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Leo isn't helping much by sending him mixed signals.\n\nMulti-chapter 2k3", "count": "6", "submission_left_submission_id": "896484", "submission_left_file_name": "3178756_hummerhouse_cross_purposes_part_1.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/3178/3178756_hummerhouse_cross_purposes_part_1.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/3178/3178756_hummerhouse_cross_purposes_part_1.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/3178/3178756_hummerhouse_cross_purposes_part_1.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120", "submission_right_submission_id": "900350", "submission_right_file_name": "3178806_hummerhouse_cross_purposes_part_3.doc", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/3178/3178806_hummerhouse_cross_purposes_part_3.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/3178/3178806_hummerhouse_cross_purposes_part_3.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/3178/3178806_hummerhouse_cross_purposes_part_3.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "Summary: Leo is giving Raph the silent treatment and the only way Raph can think of to find out exactly what's going on is to cling to Donatello.\nRated: NC-17 TCest, language, adult concepts and situations\nPairing: Leo/Raph\n~~The fabulous cover image was commissioned from @Plastron.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Summary: Leo is giving Raph the silent treatment and the only way Raph can think of to find out exactly what's going on is to cling to Donatello.
Rated: NC-17 TCest, language, adult concepts and situations
Pairing: Leo/Raph
~~The fabulous cover image was commissioned from @Plastron.", "writing": "Excerpt from Raph’s journal:\n\n[i]\t“He fucking kissed me! Right there on the floor in the middle of the lair. Shell, Don was within hearing distance of us in his lab, Mikey was up above us in his room and Master Splinter could have opened his shoji and seen us, but Leo planted one on me anyway.\n\n\t“Maybe if he hadn’t taken me by surprise I could have thought of something better to do, but after all this time of wanting him so badly, all I could think about was turning it into something more than just his lips on mine. I got one of my arms loose from his grip and grabbed the back of his head so I could keep him from moving away from me.\n\n\t“He jerked but I wasn’t letting go and fuck if he didn’t just melt on my mouth. He wasn’t fighting me anymore; I could feel his body all over mine and it was like somebody just hooked up an electrical current to me. When I touched my tongue to his lips, he opened up immediately and let me have my first taste of him.\n\n\t“I had no idea what the fuck I was doing, and I’m sure he didn’t either, but we figured it out pretty fast. His tongue felt so damn good against mine! I couldn’t feel the floor under me anymore, or hear anything outside of the little pocket of time we seemed to be stuck in.\n\n\t“The weirdest damn sound kinda rolled up from my chest and I couldn’t stop it. It wasn’t a moan; it was almost like when Klunk purrs. I would have been embarrassed, except Leo did the same thing just a couple of seconds later. Hearing him do it got me so hot I thought I might bust a blood vessel.\n\n\t“If someone had asked me my name right about then, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to tell them. I couldn’t think in words anymore, except for ‘Leo’. That seemed to be the only thing in my head. Leo. Like from the depths of eternity that’s all I could pull up from my soul. Leo.\n\n\t“My eyes were closed because I was trying so hard to see inside of him and find out if he was feeling the same way. It just didn’t last long enough . . . .\"\n[/i]\n\tWith an effort, Leo broke the kiss he had instigated. Raph tried to follow his brother’s mouth, eyes opening to find the hot lips that just a moment ago belonged to him. Leo was panting, hovering over Raphael but just out of reach, his eyes hooded and his breath warm.