**This Story Contains Tcest**
Pairings: Raphael/Donatello, Leonardo/Michelangelo, Raphael/Michelangelo, Michelangelo/Donatello, Leonardo/Donatello
Info: Alternate Universe, Royalty, Elemental Magic, Action/Adventure, Romance

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My loverly readers! I finally return with an update!
This chapter is more of an interlude though. The darn thing was getting way to long and I decided to split it. So, there's little plot movement here, that will come in the next part. I just wanted to get this thing updated, so all I can offer right now is some fluffy romantic tension as an apology for taking such a long break. Heart's to you all!

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Chapter Nine: Tiny Cracks of Light

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The sun was still hovering just below the horizon, but even that low light was enough to make the river glitter and shine. Raphael stood silent on the bank, wondering if it was the magic of the forest, or Donatello himself causing the effect.

The prince of water was standing on the surface of the river in only his loose pants, moving through an advanced kata, twirling a long wooden staff so expertly it may as well have been a part of his arm. The water was completely still under his feet as he moved, and as Raph watched hundreds of small droplets rose into the air to hover around him, moving with him as he executed each parry and thrust with perfect precision.

Like the night before, a small Sindifay was fluttering around Donatello, raptly watching his every move. The creature danced between the floating droplets, it's soft twitters almost song like as it dodged the whirling staff effortlessly.

Eventually the sun crested the tree line, making Raph squint as the light hit the hovering beads of water, casting pinpoints of rainbow color to flash across Donatello's olive-green skin, he was practically glowing in the misty haze that still clung to the surface of the river.

The scene was like a dream, and for a short moment Raphael couldn't help but doubt if Donatello was even real or just a figment of his imagination. He half expected to close his eyes, then open them again to find that the prince of water had dissolved into the mist surrounding him. It wouldn't be the first time.

He lost track of how long he stood there watching, blinking in surprise when Don reached the end of the kata and suddenly stopped moving. He held the final form for a long moment until the floating water dropped back into the river and he relaxed, only slightly out of breath. Then with one fluid movement he acknowledged Raphael with an unreadable look and gently tossed his staff onto the shore before sinking below the surface of the water, popping back up a second later to lie in the slow current, content to float. The Sindifay fluttered down and perched on his chest, twittering in a soothing way as he drifted.

Drawing on his questionable patience, Raphael waited. He'd spent all night thinking about the previous day's events and knew that he needed to talk to Don before Leo had a chance to get his hooks into him again. The only problem was, he was still trying to figure out what he was going to say.

Glancing over his shoulder he looked back at the tents lined up behind him. Mikey was still asleep, he was sure, and if Leo was awake, he'd made no sound yet.

He'd left Mikey to deal with Leo's little problem last night because the prince of earth was just plain better at it. He knew what to do and he knew how to do it quick. Leo would have fought with Raph until the sun came up if he had even dared to try so instead, he went to bed and tried to focus on finding a way to convince Don that it didn't matter what Leo had said.

Even if any of Leo's accusations were true, which Raph seriously doubted, they would have to find a way to deal with whatever came of it, because that's what the elemental spirits and the magic within them demanded.

Neither Leo or Mikey would admit to it, but he knew they felt it too. The separation they'd had to endure was killing them, slowly but surely. The weight of it crushing them little by little every single day, and if they continued to ignore it, it would eventually grind them to dust.

Maybe that was an overreaction, and sure, Raphael tended to be a little too fatalistic sometimes, but that didn't change the fact that if they didn't fix this now the consequences would be terrible, and if they couldn't find a way to come together then a lot of innocent people could get hurt.

Lost in those damning thoughts he almost didn't notice when Don swam back to the bank, rising slowly from the water where he stayed, knee deep, watching Raphael carefully while absently dispelling the wetness from his skin with small flicks of his fingers.

Before either of them could say anything, the tiny fay reappeared over Don's shoulder, leveling a black-eyed stare at Raph before it did a little twist in mid-air and softly chirped into Don's ear, waiting until he turned his head to nod in its direction before twirling away and disappearing back beneath the surface of the river.

