Hello everyone, my name is Dragoscilvio. I'm not new to FanFiction as I've written quite a few stories. I recently rediscovered an old favorite and found myself wanting to write a Drabble series.
I already have the first three chapters planned, but I certainly welcome any suggestions or writing prompts.
I love reading reviews, and even welcome constructive criticism. I just ask that any constructive criticism be written kindly, please no flames, that would be greatly appreciated.
Just some ground rules, please no turtlecest, please no yaoi, and I tend to stray away from horror or intense themes.
Feel free to message me if you have a suggestion that you'd like me to consider, but allow me the freedom to decline any requests. However, I'd still like to hear from my readers.
I hope you enjoy this first attempt at tmnt FanFiction!
Light cut across the darkened room, its beam slicing over the sleeping face of a red masked turtle. At the entrance of the room, a shadowy silhouette seemed to hover in hesitation before attempting to slip inside. The hammock swung gently as its occupant fussed, causing the figure in the door to freeze, before settling back into sleep.
Fingers fidgeted, entangling with each other even as broad shoulders quivered. Indecision radiated off the muscular form before it quickly turned and exited as silently as it had entered. Once the door closed, Raphael opened his amber eyes, brows furrowing in confusion.
The light from the hall had woken him, but being the ninja that he was, he had feigned sleep. Raph had anticipated an attack, Mikey had been threatening vengeance on Raph for a (well deserved) beat down all day, and had Raph was tense and ready to counter. However, the tremulous breaths, the scent of fear and distress…that had thrown the turtle.
It wasn't out of the ordinary for the brothers to seek comfort from each other, especially after a nightmare. This wasn't the usual routine though. No, this wasn't something, or someone, Raphael recognized. Normally, Raphael could ascertain which brother it was just by their footsteps. Each turtle has their own unique pace in which they walked. From the way Leo would practically glide across the floor like a graceful specter, to Mikey's childlike sleepy stumble, or Donny's cautious tip-toe. Raph knew them all.
So why was he confused? The footstep was familiar, Raph was certain, but it was off-warped. If he was being honest, it sounded like Leo, but it couldn't be. Fear and distress weren't words normally attributed to Fearless, hence the nickname.
As quietly as he could, Raphael left his hammock and peeked out the door to his room, only for his eyes to widen in shock.
It was Leonardo, all right, but not like Raph had ever seen him before. The strong older brother was standing outside Don's room, swaying as he seemed to be trying to decide on going in. His toned figure, so meticulously cared for, visibly shook in the dim light and Raphael could see lines of distress carved into the somber face. It must have been a doozy of a nightmare if Leo was reduced to a trembling mess like this.
With a shake of the blue masked head, Leo finally walked past Donatello's door, and bypassed Mikey's room as well.
With hushed awe, Raphael slunk from the door of his room to the railing overlooking the main living area of their home. By that point Leo had already traversed the stairs and was making his way to the doors of their father's bedroom. Raph held his breath as their leader raised his hand, but it froze before they even touched the wood of the shoji doors. Once again, indecision was Leonardo's closest companion, and once again Raphael watched his brother step away from yet another door.
The red clad turtle's shoulders deflated as he pondered the actions of his older brother. What was going on?
Radiating dejection, and obviously aching for comfort, Leo turned and walked into the living room. He looked cold, Raphael couldn't help but notice. Especially when Leo clasped his hands under his chin in a dual effort to both warm himself, and self soothe in a type of hug. Finally the lonely terrapin wrapped his arms around himself plopped down on the floor with a disconsolate thud. Long legs were drawn up to his chest, and if Raphael strained his ears, he could just barely hear the sound of muted sniffles.
Consternation roiled in Raph's gut, his face twisting as he grumbled to himself "I don't get that guy,"
Except, he did. They were alike in this respect, after all. They were both stubborn and full of pride. Raphael didn't ask for comfort either, if fact he made a point not to. Asking for comfort was something that was reserved for his younger brothers. Besides, he rarely needed to. If something happened that was bad enough to make Raphael want the presence of his brothers, odds were that one of them was already in his hammock. But Leo?