\n\n\t“Leo,” Raph’s voice came out in a breathless, needy moan. He wanted more; he wanted everything, but couldn’t find a way to say that.\n\n\t“Are you two fighting again?” \n\n\tThe voice snapped them out of their spell and Leo jumped off of Raph so fast the blue of his mask was a blur. It took Raph a second longer to snap out of the spell, but then he found his feet as well.\n\n\tDon was standing just outside of his lab, his hands on his hips while he glared at them.\n\n\t“You weren’t thinking about going out tonight were you Raph?” Don asked in a voice that was much calmer than his look implied. “Surely Leo told you what Bishop is up to.”\n\n\t“Yeah, he told me,” Raph all but mumbled, refusing to look at Leo. “We’re just having a little disagreement about the way he told me.”\n\n\t“It’s okay now,” Leo filled in quickly. “Raph understands how his going topside alone will tell Bishop his assumptions about Casey might be correct.”\n\n\t“I’m glad to hear the two of you managed to stop throwing punches long enough to actually discuss this,” Don told them. “Because from where I was standing it looked like you two were engaged in starting world war three.”\n\n\t“Well shit Don,” Raph said, managing a grin, “ya’ know my hearing has ta have a jump start from Leo’s fist.”\n\n\tRaph felt Leo’s glance in his direction, but he wasn’t ready yet to meet his brother’s eyes. The desire was still too close to the surface, and he was afraid to show it to Leo again.\n\n\tThat instant of perusal passed, and then Leo was moving away from him, back towards Don.\n\n\t“Did you find out anything else?” Leo asked.\n\n\t“I got some encrypted stuff I need to decipher. They finally found where I was hacked in and started a trace back, so I had to disconnect. It would be nice if we didn’t have to worry about Bishop anymore,” Don said.\n\n\tLeo put an arm around Don’s shoulder and told him, “Someday Donny. We got rid of the Shredder; we can rid ourselves of Bishop as well.”\n\n\tRaph watched Leo pull Don close and tried to tell himself that Leo was just offering his brother some comfort. Still, he couldn’t help the way his heart jumped when Don looked up into Leo’s face, his brown eyes full of admiration.\n\n\t“I’ll figure out what’s on those encrypted files. Maybe that will help,” Don said softly.\n\n\t“Take a break first, okay?” Leo said, his entire focus on Donatello. “Let’s go get you a sandwich or some soup. I know you haven’t eaten in a while.”\n\n\tRather than argue like he usually did, Don allowed Leo to lead him away from the lab as though he were some docile lamb. Raph watched them go, his eyes riveted on Leo’s carapace, but the blue banded leader never looked back.\n\n\t“Fuck,” Raph hissed under his breath. He sure as shit didn’t imagine that kiss.\n\n\tLooking at the door which led out into the sewers, Raph ran a palm across the top of his head. Whatever the shell was going on, he knew he wouldn’t be leaving the lair tonight.\n\n\tHeading for the stairs that would take him up to his room, Raph glanced into the kitchen. He could just make out the shadow of Don seated at the table, and Leo standing next to him, plate in hand. While he watched, he saw Leo’s shadow lean over and merge with Don’s.\n\n\tRaph froze on the stairs, trying to understand what he thought he was seeing. It had to be a trick of the light, he told himself. Surely Leo wasn’t starting something with Don, not after what had just transpired.\n\n\tBut then again, maybe it wasn’t just starting. Remembering how natural the two of them had looked when Leo put his arm around Don, Raph wondered if maybe they already had something going. If that was the case, what the fuck was that kiss all about?\n\n\tSqueezing his eyes shut, Raph fought the urge to stomp into the kitchen and start demanding some explanations. When he opened them again, the only shadow he saw was Don’s, sandwich in hand.