Raph's Mate (TMNT)

Ease

Raph's POV
I felt the minute Abby relaxed enough to fall asleep, the way she molded into my side and her breathing began evening out. I kept playing with her hair, making sure to not change anything in case she woke up. I tried watching the movie but it would only last for a couple minutes before my eyes would rest back upon Abby and just take in everything. The relaxed curve of her shoulder, the way her hip curved to hold her body up and her legs on the couch beside her. The way her ribs expanded with her deep breaths. Absolutely everything.

Awe fuck, I'm in love with her. This weird swell blossomed in my chest and I tightened my arm around her,  ever so slightly. Until her voice jolted me in my spot, "the movie over?" Her sleepy voice, slightly muffled by her hand that was between the edge of my shell and her cheek.  Oh how I want to be in a human body right now.

"Yeah. Do you wanna sleep through another one?" I asked, my voice light in teasing.

"Don't matter to me none. I'm comfy either way." She answered after an inhale. Her sleep filled voice making me excited to hear it in the morning, as it always does.

"I can watch another." I answered, I mean if it means we can stay like this for longer I'm down. I was only answered by a small grunt as she accepted my answer and sat up. "Where ya goin'?" I asked as my side got cold.

"Blankie." She answered as she forced her tired legs to carry her body down the hall. Returning back to the couch with the blanket I knitted for her for Christmas. I stretched out a bit and opened my arms for her to crawl onto my lap, which she quickly responded to the cue and sat- her head near the top of my plastron and her legs down the back of the couch as I sat sideways and propped my leg on the couch, spreading the blanket over the both of us and finally noticing just how big it is.

"Any movie in particular?" I ask as my hand rests on the curve of Abby's hip with her tucked back into my side.

"Batman." She answered after a beat.

"That's not on Netflix, babe." I told her after a quick search. Instead of words, Abby held her hand out and I handed her the controller. She quickly switched apps and brought up her owned movies, selecting Batman immediately before handing the controller back to me. "Batman it is." I chuckled.

Abby stayed awake for a good quarter of the movie before she fully relaxed in to me yet again and her breathing slowed and deepened. It was definitely making it hard for me to stay awake the longer I tried. "Time to go to bed." I muttered as I rubbed my eyes and fixed the huge blanket around Abby as I hugged her to me and stood up. The only difficulty was the lack of circulation in my legs as I realized how light she still is for me. I can bench like 3 of her I snorted at the thought and made our way to her room, nudging the door closed behind us and laying sideways so it wouldn't feel to Abby like I was dropping her.

We've shared a bed before, but this felt different sharing her bed. Better. More peaceful. And with that comfort I fell asleep quickly.

Abby's POV
I was walking through the park, the breeze warm and the weight of my backpack on my shoulders. Turning down an alleyway, figuring I could visit Raph for a little bit, I was halfway to the cover when I heard the scraping of metal against brick following behind me. I turn and see Shredder stalking me, following me as the alleyway narrows in on me. I hear his evil laugh as I trip and fall. Suddenly I'm back in the laboratory, but it's not either of the Turtles that's hooked up in the tanks, it was the last memory I have of what my mother looked like. Her skin a pale ashy colour, blotches covering her face and arms, the track marks in the crook of her elbow seemed more prominent then I remember, there was drool dripping down her chin and her eyes were empty until she looked at me. "Look at what YOU did to me!" She screamed, her voice not the same as I remembered it, but definitely a nightmarish counterpart.

I stumbled, fear consuming my nerves as I took in the nightmare around me and as I fell again, I screwed my eyes closed tight hoping that I would wake up. But I kept falling, my eyes opened and I was being tackled off the top of Sack's Tower by Shredder,  him glaring into my eyes wanting my blood on his hands. I was screaming.

"Abby!" I know that voice..... Raph is here again reaching for my hand."Come on baby. Wake up. Abigail, wake up." I grabbed his hand before it was too late-

I jolted upright as I was finally able to snap out of the nightmare that held me hostage. "Fuck." Was the first thing to come out of my mouth, with absolutely no thought as I tried to process the kind of crap my mind could conjure up. My hand feeling warmer as I looked down and saw that I was gripping on to Raph's hand as if my life depended on it....at one point not that long ago, just a mere few hours ago, it did.

I sat still, so very still, random tears sliding down my cheeks as I fought to erase certain parts of the nightmare from my mind. Until Raph lifted me from the bed and onto his crossed legs, and wrapped the blanket around me. I forced myself to focus on his face, immediately feeling guilty for the worry creasing his brow. I knew his eyes held worry and concern and fear, I could feel it in his gaze. "What do you need?" His thick Brooklyn voice, as soft as he could make it, filled the overly-silent room.

I peeked up at him, my body over-tired but my mind too afraid that it'll come up with something either the same or worse than the previous. I didn't know what I needed but I did know I needed contact as I launched myself as best I could, my arms wrapping around his neck as my head was firmly against his.

His response was immediate as he wrapped his arms around me, tight and secure, as he tilted his head so his nose was buried in my shoulder. "I'm here. I got ye." Raph's whispered voice further muffled by my shoulder.

It took a bit of time, but with the warmth of the blanket and the protective and secure way Raph held me, one arm around my hip while the other one supported my spine as his fingers tangled in my hair to hold my head against his chest as I settled down, I was able to drift back to sleep.

Without a nightmare. Well without much dreaming of any kind. I was finally able to sleep.

Raph's POV
What the fuck was that?! Abby's twitching was already causing concern, but it was manageable as I tried rubbing her back to calm her down. But when the crying started, and then the scream, I couldn't let her stay asleep. I had to get her to wake up. "Come on baby, wake up Abigail." She grabbed my hand and squeezed, the same way she grabbed my hand when she was falling. I instantly knew where her dream took her as I held her hand firmly waiting for her to wake up.

Which she did with a jolt and was immediately sitting."Fuck." Left her mouth after a split-second.
She didn't say anything else as her breathing remained fast and heavy, like she was zoned out and her mind still focused on the nightmare. I had to help her through it and lifted her enough to sit on my crossed legs and kept holding her hand.

When I couldn't take the silence any longer, my worry eating away at my patience, I kept my voice soft and squeezed her hand "What do you need?" I asked, not even really expecting an answer. So imagine my surprise when I start thinking she's not gonna answer, and she practically launches her form up and hugs me. Her arms wrapping around my head as she buried her head in the crook of my neck, her head firm against mine.

I wasted no time securing my arms around her, matching her holds firmness as I wrapped one arm around her hip and the other up her back to hold her head. I couldn't help tilting my head downwards so I could plant small soft kisses along the top of her shoulder before resting it in place. "I'm here. I got ye." I said quietly.

I could tell by the tension in her body that she was fighting sleep, I guess I couldn't blame her- who knows what kinds of twisted things the imagination can come up with. I remained still and kept her secure against me, even after Abby managed to allow herself to fall back to sleep. I don't know how long I kept the upright position for after she relaxed, but I had managed to fall asleep sitting up, only barely managing to wake up long enough to lay back and feel my head hit the mound of pillows before I was back out.

Hey everybody, here's a small filler chapter. Hope y'all like it.

~RMT