Raph x Mona Oneshots

Eye Of The Beholder

"Mona? Can I come in?" Raph asked, after softly knocking on his girlfriend's bedroom door.

Raphael grew worried when Slash called him earlier that day about Mona Lisa. According to Slash and the other Mutanimals, Mona has been acting strangely and wasn't her usual self. She has been less engaging with everyone, refusing to be a part of friendly banter with her friends. Showing no desire to go on patrol or even train with the others. Not even batting an eye when told she missed out on a good fight against some street thugs. Mona would remain quiet, a gloomy look on her face as she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

"She's been like this for the past few days," Raph remembers Slash telling him, and according to his friend, it has gotten worse. Mona Lisa was now locking herself in her bedroom at the Mutanimals lair. All day she has refused to come out and speak to anyone.

A moment goes by before Raph finally hears Mona's voice faintly through the door, "...Sure."

Raph opens the door into Mona's room, finding his girlfriend sitting on the floor next to her bed, hugging her legs. Scattered on the floor were many fashion and make-up magazines. Raph could guess she has been sulking in that position for quite some time.

Mona Lisa did not react when Raph entered the room. No eye contact or warm loving greeting. Raph gently closed the door to give them some privacy. He joined his girlfriend, sitting by her side on the floor. The room was quiet. Not a single word was being spoken between the couple. Only the faint sound of their gentle breathing could be heard. Raph looked at Mona, her eyes in deep thought. Her lovely face painted with a sorrowful gaze. He rarely sees her like this. Something was bothering her.

"Mona, are you alright?" Raph finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Slash told me you were-"

"No, Raphael. To be frank, I am not fine," Mona tells him bluntly. Her tone was cold, but still hurting.

Raph was shocked by her tone. He really has never seen her like this. Carefully, Raph wraps his arms around Mona's shoulder to comfort her.

"Tell me what's wrong."

Mona Lisa was quiet, thinking. She seemed to be considering whether or not she should tell him what has been bothering her.

"Mona, hun, please, I'm worried about you."

Mona then takes a long deep breath, still refusing to have her eyes meet with his. She finally tells Raph in a quiet tone of voice, "Last week... I was at April's for one of her 'girls nights' as she called it. Shinigami brought over these beauty magazines from your planet for us all to look at and... I noticed something..."

"Notice what?"

"That I am nothing like these Earth women..."

"Well, of course you're not," Raph was confused. "They're human Earth girls, you're from Salamandri-"

"Raphael! Look at these women!" Mona says in distress, grabbing and opening the closest beauty magazine near her, frantically flipping through the pages. "These women are so ... beautiful! They have shiny hair, long eyelashes, and smooth skin! This is what Earth men like you are attracted to, yes?! But I don't have what they have!"

Raph was taken aback by Mona's outburst. He couldn't believe that this is what has been bothering her. For as long as he's known her, Mona has been so confident and comfortable with her looks. He never thought he would ever see Mona in this much distress and panic, and over silly beauty magazines of all things.

"Mona, that shouldn't bother you. I don't care about the woman in those magazines. I like how you look."

"Alright, then what about the others?"