Love You For Infinity

by TheTurtleTitan

Summary:

How do you tell the people closest to your heart that you love them when it's clear that they don't love you in the same way?

Simple answer?

You don't.

But, boy, is that hard to do when you live with them and always want to be by their side.

 

This is a T-Cest story! Don't like, don't read. Go read something that brings you joy instead :). Comments are monitored and Antis will be deleted.

Chapter 1: Figuring Out Love

Notes:

Hello everyone! Hope everyone is doing well :)

First and foremost, if you are an anti of T-Cest, aka Turtlecest, then leave. It's clearly labeled in the tags what type of story this is and the comments are monitored, so if you don't like this type of stuff, then don't read it. There is no point in you coming to a story that you don't like the content of just to write nasty comments. No one will see them because they will be deleted instantly. Go read something that makes you happy and brings you joy. If this story can't do that for you, then please leave. No reason to make yourself miserable.

Now, to everyone who is here to enjoy the story, welcome! This story will have multiple chapters and I'm gonna apologize if updates are slow ^.^;. But I hope you're willing to stick by me and this story because I plan to finish this! Creative criticism welcome :)

Beta’d by Lotus_Empress

It’s the first day of spring, and the sewers are filled with the sound of rushing water. Donnie has been working overtime to make sure that the lair isn’t affected by the sudden rise in water as all the snow that New York accumulated all winter long melts. It’s both amazing and a drag.

It’s awesome that the snow is melting and the nights are no longer freezing cold. It also means less layers and more freedom of movement. It just sucks because it makes everything wet and gross to touch. It also means that the days of being able to walk around outside without raising suspicion are now gone, which means more days stuck in the lair with my big brothers…

…My very attractive, very HORNY big brothers.

All of whom I’ve had to listen to grunt, groan, and moan for the last five nights since spring decided to rear its head. 

My eyes flicker toward the elevator that leads up to the garage where Raph and Donnie both vanished twenty minutes ago. Usually, when the two go in there, the sounds of tools and machinery start up almost immediately. Right now? It’s suspiciously quiet. And mixed with the fact that they both denied my offer to help out gives me a little insight into what they are probably up to.

My lips purse as I turn my attention back to my video game, smashing the attack button as a mass assault of aliens try attacking my character. 

I’m not as oblivious as my brothers like to think I am. I’m a ninja too. My hearing is just as good as my brothers and they’re not as quiet as they think they are at night. There’s a reason I’m always wearing my headphones. They’re lucky that Sensei’s room is the farthest away because how mortifying would it be for THAT to come up in conversation before training?

But I’m not as lucky.

Our rooms are literally in a line. Leo’s is the closest to the stairs, wanting to be the closest to the dojo and the main entrance. Then next is Donnie’s room, wanting to be the second closest so that if he needs to run to his lab, he has time to. He also needs a close room for when he stays up for too long and just needs to crash.

Then there’s Raph’s room. He says he chose that room so that he didn’t have to be next to Leo and has the option to just leap up into his room. I honestly think that he just didn’t want the room directly above the bathroom. Then there’s my room - farthest from the entrance but closest to the kitchen. Which is fine. I’m the cook of the family and wake up before most of them anyways.

Well, almost all of my bros, save for Leo. He’s usually awake by the time I come down, but he spends the first hour meditating which gives me time to make his and Sensei’s tea. 

Our lair is made of cement and our rooms have pretty thick walls but being trained since we could walk to be ninjas, thick walls don’t always work on us. If they take their activities to Leo’s room then I can usually ignore the noises. But when they are in RAPH’S room, who is right next door to me, it’s a different story.

I know they try to be quiet when they’re in Raph’s room. I can hear them whispering and shushing each other but when they’re really getting into it, they tend to forget. Which, I mean, is to be expected. They shouldn’t have to feel like they need to be quiet. When someone is in love, they should be able to explore and enjoy their loves’ company without fear. 

I bite the inside of my cheek hard as my character misses a block and is sent sailing into a nearby wall. Quickly tapping the dodge button, my character manages to roll away just as a huge alien tries to jump on them and I have my character circle around to get my bearings once more.

It’s not like I mind, my brothers getting together. Shell. We’re the only ones like us. Sure, we’ve met many different aliens, and there’s even Leatherhead. But with our type of lifestyle, it’s hard to find someone we can really connect with, ya know? We need someone who we can absolutely trust to let our walls down with. And stuff like that takes YEARS for all of us. Leatherhead, I absolutely trust with my life but there is just this deeper connection that me and my brothers have with one another that only happens from years of knowing each other. 

I slump against the couch, worrying my bottom lip.

Correction: my brothers have a deeper connection with one another. I’m just the fourth wheel.

I thought that when Leo came back from South America that our team of four would just fall back into our routine, or maybe even explore a little deeper. After all, I’ve known that I’ve been in love with my brothers for years now.

It really hit me on our fifteenth birthday - the first time we got to go topside all by ourselves. My brothers were breathtaking in the neon lights of New York, each one appearing as if they were GLOWING and it made my heart flip and my stomach flutter and that’s when I knew exactly what my admiration for my brothers actually was. 

Love.

Pure, unadulterated love. 

I swallow thickly as my character flips up onto a platform, rushing for a chest that is sitting directly above the enemies’ heads.

Again, I’m gullible, not stupid.

I know that when it comes to the matters of the heart, there really isn’t anything a person can do. Or a mutant turtle, in this case. You love who you love and if they don’t love you back, there’s just nothing you can do.

And that’s fine. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt, but it’s fine. 

My brothers love each other and want to deepen that connection. They want to become lovers and mates and have followed that route for the better part of the year. I can respect that. And they just want to keep me as their brother. Their baby brother. Nothing more. Nothing less. And I… And it doesn’t…

My throat tightens just as my character biffs a jump and falls into a pit, dying. I stare at the ‘Game Over’ screen, not really seeing anything as I loosely hold my controller. 

Dammit. 

Why do I keep doing this to myself? Video games are supposed to keep me from thinking about all of this! Shell, it’s the whole reason I took a break from drawing! I just haven’t been able to concentrate, my thoughts always going back to my brothers and their newfound relationship and I don’t know why.

…

Okay, I do know WHY but I would like to think that, while not the most mature of my brothers, I at least have enough maturity to respect my brothers' love for each other. Maybe it’s because they haven’t told me yet? I would like to think that my brothers know that I would love them no matter what. That there is nothing in this world that would make me love or think any less of them. I might get angry or irritated with them, but I would never stop loving them.

I just really hope that they aren’t afraid of me rejecting them. 

I can’t speak for Sensei, April, or Casey. I would LIKE to think that they all love us enough that this type of relationship wouldn’t destroy our friendship or family, but with Sensei once being human and Casey and April BEING human, I know that they have different standards and social norms.

But my brothers and I are different.

We didn’t grow up that way and we were always told that we would never be accepted by society and will only ever have one another. I know that I would follow my brothers anywhere if Sensei tried to disown them and I would be more than willing to remove Casey and April from my life if they didn’t approve of my brothers’ relationship.

For if we can’t rely on each other, then who can we rely on? 

Pressing the heel of my hands into my eyes, I rub them roughly as I breathe out slowly. 

I guess I’m just hurt that my brothers don’t trust me enough to at least tell me that they’re in a relationship. Since I first found out they were together, I’ve tried hinting to them that I’m okay with it. Shell, I even tried hinting that I was also available by mimicking some of their behaviors, but each of their reactions were the same.

Raph?

“Go away, Knucklehead. I ain’t got time fer ya right now. And hit the showers, Bro.”

Rejection.

Donnie?

“Sorry, Mikey. Maybe some other time. Why don’t you go skate or something?”

Rejection.

Leo?

“Michelangelo. I’m training. If you really have enough energy to be bothering me, then you should also be training.”

Rejection.

Not gonna lie, it hurts. A lot. The sneering, the rolling of the eyes, the scoffing - my heart aches when I think about it, but I know it just means I’m not someone who catches their fancy. Which…is fine. My love will always be there, and it’ll never change. I’ll just have to keep it to myself. 

I’ve kept it to myself this long, I think, tossing my controller onto the coffee table as I slump further down on the couch. I can totally handle it for the rest of my life.

“Mikey?”

“AH!”

Shrieking, I jump and fall off the couch, clipping my shoulder on the coffee table. I cup my shoulder, hissing at the sting of touching the flesh. Leo rounds the couch and kneels next to me. I pout at my big brother as he reaches for me.

“Geez, Leo. Give a turtle a heart attack.”

Leo lifts an eye ridge at me, hands grasping my good arm as he helps me stand. His lips dip into a frown.

“I wasn’t even that quiet, Mikey. You should have heard me coming.”

Heat rushes to my cheeks as embarrassment courses through me. Turning my head away, I rub my aching arm.

“Leo, your ‘loud’ is like Klunk’s stealth. I’m pretty sure you have pillows for feet.” I eye my brother warily as amusement flashes across his face. “Besides, I’m pretty sure the Ancient One gave you magic powers, so I think I’m justified in not hearing you.”

Leo rolls his eyes as he leans in to inspect my shoulder. I do my best to remain still, staring at the far wall while my brother’s fingers ghost over the already-forming bruise.

“Can you move your shoulder?”

Ignoring the tingle that Leo’s fingers leave behind, I attempt to roll my shoulder. I’m met with a jolt of pain, but it’s not enough to truly hinder my range. It’ll just be a nuisance for the rest of today and maybe into training tomorrow. 

Leo “tsks” when he notices my flinch (because of COURSE he’d notice, he sees everything).

“Looks like you banged your shoulder pretty good, Little Brother, but I don’t think that you’ll have more than a bruise.” Leo straightens and stares down at me with brownie eyes. “I’d feel much better having Don take a look, though, just to be sure.”

My heart drops to my stomach. I fiddle with my fingers as I shoot the elevator a look.

“Uh, he and Raph are currently busy. I think they’re working on Raph’s bike or something.” I offer Leo a lopsided smile. “I’m guessing his bike since they didn’t want my help on it.”

Though I’m pretty sure they’re having a little “fun” on Raph’s bike and not actually working. 

Leo follows my gaze. After a second, he sighs and offers me one of his almost-smiles. 

“I’m sure they’re just working on upgrades.” Leo rubs the top of my head. “You know how Raph is with his bike. He won’t even let me near it, so, don’t take it personally. But just to be sure you’re alright, I’ll go in and get Donnie. How does that sound?”

Not trusting my voice, I return his smile and nod. Leo rubs my head gently one last time before turning and heading for the garage.

And now to wait fifteen minutes for when Raph and Donnie pull Leo into their “fun.”

However, to my surprise, it only takes about five minutes for them to return. And even more to my surprise, Raph comes down with them. Both Donnie and Raph have some motor oil on them.

I could just be paranoid, but that motor oil is smeared in some suspicious places…

“What did ya do now, Baby Brat?” Raph questions as he leans against the couch, watching Don examine my shoulder.

“I didn’t do anything! It was all Leo!”

Raph snorts and lifts an eye ridge, obviously not believing me.

Huffing, I flinch a little when Donnie lightly presses the bruise, which is already the size of an apple.

I wince. Dang, I must have hit the table a lot harder than I thought. 

Donnie’s hazel eyes flicker around the bruised area, his fingers cautiously maneuvering my arm in different directions. When I only hiss but allow him to shift my arm, a slight smile forms on Donnie’s face.

“Well, the good news is that you didn’t dislocate it or tear anything.”

“And the bad news, Dr. Donnie?” I ask, eyes widening as my tallest brother straightens to his full height.

Chuckling, Don pats my head.

“The bad news is that your left arm is going to be a little tender for a while.” Don meets my gaze and puts a finger in my face. “Which means you need to at least ice it tonight and after training tomorrow. If it continues to bother you, I’ll give you some pain relievers. Would you like some now?”

My snout wrinkles, and I shake my head. I hate taking pills. I can only swallow them with water and even then, it takes me a few tries to get a single pill down. Once, Raph had to forcibly keep my mouth shut just so I could swallow a single pill. It sucks. 

“Nah, Dude,” I say, waving a dismissive hand. “It only aches when I move it a lot.”

Raph snorts as he reaches across the couch and flicks my nose.

“Geez, Klutz. And ya call yerself da Nexus Champion?”

My lips purse, eyes narrowing for a split second before I force a smile.

“At least I CAN call myself the Battle Nexus Champion. Twice over, actually. More than I can say about someone else~!” I sing out, shrieking when Raph lunges for me. 

“C’mere and say dat ta meh—!“

Leo catches our hot-headed brother’s shoulder before he flips over the back of the couch. I stick my tongue out at my red-cladded brother, slipping further behind Leo as Raph’s amber eyes glare at me.

“That’s enough, Raph,” Leo states, his tone edging toward “Leader Leo,” though there is a layer of amusement hidden underneath it. “Mikey doesn’t need any new bruises. Besides, you’re getting oil all over the couch and you know Sensei will skin you if it stains.” Leo releases Raph as he finally regains his balance and our eldest brother points toward the bathroom. “So, go hit the showers with Don.” 

I just barely keep a neutral, innocent expression as Leo turns toward me. Leo’s eyes narrow a fraction at my look, but he continues on.

“I originally came out here to ask you to go get us some pizzas, Mikey.” A sly smirk forms on his face, and I feel my heart skip a beat. “Sensei gave us the night off from patrol. Said he has a surprise for us after supper.”

The fuzzy, warm feelings disappear, replaced giddiness. A surprise? From Dad?

Noises of disbelief emit from my other two big brothers. Raph’s eyes narrow slightly while Donnie’s eyes widen.

“A surprise?” I ask, my voice shrill with excitement. “What kind of surprise? Like cake?”

Shrugging, Leo shakes his head.

“I don’t know. Master Splinter wouldn’t tell me anything other than that he’ll only tell us after eating.” 

Raph raises an eye ridge, golden eyes flickering from Leo to me then back to Leo.

“And yer gonna trust Knucklehead here with our food?” Raph lifts a hand when Leo opens his mouth. “Let me rephrase: yer gonna let Trouble Magnet here go get our food? ALONE?”

I pout when Leo actually pauses.

“Hey! I’m not a trouble magnet! And I’ve gone to get pizza by myself multiple times!” Crossing my arms, I send my second oldest brother a glare. “I think I can handle getting us a pizza, Dude. The pizza place is literally fifteen minutes from here if I walk. On my board, I could be there and back in less than twenty.”

Raph meets my glare with one of his own, but holds his tongue when Leo also crosses his arms. 

“He’s right, Raph,” Leo asserts, eyes boring into our tank of a brother. “Out of the four of us, Mikey is the quickest, even without his board. Plus, you and Donnie are filthy. And you know Master Splinter would make you shower before eating, anyways.”

My smile widens at the praise, and I shoot Leo a grateful smile. Donnie taps his chin as he watches our two big brothers stare each other down.

“I mean, why don’t you go with him, Leo? Since Raph is so concerned.”

“I ain’t concerned!”

“And that way, we can make sure Mikey doesn’t eat all the pizza,” Donnie finishes as if Raph never interrupted him in the first place.

“Dooooon,” I whine and try to shove at my brainiac brother. “I haven’t eaten a whole pizza meant for us in years. Why can’t you guys be like Elsa and let it goooooo?”

Donnie chuckles and rubs my head. 

“Because it only takes one time, Mikey.”

Grumbling, I swat at his hand and turn toward Leo. As much as I love my brothers, I would much rather go get the pizza by myself right now. I have a feeling I know why Leo is sending me by myself. With Master Splinter meditating for the next hour, my brothers will have the lair - and a shower that Donnie modified to accommodate not only his height but Raph’s bulk - to themselves.

Yeah, because he totally didn’t plan for future shower sex, I think, rolling my eyes as I tug at my wristbands.

“C’mon, Raphie. I’m a big turtle. I can go alone.”

Leo shakes his head and places a warm hand on my shoulder when Raph merely crosses his arms, grumbling. I swear his gaze hardens as he tries to start a fire in a distant corner of the lair. 

“We know that, Mikey,” Leo reassures, squeezing my shoulder gently causing my stomach to flutter with butterflies. “But you have to admit, you do tend to get into the most trouble when out by yourself.”

Says the fearless leader who got himself kidnapped literal days into him returning home from South America. Instead of saying so aloud, I give Aniki my best Puppy Dog Eyes and pout a little bit more.

“C’mon, Leo. Please?”

Leo turns toward Donnie and Raph, completely ignoring me. 

How dare he!

“I’m not going with him because I promised Master Splinter to do some meditating before supper,” Leo explains returning his attention to me. “Make sure to take your ShellCell. And you are to only get the pizzas. No detours. I’m giving you 45 minutes to grab the pizzas and get back. If you’re not back by then and DON’T have a good reason for being late, you and I will be having words. Do I make myself clear?”

Leo suddenly leans toward me, his face centimeters from mine. My breathing hitches as Leo’s breath caresses my snout and heat fills my cheeks as my stomach starts to somersault and my heart begins to race. Chuckling nervously, I angle away from him before my body’s reaction becomes too noticeable. 

“Uh, yeah, Dude, loud and clear. In and out. No problemo!” I wet my lips. “But what about the ordering, Leo? You know that making the pizza will take up most of that time, right?”

A mixture of relief and disappointment filters through me when Leo straightens. Even as the only brother closest to my height, he’s still a good five inches taller than me. And let me tell you, my brothers certainly know how to use their height against me. It just isn’t fair, because it’s both hot and intimidating. 

“Don’t worry about that, Mikey. Master Splinter already placed the order for the pizzas. They should be getting close to being halfway done by now. So, by the time you get to our usual drop off zone, the pizzas should be out for delivery.”

Nodding, I grin as Leo hands me a couple of twenties. I stick my tongue out at Raph, who growls, lazily swinging at me when I vault over his head. 

“Don’t make us come get ya, Brat,” Raph warns as he stalks to the showers. “‘Cause I won’t be pleasant if I do.”

Grabbing my board, I call back. “You worry too much, Raphie!” I pull a pipe down and the lair door slides open. “Besides, Dude, we all know that Leo is the true trouble magnet!”

“Hey!”

Giggling, I fly out the door, not giving Leo any chance to retort, though I can hear him shouting something just before the door slides closed. Once the wall is intact, I take a moment to just breathe. 

What the shell was Raph trying to do? Did he really want more alone time with Don instead of having the lair briefly to himself with BOTH of his mates? Why would he try denying Leo like that when it was OBVIOUS that Leo was trying to set it up for the three of them to have alone time? Doesn’t he know that I spent nearly two years leaving the lair by myself with only Donnie knowing where I was? Why in the world would he do that? 

“Bet it was because Leo interrupted their fun time,” I mutter, throwing my board down and hopping on it. Which—I don’t know—shouldn’t matter, right? Like, the three of them are mates. Shouldn’t it be okay for Leo to walk in on his mates fucking? 

A deeper frown pulls at my lips. 

Maybe this is why none of them have thought of me as a potential mate. I know nothing about relationships! And it’s not from lack of trying either. I’ve tried looking things up on the internet. I’ve read almost all the blogs out there.

Shell, I’ve even snuck some of Sensei’s soaps that he has taped. All it does is leave me more confused! Most of Sensei’s soaps are about triangles, where two guys are in love with one girl and hate each other. Which doesn’t help me because none of us are girls and I know for a fact that my brothers love each other equally. And while Raph and Leo still argue all the time, it’s pretty tame compared to before Leo left.

And don’t even get me started on the blogs I found! So many of them use such colorful language that it makes me want to gag. I mean, don’t get me wrong—I love a good romance novel every once in a blue moon. (My brothers would DIE if they found out that I’ve been borrowing some…spicy books from April, and then they would come back and tease me for the rest of my days.) But I just hate when a blog tries to get pretty with its wording.

Like, I don’t care what I think about while watching Raph’s rippling muscles shift and move while he’s working out. Or the fact that I think of Donnie’s hazel eyes and compare them to fresh, flowing honey gleaming in the afternoon sun that I could get lost in forever. Or that Leo’s voice can leave me quivering and whimpering with just a single word. I already know that! Don’t use your pretty words to make me think about it all over again! It’ll just distract me from my true mission: learning more about relationships and how to be mate-worthy.

Part of me hopes that if I can figure out what it is about me that my brothers find so repulsive that they won’t consider me a mate and fix it, then maybe I can change their minds. That I can show them that I’m also worthy of their love.

Biting my lip, I slow my skateboard until I’m underneath the manhole that leads to our usual drop-off place. Climbing up the ladder, I slip my cell out and check our pizza tracking app. The pizza just went out for delivery.

Quickly, I put the two twenties out with a note saying to keep the change.

Now to wait.

I run a hand down my face.

I mean, I already know they don’t like how I smell. Donnie explained to all of us when we were first learning about sex and stuff that some animals tend to use pheromones to attract a mate. And my brothers LOVE to remind me just how gross I smell after we get done working out, which just isn’t fair! Because my brothers always smell GREAT after they’ve worked up a sweat.

Like, Raph has this deep sandalwood musk that just makes me want to let him do whatever he wants to me. And Donnie, he has a slightly sweeter scent to him, like honey drizzled on a tea cake, that makes me want to just sit in his lap and kiss him silly while he plays with my tail. And then there’s Leo, who’s scent is the earthiest out of them all, like walking outside right after it rained, and makes me wish that he would just rub himself all over me and make me smell like him. 

But when my bros smell me?

“Mike. Hit the showers, Bro, before I pound ya.”

“Mikey, I can’t concentrate when you smell like that. Please, step back and let me finish before I lose it.”

“Don’t come any closer until you’ve showered, Michelangelo. My patience is barely hanging on, so stop testing me.”

I shrink down the wall, fighting the urge to cry. 

And I know for a fact that my brothers love how each other smells too. I’ve seen the sideways glances that Donnie gives either of his mates when he walks by them. I’ve seen Raph ravish Leo and Don’s bodies with his eyes when they spar. Leo’s been a little bit more subtle, but I’ve seen him watching Donnie during weapons practice and gently running a hand down Raph’s shell when he moves to “correct his posture.” It’s surprising that Sensei hasn’t called them out on it. 

Or maybe he has but just didn’t do it in front of me. 

My head snaps up when I hear footsteps approaching. I shift more into the shadows as I watch through the drain. A pair of black sneakers come into view, and the enticing smell of pizza filters down into the sewer, just barely over-powering the usual sewer scent.

My mouth waters as I wait for the delivery person to place the pizzas down and take the money like they always do. However, what I’m not expecting is for the person to drop to their knees and call down to me.

“Yo, Mikey! Yer pizzas are gonna get cold if ya don’t come and grab ‘em.”

Blinking, I slip out of the shadows and peer up through the grate.

“Casey?”

Notes:

Chapter 1 done!

Again, if you aren't here because you enjoyed this type of story, don't bother commenting. Ain't nobody got time for that. It's gonna be deleted.

But for everyone else who did happen to enjoy this story so far :) See you next chapter!

 

Beta’d by Lotus_Empress

Chapter 2: Gaining Support

Notes:

Hello all you wonderful people!

Here is chapter 2! Hope you all enjoyed Chapter 1 :) I know I've been enjoying writing some Mikey angst XD. I just feel that Mikey never gets dived into during the shows, so it's only fair that the fans try to go deeper with him :).

Again, creative criticism is welcome but Antis will be deleted :) Don't know why you'd come to Ch 2 if you're an Anti but people are strange XD.

I also almost forgot that the turtles are a mix of TMNT 2007 and 2003 mostly with a few other situations from other versions thrown in. Splinter is also mostly based on 2012 Splinter just because I like the idea of Splinter once being human.

But enough babbling! Here's Chapter 2!

Beta'd by Lotus_Empress :)

“Casey?” 

Suddenly, the face of said blackette appears, a large grin on his face.  

“Come on up, Shell-fer-Brains. I already paid fer yer pizzas.” 

Confused, I slowly climb up the ladder, pushing the manhole cover up as I peer around. Casey is alone in the alleyway, and there isn’t anyone passing by in the streets. Cautiously, I fully climb out of the hole and position myself so that I am visible only to Casey. 

“Leo didn’t say anything about you or April getting the pizzas,” I state, gladly tucking the twenties back into my belt. I then hook my board to the strap on my shell before holding my arms out for the pizzas. “How much do we owe you for the pizzas?” 

Casey waves a hand, smirking at me as he starts walking away with the pizzas. 

“Nah, think of it as Ape’s and my treat fer da five of ya.” 

My confusion spikes higher as I jog after Casey, doing my best to remain in the shadows as we walk through the alleyways. 

“Uh, well, okay? If ya say so, Case-man. How’d you know we were ordering pizzas anyways?” I frown as I duck into another shadow. Where is Casey taking me? I really don’t wanna make Leo or Raph angry right now. 

Casey shrugs nonchalantly. 

“Didn’t. Was gettin’ Ape and I a pie when I heard da employees talkin’ about ‘dose guys’ again.” Casey shoots me a smug look. “Doesn’t take a genius ta figure out who ‘dose guys’ were.” 

Okay. That’s fair. Don’t know how happy Leo will be to learn that information.   

I jump when Casey nudges me.  

“Don’t start makin’ dat face,” Casey says, icy blue eyes catching my own ocean blue ones. “Almost all da pizza places say dat about ya guys. Da pizza places all talk with one anotheh, so almost every pizza place knows about some guys who’ll call and ask da delivery guys ta leave a pizza near an alleyway, but da money will be dere already.” 

My eye ridges raise in surprise. 

“How do you know that?” 

Casey smirks as he suddenly stops outside a door and holds it open for me.  

April’s shop. 

“Well, dere were times when Raph and I were doin’ intel and I needed ta work at a pizza place. Ya’d be surprised what ya learn from dose kids.” 

Nodding, I glance around the dark shop as Casey leads me upstairs to April’s apartment.  

“You got me there, Case-man. But, uh, that doesn’t explain why you’ve brought me here. I’m kinda on a time limit right now.” I rub the back of my neck. “If I don’t make it home in about,” I glance down at my ShellCell, “thirty minutes, both Leo AND Raph are gonna have my shell.” 

“Geez, Mike, what ya do dis time?” 

I bristle when the older male shoots me a look over his shoulder. 

“I didn’t do anything, dude! Raph was just like ‘Argh! He’s a trouble magnet!’ and Leo was all like ‘If you aren’t home in this time frame, I’m gonna lecture you!’ Shell, Raph didn’t even want me to go alone! Like, we’re almost twenty and Raph still makes a fuss about me goin’ out by myself.” 

Crossing my arms, I sit down at April’s table, huffing. 

“I’m sure they have their reasons, Mikey.” 

I tilt my head back and smile at April. 

“Hey, April.” 

The redhead’s face splits into a soft grin. 

April returns my greeting, sliding into the chair across from me. “Hey there, Mikey, it’s been a while.” 

A flush spreads across my cheeks as I draw circles on the table with my finger. 

“Yeah, sorry about that. Things have been pretty crazy down in the lair. A lot of training and my bros doin’ their own thing, ya know?” 

April chuckles and reaches out to stop my fidgeting.  

“It’s okay, Mikey. We get it. Especially with finally having Leo home again. He’s been gone for nearly two years. We get that you all want to have some time together.” 

And then some, I think, but merely offer April a tiny smile.  

I jump when Casey plops down next to April, placing a plate down in front of her and then setting one down in front of me and himself. For a moment, I stare at the steaming pizza – which smells DIVINE, by the way – before  slowly directing my confused gaze to the blackette. 

“Uh, not that I’m gonna refuse the offer, but you do remember WHY I was near the pizza place in the first place, right?” 

Casey shrugs as he shoves his piece of sausage pizza into his mouth. 

“So? Don’t mean we can’t share with ya.” 

April elbows Casey as he talks with his mouth full. Casey smiles sheepishly at his fiancé and swallows his mouthful. Rolling her eyes, April shakes her head before turning to look at me. 

“And, well, this actually works out for us. Casey and I have been meaning to talk with you.” April shoots Casey a look as he continues eating. He quickly nods in agreement.  

My head tilts in curiosity. 

“Talk with me? About what?” 

April smiles as she lifts her pizza. 

“Well, it’s something we’ve been meaning to discuss with all of you, but I’ve been meaning to do so with you the longest. And I promise this won’t take very long, and if we do keep you and you get in trouble with your brothers, then you can tell them to talk with me.” 

I hum to show that I’m still listening as I bite into my pizza, not overly sure what would warrant April and Casey needing to talk with us. 

“Is everything okay?” I ask, swallowing my mouthful of pizza. 

I start when April reaches across the table and catches my wrist, gently but firmly. There is a warmth in her eyes that always seems to be there when she looks at us. 

“Everything is fine, Mikey. Promise. What Casey and I have been meaning to talk to you guys about is more…us explaining something to all of you than anything truly being wrong.” 

O-O-Okay? That doesn’t really clear anything up. Apparently, my expression says exactly that because April chuckles and releases her hold on my wrist, moving to grasp my hand instead. 

“Mikey,” April starts, voice soft but firm, “you know that Casey and I love you and your brothers, right? That you four are the little brothers that neither of us ever got to have?” 

Blinking, I hesitantly nod, still not sure where she’s going with all of this. April glances over at Casey, who merely shrugs and motions for her to continue. 

“Ya know dat words ain’t my forte, Ape.” 

Even more confused, I squeeze April’s hand and offer her a slight smile. 

“Whatever you gotta tell me, go for it, April. I won’t judge you.” 

April laughs a little wetly, and that’s when I realize that her eyes are glassy with unshed tears. Concern boils in me as I shoot Casey a concerned look. But he’s staring down at his hands. 

“Guys?” 

April shakes her head, cutting me off without a word. 

“We should be saying that to you, Mikey. We love you and your brothers, and we want all of you to be happy and to find love. No matter who that’s with.” 

Air catches in my throat as I stare at April with wide eyes. Is she really saying what I think she’s saying? Is that possible? How do they know? 

She continues before I can say anything, her voice quiet. 

“We can’t even being to understand what it’s like to be the only ones of a species, and we know that most of the society won’t be as accepting as we’ve been. Gosh, it even took us a little bit to get used to you five! But now that you’ve wormed your way into our hearts, Casey and I will do anything for you. And we want you to know that we’ll accept you no matter what happens.” 

April pulls my hand closer to her, clasping it with both of her own. “And we want you to know that each and every one of you deserves happiness and love–especially love. And if that love happens to be found within your very own lair with your brothers, we just want you to know that we accept you. Even if it never happens and you four find someone else, we just want you to know that no matter who you choose, we’ll stand by you.” 

My vision blurs, and I nearly choke when Casey grabs my other hand, making me drop my pizza. Casey stares at me, his expression the most serious I’ve seen since we defeated the Shredder. 

“We really mean it, Mike,” Casey says, his voice gruff. “We just want da four of ya ta be happy. And if dat happiness is found in da arms of yer brothers, then we want ya ta know we’ll be dere for all of ya. Fuck, we’ll even hold a four-way wedding fer ya if dat’s somethin’ ya wanted.” 

The moment the first tear slides down my cheek, I know I’ve lost. A sob escapes me as Casey squeezes my hand. I hear April’s chair scrape across the floor. 

“Oh, Mikey, we never meant for you four to feel like you needed to hide anything from us. We know that it isn’t typical for humans – this type of stuff. That it’s frowned upon. But just know that you and your brothers deserve to find happiness and experience such love. It would just be cruel if you four weren’t given that option. Everyone deserves to be loved.” 

My heart feels as though it’s being ripped in two as I sob harder. So they have noticed or at least suspected something… 

Clinging to April, I allow her to kiss the top of my head as she mutters soft words of comfort. 

“Did ya really think dat we would reject all of ya?” Casey mutters, rubbing a thumb over my knuckles. 

“I…I didn’t know what to think,” I admit, hiccuping as April tightens her hold on me. “But…I don’t think I’m the one you guys should be sayin’ this too.” I sniffle as I fight back another sob. April cups my cheeks and forces me to look up at her, her green eyes also filling with tears as she smiles at me.  

“No, I’m glad you were the first one we told,” April murmurs, wiping my tears away with her thumb. More replace them. “Even if we were wrong in our assumption, at least you would hear us out. And even if you four didn’t want to find love–or, at least, that type of love–we both needed to let you know we will always be there for you. You four have done so much for us, and we could never turn our back on you.” 

“Especially over somethin’ dat ya four don’t have control over,” Casey adds. 

The noise I made at Casey’s statement was not only my heart shattering, but all of the walls I carefully built over the years tumbling down. April tucks me against her chest and starts running a hand up and down my shell. 

“Oh, Mikey. Has this really been bothering you all this time?” 

Shaking my head, my free hand tightens in April’s shirt as I try to keep from making myself sick from crying.  

“Mike. Talk ta us, buddy.” 

“What’s going on?” 

Using the back of my hand, I roughly scrub at my eyes, pulling away from April as she leans away and pushes a box of tissues toward me. Grabbing one, I wipe my nose and then use another one on my eyes.  

I guess there really is no point in hiding it from Casey and April any longer. And, who knows? Maybe I’ll finally be able to concentrate once someone else knows? 

Doubtful.  

I jolt when a glass of water is pressed into my hand. I glance up at April, who studies me with worried green eyes. My own eyes close as I take a sip of the water, feeling the coolness sliding all the way down to my stomach. Lowering the glass, I sigh shakily. 

“The two of you are great, you know that?” My voice is thick and wet as I chuckle. “I truly appreciate what you both said. It truly means a lot–it really does–but I’m not the one who needs to know this.” 

April and Casey exchange confused looks before April returns to her seat. 

“Why’s that, Mikey? Are you ace? Because that doesn’t matter to us either.” 

Another wet laugh escapes me and I tremble, trying hard to not start crying all over again. Casey still has a hold of my other hand, so I grab a tissue with my free hand and just crush it, needing to do something besides tremble. 

“Mike?” 

Lifting my gaze back to the two humans who’ve become like a brother and sister to me, I know that I need to just get it over and done with. Rip the Band-Aid off. 

I offer them a lopsided smile. 

“No, you both nailed it on the head with me. I really am in love with my bros like that, and it’s awesome you accept that because I truly didn’t know how either of you would react. But, well…” I trail off, swallowing thickly. “There won’t be any wedding bells in my future.”  

April and Casey’s eyes widen at my whispered words. April reaches across the table and rubs the back of my fist. 

“And why’s that, Mikey? Were Casey and I wrong?” April shoots the blackette a look while he just shrugs. “I could have sworn that what I saw was pure love between you and your brothers.” 

Wincing, I chuckle, suddenly tired. I stare at the table. 

“I didn’t want to be the one to tell you guys, ‘cause I’m sure my bros have a way they wanna tell you both, but, um…” I tighten my fist until my fingers ache. “If there would be a wedding, it wouldn’t be for the four of us. At best, I’d be the best turtle for them.” 

A gasp escapes April, and she shoots from her seat, hand flying to her mouth. 

“Don’t…Don’t tell me that they haven’t… that you aren’t… But I thought that…” April pauses, a strangled noise escaping her. Lifting my head, I gaze up at her through teary eyes, her form already blurring as I try to smile. 

“I’m just not the one that they want,” I croak, coughing when the words stick in my throat. “And it’s not like I haven’t tried to show that I was interested, ya know? But, heh, when all three of your brothers completely blow off your attempts, telling you that they don’t have time or that they have more important stuff to do, and yet you see them make time for the others…well, you get the hint. Even I’m not that dense, no matter what Raph says.”  

I laugh, a broken sound that causes a single tear to escape April’s eye. I sag in the chair. 

“But dat ain’t fair!” Casey exclaims, tightening his hold on my hand. I shrug, my sight falling back to the tabletop. 

“I mean, it’s not like it’s their fault. Nobody can control who they love or don’t love. That’s just not how the heart works.” I smile sadly, scrubbing my face with my wrist. “But it’s okay. I came to terms with it long ago. There’s just something about me that isn’t love material for my bros, and I can respect that. Sure, it hurts, but it doesn’t mean I’LL stop loving them. I don’t think I could. And if that means I’m only to be seen as their baby brother, then so be it.” 

“Oh, Mikey, sweetheart.” April pulls my fist close to her. “That…That isn’t healthy. You don’t deserve an existence like that! It’ll slowly destroy you.” 

It already has.  

My smile wobbles. 

“It’s not like I have much of an option, April. I won’t abandon my brothers just because I hold feelings for them that they don’t have for me. You saw what happened when Leo left.” My smile slips further. “Although, if I left, it wouldn’t affect the family as harshly as it did when Leo never came back, and now I understand why Raph and Donnie had such a hard time. And I think it was Leo’s absence that showed them that they were in love with Leo.” 

“And when did ya figure it out?” Casey asks, a light frown on his lips as he rubs my knuckle again. 

A mixture of a chuckle and whimper slips past my lips. Tilting my head to the left, I stare at the space between my two friends, a bittersweet smile taking over for the sad one. 

“I’ve known I was in love with my brothers since I was fifteen. I already understood that I was probably never going to receive the same kind of love from them, so I made my peace with it a while ago.” 

Casey curses, finally releasing my hand to run his hand through his hair. 

“Damn. Dat’s…Dat’s almost five years, Mikey!” Casey gawks at me, distress in his blue eyes. “Have ya thought of just tellin’ ‘em?” 

My shoulders sag as I grab my now cold slice of pizza.  

“I have. Many times. But either they’re too busy or are already dealing with their own problems. Knowing they’re together and have yet to tell me about it, well…” I suck in a deep breath, my chest rattling with the movement as I fight to keep my composure. “Well, even the dumb one gets the hint, and I like to think that I’m not selfish enough to try to wedge myself into my brothers’ happiness when I know that I don’t provide that same kind of happiness for them. Love isn’t meant to be one-sided, and I don’t want them pretending to love me just because they feel bad.” 

“Oh, Mikey,” April whispers, squeezing my wrist. “You are many things but selfish is not one of them. This just proves it.” 

April leans across the table and wipes a stray tear from my face. She then presses her palm against my cheek, opening her mouth as if to say something more when a familiar tune starts to play. I pale, frantically pulling out my ShellCell. A noise of distress leaves me when Leo’s name flashes across the screen.  

I’m past my time limit. 

Raph and Leo are gonna murder me.  

“Oh, shell,” I moan, feeling tears gathering in my eyes again. Images of disappointed big brothers enter my mind as I stare at the ShellCell, panic rising. My body jerks when the phone is suddenly ripped from my hands, and April is pressing “answer.” 

“I’ve got this, Mikey,” April states, her voice hard before shifting into a more friendly tone. “Hello? Oh, Leo!” She pauses. “Yes, sorry, we waylaid Mikey a little bit. Oh, no. He told us that he needed to be back at a certain time.”  

Another pause. “No, really, it was my fault, actually. I’m trying a new recipe and needed Mikey’s opinion on a few of the ingredients.”  

April’s head tilts as I hold my breath. The two of us make eye contact. She winks at me, and I smile shakily. “I’m sorry, Leo. Don’t worry, we’ll be sending him on his way right now. You might want to heat up the oven to warm up the pizzas. I really am sorry that I waylaid him for so long, so don’t be too hard on the little guy, okay? He was just trying to help me out. Hmm? Oh, no. He’s at my place right now so he should be home soon. Okay. Thanks, Leo. Bye.” 

I bite my lip. Though I couldn’t hear Leo’s side of the conversation, I didn’t need to hear his words to know that he is beyond annoyed. 

I watch Casey pull the pizzas out of the oven. He grins at me. 

“Don’t worry, Mike, Da pizzas are still pretty warm.” 

I sigh, standing to take the two boxes from the taller male, and April huffs as she walks up behind me, tucking my ShellCell back into my belt. Then she reaches for my face and kisses my forehead, having to bend just slightly to reach. Silver Sentry. Why am I so short? 

“There. Big brothers are all dealt with.” April squishes my cheeks until I giggle. "There’s our smiley, giggly Mikey. If either Leo or Raph start to give you problems, just text me. I’ll be down there before Don can finish reciting the first thirty numbers of Pi.” 

I nod, my chest lighter than it has been in weeks. Exhaling deeply, I offer my human friends a genuine, grateful smile. 

“Thanks, April. Casey. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.” 

Casey reaches over and rubs my head.  

“Anytime, Little Guy. Yer family, and family sticks together.” 

Biting my lip, I allow them to usher me back downstairs and into the alleyway. April catches my shoulder, her green eyes scanning me. 

“Don’t forget what we said, Mikey. You deserve happiness just as much as your brothers do. Don’t destroy your own happiness just to make them happy.” 

My eyes begin to water as I nod. I’m about to respond when Casey shoves my slice of pizza into my mouth, cutting me off. “Good,” he declares. “Now, off with ya.” 

Smiling, April pats my cheek and ushers me along. 

Waving with my free hand, I rush for the manhole cover and just barely get it shifted to the side before dropping down into the sewers. The manhole settles back in place, cutting me off from the outside world once more, and I sigh for what feels like the millionth time today.  

Well.... That was certainly unexpected. Not in a bad way, though. It’s great to know that April and Casey aren’t disgusted by the love my brothers share. And, honestly, it felt great letting someone else know about my feelings outside of my journals and artwork.  

Now if only my brothers would trust me enough to tell me about their relationship, I think bitterly as I take off skating down the tunnel. I’m already late enough as it is. If I take any longer, not even the threat of an angry April will hold off my brothers. 

Chapter 3: The Surprise

Notes:

Hello everyone! Hope your day is going well :)

I want to say thank you for the kudos! And the kind comments :)

Thank you for your patience in me getting Chapter 3 up. Hopefully chapter 4 will be up soonish but I do have a few other writing projects alongside this one, so bare with me as I work on all of them at once ^.^;

And, I don't know if it was obvious, but the turtles are a mix of 2003 and 2007 with the BTTS height differences (I might play around with Don's height cuz I kinda like that he's the tallest in 2012) and Splinter is based more on his 2012 persona.

But, anywhoooo, enough jabbering from me :) Happy reading!

Beta'd by Lotus_Empress

Not even five minutes later, the secret entrance to the lair comes into view. Just as I’m about to push in the brick combination, the lair door slides open. Emerald hands reach out and yank me through the space. Within seconds, I find myself pressed up against the now closed door with Raph’s hands on either side of my head, my bulky brother crowding my space. My mind reels as Raph’s face appears centimeters from my own. 

“Where da shell were ya?” 

My eyes widen at my brother’s growl, and I curl into myself slightly as he shifts even closer. His natural scent mixed with his body wash crashes over me, and I force myself to glance away, swallowing thickly as I fight the urge to just submit to my much larger brother. Pouting, I raise the two boxes of pizzas as a makeshift shield, hoping that the smell of cheesy goodness will override Raph’s musk. 

“Chill out, Dude. I was at April’s helping her out with a new recipe she wanted to try.” I throw in an eye roll for good measure. “Geez, didn’t Leo tell you?” 

Golden eyes narrow as Raph leans closer, and my heart somersaults in my chest when his breath brushes my snout. A burst of self-consciousness fills me when he lifts a hand and caresses my face with his thumb. Startled by such a gentle display from my usually gruff brother, I shrink back against the bricks. 

“What?” 

“Ya’ve been cryin’.” 

“What?!” 

My eyes widen as the voices of my other two brothers carry across the room, indicating that the two are nearby. However, with Raph being the bulkiest out of all of us and me being the smallest, I can only sense Leo and Donnie's approach.  

Great time for you to be perceptive, Raphie-boy, I think dryly, huffing in annoyance. 

“Dudes, the pizzas are getting cold.” 

Leo materializes on my right, taking my board from my hand, and Donnie appears on my left. Both scan my face with blazing eyes. 

“What happened, Michelangelo?” Leo demands, crossing his arms over his chest as he stares me down. My throat tightens as Donnie’s eyes roam my body, leaving a burning trail behind.  

“And no stalling,” Donnie commands, his eyes snapping back up to my face. 

Pursing my lips, I roll my eyes again. 

“I told you,” I state, making sure to add a little whine into my voice, “I went over to April’s to help her with a new recipe. Which happens to have onion in it. CHOPPED onion.” 

I wait for my little lie to sink in, making sure to hold each of my brothers’ gazes for a few seconds. I’ve spent years keeping my emotions to myself, masking them under some lie or another. Shell, sometimes my brothers make up lies for me, so this really isn’t new territory. 

“And…I may have forgotten that I had some juice from the onion on my fingers and rubbed my eyes,” I mutter, purposely turning my face away with another pout. Totally not doing it so I’m not tempted to bop Raph’s snout with mine. “0/10, Dudes. Onion juice does NOT make a very good replacement for eye drops. Would not recommend.” 

I glance sideways, keeping my gaze steady as silence falls over my three brothers. Finally, after several intense seconds, my three brothers relax. Raph lowers his arms from my beside head.  

“Seriously, Knucklehead? Onion juice? Thought ya’d know better.” 

This time, my whining is genuine as Raph wraps an arm around my shoulders, taking the pizza boxes with his free hand. “I didn’t mean to! April and I were talking, and I just didn’t think. I just, ya know,” I bring my hands up and mime the action, “did the motion.” 

Donnie chuckles, causing my heart to flutter and a small smile to form on my lips. I love hearing my brothers laugh, even if it’s at my expense. 

“I don’t think any of us are all that surprised. At least tell me that you flushed your eyes with water.” 

With a snort, I plop into my usual seat as Leo grabs the plates. 

“Course I did, Don. April is almost as bad as you.” 

Donnie reaches out and slaps me lightly on the back of the head. I shriek, then laugh out loud as he takes his seat next to me.  

Raph places the pizzas on the counter before heading to the fridge and pulling out a pop, cracking it open, and taking one, long drink from it. Leo rolls his eyes at our hotheaded brother’s antics but doesn’t say anything as he places a few slices of pizza on two different plates. My eyes widen in surprise when Leo slides the second plate in front of me, my brain assuming that he was going to take it to Sensei, like usual. 

Leo settles into the seat across from me just as Raph walks over, holding two plates as well. He places one down in front of Donnie and then the other in an empty spot at the head of the table before grabbing his own plate.  

I blink.  

This is new. Leo always plates for Sensei when we know he’s going to eat with us.  

Maybe Leo is rubbing off on Raph?  

“So, Mikey, what recipe was April trying out?” 

I jump at Leo’s question, my mind blanking for a second as panic starts to creep in.  

Shell.  

Of all the questions he could ask, Leo just HAD to ask me that one. Which only means one thing.  

Leo doesn’t buy my little “onion juice” story.  

Shell! I must be slipping if Leo didn’t buy that performance. My acting was Oscar-worthy, dammit!  

Reaching for my slices of pizza, I flash my eldest brother a grin, mind whirling through all the recipes I know of that call for chopped onions. My frantic thoughts are cut short when the soft, rhythmic thunking of a walking stick fills the air, and the warm presence of our father encompasses the space. Our attention drifts to the doorway just as Sensei appears.  

Masterful and wise brown eyes flicker across the four of us, and Master Splinter smiles as he reaches up to stroke his little beard. His brown, white, and black fur reflects in the artificial light as he glides over to the table. 

Wonder if Sensei will let me sketch him in here sometime.  

“Wonderful! The four of you are already here,” Master Splinter says as he sits down, folding his hands in his lap. “Thank you for retrieving the food, Michelangelo. I assume there were no problems?” 

Having just taken a bite of my food, I shake my head and painfully swallow a too-big piece of food. 

“Nah, Sensei. Had to make a pit stop at April’s, but besides that, everything went well.” 

Master Splinter hums, his warm eyes studying me. But if he can also tell that I’ve been crying (because, duh, he’s raised us since infancy, so obviously he can), he doesn’t call me out on it. Instead, he smiles that little secret smile of his – the one he wears whenever he notices or has a thought about something that he finds interesting. But of course, he won’t tell us exactly what it is. Trust me, I should know. I’ve seen this look directed at me more times than I can count, and I almost NEVER figure out what it is that Sensei sees in me.  

“Very well. Let us begin, and once EVERYONE is finished eating, I shall reveal my surprise for the four of you.” 

My interest instantly spikes, and I have to resist the temptation to put my pizza down and beg Chichi to just tell us what his surprise is already.  

New comic books? Or a new video game? Maybe he heard something from the Daimyo? Or even better: he learned a new recipe for a cake that he wants to share with us! 

I chew my pizza thoughtfully. 

Then again, now that I’m thinking about it, when Sensei has a surprise for us, it usually has something to do with training.   

My snout wrinkles a little as I take another bite.  

Sensei has been trying to get us back into a regular training schedule now that Leo is home, and Donnie and I quit our jobs. For the most part, it’s been working. I had nearly forgotten just how sore I can get after training or how often my thoughts drift during our time in the dojo.  

In fact, I’ve stopped keeping track of how many times my mind wanders during katas or sparring. Watching my brothers move, feeling their presence next to me–I’ve missed it a lot more than I’m willing to admit out loud. And the worst part? The lapse in training has allowed my feelings time to fester and resurge more intense than ever. And, of course, during our first sparring session back, Sensei paired me and Leo together. 

It would have been fine if I had been paired with Raph or Don, but we haven’t seen Leo in nearly two years. Haven’t been NEAR him in two years. Haven’t touched him in two years. Haven’t had his scent nearby in two years. And it was during that sparring session that I really noticed just how much taller my eldest brother was now. How much stronger he’d become during his time in the jungle. And it certainly didn’t take him long to use that new strength against me, someone very rusty.  

Have you ever been pinned down by someone you are really, really attracted to? Feeling their strong hands and body pressing against yours to keep you from moving even an inch? Their warmth and scent enveloping you so fully that all you smell, see, and feel is them? 

Well, I was two years rusty on keeping my emotions in check with Leo. And let’s just say I needed some personal alone time in my room after training finished. 

… 

It also reminded me just how much I enjoy being pinned down…  

A warmth zings down south, and I nearly choke on my pizza. 

No! Nonononono! Not at the dinner table! I think frantically as I stuff the rest of my pizza into my mouth. Keep it together. Don’t ruin this. Just push it down until you’re safe in your room!

“Michelangelo?”

Jerking, my eyes flash open (when did I close them?) and glance up at Master Splinter. His warm eyes are watching me closely as he sips his tea. Heat spreads across my cheeks when I realize that my brothers are also watching me. Raph’s eyes narrow and Leo’s frown deepens when I look their way. Concern swirls in Donnie’s hazel eyes, but he at least offers me a reassuring smile. 

“Is everything all right, my son?” 

Dragging my eyes back to our father, I grin sheepishly. 

“Uh, yeah, Sensei.” I rub the back of my neck. “Were you saying something?” 

Sensei shakes his head, a small smile forming behind his mug. 

“I was merely inquiring if you had finished eating, my son.”  

Taking a moment to think, I glance from my brothers’ empty plates to my own. Having that extra piece of pizza from Casey and April really helped keep my appetite at bay. Grinning broader, I bounce in my seat. 

“Sure, Sensei! You gonna tell us the surprise? Is it something sweet?” 

Master Splinter lowers his mug, stroking his little beard as he regards me for a moment before turning his attention to the rest of our little family.  

Did I miss something?  

He smiles. 

“My sons, the four of you have been training very hard these last few weeks, and I can say with certainty that I am very proud of how far all of you have come. Even after…” Master Splinter pauses briefly before continuing. “...the brief break we took in our usual training schedule.” 

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from wincing. It’s Donnie’s turn to grin sheepishly at Sensei while Raph snorts, crossing his arms. Leo, on the other hand, is staring at our father, almost blankly, but I can make out a small crinkle near his left eye that shows he’s a little distressed at our master’s words. 

Sensei’s smile is both amused and reassuring as his hands return to his tea mug. 

“It is nothing to be ashamed of, my sons. It is part of growing up.” Master Splinter gestures toward our fearless leader. “Leonardo was off training to better hone his skills, not only for his own personal growth, but to better himself as a leader for our clan’s sake.” 

He then motions toward me and Don. “Donatello and Michelangelo obtained jobs to help sustain our family.” 

Master Splinter finally faces Raph, addressing him last. “And Raphael… was conducting his own training to become a better protector for the city and our family.” 

I bite harder on the inside of my cheek to keep from giggling. 

Sure, Sensei. Keep calling what Raph did training instead of our hot-headed brother becoming New York’s version of Batman.   

Master Splinter’s gaze sharpens a little as Raph’s face colors. When my brother’s scowl doesn’t falter, our sensei chuckles. 

“As I said, it’s all part of growing up, my sons. And in the end, it has made the four of you stronger. Your spirits have shined bright these last few weeks, working hard and as one.” Master Splinter’s smile turns mischievous, and I start feeling a touch nervous. “Therefore, I believe the four of you have earned a chance to relax.” 

My eyes widen. I share a look with my equally surprised siblings.  

“What are you saying, Sensei?” Leo asks, his voice quiet and quivering just a tiny bit with excitement. 

Master Splinter smirks at us. 

“A lot has happened these last few months, and with Leonardo having returned home, I realized that the four of you deserve some time alone. It has been nearly two years since the four of you have done something together as both a team and as brothers. Because of how well the four of you have performed during training, I asked Mr. Jones if it would be all right for the four of you to spend some quality time up at the farmhouse for two weeks.” 

“Whoa! Really, Sensei?” 

“Ya mean it?” 

“Just us?” 

A heavy rock lands in my gut at my brothers’ comments. I stare at Master Splinter, panic slowly building.  

Two weeks? At the farmhouse? ALONE WITH MY BROTHERS? During the first few weeks of SPRING? Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no! I can’t be left alone with them! What if I slip up? What if I accidentally walk in on them? 

Why didn’t April and Casey warn me? I mentally whine while trying to maintain an expression of passive happiness. 

My hands tighten into fists on my lap while Raph, Donnie, and Leo all appear rather excited by the prospect. My nails dig into my palms. 

Of course, they’re excited! This will be the first time they’re out of the lair as mates. They’ll have so much more space to hang out together and do…other activities in the woods… 

Don’s voice brings me back to reality. 

“When do we leave, Sensei?” Donnie asks, hazel eyes shining. 

I turn toward our father, only to stiffen when I notice that his wise, brown eyes are observing me. Nervousness and concern mix with my panic as my thoughts start to race.  

Why is he looking at me like that?   

A strange gleam flashes in Sensei’s eyes, disappearing as quickly as it came. He turns from me to address my immediate older brother. 

“Tomorrow morning. So I expect the four of you to use tonight to pack your things.” 

