Eiichi had come around dinner time, while Miyuki and Mikey were making food in the kitchen. I smile at the sight of my cousin, he hadn't grown any taller and yet he seemed to have changed so much in these short 5 months. But that was also because he was already off to college.
"Hey Eiichi" I greet him and he looks at me with a sly smile on his face, never the one to be too excessive about his emotions.
"Hey Leo" He fist bumped me before greeting both Don and Raph.
"Where's mom?" He asks and Raph points at the kitchen with a silent gesture, to which Eiichi nodded. That's why I preferred having Eiichi over than any other cousin we had, not like we had many, but Eiichi was like a brother to us. And walking away in our house without saying anything wasn't weird to do.
It was his home as well in a sense, and we treated him like a brother.
"Mom?" Eiichi called out and walked over to the kitchen. I follow him to the kitchen, both to see how Mikey was doing, and how our dinner was doing. Because admittedly I was getting hungry from all the waiting and the smell that was originating from the kitchen made my mouth water.
"Hey sweetie" Miyuki greets her son, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Hey mom" I smile at his greeting, just like our little family, they had no problem with sharing emotion. It wasn't common in a lot of families, Casey's family did love each other but showing it this openly wasn't usual. Which was weird when I first witnessed it, and it was weird for him when he witnessed our home.
"And you're Mikey right?" He asks and I narrow my eyes slightly, staring at the blond and waiting for the reaction of my little brother.
Mikey significantly stiffens at the mention of his name but gives Eiichi a small smile in return, ready to move to greet Eiichi properly but Eiichi stops him.
"Don't bother, don't want to get food on my shirt. Nice to meet you" Eiichi grins, gesturing to the food on Mikey's hands. The blond nods, but doesn't say anything. And like I expected, Eiichi doesn't seem to mind, just like Miyuki he knows about Mikey. He may not work with children like Mikey, like Miyuki does, but he has heard stories.
And he knows from Miyuki that she preferred the method of not pretending to like someone.
"You're just in time to set the table for me, dinner's almost ready" Eiichi rolls his eyes with a smile at his mom's smug expression but does move towards the cupboards to get the plates and placemats.
"So how you've been?" Eiichi asks, the question directed towards me. I shrug slightly.
"School mostly, I've been tutoring someone in my class"
"Is it a girl?" Eiichi grins, looking at me with a big stupid grin on his face and I scowl in return.
"Raph" I mutter and Eiichi snickers. "But yea, she's a girl, who's a friend"
"So you would say she's a girl friend?" I narrow my eyes in fake suspicion and Eiichi just laughs at my expression. "You're actually scary when you're doing that, it's cute"
I raise an eyebrow at his argument but don't comment on it, a comfortable silence falling upon us before we talked again, asking each other about the last 5 months, what we've both been up to. We didn't touch the subject of Mikey, not yet, it was better not to mention him when he was around.
But we would definitely be talking later on, he wanted to know about him just as much as he wanted to hear about Raph 5 years ago.
TMNT
"Hey if you're done you can go if you want" I whisper quietly, leaning over to my littlest brother with concern. He looks at me, blue eyes shining with conflict. He stares at me with confusion, uncertainty, he wanted to go, but he couldn't.
I smile gently. "Go, we're almost done here either way and you can come down if you want to once we play some games and watch a movie" I encourage him and Mikey nods slowly, looking over at the table before silently standing up.
Really, only dad and Raph noticed that he stood up, or visibly reacted to it. Raph glanced sideways while talking to Eiichi and dad looked at Mikey with confusion before looking at me. I gave him a slight nod, and Dad gave one to his youngest son, who silently walked up the stairs.
Leaving us while eating dinner.
But it was for the best, he wasn't comfortable being here with two people he didn't know, just like Raph wasn't comfortable. And we were lucky that Miyuki was a woman, and Eiichi was young enough to be considered a boy from his point of view… from the brothel's point of view.
I wince at the thought but luckily nobody saw.
It was disgusting to think about Mikey accepting them more because no woman had hurt him, no boy had hurt him. Only grown men had paid him, paid the brothel. I shook my head, willing myself not to think about that right now.
Dad and Miyuki offered to clean the kitchen and I knew why, they wanted to talk about Mikey. Not just his disappearance from the dinner today, but everything in general. I glance over at the kitchen until Don plops down on the couch next to me.
