Afterglow - Chapter 40

Rated: T

Weightless

Chapter Summary: April walks in on Raph lifting weights.

Knocked this out in a little over an hour. Glad I was able to get this done for y'all and thanks for your patience! xoxo

April O'Neil walked closer to the lair; a big smile plastered on her face even if she was more or less exhausted.

It'd been a week since her and Raphael returned from Northampton and while difficult to get back into the swing of things, it was a nice change of pace. She had gotten scheduled for fall classes and was looking forward to a work study position she was offered.

All in all, life was definitely looking up.

April was only three years away from graduation, her father was super supportive, she had an amazing boyfriend and family. Life was good and now it was time to end this long day with getting to visit said boyfriend and family. It'd been at least three days since she saw any of them and it was about time she got some time in her schedule to make an impromptu visit.

"Hey Mike!" she announced as she went through the turnstiles to see the youngest enthralled with a video game.

"Hey April!" he shouted back dramatically, tongue sticking out in concentration as he swerved this way and that as if that would help his driving skills in the game. Ice Cream Kitty sat in a lunch cooler a few feet behind him meowing in greeting.

The redhead smiled as she approached them, careful to avoid the strewn blankets and empty soda cans. She smiled at the dairy feline and reached out to pat her head before looking over Mikey's shoulder to watch him play for a moment.

"If you're looking for Mr. Grouchy Shell, he's in the weight room." Mikey said a few seconds later without missing a beat.

"Hmm?" April asked with a chuckle, "Mr. Grouchy Shell? That's a new one."

"Meh. I think I'm losing my touch for naming things. Either that or I've already called him every name I could think of!" Mikey answered, his eyes flicking toward hers for only a second.

"Merow! Meow, Rawrrr!" Ice Cream Kitty rang in with a slosh of her body.

"Ooh! 'Raph-nado!' That's a good one, I.C.K.!" Mikey laughed loudly, his eyes closing too long and his character crashed into the wall and he lost his first place position.

"NOOOO!" he screamed dramatically along with the devastated mew of his cat. The controller went flying somewhere over her head to land on the couch and April rolled her eyes but chuckled at their antics nonetheless.

One thing was for sure - there was never a dull moment in the Hamato household.

"Alright, Mike. I'll leave you to grieve." April said in her most serious voice she could muster.

"You don't understand!" he moaned into his arms. "I was this close to the all-time record!" he reiterated as he turned to her with big teary blue eyes; fingers only millimeters apart to showcase to her just how close he'd been.

April gave him a patient smile and patted the top of his head. "I'm sure you'll get it next time, Mike."

"Meow, mew!" the cat supported her answer and April had a hard time not rolling her eyes at the hope that filled Mikey's baby blues.

"You're right, Ice Cream Kitty!" the youngest announced with his chest puffed out. "I CAN do it!"

"Meow!"

"I'm happy for you, both. Well, I'm gonna go see 'Raph-nado' now." April said with a badly hidden laugh; giving him a farewell wave which he didn't return as he was already lost in his game.

Along her way, she didn't head or shell of either Donnie or Leo but those thoughts fell to the wayside when she her first glimpse of Raphael.

April stopped at the doorway of their new weight room. It was adjacent to the dojo and was filled with random weights and training equipment. They'd moved even the punching bag and other items in here to try and make more space. Raph was pretty much the only one to use it.

Leo was more into just training with Splinter, Donnie always had other things to do, and Mikey avoided unnecessary training or exercise like the plague. So, all in all, Raphael had gained himself an extra room in the lair and so far, there were no complaints.

…especially from her…

At the doorway, she watched him for a long while. His body and mind honed to perfection as he smashed his fists over and over into the black punching bag that was littered with duct tape. Fists making a thud sound with every smack of his powerful punches. There was nothing like seeing all those taut muscles at work; a light sheen of sweat and scales bristling as he used that perfectly honed weapon in training.

Lip bit tightly between her teeth and eyes never leaving him, she sauntered in the room further to see if he'd noticed her yet. Knowing his incredible sensory nerves and sense of smell, he probably did but she was still waiting for a greeting. Her heart was racing as she continually watched him; April's body reacting in the way you'd think it would by seeing his performance.

The power; his muscle tone, the sounds he was making…it was making her as hot as hell…

"Enjoyin' the show?" he chuckled; his voice breaking her out of her rather impure thoughts. He peered over at her from his shoulder; thick lips lifted in his familiar smirk and his green eyes were as warm as a crackling fire.

Why did he have to be so damn attractive?

"...and if I am?" she teased, acting as coy as could be as she inched a little closer.

"Well, I can't blame ya." he replied in all his smug glory. Lifting his arms and flexing them proudly for her.

"Such a smug ass." she chuckled while trying her damnedest to keep her eyes off the bulging biceps. She failed miserably.

"Ain't hearin' you complain too much, O'Neil." Raphael continued before reaching for a barbell. "In fact, your body's saying otherwise."

