punkish furball – Hello, all! Woohoo, it's the second update of the year! =^·ω·^=
Words to Ponder:
Pardon the delay, guys! I'm not gonna lie; this chapter was tricky. It got away from me a few times, but I reeled it back in and think you're all gonna like what I came up with. It's a labor of love! XD
I also have a few new ideas for InuYasha/TMNT crossovers among other things (and I will update Storm in a Teacup very soon for poor neglected Leo), so be on the lookout for those popping up. I've been in the mood to write something on the dark side for a while. I hope you enjoy them! I'm also going to do another round of revisions and am slowly but surely reposting everything to my AO3 .org account. That's also a labor of love!
Thank you for reviewing on FF .net: SHINeeFan23, Dark Priestess66, Lady of the Mays, animesfwend01, Marik's girl, Pyreite, chibi-Clar, Aryenne, MyworldMyImagination, Silversun XD, YunaNeko, Tanoshii Shurui, delgadodeavila, HalfBlackWolfDemon, RozenMaiden7, GirloftheArts, Applejax XD, Misty-Silver-Kitsune-Hanyo1230, RenTenTen, Lunar Mist, fallingyuki, MinecraftedPocky, Guest (1), inuluvskags1, ZeAwsumOtaku, Diane, TheNotSoNiceLibrarian, FortressOfFandom, redangel2463, Kitsune's Den, crazykenz, Speedykitten1643, GiggleboxGirlie, Orihime-San, Fallen's child, Guest (2), breakingheart93, Rembrandt M, When I light the sky, Xireana Prime, witness, Fluffyness, Vengful Jeans, whisper, Leafy, Guest (3), Guest (4), Myra the Dovahkiin (2x), Guest (5), Guest (6), dragonlily22, Tubafox, Guest (7), Rukarai207, Kira-chan (2x), and Shi No Mo No Tenshi! X3
Chapter 15
As the awkward silence stretched on, Kagome wasn't sure how to react to the disheveled spectacle her friends made in the doorway. Being caught with Raphael like this was not something she was accustomed to. Fortunately for her, Raphael was composed enough to react for the both of them.
"What do you think you're doing?" he shouted.
At the sound of Raphael's voice, Donatello and Michelangelo were quickly on their feet too frightened by their brother to lend April a hand. The redhead stood up on her own and wisely stepped away from the two turtles.
"Hey, Raph. We were just on our way to the other room," Donatello muttered as he slowly inched toward the entryway, "Weren't we, Mikey?" He hoped he took the hint.
"No, we weren't. We were listening to—" Mikey yelped when Donnie grabbed him by the knot of his mask and pulled him back.
"Move it, you idiot!" he hissed, hoping to put as much distance between them and Raph as possible.
Raphael was instantaneously on their heels.
"Hold it! Get back here!"
Kagome laughed as she watched the turtle race after his brothers. Even she knew Raphael's temper was not to be tested. Her mirth quickly ended when April loudly cleared her throat while wearing a very devious grin. Kagome quietly gulped; there was no question what was coming next. Unable to move, Kagome turned around so that she faced the wall in effort to dismiss her friend completely. April snorted a laugh as she approached her. As if that weak attempt would keep her at bay.
"So," April began as she sat down next to Kagome, "You and Raph, huh?"
"You already asked me that!" Kagome cried, trying to scoot away from her.
"I know, but now I need details!" she insisted, "And don't leave anything out this time!"
"You're taking advantage of the fact I can't move."
"You got that right."
Kagome sighed and thought of the best place to begin as well as what was better off being left out. Between her and Raphael, she didn't know who had it worse but suspected it was her.
Outside the lab, Raphael cornered Donnie and Mikey in the living room cowering against the wall.
"I'm going to kill you!" he raged.
"Come on, Raph! What did we do that's so bad?" Mikey nervously asked. He yelped when Donnie slapped him in the back of the head.
"Mikey, shut up!"
"Haven't you guys heard of knocking?" Raphael implored, "What do I have to do to get some privacy around here?"
"It's all good, Raph. We're all friends here, right?" Michelangelo asserted, "There are no secrets between us…right?"
"Apparently there are or Kagome wouldn't be here in the first place," Donnie mumbled from the corner of his mouth, unable to resist making the comment. He faltered when Raphael growled.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't beat the green off both of you."
"Your girlfriend wouldn't like it?" Mikey weakly suggested.
"Kagome is not—!" Raphael started to yell but managed to stop and take a deep breath to calm himself down.
"Kagome is not my girlfriend," he continued in a much lower voice, "Got that?"
"Right. She's your caterpillar."
Raphael gritted his teeth and opened his mouth to speak until he heard giggles coming from Donatello's lab. Then Kagome shouted, clearly embarrassed, "April, don't say that!"
After taking a quick glance at the lab's entrance, Raphael decided to go check on Kagome. He could always take down Donatello and Michelangelo later. He grinned deviously as he gained an idea. He could it during their next sparring session, so he wouldn't be caught.
"This isn't over," Raphael promised them before he ultimately retreated.
As soon as Raphael was gone, Donatello and Michelangelo simultaneously let out a relieved breath.
"That was close!" Mikey cried. He shrank back when Donnie shouted at him.
"You idiot! You're one who provoked him. Why couldn't you keep quiet?"
"Well, he knows I'm the one who comes up with all the names. I can come up with something way better than 'caterpillar'. If he wanted Kagome to have one, he should have come to me first," he reasoned with a curt nod.
Donatello sighed. As always, what was really important went right over Michelangelo's head.
-O0o0O-
Raphael stealthily approached the lab and hid just beyond the entrance. Inside, he saw a smug April hovering over Kagome as she smirked at her cherry red face hidden behind her hands. He was right. Kagome definitely got the raw end of the deal.
From the corner of her eye, April spotted him and grinned as she pushed herself off the table and approached the door.
"I think you've had enough interrogation for one day," she quipped with a wink.