I swallow thickly as Sensei stands to take his plate and mug to the sink. Master Splinter then turns back to us, smiling softly. 

“I am proud of all of you–for everything you have accomplished and for saving New York once again. And rest assured that the four of you will be ready to handle whatever the future unfolds. Together.” 

A familiar heat burns behind my eyes, and I drop my gaze to my plate.  

Right…Together… 

“Michelangelo?” 

Startled, I quickly bring my attention to Sensei, fumbling for a response. 

“Y-Yes, Sensei?” 

For a single breath that feels like forever, Master Splinter is silent, and I mentally wince at my little stutter.  

Way to go, dummy. Just broadcast your feelings to a family of NINJAS why don’t you?  

The moment passes. Master Splinter’s expression softens and that strange glint returns to his eyes, a glint I can’t place. 

“Thank you for retrieving the pizza for us tonight.” Sensei’s lips twitch. “Which means one of your brothers can handle washing the plates.” 

A surprised laugh escapes me as my three older brothers squawk in protest. The weight in my stomach lifts a little when Sensei turns a stern eye toward my brothers, leaving Raph grumbling, Donnie chuckling, and Leo wearing that tiny smile of his.  

“All right, Guys,” Leo says, standing and grabbing not only his plate, but mine as well. “Sensei is right. Mikey went to go get the food. The least we can do is wash the dishes, especially since Mikey is usually the one to do them after supper.”  

I blink in amazement when Raph sighs and Donnie agrees, both standing and heading toward the sink without further complaint.  

“All right,” Raph growls, tossing a dish towel toward Donnie, “I wash and ya dry, Brainiac.” 

Donnie easily catches the towel before shooting Leo a playful glance. 

“And what will YOU be doing, Leo? Washing dishes really only takes two people.” 

Leo merely smiles as he dumps the plates into the now-filling sink.  

“I’m going to go grab all our bags and some of our camping gear, just in case we decide to go camping while we’re at the farmhouse. The weather is supposed to be rather nice this week. Up into the high fifties. Much warmer than the single digits of last week.” 

Leo then glances at me. “Would you like to help me, Mikey?” 

My eyes widen, another surge of panic filling me when my brother starts walking toward me. I jump when something warm and furry brushes against my leg. Peeping under the table, I smile at Klunk, instantly relaxing as he stares at me with large green eyes. 

Furbaby to the rescue!  

“Mrew.”  

“Aww,” I coo, reaching underneath the table to scoop up my baby. “Hey, Klunkers. You hungry?” I shoot Leo a smile as I scratch Klunk under the chin. “Let me feed Klunk and then I’ll help ya, Bro.” 

Leo nods, rubbing the orange tabby’s head, a soft smile of his own gracing his lips. 

“Take your time, Mikey. I’ll be in the garage when you’re done.” 

My heart skips a beat at the sight, and I turn away, only for my eyes to land on my other two brothers. Raph is scrubbing at the dishes while Donnie is leaning against the counter with his hip. The domestic scene fills my chest with warmth, and an overwhelming sense of love hits me. 

“Mikey?” 

My throat tightens at Leo’s voice. I look back at him, only to be met with concerned brown eyes. His eye ridges furrow.. 

“Are you all right?” 

Clearing my throat, I clutch Klunk closer to my chest and flash him my best “Mikey-grin.” 

“Uh, y-yeah, Leo. Course! Just trying to remember where I put Klunker’s food. But I’ll go feed him now, and then I’ll help you with the bags!”  

Without waiting for Leo to answer, I rush out of the kitchen. Heart pounding, I hurry into my room and stand there, biting my bottom lip. 

“Klunk, what am I going to do?” I whisper, burying my face in Klunk’s warm fur. He starts to purr. “Two weeks. Two whole weeks surrounded by nothing but woods and open fields with my brothers.” 

Brothers who have captured my heart. Brothers who are now mates and don’t feel the same way. 

Groaning, I rub my cheek against Klunk as he continues to purr, and I will the burning in my eyes away. 

“I’m screwed, Klunk. Absolutely screwed.” 

Chapter 4: Packing Away

Notes:

Hello everyone!

Hope your day is going well :) I want to thank everyone for the very nice and sweet comments that you've been leaving ^.^. It's nice to know that other people are enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying writing it :) A lot of the time, I write what I want to read and just hope that others also want to read it too lol, but I'm the one writing it so I have to enjoy it too. I'm not gonna write something that I don't like or won't ever read (editing would be a drag otherwise XD)

So, thank you everyone for the support and the questions :)

But enough from me XD

Happy reading!

“Do you really think that we’ll need all of these blankets, Leo?” I ask, rolling up the fifth blanket and tying it with twine. 

My blue-cladded brother glances over his shoulder at me as he finishes checking our tent.

“If we go camping, we’ll need all of those blankets, Mikey,” Leo explains, folding the tent once more. “Out of everyone, I would think that you would know that. You’re the most susceptible to the cold.”

A pout forms on my lips while my stomach flutters with giddiness. He’s thinking of me? 

I can think of other things that could be used to keep me warm, I think before grimacing. No. Bad Mikey! I can’t be thinking like this. I might let something slip if I do. And I can’t do that. My brothers are super excited for this trip if their reactions are anything to go by and I’m NOT gonna be the one to ruin it. Not this time. 

No ‘Trouble Magnet Mikey’ and I’ll even keep my pranks to the minimum. And if I see them sneaking off, I won’t follow them. I’ll let them seek me out. Give them all the space that they need. 

They deserve it, I think, lifting the blankets in my arms and placing them into the backend of the BattleShell. Breathing out slowly as I lean down, I turn to watch Leo just as he stands. 

I frown when I realize that there’s only one tent folded nicely.

“Do you need help folding the rest of those?” I ask, pointing to the pile of unfolded tents. Squatting down, I poke at the corner of a patch of dark brown fabric. “I didn’t realize we had so many tents.”

Leo hums, eyes flickering from me to the pile of tents he’s been looking through.

“No, you don’t need to worry about those. Somehow the rats have gotten into these and chewed massive holes into the fabrics.” Leo sighs as he picks up the only folded tent. “So, it looks like we’ll be sharing a tent if we do go camping.”

My stomach swoops and I swallow thickly. Only one tent? For the four of us? My fingers tap at my thigh as I warily watch Leo load the tent into the BattleShell. Whenever we share a tent, I’m always put into the middle and I can’t help but worry a little bit. I sleeptalk and what if I let something slip? Or worse, I have one of my…’Brother Fun Time’ dreams? Oh, Silver Sentry. Maybe I can keep us from going camping or maybe it’ll rain and we won’t be able to go. 

Unnerved, I fiddle with my belt. 

“Sure we can’t just sew the holes shut?”

Leo chuckles as he walks back over to me, wrapping a warm arm around my shoulders. My heart skips a beat as I easily slot into place under my brother’s arm.

“Sorry, little brother, no can do. While there’s holes, the rats also got into the zippers as well and Donnie wouldn’t have enough time to locate another one.” One of Leo’s rare grins forms as he squeezes me and I fight the urge to just melt into his side. “We’ll just have to take turns turning Raph to keep his snores at bay.”

That pulls a genuine groan from me.

“Oh, shell. Dude, don’t remind me about that. I still have nightmares about April coming back to live with us and me having to bunk with Raph again. I don’t think I could do that again.” I shudder as Leo and I enter the elevator. Leo’s hand rubs up and down my arm as if trying to comfort me. Instead, the area that he is rubbing burns and tingles and it’s almost all I can concentrate on.

Leo chuckles and it takes everything in me to not shudder when his breath hits my cheek.

“Don’t worry, Mikey. If that does happen, you can just share my bed.”

My throat tightens and I mentally start crying.

Leo, you can’t just go around SAYING that to people! Especially not me. My will isn’t that strong, dude. I could break and ruin everything. And if that happens, I just KNOW that I’ll lose my brothers. Leo would probably sweep his mates up and usher them off to South America far away from me. But I also know that Leo will feel guilty about not loving me while Donnie would try to find a way to fix me and Raph will beat the green off of me for even thinking about his mates like I have. 

“Geez, Leo,” Donnie’s voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. “What have you done to our baby brother? He looks as though he’s seen a ghost.”

I try to smile as Leo merely pulls me closer. I hold my breath, not trusting myself if I catch my eldest brother’s scent. I can hold my breath longer than any of my brothers. 

Everything's fine. I’m fine.

Leo offers Donnie a lopsided smile.

“I just found out that the rats got into the rest of the tents, leaving the largest one alone. Which means, if the four of us go camping, we’ll have to share a tent.”

Donnie’s eye ridges furrow as his hazel eyes glance over toward me. Our purple-cladded brother places his hands on his hips.

“Really? That’s all? Then why does Mikey look as though he’s going to his death?”

Leo squeezes me, nearly causing me to choke as I continue forcing a smile. Leo chuckles, his breath tickling me again and I fight not to start squirming.

“If we share a tent, that means RAPH will be in there as well. Sleeping.”

Understanding lights up in our brainiac brother’s honeyed eyes. Walking forward, Donnie wraps his arm around my shoulders as well and my jaw clenches as more warmth surrounds me. 

Seriously? These guys are trying to kill me, aren’t they? 

Trying not to cry, I swallow thickly when Donnie presses his cheek to the top of my head.

“Don’t worry, Mikey. I’ll make sure to bring earplugs so that way Raph’s snoring doesn’t bother you.”

“What’s dis about my snorin’?”

Raphie. Please, help me, I mentally whine as my hotheaded brother enters the TV pit. His golden eyes land on us and I try to keep my smile. Raph’s eyes narrow and I know that I didn’t succeed. My body tenses as he stalks forward and my heart leaps into my throat when I realize his golden gaze is locked on me. 

“Would da two of ya let da nut breathe?” Raph growls, suddenly pulling me from Leo and Donnie. Not expecting the sudden movement, I trip over my feet and my face collides with Raph’s plastron. I inhale sharply, taking in Raph’s natural musk but I don’t get a chance to enjoy it with my snout aching from slamming into something so solid. Wincing, I reach up to rub at my throbbing nose.

Calm down. Just relax. Stay calm.

“Raaaaaphie,” I whine, blinking up at him with watering eyes. “That hurt.”

Raph lifts an eye ridge at me, amusement dancing in his amber eyes as he smirks at me. 

“Shouldn’t have tripped over yer feet, klutz.”

Pouting, I go to cross my arms only for Raph to grasp my shoulders. His strong fingers flex on my bare skin and I hate how much his warmth makes my body tingle. And how my thoughts drift to what I wish Raph would do with his fingers. Other places that I wish to feel his fingers twitching on. Like my hips or my thighs or on my wrists as he pins me down while he—

Brain! Stop! Otherwise, you'll be going on timeout!

“Raph,” Leo calls out. “Where are you going with Mikey?”

Raph ignores our big brother as he moves us forward.

“Focus, baby brat,” Raph growls by my earhole sending a zipping tingle down my spine right to my butt. 

My tongue feels heavy in my mouth as we enter the kitchen.

“What…What are we doin’ in here, Raphie?” I ask, not daring to tilt my head back to look at him. His presence is so close, my carapace scrapping at his plastron. 

Raph chuckles and I nearly whimper as I feel the vibrations through my shell, my legs almost turning to jello.

“Don’t act like I’m gonna kill ya, Mikey,” Raph states, squeezing my shoulders and my eyes nearly glaze over. “We need ta bring food with us and yer da only one who can cook. I already grabbed a bag and if we need ta use da cooler, I’ll grab dat from the garage.”

I blink in surprise. And only mild disappointment.

Oh. Okay. I can deal with that. Cooking and finding food to bring to the farmhouse. 

Breathing in deeply, I pull away from my brother’s hands and start wandering around, pulling down some dry foods, noodles, and pancake mix, placing them on the counter for Raph to pack away. 

“Do you know if Casey still has chickens up at the farmhouse?” I ask, willing my heart rate to go back down to normal as I focus on my safe haven.

“As far as I know,” Raph says, his voice low behind me. 

Humming, I nod absentmindedly, mentally making a list of everything we might need the next two weeks for food.

“Okay, well, as a just in case, I’ll bring six of our eggs and leave Sensei the rest.” I move over to the lower cabinets and bend at the waist to glance inside.

Hmm. I don’t want to take all the food from Sensei but I’m pretty sure the last time we were up there was for Christmas with everyone. 

“Maybe I should text Casey and ask to see if there’s any food at the farmhouse already,” I mutter to myself, swaying from side to side as I think.

I know that Raph will want meat and Leo and Donnie will want some vegetables and fruit. Coffee and tea are a must as well as creamer and sugar. Some rice for rice balls and maybe rice porridge for breakfast. 

“Raphie,” I call out, rummaging around in the cupboard. “Is there anything you want me to make while we’re up there?”

Silence.

Frowning, I wait a beat longer before tilting my head and spreading my legs to look between them. Raph is leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest and one ankle over the other with a glazed look in his eyes. My eyes narrow as I resist the urge to huff.

Seriously? Does he need to be daydreaming right this second? He’ll literally be able to leave in a few minutes to be with his mates! Besides, he was the one who forced me in here to grab food. The least he can do is help me.

Straightening, my eyes land on the wet towel on the counter and a sly grin forms on my lips.

Welp. If Raphie thinks that he can get away with losing himself in a fantasy of his mates in my presence, then he can deal with the consequences.

Slowly, I grab the wet towel, balling it up to make it easier to throw. I grin as I make it a perfect ball. Then spinning around, I whip my arm as hard as I can. 

Raph just barely comes back to himself to block the wet towel from smashing into his face. Gold eyes flash and narrow as he lowers his arm, gaze locking on me. I stare back, innocently.

“Mikey.”

I blink at him, clasping my hands behind my back as I bounce on the balls of my feet, ignoring how that growl makes my body warm and tingly. Raph starts advancing toward me, a sneer on his face.

“Yes, Raphie?”

Raph cracks his knuckles.

“Ya better start runnin’, brat. And don’t call me ‘Raphie’.”

I shriek when Raph launches himself at me and I easily sidestep his attack. Sprinting out of the kitchen, I spot my other two brothers on the couch and I race for them with Raph right on my heels.

“LEO! DONNIE!” I cry out when I feel Raph’s fingers ghost over my shell. “RAPHIE’S GONNA KILL ME!”

Leo and Donnie glance up as I rush by, smiles and amusement forming on their faces.

“Get back here, brat!” Raph snarls behind me but even I can hear the amusement in his voice. “Ya better hope dat I don’t catch ya!”

“What did you do now, Mikey?” Donnie asks as I take another lap around the couch. I pout as I flip over the armchair. 

“Why do you always assume that I did something?”

Raph growls as he circles around the chair that I’m using as a barrier.

“Ya threw a wet TOWEL at my head!”

I stick my tongue out at him as Raph lunges. 

“I wouldn’t have had to if you were paying attention!” I whine back, darting behind the couch. “I asked you a question and all you did was stand there! It was like you were someplace else, bro. I needed to get your attention somehow! Honestly! What were you doing that would take you away from prepping food?”

Raph pauses in front of Donnie and Leo, both of whom are ready to spring to the side if our bulky brother lunges. An embarrassed look flashes across my brother’s face as his cheeks color to match his mask.

“I…uh…I was thinkin’.”

Unable to help myself, I cross my arms and pout.

“What could you have possibly been thinking about that took you away from helping me with our food?”

Silence fills the lair.

My pout slides to a frown when Raph tenses, his eyes widen, just staring at me. Both Donnie and Leo are also tense, but I can’t see their expressions from where I’m standing. Narrowing my eyes, I open my mouth to ask what’s wrong only for my brain to catch up to what I asked Raph.

I shove down the urge to smack my forehead.

Shell! He obviously was in a fantasy about Leo and Donnie! Why would I put him into this position?! I really am stupid! I hold my breath as my thoughts race. How to fix this. I gotta give him a way out. What can I use…What can I… I’m a genius!

“Because, Raphie,” I start, adding an extra whine to my voice. “Nothing is more important than food. Just because I know that you were thinkin’ of all the bad guys you won’t be able to beat up doesn’t mean you can ignore me like that. I need to know what meals you guys want to eat during the next two weeks so I can prepare a list just in case I need April to run for me before we leave tomorrow.”

Take the bait. Take the bait. Take the bait.

After a beat, Raph’s shoulders loosen and he falls back into his usual, arms crossed pose. He rolls his eyes.

Score for the Mikester.

“I was more worried about how Casey will handle me not savin’ his ass fer two weeks.”

“RAPHAEL!” comes Sensei’s voice from the dojo. “LANGUAGE!”

My hand flies to my mouth, covering up a snicker while Raph shoots a surprised look toward where our sensei’s bedroom is located. Leo and Donnie don’t even bother to hide their laughter as they’re nearly falling all over themselves on the couch.

“How does he always do dat?” Raph gruffs.

I grin.

“Dude, Dad’s got super hearing. We’ve known that since we were little,” I state, bouncing in place, happy that the tense air is gone.

Leo stands from the couch, smiling back at me, shaking his head.

“Mikey, get me a list of all the items you think we might need for the farmhouse and I’ll contact April for you.”

Squealing, I launch over the back of the couch and hug Leo.

“Oh, thank you, Leo! That way we don’t have to take so much food from Sensei!” I scramble around to get more comfortable in Leo’s arms. “Is there anything special all of you want me to make? Anything you might crave?”

Leo tightens his hold on me as Donnie stands, rubbing my head.

“Anything you make we’ll eat it. You know that, Mikey.”

I giggle, suddenly self-conscious with all of my big brothers just staring at me. I fight not to squirm while my brothers are right there. Secure and holding me with slight smiles that warm my insides.

My heart skips a beat.

Uh-oh.

Too close. Way too close. 

“Mikey?”

My breathing hitches as I force a laugh, moving out of Leo’s hold as he talks. Just keep moving and they won’t notice anything off. I’m just silly Mikey who never acts normal.

It's fine. This is fine.

“I need to make that list,” I say, keeping my eyes forward, twitching a little to avoid Leo reaching out for me. “If you three think of something, let me know. Leo, I’ll leave the list on the kitchen table for you. Raphie, if you could still grab the cooler from the garage, that’d be great.”

“Mikey?” Donnie calls out, voice on the edge of worry but I keep moving toward the kitchen, waving a hand over my shoulder.

“I got this, Don. I’ll leave the list out if you think of anything.”

Please don’t follow me. I just need a moment to myself. 

I pause next to the table, pressing my hand to my plastron as my heart pounds. How could I be so stupid? Latching onto Leo like that? I’m lucky that Raph and Donnie are obviously in a good mood. Clinging to their mate like that. I cringe as my head drops and press it into the wood. 

“This is gonna be so much harder than I thought,” I mutter.

I’m such a touchy-feely turtle. I love hugs and being close to my brothers. But I also know that they never really liked it and now that they’re mates, I’m going to have to curb it. 

Especially if I can't get these stupid emotions under control.

My lips purse into an irritated frown as I push myself up and start rummaging through the drawers for a pad of paper, needing to distract myself. At the top of the paper, I write out a list of items that I believe we are going to need before pulling the forty dollars that Leo gave me earlier and placing it down next to the pad of paper.

“Mrew?”

Smiling, I glance down at Klunk as he stares up at me with bright green eyes. My little kitty ninja stretches before walking up to me and stretching up my leg, Klunk’s way of telling me that he wants to be carried. Chuckling, I scoop him up easily, scratching at his tummy.

“Who’s a good kitty?” I coo, exiting the kitchen, not bothering to check and see if my brothers are still in the pit. I can sense both Leo and Donnie standing there, whispering, but Raph’s presence is further away, telling me that he’s at least grabbing the cooler for me. Sighing, I continue toward my room. 

“At least I know that you’ll always love me, Klunk,” I mutter, closing the door behind me and crawling into bed. Klunk chirps and purrs as I situate the bed to our liking and flopping down. A wince escapes me when I roll over and spot my travel bag just sitting in the corner, untouched.

“I’ll deal with it in the morning,” I mutter, my eyes sliding shut as Klunk’s purrs lulls me to sleep.

 

Chapter 5: On the Road Again

Notes:

Hello everyone! Hope you're doing well :)

I also want to say thank you to everyone who has been leaving comments and kudos! I can't tell you how great it and feels seeing all the kind words and knowing that other people are enjoying this story as much as I am writing and creating it XD. I'm a sucker for Mikey whomp and I'm glad I'm not alone on it. So, even if I haven't responded to the comments, I do read them :). And I appreciate that no haters have come through XD.

Anywhos! Here is Chapter 5 for all of you lovely people :).

Happy reading!

“Mikey! C’MON!”

“Coming!” I shout back, frantically shoving items into my bag. Notebook, sketchbook, headphones, CDs, some comic books, pillow, fluffy Justice Force blanket. Swiftly, I zip the bag and stuff my nunchakus into my belt and rush out of my room. 

Only to come face to plastron with Donnie. My purple-clad brother raises an eye ridge at me, an amused smile on his face as he studies me. Smiling sheepishly, I rub the back of my head.

“Heh, good morning, Don. I’m ready.”

Donnie chuckles, reaching up and patting my head, his honey eyes sparkling as his smile widens.

“Good morning to you as well, Mikey. But are you absolutely sure that you’re ready? Because I think you’re missing something.”

My mind blanks for a second, my frantic scrambling still cycling through my brain. I have my bag, my belt, my nunchucks. What else am I missing?

Donnie chuckles, his hand a warm and secure weight on my head and I have to resist the urge to lean into his touch. What I am not expecting is for Don to cup my face, tilting my head up toward him. Heat spreads across my face and I fight not to squirm as he stares down at me.

Dooooonnie, it’s too early for you to be doing this kind of stuff, I think, trying not to lean into his hold. I can’t deal with you doing hot stuff this early in the morning.

My mind nearly short-circuits when Donnie’s thumb swipes the skin under my eye, leaning closer.

“You’re missing your mask, little brother,” Donnie whispers with a smirk, his breath tickling my burning face.

It takes a moment for my brain to catch up and when it does, I jolt.

My hand flies to my face. And sure enough, all I feel is skin.

Groaning, I smile sheepishly at my immediate big brother. He shakes his head, chuckling as he takes my bag from me, patting my cheek.

“Go grab your mask, silly. I’ll bring your bag to the vehicle.” Donnie turns, shouldering my bag and glancing back at me. “Don’t take too long. Otherwise, Leo will have your butt if he has to come get you.”

He can have my butt whenever he wants, I think, mouth drying as my entire body tingles. My hand comes up and smacks at my forehead a few times to clear my head.

It’s far too early for this. Why does Donnie have to say such things? I haven’t been able to mentally prepare myself and now I’m going to be trapped in a vehicle for four hours with my beautiful, sexy, talented and—

Shaking my head, I rush to my bed and quickly put my mask on. Warm fur rubs against my legs and I bend down, picking up my orange fur-son and scratching under his chin.

“Awe, Klunkers,” I coo, rubbing my cheek on his head. “Be good for Grampa, okay? He can be quite stern but he’s truly a big softy. But Daddy also needs you to be strong for him, okay?” Klunk purrs and tilts his head at me, rubbing against my cheek. “These two weeks are gonna really test your daddy’s patience and self-control. And he’s gonna need all the luck he can get.”

Klunk purrs in response as I carry him downstairs. I make it to the bottom of the stairs when Master Splinter appears.

“Morning, Sensei!” I chirp, hugging Klunk as I beam up at my chichi.

Master Splinter smiles softly at me, stroking his beard.

“Good morning, my son. Are you ready to depart?”

Nodding, I clutch Klunk to my chest. Sensei places his hand on my shoulder and leads me to the elevator doors. Stepping inside, the doors slide shut and I shift from foot to foot, my anxiety spiking as we begin to move.

“Michelangelo.”

My head snaps over to Sensei, blinking when I realize that he’s staring at me. Master Splinter’s dark eyes roam over my face and he presses his palm to my cheek. Confusion filters through me as I stare up at my father. There is a gleam of sadness in those wise eyes but his smile is full of love and reassurance.

“Sensei?”

“I am very proud of you, my son,” Master Splinter says, voice soft as I stare at him in confusion. “And I want you to know that I love you and your brothers very much. I want the four of you to enjoy your time away. You four have done much for this family and I could not have asked for better sons.”

My mouth falls open, lost for words. Master Splinter pulls me into a hug, strong arms wrapping tightly around me. Not entirely sure about what is going on, I feel heat building behind my eyes as I allow the security of my father to wash over me.

“Chichi?” I whisper when the elevator door suddenly opens and Master Splinter releases me, pressing a palm to my cheek.

“I want you to have fun these next two weeks,” Master Splinter whispers and my throat tightens. “Just be true to yourself and everything will be fine.”

Master Splinter presses a kiss to my forehead and then leads me out of the elevator. I automatically follow, mind blank as my brain can’t even process what just happened. There was something to that, I just know it. Something Sensei is trying to say without actually saying it.

I swallow a whine.

Why does Sensei always do this to me? He KNOWS I’m not smart enough for these types of lessons. Why can’t he just tell me what he means to say? Because now I’m just gonna obsess over his words and think about every possible double meaning there is. But because I’m not Leo, who just understands what Sensei says, or Donnie, who is a freaking GENIUS, or even Raph, who just takes Sensei’s words literally and goes for it, I’m gonna be stuck on his words forever.

“You’re not planning on taking Klunk with us, are you?”

Leo’s voice snaps me from my thoughts and I glance down at the purring tabby still in my arms. Honestly? I forgot I was holding my little fur-baby.

“Oops. Sorry, Leo,” I say, smiling sheepishly. Turning toward Master Splinter, I grin when he already has his hands out.

“Do not worry, my son. Klunk and I will keep each other company.”

I smile as Sensei takes Klunk from me, allowing me to rub his head one last time and kiss him.

“Be good for Sensei, Klunk. Thanks, Chichi.”

Master Splinter smiles softly at me.

“You are welcome, my child. Now, do not keep your brothers waiting. You have a long drive ahead of you.”

Hugging him, I hurry to the BattleShell. Raph rolls his eyes at me while Leo rubs the top of my head before heading over to speak with Sensei one last time. Warm hands land on my shoulders, squeezing as I jump and look up at Donnie. He smiles and leans down causing my heart to skip.

“If you want the front seat, I’d go now,” he mutters into my earhole forcing me to fight back a shiver. “Otherwise Leo is gonna take it and we’re gonna have to listen to the news the whole way.”

Eyes widening, I book it for the passenger side and swiftly take a seat. I instantly pull out my ShellCell and plug it into the dashboard, pulling up one of my playlists that I know has songs all my brothers will like.

Like shell are we gonna listen to the boring and depressing news for the next four hours. I always fall asleep listening to it! And with how unstable I have been in keeping my feelings in check, I can’t risk falling asleep in such a small space with my brothers nearby.

The BattleShell rocks as Raph climbs into the driver’s seat. He smirks at me and my heart flutters in my chest but I push it down to grin and wave my phone at him. My red-cladded brother pretends to wipe sweat from his forehead.

“Thank kami,” Raph drawls, amber eyes dancing with mirth. “Now we don’t have ta listen ta da boring news de entire time. I think my brain would melt if we did.”

“There’s nothing wrong with the news,” Leo states, climbing into the back end of the BattleShell. “It’s good to keep up-to-date on current events.”

I smile innocently as my eldest brother eyes me with a quirked eye ridge. He rolls his eyes as Raph snorts.

“Yeah, because we all wanna know just what a shitty world we live in.”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Raph and I jump and we look over at the driver's side window. My eyes widen as I spot Sensei, his eyes narrowing as Raph laughs nervously. He motions for Raph to roll the window down.

“Language, Raphael,” Sensei states tersely before reaching in and patting him on the cheek. “Drive safe, my sons. I expect a message at least letting me know that the four of you have arrived safely.”

“Hai, Sensei,” the four of us echo back as Donnie shuts the back end.

Master Splinter smiles and pats Raph’s cheek one last time before stepping back with Klunk in his arms still.

The engine rumbles to life as Raph turns the key. I wave one last time to Sensei before Raph puts the BattleShell into gear and we head out of the garage. The doors automatically glide up for us and close behind us. The windows tint more around us but the morning sun is still hidden behind the buildings of New York. My lips twitch down when Raph turns right instead of left to head out of the city.

“Uh, dude? Where we going?”

Raph side-eyes me, a ghost of a smirk on his lips.

“Did ya already forget dat April got us food? We need ta grab it so we don’t starve.”

I blink at Raph, mentally processing my brother’s words. A sheepish smile forms on my lips as I rub my neck.

“Oops, right. I forgot.”

Raph rolls his eyes with a shake of his head, smirk still in place.

“Knucklehead.”

Unable to help myself, I stick my tongue out at Raph. It’s not my fault it’s so early. And my brain isn’t fully awake, all right? Get me some energy drinks or pop and I’ll be all good.

My fingers flex as April’s shop comes into view and thoughts of yesterday’s talk fills my mind. Did April know we were going to the farmhouse? Did she already think we knew when she and Casey talked to me? Maybe thinking we would use this alone time to further explore ourselves?

My jaw works, my fingers digging into my palms.

No. I’m not gonna start this so early in the morning. I want to actually try and enjoy this time with my brothers and leave all my depressing thoughts and brooding for when we come home.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I refocus on the passing buildings. My eyes land on a figure standing on the sidewalk with two coolers near her feet. April waves at us as Raph pulls up next to her. I hear the backend open and the BattleShell shifts as Leo and Don move around.

“Good morning, April,” Leo greets.

“Good morning, guys,” April says brightly and I peek around into the back. She spots my look and smiles at me as I wave. “All ready for 2 weeks of relaxation?”

And then some I’m sure, I think as Leo grabs one cooler and April hands the second one to Donnie.

“Damn right we are,” Raph calls back, twisting in the driver’s seat. “Might get a little borin’ without bashin’ in some heads. Just make sure Casey keeps his butt outta trouble while we’re gone, ‘kay?”

April laughs, shaking her head.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Raph. I have a few projects ready and waiting for Casey. So he won’t have time to think about going out and finding trouble.”

Raph and I exchange a look and I shrug. I kinda doubt Casey will forget about bashing heads. He’ll probably be wishing that’s where he was while doing April’s projects. And she knows it too. But it’s always nice to be optimistic.

“That should be all of it,” April states, shutting one of the BattleShell doors. “The four of you have fun and be safe. Casey and I might swing up there this weekend to buy you more, so just let me know if you need us to do another grocery run. Casey’s mom is gonna be there at the end of the month so anything canned or boxed can be left if you don’t use it all.” April looks up and the two of us make eye contact passed Donnie’s shoulder. Her smile softens a little and there is a strange gleam in her eyes. “Have a great time, all right? You deserve it.”

Heat builds behind my eyes and I swallow thickly.

Dang it, April! It’s too early in the morning to make me emotional. I can’t hide it as well. Not sure how to respond, I offer April one last wave before turning to face forward again as the last door is shut, rocking the vehicle. My fingers flex on my lap as Leo approaches the front, resting a hand on my chair.

“All right. We should be good to go.”

The engine roars to life as Leo heads back to his seat, Donnie already typing away.

“Looks like we’re gonna be hitting clear roads almost all the way up,” Don comments as Raph pulls away from the curb and I relax back in my seat, tapping play to start the music all over again.

“Good,” Raph says, grinning wolfishly at me as I snicker.

“That doesn’t give you permission to speed, Raph,” Leo states, voice disapproving. “We don’t need to deal with cops on our way up there.”

Raph snorts but I can feel the BattleShell slow down just a smidge. I risk a glance back at Leo and nearly laugh out loud at the smug smirk on his face as he shoots the back of Raph’s head a look. Leo catches my eye and winks at me before turning toward Donnie. Heat spreads across my cheeks and I quickly face forward once more.

Shell. I really am not prepared for this at all. How in the world am I going to survive TWO WEEKS with my bros if they insist on doing hot things like winking at me and cupping my face? Like, I’m not strong enough to handle that kind of attention. Not from them.

My snout twitches as I lift my eyes to watch the scenery zoom by us as we exit the city.

Normally my bros aren’t this touchy-feely and playful with me, but I think it’s because they’re just excited about the prospect of being alone together as mates for the first time in months that it's leaking over into their interactions with me. And they’re going to have so much space and privacy at the farmhouse. So, I think it’s making them more relaxed and chill.

I resist the urge to sink in my seat and pout.

Instead, I reach for my phone and open the music app, starting to scroll through song choices to queue up.

All I need to do is keep myself busy these next two weeks and everything will be fine. Maybe I’ll just hide away on the barn’s roof and sketch or maybe even sneak away into the forest to find some wildlife to sketch. Casey also brought up a gaming console and games for us the last time we went to the farmhouse so I can always do that too if my bros leave to “explore” the forest around us.

Because I refuse to ruin my brothers' vacation, I think, my eye ridges furrowing in determination. They’re going to have a great time relaxing and getting to expand their relationship. Because, who knows when we’ll be able to do this again? Because, for all I know, the next big bad is just waiting around the corner to strike.

My eyes narrow as I tap on another song to add to the queue, merely going off of song title and not really bothering if I’m in the mood for them or not.

I mean, Karai is still out there, leading the Foot and she even partnered with Winters to bring those statue dudes to life, so who knows if she’s planning something big for us. She knows that Leo is back in town now, so she’s gotta be planning something.

My fingers flex around my cell, my frown deepening as my thoughts pause. Geez. I’m starting to sound like Leo, always worried and paranoid. I don’t wanna live a life like that! Worrying is just going to make me wrinkle and I’m the cute one! I can’t get wrinkles before my brothers! It’s the least they can do for me is to get wrinkles long before me so that I can forever be the cute and pretty brother.

“Earth ta Mikey. Ya still with us, shell-fer-brains?”

Jumping, I fumble with my phone, nearly dropping it down to my feet. Clutching it to my chest, my heart pounding as I glance over at Raph with wide eyes.

“What? Is something wrong?”

Golden eyes flicker toward me and for a brief second, I can see a flash of concern on my hotheaded brother’s face. It’s only there for a millisecond before vanishing behind a smirk.

“Nah, nothin’s wrong. We were tryin’ ta talk with ya, chucklehead.”

My cheeks burn as I laugh nervously and wiggle in my seat.

“Oh, sorry. Guess I’m still tired. Was too excited to really sleep well, ya know?” I smile at my brothers. “It’s been such a long time since we’ve hung out.”

Raph chuckles and shakes his head while Leo swivels his chair toward me. His brown eyes sparkle in the morning sun as he smiles at me.

“Well, lucky for you, we’ve got about a four-hour drive ahead of us. So, a perfect time for you to nap.”

A surge of panic flutters in my chest as I force my smile to remain on my face. Oh, because THAT is totally going to happen. NOT. Not while they are still awake. Nope. Nada. Ain’t happening now or ever again. I don’t trust myself anymore. Who knows what I might say in my sleep! With my luck, I’ll let everything slip out and completely ruin our vacation before it even starts. So, nope. The Mikester is going to stay awake even if that means me annoying my brothers with constant chatter.

A low chuckle from Donnie brings me back to the conversation at hand.

“You’re just trying to get him to take a nap so that he doesn’t start asking “Are we there yet” in the next hour or two.”

I feign a gasp and press a hand to my plastron as I turn my ocean blue eyes to my eldest brother. His eyes sparkle with amusement that nearly makes me start laughing.

“Me? Ask that? Au contraire, my good sir! I only start asking that at the hour THREE marker!” I turn my snout up and sniff indignantly. “Because I KNOW that some of my brothers are speed demons and we could totally be at the farmhouse in three hours instead four.”

A grin splits Raph’s face as he glances back at our other two brothers in the back.

“Now, DAT I can agree wit. We definitely could get dere in three. Dis baby has da power behind her.”

“You put this tank over 75 and I’ll activate the emergency brake and take over!” Donnie snaps from the backseat.

Raph snickers as I lean back in my seat, content to listen to my brothers' banter about the speed limit. A wave of love and longing shoots through me as I stare at them.

A giggle works its way past my lips when Raph glances over at me and winks. A full laugh leaves me when I feel Raph hit the gas leaving Don and Leo squawking in the back for him to slow down.

Even if my brothers never love me like I love them, as long as I can have moments like this with my brothers, then I’ll be content forever.

Settling back in the passenger seat, I grasp my phone again as Raph starts laughing.

Yup. This is definitely worth it.

 

Chapter 6: Vacation Start

Notes:

Hello everyone!

So sorry for the wait ^.^", working and having other projects going on have made it hard to finish this chapter. But I finally did!

To everyone who has commented and left kudos, thank you so much 🥺. They mean so much to me and have helped keep me motivated to get chapters out for you. Hopefully, I can get a schedule down so that you guys aren't guessing when I'll upload next. ^.^"

But enough chatter!

On to the chapter!

A groan escapes me as I stretch my arms above my head. My back and joints crack and I sigh as I glance around. A smile forms as the quiet of the farmhouse washes over me. Well, as quiet as it can be with the distant sound of chickens cooing and clucking. But compared to the honking, shouting, and business of New York, this is nearly silent. 

My brothers might not believe me, but I really do like the stillness that comes with being out here. When we come to the farmhouse, I know that we will be mostly relaxing and not worrying about if the next big bad will come storming into our lair. And the silence is refreshing. Which I also know that my brothers will have a heart attack if they hear me say. I’m always the one who is blaring music or blaring the TV, especially if I’m home alone. I HATE silence. Because, silence in New York means that something is wrong. But at the farmhouse? It feels natural. Now, I can’t handle COMPLETE silence, but again, the farmhouse provides that perfect amount of silence because it’s not ACTUALLY silent. There is always a bird cooing or hooting, or a wolf howling in the distance, or crickets and frogs singing us the song of their people. But it’s so different from the noise that follows New York 24/7 that it is pretty much silence for me. Because too much silence reminds me just how alone I am and when that thought creeps in then other thoughts start creeping in and then I start overthinking. And a Mikey who is overthinking turns into Panic Attack Mikey and nobody wants to deal with a panicking Mikey. I know I don’t. 

“Yo, Mike!”

Jerking, I turn back toward the BattleShell just in time to catch my backpack. Blinking, I shoot Raph a pout.

“Why are you throwing stuff at me? I didn’t even ask if we were there yet! I was good!”

Leo appears from behind the BattleShell, his own bag slung over his shoulder and one of the coolers in his arms. He nods with a slight smile.

“Yes, you were good. However, Raph was trying to get your attention for the pass few seconds and you weren’t responding. So, you’re just lucky he didn’t just chuck your bag at you.” 

My eyes widen as Leo cocks an eye ridge at me. His brown eyes flicking up and down. My mouth dries under my big brother’s attention and I quickly clear my throat as I shoulder my bag.

“He better not throw my bag at me. The drawing tablet that April got me for Christmas is in here and YOU’LL be the one to explain to her why you broke something that she got me to replace Cowabunga Carl.” I turn my snout up as Raph walks by me, rolling his eyes. “Unless you guys WANT me to go back to being Cowabunga Carl.”

Leo pauses midstep and turns a hard stare at me. A cloud covers my eldest brother’s face and I shrink back.

“What?”

“You even THINK about starting Cowabunga Carl back up again and I will PERSONALLY destroy that fake head and spread it’s foam across the entire city. And then I will work you over so hard that you won’t even be able to WALK let alone STAND when I’m finished with you.”

My mouth falls open at Leo’s growling tone, my heart skipping a beat. Damn it. If that wasn’t hot. It’s not often that Leo takes that tone with any of us (that I’m aware of) and it never fails to make me feel THINGS.

But if Leo’s promising to—NO. Bad Mikey! You JUST got here!

Clearing my throat, I shoot Leo a cheeky grin. Besides, we all know he’s talking about training. 

“Mikey.”

A squeak leaves me as I tilt my head back, only for the back of my head to hit Don’s plastron. His hazel eyes sparkle as he leans over me.

“Don’t test Leo, Mikey. We might be up here for a 2-week vacation but you know that he’ll be more than happy to force us to train. And he’s talked about upping our training regiment, so please don’t give him a reason to do so.”

“‘Cause if dat happens I’m kickin’ yer ass, baby brat!” Raph calls back over his shoulder as he enters the house. 

“Raph, language!” Leo shouts back, tearing his intense gaze away from me finally.

I pout as Donnie nudges me. Turning, I take the second cooler from him before he turns and grabs his and Raph’s bags.

“Well, if Raphie destroys my only way to make money, then what else am I supposed to do? I at least knew that I was good and popular enough to always have business.” I huff as I trudge after Donnie as Leo leads us into the entryway. “And I made good money.”

Donnie rolls his eyes. 

“If your tablet did get damaged, I would be able to fix it for you. You know that, Mikey. Besides, there would be other things you could do that wouldn’t require you coming home beaten into a pulp by children.”

“Like what?” I demand as I follow Leo into the kitchen. “I’m good at drawing and performing. What else could I do if my tablet would be out of commission?”

“Dere’s escorting.”

“Raph!” 

I jump at Leo’s sharp tone as he slams his cooler down. A pissed-off look crosses Big Brother’s face and he storms over to the entryway of the kitchen. Oof. Welp. So much for this being completely relaxing. Guess even being mates won’t stop my bros from getting on each other’s nerves.

“I’m kidding!” Raph calls down from the loft area.

“You fucking better be!” Leo snaps up the stairs causing me to look at the back of his head in surprise. “He is NOT becoming an escort.” He turns on me and points at me. “You WILL NOT, or EVEN THINK of becoming an escort. End of discussion. If your tablet breaks then we will either get you a new one or you’ll just have to take a break until Don fixes it. But it’s not broke so we’re done discussing this.”

I hold my hands up in surrender and nod with wide eyes when Leo shoots me a stern look. Whoa. Even for Leo, this is a little intense. I don’t think I’ve heard him talk like that since his little “Raph” phase before heading to Japan. And by the way that Don is peeking his head in, I’d say he’s just as startled as I am. 

Wetting my lips, I carefully pull the lid off the cooler while eyeing Leo as he does the same. There is a slight wrinkle between his eye ridges and the corners of his mouth are further down than they should be if he was just concentrating on taking food out and putting them on the counter. Scooting a little closer, I purposely bump him with my elbow.

“You okay?” I ask quietly, ducking my head trying to catch my eldest brother’s eyes. “That…That was a rather intense reaction to a joke, ya know?”

Leo’s hands pause in their movement, a jar of mayo in his right and a huge jar of peanut butter in the other. He lifts his eyes to meet mine and I have to fight the urge to not just get lost in his intense stare. Even when we were kids, Leo always held this silent intensity about him, something that just screams LEADER. Something that none of my other brothers have. Raph’s intensity is always loud and in your face, but Leo’s is more subtle and slowly encompassing in a way that it’s not overly invasive but makes it undeniable that he is the leader and deserves respect. But he also has this thing about him that makes you feel HEARD when you speak to him. Don is the same, but his aura isn’t as intense. Just more homey and warm. 

A heavy sigh cuts off my thoughts and I refocus on Leo, frowning. Confusion fills me when Leo chuckles, a tiny smile on his face and he reaches out. His slightly damp hand rubs my head gently as he studies me.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, Mikey. I guess I needed this vacation more than I thought. I didn’t mean to snap like that.” I blink as his hand travels down from the top of my head to cup my cheek. “I just don’t like the idea of you getting hurt again, let alone going into such a dangerous job like escorting.”

To be fair, I’m not exactly sure what being an ‘escort’ entitles. I asked Donnie once but he muttered almost the entire explanation while using a drill so I barely caught anything. Which told me he didn’t really want to tell me in the first place, considering that Donnie is almost always willing to explain things to me. All I really know is that it’s not a job to be taken lightly and many don’t really see it as a ‘proper’ career. But it does make my insides all warm and fuzzy to know that Leo feels so strongly about my safety. Even if it’s just him looking out for me as a brother.

Offering Leo a smile, I step forward and hug him, which he instantly accepts. His arms automatically locking me in place.

“That’s okay, Leo! This is why Dad decided we needed a break. He could probably tell you were stressing. Sensei is just good like that. Or he used his strange parent powers and saw into the void.”

A genuine Leo laugh escapes my brother and I can’t help the feeling of pride that fills me at being the one to get something so rare out of him while butterflies flutter in my stomach. Having not heard Leo laugh in nearly 2 years, I still can’t help but get the warm fuzzies even though he’s been home for a few months now. 

My bros have the best laughs ever.

“I don’t think Sensei uses the “void” to know whether or not we need a break, little brother,” Leo states, amusement dancing across his face. “I think he just knows us well enough to start seeing the signs before we do.”

I rest my chin on the lip of Leo’s plastron, thinking for a moment before shrugging. 

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” I peek up at him. “But I just know that Sensei has some sort of magic powers. He was trained by the Ancient One after all! Just like you!”

I giggle as Leo laughs again and squeezes me tightly.

“I told you, I don’t have superpowers, Mikey. I’ve just finely tuned my skills. Which is something I’ll be helping you three do.” Leo smirks and adds after my face falls. “After our 2 weeks up here.”

I pout at him.

“You enjoy making me worry, don’t you?”

The smug look on my eldest brother’s face tells me more than I need to know. Huffing, I struggle out of Leo’s hold as he laughs. Finally slipping out of his hold, I put my snout in the air as I moved back over to my cooler.

“It’s my job to keep you three on your toes,” Leo states, amused by my fake huffiness. “You three give me enough heart attacks that I think it’s a fair trade-off.”

Narrowing my eyes, I point a bottle of ketchup at him only to pause when Don re-pokes his head in. He lifts an eye ridge at my readied weapon before glancing at Leo.

“I’m gonna head to the barn to double check all of the machinery in there to make sure that no mice have decided to make a home in any of it like they tried to do last time,” Donnie states, a distasteful look appearing on his face. He then shakes his head and refocuses on Leo and me. “And Raph also mentioned wanting to do a border run. Not that he really expects to find anything but as a just in case, ya know?”

Leo instantly perks up at that and I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. I knew that my bros would want to do some things by themselves but I didn’t expect it to happen so soon. I was kinda hoping after Leo and I got the food done, the four of us could watch a movie or even play a few games. I stare down at the ketchup in my hands still.

Guess I could use this time to think of what we can eat for supper, I think, peeking inside the cooler the best I can.

“If Raph’s willing to wait, I’ll go with him. Just let me finish helping Mikey put the food away.”

I wave a dismissive hand, throwing my big brother a smile.

“Nah, Leo. You go ahead and help Raph with the border run. We all know how impatient he is.” I chuckle as my smile slips into a smirk. “He’ll just leave without saying anything.”

Leo frowns at me as he pulls out two more jars.

“Are you sure, Mikey? I would hate leaving you to finish this all by yourself.”

I shrug as I place a few of the more perishable items into the fridge.

“Don’t worry about it, dude. Honest. I’m more than capable to finish putting all of this away.” I throw him a mischievous look over my shoulder. “Besides, the longer you stay in here, the higher the chance that the oven and the toaster decide to catch on fire just by being too close to you. So, shoo! Get out of my kitchen! Be gone!”

I make a shooing motion, pressing my hands to my eldest brother’s shell as he stammers over my statements.

“My sheer presence isn’t enough to set the oven and toaster on fire!” Leo protests as Don covers his mouth, doing a poor job in covering his snickers. “And that only happened once! And neither one was my fault!”

“You turned toast into a pile of ash within seconds of putting it into my perfectly good and working toaster,” I state dryly as he turns toward me once he’s passed the threshold. I purposely place myself in the doorway and cross my arms as Leo glares down at me. “And you caused one of my good glass casserole dishes to EXPLODE in the oven, Leo. EXPLODE! And then it caught fire! I don’t even know why we let you enter the kitchen at all.”

Leo opens his mouth, ready to protest further when Raphie appears and throws an arm around our eldest brother’s shoulders.

“Fearless, don’t argue with da knucklehead. Ya know how protective he is of his, or any, kitchen.” A smirk forms on our hotheaded brother, his amber eyes sparkling as he pulls Leo closer to him. “Besides, while ya can make a mean tea and ramen noodles, da kitchen is Mike’s domain. And dere’s nothin’ dat’s gonna change dat. So, leave da knucklehead to rearrange the kitchen to his likin’ while we make sure dere ain’t some weirdos about to crash our two weeks up here.”

Leo’s snout wrinkles and I swear there’s a moment of an almost pout on his face. After a beat, he sighs and allows Raph to maneuver him toward the backdoor.

“All right. You guys win. But if you’re not finished by the time Raph and I get back, I’m helping you with the rest, Michelangelo. Deal?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” I say, saluting with a wide grin.

A fond look flashes over Leo’s face while Raph rolls his eyes as he practically shoves him out the door. My red-cladded brother glances back at me and Don and winks as he follows after, screen door swinging shut behind him. My stomach squeezes strangely, unsure what to make of that look from my second eldest brother.

Why are feelings so confusing?

I jump when a warm hand lands on my shoulder and I glance up at Donnie. He offers me a warm smile.

“Don’t worry, Mikey. Raph will keep Leo distracted long enough so that you can finish setting up the kitchen. I’ll be in the barn if you need me.”

Nodding, I keep my smile in place as I watch my immediate older brother leave the house. I wait until the door fully closes behind him and he's walking down the porch. Sighing softly, I slowly return to the kitchen. My eyes flicker to the coolers on the table before I move over to the sink and I peek out through the window. I instantly spot Donnie’s retreating form halfway across the lawn, beelining it to the barn doors while looking down at something in his hands. Probably his phone and making notes of what he needs to check on.

Dragging my eyes away, I manage to spot Leo and Raph just as they reach the edge of the woods. Heat spreads across my face when Raph suddenly gooses Leo before sprinting off into the woods with Leo shaking a fist at him and following closely behind.

Swallowing thickly, I push myself away from the sink.

This is fine. I’m fine. My bros are allowed to have fun and do stuff that normal mates would do. And I’m not gonna let my stupid emotions get in the way of their good time.

“So get yourself together, Michelangelo,” I grumble, patting my cheeks sharply before heading back to the coolers. “You’re gonna make this the best 2 weeks of your bros' life. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll feel comfortable enough to finally tell me that they’re mates.”

With a new sense of determination, I grab a carton of eggs and a jug of milk and resume my task, ignoring the sharp pang in my chest.

 

 

Chapter 7: Let's Plan

Notes:

Hello my lovelies!

I first want to start off by saying that all of your kind words mean so much to me 😊. And that I am so happy that other people are enjoying this. And I know that I say this every time I upload but I really do want you all to know how much I appreciate the support that you all give to me and this story. So, thank you all!

I'm sorry for the wait as well. I've had a weird few weeks at work but this story (and your comments) literally made work bareable. Because, did I work on this while at work? You know I did XD. Did I almost get a caught a few times? Also yes XD. But Well, when you're working a job you don't like and have something you actually enjoy doing and downtime, it's bound to happen. And I don't regret it one bit. If I could make a living on just working on fanfiction stories for all of you, I would. But that's illegal so, alas, I must work another job to make ends meet.

But I hope all of you like this chapter 😅. I'm afraid that one of these days I'm gonna write a chapter that all of you are gonna hate, so I'm hoping that today is not that day.

But enough blabber from me! You're all here for the story and the Mikey angst XD.

Enjoy!

VRRRR. VRRRR. Beep! Pow!

I bite my lip as I mash away at the buttons on the controller. I’ve just finished putting away all the food but Raph and Leo still aren’t back and as far as I’m aware, Donnie is still in the barn. I thought about joining him, seeing if he wanted any help, but I also know that he needs his alone time. And, well, I really need something to distract myself from my brothers’ behaviors today.

I frown. My bros really were acting weird.

Donnie being all touchy-feely, Leo’s aggressive protectiveness, and Raph’s playful mood.

The image of my red-cladded brother pinching Leo in the butt flashes in my mind and I flinch, sending my character flying off the ledge and into a bottomless pit. I blankly stare at the screen.

Why does this feel like déjà vu?

After a beat, I drop the controller and scrub at my face with an irritated huff.

Shell! Why can’t I just let this stuff go for five seconds? I never had this big of a problem back when I was younger! At the age where Hollywood and Donnie says that your hormones run wild and all that! So, why am I having such a hard time ignoring everything?

Am I really so desperate to gain some sort of affection that I’ll just fixate on every little thing that my brothers do to me now? Or do around me? Or am I really that perverted and sad that I can no longer distinguish between an innocent gesture from my brothers from one that my mind and heart wishes it was? Like, Raph’s winked at me before! So, why is it that this time around that I can’t stop thinking about it?

Because I KNOW it doesn’t MEAN anything! It’s just Raph being playful because he gets to be alone with his mates in an open space that everyone enjoys! Is that so wrong?  I shouldn’t be twisting my bros’ gestures just because I’m some love-sick single loser who’s jealous that my brothers have found love with one another, and I’m left out in the dust. Like always.

A harsh breath rushes from my nose as I lean forward on the couch and press the heels of my hands into my eyes as they start to burn.

I need to get a grip on myself. If these thoughts keep bombarding me and if I keep getting distracted by every little things that my bros do, I’m gonna become a liability. And if I become a liability, then I risk putting my brothers in harms way. And if THAT happens, something bad will happen to my brothers and it’s gonna be my fault. And if my actions end up KILLING one of my brothers?

A wheeze of a laugh escapes me as my hands move to grasp the sides of my head.

I refuse to be the reason why one of my bros dies. I’m the dispensable one, I’M the one who is supposed to be picked off first. Raph and Don already showed what they’d be like if something happens to Leo and Silver Sentry knows just how Leo would react if something happened to Raph or Donnie. And I’m pretty sure Raph and Leo would go on a murdering spree if something happened to Don. I tug harshly on my mask tails, causing it to tighten almost uncomfortably tight around my eyes. So, no. I can’t be the reason one of my bros fall. So, I need to get these stupid emotions back under control. My mouth twitches as I force myself to stand. But how? I scrub my face as I wrack my brain for ideas. Maybe…Maybe I just need to hear directly from my bros’ mouths that they’re mates. That they love each other and are asking for my support. And that will finally allow me to shove these emotions back into place. That I subconsciously got my hopes up when I found out that the three of them were mates that I would be asked next. Well, guess what, stupid heart, I WASN’T asked and I never will be!

My jaw works as my vision blurs and I quickly blink to clear away any tears.

Just thinking that hurts and I know if my heart wasn’t already shattered to pieces it would be now. But, well, I’m pretty sure my heart has been destroyed for a very long time. But that’s in the past and I now have to look forward. I need to act like an adult and show my bros unwavering support and loyalty by sweeping up the pieces. Then I can dump the pieces of my heart in the garbage where it belongs and just focus on making my brothers happy.

