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Raph didn’t properly speak until he was ten years old. No one thought it was strange he didn’t talk until they had met April, who revealed it was odd but not uncommon. So naturally when Raph did start to talk he was asked why he hadn’t before. His response? He simply didn’t feel like it.
Despite this factor he was good at communicating with his brothers. He just chirped and growled and used body language. So really his aversion of speaking didn’t change the fact he remained the oldest sibling. Something he would dismiss or pretend to be bothered by but in reality loved.
Let’s be honest, he has a million stories about the dumb stuff his brothers have done (let’s ignore how many they have of him). Like the time the Mikey and Donnie were arguing on top of a building and Donnie ending up falling off and broke their leg when they were eleven. And then Leo refused to believe Donnie had actually broken their leg, despite being the one to patch them up -
“Donnie’s too cautious for that,” Leo had complained as he laid on Ralph’s bed that the other was trying to make. “They’re just jealous that dad said I was his favorite.” - and proceeded to kick their crutches out from under them, causing Donnie to break their other leg. Raph had to spend the next several weeks making sure Donnie didn’t smother Leo in his sleep.
Raph can’t forget the time when in the middle of the night Mikey cut the palm of his hand open on a box cutter that was left open (seriously Donnie) and frantically went to Leo who’s room was the closest at that time and is the medic. Leo, being half asleep, told Mikey to leave him alone (why is Leo the problem in all of these stories?) and refused to help him. Mikey then went to Raph and the eldest tried to patch him up with the amount of medical knowledge he held from watching Leo.
Or one of Raph’s personal favorites, the time his brothers ate mystic poison, and after having learned it was poison, continued to eat it! He’s sure that if he wasn’t here for his brothers they’d all be dead a million times by now (he jokes and ignores the fact that they would be, because Leo would have been speared through the heart by the kraang-).
And sometimes it doesn’t even have to be big stories, the little things matter too. Like how Mikey’s always comes to him first when he wants to paint on someone’s shell, even though the red turtle is the one with all the spikes. After the invasion (even the name of them was enough sometimes) Leo and Raph worked together for a co-leadership. So now Leo expresses his concerns and fears about being the leader and Raph helps him through it. And how when Donnie is so sleep deprived from being awake for days at a time, Raph is usually the only one who can get them to sleep.
Sure, being the oldest comes with its problems. But Raph wouldn’t trade it for anything, despite what he may say. So you can understand the predicament he’s in.
Despite Mikey pretty much adopting Draxum as his second dad, and Draxum and Splinter having a not so secret thing going on, Raph still didn’t fully trust him. I mean he’s basically the reason Shredder came in the first place, you can’t blame Raph too much for being cautious. So when Draxum mentions how he knows the turtles actually ages and youngest to eldest, Raph was a bit surprised. He knew his dad had just guessed by size but he hadn’t really considered Draxum would know their actual ages.
Here’s how it looked:
Youngest - Mikey (not a surprise)
Second eldest - Donnie (the turtle in question was very smugly shoving this in Leo’s face. “We’re still twins!” - Leo “We’re not twins!” - Donnie)
Second youngest - Raph
Oldest - Leo
…
You can already imagine the chaos that followed.
“I’m the eldest?!” Leo shouts at the same time the others say, “He’s the oldest?!”
“Does this mean I get to boss Raph around now?”
Raph frowns. “It doesn’t mean anything Leo, you can’t—“
“Shh don’t talk back to your older brother.”
Mikey snorts. Raph can feel embarrassment creep up on him.
“One statement isn’t going to change seventeen years of habit,” he tries to reason.
“Ah, the classic scientific argument of nature vs nurture,” Donnie smirks.
Raph glares at him. “Not helping Dee.”
“But Donnie’s right, nature always prevails. You’re not the oldest anymore, I am.” He laughs and starts talking animatedly with Donnie about it.
Raph takes deep breaths to keep his anger down and turns around and walks out of the room. He could really go for a sparring or training. Unfortunately his sparring partner is currently with Cassandra for the week, at the time he had no reason to say no.
He decided to switch paths and go to the direction of his room. The rage melts off him and is replaced with hurt. He knows his brothers were just joking, he hopes at least, and yet part of him can’t help feeling replaced, unneeded.
He locks his door behind him and sits on his bed, his fingers tapping absentmindedly on his leg. He needs a distraction, to calm down, to forget. He scavenges his book case and eventually settles on the first book of a series he’s read.
He’s a few chapters in when there’s a knock on his door. He folds the corner of the page and sets the book down, getting up and opening the door. He’s not surprised to find Mikey there, if there’s ever an argument between him and Leo he’s always the one to try and help them make up.
“What’s up big guy?” Raph smiles for Mikey’s sake, even though seeing his brother reminds him of why he’s in here in the first place. He movies back so Mikey can come in further, although he doesn’t shut the door.
“I’m sorry about what Leo said,” Mikey absentmindedly fidgets with his thumbs as he talks. “He was just joking but sometimes he doesn’t know when he’s gone too far. I already talked to him about it. I still think of you as the oldest—“
“Mikey,” Raph interrupts. “You know you don’t have to help us solve our problems. It’s not your fault or problem to deal with.” He pats the youngest head fondly and lets Mikey give him a hug.
“And that’s why Leo could never be the oldest.” Raph whips his head up when he hears Donnie’s voice. The twins standing in the doorframe watching. Mikey turns his head so he can see but doesn’t leave the hug.
“Wha—Donnie!”
“You know I’m right ‘Nardo. He just has the eldest sibling touch. You don’t.”
Leo sticks his tongue out and pushes Donnie out of the way so he can come in first. Mikey gives him a look and Leo sighs.
“I’m sorry I joked about taking the oldest sibling role. I know how much it means to you and it was wrong of me. Plus who wants to agree with what Draxum has to say, he threw me off a fucking roof.”
“Language,” Raph scolds lightly but lifts up one arm so Leo can join the hug.
“I am a man of science,” of course Donnie chose that to be their starting point. “And although I believe nature is stronger than nurture. I will say in this case I think nurture is stronger than nature.”
Leo gives them a confused look and Donnie rolls their eyes. “I’m saying that despite you technically being older than Raph, Raph was the oldest our entire life and will continue to be.”
“Aww,” Mikey makes grabby hands in their direction. “Come here Don.”
Donnie sighs and walks to join in between Leo and Mikey. “Ew affection.” But makes no move to leave.
Raph grins. “It was weird to think of Leo as the oldest. The only sibling I’d ever want to be older than me is April.”
“Unless she secretly is younger than us!” - Mikey
“I don’t think that’s possible Mikey.” - Donnie
“It’s probably possible, you don’t know everything Dee.” - Leo
“Quit it guys you’re ruining the moment.” - Raph