Walking on busy street Raphael carried two paper bags, looking people pass him by. Most of them didn’t seem to be in a rush which made Raphael himself feel more at peace too. He already had whatever he needed, and more, but he still walked around checking markets. He’d been here once before with Alfred since he needed someone to lift a heavy package for him. He was sending some stuffs to corporation which helps poor people. Alfred had stated he started doing that after he found Leonardo. It was nice thing for Alfred to do.
Spotting small local bakery Raphael stopped. There was small, but very yummy looking, strawberry cake as a plastic sample on the window. Raphael knew Leo loved strawberries in any form so… Perhaps Raph could buy one small cake for him. After all he owned to Leo so much. As Raphael entered he, however, still felt eyes on him – and he didn’t like it. That feeling had been with him for a while now here in the city.
Old lady served him with wrinkled smile on her beautiful old face, her long white hair nicely braided around her head. Her eyes were lovely green and still so full of life as well. She made Raphael smile and fill with joy. With small bow Raphael thanked her, wishing her good day before leaving. As he stepped out and walked a short way, the eyes were back on his back. He had grown to sense eyes on his back fast and easily in his younger days. As a fighter you needed to know if someone was behind you, watching and plotting on attacking.
He wanted to spun around and see who was following him, but he decided against it. Instead he sneaked in big mall which was full of people. Quickly Raphael made his escape through the place, exiting from another entrance. No longer he felt eyes on him. Good, he managed to shake whoever was following him off. With quick steps still he headed to the car, threw stuff on backseat and left. While driving home he couldn’t help but to wonder should he tell about this to Leo or not. Perhaps it all, in the end, had been his imagination. No. No, it wasn’t. His senses didn’t trick him like this. What he had felt had been real.
**
“Finally. You took your sweet time, brute.”
“Shut it, Alfred, or I will not give you your gift.”
“Oh my, you bought me something? How kind of you.”
Smirking with small smile on his face Raphael gave Alfred some rare tea which, Raphael had heard from Leo, Alfred loved. Old man’s face brightened as he took the gift, giving his most sincere smile to old turtle.
“Oh, this… Thank you. It’s always sold out when I go to that small tea shop.”
“I know. That’s why I got you 5 more of them.” Giving the rest of the bags in Alfred’s arms, Raphael swore he saw small happy tear in the corner of an old eye. It warmed old heart. “I have something for Leo too. Where is he?”
“Training in the dojo.”
“Aahh. Let him train then. I will give him his gift later.”
“May I ask what you got for him?”
As Raphael showed the small cake in the box Alfred smiled, starting to nod slowly. “Master’s going to love you so much.”
Raphael only smiled, letting out a small smirk. Deep inside that thought made him feel really warm. It wouldn’t be a bad thing at all if Leo would love him. After all Raphael himself had grew to be quite attached on another turtle already. However he hadn’t let it show out yet, nor had he spoke about it. After all he was not sure how Leo himself, or Alfred, would react on it. Raising his eye on Alfred who stood further away from him, Raphael noticed Alfred staring at him, having asking and weird look on his face.
“What?” His voice was low and hissing.
“Your mind still seems to be at home. Good.” Returning back on putting stuffs in the cabins Alfred continued. “It looked, for a moment, that you became a derp.”
At this Raphael only laughed in sarcastic way.
**
After long training Leonardo showered, moving up in living room to sit on his own chair, wrapping himself in throwing blanket. Since it was cooler evening already, Raphael was knelt down in front of fireplace making a fire. Leo’s chair was closest so that he would get most of the heat. When fire was burning nicely Raphael closed fireplace’s glass doors, exiting the room.
“Alfred?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Is it only me or is Raphael a bit… not himself today?”
“I haven’t noticed anything. He’s a bit more quiet than usually, but nothing else seems to be different to my eyes.”
“Hmm. I see.”
Hearing approaching steps Leonardo and Alfred changed the subject, as TV made quiet sounds on the background. Raphael stepped in the room and he headed straight to Leo, feeling Alfred’s eyes on him.
“I uh… bought you something while I was at the city.”
“Aah, Raphael.” There was sincere and kind smile on Leo’s face. “You didn’t have to.”
“I know, but I wanted to.”
Placing plate, which held the small cake, in Leo’s hands Raphael watched in silence how Leo’s nostrils widened, taking deep inhale of sweet scent from strawberries.
“It’s strawberry cake. From small, but special local store. So just so you know – you won’t get this cake from any store.”
Already sinking his small spoon in the cake Leonardo smiled. “Then I shall eat this super slow, enjoying all of its flavors.”
Raphael watched how Leonardo’s mouth opened, wet tongue pushing out to greet the spoon and cake. It was like slow motion when those lips pressed back together, spoon sliding slowly out between them. The way how Leo slowly was chewing his piece, tossing and turning it inside his mouth to taste everything… Raphael had to swallow. Closing his eyes while chewing small remains of first bite’s, Leonardo kept nodding.
“I have eat many different strawberry cakes in my life, but this is definitely the most delicious one. No offensive, Alfred. Know I still love your strawberry cakes what you bake me every year on my birthday.”
“No offensive taken, sir. I’m just happy to see you happy and enjoy your food.”
Both Alfred and Raphael watched silently as Leonardo ate slow, enjoying every bit. When he swallowed the last bite, he smiled at Raphael, giving plate back to him. “Thank you. It was most delicious indeed.”
“No problem. Whenever I hit the city I make sure to bring you more of that cake.”
“Actually, Raphael… Would you rather take me there one day? I would like to praise their cake personally after eating one there.”
Alfred froze in the middle of taking a sip from his tea and Raph couldn’t help but to stare Leonardo with wide eye.
