"Eh, 'an I?" his gruff voice muttered from beside April from where she sat on their pizza box couch. Caught in the middle of a brush stroke, the young woman took only a moment to decipher what was being asked and exactly who was doing the asking. As shocking as it was for the gruffest of her new turtle friends to ask to do something as mundane as comb her hair, that still didn't stop the fluttering in her stomach.

Her blue eyes met his burnished gold for only a second before a smile easily arose on her face before she handed the bright red brush handle-first over to his large three fingered hands. The brush was taken almost timidly from her petite fingers before she completely turned her back to the turtle in the red mask.

April sat stiffly for a moment not sure quite what to expect his next move to be.

A few moments passed in tense silence. Little did April know Raphael didn't even realize the words had left his mouth til' he was watching her handing the brush to him.

Now that he held this tiny piece of red painted wood with numerous plastic spikes in a neat oval on one side did he realize exactly what he had done.

It wasn't his fault.

He was a giant mutant turtle who lived his whole life in the sewers – he only seem passing glances at real humans and the only other contact was on television or magazines. It was a completely different experience to have a human woman – gorgeous one at that – sitting next to you.

It didn't take Donnie to point out the differences between the two species. He had green skin, scales, massive bulk, only three fingers on each hand and only two toes on each foot. She had smooth porcelain flesh, soft curves, small frame, and that HAIR. God, that hair….

Seeing her brushing it so casually when all it made him want to do was scream in frustration and press her as tightly against him as possible just to give him the chance to breathe in the smell of that luxurious mane.

So, no, it was totally her fault.

He was brought out of his thoughts by her soft sigh.

"Still alive back there?" she quipped.

"Yea. Jus' a minute." he muttered back.

He heard her chuckle softly before he watched her stand up and walk directly in front of where he sat. At this angle, she met his eyes and it was more than a little daunting locking eyes with her. He wondered vaguely if she could hear what he was thinking.

What really took him by surprise though was her laying her hands on his knees and gently pushing as if he wanted him to open them.

Still completely in shock – he let her.

A second later, she sat between his legs with her back ramrod straight.

Raphael swallowed stiffly, trying to recall how to breath.

"Just run the brush through. Think you can handle that, big guy?" she said with a painfully obvious raspiness to her voice, making his throat close up and sweat begin to accumulate on his forehead.

"Yea." he muttered. Desperate to keep his mind occupied, he lifted the brush and gently laid it against the back of her head and dragging it down slowly. He watched, completely mesmerized as the brush glided through the thousands if not millions of tiny strands, separating them like soft silky water.

He was already addicted.

His instincts took over and his confidence grew as he continued. Before he realized it, his fingers had joined in and he lifted a large portion of it off her shoulder and held it in his hands. He couldn't help but allow the silky strands to caress his calloused fingers. As he brushed it out, he felt his mouth tipping up in the corners as he continued this glorious task.

April sat motionless, not trusting herself to speak or do much else. She allowed herself to rest her palm against his left knee as he continued to brush her hair. Who knew something so simple – so normal could make her scalp tingle whenever he ghosted over it with his large fingers, or feeling his warm breath along the back of her neck whenever her hair was lifted. The hairs on her arms stood up and the goose flesh rose on her body.

The act was so intimate, so sensual, it was driving her crazy and she never wanted to to stop. She felt the blush rise on her cheeks and lowered her face slightly hoping Raphael wouldn't happen to notice. She finally just closed her eyes and just become enraptured with the gentle feel of his fingers threading through her hair and occasionally brushing along the back of her neck. She bit her lip and made a closed fist on her right hand still at her side trying her hardest not to let out a moan or whimper at his gentle ministrations.

All too soon, the silence was interrupted by Mikey, who was generous enough to voice his appearance before stepping foot in the living room. Before she realized what happened, Raphael was standing up beside her and her red hairbrush was back in her hand. She gazed up at him and was about to voice her displeasure of him ceasing his brushing, but hearing Michaelangelo's "Angel Cake!" made her tongue halt in her mouth.

She gave the youngest turtle an easy smile, careful to notice Raphael's departure to the workout room. Knowing he was about to wail into a punching bag most likely picturing Mikey's face, she knew she had to be quick.

"Hey, Raph?" she said, hoping the over-eagerness in her voice wasn't too obvious.

"Hn?"he muttered, looking back over the expanse of his massive shoulder.

"Same time tomorrow?" she said, a secret smile gracing her lips.

He just gave her that cocky grin and a stiff nod before turning to Mikey and flashing him a look before leaving the room.

"What was that about, girl?" Mikey asked, plopping himself down on the couch next to her, the remote already in his hand.

The smile never wavering from her face, she just said innocently, "Nothing."

That seemed to appease the younger turtle who just started to converse about his day and crack jokes almost immediately. She gave him an easy smile, encouraging him to continue. Feeling slightly guilty about half listening, she couldn't stop thinking about Raphael's hands in her hair, his breath on her skin, and just the thought made her clutch the red hairbrush a little tighter in full anticipation of tomorrow.