Leo Finds Raph Crying One-shot; Singing Sorrow

I'm punching my bag, repeatedly, kick stab punch uppercut, anything to keep it out

Keep it all out, keep it all out, don't let anything in(push it, punch it, all into the bag...)

-The bite, the voice, the drill, the blood- NO MIKEY NO DON'T LET ME FREE HE'LL GET YOU TOO RUN!(Dracula)

NONONONONONO SLASH DON'T HURT THEM, NO! I WON'T I CAN'T DON'T DO THIS

-AAH-!(Brainworm)

I drop to the ground with a sob, shoulders shaking.

"Raph? Raph!"

I stiffen, wiping my eyes hurriedly, fixing on a scowl as I turn around.

"Whaddaya want, Leo?!"

He's standing there, with the concerned look in his eyes, katanas on his back,

"Raph, what's wrong?"

Keep it together, he has no proof, he didn't see anything.

"What's wrong?! I'll tell you what's wrong! I don't get any privacy unless it's an emergency!" Nope, he's not suspicious at all, he usually has the Raised Concerned Eyebrows and Crinkled Forehead(he actually usually does, just not the same level, or for that long).

Awh, who am I kiddin'.

Skeptical look; "Riiiight, this is all about privacy." Then he points to my face,

"Which is why your mask is wet, and you're on the ground."

Fudge. Ya're too perceptive fer yer own good, Fearless.

"It's m' faul', Leo! It's always all my fault, I can't PROTECT you!"(especially from myself! I'm a danger to every single one of you!)

"What. Did. You. Say?!"

Whoops, did I say that out loud?

Yep.

"What do you mean, it's all your fault?!"

Trapped. How does he hug so tight?!

I squirm around for a few minutes, before dropping my head onto his shoulder, drained and burnt-out.

He tightens his hold,

"Raphie."

He ain' gonna leggo until I talk, huh.

"When ISN'T it my fault, Leo?!"

"What are you-"

"Dracula, the brain worm, Spiderbites, the Creep, your voice, Sp-Slash-"

I choke.

Leo has this look of utter horror on his face. "None of that was-is- your fault, Raph! None of it!"

I snort, "yeah RIGHT it isn't."

He grabs my face, eyes wild and distressed. "It isn't!" He then tosses his prized katanas-the ones that Masta' Splinta' first gave him, made of some pretty powerful stuff, ya see, magic and all that- away like a hunk of junk and wraps around me, sinking to the floor. He mashes my face into his plastron and holds on ta' my shell like a koala bear as I flinch and tremble.

Silence. Then,

"We all make mistakes, Raphie."

I snort. "Oh yeah, and ones as big as mine?!"

He frowns. "Ra-"

"NO!" I shove at him as much as I can with my head on his chest, and my arms pinned to his sides(which isn't much), and he squeezes like an anaconda (I'm about to puke my guts out, Leo, that's too TIGHT!). "You don't get to say that, you never FAIL us, you're the pure perfectionist, 'Fearless Leader' Leo!"

At that, he freezes, arms locked around me, as if they were Adamantine coils.

"I'm not perfect Raphael," he snarls, pure venom in his voice, and I flinch. Hard."I never was, and I never will be."

Shoot. I hurt his ego. And if he squeezes any tighter, not only will I puke on him, but he'll also crack his plastron. CRrrr...Eaaakkk-!...Or, ya know, bend it.

His face softens slightly. "I'm just trying to help you, Raph." His voice drops to a pleading murmur, "I don't mean to be so harsh."

I wipe my face on his plastron and give him a red-eyed grin. "I know that (now) bro,

Thanks." He gives me a small smile back.

I know what you really mean, Leo, and I now know what I have to do.

But...

Don't blame yourself...

He squeezes me once more, and then stands up. "Just let me know if you need any more self-confidence-boosting." I grin, and give a feeble nod. "Will do."

He smiles, then turns and walks away, and my heart cries for all to hear it.

But no one does.