punkish furball – What up, dudes? ^.^
Words to Ponder:
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Also, Kagome is going to meet the rest of the Turtles in the next few chapters. I have big plans for that meeting! X3
Chapter 5
Kagome stifled as yawn as she lazily looked at the computer monitor, switching between tabs and scrolling down different web pages. She should have been using her study hall period to catch up on her school work, but, like many of her classmates before her, she succumbed to the web's seductive call.
'Hmm…' she thought, pursing her lips together as she considered the subject of her next meaningless net search. When she had it, she grinned and typed the phrase, 'how to interact with turtles', into the search engine, thinking of Raphael. He still hasn't come back to see her. Against her every instinct, she decided to stay put and continue to wait for him.
She giggled. 'Besides, if I get into trouble again, he'll only get mad at me.'
Kagome briefly scrolled through her search results until she found a page that interested her, one on petting turtles. Giving into her temptation, she clicked the link and began to read.
'Let's see…' she thought, skimming through the list of instructions.
They read, 'Before you begin, approach your turtle from the front making sure to stay within its line of sight. If you appear suddenly, it may get frightened.'
Kagome snorted. Her turtle would undoubtedly see her long before she saw him. And he would be very upset if he heard her refer to him as hers. She chuckled and continued reading.
'To begin, gently pet the top of your turtle's head with your finger concentrating on the middle. Once it trusts you, try to go lower and massage its neck.'
Kagome giggled again. 'Somehow, this is beginning to sound very intimate. I can only imagine the look on Raphael's face if I ever tried to do that.' The text continued listing suggestions. One in particular caught her attention.
'You can also try rubbing soothing circles on its shell. Turtles can feel pressure and pain through their shells just as humans can through their fingernails.'
'Hmm…' Kagome mused, fighting the urge to blush, 'Somehow, this is more intimate than before.'
Before she could change the topic of her thoughts, she silently regarded Raphael's shell. It possessed the characteristic grooves and patterns of a typical turtle shell, but it was noticeably chipped and battle worn in several places. It was clear he'd been through rigorous training and intense battles, working hard to develop his ninjutsu. She could only imagine why.
'Maybe he hasn't come to see me because he's preparing to confront some sort of enemy,' she thought wistfully, blowing up a stray lock of hair, 'Or maybe he's just avoiding me on purpose.' She honestly wouldn't put it passed him.
While she was preoccupied, an abrupt question assaulted Kagome's ears and made her jump in her seat. "What are you looking at?"
Kagome jumped in her seat before quickly closing the browser window and turning away from the monitor as though she were caught looking at something inappropriate.
"Nothing!" she squeaked her reply, turning to April with a less than convincing smile on her face.
The redhead grinned, amused. "Sure it was."
"So what are you doing here?" Kagome asked, changing the subject, "I thought you had American history this period."
"I do," April answered and held out her hall pass, "We're going in shifts to check out books for our research papers."
"Oh, I have that same assignment. I think my class is supposed to start sometime next week," Kagome commented.
After a few tense seconds of waiting for the redhead to respond, Kagome asked, "Is there something else you needed to ask me, April?"
"No!" she uttered, obviously flustered, "I didn't mean to stare."
Kagome grinned. "It's okay. I think you're working too hard, space cadet."
"Maybe I am."
April quietly admonished herself; this was the third time she was caught looking at Kagome's mesmerizing pinkness. Unfortunately, Master Splinter only offered riddles instead of true answers when she asked, so April was no closer to understanding what it was. The only concrete explanation she received was what she saw was possibly Kagome's aura, her true essence—color or clarity aside. The only advice Splinter gave her was not to mention it to Kagome unless she did first, and April agreed. She thought Kagome was a sweet girl and an awesome friend, and she didn't want to get her involved with the Kraang or Foot Clan any more than Leonardo and the others did. That first question could bring Kagome right into that messed up world of aliens, mutants, and shinobi warriors. It wasn't worth the risk.