\n\n\tRaph shook his head. He was pretty sure if anything could drive him insane, this puzzle would do it.\n\n\tDetermined to tackle Leo the very first chance he got to be alone with him, Raph went up to his room. He was far from tired, but thought he’d try out the fancy laptop Don had just given him. Maybe watching some sports would help him fall asleep.\n\n\tFor three days Raph waited for an opportunity to catch Leo alone, and for three days it seemed his brother went out of his way to avoid allowing that to happen. When it finally dawned on Raph that Leo was actively avoiding his company, he did the next best thing.\n\n\tHe started spending as much time as possible with Donatello.\n\n\t“I know that has got to be really boring for you, Raph. Are you sure you want to help me?” Don asked again.\n\n\t“Yeah, Don I’m sure,” Raph said, glancing up over the top of the paper he was holding. “It’s boring all right, but I gotta concentrate ta find what ya’ want, and that takes my mind off of having ta stay down here.”\n\n\tDon chuckled as he turned back to his computer screen. “You haven’t been out of the lair in days. You must be going stir crazy by now.”\n\n\tRaph had to laugh in return. “Ya’ think its drivin’ me nuts, ya’ should talk ta Casey. April is pushin’ him like a work horse at the store tryin’ ta wear him out so he doesn’t pace the floors all night.”\n\n\tThe sudden silence drew his eyes to Don again and he found the genius’ soft gaze on him. Don’s expression was unreadable, but his eyes seemed to be searching for something on Raph’s face.\n\n\t“Normally, you would have been fighting with Leo just about every day over this confinement. The two of you haven’t actually said much to each other at all since that last fight. Is there anything you want to talk about?” Don asked.\n\n\tSomething in Don’s warm eyes and the gentle sound of his voice made Raph want to spill everything. In fact, he was on the verge of doing just that when the lab door opened.\n\n\t“Hey Don, I was wondering if . . . “ Leo’s question trailed off upon seeing Raph.\n\n\t“No, Leo. None of the files I’ve deciphered so far have anything to do with us. It’s an interesting look into Bishop’s organization, but nothing really useful from our point of view. Raph’s been helping me, or I wouldn’t have gotten nearly this far,” Don answered the unfinished question.\n\n\tRaph’s concentrated stare was directed at Leo’s face, almost daring him to say something negative. Leo’s eyes seemed to flash in return, but other than that he remained expressionless.\n\n\tTurning his attention back to Don, Leo put a hand down on his brother’s shoulder and squeezed gently.\n\n\t“I’m glad you’ve decided to delegate some of the workload instead of trying to do everything yourself Don. When was the last time you slept?” Leo asked, his tone almost tender.\n\n\tRaph was watching them like a hawk.\n\n\t“Actually, I had a nice long nap a couple of hours ago. Raph worked on some stuff for me while I curled up on my cot. It was really nice,” Don said.\n\n\tLeo’s shoulders tensed by the most miniscule amount, but Raph saw it. Kneeling in front of Don, Leo’s eyes never left the genius’ face.\n\n\t“Was that enough? I don’t want you to think that a short nap will sustain you for another forty-eight hour work marathon,” Leo asked softly.\n\n\tDon chuckled. “Really, Leo. I never had a mom but I’m starting to understand how it probably feels to have one. I promise I will rest when I need to. Raph already insinuated what he’ll do to me if I don’t.”\n\n\t“I didn’t insinuate anything,” Raph interrupted. “I told you I’d haul your ass out of that chair, toss ya’ over my shoulder and carry ya’ ta bed.”\n\n\t“He’s never mastered the fine art of subtlety,” Don said with a laugh.\n\n\tThe tense set of Leo’s shoulders was more noticeable now, but Raph still wasn’t sure what was setting him off. Was it the fact that Raph was in the room and Leo couldn’t be alone with Don, or that Raph was attempting to take over as Don’s caretaker?