Truce
Rachel didn't respond at first, instead she tightened her grip on Raph's hand. She knew that it killed Matt just as much as it killed her. To be in the same room, to know that she was in love with someone else, and to know that she could so easily fall again for the man who broke her heart a second time. It was so, so difficult. "For a while now," She answered, attempting to be lighthearted, "I'm glad you're awake, you had me worried."
"How long have you been awake?" Raphael repeated Andy's question.
"When you squeezed my hand," Rachel replied softly. "I thought it was best to pretend I was asleep." She laid her head against his chest gently so she could listen to his heartbeat.
"The whole time," Raph squeaked and groaned, "You heard everything, then, damn it…Are you mad I pissed Matt off? What I do, anyway to make him leave? He looked ready to cry and all I did was release my mind from the tight hold Splinter taught us to have…"
"Calm down, calm down," Rachel laughed gently as she got herself up from him and looked back at the door. "He's telepathic. I think you already knew that though." She bit her lip as she looked at Raph. "It's okay. I think the same thing would have happened, if you weren't here anyway…only it would be me again."
"He's telepathic…oh boy…I think I was just a bit too harsh, then," Raph winced, "Man, now I wanna go say sorry…" He couldn't kiss her, his turtle beak would make that awkward, but he nibbled on her nose playfully, "Damn you, you've got me wrapped alright…now where's my bandana?"
Rachel smiled as she took out the red strip of fabric. "I didn't get time to wash it." She said softly. "And don't apologize. It's the one thing Matt absolutely hates, especially if he's the one that asked for the answer." She leaned over and gently attached it back over his eyes. "He'll be fine. Andrew is going to get him…right?" She raised her voice a bit.
"Right," The doctor murmured. "I'm just running around everywhere tonight." He grumbled. "So demanding a day off for tomorrow…" He left the apartment with a gentle click.
She watched the door shut and she frowned as she turned to him. "I didn't have your brothers on my cell and it did die." She said sheepishly. "And I left your motorcycle where it was, and I have a feeling their panicking right about now."
"Um…let's see…" She said, struggling to come up with a conversation. "Um...Matt's not really temperamental, or at least he never used to be. I guess the street gangs are giving him a hard time again so he's going to be a little sore. Also, Andrew did the wrapping. We didn't have morphine or anything, so he had to sort of tell you to numb your body."
"And I have no idea what you were talking about when you called me an Angel and the Moon. I have a feeling that's part of the concussion," Rachel sighed, "And……yeah……"
"Tell my body to numb?" Raph furrowed his brows, "And I know perfectly well what I was saying."
"I'm blaming it on the concussion." Rachel replied with a shrug. "Andrew is an empathy. He can manipulate emotions, or influence them, to do an emotion that is close to what the body wants or needs. For an example, if you get so angry you're seeing red, he can calm the body down. If you get so keyed up that your wired, he can make the body tire and make you sleep." She explained.
"Ah…" Raphael rolled over so he was over her, "Rae, I know what I was saying. That's what I saw when I found you after you finished that song. You were like an angel, your tears glistening like crystals underneath the streetlamp which was hued like the color of the moon."
"I love the description. Ever thought of being a writer? Your imagination is really, really good." Rachel said as her breath hitched as she stared up at him. He hovered over her like a roof to a shelter. Only instead of it having crash down, he was supporting himself just fine. "You should roll over the other way." She advised, "Before you get a headache."
Raph grunted and nibbled on her nose again, "I'm fine. I've had worse, believe me. As for the writer bit? Thanks but no. Mikey and Leo are the writers. I have my suspicions but no one will tell me…I think all my brothers are writing a book." He sighed and nuzzled her neck, "You're a great singer, by the way."
Her cheeks blushed and her breathing had gotten quieter, softer. "I took lessons." She said softly. "Thank you…I hardly ever sing in company."
Raphael smiled and licked her neck affectionately, something he and his brothers did as tots so he didn't think much of it when she shivered, "I'll do as you ask, but only because I believe it'll go too far for Mattie if he sees me over you like this. I've had plenty of time patrolling the streets, I know what this kind of position can get people into," he chuckled and rolled back to his good side, but couldn't resist wrapping her in his arm.
Rachel touched where he had licked her and looked over at the door when Andrew had opened the door. Matt walked over to the chair and sat down, kicking off his shoes again and bringing his legs up to the chairs arm. Andrew tossed himself on the other chair and reclined it backwards. "Jesus, you two look freaking worn." Rachel stared.
"He decided to be a moron and run around the block a few times." Andrew groaned. "I may be a doctor, but I'm not a track star. You should have ran after him."
"Uh……hehe?" Rachel tried, "I don't think so…" She glanced over at Matt, "Are you okay?"
"Sure. Peachy. Awesome." Matt replied sullenly.
Raphael bit his lip and nuzzled Rae's hair before getting up and walking over to Matt. 'Thank Kami for siblings…' he muttered in his mind, but now knowing Matt was telepathic, he tightened his lock on his mind like Splinter taught them to do.
Matt looked up at him and Rachel looked over at Andrew who looked ready to jump out from his relaxation pose to get into the middle. "Andrew, take off your shirt."
"I'm sorry?" The doctor looked at her.
"Just take it off and lie down on the floor. You're done for the day." She answered. "Let those two handle it and I'll give you a massage. Heavens knows they need to be big boys now…Can't keep them as kids."
