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Description
Title: It all started with a note.
Pairing: Leo/Raph
Rating: M/16 (Don’t make me ask for your ID)
Contains: Angst, T-cest, feels (if you no like, don’t read)
By: Ryu-Amio (I own no turtles)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'This… This is a date… right?'

There was this pain in my chest as I stepped out onto the shadowy rooftop and then, upon seeing him sitting on the roof’s edge, silhouetted by the city’s lights, everything just faded away…

It didn’t used to be like this…
We never got along. We never talked more than we needed to.
We kept our distance and preferred it that way.
All that changed with a note.

“… Leo.
Let’s have dinner.
Just you and me.
Meet me on the roof.
~ R…”

A cringe came to my eye and a chuckle to my lips as I tossed the scrap aside that had been slid under my door. Looking down at the crumpled wad, the joke seemed even funnier. I shook my head, wondering if Mikey put him up to this.

Funny.

The note, having missed the trashcan barely, somehow brought an uneasy air into my room. Even after discarding it properly, I could still feel it, starting at me. A feeling of angst or a seed of doubt, whatever it was, it disrupted my time alone.

After maybe an hour I found myself digging through the trash, trying to recover a punch-line.

I read it again.
It’s blunt. Not unlike him.
Is this really a joke?
It has to be.
I told myself I was just over thinking things.
But in reality, mix of confusion and suspicion kept me from simply disregarding it.

I was… flustered.
I don’t know what to do.
Should I just ignore it? Am I really sure it’s a joke?

Like I said: it’s blunt… but somehow… too blunt.
It shows no thought, no emotion, it’s direct and crude, just like him.
It’s not a request, it's a demand.

The more I gazed at the hastily written note, the less I saw the humor in it.
What if I do go to meet him, and it’s just another prank or trick of his?
And if not…?
Where could this have come from? What motive?

He wouldn’t just do this to be nice, or out of the goodness of his heart.
Nor would he try this with no reason at all. The only times he ever acts out of character like this is when…
…when he’s worried about me.

In flashes of fear or despair, his harsh façade cracks and his concern for us shows. When that happens, there’s something I often feel. The faint bond between us. I can feel it strengthen, only to wither again. The connection that we ought to have, I’ve only ever seen glimpses of it.

But when it comes to matters like that, about the flickering bond between us,
it’s a tough topic.
I would ask him, and he’d offer a lie in response.
I’d persist, and he’d get defensive.
I’d encourage, and he’d get aggressive.

We’ve played these rolls before, and in every case, I end up losing the will to deal with him further.His stubbornness, locking horns with my own, delivers an endless stalemate.

Looking at the wrinkled note in my hands, a hollow stillness filled my room.
Not the calming silence I always long for, but a cold, empty quiet.

This meeting...

Maybe… this is good.

Things would be better if we got along better. If we were closer.
This must be his attempt. Taking the first step.
Trying to strengthen this bond between us.
This might be what I wanted… what we need.

I’ve noticed, how strong we are.
When we are together, we clash.
We rend and cut each other with words until one submits.

So different, so alike. It’s maddening. Two sides of a faceless coin.
My words never seem to reach him. And his words, filled with anger, never find my ear either. We start fighting so easily and once we do, our voices become nothing more than pride-fueled roars. It’s wasteful.

So… these words, these blunt, thoughtless words, made me happy.
I tucked the note away into my belt, smiling almost.

I’ll meet him.
If it turns out to be a joke, then it’s unfortunate.
But if not… I won’t let this pass me by. I’ll not risk regrets.

I can’t define this feeling. As I left my room, there was almost this… anticipation.
It was faint at first, but as I gave an excuse to our master and left the Lair, the feeling grew.

It was like… aching. My chest was aching.

As I set off into the darkness of the tunnels that surround our home, more questions rose. Blindly I trudged through the blackness, nearing the exit that leads to the building that finds itself above our home. He must be there.
And yet… the feeling didn’t subside.

Was this fear?
…No, I’ve been scared before.
This is like fear… only, less intense.
But why? Why am I feeling this?
Why now, when I’m going to see him?
What does my body know that my mind is ignoring…?

