Monster (2003)

By: AndiKaneUnderwood

Don really doesn't understand why he felt this way.

He really shouldn't, he was the one who introduced them in the first place, but the anger that bubbled up in his chest as he saw his brother head out on another date with Mona Lisa was almost too much to bare.

He doesn't think it would bother him so much if Raph didn't just drop everything he was doing to answer a phone call or respond to a text. Even if he was helping Don with something.

Even if Don needed him.

TMNT~TMNT~TMNT

Don still remembered his brother's words, those soft words the ginger had whispered to the brunette as they laid in bed the third time in a row Raph had found Don crying in his room. If you need me, come and find me. I'm always here for you.

With Mona Lisa, better known to non ninjas as Melissa Lindsey, in the picture, he assumed it would be the same thing, but then as he lay in bed after an awful nightmare with the Triceratons and that stupid metal helmet he remembered the reason he wasn't getting up to go see if Raph was awake.

Don knocked gently at the door, hoping not to wake Mikey in the room next door.

Mona Lisa was the person who answered. He didn't know she was here.

"Hi." Don tried for a smile, but with the recent fear on his mind, he didn't succeed.

"Raphael is asleep." Was all she said.

"I know." Don replied.

"I will not wake him." Mona said, this time with more force and Don got the idea that she didn't want him there.

"I figured, sorry I woke you." Don turned and Mona snapped the door closed.

"Mona? Who was that? Was that Donny?" Raph's sleepy voice asked from inside the room.

"No," there was a pause, then, "Raphael!" There was the sound of someone getting up and Don moved back to his room before the door was opened. If Mona didn't want him there, then Raph probably didn't either.

Unfortunately, he didn't close the door quick enough and he was sitting on the bed with his head in his hands when Raph came in. "Hey Donny." The ginger sat on the bed next to him. "You alright?"

Don nodded.

Raph gauged him under an analytic gaze. "No, you aren't. You can lie to Mona, Donny, but you can't lie to me."

Don couldn't hold back his tears any longer and ended up sobbing into Raph's shoulder while Raph rocked them back and forth. He ended up crying himself to sleep.

When he woke, Raph and Mona where arguing outside his door. He sat up, and caught Raph's attention, but Mona closed the door before Raph could take so much as a step towards Don's room.

Don had to force himself to stay put. He had to make himself stay in the bed instead of seeking out Raph's comfort as he normally would.

He knew the consequences of staying away from his brother in times of stress, it was the price he had to pay when he learned he had powers.

Unfortunately, his jealousy (though he wasn't sure that's what it was) almost drove an ice pick between the bond he and Raph shared.

The green monster struck. And it wouldn't let go.

TMNT~TMNT~TMNT

When Don woke up that morning, he could already feel the repercussions of staying away from his brother so long after a stressful night*.

His head was killing him and his hands shook, but it was bearable and he was fine.

Don could do it.

As he went down for breakfast, he became aware of the shaking in his legs too, it made him fall down the stairs and hit his head on the post.

"Donny?" Raph asked.

Anger bloomed under scarlet skin and brown eyes flashed a brief green as he stood quickly and dusted himself off.

"Don, you alright?" Raph called, coming over from the kitchen.

"I'm fine." Don called back, voice clipped and tone dismissive.

He brushed passed his brother and his shoulder hit a broad chest. What little contact they had in that single moment immediately eased the headache, but the shaking would require further contact, like an arm around the shoulders or a hug.

Don filled his cup of coffee and headed for the lab, locking the door and refusing to let anyone in. He gave no thought to the fact that Raph had the spare key Don had made when the doors where put on. He didn't think about Raph period.

As the doors shut behind him with a satisfying slam, he also gave little thought to the fact that it was Raph who urged him to ask Splinter to build this place and it was Raph who helped him draw out to plans.

All he could think about was Mona fucking Lisa and her stupid, stupid control over his twin brother.

He'd been with Raph since the hot-head was born, not her! It was Don that comforted Raph after Summer Richards had broken his heart over the summer of eighth grade, not her. It was Don who'd been there after every fight with Leo, after every scratch that needed stitching, and every low Raph had ever been through.

