For Love or Freedom

Raphael awoke slowly, blinking up at the ceiling. His arms were around a warm body, and he turned to glance at her. The only light came from the alarm clock, and the thin strip coming through from under the doorway. He sighed, and pulled away as slowly and carefully as he could, making sure not to wake the sleeping figure in his arms. It wasn't easy when his bed was up against the wall and he actually had to crawl over her to get out of it. He wasn't used to having women in his bed, and escape wasn't something he'd accounted for in setting up his room.
He got up without incident and picked up his belt and pads, then walked out of his room silently, still tying his mask, blinking at the sudden light. It was still early, and he didn't imagine everyone was up yet. But he wasn't about to stay in bed beside a woman who'd probably wake up murmuring "I love you" bullshit. And he knew one person who would be up.
He stumbled to the kitchen not-so-silently and grabbed a can of Coke out of the fridge. He cracked it open and downed it all at once, then followed it with a glass of water, and walked to the dojo. Leo was there, as he'd expected. He never had grown out of the early morning practice routine. In a way, none of them had. But "morning" was defined differently by Raphael than by his brother. This was an ungodly hour for him to be awake.
Leonardo froze in place as he felt his brother's eyes on him. He turned slowly, lowering his weapons, and eyed him for a moment. Was he there to argue? Why was he up so early? Leo's defenses were raised instinctively, not sure whether or not he trusted his brother's presence.
Raph bowed slightly, keeping his eyes lowered for a moment, and Leo relaxed. There was no challenge there. He nodded in return, and put his hesitation aside. "Kinda early for you to be up," he observed casually. "Something wrong?"
Raph shook his head. "No. Just... woke up. Can't get back to sleep." That was a lie. He could probably get back to sleep very easily if he were to try. But Leo didn't need to know that.
Leo nodded and stepped back, gesturing to the mat with his weapon, a casual invitation. Raphael stepped forward, pulling his weapons and setting them down at the edge of the mat. Sharpened weapons were okay for katas, but if they were going to spar, it wasn't wise to use tools that could kill quite so easy. Any weapon was deadly, sharpened or not. Hell, a kitchen spoon could be an effective killing tool. But the weapons they carried with them made accidents happen far too easily.
Raphael grabbed one of the wodden bokken off the wall and turned, tossing it to his brother just as he slipped his katanas back into their sheaths. Leo caught it easily, and Raphael grabbed the flat-tipped hexagon sais off of the rack. He spun them and held them backward as he stepped forward. "Haven't used these in a while," he mused. "Feel funny. The weight."
Leonardo held back the urge to remind him he should be using them more often. He didn't want to start an argument, and that was one quick way to do it. He turned away, and gave Raph a few minutes to stretch and warm up, running through a few quick exercises of his own.
The attack from behind him came without warning, and he had about a tenth of a second to react. Raphael had never been much for formalities... Leo spun, blocking the sai that came for his upper torso with his weapon and sliding it down to catch the lower jab as well. He pushed his brother back, levering the sword, and slashed low at his thighs, forcing him to jump back.
Not wasting a seconds time to think about what to do next, he moved in, the weapon slipping fluidly into Hasso No Kame, raised at his right shoulder. He brought it down diagonally, an angle that was a bit harder to block. Raph spun out of the way and countered with an awkwardly high jab. Leo might have laughed at the lack of force behind the attempted blow, but there was really no time. It could still pierce his throat in actual combat. But he merely stepped back to give himself more room and knocked his brother's weapon aside with his own.
Raphael spun the sais and brought them in close, crossing them at his chest to catch whatever move Leo might slip into. It was a horizontal slash, one meant to take his head off. Rather than fumble for some kind of awkward block, he simply ducked, sweeping his foot along the mat.
Leo, for whatever reason, was caught off guard. He fell. But the half-second of shock on Raphael's part was too long. By the time he made a move to pin his opponent, he was already back on his feet. Leo jumped back, giving himself a few precious seconds to regain his focus. Raphael let him, holding his stance, waiting for his brother to take the offense.
Leo struck hard. The downward cut was easily caught, between the prongs of the sai, but it almost didn't do any good. Raph felt his arms buckle under the force of the blow, and he slid to the side, guiding the weapon down as he realized that he wasn't going to be able to hold him for very long. Not when he had to push up, and above eye level at that. He spun, and repositioned, and struck forward.
The figure at the door didn't phase either of them. She watched silently, awestruck by their pace. She'd never seen anyone move so fast in her life. Her eyes could barely lock on one movement before they were on to the next one. It was one big blur of technique that fascinated and frightened her at the same time.
A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her trance, startling her so much she jumped. "Oh!" She nearly tripped and fell into the dojo, but she caught herself first.
Michaelangelo smiled faintly. "Hey. Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
She spent a few seconds regaining her composure, then smiled back at him. Glancing back into the room, she saw that the two of them hadn't slowed down in the least. "It's okay. I just didn't hear you is all."
He nodded, and his eyes shifted to his brothers. "Pretty good, huh?" he grinned.
She looked back. She didn't quite know what to think of the fact that he said that in a normal tone, perfectly loud enough for them to hear. She was even more confused by the fact that they didn't seem to regarm asm as a distraction. "Yes," she answered quietly. "They are. I've never seen anything like it."
He smiled as he watched for a few minutes, then turned to her. "How are you feeling? You need any asprin or anything?"
She considered it for a moment, and shook her head. The pain was bearable. She only took painkillers when she absolutely needed them. If she were to take them every time she was hurt, they wouldn't work as effectively when she really needed them to. "I'm okay," she assured him.
