I haven't posted for this one for a few days, I'm sorry.
But, I finished Freedom! Yay!
Raph looks over the city on the rooftop. He puts his hand to his arm. Donnie told him to take it easy, but he needs to see her. It's very important. Especially after what Leo said. He doesn't see any blood on the bandage, so he keeps going. He finds CHloe's roof and climbs down her fire escape. He knocks on the window when she isn't outside.
After a moment, the window opens. She peeks her blonde head out, but doesn't se him. "Up here." She looks to the platform right above her head.
"Hey," she says. Raph decides it is dark enough that she can't see him so he leaps over the side and lands next to her, barely rattling the metal. He still groans at the pull it made on his arm. "What happened?" She has him sit on the window sill. She eyes the white bandage on his arm. She touches the covering and hears him wince. "Sorry."
"My.. team. We finished our mission. But not without a few bruises to show for it."
"You were the ones that attacked TCRI, aren't you?" CHloe asks. Raph doesn't hesitate to nod.
"They were bad, Chloe. DOing things that aren't right."
"Okay, I trust you." Chloe sits back and stares at Raph. "I trust you, yet I have no clue to who you are. Seriously, you save me and come to my window. I don't have a clue."
Raph looks at her and contemplates whether to tell her. THat he's one of the guys that she was mad at. 'Is she still holding a grudge from me? Or is that gone, like the one on Leo is?'
"Can't I know something? I only know you as my hero. What's something about you that isn't in that description."
"What do you mean?" Raph asks, using the ever constant change in his voice when speaking.
"Like.. something that makes you a person."
"Oh. ..I.." Raph tries to find something about him she may not know. "I play guitar sometimes."
"That is a good start."
"Start?"
"Yeah. I mean. I want to know more about you if we are going to keep meeting." Raph stands up.
"We may meet in a different circumstance," he comments. He climbs back up. Chloe thinks about the last night they saw each other and stands up too.
"One more thing?" Raph stops and looks back.
"Yes?"
"Why did you kiss me?"
"..I didn't think I was coming back and wanted to do it at least once." He finishes his ascent and starts running before she thinks of another question. 'Really? You know that isn't it! You knew, you trusted Leo's plan Raph!' He lectures himself, 'You wanted to, yes.' But thinking back, Raph realizes how selfish he was.
He didn't tell his brother he was sneaking out to see her, with her not knowing who he is. And he didn't tell Leo about the kiss. 'I should tell him. He's friends with her now, so he'll be okay with it.' Raph runs the rest of the way home, trying to clear his head.
Raph decided to tell Leo in the morning. He wakes up and it is Saturday. He doesn't even change out of his pj's and walks out his door. Leo is up already. But he's completely dressed in something that he wouldn't train in. Raph shakes the strangeness of it and walks down to his brother. 'Leo won't be training for a while. His leg remember?' Leo is hurriedly eating at the counter. "Hey Leo, I need to talk ta you about somethin'."
"Can it wait? Chloe's going to be here any minute."
"C-Chloe?" Raph chokes out.
"Yeah, she offered to drive me to the soccer meet. She needs to get there early."
"So, you are there for support?"
"Yeah, it isn't a date. Can you help me with my crutches?" Leo asks, wincing at the last word.
Raph sighs, "Don't worry dude, these'll be gone before you know it." Raph picks them up and Leo stands with them. "But this is serious, Leo. I have to tell you-"
Beep beep!
"That's Chloe! I gotta go Raph, talk later, I promise." Leo walks out the door to see the silver coop.
"Hi," Chloe says as she pushes the door open. Leo sits down and brings the crutches in with him.
"Hey," he says back. She's in her soccer outfit, viking colored top and shorts. "I see you are ready to represent your new school."
"You have school spirit too, Viking." Leo looks at his shirt. It's a jersey a friend got him for football.
"Go vikings!" He shrugs. Chloe pulls out of the driveway. Raph is watching from the window.
"How does he do it? He's okay with just being her friend. I don't get it." He turns away and sees his father walk out of the dojo. "Master Yoshi? Could I ask you something?"
"Yes." Yoshi sets down his tea.
"Um, say, there was a.. pigeon," Raph cringes, "I mean a hawk. Two hawks, actually. And there is a, dove."
"Hm, interesting. Go on."
"The hawks, want to be near the dove. But the dove doesn't want to. One, pretends to be a falcon. The dove likes the falcon/hawk, but doesn't know what it truly is. The hawk wants to be itself by the dove, but doesn't want to risk losing its company."
"Hmm.. what does the other hawk do?"
"It lets the dove come on its own terms, in a way," Raph answers, "The pretending hawk sees that the other one is happy, but feels that he himself is having more time with the dove."
"But only when he is pretending."
"Yes, sensei."
"Hmm.. does the hawk that is not pretending know what the other is doing?"
Raph sighs and bows his head. "No, sensei.."
"Let us sit down." They walk to the couch and Raph crosses his legs on a cushion. "If I am correct, you are the pretending hawk, Leo is the other hawk, and Chloe is the dove?"
"Correct."
"My son, how have you been pretending?"
"I.. One time I saved Chloe from a mugging. Before we went on the mission. I made sure she got home alright. She didn't know it was me. I kept to the shadows and I had my mask on. But I kept going back, in my Ninja Turtle gear. So.. she doesn't know it is me."
"You think you are farther than Leo?"
"Leo is okay with being friends. But Chloe looks at.. the ninja she thinks she knows and wants to know who's behind the mask. But I can't tell her. She knows I have a team and that would jeapordize everything."
"Did.. anything happen between you two?" Yoshi asks.
".. The night before the mission.. I kissed her," Raph admits, "I didn't think. Yet I didn't take it back."
"This is quite a problem, Raphael."
"I know."
"What do you suggest you do?"
"I'm going to tell Leo about everything when he gets back, and.. should I stop going to her house?"
"That would be wise. But do not be ready to tell her just yet. Unless it is time someone else knew about our secret."
So, what do you guys think? On all of it. Or, as much as you want to talk about.