\n\n\t“You tell me if you need anything, okay Don?” Leo asked finally, removing his hand from Don’s shoulder and standing up.\n\n\tDon’s head followed his movement. “I will.”\n\n\tWith a curt nod in Raph’s direction, Leo strode out of the room. Raph watched him go before turning around to find Don looking at him.\n\n\t“What?” Raph asked gruffly.\n\n\tDon shook his head. “Okay, don’t tell me. You two will work it out the way you usually do. One of you will blow up from the strain of ignoring each other, and Master Splinter will have to pull you apart. Just so you know, whenever that happens, Leo spends days questioning his ability to lead this clan, and he worries that Master Splinter might be reconsidering his decision to appoint Leo as such.”\n\n\t“Tch,” Raph’s tongue clicked against his palate before he said, “Master Splinter has never looked twice at that choice. Leo ought ta know that.”\n\n\t“What he ought to know and what he believes are two different things, Raphael,” Don said, using Raph’s full name for emphasis. “Having you always fighting the authority Master Splinter gave him is stressful.”\n\n\tRaph shrugged, not wanting Don to see how that bit of insight into Leo’s character was affecting him. Maybe that explained why Leo wanted to be with Don more; at least Don made an effort to try to understand him.\n\n\tThe following day was more of the same. Raph stuck to Don’s side like glue, hoping that at some point Fearless would let something slip, or at least snap and ease some of the tension that was layering the air like heavy smog.\n\n\tInstead, Leo popped in on them frequently, wherever they happened to be, and followed the exact same pattern. He would speak to Donatello and ignore Raphael.\n\n\tMikey noticed how the two of them were cold shouldering each other, and Master Splinter must have noticed as well, because he had Leo on the carpet a few times. None of those conversations ever leaked out, despite Mikey’s best efforts to eavesdrop.\n\n\tOn the evening of the fourth day after their kiss, Raph decided to take a more proactive approach to the situation. Sitting around waiting for something to happen was not normal for him anyway, and Don’s repeated hints that he and Leo needed to work things out were getting on his nerves.\n\n\tRaph stood in front of Leo’s closed door and took a deep breath. That closed door meant Leo did not want to be interrupted, and the policy was knock before entering. Raph had no intention of honoring either of those things, and that was really the only thing he knew for sure. What he did after he went inside would be just as big a surprise to him as it would be to Leo.\n\n\tTurning the knob, he barged in and slammed the door closed behind him. Leo sat cross-legged on his floor in meditation, and his eyes snapped open at the intrusion.\n\n\t“Raphael!” he yelled indignantly as his brother crossed the floor towards him. “You know the rules as well as anyone . . . .\"\n\n\t“Shut up!” Raph interrupted fiercely, dropping to his knees in front of Leo. “Just for once shut the fuck up, stop lecturing and let me tell you a few things.”\n\n\t“I have no interest in whatever excuses you’ve come up with for your insolent behavior,” Leo snapped at him.\n\n\t“That’s just fine, ‘cause I ain’t offering any. We have other things we need ta talk about,” Raph said.\n\n\tLeo’s icy glare would have frozen a volcano, but Raph burned a lot hotter than that.\n\n\t“Get out,” Leo said, voice vibrating with anger.\n\n\t“I don’t think so,” Raph replied, lunging forward suddenly to grab Leo’s arms.\n\n\tShoving with all his might, he forced Leo flat beneath him and held him firmly in place. Breathing hard, he stared down into Leo’s eyes.\n\n\t“What are you doing?” Leo gasped out.\n\n\t“Looking for some answers I’ve needed for a long, fucking time,” Raph growled, plunging his mouth over his brother’s.\n\nTBC……", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Excerpt from Raph’s journal:

