Oh my gosh, this chapter is so looooong. This was truly a labor of love, you guys. As in, it took me forever and when I finally composed it I had to tweak it for a million years.
I really hope you like it, cuz if you don't, I might just cry.
Summary: Raph is sure he can't take Leo's almighty attitude any longer. He channels his rage through the Nightwatcher, a mask he puts on to beat down criminals of all kinds. However, when Raph (as the Nightwatcher) is captured by desperate criminals, he begins to realize how much he really needs a leader. He also might have found love in the process. RaphxOC, M/M SLASH! Don't like, don't read.
Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT. I don't make $$$.
Everything felt so right. The hum and roar of the machine between his legs, the city lights, the warm night air. It seemed like years had passed since Flame had been above ground level.
They'd been riding for a while now.
Even though the streets were crowded, jammed with pedestrians and company cars and taxis, the landscape had never felt so open, nor so vast. Neon signs and pretty faces meshed into a single blurry portrait as Flame passed them by, and he was certain his own skyrocketing form was little but a blur to them as well. He couldn't understand how Raph tolerated living away from all of this loveliness.
The thought of Raph serving as a reminder, Flame snapped his head around, checking Raph's position. The ninja had successfully navigated ahead of him while he was lost in thought, weaving through traffic at high speeds. Flame would have to work a little to catch up. A tiny gap opened between two cars in front of him and he threw his throttle wide, surging into a spot almost even with Raph. The Nightwatcher himself didn't let on, only pushing his machine faster, faster, testing Flame's limits.
He'd known somehow that Raph would be good. In all his rawness, Raph seemed the epitome of the adrenaline junkie, someone who could understand the craving for living on the edge. As Flame pushed his motorcycle up to greater speeds, his pulse quickened, more blood pumping through his veins. The effect was almost instantaneous. He laughed into the wind howling in his ears, feeling energized.
Left. Right. Surge. Look out! Horns honked and obscenities were screamed out at the two motorists, and Flame didn't care one whit. That wasn't what this ride was about. It wasn't even about who would come out on top. No, he had suggested this race to get more on Raph's level, to show him that he could be free around Flame. It was about daring, and trust, and the simple beauty of this idea he had, that he could be with Raph and be happy.
In a sudden moment of darkness, Marius' words resurfaced in Flame's mind. You will kill your love trying to save it. Flame blinked, slowed for just a moment, allowing Raph to pull ahead once more.
He didn't want to kill Raphael, if he was even what the prophecy was talking about. Flame resolved not to take a chance on it, even though he believed the dream had been bogus, something crafted out of the trauma of Nathan's betrayal.
It was quite simple, really. He would not fall in love with Raph. With renewed determination, Flame punched it, pulling up even with the ninja.
He flattened himself against his motorcycle, limiting wind resistance. Out of the corner of his eye, Flame saw Raph do the same, but this was the one instance where he had Raph indisputably beaten. Raph's shell was just too bulky, and the added surface area would slow him down enough to allow Flame a skin-of-his-teeth victory. Hopefully.
The traffic was lightening up now, as they were actually reaching the limits of the big city. Before long, Flame found that he and Raph were the only riders on the road, and they could take up both lanes. At this rate, Flame knew they wouldn't make it back to the sewers until early in the morning, and he found himself unwilling to take the chance of one of them falling asleep on the road and crashing. They would have to find somewhere to rest for the night, somewhere to refuel.
They were still riding fast, but only so as to keep pace with each other. At some point along the way, Flame had noticed a tangible difference in their racing. At present, neither he nor Raph was actively trying to win.
Up ahead, Flame spied a sign for Annie's Bed & Breakfast. He pointed toward it, and Raph nodded his understanding. The finish line was drawing near.
Both riders pushed their bikes once more as their race drew to a close. Flame flattened himself out even more, melding into the motorcycle. He felt like a part of the machine himself; the great engine whirred directly under his heart and all the way down his stomach, sending sparks of adrenaline into his system. He gritted his teeth against the blast of wind basically slapping him in the face now, and kept his eyes on that sign. He could see Raph beside him, they were neck n' neck, but he couldn't tell who would win this race yet.