"How merciful of you," Kagome mumbled, her face still concealed.
April chuckled until she reached the doorway and caught Raphael's eye. She bit her lip to keep from laughing again. She never saw him so flustered while he tried to retain his usual attitude. Before he could speak, April pressed her finger to her lips, quietly shushing him.
"See you later, Kagome," she called out over her shoulder before leaving.
What was that about? Raphael thought before deciding he was better off not knowing.
Once the redhead was gone, Kagome finally lifted her head and sighed while raking her hands through her bangs. She didn't appear to notice Raphael coming closer to her.
"That was the worst!" she whined.
She and Raphael might not have been the picture of completely platonic innocence when they were found, but April didn't have to be so relentless. It's been a long time since she'd been subjected to the type of interrogation only another female can inflict on another. She was clearly out of practice.
Still, she might have a point. It really did seem like Raphael wanted to…
Kagome reached up and put a finger to her lips frowning as she touched them. They were the very definition of "un-kissable", dry, cracked, and peeling.
No. There's no way he would have.
Behind her, Raphael cleared his throat to get Kagome's attention. She put her hand to her lap and turned to him with a sheepish smile.
"Please tell me you didn't hear all that just now."
Raphael grinned as he snorted a laugh. "Just the last of it."
"Good," Kagome replied, "The worst of it was in the beginning."
"I can see that. You definitely had it bad with April."
"You don't know the half of it." Suddenly, Kagome narrowed her eyes and watched Raphael suspiciously.
"What?" he asked when he noticed the unsettling look she wore.
"What did you do to Michelangelo and Donatello?" she asked.
"Nothing." He answered far too quickly for Kagome to actually believe him.
"I'm serious!" he elaborated, "I never laid a finger on them."
"Not yet anyway."
Raphael grunted, not wanting to let on that she was right.
"Listen, if you're feeling up to it, can I show you something?" he asked.
Though she was still suspicious, Kagome nodded her consent. Raphael scooped her in his arms taking care not to be too rough with her. He knew she was still recovering but didn't know any more about her injuries than the basics. He felt another guilty pang in his chest for avoiding her.
"Are you okay?" he blurted, "I'm not hurting you, right?"
Kagome giggled at his concern as she circled her arms around his neck. "I'm fine. You've done this so many times you're practically a master."
Raphael rolled his eyes. "Great. I'll be sure to tell sensei."
"Be sure that you do, Master Raph," Kagome said, punctuating her words with a peck on Raphael's chin. He nearly tripped and reflexively tightened his grip on her.
"Don't do that!"
"Why not? Too embarrassed?" Kagome countered. She just couldn't help it. Raphael was so adorably flustered that she simply had to tease. On top of that, this was their first actual encounter in weeks. She had to make up for lost time.
"Aren't you?" he quipped, "Or have you already forgotten about our mutual friend, Ms. O'Neal?"
Kagome flushed and awkwardly hid her face in his neck. "I see your point. So giddy up why don't you?"
Raphael laughed at her as he continued through the living room and down the hallway to his bedroom. He stopped at the door, feeling much more nervous than he thought he would, and took a deep breath before he kicked the door open. By now, Kagome lifted her head to curiously survey their new surroundings while Raphael placed her on the bed pushed against the left wall of the room. When Raph stepped away to turn on the light, she could see several posters decorating the walls, mostly depicting different ninja and action movies, a drum set on the opposite wall next to a large fully stocked cabinet of shinobi weapons and tools, and other things lying around that practically screamed "Raph".
"So this is your room," Kagome deduced, assuming this was what he wanted to show her, "I like it!"
"Thanks," Raphael said as he sat down next to her. Kagome raised an eyebrow at the large amount of space he put between them but didn't comment.
"You know—" he started to say, unsure of how to proceed, "What I mean is—I know that you're only staying here because you have to, but, if you want to, when my brothers get too annoying or you get bored, you can stay in my room. You can even sleep here if you want."
He hastily ducked away from her before he spoke again, stuttering. "By yourself! Without me. I'll crash on the couch or something."
"Really? Are you sure you don't mind?"
Raphael shrugged. "I've slept on worse."
"Thanks, Raphael," Kagome replied, scooting over so she could lean against his arm, "You really are a sweet guy, aren't you, Mr. Nice Turtle?"
"Shut up!" he hollered and turned from her as she giggled but didn't move away.
"If you're done laughing at me, this isn't all I wanted you to see." He paused, taking a deep breath. "There's someone I want you to meet."
Kagome quickly sobered herself and pulled away from Raphael. She assumed he only lived with his brothers and sensei. This other person must be very important to him if he pulled her away from everyone else to meet her.
"I'm ready! Introduce me," she said, beaming.
Raphael returned her grin before he stood from the bed and disappeared from her line of sight. He came back holding a small tortoise. He sat back down and placed it on the bed in between the two of them, lovingly patting him on the shell before he looked up at Kagome, hopeful.
"Kagome, this is Spike," he said, "Spike, meet Kagome, the girl I told you about."
"Ah! He's adorable!" Kagome cooed as she reached out her finger to pet Spike on the head according to the online instructions she read, "I didn't know you had a pet."
"Well, I found him in the sewer one day and decided to keep him.
Kagome nodded as she continued showering the reptile with affection. She assumed it was going well until Spike tilted his head and clamped his jaws on the tip of her finger. She clenched her teeth, squeaking at the sudden, sharp pressure on her tender flesh.
"Spike!" Raphael shouted, jumping out of his seat, "Let her go!"
"No, it's okay!" Kagome insisted, forcing her to ignore the pinch, "It doesn't even hurt."
She tried to ease the appendage away from Spike's mouth, but he only tightened his hold. If she didn't know any better, she was sure there was an evil glint in the reptile's eyes.
"Spike!" Raphael repeated and the tortoise eventually released Kagome's finger.
