Raphanardo One Shots [Requests Open]

5. I Hate You (Fluff)

{{Whenever I listen to 'I Hate Everything About You' by Three Days Grace, I think of how perfect it would apply to Raph crushing on Leo and, y'know, his attitude. . . So yeah, that's how this idea was conceived.  And that's how I met your mother.  Just kidding.  Lol.  I'm sorry.  I'll just get on with the story. . .}}

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Raph fell back onto his bed after a fight with his brothers.  Raph reached for his headphones on his bedside table and angrily jabbed them into his t-Phone so he could listen to loud music and not be bothered by anyone. 

As Raph scrolled through his playlists, a certain song caught his eye.  It was a song he had downloaded a few months ago, but he hardly ever played it.  His thumb hovered over the screen as he contemplated whether or not he should listen to it.  He really did like the song and it was really relatable - but that was exactly the problem.  The part of him that related so much to the song was a part of him that he tried so hard to suppress for so long.

He sighed as he tapped the play button and turned it up to full volume.  He closed his eyes and felt the unique guitar rhythms strike a chord in his heart. 

'Every time we lie awake, after every hit we take.  Every feeling that I get, but I haven't missed you yet.  Every roommate kept awake, by every sigh and scream we make.  All the feelings that I get, but I still don't miss you yet.  Only when I stop to think about it. . .'

<<Flashback>>

"Why can't you just apologize, Raphael?" Leo screamed.  He was kneeling over Mikey, who was holding his wrist against his chest.  Raph had gotten angry at his little brother who wouldn't stop teasing him about something unimportant.  Donnie was running back from the kitchen with the first aid kit.

"It wasn't my fault!" he screamed back.  "He was the one who decided to mess with me when I was angry!"

Leo squeezed his eyes shut and a tear escaped through his eyelids.  "He didn't deserve this, Raphael, why can't you understand that?  Do you not understand the pain you cause around here?" he asked in a more calm but still shaky voice.

Raph bit his cheek to hold back his tears.  He did understand how much suffering he caused his brothers, and he did wish could change; turns out, change is easier said than accomplished.  He had lost hope a while ago that he could become something more than the rude, violent older brother that he was.

"Answer me, damn it!" Leo screeched.  Raph snapped back to reality.  Donnie was now leaning over Mikey, trying to instruct him to breathe properly and Leo was now standing in front of him.

"What?" Raph breathed helplessly.

Leo let out a frustrated yell.  "You don't get it at all!  I cannot believe you, Raph!  You need to wake up, because if you don't, one day, one of us won't because of you."

Raphael was now wide eyed and motionless.  When he recalled how to use his voice, he spoke without emotion.  "I can't change," he said quietly.

"UGH!" Leo screamed.  He turned around abruptly and went to Mikey's side to hold his hand and tell him he'd be okay.  Raph was angered by this.

"Fine then!" he shouted.  He turned on his heel and ran to his room, making sure to slam his door loud enough to drown out the sound of Donnie and Mikey's tears.  He hated making them cry.

<<Present>>

He thought about the lyrics and how they almost perfectly depicted his relationship with his older brother Leo.  He did feel bad about all the times Mikey would tell him that their arguing caused him to stay awake all night, and he did have way more emotions than he was comfortable with for his brother.