frankly I don't think that'll be enough to warrant my masterful massage services."

"Hmm..." The pretty redhead gathered, tapping her index finger on her chin in mock thought, allowing her head to roll against his wide shoulder. "...How about... I wash all of you?" she continued suddenly, turning her head to the side to kiss the corner of his mouth.

"Sounds pretty tempting." he replied, having to calm his breathing when he saw her biting her bottom lip and giving him a sexy smirk. "Alright. Ya drive a hard bargain, O'Neil, but ya broke me."

"Awesome. Shake on it?" she asked in a chipper tone, quickly turning the rest of the way around to shake his hand.

Raph just humored her by shaking it back.

April quickly spun back around, brushing her hair over to one shoulder to expose her back to his expert administrations. She mewled under his care, loving the feel of his calloused hands against her wet skin. After a few moments, he began exploring her body a bit more, testing the limits as his hands wrapped over her stomach, but was halted as he started to roam higher. Blue eyes met him over a freckled shoulder. He witnessed the apology in her eyes for stopping him but knew it was for the best because the longer he was in here with her, the more his self-control continued to waver.

The green-eyed terrapin gave her a tight smile, pulling his hands away and began scooping water to wash the soap from her skin.

Can't let the shower head have all the fun...

"Thanks." April chuckled, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Now it's my turn!" she said, smiling cheekily before pulling out a huge bottle of pink body wash from the shelf.

"Oh, hell, no." he growled at the huge bottle of strawberry scented bodywash. Scowling menacingly at the demented character mocking him from the bright pink atrocity in April's small hands.

"Oh, hell, YES. Don't forget - we shook on it."

"...Seriously, April?"

"Aw, come on... What's so bad about smelling like me?"

"The fact that I'm a freakin' male!" he growled, his voice louder than he expected.

"Aww, Raph. Please? I thought we had a deal." April said, eyes wide and doe like.

Staring her down hoping she'd break, he was sadly mistaken as her wide eyes and pout eventually made him give a terse nod in agreement. "Fine! But let's get this straight, O'Neil. You owe me BIG TIME... That is if I don't kill myself once my bros are through mocking me for the rest of eternity."

"Oh my gosh, you're so melodramatic, just turn around." April huffed.

Giving her once more longing look at her - hoping and praying she'd have mercy upon him, he turned around - knowing a ninja always kept their word no matter the consequences. He faced the back wall of the shower, looking at his distorted reflection facing him in the white tiles before closing his eyes and diving headfirst into his strawberry fate.

Smiling at his turned back, April deftly replaced the bottle wash with a green bottle from a lower mantle instead, opening it, before pouring a generous amount over the expanse of his shell. Using her hands to rove over his carapace in intrigue. This wasn't a part of her boyfriend that was much explored; I mean, it wasn't particularly sensitive and she mostly found herself perched atop of it to annoy him, but it wasn't as intimate as washing it. This was a completely new territory; she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to push more boundaries.

Trying to ignore the scent around him, Raphael concentrated on the feel of those tiny hands running up and down his carapace. He especially enjoyed the scrape of her fingernails along the scutes, which made a pleasant tingle inch his way up his spine. Raph took a cautionary sniff around him expecting an overdose of girly body soap. The steam from the hot water pouring over both of them dulled his senses, but strawberry was an easy one to pick up. As much as he loved the bright red fruit, he had a certain hate for it right now but knew it was better for April to dole out this punishment rather than face her wrath later on. He sniffed the air again, expecting to smell sickly sweet strawberry syrup to attack his senses, but instead, a fresh, clean earthy smell invaded his nostrils instead.

Confused why he didn't smell like the syrup caddy from a pancake house, Raph glanced over at her over the expanse of a thickly muscled shoulder. He watched as she ran her small soapy hands along the edges of his shell before meeting his eyes with a warm smile gracing her face.

"You didn't use the strawberry one?" Raph asked in astonishment, scanning her eyes for a motive of some kind.

"You don't trust me? Oh, Raphael - I wouldn't do that to you." she said by way of explanation, rubbing a sudsy dab of the Irish Spring body wash on his snout. "As fun as it may be, I prefer just getting under your shell sometimes."

"Now I feel like a total ass. I was preparing to put a rubber spider in your slippers." he grumbled, wiping the suds from his face.

"You wouldn't do that if you value your life." she said seriously, giving him a glare that would easily rival one of his own.

"I'll keep that in mind..." he chuckled nervously as she went back to her task at hand.

Squirting another glob of Irish Spring into her hand, April cheekily twirled her finger. Raph just rolled his eyes before turning around to face her. They remained quiet as the redhead soaped up his body, running thin fingers over the expanse of the body armor of his plastron and the more sensitive scales on his sides and between his legs. When she glided easily over to thickly muscled shoulders, her lips quirked up involuntarily at feeling those gorgeous muscles underneath her much smaller hands. She didn't much care if it was some girly fulfillment fantasy, she knew one of the first things that physically attracted her to him in particular at first was seeing all this gorgeous musculature in action. While his brothers were also quite built, they didn't hold a candle to Raphael. His shoulders, biceps, thighs... She swore she nearly swooned. Not being able to help herself, once the soap as washed away, she gave the rock-hard arm a squeeze loving how there was no give to the thick corded muscle.

Placing her hands on each of his shoulders, she leaned forward to kiss him. Squealing when he grasped her tightly, closing up the space between them. He returned her kiss with vigor. The slightly cooling water hitting their bodies not quenching their desire in the least. April pulled away quickly, placing her fingers over his lips.

"Sorry. As much as I want to, I gotta take a raincheck."

"Tease." he grumbled, his tongue flicking her retreating fingers.

"You're so cute when you get all huffy." April giggled, grabbing a bottle of shampoo before proceeding to wash her hair. As she worked the suds into her hair, two more much larger hands joined her. She met Raphael's eyes, removing her own hands and allowing him to wash her hair. "Having fun?"

"You're hair's much funner to play with when it's dry."

"So picky..." April replied, poking him on his plastron. She grabbed the bar of soap to finish washing herself while Raphael continued massaging the soap into her scalp. Washing the residual soap from her body, she pulled away from his hands to get more fully underneath the shower head, before washing the shampoo from her hair. "Alright, I'm all done. Want me to leave so you can fully wash yourself?"

"Nah. I'm good. If my free peep show is over, I might as well get out too." he replied with a smirk and a shrug.

"You're such a perv." she giggled, turning off the faucet as he opened the curtain. Once both were dry and April was getting dressed, both teenagers jumped when Kirby's voice suddenly rung out from the other room.

"April! I'm back early! You here?" Mr. O'Neil asked from outside her locked door.

"Yeah, dad! I just got out of the shower and was getting ready for school! How was your trip?" she replied quickly, expertly keeping the rising panic out of her voice.

While April and her dad conversed through the doorway, Raph was silently thanking God for the insight to put all of his equipment in April's room the night before. He didn't even want to think about the awkward conversation of having to retrieve all of his padding, weapons and belt from the living room. With only the quiet and stealth of a ninja could, he gathered his belongings, put them on and was headed toward her bedroom window. There wasn't a fire escape but he could manage.

Before he could jump, he felt a warm hand on the middle of his shell. He turned around only to have April grasp his face and kiss him within an inch of his life. The shock almost sent him tumbling out the window if he didn't have such a good grasp of the side panels. She pulled away only to feel the familiar weight of the mask tied back on his face.

"Oops. Thanks." he whispered.

"See you later?" April asked, smoothing her palm over his cheek.

"Count on it." he replied with a tilt of his head, leaning forward to kiss her once more, before disappearing out of the window.