It was lovely autumn day with gentle breeze. Raphael and Leonardo were outside enjoying the weather while raking leaves in their own piles. However, there came times when brothers couldn’t help themselves. Laughing they started to throw leaves at each other, even pushing each other in the piles of leaves – ending up chasing each other.

April smiled as she watched 2 brothers through the window.

“It was most wonderful idea to come here to spend some time outside the lair.” Master Splinter said as he smiled to April, bowing to her slightly from his seat. “Thank you for inviting us.”

“Oh, Splinter! No need to thank me! Of course I invited you all. We are family.”

Looking at Mikey and Don, who were sitting in front the fireplace adding more woods in, April chuckled. “Besides it seems that you guys really needed some warmth.”

“Fire warms so much more nicer than anything else.” Mikey said over his shoulder, turning to look Donatello with a grin.

“No.” Don said even without looking his brother.

“But I didn’t say a thing yet!”

“You didn’t need to. Your face told it all. It’s no.”

“Awwwhh, but Donnie…! We could use a fireplace too.”

“First of all where we could place it? Secondly we would need to build it. Thirdly we don’t have money for it. Fourthly we would need to build flue too. But where we could pull it so that the smoke from the woods wouldn’t appear on the streets? People would start to search the source for it, finding us.”

Mikey opened his mouth while raising his finger, but Donatello wasn’t done yet. “Besides the wood. Where would we get them? Hm? They are not free and during winter we would need a lot of them. Warming fireplace once a day plenty enough to keep the whole lair warm doesn’t come cheap. It needs lots of woods.”

Lowering his hand Michelangelo turned to look April who shook her head, Don stating out her thoughts. “We are not taking hers. She and Casey need them here themselves.”

Mikey moaned as he collapsed to sit heavily forward, pouting. April understood young turtle since she, too, loved their big fireplace and it was a great source of warmth. Turning to look through the window again April smiled softly as she found out Casey had joined the two oldest brothers, now rolling with them in the leaves. Boys…

**

Despite some interference during raking Raphael and Leonardo managed to clean the front yard from leaves. There was a hole a bit further from the yard where some leaves were taken to be burned. Some April wanted to save and place near the forest for hedgehogs to sleep in. Brothers, in the late evening / early night, stood side by side watching them burn, enjoying the warmth in this moist and cold weather. Light behind the windows made Leonardo smile as he looked the farmhouse. It was heart warming to watch it, seeing his siblings, father, April and Casey laugh. Times like these were rare in their lives so they, always, tried to make the most of it.

“Ya cold?” Raphael asked as he stepped next to his brother.

“No. Just watching them and feeling happy for their happiness.”

“Ya wanna go in and join them?”

“Not yet.” Taking deep inhale of cool night air Leonardo enjoyed the scent which lingered in the air. It was sweet in a way, fresh, calming, hinting that winter is coming. Exhaling a faint cloud of mist formed in the air. Temperature was really dropping.

“Ya sure ya ain’t cold?”

“I’m fine.”

“There’s goosebumps on yer arm.”

Leonardo chuckled slightly to himself, rubbing his arms. He was feeling slightly cold, but it was okay. He liked it. It made him feel alive, despite the fact he hated… No. Didn’t like cold all that much. Looking up at the sky Leonardo smiled when he noticed many stars had appeared on the dark sky already.

“Come.” He said with soft voice taking hold on Raphael’s hand, escorting him on the dark backyard where no lights from inside the house shined. Bravely Leonardo laid on his shell on the moist and cold crass, looking up at the stars. They calmed his very being – and he loved that.

Laying next to him Raphael cursed silently when the coldness of the ground hit him. This made Leonardo chuckle but neither of them said a word in a long time, just laying next to each other, looking at the stars.

“You know, Raphael… As much as I love New York and life in the city, I wouldn’t mind living like this either. Here at the country side.”

“Ya really wouldn’t miss the city?”

“I’m sure I would, but having this peacefulness and quietness. This natural beauty which you can’t see in the city. I would love this.”

“I think I wouldn’t be able ta live here.”

“How come?” Leonardo asked while turning to look at his brother’s profile under the moonlight.

