The Silent Partner

Talk to Me

                 

More than a month had flown past. The turtles were still laying low. Raphael's recovery was slow. They had returned to their lair about three weeks ago, but the Mutanimals were staying close and dropped in at least once every two days. To Leo's slight annoyance, Slash had been instrumental in Raphael's recuperation. Raphael leaned heavily on Slash's support, which Leo suspected was because the hothead found it too weak or embarrassing to ask for help from any of them. That was what irked him. He was Raphael's brother. Raph should trust him more than Slash! Of course, Raph did the same thing with Casey as well. But why?! Just why?! Why did Raph always trust those two with things that he'd never trusted his brothers with?

Leo discreetly glared at the red-masked turtle over the top of his Space Heroes comic that he was paying absolutely no attention to. Raphael was laying on the floor with Mikey, the youngest completely engrossed in whatever they were watching, and the red-masked sibling looking rather bored. Raph turned to him. Leo wasn't certain, but he had the feeling that Raphael could sense his displeasure.

"Hey, Leo, you wanna—I don't know—talk or something?"

Inside his very rational mind, Leo knew that starting an argument wasn't going to accomplish anything, but his emotions took control and his lip curled. "I don't know. Why don't you ask Slash?" He asked, a very caustic edge to his voice. It had exactly the result he'd expected. Raphael's eyes narrowed to the point where they were practically slits.

"What the shell is that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think?!" Leo retorted, his frustration building.

Not even a second after the words left Leo's mouth, Raphael was up on his feet. The hothead's growl made Mikey tear his eyes away from the television and look up at them with wide, worried eyes.

"Guys, just cool off."

They ignored him, of course.

"What do you have against Slash, Leo?! He's changed since—"

"It doesn't matter whether or not he's changed!" Raph took a step back, some of his anger withering to confusion. Leo jumped up and stepped directly in front of the red-masked turtle. "You've been depending almost entirely on him since you woke up!"

"That's what this is about?" Raph asked, incredulously. He truly was shocked. Leo wasn't one to make mountains out of molehills. "Why does that even matter?"

Leo was only getting angrier and angrier. Mikey was backing away in fear as their argument threatened to escalate. He knew that at the first sign of real aggression he'd have to get Donnie or Master Splinter. Yes, Raph was almost fully recovered, but he was still in no condition for an all-out fistfight with their big brother.

"Why does it matter?!" Leo echoed, enraged. Raphael took a step back, though his face was still hard, his lips set in a growl. Leo's fists clenched. "It matters because you trust him more than you trust your own brothers! We're family Raphael! We're supposed to support each other!"

"Oh, like you're so obviously doing right now by shouting at me?! If that's the kind of support you're offering to give then you can keep it and shove it up your shell!" Silence fell over them, broken only by a soft growl coming from the older of the two turtles.

Raph looked up, expecting to be met with a fierce, serrated glare, and he was. But his own glare lifted as he realized that Leonardo's mask was wet and the dark blue eyes behind it were watering. He softened his posture and his tone, stepping a little closer to his brother. "You've been supportive enough through this whole thing, Leo. I couldn't have asked for better support from anyone, big brother."