He frowned. "Your dad's an asshole. You know that, right?"
She had to laugh at his plain, matter-of-fact tone. "Yes, I know," she smiled faintly. She wasn't about to explain the truth to him. "But..." She glanced back at the sparring figures as they danced around each other with lightning quick movements. "I don't think he'll be trying anything again, anytime soon."
Mike's eyes narrowed. "Why not?"
She turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "You... don't know?"
He shook his head. "Should I know?"
She looked down. She wasn't entirely sure if he should or not. Surelywas was no big secret. Or was it? She sighed. Why would it be? He'd done her a huge favor, and she could never repay him. How could that possibly be a bad thing? "Raph kinda went and... set him straight."
Mike's eyes widened. Raph "setting someone straight" usually precluded a funeral. "He what?"
"He was really mad. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd sent him to the hospital."
She'd meant that to be a joke, but Michaelangelo didn't really find it funny. He shifted slightly. That was an oxymoron. If Raph had been really mad, the guy wouldn't be in the hospital. He'd be dead. "Did he say that?"
She shook her head. "No. He just said he'd taken care of it. And I trust him. I'm sure I won't have any more problems. He can be really scary when he wants to, you know?"
Mike nodded. He knew. He chose to say nothing.
There was a sudden silence from the mats, and Mike turned to see who'd gotten the killing blow. They stood face to face, about three inches apart, with the tip of the bokken against Raph's upper plates. Leo was poised and ready to run him through. Raphael's arms lowered and he stepped back. Leonardo brought the weapon down, and they bowed to each other before turning to the door and the small crowd they knew was there.
Ivy clapped. Raph scowled. Leo sighed. Mike waited, half expecting an explosion. Yes, Ivy was still here. No, she hadn't slept on the couch. That left the possibilities pretty limited. But Leo didn't speak. In honestly, he didn't care. Hell, it was better he sleep with her than any other random woman he happened to pick up at a bar. At least here he was on his home turf, and Ivy wasn't likely to try anything that could be dangerous.
Leo nodded politely to her, and to Mike, and excused himself from the room, stepping past them both. Raph would've attempted it if he thought he could get past her. But he knew damn well she'd probably follow him. Better to stay here. But he needed an excuse for that. "Mike?" He gestured to the mat.
Michaelangelo considered it briefly, then shrugged. Eh, why not? He left his weapons in his belt, and walked over to the rack, grabbing the padded practice chucks. He didn't like the weight or feel of them in the least. He did, however, rather enjoy the fact that he could smack his brother upside the head with them and not do any serious bodily harm. He did a few quick stretches and hand exercises, then joined his brother on the mat. They bowed to each other, and both slipped back into defensive stances.
Raph attacked first, and Mike dodged, hitting the blade of the sai with one of his two weapons and knocking it off course. His other hand came forward, bringing the weapon towards his brother's hip. Raph twirled the sai in his other hand, point down, and blocked. By this time, Mike's other hand had lowered, and Raph attacked that side.
"{So you slept with our houseguest last night,}" Mike grinned, dancing back. He spoke in Japanese, well aware that she was standing only a few meters away.
Raph glared at him as he spun and made a second thrust. "{Is it any of your business?}"
"{Not especially.}" Michaelangelo leaned into the blow, simultaneously blocking and aiming for the side of Raph's head. "{As long as she's not the jealous type, I'd say you have a pretty sweet deal.}"
Something about the way he'd said that - the tone of voice, the inflection - put Raph on edge. He was teasing. And it wasn't just about Ivy. He was pretty sure everyone here either knew or would know what had happened last night. There was something more. He growled slightly as he struck forward, toward Mike's midsection. "{What's that supposed to mean?}"
Mike dodged, wrapping his chain around the blade of the sai and jerking it, but unraveling the hold before it could be used against him, to lever his own weapon out of his hands. "{Just that...}" Mike smirked as he jumped back and set up for a full frontal attack. Raph's eyes narrowed and he braced as he saw his brother take the offensive. "{If she is the jealous type, you'd better make sure she doesn't ever decide to... I don't know... watch one of your home movies. Or she might never lay your ass again.}"
Raph's eyes widened as he was caught slightly off guard. What the hell was he...? Mike sprang at him, and his muscles didn't have a chance to react. Both his weapons were attacked, and both fell from his hands. The only thing he had a chance to do was to grab onto the padded handle of one of the chucks, just above Mike's hand, and jab his fingers into a pressure point near the thumb on the back of his hand. Mike cried out in sudden pain, and his weapon fell, leaving only one nunchaku between the two of them. Raph grabbed that wrist firmly and shoved his brother back, hooking his leg around to trip him. Mike fell, Raph braced on top of him, and Raphael's fingers went to a deadly point along his throat.
"{What home movies?}" he growled.
Mike chuckled quietly, not moving. His brother had won, but somehow, he felt a great satisfaction at the way this had come out.
"Oh! Raph! Don't hurt him!" Raphael turned and glared at the girl in the door. "You've won, now you should be a good winner."
Mike blinked. Raph wasn't being a "good winner"? He had to give himself a moment to look at the situation from her perspective. She didn't understand a word of what they were saying. All she knew was the anger in Raph's voice, the fact that he was straddling Mike's chest, and that his hand was against his neck in a position that had to look like it could be quite painful if not deadly. But that didn't really phase Michaelangelo. He knew he wasn't in any real danger.
Raphael wasn't quite so understanding. "Get the fuck outta here," he snapped. "I don't remember inviting you in here in the first place."
She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her lower lip in a perfect pout. "You're sure not being very nice to me for someone who..."
