Did We Just…?

About this story: Based on a dream I had on 4-22-2006 (party scene). In my storylines of the TMNT, I'll say it happens on 12-31-06 and 1-1-07 (New Year's Eve and Day 2007), when the TMNT would've still been 22. Raph and Don have hangovers the morning after a party, and regret drinking—not just because of the hangover, but because of another "side effect"—causing them to reach a new complicated level in their relationship. Rated M (R), for the "adult themes" of slash/gayness/yaoi/Turtlecest or whatever you wanna call it, as well as drinking and partying. Though I would actually describe this story as more of a humorous story than a romantic story. One of the chapters is even NC-17, for the love scene, and I will provide chapter warnings as well. Don't like? Don't read! Be warned…

Warnings about this chapter: PG-13 for vomiting and references to drinking/partying.

Pairings: Raph/Don

"BLECK!"

Raph sniffled and spit as his knuckles turned whiter while gripping the toilet seat. It hurt to lift his head, and it hurt to vomit. He was anything but comfortable kneeling on the bathroom floor, but somewhat grateful he had made it there before throwing up.

"Feeling better, yet?" Leo patted Raph on the shell when he noticed Raph was still for a few seconds.

Raph rolled his throbbing head to rest on his right arm so that he could look up at his big brother. "What kinda question is that?"

"Yeah, it's a stupid question, I know…" Leo admitted. "I guess I mean 'Are you done'?"

"I think so…" Raph sighed through his burning, scratchy throat.

"Ready for a drink of water? Or some crackers before I help you back into bed?"

Raph paused for a moment as Leo helped him onto his feet. "OK. I wanna get this gross taste outta my mouth, and something for this headache."

"OK, Raph, we'll trade spots so you can get to the sink. And I'll help you clean up the mess. Oh, yeah, and I'll see if there's something in the medicine cabinet for your headache." Leo rummaged through the medicine cabinet behind the mirror. "Oh, I found a bottle of Tylenol back here! Oh, never mind, it expired in 1991. That won't do us any good."

"Leo…" Raph mumbled.

Leo looked back at Raph, and gave him a comforting pat on the arm. "How about I just help you back into bed with a glass of water. I can check Casey and April's bathroom for anything else. If that still fails, I can get you a cold pack for your head or something."

"Sounds fine."

Leo put his arm around Raph's shoulders and led him out of the bathroom. As they made their way down the hall and to the room the Turtles shared at the Jones' farmhouse, they almost bumped into Don.

"Sorry, Donnie." Leo apologized. "Just helping Raph back into bed for a while. Great way to start the New Year, with a sick brother…"

Don was holding his head. "I'm not exactly feeling great, either. I'm just gonna try to get a drink and find something for my headache."

"You might try either the master bathroom or the kitchen, there's nothing in the hallway bathroom." Leo informed.

As Leo spoke, he didn't notice that Raph and Don both looked at each other around their throbbing headaches. As soon as they made eye contact, they both blushed and awkwardly looked away.

Leo and Raph made their way into the Turtles' shared bedroom. Don headed down the hallway, shaking his head.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt very awkward around Raph this morning. "Are we mad at each other? Why are we not talking?" Don wondered. He tried to remember the last time he and Raph talked. "Did we have an argument? I wish I could remember, since trying to think about it hurts my head even more…"

"Morning, Donnie!" April's voice said.

Don snapped out of his thought, and looked in the direction he heard April. He saw her sitting on the edge of the foot of the bed in the master bedroom. She was in her robe, pajamas, and house shoes, and she had her open laptop balanced on her knees. Her laptop was running out of room on her lap, since she was almost seven months pregnant.

Don returned the greeting, "Morning, April."

"Are you feeling, OK, Donnie?" April asked, concerned.

Don rubbed his eyes. "Just a headache, with some nausea…"

"Well, I have some Tylenol on our dresser over there." She pointed.

"Good, because Raph needs some, too." Leo ran up from behind Donnie to retrieve the bottle.

Don rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. The surprise of unexpectedly hearing Leo's voice made his head hurt more. He wandered over to the dresser as Leo was dumping pills into his hand.

"Here you go, Donnie." Leo handed two of them to Don before he left the room.

Don turned towards the master bathroom to get some water from the sink to swallow the pills.

As he came out of the bathroom, April smiled at him and said, "Seems like you had a lot of fun at last night's party…"

"What?" Don looked confused.

"Well, the last time I saw you at the party, you and Raph were watching some football game at the bar before you disappeared with a bunch of college kids, then we didn't find you again until we had to leave. Casey said he bought drinks for you, and now it looks like you guys are having hangovers. I've also been looking at uploaded pictures from the party, and it looks like you are having fun in most of them."

Donnie sat down beside her to look at the images on her laptop screen. There was a pic taken of himself and Raph sitting at a bar, toasting with champagne glasses.

"Casey took that one, I think."

Don laughed, despite the headache. "I don't normally drink…"

April laughed, "Me neither, especially not in the past six months. But I've had drinks at some special occasions—I'm from an Irish family. How was the vodka-spiked champagne they served last night?"

"I enjoyed it at the time." Don admitted, "But I don't mind waiting several months or years before having another. I just can't get past this headache…"

April clicked a few buttons on her keyboard and showed Don some of the other pictures. Many of them were of her dancing with Casey, or with Mikey or Leo. Some were even of Mikey and Leo dancing with each other.

"Awww, they make such a cute couple!" Donnie laughed.

"I think they're imitating the previous pics of Casey and me. See how Mikey is even trying to stick his stomach out, so that he looks pregnant?"

"Oh, my…" Don shrugged, "What would their kid look like?"

April looked through more photos. One had Splinter sitting on a couch watching the Times Square party on a big screen TV. "Even Splinter made some friends at the party. There's even a later pic in here of him dancing with this same lady who is on the couch next to him."

"Do I have a new step-mom I don't know about yet?" Don smiled.

April laughed, "No, nothing to worry about. We did get to meet her, though, and she seemed nice. I don't know if Splinter kept her number or anything…"

She flipped through more photos. One of them was of a bunch of people on the second floor, looking down from the balcony railing. "And there's the last time we saw you and Raph before the countdown. I suppose you guys walked around somewhere with the rest of these college kids or something…"

"Yeah, I remember that, now." Don said, "We played some game of hide-and-seek so we could explore the bed and breakfast."

April flipped through more photos. These were of the countdown, and then when confetti went everywhere announcing it was 2007. Several more pictures flew by of the Turtle family and the Jones family on the dance floor celebrating the New Year. Finally, they came to a photo of Don and Raph stumbling out of a linen closet holding their belts and champagne glasses, each beaded with spilled champagne down their plastrons.

"There you are, again! I remember giving the camera to Mikey so he could get some pics of the second floor and stuff." April remembered. She looked over at Donnie, who looked very confused and lost in thought by now.

"Donnie?" She waved her hand in front of his face, but he appeared zoned out.

"…Donnie? …Donnie?"