Before he knew it, the sign was upon them. Flame turned his head to the side to find Raph already looking at him, a fierce expression on his face, eyes watering from the force of the wind. The sign whizzed by them, and it was as Flame predicted. He'd won, superior condition of wind resistance and all that. He couldn't bring himself to care.
He shot Raph a goofy grin as they slowed, allowing himself a fist pump of triumph, before leisurely pulling his bike around. With ease, he found the clearly marked side-road to Annie's. As his tires crunched on gravel and dirt, he heard the tell-tale sounds of Raph's motor following behind him. The trees were dense but pleasant, not smothering. About a quarter of a mile down, they found the house.
The place itself wasn't much to look at. It was only a two-story, a mere dwarf in comparison to New York's towering skyscrapers. Old white paint had chipped off of the house in a few places, revealing weather-beaten wood underneath. A few cars were already parked in the various patches of gravel around the house. An elderly couple sat together in a creaking swing on the front porch, watching Flame and Raph with sharp eyes as they drew closer.
Flame parked, and Raph drew up beside him. He motioned for Raph to stay behind.
"I'll go talk to them, get us a room. We can't ride back tonight," he said, and Raph nodded. His reasoning there was pretty obvious.
With just the smallest amount of trepidation, Flame scaled the porch steps. The couple smiled up at him amiably.
"Is this Annie's?" he asked when he felt the silence had drawn on too long.
"Yes," the old woman answered. "This is my house. Are you boys looking for a place to stay?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Well, it's $50 for a single, $75 for a double. Which would you have, son?" The old man cut in, his voice gruff. Whether that was from age or bitterness, Flame couldn't tell.
He fished around in his pockets, pulling out a few crumpled bills. It wouldn't be enough for a double... Donatello had given them some money, but he hadn't expected them to need to rent a room. For that matter, Flame figured Donny had also been wary to trust him with money.
After tonight, he definitely wouldn't trust Flame with his motorcycle.
"A single would be fine," he decided, handing the woman the cash. She immediately shot up from her seat, ushering him inside. Even the old man seemed to brighten up a little bit.
Annie, as he supposed her name was, opened a door on the second floor to show him the room. It was cozy; the walls were swathed in a deep green to match the bed covers, and in the corner, a chestnut desk waited, illuminated by a solitary lamp that seemed to light most of the room. A standard queen-size mattress, a bedside dresser.
"The bathroom is down the hall. You're lucky, there aren't that many people staying on this floor, so there won't be a line," Annie piped up, winking at him. Her genuine smile made her seem beautiful despite the wrinkles on her face.
"Thank you for the consideration," Flame said politely. "It's nice."
"That's the idea!" Annie practically chirped. "I'll go on and leave you alone now, so you boys can settle in."
Flame nodded, and followed her back outside to retrieve Raph. As he walked back out, Raph gave him a questioning look.
"I got a room," Flame said. "We should probably unload our stuff."
"Um, what stuff?" Raph raised an eyeridge.
"I don't know, considering I didn't even bring toothpaste, but we might should look like we're unloading stuff."
"Good idea."
They each grabbed the bag that sat behind their seats on their machines and walked to the house in relative silence. Flame led Raph upstairs to their room, where they just sat their bags in a corner. Once the door was safely closed behind them, Raph stripped off his coat, hanging it on the back of the desk chair. Flame sat on the edge of the bed, tired but unwilling to close his eyes. Mesmerized.
"Alright. Go ahead. You can gloat." Raph turned toward him, his green skin glowing in the light of the lamp. Flame concentrated very hard on keeping his breathing even, keeping his face cool. That was pretty hard to do, however, as the whole freakin' room seemed to have been created to accentuate Raphael's body. Really, what was with all the green? It had seemed calming mere minutes ago, but now...
Instead of following that train of thought, Flame waved off Raph's half-hearted dare. "I don't need to be prideful about that."
"Oh, yeah?" Raph's expression had turned angry, truly so. Flame hadn't seen the turtle this mad since that day Flame had been irritating him, back before Nathan's takeover. What had he done wrong this time? He tried not to wilt visibly.