Raph…
What drives me to try and get along with him?
I never cared for being close to Mikey or Donnie. It came too easy.
Maybe that’s it…?
Because Raph refuses so… because he rebels so…
Maybe that’s why I want to make him submit…
I want to know…

Urg… I always hated walking in this dark. It makes the mind wander to places it shouldn’t.
But despite my efforts, the shadows continue to dig into my soul.

Why…?
Why does he rebel? We were all raised the same.
What makes him different?
Sometimes… I wish I could have that…
That same defiance. That same… fire that he has.

As I neared my destination, the sound of another’s trudging footsteps began to echo through the corrupted tunnels. The bluntness of the sound and the unevenness of the steps told me who it was long before he finally found me.

“Mikey. What are you doing out here?”
He seemed disappointed about being found, but in this dark it was hard to tell.
“Oh, well, you see, I had stuff to do and…” his tone, shaky and unsure, suddenly sharpened “Hey! Never mind that! What are YOU doing way out here anyway?”

There was no point in lying to him, so I simply said that I was meeting Raph for dinner.
A giddy grin broke out onto Mikey’s face.
“You mean like a… date?” He giggled.

“What!? No no no, you got it all wrong.”
Even past these shadows I could see the evil glint in his eyes and his smile grew ever more insidious.

“Come on Leo, you’re meeting him for dinner, at night, away from the Lair, alone.” He smirked. Stepping closer, his usually innocent smile could now fill one with dread.
“…sounds like a date to me.”

“C-come on Mikey! T-that’s just weird!”
“Is it?” His hand came to rest on my shoulder, the way it has so many times before. And then, ever so gleefully, he said: “I don’t think it’s weird. It’s great!”

“G-great?”

“Yeah…” Mikey’s eyes grew heavy, and though he still kept a smile painted on his face, I could see a sadness in him. “Think about it… okay Leo?”

With that, he seemed to fade into the dark. Not a sound.
He left me in the shadows. He left me in a deafening silence. A maddening silence.

“What… was that…?”

Mere moments passed, but it felt like hours.
My faded blue eyes became ensnared by the dark.
Starring into the manmade abyss, I wrestled with the words my brother left me.
“Think about it.”

‘Think about what?’
‘There’s nothing to think about!’
‘Nothing to even consider!’
‘This isn’t a date.’
‘There’s nothing behind it.’
‘Mikey… he was just messing with me…’
‘That’s all.'

I didn’t have the strength to walk further, not until I was convinced that this was just a joke. But the more I repeated these thoughts to myself the more vivid the look of sadness on Mikey’s face became. I’ve seen that look before. It’s a look Donatello often wears. A look of feelings unspoken and love unrequited.

Mikey…
If I were less of a coward, I would have chased you down, demanded to know what you meant. But as it is… I can’t move.

Those words. Their existence is void. They never happened. Mikey will deny it.
Were they words meant for me? Destined for someone else? Or were they merely words?

The one who knows the most about soul and heart has given me a grim foreshadowing. And even after I reached the path to the surface, I couldn’t leave the safety of the dark just yet. I gazed up at the ring of moonlight that somehow fought its way past the iron lid that guards our home, deep in thought. The pain in my chest grew stronger.

I just… needed to think.
What if… this is a date?
I felt ridicules. Red dusted my face in embarrassment.
‘But still… what if…?’

What Mikey said… how he thinks it’s great.
Could he maybe know something? Something Raph might be feeling?
And… what if he did? What if Raph… really does feel that way?

My head hurt.

I was trying my best to disprove my every assumption.
But… now, just when I needed to recall all the times we’ve fought and hated each other, all I remember is his kindness. His warmth for me. Looking back, it far outshines any of his anger.

He annoys me. He doesn’t respect me. He mocks and clashes with me.
But I don’t hate him. I don’t hate being around him…
And somehow… I don’t hate the thought of him, liking me.

I looked up once more, making my way to the surface with a cold steel ladder.
And as the sounds of New York began to fill my senses and the pale moonlight greeted me, I wore a smile. No matter what the outcome of tonight:
a joke, a peace offering, a confession, it won’t matter.

