Description :

Raphael and Applejack has been a lover for at least 4 months. Everything seems fine for both of them...but the next thing Raph knows, he is about to meet his girlfriend's family.

TMNT 2012/2019

°^°^°^°^°^°^°^°^°^°

Raphael felt nervous. Which was so unlike him.

The only time he felt such nervousness was the time he asked Applejack to be his girlfriend. It was supposed to be a sort of happiest moment in his life to be with the girl he liked but when you wanted to ask a girl to be your lover, it ain't that easy. Not when all you did was stuttering, face as red as a tomato, trying to ask the girl you liked to be your girlfriend but it came out as ' Will U bee mayonese geerr fred' and your brothers on the background,  hiding from the view, did facepalms.

Good thing Applejack made a move first; Raph didn't know how ridiculous he could be more back there. Now, with the cowgirl pulling his arm towards her home location, the nervous feeling came back.

Meeting his girlfriend's family at night time wasn't really an ideal kind of time but he couldn't risked of letting himself spotted easily under the sunlight by people. Night time sounded better, with less people on the street and dark surrounding that made it easier for Raph to move here and there.

" Don't worry, Raph," Applejack said, turning her head to look at her boyfriend, " they'll like you!"

" How did they found out about my existence again?" Raph asked, his voice sounded like he just swallowed a gas of helium.

" Er -- it was my fault, actually. I had a picture of me and you as the background picture. Shoulda' have change my phone's wallpaper before lent it to my little sister..."

" You set a picture of us as your wallpaper?"

Applejack blushed and avoided an eye contact with Raph, " Is that wrong?"

In keeping his existence a secret? Yeah.

In proving she really like him? Nah.

Raph couldn't help but smiled; he was quite glad she did that, really. But his smile dropped when they both stopped walking near a house with a red barn beside it and quite a number of apple trees planted around and he knew instantly that they had arrived.

" We're 'ere," and by the sound of her voice and pale face, Raph figured out Applejack was nervous as well.

" Hey, " the red masked turtle grabbed the girl's hand, " just so you know, if your family hates me, I will still like you."

Applejack carved a faint smile on her face, " Funny, how I thought the same thing when we wanted to tell your family about us being together," her grip on Raph's hand became tighter, " they won't hate you, Raph."

" How come you're so sure?"

" I don't. "

" Wow, very comforting," Raph said sarcastically and Applejack let out a short but amused chuckle.

Taking deep breath, both of them walked into the front yard until they arrived on the front door. Raph glanced at Applejack, his breath became heavier every second passed with anxiety.

" All right," muttered Applejack, " 'ere goes nothing..."

Things going to be just fine

Before her hand could even reached the doorknob, the door opened to reveal a girl, looked like twelve years old, with red hair and yellow golden eyes standing at the doorway. Her eyes widened at the sight of Applejack but they became bigger to the point Raph thought they were going to pop out from the socket when she saw Raph himself.

" He's here!" The girl exclaimed, the excitement in her voice could be heard clearly but under Applejack's sudden glare, the girl coughed and said, " I mean -- good, you're here with the mutant turtle, AJ!"

" Raph, this is my little sister Applebloom," Applejack gestured, " Applebloom, meet Raphael."

" Come in, " Applebloom stepped aside to let them enter.

Once inside, Raph caught the sight of another two people; one was an old woman with green clothing, sitting on an armchair and standing beside her was a guy, with red hair had his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes glared at Raph. This didn't help the turtle of calming himself.

" These are my grandmother and my big brother, " Applejack said, " Granny Smith and Big Macintosh. This is Raphael, but you can call him Raph."

" Nice to meet you," was all Raph could said as he felt Big Mac's glare on him hardened.

" Good grief, so the rumours are true!" Granny Smith said, " There are mutants in the city! Never thought one would be friend with my own granddaughter. "

" Yeah, but now that you all know, you should keep his existence as a secret, okay?" said Applejack again. Raph felt like she did the most talking now.

" Pinkie promise!" Applebloom said, a smile on her face, " By the way, I have some many questions to ask you, Raph!"

Raph scratched the back of his neck," Er -- what questions?"

" How come you're a mutant? Are you still a herbivore like a usual turtle? What do you usually eat? Why are you wearing red bandanna? Is that Sai on your belt? A type of Japanese weapon? Hey --"

Applejack stopped her sister from continued, " Maybe we should continue our conversation while having dinner?"

We're having dinner? Raph was taken back.

" Good thing I've prepared more food than usual, " Granny Smith stood up, " now move your feet and get to table before the food gets cold, ya'll!"

It was an awkward but somehow quite friendly dinner they had there. Applebloom and Granny Smith did the most talking, asking lots of things while Raph answered them as best as he could, Big Mac wouldn't stop crushing his apple pie slice and kept throwing glares at Raph and Applejack was watching her boyfriend and family talking with a faint smile on her face.

When they were done, Applejack and Applebloom helped Granny Smith with washing the dishes.

" I'll be back, " she said, whispering to Raph who gave her a weak smile and nodded as he watched her left.

Now it was just Raph and Big Macintosh.

" Raphael," Big Mac started and Raph almost jumped off his seat; nobody excepted Applejack called him with his full name since he came, " answer me honestly."

