Brotherly Bonds

Gonna Be Alright

Quick tidbit I came up with today. Hope you enjoy.

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"Raphael I'm warning you—"

"Oh, I'm so scared! Come on! Come at me bro! Oh wait, I forgot, you don't have the guts!" Raph was surprised when Leo didn't come charging at him.

"I don't get it Raph. I just don't get it." Leo muttered, shaking his head side to side. His eyes glazed over.

If Raph didn't know any better, he'd think that his older brother was about to fall over standing up. He wanted to go topside. Run from this fight like he did many of the others, but—

He looked at Leo. Leo looked sick. He didn't want to make Leo think he was going soft, but he couldn't leave with Leo being so...un-Leo-ish.

"Leo?"

"Just go, Raph. Run away like you always do." Leo said softly, dropping down on the couch and turning his back on his younger brother.

"I don't wanna."

Leo's head turned slightly in his direction. His older brother's watery blue eyes glanced disinterestedly up at him. "I don't want to fight you anymore, Raphael. Just go."

"No." Raph gave that a moment to sink in before adding, "I don't really want to fight you either."

"Funny. You usually find a way of doing it."

"So do you."

"Uhuh. Yeah." Leo coughed, seemingly getting worse by the minute.

Raph frowned and put a hand on Leo's forehead. "Shell, you're hotter than Mikey's flaming hot pizzas. You sick?"

"Exotic flu or something. Low survival rate apparently, but Don has high hopes. Most cases are nowhere near healthy as we are."

"Your life is in danger?"

Leo shrugged. "Don doesn't think so."

Raphael immediately felt guilt and rage churning in his stomach.

"And you didn't tell me?"

Leo scoffed, bitterly, and looked away.

"You'd have just laughed," he grumbled. Two hands landed on his shoulders and he looked up at his younger brother's serious face.

"Not at this." Raph growled. He looked Leo in the eyes. "Don's sure you'll be okay?"

"Nothing's for sure. He thinks so."

"Where is the brainiac? I wanna talk to him."

"Gone. He and Mikey went to the junkyard. Probably be gone all night."

Raph hopped down next to his brother on the couch. For two minutes they stared at the commercials on television and said nothing. Raph looked over and saw Leo struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Sleep, Leo." He said.

Leo's head shook from side to side. "Nuh. Don and Mikey still out." He huffed, "And you'll probably sneak out while I'm sleeping."

"With you like this? No freaking way. I'm staying right here."

"Promise?"

Raphael blinked. When was the last time he'd kept a promise to his brothers? Must have been a while...

He'd promised Leo he'd be careful on a night out with Casey. He'd come home with two bullet wounds and a concussion. Raphael was very good at breaking promises, especially the ones he made to Leo. But this time...