“Eighty? That’s all you’re gonna start with?” Raph asked incredulously.
Leo lay down on the weight bench and grabbed the bar. “I’m trying to build and tone muscle, Raph, not pull one.”
Raph snorted. “I can do eighty in my sleep.”
Finishing his reps, Leo stood up and traded places with his brother. “You’re going to hurt yourself the way you do it.”
“Haven’t yet,” Raph said. “Add another sixty on there, would ya’?”
“Raph seriously,” Leo told him as he added the requested weight, “it’s not good for your body to start off this heavy.”
“What’s the matter, Fearless? Can’t deal with the fact I’m better at somethin’ than ya’?” Raph grabbed the bar and smoothly lifted the weights.
Leo stood above him, eyes narrowed. “I never said I couldn’t lift the weight, Raph. I’m just smarter about how I do it.”
Raph racked the bar and sat up. “In your dreams ya’ can lift as heavy as me.”
Leo pulled forty pounds off the bar and took his place on the bench. “I can and do,” he responded, moving through his routine.
“Prove it,” Raph said as Leo traded places with him.
Leo laughed as he added Raph’s forty pounds back on. “Not your way.”
“Hey, stick another forty on top of that,” Raph told him. “Fine, ya’ go nice and slow and I’ll do what I always do. Betcha quit before I do.”
“You’re on.” Leo watched Raph lower and raise the hundred and eighty pounds of metal plus the forty pound bar. He hadn’t even broken a sweat.
Raph shot him a smug look as they once more shifted spots. Leo added another twenty; giving his muscles time to warm up properly. He really had no idea how Raph lifted so heavy that quickly; unless his muscles were warmed by punching his bag incessantly.
When it was his turn, Raph said, “Gimme another forty.”
Leo hesitated. “Are you just showing off now?”
“Gimme another forty. Showin’ off for who? You? Pffft!” Raph waited until the additional weight was added, settled on his carapace, and lifted the bar.
Leo hands were underneath as he began to grow concerned. A fine sheen of sweat was beginning to show on Raph’s emerald green skin, but other than that, he lifted effortlessly.
Jumping up with a grin, Raph said, “Come on Fearless. Get bold.”
Leo shook his head and added only another twenty to his last weight. He was now at the weight that Raph had started with.
“Geez, Leo. At this rate, you’re gonna get more of a workout adding and removing the weights.” Raph snickered, watching while Leo completed his reps.
Rolling off the bench, Leo said, “At least I’m not going to wake up later sore as shell.”
Raph sat down and watched his brother add the weights to both ends of the bar. “A couple of beers solves that problem. Forty more.”
Leo rolled his eyes as he grasped the bar around Raph’s hands and lifted it from the rack. “Go nuts and then self-medicate. Nice.”
Raph huffed as he lifted the total three hundred pound weight steadily and without seeming effort. Leo’s eyes wandered over his muscles as the veins popped up and were outlined by the sweat on his skin.
Blinking, Leo had to do a quick reality check before Raph caught him staring.
Raph grabbed a towel and wiped his face down before standing up and relinquishing his spot to Leo.
“Ya’ fuckin’ tryin’ ta tease me, Leo?” Raph asked as Leo lifted only another additional twenty pounds.
“Who’s teasing who?” Leo thought as he completed his routine.
When he sat up, he saw Raph standing with his hands on his hips, smiling at him.
“Why ya’ even bother with a spotter bro’?” Raph taunted him.
“I already told you, Raph. I like to go slow,” Leo said.
Raph waved a hand at him. “Whatever. Add another forty.”
He lay down as Leo began putting weights on the bar.
“Ready?” he asked Raph.
“Yeah, come on,” Raph said, grabbing the bar.
Leo helped him lift it off the rack and then retained his grip as Raph lowered the bar.
“Let go, Leo,” Raph told him.
“As you wish,” Leo said, swiftly taking his hands away.
“Hey!” Raph shouted as the bar dropped heavily. Struggling, he tried to lift the bar off his plastron but it wouldn’t budge.
“I guess we found your limit,” Leo said, walking around the bench and stopping at Raph’s outstretched feet.
“Very fuckin’ funny. Umph! Ha, ha. Ya’ had your laugh, now come help me pick this thing up before it crushes my neck.”
Leo kneeled on the weight bench between Raph’s thighs. “Oh, you’ll be fine as long as you maintain that hold on the bar.”
Raph wiggled and grunted, but was unable to move the bar. Leo watched his gyrating movements on the bench and began to feel the pulse beat in his temple.
Crawling forward, Leo leaned his elbows on Raph’s plastron and bent over so he could peer into the hot heads face.
His brother glared up at him. “Come on, Leo. Enough screwin’ around. Get this thing off of me,” he growled.
“Oh I will, Raphael, I will,” Leo said in a deep, low husky tone of voice.
“Eventually.”