Raph was on his feet in a second. "Bitch, get the hell out now!"
She blinked. For a moment, she stared him down. Then she turned, brushing her hair back over her shoulder, and walked away. Raphael growled, then turned back to Mike just as he got to his feet. "What home movies?" he repeated, his voice significantly more tense and rigid this time around.
"You... a room with kinda off-white walls, big desk and VCRs and shit. Dark haired girl. Nice ass."
Raphael sprang at him, and his back hit the wall with a loud crack! "What. The fuck. Were you doin'. In my bedroom."
"Looking for a movie. Didn't think I'd find one I hadn't seen before."
Raph snarled. "I oughtta beat you to a pulp, Michaelangelo..."
"Raph, budd bro bro! You can't kill me!" he laughed, only a bit nervous.
"Wanna bet?"
Mike smirked. "If you do, Leo finds the tape..."
Raphael growled loudly, shoving him back as he lowered his hands. "You even think about it, Mikey, and I will hurt you. I promise you that."
Mike straightened, stepping away from the wall just slightly. "Hey, you know me, bro. I ain't the type to rat you out for no reason. I'm just..."
"Where's the tape?" Raphael demanded, cutting him off.
Mike shrugged. "Well hidden. But don't worry. I got copies."
A quiet growl escaped Raphael. "God damn it, Mikey..."
Michaelangelo laughed. "Hey, Raphy, baby, you were beautiful dahling! You should think about starring in a porno. We could call it... 'Turtles Gone Wild'."
Raph lunged for his brother again.
***
Fear
She walks like a dying man's dream of an angel.
Her dark, mysterious, deadly, come-hither eyes,
Throw him a look that could melt ice cubes.
"Hello, may I help you?"
And her voice shoots like quick silver through him.
He stares, not wanting to speak,
Not wanting to be cut down.
-Aaron Stoner
"Self esteem problem" was an understatement. She sighed as she massaged her forehead with her hands, then reached for the blue ink pen. She couldn't bring herself to use red on these papers, even if she was supposed to be the "correcting teacher".
This is a VERY good freeverse poem. With a little more description, it could be one of the best I've read.
That ought to do it. She wanted him a bit confused. Confused enough to ask her about it. It was only a first attempt to make contact, and she was well aware that it might not only not work, but it may backfire on her. She chose the words carefully, but there was still a risk. There was going to be a risk any way she did it, though. Stroking his ego was a good idea, but she knew that alone wasn't likely to get him talking to her.
She stared down at the paper, and her mind wandered. She glanced up at the clock on the wall. It was early evening. What did it matter, really? She had nowhere to be and no one to wait for. Part of her was grateful. Part of her wanted nothing more than to not be alone tonight.
She sighed as she set the papers aside and curled her feet up underneath her. Babs darted through the living room, jumping and flailing wildly at a housefly that had gotten inside. A quiet laugh followed the cat out of the room, and then there was nothing but silence. The phone didn't ring. The door didn't open. The clock seemed to stop ticking on the wall.
She yawned and curled tighter into herself. She was tired. She was lonely. And she wanted it that way. She had to keep telling herself that. Because sooner or later, she would believe it if she just kept hearing it. She didn't want to see anyone. Most certainly not Raphael. She didn't like how much she'd come to rely on him any more than she liked the fact that he was putting her in danger by being stupid. He didn't know. She knew he wouldn't endanger her on purpose. He just didn't really understand. And she didn't want him to understand. The less he knew, the better.
She stood and walked to the window, leaning against the frame as she looked down into the alley beside the house. There was a chance, when this was all over, that she'd be able to see him again. But that was a long ways off. And how long would it last? Just until she got another job, and then she'd have to push him away again.
Her eyes narrowed as she realized just how much she did want to see him, and she felt a spark of anger inside of her. "Don't. Even. Think. About it," she growled at herself. "You are not in love and you are not going to fall in love. You don't have time for that shit."
Somewhere inside of her, something laughed at her determination, and her anger grew. She could control her emotions. She would control them. And she decided, right then and there, that she did not in any way ever want to see him again. Her subconscience stopped laughing.
***
"So. Anyone wanna watch a movie tonight?"
Raphael glanced up and saw the huge, teasing grin plastered on Mike's face. His eyes narrowed. "Anyone wanna guess how many bodily orifices Michaelangelo can bleed from?"
Don didn't glance up. "Ew..."
Mike feigned shock, radiating innocence just like he did every time he had something evil planned. "Raph... I'm hurt... I rented Lord of the..." He coughed, a noise that sounded suspiciously like the word "cock". "... Rings, and you don't want to watch it?"
Raph wasn't amused. "Try it Mike. Just try it. It'll be the last thing you watch."
Leo was looking between the two, confused. He opened his mouth to speak, but Raph cut him off. "You stay outta this. It's nonea yer fuckin' business. So don't even think about gettin' involved."
Leo's jaw clamped shut again, not speaking. Whatever it was, it wasn't worth a battle right now. He wasn't that curious. Mike just smirked. "Guess Raph isn't a fantasy fan."
"Keep it up an' my fantasy's gonna revolve around yer death." He grinned wickedly at his brother. "And we know what a fine line there is between fantasy and reality, don't we Mikey?"
Mike stood, producing a tape from somewhere nearby. Raphael's eyes narrowed, glaring at him as he walked to the VCR. Mike had one eye on Raph, the other one making sure he still had a clear line to the exit. Raph wasn't entirely sure he expected his brother to have the nerve to do it. Whether the tape in his hand was the tape in question or not, Mike was going to die if he attempted to push play at this point.
Click... whirr...
