Crazy

Rated: T

Summary: Maybe he was crazy or just imagining it; or maybe he was in way over his head. After all, how could the beautiful reporter ever fall in love with him? Fate just wasn't that kind - but maybe this time, fate would prove him wrong. 2k14-2016 Raphril.

I got this idea last night and just had to get it on paper. I finished a page and the mojo of seeing the new trailer for the TMNT 2016 movie had me finish the first chapter. Hope y'all enjoy as I try and tackle my otp of otp's, 2k14 universe, Raphril.

It's been months since they met for what seemed to be a lifetime ago. For some reason, Raphael was having a hard time remembering life before her. That dreaded existence before he learned the name, April O'Neil. A time before her steel blue eyes and auburn hair that always smelt so damn good became part of his everyday existence on this planet.

It was his dreaded secret, his muse, his obscure obsession.

Raphael was in love with April O'Neil.

He finally admitted that small detail to himself only weeks after knowing of her name. Maybe he was imagining it. Whether it be her touches that lasted a second too long or her eyes always seeking out his even in a room with his brothers and Splinter. Maybe it was her always calling and texting him when her contact with his brothers was minimal. Perhaps it was her always inviting him over to watch movies or just to hang out - whatever this was that was happening - it was sure to make him completely mental.

The giant red-banded terrapin sighed as he glanced back down at the tiny cellular device in his hands. He always questioned Donnie's propensity for making their mobile phones so fucking tiny when his fingers were abnormally giant and thick to even get the numbers right most of the time. He never told or faulted Donnie though. He just made due with what his genius brother provided him - no questions asked.

"You free tonite?" the words spelled out but Raph was still sitting where he'd been twenty minutes ago. Doing nothing but staring at the text the beautiful April had sent him.

It was pathetic really.

The way his heart hammered and palms itched whenever he struggled to come up with the words to say back - not to mention his stomach lined with knots whenever he was in her mere presence. It was enough to drive him mad.

Raphael swore she was just doing it to torture him.

"Yeah." he finally text in response; sending it before he could change his mind.

Now he would wait patiently for her to write back. The anxiety burrowing deep inside his chest eating away at him as he went over his last message to her. Hoping he didn't sound completely desperate or needy. That's the last thing Raphael wanted to portray.

His phone beeped in signaling her response and he almost swallowed his tongue.

"Great! Do you wanna come over and hang out? I got a new movie you might like. Let me know asap. :-)" The smiley face. Always with the smiley face. His heart pounded against his sternum as he read her text over and over. Shaking his head at his own stupidity over this whole situation. After all, she was more than likely just bored/lonely and he was the best candidate for company. Donnie would just go on and on over some project he was working on, Leo's anal-retentiveness usually rubbed her the wrong way especially when ol' Fearless started criticizing her housework, and Mikey...was Mikey - destructive, loud, and flirtatious; truth be told, there was only so much someone could handle. Raph, on the other hand, was quiet, but would converse if asked, cleaned up after himself, had her same dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and April seemed to think he was good company...but any good feeling he got from thinking that fell to the wayside when another thought crossed his mind...

Casey must be busy... He grumbled internally. Yeah, Casey Fuckin' Jones came out of fucking nowhere all damn bad boy hot and shit and making April smile and giggle like some rabid schoolgirl. It made his blood boil at how easy they became friends. Casey's smooth charms and confidence only made Raph's insecurities more illuminated. His plastron ached the more he thought about how little of a chance he ever actually stood to even gain her attention - gain this beautiful girl's friendship when someone like Casey Jones was there. A human. Attractive, heroic, dumb as a damn brick sometimes, but could be just as charming as Mikey if he wanted to be. It was Casey who could take April out without inciting a riot. It made Raphael fucking sick...

"Sure. What time should I be there?" he quickly text back before he could talk himself out of it. He figured less time she spend with Casey the better. After all, they were still just friends it seemed. If they were dating, Raph would have heard it from Mikey since him and April tended to gossip about everything. But no news on that yet...

But what's the fuckin' point? They'll end up together anyway... Raph groaned internally as he stared at the annoyingly bright 'SENT' message his phone chirped. He threw the small device on the bed next to him and put his rough face into his hands as he tried and calm his breathing. With his eyes closed, he easily saw her face in his mind's eye. That perfect heart-shaped face with those big blue eyes and dusty pink lips all surrounded by bouncing waves of auburn silk. He saw her so perfectly, all those pretty white teeth smiling at him at some joke that caused her such soft breathy laughter. Raphael never believed in his wildest dreams that anyone could look upon a freak like him like that...not how she did.

His eyes burned fiercely as his heart groaned in his chest. He hated how he was under the reporter's spell. How easily he bent to her whim and would do fucking anything just to see that smile light up her face. If love was such an amazing feeling - why did it hurt so bad? In the logical part of his brain, he knew he should just cut it off. Just make it his goal not to see her anymore. Like a blood-crusted band-aid; just rip it off and be done with it. It would hurt like hell to not see her, smell her, or touch her, but it would hurt much less in the long run if he kept up this charade - where eventually, his beating heart would be brutally ripped out from his chest..

Raphael lifted his head upon hearing his phone suddenly chirp. Quickly picking it up in his huge fingers, he read her response.

"The sooner, the better. I got us some take-out. Hope you're hungry. See you soon. ;-)" he read and he swallowed down the lump that suddenly clogged his throat when he saw the winking emoticon.

"Be right there." he wrote out and sent back.

He angrily threw the phone on the bed next to him and groaned verbally into his hands,

"Dammit...maybe I am just fuckin' crazy..."