Reaching up, I rub at my aching chest and sigh.

But, I also need my bros to know that they can rely on me. That they don’t have to hide their true selves from me. But how? I’ve shown them that I’m not afraid to hug them, to be near them, to joke with them and they STILL haven’t told me about the three of them being mates. And like shell am I gonna just come out and say, ‘Hey, bros! Guess what? I know that the three of you fuck all the time and love each other and are mates and I just want to say congrats and you can totally tell me because it won’t change how I think or feel about you. Okay? Love you! Bye!’

Rolling my eyes, I start toward the kitchen with a snort.

Yeah, because THAT would go over very well. If anything, that would probably put my brothers off more. Donnie would get embarrassed, Raph would get mad, and Leo would get all guilty. And all of that combine would just ruin their vacation. No. I need them to think that it’s THEIR idea. That THEY were the ones to let me know. Because then THEY would be ready and they would feel more secure about me knowing. I just want them to trust me. And I can’t have that trust if I am the one to bring up them being mates and not telling me. It has to be their decision.

“But that doesn’t mean I can’t hint at it,” I mutter, pausing in front of the fridge. “I’m the King of dropping subtle hints about stuff without them truly knowing, so why not just drop a few more hints up here? In a safe environment where it’s only the four of us and away from the prying ears of nosy fathers and the sneaking glances of friends.”

Tapping my chin, I glance back at the table. My eyes land on the four empty candlestick holders.

A small idea starts forming in my head as I walk back over to where I placed the coolers earlier. While putting the food away, I found some long candles that April had obviously placed in there for us. Part of me knows that she put them in there for a romantic dinner but, well, my bros barely can cook so good luck on that happening up here. Because I know for a fact my bros aren’t just gonna ask me to make them one when they haven’t even told me about their relationship yet.

“But what if they don’t have to ask me?”

Reaching into the bag, I pull out the candles. A red one, a blue one, a purple one, and an orange one. A frown tugs on my lips as I stare at the orange one before shoving it back into the bag. Maybe having the colors that represent my bros out and lit will start nudging them in the right direction of letting them know they can tell me.

Heading over to the table, I quickly place the three remaining candles into the holders to be lit when supper is ready. I smile as I space them out, pulling the fourth empty candlestick and placing it next to the fridge.

“Perfect,” I say grinning as I rest my hands on my hips. “Now, what to make for supper?” I tap my nunchakus in thought. “What screams ‘I know you’re mates so please tell me already’ without actually saying that I know?” My eyes scan the kitchen before spotting the box of white rice that April was kind enough to get for us and I perk up. “What if I make pork curry? That’s something all three of my bros love and we haven’t had in a long while either!”

Grinning, I scurry around the kitchen, grabbing all the ingredients and cookware that I need. Now, this, this is something that I can focus on without getting upset. I need to think just enough that I don’t injured myself or let the food burn so I can’t really let my mind wander too much but I can let it wander enough that I don’t have to solely focus on the task at hand.

Humming to myself, I start chopping some carrots and potatoes, letting my mind wander briefly to what else I can do to let my brothers know they can trust me.

“I guess I could let them choose what we do tonight,” I mutter to myself as I mechanically go through the steps of making my bros favorite curry. “We brought up some movies and I know that there are some board games in the closet next to the front door. Or, we can just watch TV.” My lips purse. Why do I keep adding myself into the activities? This is about my bros! Not me! So, what can I do to give my bros the space they deserve? “I can go draw and let them have the living room to themselves.” My head tilts to the side at that thought as I put the ingredients together in the pot.

Actually, that might be the better idea. Letting my bros have time after supper to hang out without worrying about me seeing something they aren’t ready for me to see.

I turn up the heat and drum my fingers on the counter.

I don’t recall the last time they were able to have a movie night with just the 3 of them. Or if they’ve even tried. Probably scared that Sensei would walk out and wonder why they hadn’t asked me or him to watch. But here, I can make the excuse to go draw to give them that time alone without Sensei wondering why.

My lips twitch into a frown as Sensei words back in the elevator come to mind. Something about just being myself and everything will be all right? I shake my head.

If I act like myself then I’ll just ruin what I’m sure my bros have planned for each other. Because I’m always bothering them or being obnoxious. So, no. I have to make sure I’m extra good and not as clingy as I usually am. I’m already bad about not hugging them and giving them space. Which, I’m sure they’re only putting up with until they can tell me that they’re mates. Because, I’m sure they think I’ll be suspicious if they ask me not to hug them anymore and I know that if I agree too easily THEY’LL get suspicious. So, it’s this weird balancing act we gotta go through until things are laid out in the open.

My lips purse as I stir the curry before flipping the pork so it doesn’t burn.

“Why does being the grown up take so much work?” I whine, reaching out to pull down some bowls. “This would be so much easier if my bros would just tell me things! Instead of hiding them.” A pout forms on my lips as I also grab some mugs down. I’m gonna also work on getting my bros’ favorite drinks ready to have. Black coffee for Donnie, green tea for Leo, and a beer for Raph. My lips quirk.

I’m pretty sure Casey was the one to sneak the beer cans into the cooler for Raph. We’re technically not of age yet so I know April wouldn’t just buy us alcohol. Well, no, that’s a lie. She has purchased wine, rum, and bourbon for me but it’s always been for cooking purposes. Outside of food, I hate the taste of alcohol.

Master Splinter one time sat us down and just let us have a sip of a variety of different alcohols so that we would be able to tell the difference if something we drank had it slipped in. Raph, obviously, was overjoyed and even Donnie was slightly intrigued, if not a little leery. I didn’t like any of them and ended up with a massive stomach ache afterwards. Leo, surprisingly or unsurprisingly, really liked the sake that Sensei provided. And Donnie, the only other brother who didn’t really like the idea of trying the alcohol found out that he likes sweet wine. Not that we told Sensei any of this, of course. My snout wrinkles as the memory of me sitting on the toilet for almost 2 hours straight comes to mind. Shaking my head, I place the beer can down next to the three mugs. Yup, think I'll stick with only cooking with alcohol, not drinking it.

Hopefully, Leo will let it go and not get angry, I think as I start working on the rest of our drinks.

The last time Leo caught Raph with beer, it did NOT end pretty. Yelling, stuff got thrown, weapons got drawn, luckily Donnie was there to stop it and honestly, I think that was the night I figured out that something was going on between my bros.

Shaking my head, I move back over to the stove.

Nope. Not gonna touch that right now.

Checking the curry, I brighten when I realize that everything is cooked and ready. Humming, I scoop the food into bowls, placing them at spots at the table. Once the table is ready, I quickly light the candles before hurrying back to the drinks. I place Leo’s tea at the head of the table with Donnie’s coffee to the spot to the left and Raph’s beer to the right. I contemplated putting Raph’s beer into a mug just so Leo can’t see it but I don’t want it getting flat and the smell would still give it away anyways. Smiling, I place a mug of hot chocolate in front of my spot on the other end of the table and glance around. I mentally check everything off, satisfied with how everything has turned out.

“And now I just need the three people I made all of this for to arrive,” I say out loud, shooting the window over the sink a glance. “Hopefully, they get here—”

The words die on my lips at the sound of the back door opening and 3 voices filter in from outside.

“Mikey?” Leo calls out and my heartrate speeds up at the sound of my brothers approaching. The door to the kitchen is nudged open and I mentally note that I don’t recall closing it when my bros emerge from the other side.

“Mikey? Otōto? We’re ba—” Leo pauses mid-sentence as he and I lock eyes. Raph and Don appear on either side of him, their eyes growing wide.

Nerves dance in my gut at the sudden silence. My hands tremble at my sides as I force a smile, hoping to appear far more relaxed than I feel.

“H-H-Hey, dudes! I, uh, I made supper already!” I state, gesturing toward the table, my bros following the movement with their eyes. “Everything just got plated, so it’s still warm! So, um, when you’re ready, we can dig in.”

My smile starts to strain the longer Leo just stares at me. My breathing catches in my throat when Raph and Don step further into the room.

Raph sniffs the air as he and Don approach the table, glancing down.

“Curry?” Golden eyes lift and land on me, narrowing slightly. “What’s da occasion?”

I fight the urge to fidget as all three of my brothers stare me down. Shell. I didn’t expect them to interrogate me just because I made curry!

Just stay calm and stick to the plan. Just reassure them and everything will fall into place.

Crossing my arms, I huff.

“Is it such a crime for me to make curry?” I glance off to my right. “I noticed we had the ingredients and that it’s been a while since we’ve had curry. I thought maybe it would be a good supper to start our vacation on.” I side-eye my bros. “But, if you dudes don’t want it…”

I mentally smirk as both Don and Raph move to cover their steaming bowls. Interrogate me about my food choices and I’ll take them away!

And here I’m trying to be nice! And they get all suspicious at me, I think as I slowly uncross my arms as Leo finally approaches the table, eyes leaving my face to take in the display in front of him.

“This looks and smells delicious, Otōto,” Leo comments just as Donnie lifts his mug, a bright grin forming on his olive face as he peers inside and takes a sip. “I didn’t realize how late it got.” He tilts his head, the light of the flames dancing across his face, thinking as a tiny frown forms on his lips. “I see that you also found the candles that April gave us. But I thought that she gave us four candles? Not just 3. Seeing as there were 4 candlesticks on the table before I left, I assumed she wanted us to put them in there.”

My mouth dries as I watch Leo walk over to where I placed the coolers. I didn’t realize he noticed the candles inside the cooler! Maybe…Maybe I should have held off on them? I fidget in place as Leo rummages around before pulling out the orange candle. A smug smile forms on my eldest brother’s face as he holds up the candle, shaking it a little for me to see before turning to our red-cladded brother.

“Raph? Behind you is the fourth candlestick holder. Would you grab that for me?”

My insides squirm as Raph looks up from his can of beer that he is holding, a strange look in his eyes as he glances at me. Or it could have been just how the flames of the candles are reflecting in his eyes. Slowly, he turns and grabs the candlestick holder I moved and hands it across the table to Leo. Our blue-cladded brother smiles as he takes it and shifts the currently lit candles to make space between the blue and red one. Before placing the candle into the holder, Leo uses the flame of the blue candle to light the wick of the orange one. Once the flame takes, he sets the candle into the holder.

“There!” He grins at me. “How does that look?”

All three of my brothers stare at me, obviously expecting me to answer. My heart leaps into my throat as I stare at the table. Clearing my throat as it tightens, my hands flex at my sides.

Say something shellferbrains!

“O-Oh,” I stammer as I eye the orange candle now on the table, lit. “I thought…I thought it looked better with the 3, ya know?”

Leo’s grin softens into a smile as he looks at me and I swear his gaze becomes hooded as the candlelight flickers in his chestnut brown eyes.

“And I think that it looks perfect with all 4. One shouldn’t split up a set after all. They work best together rather than apart.”

My heart leaps into my throat as I stare at the orange candle again. My throat constricts again and I cough, glancing away.

Dammit, Leo! Why do you have to go and say things like that? I’m too fragile. It’s stuff like that which makes my heart think I have a chance when my head knows that’s not what you meant it to sound like.

“We, uh, we should probably start eating,” I suggest, doing my best to ignore the intense stares of my bros. “Don’t wanna let everything get cold.”

There is a beat before the sound of chairs scraping on the floor shifts me into gear, moving mechanically and taking my seat as well. I now regret choosing the seat directly across from Leo with the way that he’s still watching me, but I don’t think Don or Raph would make it any better. I jump when the sound of a can popping open fills the air and Raph smacks his lips.

“Damn,” he says sighing. “I needed dat. Especially after a long run." Amber eyes study the can. "Where’d ya find da beer, Mikey? It’s da good stuff, too.”

Leo heaves a sigh, but surprisingly, holds his tongue as he also sips his tea. Which is probably now cold. So much for a relaxed evening. Shoving that thought from my mind, I refocus on Raph. He’s watching me from the corner of his eyes as he goes to start eating.

“Oh, it was in the cooler I brought in,” I state, scooping my own forkful. “So, I can safely say that I know where Casey stayed last night. I put the rest into the fridge.”

Leo’s eyes go skyward as a huge grin morphs on our hotheaded brother’s face. He takes another gulp of his drink, staring directly at Leo as he does so.

“Only because we’re on vacation and Father isn’t here,” Leo states dryly, pointing his fork at the now snickering emerald turtle. They stare each other down for a moment and worry bubbles in my chest at the thought of them arguing. However, our eldest brother merely shakes his head before trying to hide a small smile as he glances down to start eating.

The knots in my stomach loosen as the atmosphere lightens and I send a silent ‘thank you’ to whoever is listening. We all fall into a comfortable silence and I smile down at my bowl.

Okay. So, maybe I didn’t ruin our evening after all.

A pleased moan escapes Donnie, breaking the silence that has fallen over us and he looks over at me.

“I forgot how good your curry is, Mikey. This is delicious.”

Heat spreads across my cheeks, happy that the room is quite dim so that my brothers don’t see how red I’m sure my cheeks are with the noise Don just made. Ducking my head, I shrug as I shove my fork into my mouth.

“It was nothin’,” I mutter, feeling oddly embarrassed as Donnie’s eyes burn the top of my head.

“It’s not just 'nothing' when it’s you who made it,” Don answers, reaching over and grasping my right wrist lightly. My fork freezes halfway to my mouth as he runs his thumb on the inside of my wrist, just barely pushing under my wrist guard.

Don’t panic. Don’t freak out. Remember, Don’s just extra touchy-feely today. Just continue eating. Don’t. Panic.

As casually as possible, I resume eating just as Donnie turns away.

“So, what do the three of you want to do after this?”

My legs twitch under the table. Okay. This is my chance. I can say I want to draw and let the three of them do what they want to.

“Well, I was—”

“I was thinkin’ we could watch a movie,” Raph says, cutting me off. “Casey told me about dis new movie dat he and Ape watched and he thought dat da four of us would like ta see it.” Raph points his fork at me. “He specifically said dat he thinks dat you’d like it, Mikey. Da reviews were also quite high fer dis movie. So, I’m kinda interested in watchin’ it.”

Leo and Don nod as my thoughts race. Shell. Okay. So THIS was not part of the plan. My bros rarely wanna watch the movies I enjoy. They either don’t like the cheesy horror movies or the dancing animated characters like I do. So, now I’m curious on what movie Casey thinks I’d like but also has Raph’s attention. Raph, out of my bros, is the most picky when it comes to movies. Claims he gets bored easily. If there aren’t explosions and guns, Raphie more than likely won’t watch it. Don and Leo are usually a little more open-minded toward the movies we watch, or will end up reading during it but staying in the same room. Sometimes, I can get Don to commentate with me and even make fun of the movie. It’s usually what I try to do when I start seeing Don lose interest. It was also my way of distracting Donnie after a fight with Raph when Leo was gone.

Swallowing my mouthful, I lean forward, curiosity winning out.

“What movie is it? Is it new?”

Raph taps his fork on his bowl in thought.

“I think it’s called ‘I Do It Fer Ya’ or something like dat. And from what I saw, yeah. Just released in da last month on DVD.”

Nodding, I reach for my hot chocolate, processing Raph’s words. Shoot. Now I’m curious! But I’m not supposed to be included! This is supposed to be mate-time for my bros!

“Mikey?”

Jumping, I glance over at Don.

“Yeah, dude?”

A soft smile forms on my genius brother’s face as he sips his coffee.

“You were going to say something before Raph brought up the movie. Did you have another thought on what we could do?”

My stomach drops and my fingers twitch in Don’s grasp. My face starts to burn with everyone’s attention on me once again. Chuckling weakly, I glance down at my bowl, stirring my curry around.

“Oh, uh, I…I was just gonna say that I kinda had the urge to draw,” I admit sheepishly. Panic hits me when Donnie’s face falls at my admission. “B-But that was before Raphie suggested a movie! I…I wasn’t sure if you dudes would be down for a movie or not with us just getting here, so I didn’t wanna badger you.”

I force a smile and mentally sag when Donnie’s face lights back up and his thumb resumes stroking the soft skin of my wrist. Dang it, Donnie. I just can’t say ‘no’ to my bros. I can try again tomorrow to get them some alone time, I guess.

“Michelangelo.”

My eyes snap over to Leo, alarm hitting me in the head at the slight frown on my brother’s face. Oh Silver Sentry. Leo is full naming me. What did I do? Maybe he doesn’t want me watching the movie? That’s totally cool! I can watch it later. All he has to do is say the word and I’ll be up in the loft drawing.

“Y-Yeah?”

Aniki’s eyes narrow as he watches me. I fight to not just shrink into my shell at the intense look.

“You wouldn’t be badgering us if you asked us to watch a movie with you. We haven’t watched a movie together in a long while and I think our time up here would be a perfect opportunity to catch up on some.” Leo’s face softens which allows me to relax a little too. “Even if it’s just to make fun of them.”

Feeling oddly choked up, I merely nod and resume eating as Raph stands, grinning wide.

“Den it’s settled. Movie night it is!” Raph places his bowl into the sink before walking over to me. I watch him warily before tensing slightly as he steps behind me and places his hands on my shoulders.

What the shell is he doing?!

I nearly choke when he starts massaging my muscles, flinching a little when he finds a knot and presses on it.

“So, who’s gonna do dishes since knucklehead cooked?”

Frowning, I tilt my head back, trying my best to look up at my emerald brother. And not think about his hands kneading at my neck and how good it feels and how—

Focus, Michelangelo! This could be your chance to give your bros some space!

Coughing, I shake my head.

“I can clean—"

“It certainly sounds like you’re volunteering, Raph,” Leo states, smirking behind his tea.

“What?!” Raph squawks, causing me to wince as his fingers dig into my muscles. “How is dat volunteering, Fearless? Quiet, Mike." My mouth snaps shut as Raph glares at our eldest brother. "I wanna hear Leo’s excuse fer not doin’ da dishes. ‘Cause I ain’t gonna let him weasel his way out like he did last night.”

A pout forms on my lips at being told to be quiet but Raph makes up for it by resuming his massaging, almost like an apology. Huffing, I decide to heed Raph’s warning just this once. Mainly so that I can just finish eating but also because I don’t want to accidentally make any embarrassing sounds like I know will happen if Raph moves his hands just a little closer to my neck. Not actually on my neck but just a little more near the base.

Klunk tried giving me kisses once and licked me there and boy howdy was I glad I was the only one in the lair at the time. The sound I made even startled myself and it echoed all around the living room area. It was mortifying and I’ve never let Klunk lick me there again. I didn’t even KNOW I could be that loud or be that sensitive. I mean, I know my tail is highly sensitive but it's short enough that I rarely ever have to worry about it being touched when I don’t want it to. I mean, I could keep it tucked like my bros do, but I’ve sprained my tail enough times that sometimes tucking it so closely causes it to ache. I also have this nasty habit of wagging my tail when I get overly excited and it just untucks itself anyways. And, well, I like how soft fabrics feel against the sensitive skin there when I’m alone in my room.

Heat trickles down from my cheeks to my neck. Okay, time to stop thinking. These thoughts are just gonna get me in trouble.

The sound of Leo standing is a welcome distraction as he shifts from the table.

“Never said I wouldn’t help you, Raph. Only that it sounds like you’ve also volunteered. Don can also check to make sure the DVD player is hooked up while Mikey deals with the extra food.”

Leo pauses near the sink, lifting a challenging eye ridge as he speaks with Raph falling silent behind me, his hands finally pausing in their movement. After a moment, Raph sighs, his breath tickling the top of my head just as I finish my last bite. He reaches around me and takes my dirty dishes before passing them off to Leo. Raph then leans down until he is level with my ear.

“Did ya happen ta see popcorn while ya were putting stuff away?” Raph asks, his voice low as his warm breath hits my cheek.

They’re trying to kill me, I think as I try to get my voice to work so that I can respond.

“Uh…um…” I stammer. Welp, so much for getting my voice to work. I turn my head only to regret it when my snout is centimeters from Raph’s face. His amber eyes bore into mine and my mouth dries as he cocks an eye ridge at me. I swear a smirk forms on his face and I feel my brain shut down.

Mikey.exe has stopped working. Please reboot your Mikey now.

“Raph, give Mikey some space.” Leo tugs Raph away and I swear my heart is going to burst from my chest. “He can’t breathe with you right in his face.”

My hands twitch on the table, my wrist still in Donnie’s hold, as I resist the urge to rub my chest. Swallowing thickly, I clear my throat as I try to keep my breathing natural.

“A-April did give us popcorn,” I say, my voice finally returning to me before downing the rest of my hot chocolate. “She gave us both the air popped stuff and bagged. Wh-Which would you dudes like?”

Donnie squeezes my wrists before he stands, handing his dishes to Leo.

“Which ever you choose will be perfect, little brother. As long as Leo doesn’t make it, we’ll be fine.”

“Hey! Even I can make bagged popcorn!”

I force a laugh as I also stand, handing Raph my mug without looking at him. Heading for the cooler, I pull out the bagged popcorn.

“Let’s do the bagged popcorn so I don’t dirty more dishes for Leo and Raph. I won't be so nice tomorrow. So be thankful, dudes,” I joke, waving two bags around.

“Sounds good, Otōto.”

A tingle runs down my spine when fingers brush the knot of my mask before running down the tails. My hand snaps up and my head whips around, heart pounding. But Leo is next to Raph at the sink and Don is already exiting the kitchen. Confused, I slowly turn back around and stand, popcorn in hand.

It was just your imagination. Or Leo just accidentally brushed you, it doesn’t mean anything. Just pop the popcorn and put the extra curry away.

Walking over to the stove, I ignore the soft conversation between Raph and Leo and toss the first bag into the microwave. As the machine whirs to life, I mechanically start placing the extra curry into dishes for tomorrow.

Everything is fine. So, the candle thing wasn’t enough of a hint. That’s fine. And me getting my bros alone time? Didn’t work this time around either. We’ll watch this movie tonight and then everything from here on out will be mate-time for my bros.

Nodding to myself, I toss in the last bag of popcorn as my determination to get my bros comfortable acting as mates around me sky-rockets.

Everything is going to be just fine.

 

 

 

Chapter 8: Movie Time

Notes:

Hello all you lovely people! Hope you are all doing well :). I can officially say I got my first hate comment! Apparently people don't know to read :D. But that's why comments are monitored so that we can keep those types of people away by deleting and blocking them :). But one hate comment doesn't even come close to all the lovely and sweet comments that all of you have been leaving me and I can't thank you guys enough for the support and love. Like honestly, thank you! They all mean so much to me and I can't tell you the giddiness I feel reading your comments and seeing that you guys are willing to reread my chapters or even make me beautiful fanart. You guys are the true MVPs here.

But, enough blabbering from me! I will warn you that I kinda got carried away with this one in length so its gonna a little longer than usual. Hope you all don't mind ^.^".

Enjoy!

Added: I also started a different version of this chapter originally, gearing it more toward when Mikey helped the Super Turtles and him realizing that he did in fact help kill a version of his father in another world and him never having told his bros about it. If you all would like, when I finish this story, I could post that alternate chapter at the every end. Cheers to you all!

P.P.S: Fixed some errors pointed out and some wording. Thank you for finding them for me! I send these out unbeta-ed so this helps a lot! 🧡

“So, what type of movie is this anyways?” I ask, entering the living room with a bowl in each hand of steaming hot popcorn. I can hear Raph and Leo just finishing up behind me as Don tinkers around with the back of the TV.

“I’m not sure,” my genius brother admits, straightening as he scoops up the remote and DVD. “Raph didn’t say and he was close with the title. But I’ve never heard of ‘I Did This For You’ before. Here, catch.”

I frown at the slight name change, fumbling with the popcorn as my immediate older brother tosses the DVD case toward me. Fiddling with the box, I stare down at the box art, intrigued.

The head of a woman is staring down at a group of four teens, them huddling in fear as she smiles widely at them. The rest of the art is quite dark and gloomy and when I flip it over, I see that it’s rated R.

“Casey got April to see a horror movie?” I ask, lifting an eye ridge as Don approaches me, turning the TV on over his shoulder. A frown mars my brother’s face and I nudge him. "Will YOU be okay watching a horror movie, dude? I know they’re not exactly your genre of choice.”

Donnie shrugs as he takes the DVD from me, flipping the case over in his hands to read the back.

“While not my favorite genre, I do enjoy a good psychological horror every now and then. And if it’s not that great, I’ll just play on my phone until it’s over.”

My lips quirk into a smile, my anxiety from earlier gone at the casual conversation.

“Sure, you’re not gonna get nightmares?” I tease, placing a bowl of popcorn on each end of the couch. I scoop up a handful and pop it into my mouth.

Donnie snorts as he smacks my hand when I reach for another handful.

“You’ll eat it all before we start,” he states when I pout. “And, unlike SOMEONE, movies don’t give me nightmares. So, I’LL be fine.” A playful smirk forms on my bro’s face as he glances over his shoulder at me. “The better question will be if YOU’LL be able to handle this movie.”

“Me?” I ask, laughing a little as I plop onto the couch. “Dude, horror is my JAM. Why in the world would I get nightmares from my favorite genre?”

That gets Donnie to look at me after placing the disk into the DVD player. Disbelief morphs on my immediate older brother’s face as his hazel eyes stare me down.

“You can’t be serious right now,” he says dryly as I meet his gaze.

Frowning, I cross my arms and shoot him a challenging look.

“And what if I am, dude? Name the last time I got a nightmare from a horror movie!”

“How about the nightmare you had last week after watching ‘Quicksand’?”

I jump at Leo’s voice as he and Raph vault over the back of the couch, landing on either side of me. Leo on my left and Raph on my right, leaving just enough space for Donnie on Raph’s right.

Heat spreads across my face when Leo stares me down, his chestnut brown eyes piercing into me. Hunching into myself, I turn my gaze forward.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mutter, pulling my knees up and hug them to my chest.

I tuck my chin into my kneepads, hiding my mouth when Leo suddenly wraps his arm around my shoulders, tugging me into him. I allow myself to be tugged closer to him, not willing to fight at the moment when everyone is in a good mood.

“Oh? So, you don’t remember coming into my room at 2 am in the morning?” Leo asks, nudging my temple with his snout. “Crying about how the lair is going to be swallowed up by a massive sinkhole and you couldn’t reach us in time.”

My snout wrinkles, ducking my head further down. Shell. Why is he bringing this up? Isn't there like a code or something that forbids brothers from ratting each other out when having nightmares?

Huffing, I stare down at Leo’s kneepad as I pick at my own.

“But it felt so real,” I mutter, bouncing slightly as Don finally sits down. I wince when Raph tugs on my mask tails, almost forgetting just how tight it got from my earlier tugging.

“If ya don’t think dat ya’ll be able ta handle dis, we can watch somethin’ else,” Raph states. My head snaps up and I stare at him with wide eyes.

“N-No! I’ll be completely fine! I’m sure I was just overly tired and I watched that movie alone, too. Everything will be fine with all of us here. And you wanted to watch this movie too!”

Raph shrugs, throwing his arms across the back of the couch.

“Can always watch it later. I just know dat Casey thinks dat you’ll like it.”

I open my mouth, about to say that I can always watch it later if they don’t actually want to watch it when warm fingers catch my chin. My mouth dries when Leo forces me to look at him. Chestnut brown eyes flicker across my face and a minute frown on his lips.

“You promise that you’ll be okay watching this, Otōto?”

Not trusting my voice, I nod the best I can in Leo’s grasp. Geez. What is it with my bros being so touchy-feely today? Are they really that excited to be up here? So much so that they forget that I’m not one of their mates?

Don’t think about it! I snap at myself mentally, wetting my lips. A soft sigh pulls me back to reality and Leo releases his grip on my face to rub the top of my head.

“All right, if you’re sure. Just let us know if it starts to get to be too much for you.”

Nodding again, I quickly turn my gaze forward as Don leans forward.

“Everyone ready?” We all nod. “Then starting now!”

I force myself to relax as the movie starts. Donnie clicks the lamp next to him off, leaving the lamp next Leo as our only source of light.

Leo wasn’t lying when he said that it’s been a long time since the 4 of us sat down and watched a movie together. Leo’s been gone for 2 years, and Donnie and Raph were at each other’s throats during that time too. And when they weren’t, Donnie was working and Raph was out being a turtle-version of Batman. So, that would leave me to watch movies, or get Donnie to make fun of ones we’ve already seen. And then when Leo returned, we still didn’t have time to watch movies. Leo and Raph would go on patrols alone until I finally retired Cowabunga Carl by demand of Leo. And then after that, I found out that my bros were mates and for a while, I did try to get us to watch a movie together. Hoping to use the movie as a way to hint at my bros that I’m also available. But each attempt was shot down. So, I stopped trying.

But this is perfect, I think as I semi pay attention to the opening credits. With Raph suggesting the movie, of course Leo and Donnie would want to watch. I tilt my head to the left. Maybe I should switch spots with Don? That way he’s sitting between his mates in case he gets freaked out.

Someone on screen slams a door causing me to jump a little. A pout forms on my lips when Raph snickers into his fist. I’m about to shove him with my elbow when a warm arm lands on my bicep. Heart leaping into my throat, I risk a glance up at Leo.

Embarrassment warms my face when I notice him watching me from the corner of his eyes. His hand slides down to my elbow, cupping it as if to keep it in place. Bewilderment rushes through me as a smirk forms on Leo’s lips. To save face, I exaggerate a pout before sticking my tongue out at him. Leo shakes his head, squeezing me closer to his side.

Warm breath hits my ear as Leo leans in.

“Don’t start, Mikey. Don and I won’t stop Raph if he manages to get a hold of you. And you know how he gets after a beer or two.”

That has me tensing against Leo. In all fairness, I have only seen Raph drink a few times and most of that was back when Leo was gone. And, let me tell you, each time he was pretty plastered and in a very dark mood so I kinda learned to just leave him alone.

I shoot my red-cladded brother a quick glance.

He appears pretty relaxed with one arm thrown behind Don’s head and munching away on the popcorn sitting between them.

But I can easily ruin that, I think as I look forward once more. Especially if I act like myself like Sensei said. Or maybe he didn’t mean literally? Ugh. Sensei just tell me what you mean to say!

I worry my bottom lip.

Suddenly, I’m pulled closer to Leo, nearly causing me to fall into his lap. A barely muffled squeak almost escapes me as I situate myself into a better position. Which is difficult with Leo tightening his hold every time I shift backwards. After a few seconds, I give up and just rest against him, mind racing as I stare at the screen blankly.

If I don’t move, nothing will happen. If I just stay as still as possible everything will be all right. We’re just two bros cuddling together on the couch like we used to do when we were younger. Everything is fine.

I swear my heart is going to pound right out of my chest as I pretend to watch the movie. But how am I supposed to actually WATCH this movie when I’m all but laying on top of Leo?! And are Raph and Don okay with this? They haven’t said anything yet but like…. Are they going to be mad at me being all up on their mate like this? I mean, it was Leo who started it, so that’s gotta keep me in the their good graces right?

Part of me wants to check but I’m too scared to look. I don’t want to ruin this moment but I also want to gauge how close they are to bashing my head in. Like, if I need to bail, I need to know so I can have a head start. Raph, I have experience running from but Donnie? He’s a little more tricky because he’s smart and willing to put up traps.

And who knows what kind of gadgets he has hidden on him! For all I know he could have a freeze beam or….or a net gun! He’s like Wile E Coyote!

A loud noise emits from the TV causing me to twitch and my hand flexes against Leo’s plastron. Dragging my focus back to the screen, I frown as I watch a woman in her mid forties drag something from her backseat and into the garage in the middle of the night. The scene switches to one of the teens standing by a window, staring down with a frown. After a beat, he turns and grabs a camera from a dresser and leaves the room. Confusion fills me as the teen exits the house and circles around to the back.

What in the world is happening? I didn’t think I missed so much of the movie already.

My confusion slowly morphs into unease as the teen cautiously lays in the grass, peering down into the basement through a small window just as a dim light flickers on. The woman from before appears, dragging what looks to be a massive duffle bag behind her before dropping it in the center of the room on the cement portion of the floor. My stomach sinks a little when she pulls out a nicely wrapped set of carving tools and places them too gently on the stone counter. She then pulls on a black butcher apron and matching gloves. She completes the look with a surgical mask before turning back toward the bag. The teen, in the mean time, has been snapping photo after photo with his Polaroid camera, setting the printed photos to the side.

I swallow thickly when the woman unzips the bag and drags out an unconscious but obviously still breathing man. She drags him over to where some exercising straps are and ties him down before heading over to her butcher knives. I shrink back against Leo when she grabs the largest knife and turns back toward the man with wide and manic eyes. The scene shifts back to the teen as the woman says something but the mask and change of scene doesn’t allow the audience to hear or see what she says. A horrified look morphs onto the teen’s face as the woman approaches the man and swings down.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I press my face into Leo’s chest as the scene switches to the woman and blood splashes her apron and mask. The sound of a blade slicing into flesh fills the air and I am dimly aware of Raph snorting in amusement. But I don’t dare move as my stomach twists. Unfortunately, the sound of flesh being pierced by blades isn’t something that I haven’t heard before but at least in a fight its easier to ignore. Mainly because I’m also trying not to die.

I start when Leo shifts under me and warm breath caresses my cheek as a large hand rubs my arm. My eyes snap open just in time to watch the woman hold a liver up. She examines it before dropping it into a bucket that also now has two kidneys. Flinching, I turn my face away again.

“Mikey,” Leo whispers against my ear and I barely swallow a whine. “If this movie is making you uncomfortable, we can watch something else. We don’t have to tell Casey you didn’t like it.”

I shake my head.

While gore horror has never been my favorite type of horror, I at least try to give them a chance. Especially when they have as good of reviews as Raph said this one did. And besides, his MATE chose this movie. And its not often that RAPH is excited for a movie. So, I’ll suck it up.

And while mildly uneasy, I’m definitely not uncomfortable. I think, face still pressed up against Leo. I peer up at him with a tiny smile. If anything, the movie is the least of my worries. I'm just waiting to see if your mates will try to kill me for touching you for so long.

“I’m okay, Leo. The movie hasn’t even gotten scary yet,” I whisper back and force myself to relax against his side as chestnut eyes watch me. “Just wasn’t expecting it to get so bloody so quickly, ya know?”

I force myself to keep my eyes glued to the screen and not squirm. I can practically feel the frown and critical eye of my eldest brother so for added affect and totally not because this might be one of the last times I can do so, I snuggle closer with a hum.

Holding my breath, I will my heart to chill the shell out already as I wait for Leo to resume watching the movie. Like seriously. He already caught my lie about the chopped onions, like shell am I gonna let him catch me in this. After a beat, Aniki relaxes and I feel his arm tighten around me. At least Leo doesn’t mind me being clingy. So, maybe he’ll keep Don and Raph from murdering me.

Or they’ll just murder us both.

Deciding that is a future Mikey problem, I shove it aside and refocus on the movie. I don’t even know what’s going on right now. The four teens from the cover, siblings from the looks of it, are having some sort of meeting in a treehouse to discuss what the middle teen caught their mom doing. I mean, I’d be pretty freaked out if I caught Sensei just hacking up dudes in our nonexistent basement. There is a fifth child that appears. One NOT on the cover, who apparently is their cousin and is living with them after his parents were killed in a crash. And the oldest is claiming they have a right to know what is going on so that they all can work together to stop their mom.

Yikes. Apparently kids don’t like it when they find out their parent is a psycho serial killer, huh? I mean, maybe she killed that dude for a reason? I mean, no reason is a good reason but maybe she has one.

The second oldest tosses down the photos he took and my eyes widen. There are definitely more than just the ones we saw him take earlier. Quite a few of them I recognize from the scene before but there are others showing different people being chained up in a similar way that we haven’t seen yet. One shows what appears to be a young woman with short black hair being dragged across their basement floor. In another photo shows who I now know is the mom holding up a heart in her left hand while her right is holding up the large butcher knife. The last photo shown is of their mom covered in blood standing over a pit and a bag next to her. The surgical mask is gone and a smug smirk can be seen on her face.

My snout wrinkles. I hate that I recognize that smirk. It appears on the faces a lot of the people we fight. Specifically, Bishop.

Shivering, I frown as I shove that creep from my mind. Nope. Not gonna ruin our vacation with thoughts of creeps who think dissecting innocent beings for fun is a good way to “serve our country”. Blah. Yeah right. We’ve done more for this country than most humans ever have. Saved it how many times now from getting fully destroyed?

Yeah. That's what I thought.

A hand on my ankle drags me from my thoughts. I glance down to see an emerald green hand securely wrapped around my leg and Raph’s thumb rubs against the bone that sticks out. My eyes flicker up to Raph’s face but his amber eyes are focused on the plotting teens on the screen. My mouth twitches, half tempted to ask him what he’s doing and other half wanting to make some snarky comment. I just barely open my mouth when a bowl of popcorn fills my vision. Leo side-eyes me when I glance at him before shaking the bowl, causing a few pieces to fall into my lap.

Taking the hint, I roll my eyes and grab a handful of popcorn. Fine. If Raph wants to hold my foot, then he can. Besides, he should be honored. I don’t let just anyone near my feet. And it’s totally not because they’re ticklish or anything. Nope. It’s because they’re a total 10 out of 10 on Feet Wiki. Not that I’d actually be allowed to POST my beautiful tootsies to the web. But if I did, my face wouldn’t be the only money maker. But, alas, my feet and my face must remain hidden from the world. The world just isn’t ready for such beauty.

An ear piercing scream brings me back to reality as I shoot the TV a panicked stare. The mother is chasing down one of her victims, one that somehow managed to not stay unconscious for very long. The victim, another young woman, is crawling across the floor, bleeding profusely from her leg when the mother pounces on her and just rapidly stabs the victim in the back. Breathing harshly through my nose, I press my face into Leo’s shoulder again until the victim is no longer screaming and all I can hear is the mom’s heavy breathing.

“A-A-Auntie?”

I tense against Leo and peek out at the screen. Uh oh. The young cousin is standing at the base of the stairs, bright blue eyes staring down at the bloody mess that his aunt just made.

Rough wake up call. Oof. Maybe, next time, don’t kill people in a house that has kids, dude.

“O-O-Oh, s-s-sweetie. What…What are you doing out of bed? Auntie is working right now. Did you have a nightmare?”

Silence follows as the kid timidly nods, his gaze never leaving the body on the floor. The mom/aunt, seeing this, stands and, still covered in blood, moves to block the kid’s view.

“Why…Why don’t you go upstairs and talk to Liam, sweetie? I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to cuddle with you. He’s had to do that with all his other siblings so he’s very experienced with nightmares and making them better. Okay, Micah?”

The kid timidly nods again as he reaches the top of the stairs as the mom/aunt shoos him on. Obviously traumatized, the kid, Micah, reaches for the doorknob.

“Oh. And Micah?” Micah turns to look at his aunt. She smiles sweetly at him, blood speckled all over her face. “Let’s keep what you saw down here a secret, okay? I know you’re good at keeping those. We wouldn’t want to trouble anyone else with this.” She waits until Micah gives her a slight nod. “Good boy. Now, go find Liam and I’ll check on you later. Love you.”

“L-L-Love you, too, Auntie.”

Yikes with a capital ‘Y’, I think, finally able to resume eating some popcorn as the little boy rushes to his oldest cousin’s room.

Honestly? I don’t know what I’d do if I walked in on one of my family members just stabbing a person in the back like that. I mean, it’s not like any of us have clean hands. We’re ninjas. Mutant ninjas that most of the world doesn’t accept with some very powerful enemies. Most of the Shredder’s Foot Soldiers were humans, and a lot of the time, it was kill or be killed. I’ve seen both Raph and Leo pierce through chests like butter and I’ve seen Donnie use the hidden blade in his bo to decapitate enemies. Like me, Don tries not to and I know Leo tries as well. But as leader, he has to make an example of himself for the enemy. We are not to be messed with. That LEO is not to be messed with. Even Raph, who is known to be our muscle and shield, has to make an example for himself. There is a reason he and Leo have the bladed weapons. But, I can’t say how glad I was when Karai took over and most of the Foot transformed into robots.

But to witness a family member kill someone in such a brutal way? Would I be able to cope?

I shake my head.

This is another future Mikey problem, I think dryly to myself as I reach over and scoop a handful of popcorn when Leo offers me the bowl again.

As the movie continues, I do my best to just enjoy it and soak in the warmth radiating from my eldest brother,. His body heat easily chasing away the coolness that is creeping in from outside. Raph still has his hand on my ankle, methodically squeezing it as he and Don finish off the rest of their popcorn.

It's…nice. Not counting the horrific murders and screaming coming from the TV.

I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to just relax and exist with my bros. No training. No trying to save the world. Just the four of us co-existing together and forgetting about the outside world and everything that’s changed about us over the years. Forgetting that we are all growing up. Not worrying about the fact that some of us are exploring ourselves deeper.

I wish we could be like this forever, I think, risking a slightly sleepy nuzzle against Leo as the movie slows down, which rewards me with Leo tightening his hold on me. The four of us in a place where we all feel safe and relaxed and we know that Casey, April, Sensei, and Klunk are all safe as well. Where no bad guys want to tear us apart. Just living where no one can touch us.

Leo presses his snout against the top of my head and I close my eyes. Happy to just pretend, for one moment, that everything is okay.

I jerk when a loud bang echoes around the dim living room, the mom suddenly flipping a table causing her kids to cower away from her.

How long did I have my eyes closed?! What in the Silver Sentry is happening?

Leo squeezes me when I squirm against him, not liking how the mom/aunt is just throwing random pieces of furniture around, screaming her head off as her face turns red and the veins in her neck can be seen.

“It’s okay, Otōto,” Leo mutters against my skull and I attempt to relax as the teens try talking to their upset parent.

“Crazy?! You think me PROTECTING you is crazy?!” the mom screams, waving a knife around as she paces in front of the teens. She gestures wildly. “All of this? I’m doing out of necessity! All of this? Is so I can PROTECT YOU! Those people were going to HURT you! They were going to take you AWAY from ME!” She falls to her knees in front of her children and nephew, reaching out to grab the youngest’s hand but the older ones pull them away. “All I ask is for my children to remain by my side. Is that so bad? That is all I’ve ever wanted! Is for you to stay by my side forever!”

I flinch, hating how desperate the mom sounds and how it sounds almost like what I was just thinking about. I would like to think I would never do something so crazy and scary. That I can handle allowing my bros to live their own life, even if it means being apart from them.

I mean, isn’t that what I’m doing right now? Allowing my bros to live the lives they want without demanding to remain in it? I think swallowing thickly as my eyes remain glued on the screen.

“My sister would be doing the same for you, Micah. The world took her too soon from you, but I will not allow the world to take you, too! Promise me, promise me that all of you will stay by my side, safe. Forever!”

“Never!”

As the teens scatter, their mom/aunt screaming in rage, I hold my breath as the older teens try to keep the mother’s attention on them. The oldest, Liam, tackles his mother when she lunges for Micah and her youngest teen that I never caught the name of. He wrestles her to ground, holding one of her knives in his right hand as his other holds her by the throat.

“You’re going to kill your own MOTHER?! After everything I’ve done for you?! AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!”

With an amazing burst of strength, the mom manages to flip the two of them, taking the knife from her son. She lifts it up and I reach over to grab Leo’s hand, my heart pounding.

“If you won’t live by my side, then you won’t live at all!”

I squeeze my eyes shut when she brings the knife down. The youngest three scream ‘NO!” in unison with a loud gurgle following after and a moment of silence follows.

“I won’t let you hurt my brother!”

My eyes snap open and my eye ridges lift up in surprise as I spot the mom now on the floor, clawing at her bleeding neck as her second oldest holds a bloody butcher knife. He drops it as his mom reaches out for him before she falls limp, lifeless eyes staring off into space. There is a brief beat of stillness before a flurry of motion happens. The oldest is standing just before his brother hits the floor, embracing him tightly as they both shed tears. My throat constricts as the image of Leo and Raph replace the two humans on screen, thoughts of how they acted when we got Leo home from Winters’ tower filling my mind.

“I’ve got you. And I’m never letting go again, got it? We’re in this together.”

Heat builds behind my eyes at the touching scene as the two oldest approach the sobbing children, ushering them upstairs. The oldest hesitates at the base of the stairs, shooting his mother’s dead form one last look before getting called upstairs. The credits start to roll and I bite my lip to keep from sniffling as Raph and Donnie stretch.

“Heh, that wasn’t HORRIBLE,” Raph comments, yawning loudly. “Kinda disappointed in how they portrayed the stabbing, though. Thought they’d show more mutilation.”

My jaw works as Don hums in agreement.

“Indeed. At times they didn’t use enough blood to properly display how much damage she did while at other times they over did it.” Donnie huffs as he stands, groaning as he rubs his shoulder. “And the scene with the kidneys and heart? Far too little blood.”

“It was a little disturbing to see them using a pig heart and kidneys,” Leo adds, running his hand up and down my arm since I have yet to move off of him. “It was nice seeing the kids retaliate against their mom since they knew what she was doing was wrong. What did you think, Otōto? You certainly jumped quite a few times. Thought you were going to end up in my lap at one point.”

My voice sticks at Leo’s teasing tone. I want to answer him, but I know that I’ll start crying if I do. How can they not see what just happened at the end there? Just how close to home some of that hit.

“Otōto?”

“Mike?”

Warm hands grasp mine and I glance up to find Donnie kneeling in front of me, concerned hazel eyes studying me.

“Mikey?” He calls out softly. “Are you okay, dove? What’s wrong?” He squeezes my hands when I open my mouth but a pathetic whine escapes me instead. “Did you not like the movie?”

My vision blurs worse when Raph resumes his spot next to me. Leo shuffles me into a more up right position but he doesn’t remove his arm from around me. Raph places his hand on my thigh, kneading gently.

“Talk ta us, Mike. What’s goin’ on?”

With no hands free, tears finally escape from my eyes and drip freely down my face. Leo reaches up and uses his thumb to brush them away as I try to form my thoughts into words while also getting my mouth to cooperate with me.

“Tell us what’s wrong, Otōto,” Leo whispers, resting his forehead against my temple.

“I…I just…” I start, swallowing thickly as I shudder. “I just thought…the ending was really…nice….It’s not…It’s not often movies like this get a happy ending.” I sniffle and Donnie, miraculously, pulls a tissue from out of thin air and hands it to me. “Like they still ended up killing the mom, which…sucks…but like she was crazy and the kids can now live how they want, ya know? No controlling mom or aunt or whatever.”

Sniffling again, I fall silent as my bros exchange a look. I frown when I feel them staring at me and I glance at them. A three of my bros have this weird look on their faces, like a weird softness and a derpy smile.

Huffing, I scrub at my face with the back of my free hand.

“What?” I mutter, self-consciousness creeping in.

A squeaky yelp leaves me when Donnie yanks on my hand, dragging me into a tight embrace. My face warms as Don tucks me under his chin and my legs fall on either side of his thighs. Muscular arms snake around my waist and back, a hand on the back of my head keeping me firmly in place. Not sure what to do with my hands, I lightly grasp at the lip of Donnie’s plastron, my heart leaping up into my throat as Donnie’s fingers thread through my mask tails.

“D-D-Donnie?”

My immediate older brother presses his snout against my temple and nuzzles me.

“You aren’t allowed to be so cute, all right? It’s just not fair.”

I bristle in my brother’s arms.

Cute? CUTE?! Me crying my eyes out over the sappy ending of a gory film is cute? In what twisted world is that cute?! I mean, yes, I’m the cute one, but like, I was totally ugly crying just then. Not my cute “get teary eyed so I can have my way” crying. And Don has the AUDACITY to call my ugly crying cute?!

“E-Excuse me?!” I squeak, trying to pull back to glare at my genius brother but only managing to squirm in place as he tightens his grip. “I wasn’t trying to be cute, Donnie! The bros had a total moment at the end there and it was touching and reminded me of us and how we’d do anything for each other!”

“Calm down, Otōto.” Leo chuckles as he squats next to us, amusement dancing on his face. “It was rather touching how hard the siblings fought to keep each other safe, along with their cousin. And, I can see how that could feel like us. We’re constantly looking out for one another and making sure we have each other’s backs. And there is nothing wrong with getting emotional over that. We’ve been through a lot.”

Leo’s hand rubs the dome of my head, ending my flailing and I pretty much go limp against my tallest brother. There really is no use in struggling anymore. Obviously, Leo and Raph aren’t gonna help me. Besides, once Don has you in his grasp, he’s not gonna let you go until he says.

Not that I really mind, I think, pouting as I try to keep my mind from falling too far into the gutter. I’ve been good! And it’s going to stay that way! Besides, Don gives some of the best hugs. He is so much bigger than I am that he can easily engulf me without crushing me. Not that I’d mind being… No! NO! MIND GUTTER BE GONE! This is just an innocent hug between bros.

A tug on my mask has me wincing as I reach up and yank it down so it hangs around my throat.

“Stop pulling on my mask!” I whine. “You’re making it too tight.”

“Baby brat is startin’ ta whine, I think it’s time fer bed,” Raph rumbles and the couch groans as he stands. He smirks at me as I glare at him over my shoulder. “Can ya handle him, Don? Or ya want me ta carry da baby?”

“BABY?!” I squawk as I swipe at him. Raph easily side steps my swing, snickering. “I make you all curry and this is the thanks I get?!”

Don snickers against my head, his hot breath tickling my cheek, causing my insides to squirm and wiggle.

“Nah, I got him, Raph. Why don’t you go on ahead before I decide to turn Mikey loose and let him have free reign once more.”

Pouting, I pull back enough to glare at my fellow wood wielding compadre.

“I can walk on my own, Don! Besides! Raph deserves everything that I throw at him right now. Mainly very hard and very pointy objects!”

Deep rich laughter echoes throughout the farmhouse as Raph takes the stairs up to the loft two at a time.

“Good luck with dat, baby brat! Ya can’t hit dis even if ya wanted ta.”

Don’t remind me, I think sourly, squirming in Donnie’s hold when I feel his arms shift.

However, instead of releasing me, Don takes the arm from around my waist and places it firmly against my butt before standing in one fluid motion. Air catches in my chest as my arms automatically wrap around my brother’s neck. My mouth falls open as Don’s other hand drifts down from my head to rest against the back of my neck.

“I know you can walk, Mikey,” Don says softly, his words vibrating from his chest to mine. “But it’s late and I know you’ll keep your word of throwing stuff at Raph if I put you down. And, as amusing as it would be, I don’t think Mrs. Jones would appreciate us accidentally breaking something because we started rough housing.”

Huffing, I puff my cheeks out in irritation and rest my chin on Donnie’s shoulder. Curse you, Donnie, and your undeniable logic. And holding the threat of an Angry Mrs. Jones over my head. That just isn’t fair.

For a moment, I contemplated kicking my genius brother in the butt until I lift my gaze and make eye contact with Leo. He lifts an eye ridge at me as his chestnut eyes flicker down to my feet then back up. He then lifts both hands and wiggles his fingers as a sly smirk morphs on his face. Panic floods me and I swiftly wrap my legs around Donnie’s waist, tucking my feet under my calves and against his shell as tightly as possible.

Don grunts in surprise but doesn’t miss a step as he approaches the stairs.

“Leonardo, you tickle him and cause me to drop him, I promise to sedate you the MOMENT I catch wind of you being sick. And then I will give Raph full permission to cuff you to the bed the entire time so you can’t get up.”

I giggle into the crock of Don’s neck at the horrified look that morphs onto our eldest brother’s face and he stops mid-step. Donnie glances back at him once we are halfway up the stairs.

“That’s what I thought. Now, help me take our little brother to bed and make sure he stays there.”

My mouth dries at the implication of Don’s words and I press my snout harder against his neck to keep from shuddering.

Don’t think about it. Don’t even try to imagine it. Pure, PG thoughts.

Sighing, I realize my mistake too late as I breathe against Donnie’s neck and his slightly sweet musk fills my nose. The scent almost like smelling a mocha with a tiny hint of coffee and oil mixed in. My breathing catches again and I just hold it. My body doesn’t know whether to tense or just go limp again as my Fight and Flight wars with my instinct to just submit to my brother’s scent.

Another soft chuckle has my heart rate spiking and for a terrifying moment, I swear Don is going to make a comment about my sudden behavior. Instead, he stops walking and turns. His arms go slack around me but before I can panic, another pair of strong hands are plucking me from his hold.

“All right, baby brat,” Raph grumbles. “Time fer bed. Think ya can sleep alone or did da movie freak ya out too badly?”

I hang limply in Raph’s grasp for a beat, the image of when I lift Klunk under his front legs and pretend he’s Simba coming to mind. Dangling there, I allow myself a moment to compose myself now that I’m no longer surrounded by everything Donatello and can breathe fresh air and NOT do something or say some stupid.

“Mikey?”

Jerking at Raph’s concerned tone, I start to squirm around.

“Put me down! And I can sleep in my own bed! The movie wasn’t even that scary,” I state firmly as I throw a glare at my hotheaded brother. And it’s not like I really paid all that close attention for me to be scared by it.

Raph gives me a once over, his hands flexing under my arms and my body doesn’t know whether to shudder or make me giggle. Curse my body and being the only brother still fully ticklish!

When the staring continues on for too long, I open my mouth to whine for Leo to help me. But just as my lips part, I’m placed onto my feet and Raph roughly rubs my head causing me to squawk in protest.

“If yer sure, baby brat. But I expect ta not be bothered at ALL tonight, ya hear?” Raph points a finger at me as he grabs his bathroom supplies. “Dat means if ya have a nightmare, yer Fearless’s or Brainiac’s problem, got it?”

Crossing my arms, I turn my snout up as Raph heads for the bathroom.

“Fine! I didn’t wanna sleep you anyways! At least Leo and Donnie don’t kick!”

Raph flips me the bird with a snicker before vanishing from view. Pouting, I huff as Leo walks up to me.

“Leo, Raphie’s picking on me,” I whine as I stare up at him.

Leo remains silent as he reaches out and undoes the tie to my mask. All words die in my throat as he gently pulls the fabric off and I swear he purposely drags it against my skin causing tingles to spark across my body.

Uh…when did it suddenly get so warm? Maybe I should go back downstairs where it’s cooler. Or better yet, why don’t I go sit outside for a few hours. Yeah. By myself. Shell. I'm screwed.