Kagome let out a grateful breath and inspected her digit for any damage. It was red and swollen but would be fine in a few hours once the pain faded.
"Sorry!" Raphael said and started for the door, "I'll go get Donnie."
"You don't have to do that," Kagome replied as she reached out to grab his wrist, "I'm fine. Spike didn't even break the skin. At the most, he only startled me!"
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Kagome nodded and pulled Raphael back to his seat with both of her hands on his forearm.
"Besides, if Spike is anything like his owner, it'll take him a while before he warms up to me," she remarked, "A long, long, long while."
Raphael snorted. "And who says I've warmed up to you?"
Kagome giggled and poked Raph in the nose with her uninjured finger as she sang, "I do~!"
Raphael smirked and enclosed her index in his hand. "Then I guess it must be true."
Spike grunted, his nostrils flaring. He had long since tired of observing the strange female with his owner and walked to the other side of the bed with his eyes narrowed into thin slits.
"Of course it is! I'm always right. Remember that for next time," Kagome playfully jested after she slipped her hand away.
When the silence settled around them, Raphael quietly gulped. Kagome was close to him, almost as close as she was earlier in Donatello's lab. Looking back on it, he wasn't sure what exactly came over him, but he knew he wanted to do something, something he had no experience with other than the contact Kagome initiated. In addition to that, he just started feeling comfortable being seen with Kagome in front of the others—recent events aside. She was his friend, a precious friend he was afraid to lose and already assumed he did once. That was something he did not want to go through again, so he shouldn't be compelled to do anything that could put their relationship in jeopardy especially something.
Still, Kagome was so soft and warm and pretty…and—and pretty... He blamed these thoughts on the hormones.
"Raph?" Kagome questioned, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright? Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?"
The way she whispered his name was responsible to, an unintentional invitation to do something.
Ninja resolve! I can fight this! I can fight it!
"Raphael?" Kagome repeated, leaning closer to him.
His right eye twitched at the contact. He was sure his expression appeared more awkward than he intended. Why was something so bad again?
Just this once, then I'll be over it, right? Raphael thought as he reached out and placed his palm over Kagome's hand resting in her lap. He wasn't sure what to do with the other one, so he kept it by his side. Kagome lightly slid the hand on his shoulder down to his chest until it rested over the lightning bolt shaped clip in his shell. Her expression was bashful and shy as her breath quickened into short, rapid puffs, but she didn't break eye contact with him.
When Kagome's tongue darted across her lips, Raphael slowly leaned forward, his emerald eyes at half-mast. He reminded himself, Just once.
"Raph!" Mikey shouted as he pushed the door open and burst into Raphael's room, startling its occupants.
At the sudden interruption, Raphael lunged forward while Kagome leaned back. He ended up hitting her in the chin with the top of his head.
"Ow! I bit my tongue!" she cried, tightly clasping both hands over her mouth.
"What the hell, Mikey?" Raphael shouted, jumping to his feet and instinctively reaching for his sai. He wasn't sure which emotion was more prominent, the embarrassment or the anger.
Michelangelo backed away into the hallway holding his hands in front of him to show he did not mean to instigate any physical confrontation. "It's not my fault. Master Splinter said that you have to keep the door open if Kagome's in here with you. New lair rule."
In an instant, Kagome's blush expanded up to the roots of her hair down the column of her neck beneath the collar of her shirt. She turned away from Michelangelo and hid her face in her hands. Just how much humiliation would she be subjected to in one day?
Raphael continued to stand with his eye twitching and mouth agape, just as mortified as Kagome was. Never in his life did he expect such a rule to come from his sensei or for Mikey to deliver it.
"You hear me, bro?" Michelangelo probed.
Finally able to speak, Raphael bellowed, "Yes, I heard you now get out of here!"
"Hear ya loud and clear! Later, dude!" he remarked as he ran back to the living room.
"Well, how about we go and hang out with the others?" Kagome suggested once the turtle was gone, still flustered, "Unless there's something else you wanted to show me."
"No!" Raphael blurted, inwardly cursing his abrupt response, "I mean, there's nothing to show you right now. But maybe later we can hang out like before until you're up to continuing your training. But only if you want to."
After Michelangelo interrupted him, his motivation from before evaporated into nothing, and he couldn't remember exactly what he was trying to do. He only wanted everything to return to the way it was before he did something he'd regret.
Raphael's babbling ceased when Kagome reached out and took his hand in both of hers.
"I'd love to," she answered, "Same time as before, yeah?"
Raphael grinned and placed his other hand on top of hers, sandwiching them together. "Sure thing."
"Great!" she replied, nodding her head once, "Now that that's settled, let's join the others. I think I can walk this time if you help me stand."
"Really?" he inquired, "You're absolutely sure about that?"
"Yes, I am," she insisted, "I'm injured, but I'm not completely hopeless."
Truthfully, Kagome doubted she could walk very far, but she wanted to try. She didn't want to embarrass Raphael any more than she already had by letting him carry her around all the time despite Donatello's prior warnings.
Raphael grunted, unconvinced.
"Okay. Try putting some weight on it then we'll see," he told her but had no intention of letting Kagome sty on her feet for more than a split second.
Kagome nodded and proceeded to put her feet on the floor. Using the bed as leverage, she pushed herself up. As soon as she winced, Raphael swept her up in his arms with her legs bent over his elbow and his arm supporting her back. Kagome was right; he was a natural at this.
"Hey! Put me down!" she demanded, "I almost had it!"
"Yeah right!" he countered, "You almost split your feet wide open and fell out on the floor."
"I can walk on my own! You can't keep treating me like a child!"
Kagome tried to push him away, but the turtle was too strong for her. Raphael smirked when she gave up, looking away from him to pout.
"Yeah right. You better get used to this, princess, because I'm not letting you go."
Kagome huffed and muttered under her breath, "Geez. You're just as bad as Leonardo."
