Then, Don turned back to Leo: "Now we've settles that… I'm still waiting for your answer. Do you trust me to take care of myself or not?"
Leo gulped and looked at Raph, but he wasn't about to give him any support.
Leo looked at the floor as he answered: "In all honesty… No. Not if it's about your own health."
Don shook his head and sighed: "You know, even though I expected this… It still hurts."
"But if it comes down to fighting, I do trust you!", Leo defended himself "as long as you're not Raph or Mikey I trust you to take on any opponent by yourself."
"What do you mean by that?!", Raph said. He had been standing right next to Leo all the time, but it seemed like Leo had forgotten about that.
Leo turned to Raph as he answered: "I don't mean that you will be defeated! I just think that if there's nobody with you, you will keep looking for danger and you'll become so exhausted that eventually, you will get yourself into major trouble."
The look Raph gave Leo made Leo gulp. This won't end well!, he thought.
But instead of hitting Leo, Raph simply turned his back and walked out of the kitchen.
Mikey returned to the kitchen carrying Don's book: "What's up with Raph?"
Donnie looked at Mikey and shook his head: "Never mind him."
Mikey first looked at Donnie and then at Leo: "What did I miss?"
"Let's just say", Don answered "Leo just said some things he should have said years ago. Is there also something you want to say to Mikey?"
Leo looked at Mikey: "No… I trust him. I just don't want anything to happen to him! That's the only reason I'm so protective over him!"
"It's annoying!", Mikey answered "But it's sweet."
Leo gave him a little smile: "Thanks"
"I'll be in my lab", Don said "unless you don't think I'm capable to do that either?"
"Donnie, please! Don't be like that!", Leo pleaded "You know I care about you guys!"
"Yes, I know", Donnie replied "But you just care a little too much. You care so much that you are taking away all of our freedom so you can control us completely. Newsflash, Leo! We're fifteen, almost sixteen even. Let us go!"
After that, Donnie ran to his lab. Leo sat down on the chair and put his head in his hands.
"Do you want me to go talk to Raph?", Mikey asked. Leo smiled at Mikey: "Thanks, bro"
Mikey winked and walked to Raph's room.
The chance he'll even open the door are extremely small… But you never know, Mikey thought.
He knocked on the door, but he got no response at all.
He tried again. Nothing.
"Raph?", Mikey asked "It's Mikey. I'm alone. Would you please open the door?"
Nothing. But just as Mikey wanted to turn around, he heard some movement in the room.
And then, Raph opened the door.
"What do you want?", he asked. "I want to talk with you", Mikey replied with his best puppy-eyes.
Raph glared at Mikey: "Why?" In reply, Mikey just pulled his shoulders up.
Then, Raph sighed and opened his door completely: "Fine."
Mikey's eyes grew big. Almost nobody entered Raph's room. Not since Spike…
Mikey walked inside and waited for Raph to close the door again.
"You cleaned your room", Mikey noticed. "So?", Raph replied as he sat down on his bed.
Mikey and Raph were very different, but they had a couple things in common. And one of those things was cleaning your feelings away. So when their room was clean… they were dealing with their emotions.
Mikey sat down next to Raph: "So… How are you doing today?"
"Get to the point, Mike. I'm not in the mood for small talk!"
"Okay then… Leo's feeling bad about what happened in the kitchen. He didn't want to start a family fight. He just cares about us and wants the best for us. And maybe Donnie was right, he cares a little too much. But what do you prefer? A brother who cares too much or a brother who doesn't care at all?"
Raph just sat there listening to what his baby brother was saying, staring blankly at the wall.
When Mikey was ready, Raph smiled and looked at Mikey: "You know, you really surprise me sometimes."
Now Mikey smiled as well: "So will you come with me to Don's lab to convince him as well?"
Raph hesitated for a moment, but agreed.
Just as Mikey wanted to stand up, he felt a hand on his arm.
When he looked at Raph, he saw him smiling: "Thanks Mike".
Mikey smiled and hugged his tougher brother. But instead of shoving him away, Raph hugged back.
Before Raph opened his door, he turned to face Mikey: "If you ever tell anybody else about this…"
"I know, I know", Mikey said "I won't live to see another day"
Raph grinned and nodded: "Exactly meathead! Now let's go get the brainiac out of his lab!"
Author's note: Hi! Sorry for a late and rather bad chapter :( But I promised an update, so here it is. This will be the shortest story of all.
After this, I was thinking to write (a) oneshot(s).
Any suggestions are welcome! :D And for this story as well, of course!
Thanks for staying with me, even through the long periods of no updates :)