“Don’t worry about Raph,” Leo murmurs, his voice low and soothing. “He’s just teasing you. You know he doesn’t like it when you cry.” I mechanically start to nod when Leo cups my cheek, holding my gaze and my heart flutters. “But if you do have problems sleeping, don’t hesitate coming to me or Donnie. We’re on vacation and it wouldn’t be fair for you to be sleep deprived when we should be using this time to recoup. All right, Otōto?”

Unsure what to say that won’t make me sound dumb or reveal too much, I merely nod. The soft smile that earns me nearly has me melting on the spot. Instead, my eyes close briefly as Leo pats my cheek and kisses my forehead. He hands me my mask before scooping up his own bathroom supplies and heading down to the first floor bathroom.

What…just happened?

However, before I’m able to process my thoughts, Donnie appears next to me. In a blink of an eye, he leans down and kisses my cheek and then rubs my head.

“Good night, little brother. If you need me, you know which bed is mine.”

My mouth falls open as Don then grabs his own supplies and vanishes into the bathroom just as Raph exits. The hothead watches our brother pass, arching an eye ridge. He turns toward me, amber eyes amused and questioning. A rush of embarrassment floods through me and I swiftly grab my stuff and toss my mask onto my pillow.

“Somethin’ happen?” Raph asks as I have my back to him.

“Nope!” I say a little too quickly. “I’m gonna go downstairs and use that bathroom. After Leo gets out.”

“But Don worked so hard ta carry ya up here!” Raph calls after me as I all but sprint downstairs, his tone far too amused for my liking.

They’re trying to kill me, I think, completely ignoring how Raph’s laugh follows me. No, better yet, the UNIVERSE is trying to kill me. It’s because it’s jealous that I’m the cute one and it’s making my hot bros all touchy-feely and torturing me. We haven’t even been here a full 24 hours and my bros have nearly caused me to die of a heart attack like a billion times. This isn’t how it’s supposed to go! My bros are supposed to be focusing on each other, not me! My fingers tighten on my bathroom bag as a surge of determination fills me. But no more! Starting tomorrow, I’m gonna make sure they are able to have the alone time they need! And then, I think of another way to hint for them to tell me that they’re mates.

Nodding to myself, I plaster on a grin just as Leo exits the bathroom. He cocks an eye ridge at me. I beam up at him which earns me a fond chuckle and a head rub as he passes me. Humming, I close the door behind me.

Yes, I think as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Tomorrow, and the rest of these two weeks, everything will be about my bros and making them comfortable enough to confide in me. I can do this.

 

Chapter 9: Nightmare

Notes:

Hello all you lovely people!

I was hoping to get this out for Halloween but I missed it by nearly 50 minutes T.T. So, happy belated Halloween to everyone who celebrates! If you don't celebrate, happy day or night to you! Hope you all are doing well.

This chapter is going to be a little longer than usual, so I hope all of you enjoy it. :)

Also, thank you all for the kind words and kudos that you all have left me :). I'm sorry if I haven't answered some of the comments but I do see them and read them and I appreciate them so much!

*Chapter Beta'd by Lotus_Empress :)

My heart pounds as I slowly make my way through a dark and dingy maze. The sound of dripping water and the clicking of nails has me clutching my nunchakus close to my chest as I cautiously round another corner. It feels like I’ve been walking for hours, maybe even days. My legs hurt and my stomach is squeezing like I haven’t eaten in forever. Every blink makes it harder to keep my eyes open and it’s becoming a struggle just to focus on the dark grey walls around me.

I can’t stop now, I think as I press my shoulder against the wall and peek around another corner. Not until I find my brothers. I know they’re here somewhere. I can feel them.

Pursing my lips, I slink down the hallway when nothing moves. The hallway curves, and I nearly sob in relief when I spot a large, wooden door. My mind screams the word FREEDOM, and I can sense the presence of my bros on the other side. Heart leaping into my throat, I have to remind myself not to rush, that there might be traps that can spring up at any moment. If I want to reach my bros so we can go home together, I need to take this slow and methodical, just like Leo or Donnie would if they were in my situation, and remain strong and determined, just like Raph.

My footsteps sound loud in my ears as I finally reach the door, not daring to breathe at just how lucky I’ve been so far. No traps, no enemies – just me and this stupid door separating me from my big brothers.

Mouth twitching, I eye the brass doorknob, my ‘Tiger Senses’ screaming at how out of place this door feels compared to everything else that I’ve seen in this maze. 

Shouldn’t this door look more industrial? 

I shake my head.

Focus, Mikester! Check the door for traps and then bust your bros out of here!

Who cares if this door doesn’t match the rest of the decor? Bad guys don’t need to be coordinated in how they lay out their lairs. If it’s scary and full of death, why does it matter that one door doesn’t match the walls?

Wetting my lips, I check the entire door first. Happy to find no visible traps on my side and sensing no static coming from the doorknob, I cautiously test the handle. It shifts.

Why is it unlocked?

Suspicion rises in me again, and I slip to the side, pressing my shell against the wall. Better to be safe than, sorry right? If there is a trap on the other side of this door, I don’t wanna get hit by it. Dragging in a shaky breath, I release it slowly as I grasp the handle once more.

Don’t worry, bros! I’ll get us out of here!

Twisting the knob, I throw the door open. I wince when it slams against the brick walls, and the sound echoes up and down the hall. My heart jackhammers as I shoot a look back the way I came, half-expecting a mob of enemies to storm my position. When none do, I risk a look into the now open room. My eye ridges furrow as I take in the inky blackness, a sense of unease rising in me when I don’t hear anything. Not a single sound or breath.

Maybe my bros are hiding because they believe I’m the enemy? They can hold their breath for a long time.

I creep further into the doorway and softly call out, “Dudes?”

When I’m met with silence, I venture further into the room.

“Guys? Leo? Raphie? Don? You dudes in here?”

Icy panic starts to build in my belly when I still don’t get an answer. But why? I can totally sense that my big brothers are here! Why aren’t they saying anything?

Maybe they’re gagged? Or…Or knocked out?

My fingers ache as I tighten my grip on my nunchakus, the wood creaking as if on the verge of breaking. I wish I had a flashlight, but all I have on me are my weapons.

SLAM!

I whip around, air catching in my throat as the room plunges into total darkness. I frantically scan my surroundings.

Crap. Double crap. Sewer apples on a stick! Was this a trap?

I hit my forehead.

Of fucking course this was a trap! What was I thinking?! No bad guy with a maze inside of their hideout would keep the door holding their captives unlocked!

“Kami, I’m so fucking STUPID!” I groan, clutching at the sides of my head.

“Ya can say dat again.”

A yelp escapes me when my mask tails are yanked, and I turn back toward the center of the room. Hope and excitement rush through me when I make out the faint outline of Raph standing directly behind me, his eyes glowing white in the darkness.

“Raphie!” I cry, pressing a hand to my heaving chest, ignoring how my mask feels unbearably tight now. “Oh, thank Silver Sentry! You’re okay! Why didn’t you say something when I called for you?”

A frown tugs on my lips when Raph doesn’t answer. A little unnerved, I pull my eyes away from my hotheaded brother and glance around the dark room. When I don’t see two more sets of glowing eyes, I return my attention to Raph.

“Uh, so, um, where are Leo and Donnie?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light as I holster my weapons. “I could have sworn I sensed them in here.”

“Like ya don’t fuckin’ know.”

My eyes widen at Raph’s sharp tone, and I tilt my head at him.

“R-Raph? What…What are you talking about?” I laugh nervously as my gut twists. “I just got here! I’ve been going through that massive maze outside just to find you dudes!”

Raph’s eyes narrow, and I shrink back from his harsh gaze. Why is he so angry at me? Did I not get here in time? Did Leo and Donnie get taken? I scan the room again, mentally reaching out. No. No. I can still sense them. They’re very close.

But why aren’t they coming out? I wonder before looking back at Raph, except he’s not standing in front of me anymore. He’s circling me, headed in the general direction of the door. But why, I’m not sure.

“Raphie? What’s…What’s going on?” I ask weakly. “Where are Leo and Donnie? I can sense them nearby.”

“Don’t ya DARE call me dat!” Raph snarls, causing me to take a step back from the venom in his voice. “Of course ya’d be able ta sense dem, ya nasty fuck!”

My jaw and heart both hit the floor.

“Wha-What? R-Raph?”

A hiss escapes me when light suddenly floods the room. Blinking rapidly, I spot Raph near the entrance, his white gaze still on me, his hand hovering over a light switch. When he doesn’t say anything, I decide to take stock of my surroundings now that I can finally see properly.

The room is mostly empty, with walls and flooring made of cement. It looks oddly familiar, but I can’t place where I’ve seen this type of room before. I don’t get a chance to wrack my brain further before I freeze, horror filling me as my eyes land on a translucent, orange wall near the backside of the room. 

On the other side, huddled together, is Leo and Donnie.

“Leo! Donnie!” I cry out, rushing forward.

Midway, Leo suddenly leaps to his feet causing me to skid to a stop. Swords in hand, he moves in front of Donnie. His chestnut eyes are now white and there’s a scowl on his face. My hands fall at my sides as I stare at my aniki in bewilderment.

“L-Leo? I’m…I’m not gonna hurt you or Donnie, honest!” I say, unsure if he can hear me. “I…I just need to figure out a way to break this wall! Raph, how do we break this wall? We need to get them out of there!”

My throat tightens when Leo doesn’t move and Raph doesn’t respond. Deciding that freeing my trapped brothers is far more important than why my bros seem so angry with me, I start searching around.

My snout wrinkles.

There is literally nothing in here for me to use! And my nunchakus aren’t gonna do diddly-squat against that wall thing! I cautiously take a step closer to it, hoping to pinpoint any weak spots.

“Raph, do you have anything on you that can break this wall?”

A hand clamps down on my bicep and jerks me back. I gasp in pain as Raph turns me to face him, his expression dark and furious.

“Don’t ya DARE take another step closer ta dem!”

“R-Raph?” I squeak, wincing when he tightens his grip enough to bruise. “What…What are you doing? We need to—”

Air rushes from my lungs when Raph suddenly slams me backwards, pinning me to the floor. Fear blooms inside me as I stare up at my big brother. He growls, and I freeze underneath him.

“Don’t ya fucking dare take another step toward my mates,” Raph spits, bearing his teeth at me. “Ya done enough damage as it is! Don’t act all innocent when ya know what ya done!”

A whimper leaves me when Raph grabs my neck. Though the strength of his grip is not enough to cut off my airway, it is enough to keep me in place. Squirming, I resist the urge to grab at his wrist, just in case he takes it as me fighting back.

“Raph, please!” I beg, heat building behind my eyes. “I honestly don’t know what’s going on! I just got here. If…If you don’t want me near Leo and Don, then fine! But at least let me help free them!”

I flinch as Raph snarls again, closing my eyes when he leans down.

“Ya know EXACTLY what ya done, ya perverted fuck!” Raph’s voice is low and deadly. I bite my lip to hold back another terrified whimper. “If ya would just keep yer gross hands ta yerself, den my mates wouldn’t be trapped behind dat damn wall ya constructed! If ya would just let us live our lives how we want, den none of dis woulda happened!”

Ice courses through my veins as Raph talks, and my chest stutters.

Me? I did that to Leo and Donnie? I’m the reason they’re trapped on the other side of that weird wall?

“I…I didn’t mean…” I swallow thickly as hot tears escape my eyes. “I never wanted to trap them,” I say weakly, voice cracking. “I never wanted to trap you. I just…I just wanted you guys to love me like I love you.”

Raph scoffs, a look of disgust warping his features.

“Us? Love an idiot like ya? What kinda dream world are ya livin’ in?” My heart shatters as Raph chuckles darkly. “Yer nothin’ but a nuisance and a liability ta us. Who would wanna love someone dat could get dem killed?”

Nuisance and liability….

More tears trickle from my eyes. So, it’s true. I thought that at least my bros would still love me as their little brother, but even that’s too dangerous, isn’t it? How many times have I almost gotten us killed on a mission or out on patrol because I wasn’t taking it seriously or because of my lack of focus?

Way too many to count.

My jaw works as I glance up at Raph, his amber eyes still hidden behind his haw* eyelids.

“I…I understand if you dudes don’t want me around anymore,” I croak, a shaky breath slipping past my lips. “But at least let me help and get rid of the wall I made. I don’t…I don’t want to keep you guys trapped. And…And once we get them free, I’ll…I’ll leave, okay?”

“No.”

I tense, my eyes going wide.

“N-No?” I echo, my heart hammering as my hotheaded brother shifts above me. My mouth dries when he pulls out a sai from his belt. “R-Raphie? What…What are you doing?”

My older brother refocuses on me, his lips twisting into a predatory grin. The terrified whimper from earlier finally escapes me as his fingers tighten around my neck.

“I’m gonna kill two birds with one stone,” Raph states, voice strangely calm as he twirls his sai. “’Cause, ya see, ya just leavin’ ain’t gonna be enough fer me. Ya’ve touched both my mates and yer a danger ta dem. How can I trust dat ya won’t just try lockin’ us away all over again?”

I start to argue. “Raphie, I wouldn’t—”

“Don’t call me dat!” Raph snaps, slamming my head back as he cuts me off. Dazed, I gape up at him. “And yer word means nothin’ when ya’ve already trapped us once! Way I see it, dere’s only one way ta free my mates from da prison dat ya put dem in...”

I numbly watch my big brother lift his sai up. My mouth falls open, yet no noise comes out.

“And dat’s ta eliminate da threat ta my family.”

Raph slams the sai down directly over my heart.

A gasp escapes me and I shoot straight up. Glancing around frantically, a shaking hand flying to my chest as I will my heart to calm down, it takes me a moment to realize that I am, in fact, back in the loft area of the farmhouse. The room is dark, and the sound of my gasping mixes with the soft breathing of the three other bodies sleeping nearby. A snort and mumble has me pressing my shell against the wall, startled. The next moment, after I kick off my quilt and my sweating body meets the cool night air, I start to shiver uncontrollably.

My other hand presses against my lips as I try to stifle myself, terrified that I’m going to wake the others. Hot tears spill down my cheeks, sliding over the backs of my hands.

Oh Kami. That…That was HORRIBLE! Raph was going to— Raph tried to— I trapped—!

A shudder runs down my spine, and I curl into myself, stomach rolling.

Breathe. Just breathe. Don’t wake your brothers.

I stare, wide-eyed, down at the quilt on my bed, tensing at the rustle of sheets when someone rolls over. When nobody calls out to me, I peek up into the dark loft. Everything is still.

My eyes drift over to Leo’s bed. Images of Leo trapped behind that orange wall with Donnie has me squeezing my eyes shut again. A muffled whimper emits from my throat, and I shake my head.

I need air!

With as much stealth as I can muster, I climb off my bed. I grit my teeth as my entire body trembles from the cold and nerves, but I manage to move without the floor or bed creaking. Once I’m fully standing, I hold my breath, too scared to look over at my brothers but listening for one of them to wake up.

When nobody moves, I continue tip-toeing my way toward the stairs, breathing through my mouth to keep from sniffling. More tears spill down my cheeks as I work my way down to the main level, blurring my vision. As soon as I clear the last step and pass the couch, I quicken my pace to a brisk walk.

Reaching for the back door, I open it just wide enough to slip outside. The moment it closes behind me, I sprint for the barn.

A sob slips past my lips as I yank the barn doors open and sneak inside. Darkness covers me and for a few seconds, I just stay near the door with my shell toward the rest of the barn, too afraid to move. Pressing my forehead against the wood, more tears slip from my eyes. Soft sobs fill the quiet space.

It felt so real! How could I do that to my brothers? I would never trap them like that! I’m not that crazy mom from the movie! I want my brothers to have their own lives and be happy! Nothing comes before my brothers’ happiness. Nothing!

I’m not like that psycho mom! I would never trap them like that...

Coughing, I wrap my arms around myself, shivering from the cold. Waiting a little longer, trying to gather some strength, I finally turn away from the door.

Moonlight filters through the windows, dimly illuminating the barn. Biting my bottom lip, I venture deeper inside, using the moonlight to guide me. I don’t dare find a light switch. It would be too noticeable if one of my brothers woke up to use the bathroom, and that’s the last thing I want right now.

Because…what if what Raph said in my dream is true? What if they’re just waiting to tell me because they know I’m a liability to them and they believe I’ll become even more of one if I know that they’re mates?

Finding a corner of the barn not shrouded in darkness, my shell scrapes against the wooden wall as I collapse to the floor. The instant my butt and tail hit the dirt, I bury my face in my knees, another louder sob leaving me as I allow myself to cry. To cry for the fact that the only solution to save my brothers was for Raph to kill me. To cry for the fact that I’ll never find someone who will love me enough to do the same for me. To cry for just how broken and sad I am for wishing for such a thing. To cry for all the hurt that I’ve placed on my family without even meaning to.

“Why am I s-s-so s-el-fish?” I hiccup quietly, hugging my knees tighter to my chest.

“Ya ain’t selfish, Mikey.”

I gasp, only to choke on my own spit, causing me to start coughing again. Something soft and warm lands on my head and, in a panic, I scramble further into my corner. Yanking the fabric from my head, I gaze into the darkness, my heart stuttering when I spot the outline of Raph standing a few feet in front of me. A whimper bursts from my lips as images from my dream flood my mind, and I clutch the blanket closer to my chest.

“I…I’m s-s-sorry, Raphie! Don’t…Don’t hurt me, p-p-please,” I beg, trying to make myself smaller as Raph steps closer. “I’ll….I’ll leave, I promise!”

A low click causes me to flinch, and a soft golden light reveals Raph, who’s holding a small flashlight in his hand. Confused amber eyes stare down at me, and I quickly drop my gaze, hunching in on myself as fat tears dribble off my chin.

Why is Raph here? Is he here to tell me what a liability I am? I scrub my face on the blanket.

Movement catches my attention, and my body freezes when Raph approaches me. Holding my breath, my eyes never leave my big brother as he presses his shell against the wall and slides down until he’s sitting next to me. His warm shoulder brushes mine, but he doesn’t scoot away, and I can’t move anymore with my other shoulder pressed into the corner. Unable to escape, I drop my gaze to my lap once more.

“Mikey.”

Shrinking back, I risk a quick glance up at my hotheaded brother, only to look away when I realize that he’s watching me. Guilt bubbles in my chest when Raph sighs.

“Mikey, look at me.”

Swallowing thickly, I shake my head as more tears build in my eyes. Warm fingers catch my chin and gently tilt my head up. Not wanting to anger my brother, I stare at him with wide eyes. A tiny frown mars Raph’s emerald face, and his amber eyes study me. Raph raises his other hand and I flinch automatically, expecting him to smack me upside the head. When a calloused thumb softly rubs under my eyes, wiping at flowing tears, I gape at him.

“R-Raphie?”

Raph’s eyes flicker up to meet mine.

“Yer gonna make yerself sick bein’ out here without a jacket, Mikey,” Raph mutters. “It’s like thirty degrees. Ya know dat Fearless will go nuts if he finds out dat yer out here with no protection.” Raph trails off and shifts closer, releasing my chin to wrap that arm around my shoulders. My breathing hitches when I slot into his side easily, my red-cladded brother’s heat instantly soaking into my skin.

Not sure what to say, I remain silent but cautiously press closer to my much larger brother. Sensing that I’m not gonna talk, Raph continues as he rubs a hand up and down my bicep, eyes fixed straight ahead.

“Dere must have been a good reason fer ya ta run out of da house like ya did,” Raph states casually, “since I know almost nothin’ can get ya outta bed before morning. Apparently, somethin’ managed.”

Raph pauses before continuing.

“By the way, dis nonsense about ya promising ta leave? See, dat ain’t gonna happen, ‘cause I know fer a fact dat Leo would just chase ya down, throw ya over his shoulder, and bring ya right back ta where you need ta be. And if he doesn’t? I sure as hell will.” Raph tightens his hold on me as I duck my head, my eyes burning. I sniffle quietly. “Also, far as I can tell, ya don’t have a single thing ta apologize fer, so don’t feel like ya gotta. And Mikey?”

My tongue feels heavy as I finally lift my head to peer up at my brother when he doesn’t immediately continue. Sad amber eyes stare down at me, and my big brother reaches over to wipe at another stray tear.

“I’m sorry if I ever gave ya da impression dat I would hurt ya,” Raph says softly, causing my heart to clench. “I know dat I ain’t da easiest person ta live with. Hell, I’ve almost brained ya with a pipe. And while I don’t have any excuses fer dat or fer how often dat I lose my temper with ya, I want ya ta know dat I would never want ya ta apologize fer my behavior.”

Panicking, I huddle closer to Raph, widening my eyes as I shake my head.

“Wha-What? No! Raph, I know you’d never intentionally hurt me! And I’m always the one to start everything! So, if anyone’s at fault, I—”

“Michelangelo.”

My mouth snaps shut at Raph’s sharp tone. His eyes narrow, and fear prickles at the back of my neck. Raph almost never uses my full name. I actually can’t remember the last time he called me “Michelangelo.”

Seeing that he has my attention, Raph sighs and runs his thumb across my cheek.

“Mikey, teasing is part of yer nature. I know dat ya do it ta lighten da mood. Dere’s no reason fer me ta lash out like I did when we were younger. No,” Raph states firmly when I open my mouth. “Leo and Don never reacted dat way when ya teased dem, so dere was never a reason fer me ta react like I did.”

Raph’s amber eyes meet my ocean blue. 

“I’m sorry dat I’ve hurt ya in such a way dat yer out here, hiding in da barn and cryin’ yer heart out, beggin’ fer me not ta hurt ya.” My lips tremble when Raph cups my cheek and presses his snout against my temple. “I’m sorry, and I know dat words don’t mean much, but I promise ta make it up ta ya, okay? From here forward.” I hiccup as more tears slide down my cheeks, and Raph nuzzles me.

Raph doesn’t say anything more. After a beat, I can no longer hold back and let another sob escape me. Strong arms wrap further around me and lift me into Raph’s lap, tucking my head under his chin. My hotheaded brother hums as he gathers the blanket around us while I just let all of my hurt out. The Strength and Shield of our family holds me close, radiating love and security, which is completely different from Dream Raph. Instead of harsh words and bruising grips, Raph is murmuring sweet-nothings against my head, and his palms are gently rubbing warmth back into me.

After what feels like an eternity, my tears finally stop flowing. Reaching up, I rub my tired eyes.

“Knew…knew you were just a big s-s-softie,” I sniffle, nuzzling closer.

Raph’s chest vibrates as he chuckles. He rests his cheek against the top of my head.

“I’ll deny it till da end of my days if ya try ta tell anyone,” Raph grumbles, rubbing my shell as I relax against him. “’Cause ya know dat Fearless wouldn’t let me live it down. Ya feeling up ta tellin’ me why ya came out here now?”

I stiffen in his hold and Raph resumes rocking us, hushing me.

“Ya don’t have ta tell me everythin’, Mikey, but I know from experience dat talkin’ about what’s wrong tends ta do more good den tryin’ ta hide it away.”

Worrying my bottom lip, I shift nervously.

Should I really tell Raph what my dream was about? He’s being so nice to me, and I really don’t want to hurt his feelings any more than I already have. Plus, it’s not often that Raph is willing to cuddle. Well, he might with Leo and Donnie now…

When we were younger, Raphie would always let me cuddle up to him after I had a bad dream. Then we got older, and he got moodier. Wanting to be seen as the tough guy, he started to kick me out or tell me to go back to bed whenever I went to him. So, I sorta just stopped going to him.

Now, I stick to mainly seeking out Leo for comfort, since Aniki has always been willing to indulge me in my need for touch. Donnie almost never sleeps, so I tend to avoid going to him when he does finally head to bed, knowing that he needs the sleep far more than I do.

It’s not like I won’t tell Raphie about my dreams or anything. He’s still willing to listen, but I’m more touch-oriented than my brothers are, so talking only does so much for me. I need hugs. I need cuddles. I need pats on the head – especially after a bad dream. I need to be grounded and touch is the way I get that. I’m not going to force Raph to do something he isn’t comfortable with.

Snout twitching, I lift a finger and start tracing along Raph’s plastron, feeling all the tiny chips and scratches from years of fighting and training.

Raphie did say that I didn’t need to tell him everything, I think as Raph starts rubbing my shell again, waiting for me to answer. I’ll just omit some parts to make sure he doesn’t feel bad.

Making my decision, I glance up at my sai-welding brother.

“Can…Can I ask you a question?” I ask softly.

Raph meets my gaze, cocking an eye ridge at me. He nods when he sees that I’m serious.

“Fire away, Baby Brat.”

I relax at the familiar nickname and go back to watching my finger as it continues to trace his plastron.

“Do…Do you see me as a nuisance and liability?”

Raph tenses under me, and I hunch my shoulders up to my ears, ducking my head. Shell, I didn’t think that would upset him!

Why can’t I do—

My thoughts are cut off when my head is tilted back up. I hold my breath as Raph studies me, his frown from earlier returning full force.

“Is dat what I said ta ya in yer dream?”

Wincing, I move to tuck my chin into my chest, but Raph keeps a firm hold on my chin–not bruising, but firm enough for me to know that he’s not gonna let me hide from this.

I wet my lips.

“Y-Yeah,” I whisper, heat building behind my eyes, though no tears come.

Raph falls silent, the wheels turning behind his amber eyes, and I can’t help but stare. I’m so happy that I can see his eyes. Sure, he’s not wearing his mask, but even then, he wouldn’t be able to hide his eyes without going out of his way to do so. Without his mask, more of Raph’s emotions are on display. Like, when he furrows his brows, I can totally see the little wrinkles in that small space right between his eye ridges. Without thinking, I lift my hand and brush at the space between his eyes, trying to rub the wrinkles away.

“You’re gonna wrinkle early with that face,” I mutter to myself, frowning.

A warm hand catches my wrist, causing me to blink in surprise. Heat rushes to my face when I realize that Raph is staring at me intently.

“I…I’m sorry!” I yelp, tucking my chin down while keeping my gaze on my brother’s face.

Raph’s face softens at my words and he shakes his head. He then leans forward and rests his forehead against mine.

“What did I say about apologizin’?” Raph scolds lightly and my lips twitch into an almost smile. “Now, as fer yer question, yer dream me is full of shit. Ya got dat? Some days ya annoy da shell outta me and other days I want ta twist ya into a pretzel. And den dere are days dat I want ta just lock ya away in da lair because fer some reason, ya and Fearless have dis nasty knack fer finding trouble. But not once have I ever thought dat ya were a nuisance or liability.”

Raph leans back as he releases my hand to rub my head. “Do ya sometimes mess around while we’re on patrol? Yeah. Are some of yer jokes not as funny as ya think dey are? Ya know it. But not once – not one SINGLE time have I ever doubted yer ability or my safety when I get paired with ya.” My shoulders sag as Raph smirks at me. “Da grumblin’ dat ya hear me do? Dat’s me just bitchin’ ‘cause I know dat I’m gonna be subject ta yer jokes da entire time we’re together. Don’t ya dare take dat as me bein’ upset dat I’m paired off with ya.

“And, I’m not gonna lie, ya make patrol interesting. Have ya ever seen what a patrol is like when yer not dere? It’s borin’ as shit.” Raph shrugs as I giggle wetly. “Leo and Don can be so serious, which is fine, ‘cept dat makes patrol drag on forever. Ya at least make patrol go by faster.

“And don’t even get me started ‘bout when we’re in a fight.” Raph chuckles as he bops my snout, making me giggle harder. “I fuckin’ love watchin’ how pissed off dose Dragon losers and da Foot get when dey can’t lay a finger on ya or da way dat ya can make da Foot Elite lose dere cool just by ya runnin’ yer mouth and bouncin’ away.

“So, I want ya ta take what dat moronic version of me said about ya and toss dat shit out da window. ‘Cause it ain’t true and I ain’t gonna stand ta let ya think dat I think dat. Got it?”

Becoming choked up, I nod and rub at my eyes, despite the fact that the well has run dry. Raph shakes his head and readjusts the blanket around us.

“Thanks, Raphie.”

My big brother rolls his eyes at the nickname but doesn’t say anything as he nudges my temple again. His warm breath tickles my head. He pulls away before I can really enjoy it, though.

“Don’t mention it. Now, is dat all dat’s botherin’ ya?” Raph asks, eyes flashing in the artificial light.

Wincing, I wilt a little. Raph narrows his eyes.

“What else did I do in yer dream?”

Fiddling with my fingers, I glance off to the side.

“C’mon, Mike,” Raph coaxes gently, “talk ta me. What else did I do or say in yer dream?”

I shrug.

“Who said that you were in my dream?” I ask, hoping to deflect.

A squeak slips from me when Raph suddenly jostles me roughly. Clinging to him and the blanket, I risk a look at my big brother. Angry amber eyes meet my ocean blue.

“Don’t give me dat shit, Mikey,” he growls, yanking the blanket back over my shoulders when I shudder. “Yer reaction ta me findin’ ya was more den enough fer me ta know dat I was involved in yer dream. And ya just confirmed I was in yer dream not even ten seconds ago. So, out with it!”

Guilt bubbles in my chest for a second time tonight. Sometimes, I forget just how perceptive Raph can really be. He doesn’t typically broadcast what he knows about you, but when he does, it’s surprising just how much he notices, like when he knew that I was crying before I got home from April’s.

It’s the small things Raph does that lets me know he really does care, even if he’s not vocal about it. It’s how I always knew that he does really care about me, even after all the times he has actually twisted me into a pretzel. It’s also how I knew he truly cared about Leo before they became mates, even though they argued all the time.

Knuckles brush my cheek, and I look up. Raph’s face softens as he drags his knuckles down, leaving a burning trail until they’re resting under my chin.

“Tanomanaide, otōtoyo *,” Raph breathes, and I nearly melt.

It’s not often that Raph talks in our first language, preferring English since it’s easier for him, and all of his favorite shows are in English. He also likes swearing in English better. But for him to switch, voluntarily, over to Japanese?

I just can’t say “no” to my bros.

Sighing, I reach up and take Raph’s hand from under my chin. Rubbing his rough knuckles, I don’t quite meet his eyes.

“You don’t need to beg, Raphie,” I say softly, a small smile tugging on my lips. “But, um, it’s not exactly…pretty.”

Raph opens his hand, lacing our fingers together and squeezing gently. A sliver of amusement wiggles through me at the size difference between our hands, but I don’t comment on it.

“Ya have a pretty wild imagination, Mikey, and I know what types of movies ya like ta watch. It doesn’t exactly surprise me dat yer dreams would pull from dose. Now quit stallin’, Baby Brat.”

Swallowing thickly, I nod. No turning back now.

Just keep it vague and don’t upset him anymore.

“In my dream, you, uh, you got mad at me,” I start, choosing my words carefully. Raph nods for me to continue and I wet my lips. “Leo and Donnie got trapped somewhere and you…you said it was my fault.” My voice drops to a whisper as Raph rubs his thumb over my knuckles. “It was really confusing, ya know? ‘Cause I was there trying to rescue you, yet I was also somehow responsible for you dudes being there in the first place.”

“And den what happened?” Raph murmurs against my temple as I curl closer to him, bringing our joined hands to my chest while my free hand grasps the lip of Raph’s plastron.

“When I tried approaching Leo and Don, you grabbed me, and then pinned me down, and…and…” I squeeze my eyes shut as the image of Raph holding me down fills my mind. And not in the hot way. In the scary “Oh Kami, my big brother is going to kill me for real this time” type of way. The urge to rub my neck is strong, though I refuse to release Raph’s hand or pull my other hand from his plastron.

“What did I do while I had ya pinned down?”

“You stabbed me with your sai,” I whimper. Raph inhales sharply. I breathe harshly through my nose, my terror from earlier creeping back in. “And then I woke up.”

Raph’s free arm tightens around me, nearly crushing me, but that’s okay. The creak of my bones reminds me that this is reality and not some weird, scary dream.

And in this reality, my bros don’t know about my feelings, so I can’t gross them out.

Warm lips pressing against my head brings me back to my senses. Heat spreads across my body, and I squirm a little in my hotheaded brother’s grip.

“I’m really sorry, Mikey,” Raph mutters against my skin, causing me to tense. “Ya know I would never do dat ta ya while in my right mind. And ya know dat Don and Leo wouldn’t want dat ta happen ta ya either.” A large hand kneads at the back of my neck, and I barely hold back a moan as I relax against my big brother’s chest. “Ya imagined I stabbed ya ‘cause of dat movie we watched, didn’t ya?”

Shrugging, I close my eyes again, content to just enjoy the feeling of Raph’s fingers working the tension from my muscles.

“Maybe?”

Raph’s chest vibrates under me as he growls.

“Dammit! I’m sorry, Mike. We shouldn’t have watched it. Dere were literally tons of movies up here we coulda watched dat wouldn’t have given ya nightmares.”

Eyes flying open, I quickly sit up. No! Raphie isn’t supposed to feel guilty over something that my stupid brain can’t control.

“It’s not your fault, Raphie! You wanted to watch the movie and so did I!” I twist in Raph’s hold until I’m fully facing him in his lap. “And Leo asked me multiple times if I wanted to stop watching. I told him no! So, if anyone is at fault, it’s me and my dumb brain, Bro!”

Strong fingers suddenly grip my cheeks in a near bruising hold as Raph keeps me in place. He leans forward, amber eyes blazing.

“R-Raphie?”

“Ya listen here,” Raph snaps, “and ya listen good. Don’t ya EVER call yerself dumb, ya hear? Just ‘cause yer brain works differently den everyone’s doesn’t mean dat yer stupid.”

“Den…Den wha’ doez it me’n?” I ask while Raph squishes my cheeks. He loosens his grip a little but doesn’t let go.

“Yer creative. Dere’s nothin’ wrong with dat.” Raph sounds so confident that all I can do is gawk at him. “Does dat mean yer brain is gonna show ya some wacky things? Fuck yeah it will. Does dat mean dat ya’ll find a solution fer a problem dat none of us saw? Fuck yeah ya will.

“Yer brain has helped us outta so many jams just by doin’ things yer own way. Hell, I’m pretty sure Fearless wishes he had yer brain sometimes, just fer a moment, ta solve some problems, besides his obvious ones.” Raph winks, and I giggle, butterflies tickling my insides. “But I never wanna hear ya call yerself dumb again, ya hear? And if ya do? I have no qualms on includin’ both Leo AND Don inta dis convo.”

A shudder of mock terror ripples through me. 

Smirking, my brother knows that his threat hit its mark. “Yeah, let DAT sink in. Ya know how much dey hate ya talkin’ down about yerself – ‘specially Don. And we all know dat if DON hears ya call yerself dumb, he’s gonna lecture ya far worse den Fearless will.”

I whine as memories of the last time I called myself “stupid” in front of Donnie flash through my mind. It had been after one of my worst birthday parties, where a kid managed to yank on my tail so hard, I couldn’t sit. I was so frustrated and in so much pain that the moment I got home, I started crying. It got to the point that Don had to end his work early because I was on the verge of making myself sick.

As he tried comforting me, I started ranting about why I ever thought Cowabunga Carl was a good idea and that if I was just smarter about everything, I wouldn’t keep getting hurt. And like Raphie just pointed out, if there’s one thing that Don hates more than one of his inventions exploding, it’s hearing one of us downplaying our smarts. 

Boy howdy, did he rip me a new one! He even pulled out TEXTBOOKS to show me all the different versions of intelligence and which ones I would have. It was both touching and scary.

Don doesn’t get angry often. Frustrated? Shell yeah. Irritated? You know it. But angry? Nah. I think I’ve seen my sweet and docile brother, like, super angry twice in my life. And both of those were while Leo was gone. The time with him pulling out the textbooks was the second. The first was when Raph came home late and totally plastered after doing a secret patrol with Casey. I was watching TV when that fight broke out, and I ended up having to break them up.

It…didn’t end very well.

Sensei had to get involved, and boy was he pissed. I couldn’t tell if he was angry because my brothers were fighting, because he was tired of all the arguing, or because I had fractured a finger while stopping Raph and Don from using their weapons on each other.

Sensei is scary when he’s angry, but nothing beats an angry Donnie.

Fingers tap against my cheek, dragging my attention back to Raph.

“Focus, Mike,” Raph drawls. His hand shifts to the back of my neck and guides me forward to rest against him. “Don’t put yerself down for somethin’ ya can’t control. I’ve had some freaky-ass dreams dat came at me from left field. And ya can’t deny dat we’ve seen some freaky stuff.” Raph tucks me under his chin as he readjusts the blanket around us one last time. “Aliens, living ancient statues, freaky magic portal shit, dimension-hopping, weird, squishy pink Shredders–ya name it, we’ve probably either seen it or fought it. So, it ain’t out of da realm of possibility fer yer brain ta show ya unusual stuff. Ya understand?”

Throat constricting, I merely nod. This appears to be the correct response as Raph kisses my forehead. Confusion fills me when Raph leans back against the wall, like he’s getting comfortable.

“Raph? Shouldn’t we be going back inside?”

The hand on my neck keeps me against my older brother. Isn’t he tired? ‘Cause I think I’m starting to crash a little after all of that crying and talking.

“We will, but I think we can stay here fer a few more minutes. ‘Sides, I don’t know about ya, but I’m pretty comfortable. Ya make a decent blanket, Baby Brat.”

Giggling, I nuzzle closer and tuck my arms against my chest.

“And you make a pretty comfy bed, Raphie.” A grin forms on my lips. “Just what I’d expect from a big softie like you, Onii-san.”

A squeak that turns into another giggle escapes me when Raph pinches the back of my neck – not hard enough to hurt but enough to startle me. An iron arm tightens around me, and Raph presses his lips against my ear.

“Don’t ya get cheeky with me, Baby Brat,” he whispers, and I hold my breath as my heart rate spikes a little. “Ya got no place ta run, and Fearless ain’t here ta keep me in line. And I’m tired, so don’t test my patience.”

Oh, Kami, I mentally whine. Don’t say stuff like that when I’m in your lap, Dude! I was being good!

Not trusting my voice, I nod in compliance. Raph chuckles and kisses my temple, causing me to melt from the continued soft and sweet treatment.

“Good. Now, just relax. We’ll head inside in a little bit. Fearless would kill me if I let ya get too cold and get sick.”

Once again, I nod, suddenly very tired. My eyelids are too heavy to remain open. Raph’s body heat is comforting, the blanket is soft, and nothing appears to be moving my hotheaded brother anytime soon.

I mean, resting my eyes for just a few minutes won’t hurt. And besides, it’s Raph’s idea, so I can’t argue with it. He’s being really nice right now, and I don’t wanna ruin it.

“Stop thinkin’, Mike, and just relax.”

Smiling, I close my eyes with a sigh. My mind falls silent as Raph resumes his humming, and just for a few moments, I allow myself to simply exist.

 

Notes:

*Haw - another name for the 3rd eyelid inside of a turtle's eye. Otherwise known nictitating membranes

*Tanomanaide, otōtoyo - Don’t make me beg, little brother

Chapter 10: Breakfast Mishaps and Broken Promises

Notes:

Hello everyone!

Thank you for your patience and I hope, if you are celebrating anything, your holidays are going well! Mine is going decently well. Had a blast at a friend's wedding last week and then had the sadness of returning to work XD. I don't think anyone wants to return to retail after being off for an entire week XD.

I'm also noticing that my chapters are getting longer and longer and I feel like I need to apologize but I'm also not really sorry ^.^". I'm just having so much fun writing these chapters.

And to everyone who has been commenting and leaving kudos, thank you so much! I know I say it every chapter, but it really means a lot to me knowing that others are enjoying this story. (And the fact that some people are using this as a way to join the dark side that is T-Cest 😈. I will not apologize for that XD. We welcome you with open arms!)

 

Beta'd by Lotus_Empress :) Thank you, Lotus_Empress!

My eyes suddenly snap open. Dazedly, I blink out at the sight of a sunlit loft and empty beds. Rolling over, I yawn as I rub my eyes.

Yikes, what time is it? Listening to the birds chirping outside, it’s gotta be decently early.

Pushing myself up, I glance around.

How did I get back up here? I don’t even remember leaving the barn last night. The last thing I do remember is resting against Raph’s chest as he hummed a song that Sensei used to sing to us when we were little.

Heat blooms on my cheeks and I bury my face in my hands. Oh, kami, I literally got to sit in Raph’s lap for the first time in forever and I couldn’t even enjoy it because he was helping me through a mental breakdown.

You’re such a pathetic turtle, I think sadly as I pat my cheeks. Not everything is about you. Raph was just being a good big brother. He shouldn’t have to deal with your thirsty shell. So, why don’t you just focus on your bros instead of making everything about your whiny little shell? After all, today’s the day I try again at hinting that I know they’re mates. Maybe Raphie being all sweet last night is a step in the right direction? That he’s willing to be more open toward me?

That thought brightens me up a little bit. If my slight emotional meltdown means that my most emotionally stunted brother is more comfortable around me, then maybe having that nightmare was worth it.

As long as he doesn’t try to stab me in the chest.

I wince, bringing a hand up to my chest and rubbing it. Shaking my head, I stand from the bed and stretch with a groan. I glance around the empty loft again as my back cracks.

“I wonder where my bros—”

CRASH!

Jumping, I spin toward the stairs. Raised voices from downstairs grab my attention, and I rush down into the living room, my eyes flickering around the space. As soon as they land on the entrance to the kitchen, three loud voices filter out through a partially open door. Heart pounding, I make a not-quite dash for the kitchen, shoving the door completely open…

…only to get a face full of white powder.

Coughing, I scrub at my face.

“Wha-What?” I cough again as I blink to clear my vision. “What’s going on in here?”

My brothers, each talking over the others, are quick to answer my question.

“Well, we didn’t want to bother you—”

“We were just tryin’ ta make—”

“Donnie was just trying to grab—”

My mouth falls open as my vision finally clears. All of my brothers are covered in a mixture of flour, eggs, and what I’m hoping is milk. As they continue to talk, I glance around the kitchen. The bag of flour that Leo mentioned Donnie trying to grab is resting on the counter just to my right, ripped. Which would explain why I just walked into a cloud of flour.

Tearing my eyes away from the bag, I glance over to the table. Bowls, spoons, and the hand-held mixer are resting on the surface, completely covered in the starts of batter and what I can only assume are the remains of someone trying -- and failing -- to crack a few of the eggs on the side of the bowls.

“Wha-What?”

Warm hands cup my cheeks and I glance up at a sheepish Leo. Warm chestnut brown meets my ocean blue as a thumb brushes just under my eye. Blinking dumbly up at my brother, Leo smiles.

“Um…Before you judge us too hard, Otōto. Let us explain. We—” Leo pauses and glances back at an equally sheepish Donnie and an embarrassed Raph. My eye ridges furrow as Leo turns back to me. “Raph told us that you…had a rough night last night and needed to sleep longer. So, since you made us supper, we wanted to try and make you breakfast…”

Why are my bros so cuuuuuute, I mentally whine as I shuffle in place, heat spreading across my cheeks at how Leo is stroking my face.

Clearing my throat, I reach up and take Leo’s hands from my face. Squeezing his hands, I smile at my bros, hoping it doesn’t look like the grimace that it feels like. I love my brothers. I really do. And they’re being so sweet and so kind so I can’t even be mad at the state of Mrs. Jones’s kitchen. And it was incredibly touching that they wanted to do something nice like make me breakfast because I had a bad dream. But like…. and I say this with love…. My bros can’t cook to save their lives.

I’m pretty sure if I wasn’t here to cook for them, their meals would consist of ramen, tea, cereal, sandwiches, and coffee. Like, Raph would only eat that gross healthy cereal with the sports players on the box and ham or turkey sandwiches. And Donnie would try to be the first person on this earth to live solely off of coffee and not die. Then there's Leo, who would try to make them food but cause everything but the stovetop and microwave to explode instead, forcing him to subsist on only ramen and tea for the rest of his life.

I really, REALLY need to teach my bros how to at least cook eggs or something, I think squeezing Leo’s hands again as I move to see my other two brothers better.

“Dudes,” I say slowly, my stomach swooping with all of their eyes on me, “that…that was really kind of you dudes to try and do. But…” I worry my bottom lip as I take in the mess EVERYWHERE. “And don’t take this the wrong way, but…I think it would have been better if you just…brought me a bowl of cereal? I made sure to ask April for the different kinds we like. And…like, you know anything with sugar I’ll eat. And I really do appreciate all of this! So, don’t take this the wrong way! But I—”

My words die as something wet and slimy lands on the top of my head and starts sliding down the back of my neck. Shrieking, I drop Leo’s hands and frantically reach back to wipe at the goop. A shiver ripples down my spine as I miss a bit and it slips fully inside my shell. My eye ridge twitches.

Ewwwwwwie! It’s in my shell!

Large hands catch my shoulders and shift me around as I try to claw the gross slime out. A whine slips from me when Leo catches my hands and someone behind me starts wiping the goo out.

“Hold still, Dove,” Donnie’s voice orders softly from behind me. “I can see better than you just groping around. So, let me get most of that out of your shell.”

I squirm as Don gently dips a soft cloth into my shell. When the cloth drags up the back of my neck, I jerk away, panic rising in my chest when Donnie gets a little too close to THAT spot on my neck. My heart skips a beat when I don’t make it very far with Leo still holding my wrists.

Nope. Nope. Not awake enough for the touching. For the sweetness. Nope. Just nope.

Donnie huffs as he glares at me.

“I can’t help you if you keep moving away from me, Dove.”

I hunch in on myself, staring down at the floorboards.

“Sorry, Donnie. That…that tickled,” I mumble and my brainiac brother sighs.

My wrists are squeezed and I glance at Leo as he chuckles.

“You’re fine, Mikey. But, since you won’t let Don finish wiping out the batter,” That was BATTER?! “--why don’t you go take a quick shower?”

I blink in surprise, glancing from my eldest brother to the culinary carnage around me.

“B-but the kitchen?”

“Don’t worry about da kitchen, Chucklehead,” Raph grumbles, wrapping an arm around Leo’s shoulders. “We messed it up, so we clean it up. Especially if we don’t want Casey’s Ma ta know what happened in here.”

My lips twitch at Raph’s wince. Yeah. Nobody wants to anger Mrs. Jones.

Sighing, I fake a pout.

“Yeah, yeah. Fine. If I stink, Bro, you can just tell me. Don’t need to pretend.”

Hands suddenly cup my face and Leo leans in. I’m instantly hit with the scent of flour and something entirely Leo that shouldn’t be noticeable but somehow is. My heart skips a beat as his breath ghosts over my snout.

“Oh, you don’t stink, Otōto. Trust me on that.” Leo reaches back to my neck and drags a finger through the wet glop still running down my skin. I fight back a shiver as Leo brings his finger now covered in white, runny batter up in front of my face. “We just think that you wouldn’t want to spend the entire day covered in wet, sticky, white stuff.”

I would if it came from you three.

Warmth spreads throughout my body as I nearly choke on my own spit. Dear lord! Where did THAT come from? I haven’t even been AWAKE for ten minutes, and my mind is already diving straight for the gutter. That HAS to be a new record or something.

C’mon, Brain, get it together! This vacation isn’t supposed to be about me! It’s supposed to be about my bros and getting them comfortable around me to let me know that they’re mates! And I can’t do that if I can’t even get my thoughts under control for five seconds.

Shaking my head, I laugh weakly as I slip out from between Leo and Donnie, suddenly too aware of their proximity.

Just act natural. You can do this.

Butterflies flitter around in my gut as all three of my older brothers watch me. Don’t they have a kitchen to clean? Why are they all focusing on me?!

“Heh, um, no. You’re right, Leo. I, uh, I don’t really want… want runny batter--” Unless it was YOUR GUYS batter. NO! Bad brain! It’s too early! “—dripping down into my shell. That’d…that’d just feel gross. It DOES feel gross. So, um, yeah, I’m just gonna go…go shower. Yup, shower.”

Stiffly, I start toward the door. Totally casual. Nothing suspicious here. No naughty thoughts. No brain in the gutter. Just good little Michelangelo doing as he’s told and going to go clean his brothers’ batter…er…his brothers' breakfast batter? Nope. Why don’t we just skip that sentence? Yup. We’re just gonna skip that entire sentence as we—

“Michelangelo?”

Pulled from my thoughts, I pause in the threshold but refuse to turn around.

“Y-Yeah, Leo?”

“Make sure you use the shower down here. It already has towels and our body wash that you can use. That way we don’t get both of Mrs. Jones’s showers full of flour.”

Weird, but like, who am I to argue? At least this way I can make it to the kitchen if they secretly try cooking again and start burning things.

“Sure thing, Leo,” I say awkwardly, giving him a thumbs up without facing him.

“Enjoy your shower, Otōto.”

My mouth dries and I nod before continuing forward. My skin burns and prickles from my brothers' stares as I finally exit the room. My hand flies to my chest the moment I’m in the hallway and out of sight. It takes a beat before my bros start up their conversation again.

Geezums, do my bros have to be so intense all the time? It’s like eight in the morning! Can’t they chill for like five seconds?

Sighing softly, I enter the bathroom and flick on the light, bathing the space in a golden glow.

The bathroom itself isn’t overly large, though out of the two, this one can easily accommodate me and my bros compared to the one upstairs. The walls are a pale yellow and the tiled floor depicts brown and black flowers scattered across cream-colored squares. The sink is set in a polished marble counter that matches the cream of the tiles, and the cabinets underneath are crafted from real oak, stained a dark espresso. The toilet and the tub are both white ceramic, and a dark blue shower curtain hangs from a curved rod for the shower.

Glancing into the mirror above the sink, I wince with a quiet chuckle. My entire face is white with flour and I’m so glad that I’m not wearing my mask. I really am not in the mood to also have to do some laundry.

I swipe at my face only to pause when I drag my forearm against my snout and catch the whiff of...something. Something familiar. Blinking, I press my forearm and sniff.

Heat spreads across my body and my throat tightens. Oh, kami. I smell like Raph. Why in the world do I smell—

My eyes widen.

I was laying on top of Raph last night. I was laying on TOP OF HIM. And I didn’t even get to enjoy his scent or anything because I was upset and worried about him being MAD at me and coming to tell me off and agreeing with Dream Raph.

Pouting, I sag and turn away from the mirror. Maybe that’s why Leo wanted me to shower. He said I didn’t stink but that’s only because I smell like one of his mates. So, obviously, he’s not gonna say I stink. But he probably finds it really weird that I smell like Raph. Which, I guess is pretty weird for me to smell like his mate when I’m not included in their relationship.

Sighing, I flick the faucet to the shower on, allowing the water to spray over my hand until it’s just right. I might as well wash up. As much as I would love to continue smelling like Raph or any of my brothers, I don’t want them getting weirded out. I want them comfortable around me and Raph was starting to show that last night. I just need to get Donnie and Leo to the same level and I’m sure my bros will tell me their mates in the next few days!

Shaking my head, I pull my hand out from the spray and yank the tab up. Steam instantly starts filling the small space and I tug off my belt, dropping it to the floor. Stepping into the shower, I can’t help but groan as the hot spray of water cascades over me. I can feel the flour starting to cake a little on my face and I do my best to scrub the rest of it away.

Ugh. Wet flour never feels great. Leo did say that there was body wash inside this bathroom already. Probably from him showering this morning after his morning training.

My lips twitch and I roll my eyes.

Only Leo would continue training while we’re on vacation. I swear my bro doesn’t actually understand what the word “relaxation” means. Though, he has been far more relaxed since getting together with Raph and Donnie. Which is great. I mean, he’s still pretty intense but he is definitely much better than when he journeyed to Japan and South America.

But he feels… more at peace with himself, I guess? Less like he’s going to snap if his string is pulled even slightly.

Which, I think, in turn, has led to Raph chilling out as well. He doesn’t lose his temper as often anymore. But, well, I don’t know how much of that is him growing up more or him just being able to vent his frustrations in more…CREATIVE and INTIMATE ways compared to his old motto of “Let’s beat the crap out of everyone.”

And Donnie is far less dependent on coffee. And he's even going to bed at a reasonable time nowadays! He doesn’t stay up past two AM anymore! Which is awesome! And he's actually taking care of himself.

I stare at a tile on the wall and tilt my head under the spray of water.

Although with all the progress he's made, Don still has the nasty habit of putting us first. Like, I’ve noticed him waiting to wrap his wounds until Leo and Raph have been dealt with. But, I have also noticed that he’s more willing to allow one of his mates to tend to him compared to before Leo left. Back then, it was like pulling TEETH just to get our brainiac brother to admit that he even had a cold!

I grab the body wash, squeezing a quarter-size drop into my palm. I pause for a second as the scent reaches my nose and I shoot the bottle a look. Freshly fallen rain, it reads.

My lips purse.

It’s not exactly what Leo smells like but it’s pretty doggone close.

Why on earth would Leo tell me to use his specific body wash? I thought he grabbed our travel body wash from the bathroom back at the lair! Not his own!

Biting my bottom lip, I contemplate just dumping the glob into the drain and seeking out a regular bar of soap. Sure, it’ll dry out my skin but then I won’t run the risk of making Donnie and Raph mad coming out of the shower smelling like their mate. I mean, I’m pretty sure that’s why Leo wanted me to shower in the first place rather than just rinsing off.

But he did tell me to use the body wash… I think, mouth twitching. And like… Leo would know that I didn’t use the body wash if I come out smelling like whatever soap Mrs. Jones has here. Plus, I'd get water everywhere if I go searching now and that’s a waste of water… How…how mad would Don and Raph get when it was THEIR mate who brought up the body wash?

I glance over my shoulder as if I can see the door through the shower curtain.

And I’m pretty sure Leo brought his for the purpose of having his mates smell like him so, like, it’s kinda his fault if I smell like him too. A lightbulb goes off in my head. But if I ALSO smell like Leo and they don’t like it then they’d HAVE to tell me WHY they don’t like it. And then they can finally tell me about them being mates! See? I can totally plan too! Sure, yesterday’s plan with dinner didn’t really work but this totally has to work.

Grinning, I swiftly start rubbing the clear liquid all over my body, humming as I go. We don’t currently have a back brush in the bathroom, so I kinda have to just let the body wash flow into my shell with the help of the shower head and hope and pray to the pizza gods that the white glop gets out of my shell. Because I so don’t want to have that mold inside there. Ick. My bros already don’t like how I smell normally, I don’t need moldy supposed-to-be batter adding to that dislike.

