Raphael sat watching football on the television while Don worked on his laptop and Mikey read a comic. Leo came out of the dojo dressed in his gear, “Raph come on patrol with me.” Leo then walked over to kiss Donatello, “We won’t be gone long.”
“Love you,” Donnie smiled.
Raph looked over his shoulder at Leo then back to the game and shrugged while turning the television off, “The game’s a bust anyway.” He ran to the dojo and geared up before meeting Leo at the lair entrance.
Mikey ran up and kissed Raph, “Bye.”
Raph smiled down at Mikey, “Bye.”
“Love you,” Mikey purred.
“Love you too,” Raph leaned in and kissed him again.
They turned and left, closing the door behind them while Mikey stood and watched. Without turning he wiped a hand across his eyes, “He lies so easily now.”
Donnie looked up, “What?”
Mikey turned to look at Donnie, his blue eyes glistening with tears, “Raph. He’s gotten good at lying.”
“I don’t understand,” Donnie said standing up. “What is he lying about?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know,” Mikey snapped.
“Mikey, I…,” Donnie stepped towards him but Mikey’s anger cut him off.
“How can you do this to me?” Mikey screamed. “I thought you were my best friend.”
“What…,” Donnie’s breath hitched. “What do you think…?”
Mikey cut him off again, “I don’t think, Donnie. We know. You guys aren’t even trying to hide it anymore.” Mikey rubbed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. “He reeks of you and he’s almost called out your name. You go on savaging runs and bring back nothing. How could you be sleeping with Raph when he’s my boyfriend?” He started calm, but ended in a yell. “You… you… WHORE!!”
Donnie sat down hard as Splinter exited his room, “What is going on out here?”
Mikey pointed to Donnie, “Donnie and Raph have been having an affair,” he yelled. “They’ve been having sex. They… they….” Mikey fell to his knees. “Why?” he sobbed. “What am I not doing right that Raph had to go to you?”
Donnie felt light headed, “We… Oh….” His heart pounded in his chest.
Splinter stepped forward, “Is this true?”
Donatello couldn’t even look up at his father and opted to keep his eyes on the ground. He blinked the tears from his eyes and nodded.
“I hate you,” Mikey screamed. He was flashing between anger and sorrow, “You were my best friend.” He folded his legs under himself and sat on his feet, “If you guys stop, we’ll forgive you. I just want Raph back,” he pleaded.
“Where are Leonardo and Raphael?” Splinter asked.
“Patrol,” Donnie answered then his head snapped up to look at Mikey. “Did Leo take Raph out to confront him?”
Mikey nodded.
“They’re gonna tear each other apart,” Donnie snapped.
“You would like that wouldn’t you,” Mikey sneered.
“What?” Donnie breathed.
Mikey, filled with anger again, pointed at Don, “To have them fighting over you.”
“No,” Donnie shook his head. “I don’t want them to fight.”
“Then why are you sleeping with Raph?” Mikey yelled.
“That is enough,” Splinter struck his walking stick on the ground. “Michelangelo, call Leonardo and have them both return home now.”
“Yes, Master Splinter,” Mikey said through gritted teeth and left to get his shell-cell.
Splinter turned to look and Donatello, “I want you in the dojo.”
Donnie stood and took one step towards the dojo then fainted.
**
Leo led Raph across the rooftops finally coming to a stop when he was out of breath. Raph landed next to him panting, “Damn Leo. You running away from something?”
Leo looked at Raph then turned away, “Can I ask you something?”
Still panting, Raph leaned on the wall to look out over the city, “Sure.”
“What am I doing wrong?” Leo walked over to place his hands on the wall, keeping his eyes on the city.
“You’ll have to be more specific,” Raph turned to look at him.
Leo looked down and took a deep breath before looking at Raph, “Why…” his voice failed him. “Why did Donnie go to you?”
Raph heart skipped a beat, “What?”
“Come on, Raph,” Leo sighed. “You guys aren’t even trying to hide it anymore.”
Raph tried to speak, but his words failed him. His legs gave out and he sat down hard on the rooftop. Leo stood there and waited for Raph to respond.
Raph took a deep breath, “I don’t know.”
Leo was struggling to keep his emotions schooled, “Why… are you guys doing this? What… are… you thinking?”
Raph covered his face with his hands, “I don’t know.”
“Does he even love me anymore?” Leo sobbed. “Do you still love Mikey?”
Raph stifled a sob, “I don’t know.”
Leo pushed Raph, “What do you know?”
“When I’m with him,” Raph choked out, “everything is exciting again.”
“What about Mikey and me?”
“Maybe,” Raph glanced at Leo, “you and Mikey could….”
“NO!” Leo cut him off. “I have no interest in Mikey. I went after Donnie. I love Donnie.”
“We didn’t want to hurt you,” Raph stared at the rooftop.
“Then you shouldn’t have slept together,” Leo turned and walked a few steps. “How long?” he asked turning back around.
“How long have you known?” Raph asked without looking up.
Leo hiccupped past a sob, “We started to suspect about a six weeks ago, but we’ve known for about a month. Mik…Mikey saw you together.”
“He saw us,” Raph’s voice was barely a whisper. “Why didn’t he say anything?”