Raphael was curious about the small thing, somehow sure that Sindifay had been the same one from the evening before. Most fay were nothing but aggravating little annoyances, but this one seemed to have attached itself to Donatello in a strange way. He'd never seen any of the sprites take such an active interest in a single person before. Everything about it was weird, least of all the fact that Don seemed to be able to understand it's grating little pips and twitters like it was speaking an actual language. He'd have to remember to ask about that later, but right now there were more important matters.

Don hadn't moved and the silence stretched between them until finally Raph sniffed and motioned with his head toward the tree line. "Walk with me."

Not waiting for a response, he turned and followed the bank upstream, confident that Don would follow even though he had no reason to be. But it seemed like a safe bet, one that paid off a moment later when he heard the swish of water and the soft crunch of dry leaves and dirt behind him.

For the first hundred yards Don stayed a step or two back, out of his line of sight. Raph resisted the urge to look at him and relied on his magic to tell him that the prince of water was still there. The fire pulsed in his veins, muting the smells and sounds of the forest around them and when Don finally moved up to walk beside him, their shoulders brushing lightly, it flared through him in a rush of heat.

Raph swallowed then cleared his throat, trying to focus, trying to understand why it was so damn hard for him to think whenever Donatello was so close.

"Did ya' sleep?" Raph asked, hoping that starting with a neutral question would help put Don at ease.

"A little. At least, I tried to." The water prince answered quietly. "Leonardo gave me a lot to think about."

Raph grimaced. Damn that blowhard and his need to stick his nose in everywhere it didn't belong. Quickly he stopped, turning to face Don as the prince pulled up with surprise.

"Listen, when Leo gets going, he can be pushy and… really annoying. Trust me, he and I have been buttin' heads for most of our lives. If ya' want my advice, just let him do his thing and don't push his buttons."

Don stared at him with an inquisitive look, like he was prying apart every single word he'd said, trying to find what he wasn't saying in the cracks.

"Don't push… because that's what you do?" Don said with understanding.

Caught by the obvious, Raph smirked. "All the time. Someone's gotta keep him honest."

Donatello smiled with a light laugh and for a second Raph was struck dumb, held in place by his dark honey-colored eyes. He was sure in that instant that those warm pools were going to be the death of him and resigned himself to accept that maybe they already were.

He sucked in a breath and started walking again. Don fell into place beside him, like it was second nature, and Raph couldn't help but feel like he belonged there. A series of images flashed through his mind, firelight in the dark shining on fractured stones that hid a sea of exuberant faces, movement and heat, and then a sudden cooling calm in the center of all of it and a peace unlike anything he had ever felt before in his life.

He wanted to feel that peace again so badly his fingers twitched, and he ended up curling his hands into fists to avoid wrapping them around Don and never letting go. He almost couldn't control the urge, but at the last second his heart took charge over his brain, and he blurted out the first thought that popped into his head.

"Are ya' gonna tell me why ya' were there that night?"

Raph bit his tongue as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He hadn't meant to immediately put Don on the spot like that. The prince of water stiffened beside him, a tense pause that lasted only a few seconds before he released a defeated sigh.

"I'm not sure I know how to answer that. I was there… because it was somewhere I had never been before."

"That's it?" Raph asked incredulously. There had to be more to it than that. "All by yourself? No guard or escort or anything? How does that even happen?"

"I know that makes it sound like I'm avoiding the question, but it is the truth. For the first time in my life, I was able to leave my home without anyone knowing who I was. It was a liberating freedom that I know I'll probably never be able to experience again."

There was a pleading edge to Don's voice and all at once Raph hated himself for questioning his motives in the same way Leo had done. The last thing he wanted was for Don to feel like he was being interrogated again so soon after what had happened the night before.

But still, Don's explanation was hard for him to understand. Raphael had no idea what that would even be like, moving through a crowd where not a single soul recognized his face. It was a concept as foreign to him as the lands beyond the sea and try as he might he just couldn't wrap his mind around it. Coming to a quick stop again, he looked at Don with bewilderment plain on his face.

