Another Leo and Raph centered ficlet. Not tcest. Inspired and based on the picture by Ofas on deviantart. Very wwonderful artist.

Title: Fighting Confession

Pairing: none

Rating: K

Please excuse any grammatical mistakes. Writing this via phone.

Based on the events of the season one finale.

Enjoy!

Donnie and Mikey watched their brothers fight, exchanging concerned glances. Leo and Raph fighting was far from unusual. In fact, it became such a routine that their younger brothers and father were becoming worried.

Ever since Leo had almost died it seemed Raphael's frustration and hostility increased. He challenged every order, instruction, command, even Leo's advice was responded to with sarcasm and a challenge.

Each fight, the onlookers could see Leonardo's patience and tolerance fading.

As the volume of his eldest sons' voices rose, Splinter stepped up to his youngest. "My sons," he said, gathering their attention. "Come, let us give them some space." He led them out of the living room and into his own room, sliding the door shut behind Donatello.

"Why'd you have us leave, Sensei? It's just another fight," Mikey said as he kneeled beside Donnie.

"Yeah, and we can still hear them fine," Donnie added.

"Then you will find out soon enough why I decided to give them their privacy," Splinter said, closing his eyes. It wasn't much privacy since they could still hear them, but being out of sight will give the feuding brothers the room they needed to finally put their feelings out there.

"ENOUGH!"

Donnie and Mikey jumped at Leo's sudden bellow.

Leo threw his arms out in exasperation as he finally got a full word in. "I'm through fighting, Raphael! You hear me?! I'm done!"

"In case ya haven't realized it yet, Leo, I don' care! I'll yell 'n' holla at ya if I want!" Raph said just as firmly, stepping up to Leo in another challenging motion.

"Why do you want to fight with me, Raph?!" Leo demanded. He could feel that familiar thickness building in his throat. He's been getting that the last few days, every time they fought he would walk off in the middle of it until that choking feeling left.

This time, though, he wasn't backing down.

It was Raph's turn to back up a step, folding his arms firmly across his plastron. It was his instinctive defensive stance when they were fighting verbally. Throw in the averted gaze and Leo knew he struck a nerve.

Leo wasn't gonna let it pass him by. Maybe he could coax an answer to his question from his stubborn brother. "Well, Raph? Why? What do you gain from these fights?"

Raph glared at Leo. "Don't you put this on me, Leo!"

Leo's glare faltered, "Wha-what did I do?! All these fights are not my fault, Raphael!"

Raph pointed a finger at Leo, speaking in a low growl, "Don't 'Raphael' me, Leo."

Glare returning with a renewed intensity, Leo resisted the urge to smack his hand away. That choking feeling was building, and he could feel a forbidden sting at his eyes. "Tell me why you think these fights are my fault when you're starting them all!"

Raph gave a humorless, bitter chuckle as he pulled his hand back and dropped his arms to his sides. He didn't reply, just glared.

Leo was getting more and more frustrated. "I don't understand, Raph! You've been picking fights with me since I almost died! Shouldn't that, I don't know, make us try to fight less and get along more?"

"No! Because you sacrificin' yerself was stupid an' crazy!"

Leo balked, blinking wide, watery gray-blue eyes at Raph. He struggled to reply, before he shook his head in disbelief. "I did it to protect you guys!"

"No one asked ya to do that, Leo!"

"I didn't know I needed your permission!"

"Well ya do! 'Cause I don' know what I'd do if we lost ya, Leo!"

There was silence besides Raph's labored breathing as he continued to glare at his shocked brother.

Donnie and Mikey in Splinter's room shared identical looks of pure disbelief, listening intently for Leo's reply.

Leo searched Raph's eyes, fighting against the moisture building in his own. "Raph..."

"Yer so selfish, Leo!" The words were snapped, but not as hostile and loud as before. Raph turned away from his brother. "Ya can't go and sacrifice yerself like that! We need ya!"

Leo took a step towards his brother.

"...I need ya..."

Leo swallowed around the building lump in his throat as he placed a hand on Raph's shoulder. "Raph-"

"Save it, Leo. Ain't nothin' ya can say to make what ya did go 'way," Raph said.

Green eyes widened when he was suddenly embraced in a tight hug. "Stop fighting with me, Raph. Please?"

The shocked younger brother raised reluctant hands and brought them to his brother's shell lightly. The feeling of moisture on his neck made him tighten his embrace, fully returning the hug.

Splinter watched his youngest sons peek past his door to see what was happening since they couldn't hear it. "My sons, give them their privacy." They obeyed, closing the screen door and returning to their spots in front of their sensei.

"So, they were arguing because Raph was mad?" Mikey asked.

"Raph's always mad, Mikey," Donnie said with a roll of his eyes. Mikey nodded in agreement, looking confused.

"Okay, but this was a different angry."

"You are correct, my son. As you've seen, Raphael was lashing out at Leonardo willingly these last two weeks, because he is familiar with being angry with him. He does not know how to be scared or afraid around Leonardo, so he fell back on his anger."

"He was pushing Leo away," Donnie realized.

"But, why? Leo was right. Shouldn't him almost dying bring all of us closer?" Mikey asked.

"Raph said so himself he'd be nicer if he had the chance," Donnie remembered.

"Raphael does not know how to act around Leonardo at times. His anger and fear with Leonardo's decision were most dominant. So he acted upon those."

Mikey and Donnie nodded in understanding, silently wondering if this current moment between their brothers was what they needed to finally get things back to normal.

Leo pulled back from the hug, their arms dropping to their sides as their eyes met.

"I'm sorry, Raph," Leo said softly.

"Don' apologize, Leo... it's too weird," Raph said, smiling and looking a bit uncomfortable.

Leo chuckled before catching Raph off gaurd with a friendly headlock and nuggie.

"Okay, okay! I get it, Leo! Let go!"

Laughing now, Leo let go only to be put in the same position.

Mikey and Donnie emerged upon hearing the laughter and smiled at one another before joining their brothers.

Splinter stood in his doorway, smiling warmly as he watched his sons. Another hill overcome.