As the body wash glides over my legs, my fingers trail up my thighs and ghost over my tail. A shiver runs through my body causing me to halt my movements. For a brief second, I contemplate continuing down that road. Maybe getting out some of my pent-up sexual tension will help me to not feel so horny whenever my bros talk to me?

But what if you take too long and they try cooking again?

My hand snaps away from my tail, and I quickly scrub at the rest of the suds lingering on my skin. Oh, dear Silver Sentry, no. I can’t risk my bros trying to cook again. I don’t know how they managed to get batter on the ceiling, but who knows what else they’ll do to that poor kitchen!

I’ll make them some scrambled eggs and bacon once I'm out. Anything they want as long as they promise not to cook the entire time we’re up here. I have no qualms cooking. And once they tell me they’re mates, I'll help them make cute little meals for breakfast in bed with little flowers. But until then, I’m the only one allowed to make meals. My bros have lost that privilege.

And Leo thought I was kidding when I kicked him out of the kitchen yesterday, I think, shaking my head as I turn the shower off. I never joke when it comes to the kitchen. NEVER.

Shivering, I pull back the curtain and reach for one of the fluffy grey towels hanging up on the wall.

“Were you able to get all of the batter out?”

Screaming, I flail around before finally grabbing a towel and NOT falling on my face as I stumble out of the tub. Pulling the towel close, I use it as a shield of sorts in front of my body as my heart pounds in my chest. Heat spreads across my face as I spot Donnie leaning against the door, a hand covering his mouth as if he can hide the fact that he’s laughing at me.

“Dude!” I squeak. “A little privacy! How long have you been standing there?”

Donnie coughs into his fist, giggling once as he tries to school his face.

“Pretty much right after you stepped into the shower.”

Embarrassment filters through my body when I realized that my bro could have caught me playing with myself and I wouldn’t have known until after leaving the shower. Which is BEYOND mortifying.

I embarrass myself enough as it is. I don’t need to add THAT on top of everything else.

Coughing, I press my carapace against the wall, refusing to look directly at my immediate older brother, who watches me in amusement.

“Oh, um, well, was…was there a reason you decided to come in here? Or, uh, did Leo and Raph kick you out of the kitchen?”

Donnie chuckles and shakes his head as he steps toward me. My body tenses when he stops about a foot from me, his hazel eyes scanning me. Lifting the towel higher, I glance away.

“What?”

My heart leaps into my throat when Don gently takes my wrist in his hand, and my mouth dries from how easily my wrist fits inside his palm. I peer up at him when he guides my hand down, trying to get me to lower the tower.

“You do realize that we’re always naked right?” My brother in purple asks, voice low and quiet. It sparks a strange tingle in the pit of my stomach. “So, there is no reason to hide behind a towel, Dove.”

Dove?

Now that I’m thinking about it, this isn’t the first time that Donnie has called me that either. I’m pretty sure he used that nickname last night when I was ugly crying over the ending of that movie and again when we were in the kitchen.

Maybe it’s a nickname that he calls Raph and Leo and he’s just comfortable using it on me right now? Since we’re not in the lair? And he was afraid that if he did use it back home, Sensei would figure out the meaning behind it? I tuck my chin into my plastron. I hope his mates don’t mind him using it on me. I don’t wanna see what a jealous Raph or Leo look like. That…that just seems like a bad time.

My thoughts are cut short when warm hands cup my cheeks and my brain short circuits when I realize how close Don got while I was checked out. With the toilet to my right, I only have the left as an opening but with Don’s height advantage, I’m effectively trapped against this wall with no way to escape.

Dammit, Donnie! Why do you have to be so tall?!

A thumb swipes under my left eye and I fully meet my giant of a brother’s gaze. My stomach swoops when he leans down, much like Leo did earlier in the kitchen.

Dear lord, I swear my bros are doing this on purpose because they know it’s going to kill me. Because it is slowly killing me. My heart's gonna give out if Donnie gets any closer and boy, is he getting closer. And yup, okay, I think it’s starting to get a little too warm in here and very cramped. And, uh, Donnie I’m supposed to be smelling like Leo right now, but if you get any closer, I’m pretty sure I’ll start smelling like you and that’s not part of the plan. Which is fine, but I’m starting to run out of—

“I came in to make sure you were able to get all of the batter out of your shell,” Donnie murmurs, his hazel eyes searching my face as I practice becoming a statue.

One wrong move and I might accidentally brush him. I haven’t had time to center myself! I’ll do something stupid! Like lean forward and bury my face in his neck. Or kiss him! And that’ll ruin EVERYTHING. I can’t do something stupid like that! I need to be good! I need to be here for my brothers!

“Mikey. Dove. Focus.”

Jerking, I stare up at my olive-green brother with wide eyes.

“Wh-What?”

Don’s expression softens and he bumps our foreheads together, forcing me to hold my breath. My cheeks tingle as he continues to stroke them with his thumbs.

“Silly. I know you’re worried about the kitchen, but we need to get you taken care of first, okay?”

He pauses and stares at me intensely until I nod. A small smile ghosts over his lips as he shifts back, finally giving me a little room to breathe and not become a stupid, horny mess.

Pecking my forehead, Donnie straightens.

“Good. Now, turn around so I can check inside your shell. I don’t want you becoming sick because we weren’t able to remove all the batter.”

Jaw working, I turn until I’m facing the wall, towel clutched tightly in my hands.

“Su-Sure, Dude. Don’t…don’t wanna ruin the vacation, ya know?”

A surprised wince escapes me when a blunt finger flicks the back of my head.

“Ow! Hey!” I whine, pouting over my shoulder. “What was that for?”

Donnie narrows his eyes at me causing my heart to skip a beat before I force myself to face forward again.

“You getting sick wouldn’t ruin our vacation, Michelangelo. While we would prefer you to be healthy the entire time we are up here, the four of us would still be able to make the most of it even if you DID get sick. You understand?”

Shifting nervously at the sharp tone, I nod my head.

“Good.” I nearly squeak when a large hand palms the back of my head, and just barely on the side of rough, forces me to look down. His other hand grasps the lip of my shell. “Because I want you to promise that you won’t hide away if you DO start feeling sick, all right? And I expect you to keep this promise, Michelangelo, unlike your promise to always come to me with any nightmares that you have.”

My mouth falls open as the words "I promise" catch on my tongue. The hurt and betrayal in that last sentence is strong enough to fill the bathroom, and I drop my gaze to the floor.

“You promised me, Mikey,” Donnie continues quietly, and a familiar heat builds behind my eyes as his voice cracks. “You PROMISED that you would come to me if you had any nightmares. And yet, Raph had to tell me and Leo this morning that he found you out in the barn, crying your heart out and terrified of him.”

The hand vanishes from my shell only to appear over my shoulder, indicating that he wants the towel. I remain silent as I hand the towel over, then clasp my hands in front of me. I know if I try to say anything, I’ll start crying and Donnie won’t take the interruption very kindly.

“He said you dreamed of him stabbing you in the chest because you somehow ‘trapped’ Leo and me,” Donnie continues, caressing my skin with the towel. I shiver when it dips inside my shell. “Mikey, we promised each other that we would find one another if our nightmares got that intense. I thought your nightmares were getting better. YOU said they were getting better. But something tells me that your nightmares DIDN’T actually subside like you told me, Otōto, that you didn’t keep your side of our promise.”

My shoulders hunch up to my head, and I wring my fingers, fighting not to cry.

“I…I just didn’t want you to worry, Don,” I whisper. “You…You were already doing so much and dealing with a lot of stress. I didn’t want to add—”

Air catches in my throat when I’m roughly spun around. My carapace slams against the wall, but a hand comes up and cushions where my neck would have hit the towel rack. When Don’s fingers flex on the back of my neck, I realize that he didn’t only do that to save my neck from a massive bruise, but also to ensure I can’t look away from his blazing gaze as he towers over me.

“D-D-Donnie?”

“Don’t you DARE try to pull that shit with me, Michelangelo,” Donnie hisses as he leans into my space. The anger radiating from him is nearly suffocating. “Don’t you DARE try to say that it’s okay for you to suffer like that because it’s NOT. It’s not okay for you to lose sleep like that because you’re terrified of what you’re going to see.

"Not when it was YOU who wouldn’t let me suffer in the same way. Not when it was YOU who sat up with me all night long even though you had three birthday parties the next day, all so I could make sure that you still had your left arm while reassuring me that Leo wasn’t blind and that Raph hadn’t lost his eye.”

Donnie swallows thickly, but he never drops his gaze from mine. “And…and maybe it’s selfish of me, but you promising to come to me made me feel like I wasn’t completely failing as a leader in place of Leo. You promising to RELY on me made me feel USEFUL and more than just a-a BRAIN for the first time in my life.”

A sheen glosses over Don’s eyes as he presses his free hand to my face, connecting our foreheads again.

“I WANTED you to rely on me, Mikey. I wanted to give you the same security that you gave me to the point that I don’t have nightmares anymore. I want to provide you with that same peace of mind. But…but how can I when you try to HIDE yourself from not only me, but Leo and Raph as well?”

Don leans back, his thumb brushing under my eye as a tear finally breaks free. “Mikey. Dove. Please, stop hiding from us. We WANT to help you. We WANT to take these nightmares away from you. I want you to be able to enjoy birthday parties again without fear. I want to be that rock for you like you were for me these past two years. I want to know that you TRUST me—that you trust US like we trust you.”

But do you dudes really trust me? I think as I clench my jaw to keep from asking such a question. You…you claim you trust me, but why haven’t any of you told me about you dudes being mates? Why have I had to wait this long just to see the three of you acting remotely like people in love should?

Breathing out through my nose, I choose a spot on Don’s plastron where there's a small scratch. I know he got it during one of our first fights with the Foot. He’d been so excited because he had perfected a move that he’d been having issues with during training. If it hadn’t been for that move, a katana would have pierced his plastron. I don’t even remember what move it was, too enamored by the way that Donnie GLOWED with self-confidence to care. It had been so, so long since Donnie felt that way about anything that didn’t relate to electronics and machines.

It was amazing.

Unable to stop myself, I reach out and brush my fingertips over that scratch. Donnie lets me, but I can feel his gaze burning into the top of my head as he waits for me to respond.

“You know I trust you, Don,” I start quietly and my brother’s fingers twitch on the back of my neck. “I trust all three of you with me life. If any of you told me to jump off a building and said that you’d catch me at the bottom, I would do so without hesitation because I know you dudes would never lie about something like that. I…I just thought…”

I drag in a stuttering breath, steeling myself as I lift my eyes to meet my brother’s. His eyes shine in the golden light and I can see tears wanting to spill over. But they won’t. Because he’s always been stronger than me. My bros have always been stronger than me.

I offer Donnie a sad smile.

“I just thought you deserved a break. You were always fighting with Raph, and you would get those creepy dudes calling you even after you explained that you weren’t that type of call center. You barely ever slept, Don. If I kept you awake, the little amount of sleep you would get would be gone. I…I didn’t wanna do that to you, Dude.”

Donnie’s eyes flicker around my face, his hand sliding down to my chin to keep my head up.

“How often were your nightmares, Mikey?”

My mouth snaps shut and I try to duck away. Don’s fingers tighten on both my neck and my chin, forcing me to face my distressed brother.

“How. Often. Mikey.”

Closing my eyes, I steel myself once more before reopening my eyes to meet those flaming hazel eyes.

“Every night.”

A sick pretzel forms in my gut when Don’s face crumbles and my vision blurs when Don rests his forehead on my shoulder. I press my cheek against the dome of his head.

“I’m sorry, Donnie.”

My brilliant brother shakes his head and I fall silent, trying not to sniffle too loudly as I feel my brother tremble against me. I want to lift my arms and wrap them around him, but how can I? Not when he just told me he wants to provide me with a kind of comfort that will never be possible. I CAN’T let him try to give me that level of comfort. It’ll hurt too much because I know it won’t feel the same for him as it would for me.

I would want more, way more than he can give me. Way more than ANY of my bros can give me and it’s just not fair to them. All I’d be doing is hurting them if they found out, so I can never be fully honest with them. I know he'll think that it's because I don't trust them, but in reality, it's me I don't trust. I can never truly trust ME to be myself around them.

I refuse to hurt them in that way. And if that means that some promises are bent, then so be it. No matter how much my heart aches to bare my soul to them all, it’s not my place.

It’s never meant to be.

“I’m so sorry, Mikey.”

Blinking, I lift my head from Don’s and stare down at him, frowning.

“What? What are you sorry for, Donnie? You haven’t done anything.”

Donnie shakes his head and I feel his warm breath as he shakily exhales into my shoulder. When he leans back, I can see that his eyes are even more bloodshot than before, though his mask is still dry. He moves his hand from my chin back to my cheek and he rubs his knuckles right under my eyes.

“I’m sorry I didn’t notice,” Donnie states hoarsely, his lips twitching as a not-quite smile forms. “I’m sorry that you felt like you had to burden yourself with not only my nightmares and stresses but also with the weight of keeping yours to yourself. I’m sorry that we never seem to provide you with the same level of emotional care that you provide each of us.”

He shakes his head when I go to argue. “No, you know it’s true. None of us understand emotions like you do, no matter how hard we try. You’re always willing to provide us with a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen. But how often have we done that for you? If we did, you wouldn’t feel the need to hide your nightmares from us.”

Donnie tilts his head, the wheels turn behind the glowing of his hazel eyes. “And I know it’s because we teased you about being sensitive. But, Mikey, I never lied when I would tell you that there was nothing wrong with being sensitive. For being emotional.

"If you weren’t and you were emotionally stunted like us, I feel like we would be worse off. You remind us what it’s like to be more than just ninjas. More than just warriors fighting in a war that we’re too young for. One that we never asked to be a part of. You remind us to be a family, to act our age, to show our interests, to show our love for one another.”

Donnie removes his hand from the back of my neck to squish my cheeks as more tears dribble down my chin. “But I want you to know that it’s okay for you to do the same. That you deserve so much in this world. You mean so much to not only me but to Leo and Raph and we don’t want you to change. We don’t want you to hide anymore, okay? So, please, come to us if you need us, even if it’s three in the morning and I just went to bed. I would rather sit up with you all night than find out that you’ve been suffering alone. All right?”

My dam hasn’t been able to rebuild itself since talking with April and Casey, so, the gross, loud sob that tears free from my lips shouldn't startle me as much as it does. But before I can try to cover it, Don’s engulfing me in a secure hug. 

Kami, dammit. I thought I got all of my crying out last night! And the night before that! I shouldn’t have any more tears to give! And I can’t even make a coherent sentence, with the garbled mess slipping from me as Donnie hushes me gently, rocking the two of us.

I’m not sure how long I cried for, but I do know that my heart can’t seem to decide whether to accept that this is as close as I’m going to get to feel the type of love that I yearn to experience from my brothers. Or if it should just shatter until it’s fine dust, knowing that, deep down, this is ALL I’m going to get.

I know this should be enough for me.

And it will be, someday, I think as Donnie hands me a piece of toilet paper to blow my nose. I just need to get there.

A wet giggle slips from me when Donnie grabs more toilet paper and tries to wipe my face only for bits of the paper to stick to my soaked cheeks.

“D-Do-Donnie! I’m…I’m sure there are Kleenex somewhere. I don’t wanna have bits of TP on my face.”

The relief that shines in Donnie’s eyes as he smiles at me is more than enough for me to start calming down. He tilts his head down and rubs our snouts together playfully.

“Why not? Didn’t you always tell me you wanted hair?”

Laughing, I shove at him as I feel my face starting to heat back up.

“Yeah, Dude. HAIR. Not bits of paper that's meant to wipe someone’s butt clean!”

Donnie hums as he grabs another sheet.

“I don’t know, Dove. We might be able to make enough bits to at least get you a beard.”

A snorted laugh bursts from me when Don moves to wipe my face again. A hand clamps over my mouth in embarrassment but I continue to giggle behind it. Donnie stares at me in surprise for a moment before chortling along, placing a hand on the sink counter to keep from falling. My broken heart warms at the sound. I can’t remember the last time Don laughed so hard he could barely stand.

He needs to laugh like that mor—

“C’mere, you.”

Yelping, I collide with Donnie’s chest. He folds around me, rubbing our cheeks together. My heart pounds in my chest as he glances at me, his eyes losing some of the cheer from moments ago.

“Are you feeling better?”

Air catching, I nod slowly, holding his gaze until my immediate older brother relaxes around me. He kisses my temple before straightening.

“Good. I’m glad. I’m sorry to have cornered you in the bathroom like this. But, knowing you, you would have gone and hid away right after breakfast, and we wouldn’t have been able to have this chat otherwise.” My cheeks burn as he stares me down. “But I want you to know that I meant every word.”

Forcing myself to relax, I smile up at him.

“You always do, Don.”

He nods and walks me toward the bathroom door, using the towel to wipe me down one last time. Donnie then stoops to grab my belt. He wraps and tightens it around my waist.

“Good. And remember: no more hiding from us, Otōto. Because if you do, I’m sicking Leo on you and you’ll have to explain everything to him BY YOURSELF.”

I shudder both for dramatic effect and because that threat is real and TERRIFYING.

Donnie smirks.

“That’s what I thought. Now, out with you before our dear big brothers get it in their heads that they can actually cook and burn the entire house down.”

Donnie opens the door and nudges me out as I shoot a horrified look toward the kitchen. Oh no. How long were we in there? Leo might have the patience of a saint, but Raph has the patience of a newborn child. Absolutely nonexistent.

“Oh, and Mikey?”

Eyes wide, I turn back toward my genius brother. The serious gleam in his eyes has my anxiety spiking higher. I wet my lips nervously.

“Ye-Yeah?”

Donnie narrows his eyes at me. I gulp.

“Leo says you are to sleep with him and one of us from here on out until your nightmares are gone.” The smirk widens on Don’s face when my mouth falls open. “And yes, that does apply to when we return home. Now, go save the kitchen.”

Before I can even make a sound, Donnie is closing the bathroom door in my face.

I have to sleep with Leo or Donnie or Raphie for not only the rest of the trip but back at the lair too?! How…How is that fair?! I can’t…There’s no way that I’ll be able to keep my emotions in check! Not with them so close! I’ll…I’ll…I’ll…

A wheeze escapes me as I clutch the sides of my head.

Oh, dear kami. They are. They really are trying to kill me. My bros are trying to kill me, and they’re not even sorry about it. No. No, even worse! That smirk Don had tells me he’s ENJOYING this. Enjoying killing me slowly. They’re just pretending that this is for my sake, but, secretly, this is just their sick form of entertainment. “Let’s see how long it takes for our dear little brother to combust into broken piles of turtle ash.”  

I muffle a whimper as I shoot the kitchen a look.

Chichi, I need backup! I’m getting ganged up on! And it’s not fair!

CRASH!

Startled, my head snaps toward the kitchen as the angry voices of Leo and Raph echo down the hall. Shoving my panic down, I rush for the kitchen.

This is a Later Mikey problem. First, I have a kitchen to save!

“I’m coming! Don’t touch anything! I’m coming! I’m coming!”

 

 

 

 

Chapter 11: Fighting For Fine

Notes:

Hello everyone!

It's certainly been awhile, hasn't it? ^.^" Sorry about that! Life's been a little busy but I'm back with a new chapter for all of you to let you know that I'm not dead and neither is this fic! I'm a slow updater and I apologize for that. But hopefully you all enjoy this chapter to make up for the wait.

I also appreciate all of your comments and kudos on this story. It helps me know that even though I haven't updated in awhile you guys are still here and I couldn't be more thankful for that. (And it helps get my ass into gear! ^.^)

But enough chatter from me! Please enjoy the chapter!

 

Beta'd by Lotus_Empress! Thank you!! (And thank you for helping me when I got stuck on this chapter and keeping me on track!)

The soft clicking of dishes fills the air as I watch Raph and Leo at the sink. We just finished breakfast. Luckily, my bros were chill with just having some leftover curry, which I was able to heat up in the microwave while everyone showered and cleaned themselves.  

My eyes flicker over to Don as he stares down at his phone, typing something out. He hasn’t said anything about our talk in the bathroom since entering the kitchen, and nobody else has mentioned anything about my…episode last night. But obviously Raph told Leo and Don everything, so it’s only a matter of time before Leo corners me to chew me out as well. I drop my gaze down to the table’s surface, picking at a tiny crack. It’s not like I ENJOY being chewed out by my bros. This is supposed to be a fun vacation! A vacation for them to further explore themselves as mates. And it seems like all I’ve done is upset them. First, Leo when we got here, then Raph last night, and now Donnie.  

Can’t I do anything right? I think, mouth twitching as I fight not to scowl. Donnie shifts in his chair, catching my attention. I side-eye my genius bro. 

But…But I can still TRY to do something right. It’s only day two! Starting now, I can stay out of my bros shells and give them time alone. All I need to do is give them space. Give them time alone. 

And now is the perfect time, I think as my fingers fiddle along the wood. All I gotta do is leave now and hide somewhere until suppertime.   

Cautiously, I move to stand. 

“I think I’m—” 

“Any thoughts on what everyone wants to do today?” Leo interrupts, and I tense, eyeing my eldest brother’s back as he continues to dry the plate that Raphie just passed to him.  

Donnie glances up from his phone, and the two of us exchange a look. Donnie rests his chin in his hand, eyeing our two older brothers, a thoughtful look forming on his face. 

“Well, with it being so early in the day, there’s quite a bit we could do, honestly. And the weather is supposed to be pretty decent today, too, compared to the end of the week when there is a high chance of rain. So, if we want to do something outside, today might be the day to do it.” 

“Could always go swimmin’,” Raph suggests, unplugging the drain to the sink as he hands Leo the last bowl.  

Leo shakes his head, his blue mask tails swaying with the movement as he wipes the bowl down. 

“No, the water is still too cold for that.” Leo shoots our hotheaded brother a disapproving stare when Raph grunts, about to argue. “While you can handle cold water, not everyone here can, Raphael. Or would you prefer that Mikey gets pneumonia just so we can go take a dip in the lake?” 

Heat spreads across my face, and my heart does that weird flip at Leo’s words, but I shove it down as I try not to squirm in my seat. 

He’s worried as any big brother would be. He’s just being a good Aniki.   

Raph grumbles at Leo’s tone before he shoots me a contrite look, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Right. Sorry, Mike.” 

Smiling, I wave my buff brother off. 

“It’s fine, Raphie. It would totes be fun to go swimming, but I don’t wanna turn into a popsicle.” I tilt my head in thought as I try to find a way to get out of doing this “Family Fun Time” stuff that my bros seem to think that we HAVE to do. Why are they trying to include me in everything? They literally have all the time they need to just be together! “But, uh, I was…I was kinda hoping to just draw for a little bit, ya know? But maybe we can do something later?” I add as Don lowers his mug to the table, eyes snapping toward me, and both Leo and Raph turn to stare at me. “I mean, like, I just have this massive urge to—” 

“Mikey.” 

My mouth snaps shut as Don addresses me, and I turn toward him with wide eyes. A tiny frown is on my immediate older brother’s face, his hazel eyes way too knowing for my liking. I outwardly flinch. Right. No running away.  

Rubbing the back of my neck, I force a smile. 

“Or, uh, depending on what you dudes want to do, I can always draw later…I guess.” 

Silence falls over the kitchen as both our older brothers turn toward the table, eyeing the two of us. Leo frowns as he glances between me and our purple-cladded bro. Wiping his hands on the towel, Leo is about to toss it over his shoulder when Raph snatches it to wipe his own hands off. Our oldest brother rolls his eyes. He then refocuses on Don and me. 

“Mikey, if you really want to go draw, we’re not going to stop you.” Leo eyes me, and I try not to slide down in my seat. “But I thought we agreed that we were up here trying to reconnect as brothers and as a team — something we haven’t done in nearly two years.” 

Raph grunts as he heads to the fridge, throwing the towel at Leo’s face. Leo catches it easily.  

“And can’t do all dat team buildin’ shit if we ain’t together, Numb-nuts.” Raph pulls out a beer and cracks the top, staring Leo down as he takes a long sip. “But ya wouldn’t have asked us if we had thoughts about plans if ya didn’t already have somethin’ in mind, Fearless.” 

Leo’s eye ridge twitches when Raph smacks his lips, but instead of scolding him, Leo simply sighs and drags his gaze away to look at Don and me.  

“I have a few ideas in mind, but I want to know if you guys have any thoughts.” 

Don drums his fingers on the table. 

“Well, we could go for a run through the woods, stay in and play games, binge a few movies, sit and talk…” 

My heart plunges into my gut when Don says “talk,” and my anxiety spikes. My jaw clenches when I see hazel eyes flicker my way.  

“I…I’d be down for another movie!” I quickly chirp, making my tone as light and excited as possible. “Or even a game! Case-man brought up the console! And many of the games he left here are pretty dope!” 

Leo shoots Raph a look, as if gauging his reaction, and Raph shrugs. 

“Dunno. Kinda down fer somethin’ more…physical, ya know? No trainin’, Fearless!” 

Leo smirks when Raph points a finger at him, and he chuckles, crossing his arms over his plastron. 

“Don’t worry, Raphie. I wasn’t going to suggest training. But…I would also be open to something more physical. Don?” 

I swallow thickly, a heat building in my gut every time one of my bros says the word “physical.” Shell. Do they really have to say it like that? Can’t they use other words? They’re smart cookies! They can think of other words to use! Like…like…like… ugh I can’t think of a word right now! But I know they exist! 

A hum from my brainy bro pulls me out of my thoughts. He’s staring at our older brothers with a searching gaze. A pang stabs my heart, and I glance away. 

Why do they keep trying to add me into everything? It’s completely OBVIOUS in what way Leo and Raph would want to get “physical” today. This is probably the longest the three of them have gone without sex since becoming mates. Though…I’m pretty sure that Leo and Raph had a little fun in the woods last night, and that was why they were so late getting back. Runs NEVER take four hours. I’m just surprised they didn’t jump Don when they got back. 

Bet they’re regretting it now, I think as I drop my hands into my laps, fingers twitching against my thighs. 

“Well, I kinda like Mikey’s idea of staying in,” Don finally says, leaning back in his chair, causing the wood to creak with the movement. “While we’re not supposed to get rain today, the highest temperature is going to be in the upper forties with some wind chill.” His hazel eyes narrow. “I don’t want any of us getting sick while we’re here.” 

Leo lowers his head, watching Don for a moment before his eyes shift over to me. My skin prickles from what feels like a soul-searching gaze. Why...why is he staring at me like that? Biting the inside of my cheek, I avert my eyes. 

“Well,” Leo starts, “that’s two for physical activities and two for staying in. What if we do a tie breaker?” 

Confusion hits me hard enough for me to brave looking back at my eldest brother. My stomach squeezes when I notice a sparkle in Aniki’s chestnut brown eyes. Raph apparently notices it, too, because his golden eyes narrow. 

“Nah-ah, Fearless. I know what yer thinkin’, and we already agreed dat we wouldn’t do any trainin’!” 

Leo blinks innocently at our hotheaded brother, tilting his head. 

“I never said we’d be training, Raphie.” 

“Call me ‘Raphie’ one more time, Fearless, and I’ll—” 

“I was thinking that we could have a sparring competition,” Leo continues as if Raph isn’t threatening bodily harm against him. (Which I know isn’t going to happen. Raph’s too big of a softy to harm his mates, and he’s been going out of his way to be nicer ever since Leo got kidnapped by those statue weirdos after their last nasty fight.) 

Don rubs his chin. 

“A sparring competition?” Don parrots back, and Leo nods. “What are the parameters of this competition, and what is the prize? Winner gets to choose what we do?” 

Leo taps the tip of his snout with a grin. 

“Got it in one. The four of us spar with each other, one-on-one, and whoever wins gets to choose what we do for the day.”  

Our hothead brother takes another angry drink of his beer, grumbling.  

“Sounds awfully like trainin’, Fearless.” 

At Raph’s comment, Leo pushes himself away from the sink and approaches his mate in red. Don and I exchange a look when Leo wraps an arm around Raph’s shoulders and cups the side of Raph’s face to get the taller turtle to lean down. Leo presses his mouth against Raph’s ear, whispering something. Suspicion rises in me when a massive grin creeps across Raph’s face. He and Leo exchange a look once Leo releases him, a huge smirk on our eldest brother’s face. 

“Leo?” Don calls out, wariness heavy in his tone. 

“Ya know what? I think dis is a brilliant idea,” Raph states, causing Donnie’s eyes to narrow. “When we startin’, Fearless?” 

Our brother in blue turns toward Don and I, smiling. 

“We just need our baby bros to be on board, and we can start right now.” 

Don stands from his chair, lips pursed as he studies his two mates. Part of me is hoping that Don will disagree with this. How on earth am I supposed to be able to spar with my bros right now? Like, I nearly broke just seeing the three of them covered in BATTER! How am I supposed to keep myself reigned-in when we’re up here, ALONE, and they’re all hot and sweaty and moving so fluidly and gracefully? The three of them pressing their bodies against mine and pinning me to the grass— 

— unable to move as I stare up at them and they—  

Air catches in my throat as warmth spreads south, and I swiftly squeeze my legs together. Shell! And I was doing so well this morning! It’s not fair! 

“And how do we know this isn’t just your method for getting all of us to secretly train, hmm?” Don asks, his eyes narrowing. “Like Raphie said, this is sounding a lot like training, this ‘sparring competition’ of your’s.” 

Leo chuckles, crossing his arms and cocking a hip out in a relaxed stance. He shoots a glance at our hotheaded brother, who is wearing a wolfish smile. I eye him warily. He usually only wears that smile when he’s about to bend one of us into a pretzel. 

And that person is usually me, I think, fighting to not tense. I squeeze my knees harder together. 

Leo continues, “It’s not training, Don. Honest. Like I said, each of us are going to square off. The winners of the two groups are going to then face off, and we’ll do whatever the ultimate victor wants to do today.” Leo tilts his head, chestnut brown eyes sparkling. “If this was training, you KNOW I wouldn’t have us stop until we’ve each squared off against one another. So, no this is not training.” Another smirk twists his features. “Unless you WANT to turn this into training?” 

“No!” Don and I cry out in unison. 

Raph snickers while Leo quirks an amused eye ridge at the two of us. Don and I exchange a glance before I giggle, and Don shakes his head, a tiny smile on his face as his shoulders relax. Hazel eyes soften, and we stare at each other for a beat longer. Just as self-consciousness starts creeping in, Don turns back toward our big brothers. 

He sighs. 

“All right, I’ll cave. I’m willing to do this sparring competition.” My purple-cladded brother glances at me again. “What do you think, Dove? Willing to help me put our big brothers in their place?” 

My shoulders relax as a wide grin splits my face, ignoring how butterflies flutter in my chest at Don’s continued use of “Dove.” 

If he likes it, who am I to stop him?  

“Shell yeah, Dude! Younger brothers for the win!” 

I jump up from the table, high-fiving my purple-cladded brother. Raph snorts, and an amused look is written all over Leo’s face, his chestnut brown eyes flashing. Suspicion rises in me at my eldest brother’s look, but I push it down as Don wraps an arm around my shoulders and leads me out of the kitchen. 

My cheeks warm from being pressed up against Don’s side, images of him trapping me against the bathroom wall trying to spring up. I forcefully shove them down, not wanting to ruin this moment with my gentle genius of a brother. There is still the lingering scent of Leo’s body wash on Donnie, and it meshes so well with my genius brother’s sweeter scent.  

A light breeze hits us as we exit the farmhouse, and I have to turn my face away when I’m engulfed by my brother’s scent. I fight to not raise my hand and cover my nose or to just fall to the ground whimpering, baring my neck and begging for him to take me. Because THAT wouldn’t be embarrassing, let alone mortifying. Like, “Bro, I know that I’m not your mate but would you please, oh please, mark me and make me smell like you as well?” 

Right, I think sourly, because that would be such a great thing to say when I haven’t even gotten them to admit to me that they’re mates. Geezums, Mikester, can you be any more desperate?   

I dig my fingernails into my palms, hoping to use the sting of pain as a distraction. I need to get through this little challenge of Leo’s so that I can continue executing my plan of getting my bros to just tell me that they’re together so I can finally move past this five-year crush. Because I know that when I hear it directly from my brothers, I’ll be able to set everything aside. My heart just needs to hear that my bros love one another and not me so that it can follow my head’s lead to just let this go and focus on my bros and only my bros.  

Because nothing else matters, I think with a surge of determination as I stretch my arms into the air, slipping from Don’s grasp. That’s the one thing I know will never change, and the one thing I DON’T want to change. I tilt my head back toward the clear sky and close my eyes.  

“So how we doin’ dis, Fearless?” Raph asks as he and Leo join Don and I in the middle of the backyard. I glance back at my two older brothers, still very wary of the excitement gleaming in the hothead’s golden eyes. Whatever Leo said to get him on board with this “Totally Not Training But It Really Is Training” thing that Leo came up with must have been amazing for RAPH to be showing this much excitement. 

My eyes drift down to where Raph has rested his hands on his sais. I quickly turn away, a spike of anxiety shooting through me. I bite my bottom lip, clenching and then relaxing my hands to center myself. Raph always rests his hands on his sais like that. There is no reason to get worked up about it. 

He’s not going to use them on you like Dream Raph did so just let it go, Idiot. He already proved last night that he isn’t that Raph and I KNOW deep inside that he isn’t like that either. He’d never attack me like that so I need to drop it and move on.  

Leo stops next to our emerald brother, hands on his hips.  

“Easy. We’ll split off into pairs.” Chestnut eyes land on Don, and a half-smirk forms on our leader’s face. “Don, you’re going to go against me. Then Mikey and Raph will face off. The two winners will then spar one another, and the winner will decide what we do for the day.” Leo tilts his head, eyes bright with enjoyment and anticipation, a look that’s usually reserved for when he gets a new manga or perfected a new kata.  

My heart flutters. 

It’s been such a long time since I last saw that look, and I feel my reservations about this competition pretty much vanish. How can I dislike this when my normally more stoic brothers are nearly giddy? Well, giddy by their standards. 

And then my brain catches up with who I’M paired off with. My stomach sinks. 

“Heeeeeeeey!” I whine, hoping to cover the resurgence of my anxiety. “Why do I have to spar with Raphie? Why can’t I spar with Donnie, and YOU spar with Raphie, Leo?”  

My hotheaded brother shoots me a shark-like grin. 

“What’s wrong, Baby Brat? Ya afraid dat yer gonna lose?” 

My stomach fills with butterflies, and I cross my arms, turning my snout up. 

“No! I can take you any time and any place, Raphie-boy! I’m a big turtle and can take a pounding. But it seems to me that our big bros are trying to gang up on us younger brothers, and that just isn’t fair.” 

“Oh, really?”  

I glance back at Raph. I swear he purrs as he speaks, and there’s a strange look in his eyes that has my heart jumping up into my throat and my palms turning clammy. There is a dark tinge to his grin as he stalks up to me. My eyes widen the closer he gets, and air catches in my throat as he towers over me, our physical builds so different that it’s hard to not feel small next to him.  

“R-Raphie?” 

“Ya really think ya can take a pounding from me, huh?” Raph purrs. “Any time? Any place? Ya wanna prove it?” 

Oooh, don’t....don’t say it like THAT, Raphie! I can’t...that wasn’t...I’m not STRONG ENOUGH.  

My mouth suddenly dries, and a flame engulfs my entire face at my brother’s low, gravelly tone. Voice escaping me, all I can do is nod, feeling very disoriented. Raph lowers himself until we are at eye level and leans in so close that his breath caresses my face. 

“Good.” 

A yelp escapes me when Raph suddenly flicks me in the forehead with a dull THUNK. 

“Den stop complainin’ and spar with me.” 

“Wh-What?” I stammer out as Raph straightens, a smug look on his face.  

Raph saunters away, and I can hear him snickering as I press a hand to where his finger just jabbed me. 

“C’mon, Baby Brat. Let Fearless and Brainiac get inta position so we can figure out what ta do today.” 

I almost whine again at that verbiage as I reluctantly follow my hotheaded brother.  

“It’s too early for you to be bullying me,” I whine again, earning myself an eye roll from the protector of our family.  

“Don’t worry, Mikey,” Don calls out as he draws his bo. “We’ll show our big brothers that younger brothers aren’t meant to be trifled with.” 

My shoulders relax as Don twirls his bo, smirking at Leo as our eldest brother also draws his katanas, rotating his wrists once each. 

“Oh?” Leo drawls, easing into a relaxed stance while staring our genius brother down. “You really think that you have what it takes to win, Donatello?” 

My eyes widen at the way Leo practically purrs his words, sounding eerily like Raph did moments ago. My eyes dart between my brothers, suddenly feeling very out of place. This...This would be considered flirting, right? And they do remember that I’m still here, right? Are they becoming more comfortable as mates in front of me? Is this a step toward them finally telling me about their relationship? 

I swallow thickly as Don laughs, dropping down into a defensive stance.  

“Oh, I know I have what it takes to take you on, Leo. It’s a matter of how big of a sore loser you and Raphie will be when Dove and I kick your shells from here to Timbuctoo.” Don tilts his head, hazel eyes sparkling, and my insides melt at the confidence radiating from my genius brother. 

Shell, why are my bros so hot? I mentally whine, hands wringing together. I nearly jump out of my shell when a warm arm drapes itself over my shoulders. The scent of sandalwood and bonfire smoke envelopes me as Raph pulls me up against his side. I slot easily against him, my mind trying to betray me and tell me like I belong there. My heart leaps into my throat as I distantly hear Leo call a start to the fight. I swear I’m going to vomit up my heart when Raphie leans down to whisper against my ear. 

“Looks like Brainiac is quite determined today. Don’tcha agree, Squirt?” 

Unable to find my voice, I merely nod. Raphie, what in the world are you trying to do? Are you trying to win by making sure that my head can only think about your hot breath caressing my face and your lips brushing the skin around my ear? Because that’s not fair and totally against the rules! My insides squirm as Raph chuckles in my ear, almost as if he is hearing my thoughts and laughing at them.  

“Whatcha both gonna do if Fearless and I win, hmm?” Raph questions, his voice dropping an octave. His arm tightens around me when I try to shimmy away. “Da two of ya gonna pout and throw a fit?” 

“N-No!” I finally manage to get out as I work hard to not look at my brother, my cheeks on fire. “If...if you or Leo win, then you dudes win, and Don and I will just s-suck it up. But...but Don and I aren’t gonna go easy on the two of you, so you better bring your A-Game, Raphie-boy.” 

This time I am absolutely positive that Raph is laughing at me when he chuckles against my ear again, his breath causing my stomach and spine to tingle. 

“Oh, don’tcha worry about dat, Baby Brat.” Raph pulls me closer as I try to focus on Leo and Don dancing around each other, neither managing to land any hits, all the while smack-talking. “I’m gonna work ya over so hard dat ya’ll wish dat it was Leo ya were taking on.” 

Just breathe. There is no reason to take that as anything other than innocent jab. Don’t panic. Don’t pass out. And certainly, don’t fall to your knees and beg him to work you over in a completely different way, you stupid horny turtle, you! This is just a little competition to see what we’ll be doing today.   

Mouth still dry, I try to shrug Raph off, blaming my light shiver on the breeze hitting me in the face. However, instead of getting Raph to let me go, my older brother pulls me closer and wraps another arm around me. A mixture of body heat and embarrassment courses through me, and I turn my face away. Raph chuckles as he moves his face from my ear to rest his chin on my shoulder, nuzzling my neck just above the spot that would cause me to further embarrass myself. 

“Raaaaaaaph!” I gripe, squirming and completely ignoring Raph’s last statements. “Get off! You’re heavy and invading my bubble!” I grumble as my hotheaded brother snickers and pulls me closer in response. “Let go, you koala! You’re too big!” 

The arms around my waist flex, and I feel Raph’s lips part as if to say something when a yelp cuts through the air. Refocusing back on Leo and Don, my stomach swoops, and my heart nearly stops as I spot my two brothers. Don is on his plastron, facing Raph and me while thrashing about under Leo. There is a large pout on our genius brother’s lips as Leo practically lays on top of him. I watch our eldest brother whispering something to Don that has him pause in his thrashing. My eyes narrow as the pout vanishes from my only ally’s face. 

What the shell is Leo telling Raph and Don to get them to cooperate with him? Especially Don, my only brother who wanted to remain indoors with me? Did he promise to collect specimens for Don to analyze while we’re outside? Or promise to let him bring his tracker?  

Maybe he promised to do a sexual favor for them? I think, worrying my bottom lip, my flush trying to make a resurgence. I fight to keep my composure as I shuffle in place. Looks like I’ll have to give them more space tonight. I mentally groan. Wait. I have to sleep with Leo tonight. Sheeeeeeell, how is that going to work? Is he expecting me to just wait in bed for him? Or...or maybe Leo will forget and distract Raph and Don long enough for me to just climb into bed and pretend to be asleep? Flinching, I sigh quietly as Raph applies pressure on my shoulders to get me walking forward. Yeah, right. Leo forget anything? What planet do I live on?   

Raph cackling brings me out of my thoughts as we stop right next to Leo and Don. He leers down at our brothers, pressing me closer to his side. 

“Damn, Fearless. Dat took what? Four minutes?” Amber eyes sparkle as Raph finally releases me to squat in front of our downed brother. “What happened, Brainiac? Normally ya don’t go down so easily. Did ya get distracted again?”  

“Oh, shove off, Raph,” Don grumbles as Leo finally rolls off him and helps our brother stand while Raph snickers. “I’d like to see you take on Leo when he plays dirty.” 

Our eldest brother puts on an innocent look, but the mirth sparkling in his eyes tells me that Don had no chance of winning against our leader.  

“I did no such thing,” Leo states firmly. “I merely used my entire arsenal to my advantage. It’s not my fault that it was effective against you, Little Brother.” 

Don harrumphs, tossing his mask tails over his shoulder as he walks away, but not before glaring at our blue-cladded brother.  

“And I think you’ve been hanging out with Raphael too much if you consider that an arsenal.” Don and I make eye contact. “Don’t let Raphie win, Dove.” 

Wide-eyed, I nod. Don returns the gesture, then finally stalks away, silently seething as he heads toward where Raph and I had been standing previously. Raph continues snickering as I turn my gaze toward Leo, who merely shrugs, never losing the smug expression on his face. Raph walks over to him, leaning close to whisper something. Mind still reeling, I pull my ‘chucks from my belt and head a few paces away, approximately to where Don had been standing when he readied to fight Leo.  

Shell. Okay. So, Don is relying on me to win and avenge him now, but whatever Leo promised our tank of a brother to get him to agree to this, it’s got Raphie extra determined to do his best to win, too. And a determined Raph is a scary Raph.  

But I’m the Battle Nexus Champion, I think, bouncing on the balls of my feet. I beat him then and I can beat him now. I eye my brother as Raph finally releases Leo and heads for his own position. The massive grin on my hotheaded brother’s face leaves me with a wary feeling in my gut. Raph pulls out his sais, twirling them as he does. Catching them with his fingers between the prongs, Raph points his right one at me.  

“Ya ready ta get yer ass pounded, Mikey?” 

My lips twitch as unease builds in my gut, but I push it down to smirk playfully at my brother. 

“You’re gonna have to catch me first, Raphie,” I taunt as I set my nunchakus spinning. “Besides, I got a big brother to avenge. You can kiss that chance of fighting Leo goodbye.” 

Raph’s grin turns a little mean as he widens his stance.  

“Yer on, Baby Brat.” 

The two of us fall silent, and it feels as though my heart is going to leap out of my chest as we wait for Leo’s signal. I shiver again when another breeze whistles by. Raph’s mask tails flutter from the disturbance. My eyes flicker over to the movement before returning my attention to Raph’s face. A tingle spreads across my body at the intense gaze of my older brother on me, which makes me feel as if I’m the center of Raph’s whole world right at this moment. The sun peeks out from behind the clouds, hitting my hotheaded brother just right to highlight his emerald skin and make his amber eyes glitter like gold. My mouth dries again, and it’s only thanks to muscle memory that I keep my nunchakus spinning as I try to commit this sight to memory for my sketchbook later. 

“Hajimeru!”  

Jumping, my head snaps over to look at Leo in confusion. 

“Wha—?” 

The sounds of footsteps drag my attention back forward, and a squeak escapes me as an emerald bull charges straight for me. 

“Shell!” I yelp, flipping over my brother at the last second, starting up a familiar game of keep away. “Not cool, Dude! I wasn’t paying attention!” 

Raph snickers as he chases after me, swiping at me every time that I land.  

“Gotta stay outta yer head if ya wanna win, Squirt,” Raph grunts. 

I somersault over his head, whining as I dance away. “I wasn’t in my head this time! I was distracted!” 

My arms tuck in as I duck and weave. Raph chuckles darkly, making my stomach twist. He continues to pursue me like a predator. 

“Oh? Distracted ya say? What was so distractin’ dat ya got all unfocused, hmm?” 

Spluttering, I fall into the splits before shooting myself between Raph’s legs, curling into a roll, and then springing to my feet. Panicking, I twist to face my brother, squeaking as an emerald arm shoots right past my head. Shell! Raphie’s not playing around! 

“I-I thought I saw something over your sh-shoulder!” I shriek and use my ‘chuck to block a strike to my face.  

My heart jackhammers as Raph smirks at me, already panting. Confusion mixes with my panic, since my brother has yet to really exert himself. Sure, he’s going kinda hard, but I’ve watched him beat his training dummy at a hundred-and-ten percent for an entire hour without breaking a sweat or panting heavily, so him being out-of-breath already is a little concerning. And it’s not even that hot outside! If anything, it’s the perfect temperature to be training or sparring. Not too hot. Not too cold.  

Maybe... maybe whatever he and Leo talked about got him excited? I think, wincing as Raph gets too close, forcing me to flip over him again. My fingers flex around my weapons, spinning and feinting a strike before kicking out. Raph backflips over my leg, finally giving me some breathing room. Maybe Leo promised Raphie a chance to help him punish Don? My body shivers and my eyes drift over to my other two brothers. The image of my older two brothers leaning over a tied down Don and— 

No! No, bad brain! Don’t fantasize about your brothers during a spar!  

Shaking my head, I try re-centering myself as I glance over to where I last saw Raph. Only for him to not be there. 

I blink. 

“Raphie?” 

“Boo.” 

A shriek erupts from me as a deep voice whispers in my ear. Heart thundering, I whip around, eyes wide as my shoulder bumps a solid, warm body. My heart leaps up into my throat as Raph stares me down, towering over me. 

“S-Shell!” 

Whimpering, I jerk backward as a different type of panic starts building in my chest. Flashes of my dream from last night play out in my mind, making it hard to breath when Raph suddenly growls. Holding up a hand, I take a step back. 

“W-Wait, Raphie, I—” 

Raph cuts me off when he leaps for me. Air catches in my throat as a scream bubbles up my throat, and my shell slams into the ground. Body going into Fight-or-Flight, I struggle under my larger brother, my heartbeat loud in my ears as I try to shove him off. 

“R-Raph, d-don't—” I stammer out when a large hand shoves me back down causing my left arm to fall above my head, and I lose my grip on my nunchaku. I catch sight of a metallic gleam before something cool and unyielding pins my wrist. 

My chests stutters and my vision blurs as I stare up at Raph with wide eyes, body trembling. Glancing at my arm, whimpers slip from me as I realize it’s Raph’s sai pinning my dominant hand down. The metal bites into my skin, the prongs of Raph’s sai keeping my left wrist trapped to the ground. My bruised shoulder protests when I frantically yank to free my arm. A shadow falls over me, filling me with dread as I drag my gaze back to my older brother. His free hand lands next to my head, and his eyes narrow as he glares down at me. My stomach twists as I spot his other sai in his other hand, poised to strike at any time. Gasping, my surroundings flicker, and for a moment, I’m no longer outside, but back inside that strange room from my dream with Raph snarling down at me. A choked sob slips past my lips as I go to speak, and I squeeze my eyes shut, tears already leaking down my cheeks. The words pour out of me before I can stop them, breath stuttering between sobs. 

“I’m s-s-sorry, Raphie. I didn’t me-mean to! I promise I’ll be good! Please do-don’t st-stab me!” 

“Wha—?” 

I sense more than see the hesitation in my brother, but I’m too terrified to open my eyes and see that disgusted look on my brother’s face before he stabs me. My body trembles as I continue to apologize, begging for his forgiveness and assuring him of how good I’ll be if he doesn’t stab me. I curl further into myself when I sense two familiar energies approaching, but I don’t dare to look either, just in case it’s Raph’s mates, and he sees me look at Leo and Don and deem me a threat and stab me. I tense when Raph’s weight suddenly leaves me before gasping as a warm palm gently strokes my cheek. I squeeze my eyes shut tighter, flinching when another shadow falls over me, and a forehead presses against mine. Large, warm fingers stroke my damp cheeks. 

“Shh, Dove, shh,” Don whispers, his breath ghosting over my face. Another sob leaves me. “Raphie wasn’t going to stab you. You’re all right. Just breathe. Deep breathes, Dove. Onii-san is here. Just breathe.” 

My eyes crack open finally as more hot tears spill over, burning the skin of my cheeks when Donnie isn’t fast enough to catch them. Sucking in a deep breath, I gaze into my immediate big brother’s concerned hazel eyes. 

“B-But I’m a dang—” 

Don hushes me again, nuzzling our snouts together. I hiccup, the scent of honey and vanilla tea cakes washing over me to encompass my entire being. I gulp for air as Don strokes my cheek, curling closer to me. 

“Hush now, Little One. Just breathe.” 

I nod jerkily, earning myself a tender smile from my genius brother. Dragging in a shaky, deep breath, I hold it while my genius brother counts to five before releasing it on his command, my chest rattling as the air rushes out of me. 

Don leans back, still smiling and stroking my cheek. I take over the breathing exercise, no longer needing him to coach me through it. 

“Good, Otōto, that’s good,” Don praises. “Just keep doing that for me while I free your wrist, okay?” He shakes his head when I try to answer. “No, a nod will do. Just focus on your breathing so you don’t pass out.” 

I resume doing as I’m told, focusing inward until my chest stops rattling with each intake of air. My thoughts race alongside my heart. Stupid! I’m so stupid! How could I lose focus like that?! If I had just stayed in the game I wouldn’t have let myself get taken by surprise, and none of this would have happened! Kami, if that had been an enemy, I would have been dead!  

Movement drags me out of my thoughts, and I watch my brother with aching eyes. Don continues to murmur encouraging words to me as he yanks the sai from the ground, freeing my wrist. He gently takes a hold of my wrist before I can pull it to myself, and he tenderly rotates it. There is a red mark already blooming on my skin that Don brushes his thumb over. My wrist twitches at the slight sting of sensitive skin, but other than that, I don’t try to pull away. Seeing this, Don studies me with a serious expression. 

“Doesn’t look like it’ll bruise, luckily. But if this starts giving you any trouble, you let me know instantly, alright, Dove?” When I nod, my genius brother’s gaze softens. “Good, good. Now, does anything else hurt? Your head? Your back and shell?” 

“N-No, Don, I’m okay.” 

A critical eye scans me one last time, and I fight not to squirm, feeling very self-conscious at the moment. I scrub at my face with the back my free hand. When Don finishes taking inventory, he nods stiffly. 

“Alright. Then I’m going to help you stand up. And if you feel anything, you let me know.” 

I don’t get a chance to respond when Don slips a hand behind my neck and lifts me into a sitting position with practiced ease. As I sit up, my immediate older brother guides me into his chest, holding me tight for a moment. I can hear the thundering of my immediate older brother’s heart as he presses a kiss to my temple. We sit like that for a beat before Don finally lifts his head away, though he doesn't loosen his grip. 

I blink rapidly as more tears slip free, burning my cheeks. My fingers automatically reach up and cling to his strap, needing the extra touch to ground myself. A rustle to my left keeps me from burying my face into my taller brother’s chest. 

I nearly start crying again as my heart constricts. 

There is a horrified look on Raphie’s face as amber eyes stare over at me and Don. His emerald face is two shades paler than normal. A stone-faced Leo stands beside him, holding the wrist of the hand still clutching a sai. Aniki’s eyes are narrowed into mere slits, and I can’t quite tell who exactly he’s looking at. Gulping, I drop my gaze back to my second oldest brother. The moment the two of us lock eyes, my red-cladded brother releases his beloved weapon as if it burned him. My eyes automatically follow the weapon until it hits the grass before snapping back up to Raph’s face.  

Words rush from my horrified brother the moment he notices my attention back on him. 

“I-I’m so sorry, Darlin’! I-I wasn’t thinkin’,” Raph stammers, and I can see him gulping as Don tightens his hold on me. “H-Honest!” Raph glances up at our stoic eldest brother with wide amber eyes, arm still in Leo’s tight grasp. “I-I wasn’t gonna do anything, honest. I just…I just got too excited fer my own good.” Raph’s voice cracks when he glances back over at me and Don shifts as if shield me from view. “Mike, Darlin’, I’m so sorry. After yer dream, I shoulda been more careful and not pinned ya like dat.” 

My heart splinters in my chest, and my fingers tighten around the fabric of Donnie’s strap. I unconsciously lean into my genius brother as Raph speaks. Don continues rocking us, murmuring calming words against the dome of my head as I fight to not start crying again. Reaching deep, air rushes from my nose as I will my breathing to regulate so that I don’t break down all over again at just how distraught my tough-boy brother sounds and looks. All because of me and my dumb brain! Whimpering, I shiver when the breeze drifts by again, causing Don to tug me closer to his chest.  

“Honest, Darlin’,” Raph repeats, voice hoarse. “I wasn’t gonna hurt ya. Never. I promised, remember?” 

My mouth twitches, and I reach up to scrub at the drying wetness on my cheeks as I try to think of how to respond to Raph. I know Raph would never purposely hurt me. I KNOW THAT. But just for a second, a split second, I felt genuine fear while Raph was on top of me, sai in hand, which is very upsetting since this situation would normally excite me as I love being pinned down.  

But that dream I had last night…and the fact that Raph had his sais out… pinning me down…  

“Mikey?” 

My breathing hitches at the pleading tone in Raph’s voice. 

