Don't Make Me Fall For You | Raphael x Reader

22 - Emotional Constipation

"Hey, [F/N]." 

You gave a little flinch in surprise and almost choked on your breakfast, turning around from your seat at the table. "...Raph?" 

He raised an eyebrow, smirking in response, though his smirk looked a little...uncertain today. "Have you forgotten who I am already?"

"No. No, of course not." You set down your fork. "I just—wasn't expecting to see you. Thought you left already. What do you want?"

"So aggressive," Raph remarked, folding his arms. "I just wanted to ask if you wanted to hang out today." 

You would have choked if you had not had the foresight to stop eating before. "What?" 

Raph blinked. "I mean, you don't have to—I just thought, since we're friends and all—" 

"No no no, it's fine! I'd be happy too! I just—well—it's morning." 

Raph glanced at the clock on the wall. "Uh, yeah, I think that's what you call it when it's before noon." 

"I mean—" you fumbled, unsure how to take this unexpected act from Raph. "Usually you're...out with Mona in the mornings?" You missed the way Raph briefly winced, and kept rambling on. "I mean...she's your girlfriend, and she's only staying for a while longer, isn't she? So like, I dunno, shouldn't you be trying to spend as much time as possible with her before she leaves?" 

What are you doing? said a tiny voice in your brain. Possibly it was one of your two brain cells. Don't remind him. He wants to hang out with you. You're going to ruin it! 

Shut up, brain, you told the voice. I'm trying to be a good friend/morally decent person here. 

"I've already done that for a few days," Raph was saying, when you finished your silent argument with your brain. "I was thinking I should probably try to find time for my friends and my girlfriend, though. I mean, obviously it's not good to totally ignore the other, right?" 

You blinked. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense," you said, a little slowly. You weren't unhappy about this development, but it did seem a little...unexpected.

What changed? 

"Well?" Raph crossed his arms. "What's it gonna be, [F/N]?"

You put aside your worries and replied, "I'd love to hang out with you today, Raph. Just let me finish eating first."

* * * * *

Mona Lisa showed up while you two were watching Super Robo Mecha Force Five! Honestly, you didn't see that much improvement in the quality of the show over Space Heroes, but Raph swore it was way better.

"Their mouths don't even match what they're saying," you remarked.

"You gotta look past all that," Raph replied defensively. "The characters and plot are great."

You squinted at the screen. "This is gonna sound weird, but this show reminds me of you guys somehow." 

Mona Lisa announced her presence by declaring, "Oh, Raph. There you are. I've been looking all over for you."

You and Raph both turned around. Mona Lisa was standing behind the couch. If she had been looking for Raph all over, you wondered how she somehow hadn't checked one of the most obvious places sooner: the common room that you were sitting in.

"Oh. Hello, [F/N]," Mona greeted politely. 

"Hi," you replied.

That was about as far as your interactions with Mona Lisa ever went: courteous, brief greetings, and then basically nothing.