She gasped when Raphael came to a sudden stop and tightened his hold on her to the point of being hurtful. The look on his face was equally frightening.
"I am nothing like him," Raphael stated, his voice painfully dark unlike Kagome ever heard before. For a moment, she was honestly afraid of him.
"Raphael," she whimpered, "You're hurting me. Please stop."
At the sound of her voice, Raphael's grip loosened so much that he nearly dropped her, and the look on his face conveyed complete disbelief.
"I am so sor—"
"It's okay," Kagome cut him off wearing a sweet smile as she reached up to gently cup his cheek. He frowned and tried to turn away from her touch, but she wouldn't let him.
"I know you didn't mean it," she sincerely told him, "You wouldn't purposely hurt me."
When Raphael didn't respond, Kagome nervously bit her lip. Everything she said was true, but she wasn't sure if it got through to him. Still, the way Raphael reacted to his brother's name was odd. There was definitely a strong sibling rivalry between the two, but it seemed like there was much more to this reaction than that. She wasn't completely sure, but she had a sinking feeling that her being in their home had something to do with the increased tension between them. And, knowing Raphael, he and Leonardo have not addressed it.
Raphael sighed and said with a small grin, "You know, I don't apologize a lot. You could at least let me finish one."
Kagome grinned, relieved. She got through. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of other opportunities to apologize to me. I'll let you finish one then."
"Only you would be happy about something like that," he replied with a roll of her eyes.
Kagome grinned with Raphael began walking toward the living room again. He paused just before he reached it and lingered in the hallway.
"Something wrong?" Kagome questioned, detecting his hesitation.
He shook his head. "Nothing."
Raphael entered the living room and continued walking until he reached the couch. As he and Kagome expected, Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and April were inside to room lounging amongst themselves. Raphael wordlessly plopped Kagome on the sofa next to April before he sat down on the other side of her, avoiding eye contact with the others especially Leonardo.
Unaware of the tension, the redhead wasted no time snickering and playfully elbowing Kagome in the arm. "So back from Raph's room, eh?"
Kagome groaned and pushed her away. "Oh, put a sock in it, Red. This bit is starting to get old."
"You wanna copy my biology notes or not?"
"I'll take this time to hold my silence."
April grinned and pulled her backpack into her lap from the floor between her feet. "I thought so."
"Are you guys still doing that 'Dana' stuff, right?" Michelangelo asked as he paused his pinball game.
"Dana?" Kagome repeated, "What's that?"
"You know!" he probed, "The building blocks of life? You gotta pay more attention in your classes~!"
"You shellbrain," Donatello said, looking at Mikey over his laptop, "It's called DNA not Dana."
Mikey shook his head and went back to his game. "You say 'to-meh-to'. I say 'to-mah-to.'."
Donnie rolled his eyes and went back to working on his research while sneaking peeks at April over the top of his computer.
April hummed as she watched Kagome leaf through her binder, giggling quietly to herself. The mention of DNA brought to mind the brief discussion she had with Kagome about TCRI's Worldwide Genome Project. April avoided telling her the truth because she didn't want Kagome involved with all the craziness she was thrown into because of the Kraang. Now she was in just as deep as they all were with the Kraang and the Foot Clan. Kagome deserved to know what go into.
"Kagome," April addressed her, "do you remember that extra credit assignment for biology I talked you out of doing?"
Kagome nodded. "Yeah. You had to send a swab of your DNA to some company or other."
"To TCRI," April clarified, "Since you're in the know about everything else, you should know that company is the cover for the brains in robot bodies you saw the other night."
"You mean the Kraang?" she asked.
"You know the Kraang?" Donatello questioned, briefly glancing at Raphael. He didn't expect him to mention them to her.
Kagome shrugged. "Of course I do. They shot laser beams at me while shouting their name every five seconds. It's not much, but that's what I know about them."
Donatello nearly shook his. He knew it was too good to be true.
"Well, there is a little more to it than that."
Unable to keep from commenting, Raphael said, "Really? All I do is dodge the lasers and stomp those slime bots until they shut up."
"Anyway," Leonardo stated, joining the discussion, "the Kraang is an alien race that we fight who came to Earth from Dimension X. We don't know much about them or their final goal, but it seems like they want to reform our world so they can take it over and inhabit it."
Kagome nodded, slowly digesting what she was just told. The theory made a lot of sense. After all, there were many yōkai from her past adventures who sought the destruction of the human race for similar reasons and vice versa. To think such otherworldly threats did not disappear in the modern era as she previously believed was a frightening notion.
"How do they plan to do that?" she probed.
"They use a substance called Mutagen that mutates any living organism is comes in contact with," Donne explained, "From what we learned about the Mutagen from the Kraang, that's not its intended purpose, and all of the mutations it causes are unpredictable on Earth. The Mutagen is actually what made us the way we are today."
So that's how Raphael came to be, Kagome thought, making several mental notes to look over later. She had a lot to learn about the Kraang and their Mutagen, and she had plenty of time to do it. Like it or not, she was involved and had been long before she decided to help Leonardo. If the Kraang were enemies of Raphael and his family, they were her enemies too.
Although, if they're a threat to the existence mankind, they're my enemies by default, she mused, her sense of duty, faded but not forgotten, rushing back to her. This unorthodox miko still had a purpose to reign in her reiki for more than her own personal practices.
I'll have to tell them about that soon, she reminded herself, Anything I can do to be useful.
"Are you alright, Kagome?" Leonardo asked, breaking her thoughts, "I know it's hard to take in at once, but it's all true."
"It is, but I believe you," she answered with a nod.
"You're honestly taking this better than I thought you would," April commented.
"Well, it's easier to believe when I'm sitting here talking about it with four ninja turtles," Kagome said with a smile, "Besides, as odd as the Kraang are, they're not the strangest thing I've ever seen since I moved to New York."
"Right," Michelangelo chimed in as he sat down on the sofa and put his arm around Raphael's shoulders, "That would be Raph."