"Yeah?" Flame cocked his head to the side. At times like this, Raph was like a puzzle to him. It was almost as if Raph heard everything that came out of his mouth differently than he intended it.
"Well, I guess my skills are nothin' compared to yours, Mr. Great and Mighty. I'll take this moment to remind you that I damn well near had you at the end," Raph growled, drawing closer.
"Oh! That's what you were talking about!" Flame stood upright, coming eye-to-eye with the angry ninja. "I didn't mean for that to come out that way, you know. I just meant that you're a good racer, that the ride was fun, it wasn't about the competition for me."
"Dang, I guess I got the wrong impression," Raph's eyes slid to the floor, sheepish. "Sorry."
Flame both loved it and hated it when Raph did that. It was undoubtedly adorable, but at the same time, he wished he could see Raph's eyes. In a flash of inspiration, he reached out to tilt Raph's chin upward. Amber eyes looked up curiously at him, and Flame really wasn't sure what he wanted to do next. He just knew he had to make Raph see that it was alright, he could handle being hurt every now and then.
"Why do you keep apologizing to me?" Flame wondered aloud, feeling a little bit like he was drowning. Raph stared back at him in surprise. Flame met his gaze head on.
"No, really. It isn't like anything I do is even your fault. I wasn't being clear with my meaning just now, and I should be telling you that I'm sorry. Which I am. But why do you keep doing that?"
Flame had moved his hand to rub his thumb against Raph's cheek. There was definitely something intense about him, his ruggedness. Raphael had spirit, passion. He wouldn't take any direction but his own, and somehow, Flame had gotten lucky enough to be a part of it. He guessed he just loved that about Raph.
He froze, remembering Marius' words. He couldn't think of love and Raph in the same sentence. No, no, no, no. He took that last bit back. Couldn't take the chance.
Evidently, Raph picked up on Flame's sudden hesitation. "Flame? Are you alright?"
Flame opened his mouth, but no words came out, so he shut it again. Raph's eyes narrowed. This time he drew back, and Flame reached for him, tried to pull him close again, but Raph wouldn't allow it.
"Flame?"
"Y-Yeah?" He managed to choke out. Just a fling. Just a fling. C'mon, let's bust out the cheesy pick-up lines...
"Is somethin' wrong?"
"Sorry, just thinking."
"Thinking," Raph said to himself, and Flame could see the gears turning in his mind, even if he couldn't decipher the message they were delivering. All of a sudden, Raph seemed to withdraw into himself, his eyes unfathomable.
"You can have the bed," the turtle said, his voice rough. He abruptly turned away, leaving Flame with nothing but empty air in his arms.
"What?"
"I can sleep on the floor. No big deal."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"I will be if I want to!"
"Raph-"
"I don't know what game you're playin' at, Flame, but you'd better stop messing around." Raph turned toward Flame to shoot him a dark look. Flame found himself genuinely angry, now. He couldn't figure out a reason for the sudden change.
"You think I'm playing?" he sneered, so irritated he could just... He didn't know. Break something. Or someone.
"I think you are," Raph retorted, and about that time, Flame just lost it. He grabbed Raph by his shoulders and slammed him backwards, so he fell onto the bed. Feeling something feral alight within him, Flame crawled on top of the ninja, effectively straddling him. He tugged off his shirt, tossing it to the side, and trailed his hands down the firm muscle of Raph's arms to catch hold of his wrists, pushing them above his head. Amber eyes widened.
"Still think so?" Flame snarled, and he was pleased to hear Raph's breathing quicken.
"It's debatable," Raph gulped, squirming a little bit. He could have easily thrown Flame off of him, but he didn't, so Flame counted that as a good sign.
He leaned down to capture Raph in a kiss, feeling his anger melting away, dissolving into something else. To Flame's surprise, Raph was quick to respond. He moaned into the kiss, pulling Flame down to afford more contact.
After performing a quick inner check-up, Flame found his desire to control himself extraordinarily lacking. With no one around to interrupt, he couldn't help relishing how good Raph's skin felt against his own, how his pulse raced through the thin veins in his wrists, how they fit together against all odds.
