Raphael glared at his two younger brothers. They had drug him to his room after he had gotten home, and tossed him in the shower. That was normal, and something he did regularly. His brothers inviting themselves into his little apartment was normal, in fact he often encouraged Leo to do so when he had a long shift at the station, or Donnie spent too much time at the lab, or when Mikey volunteered for a double shift at the hospital, and his place was closer than theirs was. What was NOT normal was the suit that was tailored for his shell they had laid out for him when he was done.
"What's going on?" He asked, gold eyes sharp. Don shifted nervously, but Mikey beamed and handed his older brother a sheet of paper. He noticed that Leonardo wasn't there, so Mikey must have gotten Don caught up in one of his hair-brained schemes he came up with when he wasn't at the hospital. Once Raph had a hold of it, Mikey moved quickly out of range.
"We signed you up for a dating site." He answered.
"You WHAT?!" He yelled, gold eyes flashing. Mikey looked up at him, giving Raphael his best "aren't I the cutest brother in the whole world" eyes.
"We decided that you needed to get out more. It's been almost four months since you broke up with Mona, and you need to get back on the dating scene." He said. "For some reason only one person responded to your ad." Raph froze at that.
"Wait, someone responded?" He asked, stunned. He knew his brother wouldn't hold back on what kind of person he was. He looked down at the paper, what kinda of nut would be remotely interested in him.
A cute one, he had to admit. Vibrant red hair and piercing green eyes, she had a wide, easy grin. The profile said her name was April O'Neil, and had been looking for a few months now. Raph scowled at the name, looking up at Donnie.
"Wasn't this the chick you had a thing for back when you first started working at Stockman's?" He asked his younger brother, who nodded.
"She was seeing someone at the time, but a few months ago there was an accident at the lab that left her unable to have kids, and the ass left her." The scientist replied, his eyes dark. "I enjoy her friendship too much to risk a relationship with her now." He looked away. "She's a really wonderful person to be around, and it sucks seeing her going out with guys that just want her because of her looks."
"Oh? And she won't be upset about dating a reptile mybrid out of all the ones she could be with?" Raphael snapped at his brother. Don shook his head.
"She has no trouble with them at all." A small smile quirked to the younger turtle's face. "She even said that you were very good looking in our family photo." He motioned to the paper. "That's a mixed dating site, where the ones who sign up don't care if they get matched up with a mybrid. The fact that it paired up two up surprised me, though."
"Too much of a TV trope for you?" The older brother asked, chuckling. "The big, bad jock type ending up with the dainty nerd?"
"Please, she's not all that dainty." Donatello replied.
"And you're not worried that I'm going to mess it up?" Raphael asked, raising an eyebrow. Don just shook his head.
"She's not the type to blame me for your actions." He replied. "But I think you two would hit it off." He tugged Raphael to the bed. "You need to get ready, your reservations are in two hours." Giving in, Raph started to get dressed.
"So where did you guys get reservations to for me to get in the monkey suit?" He asked, as he buttoned up the dress shirt. Mikey grinned.
"That little restaurant on 6th." He replied, straightening Raph's tie. Raph gaped at his brother.
"But reservations have to be made months in advance!" He managed to choke out. Mikey looked a little sheepish and sad.
"I made them a while ago, when you were still dating Mona. I thought you could use a place like that to propose." Mikey looked away. "But that didn't happen, and I figured I'd save it for something else." Raph just sighed. His baby brother had his heart in the right place, but he had a habit of jumping the gun on things. Not that it was anyone's fault, not even Mona's, really. Shaking his head to clear those thoughts, Raph gave Mikey an affectionate noogie.
"Don't give that look, Mikey, I understand." Pulling his shoes, he grabbed a bag, and tossed a shirt, a pair of jeans, and boots into it. "But I'm bailing if she ends up being all weepy over her ex."
"Oh, she's completely over him." Donnie replied. "He tried to get her back last month, and she told him to get out of the building before she found a way to donate his balls to science." Raphael had to laugh at that.
"Oh, violent, sound like my kind of girl." He said as the bell to his apartment rang.
"That would be your cab." Mikey exclaimed. Donatello put his hand on Raph's shoulder, stopping him before he left.
"Treat her right, okay? She a really good friend and I don't want anyone hurting her." Don's eyes narrowed. "You do hurt her and I swear, I will let her use your balls for science." The look in his younger brother's eyes told him he wasn't kidding.
"You know me, Don." Raph gave Don a small smile. "I'm a perfect gentleman on the first date." He paused to grab his 'get out of bad date' bag. "I am taking this just in case." He stated, and Don just nodded his head, agreeing with him.