Raph was off the couch, over the coffee table, and to the TV before he had a chance to see Frodo on the screen. Mike was off like a shot, out of the lair, into the sewers, cackling like a maniac with Raphael at his heels. "Get back here Mikey!"
Leo raised an eye ridge at Don, and snagged another handful of popcorn. "Once again, I'd like to point out that they're your brothers." Frustrated yelling and screaming and cursing could be heard all throughout the sewers as Donatello just shrugged, and slumped down to watch the movie.
It was on the rooftops that Raphael finally caught up with his brother. His shell hit the brick wall of an elevator shaft with a loud crack! that just about knocked the wind out of him. "Oh, come on. The look on your face was priceless!"
Raphael glared, pinning his brother against the brick wall. "I'm glad you found it amusing. Now let's see if you find it worth the pain..."
Mike laughed slightly. He knew he wasn't in any real danger. "Hey, no real harm done, right? They don't suspect a thing!"
"You ass," Raph mumbled, turning from the wall and shoving his brother. Mike stumbled back, exaggerating the force that had been used. "You think it's real fun to get them thinkin' don't you?" he shot. "S'only a matter of time. An' then you will die."
Mike grinned back. "Yeah, but you'd have to catch me first."
Raph glared at him for another moment, and looked down at the street below. Yeah, he would. But that would be dealt with when the time came.
There was a bar, across the street. It wasn't his usual spot, but he'd been there a few times. He could get in without being harrassed for an ID. And he could use a drink right about now. He didn't have any kind of covering, but this was an apartment complex they were on top of. It wouldn't be the first time he'd "borrowed" something or another from a random citizen of New York.
He felt Mike approach beside him and glanced over. The events of a few moments before were forgotten. No real harm done, and no reason to hold a grudge. "Buy you a drink?"
Michaelangelo grinned. "Yeah, okay. But if you get me drunk again this time you get to explain it to Splinter."
Raphael grinned and walked to the edge of the rooftop overlooking the alley. He vaulted over onto the metal fire escape. A few paces back, he heard his brother follow.
***
The run down bar had the same qualities of every other he'd seen before: dim lighting, over-priced drinks, smoke haze, drunk businessmen, and kids too young to be there, looking to get laid. Mike sat down at the table furthest back, next to his brother, still gagging on the air. "Y'know, this can't be good fer your lungs."
"So don't breathe," Raph mumbled.
Mike shot him a pathetic look, and his head snapped up as a waitress in a very short, black skirt outfit with a white apron approached them. "Get you a drink?"
"Scotch," Raph slurred.
Mike glanced up. "Long Island Iced Tea."
Raphael laughed. "And you expect not to get drunk?"
Mike only shrugged - a difficult task in the long raincoat that was a little too small to fit comfortably around his shell. "Hey, I just said you get to explain it."
Raphael looked away, nodding slightly. "Yeah. Right. Thanks."
The waitress exchanged a few more words and vanished. Raph's eyes darted over the small crowd. There was a tiny dance floor, with a few couples making use of it. Most of the people seemed too drunk to much care if they could dance. Raph didn't care much either. They weren't his problem.
One dancer in particular caught his attention, though: an asian woman with black hair halfway down her back. He knew her. She lived upstairs in the loft above the bar, the owner's daughter, twenty-two years old. The owner himself actually had a nice house quite a ways from here, and he rented the loft to her. Raph had only been up there once, but he recognized her even if he didn't remember her name. And he knew she probably remembered him, too, even if she had been drunk when he fucked her. He doubted she'd been drunk enough to forget an experience with a mutant turtle.
Tonight she was dressed in a skin-tight black sheath slit up one side to mid thigh, high enough to show where her garter straps attached to her fishnet stockings. He grinned, and pegged her, and turned to Mike as the waitress came back.
Mike nodded to her from under a wide-brimmed hat as she set the drinks down, and glanced around again. "This isn't the place we usually come to."
Raph shook his head. Mike had ended up in the bar with him a number of times in the past, but always to the same one. The one he preferred, clear on the other side of town. It was much more lively than this place. But he'd come here a few times.
"No. This place is usually pretty dead. Decent crowd tonight but... as a general rule? No."
"So they don't know you by name here?" Mike smirked.
Raph shook his head slightly, and grinned. "No. Not here."
"Splinter would kill you if he found out about that, you know."
Raph nodded. That wasn't a threat, just a statement of fact. "Yeah, I know. He worries. He just worries too much. I just don't need him waiting up for me anymore, you know? I'm a big boy now."
Mike half-smiled. "Yeah. But you gotta see his side of it."
"I do. I know his side of it. I just wish he'd realize he don't need to worry. Leo too." He frowned. "Leo more. I think Splinter's got an idea now he can't protect me. Leo ain't figured that out yet."
Mike traced designs in the top of the table. "I don't think Leo's so much worried about an outward attack as just protecting you from yourself."
"An' see, he don't need to be like that," Raph mumbled, emotionless. "I can take care of myself. Really."
Michaelangelo shrugged and took a slow drink, then looked up at the dancefloor. Raph was eyeing a woman in a black dress. "Know her?"
Raph licked his lips subconsciously as she ended the dance and returned to her table across the room. "Kinda."
"Gonna to talk to her?"
"No."
"Why not?"
Another hopeful, and very drunk "gentleman" showed up to have the next dance with her. Raph nodded to him. "That's why not."
Mike arched an eyeridge, questioning. "That never stopped you before..."
Raphael glanced at him. "I choose my moments, Mikey. I got to. If I start attracting attention to myself, I'm gonna have the kinda problems that Leo 'n Splinter worry about."