"Okay so… explain this to me then, 'cause from where I'm standing it's just too much of a coincidence. The masquerade is our biggest celebration of the year and you just happened to be there on that night, by accident? I mean, you're hearin' yourself, right? You had to know it was happening and that I was gonna be there. It's all anyone can talk about most of the time. There's no way ya' just… 'Cause then when I… I mean, ya' can't ignore that what happened when we were…"

He was growing more and more confused with each word so he forced himself to stop, letting his arms fall to his sides in frustration as he failed to find the right thing to say, then he decided to try again with the first and most important question he could think to ask.

"Why did ya' run from me? You could've told me who ya' were."

For a long moment Donatello only looked at him. Raphael was aware of how petulant he sounded and tried to arrange his face into a neutral expression, knowing immediately that it was pointless. Don's gaze pierced right through him, seeing his hurt and discomfort clearly and he reeled from how quickly those intoxicating eyes stripped him bare.

He expected Don to get defensive, to maybe even get a little mad and snap at him, like he had at Leo. So, it caught him off guard when Donatello finally spoke, and his voice was low and soothing.

"I'm sorry, Raphael. I shouldn't have even been there at all. Attending the mask was a mistake and if I had told you my name it only would have led to questions I wasn't ready to answer."

What was that supposed to mean? Raph frowned, as a realization dawned on him suddenly. Donatello was traveling in secret, that was easy to guess. But why had he felt like he needed to hide from them? Because he didn't know what they would do? Because he was afraid of them?

"You say that like you were expecting me to chain ya' up and force ya' to talk."

Don tilted his head and looked away but said nothing. He didn't need to. The guilty look on his face was as clear as day.

Raph jerked, offended by the accusation. "You really think I would've …?! That's crazy! I would never…!"

Snapping his mouth shut he took a deep breath, knowing in that instant that he needed to be careful about what he said next. Don's eyes had widened just enough to make him realize that this was someone he never wanted to lose his temper with, and if the prince of water was really that afraid of him and of what he might have done if anyone had found out who he was that night, then that was something that needed to be addressed now, without his usual method of yelling to get his point across, unless he wanted to scare Donatello away forever.

Raphael started again, careful to keep his voice even. "Okay yeah, I would've wanted to know why and how and all that, and yeah, I would've asked. But all you had to say was no, if you had said that wasn't the place, if ya' had asked me to wait… I would have, without a second thought."

Don looked skeptical, a frown creasing his brow and Raph huffed in frustration. He wasn't always all that great at showing how sincere he was, but as he said the words, he felt the power of the truth in them. He wouldn't have needed all the answers then, he would have been happy to just spend the night with Don, to finally know that he was real and within his reach.

Now all he needed to do was make Donatello believe it.

"Look, that night was strange for me too. I knew somethin' was different. I could feel it but… I don't know, it was like nothin' I'd ever felt before. It was like I was bein' pulled from all directions and the only thing I wanted to do was find out what that… weird feeling was. I chased you around all night through that crowd and when I finally got my hands on ya'… that was all I needed. I swear to ya', nothing else mattered! I just wanted to talk to ya', to hold onto ya', I wanted… I mean, I couldn't…"

Abruptly he stopped and stalked away a few steps, shaking his head to try and clear his thoughts. Talking about his feelings always made him uncomfortable, he never seemed to know the right thing to say to explain what he was thinking and always ended up embarrassing himself as he tripped over his words.

He looked back, expecting Donatello to be laughing at him, but the prince of water was very still, watching him with a fixed stare so intense it seared straight through Raph's indecision and reduced it to cinders. His magic ignited, pulsing through him, rocking him forward a step as strength filled him from head to foot.

"All I know is I would have done anything to keep ya' there with me, I would have done anything ya' asked me to do. But then you were gone, slipped through my fingers so fast I didn't even see ya' move and I didn't know what to do. I searched the city, but it was like you were never there at all and after a few days I really thought I was goin' crazy, and I started to wonder if I hadn't imagined the whole thing. Now I find out it was real and the first thing you say is that ya' think being there was a mistake?! I don't believe that for a second, Donnie! I know you can feel how different this thing between us is, I can see it all over your face, and ya' can't pretend that…"

Donatello shook his head firmly, silencing Raphael by stepping forward until there was only a sliver of space between them. Raph's first instinct was to reach for him, but with great effort he held back. He needed to hear what Don was going to say first.

