Brotherly Blunders

I need you

                 

Raph's POV

Leo and I have always been close. Let's just say that we understand each other, and despite what some people might think, I don't hate his guts. Even if I am sorely tempted to beat the crud out of him sometimes. But that doesn't mean we're not close. Quite the contrary: when we were little, we were best friends, even closer than Donnie and Mikey, and they do everything together, even now. Leo and I formed a bond all those years ago, that despite everything that's happened has never truly disappeared. Even if it has become a little strained, okay, if I'm being honest with myself, really strained. I can still remember all those years ago when we claimed we'd be best friends forever...But that all changed eight years ago...I shook those memories away and focused on the present.

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Third Person POV

It was a normal day at the lair. Training was finished and the turtles were lounging about in the lair. April and Casey w ere coming down to hang with the guys a bit before evening patrol. Mikey was playing video games and Donnie was doing something-or-other in his lab. Raph was stretched out on the couch with his face in a comic and Leo was leaning up against one of the arcade machines polishing his katanas when the human arrived. The blue masked turtle glanced over at the dark-haired teenager and waved before continuing with his polishing. The purple clad turtle appeared in a flash and began telling April about his latest invention.

Raphael jumped up and over the couch. Casey rushed to meet him and the two best buds fist bumped. Casey Jones decided that he wanted to wrestle and he immediately tacked the stocky turtle to the ground, which is a feat in itself considering how much all that shell weighed, not to mention the extra muscle. The human may have begun the wrestling match, but within thirty seconds the turtle had pinned him to the ground. "Stop it you idiot. I didn't call ya here to wrestle."

"I don't think you called him here at all Raph."

"Shut up Mikey." The orange-clad turtle threw up his hands in surrender and turned back to the video game.

The human teenager strolled over to Raph and leanded an elbow on his shoulder with interest. "So, what did you have planned?"

"I hope it isn't anything that'll involve you two coming back at two in the morning and needing extensive bandages." April said, crossing her arms over her chest dramatically.

"Nuh-uh." Raph said emphatically. "Today I'm teaching you," he pointed at his human friend, "how to play tig." All the turtles turned their eyes towards their brother and silence filled the air as Raphael dragged Casey Jones out towards the sewer tunnels.

It wasn't until after both of them had gone that April looked from Donnie to Mikey, who both had their jaws dropped with gob smacked looks on their faces. "Uh, guys?"

The two turtles closed their mouths, still looking a little bit shell-shocked. Feeling like she wasn't getting anywhere with the younger brothers the red head turned to Leonardo and asked. "What is tig?"

Leo's eyes narrowed and he sheathed his swords, even though he still hadn't finished polishing and walked past them, completely ignoring April's question as he disappeared into the dojo. The human teenager watched as the younger turtles' eyes followed their older brother as he left. "Guys...what is tig?" She repeated, a little more quietly this time.

The youngest stood up from his spot on the floor, staring at her with a sad flare in his usually bright blue eyes. "Tig was a game that Raph and Leo used to play when they were younger. They made it up themselves. Even we didn't know how to play it. They used to say that we couldn't learn how to play it because it was their special game and no one else was allowed to learn it but them. Seems that Raph's changed that rule. It was Raph and Leo's favorite thing to do before..." The orange clad turtle rubbed the back of his neck nervously.