Raph's Mate (TMNT)

The First Hurdle; Trust

Waking up, I felt incredibly stiff. I tried to move, only to have a painful reminder to not move. Once the pain in my ribs hit, I remembered every little detail about what happened last night. Being attacked by  group of Foot soldiers and Karai, breaking Karai's arm, being rescued by turtles, and Raphael. Now why on Earth did I put Raph into his own category? And why the hell am I getting butterflies in my stomach just by thinking about him? Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I reach for my bag, taking a couple more painkillers, and taking my phone out. Seeing multiple messages from my best friend, and from Danny the bouncer at my work, and my honorary uncle.

"Hey wanna hang out? There's no practice today, and I think I remember you saying you didn't have to work." That was from my friend, Kenzie. There were also several more, before she realized I must have still been sleeping. Opening the conversation, I type a quick reply "Hey Kenz, sorry can't make it today. Some crazy shit happened last night, and I'm on bed rest. I'll fill you in when I'm a little more awake. Love ya xoxo." Hitting send, I switch over to the texts Danny sent me. "Hey kiddo, let me know when you get home. ~Danny" He sent several more worried messages when I didn't respond. Knowing he's still worried, since he decided to take on the role between big brother and uncle in my life, I sheepishly smiled at my phone and replied, "Hey Danny! Sorry I didn't text last night. Saw some crazy shit on my way home last night, and just crashed. See you next weekend.... Ps, don't let Brent put me down for bouncer for a few weeks. I'll remember to fill you in when you come for our Sunday coffee. Xx." Hitting send, I turn my head at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Looking, I see Raphael standing in the doorway, watching me with those green eyes of his. Sending him a smile as I put my phone back in my bag, I feel confident enough to try and stand. "What are ya doin'? You should be restin'. You're in no shape to be movin' around there Tiger." He said, his nickname for me causing a light blush to appear on my cheeks. I see a brief smirk, before it gets replaced by that close-cautious stare as I start walking towards him.

Reaching him slowly, I pat his arm. "Yeah I know. Forgive me for being stubborn, I'm starving." I say to him as I begin to pass him, only to let out a squeak when I felt myself being lifted carefully. Raph decided it was smarter to pick me up and carry me to what I assumed was their kitchen/dining room. Huffing and giving in to this small form of pampering, I find a smile forming on my lips as I wrapped my arm around his neck. "Hopefully I don't forget how to use my legs." I mumble, earning a chuckle from Raph, catching him looking down at me before putting me down on a stool.

This time, I'm able to actually look around and take in my surroundings. A room full of big tunnel piping, several areas that looked customized for each individual turtle, a space that looked like it belonged to their Sensei, and a bit more odds and ends that make this their home. But what really caught my attention was the vehicle parked in what looked like a garage. Getting back up, while Raph turned his attention to something else, I made my way over to the vehicle. Instead of Raphael's attention, I seemed to have gained Donnie's.

"You shouldn't be moving around so much Abigail." The turtle in purple said, trying to steer me back to a seat.

"What's in it?" I say pointing at the vehicle. My question seemed to shock Donnie, as he turned to face me with a slight smile on his face. We spent the next twenty minutes talking about what was, not only, in the vehicle, but what was under the hood. Returning to the couch, where I had left my bag, Donnie following behind me, I grabbed my phone and showed him the pictures of the project I was working on. A 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. "It was completely gutted when I found it on the side of the road. I got it towed to my buddies driveway and began working on it. I'm almost done too, 2 years later and it's almost fully restored to its glory." I say, showing him the picture of how it looks now.