[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

[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?

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

"He apologized for breaking the waffler." April sighed, pushing her tangle of hair from her face. "When he told me what had happened, he didn't sound like he believed it. I told him-" She hesitated, wondering whether it was wise to continue.

"I told him you wouldn't ever purposely hurt him."

[mnt_raph]

thought we weren't 'sposed to lie.

*Comes the timid response, just barely above a whisper.*

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

"It's not a lie. You weren't yourself." Her tone left little room for argument.

She hesitated, and then asked, quieter, "Look at me?"

[mnt_raph]

*Raph takes a deep breath, or rather he tries to and cringes, before tilting his head up towards her.*

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

"Hi, Mister." April managed a smile, oh-so faint, and silently swore that she would not cry even though he looked like he'd been hit by a semi.

"I'm sorry. I didn't- I didn't know."

[mnt_raph]

makes two of us.

*Ever the gentlemen, he sits up slightly and spits into the toilet. Stoic nothing wrong here face firmly now firmly in place...*

you a'right?

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

"Fine, of course," April replied, as if it was of little consequence. "I'm sorry I wasn't here. It was stupid of me, I just... I lost track of time. Won't do it again."

She reached for his closest hand and clasped her own over it. "I love you, Raph," she asserted, worried that he might have forgotten.

[mnt_raph]

that's on account o' you bein' a glutton for punishment.

*Which from any other person might not seem nearly as endearing. He shifts in such a way as to free up his other hand, which he uses to give April a comforting pat.*

[the-damsel.livejournal.com]

"Probably so."

She wanted to tell him it would all be okay. That she would find a way to make it better. But they'd already covered the whole "not lying to people you love" thing.