Chapter Three:
Beautiful Stranger
Raph took a deep breath, filling his nostrils with a scent of frankincense. The cooling pine scent washed with a lemon undertone. The thundering of his heart was slowing under the control of the smell. For a moment he felt like he was home. In the dojo with Master Splinter, kneeling on the grass weaved rugs. It sounded like he could hear his master's paced, smokey voice.
“My son, breath deep of the frankincense. It will help you find your center, calm the raging storm within you.” The voice was sweet and calming, bringing tears to his eyes.
Hot tears! They burned, making him wish he was home again. Home, that's the thought that brought him back. When he opened his eyes, he was laying in a bedroll on the floor. Dull light filtered through the rice paper walls around him. A single ember burned from somewhere in the distance. Incense was Raph's first thought. That was when he realized he was no longer in his master's dojo. The sting of disappointment washed over him. If he wasn't home, where was he?
Raph sat up, feeling the covers pull tight against him before falling away. There was a sharp sting at the back of his head, in his right arm, his stomach, and in his lower back. That was when he remembered what happened. Someone had snuck up behind him in alley and hit him in the head with something. Raph tried to reach up and touch the back of his head, but the sting in his bicep and shoulder were too painful. Raph reached up with his other hand and gripped his arm, feeling the cooling pack that someone had taped to his arm. Someone bandaged him up? But who was it, and where was he now?
The soft sound of the panel door opened to his right, bringing his attention around. There was no way he would be able to protect himself in his current state. A nagging voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he was bandaged up and wasn't restrained in anyway. Whoever it was, wasn't a threat. But Raph didn't want to take any chances though.
When the lights came on, he was as stunned at who the person was, standing in the doorway. Li Jing held an ornamental tray with a tea set and snacks on it. His dark brown eyes peering through his long bangs. Raph wishes he could have avoided a longer stare, not wanting to come off creepy. The young man was wearing nothing more than a gray tank top and a pair of baggy gym shorts. Obviously he had been on his way to bed when he checked in on Raph.
Without a word, only a pleasant smile, he stepped into the room closing the door behind him. Raph felt his heart quicken again, a warm blush moving over his cheeks. The boy was more muscular than Raph had though, a swimmers body would have been a stretch of a description. Even if Raph hadn't seen him fight first hand, he would have guessed that the boy spent many days in training just judging the muscle tone. As Raph's eyes played across the young man's features, he was feeling faint. Why was he feeling this way? He asked himself, but was already well aware of the answer.
“Hello there sleepy head, you've been out for almost six hours.” The boys feminine voice added heat to the blush.
“What? I...how did I get here?” Raph blurted out in a feeble attempt to combat the giddy feeling that was looming in his belly.
The young man knelt down on the floor next to Raph and set the tray down. “Rude much. No hello?” The scrutiny in his eyes was palpable, but excruciatingly cute at the same time.
So much so, that Raph was wracked with guilt. “Sorry, I...Li Jing wasn't it? It's really good to see you again.”
Li Jing pushed his hair back from his face and poured a cup of tea. “...really good to see me huh?” His voice chastised, but his smile was inviting.
Raph grunted and clears his throat. “Suffering from severe head trauma here. You'll hafta excuse me if I say crazy shit.”
Li Jing lay his finger across his lips. “Don't speak like that, my father is in the other room. That language isn't tolerated.” There was a hint of fear in his voice.
Raph pressed his hands together and bowed his head, wincing at the pain in his stomach. “I'm sorry. Please tell me how I got here. What happened?”
“Certainly, but first sip this. Careful, it's hot.” Li Jing passed Raph a small decorative cup of tea.
Raph sniffed it at first, a soft hint of lemon and hibiscus caused a slight watering in his mouth. When he sipped the tea, he fought the urge to wince against the heat. Some of his taste buds were seared to numbness. At least the tea was good, calming. Li Jing poured himself a cup and whispered something under his breath. At first Raph wanted to ask what he said, but thought that it might come off as rude. He had already secured that title firmly as it was. He wanted to redeem himself in the face of Li Jing.
“I saw what happened to you in the alleyway...” Was all he said.
“You saw that? Why didn't you help me out?” Even as Raph blurted out, Li Jing raised his hand to quiet Raph down. Raph's insides stirred against the young man's confidence.
“I wanted to, but there was nothing I could do. I was going to call the police, but I didn't think you would have appreciated that. So I asked my father to help you.” Li Jing explained, his voice cool like a spring breeze.
“When we got down there to help, you were already out cold. They were going to kill you. My father and his bodyguards chased them off, while I carried you into the building.” Li Jing took a sip of his tea. “Once I got you up here, I obviously couldn't take you to the hospital. So I treated your wound and bundled you up. Luckily you woke up. I didn't have a plan B if you didn't.”
Raph chewed on his stinging tongue, his mind digesting everything that Li Jing told him. “I'm sorry for jumping to conclusion. Thank you for saving me.”
“No problem, you helped me out. I wanted to return the favor. I guess that makes us even.” Li Jiang didn't smile, instead he held an adorable indifferent look.
