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“Mikey really believes in this thing and he won’t touch it. He keeps talking about how it might bring back the ‘real Gumbus’, whatever that means. I wanna prove it can’t hurt him.”
Donatello sighed, quietly, not looking up at the eldest brother who was standing beside him with a long, thin box in his hands.
“Paranormal activity can all be explained through scientific means, Raphael.” he said, quietly, “There’s no need to fool around with any of those mumbo jumbo knick knacks to prove that fact.”
Raphael shifted the box in his hands. Printed across the top of it was the word ‘Ouija’, along with all manner of spooky designs surrounding the picture of the actual board itself.
“Yeah, but it’s Mikey. You know how he is. If I can tell him we tried it and nothing happened, he’ll try it with us and he can see it’s fake.”
The genius seemed to think about that for a moment before he set the tool he was using down and reached up to rub the bridge of his nose, lightly.
“Very well,” he said, sounding annoyed. It made Raphael grin, though, brightening his entire face and Donnie found himself smiling back just a little, helplessly.
“Great!!” the big turtle said, cheerfully, and immediately sat down on the floor to start opening the box. Donatello watched him for a moment before getting up from his chair and sitting across from Raph, folding his legs beneath him neatly.
It was simple enough. A board with the alphabet, yes, no and goodbye printed on it along with a spade shaped planchette. Raph blinked at the pointer he was holding in his hand and gave Donnie a sheepish little grin.
“I guess I’m gonna have to use just one finger. I didn’t think about how small it was gonna be.” he murmured.
Donatello smirked at him, lightly, watching as Raph set it on the board.
“Or you can use two and I can set mine on top of yours.” he replied, casually.
That seemed to give Raphael a moment of pause before he nodded at the soft shell.
“Oh… yeah! Yeah, that works!”
Carefully, since the pointer was small and he didn’t want to break it, Raphael set his fingers against it. They covered almost the whole thing but, as Donatello had suggested, he reached over and set his own fingers on top of Raph’s.
The eldest, it seemed, was more than a little excited and Donatello smirked at it, fondly. He wondered how much of this was actually for Michelangelo and how much of it was because Raphael knew that Donnie would neither mock him for wanting to play the game nor try to ruin it for him.
“Okay! So… we gotta close our eyes and, uh… open our minds to the spirit world.” Raph said, before continuing almost in a rush. “I mean, that’s what the booklet said to do at least.”
Donnie gave a faint sigh, a sound that was more amused than anything, but did as Raphael had said, closing his eyes and just sitting. It was ridiculous but now that it was clear that the big snapper was very into the whole thing, the genius decided to go along with it. It wasn’t as though it could do any harm after all.
He sat, silently, patiently waiting until Raphael decided it had been long enough. After a remarkably short time, he heard Raph inhale, determinedly, and opened his eyes again to find his brother looking down at the board.
“So… uh… Hello?”
Watching their joined hands above the board, Donatello wasn’t surprised when nothing happened. He glanced up at Raph’s expectant face, watching as it slowly shifted into a faint pout.
“Perhaps you need to ask an actual question.” he offered, before looking back at their hands. “Are there any spirits here with us?”
He knew that going along with it would make Raphael feel better and the smile he could see out of his peripheral vision confirmed it for him. He still expected nothing to happen but the big hands under his own began to move, slowly, and he heard the snapper inhale at it. Donatello watched as the pointer was moved over to the ‘yes’.
“Oh, wow…” a soft whisper from Raphael, before he tried another question, himself.
“Are you a friendly spirit?”
The question was eager and Donnie couldn’t help the tiny smile at how charming it was. Raph was acting like a little kid playing a new video game and the genius was enjoying how adorable it made his brother. It made going along with the whole idea worth it, he supposed.
The pointer moved again, sliding directly across the board to stop at the ‘no’. Raph stared at it before glancing up at Donnie, and then back down again.
“Uhh… then what are you?” the snapper asked, quietly, obviously trying to hide the hint of nervous to his voice. The whole thing felt silly, since everything that was going on was clearly being done by Raphael, but Donatello found himself intrigued by it all the same. Was it voluntary? Was Raph doing it unconsciously? He watched, intently, making mental notes of his brother’s reactions.
There was a pause before the pointer began to slide across the board again. It moved to the letters and Raphael quietly read them out as it went.
“O… N… R… Y… O..?” a pause, “Onryo..”
Donnie resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the answer. Of course it would be something like that. Raphael, however, looked up at him with clear confusion in his gaze.
“Leo used that word when he saw the board earlier… what is it?” he asked. Donatello arched a brow at him, incredulously.