Finally, a look of determination settled on Don's face, and he slowly raised his arm, placing his hand gently against Raph's plastron.

"I wasn't trying to deceive you." Don finally whispered. "That night… it changed everything, and I wanted to stay there with you more than I've ever wanted anything in my life. But… please understand… I couldn't risk it. I wasn't running from you. I was running from everything that would have come after."

Raphael hadn't bothered to button his tunic when he left his tent earlier that morning and the three points of contact where Donatello's fingers pressed against his bare chest sizzled. The unseen tendrils of their magic twisted together, flooding his senses with a level of pain and pleasure like he'd never felt before. His heart instantly started beating rapidly and just like that he felt the tether that had been straining between them for four agonizing months snap, and a strange dream-like sense took over.

Don's eyes, wide and wanting, slid up to meet his and both felt like time had come to a stop, taking them to a place where only they existed, separated from everything and everyone else.

Swiftly, Raph reached forward, grabbing Don by the waist and pulling him in close, the rhythm of their racing heartbeat's vibrating through their plastrons. He leaned in until their foreheads touched, rubbing skin against skin, trembling with the effort to hold himself in check or he was sure he would explode into flame and completely consume Donatello right where he stood.

During the mask this sensation had been dulled, muffled by the atmosphere and the alcohol, but now there was nothing to hold it back and he fought to contain the wave of overpowering need that shook him to his core.

Don tilted his chin up, pressing back, trying to get closer with every shuddering breath.

"Raph I… I want…" "Want do ya' want?"

Their whispers overlapped, Raphael cutting him off before he could finish the thought.

A soft whimper escaped Don's throat and he began to shiver. Raph tightened his arms around his waist, hoping to convey without words that he was safe and always would be as long as he stayed right where he was.

Don's fingers dug into his arms, pulling and pushing all at once and Raph knew they had both waited long enough. He pressed forward, moving to capture Don's heated lips, only a millimeter away and silently begging to be claimed…

"Raph?! Donnie?! Where are you guys?"

Michelangelo's voice calling through the trees was a bucket of icy water shocking them back to reality as Don jerked back, gasping for breath, his eyes darting around like he couldn't remember where he was.

"Oh, here you are." Mikey chirped brightly, appearing from around a bend in the trail leading back to camp. "We've been looking for you. There's food if you're hungry and… you know… Leo wants to talk."

There was a pause where no one moved. Raph was staring blankly at a spot just over Donatello's shoulder, barely aware of anything outside of his own head until Mikey spoke again.

"Whoa… is everything okay…? What'd I miss?"

Don had a hand over his mouth. He looked shaken and pale, like he was trying to keep from being sick. Raph felt almost the same, the magic deep in his belly raged at being denied, roiling in his gut. He reached out and clamped his hand firmly on Don's shoulder to steady them both. It helped, just enough, and Don took a breath to compose himself.

"Thanks, Mikey." Raph ground out, surprised by how normal his voice sounded. "We're right behind ya'."

Without a word, and barely a glance at Raphael, Donatello turned and walked away, leaving Raph to clutch at the air where he had just been. He winced, an empty, cold, desperate knot quickly forming in his chest.

He felt like he had almost plunged over a cliff, like the most important thing in his life had been just within his reach only to be torn away at the last possible second. Don's touch still lingered, promising things he couldn't find the words for, and the loss was a devastating blow.

A gentle touch on his arm brought him out of his fog, his vision clearing to reveal Michelangelo's concerned face.

"Raphie, what happened? You look terrible. And what did you do to Donnie? He looks…"

"Nothin' happened." He mumbled, wanting to get as far away from the questioning look on Mikey's face as he could. "It's fine… let's just get back."

He stalked off, leaving Mikey to jog after him or be left behind. He didn't want to give the earth prince the chance to ask any more questions. Sorting through the thoughts all jumbled up in his head was going to take a while and right now the only thing he could think to do was to stay as close to Donatello as the prince of water would allow.

~*~.~*~ tmnt ~*~.~*~