He was thoroughly caught up in the magic, until Raph turned his head to end the kiss. Even then, he was content to place feather-light kisses down Raph's jaw until said ninja spoke up.
"Listen, Flame," Raph said softly, capturing the attention of his lover. "A-About earlier... When ya said you were thinking... I thought you might have been thinking about me."
Flame's brow furrowed, and he subconsciously pulled Raph closer. "Of course I was thinking about you."
"No, I mean about me being... Er, different."
"Mmm?" Flame leaned down to nibble at Raph's neck, which earned him a startled gasp.
"You don't think it's weird and disgusting?"
Flame drew back because the voice in his ear seemed broken, and Raph was not allowed to sound like that. Not ever.
"What's weird and disgusting?"
Raph rolled his eyes. Actually rolled his eyes. "Let's not pretend, here. I'm a mutant, Flame. What could you gain by being with me?"
Flame opened his mouth, but Raph continued, listing. "You would never be able to go places with me. Not to the movies, not to the park, not anywhere. I live in a sewer. I'm a vigilante, so I could die any day. And this is all besides the fact that I'm a turtle, so there is nothing to attract you here. So I guess what I'm asking is... Why are you not..?"
Raph trailed off, but Flame could fill in the blank. He paused for a moment, leaning back to give the question legitimate thought. Finally, his mind connected with an answer so true he couldn't get it out fast enough.
"It's because I want to be a book."
Raph frowned at the silly answer, but Flame held up his pointer finger. Wait one minute.
"I want to have a story so amazing, so interesting, that it has to be written down for men to remember for all of time. Maybe one of the great romances, I don't know. And I know that there is only a certain kind of personality who can handle being in my book. I searched, but every time I thought I'd found a person who could do it, something rang false about them."
He absently traced circles on Raph's plastron, and felt the ninja groan softly beneath him. The sound was encouraging. He leaned closer, taking in his partner's heady scent.
"Nothing rings false about you," Flame murmured, and he meant it. Raphael was as true as they came. He could always count on Raph to be real with him.
Raph brazenly leaned up, placing a chaste kiss on Flame's lips. "Thank you."
Flame smiled despite himself, then proceeded to deepen the kiss. However, just as they started getting really into it, Raph pulled away again. Flame tried not to sigh in disappointment.
When Raph didn't speak for a long time, Flame decided to take the initiative.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, it's just..." Raph swallowed nervously. "I never thought this could happen to me, ya know? I'm not prepared for it. I don't know..."
"First time?" Flame asked, suddenly feeling like a huge jerk. When Raph nodded, he felt a strong urge to slap himself.
"I'm sorry," Raph whispered, clinging to Flame all the more.
"No, no that's fine. Don't worry," Flame rushed to say, stroking Raph's plastron. "Do you trust me?"
Raph nodded again, and Flame hissed as cool fingers dug into his hips, pulling him flush against the ninja. He growled low in the back of his throat, and dipped down to run his teeth across Raph's jawline. Once there, he made a promise he was glad to know he could actually keep.
"I'll be gentle."
The night wore on as Flame gingerly taught Raph the movements to a dance he knew well, determined to make it good for his chosen lover. He kept himself well under control until the time came to let loose, and after it all, his Raphael fell asleep in his arms.
Flame almost wanted to thank Nathan, now, for giving him the freedom to be with Raph. He knew he had finally found someone he could love so purely that it hurt, someone to bring into his story, even if he could never say the words aloud.
Flame wouldn't fall in love because it didn't need to be said that he was. He would keep Raph safe, even if it was mostly from himself. That was what mattered.
Ow. My fingers... My poor typing fingers...
Like I said, I really hope you enjoyed this. I took forever to get around to this in the story because I wanted to see Flame fully developed first, and I wanted Raph to get to know him. Was it worth it, do you think? Let me know if I could make this better!
Also, I don't know if I should add a more graphic version of this or not. I'd really rather keep the story T, but that's not saying I would be opposed to writing a oneshot if it is so requested... ;)
Please, R&R!
-DauntlessAdrenaline