Chapter Text
It was a short walk to the pizza shop, but Mikey couldn't go alone.
It was raining, his orange hoodie dampened by the droplets as he shivered beneath pajama pants. He tucked his hands into the large front pocket of the hoodie, cold clammy fingers meeting and clasping each other. Beside him Raph walked quietly, splashing little puddles every once in a while towards Mikey’s direction by accident. His hood was up but his eyes were sharp, his hands itching toward his sai.
They began to cross a street, but car headlights flashed from the right. Raph’s hand gently reached out to hold onto Mikey’s arm, the part sticking out of his hoodie pocket, and Mikey stared at the quiet touch as the car stopped to let them pass. Raph was just doing his "big brother" thing. That's what Leo said. It was Raph’s job. It was like he had to or something.
The thought didn't stop Mikey from impatiently shrugging Raph’s hand off as he strode forward through the car's light. Raph finally followed, putting one hand in his own hoodie pocket. Mikey heard his lips part, the beginning of a "Be careful", he was sure of it. He'd heard it so often, and it was the right time for one too.
Training alone? "Be careful Mikey." Trying a new skateboard trick? "Be careful Mikey." Crossing the street? "Be careful Mikey." He wished Raph could say it some other way, at least just once.
But Raph just closed his mouth, smashing a hand into the door's push bar and holding it for Mikey while he walked through. The air shifted to complete, dry warmth, the slight scent of tomato and baking bread filling the air.
There were only a couple of others in the pizza shop, a couple sharing a meal and a younger man working fervently at a laptop. Raph strode towards the order counter and Mikey looked up at the man behind it. A messy mullet of black hair streaked down his shoulders and piercings decorated his nose and lips, clinking together when he asked, "What can I get you?"
Mikey looked to Raph, who cleared his throat. "We're picking up an order."
"Name?"
"Splinter."
The piercings clicked together again as his mouth moved. "It'll be about five minutes."
With nothing much else to do, and not wanting to be in the rain, Raph and Mikey stepped back to lean against the back wall, careful to keep their hoods pulled close to their faces.
Mikey lazily surveyed shop, eyes catching on a bright colored mural of a pizza slice decorating a far wall. He people-watched for a bit, noticing how the couple weren't eating their shared pizza. They both had their phones out, blank expressions illuminated by bright screens. Was their relationship alright? Mikey mourned the pizza, if anything; it was probably getting cold.
Beside him Raph pulled out his phone, the string keychain swinging against his red case slightly. Mikey studied its multicolored beads, remembering his own handiwork in making them for everyone. He pulled out his phone to look at his own keychain, but Raph flinched. Mikey looked up. "You okay, dude?"
Raph’s lovingly named raph-chasm deepened for a moment; he looked mildly embarrassed before he smiled, rubbing at his forehead as if conscious of the furrow.
"I'm fine, Mikey. Just a lil' jumpy." He assured, pocketing his phone. Mikey peered at him for a moment longer, hoping to pressure out further elaboration, but Raph gazed back out at the counter, stoic.
Mikey scrolled through his phone.
(Text-Chat-With: Leooooo)
L: psssst
L: mike
L: mmmikey
L: mikey mikey mikey
Mikey rolled his eyes, reading the timestamps and realizing he'd missed his brother’s earlier texts. He texted back:
[what?].
L: im bored
L: don left me to die
L: the jerk
Mikey held back a second eye roll, more intent on texting back.
[where'd he go?]
L: lab
L: im sooo bored pls tell me u got the pizza
L: i can't reach my comics
L: ugh
L: yeah i just tried its a no-go
Mikey couldn't help smiling even as he texted back the necessary scolding:
[STOP TRYING]
[YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE RESTING]
[just ask Dee to come help u??]
L: can't
L: i have PRIDE to uphold
...
L: so pizza?
Mikey was halfway through texting back when their name was called, and he hurriedly sent a misspelled [yeash] before following Raph back to the counter.