Leo hugged his knees, looking out at the starry sky.
"You've been out here for hours. It's freezing, Leo." Donnie approached him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"How can I go in there?" He whispered. "I can't. Knowing..."
"Listen to me. This won't last forever. They'll either forgive each other, or kill each other. Which one would you prefer?" Donnie sat down.
"I want things to go back to the way they were before."
"But there's no turning back now..." Donnie said softly.
Leo nodded. "Donnie, what are we gonna do?"
"There's not much we can do." He responded. "Except be there for them, both of them, whenvever they need us. They won't put up a strong front forever. One of them is gonna break."
"Donnie. This weekend? Anything going on?" Leo asked suddenly.
"No... why?"
"I have an idea."
Days had passed since the dinner fiasco, and things seemed okay. Raph and Mikey avoided each other at any cost, but they weren't hostile if the others were around. Both silently agreed that what happened at the kitchen would not happen again. They could hate each other as much as they wanted, but they were not going to fight like that again.
Mikey went to the bathroom to get a drink, passing Raph. "I hate you," he said casually, entering the room, like he did so often.
"Good to know, jerk." Raph muttered. Mikey came out of the bathroom.
"Know what? Donnie is way funner to hang out with than you."
"'Funner' isn't even a word, dufus. And maybe he is. Boring."
"Well, at least Donnie didn't choose his stupid brain over me."
Raph flailed his arms in frustration. "You don't know what I was going through!"
"I don't? Don't you think I was upset about Leo too?"
"It wasn't that. Know what? Forget it. I'm going to bed."
"Forever?" Mikey asked sarcastically.
"If it'll get you off my back for once, sure." Raph stalked back to his room.
"One question..."
"WHAT."
"You ever think about moving out, Raphie?" Mikey asked, annoyed.
"Actually YES. But Guess WHAT? Apparently," he laughed a little, "Apparently there are other people who want me here. So I have to stay."
"Well, I don't want you here."
Raph rolled his eyes. "I know that! But looks like you're the only one. So go to bed, little baby!"
"G'night! Hate you!"
"Good night, jerk!"
Mikey silently wondered why Raph never said he hated him. He sure acted like it! He frowned to himself, heading back to his room, passing a mirror. He stopped in his tracks. Whoa. He looked like he'd escaped an insane asylum. His mask was improperly tied, his eyes were bloodshot, he was dirty, and he had bags under his eyes. "B-But I've been sleeping.." He touched his face, still shocked. What have I become? He ran his shaking fingers over the bruise on his cheek, nearly hyperventaliting, tears falling. Flashbacks of all the horrible thigns he had said to his brother. He slid down the wall in a sobbing heap. This isn't me. I've wasted so much time being mad over nothing. I lost myself. Who am I?
Raph looked out the window, sighing. He hates me. After all I've done for him.
When those dang Squirrelanoids were drowning him? Oh, I saved him. He shut the curtain. When Tiger Claw beat the stuffing out of him? I was right there. Right there! I carried him home MYSELF. I took care of him. He looked at the door, the hall light shining underneath of it. And just because I said we can't hang out, he turned it in to World War III. Well, he started the war. So I'm gonna finish it.