I’ll be fine.
The way things are now… things need to change.
I’ll let things change.

My mind is set.
With that, I blended into the shadows and made my way to the roof. Past sirens and nightly music playing in the distance, no one would hear me, and once the clouds moved to cover the moon, I was practically invisible.
It didn’t take long till I spotted him.

A misshapen figure, sitting in the shade of a rusted water tower, caught my attention.
Bulky yet relaxed he sat on the very edge of the roof, a flat box resting beside him.
He’s actually here. Some small part of me was relieved, another part wished he wasn’t.
Gazing out onto the city lights below, he waited for me.

I watched from afar. Just for a little while.
There was no impatience in him. No… he waited, calmly.
And every moment his calm persevered, my expectation of a prank grew less.

I stepped out of the night’s embrace and came to stand behind him.
My heart was racing. I couldn’t wait to go to him… but… I didn’t want to…
I wanted to join him, I wanted to hear what this whole thing was about… and at the same time… I wanted to run away before he noticed me.
I was… scarred.

And then, when his ridged form grew dark, becoming eclipsed by the city’s light and dazzle, something changed… The sight of his silhouette, lightly touched by the filthy light… It was as if all the fear melted away, all the doubt, leaving only a desire to be there next to him.

To reach out and take a part of that fire and defiance.
Understand it. Take it.
An icy wind cut me to the bone and caused a huff to escape me.
He turned to me, shinning emerald eyes carelessly glancing past his shoulder.
“Finally made it huh?”
There was no arrogance in his voice. No annoyance. It sounded more like… relief.
I couldn’t reply. Not to that. I simply smiled nervously.

What do I say? A million things raced through my head, but my mouth hung dry.
No… Right now… I shouldn’t think.
I took some steps closer. A pizza box rested precariously on the edge next to him.
Taking a seat beside him, the heavy silence continued.
At first, we shared quick and unsure glances. Neither of us knowing anything.
I… I should do something…

My cheeks grew red as I moved my hand to reach for his as it rested beside him in tension.
Tentative, my fingers grazed his warmth before taking his hand completely.
He no doubt looked at me with confusion or surprise… I wouldn’t know.
My eyes were locked on to the shimmering of the broken lights below.
My hand lingered. As long as he didn’t object.

The uneasy air soon faded and the quiet became… peaceful.
Looking out over the city together, it was as if all our past quarrels had finally faded.
Everything was just… falling away around us.

Maybe Mikey had a point…

This… isn’t so bad.
Then, just as I was starting to get used to it all, I still needed to know why?
Why now? What is this really? Without too much thought, the question slipped out.

“This… This is a date right?”

It took him a moment, as if my words didn’t reach him, but I wasn’t going to ask again.
He turned to me, wanting to say something, but his face showed something else.
What he wanted to say, couldn’t be put into words. His eyes cast down, lacking confidence.

His face, illuminated by faded moonlight, city lights and a faint red glow, spoke louder than any words could. My hands reached out to it. My body seemed to move on its own.
And I let it.

His burning cheeks came to rest in my palms, offering the little bit of strength he needed to meet my gaze. His eyes, those shinning emeralds, pierced and shattered whatever doubt I had.

Overlooking the burning lights of New York, I took his first kiss.
I don’t know… Something just felt right. In that moment, an instant where we bonded far beyond I ever hoped we could, I saw something that I wanted. Something greater than defiance, a force greater than fire… something more…

Whether this is what he intended or not… it didn’t matter.
Nothing mattered.
There’s only him and me.
He filled my senses. His taste. His smell. And it overtook me. Everything.

The kiss that lasted for what felt like an eternity, ended too soon.
A whimper escaped him as I pulled away, and then, a silence.
Silence that was neither cold nor hollow, or heavy.
It was… warm… like nothing needed to be said…
Nothing at all…

The note I tucked away got caught in a sudden gust, and we watched as it drifted to the ground. To my touch, he grew warmer, until he suddenly pulled away.
His attention turned to some dark corner.
After a while, I too heard something. Footsteps.

