Cleopatra: The new ninja

Chapter 16

"Hi." Raph bent down and helped her up. He took one look at the bump on her head and immediately started playing nurse. He had her sit on the bed and went to the kitchen to get an ice pack.

When he got back, Cleo was covered in blankets, trying to hide.

"Cleo? Come on out."

"No! I'm too embarrassed!"

Raph observed the situation. Cleo was completely covered up in blankets, except for her feet. They were sticking out. "Cleo..." Raph set the ice pack down on the desk. He sat down next to her feet. "If you don't come out, I will be forced to take some drastic measures."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Like this." He grabbed her foot and started the tickle war.

Cleo tried to kick her foot away, making the blankets fall off of her. "No! No please! Have mercy!" She squealed in laughter.

Raph laughed with her. "Surrender!"

"I surrender! Just stop tickling me!"

Raph released her foot, laughing. Cleo laughed with him, then remembered that she was embarrassed. She blushed and stopped laughing. After a couple minutes of awkward silence, Raph patted the bed next to him. Cleo scooted over to sit by him. Raph grabbed the ice pack and felt her head for the bump. Cleo blushed and avoided his eyes. Finding the bump, he placed the ice pack on it carefully.

"You know, I should be the one to be embarrassed."

Cleo looked at him in confusion.

"I'm the one who said that I loved you."

Cleo's was turning more red than green. "W-well... It just-" She took a breath. "It's hard to believe that you really like me, since you once, you know, slapped me." Raph winced at the venom in her voice. Cleo grabbed the ice pack and started pacing the room. "I know that we fight in the dojo all the time but we never hit one another so hard that we leave a mark. Especially one that lasts a while. And I'm a girl, so..." She stopped, and looked at Raph. "But I'm not mad."

"You usually get really mad at me for some reason. You're not mad?"

"No. Just disappointed."

Raph hung his head. "I- I'm sorry, but my anger got the best of me. I have a habit of either being overly angry or overly sarcastic."

Cleo stared at him. She never expected him to ever admit that out loud.

"When messed with Spike, I got so mad at you. I forgot that it was you. So I hit you. Usually, my bros take the hint at not messing with Spike, so I've never had to deal with anyone messing with him. My anger got the best of me." He looked up at Cleo, eyes begging for forgiveness. "I have never wanted a rewind button more because you are so important to me."

One look at his begging-for-forgiveness face and Cleo knew that he was forgiven.

"It's all right."

"No, it's not!" Raph got off the chair and held her arms in his hands. "I'm not used to dealing with other turtles who are as stubborn as me."

"Raph," Cleo put her hand on his shoulder. "It's all right. It's fine."

"How are you suddenly so forgiving?" Raph looked at her disbelievingly. "You used to get so mad at the littlest thing."

"I was more attitude prone when Slick was messing with my emotions. Everything is so much clearer without the pounding 24/7 headache." Cleo adjusted her ice pack. "Of course, now I have a whole new headache to deal with."