A/N I still do not own TMNT but I am still eternally thankful for their existence.
Warning ahead for more mature content. There are no explicit descriptions since I did want to keep it T, but you all know what skinny dipping entails.
Also, just for the record anything April and Raphael do in this fic is consensual. That said, there will be no sex penetrative or otherwise in this fic. Nakedness and making out yes. Sex no. At some point I may write a fic where they're older and that occurs, but it will not happen here. Also FYI in my 'verse the turtles' sex organs are like normal turtles so they are up in their tails and not normally visible.
Love or Blood
Chapter 11: Turtle Style
April O'Neil was less than impressed. Not only was she about to go swimming in cold lake water, but she was about to do it as a result of her losing a bet. A loss that had made the mutant turtle accompanying her more than pleased with himself. It would be weeks before April would be able to get Raphael to come down a few pegs after his latest "victory."
After said arrogant reptile had submerged into the dark creek water, April had quickly sought face. If she was going down, at least she would go down fighting. Admittedly, a desperate part of her wanted to believe that Raphael had no substance to his gloating. When he surfaced five minutes later – before her line had even touched the water – smugly bearing four large trout, she knew she was a goner. A few more dives and eight fish later, April was forced to glumly follow a laughing Raphael back to the house to deliver his catch.
Michelangelo was ecstatic with the dozen fat trout and promised he would apply all his culinary expertise to their preparation. April had almost smacked Raphael when he told Michelangelo he had one more to catch before dinner. Thankfully the younger turtle either did not grasp or ignored the innuendo behind that particular comment.
So now here they were, almost a good hour's walk later, on the far side of the lake examining the small inlet that Raphael had chosen to collect his bet. April was tremendously thankful the afternoon had been uncharacteristically warm for late spring. The water would still be cool, but at least it would be bearable. Twilight was not far off and the sinking sun bathed the water in pinks and oranges. Long reeds largely separated the cove from the lake's main body and smooth fresh grass ran near where the soft waves danced on the shore. Any rocks were sporadic and smooth, nothing like the rough beach her and Raphael had shared only yesterday. April could not have found a better spot if she tried, which led her to raise a questioning eyebrow at the turtle's direction, "You've been here before haven't you?"
He folded his arms and looked over the serene surface, "Maybe."
She threw in an accusatory frown, "All part of your ploy?"
Raphael's eyes glimmered sparks of amber in the sinking sunlight, "Maybe."
"Hmph," April rolled her eyes, "Jerk."
He laughed, "Always so surprised."
She giggled with him and soon found shivers of warmth blossoming at the roots of her hair as he gently smiled at her. Any smart remark April had been devising faded away with the dying light. Instead she was lost in a wash of sudden nervousness.
April O'Neil had never been naked in front of anyone – girls' locker rooms and baby April did not count. Now she was standing before someone she cared very deeply for about to reveal herself to him. Would Raphael even be happy with what he saw? April was suddenly wishing she had chosen better underwear when she got dressed this morning. Not only did her yellow bra not match her panties, but her blue panties were old, holey and thoroughly bespeckled with tiny cows. She was positive Raphael had to have seen the Victoria Secret ads at some point during his lifetime and she was most definitely a far cry from that. Then again, he was a mutant turtle.
She rubbed her arm nervously. Raphael would know what to expect right? He had to have looked at some porno at some point right? Besides, there was no way when she and Michelangelo watched Titanic a few months ago that the largest turtle was so fully absorbed in his Motorcycles Illustrated that he flat out missed that one nude scene – April was silently cursing being so lost in her fan-girling that she had not paid better attention to this oh so important detail.
Still, even if he didn't know exactly what to expect, he still would find her pretty… Wouldn't he? Even though she wasn't a mutant turtle, he still was attracted to her… Right?
Evidently her awkwardness was contagious, for despite all his earlier bravado, Raphael was shifting from foot to foot in agitation. He cleared his throat, "So uh… How are we doing this?"
Her voice was a little higher than she would have liked, "Well first you need to give me your stuff."
"Oh right."
Raphael rubbed the back of his head nervously, and a whole new thought struck April. She had never seen Raphael naked before either. Admittedly, the turtles didn't exactly wear much, but April had only ever seen Raphael without his mask once, and he had been unconscious. Although she hadn't mentioned anything, when she tied that red mask back onto his face, she had somehow felt more intimate with him than she had ever felt with anyone. That mask really was a part of him, and that was only one strip of cloth. April's heart beat a little faster just thinking about him without the pads and belt. A coy part of her wondered if she could convince him to take off his wrappings too.
"April…?"
Raphael's voice jolted her out of her thoughts and she quickly refocused her attention on his expectant features. "Sorry… What?"
His face bore a bit of a scowl as he repeated himself, "Do you wanted some privacy to change?"
April blushed scarlet, "I didn't realize that was an option."
His frown deepened and after a moment he crossed his arms, "Are you sure you're ok with this?"
Her nervous thoughts slammed to a halt, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't want to force you."
She waved her hands in exasperation, "Then what was the deal with all of this? With this entire bet? I thought you wanted this!?"
Raphael was frowning deeply now, "Well you seemed ok with it until a minute ago."
