AN: Alrightly... so I lied when I said I was gonna take a break to update my other stories. I couldn't help it, this just flowed out so easily so I couldn't help but update it quicker.

I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story thus far. You guys are awesome and I hope you enjoy this new installment. (smile)

Leo

Okay...

It's already been one day and I haven't had run-in's with Raphael. That is some true progress, considering the fact that Raph was the most persistent, hard-headed person I have ever known in my whole entire life. Even so, I didn't like the idea that I was sneaking around my own house as if I were some sort of criminal... but what else could I do? Just like Raph said, he doesn't stop trying until he has what he wants, even if that means he has to use sneaky, underhanded tactics. That's how he had always been, the sneaky bastard...

I poked my head out of the bathroom, peeking through the open door and stealthily looking up and down the hallway that it lead out to. I had just taken a quick shower after a quick morning work; now, I just want to catch up on some more sleep before the day was thrown into full effect. I didn't think that any of my brothers would be up at this time, since I was the only one that usually wakes up this early, but I couldn't be too careful. Like I said before: this is Raph, we're talking about. Stubborn, relentless, untamable Raph. (Kami, help me...)

When the coast looked clear, I trotted down the hallway as swiftly and as quietly as possible, making my way to my bedroom. I was in the clear. There had been no interruption and no red clad ninja popping out of no where. Day two without Usagi seemed to be going smoo-

"Oi, Leo."

'Fuck!' I thought with an internal sigh of frustration, resisting the urge to lift my hands up in the air with exasperation. I had been so close. My hand had only been a few inches away from the handle. If only I had just rushed inside and closed the door behind me, I would have been home free but nooo, I had to savor a mental victory that I shouldn't have been claiming in the first place.

"Fearless, ya hear me?"

I sighed, turning my head slightly to look at the figure of my immediate older brother standing at the other end of the hallway, carrying an unopened can of soda in his hand. He wasn't wearing his mask, so he had probably just woken up. His face was neutral; I had a feeling that he didn't look like had just woken up, he would be smirking lecherously at me. Hmm... perhaps I'm just being paranoid.

"Yes, Raph? Do you need something?" I tried my best to smile genuinely at him but I found it rather hard to do while trying to stop one my of eye ridges from twitching with annoyance.

"Hmm... there are so many ways I could answer that question..." He said with a light tone, walking down the hall until he stood at his own door, which was-unfortunately- directly next to mine, "But- ta sum it all up for ya- I need you."

My stomach flipped slightly at his admission before I snorted, rolling my eyes at him as I grabbed my door knob, "Sorry. I'm sold out."

"Che, cute," He released a single chuckle, "I don't know why yer playing these games, Leo. We both know that ya miss me."

I gave him a dull look, "How can I miss you when you're everywhereI go?"

"Ya know what I mean, smartass," He said, his expression becoming more serious than playful, "Ya miss us, don't ya?"

I didn't answer that question. No matter what I said to him, I knew I would be walking into a trap. If I said yes, he would take that opportunity to weaken my resolve. If I said no, he would become offended and start an argument. So, instead, I dodged the question, "...I'm going back to sleep. I'll see you at breakfast."

Just as I began to turn the knob and push the door open, Raph spoke again, his words catching my attention, "I have an answer for ya, by the way."

I paused, turning to look at his with a tinge of curiosity in my eyes, "...An answer? For what?"

He gave me a small smile, something I wasn't used to seeing on his face; it startled me... but it also warmed a part of me, "Fer the question ya asked me 'bout namin' a time when we had an actual, indepth conversation. I thought of an answer."

I blinked at him, "You... you did?"

He nodded, "Don and Mike had decide ta hang out with April and Casey fer the night and we had decided ta have a movie night in the layer... but we couldn't choose a movie ta watch. Ya wanted to watch that Denzel Washington movie... the one where he wore those huge ass shades 75% of the movie. I wanted ta watch Crank, since it just looked so badass."

"... Book of Eli?" I said after a moment of recollection.