\t“He fucking kissed me!  Right there on the floor in the middle of the lair.  Shell, Don was within hearing distance of us in his lab, Mikey was up above us in his room and Master Splinter could have opened his shoji and seen us, but Leo planted one on me anyway.

\t“Maybe if he hadn’t taken me by surprise I could have thought of something better to do, but after all this time of wanting him so badly, all I could think about was turning it into something more than just his lips on mine.  I got one of my arms loose from his grip and grabbed the back of his head so I could keep him from moving away from me.

\t“He jerked but I wasn’t letting go and fuck if he didn’t just melt on my mouth.  He wasn’t fighting me anymore; I could feel his body all over mine and it was like somebody just hooked up an electrical current to me.  When I touched my tongue to his lips, he opened up immediately and let me have my first taste of him.

\t“I had no idea what the fuck I was doing, and I’m sure he didn’t either, but we figured it out pretty fast.  His tongue felt so damn good against mine!  I couldn’t feel the floor under me anymore, or hear anything outside of the little pocket of time we seemed to be stuck in.

\t“The weirdest damn sound kinda rolled up from my chest and I couldn’t stop it.  It wasn’t a moan; it was almost like when Klunk purrs.  I would have been embarrassed, except Leo did the same thing just a couple of seconds later.  Hearing him do it got me so hot I thought I might bust a blood vessel.

\t“If someone had asked me my name right about then, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to tell them.  I couldn’t think in words anymore, except for ‘Leo’.  That seemed to be the only thing in my head. Leo.  Like from the depths of eternity that’s all I could pull up from my soul. Leo.

\t“My eyes were closed because I was trying so hard to see inside of him and find out if he was feeling the same way.  It just didn’t last long enough . . . ."

\tWith an effort, Leo broke the kiss he had instigated.  Raph tried to follow his brother’s mouth, eyes opening to find the hot lips that just a moment ago belonged to him.  Leo was panting, hovering over Raphael but just out of reach, his eyes hooded and his breath warm.

\t“Leo,” Raph’s voice came out in a breathless, needy moan.  He wanted more; he wanted everything, but couldn’t find a way to say that.

\t“Are you two fighting again?”

\tThe voice snapped them out of their spell and Leo jumped off of Raph so fast the blue of his mask was a blur.  It took Raph a second longer to snap out of the spell, but then he found his feet as well.

\tDon was standing just outside of his lab, his hands on his hips while he glared at them.

\t“You weren’t thinking about going out tonight were you Raph?” Don asked in a voice that was much calmer than his look implied.  “Surely Leo told you what Bishop is up to.”

\t“Yeah, he told me,” Raph all but mumbled, refusing to look at Leo.  “We’re just having a little disagreement about the way he told me.”

\t“It’s okay now,” Leo filled in quickly.  “Raph understands how his going topside alone will tell Bishop his assumptions about Casey might be correct.”

\t“I’m glad to hear the two of you managed to stop throwing punches long enough to actually discuss this,” Don told them.  “Because from where I was standing it looked like you two were engaged in starting world war three.”

\t“Well shit Don,” Raph said, managing a grin, “ya’ know my hearing has ta have a jump start from Leo’s fist.”

\tRaph felt Leo’s glance in his direction, but he wasn’t ready yet to meet his brother’s eyes.  The desire was still too close to the surface, and he was afraid to show it to Leo again.

\tThat instant of perusal passed, and then Leo was moving away from him, back towards Don.

\t“Did you find out anything else?” Leo asked.

\t“I got some encrypted stuff I need to decipher.  They finally found where I was hacked in and started a trace back, so I had to disconnect.  It would be nice if we didn’t have to worry about Bishop anymore,” Don said.

\tLeo put an arm around Don’s shoulder and told him, “Someday Donny.  We got rid of the Shredder; we can rid ourselves of Bishop as well.”

\tRaph watched Leo pull Don close and tried to tell himself that Leo was just offering his brother some comfort.  Still, he couldn’t help the way his heart jumped when Don looked up into Leo’s face, his brown eyes full of admiration.

\t“I’ll figure out what’s on those encrypted files.  Maybe that will help,” Don said softly.

\t“Take a break first, okay?” Leo said, his entire focus on Donatello.  “Let’s go get you a sandwich or some soup.  I know you haven’t eaten in a while.”

\tRather than argue like he usually did, Don allowed Leo to lead him away from the lab as though he were some docile lamb.  Raph watched them go, his eyes riveted on Leo’s carapace, but the blue banded leader never looked back.

\t“Fuck,” Raph hissed under his breath.  He sure as shit didn’t imagine that kiss.

\tLooking at the door which led out into the sewers, Raph ran a palm across the top of his head.  Whatever the shell was going on, he knew he wouldn’t be leaving the lair tonight.

\tHeading for the stairs that would take him up to his room, Raph glanced into the kitchen.  He could just make out the shadow of Don seated at the table, and Leo standing next to him, plate in hand.  While he watched, he saw Leo’s shadow lean over and merge with Don’s.