No matter how hard he tried, Leo couldn’t stop the flood of tears. It was hard for him to breathe, “We were hoping we could make you stop.” His throat closed and a whimper escaped him, “I don’t want to lose Donnie.”
Raph couldn’t look up, “Three months.” He could not force himself to see the pain he had caused his brother when he heard him cry in anguish. Then his shell-cell rang. With trembling hands he reached into his pocket to retrieve it. He looked down at it then, without looking, he tossed it to Leo, “It’s Mikey.”
Leo opened the cell, “Yeah.”
“Leo?” Donnie answered. “Why… why do you have Raph’s cell?”
Without a word, Leo threw the cell back to Raph.
“Hey, Donnie,” Raph’s voice broke. “Mikey confront you?”
“Yeah,” Donnie answered. “Splinter wants you back, now.”
“Why are you using Mikey’s cell?”
“He tried calling Leo first, but then he found it in his room,” Donnie explained. “Splinter then told Mikey to call you and that’s when he threw the cell at me to do it.”
“Oh,” Raph nodded. “We’ll be back soon.”
“Okay,” Donnie whispered and ended the call.
Tucking the cell back in its pocket, Raph kept his eyes cast down, “Splinter wants us back.”
Without a word, Leo turned and headed back to the lair.
**
Donatello sat nursing the bump on his head, from the fall, as Mikey paced nervously in the dojo. It seemed to take forever for Leo and Raph to return. He was surprised to see that neither of them looked to be hurt, other than emotionally.
Raph looked down at Donnie, “What happened?”
Leo pushed him back and knelt down in front of Don, “Let me see.”
“I’m fine,” Donnie let Leo move his hand away from the bump. “I got light headed when Mikey confronted me and I fainted when I stood up.”
“You’re going to have one sizable goose egg,” Leo kissed the bump. “But the skin’s not broken, so that’s good.”
Splinter came out of his room and sat and the four Turtles knelt facing him. He sighed, “This is a difficult situation the four of you have found yourselves in, one that could tear this family apart.” He looked at Raph, who kept his eyes on the ground. “I am disappointed in the two of you,” Splinter continued and Raph cringed. “What would drive you to do such a thing?”
Raph and Donnie kept their eyes on the ground. “We fell in love,” Donnie chocked out. “It just happened.”
“Did you?” Splinter turned to look at him. “Or did you miss the thrill of sneaking around?”
Donnie let out a sob as the realization struck him. That was what was lost in the relationship, the thrill. He had to admit that it was exhilarating in the beginning with Leo, because of the fear of getting caught. After about a year, Splinter confronted them about their relationship. That was about four months ago. He now wondered if he had ever love Leo or even Raph or if he just loved the thrill. Tears flowed down his cheeks to land on his clenched fists on the ground.
Raph also started to cry, as he too realized what Splinter said could be true.
Leo and Mikey just sat between them in silence while Splinter waited for them to regain control.
The longer they cried the more it effected Mikey. The tears welled up in his eyes and soon he too was crying. He inched closer to Raph and wrapped his arms around Raph’s arm and nuzzled him.
Raph turned his head, but could not make eye contact, “How can you still love me?”
Mikey intertwined his fingers with Raph’s, “I just can’t help myself.”
“Please,” Raph sobbed. “I don’t deserve it.”
“No,” Mikey agreed, “you don’t. But that doesn’t change the fact that I love you. You’re just going to have to make it up to me somehow and earn my trust back. And you won’t be going out alone with Donnie for a long time.”
Donnie finally sat up and looked Leo in the eyes and could see that Leo fought to maintain his fragile control. “Do you still love me?” Donnie asked past the lump in his throat.
Leo shook his head, “But I’m willing to try again.”
The relief Donnie felt caused him to smile a little before breaking down in tears, “I’m so sorry. I was addicted to the rush, the control. I knew you knew and you did all those things for me.”
“I need you to be honest, Raph,” Mikey pulled away and forced Raph to look up at him. “Do you love me? Or would you rather be with Donnie?”
“I believe that you all should take a break,” Splinter interjected. “Raphael I want you to go out to the farm with Casey, Donatello you will stay with Leatherhead, Michelangelo will stay with April and Leonardo will stay with me. I want you all to reflect on what you truly want from one another. You can come back when you all know.”
“Hai, Sensei,” They all said in unison.
**
It took them all about a month to decide what they wanted. Raph spent most of it drunk, sitting in the dark. Mikey just sulked on April’s couch. Donnie lost himself in projects with Leatherhead. And Leo spent most of his time meditating in his room.
Raph was the last to return home. Splinter had the other three stay in their rooms then one by one called them into the dojo to hear what they had decided. He now sat facing them as they kneeled on the floor.
“This was a difficult journey for you all and I am not sure if you will ever be able to fully heal from it,” Splinter sighed. “It pleases me that you are all of a like mind in this. You have each decided to try your relationships again. This time,” Splinter looked at Raph then Don, “do not fall in to temptation. Love is not easy and is not always exciting. It takes work, from both sides. There will be times that you question your love for one another, but everyone faces doubts. Stay true to each other, vocalize your doubts and do not make you mate feel bad for having them. Find the reason behind them and work them out. You still have a lot of work ahead of you, my sons.”