"Why? If you already know her..."
"Not her I'm worried about."
Mike opened his mouth to answer, but never spoke. Instead he took another drink. Watching her on the floor with yet another partner, he toyed with the idea of going to her table when the song ended. He couldn't dance for shit, but he could feel the alcohol kicking in. And she was hot. He wondered if she would press her body up against his like she was doing with with the guy she was dancing with. If she already knew Raph, she wouldn't likely be scared of him.
That thought cut off as he realized how many other people in the bar were absently watching the dancefloor. They were the center of attention. Raph was right. That was dangerous. He sighed and took a long, slow pull from the glass.
Raph's eyes followed her as the song finished, and the gentleman slid his arm around her waist, walking her back to her table. Slowly, his hand slipped down until it cupped her ass. She smiled, moved out of his reach and sat down. He wasn't the first who'd tried. She didn't seem to be responding much tonight. Raphael ordered another drink and turned his attention to the dance floor again, his mind wandering absently.
"Mind if I join you?"
Both of them looked up, startled out of a half-drunken stupor. She'd approached them. Raph quickly regained his composure and motioned to the third chair at the table. Mike stood, slightly unsteady on his feet, and pulled it out for her. She laughed as she caressed the side of his face. He let her touch him, since there was no need to hide the fact that he wasn't human. "Wow. A real gentleman."
Raph smirked, but said nothing. His eyes travelled back to the table that had been hers, and he watched as her last dance partner returned, sat down, and stared at her new companions. Raph's head lowered, hiding his face in the shadows. They didn't know him here, and he ran the risk of being seen. And from the look on his face, the man wasn't pleased with the recent turn of events.
He got up and walked to her new table, stopped, and eyed her. Raphael growled low at his pathetic attempt at a threat. He kept his head down as he spoke. "The lady's with me now."
The man likely considered his tone of voice before answering. "My mistake," he apologized as he backed away. Mike and the woman watched him walk up to the barmaid, settle up his tab, and leave. Raph's head remained down.
"Oh, you can almost smell the testosterone," she chuckled.
"I'm sure you could catch up to him if you really wanted to," Raph answered non-chalantly.
She smirked. "If I wanted that, I wouldn't have left his table in the first place." She sipped the drink she'd brought with her and tossed her hair back. "So how've you been, Raph? And who's your friend?"
He took a drink and motioned across the table half-heartedly. "My brother, Mike."
She offered a hand and he shook it. "My name's Kirsten."
Mike nodded. "Pretty name."
She giggled. "You are a gentleman."
Michaelangelo blushed just slightly. Raph smirked. Playing up to the kind of women he hung out with was a good way to get laid whether you were trying to or not. Mike knew that, even if he wasn't totally confident in his ability to follow it. They'd been out together on a few occasions. Mike had scored on more than one. He knew the game.
She inched closer to Mike as they made small talk. She was watching him for any signs that he was nervous, but he didn't show them. Even as her hand ran up from his knee to the bottom of his plastron, he didn't pull away from her. He only watched her hand, then glanced up at Raph, who'd been quietly observing and working on his third drink. Technically, this was his girl. Mike wasn't about to fight him for her.
Kirsten held out a hand over the table to Raphael. "C'mere you," she grinned, her voice flirtatous.
Raph chuckled quietly and slid his chair around to the other side of her, slipping his hand into the gap between the chair and her back. He felt down over the smooth, skin-tight dress. She wasn't wearing much underneath it. The only bump he felt all the way up and down her back, from shoulder to hip, was either a garter belt or maybe a thong. Her other hand went to his leg, feeling up the inside of his thigh at the same slow pace as she worked at his brother.
Mike could feel his erection growing as she fingered the lower ridges of his plastron. This was the kind of thing that would give Leo a heart attack, plain and simple. But Raph knew this girl, he'd obviously been with her before, and Mike wasn't worried. His head was a little fuzzy from the alcohol, but he wasn't totally smashed. He knew what he was doing. He was doing it more than willingly. He also knew what she was implying in touching both of them at the same time.
Kirsten smiled as she leaned forward on the table, just enough to lift her ass and allow Raph's hand to slip beneath her. He caressed gently, spreading his legs a little and granting her access to the space beneath his plastron. A quiet moan escaped him as her fingertips brushed his hot skin, touching him just lightly. She couldn't reach far enough inside of him to really caress him, but it was more than enough to make him hard. His eyes raised, and he caught Mis los look. It was somewhere between a question and a plea. Raph smiled and nodded slightly, and Mike grinned back. Good. They had an understanding.
She turned to Mike and kissed his lips lightly, probing with her tongue. He opened to her, but she kept the kiss light, little more than a tease. "You wanna take this someplace a little more private?" she questioned.
Mike pulled back just slightly. "Like where?"
Raph leaned into her and kissed the side of her neck. "Kirsten rents the loft above this place," he answered for her. "Don'tcha, babe?"
"Mmm..." She turned and kissed Raph briefly, then looked back at Mike. She knew Raphael was game. It was his brother she wasn't sure about.
But Mike smiled as he stood. "Yeah, okay."
He offered her a hand and she took it, then led the two of them to the back of the bar and a door that led to steps upward into the apartment. Raphael pressed in close behind her, fondling her breasts as she unlocked the door and stepped inside. She turned to face him as the door swung open, and kissed him full on the mouth, reaching one hand out to Mike.
Mike took her hand and moved behind her, sandwiching her between the two of them in the small kitchen area. He nudged her hair aside and kissed her neck, sucking and nipping gently at her skin. His hands moved down, over her hips, his fingers slipping into the slit at her thigh and brushing bare skin. He dragged it up, caressing her thigh and hip, and around to her bare ass. Her flesh was warm and smooth, and he could smell the pheromones in the room.
