Raph and Mikey Brotherly Fluff and Comfort Oneshots TMNT 2012

Chapter 21: Why he Does What he Does

    Mikey sat on the rooftops one night, watching the city below him. His short mask tails flapped in the wind that blew past. Blue eyes were filled with sadness as he watched the lights that lit up in the darkness. He shivered in the cold, not just because of the wind, but also because it was also raining freezing rain. Not exactly the best type of weather to be in, especially in early wintertime. It wasn't even close to January yet. He wanted to get home and get warmed up, but he couldn't move. It felt like he was being frozen stiff with ice crawling on him. As he closed his eyes and curled himself up in a ball to conserve as much body heat as possible, he felt strong, thick arms wrap around him, pushing him to a much warmer body. Instinctively, he tried to get closer to it, whimpering. Hearing a voice shush gently to him, however, made him quiet as he felt himself being lifted up and carried away down the building and into the sewers towards home. "What were you doing out there by yourself, buddy?" said the voice.

    Mikey didn't need to open his eyes to see who it was. He'd recognized that voice in a heartbeat. "Just thinking," he said.

    "About what?" Raph asked, looking down at his little brother curled up in his arms.

    Mikey didn't reply. Raph sighed as he traveled on home towards the lair. When they arrived there, Mikey mumbled something that made Raph stop in his tracks. "What was that, bro?" he asked. "I didn't catch that."

    "I was just thinking about why I do what I do," Mikey answered.

    It didn't take long for Raph to put two and two together and figure out what he was talking about. "You mean that you're thinking about why you mess around with pulling pranks on us and stuff while we face off the bad guys on pretty much a weekly basis?"

    Mikey nodded. "I always feel like I want to do the things that normal teenagers do," he said. "Except the only difference is that they're not mutants like we are."

    Raph sighed. He knew that despite all the fights they've had with the Foot, Mikey and the others were still just kids living the life of ninja vigilantes. And Mikey being the youngest seemed to be affected by it the most. "Sometimes I wish I was just a normal human like everyone else," he said. "I wish that we weren't looked at like monsters by them." A single tear ran down his cheek as he finished.

    Raph felt sadness peirce his own heart, understanding what Mikey was telling him at that moment. He sat down on the couch and placed Mikey in his lap, embracing him in a hug. "I understand, bro," he said. "But do you know what I think of you, otherwise?"

    Mikey looked up at Raph, confused. "What?" he sniffled.

    Raph smiled and tucked Mikey's head under his own. "I think you're special just the way you are. You don't need to be a real human to prove yourself otherwise. Everyone up there is just scared of us because they just don't know what they're seeing. And besides, you've got other friends down here who love you the way you are as well-almost as much as me, Leo, Donnie, and Splinter do. Heck, April and Cacey love you the way you are, and they're just humans."

    He then looked down at Mikey, as baby-blue looked up at emerald-green. He leaned his head down and pressed his forehead against his baby brother's so that he was looking right into his eyes alone. "Just remember, bud," he said, "you're special just the way you are. And don't you ever change that about yourself, okay? Because I surely wouldn't."

    Mikey was starting to get emotional upon hearing all that, more tears leaking out as he just nodded his head and buried his face in Raph's plastron. Raph felt his little brother's body shake, meaning that he was softly crying. He just smiled as he held him close, knowing that right now, Mikey needed him. He sat still, never moving a muscle until the youngest fell asleep against him. He moved so he was laying on the couch and draped a nearby blanket over the both of them, Mikey wrapped up in his arms. "I love you the way you are, baby brother. So does everyone else we know. Don't you ever forget that."