"It looks like your class is leaving," Kagome observed, interrupting April's thoughts, "You better catch up to them."
"Got it. See you after school?" she asked.
"Sure thing!"
-O0o0O-
Raphael arrived outside Kagome's bedroom window around 10:30 PM. He thought he left the lair early enough to arrive on time, but, after the brief scare Leonardo gave him the other night, he checked for signs of the Foot Clan and the Purple Dragons as he traveled the rooftops, covering his tracks along the way. Luckily, he didn't find anything amiss.
Without warning, he pushed the window pane and opened it with ease, stepping inside Kagome's bedroom. She looked up at him from her manga volume as she sat on her bed, smiling as though already she knew he was there.
"Hey, Raphael. I was wondering when you'd show up again," she said as she set the comic aside and stood to greet him.
She grinned wider as she said his name without a traditional honorific. She still felt a little uneasy about it, but she was in America now. English was difficult enough without adding unnecessary suffixes to the mix.
"Don't 'hey' me! You seriously have to start locking this thing. What if some psycho decides to come up here?" he said, irritably crossing his arms over his shell.
"Are there any psychos out there I should worry about?" Kagome questioned, intrigued when the Turtle's posture stiffened.
"Not exactly, but this isn't a safe neighborhood! You need to be less stupid or you'll get yourself hurt."
Kagome shrugged; if it wasn't for his last statement, Raphael would have actually sounded sweet.
"I left it open for you. You're the one decided to barge in here without knocking." She playfully winked. "You wanted to catch me undressing again, didn't you?"
Soon after Kagome spoke, Raphael's face light up like a Christmas tree, making his green face an odd shade of brown.
"I didn't see anything!" he shouted, turning his head away from her.
"Relax. It's just a joke," she insisted, "You don't need to take everything so seriously." Kagome approached her desk and grabbed a container from the surface before handing it to Raphael.
"Here's your gyoza like I promised," Kagome told him, rolling her eyes as Raphael took the box and greedily scarfed the dumplings down. She made sure to ask her uncle for a fresh batch every night after she last saw the turtle. Until now, she usually ended up eating them herself.
'Boys and food…' she thought, slightly exasperated.
"Did you come here just to eat?" she asked, skeptical.
"Well, yeah," Raphael answered after he swallowed the last dumpling "You got anything better to do?"
Kagome shrugged and sheepishly suggested, "We could go for a walk if you want."
"Sure," Raph replied, caustic , "I love to spend my free time carrying girls all over the city. It's my favorite thing to do."
"Cut the sarcasm," Kagome retorted, planting a fist on her hip and cocking it to the side, "You don't have to carry me. I can jump just as well as you do."
The right eye hole of Raphael's mask shifted upward as though he were quirking an eyebrow.
"Okay. Maybe I'm not as good as you, but I can still do it," she amended.
He snorted. "As if. Why don't you prove it?"
Kagome huffed, pushed Raphael aside, and walked to her window, opening it and climbing onto the fire escape. She continued moving upward until she reached the top of the noodle shop. Raphael smirked and joined her outside. Soon after he did, he jumped to the next building over his form completely flawless. Kagome couldn't help but be impressed. When he landed, he turned and looked at Kagome expectantly.
"Well?" he called out to her, "Show me what you got!"
After stretching her legs, Kagome ran toward Raphael and jumped, landing soundly on the rooftop right next to him.
"Told you I can do it," she confidently stated, looking at Raph with a triumphant grin.
"Not bad," Raphael conceded, his tone nonchalant, "Let's see how long you last. We're just getting started."
Kagome smirked. "Bring it on, Turtle-chan, and you better not hold back."
"You got it!"
With Raphael in the lead, the duo continued traveling throughout the city building by building. For the entire trip, Kagome managed to keep up with him at a slower pace.
'She's better than I thought,' Raph assessed when she landed beside him once more.
"Ready to admit you were wrong?" Kagome asked, slightly out breath.
"Not yet," he remarked and looked around, smirking when he picked out their next destination.
