[OOM: The Roof]

[mnt_raph]

*It's been close to two weeks since Raphael scaled the back wall of Milliways leaving a trail of blood behind him.
Nearly two weeks and his ribs still hurt and his jaw still aches.
Nearly two weeks and the stitches still aren't ready to come out.
Nearly two weeks and the yellow tinge of healing bruises still remains.

And even though he's remarkably more mobile than he was when he climbed up, he still has yet to climb down.
All posturing aside, Raph is afraid.
Something waits for him.
He doesn't know what, but he's almost positive he can hear it growl in the dark.

It's all coming apart at the seams.

...

Happy Birthday Raphael.
You've some how managed to fuck up more than last year.*

Comments

[mnt_mike]

Mike stands in front of the door, hand poised and ready to knock...if only he could find the strength to do so.

He has no idea what he's going to say when the door opens.
If the door opens.

He knows it won't open.

He's sure that despite the bright lights and the blaring music inside the tent, that his brother knows he's there. If Raph hasn't shouted or opened the door by now, he won't.

Something tells Mike that, "Happy birthday" just isn't going to cut it.

Soundlessly he places a green Tupperware container in front of the door, and leaves.

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

April almost tripped over the Tupperware on her way inside. She didn't deliberate about knocking, you see. She had business, and birthday or not, she was going to see to it.

Frowning down at the container, she sighed, knowing where it had come from well enough. Silently, she picked it up and then pushed her way inside.

She wished she had better tidings.

[mnt_raph]

*The lights are on, the music plays, and yet it appears as if no one is home.

Someone is hiding.*

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

The music is loud. So loud, in fact, that April hollaring in an attempt to draw him out might not even be heard. Spotting the radio on the kitchen counter, she crossed to it and after a moment's inspection, found the off switch. The Tupperware was plunked down onto the counter beside the now-silent contraption, and she turned, quickly scanning the room before leaning back against the breakfast bar with a slow sigh.

"You might as well come out, you know," she remarked to the room in general. "Save us both some time."

[mnt_raph]

*A groan comes from the direction of the bathroom.

The music wasn't just entertaining, it was helping Raph hide. It's not easy to hide close to the ceiling when you're recovering from an injury, never mind several injuries.

The groan is very quickly followed by a loud thump as Raph comes crashing down into the bathtub.*

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

When she reached the bathroom, she stopped to lean against the doorframe, an eyebrow arched.

"Why are you hiding from me, anyway?" she asked, as if he had purposely revealed himself and they were having a normal conversation.

[mnt_raph]

ow.

*He is ever so thankful that the shower curtain is obscuring him from view.*

someone was tryin' to be quiet. figured was safer to hide...

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

"Come out here and let me look at you."

Her tone wasn't especially stern or demanding. More weary than anything else. She hated that she'd not seen him in almost a month, and it had to be tainted with... well.

She shouldn't have left. She knew that now.

[mnt_raph]

*Crap. Crap crap crappity crap.
After a long moment's hesitation, Raph pulls back the shower curtain. He's...well, he's looked worse. The whole left side of his face is one large healing yellow bruise. There's a railroad of black thread making its way up his left forearm, and that's just what she can see.*

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

April stood motionless for a long moment, simply staring at him. At length, she turned and walked out of the bathroom, stopping several feet away.

Breathe. That is what you're going to do right now. Just breathe.

Her hands were shaking, and not with fear. It was taking everything she had to keep herself from wanting to kill Melaka Fray just then. April knew she didn't have the entire story. Knew that much of it was likely Raphael's fault. Yet, she'd never exactly been the queen of rationality, and this was Raph, god damn it.

Slowly, she uncurled her fingers, not even realizing they'd been in fists.

"Raphael."

[mnt_raph]

yeah, april.

*Very very carefully Raph begins to ease himself out of the tub. The landing, a necessary evil because of his arm and leg, did not go so well with his ribs.

Barefoot, and clad in just shorts and a tanktop, he leans against the doorframe to the bathroom.*

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

"Explain."

One word. That was it. She'd not even turned around. Was quite possibly afraid to yet.

[mnt_raph]

*Raph does what any guy in this situation would do....he lies through his teeth.*

tried to take on the tree again. lost. end o' story.

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

"You know," April replied, the words clipped. "There's this funny thing about assuming that when someone claims to love you, they won't lie to you."

She turned, and if it hurt her to look at him, she didn't show it, instead simply fixing him in a steady gaze.

"I know who did it, and I know why. So now you're going to cut the crap and tell me what really happened, and you're not going to lie to me again, because I don't fucking deserve that."

She wanted to go to him. To pull him into her arms just to feel him there. To reassure herself. But she couldn't move.

[mnt_raph]

*He knows that tone all too well. There is no getting out of this. Not alive anyway. One thing he does know, is that he has to get out of the range of her death glare. Averting his eyes, he pads over towards the kitchette where there's a beer in the fridge with his name on it.*

had an arguement. ended in a fight. that's all.

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

"An argument because he knows. Right?" April's eyes tracked him as he walked across the room, but she didn't make any move to try and close the distance between them. She wasn't really sure why she was asking a question she knew the answer to already.

Sighing, she added, "Get one for me, too."

[mnt_raph]

*He pales. The bottle slips between his fingers and falls to the floor in a pretty spectacular crash.*

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

Shit.

April was by his side in an instant, shouldering him out of the way of the broken glass. "You, go sit down. I'll get the beer. And then we're going to talk about this, and we're going to be calm, and it's going to be okay, do you understand me?"

Seeing as how she didn't sound very calm, she probably wasn't very confidence-inspiring.

[mnt_raph]

*Snippets of arguement begin to play out in his head as fumbles towards his bed.


"Look, you better come upstairs sometime. Jus'... get it sorted. This can't go on."
"I'll give you guys space. But jus'...It's killin' him."
"HE KNOWS!" she snaps, with the part of herself not drowned out by the ringing. "YOUR LITTLE WITCH FRIEND TOLD HIM!"*

'm gonna be...

*He bolts for the bathroom.*

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

Oh, no no no!

"Raphael!" April ran after him, narrowly avoiding slipping on the spilled beer. "Fuck!" she hissed as her elbow collided with the edge of the breakfast bar in her haste.

"Why are you running from m- Oh." April winced as she skidded to a halt in the bathroom. "Oh, baby." She wanted to touch him, to comfort him in some way, but was afraid to. Instead she reached for a hand towel and held it out to him.

"It's not as bad as it seems," she offered, but her hands were shaking again.

[mnt_raph]

*When April reaches him he is already crumpled on the floor next to the toilet. One part poor reaction to earth shattering news, another part broken ribs reacting poorly to involuntary muscle contraction.

His mind is swimming. His vision spinning. And he wishes in this moment that Mel had aimed true.

So of course the only logical response he could possibly have...*

th'nk god for self cleanin' tents...

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

Done with futile resistance, April sunk to the floor beside him and pushed his hair from his face. "I thought you knew," she whispered. "Isn't that why you fought?"

[mnt_raph]

*Raph rests his head on the side of the bowl.*

i don' remember. she jus'...so angry. then the world went red....

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

So Mel had started it. April frowned.

"It's okay, baby," she soothed, petting back his hair. "I'm sorry." Sorry for what she didn't specify. Mostly, for not being there.

"I don't think he knows, not really. I talked to him. I didn't tell him." She'd not mention that Mikey had about broken her heart, and that she was still afraid for him.

[mnt_raph]

*He doesn't want to know, but the question slips out before he can stop it.*

what'd he say?