"Watch it," he warned, looking at the younger turtle from the corner of his eye.
Suddenly, Michelangelo remembered Raphael's promise and conspicuously inched away. Raph grinned and caught him around the neck in a headlock, ignoring Mikey's yelps and pleas for help. Kagome giggled as she watched the two brothers began to wrestle on the floor. She took a quick glance at Leonardo who was still planted in front of the television set watching an old cartoon.
"Leonardo, what are you watching?" she asked curious. She didn't noticed that Raphael halted his playful fight with Michelangelo to watch she and Leonardo interact.
"It's Space Heroes!" he told her excitedly, "Haven't you heard of it? It's the best sci-fi series ever made!"
Before Kagome could reply, Raphael said, "No one else but you watches that stupid show anyway."
The remark wasn't much, but it was enough to put Leo on the offensive. He stood from his spot on the floor just as Raphael was doing to the same.
"I don't remember asking for your opinion," Leonardo stated, "I'm talking to Kagome."
"Umm guys?" Donatello timidly spoke up after a quick glance at Kagome. She was still and silent, watching the two brothers intently. He might not have known her for long, but her expression certainly meant nothing good.
"You have no business talking to her," Raphael harshly countered.
"And you do?"
"Guys," April called out, getting fed up with their behavior herself.
"I have more of a right than you do."
"Oh really? Then that must be why you ran out this morning as soon as you saw her!"
"You—!"
"Stop it!" Kagome screamed, her eyes steadily darkening to an angry indigo, "Just stop it! The two of you are acting like children. I don't know what issues you two have or why you have them, but the two of you are brothers! Stop being so stubborn and work it out!"
She paused, her chest heaving from her tirade, but her ire was not completely spent. She spoke again in a much softer voice, expressing her own lingering suspicions.
"If what happened to me or my staying here with you has something to do with while you're fighting, I am sorry, but please, please, please work it out and forgive each other," she pleaded, "And I won't be speaking to either of you until you do!"
"Kagome, I—" Leonardo began to say, but an icy glare from both April and Kagome quickly shut him up. Raphael stood in silence, unable to say a word or look anyone in the eye.
Intending to leave, Kagome moved to stand on her feet but flinched when her sole touched the ground and remained on the sofa.
"Don't worry. I got this one," Michelangelo announced as he scooped Kagome up and walked across the living room.
"I give you the grand tour starting with my room," he decided, pausing his stride to look back at Donatello and April, "I'm pretty sure we can close the door to my room, but April and Donnie should tag along just in case."
"Sure, Mikey," Donnie replied, eager to leave the tense situation behind.
"Right behind you," April angrily huffed with her arms folded over her chest.
Kagome sighed and tiredly leaned against Mikey's shelled chest. Her exit wasn't quite as powerful as she wanted it to be, but Leonardo and Raphael were left alone like she intended.
"Think they'll actually talk in there?" she asked.
"You mean other than the usual trash talk they say during a fight?" Mikey jokingly suggested. He frowned when Kagome didn't cheer up.
"I'm sure they will," Donnie added, trying to be more helpful, "Leo and Raph fight all the time, and they always make up…eventually."
"I guess you're right. Boys will be boys. Once they knock each other's heads around for a while, they'll bump fists and act like nothing ever happened," Kagome stated, encouraged, "Or, at least, I hope they do."
"Stop worrying about it," April said to assuage Kagome's worries, "They'll make up one way or the other. Leo and Raph always do."
"No question!" Mikey agreed, "Besides, even if Raph and Leo are still fighting, I still think you're the cooliest!"
Kagome giggled and pressed a kiss to Mikey's freckled check. Raphael and Leonardo may be on her shit list until they make up, but this turtle could really put her in a good mood.
"Thanks, Mikey. You're the best."
Michelangelo grinned, his face light pink. He could get used to this. If he knew Kagome was so nice and able to scare the Great and Terrible Raphael, he would have went to Murakami's to meet her ages ago.
"Then on with the tour!" he declared and marched down the hall.
Donatello cleared his throat before he spoke to April. Recent events gave him a promising idea.
"April, you know this tour might take a while. If you want, I could carry you like Mikey is carrying Kagome," he suggested.
"Nice offer, but I'll pass," she replied, "I've walked to sewer tunnels before. I can handle it."
Donnie was discouraged by wouldn't give up.
"Yeah, but you never been in Mikey's room. There might be something crawling around in there," he added.
"Hey!" Mikey yelled over his shoulder, "The last time something moved on my floor was three or four days ago."
April took a step back, cringing. "You know what, Donnie?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm gonna skip this part of the tour and wait until you guys are done," she informed them and walked further down the hall passed all of the bedrooms.
Donnie waited until April was out of earshot to let out a defeated groan. Over Mikey's shoulder, Kagome gave him a sympathetic look that clearly said, "Better luck next time".
-O0o0O-
Leonardo groaned and reached up to rub his temples. Just like he always did, Raphael got under his skin and pissed him off without fail. As much as he hated to admit it, Kagome was right. They had to stop ignoring the problem and clear the air between them, or the same thing would continue to happen until they did.
Leo took a deep breath before turning around to face Raphael.
Trying to talk to him hasn't worked before, but I might as well give it another try.
"Look, Raph—" he started to say, but Raphael interrupted him.
"Don't say it. I know what happened to Kagome is not your fault. It's just easier to blame you or Shredder or the Kraang for it when it's really all my fault."
When he finished speaking, Raphael turned away from Leonardo, ashamed. Kagome may have forgiven him, but he has not completely forgiven himself. She still felt that he deserved her friendship and her affections, but, deep down, he didn't.
Leonardo stared at his brother's back in shock. Kagome meant more to Raphael than he realized, much more. Smiling weakly, he approached him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Raphael, it is not your fault," he told him, "Everyone knows that. Kagome knows that. There was no way you could have known what would happen to her. You have to stop beating yourself up over this. It was awful, but it's over now."
