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(Art by me, plz do not steal/repost)
Staring up at the greenery that swayed in the treetops, the silhouettes of leaves casting faded shadows across his face, Leonardo had never felt more at peace. Inhaling deeply he tilted his head back and allowed the sunlight that filtered through the canopy above to caress his face with its warmth. The terrapin listened to the sounds around him, taking in the scenery with his senses and closing his eyes. In the distance the low murmur of a stream could be heard, stilling over the soft scraping of the leaves above. Below him the grass tickled his skin and danced lightly in the breeze, accompanied by the chirping of birds as they nested in the branches that shrouded him. The sun was out and shining in the sky, scattered clouds painting the blue canvas like sheep in a field floating about serenely.
Brandishing a small smile, the terrapin opened his sapphire eyes, enjoying the moment of solitude. It wasn't often that he or his brothers got to travel out of New York, their appearance and duty to their city keeping them away from the clear countryside. Leonardo never complained, it was his responsibility to his family and his city to provide defense against those who wished to harm the ones he held dear, after all. It was the Bushido code, his honor, and his life. Out of all of his brothers he was the one their father had chosen to be leader, and with reason - the eldest turtle practically lived and breathed all things ninjutsu.
It was his passion, his art, and he thought no misconceptions of it. The lives of this team, his brothers, of the people of New York, everything was on his shoulders. Leonardo had learned from a young age that one wrong move, one fault could lead to failure. A burden he was graced with, yet one that he carried nonetheless. Leonardo never complained, he had no right to - his position as leader was an honorific that was highly thought of. If anything he should be proud, and hold himself at a pristine level, which he did.
He had to be vigilant, agile, perceptive, he had to be perfect. Lives depended on it. And yet the young teen found himself having doubts. Everyone has their limits, their breaking point, and Leonardo was terrified that his would become the downfall of them all. Exhaling deeply, the turtle let his eyes scan the area. Silence - something uncommon when living in a house full of males, and he enjoyed every minute of it.
For the first time in years Leonardo found himself able to relax, to let loose. Closing his eyes again, the terrapin continued to listen to the silence, an action that was soon short lived. He had heard it, the sound was feint but there, his trained ears picking it up immediately. The leader remained immobile, his expression relaxed and eyes closed, yet he was on edge. Did he really think that he would be able to sneak up on him? "I know you're there, Raphael."
His voice cut through the silence, smooth and precise. His response came in the form of a shadow and the sound of the grass to his left being weighed down as the other party moved to sit beside him. "Nothin' ever gets by ya', huh Fearless?" Came the thickly accented reply of his younger sibling, to which he offered a wan smile in return. "I'm not admitting to anything, although your stealth skills could use a few checks." He bemused.
Raphael only snorted, his voice sounding lightly amused. "Wasn't tryin' to sneak up on ya', just wonderin' where ya' ran off to." To that Leonardo only hummed, arms folded behind his head and his ankles crossed over each other. To his side Raphael stared down at his leader and older brother, green eyes scanning over him as his red mask tails shimmered in the light. Laying back on his shell, the brash turtle turned his head toward Leonardo, not expecting any reply to his last statement.
"You've been out here for a while, the others were startin' to think ya' got lost again." He tread slowly, his words holding no threat. Leonardo opened his eyes and peered up at the cover of leaves that shaded them with an inquisitive expression. "I lost track of time, I guess." The clan leader replied softly. Raphael spent another moment scanning his brother's expression and let out a small hum in acknowledgement. "Ya' seem relaxed." He stated without repercussions, awaiting a response from the latter. "I am." Leonardo spoke breezily, letting out a small sigh. "We should probably head back though." Raphael watched as the terrapin moved to sit up, his neon eyes flashing as he folded his arms behind his head. "We don't have to, it's a nice day out. Definitely beats the city." Pausing only for a moment before leaning back on his elbows and looking at his hotheaded sibling, the leader retorted. "The city isn't all that bad, but I will admit that it is nice to escape for a bit."
Raphael nodded in agreement and let the calm silence return as he drew his gaze upwards. Leonardo let out a small hum, leaning back and enjoying the quiet moment with his sibling, relieved to not be arguing for once. Although he loved Raphael dearly, the hothead had a talent for getting on his last nerve, which resulted in the both of them always bickering over one thing or another. Most days their fights never got too heated, either Donatello or Michelangelo intervening. It was shameful in Leonardo's opinion, his younger brothers having to tell him to back down. Before Splinter passed he used to scold the leader for being involved in such arguments, especially when they got physical. He had been told countless times by his sensei that he should never let Raphael infuriate him to that point. They were brothers, not enemies, and yet they fought like cats and dogs. Sometimes their confrontations got physical, even to the point where weapons were involved and they practically had to be pried apart. As much as Leonardo loved his brother the red banded terrapin was compulsive, arrogant, and frustrating to no end. Yet the leader could not even begin to imagine life without his incorrigible sibling. All of his brothers had admirable qualities, as ninja and otherwise.