“There’s no asses ta kick.”

Leonardo laughed warmly. “Well, when you are old you can move here to live. After all I’m sure your legs won’t get high enough to deliver any kind of kicks when you have age enough on your shoulders.”

Raphael wasn’t exactly laughing when he turned to look Leonardo who snickered beside him.

“Well, I can’t see ya delivering any kicks either. Actually I think ya would be using rollator to move around.”

Leonardo stopped snickering as he burst to laugh hard towards the sky, his hands resting on his stomach. Leonardo’s laugh had that something which made Raphael laugh too – plus the image of old Leonardo with rollator. Neither of them didn’t know why it was so funny, but they didn’t mind since it made them laugh so much – and they liked it. Plus their laughs echoed beautifully in the calm night.

Leonardo was still chuckling and gasping for air as he wiped his eyes from tears, Raphael sitting up long time ago to lean on his bend knees, wiping away his own tears.

“Have I ever told you I love your humor?” Leonardo finally managed to say.

“Ya have now.” Brothers chuckled again, Raphael laying back down on the grass. They were silent for a long time again, watching the stars and milky way which had appeared on the sky now too.

“Imagine, Raphael. All that what we are now looking is space. Not sky, but space. We are living on a planet called Earth which just floats in space. Endless space which just keeps expanding. And then all those starts are flaming gas balls so far away all around us.”

There was so strong admiration in Leo’s voice, so much wonder too. Looking at the sky which was actually space was… Incredible. Even to Raphael.

“Don’t ask me why but when ya said gas balls, it made me think of Mikey and his horrible farts.”

Leonardo burst to laugh again, this time also turning to look his brother in red. “What?” He snorted with laugh.

“I told ya not ta ask.” Raphael mumbled keeping his gaze on the stars.

Leonardo shook his head with a deep sigh, strong smile remaining on his face as he too, once more, faced the night sky. Both brothers gasped when they noticed a shooting star fly by and then blast. The colors were bright and strong. Edges of the shooting star were orange while the inner side of the tail was bright white. It was gorgeous sight and when it exploded, it was big flash of white.

Boys had seen shooting starts before but this was definitely the best one ever.

Shivering a bit Leonardo started to rub his arms, getting Raphael’s attention. “Come here.” He said while reaching his arm towards Leonardo, pulling him in his armpit. Rubbing Leonardo’s arm Raphael noticed Leonardo was actually quite cold.

“We should get inside. Ya are freezing out here.”

“Just a little longer.”

“I give ya a minute. Then I drag yer ass inside, make ya hot chocolate and put ya sit in front of the fireplace.”

“Sounds good to me.” They stayed there a minute and then, just like Raphael said, he escorted Leonardo inside the house, finding out everyone had gone to bed, but the fire was still burning in the fireplace. 

Adding more woods Raphael placed 2 chairs next to each other in front of the fireplace, placing Leo in one of them.

“Here.” Placing small decoration pillow behind Leo’s head Raphael made sure it was in right spot before he went to cover Leonardo with throwing blanket. “Now stay put. I’ll make ya that hot chocolate what I promised.”

“I’ll be here.”

Going in the kitchen Raphael prepared 2 mugs of warm drinks for them, coming in the living room with silent steps. Leonardo was sitting on his chair head slightly turned to the left, breathing slow. Assuming Leonardo had fell asleep Raphael placed Leo’s mug on the small table near the chair of his. That tiny sound, when the mug hit the wood, made Leonardo open his eyes.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean ta wake ya.”

“I wasn’t sleeping. Just resting my eyes and enjoying the warmth.”

Not saying a thing Raphael handed warm mug in Leo’s waiting hands who thanked him with a silent whisper. While taking his first sip Leo’s eyes followed Raphael who sat on his own chair right next to his, covering his legs with the throwing blanket.

Both of them kept their voices in whisper level when they kept chatting peacefully about everything while enjoying their drinks and fire. The sound of wood burning, smell of hot chocolate, good company and autumn decoration around them in the house… Yeah, this actually could be something what Raphael could get used to – and enjoy in his older days – But only if his brothers would be there to share it all with him.