“Now that I'm awake, I should probably get going. I don't want to be more of a burden than I already have been.” Raph tried to get up, the ache in his stomach and back caused him to pause for a moment.
“Wait, you don't have to go right away. My dad said you can stay until Friday. Well...he didn't acutally say that. I just asked him if you could stay until you were better.” Li Jing touched Raph's shoulder, his fingers strong, warm.
A shutter ran through him that he hoped Li Jing couldn't feel. “If you're sure...”
“Besides that'll give us some time to get to know each other better.” Li Jing smiled.
“I think I'd like that.” Raph sat back, the pressure in his back relaxing.
“Good, I don't have many friends, or any actually. Thanks to my dad's work, I move around all the time. In fact, that's one of the main reasons you can't stay longer. We're going back to Hong Kong on Friday.” Li Jing rubbed his arm, there was a bandage wrapped around his bicep, a bruise had grown out from underneath it.
“That gives us a couple days to hang out at least.” Raph sat the cup back down on the tray, picking up a rice cookie.
“You're right!” Li Jing perked up as he played with his cup. “I suppose you're lonely too huh?”
Raph thought about the question for a long time, he didn't want to admit that he didn't have very many friends. “I guess. There's just a few of us in my family. My dad and three brothers, other than that, there are only three other humans that know we exist.”
“Whoa, there are five giant turtles roaming around the city?” Li Jing almost jumped out of his seat.
“Well, four of us are turtles and my dad Master Splinter, he's a rat.” It did sound rather silly, when Raph said it aloud.
“Wait a minute. I'm no genius, but I did take basic Biology. How is your dad a rat?” Li Jing rested his chin on his knee, contemplating the idea.
“Well, obviously we're adopted.” Raph chuckled, giving Li Jing a light punch in the shoulder.
“I figured. I'm just screwing with you.” When Li Jing slapped back, their hands met and tangled for a short awkward second, before they both pulled their hands away.
“Yeah, we used to be just regular turtles...” Raph tried to cough his rational thinking back into order. “We fell into this mutagen stuff that gave us human parts. When Master Splinter cleaned us off, he got some of the stuff on him as well. It turned him into a rat.”
“That sounds far out. How does it pick what you turn into?” Li Jing pushed the tray away so he could lay down beside Raph.
“Man, you're asking the wrong turtle. Donnie would be the one to ask. I think it has to do with the things you've had the most contact with.” Raph shrugged as he spoke.
“Donnie, he's one of your brother right?' Li Jing asked looking up at Raph.
“Oh yeah, I should have mentioned that. There's Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo. If you hadn't guessed we're named after Renaissance artists.” Raph lowered himself back on his bed, so he could see eye to eye with his new friend.
“I kinda picked up on that. Do you all know martial arts?” There was a child like glint in Li Jing's eyes, his curiosity was sweet.
“Yep, Master Splinter trained us in the art of Ninjitsu. I'm a master of the...” Raph reached back to feel the empty slots that held his precious weapons.
“Sais...Don't worry, I gathered them up. They're in my room, under my bed.” Li Jing explained. “You can have them back when you leave. That was my dad's rule, no weapons in the house. I never go against what my dad says.” Li Jing whispered as if his dad might hear him.
“That's cool, Splinter would rather we follow all of his rules. I mean we don't always disobey him, just sometimes.” Raph smiled in a teasing fashion.
“He doesn't beat you?” The surprised look on his beautiful face, caused a small pit to open in Raph's stomach.
“No, of course not. The only time he ever hits us, is during training. Does your...” Raph stopped himself before he finished the question.
“I...should get to bed.” Li Jing's voice went back to it's indifferent tone.
Raph couldn't tell if he'd overstepped his bounds or if Li Jing was uncomfortable talking about it. Either way Raph knew he was walking on thin ice and thought he should backpedal before it was too late.
“Well, okay. You sleep well. Wake me up when you get up okay? We can have some more fun then.” Raph watched as Li Jing got up from the floor, picking up the tray as he went.
“I will. Goodnight Raphael.” Was the last thing he said as he walked out of the room, turning the light off as he went.
Raph could see his silhouetted shadow through the thin walls. It was a perfect likeness of him. Li Jing's figure growing weak in the knees. Emotionally, Raph guessed. The young man set the tray down on something before falling back on his bed. Raph watched as the boy reached up to rub his face. It was either the boy was tired or crying. Raph reached up and touched his chest. There was a soft throbbing inside in chest. It was a pain he hadn't felt often. A mixture of sadness and sympathy for the young man. Someone so beautiful shouldn't know such pain.
Time passed by, Raph watching as the young man wandered around his room. Learning his emotions from just the slightest movement. Learning who this young man was as if they were having a conversation without even speaking. How had this connection become so strong, in such a short time? Was it a crush? Did he have a crush? The tightness of his loins was as misleading as his swimming thoughts. When Li Jing turned his lights off, Raph was filled with a loneliness he'd never felt before. It was as if he lost a piece of himself somewhere and couldn't find it.
“You're in love, you big jerk.” Raph whispered to himself, his voice lingering in his mind.