Donatello was loyal, and though stubborn, the genius could build and hack into just about anything. His mind was definitely a quality to be recognized, but some days the third eldest could become distracted, a trait that was unbecoming of a leader. Michelangelo was a different story, the enigmatic turtle being quite the opposite of Leonardo. The 'baby' of the family was often underestimated, and though he was air-headed and easily distracted, Michelangelo was a force to be reckoned with. He was manipulative, sneaky, and perceptive, almost scarily so. The orange banded terrapin always seemed to know things before his brothers even knew that they didn't know. But he still lacked the maturity to lead their team, no questions asked. Raphael, on the other hand, was a different story. The emerald skinned turtle was determined, very determined. Out of all of his brothers it was Raphael who posed the biggest threat to the leader. Always challenging him, always putting up a fight, the second oldest never backed down from a confrontation, especially when Leonardo was involved. Like fire and ice, the two terrapins just never seemed to see eye-to-eye. There was a point when they were tots, before the role of leader came into play, before they went out into the world, a point when Leonardo and Raphael were almost inseparable.
But eventually it came time to choose a leader for the team, a role which Leonardo took up with pride. Raphael hated him for that. Stupid Fearless big brother with his honor and rules and duties. Some days Raph just wanted his older brother back, the Leonardo who didn't train from dusk till dawn, who didn't rethink every single thought that crossed his mind. He wanted his best friend back. But that Leonardo was gone, hidden under a seemingly impenetrable mask of honor and hidden emotions. Raphael hated him for that as well.
So perfect, so brave, always the first to take one for the team. It was almost surprising how stupid his older brother could be on occasions. Raphael thought stupid looked good on him. Reckless was nice from time to time. Pushing his leader past his breaking point was one of Raph's favorite hobbies. Nothing was more satisfying to him then seeing that entire 'Fearless leader' facade crumble. To see Leonardo loose control, to actually show emotion, even if it was anger(mainly directed at him), was like a glimpse into the past, a past where Leo didn't have to carry the burden of leadership on his own. Raphael would never back down if it meant seeing that side of his brother more often.
Turning to lay on his side, Leonardo stared at his sibling through stormy blue eyes, expression as blank as always. Raphael's eyes blinked open, feeling his brothers gaze on him and tilting his head to glance at the blue banded terrapin. "What?" He asked brutishly, letting out a small grunt. How typical. "Am I not allowed to look at you?" Leo replied easily, a glint in his eyes. The latter only huffed, looking away. "Not when ya' do it like that. It's creepy." Leonardo chuckled lightly in response, the sound sending shivers up Raphael's spine. Goddammit. Glaring at nothing, the hothead ignored his older sibling, staring up at the sky, unable to stop a small upturn of the lips. Although he would never admit it out loud, it was really comforting to see his usually stoic leader letting loose for once. "I hate it too." Raph found himself saying before he could stop himself, eyes widening slightly, realizing the words had not been spoken in his head. Beside him, Leonardo was quiet, staring at his brother almost inquisitively. "I know..." He replied softly, eyes never leaving his brothers.
Raphael turned his head, looking at the clan leader, a frown pulling at his lips. He never hated his brother, how could he? Leonardo was perfect, so damn perfect. He could never compare, no matter how he tried. Swallowing thickly, Raphael pushed those thoughts aside. He shouldn't feel this way, Leo was his brother, it was just wrong. But he couldn't help it, the feelings just stuck. He wanted Leonardo, always had. He just hadn't known what to consider the feelings before, but now that he recognized them, they never went away.
Unconsciously, Raph found himself moving closer to Leonardo, their gaze never straying from the other's eyes. Beak level with his younger brother's, Leo didn't know what to think, and yet he didn't pull away, finding himself only wanting to close the distance between them. What became even more surprising was when Raphael didn't pull away either, instead moving a fraction of an inch closer. Eyes locked and their lips hovering over each other's, the two could only wait with baited breath for one to make the first move. Then, an action was made, and any prolonged wait was quickly set aside. Lips grazed each other feverishly, just testing the waters before reconnecting with built up passion, a passion that was often brought forth more violently than needed.
Leonardo knew somewhere in his mind that this was wrong, that he should push the other away, yet he couldn't force himself to break the kiss. Some part of him knew that Raphael felt the exact same way. Their lips parted after a moment and the two terrapins locked eyes once again, breathless and tense. The grass stirred lightly beneath them in the breeze and only the tweeting of the birds in the trees filled the silence that lingered. Leo took a deep breath, intent on speaking but he was cut off by his younger, who spoke words that made his heart jump in his chest, and he knew. He always knew, he just couldn't see it before.
"I missed ya'..."
It was a tone so soft, so raw that he almost didn't recognize it coming from his hotheaded sibling of all people. Bringing his gaze back to the striking glow of Raphael's neon green irises, the leader let a soft smile graze his lips. "Come on, we should head back."
And they did.
Standing up and offering a hand out to the younger, Leonardo contemplated his feelings in the moment of short, blissful serenity. True, Raphael would always be a pain in his rear, and that he knew would never, ever change. Yet when he put it to thought the blue banded turtle would not have it any other way. Like fire and ice, the two would always be at odds, but their actions held true meaning at heart. What the new day would bring, Leo didn't know, but he was ready to move on as life would have him. Hand in hand and heart in heart, the two opposing forces moved back towards their small peaceful setting, and they let the warm evening sun chase them all the way.
~Fin