"Raph and Eiichi are outside" Don says and I nod with a sigh, putting an arm around him and pulling my second youngest brother closer to me. He complies, placing his head against my shoulder and snuggling close to me.
I didn't say anything, neither of us did. It was weird, experiencing a Christmas like this again, uptight and awkward. We wouldn't've traded it for anything, we wouldn't've given Mikey up for anything, but it was weird to experience this again, and not pleasant at all, the happy Christmas wasn't as happy as it used to be.
But I just hoped it was all worth it in the end.
TMNT
"How much do you know?" I ask, mumble almost, leaning backwards slightly and gazing at the park in front of me, Eiichi and I currently sitting on the same hill I had been sitting with Mikey weeks ago. The only difference being the fact that there were no happy children playing in the leaves anymore.
The grass covered in snow and our bodies covered with thick coats.
"Mom told me what she knew but it was all vague. And nothing about his experience being with you" Eiichi says and I nod absently. "I know that he was in a brothel… I can't even imagine.." he stops himself, shaking his head.
"Me neither, I've been beaten for 10 years, but he has been through worse in just half the time. He hasn't acknowledged it himself but he was raped almost every day over there Eiichi, that broke him"
"And he was really forced to.. serve all those people?" Eiichi asks and I close my eyes for a second.
"Men, he rarely served women. Those sick bastards choose Mikey because he was the youngest, the only boy over there." I bail my fists but Eiichi stays calm. I know better though, I know he's conflicted but unlike me, he knows how to hide it. He had learned to control his emotions.
"And STD's?" He asks, looking at me but I don't acknowledge him, merely shake my head.
"They didn't want that, he would be worth less or something"
"That's messed up" Eiichi mumbles, shaking his head. "How has he been at home?" I sigh again, this time looking at my older cousin.
"Scared, withdrawn. He doesn't, can't, take initiative and he's constantly checking if he's allowed to do something." I lower my head again. "The nightmares are the worst" I mumble and I could feel Eiichi looking at me.
"That must be messed up" I know what he's referring to, because he knows about the fact that I used to have them as well, saw one of my outbursts as well so that just added to the weirdness. I nod numbly, looking down.
"He comes to me when he gets the nightmares, they've been getting worse too I think."
Eiichi frowns at my wording. "You think?"
I shrug at the question. "He told us about how he ended up in the brothel, Miyuki told you right?" I ask and Eiichi nods, and I was grateful that he knew that accident with the mouse. "He's been approaching me much more lately, entering my room in the middle of the night when he has a nightmare"
"But you don't think it's because he has more nightmares?" Eiichi asks and I shrug again.
"I really don't know, it could be, but Leo said that it could also be Mikey opening up to us, and being more willing to admit having nightmares" I tell him, looking at him briefly. "It's how the guys found out about my nightmares back in the day, so it could be that he's opening up"
Eiichi nods absently, staring ahead of him. But before either of us could say anything else my phone rang.
I frown, looking at the display. Leo. Why would he be calling? I click on the answer button, pressing the phone to my ear.
"RAPH come home quickly! Mikey's having a panic attack!" Was the first thing that I heard.
TMNT
"Where?!" I almost yell, my chest heaving.
"Upstairs" Don speaks quickly, tears gathering in his eyes. I turn towards the stairs, not acknowledging Miyuki coming up to Don and wrapping her arms around him. I only ran upstairs, not looking back at Eiichi, or anyone. Not focused on Dad standing outside Mikey's room with a pained face.
Leo was kneeling in front of Mikey's body, curled up and crying, shaking, heaving. His back was in the corner of his bed and the wall. His head between his hands and clawing at his hair. Leo was with him, trying to assure him but nothing worked.
"Leo" I say, my voice calmer, forcing to be calmer. He looks at me, not saying anything but he doesn't have to. He nods, standing up and aside. I walk up to Mikey, kneeling down in front of him. "Can you open a window?" I ask and Leo nods, I turn back to Mikey, reaching out for his hand.
His head snaps up, red eyes looking at me warily. He winces violently, jerking away from me. But I don't let his hand go.
"What is wrong?" I ask, looking at him. His eyes widen slightly and he jerks his hand out of my grasp before I can prevent him from doing so. His other hand claws at his bed, while the one he just freed goes to his chest, scratching violently at the fabric covering his body.
