Where I Can Protect You (A 2012 Mikey meets Rottmnt fic)

Chapter 3: "It's your fault he's dead"

Raph was in the kitchen sorting through takeout boxes, he had gotten chinese. He couldn't believe it had been two weeks since Mikey's death, it felt as though the moment was only a foggy ways away in his mind. He could remember the exact moment when he felt his brother go limp, felt him stop breathing, felt him die in his arms. Raph shook off the chill that ran down his spine. His gaze landed on the extra boxes of food marked with an M that he had ordered out of habit. He opened a messy drawer of random objects and fished out a black sharpie, using it to cross out the M's on the takeout boxes before shoving them into the pile of boxes reserved for Casey. Raph didn't want the food to waste but he couldn't stomach the idea of eating it himself so giving it to Casey seemed like the best option. It's not like Casey would say no to extra. Raph picked up the paper plates he had assigned to Donnie and Leo when plating the food. He exited the kitchen, walking in the direction of Leo's room first, hoping Leo was actually there, as he more often then not wasn't. When Raph found himself stood in front of the curtain that hung as the door to Leo's subway-car-room he couldn't help but stiffen. "Leo, I have chinese" Raph called out. He heard some rustling before the curtain was pulled open. Raph looked Leo up and down, taking notice of his annoyed expression that was amplified by the dark bags under his eyes, the way dirtied bandages littered his skin, blood stains visible on his mask even as it was scrunched up lifted up over his eyes, was that stain new? Raph shrugged it off, figuring he was just tired. He'd make Leo a new mask soon. "I made sure to get some of that funky chicken stuff ya' like" Raph said, hoping to cheer Leo up just a bit. But of course it didn't work, nothing ever did.

"Thanks" Leo huffed out. Raph nodded to Leo, opting to stay quiet knowing Leo was fragile right now and didn't feel very talkative. When Raph walked up the broken escalator towards Donnie's lab he spotted Casey sitting against a wall with an old DS in his hands playing an old Animal Crossing game. Raph was confused upon seeing it, he didn't remember anyone giving him the small device. "What'cha got there Casey?" Raph asked incredulously, Gaining the smaller boy's attention.

Casey looked up to Raph with a dopey smile on his face. "It's a flippy game device Mikey got me" He explained, his expression suddenly dulling at his own words. He quickly scanned over Raph's expression, hoping the mention of his brother hadn't offended him at all. His brows were slightly furrowed, his eyes flashed with sorrow, and his lips were pulled into a thin line. But Raph shook off his Sadness in favor of asking Casey when Mikey had given it to him. "Oh, well my timelines Mikey gave this to to me on the day he thought was my birthday, said just because we were in an apocolypse didn't mean I couldn't have some fun" Casey answered. Raph could almost see the memories replying in Casey's eyes. "According to Leo, Mikey had spent hours digging through the wreckage of some place called GameStop, or as Mikey called it, the holy rumble pile, just to find this specific game for me" Raph chuckled at that, of course even in the apocolypse Mikey still loved his videogames. "he thought I'd like the decorating aspect's after he saw how I had decorated my, uh.. hiding hole, I guess you could call it" Raph latched onto that, hiding hole? he didn't want to press Casey for answers at the moment, but he did stash the tid-bit of information away in his brain to ask about later. "He taught me how to use it and what everything in the game meant, I remember when I asked him what the creatures in the game were" Casey chuckled between his words. "He called them 'kawaii mutants' I had no idea what kawaii meant but when I asked him he just laughed, then when I asked Master Leonardo what it meant he also just laughed before messing up my hair and telling me to never change" Casey smiled at the memory. "I guess after everything, the Krang, almost losing Leo again, actually losing.. Mikey.. again, It's just-" He cut himself off when his voice cracked, tears pooling in his eyes. "I guess playing this silly game again... I don't know, just helps calm me, I guess" He mumbled quietly.

Raph got on his knees, placing the plate of food in his hands to the side. He put his hands on Casey's shoulders, grabbing the boy's attention once again. He sniffled to himself, then pulled Casey into a bone crushing hug. "You play as much of that silly game as you need" He whispered to Casey. he felt Casey hug back, wrapping his arms around as much of Raph as he could, it was a stretch but Casey liked to think he could almost feel the tips of his fingers touch, just slightly.