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scholastic-dragon · 2 years

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Flufftober Day 3: Thick as Thieves

Raphael x Gn!reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: friends to lovers, pining, slow burn, Raph's got a crush, good moments between Raph and Don, spelling mistakes, Vern makes a bad comment (he apologizes),

Summary: You and Raph are friends - no, best friends - and despite what everyone thinks, there’s no feelings between you two...right?

You remember the night you met the boys as if it only happened yesterday.

Your best friend April had finally opened up about her "extended family" and you were shocked to say the least.

But you quickly realized these were the sweetest, kindest, and most amazing men you'd ever met.

Well, almost. Raphael was quite distant for a good portion of the evening, only saying a few words here and there.

After they left, April said they were a bit suspicious of you because they didn't often meet people. You understood and never pushed them beyond just simple conversation.

Donnie and Mikey warmed up very quickly and you'd spent countless hours playing Mario cart with them. Leo finally started smiling when you talked with him, but Raph was still a little aloof. You never pressed, giving him his space, he'd open up eventually.

It wasn't until about 2 months later that you'd been invited to a Halloween party at Vern's penthouse.

You had a fun night, you finally met Casey, April's boyfriend, and realized very quickly that Vern was a player.

The boys were there, but they weren't wearing costumes, simply wearing their normal gear. You brought it up, not judging or mean, just asking if they had costumes.

A drunk Vern answered. "They don't need costumes, look at 'em! Already look kinda freaky,"

The group went quiet, in shock that Vern, their friend had said something so rude. April was clearly ready to beat his ass, Casey put his arm around her to stop her. Donnie's jaw dropped, glasses slipping down his nose. Leo's haw dropped, drink almost slipping from his hand. Mikey looked the most pained out of them all, wondering how a friend could say something like that.

Just as Raph opened his mouth to yell, you started ripping Vern a new asshole. Saying they weren't freaky or weird and that they were more man than Vern would ever hope to be.

Vern said nothing, just nodded and left the conversation, knowing he was drunk and needed to step back. The boys thanked you before mingling with the other party goers, wanting to forget the whole ordeal.

Raph approached you with an awkward smile. "Uh, thanks, for what you said to Vern. It's not often people stick up for us like that,"

"I wasn't just going to let him bully you like that, no one deserves to be treated like that," You smile, noticing how his shoulders ever so slightly tensed at the mention of him deserving better. "But you never answered my question, do you guys have costumes?"

"Uh, no, we weren't originally going to come, but Mikey was complaining the whole time while we were out and with all the heavy crowds it would've just made patrol ten times harder-" He rambled on, saying more words than he ever meant to. Talking just felt so easy with you, you engaged and listened to every word he said.

The next day Vern (thankfully sober) profusely apologized to the boys, saying he didn’t mean any of it and it’ll never happen again. April still punch his shoulder with a warning that if he ever said something like that again he’d get his ass beat into the ground.

He got your number that night and you've texted every day since then. You have a lot in common and have the same type of humor. Raph felt as ease around you, like he could talk about everything and nothing and he wouldn't get judged about it.

But after a few weeks he suddenly started feeling strange. He'd stare for longer than he'd mean to. He started to notice your deodorant and shampoo and he could tell when you changed it. He found any and all excuses to be around you or touch you: walking by? Hand on arm. Sitting on the couch? Arm on the back across your shoulders. Hair in your face? Gently moving it behind your ear.

The others started to notice, Mikey making the most annoying comments.

"You obviously like them!"

He didn't do these things because he liked you. He did them because 1. It felt nice to have physical contact with someone. 2. You didn't flinch or pull away when he reached for you.

You were his best friend. His most trusted confidante.

I mean sure you were very good looking, but everybody knew that. And you had very big eyes, that he admittedly liked to look at. And he really liked hearing you laugh, especially when you'd touch his arm after he told you a funny story.

But it wasn't a crush. It didn't feel like a crush. Okay, well, he didn't know what a crush was supposed to feel like but it didn't feel like how it normally did in the movies.

Raph tossed and turned in bed, running his hands down his mask less face. Sleep was evading him for the third time this week. His thoughts consistently about you.

Glancing at his nightstand, he reached for his phone, groaning at the time. 3:52 AM.

He needed to get up and take a breath. A cold glass of water should do him some good.

He rose from his bed, being careful not to trip over anything in the dark. The lair was quiet as he padded to the kitchen, the lights were always kept on incase one of the boys wanted a midnight snack.

Entering the kitchen, Raph paused seeing Donnie sitting at the dining table. They both awkwardly stared at each other for a moment, before Raph cleared his throat.

"I'd ask if ya can't sleep, but it's clear from your coffee cup that ya haven't even gone to bed yet," Raph walked over to the cabinet, getting a glass and filling it in the sink.

Donnie snorted, taking a sip from his mug. "If we're guessing why the others up then I'm going to say you've got something on your mind,"

"It's nothin' just....just some sleep troubles," Raph downed the half full glass in one gulp, gently setting the glass cup in the sink.

"Talking about it might help," Raph rolled his eyes, turning to face Donnie, leaning against the counter.

Donnie had always been a gossip, he'd never spill anything you told him, but he was annoyingly pushy and nosey.

"If I tell you, will you shut up?" At Donnie's nod, Raph sighs. "I'm thinking about Y/n,"

"Ah," Donnie gets an excited glimmer in his eyes. "You finally gained the courage to ask them out?"