Raphael's hands found the zipper on her dress and dragged it down. Then his hands slid around to her front and massaged at her breasts. The dress slid to the floor. His earlier guess about what she was wearing had been correct. She stood between the two of them in a garter belt, stockings and shoes. The tan lines around her breasts and groin clearly showed the shape of her favorite bikini. He stepped back and let his eyes run up and down her body as Mike's hands roamed, coming up to cup her breasts, his thumbs brushing back and forth over her nipples.
She moaned, leaning her head back against his shoulder. "Mmm... yeah..." Her legs parted slightly, allowing her scent to swirl up and around them. They both groaned just slightly, and she laughed at the unison. Raph could feel the lust run in blooblood as he untied his belt and lowered it to the floor. He drank in the sight of her as he slowly began to strip off his pads, leaving them in a pile on the kitchen floor.
She turned to face Mike, rubbing her warm breasts up against his plastron. He moaned quietly as she stroked her fingers along his shoulders, down over his biceps. He held her hips as she ground against him, then kissed her way down the center groove of his plastron. She stroked along his thighs a few times, kneeling on the floor in front of him. He allowed his shaft to drop down, easing the pressure inside his shell, and she smiled, drawing his engorged member into her mouth.
He was instantly lost in the sensations. She kissed and licked his shaft, swirling her tongue around his head as she stroked his thighs with both hands. Raphael watched, smiling at the sight of her on her knees with a cock in her mouth. It didn't really matter that it wasn't his. Not yet, anyway. He stepped toward her, stroking her hair back as she moaned around his brother.
She pulled away before she brought him close to climax. She wasn't ready for him to come just yet. Standing slowly, she turned her attention to Raphael, who was by this time "naked". Her breasts were pressed against him, and his hands had moved from her hair to her hips as she stood. He tightened his grip just slightly, pushing her back, guiding her into the living room. Mike followed, his hands raised behind his head to untie the bandana over his eyes.
Raph sat the woman down on the couch and spread her legs apart, then knelt down between them. He brought them up, over his shoulders, and her ankles crossed and locked together. He brought his mouth to her moist opening, savoring her scent and taste as his tongue entered her. Her moans of pleasure encouraged him to continue, up her slit to her hooded clitoris.
Mike's belt dropped to the floor, and he stepped forward before his pads were completely off. The erotic sight of her was too much. He knelt beside her on the couch still yanking the guards off of his wrists and elbows. He licked her lips and she opened to him, welcoming his slow, deep kiss. His fingers toyed with her breasts, flicking back and forth over her nipples.
Her hands came to his shaft and pumped him hard, a lot harder than he'd been expecting. He gasped, and tensed, nearly pulling away from her as he realized just how close he'd come to losing it right then and there. As it was, he only grabbed her wrist, holding her hand steady for a moment before guiding her. He set a much slower pace, using her hand to massage himself. She sighed deeply, rubbing her thumb in circles over his head as Raph brought her higher.
He pulled back slightly to look at her. Her nipples were hard and erect and her skin had a taut, expectant look to it. She was breathing through her mouth, just slightly softer than a pant as her hips moved against Raphael. His eyes moved up her body, and along her arm to her hand, watching as she slowly pulled back the foreskin off the head of his cock and then let go so it slid back over his tip again. He grinned, and let go of her hand, letting her do what she wanted now that he was a little more prepared.
Raphael nipped gently at her clit, and heard her gasp in pleasure. He smiled and swept his tongue across her lips, up and down at an agonizingly slow pace. He could feel the muscles tense, her body reacting, her cunt forming into a stiff, pink "V". He pressed his tongue deep inside of her, exploring her unique taste and the soft, warm walls along the inside of her body.
She whimpered, her body on fire as Mike leaned in and kissed her shoulder, moving up slowly to her neck. Her hand slid up and down his erection, staggering as Raphael brushed electric places inside of her. She smiled ae sae saw a thick drop of pre-cum ooze from Mike's tip. Her hands left him, moving to Raphael's shoulders. She pushed him back, and he looked up. "On the floor," she whispered. Her eyes turned to Mike and sparked with lust. "I want to suck you."
Mike felt his groin tighten in excitement, and glanced down to see if Raph would comply with her request. He was smiling, his hands reaching up under her thighs and sliding up under her ass. Mike gained his balance and slipped an arm behind her, under her arms. The two of them lowered her onto her back on the carpeted floor. She groaned, and her legs spread before Raph, her mouth opening wide as she reached for Mike's hips. He went willingly, straddling her and holding his shaft in his hands, an inch at most from her lips. Her tongue flicked out to lick his fluid away.
Raphael licked his lips, savoring the taste of her. His hands ran up her thighs, and he spread her legs wider, eyes locked on her warm, wet sex. He sighed deeply as his shaft slid out from underneath his plastron, and he cupped it in both hands. He waseadyeady hard, and it took very little effort to get himself ready. His hands moved to her hips, and he lifted her, watching as his cock slid into her body.
She groaned, and her mouth opened wide, inviting Mike to enter her as well. He smiled as he fed his cock into her mouth, eyes sliding closed as he felt her heat close around him. "Oh, yeah..."
Her arms were useless at her sides. She couldn't reach either one of them very well. Eventually, her hands moved up and cupped her own breasts, squeezing and pinching at her nipples as she massaged the underside of Mike's shaft with her tongue, sucking him hard. She could feel Raphael moving in and out of her slowly, and gave up on trying to match his pace, when she had to also concentrate on Mike. She let them both go, giving them her body to use freely.