\tRaph froze on the stairs, trying to understand what he thought he was seeing.  It had to be a trick of the light, he told himself.  Surely Leo wasn’t starting something with Don, not after what had just transpired.

\tBut then again, maybe it wasn’t just starting.  Remembering how natural the two of them had looked when Leo put his arm around Don, Raph wondered if maybe they already had something going.  If that was the case, what the fuck was that kiss all about?

\tSqueezing his eyes shut, Raph fought the urge to stomp into the kitchen and start demanding some explanations.  When he opened them again, the only shadow he saw was Don’s, sandwich in hand.

\tRaph shook his head.  He was pretty sure if anything could drive him insane, this puzzle would do it.

\tDetermined to tackle Leo the very first chance he got to be alone with him, Raph went up to his room.  He was far from tired, but thought he’d try out the fancy laptop Don had just given him.  Maybe watching some sports would help him fall asleep.

\tFor three days Raph waited for an opportunity to catch Leo alone, and for three days it seemed his brother went out of his way to avoid allowing that to happen.  When it finally dawned on Raph that Leo was actively avoiding his company, he did the next best thing.

\tHe started spending as much time as possible with Donatello.

\t“I know that has got to be really boring for you, Raph.  Are you sure you want to help me?” Don asked again.

\t“Yeah, Don I’m sure,” Raph said, glancing up over the top of the paper he was holding.  “It’s boring all right, but I gotta concentrate ta find what ya’ want, and that takes my mind off of having ta stay down here.”

\tDon chuckled as he turned back to his computer screen.  “You haven’t been out of the lair in days.  You must be going stir crazy by now.”

\tRaph had to laugh in return.  “Ya’ think its drivin’ me nuts, ya’ should talk ta Casey.  April is pushin’ him like a work horse at the store tryin’ ta wear him out so he doesn’t pace the floors all night.”

\tThe sudden silence drew his eyes to Don again and he found the genius’ soft gaze on him.  Don’s expression was unreadable, but his eyes seemed to be searching for something on Raph’s face.

\t“Normally, you would have been fighting with Leo just about every day over this confinement.  The two of you haven’t actually said much to each other at all since that last fight.  Is there anything you want to talk about?” Don asked.

\tSomething in Don’s warm eyes and the gentle sound of his voice made Raph want to spill everything.  In fact, he was on the verge of doing just that when the lab door opened.

\t“Hey Don, I was wondering if  . . . “ Leo’s question trailed off upon seeing Raph.

\t“No, Leo.  None of the files I’ve deciphered so far have anything to do with us.  It’s an interesting look into Bishop’s organization, but nothing really useful from our point of view.  Raph’s been helping me, or I wouldn’t have gotten nearly this far,” Don answered the unfinished question.

\tRaph’s concentrated stare was directed at Leo’s face, almost daring him to say something negative.  Leo’s eyes seemed to flash in return, but other than that he remained expressionless.

\tTurning his attention back to Don, Leo put a hand down on his brother’s shoulder and squeezed gently.

\t“I’m glad you’ve decided to delegate some of the workload instead of trying to do everything yourself Don.  When was the last time you slept?” Leo asked, his tone almost tender.

\tRaph was watching them like a hawk.

\t“Actually, I had a nice long nap a couple of hours ago.  Raph worked on some stuff for me while I curled up on my cot.  It was really nice,” Don said.

\tLeo’s shoulders tensed by the most miniscule amount, but Raph saw it.  Kneeling in front of Don, Leo’s eyes never left the genius’ face.

\t“Was that enough?  I don’t want you to think that a short nap will sustain you for another forty-eight hour work marathon,” Leo asked softly.

\tDon chuckled.  “Really, Leo.  I never had a mom but I’m starting to understand how it probably feels to have one.  I promise I will rest when I need to.  Raph already insinuated what he’ll do to me if I don’t.”