Fix this you dumb-dumb!  

“It’s… it’s okay, Raphie,” I say finally, forcing a smile as I will my heart to calm its shell. “You didn’t… you didn’t mean to. It’s just my head being stu—” 

The words catch in my throat when Raph’s eyes snap over to me, narrowing. He frowns as Leo finally releases his arm, and it drops limply next to him. 

Right. No calling myself “stupid” or “dumb.”  

“S-Silly,” I finish, laughing nervously, but Raph’s golden eyes narrow further and into slits, obviously not believing me. 

Silence follows my admission, leading me to squirm in Don’s arms. Shell. I ruin everything, don’t I? This was supposed to be a fun little competition to see what we would do today, and here I went and destroyed it. Like usual. Can’t I let my brothers have anything fun?  

Unable to take the silence any longer, I pat Don’s bicep, letting him know that I’d like to stand as I already move to do so without his permission. Raph purses his lips as Don drops his arms from around me, standing as well with the help of Leo. 

“Mike—“ 

“Honest, Raphie, we’re good.” I flash him a smile that only makes his frown deepen. I keep my eyes glued on a spot in the grass as I brush specks of dirt and grass off of me. “Nothing happened and nobody got hurt, so, let’s just forget it, okay?” 

Donnie stands as well, stepping closer as he ducks his head to try and make eye contact with me. I turn away when he gets too close. 

“Dove, that’s… that’s not how this works. Talk to us. How do you expect to move on from your dream if you don’t talk about it? If you continue avoiding it? You’re just going to continue having reactions like this every time someone pins you. When RAPH pins you.” Don growls when I continue to deny him eye contact. “You know as well as we do that Sensei isn’t going to let this slide during practice back at the lair.” He pauses a beat before continuing. “And what about our talk in the bathroom, huh? You PROMISED to talk with us, Dove. We want to HELP you but how can we help you if you keep brushing this kind of off?” 

My shoulders hunch up to my ears, hands flexing at my sides. Part of me knows that Don’s right. That it’s not normal to have a reaction like that. And I don’t WANT to have reactions like that when sparring with my bros. Shell, I didn’t react like this after Raph tried to bash my skull in when he accidentally lost control four years ago. So then why is a stupid dream affecting me so much that I would start crying? Something that didn’t even happen? 

“Otōto, please,” Leo calls out softly and I hear him step closer. “Let us help you. Please. Don’t shut us out.” 

Worrying my bottom lip, I finally turn back to my brothers, eyes burning but no more tears form. I glance around at each of my brothers, the ones who I’d do anything for.  

And my resolve crumbles. 

I’ll never be able to say no to these dudes, will I?  

“How do you dudes expect to fix this?” I ask, voice shaky and defeated. “Because I KNOW Raphie would never hurt me. I do! I KNOW he would never, ever try to stab me with his sai while in his right mind. Because I know that here—” I point to my chest “—and here—” I point to my head. “But there’s something between there that’s all messed up and wigging out because of that stupid dream I had, and I’m pretty sure only TIME will fix it.” 

I wrap my arms around my torso and glance away. “That’s why I’m saying it’s FINE because it WILL BE. Am I shaken? Shell yeah. But I…I just need to take a moment, ya know? My dream literally happened last night. So, yeah, I’m still gonna be reeling from it. But that doesn’t mean by tonight or tomorrow morning, I won’t be right as rain.” 

I shrug, side-eyeing the three most important people to me. “I’m…I’m sorry if it feels like I’m trying to shut you out. I’m not. I just don’t think there is much, or anything, you dudes can do right now except give me some time and space.” 

As I finish speaking, I return my full gaze to my brothers, eyes wide and as sincere as possible, hoping, with all my being, that my brothers will understand and believe me. Allow me to take this time for myself. Because I don’t want to get scared every time I’m near Raph or whenever I train with him — the one time my brother can touch me and pin me, and I can get my fill of “Raph Touching” without raising suspicion. 

A heavy sigh breaks the looming silence, and Leo shakes his head. He steps away from Raph’s side, his gaze piercing. My stomach twists, and my palms grow clammy as my eldest brother and leader studies me, eyes dragging slowly along my skin. 

“And you are absolutely positive there is nothing we can do for you, Otōto?” Leo asks, approaching me cautiously. 

I bite my bottom lip as Leo stops right in front of me, actually taking a moment to think over Leo’s question. As much as I want to just hide away, I know that isn’t going to resolve anything. It’s just going to put my bros on edge. And as much as I think about wanting to hide away and not be around them, that isn’t actually true. I always feel better when my brothers are around me, offering me their support. I hate being alone, and my bros know that, which is probably why they’re asking and pushing so hard to not have me off by myself.  

Mikey alone with his thoughts is never a good idea, I think resignedly before sighing.  

Rubbing my right bicep, I peer up at my eldest brother. 

“I... I don’t know, really. But, uh, maybe us just sitting in the same area might be good. No talking or anything, just vibing, ya know? Maybe listening to music or something? Just for a little bit?” 

Leo’s face softens as he cups my cheeks, lifting my face further up. His chestnut eyes flicker around my face, his thumb stroking under my eye. 

“We can do that, Otōto,” Leo quietly affirms. “How about we just sit under that oak tree for a little while?” 

My shoulders relax a little, and I nod.  

“Yeah, that sounds good.” 

Leo smiles, tilting my head forward and kissing my forehead, causing my throat to constrict. 

“Alright,” he whispers, before leaning back to look over at Don. The memory of his lips leaves my skin tingling. “Don, will you go get the radio from the barn so that we can have some music?” Leo glances over his shoulder to our hotheaded brother. “Raph, would you go get the picnic blanket from the front closet? Should be that red and black one on the top shelf.” 

Raph nods and silently heads for the house. I watch his retreating form sadly, guilt swirling in my chest, knowing that I’m the reason for him looking like that. A warm hand lands on my head, and I glance up at Don as he rubs my dome before pressing his own kiss to my temple. He doesn’t say anything as he smiles gently, staring at me for a moment, then turning and heading for the barn. 

Leo’s hands leave my face, which has me glancing back up at my big brother. A tender expression forms on his as we make eye contact and he grasps my left hand in his. 

“C’mon, Otōto,” Leo murmurs, tugging gently. He leads the two of us over to the old oak tree near the large pond by the farmhouse. “Let’s choose a spot for Raphie to put the blanket and make sure there isn’t going to be any lumps.” 

Throat tightening, I merely nod. The two of us lapse into silence as we reach the tree. I can see little green nubs starting to poke out of the branches. Otherwise, the tree is still bare. Which is fine. The sun feels warm against my skin, and I know if I did stay in the shade too long, I’d get too cold, which would force us to go inside. And Raph and Leo wanted to be outside, so this is kinda a good compromise, I guess. 

Leo pauses at the base of the tree and looks back at me, his eyes soft, and my insides melt. It takes everything inside me to not just rush forward and kiss him.  

He’s not yours to kiss, Idiot, so stop being upset about it!  

That knowledge makes my chest ache worse, but I shove it aside as Leo starts talking. 

“Where would you like us to sit, Little One?” 

Heat spreads across my cheeks at Leo’s tender tone, and I glance over at the empty space between the roots of the tree, happy for the excuse to not look at my blue-cladded brother. 

“Uh… we could… um,” I start, wetting my lips as I point to a large empty spot mostly clear of dead leaves and branches, “we could sit there, I guess?” 

My eldest brother follows my finger, and I hold my breath as he studies the spot. After a beat, chestnut return to my ocean blue. 

“Looks perfect, Otōto. Let’s get it cleaned up a little, hmm?” 

Without waiting for me to respond, Leo has us approach the tree. He starts cleaning the area up. Leo doesn’t release my hand as he goes and keeps getting in front of me whenever I move to help. I huff when I spot the tiny smirk on his face after he grabs the sticks I was aiming for. Again.  

“Meanie,” I mutter, shoulders fully relaxing as Leo snickers. He squeezes my hand softly, causing my own smile to form. 

“But you love me anyways,” Leo responds back, shooting me a look over his shoulder before turning back to his task. 

A wave of sadness washes over me, but my smile doesn’t fade. 

“Yeah, yeah I do,” I mutter to myself, my heart hurting worse knowing that even if my brother does hear me say it, he won’t take it in the way that I wish he would. 

My face smooths out when my aniki turns toward me and nods toward the now clear area. 

“How’s that, Otōto?” 

Glancing back down, I study the ground for a beat, knowing already that it is clear of all debris. Leo’s too much of a perfectionist to miss a single branch or stone. 

“Perfect, Aniki.” 

“Wonderful.” Leo smiles and straightens, head tilting toward the farmhouse. “And just in time too.” 

Blinking, I follow his line of sight. My heart jumps as I spot Raph walking toward us. His expression is unreadable, but I can at least see a red and black checkered blanket thrown over one shoulder and two items in his hands. My eyes widen. I recognize one of those objects as my sketchbook. Anxiety spikes in me at the thought of my brother holding an object that contains some scenes from my more spicy dreams. My bros are usually pretty good about not peeking at my sketches, but out of all my bros, Raph is the one who is most likely to sneak a peek. 

I saw him do it once in Leo’s room when I was helping him look for his playboy magazine, which Leo had confiscated. There is a chest in Leo’s room that he doesn’t let anyone look inside, and Raph, knowing that, still snooped. The moment he did, however, Raph quickly closed it, a stunned look on his face. He never told me what was in there, and I never asked, afraid back then that maybe my bro had a body or something stuffed inside there. I now know it’s more likely trinkets and stuff, but Raph’s face made it seem so much worse! And his magazine wasn’t even in there. It was hidden inside Leo’s closet, behind his meditation candles. So, it’s not far-fetched that Raph would peek inside my sketchbook. I hope he wouldn’t, but it’s hard to tell with this particular bro of mine. 

“I see you found the blanket,” Leo comments. 

Raph snorts. “Wasn’t dat hard ta find.” Keeping his eyes off to the side, Raph holds out my sketchbook toward me, which I quickly take with my free hand and hold it to my chest. “Thought ya’d like somethin’ ta do while we’re out here. Remembered ya sayin’ dat ya wanted ta draw last night.” He waves the other book around in Leo’s general direction. “And Don said ya’ve been readin’ dis, so I thought ya might wan’ it.” 

Surprise flashes across Leo’s features before morphing into something softer as he manages to save the book from Raph’s flailing grip. I quickly look away when our eldest brother smiles warmly at his immediate younger brother. 

“Thank you, Raphie.” 

Staring at my sketchbook, I side-eye my brothers. 

“But what about you and Donnie?” I ask quietly, not wanting to ruin the moment, but I don’t want them to forget that I’m here and do something that might embarrass them. Not when I can feel them getting closer to admitting to me that they’re mates. 

Raph shrugs as he tugs the blanket from his shoulder. 

“Brainiac said dat he’ll bring somethin’ from da barn ta work on, and I’m more den content ta just kick back and relax.” He flicks his wrists to unfold the blanket. “Where ya two want dis thing?” 

My lips twitch into a frown, not liking the idea that Raph isn’t going to have anything to do while we’re out here. I’m pulled from my thoughts when Leo suddenly squeezes my hand, and I look up at him curiously. He nods toward Raph. Wetting my lips, I stare at my hotheaded brother’s shell. 

“R-Right there at the base is where we were thinking,” I answer, and Raph nods, remaining silent as he starts laying the blanket out, smoothing any wrinkles that appear. 

My mouth twitches as we wait, trying hard to think of a way to make Raph understand that I know he isn’t the same Raph from my dream. That everything he told me last night, I believe to be true and have taken to heart.  

A lightbulb goes off in my head. It’s risky, my idea, but my bros know that I’m touch-oriented, and since I would have no reason to know that they’re mates and therefore off limits, this could totally work! And, it’ll allow me to show Raph I trust him. 

I have to fight to not start bouncing on the balls of my feet as Raph smooths out the last few wrinkles. He straightens, stepping off to the side, gesturing toward the blanket. 

“Dere, finished. Need me to grab anythin’ else?” 

Nerves dance in my stomach as I slip my hand from Leo’s, walking over to Raph, who is staring down at the blanket. He doesn’t look at me until I grasp his hand and tug him back onto the blanket. 

Raph eyes me warily. 

“Whatcha doin’, Darlin’?” 

My brain nearly short circuits at the nickname, far different from his usual “Baby Brat” or “Knucklehead,” but my desire to execute my plan wins out. Stopping in the middle of the blanket, I point to the center spot up against the tree and put on my most serious face. 

“Sit.” 

Raph’s lips quirk, almost as if he’s about to laugh but is holding it back. Leo, however doesn’t hold back as I hear him snicker behind me. 

“Excuse me?” Raph says slowly. “Did ya just tell me ta sit? Like a dog?” 

Trying not to pout, I roll my eyes and point at the spot again. 

“Sit.” I pause before adding, “please.” 

And for extra effect, I widen my eyes a little bit. 

I swear, I see a red tinge flush my tough guy brother’s cheeks, but he covers his face with his hand before I can be sure. Eventually, it slips down to cover his mouth. His amber eyes flicker toward the spot I’m pointing at, then back up to me. Raph heaves a resigned sigh, yet there is a spark of amusement in my brother’s eyes, which is much better than the horrified expression from earlier. 

“Alright, Darlin’, I’ll sit,” Raph grumbles, and I instantly perk up.  

My tail wags a little as I watch him, very slowly, sit down with his shell against the tree. I pout when I see that his knees are bent. I walk up, patting at them until my brother straightens his legs. Raph heaves another exaggerated sigh as he follows my silent request. Once his legs are down, I flip to an empty page of my sketchbook and plop myself directly into his lap, similarly to last night, but instead of facing him, I rest my shell against his plastron, and my feet are on either side of his thighs so that I can rest my book on my knees. Raph stiffens the moment I sit down, and, for a split second, I’m sure he isn’t breathing. My heart hammers in my chest while he awkwardly holds his hands in the air, as if afraid to touch me. 

“Uh, Mikey? Whatcha doin’?” 

“I’m sitting with my bros,” I respond as calmly as I can. Lifting my eyes, I spot a highly amused Leo still standing. I pat the spot to my right. “C’mon, Leo! Come get comfy, Bro! Don can sit on the other side when he gets here.” 

A wide grin forms on my blue-cladded brother’s face. He approaches the two of us and slots himself right next to Raph. Our hotheaded brother grouses. 

“Ever heard of personal space, Fearless?” 

Leo smirks and leans against our bro, flipping his book open. 

“I’m just doing what our little brother asked me to do, Raphie. Are you willing to go against a request from our baby brother?” 

A grin curls my lips as my anxiety melts into amusement. Raph snorts, and I feel him relax against the tree once more, hands cautiously landing on his thighs just next to me.  

“Since when do ya ever listen ta—” 

“Well, this looks cozy.” 

The three of us look up at Don, who stands next to the blanket, radio in one hand and his tablet in the other. Amusement twinkles in our genius brother’s hazel eyes as he studies us. I grin, patting the spot on Raph’s and my left. 

“There’s space for one more, Don!” I chirp, twirling my pencil.  

Don doesn’t comment, but his smile grows even bigger as he takes the open spot. He places the radio down on a wider root that is sticking up. Don flicks the device on, and instantly, a soft melody fills the air. He then presses up against Raph’s other side, snickering when Raph groans. 

“Ugh, not ya too, Brainiac!” 

Giggling, I relax back against Raph and put my pencil to page, starting a rough sketch of Klunk. My furbaby is always a safe choice to draw when my bros are around to see. I hardly twitch when Raph scoots his hands closer to me, pretending not to notice as his thumbs brush my outer thigh while he gets more comfortable. I push my face further into my drawing, a content smile tugging at my lips. 

There. See? If I didn’t trust Raphie, I wouldn’t sit in his lap and let him see a possible drawing I’m doing. Hopefully, we can  move past this so that my bros can stop worrying about me and focus more on themselves. 

They’re close to telling, I just know they are. They only need a little more nudging.That’s all.  

 

Chapter 12: Chasing Precious Moments

Notes:

Hello everyone!

Boy, it certainly has been a while hasn't it ^.^". Just had a lot of life stuff happen and other story ideas that have been distracting me, but in the best way possible XD. But! The chapter is finished! So, hopefully it was worth the wait and hopefully the next chapter doesn't take me as long as I already have an idea of where I want it to go. But, who knows, it might turn into a monster like this one did XD Considering this chapter was only supposed to be 4000 words XD I have a problem but it's fine 🤣.

I sincerely appreciate all of the wonderful comments all of you have been leaving me and the kudos you have been providing to me. Especially with how long it took me to get this chapter out. It lets me know that people are still interested even if I take a moment to step back from it. So, honestly, thank all of you!

Beta'd by: Lotus Empress :)

My tongue pokes out as I apply some shading to a sleeping Klunk, splayed out on the couch in the lair’s living room. I originally was going to just leave it as a portrait of my baby, but like most of my drawings, it kinda got away from me and turned into a full-blown picture. Lifting my pencil, I study the page closely, scanning for any imperfections.  

“Lookin’ good, Darlin’.” 

I squeak as a gravelly voice murmurs in my ear, and my head snaps to the right. A flush spreads across my snout when my cheek brushes against Raph’s as he rests his chin on my shoulder. His amber eyes are focused down on the page in my lap, and a wave of self-consciousness crashes over me. My fingers flex nervously on my sketchbook, and I drop my eyes back to my drawing, wetting my lips. 

“Y-You think so?” 

Warm arms tighten around my waist, and I have to swallow my heart as it tries to escape into my throat. 

When did Raphie wrap his arms around me?! I think, mind frantic as I fight to keep my composure. If I start acting weird, then Raph will think that I’m not getting over my little freakout session, and we’re not having that. 

“Course I do,” Raph grumbles, glancing at me briefly before turning his attention back to my drawing.  

I hold my breath when Raph suddenly leans forward, his left arm tightening around me to keep me in place as he points at the TV monolith. “Ya got all da little details fer each of da different TVs dat Don has hooked up fer us. Honestly. If I didn’t know better, I woulda thought dat ya traced dis.” 

My head snaps toward my brother, a pout forming on my lips as I can’t help but feel partially offended. That is, until I see the tiny smirk on my second oldest brother’s face.  

“Calm down, Chickadee,” Raph snickers, squeezing me. “I know ya didn’t trace dat. Though, it’s got me interested in why ya never wanna show us yer sketches. Yer art is first rate.” 

Flustered, I turn away, laughing anxiously. I automatically start hunching over my drawing, half-afraid that my bro is going to snatch it from me like he used to do to my teddy bear when we were kids.   

Oh, there is a very good reason why none of you have access to my sketchbook, Raphie-boy, but the only person who’s gonna know that reason is me, myself, and Klunk.  

“You’re not joking, Raphie! Mikey, Dove, that’s amazing!”  

I tense when a large, calloused hand touches my bicep, gaining my attention. Turning, I stare at Don with wide eyes as he smiles at me, much closer than he was before. His hazel eyes shine in the sunlight as he stares down at the page on my lap. 

“I always knew you could draw, but that IS first rate! It looks as though you put a black and white filter over a photo of our living room and slapped it on a piece of a paper. Incredible!” 

“I— Well— This isn’t—” I stammer, my cheeks certainly more red than seafoam green by this point.  

Unable to form a coherent sentence, I trail off, unsure what to say and trying hard to not shut down from the unexpected praise. I only start reacting again when movement to my right catches my attention.  

Air sticks in my throat as Leo shifts closer. He remains silent as our eyes meet and he holds my gaze, a sparkle dancing in his eyes as he tilts his head. I bite my lip as I realize what he’s asking. Or, well, not asking. 

Nervously, I nod minutely, embarrassment trying to swallow me whole. I stiffen as Leo’s shoulder brushes mine as he peers down. My heart pitter-patters in my chest while I watch at my eldest brother closely, trying to gauge his reaction, intimately aware of how close my brothers are to me.  

I wince. 

Bad choice of words, Dum-Dum.  

My only saving grace is the fact that the breeze is directly in front of us, pushing our scents backwards so I don’t have to worry about losing myself and acting like an even bigger idiot. 

Because I totally need help with that, I think sarcastically.  

A gentle kiss to my temple and a hand cupping my face has me instantly snapping out of my thoughts. Startled, I turn to Leo, mouth falling open, but he beats me to the punch. 

“Your drawing is amazing, Otōto,” Leo compliments, voice sincere as he leans away, never dropping his eyes from mine. My entire face resumes burning like a massive bonfire. “I can definitely see why you are able to make a good living from your art commissions, and so quickly.” His eyes glimmer as he smirks at me, causing my heart to somersault. “Far better than Cowabunga Carl, don’t you agree?” Chestnut eyes suddenly flash toward our hotheaded brother. “And don’t you dare say anything, Raphael, because I WILL change my mind about training, and it won’t be Mikey’s fault.” Leo leans in and I can feel his breath on my skin. “And YOU’LL be the only one training with me.” 

I can practically feel Raph snap his mouth shut. His plastron vibrates against mine, and I barely hold back a gasp when Raph presses his snout into the back of my head. Hot breath caresses my heated skin as my hotheaded brother snickers.  

“Ya’d have ta catch me first, Fearless.” 

Excuse me?  

“Wha-?!” 

A shriek erupts from me when an arm slides under my knees and the arm around my waist turns to steel, keeping me in place. However, just as I’m processing this, I’m hauled up as if I weigh nothing. Before I know it, Raph is cackling and running with me in his arms. My own laughter mixes with his and with Don and Leo shouts, which fade behind us. 

“R-Raphie!” I laugh, clinging to my sketchbook. “What— What are you doing?! You know that Leo is faster than you!” 

Raph chortles as we make it to the trees of the forest.  

“Dat’s true, but doesn’t mean I can’t make Fearless work fer it. Now hold on.” 

“What? Why?” 

Raph doesn’t answer. Instead, he tosses me into the air. I barely have time to process what is happening when gravity takes hold, and I’m falling back to the ground. Not even a second later, warm muscular arms cradle me once more, and I can’t help but laugh as Raph smirks down at me, heart fluttering when he winks at me. I feel him squat down before launching himself into the air. Squealing, I cling to Raph as the two of us soar through the air and up onto a thick tree branch.  

Warmth rushes through me as my hotheaded brother starts leaping from branch to branch, barking out a laugh when Don and Leo's voices call out after us. The display of strength and a playful side that I haven’t seen in such a long time makes it hard to look away.  

The way the light shines through the branches, all decorated with the start of little buds, makes my brother’s emerald skin GLOW and, on some parts, marks his body with a golden shimmer that almost matches his eyes. My fingers dig into my sketchbook, wanting nothing more than to open it and start sketching exactly what I’m seeing. This moment here just cements how much my brothers mean to me and just how deep my love for them goes.  

“If ya keep starin’ at me like dat, I might get distracted, Baby Brat.” 

Jerking, heat flushes my cheeks as I realize that Raph is side-eyeing me, a tiny smirk on his face. My mouth opens and closes, trying to frantically think of an excuse only to be cut off when Raph chuckles. The vibrations from it send tingles through my body. 

“And if I get distracted, den dat means Fearless will catch us,” Raph continues, eyes shifting forward again as he leaps to another tree, and I swear his smirk gets wider. “And who knows what our fearless leader will do ta us if he catches us.” 

He could do whatever he wants to me. Donnie too….  

I nearly smack myself with my sketchbook when that thought crosses my mind, and I swiftly glance away, clearing my throat.  

“O-Oh, um, you know, probably just make us train and all that!” I laugh nervously as I try to act as casual as possible, as if I did not just have a naughty thought about ANY of my brothers. Nope. Not at all. 

Denial is just a river in Egypt.   

Raph grunts as he takes a sudden right turn, and I hear what sounds like Leo growling somewhere behind us. My hotheaded brother snickers as he throws a look over his shoulder.  

“And den some!” 

Raph leaps down and hides us behind a large oak tree. My heart thunders in my chest as he holds me close, yet I don’t dare to breathe or move a muscle as I hear something rush by us — movement that I’m like 95 percent sure is Donnie and Leo. 

After a beat, Raph’s arms relax around me, and he gently places me onto my feet. 

“That… that was something!” I exclaim softly, chuckling as I hug my sketchbook closer to my chest. “Now wha—” 

Air catches in my throat when I’m pushed backwards until my shell hits the massive tree trunk. Blinking in surprise, I tilt my head up when a shadow falls over me, and my mouth dries at the sight of Raph staring down at me. Words leave me when Raph rests his forearm on the space above my head, and I feel oddly exposed under his searching amber gaze. 

“I need ya ta be honest with me, Mike.” 

I swallow thickly at the deep yet soft voice of my second oldest brother. Almost like a soft rumble.  

“Su-Sure, Raphie,” I stammer out, forcing a smile as I fight to not ogle at Raph’s mouth. “Fire…fire away, Dude.” 

My hotheaded brother hums, and he leans down to look me in the eye. I swear, my heart is trying to pound out of my chest as I hold my breath, since there is no way I won’t embarrass myself if I catch a whiff of Raph’s scent this close. The knot of my mask scrapes against bark as my head automatically shifts backwards, his hot breath caressing my burning cheeks. 

Amber eyes flicker around my face before meeting my eyes. They narrow for a brief second. Silence follows for a beat, and then Raph lifts his free hand up and presses warm fingers to my cheek. Startled, my eye ridges furrow as I try to assess what exactly my temperamental brother is thinking. 

“Raphie?” 

“Are ya actually okay?” 

My mouth snaps shut at Raph’s soft question, sparks dancing over the skin where his fingertips are touching. I go to tilt my head only for my cheek to press more firmly against Raph’s hand. He doesn’t seem to mind as his hand unfolds to fully cup my cheek. His thumb strokes just under my mask. 

“What… what do you mean?” 

Raph purses his lips. “I mean, are ya actually okay after what happened or are ya just tryin’ ta bullshit us like ya did when you were tellin’ us dat Cowabunga Carl was a good time?” 

“Erghk.” 

Wincing, I glance off to the side, tightening my arms around my drawings. 

Yeesh. My bros are never going to let that go, are they? It’s not like I WANTED to hide how bad the birthday parties were getting. It’s just, once you start hiding something, it’s hard to stop when it’s worked so well in the past. And, well, my bros were just starting their relationship. I didn’t want to bum them out by letting them know how bad things were getting. It was hard enough trying to keep it from Donnie! Add in an attentive Raphie and Big Brother Leo who sees EVERYTHING? I’m lucky I got away with it for as long as I did!  

My snout wiggles in slight irritation before I sigh, glancing up at my red-cladded brother.  

“Raphie,” I start slowly, pressing my cheek further into his calloused hand, wishing beyond hope that he was trying to comfort me as a mate and not as his silly baby brother. “This time around? I actually mean it when I say that I’m fine.” Shrugging lamely, I toe at the grass. “I just… you know how I get after intense dreams, Dude. They make me get all out-of-sorts.” My eyes lift to meet my brother’s intense gaze, and I smile softly at him. “Just give me a day or two, and I’ll be right as rain.” 

Raph glowers down at me, leaning closer until our snouts almost touch. Air catches in my throat when I feel his breath ghosting over my lips.  

Why is he so close? Do I have something on my face? Or…or maybe he can see something I don’t? Oh Kami. He knows, doesn’t he? He knows why I won’t show him my drawings. Oh, shell. Oh shell! Okay. Don’t panic. If you panic, then Raphie might take it wrong. Just—  

“Alright. I believe ya.” 

“Huh?” I blink up at Raph as the hothead leans away. A yelp escapes me when Raph pinches my cheek. 

“I said dat I believe ya, Darlin’,” Raph gruffs as I whine. “But if I find out dat yer lying, den I’m gonna pound yer ass inta next week, ya hear?” 

Don’t make promises you won’t keep, Raphie-boy.  

My knees almost buckle at Raph’s words, and my own thoughts cause a heat to spread across my body. Clearing my throat, I glance away, swiftly nodding to the best of my ability, butterflies fluttering at the feeling of Raph’s callouses scraping against my skin. 

“C-Course, Raphie,” I laugh nervously, peering up at him sideways. “Wouldn’t expect anything less.” 

A smirk that has my heart somersaulting crosses my brother’s face, and the urge to fidget is becoming harder and harder to control. My eyes automatically shift downwards when Raph opens his mouth, but before a single word can leave my brother’s lips, a blur of blue and leaf green zips out of the trees, tackling Raph to the ground.  

A surprised laugh escapes me when my two eldest brothers stop rolling, and Leo comes out on top. 

“Did you really think you could outrun me, Raphie?” Leo asks, and I’m super sure he’s purring.  

“Fuckin’—!” Raph growls. “Fuck, Leo! We gotta put a bell on ya or somethin’!” 

I press a hand to my mouth, giggling more at the bewildered look on Raph’s face as he looks up at our aniki. A presence lands to my left, and I glance over at Don, who’s panting lightly as he leans against his bo. 

“Geezums. I forgot how fast Leo is,” Don puffs out while stretching his back. “Thank Kami that he’s getting us back onto a normal training routine. I don’t think I’d ever be able to keep up with him if we had tried that a few months ago. Ugh.” 

Giggling again, I step closer to my tallest brother and allow him to throw his arm around my shoulders. Not like it really helps him any since I’m so much smaller than he is but hey! A turtle’s gotta try providing support where he can! 

“Don’t worry, Don! I’m sure after a few more of Leo’s famous training sessions, we’ll be in tip-top shape once more!” 

My genius brother snorts as he pulls me close, and my eyes nearly glaze over as his coffee and honey cake scent washes over me. Thankfully, a light breeze hits us just as I start getting drawn into it, about to audibly sniff my brother. Coughing, I smile shakily up at Don as he smiles down at me.  

“Don. Mikey.” 

I nearly sag when Leo calls out to us, and I pull my attention from my sweet-smelling, panting, big brother to our highly amused eldest brother, who is still sitting on top of our muscular brother who keeps trying to break free. 

“Yeah, Leo?” I call back, happy for the distraction. 

A wide, playful smile appears on Leo’s face as he presses Raph down again, causing the hothead to growl. My body tingles from the noises and looks coming from the two turtles on the ground, and the heat from Don’s arm around my bare shoulders is about to drive me crazy. 

Why are my brothers so hot?! It’s just not fair!  

Leo’s chestnut brown eyes land on us again, and I nearly collapse to my knees from the sheer intensity swirling there. But…that would make sense. He’s being playful with his two mates and is literally sitting on the stomach of one! So, of course he’s going to have that type of look in his eyes.  

My throat constricts as I try to keep a pleasant look on my face. 

Leo continues. “Why don’t the two of you head to the farmhouse? Maybe pop in a movie before we start thinking about lunch?” Leo smiles, and the way the sun hits the side of his face has me nearly melting against Don. “Raphie and I will meet up with the two of you there—” his smile turns devious— “after we have a discussion about just grabbing our baby brother and running off with him.” 

Raph snorts, trying to buck Leo off, and I have to turn away as my mind supplies me with a whole separate scene in my head.  

“Wasn’t gonna do anythin’ ta him, Fearless,” Raph cackles in a way that nearly has me whimpering and asking him TO do something to me. 

No! C’mon, Mikester! I mentally scold myself as Don chuckles and tugs me away. You’ve been here almost twenty-four hours, and you can’t even stop thinking about your bros like that for five seconds? What is WRONG with you?  

“We can do that, Leo,” Don assures, oblivious to my inner turmoil, twirling his bo and returning it to its holster as we start walking. “Just, don’t take too long, otherwise we might eat all of Mikey’s curry without you. C’mon, Dove.”  

Not trusting my voice, I nod and allow my immediate older brother to lead me back through the forest. A loud laugh that is all Raph echoes after us, prompting me to hug my sketchbook just a little tighter to my plastron as I try not to act like one of those sappy schoolgirls in those mangas that Leo pretends not to have in his room.  

“Penny for your thoughts?” 

Jumping, I shoot a wide-eyed gaze up at Don as he squeezes me against him. Offering him a smile, I shrug, trying to play off my quietness. 

“I mean, don’t think they’re worth that much, Donnie,” I quip, chuckling. “Was just thinking about lunch, is all.” 

Don narrows his eyes at me, and for a split second, I’m afraid he isn’t going to believe me. What I’m NOT expecting is for him to lean down and press a kiss to the top of my head. 

“Silly,” Don nudges my cheek with his snout, causing my smile to become more genuine. “We can just reheat the curry you made last night—” my genius brother flashes me a smile that has my insides turning to goop— “since you made enough to feed a small army.” A sparkle of mirth shines in hazel eyes. “And if Leo and Raph take too long, we can just eat their portions and force them to fend for themselves.” 

I laugh alongside Don even as my gut twists. If they’re going to be doing what I think they’re going to end up doing, then it wouldn’t surprise me if they take a while. Just like yesterday.  

Maybe I should have offered to head to the farmhouse alone, let Don have time with his two mates since he didn’t get to yesterday.   

I shoot my immediate older brother a side-eyed glance as he continues to chuckle. Part of me wants to offer to head to the farmhouse alone and suggest for him to go back, but I don’t know how well that would go over. Don’s a genius after all. Me offering that out of the blue so he can join his mates would cause a red flag for sure. Which would ruin the entire plan! Because Don would INSTANTLY know that I know about the three of them, and then he’d feel bad or embarrassed, and I’d ruin his entire trip up here, and we can’t have that! Because if DONNIE has a bad time up here, Leo and Raph are going to have a bad time. Which would destroy the whole purpose of us being up here! Chichi sent us up here to relax! 

And…and my brothers deserve to spend time as mates. 

But they can’t DO THAT when one is always attending to me to make sure they don’t get discovered. 

Which is why they need to just let me go off and draw! I think, exasperated. If they’d just let me give them space, they could have all the time they want together! But noooooo, they gotta keep lil ol’ me company! Why do my bros have to be so sweet and caring? I’m a big turtle! I can spend a few hours alone without getting into trouble! I can!  

A memory surfaces of my first Christmas above ground, when I found Klunk and ended up stopping an entire Purple Dragon heist, but I quickly shove that thought away. That was four years ago! I was fifteen! I’m nineteen now! I’m no longer as big of a trouble magnet as I was back then! Sure, there were a few instances with the Purple Dragons and the Foot, but like, that’s neither here nor there! And totally not my fault! If Donnie wouldn’t have taken the BattleShell and let me drive home those times, I wouldn’t have accidentally found their hideouts. So, really, none of that was my fault. I was just an innocent bystander that ended up getting involved. If anything, my big bros have gotten into way more trouble these past few months than I have.  

“Mikey!”  

Yelping, I feel myself get yanked to the side just in time to avoid walking face first into a tree at the edge of the forest. Blinking once, I shake my head before shooting Don a sheepish look. 

“Oops! Sorry, Don. Got lost in my thoughts there for a second.” 

Don’s hazel eyes narrow, and I nearly wince as we enter the backyard of the farmhouse.  

“Yes, well, I think it might be for the best if you stay out of your head for a little while before you get hurt. Okay, Dove?” Don tugs at me until I’m pressed securely against his side, his arm is wrapped around the back of my shell and his hand grasping my side firmly. I have to stifle a whimper as his fingers flex. “I don’t need to explain to Leo how you managed to bruise your snout when we were merely walking to the farmhouse.” 

Don’s snout scrunches up, oblivious to the fact that I’m mentally panicking at how my brother is holding me. “Do you know what he would do in response? Outside of handing my shell to me for allowing you to bruise your face? He’d force us to work on our perception skills. And I am NOT about to go through training with a blindfold on.” He grumbles something under his breath that I don’t quite catch, too focused on not making a fool of myself and giving myself away.  

Just breathe. In and out. In and out. Donnie is just being sweet and leading you to the farmhouse and making sure your clumsy shell doesn’t ruin our vacation. We’re not doing that this time around.   

I try not to breathe too deeply as the place where Don’s hand is resting is burning oh-so-pleasantly, scrambling my thoughts. He easily leads me up the stairs of the porch, and I can’t help but be sad as we enter the house. On one hand, entering the house means that Don will release me, and I won’t make a fool of myself. On the other hand, that means I won’t get to feel Don’s large, skillful hand on my side anymore.  

There is no reason to feel sad, Michelangelo, I silently snap at myself. You should just be happy he was willing to hold you like that at all. If he knew about your feelings, he wouldn’t want to touch you at all. So be grateful for what you get right now and focus on making your brothers time up here the best time as they celebrate being mates!  

I steel my resolve as Don leads us further into the house, aiming for the living room. My heart pounds as I wait for Don to release me, but he just aimlessly leads me around the living room, much to my confusion.  

“Uh, Don?” I ask as my brainy brother scoops up the remote and then his tablet from the side table. 

“Hmm?” 

Wetting my lips, I glance down at his hand before tilting my head back to look at his face. His eyes are focused on gathering the items into his free hand, almost as if he doesn’t even notice that he’s holding onto me still.  

And knowing Don, he doesn’t, I think in wary amusement. “Uh, you can…you can let me go now, Dude.” I chuckle as I flash him a ‘Mikey Grin.’ “Don’t think I’ll be walking into any trees inside the house.” 

Don snorts as he leads us over to the couch. 

“With your luck? We can’t be too careful,” Don jokes as he has the two of us sit down with me pressed up against his side. I sit stiffly against him, laughing nervously. 

“Oh, well, um, my luck isn’t THAT bad. It’s not!” I defend when Don shoots me an unimpressed look as he flips the TV on. “Honest! Leo’s the one who got turtle-napped when he was only home for two days! I haven’t done that yet!” 

My purple-cladded brother lifts an eye ridge as he rests his tablet in his lap, and he tightens his arm around me. 

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t preface that with a ‘yet,’ Mikey. You, with maybe the exception of Leo, have the worst luck when it comes to finding trouble, and I really don’t want you breathing that type of energy into the universe.” Don winces before pressing a light kiss to my temple, and I freeze up. “I don’t think Raphie and I could handle both you and Leo getting up to your usual trouble. So just do me, your tired big brother, a favor and relax next to me where I can keep an eye on you so you DON’T get into trouble. Please?” 

Hazel eyes plead with me, and Don even sticks out his bottom lip. 

I just can’t say no to my bros.  

Sagging, I groan, making sure that the sound is over the top and incredibly dramatic. 

“Ugh, fiiiiiiiiine! You win, Donnie,” I state, huffing as I purposely shimmy around as if to get comfortable and totally not using it as an excuse to press up against Don’s side, since he apparently doesn’t want me out of his sight right now. “But I’m telling Leo that you think he’s a trouble magnet when he and Raphie get here.” I flip open my sketchbook to an empty page as I pretend to not soak in the heat radiating from my genius brother.  

I bite my lip, the corners of my mouth quirking up as Don chuckles, his arm shifting down to rest around my waist now that my shell is resting against his side, and my feet are up on the couch.  

“Go ahead,” Don states casually as I hear him typing away with one hand on his tablet. “He already knows that Raph and I have labeled the two of you the most likely to find trouble, so it’s not going to come as a shock to him.”  

Pouting, I lift my snout up haughtily as I harrumph.  

“Well, maybe Leo will just tack on some training for you as well for that kinda comment. What do you think about them apples?” 

“And how do you think our aniki would react, seeing your bratty attitude, Otōto?” Don growls, his warm breath hitting the back of my head as his arm around my waist squeezes. “You think he would just let that slide?” 

My shoulders jump up to my ears, and I swiftly look back at Don when I swear his lips brush against my skull, sending a zing of pleasure down my spine and into my tail. However, by the time I’ve turned around, my big brother’s attention is already back on his tablet, as if he wasn’t just growling against my skin — a growl that I have never heard him make before. Like, he’s growled before during arguments with Raph. But that particular growl? It…it certainly isn’t something that I WOULDN’T want to hear again. It’s just…I don’t think I’m MEANT to hear it. 

I swallow thickly and try to nonchalantly press my knees together as my nether regions pulse. The only bad thing about being the only brother who can’t tuck his tail over the slit housing our cocks is that it makes it way too easy for me to leak on things if I get too excited.  

And like shell am I going to leak slick onto Casey’s grandparents’ furniture!  

Coughing, I turn my gaze back to my sketchbook and start gliding my pencil over the paper, not even sure what I’m going to draw.  

“I…I don’t think that Leo would think I was being bratty at all,” I proclaim as confidently as possible. “I think our wonderful big brother and leader would agree with me about how you and Raphie deserve extra training for saying we’re trouble magnets.” 

“Oh? They said that, did they?” 

A squeak leaves me when Leo’s voice filters into the living room, and I glance over at the back door. Leo is standing there with a snickering Raph behind him. Our dear leader in blue has his hands on his hips and an amused eye ridge raised. His chestnut eyes flicker between me and our brainiac brother. 

An idea sparks in me when Leo gives us the “I’m Waiting” Look. Fighting not to grin, I put on a pout and make my face as sad as possible. 

“Aniki, Donnie said that we’re—mmph!?” 

Surprise courses through me when a large, olive-green hand clamps over my mouth, cutting me off. 

“Of course not, Leo!” Don states sweetly. “Mikey and I were merely discussing who seems to have a history of getting into trouble, and I was explaining to him what Raphie and I have discussed in the past! We obviously don’t believe that anymore.” Don tugs me closer to him as I fight to pull his hand off my mouth. “RIGHT, Raphie?” 

“What?” 

Raph starts when Don addresses him, and I mentally cackle at the confused look on our hotheaded brother’s face. However, when Leo turns toward our emerald brother, he coughs into his hand. 

“Of course!” He shrugs before moving and wrapping his arm around Leo to lead him over to where Don has me trapped in his grasp. “I mean, we’re all older now, more wise, ya know? We don’t fall fer da same tricks we did when we were younger.” 

I squirm harder as Don nods vigorously behind me, the taller turtle having the audacity to drag me fully into his lap while still using his hand to keep me quiet! Leo quirks an eye ridge at us, before shooting our strongest brother a look. I catch Leo’s side eye, and there is a spark of mischief there that has me grinning behind Don’s hand. 

“Oh? How wonderful that our two brothers understand that Mikey and I have grown since the four of us were fifteen.” Leo’s voice is sickly sweet. He steps out of Raph’s hold and steps up to the couch, plopping down. Our leaf green brother takes a moment to catch my sketchbook, and just as I start to panic that he’s going to look inside, he gently folds it closed and rests it within eyesight on the side table. “So, that means the two of you trust our judgement then? Since Mikey and I have grown so much in your eyes?” 

My body trembles from the effort to not laugh at the uncertainty I feel radiating from our middle brothers. While I can’t see Don’s face, I can definitely see Raph’s, and the confused, cautious look that is pinching Raph’s features is almost better than any TV show I’ve watched.  

“Uh…” Raph wets his lips, and his amber eyes flicker toward me and Don as I can no longer contain my laughter even though the sound is still muffled by an olive hand. “Course we do, Fearless. Why wouldn’t we?” Raph pauses. “Uh, let me rephrase: we trust YER judgement.” 

“HMM!” 

Raph throws a smirk my way as I glare at him, now struggling to get out of Don’s hold for a whole other reason. A hand on my thigh has me pausing, and I look over at Leo.  

There is this calm, small smile on his face, and he holds out his hands, fixing Don with an intense gaze. Almost instantly, Don’s hold on me loosens, and Leo is tugging me out of our brainiac brother’s arms.  

I sigh happily. 

“Oof, thanks Leo,” I sigh gratefully once I’m fully out of Don’s lap. Confusion fills me when Leo continues guiding me forward until I am settled in HIS lap instead. “Uh, L-Leo?” 

Aniki merely smiles down at me, that look shutting me up faster than any threat from Raphie could. So instead of arguing or questioning anything, I fall quiet, trying not to think too hard about the fact that I’ve gotten to sit in all my brothers’ laps today, something that almost never happened when I was younger. I’m also trying hard to not think about the fact that I can feel warm, bare skin against the backside of my thighs, which is not helping the slight arousal I was feeling earlier from Don pretty much GROWLING IN MY EAR. 

Yeah, ‘cause leaking on my eldest brother’s lap wouldn’t be even worse than leaking onto Casey’s grandparents’ couch. Wouldn’t THAT be grand?   

A hand starts stroking up and down my shell, and almost like magic, I feel the tension in my shoulders relax, and the scent of freshly fallen rain wraps around me like a comforting blanket. Slightly confused, I glance at Leo. Chestnut eyes catch my ocean blue, and he winks. Heat floods my cheeks, and I quickly return my gaze to the couch, doing my best to study the pattern in the fabric as Leo starts talking. 

“Since the two of you trust BOTH Mikey’s and my judgement, then you won’t have any issues letting the two of US discuss what we can do for the next few days. Sound fair?” 

Concern fills me, and I fight to keep my expression neutral as Leo talks, but on the inside? Inside-Mikey is screaming and panicking. If Leo asks me to help figure out what we’re going to be doing these next few days, there is a high chance that I’m going to be INVOLVED with said activities and NOT allowing my bros the alone time they deserve. But I can’t just straight up deny helping Leo though. He’s our leader! My big brother! I can’t just say “no,” especially when he helped free me from being held hostage by our mad scientist brother. 

“And why do da two of ya get ta choose what we do next?” Raph gripes, arms crossing over his plastron, all while I start to lean into the hand rubbing my shell. It really does feel nice. 

Leo chuckles, the sound almost causing goosebumps to spread across my skin.  

“Because, technically, I won our little competition.” 

Sitting up (when did I start curling into Leo?), I peer confusedly at Leo, and I can feel the same confusion also radiating off of my other two brothers. The smug look on Leo’s face is the only reason I’m not asking how he came to that conclusion. Because that look my aniki is wearing? It’s the look he gets when he has the answer to something that the three of us don’t.  

“Oh, really?” Raph growls. “And how’d ya come ta dat conclusion, ol’ Fearless?” 

“Yes, dear big brother of ours. Please enlighten us as to how you came up with this answer,” Don huffs, crossing his arms as well, mirroring our hotheaded brother’s stance from his place on the couch.  

“Well,” Leo starts slowly, his fingers curling to start scratching at my shell, and this time, I’m completely aware of me slumping against his plastron. It just feels so good! “I beat Donnie in the competition, yes? And, in a technical sense, Raph beat Mikey since he was able to pin him down.” Leo kisses the top of my head in apology, but I merely shrug. He’s not wrong. “And I was able to pin Raph back in the woods. So, technically? I won.” 

A slow grin spreads across my face at Leo’s logic, and it only grows bigger as Raph starts to argue. Don falls silent with a look of concentration in his eyes, thinking over Leo’s explanation. 

“Well,” I drawl, curling closer to Leo, not even caring what I look like at the moment. Leo’s fingers just feel so wonderful! “We never actually called an end to the competition. We just kinda took a break, ya know? So, Leo’s right. It’s just a technicality but a valid technicality.” 

Our middle brothers exchange a glance, a silent conversation being passed between the two.  

Raph grunts and gestures. So, he won on a technicality! So what? Dat ain’t fair.  

Don shrugs and makes a so-so motion. I mean, it’s kinda fair if you think about it.  

Raph harrumphs. Yer just saying dat ‘cause he also kicked yer ass.  

Don rolls his eyes and flops his hands in a dismissive gesture. And we both know Leo can kick yours. What’s your point?  

Raph snorts and flips Donnie off. Fuck ya, Don, ya suck up.  

Don snickers and crosses his legs. You already do, but are you really that butt hurt about not getting to choose what we do?  

Raph pauses, actually thinking about it before his face scrunches up, and he growls again.  

“Oh, all right. Ya won, Fearless. Ya and Baby Brat can decide what we’re gonna do fer da next few days.” He points a finger toward the two of us, but the way that Leo’s fingers are digging into the creases of my carapace has me uncaring about basically anything. “If it involves katas or any type of trainin’ shit, I’m poundin’ BOTH yer shells. Got it?” 

Leo chuckles against the top of my head as I throw Raphie a pout.  

“We’re not going to do anything with training or katas. Promise.” Leo nuzzles my head, and his fingers crawl to a different spot on my shell. “Right, Mikey? We’ll come up with something fun! Something all of us enjoy doing.” 

Humming happily, I nod. 

“Course, Dude. If there’s one thing I know best, it’s how to avoid training at all cost,” I slur, eyes drooping as I struggle to hold back a yawn. 

Raph snorts while Donnie chuckles, and I feel him stand from the couch. 

“How about this? Since we have a little time before lunch, Raph can come and help me in barn for a little bit since I need assistance getting some parts from the tractor to finish fixing the generator for Mrs. Jones. That way, you and Mikey can have time to chat about what you think we should do for the next few days and can surprise the two of us when we come back in. Sound fair?” 

I nod and stretch out, not even bothering to hide my yawn this time. Shell. Maybe my lack of sleep is finally catching up to me. Ugh. Why now? A calloused hand lands on my head, rubbing almost gently, and I peer up at Raph as he snickers down at me. 

“Careful, Fearless. Ya might send Baby Brat ta sleep if ya keep dat up.” 

“Nah uh!” I grumble, lethargically swiping at the hand disturbing me and completely missing. “’m not gonna fall asleep. Just a little tired is all.” 

Snickers echo around the living room, causing me to pout, and Leo’s free arm tightens around my middle when I start squirming. 

“Don’t worry, Otōto," Leo mutters against my head. “Raphie’s just picking on you. I know you won’t fall asleep while we plan what we’re going to do.” 

I stick my tongue out at Raph as our hotheaded brother rolls his eyes.  

“Call me ‘Raphie’ again and I’ll shove that tongue—” 

“Aaaaaaaand we’re leaving now!” Don hops up from the couch, stepping up to Raph and shoving at the hothead. “You two have fun discussing what we’re going to be doing!” Don grunts as he pushes a snickering Raph back out the back door. “Have fun!” 

SLAM! 

I giggle tiredly as the house shakes, and for a moment, there is silence. Then I feel Leo exhale against my head, and then that exhale turns into a chuckle. A yelp escapes me when he suddenly hugs me, heat spreading across my cheeks until I’m totally sure that my face is going to become burned with all the stupid blushing I’ve been doing. 

“Le-Leo?” 

My eldest brother chuckles again as he pulls away and starts rearranging me so that I am facing him while still sitting in his lap, only. I blink at the manhandling. This is something I would expect from Raph, but from LEO? Having his HANDS ALL OVER ME?  

I…I might need to spend some time in the bathroom upstairs….  

I gulp when Leo finally stops rearranging me, and he offers me a smile that puts all those pretty boy band dudes to shame. My heart skips a beat at the sparkle in Leo’s eyes, and I have to physically stop myself from pressing my knees together, hoping and praying to the pizza gods that I don’t start leaking on my bro’s lap. Because I don’t think Leo will allow me to slide off without a good reason. 

Definitely will be spending time in the bathroom after this, I think as I attempt to return Leo’s smile, doing everything I can to ignore the growing heat down south. If I ignore it, it will go away….  

Clearing my throat, I shift my gaze to Leo’s snout.  

“So, um, any thoughts on what you wanna do, Aniki?"

My eyes widen when Leo’s fingers cup my chin. He gently flicks his wrist, indicating that he wants me to look up. Mentally pouting and whining, I do as Leo silently requests, my ocean blues landing on tender chestnut brown. Leo tilts his head as his fingers shift up to rest his hand on my shoulder, his heat soothing my muscles. 

My eyes narrow when he takes a second too long to answer. 

“You already have an idea of what we can do, don’t you?” 

“I do,” Leo admits, his expression a little sheepish, though he never loses his sparkle.  

Suspicion starts rising in me, a tiny voice yelling that I should know what his possible plan could be. A rich laugh startles me, and that voice instantly falls silent as I stare openly at Leo as he laughs. 

“Mikey! You don’t have to look at me like that!” Leo exclaims, wiping at his eyes as tears start to form. A massive grin brightens his face as my blue-cladded brother strokes my cheek. “I promise it’s nothing bad. But if you don’t like it, we can think of something different, okay?” He chuckles again, and I finally shake out of my daze from seeing my eldest brother laughing so openly. 

The three of them should have gotten together ages ago if it meant that Leo would laugh like this sooner.  

A bittersweet feeling floods my body at that thought. When my eyes start to burn, I quickly shove those feelings down. No. I’m not doing this right now. Let’s hear what Leo has to say about what we can do. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll be something simple, like a hike or going on a picnic where I could make an excuse and go hide in the woods for a little bit to give my bros some space.  

And I know for a fact that Don and Raph would prefer doing something that LEO wants. They might not like anything I suggest.  

Squeezing Leo’s hand, I sigh as dramatically as I can. 

“And you PROMISE it’s not training?” 

“Cross my heart.” 

Huffing out a laugh, I shake my head and wave my free hand. “Alright, alright! What’s your idea?” 

I almost melt at the way Leo’s face brightens, and he laces our fingers together as he leans forward. 

“How do you feel about going camping, Otōto?”  

My mouth falls open. 

“C-Camping?” I squeak. Leo nods excitedly. “Oh…” My mouth twitches as I think it over, the image of the one and only tent that Leo folded flashing in my mind.  

My eyes flicker back to Leo’s ecstatic expression, and I nearly wince. Dammit. Big Brothers aren’t allowed to be this cute!  

Shell. How can I say no when Leo looks like that? I mentally whine, inner Mikey collapsing to the ground.  

“Otōto?”  

It’d only be for a few days. I can last a few days. It’ll be fine.  

Releasing a deep breath, I smile at Leo. 

“Sounds like a wicked idea, Dude!” I say, making sure to sound as genuinely excited as possible. “When’re you thinkin’ you wanna leave?” 

A flicker of relief flashes in Leo’s eyes, and a stab of guilt hits me at having worried my bro like that. My eldest brother relaxes back into the couch. 

“What do you think about tomorrow morning?” 

I nod slowly, pretending to think it over when I know that I’d agree with any time frame that Leo put forth. 

“I think that’d work. Give our bros time to figure out what they want to pack. Oh!” I bounce in Leo’s lap as a thrill courses through me, and I glance over at the kitchen. “No! That’s actually a perfect time! I can spend the rest of today putting together what I can cook while we’re camping.” An idea pops off in my head. “And while I do that, you dudes can figure out the perfect camping spot!” 

I see Leo nod from the corner of my eye. 

“I’m pretty sure Donnie has a map of the entire area, so we’ll use that.” 

I nod absentmindedly, already planning meals. 

“How many days would we be out there?” I ask, slipping off Leo’s lap. 

“Four days.” 