"What? No!" Raph scoffed, rolling his shoulders and crossing his arms. "It's not like that,"

"It's not like that?" Donnie mimics, lowering his head to glance at Raph over his glasses.

"Yeah, we're best friends, nothing more,"

Donnie rolled his eyes, glancing at the ceiling. "Please tell me you're joking,"

"What're ya talkin' about?" Raph raised a brow, feeling his guard start to go up.

Donnie held his mug between his hands, easily dwarfing the cup, almost laughing as he spoke. "It's so obvious you have a crush on them-"

"I don't have a crush on them! They're my best friend!" Raph interrupted, unable to help himself. "This is exactly how Mikey treated April when they first met,"

"Yeah, except Mikey got over it and now sees her as a sister, you, my friend, have not," Putting his elbow on the table he leaned his chin on his palm.

"It's not a crush,"

"You know what, you're right," Donnie took a sip of his coffee, looking away from Raph and licking his lips.

It was never a good thing when Donnie admitted someone else was right and didn't put up a fight. A smirk formed on his face, setting down the mug and glancing back to Raph.

"You're right, Raph, it's not a crush," Donnie leaned forward, both elbows on the table. "You love them,"

"Watch your-" Raph took several steps forward, pointing an angry finger at him.

"Shh, don't want to wake up the others, do you?" Donnie calmly whispered. Raph clamped his mouth shut.

When Donnie had mentioned 'love' his chest got tight and his knees started to shake. Surly he wasn't in love with you: he couldn't even tell if he had a crush on you.

Raph sighed, pulling out a chair and sitting across from Donnie, leaning in with a quiet voice.

"I'll tell ya if you promise to keep it between us," Raph holds out his arm, second finger up.

Donnie smirks, putting his second finger around Raph's (their version of a pinky promise). "Deal, I won't say anything,"

"I-I....I think I have feelings for Y/n, but I don't know, it-it doesn't feel like a crush," Raph sits back in the chair, looking at his lap, rubbing his hands together.

"What do you mean?" Donnie calmly says, noticing how honest and scared Raph's tone is.

"In all the movies and stuff, people say it's like butterflies and you can't talk when you're around them, and stuff, but I don't feel that. I'm calm and I feel like I can talk to them about anything," Raph vents, honest to god vents for one of the first times in his life.

Donnie stays silent, allowing him to get it all out. They'd always been close, having the occasional moment or late nights like this, but Donnie felt good knowing Raph felt comfortable enough to tell him.

Raph sighed, glancing up at Donnie. "Alright, say your smart speech, I know you're dyin' too,"

"Some romance experts say that it's a mix between all those things, but most say that you should feel calm around them, like they're a breath of fresh air," Donnie pauses to take a sip of his coffee, grimacing when he realized it was luke-warm.

Raph nodded, licking his lips, his pulse quickening. "So, you're saying it is a crush?"

Donnie shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "I can't tell you how you feel, Raph. I can tell you what I see, from both you and Y/n, but you're the only one who's going to know,"

"But I don't know! And what if I'm wrong?" Raph rubs his head, getting upset. "What if I ask them out and they say no or what if we go on a date and I realize I don't like them and then I've ruined our friendship?"

"I think..." Donnie pushed his glasses up his nose. "You are way too stressed over this situation to not have feelings for them. Just, think about it, not just what you feel, but what you want. Do you want to go on dates with them? Hold hands? Kiss them? That stuff should tell you whether you like them,"

Raph almost took his questions seriously, but quickly shut his mouth before he answered. Raph laughed quietly, running a hand across his bald head.

"I think you should go get some sleep," Donnie snorted. "You look exhausted,"

"Speak fer yourself, genius," Even with the insults, Raph nodded, standing from the chair, it squeaking against the floor. "Thanks for listenin', Don," He mumbles, looking at the floor.

"Anytime," Donnie leans forward, lightly punching Raph's arm. They both laugh softly before Raph sighs and heads back to bed.

Laying down he pulls his comforter to his neck, rolling on his side, thinking about what Don had said.

Did he want to take you on dates? What kind of dates would he even be able to go on? Movie nights with cheesy rom-coms that you laugh at every time? Walks in the park while you wear something that he made you?

Hold your very small and very soft hands? He's not sure if he could given he only had two fingers. Did he want to kiss your lips? The ones that always have lip balm on, that smell like strawberry and frame your smile.

He sighed, picking up his phone and going to his photos. On your birthday you’d taken a selfie with him, one of the only pictures he had of himself and you were in it.

You had such a bright smile.

He opened up your messages, feeling an inner battle brewing. Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Early Monday morning you’re up before 5 getting ready for work; while brushing your teeth, your phone goes off. Rinsing your mouth you open your phone expecting to see Raph’s ‘good morning’ message. Instead, Donnie’s name pops up; raising an eyebrow you open the message.

Donnie: called it, Raph admitted he has feelings for you, expect a phone call or text in the next twelve hours, pay up $$$

Your face warmed, a grin breaking out across your face. A few weeks ago, Mikey had started to make comments about you and Raph, and how strangely close you guys were. You brushed it off, not thinking too much into it, Mikey always teased you. Then Donnie and Leo both started making comments as well, Donnie took pity of your blushing face and told you it was obvious Raph had a crush on you.

And Donnie, being the little shit he is, made it a bet. And now you owed him 50 bucks.

Even as your PayPal hurt sending the money to him, your grin got even wider seeing another message pop up.

Raph <3: Hey, wanna hangout later? There’s something I want to tell you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

tags: @flufftober @turtle-babe83 @thelaundrybitch

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