"Ah, yeah. That was the one. We couldn't decide which one ta watch. I thought that your choice was stupid and you thought my choice was stupid so we had this whole conversation about why our choices were better. We talked about it fer an hour, I think, before we decide to just watch both of 'em. Oddly enough, I thought yer choice was pretty good... watched the whole thing without fallin' ta sleep."

"... and we both fell asleep half way through Crank," I said with a small smile, remember that night with surprising clarity. How could I not remember it? It was one of the only times we just... enjoyed each others company.

He chuckled, "And when the movie was ova, ya wouldn't wake ya ass up so I had to carry ya back to our room... well, yer room now. Rememba?"

I paused before nodding slightly, turning my head to face my door again, "Yes. I remember."

"Give me a coupla more days and I can think of some other times like that... where it was just you and me."

I shook my head, "Stop it, Raph."

He took several quick step towards me suddenly, causing my head to whip around in his direction just in time to find myself standing barely a foot away from him. His intense, amber eyes blazing as he stared down at me, "Stop what?"

"You know what. Stop trying to change my mind."

"Yeah, heh. Like you tellin' me ta stop will actually make me stop," Raph growled out lowly, "You know me, Leo. I still don't see a good reason fer me to stop, no matter what ya say."

"What about the fact that I'm with someone else, huh? Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Fuck no."

I sighed roughly; what did he have to be so hard-headed, "Well, you know me, Raph. I don't do anything that is dishonorable. Being unfaithful is one of those things."

"Of course, I know ya. I know ya betta than rabbit boy does and I know ya betta then he eva will," He took one final step toward me, grabbing me by one of my arms in a firm grip. I tried to pull away but his grip tightened in response, "When will ya stop fuckin' around wit me, huh? This ain't fair and you know it."

"I'm not-"

"Yeah ya are. How did ya think I felt when ya just broke it off, without any kinda warnin' or without even talkin' 'bout it?" He shook me lightly, as if he were trying to gain my attention even though he already had it, "How do ya think I feel when I see ya with that fuckin' rabbit, actin' all lovey dovey and cutesy wit 'em, huh? Did ya think I was just gonna sit back and take it? Did ya think I was gonna be okay with the idea of you wit someone else afta a year of bein' with ya?"

I blinked up at him, unsure of what to say. What could I say? That I was sorry? That I should have thought through my decision more? I'll admit, I should have brought it to Raph's attention rather than just springing it on him out of the blue... but if I had, then he would have talked me out of it. He would have coaxed me into staying with him. He would have lulled me into believing that we were alright and that we could work it out... but I knew it wouldn't work that way. His promises had alway been broken and there had hardly been any form or semblance of harmony in our relationship. There had been nothing but chaos and... and I never thought that he truly loved me. How can you love someone if you couldn't compromise with them? How could you love someone if all you could do was argue with them?How could you love someone if all you could do was reap the benefits of the flesh's desires? How could that possibly be love?... How could I tell him that?

"R-raph... I-"

"Uuuuuh, what's goin' on?"

Both mine and Raph's eyes snapped in the direction of the new voice, catching a glimpse of our youngest brother, Mikey, stepping out of the room across from mine. He rubbed one of his sleep heavy eyes with the back of his hand, looking at us with tired confusion, "...Why does it feel like a soap opera is going down in the hallway?"

Raph automatically growled after Mikey's question, letting go of me and storming over to his door. He threw Mike a disgruntled look before turning his eyes to me, glaring heatedly, "This ain't ova."

He stormed into his room and slammed the door audibly behind him, the hallway swiftly fell silent afterwards. I blinked in bewiderment, staring wide-eyed at the door before turning to my unlikey savior, my orange wear, junk food loving brother, Michelangelo. His sleepy blue eyes turned to look at me with uncertainty, "Did I say something wrong?"

I shook my head at him, "... No, you didn't."

He yawned, stretching a little, "Oh, well that's good, 'cause-"

I cut him off by swiftly walking up to him and hugging him, grateful that he had stepped in when he did... even though it was unintensional. It took him a moment before he reached a hand up and patted me awkwardly on the back of my shoulder, probably unsure of how to respond to my sudden act of brotherly affection, "Ummm... you okay?"