“M-master, did I hear right you want to go out?”
“Is that an issue?”
“No, no, sir! I’m just happily shocked.”
Leonardo chuckled. “I’m sorry, Alfred. Well, how is it, Raphael? Can I join you?”
“Hell yes, you can. Just say when you wanna go and I take you there.”
“What day it is today?”
“Wednesday, sir.”
“How about on Saturday? If weather is good.”
“It should be. Sun will shine, but it will not warm anymore. Plus the wind is cool. Typical weather for the end of autumn. If you dress up warm you should be most fine, sir.”
“Saturday is fine by me.” Raphael said in between.
“Good. I have to admit I’m nervous tho.”
Kneeling next to Leo, Raphael placed his hand on other turtle’s knee, squeezing it gently. “Hey, no worries. You got me there with you. I make sure you’ll be safe.”
Smiling at Raphael, Leonardo placed his hand on Raphael’s. “And that’s why I’m most happy to have you.”
Rest of the evening went nice in peaceful silence as trio watched, or listened, TV while woods cracked in the fireplace, Raphael’s hand resting on Leo’s knee as he sit by the other turtle on the floor. This was nice evening indeed. One of the best.
**
Saturday came a bit too quickly in Leonardo’s liking and he noticed his palms sweating as he was already sitting in the front seat, listening Alfred lecturing Raphael – and Raphael was nagging back at him as he sat down on driver’s seat. Alfred bend down for having a look of Leo.
“Are you sure you’re alright, sir?”
“Yes, Alfred. Just nervous, but at the same time I know I’m in good hands.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure, sir. I worry greatly about you.”
“But why? Raphael’s with me.”
“And he’s the one driving. Have you forgot what I once told you about his driving style?”
“This shit again...” Raphael rolled his eye as he started a car, Alfred still continuing to tell how Raphael had been driving like maniac – in his opinion – and then moved to nag on Raphael, making sure old turtle realized he needed to drive calm and steady.
“Okay, okay! I will drive like a old lady! Geesh...”
“Don’t worry, Alfred. We will be fine. See you later! I’ll bring you something!”
Alfred moved out of the way as Raphael pulled door shut, driving away. But old butler couldn’t help but to worry. Leonardo was extremely dear to him…
**
Driving trip started in silence since neither of old turtles didn’t know what to say exactly. They had radio on, but it was turned quite down – just in case if they needed or wanted to talk so they would hear each other, not needing to scream over the radio.
“Hey?”
“Yeah?”
“Remember how you told me once you would be my eye?”
“Sure. Want me to be it now?”
“If it’s not too much to ask. I would like to know how it looks around us.”
“Well, currently we are driving on straight forest road, naturally having forests on either side of us. Tho most trees don’t have any leaves anymore, but they have fall on the road, covering it nicely under their different colors. Red, yellow, orange.”
“I like that.” Leonardo smiled. “I used to play in a pile of leaves when Alfred just had managed to collect them all in one spot on the backyard. He lectured me every time about not to do it and spread the leaves again – but it was simply too much fun. I loved how they felt, how they rustled.”
Turning his head away Leonardo sighed, looking slightly sad. “There are times when I miss a time of being a child.”
“We all do.”
To this Leonardo smirked silently, wearing a small smile. “What comes then?”
“It will take a little while, but after the forest comes huge fields on both sides on the road, farm houses being at the distance. They grow grains and potatoes here on the fields. At least that’s what Alfred told me and what I have seen myself. After the fields comes suburb and then the city itself.”
“How far away is it?”
“In total it takes about an hour, a bit more, to drive to the city. We’ve been driving around 15 min now. And the forest is starting to end, fields becoming visible.”
“How do the fields look like?”
Raphael drove a bit further on the road, looking fast around. “They all seem to be plowed. Winter, you know.”
“Ah, yes. I forgot. … Raphael? I would like to know one thing.”
“And that is?”
“You’ve been… holding my hand a lot lately. Or otherwise rest your hand on my knee and so on. Why?”
Feeling his throat tightening Raphael swallowed, thinking a moment. “D-does it bother you? I can keep my hands to myself if it does.”
“It’s not that. I’m just curious.”
“Well, I’ve… Been thinking it might would make you feel better. To know I’m always near by, always there. For you and Alfred. I do consider you two as my family, so...”
Leonardo smiled while reaching to search Raphael’s hand, which rested on gear shift, landing his hand on it. “It’s okay, I understand you perfectly.” With no other words the turtles became silent, Leo’s hand staying on Raphael’s. It felt nice. Leo’s palm was so nice on his hand. A bit sweaty, but it didn’t bother old big turtle. However Raphael was forced to ask his hand back when they approached the city, gears needed to be changed on smaller levels. Leonardo pulled his hand away, sealing it in his lap under his other hand.
After parking the car on good spot Raphael and Leonardo left their ride, standing by it’s side – side by side.
“Raphael. Before we continue I must ask one thing since I don’t want to get lost from you. Can I hold your sleeve?”
“You can hold my hand too if you want to.” There was a smile on Raphael’s face when he said that. Leo could hear it so clearly. With a smile, however, Leonardo took gentle hold on Raphael’s sleeve. It was disappointing blow to Raphael, but he didn’t want to push it. Maybe some other time.
“So, where first?”
“Well, since I won’t be much fun I just would like to walk around in different small places and eat their different strawberry stuffs – if they have any.”
Laughing Raphael took a first step, making sure Leo was following him. “Of course. Strawberries.”
“I love them.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Also, if we come up some gift ideas to Alfred, I would be more than happy to get them. After all Christmas isn’t more than few months away soon so it’s time to start to get gifts.”
“Gifts and strawberries, got it.”