“Yo Raph! Leo! Glad you made it.”
A masked, heavily equipped figure stepped into the light.
“C-Casey? What the hell-?” Raph erupted, his face flooded with a red that rivaled his mask. I couldn’t react… I wasn’t prepared for this…

“Glad you guys made it.” The cocky teen stated happily as he removed his mask “Just thought we could all hang out, ye know?” He smiled brightly.

“But wait, what about the note?” I asked, reaching to my belt for something that was lost, but by the time I remembered that, Raph had pulled a note out instead. A crumbled wad, once discarded, retrieved and reread, just like mine.

“Well I knew Leo wouldn’t come if I was going to be here, and you wouldn’t be here if both me and Leo were here, so I got creative is all.” Casey shrugged.
Could that mean… he sent the same note to both of us?

“Now we can all hang out and have pizza, right guys?”
Raph and I shared a glance.

“No way in hell.”
“Sorry Casey, maybe some other time.”

The two of us left the confused vigilante in somewhat of a hurry. And as the sounds of his ranting and bargaining faded into the background noises of the night, we couldn’t help but feel… foolish.

“So… how much do you think he saw?”
“Don’t.”

Raph, who not two minutes ago seemed to be brimming with a warm joy, now looked wounded beyond repair. The fact that this whole things was orchestrated by someone else…
I too felt… hurt, almost. Raph tossed my false note aside and began to trudge home in an even harsher silence.

Out of simple curiosity I recovered the misleading message, gave it a glace and hurried after my broken brother. I wonder how he thought tonight was going to go after receiving a note like this…?

“Wait up Raph!”
Not bothering to look at me, he just quietly requested that we just go home.
“Raph… It’s a shame Casey interrupted us.”
He stopped. A faded, hazy gaze met with mine.
“W-we’ll just try again tomorrow night…. okay?”
His eyes widened as a spark was relit.

He offered a smile as his face glowed red, and a stern nod before hurrying home ahead of me. I chuckled, taking one last look at the note that started this…

…
Raph.
Let’s have a dinner.
Just you and me.
Meet me on the roof
L …

~End.

Description
Title: It all started with a note.
Pairing: Leo/Raph
Rating: M/16 (Don’t make me ask for your ID)
Contains: Angst, T-cest, feels (if you no like, don’t read)
By: Ryu-Amio (I own no turtles)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'This… This is a date… right?'

There was this pain in my chest as I stepped out onto the shadowy rooftop and then, upon seeing him sitting on the roof’s edge, silhouetted by the city’s lights, everything just faded away…

It didn’t used to be like this…
We never got along. We never talked more than we needed to.
We kept our distance and preferred it that way.
All that changed with a note.

“… Leo.
Let’s have dinner.
Just you and me.
Meet me on the roof.
~ R…”

A cringe came to my eye and a chuckle to my lips as I tossed the scrap aside that had been slid under my door. Looking down at the crumpled wad, the joke seemed even funnier. I shook my head, wondering if Mikey put him up to this.

Funny.

The note, having missed the trashcan barely, somehow brought an uneasy air into my room. Even after discarding it properly, I could still feel it, starting at me. A feeling of angst or a seed of doubt, whatever it was, it disrupted my time alone.

After maybe an hour I found myself digging through the trash, trying to recover a punch-line.

I read it again.
It’s blunt. Not unlike him.
Is this really a joke?
It has to be.
I told myself I was just over thinking things.
But in reality, mix of confusion and suspicion kept me from simply disregarding it.

I was… flustered.
I don’t know what to do.
Should I just ignore it? Am I really sure it’s a joke?

Like I said: it’s blunt… but somehow… too blunt.
It shows no thought, no emotion, it’s direct and crude, just like him.
It’s not a request, it's a demand.

The more I gazed at the hastily written note, the less I saw the humor in it.
What if I do go to meet him, and it’s just another prank or trick of his?
And if not…?
Where could this have come from? What motive?

He wouldn’t just do this to be nice, or out of the goodness of his heart.
Nor would he try this with no reason at all. The only times he ever acts out of character like this is when…
…when he’s worried about me.

