Chapter 19

I was nestled in a warm cocoon. I hadn't had such peaceful sleep since before my mom died. I opened my eyes to see Raph still sleeping, snoring softly under me. My leg was thrown over his as I was tucked compactly into his side, his arm snaked around my waist lazily as he slept. I savored this moment, where he couldn't see how vulnerable I was and how much I was enjoying him and I wrapped up in bed. I couldn't remember the last time I stayed in a guy's bed after we'd slept together. I slowly slid out of his embrace and pulled my jeans on. When I ducked out of his room, Mikey was just coming out of the bathroom. We locked eyes and I knew I was caught. He grinned and I ran my hands across my mouth in a zip-it motion. I jogged down the stairs and thanked my lucky stars Leo and Donnie weren't up yet. Someone, somewhere, was looking down on me this morning. I started a pot of coffee and grabbed a change of clothes from my duffel bag, going to the bathroom to change. I was just pouring a cup of coffee when Donnie joined Mikey and I in the kitchen. "Good morning." He said groggily. "It's certainly is, isn't it? Don't you think so Miya?" Mikey asked cheerfully.I gave him a scathing look, but it only fueled his mischievousness.Someone had warmed up to the idea that Raph and I were fraternizing. Donnie turned his back to us and I smacked Mikey on the back of the head lightly.He chuckled and got up to pour himself a bowl of cereal.  Raph walked into the kitchen and I couldn't help the smile that broke on my face that I tried to hide by taking a drink from my mug. It was rare to see Raphael in such a good, that fact that I was the cause making me nauseatingly giddy. He winked at me when no one was looking and I felt like a girl with her first crush. "Hey, did anyone hear that banging last night?" Leo asked walking in the kitchen and joining the party.I felt like I had 'I'm fucking your brother' on my forehead and shook my head quickly. "Banging you say?" Mikey said with mock astonishment. "Did you hear anything Raph?" Raph choked on his coffee and smacked himself wildly in the chest. "I didn't hear anything." Donnie said looking confused."I swear I heard something. It sounded like someone was pounding on the walls." My cheeks flushed and I had to turn away to hide the horrified look on my face."Leo, the walls are concrete. That's almost impossible that you'd hear it if someone was hypothetically banging on the wall." I couldn't take it, it was torture. Visions of being completely ravaged by Raph assaulted my mind and to my horror I felt the stirrings of arousal. They continued their debate like conversation and Raph leaned across the table to where Mikey was shoveling down cereal."I will kill you." He whispered to his younger brother threateningly.I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing. This whole thing was absurd at this point. Me, Raph, my newfound abandon for protecting my heart. "I'm gonna go shower." I said excusing myself.Raph gave me a look with raised eyebrows and I rolled my eyes at him. I was halfway to the stairs, grinning like an idiot when the lair door opened and Casey walked in.I froze at the sight of him, my smile vanishing as my brain tried to catch up with what my eyes were seeing. He had thinned in the last two weeks, his face was scraggly and he had cuts and bruises all over him. "Casey!" I cried running to him and throwing my arms around his shoulders. He grunted at the impact but hugged me back, burying his face in my hair. Tears ran down my cheeks and I hugged him so hard he had to tell me to go easy.The turtles gathered around us and Casey and I were crushed by four pairs of arms in a group hug. I let go and nudged my way out of the tangle of limbs wiping the tears from my face. Raph clapped him into a hug and I could see he was holding back tears of his own."I knew you'd make it back." He said pulling away to look him over."It was a close call." Casey said, his voice sounding rough and hoarse. "How are you here? What happened?" I asked holding my hands to my chest as my heart palpitated as if it couldn't comprehend the horror was over and he was really back. We sat at the kitchen table and Casey had his first real meal in a while. He told us how he was captured. The mercenaries weren't fond of Americans, and when they crossed over into their territory they felt they had the right to take them for trespassing. The artifacts belonged to the country but were across the border of control. They had assured Casey and his team of their safety, obviously that hadn't been the case.He managed to survive by making friends with a few of the militia and they ended up smuggling him out on one of the shipments in return for finding the artifacts he had been hired to find and handing them over to the mercs. From there he had to get himself to the closest city with an airport.When he saw I wasn't at his place, he came straight here. "Jesus Casey." Raph said shaking his head."All I want to do is take a shower, shave, and sleep for a week." He said chuckling."Let's get you home. Let me get my stuff." I said getting up and gathering my clothes."Thank you guys for taking such good care of her. I knew I could trust you." I heard him say. I paused with my duffle halfway on my shoulder and couldn't help but look at Raph, my heart twisting painfully. He had a gut-wrenching look on his face. Guilt.When Casey turned to him it melted into a forced smirk and he gave him one last hug while I walked quickly for the door. "Come on Miya." Casey said pulling the door open for me.   I glanced back at Raph as I walked out to find he was watching me too, looking so splintered it hurt.Where did this leave us now that Casey was back?