Raphael shrugged Leonardo's arm off and stepped away from him.
"But that's the point!" he shouted, "I should have known! To me, it was just another night on patrol. I spoke to Kagome earlier that night, and I was gonna see her the next day. But while all those terrible things were happening to her, I had no idea." He paused and angrily clenched and unclenched his fists.
"Why didn't I—I don't know—sense that something was wrong? Sense that Kagome needed me?"
"Raph, that doesn't happen in real life. In the end, everything turned out alright, and Kagome's safe with us," Leonardo explained, "But, if it makes you feel any better, I feel just as guilty about it as you do even if you don't blame me anymore."
"What are you talking about?"
"I was right there and ended up being completely useless. In spite of all that, Kagome never once blamed me and never blamed you."
Raphael grinned. The tension between him and Leonardo was cleared, and its enormous weight was lifted from his shoulders. It took him some time to accept, but what happened to Kagome was over, and no one was responsible for it—other than the Foot Clan and the Kraang, of course. She was well and protected under the guard of the entire team and their sensei. Everyone from Kagome to Master Splinter told him that before, but his brother managed to finally make it stick.
"You did a hell of a lot more than I did," he admitted, "Thanks for looking out for her."
"No problem. Kagome is a special girl."
Leonardo silently wondered if Raphael was aware of how special Kagome was. She didn't mention it when she spoke to Master Splinter, so she likely kept her abilities a secret. He decided to discuss that with Kagome first before he brought it up with the others. She could be a valuable asset against the Kraang once she was back in fighting condition.
Raphael snorted and said, his tone oddly affectionate, "She's special alright."
"She has to be actually talk to you of all mutants," Leo joked.
"As it that matters. Talking is one thing Kagome's very good at. That girl never lets me get a word in even when I say 'I'm sorry'."
"Are you serious? You actually apologize to her?"
"Unlike, you idiots, she actually deserves it," Raphael replied, slightly embarrassed. Talking about Kagome was getting easier to do. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
"And, I technically don't since she cuts me off before I finish."
"Really?"
Raph shrugged. "She just seems to know what I wanna say. It's really annoying."
"I bet. So are we really okay, Raph?"
Raphael smirked and slung an arm over Leonardo's shoulder. Their next sparing match would be one for the record books, but, other than that, everything was settled. Besides, even though they did make up, he and Leo would just be fighting about something else soon enough.
Maybe not if Kagome has anything to say about it, he fondly thought, knowing perfectly well that she would.
"Well, I don't wanna beat your face in anymore, so yeah. We're okay."
Leo grinned. That statement was the green light he was waiting for. Raphael was overdue on some good-natured, brotherly teasing.
"You're not just saying that so Kagome will talk to you again, right? You really like her, don't you?"
"No!" Raphael yelled as he pulled away from Leo, "Shut up!"
"It's okay if you do," Leo admitted, "I like her too."
Raphael's eyes narrowed, not sure how to react to what Leonardo said. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It's nothing bad! She's really cool, and, all things considered. I'm glad we finally met her," Leonardo said. He slyly added, "But you do know you're a hypocrite, right?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't tell me you forgot! You busted my shell for days because I trusted Karai, then you go out and do the same thing with Kagome and keep her a secret," Leonardo informed him, "At least, I told you about Karai."
"Are you serious?" Raphael asked, skeptical, "Karai is a dangerous, blood thirsty kunoichi of the Foot Clan who's out to destroy us all, and Kagome is the niece of a blind noodle shop owner who makes delicious pancakes for a family of mutants living in the sewer after escaping from enemy lairs and alien robots. The two of them are on completely different levels. There's no comparison. And you only told us about Karai after you told April and met her in secret and I caught her spying on us."
Raphael snorted. "In fact, while I was looking for someone to blame for all this, I should have blamed Karai."
He didn't know what Karai did to Kagome while she was in the Foot Clan's custody, but he was sure as hell was going to find out even if he had to hold the female ninja at weapon point until she talked. Part of him hoped it would come to that.
"I'm not comparing Kagome and Karai," Leonardo clarified. The two girls really were complete opposites.
"I'm just saying you got close to a human when you always tell us not to." He paused to chuckle. "Kagome's even your girlfriend."
The look on Raphael's face was priceless. It was exactly the way he pictured it would be, his right eye twitching, the vein on his forehead pulsing, and all.
"Are you trying to make me angry or do you want to rewind and actually have that beating?"
"I'm just calling it how I see it," Leo said with shrug, "Kagome's a very pretty girl, and you seem like you really like her. Plus, she's probably the only human girl other than April who can stand to be around you for more than five seconds without running away screaming her head off."
Raphael rolled his eyes and said, "I don't know what goes on in your head, but there are three important things you have got to know." He began his list, holding up a finger for each item.
"One, Kagome is not my girlfriend. Two, Karai will never be your girlfriend. And three, if in some bizarre, backward alternate universe they were, mine would be a hundred times better than yours," he finished with a smirk.
Leonardo scoffed but couldn't disagree. He could admit Karai was more than hot with all of the appeal of the stereotypical bad girl, but Kagome certainly won out as girlfriend material. As he said before, she was special and for much more than the power and courage she displayed fighting the Kraang.
"Assuming bizarre, backward alternate Kagome would chose to be your girlfriend and not mine," he countered.
"She would."
"And why is that?"
"Because not even in a bizarre, backward alternate universe would you be more handsome than me."
Soon after Raphael finished speaking, Michelangelo, Kagome, Donatello, and April returned.
"That's the end of the tour!" Mikey said as they returned to the living room. When he noticed his brothers standing next to each other, he asked, "Did you two make nice like Gome said?"
"'Gome'?" Leonardo repeated.
"It's her new, completely original, totally awesome nickname thought of by me," he boasted, "So much better than 'caterpillar'."