Leo was in the same boat in a sense, as far as Raph knew, that is. He was usually the one comforting everyone else, reassuring them that all was well. He never sought out that same reassurance for himself. And despite his grumbling, Raphael understood exactly why his older brother was sitting by himself in the living room while everyone else was sleeping.
Ever since Leonardo had been made leader, their father had been especially hard on the blue clad turtle. Not allowing any excuses, or emotional breaks. Splinter expected his eldest to maintain perfect control at all times, so it was inevitable that Leo expected the same of himself. To the point that Leo suffered mentally for it. Raphael shuddered at the memory of an angry, paranoid Leo that had to be sent to Japan. However, he's not sure he liked this Leo, suffering alone in the dark, much better.
Raphael grit his teeth. Knowing the bonehead, Leonardo didn't allow himself the luxury of comfort, he probably didn't even think he deserved it. As leader, the dork had fully resigned himself to his lonely fate of isolation even in the midst of pain. Raph hated it.
Ghosting down the stairs, the hothead grabbed the heavy quilt normally flung across the couch and made a beeline for his older brother. Leonardo hadn't noticed his presence, which was probably for the best, and gave evidence to the leader's level of distress. Crossing the cold floor in just a few silent strides, Raph draped the blanket around the shivering form of Leo only to freeze when the older turtle's gaze snapped up to meet his.
Startled surprise and panic warred within the tearful navy blue gaze; but what held Raphael in stunned shock was the raw vulnerability screaming from the broken features. Raphael gave a heavy blink, forcibly pushing the emotion away as he walked as nonchalantly as he could manage to the couch.
"If ya'are looking for tha remote, Don put it back on tha couch." Raph offered in a low rasp, the obviously fake reasoning for Leo being on the floor presented on a silver platter.
"O-oh, right," the blue clad turtle stammered, fingers reflexively clutching the quilt around him "What are you doing up?"
Did I wake you? Came the unspoken question.
Raphael shrugged in seeming carelessness, his features devoid of emotion, "Couldn't sleep,"
Leo's gaze fell, guilt as heavy as the blanket weighing down his shoulders making the hothead sigh. Fearless wasn't an idiot, he knew the real reason, and now he was beating himself up for it. Just great. Wracking his brain, Raphael tried to think of a way to distract his leader when an idea sparked his brain. Picking up the remote, the red clad turtle scoured the channel until he found a marathon of the Harry Potter movies. Although Leo never talked about it, it wasn't a secret that the eldest turtle had a soft spot for fantasy and sci-fi. If he had just a bit more freedom, the blue turtle would probably be just as much of a geek as Mikey.
The two sat in silence, the tv softly playing Harry's first quidditch game, flashes of color illuminating the dark living room. Raph's eyes strayed to his brother, noting how the trembles hadn't yet died down, and the hunted panic still lurked in the corners of Leo's gaze. His body language bellowed how badly he wanted to run away and have a private melt down, even as his hands clenched in the unspoken need to not be left alone. No wonder Leo was always so stressed, the poor guy didn't know if he wanted to be left alone or hugged.
How many nights had his brother done this? Held himself through the night, fighting his demons all alone?
The questions came unbidden and unwanted, searing their way across Raphael's mind. The younger turtle grimaced, unhappy with the answer he could feel in his gut. That answer being, longer than the hothead wanted to admit. It was obvious in the way Leo didn't know how to accept the comfort offered, even as he silently pleaded for it. Beak twisting in determination, Raph promised himself that this wouldn't happen anymore, at least as far as he could manage it.
"Why don't ya come up here," Raph sighed, patting the spot next to him "if ya stay down there ya'll get sick, and then Donny'll have a conniption."