Mona Lisa hadn't been there since Raph was born. Mona Lisa had just shown up last year of a dammed boat that led to Europe.

Don wished he could shove her back on it.

Or go back in time and convince her not to go.

Then he felt guilty because Raph deserved to be happy and if Mona Lisa made him happy, then Don should respect that.

Then he cringed because damn if he didn't sound like a school girl with a crush.

Don ignored the black at the edges of his vision, chalking it up to his mind playing tricks on him, and took a sip from his coffee mug.

Then he sat at his computer with intent to actually get some work done, but then the shaking in his hands decided to prevent him from doing anything significant and the black in his vision grew until he felt like he had tunnel vision.

He knew he should've called out, called for Raph or Dad, but he was unable. He should've been screaming, but just like that his vision went dark and his thoughts noticeably slowed down, moving like a snail through syrup.

Don felt light.

He knew he was falling.

These where the consequences of his powers.

Stupid jealousy.

TMNT~TMNT~TMNT

Raph felt he should've gone after Don and explained what happened after he fell asleep, but he knew better than to push.

He should've pushed.

He should've shoved.

His mistake was the reason Raph was sitting next to a bed with his brother laying deathly still on it.

The second the doctor left, Raph was in the room, hands on Don's cheeks as he checked the damage wasn't too extensive. He shifted his hand to the brunet's stomach and let his warm flames fly over Don's pale body, slowly warming his freezing skin. Just as fire destroyed, it also created life, and the color slowly came back to Don's face.

As chocolate eyes fluttered open and his skin regained it's color, Don's voice rasped in a groan. "Raph?" He asked. "What happened?"

He tried to sit up, but Raph's free hand pushed at his shoulder and he settled back down. "You didn't come stay with me yesterday night. I know you had a nightmare. Why?" He lifted his hand from Don's torso and lifted it to his forehead, body glowing a gentle, soft red.

Don didn't turn his head, that showed his reluctance to fight, but he closed his eyes, and that showed his stubbornness. "Don't you have to get back to Mona Lisa?" He asked softly.

A whine almost escaped his lips when Raph took the warmth away. He could not stop the sigh that pushed out when the warmth was brought back somewhere around his arms.

"Don, Melissa and I broke up. She didn't think it was a good idea for you to be so codependent. I set her straight and sent her on her way." Raph explained.

"When did that happen?" Don asked sleepily, pushing his head into Raph's hands.

"Last night, you fell asleep and Mona came in later tell me it was time to come back to bed. You where fine. I wouldn't let her wake you up, so we took it to my room and she didn't let me go back until I set her straight about what happened when I stayed away when you got to into that big head of yours. She still thought it was a bad idea, so I sent her on her way. No girl comes before you, Donny. No girl, no way." Raph told him.

Don mumbled lightly, and though Raph couldn't understand, he saw the way Don's face and shoulders relaxed and he knew he'd been forgiven.

Perhaps the green monster didn't have quite a bad hold after all.

*Due to the boys birth rights and such, they have powers that help them fight the Foot and Shredder.

However, there are certain things they have to do in order to keep those powers. It began when their father told then about their powers at about five years of age.

Leo and Mikey have to stick together and renew a connection each night otherwise their powers start to go haywire.

Leo's powers of water and Mikey's powers over air make them a powerful tag team and that makes their powers connected in a way, so they can't stray to far away or go to long without some sort oof contact.

The same goes for Raph and Don, the difference being that it's only Don that's effected because fire, in it's own way, is kind of alive, and when Don's powers start to go haywire, then Raph's do too. It's just Don that feels the physical aspects of it.

Leo and Raph don't have such problems because Water and Fire are natural opposites. This is also why their fights get so heated, pun not intended.

Mikey and Don don't have these problems either, not because they're natural opposites, but because they aren't as compatible and Don to Raph or Mikey to Leo. They get along pretty well though, and rarely ever fight.

The pain levels in order of how difficult they are to manage are:

Don

Leo

Mikey

Raph