TMNT Raph X Reader: Trust
Summary: Raph’s confidence lies in his strength, now he’s asking you to trust it.
Request: Hey, can you please do 4 “Please don’t let me fall.” - “Never.” With Bayverse Raph and tiny reader, like there just bordering on 5’3. Please
Warnings: Maybe a curse word, heights = anxiety …mostly fluff.
“It’s not, you’ll be fine. I promise.”
“You won’t. Not while I’m here.”
You’re met with a piercing gaze as he kneels before you and for a split second you’re stunned. The molten gold within his eyes always seem to be ever moving, swirling in a captivating pattern that never fails to stop you in your tracks.
Raph’s hand reaches and grips yours, so callous but ever so gentle. He’s always gentle with you. Always careful.
“Do you trust me?” His words are soft, and you feel as though you’re actually left with a choice. He doesn’t demand a positive answer, there’s no pressure to tell him that you do.
But you do trust him. Of course you do.
“Yes,” you whisper, ignoring the tremor that runs through your body. His hand tightens over yours, as though he can soothe the fear coursing through your system with just his touch.
The cool wind pushes against you lightly, carressing the skin of your back beneath your shirt. The sound of late night traffic and the muted tones of apartment residents begin to fall away.
“You don’t have to,” Raph reassures, “I won’t make ya do this if it’ll really scare ya, shorty.”
You find yourself shaking your head, you want to be able to do this. You want to see what New York can offer other than smog and an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Raph can show you the city from his perspective, from a view that maybe no one else has had the privilege to experience.
“I want to do this,” you state, hoping that your words are resolute. In reality, they leave your mouth in a trembling whisper.
One side of his mouth quirks upwards and your heart trips over in your chest. The effect of him will never subside, you just know it.
“I’m with you every step of the way,” he tells you, rising to stand to his full height. The sheer size of Raph had been enough to intimidate you in the past, now it just floods you with a sense of awe. As though you’re witnessing the galaxy if it were within arms reach, you’re hit with the realization that there will always be more to this world. More to be amazed by.
The terrapin takes your hand and guides you to the ladder, watching you climb higher up the building before making his own way to the top. He had told you earlier that this was one of the highest points of New York, though you’re suprised by the lack of wind that usually comes with such heights.
“I’m going to cover your eyes,” Raph’s voice is husky from beside you. The heart in your chest argues against the idea, beating so wildly that you think he could hear it if he tried. With a small smile he takes a step towards you and you flinch, a loss of sight while thousands of feet high could never end well.
Raph pauses for a moment before moving behind you, his firm plastron pressing lightly against your back. You shiver and his hands trail down the length of your arms, though he doesn’t have much body heat to share.
“Please,” you trail off, unsure of what you’re asking. But he seems to know when he leans down and lays a kiss into your hair. He always knows you realize quietly.
“I got ya.” Then his hand is over your eyes and the darkness washes over you. You inhale sharply when he begins to walk you forward, one hand firmly gripping your shoulder to steady you. With the loss of one of your essential senses, you feel as though you’re flailing.
After a moment or two he stops you both, keeping you held against him when you mistime the halt and stumble. The sounds of the city beneath you are simply whispers carried along in the wind, curling around your ears and brushing against your face.
“I’m taking my hand away,” Raph warns softly, follwing through shortly after. For a moment you’re in awe when the world returns to you in bursts of colour and shapes.
Your breath leaves you in a terrified gasp, stumbling backwards from the ledge. You don’t get far, immediately stopped by Raph’s body behind you.
“It’s okay,” he quickly jumps to reassure you, “it’s alright. I got ya.”
“Fuck,” you rasp, reaching behind you to grip whatever you can reach. “Fuck, Raph…”
“Shorty,” he bends at the waist to speak in your ear. “Relax, it’s alright. I got ya.”
One of his hands rest on your waist, between your stomach and your side. The other arm lays across your collarbone, hands gripping a shoulder lightly but firm enough to comfort you.
“Please, don’t let me fall,” you whisper, heart thrashing wildly within your chest. This time, he can feel it beneath his arm and he pulls you closer until his body is pressed against you from behind.
“Never,” he promises, stroking his hand over your shoulder for a brief moment. “Look down, shorty.”
At his softly spoken invite, you obey.
With a sharp inhale, you focus on taking in the world below. Lights and miniature structures, cars that look like ants and air that is fresh and crisp.
As the city sparkles beneath you with new colours, you realise how small the overwhelming city actually is. Just this once, you feel as though you’re on top of the world, looking down on a society that absorbs the individual wholly.
Up here, you are yourself again. It’s as though you are your own person, with hopes and dreams that are valid and achievable. Your thoughts are your own, no longer dictated and monitored by the bustling hive beneath you.
When you hear Raph sigh behind you, you realize that he’s experiencing the same euphoric moment.
This is why he’s brought you here. He knows he can’t give you things that a human partner could. It’s something he struggles to accept with every waking day. You know that he’s given you so much more than he feels, experiences and a love that envelops you wholly. No matter your reassurances, you know that what he feels he’s lacking in is what fuels his insecurity and self-loathing.
But now… now he’s embraced vulnerability and given you a glimpse into his soul.
More than that, he’s given you the opportunity to rediscover yours.