April's face lit up at his accusation and cursed his sense of smell. Sure to give him a dirty look which he responded with a wiggle of his brow ridges. But instead of arguing or even trying to deny it, she just continued to enjoy the view.

Raphael picked up the barbell almost effortlessly, the heavy weights on other side clinking as he lifted and lowered them. The strain easy to see in his arms, face and the vein that was throbbing and pulsing visibly in his neck.

As if she could get any wetter at this point…

Swallowing back a lump, she made her way to a step-stool and sat down to continue watching. Her blue eyes fixated on every move; every bulge, stretch, and pull of muscle echoing underneath his emerald green skin. It was a beautiful sight but she was getting bored.

"How about you bench press me?" she asked suddenly and regretted it when Raphael almost dropped the weight on his foot.

The slam of the weights on concrete echoed loudly through the house.

"Raphael!" Splinter's disciplinary voice rung out from a distant room and Raphael visibly flinched.

"Sorry, Sensei! It was an accident!" he shouted back and when Splinter didn't reply, April was more or less surprised that the mutated rat believed him.

"Wait. What?" Raphael turned his attention toward her; his eyes a bit bulged and mouth agape as he asked the question.

"I said, why don't you bench press me?" she reiterated and he glanced down her body before meeting her eyes again.

"Why? You're too scrawny to give me any sorta workout."

"I mean, let me sit on the weights."

Raph's response was an opened mouth stare.

"Ugh." April sighed, walking over to the downed weight before sitting on the metal bar where the weights were attached to either side. "Like this. Just lift me up."

Raphael still seemed unconvinced, his eyes glancing at her before he peered at the weights than at the ceiling.

April couldn't take it much more.

"We gonna do this or not?" she asked, poking him in his plastron and he squeaked.

"Fine. Fine! But if you fall and break yer neck, I'll just say I told ya so." he replied gruffly, his hands moving on the other side of her hips.

In anticipation, April grasped at the bar to keep her balance as he slowly brought her up. Her stomach flipped at the sensation of losing gravity; hairs on her body tingling pleasantly as he brought the weights above his head. A giggle released from her lips as she bounced slightly on the bar wondering why she'd never asked him to do this before.

The redhead peered down at her terrapin boyfriend where he was peering up at her with the same smirk he wore earlier. She smiled back as he brought the weight down to his chest than back up again. April didn't bother holding back her laughter as he pushed her up back up even higher.

Arms locked and above his head, he let her get her bearings for a moment. April again peered down at him and her brows furrowed when he gave her a dirty grin and wiggling his brows; his vantage point a little too pleasing as he stared up at her ass.

"Pervert." she muttered and if she wasn't afraid of falling and breaking her neck, she would've reached down to smack that look off his face.

"Hey, you got to enjoy the merchandise, now it's my turn." he replied with a breathy chuckle that did not make her heart skip a beat, "And let's not forget, this was all your idea."

"Fine. Enjoy it while you can." she muttered her consent, cheeks flushing as she brushed her fists along his hands. April felt the slightly tremble as he lifted her and lowered her again and again. Enjoying how sexy those sounds he kept making were; the thick breaths and rasps from strain had her stomach tightening further.

Raphael was slowly losing his mind; her feminine aroma kept tickling his nostrils and damn, he hated being a reptile in this moment. His inner hormones raging and April smelling so fucking good were really fogging up his mind. Seeing her ass so close in all it's pert rounded glory didn't make it any easier even if she was wearing clothes. They scarcely left anything up to imagination with this angle anyway.

It's been a whole week since they were last intimate and it felt like a lifetime already. He'd been rather short with his brothers all week and then April showing up all sexy and flirty didn't help no one. There was no way they could have sex yet she continued to tease him…

April suddenly giggled and Raph's groin area tightened painfully. Her breathy laugh, hair and breasts bouncing up and down, and don't get him started on the fact she was leaking pheromones like nothing else. Before long, his mind was so clouded he barely heard April warning him to slow down than to stop.

"RAPH!" she suddenly screamed and Raphael's hands laxed at the worst possible instance. Before he'd even realized it, he'd dropped the weight and April was airborne. The weight was gone and crashed to the floor with a resounding thud.

Luckily, Raphael immediately reached out and grabbed April from midair. She rested in his arms bridal style with wide blue eyes and gasping for air.

"Never do that again." she breathed.

"Agreed." he replied with a chuckle and for his sake, she thankfully returned.

Any relief that either might be feeling was completely gone when Splinter barreled through the doorway.

"RAPHAEL!" the ninjitsu master admonished.

"Uh, Sensei, I can explain." Raphael muttered in a panic.

The rat looked down, seeing the huge crack on the cement and Miss April in his son's arms. Without anything else to do, he sighed and buried his face in his hands not sure exactly how to deal with his hotheaded son much more.

…he was getting way too old for this shit…