His voice was deep and rough, like he never really talked much. Raph stayed silent, feeling unusually nervous under the guy's threatening glare.

" What are yer' relationship with Applejack?"

What is his relationship with --?

" We're a couple, " Raph began, " didn't she tell you that?"

Big Mac jumped on his seat and made a sound like half choked, half gasping. Raph looked at him in surprise.

" Wait, she didn't? " Raph asked and Big Mac shook his head, " We're -- we have been official since 4 months ago and she didn't tell you about that?!"

Big Mac gave Raph a look that said, Why do you look surprised? I am the one who suppose to! I mean, my sister is dating a turtle, for goodness sake, what the shell?!

Raph wasn't feeling so sure if he felt upset now. Why didn't Applejack told her family they were dating? Was she ashamed? No, that wasn't the AJ Raph knew. But still, why didn't she?

" Hey, what have you boys been talking about?" Applejack returned with her sister and grandmother, all looked at the boys who each shifted uneasily.

Raph stood up, " We need to talk," he looked at Applejack, " alone,now."

Confused, Applejack asked, " Why?"

" Just -- we need to."

" Er -- okay, let's go to my room --"

Big Mac stood up so suddenly, the table shook, " Nope!"

Applejack sighed, " The barn then, " she turned to lead Raph out but stopped for a second, " and no eavesdropping, Applebloom!"

" Aww!"

When both of them entered the barn, Raph waited for Applejack to turn around before exploded.

" You didn't tell them we're dating?!"

Applejack was taken back, " Um, no...?" she continued, " Does it matter?"

" 'Does it matter?' Oh my god, Applejack, what is wrong with you?" Raph hissed in frustration, " You don't think it matters that your family need to know about our relationship? "

Applejack rubbed her arm nervously, " Look, Raph, when they found out about you, they kept bombarding me with questions and ah have never seen them so scared and shocked to find out I have mutant turtles as friends."

" They seemed quite relax when seeing me just now, " Raph grumbled.

" That was just because I already explained to them about you and your brothers. "

" But you weren't bother enough to explain to them about us?"

Applejack frowned, " All right, why are you so upset right now?"

Raph found himself yelling, " Who wouldn't get upset to know that your girlfriend kept your relationship from her family?!"

" And 'ere I thought keeping your existence as a secret is the main priority! " Applejack's voice began to rise just as her anger.

" Yeah, but that still doesn't excuse your secret of keeping our relationship! " Raph shouted, " I need your family approval, AJ! Just as much as you wanted with mine! And you already got what you wanted, why can't I have the same?! "

" Raph, are you too stupid or what?!" Applejack pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

" Did you just call me stupid?!"

" Because you are!"

" And why is that?!"

" BECAUSE YER' TOO STUPID TO NOTICE HOW OUR RELATIONSHIP WILL WORSEN THE SITUATION!"

A silence.

" W-What?" Raph stuttered, " Applejack, what do you mean?"

The blonde haired girl went to sat on a pile of hay, avoiding eye contact with the mutant in front of her.

" I am terrified,Raph," Applejack's voice became unusually low and quiet," of what would happen to us. Did you know how shocked my family were when they found out I have mutant as friends? Don't ya' realize the idea of us being together would worsened the situation?

I really wanted to tell them about us, Raph, honest. But now is not the right time. I just thought, maybe -- after you become close to them, we could break the secret. Guess yer' not too fond of the idea."

Raph stayed silent for a while before went down to sit beside Applejack. He played with fingers, looking anywhere but the girl beside him. When he said nothing, Applejack continued.

" I never really told ya about my parents, right?" She said," My mom -- she came from another family, the Pear family, who we, the Apple family, used to fight each other so often. When she and my dad began dating, both family opposed the idea of them together to the point the Pear going to move away.

But she insisted on staying by my dad's side and my grandad -- my mom's dad -- wanted to disown her. My mom and dad got married and my siblings and I never really did any contact with our mom's side family. We grew up to hate the Pear family until Granny Smith told us the truth."

Raph finally caught on, " So you're saying -- you don't want your family to hate our relationship to the point one of us have to leave our family for another?"

Applejack nodded, a tear slipped out of her eyes, " I love you, Raph and I love my family too. Losing people I love would be a nightmare. I am so sorry for upsetting you just now... "

" Hey, " Raph grabbed Applejack's hands, " I should be the one saying sorry -- I should have figured it out sooner..." he put a hand over Applejack' shoulder and brought her closer to him, " Didn't I told you before that, even if your family hates me, I will still like you? Scratch that, I will always love you."

Applejack let out a sound between a chuckle and sob before leaned in, " I love you too."

" I love you more."

The kiss they were having now was quite different from the previous ones; this one had more emotions in it and more passionate. When they broke away, they found themselves staring into each other eyes for quite a time.

" We should probably return," Applejack said, her cheeks were red, " they will wonder what took us so long."

" Yeah," Raph's face looked no different with his mask, " maybe we should. "

Applejack kissed him again before stood up and went back inside with Raph by her side.

" YOU'RE BOTH DATING?! " Screamed a surprised but happy Applebloom.

" Yes, " Applejack and Raph smiled awkwardly.

Granny Smith just nodded with some kind of satisfaction on her face and Big Mac looked at Raph with if your break my sister's heart, I will break your bones expression.

Yeah, things going to be just fine.