Just a call. (Tmnt 2012.)

Tales.

Eventually, the duo of reckless hotheads set off into the sewer, walking down the tunnels. Raphael felt like his feet were weighed down as he walked the cold stone labyrinthine- it wasn't ever really warm down here. He walked close to Casey, he was warm, being a mammal and all.

"Where do ya wanna eat at anyways?"
Raph questioned while he fidgeted his hands before clasping them together, he wished he didn't have to hold his own hand- but guys just don't hold hands while taking a stroll through the sewers to McDonald's or wherever, that's just peculiar.

"Uhh I dunno. What are you hungry for?"
"Don't make me choose! You're the one who said you were hungry in the first place."
Raph glared up at Casey who just grinned and ran a hand through his hair, adjusting his bandana.
"Well I don't go to alot of places to eat, so I dunno anywhere to go."

Raph sighed and thought for a moment, his head nodding side to side slightly...
"How about... Antonios? Their pizza is good."
"Is all you guys eat pizza?"
Casey raised a brow, a look of mock confusion sprawled over his features- making Raph hold back a laugh.
"It's part of the natural mutant diet- that, and it's better than worms and algae."

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Raph layed down on a rooftop, enjoying the rare sensation of sunlight against his scales... it was nice. It wasn't often that he got to feel the warmth of the sun like any regular turtle. So it was nice to bathe in the rays for a bit, while Casey got them both some Antonio's.

When Casey had returned to see Raph outstretched in the sun, he snickered and sat down beside him, making Raph grumble and sit up to grab a breadstick.
"Ynow, something weird happened last night."

Raph gave an uneasy glance over to his friend, before looking back out at the city soaked in daylight and shrugged.
"Tell me about it."
So while Raph ate, Casey told his tale.

"I was hanging around at April's place with her and a few of our gal pals, when I get a call from Angel, right? Well she said that our pops had been attacked or something by some holy death chick that completely disappeared after- I went back home and nothing was broken or stole.. and my dad and sister were just pretty shaken. I dunno, it was just weird. Pops won't talk about it much at all so I don't know all what happened, just that the police showed up and they said they couldn't find proof of anyone in there."

Of course, Raph knew what happened. But he couldn't say that...
"That is off... seems like one friendly home invader to not ransack your shack.."
Casey shrugged and grabbed a slice of pepperoni and sausage pizza.

"Angel says it really was a ghost or something like that, never took her for the superstitious type.. and there were goddamn flower petals all over the place, I had to sweep those up."
Raph snorted taking a bite of his food.
"Awhh, that ghost yer secret admirer or something?"
"Shut it dude!"
Casey gave Raph a shove, and they both broke out into laughter before it settled into a silence.

They ate quietly for awhile until the lack of talking made Casey feel uncomfortable.
"You didn't really have to shut it, man."
Raph just leaned over to one side, using his arm as leverage to prop himself up.
"I couldn't think of what I wanted to say..."

Raph looked up and smiled, his eyes going soft to see Casey smiling right back at him.
"Ya know, something weird happened to me yesterday too."
Casey raised a brow, getting interested.
"Yeah, what's that? You got a ghost too?"
"Nahh, the weird thing was is that I was thinking about you."

Casey's smile didn't falter, but it did get a bit morphed by confusion.
"Yeah? And what's that s'posed to mean?"
"That I- I was thinking about how much I care about ya, and what I like about you."
Raph's smile tightened, he felt awkward and had to turn away from Casey.

"Oh- I could always stroke my ego a little more, what's big bad Raphie like about Casey Jones?"
Casey chuckled and put an arm around Raphael's shoulders, making him huff in what Casey assumed was annoyance- but either way Raph relented and spilled.

"I like the way you hum your favorite Metallica song to yourself when you focus on making those cool drawings and doodles of yours. and I like it when you talk about Hockey, and all the people you beat the fuck out of- and I like about how you rant about- dumb things like why subtitles are better than dubbed shows-.."
Raph twirled end of his mask around his finger before hiding his flushed face with one hand.

"-And I like how you're never backing down even if it would be smarter too.. And I like your blunt honesty that makes me laugh half the time with how snarky it makes you seem.. and I like the way you look, and how your eyes get all- I dunno, soft and gleamy when you smile. You make me feel happy- and I think that you're one person who can actually get me, or try to. You're just so.. great and amazing at things you actually try at and you get so determined- I can't help but like almost everything about you, Casey."

Raph stared off and away at the distance of the city, feeling Caseys arm vanish from his shoulders. and he almost felt like the sun was colder than what his friend could offer.
"Wow man that's- that's a whole lot."
He could hear the completely perplexed breath in Casey's words and grinned his teeth together, taking a look at his friend.

"I'm sorry Case..."
Raph felt like that's the only thing he could utter as he looked at Casey's expression, his eyes darting back and forth between nothing as he thought about all of what Raph had spewed out.
"Im not good with words- I just dunno what to say to all that... I thought you were just gonna say you liked that I wasn't as dumb as I look."

Raph scoffed with a small smile.
"Only cause yer dumber than ya look..."
Casey gave a small laugh, and sighed.
"Well.. I like alot about you too. I think you're really strong and you make it look easy, And you really do show that you care more than you think that you do. I like hanging out with you all the time, and I think you're pretty for a giant mutant turtle and all."

Raph gave him a look.
"Pretty? Really, that's what you think I look like? You make me sound like a delicate little flower, I'm not a girl."
He wasn't really mad, but it was a silly sight to see him look so mad at the compliment.
"You're a delicate little bomb, not a flower. And I dunno how to start complementing your manly muscles if that's what you want."

Raph growled, but leaned against Casey- who leaned on him right back.
"You're an idiot... can't you atleast try to make me feel romancy?"
"Nah, that stuff is lame."

Raph nommed a pizza slice and got cuddled up closer to Casey, the two of them watching the buzzing of the city, awake and alive.
"I love you.."

And for now, even if it was just for now..

Everything was just fine.

The End.