April didn't know how the situation began to turn so quickly and began to panic, "Oh so now that I'm not jumping to strip you decide that it's time to back out?"
"All you had to do was say no."
"But you bet me! We shook on it!"
He huffed, "It was a joke. Look, let's just go."
His words felt like a whip. He really didn't want to see her, "A joke? Am I that appalling?"
Raphael's eyes bulged, "What? No! Why would you think that?"
Her eyes watered, "You're the one who wants to go home!"
He snapped, "Because you don't want to do this!"
"Did I ever say that?"
There was silence for a moment while they both shared expressions of disbelief. Then April murmured, "Wait, are you not ok with this?"
He pinched his eyes closed, "Yes. No. I don't know! April how can you be ok with this? I'm a turtle for fuck's sake!"
She gaped, "Wait, let me get this straight: we both want to do this, but at the same time you don't want to do this because you're a turtle?"
He looked down in only what April could interpret as shame. Her heart clenched when she noticed his eyes were brighter than normal. She had to fix this, "Take off your stuff."
He glanced up but didn't meet her eyes, "April…"
April threw ice into her tone, "Take it off," when he still hesitated, "Now Raphael!"
Raphael slowly reached to untie his mask and April stalked off behind some bushes, "Wait here."
"April…"
She sighed, "Just wait here and tell me when you're done."
There under the cover of her leafy comrades April quickly pulled off her clothing and undergarments. Just as she undid her ponytail to let her hair tumble down on her shoulders Raphael quietly called, "Do you want me to toss it over there?"
"No. Just turn around and face the lake."
A second later, "K."
April took a breath then smoothly stood and walked as quietly as she could from her hiding place. A tiny smile touched her lips as she briefly examined his shining carapace in the twilight, but she did not let her eyes linger long. Instead she moved around the neatly folded pile of his gear and tapped him on the shoulder, "Turn around."
She heard him inhale softly. The turtle slowly turned and his words fell like leaves, "But you're…"
April nodded and placed a finger over his mouth to silence him, "I chose Our Style."
He carefully removed her hand, "Ours…?"
April placed her hands on his and smiled, "Ours Raphael."
She then stretched up on her tip toes and kissed him gently on beak before sliding back onto her heels. In response to his questioning eyes she wiggled her eyebrows, "You still want to collect your bet?"
His face broke out into a wondrous smile, "Hell yeah."
Before she could blink, he swept her up into his arms bridal style and walked to the lake. April squealed in delight, "Raphael! Put me down!"
He paused mid-stride and looked down at her smirking, "Whatever you say O'Neil."
The short moment of weightlessness ended abruptly as April plunged into icy water. She pushed off from the bottom and emerged with her hair clinging to her shoulders and teeth chattering, "Damn! That's cold!" Turning her attention to the laughing reptile before her, "What was that for?"
Raphael stopped laughing, staring unabashedly. Any playful anger drifted away with the ripples. April found herself reddening as he strode towards her, but it was not his gaze that made her blush. Shimmering beads of water gathered on his scales, forming millions of miniature prisms fluidly transforming twilight into rainbow radiance. Hard shell and muscle were softened, yet perfected, by the marriage of living light and solid matter. Eyes once green combined with golden rays, procuring irises of neither amber nor emerald but only of purest chartreuse. Before her stood an unmasked Raphael no longer filled with darkness and earth but instead sunlight and fire.
"God you're beautiful."
Raphael blinked several times in confusion at her remark before stretching a hand out to brush away one of her wet tendrils. "No. You're the one who's beautiful April."
His hand paused to cup her cheek and she leaned into it while grasping it with her own. She peered through damp lashes as he stroked his thumb along her jawline, "Raphael right now you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."
The turtle looked shyly to the side and then back at her, "You serious?"
April smiled remembering their conversation from the garden, "Raphael, I've never been more serious."
Raphael wrapped his other hand around her waist and pulled her against him. This time when their lips met they did not part and April no longer found the water cold.
A/N A good place to leave off methinks. Still plenty of more Raphril moments ahead my friends!
And to my lovely reviewers:
TheWinterMe: Thank-you! That's one of the reasons why I love Raphril so much because I feel like of all the couples they have the most potential for such comedic yet competitive yet sexy banter. They are definitely not afraid to have some fun!
ariesdragon2000: Haha I know! Cliffhangers kill me too, but sometimes they just work so well that I cannot help but put them in ;p
majishan: Don't worry that doesn't make you a bad person! I'm glad I'm eliciting a reaction where someone wants Don to fail while feeling guilty about it because that was kinda what I was aiming for.
SetoAngel01: OMG. Ok so I may have screamed like a little girl when I saw that you commented… I LOVE YOUR ART! The fact that one of my favourite artists in the fandom has not just noticed me but liked what I'm doing has actually put me over the moon! Like I can't even explain… I'm just ecstatic. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!
Terri: Haha yes! The banter these two are capable of just makes me love them even more! Also you'll be excited to hear there is still more Raphril focus for the next bit!
Komnenid: Yeah I struggled a bit to decide. A) Because both seemed funny and B) Because I don't want to get to explicit in this fic (thus all my disclosures before this chapter). Who knows though maybe Raph will lose to April yet and still be forced into her swimsuit XD