“Okay, cool.” I nod, moving toward the kitchen. I barely make it a step when I’m stopped by a hand still in mine. Oops. I forgot that I was holding Leo’s hand. Chuckling nervously, I glance at Leo, but before I can open my mouth to apologize, my aniki is standing and crowding into my space. Warm lips press against my forehead. 

“Let us know if you need help in the kitchen, okay?” Leo mutters, voice low and making my mouth dry. 

“W-Will do, Dude.” 

Leo smiles at me softly, his thumb stroking over my knuckles before releasing my hand and starting for the back door.  

“I’ll let Raph and Donnie know what we’re planning,” Leo states, pausing by the backdoor and shooting me a look over his shoulder. “It might take a moment, so while you’re grabbing stuff for our camping trip, could you also pull out the curry for lunch?” 

I wet my lips. “Su-Sure, Leo. I can do that.” 

Leo smiles at me. “Good boy. I’ll be back.” 

My heart thunders in my chest as I lift a hand in an attempt to wave, only barely managing to move my wrist. When the door closes behind Leo, I press a hand to my mouth, muffling a whine. 

Good boy? GOOD BOY?! My knees press together, and my eyes scrunch closed as my body feels warm. Almost too warm. Why?! Why is that making me feel things? I’m not supposed to be feeling things! And why that phrase? Does Leo call Donnie and Raphie—NO! Stop that right now!  

Gulping, I force my eyes open and glance up toward the loft.  

“I’ll…I’ll be quick,” I mutter, changing my direction toward the stairs. “They won’t even know. And this will be the last time!”  

A whimper leaves me when the slit between my legs’ pulses, causing my body to heat up. I pick up the pace.  

This is fine. I’ll be fine. Just get this out of the way, and I can focus on lunch and food for camping.  

I flinch, both at the word “camping” and at the feeling of slick dribbling out and onto my thighs. 

“One problem at a time, Mikester,” I grumble, feeling extremely stupid as I’m forced to waddle, more heat rushing through my veins. “Deal with feeling horny first so that you can panic later about being trapped with your hot big brothers in a single, tiny tent for four days in peace.” 

My hand trembles as I grasp the doorknob, and I pause for a millisecond. I physically flinch again as my words sink in. However, I don’t get a chance to dwell on it for too long as another pulse of my slit has more slick trickling down my thighs, and my cock nearly drops. Panicking, I rush into the bathroom and slam the door behind me. 

Why does the universe hate me?!  

Chapter 13: Early Morning Playtime

Notes:

Hello everyone!

Hope all of you are doing well! I know ^.^" it's been a long time hasn't it? So sorry about that! I promise I didn't forget about all of you or this story. This chapter has been in the works for a bit. It was just finding the motivation to do more than tiny amounts of add-ins. I have had a bit of life changes since chapter 12, I have a new full-time job that I've been working nights at so that's been a little hard to write and which has been when it's been hard to find true motivations because I pretty much, wake up, go to work, come home, eat, go to bed rinse and repeat for five days. But I finally got my butt in gear and all of you have been so patient with me and I deeply appreciate that!

And I'm really REALLY hoping that this chapter makes up for the long wait. This chapter is going to be living up to that Mature rating if you catch my drift *wiggles eyebrows* so you can't say that you weren't warned! Or may not warned but informed ^.^.

But anywhos! All of you didn't come here to read the author note! You came for some yummy TMNT story time!

Happy Reading!

Beta'd by Lotus_Empress

A groan leaves me as I slowly make my way upstairs, scratching the back of my head. After the little competition this morning and a discussion with Raph and Donnie about what we would bring while camping, the rest of the day was pretty uneventful.

Luckily, I managed to deal with my…PROBLEM long before Leo returned from talking to Don and Raphie, who both decided to return with him to help get things ready. Donnie even said us going in the morning is perfect, seeing as rain is predicted at the end of the week, so we would be able to enjoy a few days of sunshine and then pack up and make it back to the farmhouse before we get wet!

And it’ll make Leo happy, I think as I make it to the loft. Maybe help curb some of his jungle sickness. Bet Casey and Mama Jones would be chill if we bring Leo up here for camping once a year. Or, once my bros FINALLY decide to tell me about their relationship, I can let them know that April and Casey are chill with their relationship, and they could honeymoon up here! I pause to kneel next to my bed, placing my bathroom stuff back into my bag. Or maybe I can suggest to April about getting them to honeymoon in the jungle or Japan. See if she could get my bros a ride.

My lips quirk into a smile, loving the idea of how relaxed my bros would be after being away from New York for a week or two. And being able to see their eldest mate in an area that April said he seemed so at home in? Ugh. How sweet and adorable would that be?

Bet it would help distract Raphie from all the bugs and Donnie from the lack of technology.

From my place on my knees, I observe my brothers.

All three are already resting in their respective beds, each doing their own thing. Raphie is scrolling through his phone, Donnie is typing away on his tablet, and Leo is reading what looks to be one of the Samurai novels he picked up while we had been in Japan for the Ninja Tribunal. All in all, my bros appear incredibly relaxed, and the sight warms my heart.

Trying to hide my smile, I stand and pull my blanket back.

“Ahem.”

Jumping, I glance over my shoulder, eyes wide and confused. Heat spreads across my face when I spot chestnut eyes staring at me over the top of a book.

Leo quirks an eye ridge at me.

“What do you think you’re doing, Otōto?”

For a moment, I hesitate, eye ridges furrowing as my confusion mounts.

“Uh…” I glance over at Don and Raph, both of whom are snickering in their beds. I refocus on Leo. “Um, I’m going to bed? Since, ya know, it’s bedtime?”

Leo lowers his book, and I can’t help but squirm under the weight of his stare. Heat builds in my gut as I frantically try to think about what Leo could be talking about. I tense when my conversation with Donnie in the bathroom comes to mind, specifically when I was exiting, and Don shut the door in my face.

Sharing a bed. With Leo. And my brothers. From now until I die of embarrassment.

Shell. Shell! How do I get out of this? My mind frantically searches for an answer while Leo continues to stare me down.

“Mikey,” Don calls out, and I can hear the amusement in my immediate older brother’s voice. “Do you recall what I told you before you left to make sure that Leo and Raph didn’t destroy the kitchen? Again.”

Anxiety mounting, my eyes flicker between Leo and Donnie. My face grows warmer at the amused look my genius brother is sending my way over his tablet, an eye ridge quirked. Snickers from Raph have me pouting at my brothers as I cross my arms.

“Of course I do! I-I just didn’t think you were actually serious, is all.” I turn my snout away, trying hard to seem unbothered by everything. “Besides, I’m a big turtle, I don’t need—”

“Michelangelo.”

My mouth snaps shut, and I wilt as I glance over at Leo. His book is resting on his lap, and his chestnut brown eyes are locked on me, intense and unwavering. I shuffle in place as I duck my head while keeping eye contact with my eldest brother.

Leo’s expression softens, and his lips form an almost smile. He pats at the spot next to him.

“Otōto, come to bed.”

My arms fall to my sides as I fight hard to not pout again. Shell. Not even into day two of us being here, and my bros already feel like they have to babysit me. All because my stupid dreams can’t seem to mind their own business. My bros should be able to sleep together! Not have me sleeping with one of them just because they’re afraid I might sneak back out to the barn. Pfft! As IF I’d sneak back out to the barn two nights in a row! Nah, I would find a different place to hide, one where they wouldn’t be able to find me.

Maybe the attic, I think, snatching up my pillow before I cautiously make my way over to Leo’s bed. That way I can say that I never left the house. Because it would be true! I'm definitely not pouting as I reach the bed.Why won’t my bros just let me wallow for a bit? It’s not like it’ll stay this way forever.

At Leo’s gesture, I gingerly crawl into Leo’s bed, feeling the mattress shift as my brother shimmies over to make more room for me.

Just gotta remain calm and collected. If I don't react, then nothing will happen. And maybe, just maybe, my bros will give this up so that they don't have to worry about “Baby Mikey” and can just worry about their relationship together!

My skin prickles as Leo watches me place my pillow down. Doing everything in my power to not look at him, I flop down, more than pleased when I feel the mattress bounce. What kills that pleased feeling is the low chuckle that gets me shivering, and after I made myself comfortable, too! The nerve!

I tense when a shadow suddenly falls over me, and a hand lands near my face. My heart skips a beat at the soft yet playful smile on my brother’s face. My mouth dries as Leo’s leans down, cocking his head.

“Comfortable?”

Swallowing thickly, I slowly nod. Leo mimics my motion and then leans the rest of the way down to kiss my forehead.

“Good,” Leo says, sitting back up. I swear his eyes are sparkling in the soft glow of the lamp near the head of the bed. “That wasn’t too hard, now was it?” Leo tweaks my snout before returning to his prior position. “Now, try to sleep, Little One. We’re heading out early to find that camping spot we marked on the map, and we want to make sure you get some good sleep tonight.”

Nodding again, I stay on my side, unsure how to react. My forehead and snout tingle from the attention Leo just gave me, but I don’t dare to do anything about it besides let the sensation pass, just in case I end up doing something to make my feelings obvious. Nothing gets past Leo, especially not when I'm this close, and he can literally feel every bit of movement I make on this bed.

I bite my bottom lip.

Maybe when everyone is asleep, I can sneak over to my bed, I think as I pretend to get more comfortable. Then, in the morning, I'll just make sure I'm up before Leo, or if he beats me, I’ll just say that I got up and went to the bathroom and forgot.

With that plan in mind, I close my eyes. I hear the click of the bedside lamp, and when I open my eyes again, the room is dark, save for the porch light drifting in through the window near my usual bed and the glow of my brothers’ electronic devices.

“Don’t stay up too late you two,” Leo calls out as he shifts down in the bed. “We’re leaving early tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah, Fearless.”

“Almost done here, Leo.”

I imagine Leo nodding in response as he gets comfortable, and I close my eyes once more, pretending to doze.

A warm arm around my waist has my eyes snapping back open. It tugs me close until my carapace is flush against Leo’s plastron. My heart pounds as Leo nuzzles the back of my head, his warm breath tickling my skin. Leo’s chuckle ghosts over my scales.

“Relax, Mikey. It’s only me.”

Yeah, because THAT’S gonna make me relax, I think as my thoughts start to spiral. How can I relax when we’re... When you’re...!

My jaw clenches as Leo pulls me closer, and I fight not to gasp when my tail brushes Leo’s thighs.

“U-Um, Leo,” I whisper when his knees slot right behind mine, “wha-what are you doing?”

I wince at how pathetic I sound, and a smidge of panic starts to build when Leo doesn't respond right away. It takes everything in me to not jerk away or react when warm lips peck the back of my head. Heat burns behind my eyes, and my throat constricts.

“This isn't a very big bed, Mikey,” Leo finally whispers back, and I want to smack myself. “I know it's been a while since we’ve shared a bed, but if I recall, somebody tends to move around when not being cuddled.” This time I don't hide my groan at Leo’s teasing tone, and the snickers that emit from the darkness has heat spreading across my cheeks.

My face scrunches as I picture the massive “Leo Grin” on my eldest brother’s face.

“We’ll have more space once we’re out camping or back home. But in the farmhouse? We’ll have to sleep like this.” Leo bumps his snout against my skull, teasing softly, “Unless you want to end up on the floor? Or...”

My eye ridges furrow when Leo trails off, and I glance back over my shoulder before I can stop myself. I pick out my brother’s silhouette easily.

“Or what?”

My heart leaps into my throat, and I swear, I can practically see Leo’s grin in the darkness now. Heat spreads across my face when warm, slightly damp air and the scent of freshly fallen rain breeze over my cheeks.

I gulp.

“Or,” Leo starts slowly, “I could just lay on top of you, pinning you to the mattress, and we won't have to worry about you falling out of bed.”

“What!?” I squeak before my filter can tackle me and keep me quiet.

Lay on me?!

LAY ON ME?!

They're evil! My bros are absolutely evil and take joy in giving me heart attacks!

The bed starts to vibrate, and I can feel Leo shaking as he draws me closer.

A tiny “eep!” escapes me when a large hand pets my plastron plates directly above my stomach, causing the muscles there to tighten as butterflies flutter around inside my belly.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Leo laughs, causing me to huff even as my heart flips from the rich sound coming from my usually stoic eldest brother. “I’m not gonna do that to you. Unless you kick me.”

I reach back and try swatting at him, only for Leo to laugh harder. He catches my hand and pins it to my chest with his arm. My knees press together when my body warms at the proximity and at the way Leo has me restrained against him.

Don’t think about it. Don't think about it. Don’t think about it!

Leo pecks my temple, still snickering, and I can’t help but pout.

“Jerk.”

Leo nuzzles me again, fingers flexing around my wrist, pinning it more firmly to my chest.

“You love me, and you know it.”

More than any of you know.

“I won’t lay on you like that, Mikey,” Leo reassures, “so don't worry. I'm not going to crush you.”

Maybe I want you to—NO! Bad brain!

Leo continues, “So, we’re just going to have to make do like this, okay?” Leo tightens his arm around me, and I stop breathing for a moment.

“O-Okay, Aniki.”

“That’s my otōto,” Leo praises quietly, pressing his snout harder against the back of my head, nuzzling me. “Now, go to sleep. You didn't get a good sleep last night, and we aren’t going to let that happen again.”

My fingers flex against my plastron. I release a sigh and nod slightly so as to not smash Leo’s snout.

“Hai, Aniki. Oyasumi*.”

Leo merely squeezes me instead of replying. I can sense when Leo closes his eyes, the feeling of being watched vanishing.

Thank Silver Sentry. I was totally gonna do something stupid if Leo kept making comments like that. My body and heart would have imploded from the cuteness but also from the fact that Leo was just making jokes. JOKES! My big brother! Mr. Serious-And-I-Need-To-Be-The-Best himself!

I bite my bottom lip.

It’s almost unfair just how relaxed Leo is now that he has mates, but I also can't be upset at his teasing. I missed being able to just joke around and have fun with Leo. Have him cut loose like he used to before he became our leader. When he got to be my big brother (even if he is only a few minutes older than the rest of us, according to Donnie). And while it hurts to know he is only returning to his playful self because he and our brothers are mates now, I can't bring myself to be mad at him for it.

I barely hold back a sad sigh as I sink further into the bed, guilt bubbling in my chest as a part of me doesn't want to go through with my plan, but just stay here, wrapped in Leo’s arms. The stinging behind my eyes worsens as I stare out into the darkness of the room, the light of Raph’s phone blurring. I grit my teeth, desperately fighting back tears, knowing that Leo isn't asleep yet.

I don’t need to tack on another thing that’s gonna ruin my bros time up here. I breathe out slowly, monitoring it to make sure it isn't shaky, which would alert Leo to something being wrong. Just stick to the plan, Mikester, and make this the best time for your bros. If it all works out, they’ll trust you enough to tell you about their relationship.

A familiar spring of determination wells up inside me, washing away the guilt and the almost-tears.

Now to just wait for Leo to fall asleep so that I can sneak away, I think as I allow my eyes to close.

A hand on my cheek startles me, my eyes snapping open.

“Wha—mmph!”

My words are cut off when lips slot against mine. A surge of panic flashes through me when the mouth aggressively moves to force mine open, and my hands snap up to push at the body in front of me. My wrists are caught before I can touch whoever is in front of me.

What’s going on?! My thoughts race as I attempt to yank my wrists away from the taller being assaulting me. Why can’t I see anything? Who’s kissing me? Where am I?!

A hot tongue runs along my bottom lip, and I whimper, struggling to pull my face away. One of my wrists is released as strong fingers dig into my chin, keeping my face and mouth where they want it. My free hand moves up and pounds at the chest of my assailant, only for me to yelp when my fist hits something hard.

Wait, hard?

My thought is cut off when the stranger’s tongue slithers between my lips. I automatically attempt to pull away again, but the hand on my chin moves to the back of my head as the tongue twirls around mine.

My body trembles as I gradually lose the ability to fight back the longer the kiss goes on, my eyes opening to slivers as I feel some drool starting to build at the corner of my mouth.

As if sensing the fight leaving me, my wrist is released, and a deep churr rumbles through the chest of the being kissing me. A strong arm glides down and wraps around my waist, pulling me flush against a muscular body. I shiver when my plastron is pressed against another plastron, and that's when I catch a whiff of freshly fallen rain on a spring day.

Leo?!

A loud gasp leaves me when my mouth is suddenly freed, and my head falls forward. My hands weakly come up, fisting at Leo’s plastron as I pant. My heart races as Leo circles his other arm around my shell, keeping me flush to him.

Leo kissed me. Oh shell, Leo KISSED ME! But why? How are Donnie and Raph going to react? Are they going to be okay with it? Are they gonna be angry?

Gulping, I finally look up, heart skipping a beat at the adoring look in my eldest brother’s chestnut eyes. Overcome with a sudden shyness, I quickly avert my gaze.

“L-L-Leo?”

A tremor runs the length of my spine when Leo chuckles. Warm lips press to my temple, and I glance up at Leo in surprise.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

A tiny seed of hope blooms in my cracked heart, and my throat constricts. With trembling hands, I grasp at the lip of Leo’s plastron, afraid he might vanish at any second.

“Re-Really?” I whisper, voice hoarse. Tears spring to my eyes when Leo nods, a tender smile on his face. I sniffle. “B-But what about Raphie and Donnie?”

“Why dontcha ask us yerself, Darlin’?”

My body freezes over as the scent of sandalwood and campfire smoke mixed with coffee and freshly baked tea cakes washes over me. Normally, I’d find peace in my brothers’ natural aromas, but right now, it fills me with dread.

I start to turn my head only for a large body to press flush against my shell. A warm, calloused hand catches my face, and Donnie smiles down at me, hazel eyes sparkling. I shudder when my tallest brother leans down until we’re face-to-face. His thumb swipes over the skin under my eye, and his warm breath caresses my face as he chuckles.

“Breathe, Dove. Don't need you passing out.”

A shaky exhale leaves me as all the tension in my muscles flee. My initial fear grudgingly follows. I finally nod, and Donnie’s smile brightens.

Eyes darting from one brother to the next, my heart pounds as I wonder…is this really happening? Are my brothers really hinting at what I think they are? A lump forms in my throat at all the soft looks they're giving me. But there's also an underlying heat in their gazes, one which has my skin tingling and my thighs pressing together.

I gasp when large hands grab my hips, pulling my shell flush against Raph’s front. My tail bumps against his crotch, sending bolts of electricity through my lower body and up my spine. His fingers dig into the flesh of my hips as I drop my head back and rest it on his shoulder. Meanwhile, Donnie traces my jaw and cheekbones with his fingertips, his hazel eyes falling to half-mast.

A squeak leaves me when Raph’s hands suddenly trail down my sides, stopping at my thighs. Before I can ask what’s going on, Raph has his mouth pressed against my ear.

“Hold on, Darlin’~”

A thrill shoots through my body, and I shiver. Slowly, I nod, and the next thing I know, Raph is grasping my legs and lifting me up. Air catches in my throat as his strong fingers sink into the meat of my thighs, and deep down, I hope there are bruises later so I can remember this for as long as possible. My heart skips a beat when Raph widens my legs, and Leo shifts to the side, allowing Donnie to take his place, effectively sandwiching me between my two tallest brothers. I tremble as Don’s plastron scrapes against mine, sending tingles across my chest and down between my thighs. My knees twitch when I feel myself growing wetter and hotter, but Raph’s hold keeps me from doing anything more than squirm.

Leo reappears to my left, and he turns my face with a single finger. He trails it along my jaw, leaving me shivering at the sensual touch. His chestnut brown eyes are dark with a look that I don’t remember ever seeing from any of my brothers, and it has my stomach twisting with nerves and anticipation. I stop breathing when Leo leans in. His hot breath caresses my lips as he hovers centimeters away from them.

“We finally caught you, Little One,” Leo purrs, his fingers moving to pinch at my chin to tilt my head up a bit more. “And we never plan on letting you go.” Leo closes the distance between us until our lips are brushing together. “And now that this game of Cat and Mouse is over, I think it’s only fair for us to enjoy our pretty, little prize. Don’t you agree, Raphie? Donnie?”

Twin churrs erupt from my middle two brothers, and Leo pecks my lips before turning my face back toward Donnie’s. My chest rapidly rises and falls as I stare up at the genius, all while Raph’s fingers flex into my skin, his hot breath dampening a patch of scales on the back of my neck. My shell vibrates with another deep churr from Raph as his mouth hovers over the sensitive spot at the base my neck. My thoughts circle and scatter repeatedly as I try to concentrate and not work myself up.

“Ya smell delicious, Darlin’,” Raph growls, and my hands scramble up to grasp at Don’s plastron only for Donnie to catch my wrists. “All sweet and sugary. Wonder if ya taste as good as ya smell?”

Oh, shell! Oh, shell! Oh, shell!

My mind short-circuits when Raph suddenly bites down. I arch up into Donnie, eyes blown wide.

“RAPH! NNN! AAAH~”

I shudder as a hot tongue strokes at the area covered by Raph’s mouth. I feel, rather than hear, Raph chuckle, and another cry is torn from me when his teeth sink deeper. My toes curl, and I weakly attempt to tug my arms free from Donnie’s hold as I thrash around.

Raph’s biting me! Oh SHELL! So GOOD!

Tears prickle my eyes once more, beading at the corners the longer Raph bites and sucks on my neck. I gasp when a warm tongue licks my cheek from my jawline up to the corner of my eye. Smiling lips shift over to my ear, and Leo chuckles quietly into my skin.

“Tell us how you’re feeling, Little One,” he orders, his voice soft yet wielding all the authority that naturally radiates from my eldest brother. “Talk to us. SCREAM for us. Let us know that our pretty, little prize is feeling good.”

I nod to the best of my ability without dislodging Raph. Another gasp rushes from me when a hand wanders down and grasps my tail, pleasure ZINGING through every nerve in my body. I arch again, and Don is suddenly biting down on the other side of my neck. A shouted sob escapes me as the sensations of teeth, tongue, and lips make my head spin as I try to follow Leo’s directions.

“NNGH! GOOD!” I hiccup, writhing in my brothers’ arms. “So goOOOD, Aniki! MmmAAH! FeeEEL amazing!”

A dark chuckle against my ear is my only warning before the hand on my tail starts moving, caressing and jerking it as if it’s a cock. Mewls spill from my lips as my body shifts around frantically under the onslaught of different sensations and emotions.

Oh, Silver Sentry! Need…need MORE!

Leo blows on my skin lightly, then nibbles on my chin when I whine.

“Donnie and Raphie are doing a splendid job making you feel good, huh?” I nod, squealing when both the mouths on my neck bite down harder. “But I think that there’s something they can do to make you feel even better, Little One. Would you like that? Would you like Donatello and Raphael to make you feel even better?”

Feel even better than THIS? Sign me UP!

A pathetic whimper is the only sound that I can muster as I nod again, and Leo’s lips quirk up against my cheek.

“Perfect~”

The hand on my tail vanishes, but before I can get upset about it, the hand appears between my legs. My eyes nearly bulge out of my head when fingers start playing with my folds.

Oh. OH. That’s…that’s what Leo meant.

“Donatello. Raphael. Drop.”

Twin groans rumble against my throat as my hotheaded brother and genius brother follow Leo’s order and drop their cocks.

“Good. Donnie, I want you to release Mikey’s neck and kiss him. Raphael.” Leo suddenly leans away, and I hear him whisper something to Raphael. Whatever he says has Raph groaning, followed by an animalistic noise and his fingers curling harder into my skin.

I jump when something hot and dripping slides between my ass cheeks. Although I have an idea of what it might be, I open my mouth to ask about it anyways. However, before I have a chance to form a single word, Donnie descends upon me. Our lips slot together easily, and I choke when his tongue invades my mouth, caressing and prodding at all the nooks and crannies.

Oh, shell. If I die now, I’ll die one happy and lucky turtle.

Leo growls. The sound sends sparks down to my gut and slit, making me pant in excitement.

“Stop thinking, Michelangelo. Be a good otōto and let your onii-sans enjoy their prize~”

Donnie swallows a deep, long moan from me, Leo’s words driving me insane as I’m crushed between three large, muscular bodies, something I’ve only ever DREAMED of happening to me. A second mouth joins Raph’s on my neck, and I nearly go limp from all the attention. The mouth attached to mine is demanding, a thick tongue dancing and lapping at mine now that Donnie has gotten his fill of exploring. Drool begins to spill down my chin, and tears finally leak down my cheeks. My lungs burn from lost oxygen, yet I keep my head still, unable to deny my immediate older brother as he continues to follow Leo’s command. His fingers tighten around my wrists whenever I twitch, and I know that by the end of this, there will be a ring of bruises on my skin.

I shudder when Raph finally releases the back of my neck, and almost in sync, twin mouths suckle and nibble at my throat. Marking me. Claiming me…

Once more, Raph rocks against me, making my asshole wet and slick. I choke on Donnie’s tongue again as a hot, blunt tip brushes along the lips of my slit. In the same moment, Leo’s fingers trail up the back of my thigh, and I squirm, feeling my own cock hardening inside me.

Am I dreaming? This is AMAZING!

I keen as the combination of freshly fallen rain, coffee and tea cakes, and sandalwood and smoke fill my nostrils. The mouth on the left side of my neck starts licking up until it reaches my ear, hot air puffing against my skin, my eldest brother panting in a way that, usually, only a good workout could do.

“How do Raphie and Donnie’s cocks feel, Little One?” The sultry voice of my eldest brother resounds near my ear, and Raph’s fingers tighten on my muscular thighs. I mewl against the mouth trapping mine, wiggling a little only for the bodies surrounding me to press impossibly closer, impeding any more movement.

The dark voice of my hotheaded brother snarls behind me, and I whine at the loss of the mouth on the right side of my neck.

“Watch yerself, Darlin’,” Raph’s gruff voice purrs against my other ear. He mouths at the flesh there. “Yer OUR prize tanight, and good little prizes wait patiently ta be pleasured. Good little prizes want ta make dere big brothers feel good first, don’t dey? And don’t ya wanna be a good little prize fer us?”

“Mmmhmm!” I moan, mouth still occupied with Donnie’s tongue, which is now thrusting in and out, imitating a deep throat fucking. My genius brother moans and churrs as well, tilting my head back onto a broad shoulder so he can force his tongue deeper.

Tears of pleasure continue to wet my face, and I can no longer form coherent thoughts as more words are growled into my ears. The two bodies holding me up buck forward in unison, forcing a scream from me as heat burns in my core. Molten slick coats my crotch as my slit flutters in anticipation. My brothers’ hot and heavily lubricated rods rub harder against my asshole and slit, the lips of my slit even being parted, though not breached, by Donnie’s long cock.

My own cock aches and slides closer to my entrance, but unlike Donnie and Raphie, Leo still hasn’t given me permission to drop yet. And I do want to be a good prize for my brothers! I really do! And that means no matter how rock hard I get, I won’t drop my cock until my leader says so. But I can feel it pulsing, growing harder and harder while pushing more fluid from my body, as if hoping that one of my brothers will be merciful and slip their cocks inside me to alleviate some of the pressure building in my groin.

Raph’s thick, fat cock grinds against my asshole, the large tip suddenly popping past the leaking ring. My eyes roll into the back of my head as the bulbous head just sits there, so big and hot inside my ass. My asshole flutters around and sucks on the head, begging it to dive further inside my velvet heat even if the stretch already burns.

A choked noise bursts from my throat, and more drool dribbles down my chin when something sticky and hot splurts inside my spasming hole, coating the already slick walls.

“Feel dat, Darlin’? Feel me coatin’ yer insides?” Raph growls, his words having me garbling around the tongue lapping at my mouth. “Gettin’ ya nice and even more wet fer me. Dis ass so tight dat ya’ll need all my lube mixed with yer’s, Baby.” He groans against my head, sending tingles straight down to my butt. “Gonna take ya nice an’ slow. Make sure ya feel every inch of dis fat, veiny cock as we make ya our’s.” Hot breath pants against my chin, teeth nipping at my jawline. “Tell me ya want it, Darlin’. Tell me an’ Brainiac dat ya want our cocks filling ya while ya take our fearless leader’s cock in dat pretty lil’ mouth o’ yer’s.”

Donnie’s lips finally leave mine, and I gasp for air as more tears blur my vision. I hiccup over another frantic whine as my mind and thoughts swirl.

“Yes, yes! Please! Fill me! Please!” I sob, my head thrashing back and forth. “Please make me yours! Take me!”

Churrs fill the air at my begging, and I respond back with my own higher pitch churrs and desperate chirps. Warm fingers reach up and catch my chin, turning my face back toward Leo. I swear his eyes are glowing in the dimly lit room.

I pant heavily as Leo nuzzles my cheek, and Raph resumes sucking and mouthing at my throat, Donnie quickly following suit. Leo’s other hand rises to cup my other cheek as he leans back, an affectionate smile tugging at his lips. More tears build behind my eyes as Leo’s thumb strokes my cheek. He leans down until our mouths are almost touching. His gaze is tender, and my skin prickles as his breath pours over my lips.

“Wake up, Mikey.”

I blink, my heart dropping to my stomach.

“Wh-what?”

Leo smiles again, but this time when I blink, Leo’s position shifts, seemingly instantaneously, and Donnie and Raph are gone. My eye ridges furrow as I stare up at Leo, confusion filling me as my brain tries to figure out why and how he’s hovering over me.

“’eo?”

Something like amusement crosses my brother’s face. He strokes my cheek, his hand unmoved despite his changed position.

“Shh, Otōto,” Leo hushes. “You were talking in your sleep. I thought you were having a nightmare. But you’re alright now, so go back to sleep, Little One. We’ll be right here.”

Without a second thought, I nod, my eyes slowly sliding back shut. It feels like only a minute has passed when my eyes snap back open, my heart racing.

Hang on. Did Leo just say I was TALKING in my SLEEP?!

I shoot up in bed, heart continuing to pound as I frantically glance around the room. Golden-pink light peeks through the window blinds, bathing my empty bed in a faint glow. I blink before turning to look at the other side of Leo’s bed.

Empty.

Fear thrums behind my rib cage as I reach over to feel the sheets. They’re cold. Which means Leo has been awake for a while now. Gulping, I glance over at Raph and Donnie. A snore from Raph has my shoulders sagging, and I can see the gentle rise and fall of Donnie’s chest. I press a hand to my forehead and fall backwards on the mattress.

Thank Silver Sentry! My other bros are still asleep. Which means I only have to worry about one brother, right? Right.

….Right?

Leo DID wake me, didn’t he? I wonder, biting my bottom lip as I glance toward the stairs. I could have sworn he did. And I’m sure I only closed my eyes for a second! How could the bed be cold if he only just woke me up?

My eyes travel up to the shadow covered ceiling. After a beat, I roll over onto my side. I tense when my thighs glide against each other, a familiar twinge shooting up through my core. In a moment of panic, I reach between my legs and gingerly feel around my crotch. I swallow a groan when my fingers come back soaked.

Dear comic book gods! Please tell me I didn’t get any on the sheets or blanket!

Hurriedly, I pull back the quilt, touching near where my crotch had been. I sigh. At least that’s dry. But what about the sheets?

Cautiously, I crawl out of bed, doing my best to keep my thighs pressed together. I bite down hard on my bottom lip to keep from whimpering as my cock throbs inside my slit. When I finally rise shakily to my feet, I glance down at the mattress and wilt. While it’s not big, a wet spot has stained the sheets, and there is no way that Leo won’t be able to tell that I leaked.

But how can I change the sheets without alerting anyone? I despair as I gaze at my still sleeping brothers. A hint of disappointment starts to creep into my heart the longer I watch them.

That dream had felt so real. It’s even kinda sad how real it felt. Am I really so desperate for my bros that me sleeping in bed with one of them would create such a dream?

How am I going to handle being in a tent with all three of them? I mentally whine while rubbing my thighs together. What if I really do start talking in my sleep, and I say something that gives my feelings away? I can’t do that! Not when I’m so close to getting them to trust me! I cup my hand over the mound of my slit when I feel myself throb hard enough that I nearly drop.

“Shell!” I whisper aloud, curling into myself as I use all my willpower to keep myself tucked away. Breathing out harshly through my nose, I just stand there for a moment, trembling, mind blank.

SNORT!

I gasp, a chainsaw-like snore from Raph breaking me out of my panic. My lips purse when I feel my cock slipping a little closer to my slit entrance. I won’t be able to come up with any plans on how to get rid of the sheets without drawing suspicion or how to handle being in the tent with my bros. Not so long as I’m rock hard and leaking.

Chewing the inside of my cheek and fidgeting in place, I cast a worried look toward the empty bathroom.

Should I? My eyes land on Raph and Donnie. I can be quiet. They won’t even know.

I tilt my head back and forth in contemplation, holding back a whine as I go through all the pros and cons in my head. Pros: I’ll no longer be about to drop, and I won’t embarrass myself if Raph and Donnie wake up or if Leo walks upstairs. Nobody wants to see my Little Mikey. And I’ll be able to focus on keeping my perverse dreams at bay.

And the cons? My bros waking up and hearing me in the bathroom and being grossed out.

My snout wrinkles.

Well, why should that matter, anyways? It’s not like my bros care about that or like me in that way. And we’re 19! I know for a fact that Raph used to jerk it when he showered after a topside run. And I’m pretty sure I almost walked in on him once when barging into his room back when Leo was gone, if his grouchy reaction was anything to go by. But, then again, Raph almost always throws a sai at me when I enter his room without knocking.

I rub my knees together. I’m pretty sure I look like a little kid needing to go to the bathroom. And if I don’t in the next few seconds, I’ll have an accident.

A very messy, rated R, 18 plus, not family friendly accident.

A quiet groan leaves me.

“Ugh, fine!” I mutter to myself, and I start waddling toward the bathroom, doing my best to avoid the squeaky floorboards while keeping my legs close together. “I’ll be fast, and no one will know, and this will be the last time! For real!”

I scowl as I enter the bathroom, fighting back my disappointment at not being able to control myself and having to jack it twice in 24 hours. As quietly as I can, I close the door behind me. I contemplate turning the light on before throwing that idea away. I don’t plan on being in here for very long, and with how hard and wet I am, I know it won’t take long either.

Wetting my lips, I glance around the dark space, doing my best to channel Leo in order to figure out how to go about doing this. I could try sitting on the toilet, but that’s always so awkward, especially since I can’t get off from just a handjob. I need to be able to access my holes.

Yesterday, I kneeled on the floor, but I had my kneepads to protect my knees. Right now? I’m completely naked. No belt. No pads. No mask. But I will be putting my pads back on, and I doubt I’ll be on the floor long enough to bruise my knees.

Breathing out in preparation, I cautiously take a few steps away from the door so that I’m more in the center of the bathroom before kneeling. The cold linoleum raises goosebumps along my overheated scales. I didn’t even notice how warm I’d gotten. But then again, I was a little preoccupied.

And speaking of being preoccupied…

Releasing a slow breath, I allow myself to drop. I bite my fist to hide a groan at how nice and wonderful it feels, having my throbbing cock out of its confined space. More slick slides down my inner thighs as my cock twitches, and my little tail stiffens. Reaching back, I cup my tail, trying to simulate what Leo did in my dream.

My tail is a little different from my brothers’. My bros have more turtle-like tails while I, for some reason, have a doe-like or leaf-like tail — whichever I think is cuter to compare it to, depending on the day. It’s just another thing that separates me from my bros, and I’m sure that would have bothered me if my tail didn’t feel so good when I rub it. And well, I think it looks adorable and adds to my overall cuteness! Just because my bros don’t find it attractive doesn’t mean I can’t find it nice.

“Nnnn!” I whine when my fingers close around my tail, pleasure already pulsing dully through my veins. My cock twitches as I rub my thumb along the underside of my tail, the softer more sensitive scales giving under my strokes.

I have to bite hard on my lip to prevent a keen from escaping as more pleasure shoots through my body. What were once trickles of slick have now turned to streams soaking my thighs, and I squirm helplessly on the floor as I try to recall what Dream Leo was doing to my tail. After a moment of stroking with only my fingertips, I wrap my entire hand around my tail and start flicking my wrist. My tail sits nicely in my palm, wider and a little shorter than my cock, and I can't help but wonder what it would feel like for my tail to be held in my brothers’ larger hands. Like, how much would Donnie's hand dwarf my tail? How would Raph’s rough, calloused palm feel? Would Leo’s fingers move as skillfully as they did in my dream or is he better in real life?

“Mmmm~!”

Bending forward, I rest my forehead on the floor, trembling as I move my hand faster. My other hand creeps in, and I drag it down the seam of my plastron as my breathing hitches. Images from my dream float through my mind the closer I get to my crotch, reeling faster and faster and crashing together once my fingers glide past the base of my cock and along my slit’s lips. My heart pounds as another quiet moan is pulled from me, forcing me to bite the inside of my cheek again to make sure I don't make too much noise.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I rub my fingers harder over my mound. One almost slides inside when I stir it in the slippery fluid, gathering some up before dragging it over my skin and toward my asshole. My slick-covered finger massages the tight pucker, and I whine as the phantom feeling of Dream Raph’s cock tip coating my velvety walls with his pre-cum suddenly assaults and overwhelms me.

Silver Sentry! It's not fair! Yesterday I dreamed of Raphie trying to kill me and Donnie and Leo wanting nothing to do with me. But today? Today I dream of them taking me to the bone zone, and I wake up before the true fun got to begin!

My chest rises and falls rapidly, an unbearable heat flooding my insides and pooling mostly in my belly as I finally press my finger against my hole.

If I can't have my bros in real life, the least the world can give me is my dream bros fucking me! I whimper as I press harder and the tip of my finger breaches my insides. Not waking me up before I get to fully enjoy my brothers’ fat cocks fucking me stupid!

My asshole squeezes around my finger, burning slightly as I wiggle my digit around. I whine when I can’t push it any farther. Frustrated, I withdraw my finger, wishing my arms were longer so that I can reach deeper. I don't want to just sit inside my hole! I want movement! I want to be pounded into the floor!

My snout wrinkles as I stare at the dark wall for a moment, tail in the air, hips swaying as I think. Eventually, I drag my hand back toward my cock, trailing a fingertip up my throbbing flesh. I twirl the digit around the tip, gathering strings of slick and precum. Once my finger is nice and wet again, I move back between my legs. This time, however, I stop at my slit. Biting my lip at the heat radiating from it and my cock, I ghost my fingers over the entrance.

For a while, all I do is play with my slit’s folds, trembling and scared to go any further. I normally only play with my slit when my bros are gone because I get...noisy. So I like to talk! Sue me!

But I did promise myself that I’d be quiet...

And Leo says it's always good to work on our weaknesses… I think, my breath hitching and heart rate speeding up as my fingers push a little more inside my dripping slit. And I’ll be quick! No time for making noise!

“Nnnmm!”

I suck in a harsh breath as two of my fingers fully enter me. I pause for a moment to allow myself a chance to adjust to having two fingers so deep in my hole. Typically, I would work my way up to two, but I'm so wet and desperate that I just can’t wait. And if I take too long, Leo will notice I'm not in bed and might come looking for me.

A thrill shoots through my body at the prospect of my brothers catching me in the act, even though I’m doing my best NOT to get caught. Releasing my tail, I slap my hand over my mouth to stop a loud moan from escaping as an imagined scene of my bros opening the door and seeing me here on the floor, my tail up and presenting, and my fingers buried in my slit, unfolds in front of me.

My fingers start moving inside my slit, easily gliding in and out due to the amount of slick I’m producing. It's still decently cramped for my two fingers, but the feeling of being so full is exactly what I need right now.

“Hmmph!”

My mouth falls open, and I have to shove my fist inside and bite down when I keen a bit too loudly as my fingers pick up the pace, each thrust accompanied by obscene wet noises. Drool slips past and over my knuckles as I work my fingers faster, panting and groaning quietly as my fingertips stab at my silky, sopping walls.

Hai~! Hai~! Hai~! Oh! So good! More!

My hips start working, meeting my fingers every time I jam them into my slit. My body grows hotter as my walls constrict around and massage my fingers, as if my hole was trying to persuade them to not pull out. With each pass, my gut grows tighter, the pressure I felt in my crotch when I got up building and building, driving my hips to move faster and me, crazy.

My cock bobs wildly, and a low whine emits from me as my knees shimmy wider, trying to take my fingers deeper inside my slit. Slick pours down my wrist, my little cock now smacking into my forearm as I continue to work my fingers in and out of me. Tears spring to my eyes as my dick twitches and splurts out precum each time it hits my forearm, staining the sea green scales there white. My toes curl as my slit walls pulsate in time with my cock, squeezing tighter around my fingers each time my hips slam down onto my hand. My teeth dig into my fist as I muffle the whimpers and keens escaping me, drool trailing down my chin as I rock faster and harder onto my fingers. One more rough jab has me arching back up, my toes curling when my fingers hit a certain spot deep inside me.

“Hnrk!”

My eyes widen, my slit walls clamping down on my fingers and cock swelling as I cum. I shove the fist in my mouth harder against my teeth and tongue as my body shudders, doing my best to control my noises through the onslaught of pleasure. Harsh and whiny breaths blow hot from my nostrils while my cock empties itself, and my slit molds tightly to my fingers. Slick builds up in my palm as I remain on my knees, waiting for my body to calm down from my orgasm. Finally, after a minute that feels like forever, my fist falls from my mouth to the tile, and I heave in air, tiredly staring up at the dark bathroom ceiling.

Once my heart rate is slowed, my cock is limp between my legs, and my tail is pointed down, I lean forward and gingerly slip my fingers out of me. An involuntary and soft groan rumbles up from my chest as my slit is left lonely again, some extra slick clinging desperately to my fingers, hoping, maybe, to convince them to return.

Cautiously, I bring my hand out from under me. I glance down, expecting to see my palm filled with slick yet still visible, but with the lights off, all I can make out is the fuzzy, dark grey outline of my hand and my sticky forearm.

I grimace.

Last time, I think as I stagger to my feet. This is the last time. So it's fine. And it was just a bit of “Me Time.” There's nothing wrong with that. But now I can focus on my bros and our camping trip!

I try to smile at that thought, but I know that if I turned the light on and look in the mirror, a smile isn't what I would see. Puffing my cheeks, I shake my head as I stumble to the toilet and lift the lid, dumping the slick from my hand into the bowl. My snout wrinkles as I feel beads of natural lubricant roll down my thighs, and I quickly grab several pieces of toilet paper to clean myself up.

It would be more ideal to just hop into the shower, but not only would that wake my brothers, it would alert them to something being wrong since I just took a shower yesterday. And, knowing my brothers, specifically Raphie-boy, they would instantly jump to me having had a wet dream, and if THAT happens, then me being quiet will be moot! And then Leo will know I woke up hard and wet! And one thing will lead to another because my bros aren't stupid, and I just can't let that happen!

Stupid, hot, AND smart big brothers! I gripe as I toss the used tissue into the toilet bowl, flushing before tucking my cock back into my slit. I fumble my way to the sink to wash my hands and cum-covered forearm. Give them an inch and they’ll figure out your entire life story and your deepest darkest desires! It’s a curse I tell you!

Snorting, I dry my hands with the towel hung up on the wall, then head for the light switch. A yelp escapes me when my foot suddenly slips. I just manage to catch myself on the counter before I tumble to the floor. My tongue sticks out when my two toes wiggle in something warm, wet, and slick.

Eeeeew! I didn't think I dripped THAT much!

Swallowing a whine, I lift my foot and hop on my one, un-gross leg to get around the puddle I've left on the floor. Flailing blindly, I find the light switch, and with a small noise of victory, I flick it on. I blink spots from my eyes when bright, golden light fills the room. When my vision clears, I glance down and sigh.

A small puddle of slick, now smeared, sits on the floor.

A pout forms on my lips as I glare at the puddle, at my foot, and back again. Huffing, I hop around a bit before managing to get my tootsie into the sink. Turning the water on, I rinse off my foot and dry it with the same towel I used for my hands, the prankster in me wishing that one or all of my brothers will use it too, and get Mikey-feet all over them. Payback for making me sleep with them and dream about doing naughty things with taken turtles!

If they're lucky, maybe some of my cuteness will rub off on them. But very doubtful.

Once done, I place my foot back down cautiously, really not wanting to having to wash my foot again. I wiggle all four of my toes on the linoleum, contemplating the gross mess I’ve left on the floor and trying to come up with a plan of attack.

Tapping my chin, my eyes flicker over to the toilet paper. While that will work for cleaning the floor, I need to deal with the smell. It wasn’t an issue for me yesterday, since my bros didn't return to the farmhouse for a good hour. Now, though? The moment I open that door — if one of my bros is awake and up here in the loft — they're going to know what I did. Which, again, will totally sabotage all my efforts to not get caught.

Even if that would have been ho—No! Bad Mikey! Bad!

Grumbling, I work around the puddle and grab a handful of toilet paper. I start wiping the tile, wracking my brain all the while for how I can fix the scent problem. I'm sure there is an air freshener in here, but that's just going to cover my scent, not get rid of it. And with how much my bros HATE my scent, I need to figure something else out. Because I don’t exactly have an hour to air out the bathroom.

Tossing the used tissues into the bowl, I stand and flush the toilet to get rid of the evidence. If this bathroom had a window, I would just open it and allow the fresh morning air to filter out my smell. But there isn't a window in here.

Tapping my chin, my eyes land on the cabinets under the sink. I brighten. If I know Mrs. Jones, then she totally has some sort of cleaning supplies under the sink! Crossing the short distance with a little jig, I open the cabinet and grin at the Lysol wipes that are sitting there like a hero come to save the day!

Humming, I pull out a few wipes and mop up where I need to. The room instantly fills with the scent of lemons and chemicals. I toss the used wipes into the garbage.

Washing off my hands, I flick the lights off and crack the door open. Peering out, my eyes land on Donnie.

Still asleep.

Sighing, I turn to study Raph next.

Still sleeping.

Phew!

Grinning, I silently skip out of the bathroom and toward the stairs.

This journey is MUCH easier than when I first got up! Ugh. Walking with a hard-on is such a drag. The waddling. The struggle to not leave a trail on the floor. The challenge of keeping it in your slit. It's sooooooo annoying! But it's even worse back at the lair. The bathroom is on the first floor, and our bedrooms are on the second. Jumping from the second floor to the first with a hard-on while trying to be stealthy in a family of ninjas is HORRIBLE. Chichi has almost caught me so many times, and I know if I don't get my feelings for my bros sorted out while I'm up here, I’m gonna get caught eventually. And when I do? I'm gonna die of embarrassment. Or run away. Or both. I’ll die then run away.

Wait...

I pause at the base of the stairs as I go over that entire thought process in my head, trying to make it make sense.

“You’re up early.”

My soul nearly leaves me as my eyes snap in the direction of the living room.

Leo is sitting lotus style in the center of the room, eyes closed, mask hanging around his neck. A light sheen of sweat covers his body. Butterflies flutter in my gut as I gaze at my eldest brother, at his leaf-green skin glimmering in the soft rays of sunlight slanting in through the windows with the morning. And, pizza supreme! The fact that he isn't wearing his mask…

I bet Leo woke up that hot.

I can't help how my brain turns to mush at the sight of my brother. My hands flex at my sides as I work to pull myself together, and I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying what I’m thinking out loud.

Amused chestnut eyes open and meet my flustered gaze. I nearly melt when he cocks his head to the side and smiles at me.

“What? Still too sleepy for a conversation?”

No, you and our brothers just need to stop looking like that if you want my brain to function properly.

Leo chuckles at his own joke as he rolls his shoulders before returning to his normal meditative pose, hands resting on his knees with finger and thumb touching. He closes his eyes again, and a tidal wave of disappointment hits me at the loss.

“There is still enough tea left over if you think you’ll need a pick-me-up,” Leo casually offers as if I'm not just dumbly standing and staring at him like the freak that I am. “I already got out Donnie’s coffee beans for you, but I wasn't expecting you to be down for another half-hour or so. Everything okay?”

That question snaps me out of my stupor, and I quickly clear my throat while rubbing the back of my head.

“O-Oh! Yeah! I'm fine. Honest. Just had to get up to pee and didn't feel like going back to bed, ya know?” I shoot Leo a smile that he can't see, but somehow, I feel like he can tell by the way his lips curl upward, as if returning the gesture. “You know how Raphie snores. Nobody can fall asleep with that chainsaw going.”

Coughing awkwardly, I gradually start tip-toeing toward the kitchen, taking long, exaggerated steps while keeping my eyes on my brother.

“But, ya know, since I'm up,” I continue with a light shrug, “why don't I just get started on breakfast so that once the dudes are up and about, we don't have to wait long to get started? Uh, cuz it sounded like we had quite the hike ahead of us, from the way you dudes described this campsite you found.”

Leo nods but doesn't open his eyes. And yet, I swear I can sense him tracking my every movement from the stairs to the entrance of the kitchen. Which he probably is. Maybe he’s even using some weird ninja magic stuff to see me with like a hidden third eye or whatever. Who knows what he learned in that jungle! We’ve dealt with weirder stuff, so it could happen! And at this point, like, ANYTHING is tamer than an ancient, immortal being bringing back his statue buddies and then ripping a portal open that allowed monsters to come into our world. Like, THAT is crazy. And it actually happened!

“Right, Mikey?”

Ah figure skating Raphie-sacks!

I refocus on my eldest brother. Panicking slightly, my mouth opens and closes for a whole second too long before I laugh nervously and give my brother a thumbs up.

“Oh! Uh, totes, Leo!”

The subtle lift of Leo’s eye ridge is all I need to know that, my response? Wasn't the correct one.

Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars.

“Right,” Leo drawls. “You have no idea what I just said, do you?”

I shoot my leader an apologetic look as I scratch my cheek.

“No. Sorry, Aniki.”

Leo sighs, but the upturn of his mouth tells me he's not actually disappointed or mad at me. He cracks an eye open, studying me briefly before he chuckles.

“It’s fine. It wasn't overly important. Just go start breakfast and get some caffeine in you, Otōto. We‘ve got a long day ahead of us, and I'm gonna need your cheerful attitude to keep Raph in line while we hike.”

A wide grin swiftly replaces my apologetic expression, and I lift my hand in a mock salute.

“Sir, yes, sir!” I giggle. “You won't have anything to worry about, Aniki! Just give me another ten minutes, and I’ll be fully caffeinated, sugared up, and raring to go!”

Leo laughs and closes his eye once more.

“That's good to hear, Little One,” Leo states, causing my heart to somersault in my chest, and my knees nearly give out. “But do promise me you’ll at least put your pads and mask on before we head out, yeah? And maybe your belt, too?”

Blinking, my brain has to catch up before I glance down in alarm. Heat spreads across my face when I realize how NAKED I am compared to my brother.

I squeak. “O-Oh! Let me get dressed!”

Face burning, I rush back for the stairs, taking them two at a time while Leo’s laughter follows me from the living room. That sound alone makes me smile despite my embarrassment.

At least I remembered to tuck myself away, I think with a shake of my head. Wouldn't THAT have been quite the conversation starter?

Snickering to myself, I hurry to my empty bed where all my stuff is. I pause briefly when I see the bathroom door is shut, and Raph’s bed is empty. Another spark of panic fills me for a brief second before I quickly shove it away. Raphie was still sleeping when I left the bathroom, and so was Donnie.

I risk a glimpse at my genius brother, but he’s still in bed, on his side and facing away from me.

Kami, Mikester, calm down! I mentally scold myself as I strap on my pads. Just cuz Raphie-boy is up for a piss doesn't mean YOU woke him. It was probably Leo’s laughing or nature calling that woke him. Geez. Not everything is about you.

Huffing to myself, I resume getting dressed with a roll of my eyes.

I think I'm gonna need stronger caffeine than what Leo’s tea can provide.

Notes:

*oyasumi - good night

Chapter 14: Starry-Eyed Promise

Notes:

Hello everyone!

It truly has been a while hasn't it? ^.^" I am so so sorry about that! All of your patience in me updating this has meant a lot and I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am for it.

A lot has happened between my last update and now. Life's been busy, I've been working on other personal projects that I've been wanting to work on. I got a promotion at work which has changed when I have time to be able to write. I'm now having to be a *gasp* DAY person rather than the night owl that I truly am. November I tried to work on this and another personal project and then I got covid for the second time ever. By interacting with the ONE person I saw who happened to ALSO get covid from another coworker. I literally have a space to myself and hardly interact with others and the one time I do, I get covid lol. But I'm all better now! And then the holidays happened and my job got super busy and I wanted to make sure I had time for my personal projects so sadly this got put on the back burner as I focused on other things.

But that doesn't mean I ever forgot about this story! I still saw all of your sweet comments that all of you left and received the kudos. I had this chapter started for a long while. I just needed time to focus on other things for a little bit. Gotta keep those creative juices flowing!

But, again, for anyone still sticking around to read this I deeply appreciate all of your support and I hope you enjoy the chapter below!

Edit: Lotus_Empress has beta'd this chapter! So if you are rereading this and see some changes that will be why! And to all the wonderful people who have commented since this chapter first went up, thank you so much! You're support and kind words have been making my day each time I see them come through! I'm sorry that I'm not able to respond to them all but do know that I am reading them and I thank you for them!

A soft hum leaves me as I finish packing the last of the food for our few days camping. While nervous, I can’t help but be excited as well. How can I not? It’s been such a long time since the four of us got to go camping, and I’m pretty sure that last time, Leo didn’t get a chance to enjoy himself at all, too deep in his depression to even enjoy it. He mostly just…wallowed in his defeat against the Shredder and suffered his injuries in silence. But now that he’s back from South America and the Shredder is long gone forever and ever, we can try again!

I can’t wait to see Leo in his element! I just barely suppress my grin as I zip up the cooler. Going all caveman on us. Bet he even knows how to catch fish with his bare hands now!

Snickering to myself, I move to put the food we aren’t taking back into the fridge when the skin on the back of my neck prickles. My shoulders tense, but I otherwise don’t try to dodge the hand chop to my head. It’s not a hard hit, but it’s enough to get me to jump and turn around. Holding my head, I pout at Raph.

“Raaaaaph, what was that for?” I whine, my heart skipping when my older brother smirks at me.

“’Cause while ya were gigglin’ and daydreamin’ ova here, Fearless was trying t’ ask ya a question, Doofus.”

Heat spreads across my cheeks, and I glance toward the entrance of the kitchen. My eye ridges furrow when I don’t see anyone standing there. Glancing back up at Raph, I tilt my head.