Mikey grabbed Raph, dragging him to the door. He opened it and pushed his brother out, handing Raph a single Tiger Lily. "Don't drink and drive, make sure you hold the door open for her, and if you two do end up getting on tonight, remember to use protection." Raph turned to glare at his brother before heading downstairs.
"You know I don't do that on the first date." He said sharply. And with that, he turned and headed down to the cab.
A few minutes later he was standing in front of the restaurant. He had already placed his bag up where no one should be able to find it, and now he was waiting for April to show up.
It was getting close to reservation time when April finally walked up to him, in a long black dress that brought out the brightness of her hair and eyes.
"April, it's been a while." Raphael said, holding out the flower for her. She smiled at him and took it.
"Thank you, it's lovely." She replied. "I think it was the Christmas party last year, right? I don't think I talked much to you."
"Yah, I'm not into all the stuff that Donnie's into, so I kinda stuck to my brothers." He admitted as he led her into the restaurant. She gave him a smile.
"Well, I like to think I know a little about things other than science." She teased as the Hostess led them to their seats. Raphael raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?" He asked. "Like what?" April thought for a moment.
"Who do you think will win tonight's fight?" She asked. "I think that Johnson might have a chance at beating McNaughton, but he's got to get McNaughton on the ground quick. He's pretty good at K.O.s." She looked at her drink menu and made a small irritated sound. Raph looked at his own and winced at the prices.
"Yikes, that's pretty steep." He muttered, looking over at April. "We might have to go Dutch." He added jokingly, looking back over to his date. Her eyes went up to meet his.
"I got a better idea." She declared, snapping her menu shut. "Let's give this table to some couple waiting up front and go to somewhere that the prices are a bit better? Food'll be better too." Raphael raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Where would that be?" He asked, signaling for the waitress. As much as he appreciated Mikey for getting the place, it really wasn't his type.
"There's Callahan's if you're okay with that." She suggested, standing up and grabbing the wrap she was wearing. "I do need to stop and change really quick, if that's okay with you. That way you can change too." Raph looked stupefied for a minute before April laughed. "I saw you hiding the bag earlier. Smart idea, I have to admit."
Raph laughed as the headed out to the door. He liked Callahan's, even if it did lean more toward the carnivorous mybrids. It had one of the best steaks he ever had, a good selection of beer, and was always playing the fights that where on.
Exiting the door, Raph had to smile as he passed the hostesses leading an older couple to the seats they had been occupying. An odd tug pulled at his heart, a longing for that kind of relationship. He really had thought Mona had been the one for him. Things just didn't turn out that way and as he caught a look at April smiling up at him, her eyes bright, he couldn't help but smile back at her.
They made their way to April's apartment that, while small, was still able to get that warm, homey feel to it. Greens and browns intermingled with natural wood gave it a feel of being in the outdoors, a small electric burner giving off a scent of earth and pine.
"I'll just be a sec." April said, walking to the room. "My bathroom is through that door. It's pretty big, so you should be able to change no problem." She shut the door behind her, and Raph quickly got out of the tux in favor of his favorite pair of jeans and a deep red tee shirt.
He was done first, and sat on the couch, waiting for her to come out. Soon he heard the door click open, and he stood up, turning to her.
"You ready because I'm-" He froze when he saw her. Her hair had been pulled up and she had a simple purple tee shirt and jeans on. That wasn't what stopped him. Her ear went into delicate points and swaying back and forth behind her was a white-tipped red tail. Something went through him right then, almost like a zap of static electricity. She took in his stunned look and went red.
"Don didn't tell you? And didn't you read my profile?" She looked down, hugging herself. "Do you have a problem with me being half-mybrid?" Raph went to her, trying to fight the feeling that intensified when he grabbed her shoulder.
"No, not at all, it's fine." He said, and she looked up to face him. "To tell you the truth, Don and Mike set me up for this. I should have looked over the profile, that's on me." He looked straight into her eyes. "I'm fine with this, really. Now let's go eat, I'm starving." A smile returned to her face and he had to fight the urge to kiss her right there.
Opening the door for her, he shook his head as she walked out. He never felt like this about someone on a first date before. He had an idea what was going on, but he really didn't want to think about it. Pushing it out of his mind, he closed the door behind him, waiting for April to lock it before he gently grabbed her by the waist and lead her outside.
They had to get a cab to the restaurant that was only a few blocks away from Raphael's apartment. Rock music played softly under that hum of the patrons and the cheers from the bar. April lead the way to two empty seats at the bar where it looked like one of the side events before the main fight was on.
"I think McNaughton's going to win this one." Raphael stated as the bartender came around and gave them their menus.
"Huh?" April said as she began to look through the drink menu.