"Ca-.. brea-.. th" He gasps, sweat trickling down his forehead. I nod slightly.
"Yer having a panic attack" I tell him gently, keeping my sentences short so he wouldn't be confused. "Concentrate on your breathing little bro" I continue but he shakes his head, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Ca-an't" He gasps, and I reach out, gently pushing him forwards and sitting down behind him, letting Mikey lean on my chest with his ear.
"Listen to my breathing." He gasps, melting in my hold and closing his eyes again, shuddering as he takes another ragged breath. "That's it Mikey, yer doing great" I try to stay calm, rubbing his arm to reassure him as best as I could. Staying calm, move him to a quiet place, explain the situation.
It were the first things Aileen told us when she explained us about panic attacks, because she was sure Mikey would have them without a doubt.
Slowly his breathing evened out slightly and he stopped wheezing for every breath, fully slumping against me. He blinked a few times but didn't look up or moved. I sigh, shifting slightly to get more comfortable and ruffling his hair gently.
"Mikey?" I address the younger boy, gently untangling myself and shifting onto my knees. He blinks a couple of times, still drowsy and obviously distressed. "C'mon" I say, hosting him up and wrapping an arm around him. I walk with him out of his room, seeing Leo and dad stand in the hallway, looking at the both of us with almost horrified eyes.
Mikey seems to shrink into my side at the stares. "Dad can you get a blanket, Leo some hot cocoa?" I almost order and the two nod, turning around and walking down the stairs. I look at Mikey for a second. "I know it seems scary as shit right now but yer gonna be 'kay" I say, nudging him gently and he nods.
When we get downstairs dad was already waiting next to the couch with a blanket, who immediately wrapped it around Mikey. The latter accepted the blanket, curling up against dad on the couch. Dad gives me a slow nod and I return it, turning around and walking over to the kitchen.
"How is he?" Leo immediately asks as I walk towards the kitchen, looking at me while simultaneously making the cocoa I requested. I look around the kitchen, Miyuki was standing next to the kitchen island and Don was actually sitting on the counter, silently watching me as I walked towards him.
"Shaken but I think he's gonna be okay" I shrug, placing a hand on Don's and squeezing it gently. He returned a weak smile, eyes still slightly red.
"You know what caused the panic attack?" Don asks but I shake my head.
"No freaking clue, I don't think it was dinner or the company" I glance at Miyuki at the statement but she just nods in approval at the almost accusation.
"We can ask later, us asking him question will not help him" He looks at me and I raise my hands in a defensive gesture.
"Not like I don't know that fearless" I mumble but Leo ignores the comment, taking the cup of cocoa and walking out of the kitchen.
TMNT
"So why aren't we taking them now?" A dark voice asks, narrowed eyes looking at the pictures of the boy that was once his son. The boy he adopted and abused for 10 years. The boy that cost him his wife.
"The higher you climb in life, the harder you fall" Saki glares and the blond man huffs in annoyance.
"I don't even know what that means." Zucco snickers at the statement.
"Never the clever one huh Kevin?" He snickers but Saki backhands Zucco, glaring at him, which effectively shut Zucco up. Saki turned back to Kevin, Raph's adoptive father.
"The longer we let them get used to their new lives, the harder the fall once we take them back" He turns away from the two idiots, glaring. "And the longer they stay with Hamato Yoshi, the stronger the bond between him and them."
"And the more pain it will cause him" Zucco finishes and Saki nods in approval. "And we want them at the same time, they have to be alone, and right now they have never been alone"
"Not for long I hope" Kevin mutters which only angered Saki even more. The man suddenly turned around, throwing one of the classes right at Kevin's face, who was just able to dodge it, glass shattering behind him.
"You will stop this complaining, it was your foolishness that let Raphael be discovered. If it had not been for your rash behaviour he would still be under my watch" Saki narrows his eyes. "And if you ever want to see your wife again you will follow my orders." Kevin glares at the ground.
Saki was right, if he ever wanted to see his wife again, he would have to follow Saki's orders. Only he could get his wife out of prison, where she ended up after Raphael had been discovered, at least, Saki was the only guy he knew who could break out his wife. He was the one that made it possible for him to fake his own death and get out of prison.
"No matter, the plan is still in motion" Saki continues, turning away from the two again. "Once we take his sons again, Hamato Yoshi will be crushed and I will have my revenge."