In flashes of fear or despair, his harsh façade cracks and his concern for us shows. When that happens, there’s something I often feel. The faint bond between us. I can feel it strengthen, only to wither again. The connection that we ought to have, I’ve only ever seen glimpses of it.

But when it comes to matters like that, about the flickering bond between us,
it’s a tough topic.
I would ask him, and he’d offer a lie in response.
I’d persist, and he’d get defensive.
I’d encourage, and he’d get aggressive.

We’ve played these rolls before, and in every case, I end up losing the will to deal with him further.His stubbornness, locking horns with my own, delivers an endless stalemate.

Looking at the wrinkled note in my hands, a hollow stillness filled my room.
Not the calming silence I always long for, but a cold, empty quiet.

This meeting...

Maybe… this is good.

Things would be better if we got along better. If we were closer.
This must be his attempt. Taking the first step.
Trying to strengthen this bond between us.
This might be what I wanted… what we need.

I’ve noticed, how strong we are.
When we are together, we clash.
We rend and cut each other with words until one submits.

So different, so alike. It’s maddening. Two sides of a faceless coin.
My words never seem to reach him. And his words, filled with anger, never find my ear either. We start fighting so easily and once we do, our voices become nothing more than pride-fueled roars. It’s wasteful.

So… these words, these blunt, thoughtless words, made me happy.
I tucked the note away into my belt, smiling almost.

I’ll meet him.
If it turns out to be a joke, then it’s unfortunate.
But if not… I won’t let this pass me by. I’ll not risk regrets.

I can’t define this feeling. As I left my room, there was almost this… anticipation.
It was faint at first, but as I gave an excuse to our master and left the Lair, the feeling grew.

It was like… aching. My chest was aching.

As I set off into the darkness of the tunnels that surround our home, more questions rose. Blindly I trudged through the blackness, nearing the exit that leads to the building that finds itself above our home. He must be there.
And yet… the feeling didn’t subside.

Was this fear?
…No, I’ve been scared before.
This is like fear… only, less intense.
But why? Why am I feeling this?
Why now, when I’m going to see him?
What does my body know that my mind is ignoring…?

Raph…
What drives me to try and get along with him?
I never cared for being close to Mikey or Donnie. It came too easy.
Maybe that’s it…?
Because Raph refuses so… because he rebels so…
Maybe that’s why I want to make him submit…
I want to know…

Urg… I always hated walking in this dark. It makes the mind wander to places it shouldn’t.
But despite my efforts, the shadows continue to dig into my soul.

Why…?
Why does he rebel? We were all raised the same.
What makes him different?
Sometimes… I wish I could have that…
That same defiance. That same… fire that he has.

As I neared my destination, the sound of another’s trudging footsteps began to echo through the corrupted tunnels. The bluntness of the sound and the unevenness of the steps told me who it was long before he finally found me.

“Mikey. What are you doing out here?”
He seemed disappointed about being found, but in this dark it was hard to tell.
“Oh, well, you see, I had stuff to do and…” his tone, shaky and unsure, suddenly sharpened “Hey! Never mind that! What are YOU doing way out here anyway?”

There was no point in lying to him, so I simply said that I was meeting Raph for dinner.
A giddy grin broke out onto Mikey’s face.
“You mean like a… date?” He giggled.

“What!? No no no, you got it all wrong.”
Even past these shadows I could see the evil glint in his eyes and his smile grew ever more insidious.

“Come on Leo, you’re meeting him for dinner, at night, away from the Lair, alone.” He smirked. Stepping closer, his usually innocent smile could now fill one with dread.
“…sounds like a date to me.”

“C-come on Mikey! T-that’s just weird!”
“Is it?” His hand came to rest on my shoulder, the way it has so many times before. And then, ever so gleefully, he said: “I don’t think it’s weird. It’s great!”

“G-great?”

“Yeah…” Mikey’s eyes grew heavy, and though he still kept a smile painted on his face, I could see a sadness in him. “Think about it… okay Leo?”

With that, he seemed to fade into the dark. Not a sound.
He left me in the shadows. He left me in a deafening silence. A maddening silence.

“What… was that…?”