\t“I didn’t insinuate anything,” Raph interrupted.  “I told you I’d haul your ass out of that chair, toss ya’ over my shoulder and carry ya’ ta bed.”

\t“He’s never mastered the fine art of subtlety,” Don said with a laugh.

\tThe tense set of Leo’s shoulders was more noticeable now, but Raph still wasn’t sure what was setting him off.  Was it the fact that Raph was in the room and Leo couldn’t be alone with Don, or that Raph was attempting to take over as Don’s caretaker?

\t“You tell me if you need anything, okay Don?” Leo asked finally, removing his hand from Don’s shoulder and standing up.

\tDon’s head followed his movement.  “I will.”

\tWith a curt nod in Raph’s direction, Leo strode out of the room.  Raph watched him go before turning around to find Don looking at him.

\t“What?” Raph asked gruffly.

\tDon shook his head.  “Okay, don’t tell me.  You two will work it out the way you usually do.  One of you will blow up from the strain of ignoring each other, and Master Splinter will have to pull you apart.  Just so you know, whenever that happens, Leo spends days questioning his ability to lead this clan, and he worries that Master Splinter might be reconsidering his decision to appoint Leo as such.”

\t“Tch,” Raph’s tongue clicked against his palate before he said, “Master Splinter has never looked twice at that choice.  Leo ought ta know that.”

\t“What he ought to know and what he believes are two different things, Raphael,” Don said, using Raph’s full name for emphasis.  “Having you always fighting the authority Master Splinter gave him is stressful.”

\tRaph shrugged, not wanting Don to see how that bit of insight into Leo’s character was affecting him.  Maybe that explained why Leo wanted to be with Don more; at least Don made an effort to try to understand him.

\tThe following day was more of the same.  Raph stuck to Don’s side like glue, hoping that at some point Fearless would let something slip, or at least snap and ease some of the tension that was layering the air like heavy smog.

\tInstead, Leo popped in on them frequently, wherever they happened to be, and followed the exact same pattern.  He would speak to Donatello and ignore Raphael.

\tMikey noticed how the two of them were cold shouldering each other, and Master Splinter must have noticed as well, because he had Leo on the carpet a few times.  None of those conversations ever leaked out, despite Mikey’s best efforts to eavesdrop.

\tOn the evening of the fourth day after their kiss, Raph decided to take a more proactive approach to the situation.  Sitting around waiting for something to happen was not normal for him anyway, and Don’s repeated hints that he and Leo needed to work things out were getting on his nerves.

\tRaph stood in front of Leo’s closed door and took a deep breath.  That closed door meant Leo did not want to be interrupted, and the policy was knock before entering.  Raph had no intention of honoring either of those things, and that was really the only thing he knew for sure.  What he did after he went inside would be just as big a surprise to him as it would be to Leo.

\tTurning the knob, he barged in and slammed the door closed behind him.  Leo sat cross-legged on his floor in meditation, and his eyes snapped open at the intrusion.

\t“Raphael!” he yelled indignantly as his brother crossed the floor towards him.  “You know the rules as well as anyone  . . . ."

\t“Shut up!” Raph interrupted fiercely, dropping to his knees in front of Leo.  “Just for once shut the fuck up, stop lecturing and let me tell you a few things.”

\t“I have no interest in whatever excuses you’ve come up with for your insolent behavior,” Leo snapped at him.

\t“That’s just fine, ‘cause I ain’t offering any.  We have other things we need ta talk about,” Raph said.

\tLeo’s icy glare would have frozen a volcano, but Raph burned a lot hotter than that.

\t“Get out,” Leo said, voice vibrating with anger.

\t“I don’t think so,” Raph replied, lunging forward suddenly to grab Leo’s arms.

\tShoving with all his might, he forced Leo flat beneath him and held him firmly in place.  Breathing hard, he stared down into Leo’s eyes.

\t“What are you doing?” Leo gasped out.

\t“Looking for some answers I’ve needed for a long, fucking time,” Raph growled, plunging his mouth over his brother’s.

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