Part 8
Author's Note: After consideration, I decided to post certain chapters after deciding to edit out the content above an R rating. If you would like to read the complete story, please visit my livejournal. The link is on my profile page.
Lost and knowing he was probably going in circles, Raphael dragged his feet through the leaves, one hand clamped over the carvings in his shoulder. They'd stopped bleeding hours ago but throbbed in time with his heartbeat. He climbed over a toppled tree trunk, closing his eyes as he stumbled forward a few more steps. He'd been caught and released twice, but that had been hours ago. How long had he been running? The sinking sun might have told him, but he was too tired to look.
Why was he running anyway? Leonardo had carved the second half of his name already. What else would he cut? If Raphael lost their fights often enough, would he go home covered in raised scars? His foot caught on a raised tree root and he fell to his knees with a groan. That was it. He couldn't go any further. His arms refused to move, his legs refused to stand. Was he still alone? He looked around and saw nothing but trees and the soft afternoon glow.
"I know yer out there!" he yelled at the empty woods, dragging in every mouthful of air. "I know yer watching!"
Nothing. His voice died on the wind and he coughed, bending forward slightly as he caught his breath. Now that he'd stopped, his entire body burned. He knew he must have run for hours, for miles. At least he knew Leonardo must have run as long as well. Even if his brother had moved a little slower, Leo had to be as tired as he was.
"Well? What's a matter?" He sat down completely, too tired to kneel anymore. His hand slipped from his shoulder and he let his head fall slightly. "Not so much fun when the mouse refuses to play anymore?"
Even a ninja couldn't walk silently over dry leaves. Raphael heard Leonardo come up behind him but he couldn't move and didn't bother to try. Tensing in anticipation, he winced when he felt the hand touch his shoulder, surprised it wasn't a knife instead. Leonardo's hand gently slid along his neck, stroking his skin and lightly running his fingers over his name in Raphael's skin.
"Even a tired mouse can be fun," he said.
Before Raphael could reply, Leonardo curled his fingers around his throat and slowly tightened, cutting off his air. Raphael put his hand over Leonardo's and tried to fight, but his fingers slid ineffectually off.
"You just can't help fighting back," Leonardo said softly, kneeling behind him, never loosening his grip. He leaned close and whispered in his ear. "I'm not finished with you yet."
The back of Raphael's head started to tingle for lack of oxygen. Although he trusted his brother, he still felt a rush of panic as Leonardo drew him backwards, setting him on the leaves. Only when Raphael lay on his shell, hands weakly pushing at the arm pressing on his throat and holding him down, did Leonardo ease up enough to let him breathe again. Raphael's chest heaved as he panted. Leonardo idly ran his thumb over his brother's throat, enjoying the feel of the muscles working under his hand.
"Power freak..." Raphael mumbled, still pushing against his brother's arm.
Watching him in fascination, Leonardo smiled with a tilt of his head. "You started it."
Weak as he was, Raphael found the strength to glare back. "Never carved ya up."
"No," Leonardo agreed. Not letting go of Raphael's throat, he leaned over him and stared into his eyes. "You put me on my knees. You've kept me on a leash and used me until I couldn't move."
Despite his predicament, Raphael half-grinned. "Yeah...you look good takin' orders."
Leonardo narrowed his eyes. "And you look good too weak to move. How's it feel to be the one in pain?"
The accusation stung all the more because Raphael knew he'd done worse to Leonardo the day before. "You never said no," he snapped in his defense. To his surprise, his reply made his brother relax again.
"Neither have you." Leonardo sat up again, taking his hand off Raphael's throat so he could see him better. "Wanna stop? You scared? "
The teasing note in Leonardo's voice only made Raphael snarl and want to fight, but he had to settle for turning his head aside and looking at the trees. Long shadows and the gold glow in the sky made the forest look like it stretched forever.
"Never 'fraid of you," he said. "An' I can't fight no more, so just cut me up and geddoffa me."
Leonardo's answering sigh sounded offended. "Raphael...there's more I want to do to you than just 'cut you up'. Don't you have any imagination?"
Doing his best to ignore him, Raphael frowned when he felt Leonardo sit up and scoot back several inches, sitting on his legs while holding his wrists in his hands. He forced his head up for a better view, but he only had a glimpse of his brother bending over him again. Raphael blinked. Leonardo had never done this without being forced before, would he really--?
[scene edited out
Utterly limp, mouth slack, eyes unfocused, Raphael slowly became aware that he was still on the ground. The sun hadn't moved at all but he felt like days had passed. A cool breeze that he hadn't noticed before blew over him, rustling the leaves around his face. Only after a few seconds when he tried to move did he notice that his brother was still on top of him.
"Feel better?" Leonardo asked with that damn smug smile Raphael always wanted to hit.
Of course his big brother looked calm and collected. That was his place in the family and it bugged Raphael that Leonardo wasn't out of breath, wasn't exhausted like he was. Stupid Leo always acting like he was so much better. And now that he'd let Raphael control him for awhile, of course Leo would try to wrest some of that control back.
Like hell.
"You're not gonna win tomorrow," Raphael promised. "I don't care what it takes. Tomorrow you're getting all this back ten times over. A hundred times over."
"We'll see." Leonardo stood, brushing leaves and dirt off of himself. "Like you said, a month is such a long time."
Raphael frowned. He thought Leonardo would get defensive, maybe fall back into their familiar script of the good son versus the hot head. Even stranger, he didn't follow up with another verbal attack aimed at his brother's insecurities. The argument didn't happen and as he sat up on his elbows watching him walk away, the lack of tension made him feel a little lightheaded. No vicious barbs and neither of them sulking for the rest of the day.
"You'd better come in and take a shower," Leonardo called over his shoulder. "And then it's your turn in the kitchen."
"Kitchen, right" Raphael muttered. A thought struck him and he looked up. "Wait, where's the house? I got turned around a while ago."
"Oh, that explains it," Leonardo said to himself, but Raphael still heard him.
When he didn't hear an answer, Raphael opened his mouth to demand one but as he sat up completely he saw the old silo just barely poking up from the trees. His mouth snapped shut and he grumbled to himself. No wonder Leonardo hadn't been out of breath. They were less than a mile away. He'd just been so frantic thinking his brother was going to slice him to bits...
He snarled and smacked the closest tree with his fist, but he couldn't put any force behind the strike and didn't even bruise his knuckles. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would see his brother just as frantic and out of control. He'd see Leonardo on the ground struggling, fighting not to beg. And he'd see him lose that fight.
Raphael smiled the whole way back.
tbc...