Mere moments passed, but it felt like hours.
My faded blue eyes became ensnared by the dark.
Starring into the manmade abyss, I wrestled with the words my brother left me.
“Think about it.”

‘Think about what?’
‘There’s nothing to think about!’
‘Nothing to even consider!’
‘This isn’t a date.’
‘There’s nothing behind it.’
‘Mikey… he was just messing with me…’
‘That’s all.'

I didn’t have the strength to walk further, not until I was convinced that this was just a joke. But the more I repeated these thoughts to myself the more vivid the look of sadness on Mikey’s face became. I’ve seen that look before. It’s a look Donatello often wears. A look of feelings unspoken and love unrequited.

Mikey…
If I were less of a coward, I would have chased you down, demanded to know what you meant. But as it is… I can’t move.

Those words. Their existence is void. They never happened. Mikey will deny it.
Were they words meant for me? Destined for someone else? Or were they merely words?

The one who knows the most about soul and heart has given me a grim foreshadowing. And even after I reached the path to the surface, I couldn’t leave the safety of the dark just yet. I gazed up at the ring of moonlight that somehow fought its way past the iron lid that guards our home, deep in thought. The pain in my chest grew stronger.

I just… needed to think.
What if… this is a date?
I felt ridicules. Red dusted my face in embarrassment.
‘But still… what if…?’

What Mikey said… how he thinks it’s great.
Could he maybe know something? Something Raph might be feeling?
And… what if he did? What if Raph… really does feel that way?

My head hurt.

I was trying my best to disprove my every assumption.
But… now, just when I needed to recall all the times we’ve fought and hated each other, all I remember is his kindness. His warmth for me. Looking back, it far outshines any of his anger.

He annoys me. He doesn’t respect me. He mocks and clashes with me.
But I don’t hate him. I don’t hate being around him…
And somehow… I don’t hate the thought of him, liking me.

I looked up once more, making my way to the surface with a cold steel ladder.
And as the sounds of New York began to fill my senses and the pale moonlight greeted me, I wore a smile. No matter what the outcome of tonight:
a joke, a peace offering, a confession, it won’t matter.

I’ll be fine.
The way things are now… things need to change.
I’ll let things change.

My mind is set.
With that, I blended into the shadows and made my way to the roof. Past sirens and nightly music playing in the distance, no one would hear me, and once the clouds moved to cover the moon, I was practically invisible.
It didn’t take long till I spotted him.

A misshapen figure, sitting in the shade of a rusted water tower, caught my attention.
Bulky yet relaxed he sat on the very edge of the roof, a flat box resting beside him.
He’s actually here. Some small part of me was relieved, another part wished he wasn’t.
Gazing out onto the city lights below, he waited for me.

I watched from afar. Just for a little while.
There was no impatience in him. No… he waited, calmly.
And every moment his calm persevered, my expectation of a prank grew less.

I stepped out of the night’s embrace and came to stand behind him.
My heart was racing. I couldn’t wait to go to him… but… I didn’t want to…
I wanted to join him, I wanted to hear what this whole thing was about… and at the same time… I wanted to run away before he noticed me.
I was… scarred.

And then, when his ridged form grew dark, becoming eclipsed by the city’s light and dazzle, something changed… The sight of his silhouette, lightly touched by the filthy light… It was as if all the fear melted away, all the doubt, leaving only a desire to be there next to him.

To reach out and take a part of that fire and defiance.
Understand it. Take it.
An icy wind cut me to the bone and caused a huff to escape me.
He turned to me, shinning emerald eyes carelessly glancing past his shoulder.
“Finally made it huh?”
There was no arrogance in his voice. No annoyance. It sounded more like… relief.
I couldn’t reply. Not to that. I simply smiled nervously.

What do I say? A million things raced through my head, but my mouth hung dry.
No… Right now… I shouldn’t think.
I took some steps closer. A pizza box rested precariously on the edge next to him.
Taking a seat beside him, the heavy silence continued.
At first, we shared quick and unsure glances. Neither of us knowing anything.
I… I should do something…

My cheeks grew red as I moved my hand to reach for his as it rested beside him in tension.
Tentative, my fingers grazed his warmth before taking his hand completely.
He no doubt looked at me with confusion or surprise… I wouldn’t know.
My eyes were locked on to the shimmering of the broken lights below.
My hand lingered. As long as he didn’t object.