"The fight. I think McNaughton's going to win." He repeated, opening his own menu. "Johnson's good at ground fighting, but McNaughton is hard to pin." The bartender came back and took their orders, bringing back the beers.
"Oh?" April asked as she sipped at her drink. "You want to bet on that?" A grin came to Raph's face.
"I'll take you up on that." He said, an eye ridge raised. "But what are the stakes?" April thought for a minute.
"If you win, I'll cover the drinks tonight." She said firmly.
"And if you win?" April smiled flirtatiously over her drink.
"I get to kiss you." The red turtle choked a little on his drink, but nodded, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart. He made himself look calm and collected as he nodded.
"It's a bet." He agreed, and they both settled back, enjoying themselves. They talked as they waited for the fight to come on, and Raphael found himself enjoy her company far more than any date ever, to tell you the truth. Not even Mona had made him feel like this on the first date.
The fight started and Raph leaned back, confident that he would win the bet, but a small part of him wishing that he would lose. A small crowd gathered around them as the fight progressed, the press of so many carnivores setting Raph slightly on edge, but the press of April's body against his soothed the feeling and made him growl softly as a Boar Mybrid got too close to her.
His attention was brought back to the television as the final bell rang, trying to hide a grin as he saw Johnson standing next to the ref, his hand held high in the air. He felt April nudge his shoulder, and he turned to meet her bright green eye, noticing for the first time the gold that intermingled in them.
"So, looks like I won." She murmured softly, as she leaned in closer to him.
"Looks like I did." He replied, his voice a low rumble as he moved in closer.
When their lips touched, the feeling he had solidified.
Mate.
He never once thought he would find one, just find someone he was fairly compatible with, and settle down with her. After Mona had found a mate in another lizard mybrid, he truly believed he would never find anyone. But just a few hours with this amazing little half-mybrid- a fox at that- and he knew he had found someone her wanted to spend forever with.
Heat rushed through his body as he pressed harder against her, and she pressed back until someone they didn't noticed bumped them apart.
"Want to head to my apartment? It's closer." His voice was a low growl in her ear, and Raphael could feel her shudder in pleasure.
"Yes." Was her only reply and he paid for the meal, and lead her from the bar, her small hand making circles on his lower shell. When they got to the door, he paused for a moment.
"Do you want this?" He had to make sure she wanted him, had to make sure she wouldn't reject him. She pushed him against his door, her mouth claiming his hungrily.
"I'm sure." She rumbled back, baring her slightly elongated canines. Raph got the door open, and they stumbled in, forgetting to lock it behind him.
The warm light of the sun woke Raphael gently the next morning. He stretched, feeling the tug of the mating mark on his shoulder. Turning to the warm body next to him, he felt the fur of his tail tickle his leg. He nuzzled her neck, licking the mark that he had placed on her neck. She stirred next to him, open her eyes. She yawned, curling up tighter to his plastron.
"Morning." She muttered, nuzzling him affectionately. She looked at him through her lashes. "Breakfast?" He laughed at the pleading tone in her voice, before his own stomach rumbled in hunger. Pulling himself from bed, he grabbed a pair of sweat pants from his drawer, and found a tee shirt and a pair of pants that Mona had left behind. April was a little bigger than Mona, but she had liked her stuff baggy, so they would do.
"I'll go start the coffee and you can get cleaned up." He tried to ignore the tug of his tail as she took the things he handed her. "There's towels in the bathroom." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"I won't be too long." She answered, and slipped into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Raphael went into the kitchen, and started the coffee before pulling things out of the fridge for breakfast.
The scrapple was frying nicely on the stove when she walked in, heading straight for the coffee. After added a little sugar and raiding the fridge for some milk, she sat down and looked around the room.
"Crazy last night, huh?" She asked casually, taking a sip from her mug. Raph pulled the last of the waffles from the toaster.
"That's one way to put it." He said, turning off the stove and moving the scrapple from the pan to the plates that already had the waffles and eggs waiting. She smiled broadly as he set a plate in front of her and took a seat. Digging into the food she made a happy squeaking sound, and a small feeling of pride that he made his mate happy with what he had.
"I never thought I'd end up with a mybrid, I have to admit." She put the eggs on top of her scrapple. "Not that it's a bad thing. I'm open to anyone really." She looked thoughtful over her coffee, then smiled. "But I'm glad I found you."
Raph leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He was about to return the sentiment when his phone rang. Running to the room, he grabbed it, making note it was Mikey who was calling.
"Hey bro, what's up?" He answered his younger brother as he moved back to the kitchen.
"Nothing much, just wanted to see how your date went." The older turtle looked over at April, who was refilling her coffee, and smiled.
"Best date ever. You guys might want to clean your calendars for dinner tonight, got something to tell you."