“It’s Japanese.” the purple turtle responded, his tone making it clear that he thought Raph already knew this. “It’s the term for a vengeful spirit believed to return from the dead to exact said vengeance upon all of the living. Ruthless and unstoppable. They’re used in movies such as The Ring and Ju-on.”
There was a flicker of something in Raphael’s gaze and the big turtle blinked before giving a clearly nervous laugh.
“Oh! Haha, that’s real funny, Donnie. Are you steering it?” he asked.
“How could I do that without you noticing, given that my hands are on yours, not the actual planchette?” Donatello asked in return. Raph had no answer for it and just stared at him for a moment before swallowing and looking back down at the board.
“O-Oh… yeah…”
The amount of nervous energy coming off of the big snapper was surprising, both in how he was speaking and the change in scent. The fact that Raph was emitting his ‘fear stink’ gave Donatello pause. Surely he couldn’t do that on command? Would he get so into a fabrication that he would think to do so?
“Well… uh… w-why are you here?” Raph asked the board, biting his lip after he did.
Immediately, the big hands under Donnie’s moved, sliding the planchette across the board. The red turtle once again read them out as they went.
“V… E… N… G…--”
Donnie gave a vague sigh and let himself roll his eyes at it.
“Vengeance.” he said, dryly, before the pointer had even finished what it was doing.
The entire lab went instantly dark and silent.
Startled, Donatello sat straight up, glancing around him in the pitch black. Across from him, Raph gave a horrified yelp and big hands suddenly grabbed onto his own, dwarfing half his forearms in them.
Wincing a little at how tightly Raphael was gripping him, Donnie looked around again in mild confusion.
“Looks as though the power went out…” he said into the almost eerie silence, “But… why hasn’t the backup generator kicked in..?”
Raph whimpered across from him and Donnie winced harder.
“Raphael… My wrists are breakable.” he hissed, painfully.
The big turtle gave a gasp and the grip lessened, but only enough to not be agonizing.
“Oh no oh no…” Raph whispered, his hands trembling. “We summoned something!! M-Mikey was right?! We woke up the G-Gumbus!!”
Donatello was surprised by the amount of genuine fear in the eldest, unable to see Raphael’s face but the tone and the way those usually steady hands were shaking spoke volumes, even to him. He shifted his hands in the tight grip as best he could and gave Raph’s an awkward squeeze.
“No, we didn’t summon anything. That Gumbus thing isn’t real. This is merely a coincidence.”
Somewhere, at the back of the lab, came a low thump and what sounded like a voice.
Before he could even react, the genius found himself being yanked up off the floor and dragged along as the snapping turtle scooted backwards in clear panic. They hit the wall and Donatello was pulled into those big arms, half crushed against his broad plastron. He grunted at it, glad for the strength of his Battle Shell, as Raphael curled his knees up, enclosing Donnie protectively.
“S-S-Something’s b-back there..!” Raph hissed.
Donatello was about to point out that it was likely one of the Shelldon roomba bots, confused by the sudden lack of power, but the terror radiating off his brother was actually disconcerting. Managing to pull an arm free, somehow, he reached up to curl his hand against Raphael’s shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.
“Breathe, Raphael. You’re panicking.” he said, calmly.
Raph wheezed and curled himself around Donnie a little more, making the soft shell gasp at the tightness of the hold.
“O-Of course I am!! W-We’re gonna die!! ”
It was scared and whimpered, sounding so unlike the eldest that Donatello felt his heart twist. He remembered hearing Raph sound like that, years ago, when they were tots. Memories surfacing of going over to climb into bed with him to help calm him down from bad nightmares and reassure him that everything was fine.
Recalling the things that seemed to help back then, Donnie brought his hand up from Raph’s shoulder to curl it against his cheek, instead. He looked up as he turned the snapper’s head towards him until he was able to press his forehead to Raphael’s, firmly. It was an awkward angle but the moment he did it, the red turtle made a quiet sound and the furiously tight hold lessened slightly.
No longer being crushed allowed one of the arms from his Battle Shell to extend, holding a small emergency light which clicked on, illuminating the space around them a bit. Above him, green eyes blinked at it and Donatello was able to meet them, evenly, his hand still curled against Raph’s cheek
“We aren’t going to die, Raphael. It’s alright. Just breathe.” he said, voice low and soothing, the same way he had done when they were younger. It had been a long time since he’d needed to do this, but he remembered how all too well.