"You sound like a mother," Andrew chuckled as he unbuttoned his shirt and slid onto the ground.
Rachel looked over at Matt and thought, 'Be nice to Raph.'
Matt just scowled as he looked away and looked straight at the walls, "That lock won't really help you much you know. I can break it if I tried."
"I'm sure you could, but I've been trained how to block. So even if you try, it won't be easy," Raphael watched him, "Look, I understand everything you said to me. However, that won't change my mind. Would it have yours, when you still had her that way?" he asked in a lower, kinder tone.
"Of course not," Matt said with a slight scowl and a little insulted. He shook his head. "I just know that you're going to get hurt in the end. You're always going to up until you either break or you manage to tie her down."
Rachel hummed softly as she listened to the conversation, gently cracking Andrew's back as she massaged. She looked up at them once in a while as he purred. 'He has a point…' She thought with a soft bite on the lip, 'He still reads me like a book.'
"Hai, Hai." Rachel replied with a slight shake of the head.
Andrew laughed and she slapped him. "Ow!" He glared at her and she got back to massaging him. "You're mean." He muttered.
Raph laughed softly, "Anyway...that's the point. Every relationship has it's ups and downs. I have no doubt I'll have to repeat myself on a few things for her to get a clue," he clicked his tongue and shifted his stance in a knowing way, smirking a bit when he heard Rae's breathing quiet and he guessed she was blushing, "But that's part of the fun. Now that I got her, I can really get to know her now, she'll be just a bit straighter with me when I ask her something, hopefully. I can also say 'I tried' and whether it's successful in the end or not, that's a path I'm willing to trod to find out the outcome."
Matt watched him for the longest time before bringing his legs away from the arm of the couch and folded them into a curl. His eyes narrowed slightly. "If that's what you're going to do, then I can't stop you and nor do I want to. However, I am going to say this Raph…I'm not a Seer, I can't see her future, nor can she see her own. But, I know, I just know, that in order to test you, she'll be drastic. She is drastic and you or her may actually lose your life the next time one of her games are played. You got of lucky this time."
Raph smirked, "I've been fighting the Foot, even took down Shredder with the help of my bros, I think I can handle Rae-chan over there." He shrugged, "How about we call a truce?"
Matt blinked and then snickered. "Have it your way. Alright, a truce. Oi! Rae! We're going out to the streets to see which one of us is better for you."
"Don't you DARE Matthew Sanders!" Rachel shouted at him, causing the blond to laugh.
Raphael held out his hand, "How about we drop this subject and try again?" he asked.
"Alright…" Matt responded as he took Raph's hand, "I'm Matt."
"I'm Raphael Hamato. My friends and family call me Raph. See? I told you we could be friends," Raph grinned.
"It's a happy ending for all of us," Andrew half-cheered half-sighed.
"I never really prayed, but amen to that," Rachel nodded solemnly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Raph pouted and decided to sit next to Matt.
Matt moved aside to make room for the turtle and hid a smirk behind his hand. Andrew and Rae just glanced at each other and he wiggled himself deeper into the floor as she cracked another part of his back. "It means what it means." She replied.
"It means they thought this was going to continue," Matt translated, "And never end."
"That, my new friend, is the pro to the con of having an elder brother who's the "Leader" of us, and two younger brothers. One who's IQ is over 600…and the other is hyper, happy, reads comics, and plays video games," Raph sighed leaning back against the cushions.
"Andrew will know more about what you're talking about than me or Rae ever will." Matt replied with a shrug. "Andy is the youngest member of his family of five. Two sisters, One mom, one dad." He shrugged.
"Me and Bria didn't meet until last year or so." Rachel responded softly. "So, I don't really have any practice with it. Matt and Andrew are the closest to family besides Bria so I do know a little…but at the same time I don't. Me and Matt are only children."
"Interesting," Raph blinked and hummed to himself as he snuggled deeper into the couch, "This is comfy…" he complimented, "Mm…Keh, Andy, I think you should teach my elder bro, Leo, to do piano or somethin'. Bria'd totally fawn over him if he randomly started playing it one day." He smirked, seeing her bounce all over or nearly faint from being so amazed.
"Ah…sure," Andrew replied slowly. "Bria is your sister?" He looked over at Rae who nodded. "What's she like?"
"A normal human girl," Rachel replied, "Who's fallen for a turtle."
"You're not one to talk," Andrew snickered.
"She'd hit you with a pillow for calling her normal," Raphael laughed, "I thought you'd be willing to tell Andy all about her?" he watched Rachel closely.
Rachel looked over at Raphael and shook her head. "It's her story to tell. But I guess I could say that no, she's not normal. She's not an abnormal the way you and I see it. Let's see…" She thought for a second. "Andrew do you remember the story I once told you? About a girl who can show everything she was feeling, but hides everything that she fears?"
"That's nearly all girls right there Rae." Andrew replied.
"Ah…right…well…Bria is one of them," Rachel nodded.
"She's the mirror opposite of Rae, yet they're quite the same," Raph clarified.
"So she's hyper yet an enigma, she's happy, but she can get scared, she's like a shadow, you can see her, but you can't touch her unless she turns solid in the darkness." Andrew concluded and laughed. "A mirror opposite?" He looked at Rae and frowned. "I'm not one that's a Seer, but maybe you two are connected?"
"It's a high possibility, but I can't see my own future so I don't know that much. I have seen hers." Rachel sighed. "But I'm not going to tell you."