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

24 - Goodbye

Raph started spending less time with you after that. Not as little as he had when Mona had first come over, but less than he had been before your talk. He'd checked in with you, asking if it was okay, and adding, "I think I need some time to work things out with Mona."

You assured him it was fine. 

Still, it was a little hard when he spent most of his days hanging out with Mona and you had to go to work at night, but the two of you did your best to make friendship time with each other. In the meantime, though, you started hanging out with his other brothers again.

"Aw, man!" Mikey complained as he died in the video game you were playing with him. He pouted, folding his arms. Nearby, Ice Cream Kitty rubbed her head against him, meowing reassuringly.

"You're right, Ice Cream Kitty," Mikey declared, brightening as he scratched the head of the weird cat. "I'll get 'em next time."

"You're taking this a lot better than Raph did," you noted jokingly. Your avatar died soon after, and you set down the controller, not particularly caring about the game. "He was really upset." 

Mikey snorted. "When is he not, am I right?" You laughed, but Mikey kept going on. "I mean, especially lately, he's seemed...really on edge." Mikey lost his humorous tone, his smile flipping upside down, and he scratched the top of his head. "It's kinda weird, you know?"

"...yeah," you agreed reluctantly. You hadn't seen a whole lot of Raph lately, since he was still spending time trying to patch things up with Mona, but when you did see him, he seemed a little distant and absentminded, and grumpier than usual.

"I mean, especially since Mona is around," Mikey continued. He slumped against the couch. "Usually he's so...happy around her, but lately...I dunno. Every time she walks by, he goes all stiff. It almost seems like..."

"Like...maybe...he...doesn't want to be around her?" you suggested.

"Yeah! Yeah, exactly. Wait." Mikey frowned some more. "That doesn't make any sense. I mean, she's his girlfriend, and they like each other, so...I dunno. Feels weird, man." 

"Yeah," you agreed again. If someone as oblivious as Mikey had noticed the tension between Raph and Mona, well...you weren't sure what to make of that. You weren't sure what that meant for them, or their relationship. You weren't entirely sure what to think.

So you decided not to. Not to think too much about it, at least, not for now. You picked up the controller and nudged Mikey. "Think you're ready to try again?"

* * * * *

Mona left a week later, after a dinner of pizza. All of the turtles came aboveground to see her off. She had set her ship to some kind of invisible mode before parking it right outside of the sewer cover. You blinked as she deactivated invisible mode, and a small, spherical ship came into view.

"Goodbye, Mona," Leo said. "Safe travels."

"Tell the Mutanimals we said hi," Mikey chimed in.

"I...likely won't be going to the Mutanimals, actually." Mona glanced at Raph, and then quickly glanced away again. "I've been in touch, and it appears they are doing quite well without me. I will be returning to space."

"Oh." Leo, Donnie, Mikey, and you blinked in confusion, but didn't press the issue.

Mona held out a hand to Leo, and he raised an eyebrow.

"I doubt I will be returning to Earth...at least, not anytime soon. I will use this gesture in an earthen manner before I leave your planet." She paused, then added, "It seems fitting, considering how we first met, that I use the gesture the way you intended it to be."