"Let's see if you make this," he said before breaking into a run and jumping onto the tallest skyscraper he could choose. After he stuck his landing, he turned to Kagome and waited for her to make her next move. She approached the edge and warily looked at the gap between the two buildings then up at him. Raphael teasingly gestured to the spot next to him and crossed his arms in front of his chest as he continued to wait. Kagome scowled and flipped him the bird before disappearing from the rooftop. He laughed loudly until she finally climbed up and joined him.
"Finally reach your limit?" he joked. He hardly flinched when she punched him in the arm.
"Of course I did. That jump was way too high for me," she replied, the whine in her tone clear.
"Looks like I won then," Raphael said, grinning.
"No way!" Kagome protested with a pout, "You picked this spot on purpose. You knew I couldn't make it!"
"Well, it's not that hard to," Raphael said, with a slight shrug, "You just gotta work on your strength and your form."
"Huh?" she uttered, confused.
"And you think too much," he added.
"What do you mean?"
"You tense up before you jump," Raph explained, "You have to be smooth and fluid. Do it without thinking."
"I guess that makes sense," Kagome responded, still not entirely sure what he meant. Raphael sighed and held his hand out to her.
"Come on. Let me show you," he suggested then he added, "If you want me to."
Kagome nodded and eagerly placed her hand in Raphael's much larger one, lightly grasping his fingers. "Of course I do!"
"Okay. Let's get started."
Raphael was surprised with Kagome's enthusiastic reaction and the way her face lit up when she looked at him but dismissed it. He only offered to help her on a whim, and, once again, the human girl surprised him. Once they began, Kagome easily kept up with his coaching even if he wasn't the best or most patient teacher there was. He usually only had to give her instructions once or twice, and, if she still didn't get it, he'd show her or correct her form himself. Raphael was certain his face would be permanently flustered when he lightly pressed his fingertips to Kagome's waist and gently guided her bottom closer to the ground. Luckily, she was too focused to notice. Other than that little mishap, helping her was a lot more fun helping her out than he expected it to be. The two of them quickly lost track of time and simply enjoyed the other's company.
When her watch alarm went off, Kagome looked at Raphael with a frown. "We're out of time, sensei. Think you could give me a lift back home?"
"You got it."
Kagome giggled as Raphael scooped her up and held her against him just as easily as he did before.
"What's up with you?" he asked before he started the trip back, mindful not to jostle his cargo too much.
"It's nothing," she replied, "I just think you're a lot nicer than when I first met you. That's all."
Raphael snorted and returned his focus to his path. "Well, you're still plenty weird."
By the time they reached the noodle shop, Raphael opened Kagome's window, stepped inside and dropped her on the floor right next to her bed.
"Ow!" she cried, wincing, "That hurt!"
"Not so nice, huh?" he jibed.
Kagome grinned from her spot on the floor. "Well, maybe you're not that nice, but at least you're not boring." When she stood, she looked up at Raphael, her expression sheepish.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" she shyly asked. They had such a good time, and she really wanted to see him again as soon as she could if it wouldn't be a bother.
Raphael stiffened, knowing he had to tell her now. Leonardo planned to start another search in the next few days, and he couldn't skip them. It was a shame; he actually had fun. He liked tonight and decided he liked Kagome too.
"I dunno. I might be busy. Doing stuff," he vaguely explained.
"Stuff, huh?" Kagome repeated with a crooked grin, "Well, I'll leave the window open for you if you decide to come visit me. See you later, Raphael."
She softly added. "Try to be careful."
Raph rolled his eyes at the sentiment but replied, "Yeah. See ya, Kagome."
Kagome stood by her window until Raphael stepped outside and leapt away. When he reached the next building over, he stopped and turned back. Kagome saw him and waved, smiling. Raphael slowly returned the gesture and resumed his trek to the lair when he was certain Kagome locked her window.
-O0o0O-
punkish furball – I hope you enjoyed. Until next time, TCB! ^.^
(revised 04.01.2014)