Leo rolled his eyes but answered, "Everything's cool."
"Really?" Kagome asked.
Raphael nodded, smiling at her. "Really."
When he and Leonardo stepped forward to approach her, Mikey took a step back with the girl still in his arms.
"Mikey, what are you doing?" Raphael asked.
"I'm on active Turtle Toter duty. Go get your own girl to tote."
Kagome rolled her eyes and gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. "Mikey, I've got it from here. Take five."
"You got it. I got hungry anyway," he said as he placed her on the sofa. He jogged to the kitchen and turned back to say over his shoulder, "I'm gonna order some pizza. Jellybean, anchovy, and jalapeño good for everybody."
"Maybe just one of them," Leonardo answered, not for the first time wondering about Mikey's strange tastes, "As for the rest, pepperoni's just fine."
"Alright!"
When Mikey was gone, April took Donnie by the elbow and said, "Come on, Donnie. Let's go help Mikey order the pizza, okay?"
Donatello was too embarrassed to form a coherent sentence as she pulled him with her. Before they disappeared, April toss Kagome a quick wink over her shoulder. Kagome could only shake her head as she watched them with a smile on her face. April was hardly inconspicuous, but she knew Kagome wanted to talk to Leo and Raph on her own and was happy to help out. After all, what were girl friends for?
Kagome waited for Leonardo and Raphael to join her on the couch before she asked, "Did the two of you really work things out?"
"We did," Leo answered.
"As much as we could anyway," Raphael added.
She let out a relived sigh. "Good. Ever since I woke up and realized I was in your home, I thought I was a burden. That my being here screwed everything up."
"It did," Raphael quipped before Leonardo could say anything.
"Thanks, Raph. While I was unconscious, I forgot what a jerk you were," Kagome said, deadpanned.
"You did, but we're friends. Crash here as long as you like. We'll get over it," he added with a smirk, "So stop blaming yourself, okay?"
"If you say it, then I guess it must be true," she retorted with a devious wink, "Well, at least if you fall asleep on me while we're here, you don't have to worry about running back home before anyone finds out."
"Excuse me! You were the one who fell asleep on me."
"He was with you that night?" Leonardo questioned, cutting off Kagome's reply. His eyes widened when everything finally clicked into place.
"Raph's been with you every night!"
"Yup," Kagome answered with a nod, "That night, he was there until I woke up for school hogging my entire mattress."
"Shut up! You drool in your sleep!"
"At least I don't snore!"
"Good because, if you did, you'd drown!"
Kagome turned away from him and crossed her arms over her chest in a huff with her nose in the air, refusing to say another word.
"Great," Raphael uttered, "The silent treatment again. How long's it gonna last this time? Five, ten minutes?"
"Just you wait! As soon as my foot's closed up, I'm gonna kick your shelled butt from here to New Jersey!" Kagome remarked without turning to face him.
"You're on! You're gonna lose, but your smack talk's getting better."
She looked at Raphael over her shoulder, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I learned from the best."
Leonardo laughed as he watched the two of them go back and forth, completely in sync with each other.
Definitely a hypocrite.
"The pizza will be at the usual pickup spot in 15 minutes or less!" Mikey announced, "In the meantime, what's on TV?"
"So we're skipping night patrol?" Leo asked, although he already suspected that was going to happen.
"It'll be fine if we can skip one night," Mikey said, "Besides, Kagome's finally well enough to hang out with us!"
"I wouldn't want you to cancel on my account," Kagome spoke up.
"It's nothing like that," Donatello told her, "Besides, one night off won't hurt anything."
"If you're sure."
"In that case," Leonardo began, "there are still a few episodes of Space Heroes on—"
"Next," Raphael dryly interjected.
Donatello pulled out his T-phone and began browsing the current program listings. His eyes lit up when he spotted something that piqued his interests.
"In a few minutes, a documentary series on emerging techno—"
"Next."
Mikey peeked over Donnie's shoulder and skimmed through the titles as he scrolled through his phone. "A countdown of the one hundred greatest internet fails?"
"Next."
April withdrew her mobile from her pocket and pulled up the information herself, letting Kagome look on with her. There wasn't much to pick from.
"How about we watch? Chiller Channel Presents eight straight of hours of classic mad scientist double features?" April recommended, "In about 30 minutes, we can catch the start of the The Fly followed by The Fly 2."
"Sounds good to me," Donnie quickly stated with his brothers agreeing.
"You can never go wrong with a good horror movie," Raphael mentioned.
Kagome shrugged. "I guess I'm in too. I've never heard of the series."
"It's some old movie from the 1980s that's based on some short story or a remake or whatever," April answered, only briefly glancing at the first film's description, "It has some pretty high ratings on IMDb and Metacritic, so it can't be that bad."
"Grab a few sodas and some popcorn while we want for the pizza and we got a plan," Leonardo said.
"On it!" Mikey declared and jumped to his feet to dash to the kitchen.
April stood when a loud crash echoed from the other room and said, "I'll go help him."
"Me too!"
Raphael and Leonardo simultaneously shook their heads as Donnie tailed after April. Mikey retreated from the kitchen soon after, obviously relieved from his task, and sat next to Kagome on the sofa.
"I don't know why he tries so hard. It'll never happen," Raphael mentioned.
Both brothers looked over when they heard Kagome laugh at something Mikey said, demurely holding her hand in front of her mouth.
"I dunno. Maybe it will. Maybe it won't," Leonardo retorted, "There's no harm in letting him hope."
Raphael snorted. "He can do whatever he wants. Not my problem."
He stiffened when Kagome caught his eye and smiled sweetly at him before returning her attentions to Mikey. For a brief moment, he thought getting close to a girl the way Donatello wanted to be close to April wasn't such an unattainable idea.
