A/N: You get something longer this time :3

Prompt: Crime
Day: January 13th
Pairing: Raph/Mikey
Series: TMNT 2012

Mikey giggled in glee, trying to stifle the sound behind a fist. This was glorious! He had found it! The secret stash! Now he just needed to get them to his room. He shuffled backwards, trying to get out of the small space between the refrigerator and the wall, only to find out he was stuck.

"Shit!", he cursed inwardly, "If Leo finds me now I'll be dead meat." He whined a little as he heard his shell scrap against the wall. And then... he strained his ears. Nonononono! "Just what are you doing?", he heard Raph's voice coming from behind him. "Nothing", he said, now feeling heat rising in his face.

Raph smirked as he saw Mikey wiggle his little ass a bit, trying hard to get out of the trap. He certainly enjoyed the view and took a step closer. "Man Mikey", he breathed out, "never knew you like that tea enough to steal it from Fearless." He heard Mikey grunt: "Please don't tell him. Please Raph!" Red just chuckled.

"And what do I get? Leo'd kill ya if he finds out what 'crime' you committed and I don't think I want to miss the show." Suddenly the struggling stopped. "Fine", Michelangelo gritted out, "but don't expect me to help you any time soon."

He felt anger rising and spreading through his whole being. He felt hurt, why couldn't Raph just help him without profit?! Was it that hard to lend a hand when he needed it? The younger one had always helped him, always, even after he had punched him until he was black and blue. Until he'd hurt all over. And he still helped.

But if Raph didn't want to help him out of his misery, fine. Then he could just go. He didn't need somebody near him that... that... had kissed him for the past week and made him feel special, that...

He choked back a sob. Was Raph just playing with him? Was he just entertainment as always? Fueled by anger he pushed especially hard and came stumbling back, regaining his posture, tea in a white knuckled grip. He took a deep shaky breath. Even he had his limits when it came to friendliness.

Raph on the other hand was surprised. It wasn't Mikey's normal behavior when it came to his teasing. He normally just begged and played along. But... maybe he didn't get that he was teasing! Only as Raph wanted to apologize to the orange clad ninja, he noticed that Mikey was long gone.

He sprinted to his brother's room, knocking at the door.

Nothing.

As he tried to open it, he found himself unable to do so.

"Mikey come on. Open the door", he said.

Still nothing.

"Please", he tried.

As he got no answer Raphael got anxious. That wasn't like Mikey at all. The one he knew was forgiving and gladly accepting his half hearted apologies. But it seemed that this was a face of Mikey that he hadn't seen before. And it was scary, he had to admit, that Mikey could hold grunge. That Mikey was so much deeper than smiles and pranks. That he maybe really hurt his feelings.

"I'm sorry, ya hear?! Please open the door. Yer scaring me Mike!" He pleaded for a few minutes and as his calls still weren't answered, he slid down on the floor, his shell against the door. It was late and his little brother had already eaten. He could stay in there for the whole night if he wanted.

He was so used to push him around from old times. But those were old times and things had changed. He wanted more from Mikey, but what? He... wanted to feel the acceptance that was always radiating offa him. He wanted to be close to him. He wanted Mikey to like him. To understand him. To... love him.

He gasped.

He wanted to be loved by him. What if Mikey felt the same way. God what if Mikey wanted the same things. He shouldn't have teased him, he should have just helped. And now Mikey was angry with him.

The younger one laid on the bed, his face buried in his pillow. Maybe Raph wasn't the one. Maybe his heart had made a mistake. Raph would never treat him different. He would always be the one receiving the blows. He would always fucking be the little brother that could be used as a punching bag.

It was good that he had stolen Leo's tea. He stood up and set up the water boiler in one corner of his room, filling it with the water of the bottle besides it. As he waited he read the label. 'Sleeping Aid Tea'.

"Makes nightmares and sleepless nights go away", he chanted.

As he saw the steam creeping out he turned it off, putting a spoonful of the mixture in it and waited for five minutes. He... he couldn't consider the thing he had with Raph serious anymore (was it ever serious?).

He inhaled the smell, already calming down. He used it often, that's why Leo hid it. Unfortunately his eldest brother didn't know that he needed it. It wasn't that easy for him. To get over all the things happening around him. He was still young and all the traumatic things that occurred left damage.

He had had horribly nightmares ever since his brothers were wounded the first time. He saw images of all the mutant and monster that he knew were here. And all the ones he didn't know where there. The Shredder. Karai. A trap. Death. A destroyed lair.

All the stress wore him down at night, leaving him restless and scared. His eldest brother could meditate to get his nerves to calm down. He was much better at it than his other brothers. Donnie would drown himself in work, forgetting the events of the previous day. Raph would lash out and often had used him for that.

But he himself? He couldn't do anything, was exoected to be the sunshine. Was expected to forget that things happened the way they did. Wasn't supposed to over think things.

But he did, and it was gruesome. Sometimes he couldn't even close his eyes, the images almost seemed to be burned inside his lids. And Raphael had chased away all the bad dreams and sleepless nights, only to be left alone again.

He took a sip from the extra big cup, settling back into bed. Suck it up, he told himself. He swallowed down the whole cub as fast as possible, almost burning his tongue. It was quiet, so he figured that Raph couldn't probably give less and went to sleep. The liquid was already taking his effect, as the mutant sat the cup down and covered himself in his blanket, a few seconds later blacking out.

After all, this was the good stuff…

Mikey awoke screaming, shuffling back to the end of his bed. Tears were again streaming down his face. He shuddered as he heard banging on his door. It was just another nightmare. He was still dreaming. He was sure, he was still dreaming. His breath came in heavy puffs of air leaving his lungs.

"Mikey, are you okay?!", the voice was muffled trough the door, the thick wood almost silencing it. Raphael. "Goddamn Michelangelo! If ya don't open dis damn door right now I'll break this shit down." His big brother was here, to chase away the bad dreams. To get his hopes up. And to let him fall into cold water again.

"No."

It was silent for a few seconds, his hard breaths and the heavy thudding of his heartbeat in his ears.

"Why were you screaming?", Red asked gently as Orange still fought his tears. He looked at his clock. The red numbers showed 2:46. Slowly he turned his head back, afraid of the darkness that had his whole room filled. A metallic clang startled him, his head snapping into the direction of the door. It was still pitch-black. He whimpered and jerked back as he felt a touch on both his shoulders.

"Hey, hey shhh. Calm down Mikey, it's only me." And then Michelangelo just let go, sobbing into his brothers shoulder as pulled him into his embrace. The sobs rocked his body and he just wanted to sleep, his brain to tired to fully function. He clawed at Raphael's shell until his fingers were raw.

His brother tried to reassure him that everything was alright. Oh but he didn't know, couldn't feel the horror as suddenly there were all their enemies standing behind him, ready to attack. And somehow, Michelangelo managed to go back to sleep, Raphael keeping watch at his bed.

But even in his dreamless sleep his thoughts wouldn't die down, screaming at him what a moron he was to allow his brother this close again. This wasn't over, he decided. Raphael and him needed to talk. He needed to make sure that his brother understood what he had done to him. How this simple phrase had hurt him so bad yet again. He needed to make sure that there were some things said, in order to make this work.

But right now, he needed just sleep.