Mike came first. He knew it was happening. He could feel his balls pull up and his body tense, and he tried to warn her but it didn't work. He held the sensations for a moment, reveling in them, then relaxed everything at once. He shot into her mouth, and she quickly realized that while lying on her back, trying to swallow that fast was going to choke her. Not a good idea. She felt him fill her mouth, his juices overflowing and catching her slightly off guard. She didn't care. She could feel her own body's pressure building as Raphael pounded into her.
Mike moved aside, off of her, and sat on his knees beside her, giving himself a moment to recover. She tried to prop herself up on her elbows, but couldn't quite manage it. He smiled and slowly moved to her head. He crossed his legs, and lifted her shoulders, placing her in his lap. "There you go, baby..."
She moaned as she leaned back against him, feeling her body climb. He stroked her hair softly as Raphael slammed into her, grinding against her each time he was buried. His fingers found her clit, and she screamed. "Yes! Raph! Right there!"
Raphael pinched and pulled at her clitoris, thrusting deep inside of her one last time as he lost control and crossed the threshhold into abandon. He threw his head back, a loud animalistic howl escaping him as he exploded inside of her. It was the last thing she needed. Her body shook as a wave of heated excitement washed over her and swept her away. She cried out, her legs coming together and clamping around his thighs, holding him inside of her. "Yes!"
Mike's free hand slid down and slowly stroked his shaft. He was only semi-erect, but the sounds in his ears and the smell of sex was overpowering. It was only a matter of time...
She came down first, turning her head to Mike's thigh and shuddering as Raph gave a few more thrusts into her and came to a stop. "Mmm yeah..." he moaned, eyes sliding closed as he let his body feel the aftershocks. "Fuck yeah..."
Veraduaadually, her legs came down and spread wide again, allowing him to pull away. He backed off of her gradually and rocked back on his heels. Kirsten relaxed, nuzzling against Mike's hard thigh as he stroked her hair and the side of her face. She slowly felt reality return, her surroundings fading back into focus. Her eyes opened, and she kissed Mike's thigh, licking up the sticky cum that had transferred to his skin from her lips.
Raphael stood. It took some effort, and a few moments to regain his balance. Eventually, he offered her a hand, and she took it. He pulled her to her feet a little unsteadily and she leaned on him for support, kissing the side of his neck gently. "You were great, baby," he whispered.
"Mmm... you too." She raised her voice, but didn't look back at Mike. "Both of you." She pulled away to make eye contact with Raph. "Thanks," she whispered. "I needed that."
He grinned. "Anytime, baby."
"We're not done yet," Mike informed.
Raphael cast a questioning look over her shoulder at him. We're not?
Kirsten turned, eyebrows raised. "We're not?"
"No."
He stood and stepped up behind her, his hands slidding down over her hips and under the lip of the thigh-high stockings. "You okay with that?" he checked.
She grinned, reaching up to caress the side of his face with her fingertips. "Sure thing, baby. Whaddaya want?"
He growled quietly against the side of her face, kissing along her cheekbone. "I dunno why. But I've always wanted to fuck a girl in heels and stockings," he informed her. "Now spread your legs and bend over. I want you to suck his cock while I do you."
Raphael raised an eyeridge, amused at his brother's sudden "take charge" attitude. This was certy ney new... But he wasn't about to protest. A smile quirked up the corner of his mouth as his eyes moved to Kirsten. She seemed a bit shocked, but relaxed into the role with a smile. It wasn't that she had any problem at all with the demand. She just would have expected it to come from Raphael before it came from his brother.
Raph stepped back, giving her enough room to comply. She reached toward him, and he offered his hands for support as she bent at the waist. Mike stepped up behind her, his cock in his hands, and he rubbed it gently against her wet sex, spreading her body's lubrication. She let go of Raph's grip, her balance steady for now. He held her shoulders anyways. If Mike was going to pound her, she was definitely going to lose her balance on those heels.
Her tongue ran slowly up his semi-erect cock, and he closed his eyes, breathing deep. The warmth of her mouth was quickly hardening him again. "Kiss me, baby," he directed. "All the way up. Under the..." His sentence cut off as her lips pressed gently to the underside of his shaft, right where it met with his balls. "Mmm... yeah. Like that."
She moaned quietly as she felt Michaelangelo slide deep inside of her. Her legs opened further, on instinct, her body trying to spread itself in order to accomodate him. He pulled out again, until only the head of his cock remained within her, then slid in deep again. Her lips closed around Raphael's balls, first one ahen hen the other, and she sucked gently, flicking her tongue over his fragile, hairless skin.
He held her shoulder steady with one hand, the other raising to stroke over her dark hair. Her breasts swung freely to the rhythm of Mike's strokes inside of her. A slow, steady rhythm that built with every passing moment. Raph felt her lips close over his tip and she slid down slowly, drawing him in and out of her mouth as she matched Mike's pace.
Raphael smiled as he watched her, her lips sliding halfway down and then back up. "C'mon baby," he whispered. "I know you can take me deeper than that."
She paused for just a moment, missing a few strokes, and relaxed the muscles in her throat. She lowered her head down over him, sliding him very slowly past her gag reflexes until he was totally encased in her warmth. His head tipped back and he smiled contentedly. "Mmm... oh, yeah..."
Mike watched her take him in all the way and felt the heat inside of him grow. God damn that was hot... He didn't know why it turned him on as much as it did to see her suck off his brother while he fucked her. But it did. He drove into her, faster and harder, his pent-up desires taking control. She moved back against him, her hips thrusting against his. He could feel the fire between his legs, signaling his rapidly approaching orgasm.