Not that Leo would move in concern for his own well being, but throwing in that him getting sick would upset his little brother? Oh yeah, God forbid he do anything to hurt his baby brothers. Raph bit back the smug grin. Leo was a softie when it came to his siblings, doing everything in his power to protect them. This had been his weakness since they were tots.
With awkward movements, Leo stepped over to the couch, and took the spot next to his brother. Raph noted how careful the eldest was in sitting down, assuring that he didn't touch Raphael and pulling his legs up so to cuddle himself deeper into the protection the quilt had to offer. Normally the hothead would appreciate his brother's consideration, as Raph wasn't one for cuddling, and especially not without permission. However, he could tell that Leo needed some reassurance tonight, and even the resident hothead didn't have the heart to deny him that. Especially watching him shaking quietly like some kind of kicked puppy.
Reaching out, Raphael snagged his brother around the shoulders and pulled him tight against himself. Leo was tense with surprise, but soon found himself melting against the soothing strength of his brother's bulk. Raph kept his eyes on the tv, but he frowned when Leo ducked his head, his breathing becoming ragged and uneven. The quilt began to tremble harder, prompting Raph to gently rub the upper arm of his leader currently caught within his grasp. Gradually, the quietest sobs Raphael had ever barely heard, muffled further by the quilt, hitched the frame under blanket.
Raph's heart broke as he felt one hot tear hit the crook of his neck and slide down his shoulder. Whatever it was that had brought Leo to this point, the red clad turtle found himself hating it. Even though he had no idea what it was. Muscles bulged as the younger turtle pulled his sibling even closer, hugging him tightly in an unspoken promise that he wasn't alone and Leo found the cries more difficult to smother. Leo cried whether for minutes, or hours, neither knew. Eventually the movie finished with a flourish, the enemy defeated and the day saved when the sniffles began to die down. After a series of advertisements the next film in the series began, and still the brothers sat in silence.
Burying his face into Raph's shoulder, the eldest breathed in his sibling's scent. The quilt swelled on a shaky breath, only to exhale in the softest sigh. What few tense muscles remained finally deflated, leaving the leader limp in his brother's embrace. Leo gave his brother's shoulder an affectionate nuzzle, the emotional drain from his outburst, and the late hour, allowing him the freedom to express his emotions. The younger turtle responded by dropping his head to rest on his brother's. Each enjoying this rare moment of peace and blatant display of familial love.
"Thanks, Raphie," Leo whispered, snuggling further into his sibling's side.
Raphael smirked, satisfied that the trembling was gone, replaced by a now very clingy brother. Something Raphael wasn't going to complain about, nor tease Leo for. The guy had enough on his plate without having to fear reprisal for something every single one of them needed from time to time. Raphael also had to admit, it was a nice change of pace to get to be the one who helps Fearless, instead of the other way around. Not that he'd say that out loud.
Glancing down, Raph noted that the navy blue eyes were growing heavy, and already Leo's breathing was evening out. Within moments the eldest would slip into REM and go deeply into sleep. In fact, he was feeling pretty tired himself. Pulling an extra blanket across his legs, Raph allowed his eyes to close, the soft breaths of his older brother lulling him to sleep.
The next morning, both would wake up before everyone, and wordlessly begin their day. Leo would start on making Don's coffee, obviously in a good enough mood to allow his younger brother access to caffeine without complaint. Raph would retrieve some eggs and whip up omelettes, sending a playful glare at Leo, warning him away from the toaster. The eldest chuckled warmly, lifting both hands in surrender.
Neither talked about the previous night, or the tears that accompanied it. Nor did they mention the brief, but grateful squeeze that Leo gave Raph's shoulder in passing. No, the day simply began without fuss or fanfare with the exception that for the first time in years, Leo finally looked like he could breathe freely. And that alone made Raphael smile with contented pride for the rest of the day.
Today is my birthday...no I'm not using that as a cheap shot for reviews. I'm actually serious. If you'd like to leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it :)