Those eyes searched his own, terrified, but Raph did as the genius said, trying to slow his breathing, even though he was clearly struggling with it. Donnie slid his hand against Raph’s cheek, gentle and soothing, petting the curve of it and down his jaw and neck, out to his shoulder. It pulled a shaky exhale from the big snapper, along with a shudder, but Donnie was glad to feel the change in his brother’s breathing as he did.
Donatello repeated the motion, since it seemed to be helping, watching as Raphael closed his eyes to help try and calm himself further. By the time he lifted his hand to his brother’s cheek for a fourth time, Raph turned his face towards the touch and nuzzled into it, warmly.
The genius paused and let his hand rest there, curiously. The big turtle pressed into his palm more and rubbed against it again. The action was pure affection and clearly seeking the same.
Something in Donnie’s chest fluttered before divebombing into his stomach to turn into a myriad of butterflies. He moved his thumb, brushing it along the curve of Raph’s cheek as he cupped it, gently. Green eyes opened and met his again, looking calmer than before and the genius couldn’t help but smile, just small but reassuring.
“It’s okay, Raph.” Donnie murmured, quiet and low. “The paranormal is just your imagination trying to make sense of science you don’t understand yet.”
It was something he had said, often, when they were younger and he watched as Raph smiled back at him, sheepishly. It was a sweet, almost innocent look and the butterflies in Donatello’s stomach seemed to multiply at it. It had been ages since he had allowed himself to stay this close and be affectionate with his brother this way. Why had he stopped? This just felt… good. Safe. Right.
“Heh… been a long time since I heard ya say that…”
A small, still shaky murmur from Raph but the fact that he was focusing on that, rather than the fear from before, was good. Donnie continued to smile up at the eldest as he stroked his thumb against that warm cheek.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve needed to. You don’t have nightmares anymore, after all.” he replied. Raph blinked and then bit his lip, lightly, which made Donnie arch a brow, even with their foreheads still pressed together. Those green eyes looked away from his and the genius recognized the reaction.
“Raphael… do you still suffer from those?” he asked.
There was a pause but, like with many things that were truly important, Raphael answered honestly.
“Er… y-yeah… but, y’know… we don’t share a room anymore and I ain’t gonna come barging in on you like some toddler who can’t take care of himself. I’m too old for that stuff.”
It was a quiet, sheepish reply and Donatello’s brow creased in concern.
“Does it happen as often as it used to?” he asked. Raphael shook his head, carefully, not wanting to break the comforting contact of their foreheads.
“Nah, only once in a while.” he paused before making a wry sound. “I’m probably gonna have ‘em really bad after this, though…”
There was a note of shame in the snapper’s tone and Donnie’s chest ached to hear it. He stroked Raph’s cheek again, trying to help soothe the sound away.
“I can sleep with you, if you like?” he offered.
The eldest stilled at the question, green eyes widening just slightly. Donatello watched them in mild confusion before he realized he could see a flush of pink across his brother’s snout in the dim light. Raphael was blushing. Why would he be blushing?
His brain caught up with him and pointed out how suggestive that had sounded. His own eyes widened a little, the butterflies in his stomach turning into a raging whirlwind, and he opened his mouth to clarify when Raph spoke.
“I-I’d like that a lot!” All in a rush and Donnie blinked as the snapper worried at his lip with his snaggle tooth in that adorable way he had when he was feeling awkward. “Like… a-a lot a lot… i-if it’s… not a bother… or anything…”
There was something in the tone. Something in those eyes. Donnie could feel Raph’s heart racing under the shoulder still pressed against his plastron and he felt his own begin to mirror it. Curled close as they were, something warm and electric seemed to be passing between them and the genius had to take a shaky breath.
“... it isn’t a bother at all. I would be more than glad to…”
His own voice was soft and warm and Donatello hesitated only for a second before he continued.
“I think I would enjoy that immensely, actually…”
His heart began to pound as the words tumbled from him. The swirl of anxious fluttering in his stomach was strong and there was aching heat in the middle of his chest. Being in Raphael’s arms like this, with that big form curled around him was drawing his attention to something he’d shied away from when he was younger. A strong, burning emotion that had frightened him. Caused him to pull away from physical things, afraid of what it was he was feeling.
Now, though, having returned to the soft affection he’d shared with the eldest once upon a time, he realized how much he missed this. How much he needed this. There was a flicker of a nearly terrifying level of desire to be as close to the snapper as possible. Something must have shown in his face as Raphael’s smile faded and his brows furrowed, looking worried.
“Dee…?”
Donatello’s gaze flickered all across his brother’s face, taking it in rapidly, heart racing, stomach fluttering, chest burning, breath shallow.... and promptly threw all caution to the wind.
