He could hear his shell scrape against the sewer wall as his hands tried to pull Leo even closer to him where they stood. Leo let himself be shifted by the strong turtle, currently too distracted by the way Raph's biceps shifted when he massaged his fingers over them. Leo didn't know if the flexing was intentional to impress him or just a natural reflex, nor did he care as long as it continued.

Leo churred again as Raph's hand slid down to grab his ass and the noise prompted Raphael to quickly switch their positions. He pressed his weight into Leo and trapped him steadily against the wall. Instead of putting up any resistance against the change in position, Leo sank pliantly against the wall and eagerly met Raphael's mouth for another heated kiss.

Now it was Leo's turn to pull Raph towards him, doing his best to get their lower plastrons to grind against each other. His breath sucked in at the first scraping drag and he heard a gruff noise from Raphael before Raph jumped away from him. Leo's eyes popped open at the loss of Raph's warm weight and he stared across the small tunnel at Raphael, who leaned panting against the opposite wall.

"Raph?" He heard Raph grunt but got no further response. "What's wrong?"

"That's too good," Raph said after a long moment of silence.

Leo smiled. "It's supposed to be good."

Raphael kept his eyes away from Leo's face. He didn't want to see the heat and desire he knew would be there. He turned instead and sent his fist into the wall.

Leo lost his smile and remained silent as he watched Raphael and read the frustration on his face. Leo wasn't extremely familiar with how relationships usually went, but so far Raphael had pulled away from him every time they got any further than kissing and below the belt touches that Leo initiated. Maybe he was expecting too much too soon in their relationship, but they weren't exactly a couple of naive kids who'd just met. He knew Raphael, although he had to admit he didn't understand Raphael's current frustration. And equally important, he'd wanted Raphael for as long as he could remember. And to find out that Raphael wanted him back still sent sparks through his system. At least, he thought Raphael wanted him back. Jumping away from him just now didn't exactly scream a strong desire for them to be together.

"We don't have to touch anymore Raph, if it makes you uncomfortable, or if you don't want -,"

"I want ya," Raph rumbled over to him.

Leo watched as Raph finally focused on him. The green eyes were electric and Leo licked his lips and forgot for a moment what he'd been trying to say before.

"What are we waiting for?" Leo finally ventured to ask.

"What are ya waitin for?"

Leo frowned before realization dawned as he thought about the other topic currently causing Raphael grief. He tilted his head in thought at Raph before tentatively moving towards him in order to be close enough to slide his hand along the side of Raph's face.

"You really want to tell Master Splinter about us right now?"

"I'm not sure ya ever want to tell him," Raph quickly countered despite the shiver Leo's hand had sent through him. "And ya made the decision for everyone. Are ya scared of what he'll say?"

Leo sighed. "I just don't want to over-burden him, Raphael. He's had some huge changes recently -,"

"Look at his life, Fearless. Ya don't think he can handle changes?"

"Getting his daughter back is pretty major, though."

Raph scoffed and took a step back, pulling his face away from Leo's hand, despite the fact that he liked the way Leo's thumb had been moving lightly over his cheek.

"Maybe ya don't want em to know so that Karai will keep flirtin with ya."

Leo frowned again. "Excuse me?"

"She's ogling ya durin practice. And she's flirtin with ya."

"I haven't noticed her flirting with me-,"

"She called ya Fearless."

"It's a nickname," Leo said, still confused.

"A nickname I gave ya," Raph said. "Its mine."

"Well how am I supposed to ask her not to use it? Don't you think that would be kind of suspicious?"

"Exactly," Raph huffed out as he crossed his arms over his plastron. He moved across the sewer tunnel again and leaned his shell against the opposite wall.

Leo sighed. Again. He felt like they were going in circles and he hated it. He'd much rather have Raph pressing him into the wall like before. But since it looked like that wasn't going to happen, he thought back to another issue Raph had raised.

"You said I made this decision for everyone. Have Donnie or Mikey complained to you about keeping everything secret?"

Raph shook his head and resumed glaring at the ground again. With his new relationship with Leo, Raph wasn't sure the other two would come to him anyway if they had concerns. Although, Donnie currently seemed fine with keeping it all secret seeing as how Raph had spotted Casey sneaking out of Donnie's room that morning only to plop down on their couch, apparently intent on appearing as if he'd spent the night out in the pit.

"I still think its best that Donnie keeps this quiet for now," Leo said, almost more to himself than to Raphael. "I mean, we don't really know what's going to happen with those three."

"Ya sound suspicious all of a sudden," Raph said, eyeing Leo since Leo's unfocused eyes were currently looking elsewhere. "Ya were all for it when Donnie and Casey told us about it."

"I know, but I've had some time to think about it since then. I mean, that was sprung on us at the same moment that they caught us kissing." His eyes met Raph's again at the memory of that first kiss. "You can't blame me for not thinking straight at the time."

Raph wanted to focus on that first kiss again as well, but something was niggling at him about Leo's new concerns.

"Given that you and me were raised as brothers, I really don't see that ya can balk at Donnie bein with two people."

"It's not about the three of them," Leo said, quickly noting the steel in Raph's new tone of voice. "We – we know how Donnie has felt about April all this time."

"And? He still feels that way. That's why they're together." Raphael paused and then straightened himself against the wall. "Not about the three of them," he said, repeating Leo's earlier words. "So yer just worried about Casey, then."

"I guess I just don't see how Casey fits into that equation. I mean, maybe he should've backed off and let the other two be happy."

"So Casey should've been left out in the cold?"

"Do you really think he has feelings for Donnie?"

"Nah, I guess he's just likes gettin in the way of other people's happiness," Raph gruffly responded.

Leo's eyes snapped back to Raphael and he found the other glaring at him. "I didn't say that," Leo quickly defended.

"No, yer just callin my best friend a liar."

"No, Raph, that's not -,"

"Yer gonna give Casey shit? After everything we've been through with him? We can trust Casey, Leo," Raph said, practically growling. "Mike is the one who brought an actual stranger right up to the farmhouse with no fuckin warning to the rest of us."

"I'm not happy with Michelangelo right now -,"

"We all got that," Raph cut in. "You've been clearly ignorin the kid. I'm surprised Master Splinter hasn't asked you about it."

Leo straightened himself as well and frowned back at Raphael. He swore that Raph was throwing Mikey under the bus a minute ago in favor of defending Casey, but now it seemed like Raph was defending their youngest brother as well.

"So," Leo said, quickly reviewing their entire conversation, "I'm scared of our father, flirting with Karai, distrustful of Casey, and being unfair to Mikey. Did I miss anything?"

"This ain't just about ya, Fearless."

"Sure sounds like it's about me," Leo said defensively. "Sounds like I'm a pretty terrible turtle. What are you doing with me anyway?"

Raph glared at Leo for twisting his words. "Suddenly I'm not sure," he growled. "Maybe I should save myself a bunch of trouble."

The immediate expression of pain on Leo's face twisted his gut, but he could practically feel the heat of his anger radiating down his arms.

Leo's heart sank as he watched Raph turn and stomp away from him.