The uneasy air soon faded and the quiet became… peaceful.
Looking out over the city together, it was as if all our past quarrels had finally faded.
Everything was just… falling away around us.

Maybe Mikey had a point…

This… isn’t so bad.
Then, just as I was starting to get used to it all, I still needed to know why?
Why now? What is this really? Without too much thought, the question slipped out.

“This… This is a date right?”

It took him a moment, as if my words didn’t reach him, but I wasn’t going to ask again.
He turned to me, wanting to say something, but his face showed something else.
What he wanted to say, couldn’t be put into words. His eyes cast down, lacking confidence.

His face, illuminated by faded moonlight, city lights and a faint red glow, spoke louder than any words could. My hands reached out to it. My body seemed to move on its own.
And I let it.

His burning cheeks came to rest in my palms, offering the little bit of strength he needed to meet my gaze. His eyes, those shinning emeralds, pierced and shattered whatever doubt I had.

Overlooking the burning lights of New York, I took his first kiss.
I don’t know… Something just felt right. In that moment, an instant where we bonded far beyond I ever hoped we could, I saw something that I wanted. Something greater than defiance, a force greater than fire… something more…

Whether this is what he intended or not… it didn’t matter.
Nothing mattered.
There’s only him and me.
He filled my senses. His taste. His smell. And it overtook me. Everything.

The kiss that lasted for what felt like an eternity, ended too soon.
A whimper escaped him as I pulled away, and then, a silence.
Silence that was neither cold nor hollow, or heavy.
It was… warm… like nothing needed to be said…
Nothing at all…

The note I tucked away got caught in a sudden gust, and we watched as it drifted to the ground. To my touch, he grew warmer, until he suddenly pulled away.
His attention turned to some dark corner.
After a while, I too heard something. Footsteps.

“Yo Raph! Leo! Glad you made it.”
A masked, heavily equipped figure stepped into the light.
“C-Casey? What the hell-?” Raph erupted, his face flooded with a red that rivaled his mask. I couldn’t react… I wasn’t prepared for this…

“Glad you guys made it.” The cocky teen stated happily as he removed his mask “Just thought we could all hang out, ye know?” He smiled brightly.

“But wait, what about the note?” I asked, reaching to my belt for something that was lost, but by the time I remembered that, Raph had pulled a note out instead. A crumbled wad, once discarded, retrieved and reread, just like mine.

“Well I knew Leo wouldn’t come if I was going to be here, and you wouldn’t be here if both me and Leo were here, so I got creative is all.” Casey shrugged.
Could that mean… he sent the same note to both of us?

“Now we can all hang out and have pizza, right guys?”
Raph and I shared a glance.

“No way in hell.”
“Sorry Casey, maybe some other time.”

The two of us left the confused vigilante in somewhat of a hurry. And as the sounds of his ranting and bargaining faded into the background noises of the night, we couldn’t help but feel… foolish.

“So… how much do you think he saw?”
“Don’t.”

Raph, who not two minutes ago seemed to be brimming with a warm joy, now looked wounded beyond repair. The fact that this whole things was orchestrated by someone else…
I too felt… hurt, almost. Raph tossed my false note aside and began to trudge home in an even harsher silence.

Out of simple curiosity I recovered the misleading message, gave it a glace and hurried after my broken brother. I wonder how he thought tonight was going to go after receiving a note like this…?

“Wait up Raph!”
Not bothering to look at me, he just quietly requested that we just go home.
“Raph… It’s a shame Casey interrupted us.”
He stopped. A faded, hazy gaze met with mine.
“W-we’ll just try again tomorrow night…. okay?”
His eyes widened as a spark was relit.

He offered a smile as his face glowed red, and a stern nod before hurrying home ahead of me. I chuckled, taking one last look at the note that started this…

…
Raph.
Let’s have a dinner.
Just you and me.
Meet me on the roof
L …

~End.