-O0o0O-
Master Splinter was silent and thoughtful as he walked toward the living room. Despite the fact his home was housing six teenagers, it was relatively peaceful excluding a rather obvious outburst he heard earlier. By the time he arrived to check on them, everything was in the process of resolving itself, so he didn't interfere. He was actually able to complete his afternoon medication uninterrupted. However, he should have known it would not last long.
"Dude, that's nasty!" Michelangelo shouted causing Splinter to come to an immediate stop and listen.
"Gross!" April added.
Kagome spoke soon after she finished, her voice muffled. "I think I'm gonna be sick."
"How's he supposed to, ya know, go to the bathroom now?" Mikey asked, confused.
"Well, insects have a very interesting excretory system. They utilize a structure called the Malpighian tubule in combination with their rect—"
"Donnie, would you prefer to shut up on your own or let my fist do it for you?"
Donatello could only mutter one statement, justly afraid of Raphael's threat.
"I'll do it myself."
"Anybody want the rest of the popcorn?"
"It's all yours, Mikey," Leonardo told him.
When their banter died down, Splinter walked into the living room, eyes wide at what he saw. Everything was in near shambles with empty Coke cans, pizza boxes, and popcorn kernels scattered across the floor. Michelangelo was laying on his stomach as close to the TV as he could get with one hand in the popcorn bowl and the other propping his head up. April and Donnie were both seated on the floor reclining against the sofa. The two shared a blanket although there was a noticeably large space between them. The redhead was clutching a pillow in front of her face occasionally sneaking glances at the television screen over its fringed edges. Kagome was seated on the couch in between Leonardo and Raphael. All three of them huddled close to each other covered by a large quilt. While both brothers faced the TV wearing varied expressions of revulsion, Kagome hid her face in Raphael's arm, tightly clinging to his bicep. When Splinter looked at the screen, he understood way they reacted so.
"What is going on in here?" he asked, his voice thundering the way only a father's could.
Everyone jumped in their seats at the sound of the unexpected intrusion, and the Turtles quickly stood to their foot. Further adding to the disarray, Michelangelo tipped over the bowl with his foot as he stood producing a flurry of buttery popcorn floating in the air and falling onto the floor.
"Hey, sensei," Leonardo greeted him, nervous, "We were just watching a movie. Sorry about the mess."
"We'll clean it up later, sensei," Donatello added, "Promise." Raphael and Michelangelo readily agreed.
Taking a quick look around the room at the guilty faces of his sons and the human girls in their company, Splinter faintly smiled. The peace may have broken, but their camaraderie has not.
"Very well. You can have tonight off," he said, his words inducing a collective sigh of relief, "But tomorrow, you will resume your training now that Kagome is well."
"Huh?" she uttered, "What does that have to do with me?"
"You were holed up in the dojo, so we couldn't use it," Raphael answered matter-of-factly.
"Not that we minded," Leonardo quickly interjected, "You were more important. You're still more important."
"Thanks," Kagome said making a point to turn her back to Raphael when she spoke. A glimpse at her playful grin made it clear she was only teasing him.
Raphael rolled his eyes and said, "At least you're well enough to chill out in here while we train."
"Actually, if it's okay, I'd like to sit in and watch," she requested, directing her statement to Master Splinter. She was eager to see all of the Turtles in action along with their sensei now that she was conscious and alert.
"You need not ask for my permission," Splinter kindly responded, "As long as you are here with us, you're more than welcome."
Kagome smiled, happy. "Thank you, Master Splinter."
Raphael looked at her from the corner of his eye and shook his head. It never took much to make her happy not that he minded. His real concern was that, if Kagome was going to watch their next sparring session, he would have to make an earnest effort to hold back on delivering some well-deserved payback. He may have settled things with Leonardo, but a good sparring match would close the deal for good. And he didn't forget about the humiliating incident with Donatello and Michelangelo. They've been jumpy all afternoon, so he was sure they knew it was coming. If they knew Kagome wouldn't approve, they'd use it to their advantage. As eager as Raphael was to even the score, inciting Kagome's wrath for a second time was not on his to do list.
Besides, it could be fun to make them sweat for a while, he thought with a smirk. Mikey flinched and turned away when he saw it.
"I am going to retire for the evening. Don't stay up too late, keep the volume down, and clean up after yourselves," Splinter instructed.
"Hai, sensei," all of the teens responded before returning to their movie. They all cringed as Donatello rewound back to the point they left off at.
Splinter nodded and turned around to walk to his room. He was glad to see that all of the unrest between his two eldest sons was dispelled, and all of the children were at ease—or they would be once that ghastly film was over. They needed everything resolved before they returned to pursing the Kraang and the Foot Clan. Now that Kagome's was awake and recovering, Splinter knew the Turtles would be ready for vengeance especially Raphael. They needed a clear, concise plan before they proceeded, and whatever information Kagome withheld from their first conversation was crucial to forming it. As serious as the situation was, Splinter would not push her to speak until she was ready. She would tell them what they needed to know in time, and, after what he had seen, Splinter knew it would be some time soon.
Before he reached his room, Master Splinter stopped mid step with his ears fully erect and alert. There was one important thing he forgot to address with his sons before he left them to their own devices. He fully trusted them, April, and Kagome, but a good parent could never be too careful especially when dealing with teenagers—shinobi or otherwise.
"Boys! Remember to keep the doors to your bedrooms open!"
"Sensei!"
-O0o0O-
punkish furball – I hope you all enjoyed that (excluding everyone who wanted a kiss scene)! The movie night scene really came out of nowhere. I wasn't old enough to see The Fly when it first came out (90s kid for life!), but, a couple of weeks back, my friends and I found it on Netflix and, since none of us have seen if before, thought, "Why not?". I decided to incorporate it into this chapter, and I believe it turned out pretty well. Especially with our favorite overprotective rat dad at the end!
For next time, some truth gets told, some enemies get confronted, somebody gets a new pupil, and some shells get kicked up, down, and sideways. Until then, TCB! X3
(edited 2.12.15)