With a low growl, he grabbed her hips, jerking her back against him and holding her there. He ground hard into her, straining to get as deep inside of her as he possibly could. She cried out around Raphael's cocuckiucking hard as she clenched her muscles tight around Mike. Raph knew he wasn't going to come again. It was too soon. He needed a little more recovery period than that. She might, and he envied her for that ability. But for now, he just let it feel good as she sucked and pulled him deep into her throat. He knew from the look on Mike's faced thd the way she moaned, that he'd come inside of her. He was slowing already, and she wasn't urging him on. She was satisfied. Raph felt good. Mike damn well better feel good after that.
Michaelangelo let out a deep sigh as he pulled out of her. His shaft pulled back up under his plastron, and he just let his hands roam over her for a moment as she sucked Raphael. He let it continue for a few more minutes, then pulled away from her as well, very slowly. She grabbed for his hands, and he helped her stand up straight. She smiled as she turned to Mike. "You feel better now?"
He nodded, a slight grin creeping across his lips. "Yer really hot, you knowt?"t?" he whispered.
She laughed quietly and leaned in to kiss him. He could still taste himself, mixed with the very faint taste of his brother, on the inside of her mouth. She ran her fingers down the center groove of his plastron. "You're fun," she grinned. "Come back 'n see me sometime, huh?"
He smirked at her, and nodded. "Oh yeah."
She turned to Raph and kissed him as well. "And you too," she breathed. "Come back and see me."
He smiled. "Don't I always?"
***
"Y'alright?"
Raph turned and looked back over his shoulder. His eyes followed Mike as he approached. It was almost one in the morning now, and the city was lit up. The borrowed clothing had been returned, and they were safely on the rooftops again. "Yeah," Raphael answered quietly, absently toying with one of his weapons.
"Yer not pissed off at me, are you?"
He raised an eyeridge, questioning. "Why would I be pissed at you?"
Mike shrugged slightly. "Well, she was your girl and..."
"Nah," Raph cut him off, shaking his head. "Forget it, Mike. I'm not pissed."
Michaelangelo leaned forward on the ledge. He could still feel the tingling in his loins as his body realized it was tired. "So what now?" he questioned. "We go home?"
Raph glanced at his brother. "I suggest you clean up first if you don't want to answer questions."
Mike considered that, and nodded in agreement. He could still smell her scent around him. He knew Splinter would be able to smell it. And that wouldn't go over real well. Raph could get away with shit like that. He couldn't. He could just imagine what they would say if they knew anything about what he really did with Raph. But he wasn't about to stop. Even if they did find out, he didn't think he'd stop. But it would make definite holes in their family structure...
He sighed as he considered that. He had a role to keep, and he maintained it very well, keeping within his boundaries and making a show of who he was. But it was these times, these rare occasions with his best friend, where he didn't have to keep up that role. He didn't have to worry about who or what he was, didn't have to think about how he would be judged. Raph wouldn't make judgements on him, and he knew it. Here, he was free to do and be what came to mind, not what he had to.
Sometimes those things that came to mind surprised him. Sometimes they surprised Raph. He knew that, but his brother had never once challenged him for anything he'd done outside of the structure of the clan. He'd never questioned it. And once they went home, it was as if nothing had ever happened. They slipped back into their set roles and never talked about the times like this. No one ever had anything to be suspicious of. And suspicions had never been raised. Mike wasn't sure what they thought he and his brother did when they were gone for hours on end, but he knew they couldn't possibly suspect the truth.
Mike knew he was not like Raph. He didn't have that driving anger, that commanding presence. He wasn't confrontational; he held a respect for the "greater good" that Raphael would never understand. But what drew him in the first place, and kept him coming back, was the fact that none of that mattered here. Sure, it mattered a hell of a lot in the clan. The line of leadership was clearly set. But here, they weren't ninjas. The training may be there, and the beliefs that had been pounded into them from day one, but here there wasn't rules and roles and responsibility. Here there was freedom and release. Pleasure.
He sighed deeply, and brought his bandana up around his eyes, tying it behind him. "I don't really got anyplace to go," he mused quietly. "Guess I'll just wait 'til they all go to bed."
Raph half-laughed at that. "Heh. Who're you kiddin' Mike?"
That was a rhetorical question. Much like the suggestion was. They'd be waiting up for him, and he knew it. Raph sighed and stretched his arms high over his head. "A'right. C'mon, let's go back. You come in with me, they won't think it was you."
Mike sighed. He didn't like that kind of logic. If he left with Raph, and he was coming back with Raph, it only made sense that he was with Raph when he was off having sex. "Y'know... that'd be a great idea if I could actually lie my way through the questions," Mike mumbled as he followed Raph away from the ledge. "But we both know how that ends up."
Raphael smirked. "Eh. You just need practice."
"Right. Crash course. Lying 101."
A quiet laugh answered him. "It ain't as hard as you make it, Mikey. Just get your story straight before you go in there and make yourself believe it. That way you can fill in the gaps when they ask for details."
Michaelangelo frowned. Again, not comforting. "What story?" he prodded.
Raph shrugged. "I never did catch you, and you realized you lost me, went up to tooftooftops, and ran for a bit. Then you met up with me on the way back."
Mike considered that for a moment. "Yeah, except I'm not even sweating."
"You will be by the time we get there."
And with that, he broke into a run, vaulting over the narrow alleyway to the next building. Mike grinned, shaking his head slightly at his brother's confidence, and sprinted after him.