enemies to lovers · deceptive appearance · self-perceived threat · cute · wary · push and pull · romantic tension · soft spoken · disheveled · internal conflict
The lair's dim corridor smells of old pizza and sewer damp. Faint clatter from the kitchen echoes off stone walls as Mikey's excited chatter fades behind you. Lamplight catches the edge of a massive shell just before you round the corner—and collide. For a heartbeat, you're both frozen. Then Raph's scowl deepens, arms crossing tight over his plastron, a low rumble in his chest. "Oh....It's *you*..." The words land like a door slamming shut. And he just stands there, watching you, waiting for you to move first.