Leaning up, he found Raphael’s lips with his own, pressing them together in a warm, tender kiss. Green eyes widened and Raph made a startled noise against Donnie’s mouth before pulling back, sharply.
Staring up at his brother, Donatello could feel his stomach drop down through the very earth itself. His chest twisted, harshly, and he scrambled to think of something to say as his mind ran in circles, screaming ‘stupid stupid stupid’ at him. He’d messed up. Big time. He--
The thought cut off as warmth pressed against his mouth and Donnie started a little. Raphael had leaned back in and pushed their lips together again, awkward and hesitant, but there all the same. The genius’ breath hitched at it, but he leaned up, returning the kiss as his mind seemed to just flop over and pass out for a second.
Raph’s lips were like the most heavenly thing he had ever felt in his life. Broad and soft, so hot against his own, shaped asymmetrically around the snaggle tooth on one side. They felt perfect and the thrill of heat and butterflies through him sent his heart racing like mad.
A broad hand moved, coming up to curl against the back of Donatello’s neck and along his jaw. The soft shell shivered at it, his eyes closing as he tried to remember how to breathe, everything whirling in a hurricane of nerves and excitement.
All too soon, Raphael pulled back, but only a fraction, allowing them both to gasp for air. They sat in silence, Donnie with his eyes still closed, as he tried to get his bluescreened brain to reboot properly. The breathy chuckle from Raph was warm against his mouth and the genius shivered as he opened his eyes to look up at his brother.
Those green eyes were warm and bright, practically dancing, and Raphael was wearing a crooked little grin, his cheeks stained pink.
“... wow. ”
Donatello felt his own lips curling up, matching the grin Raph was wearing, and the genius exhaled, shakily.
“That… is a definite understatement…” he whispered.
He pressed his forehead against the snapper’s again, just sitting and trying to remember how to breathe and think. The hand against his neck and jaw moved, letting Raph’s thumb trace along the curve of it and Donnie shivered at it, his heart leaping all over again.
“I, uh… I’ve maybe kinda sorta wanted to do that for… a real long time now…” Raph murmured, softly. The confession made the butterflies in Donatello’s stomach surge wildly all over as he took in the awkward but honest look he was being given. He bit his lip, that strong and burning emotion searing inside him, making him feel nervous and scared.
Vulnerable.
But this was Raphael. Who he knew for a fact would rather lose a limb than ever do anything to hurt him. Who protected him at all costs, without a thought for himself. Who had always done so. Who kept an eye on him and helped take care of him and-- oh.
It was a soft but earth shaking revelation and the genius made a quiet sound at it. He let his hand slide against Raph’s cheek as he searched that green gaze and found things in it he’d never paid attention to before.
“I… I’ve felt the same but I was…” Donnie stopped, biting his lip again, but all Raphael did was smile.
“Too scared about how big it feels…?” he asked, quietly, and the genius stared up at him in surprise. Unable to speak, he just nodded, slightly, and the eldest chuckled, softly.
“I… always kinda wondered. How just one day you stopped wanting to cuddle. Kept telling myself it was probably just part of growing up but… you never complained about me giving you hugs or coming to hang out in the lab like you do with everybody else. So I kept hoping that maybe you just had to figure yourself out and maybe someday…”
It was such a soft and sweet thing. Considerate and showing the sort of wisdom that Raphael had about his family. Where Donatello was all intellect and book smarts, Raphael was all heart and emotional smarts. That the snapper had stayed quiet about things to try and let Donnie learn and grow on his own terms spoke of a maturity and understanding he could hardly fathom.
“... it feels very, very big.” the soft shell whispered, his voice small but honest.
Raphael stroked Donnie’s cheek, his smile growing until he was beaming brightly.
“Wow… that’s two verys.” he murmured.
Unable to stop himself, Donatello laughed at it, the awkward and scared feeling breaking apart to be filled with a flood of warmth and affection. He threw his arms around Raph’s shoulders, curling in against the side of his lap and hugging him, firmly, as he allowed himself to enjoy the joke. Raph’s big laugh joined his and the two sat there, for a long moment, just enjoying being in each other’s arms this way and the excitement of knowing they both felt the same.
---
At the back of the lab, two sets of eyes peered across the darkness to the circle of light at the other side. Grinning broadly as they watched the two brothers return to kissing one another, Leonardo and Michelangelo shared a fist bump before turning to sneak back out the way they came.
“You see, hermano? I told you my plan would work perfectly~”
“Dude, I’m really glad. If I had to watch those two making moon eyes at each other’s backs for another year, I was gonna snap! Now c’mon, let’s go turn the power back on before Dee tries to go fix it.”