“Uh, well, he’s not here anymore. What did he want?”

Raph rolls his eyes, reaching over and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I try not to focus on how warm he feels as I stare up at my hotheaded brother with wide eyes. I’m totally not fighting the urge to lean into him to try and get a whiff of my hot older brother’s scent or anything. Nope! Not at all!

Because wouldn’t THAT be embarrassing? I think, fiddling with my fingers as I wait for Raph to answer.

A snort from my older brother helps me refocus as I’m squeezed into a warm side.

“Da worrywart was just checkin’ ta make sure dat we had enough food or if dere’s a chance dat we might need ta go huntin’ while we’re campin’.”

“Oh…” I glance at the cooler I just closed. “Um, we should be all set to go.” A sly look forms on my face. “Unless SOMEONE eats it all.”

A laugh escapes me when Raph catches me in a headlock and starts rubbing his knuckles on my head, using just enough force for me to feel it.

“Yeah, Numbnuts, and dat someone would be YOU!” Raph snickers as he walks me over to the entrance of the kitchen. “Ya little food goblin, you. Now, are ya finished packin’ fer camping? Or are we gonna have ta wait on yer tiny ass ta over pack?”

“Heeeeey!” I try to squirm out of Raph’s hold. “I don’t over pack! I just never know what I might be in the mood to do! Will I wanna draw? Read comics? Oooo, what about a video game? I gotta be prepared, Dude! Anything could happen!” I cheer in triumph when I manage to slip out of Raph’s grasp. (He totally didn’t let me go. I definitely won our wrestling match just now.) “‘Sides, what would happen if we ran into another crazy beast like that time when those crazy monster hunters came up here? But instead of being all sweet and nice like she was, they’re all like ‘RAWR’!” I wiggle my fingers at my big brother.

Raph lifts an eye ridge at me.

“Uh-huh. Right. And yer sure dat ya didn’t hit yer head gettin’ up dis morning?”

I stick my tongue out at my brother, ducking out of the way when Raph goes to swipe at me. Squealing, I hurry from the room, spying Leo and Donnie in the living room going through the supplies we need for our camping trip.

“Leeeooooo!” I rush for my eldest brother. “Raphie is picking on me!”

Leo stands and turns, brown eyes soft, a small, amused smile on his face as he opens his arms right as I collide with him. His arms easily wrap around me, and it takes a lot for me to not shiver. I bury my face into Leo’s plastron, arms snaking around my big brother’s waist. Leo’s plastron vibrates as he chuckles.

“Oh? Raphie is picking on you, is he?”

I bite my lip to keep from snickering as I nod, keeping my face hidden as I hear Raph snort.

“He had it comin’,” Raph states, and I can just imagine him crossing his arms with that amused look in his golden eyes.

“Did not!” I pull my face from my hiding spot to stick my tongue out at him.

“Careful, Darlin’, or I might make yer tongue mine.”

My eye ridges furrow. I study my emerald brother in confusion even as my stomach somersaults at the nickname that slips from my brother’s mouth.

“How would you do that when it’s attached to my mouth?”

I point at my tongue for emphasis. Raph’s smirk widens and he starts to stalk toward me. My heart skips a beat, and my hand slowly lowers down as my buff brother starts to close in on me. I go to shift when Leo’s arms tighten around me, holding me in place and my heart rate speeds up as I realize that I’m completely trapped between my two older brothers. Air catches in my throat when Raph leans down, our snouts inches apart, and I fight to not let my gaze drift down to his mouth, no matter how tantalizing it is. My arms tighten around Leo on reflex when Raph slowly reaches out. My eyes widen when Raph suddenly snatches the tip of my tongue.

“Waaaaphie!” I whine. “Wet goooooo!”

Another tiny noise emits from me when Raph tugs on my tongue, forcing it down my chin.

“Dere’s a lot of ways dat I can make dis mine.”

My heart leaps into my throat. What…What in the world does that mean? Does that… that can’t mean what I think means. Or… Or does it? No. No it can’t mean how it sounds. He’s just being Raph.

“Raphael.”

Blinking, I glance up to the best of my ability as Leo speaks. I can’t quite see his face, but I do see Raph’s golden eyes flicker up to our eldest brother. Something flashes across my hotheaded brother’s face. It passes so quickly that I don’t get a chance to figure out what it could mean.

Raph snorts and tugs gently on my tongue before releasing it.

“Just keep yer tongue ta yerself, Baby Brat.”

My tongue quickly retreats, and I nod as I release Leo’s waist to cover my mouth protectively. Raph smirks at me, chuckling lowly as he reaches out to rub my head. The sound sends a shiver coursing through my body.

“Good, now tell Fearless dat yer done in da kitchen and whether we need ta go huntin’ or not.”

My head cocks in confusion before I remember why Raph had been leading me out of the kitchen. Shell, I’m so easily distracted. How did Sensei deal with me when I was younger?

“Oh! Right, um, we might need to have someone going hunting but that depends on how much we eat. But nothing bigger than a rabbit or maybe a fish or two.” I grin. “Outside of that, we’re all good to go kitchen-wise. How’s the packing going? Did we pack enough?”

I start to lean around Leo, but he tightens his arms around me again and rests his chin on my head.

“We’re almost finished actually. Right, Don?”

“Hai,” Donnie says, his voice sounding a little distracted. “Raph, we might need you to carry the bigger bag.”

I blink, trying once more to peek at Donnie and what he’s doing, but Leo still won’t loosen up enough to let me! I huff. I just wanna look so I can know what we’re bringing.

Suddenly, memories of us packing for this trip come to mind, and I remember that we only have one tent. Oh, shell! Will this work out? I already have to share a bed with one of my brothers, but now we’re going to be trapped in a much smaller space.

My bros aren’t going to expect me to crawl into the same sleeping bag as them, will they? I wonder, having to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from panicking. I can’t let my bros know that there’s something wrong! Because if they keep worrying about me, then they’re not going to have time to worry about furthering their relationship and finally telling me about it! This needs to go well, because if it does, I bet my bros will realize it’s the perfect time for them to tell me about, well, them!

“Yeah, yeah. I gotchu, Brainiac.” Raph rolls his shoulders, flexing like he always does when he’s reminded that he is the strongest out of the four of us. The show-off. His golden eyes flicker back down to me, and he winks. I quickly turn my face back into Leo’s plastron, swallowing a whine as my knees wobble.

It’s not faaaair! My brothers are SO doing this on purpose. They have to be.

A pout forms when I hear Raph snickering at me, but I don’t dare lift my head just in case my cheeks are as red as they feel. Warm hands start rubbing my shell, and I instantly relax against my big brother.

“Raph’s just teasing you, Mikey,” Leo whispers, kissing the top of my head. My cheeks burn hotter, and my skin tingles where his lips brush against me. I stay buried in his solid chest, voice muffled.

“I know that!”

For the second time today, I feel his chest vibrate with his chuckles.

“Right.” Leo squeezes me. “Donnie? How’s it—”

“Done!” Donnie calls out. I hear him stand up. “Raph! Get your shell back here and come pick up this bag.”

I peek out from my hiding spot against Leo as Raph walks by. I pout at him, and he shoots me this weirdly smug look that makes my insides squirm. My eyes narrow as I watch him stalk past Leo and scoop up the large bag that Donnie had been working on.

“Keep yer shell on, Brainiac. I got it.” Raph drawls, shouldering the bag. “One of ya will hafta carry da food fer da Squirt, though. Don’t trust him ta not sneak some snacks.” Raph shoots me a look over his shoulder, grinning.

You three are the only snacks I need.

My eyes widen, and I quickly go back to using Leo as a living shield, hoping I’m not too obvious when I press my thighs together.

“Mikey?”

Leo softly calls my name, causing me to jump a little. I turn my gaze up toward him, blinking as he stares down at me. We lock eyes, and my heart stutters at the unreadable expression on my eldest brother’s face. My mouth dries and air catches in my throat when Leo starts to lean down.

What is he doing? Why’s Leo getting so close to my—

Lips caress my forehead, cutting off my train of thought.

“Go get your bag, Little One. The three of us will meet you out on the porch.”

Numbly, I nod and very reluctantly pull away from Leo, my arms falling to my sides. Leo smiles and rubs my head now that his arms are no longer around me.

“Good. I’ll grab the food from the kitchen as well, so don’t take too long.”

Again, I nod, lifting my hand in a mock salute. “Sir, yes, sir!”

I don’t wait around to see their reactions. Instead, I turn and bound up the stairs to the loft area, doing my best to act all natural. Nothing wrong with me! Completely fine Mikey right here! Right?

Right.

A soft sigh leaves me when I reach the top of the stairs. What in the world was I thinking? Leo? Kissing ME on the lips? Seriously? What’s WRONG with me? This trip is all about my brothers and letting them know that they can trust me with their secret. And if that means receiving only kisses to the forehead for the rest of my life, that’s okay.

I shake my head, still in total disbelief over how much of a dummy I am. I mean, honestly, LEO kissing ME on the lips? Ha! Yeah right. In my dreams! I should just be happy that he wanted to hug me in front of his mates! Maybe that’s why Raph was acting all macho and weird. Probably showing Leo who he should really be hugging.

To be fair, Raphie does give some super awesome hugs. The phantom feeling of strong arms wrapped around me fills my mind as I shoulder my bag. Heat spreads across my face, and my hand clenches hard on my bag’s strap as I squeeze my eyes shut, curling into myself while trying desperately to shove those feelings away. It’s fine. Everything is fine.

Dragging in a deep breath, I release it slowly. Once my chest rattles from exhaling all my air from my lungs, I straighten and put on my cheerful expression.

“It’s time to go camping!” I cheer, turning on my heels and heading back down the stairs. “Everything will go just fine. We’ll find a wicked spot to set up camp, tell ghost stories around the campfire, make s’mores, sleep in a tent together, listening to…”

My train of thought screeches to a halt when my brain catches up to the part about the tent.

I groan.

Sheeeeeell. I keep forgetting about our one and only tent! Those dang rats that are NOT related to my father! They just HAD to chew through all our tents. Couldn’t they have chewed through something else? Like some pipes or some garbage from the nearby grocery store? An overly ripe fruit has gotta taste way better than a few tents made of canvas!

I swear the whole universe is out to get me! I mentally complain as I reach the landing. Pouting, I glance around as I readjust the bag on my shoulder. I can hear the muffled voices of my brothers, who are already outside and waiting for me.

I hesitate.

What… What if I just say I’m super tired and don’t want to deal with the cold? Then they can go on the camping trip by themselves, and I can just stay here and not deal with my emotions. After all, my bros deserve to have some alone time with one another, which just isn’t a thing down in the lair.

I guess they could always move out…

My chest tightens, the feeling so painful that I have to physically grasp at my plastron as a soft gasp leaves me. Oh shell. No. I…I don’t think I could handle it if they all moved out and left me in the lair alone. What if something happened to Sensei and there was nothing I could do? What if the lights go out and there’s no one there to tell me that there’s nothing in the dark to be afraid of? What if I get stuck in my head while heading home from patrol and there’s no one there to bump me out of it?

My jaw clenches as my throat tightens.

Shell. I’m so selfish. My brothers should be allowed to have their own space without worrying about their nosy little brother. A safe place where they’re allowed to be mates in peace. I just… I’m…

I just wish I was included in that space.

Heat builds behind my eyes, but I quickly clear my throat and scrub my face. No. I’m not doing this again. I’m not going to wallow in my self-pity. I’ve done that for the last however many hours and seconds we’ve been here at the farmhouse. No more. I’m going to do everything in my power to give my bros an amazing vacation while we’re camping and also for the rest of the time we’re here at the farm. I just need to not be in my head so much! That’s all. I just need to stay out of my head and focus solely on my bros.

Nodding and patting my cheeks to psych myself up, I drag in another deep breath and release it. My shoulders relax, and I smile as I head for the door. I swing it open just as Raph laughs at a proud-looking Donnie. Leo, being Leo, looks exasperated and amused at the same time. I quirk an eye ridge.

“Did I miss something?”

Raph snorts, then laughs harder as Donnie walks up to me and wraps an arm around my shoulders.

“Nah, you didn’t miss anything, Dove,” Donnie replies, chuckling. His pretty hazel eyes sparkle with mirth, making my stomach feel like goo. “You just know how Raph is when he hears something funny.”

“And boy was dat funny!”

Leo snorts and shakes his head as Raph guffaws loudly, our oldest brother pushing on Raph’s shell to get him to start walking.

“It wasn’t THAT funny, Raphael!”

I grin. “Oooo, was it not funny because it was about you, An-ik-iiiiii?” I ask innocently as Donnie and I take up the rear. My grin widens as I swear Leo’s cheeks turn a shade of red. Donnie snickers next to me, causing me to look up at him. He winks at me.

“No!” Leo denies.

Raph laughs harder.

“It wasn’t about ME. Donnie made a joke, and Raph laughed. Ha ha. There. Done. Now, we need to leave! We’re wasting precious daylight by just standing here.”

Raph continues to snicker as Leo does his best to push our large, muscular brother along. Donnie leans down, whispering, “It WAS about him. Don’t let our Aniki fool you, Dove.”

I cover my mouth to stifle my giggles, and Donnie quickly straightens as Leo shoots a glare our way. I smile innocently, which only makes Leo more suspicious. That is, until Raph tries to twist around and capture our big brother in a headlock. Leo easily ducks under the move, his eye ridge rising in challenge when Raph snorts and swipes at him again. Leo gracefully sidesteps, a grin slowly curling his lips. Donnie shakes his head, sighing good-naturedly as a challenging grin takes over Raph’s face before he darts toward Leo.

“I swear these two just get more childish the older we get,” Donnie gripes. But when I glance up at him, I can see fondness shining brightly in his eyes, like a lone star on a cloudless night. I quickly return my attention to our two older brothers, heart pounding.

“I mean, I’d rather them be playful like this than all that fighting they used to do when we were fifteen.”

Donnie barks a laugh, hugging me close. I go easily, telling myself that it’s for Donnie’s sake and not just mine.

“Got me with that one, baby brother of mine!” Donnie exclaims. I feel him staring at me as we continue to walk. “I would much rather have this than them fighting, too. Raph! If you break anything I packed in that bag, it’s coming out of YOUR motorcycle funds!”

I chuckle as Raph flips us the bird, refusing to give up the chase despite Donnie’s threat.  Leo and Raph sprint past the treeline at the edge of the farm, and a familiar spike of determination reignites in my chest as Donnie, and I follow. My fingers tighten on my backpack straps.

Don’t worry, Donnie. I’ll make sure you three have the happiest time as mates for the rest of your life, just you wait! I swear it on my nunchakus and all my Silver Sentry comic books.

 

Chapter 15: Lakeside Arrangements

Notes:

Hello everyone!

First, I wish to apologize for the long hiatus between chapters. Life got very crazy during 2024 between work and friends and family. It got to the point that it made it hard to focus on this story.
However, I wasn’t kidding when I said I had a chapter started nor will I ever go back on my promise in finishing this story. I saw all your comments and the kudos you gave to this story and honestly, I am so lucky to have readers like all of you. Even when I took so long to update, many of you stayed to check every day or every week. From the very bottom of my heart, I cannot say how grateful I am for that.

I know it is not much, but I hope this chapter is worth the wait and I hope to do much better in 2025. I know I have much to make up for toward all of you and your patience toward me and this story. Happy belated holidays and here is to a Happy New Year!

This chapter was beta’d by Empress Lotus!

“Doooonnie,” I whine as sweat beads on the back of my neck. “Dude, are we at this extra wonderful, totally spectacular camping spot yet? I’m getting all sweaty.”

I hear Donnie chuckle from the front of the group while I take up the rear. Hey, it’s not my fault I was cursed with the short legs of the family! And not everyone is a freaking Olympic god like my brothers with their longer legs.

No! Focus Mikester! Focus! This heat might try to make your will weak and your aching feet beg for a distraction, but don’t give in! Stay. Focused!

“So quit yer whining, Numbnuts!”

I blink when I hear Raph speak.

“Huh?”

Raph groans loudly while Donnie and Leo shoot me amused looks. Leo slows to walk beside me as I pout.

“You didn’t hear a word Donnie just said, did you?”

A light flush dusts my cheeks as I shoot Leo a sheepish grin.

“Uh, I plead the Fifth?”

Leo shakes his head, a slight quirk to his lips that has my heart skipping a beat. The sunlight that peeks through the tree branches illuminates the forest green tones in my eldest brother’s skin, and I just know if I look over at Raph or Donnie, the golden glow will also highlight all the tiny pigments that make up the perfect colors of their scales. I swallow thickly and quickly avert my eyes.

“Maybe…Maybe you could remind me? Just for, uh, the sake of repetition making it easier to remember and all that jazz?”

“It doesn’t matter now, anyways,” Donnie says, chuckling softly as I peek at him from the corner of my eyes. “Because we’re here!”

My eyes widen as I glance around in surprise. There is a sparkling lake outstretched before us, the water gently lapping at a small portion of sand that leads to the water. The ground around us is mostly clear, and I can see two logs surrounding a firepit a little farther ahead. I perk up instantly.

“Dudes! You were already out here and set this all up AND didn’t tell me?” I grin excitedly at Donnie as he shoots me a contrite smile. “You sneaky turtles you!” I giggle. I start removing my bag.

“We only moved the logs and made the firepit,” Donnie admits as my brothers follow my lead. “We didn’t want the tent to get ruined or stolen while we weren’t here.”

“Correction,” Raph says, jumping in as he stretches his back. “FEARLESS didn’t want anythin’ ta happen ta da tent and made us wait.”

I laugh as Leo throws Raph a withering look.

“We don’t know if someone might come by in a boat while fishing, Raph!”

Donnie rolls his eyes. “Leo, you know just as we do that the fishing opener isn’t for another month. I doubt anyone would have come here to go boating or fishing. Besides, this was one of the most secluded spots we found. AND this is part of the Jones’ private land. Sure, near the edge of the property line, but still far enough in that there shouldn’t be anyone here.”

My chest pangs at Donnie’s words. Did they come out here to have some fun time? And because they think they need to include me, they’re forcing themselves to share this private place with me? I bite my lip, working hard to keep my warring emotions at bay. When my throat starts to tighten, I clear my it before putting my hands on my hips.

“Well, I think this spot’s perfect!” I declare, trying hard to act normal. “And it has the perfect way to cool off! COWABUNGA!” I whoop and race full speed toward the lake.

“Wait, Mikey!” Leo calls out, trying to swipe my arm as I go by. “The water! It’s still—!”

I whoop again as I leap from the small beach and tuck my knees to my chest. The moment I hit the water, I instantly know what Leo was trying to warn me about. Holy Shell! This water feels like thousands of little ice cubes are slamming into my skin! I have to press a hand to my snout to keep from gasping and, well, DROWNING, because wouldn’t THAT be fun to explain to Sensei? Instead, I frantically flail around until my feet touch ground, and I shoot up, staggering as I stand straight.

“G-Gah! C-Cold!” I stammer out, pushing my mask tails from my face. I laugh, shivering as I wring my long mask tails out. “G-Guess sw-swimming’s out for—for this outing hu-huh?” I giggle again and flick the tails back over my shoulder, shivering harder as more water droplets glide down my skin and under my shell. Grinning, I glance over at my brothers. “Well, at least I’m not sweaty anymore!”

My smile starts to slip when all my brothers do is stare at me, eyes like saucers. Leo’s closest to me, toes just barely touching the water, arms outstretched as if ready to go in after me. Raphie is directly behind Leo, hand grasping Leo’s belt as if to stop him. Donnie is further back, tent in hand, his mouth hanging slightly open.

Starting to feel self-conscious, I laugh nervously as I wipe some water from my eyes.

“Wh-What’s wrong, Dudes? Ne-Never seen a wet turtle before?” I joke, cautiously making my way toward them, starting to get more nervous the longer the silence stretches on. “Or did…did I SHELLSHOCK you all by ju-jumping into the lake?” This time my snicker is less nervous and more genuine, amused by my own pun.

My brothers still don’t react, and I make it all the way to Leo without them saying anything or moving an inch. Almost like statues. If it wasn’t for the occasional rise and fall of their chests, I’d think they really DID turn into statues. Which – with some of the stuff we’ve had to deal with in the past – wouldn’t be too out of left field. I just would much rather that never happen, ya know? Especially on vacation!

“Uh, Leo? Hello?” I ask, waving a hand in front of his face. “Yo, Bro, you in there still? Eep!”

I squeak when Leo catches my wrist right before I can poke his snout with my finger, his grip tight, but not crushing. I stare up at him with wide blue eyes, the air catching in my throat at the intense look in his gaze, his once chestnut brown eyes now dark. My mouth dries as I return his gaze. The warmth from his hand is electrifying, and I try to convince myself that it’s because I just jumped into a lake that was probably frozen over not even a month ago, so it makes sense that Leo’s hand is warm, and the staticky tingling I feel is just the heat coming back to my skin and nothing else. Nope. Nothing else. And most certainly not a result of my big brother’s actual touch on my wrist. Nope. Not at all.

I’m not in denial! YOU’RE in DENIAL.

“Le-Leo?” I ask, chuckling nervously. “Um…you, uh….you okay, Bro?”

The fingers on my wrist flex, and for a moment, I think that Leo is going to squeeze harder. What I’m not expecting is for him to gently tug on my wrist, forcing me a step closer and into a warm embrace. My heart skips a beat, and I don’t dare move or shift at all.

“Michelangelo,” Leo breathes out in a way that has my stomach swooping and my heart leaping into my throat, “what in the world were you thinking, jumping into the lake like that? Are you trying to get sick?”

“W-Well, I didn’t—I mean, what I’m trying to say is—” I stammer, eyes still wide as I stare at Leo’s collar bone. I swallow thickly when Leo’s arms tighten around me.

“Never mind that.” Leo says with a soft sigh, kissing the top of my head, leaving the skin there burning oh-so-pleasantly. “Let’s get you warmed up.”

Not trusting my voice, I merely nod as Leo guides me away from the lake, still holding me tightly to himself with an arm wrapped around my waist. I blink in surprise when he passes me to Raphie instead of leading me over to one of the logs.

“Raph, hold him, please. Donnie and I will get the tent set up and the fire going.” Leo instructs, leaving no room for arguments.

“Yeah, no problem.” Raph gruffs, hot air hitting the top of my head as he leans forward.

My heart slams against my ribcage as I’m transferred from one set of “Big Brother Arms” to another set of “Big Brother Arms” – these arms being much larger, more muscular, and just a tad warmer than Leo’s.

Oh shell, what did I get myself into? Why did I think jumping into the lake was a good idea? Why didn’t I realize that this would happen? Or that the water would be freezing cold?

“All right, Darlin’,” Raph says, breaking me from my thoughts. “Up ya get.”

“Wha—?!”

I squeak as Raph suddenly lifts me up and turns me so that my shell is facing him, and I nearly choke when Raph and I start falling back for a split second before my shell hits his plastron. Dazed, I’m only vaguely aware that I am now sitting in my hotheaded brother’s lap, shell-to-plastron, his muscular arms wrapped tightly around me.

Okay, Mikester: breathe. Just breathe. No use getting all worked up. Your brothers are just worried about you getting sick after being in freezing water. That’s all. Yup. That’s it. Nothing else. Nope. Nada. Just them being good big brothers and making sure the shrimp of the family doesn’t freeze to death because of his own stupid mistakes.

“Here you go.”

Donnie’s voice has me looking up just in time for him to unfold a blanket and tuck it around me and Raph.

“Make sure to keep rubbing heat into his skin, Raph. And keep him awake. We don’t want him to suddenly go into brumation.”

I sigh softly, burying my face into the blanket.

“Dooooonnieeeee,” I whine, “I’m FINE. Just a little cold! I also know better than to fall asleep while this cold.” No matter how warm Raphie is. “I’ll be fiiiiiiiiine.”

Raph’s arms squeeze my middle, nearly pulling another very manly squeak from me.

“Don’t worry, Don, I got our reckless Shell-fer-Brains. Ya and Fearless finish settin’ up what ya can. We’ll trade off if ya need me ta do anythin’.”

I pout as Raph and Donnie talk without listening to me. Grumbling, I huff and sink further into the blanket. Stupid, overly-caring, tooth-rottingly sweet, big brothers. When we were fifteen, they would have just told me to suck it up and deal with being cold because it was my fault.

“We should be okay,” Donnie says, walking away. “But we’ll let you know.”

Snorting, I slump back against Raph.

“Honestly, Raphie, you can just go and help—nrk!”

The words catch on my tongue when large, calloused hands start rubbing my thighs, large fingers leaving spark-and heat-trails wherever they caress, calloused thumbs pressing into the muscles so nicely that my legs twitch involuntarily, and I have to bite my lip to keep any UNmanly noises from slipping free.

My heart begins hammering in my chest as I imagine what would happen if Raph figured out what this innocent touching is doing to me. Because I know what he’s trying to do. He’s trying to rub heat into my skin just like Donnie told him! And because Raphie is a good brother, he’s doing it when he really, really, REALLY doesn’t need to. Like at all. Nope, doesn’t need to, no matter how nice it feels. But if I tell him he doesn’t need to, I am going to make sounds so embarrassing that my brothers will figure out my feelings for them and this whole outing will be ruined and I can’t have that! I just can’t.

“Geez, Mike. Ya keep going like dat, and yer gonna hyperventilate. Relax a little.”

“Grk!”

My body twitches as Raph’s whispering breath tickles the skin near my ear. Relax? RELAX? He wants me to relax when all my brain can think about is his fingers going higher and higher on my thigh until my legs are forced to part so that his fingers can—!

“Tent’s ready!”

My jaw clenches, my tail pressing harder against my slit (the best it can at least) as my groin starts growing way too warm for my liking. Leo’s voice serves as the perfect distraction, letting me swiftly pop off Raph’s lap, blanket and all, before he can stop me. I hurry for the tent.

“First dibs on where to sleep!” I call out, hoping that my brothers don’t hear the slight crack in my voice as I speed past them.

Once inside the flaps, I take a deep breath, my thighs pressing together as I will the warmth in my groin to go away. Please, oh please just go away! My brothers are going to catch wind of my scent and get gassed out of the tent!

I squeeze my eyes shut.

Go away, go away, go away! Maybe I should jump in the lake again? Would that help? No, then my bros would hug me again. What about thinking about Father in a speedo?

I shudder, snout scrunching and the building heat down south slowly vanishes. Yeah, that did the trick. Sighing in relief, I straighten and wrap the blanket around my shoulders again. Mind now clear of hot-to-trot bros, I take the time to study the layout of the tent. As I do, I bring the blanket to my snout and rub the soft fabric on my face.

Thankfully, this is a large tent, more than enough room for the four of us to share sleeping in a row. Whenever we’ve slept in this tent, Leo and Raph always liked being on either side of Donnie and I, just in case of any possible intruder as the entrance is directly across from where we sleep, and it allows them to better conceal their weapons.

Leo is the lightest sleeper, but always insists on sleeping near the entrance of the flaps when we use one of our smaller tents. Raph has his sais and one hell of an aim, so he always takes the other end of the tent, toward the back flaps, in those kinds of smaller sleeping arrangements. Heck, I’ve almost lost an eye more than once walking in on him without knocking! But this time around, I won’t have to step over any super sensitive or ornery big brothers!

We’ve also all been trained to sense when someone who isn’t family is nearby, but I will admit that, sometimes, I’m rather hard to wake up. So…should I be put next to Raph and his chainsaw snoring? Because once I’m asleep even Raphie’s snoring won’t bother me.

I tap my chin. There are so many factors to think about here! But if I consider all of them, maybe I should just sleep between Raph and Donnie? Avoid being between Leo and Donnie this time around. Donnie doesn’t snore, and he isn’t as jumpy or sensitive in his sleep as Leo. If I need to step out for an… EMERGENCY Me Time, Donnie wouldn’t wake up for it. The problem is, Donnie usually sleeps close to Leo, who is the lightest sleeper of all the light sleepers EVER. He is so gonna know every time someone leaves the tent, whether to pee or for…other reasons. And if we (namely ME) take too long to return from a supposed bathroom break, he is gonna come looking.

My cheeks heat up at the thought of Leo finding me, kneeling on the forest floor, dick in hand, ass and tail in the air, ready for….

Bad Mikey! Bad! You’re supposed to be trying NOT to be aroused! That’s why you came in here!

I fight the urge to whimper as I silently cry to myself, Ugh! This is so much harder than I thought! Breathing in deep, I pinch my cheeks until they hurt, hoping to clear my traitor mind of all sexy, distracting thoughts.

Alright, Mikester! Turtle up! This is a fun camping trip, and it’ll be the point where my bros will know I can be trusted with their secret. We need to do this right!

Exhaling slowly, I straighten and study the space once more. Snapping out the blanket, I place it down on the spot where I want to sleep, certain that it’d give me the best chance of escaping the tent without Leo finding out it’s me, if it came down to that. Pleased with my work, I roll my shoulders back.

“Good job, Mikester!” I say aloud, a proud grin on my face. “One less thing to worry about tonight!”

Nodding once, I turn and exit the tent…

Only to squeak when I nearly collide with Leo.

“Le-Leo!” I press a hand to my plastron. “Geezums, Bro! You’re gonna give someone a heart attack just sneaking up on them like that!”

An amused look forms on Leo’s face as he studies me. He places his hands on his hips.

“Mikey, we’re NINJAS,” Leo says, laughter coloring his voice. “We’re MEANT to sneak around. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be very good ninjas now, would we?”

A flush colors my face as I feel my Aniki looking me over, obviously to make sure I’m warm enough after my dip in the lake. Trying to ignore how my skin prickles, I cross my arms and turn my snout up.

“Yeah, well, we’ve brought Casey along with us on things, and he’s as quiet as rush hour in the heart of New York.”

Leo gives me a disbelieving look before he laughs.

“Mikey, Casey isn’t a NINJA. He’s a vigilante who wears a hockey mask and uses a hockey stick and baseball bat to fight crime. He doesn’t HAVE to be quiet. He just needs to get his point across.”

“Ye-Yeah, well, I, um...” I stammer, my brain trying hard to come up with a good comeback but drawing a blank.

My shoulders jump when Leo’s hand lands on my head. He rubs it as he laughs.

“Keep trying, Little Brother. You’ll think of something sooner or later,” Leo teases, brown eyes sparkling with mirth. “Besides, you’re the Battle Nexus Champion. You’re skilled enough to surprise me if you put your mind to it.”

My mouth falls open as Leo gives my head one last pat before moving past me and into the tent. Our shoulders brush as he passes, making my heart skip a beat, and for just a second, I get a mental flash of a cheesy high school romcom where the main character’s crush walks by her and everything slows down while sakura petals flutter around her.

My hand finds my chest, feeling my heart thunder under my palm. What is wrong with me? Why does every little thing my brothers do affect me so much? Will these moments ever pass? Even when we’re all old and wrinkly, and my brothers have moved into their own lair?

Something warm and heavy lands on my shoulder, forcing a shriek from me as I whip around. My heart pounds for a different reason as I stare up at a laughing Donatello, tears forming in his hazel eyes as he fights to remain upright.

“I-I just can’t—" Donnie stammers out, a hand on his stomach as he wheezes.

Embarrassment burns at my cheeks. I stomp my foot and, poke him in the plastron as another round of laughter escapes him.

“Donatello! What the shell, Dude? I nearly crapped myself!” I snap (whine) at him, which only seems to make my genius brother laugh harder. “You can’t just go around grabbing people in the middle of the woods, Bro! Have you seen ANY cabin horror movies? That’s how they ALL start!”

Another bout of laughter from near the fire pit catches my attention. My hotheaded brother is on his knees, obviously about to start a campfire, matches in one hand and a roll of old newspaper in the other. However, instead of lighting the fire, like I’m certain our kind Aniki asked him to, he’s curled in on himself, laughing.

They’re not cute when they laugh. Neither of them! Nope. I don’t even know why I like them. They’re just a couple of mean big brothers. Mean brothers who take joy in making their baby brother have heart attacks.

“Damn, Mikey,” Raph gasps out, lifting his head from the ground, tears making his golden eyes sparkle in the sunlight. And it’s not pretty. Nope. Not pretty at all. “I ain’t heard ya squeal like dat since da time Sensei snuck up on ya while watching World War Z.”

“It wasn’t that funny, guys!” I whine, tugging on my masktails as Don and Raph laugh harder. “And that wasn’t cool of Dad at all! You’re both being so uncool right now!”

Donnie gasps and opens his mouth as if about to say something before shaking his head and turning away, shoulders trembling with his mirth. Raph, for his part, points at Donnie and starts laughing all over again. I hide my unamused pout behind my masktails. I totally don’t find any of this cute or endearing, and I DEFINITELY don’t wish to listen to my brothers laugh like this all the time.

Nope. They’re just being big, mean, attractive jerks! I think, finally tearing my eyes away from the two. It only lasts for a couple seconds before I’m watching them from the corner of my eyes again. My lips twitch.

Well… I guess…if I’m allowed to hear them laugh like that… even at my own expense…just being their baby brother isn’t all that bad…

Chapter 16: Cave of Wonder

Notes:

Hello you beautiful people you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🥳 Hopefully all of you are staying safe yet having fun on this start of the new year. And I couldn't help but think: What a better way to start off 2025 than with a TCest story, hmm? Not gonna lie, it was a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope all of you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it 😀. Honestly, It's been a great time getting back into finishing LYFI and I can't wait to bring more chapters to all of you!

Anyways! Here's to a brand new year and may everything all of you have planned for the new year and wish to achieve comes true!

Beta'd by Lotus Empress 🙂

My cheeks are in my hands, my elbows resting on my knees as I stare at the flickering fire that Raph FINALLY got started after a billion years of laughing at me.  

“Ya gonna sit dere and pout da entire time, Darlin’?” Raph asks from his spot on a log across from me, rummaging through one of our backpacks. He doesn’t pull anything out, but he seems pleased by what’s in there, so I’m not gonna offer MY help. Not like they’d let me, anyways. 

Lifting my eyes from the bag, I direct my pout at my emerald-scaled brother.  

“I would do something else if I was ALLOWED to,” I sass, crossing my arms, snout turned up toward the sky with a loud harrumph. “But noooooo! I take ONE dip into the lake and suddenly I can’t do ANYTHING.” 

“We didn’t say that you can’t do anything, Mikey,” Leo states from his spot next to me, sharping a long stick that he found nearby, “only that you need to stay near the fire.” 

Donnie looks up from where he’s sorting through the cooler. He offers me an apologetic smile, hazel eyes gleaming in the afternoon sun.  

“I’m sorry, Mikey, but the risks of you catching a cold after that dip are very high, and we don’t want you to get sick on this vacation. Okay?” 

I peer at my genius brother. His hazel eyes are wide and innocent looking. With each passing second, I feel my resolve slip away. Shell, I’m so weak it isn’t even funny. 

“Ugh, fiiiiiiine! You guys win. At least I get to cook…” I grumble, standing and moving to Donnie’s side to see what he’s pulling out. I hum. “So, we don’t want a repeat of when you guys tried to cook.” I plop next to Donnie as he smiles at me and nudges me gently. “Leo, how soon will you be catching fish?” 

“Now.” 

I look over in time to see Leo stand, newly sharpened spear in hand. He smirks down at me, twirling the new spear with practiced ease, and I feel my heart clamor as I stare back. Swallowing thickly, I nod and try to find my voice. 

Can my bros stop being hot for, like, two minutes? I need my brain and mouth to work, thank you.  

“R-right! Thanks, Dude.” 

“Don’t thank ‘im yet, Darlin’,” Raph says with a snort, gold eyes flickering toward our big brother. “He hasn’t caught nothin’ yet.” 

“‘Anything yet.’ Honestly, Raphael,” Donnie sighs, crossing his arms, eye ridge quirking up. “I know you know how to make a grammatically correct sentence.” 

Raph smirks as he leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees as he stares Donnie down.  

“Oh, I know how ta speak like I swallowed da damn dictionary when I wanna, Brainiac.” Raph’s smirk grows as he glances at me and winks, making my heart nearly stop. “I just choose not ta because it drives ya and Fearless here INSANE.” 

“And we thank you for that, Raphael,” Leo states coolly with a roll of his eyes. Leo then turns his gaze on me, smiling so sweetly, I can feel cavities forming. “I did some scouting after finding this branch, and we’re in a good spot for fishing. The water, while still too cold for us, has gotten warm enough for the fish to come up from the bottom of the lake. Give me about an hour, and I’ll have a fish for each of us.” 

I nod, and Leo rubs my head, his hand warm against my skin, leaving behind a pleasant burn as he walks away. I can’t help but watch him, my eyes trailing lower and lower down his shell toward his…. 

“Don’t stay in the water too long, Leo!” Donnie calls out, snapping me from my trance. I quickly look away, cheeks aflame. “We don’t need you getting sick either!” 

Leo lifts a hand to indicate he heard Donnie as he reaches the bank of the lake. I hear Raph mutter something under his breath only to start laughing when Donnie swings his Bo at him, only just missing as Raph leans out of the way. Donnie glares at him, and Raph’s smirk reignites.  

“Looks like ya need a longer shaft, Brainiac!” Raph snickers at the expense of our genius brother. Donnie crosses his arms, scowling down at Raph. I continue to pull out supplies while they bicker, fighting not to squirm at my brother’s choice of wording.  

“My shaft is more than long enough, Raphael,” Donnie states haughtily. I bite back a whine. Why can’t they say “bo” or “stick” like normal people? At least those words won’t get me wondering about how long or large their dicks are!  

My mind drifts toward the dream I had this morning, heat bubbling low in my gut once more. No, no, no! C’mon! I just dealt with all of this! I shouldn’t need to have to excuse myself again! I aggressively pull the bag full of food toward me and start sorting through it. I hum as I study the contents, frowning. 

“What’s wrong, Dove?” Donnie asks, his tone quickly shifting to sweet after threatening Raph. 

“Where are the mushrooms I packed?” I ask, eye ridges furrowing in thought. “I could have sworn I packed them.” 

Donnie rubs his chin in thought. Raph shrugs.  

“I’m not sure. I don’t recall us having mushrooms, but we might have left them in the fridge at the farmhouse.” 

I pout.  

“That won’t do! I was gonna use the mushrooms with the fish.” Without a second thought, I stand. “I’m gonna go look and see if I can find some in the woods like Sensei showed us the last time we were here.” 

Raph frowns at me, and I can already hear what he’s about to say.  

“Ya sure ya gotta have mushrooms? Ya don’t gotta get so fancy fer us, Darlin’.” 

Sniffing, I turn my snout up.  

“I’m putting mushrooms with our fish and that’s that, Dude.” 

Donnie reaches over and pats Raph’s hand.  

“Let him go mushroom-picking. You know once Mikey makes up his mind about something, it’ll take something extreme to change it.” 

I stare smugly at Raph, earning myself a golden glare.  

“Just don’t get lost, Darlin’,” Raph grumbles. “Won’t be pleasant if we gotta go track ya down.” Raph then stands and plucks up another spear before moving to join Leo.  

I puff my cheeks up and shake my head. 

“He’s acting like I’m gonna get lost on purpose!” I whine. Donnie stands and rubs my head. 

“Don’t mind Raphie, Otōto,” Donnie says with a soft chuckle that has his eyes crinkling cutely at the corners. “We all know he’s a worrywart. Just hurry back soon. And don’t push yourself if you start feeling cold, alright? You can always cook us a fish dish with mushrooms later. We can wait.” 

“I promise!” I chirp, grinning as I sling an empty bag over my shoulder before hurrying off toward the woods. “I’ll be back before you can find the rarest Silver Sentry comic!” 

Humming to myself, I walk through the trees, my eyes drifting to the base of each trunk in search of mushrooms. I grin when I spot a group of robins fly by. A few feet from me, the bushes begin to shake, stopping a moment later when a rabbit hops out. I pause, watching its nose twitch as it gives me a onceover with its little black eyes. After several breaths, it rubs its face with a paw and continues on its way.  

“If this was the kind of stuff that Leo got to see on the daily while in the jungle, I don’t blame him for preferring it over to the city,” I whisper to myself, watching the rabbit scurry along until it vanishes into the underbrush. 

My chest feels tight at the memory of those years Leo was gone, but I hurriedly shove it down. I’m here to find mushrooms and to get my bros to trust me enough to tell me about their relationship, not to become a sad sack and think about those two depressing, Leo-less years.  

Squaring my shoulders, I move on, my ocean blue eyes scouring tree roots and fallen logs. I grin as I catch sight of a cluster of chicken mushrooms on the side of a stump, which Dad had taught us how to identify and prepare. Not far from it, at the base of a tree, are some boletes. Jackpot! They’re all just big enough for what I’m looking to do with the fish. Shell yeah! 

I continue following the trail of mushrooms, whistling as I go, unconcerned with where I’m heading. I have a vague idea of which direction camp is, and that’s all I really need to know. Besides! I just gotta listen for Raph’s angry shouts at not catching any fish cuz “Fearless is catching them all!”, and I’ll have no issue finding my way back to them.  

Moving along, I study each mushroom closely, checking to make sure it’s a size I need and isn’t a poisonous lookalike to any of the mushrooms I’ve gathered so far. If they pass the test, I place them into my bag. If they don’t, I leave them alone. Before long, my bag holds so many mushrooms, that I’ll have enough leftovers to use for the rest of our vacation!  

Wiping my brow with the back of my hand, I stand up and stretch. 

“Phew! That was a lot of work, but I think these will be good! Good job, Mikester!” I congratulate and share a fist bump with myself before snickering. I’m hilarious! And no one can tell me otherwise!  

Content, I glance around at my surrounds, blinking a bit when I don’t exactly recognize where I am. Well…. this might be a little problem for somebody else, but not for Turtle Titan and the Battle Nexus Champion!  

“Leo always says it’s good to check our surroundings,” I mumble, rubbing my chin before remembering I have dirt on them. After wiping my chin clean, I shrug. “What’s the harm of taking a little look around anyways? Who knows! Maybe I’ll find a secret lair!”  

Excitement coursing through me at that thought, I pick a direction and start down it. My eyes flicker this way and that, checking for signs of anything other than wildlife. I stop short when I notice a disturbance in one of the bushes. I tilt my head and step nearer, squatting down and examining the area. I’ve played enough video games to know that there has to be something past here. The leaves and branches are fixed at different angles meant to appear natural to the untrained eye at a glance, but upon closer observation, one can see that they’ve been purposefully bent and shifted into their current positions.  

I grin. “I bet this would have fooled someone, but not me, the Turtle Titan!” I pump my fist and do a front flip over the bush. After all, somebody worked hard to arrange the bush like that. Would be a shame to disturb such hard work, and Leo would blow a gasket if I messed something up and left evidence for someone to know I was here. I am SO not in the mood for “remedial” stealth training, or whatever he wants to call it.  

“Unless we play Ninja Hide and Seek!” I mutter excitedly as I continue walking, scanning the area. “Now THAT would be fun! It’s been such a long time since we did that. Maybe I can bribe Leo into having our next run include that. I bet Raphie and Donnie would love it!” 

I grin, thinking of ways of how I can bribe Leo into playing that game when we get home. Hopefully by then, they’ll have told me about being mates so I can use that to my advantage. Like, I could totally agree to cover for them with Sensei or provide snacks for them on dates or special nights. There is so much I can do! Being the Ultimate Little Bro has its perks.  

My thoughts shift back to the present when the treeline starts to break. Intrigued, I step out of the woods, and to my surprise, I’m greeted by a sheer, rock wall-face several paces away. Carved into it is a large cave entrance, which stares me down like a blackened eye. 

“Whoa!” I whisper, large grin forming on my lips. “I didn’t know there was caves around here!”  

Hurrying forward, I peer inside the space, my eyes easily adjusting to the darkness inside. My curiosity spikes when I see a distant golden glow further in. Checking behind me, I cautiously make my way into the cave, ears straining for a sign of any inhabitants, person or animal.  

Have I stumbled upon a secret cult? Or maybe a hidden Foot hideout? Maybe a home for some hobos? Or a secret treasure cove?  

My imagination runs wild, holding my breath when I draw close to the source. My heart thrashes against my rib cage as I reach the opening to a large alcove where the golden light shines the brightest, the sounds of the cave all but melting away into the roar of blood rushing through my veins and to my head, making me dizzy with anticipation. Sensing no other beings inside the cavern, I cautiously slip inside the room.  

My mouth falls open.  

Scattered around the decorated area are unlit wax candles interspersed among several battery-operated candles – the source of the golden glow I’d been following. Rose petals litter the ground between the candles and the outer edges of the room, forming a path deeper into the cave. I glance around, a little confused even as my stomach starts doing weird somersaults in my gut.  

“What?” I ask softly as I squat down and pick up one of the rose petals. It’s velvety and soft, and I can tell that its real. Really real. But why? Who put set all of this up, and what is it for?  

“A weird sex cult orgy room?” I wonder aloud, pocketing the petal as I stand. I make a face at that thought before following the rose petals. I sniff the air, JUST in case, but all I smell is damp earth mixed with the fragrance of roses and…and peaches?  

I’m careful to not disturb the rose petals as I walk. If some regular humans set this up, it wouldn’t do me any good for them to think a stranger discovered their secret sex dungeon.  

“Not that I KNOW it’s a secret sex dungeon.” I laugh nervously to myself. “But if April’s books have taught me ANYTHING, random rose petals and candles gotta mean SOMETHING, right?” 

I stop walking when the floor dips a bit, my toes hanging off the edge of a short ledge. Stepping back, I glance down.

My eyes widen.  

A neatly made love nest sits covered with plush orange blankets, rose petals scattered across the covers. Heart pillows outline the nest, and I can see that the circular bed is quite thick and plush, taking up the entire little crevice. As if the space was made just for that plush mattress.  

My fingers twitch with the urge to touch the bed. It looks so soft and comfortable! But…if I disturb anything, the people who made this will know I – or someone – was here, and my bros will be disappointed that I revealed myself – or came close to it – again. 

An image of a loudmouth scientist and her sassy assistant come to mind, but I quickly dismiss them with a mere shrug. As long as I don’t touch anything, it’s fine. And I highly doubt that there are security cameras in here. 

“But I’ve always wanted to try one of those circle beds that I’ve seen in Leo’s animes!” I whine, pouting as I kneel to study the bed. My eye ridges furrow. “But why go to these lengths just to set up a secret sexy time place? It doesn’t smell used yet, so that means it’s just been placed here and whoever did it hasn’t used it yet.” I rub my chin. “Doesn’t mean they aren’t coming back but they didn’t light the candles, so that means they aren’t planning on coming back any time soon.” I squint at the candles, my fingers hovering over another pile of petals. “So…maybe tonight? Tomorrow? They obviously wouldn’t want to leave this for too long.”  

Tilting my head, I think for a moment before snickering and rising to my feet, swiping a petal for myself. It’s only one petal! Who’s gonna notice? I lift it to my face and giggle at the softness of it against my scales. Who says I can’t be a detective? 

A soft, excited gasp leaves me as an imaginary exclamation point dings above my head.  

“I’ll bring my bros here tomorrow!” I say excitedly, clapping a little. “Even if everything here is used or gone tomorrow, I’m certain they’d enjoy exploring the cave!” My hands then find my cheeks. “Oh! This could be the perfect spot for them to tell me about them being mates if they haven’t by tonight!” 

A pleased grin spreads across my face as I do a little happy dance. Oh how perfect! My bros telling me about their love and devotion for one another in a secret cave! It’d be like right out of a storybook! 

I ignore the way my chest feels tight and how my breathing seems to hitch with emotions. Instead, I focus on the excitement that I feel about giving my brothers such an super sensationalistic spot to confess! I’m such a good little brother.  

I’ll be the best wingman EVER. Or, well, wingTURTLE but same difference!  

Grinning, I glance around the cave one last time before skipping back outside. There will be no trace that I was in here at all, so whoever put this together will never know! Maybe by tomorrow they’ll have used it so I can have my bros help me figure out why all of this is here.  

Oooooh, Dad’ll be so proud of me when he hears what I did!   

Glancing around the mouth of the cave, I hurry over to a tree, pull a kunai from my belt, and I make a small slash in the wood near the base, where no one will see it unless they were looking for it. With this, I’ll be able to find the correct cave later. I study my handiwork for a moment longer, then stand, nodding. 

“Super awesome job, Mikester!” I praise myself again, proud of my work. “Leaving no trace and secretly marking the area to find it later! Just how Aniki would do it!”  

Patting myself on the back, I turn on my heels and start slowly and carefully backtracking. I grab a few more mushrooms as I go, pausing when I hear what sounds voices talking, soft and low. Picking up the pace, I hum a tune from one of my favorite cartoon shows until I break from the treeline and enter the clearing. 

“Guess who found mushrooooooms~!” I sing, holding the bag of mushrooms up for all to see and admire.  

“Damn, Shellhead!” Raph shouts, throwing his arms up into the air. “How long does it fuckin’ take ta get mushrooms?! We thought ya got lost!” 

I quirk an eye ridge and glance between my three brothers. A small pile of fish rests near the campfire, and all three are on their feet with Donnie having his bag slung across his chest.  

“I wasn’t gone THAT long," I defend, pouting as I wave a dismissive hand.  

“Fearless caught five fish while ya were gone!” Raph retorts, glaring down at me. I move toward the fish pile and plop my bag of mushrooms down next to it. 

A small smirk forms on my face when I count only five fish. 

“And how many fish did YOU catch, Raphie-boy?” I ask, my tone lilting upward.  

A flush blossoms on Raph’s cheeks. He crosses his arms and looks away. 

“Dat don’t matter. Fearless caught enough fer us to have fer tanight.” 

Leo and Donnie snicker as I grin at my sulking hotheaded brother.  

“He wouldn’t stop cursing and grumbling, so I’m pretty sure he scared all the fish away,” Donnie explains between bouts of snickers, causing me to laugh.  

“Shut up, Donnie!” Raph snaps, directing his golden glare onto our tallest, most brainy brother. “I didn’t see ya tryin’ ta help Fearless fish!” 

“To be fair, Raph, I didn’t really need any help,” Leo chuckles, turning Raph’s glare from Donnie and onto himself. Leo holds his hands up in surrender. “I’m not saying I didn’t appreciate it! I’m just saying you didn’t HAVE to.” 

“FINE,” Raph growls, “see if I volunteer ta help ya with anything in da future! Fuck da three of ya!” 

Donnie and I are on the ground, doubled over with laughter. Raph flips us a double bird and storms away. Leo coughs into his fist, his brown eyes alight with amusement, soft chuckles issuing from his pretty lips.  

“I’ll go talk to him," Leo says, pivoting to face the direction Raph headed. “He’s just grumpy I had a much easier time spear-fishing than he did.” Leo gives Donnie and I a wink, waking the butterflies in my stomach, which I try valiantly to ignore until I can force them back into their cocoons. I watch Leo shake his head as he leisurely gives chase after our brawny brother.  

Giggling, I turn to Donnie and grin.  

“What a sore loser! But he wouldn’t be our Raphie if he wasn’t!” I then lean toward my genius brother, cocking my head to the side as I flutter my eyelids at him. “Wanna help your adorable little brother with descaling the fish and chopping the mushrooms?” 

That gets Donnie to stop laughing. He stares at me. I widen my eyes more the longer Donnie’s hazel eyes are trained on me. My amusement skyrockets when Donnie suddenly looks away. 

“A-Actually I was going to add some notes to my journal!” Donnie stammers, standing swiftly and adjusting the bag still attached to him. “I-I’ll just do that. Over here. In the tent. Away from the food. Yes. Away from the food.” 

My ocean blue eyes track Donnie as he all but sprints for the tent, highly entertained by my brother’s quick retreat, which is perfectly evident by my expression, I’m sure. Once he’s hidden inside the tent, I shake my head, chuckling like my Aniki had done before going after Raph. Nothing gets my bros moving faster from the cooking area than me asking them for help. Although, he probably just doesn’t want to risk a repeat of yesterday’s fiasco.  

“No matter!” I tell myself. “Chef Mikey needs no help!” Plucking up one of the fish, I get to work descaling the fish, losing myself in the motion. 

I just can’t wait to show my bros what I found! I really hope they like it. And maybe, just maybe, they can use the cave for their own little getaways when we come up here with Casey and April and Dad. And once they tell me about their relationship, I can help cover for them! 

I smile to myself.  

One step closer to completing Mission: Get Brothers to Tell Me About Their Relationship! Cowabunga!  

Notes:

Next update shall be in February!

Chapter 17: Go Ninja Tag, Go NInja Tag, Go!

Notes:

Hello everyone!

Coming in with a new chapter! Sorry that this took so long. I was planning to finish this last week but I had the house to myself while having a staycation from work and ended up doing much needed cleaning ^.^". But it's finished now! Starting in March I will have much more time so chapter 18, which will be the second part to this chapter, will be released then. I'm very excited to have more time to write, something I just haven't really had in a bit due to work.

This chapter is also not beta'd yet but it will be in the future so if you see any changes, that will be why!

Anyways! Enough of me chattering! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and again, thank you for being so patient with me! Happy reading!

“Damn, I needed dat,” Raph says with a sigh as he leans back against one of the logs. He rubs his belly as he fishes out a can of beer and cracks it open. “Don’t know what I’d do if it weren’t fer ya cookin’, Mikey.”

I beam as I finish the last bite of my fish.

“Probably wither away from just eating cereal and sandwiches,” I chirp out, placing my plate down to be rinsed off in the water later. I tilt my head back, the low golden light of the fading sun casting a fiery glow over the water and our camp site.

“Mikey,” Leo says with a laugh. “You do realize that I survived in the jungle for two years, right? I most certainly did not survive solely off of cereal and sandwiches. I had to hunt and fish for my food.”

My eyes drift over to Leo, and I shake my head.

“And I’m still surprised to this day that you didn’t give yourself food poisoning.”

A shriek leaves me when Leo throws a bag of marshmallows at me. Snickering, I catch the bag and rip them open, popping one of the marshmallows into my mouth.

“Now, don’t you go eating all of those,” Donnie teases, wagging a finger at me. “We need some of those for tonight and for the rest of the trip.”

I scuff as I pop in another marshmallow.

“I’m only eating a few-Hey!” I cry out as the bag is snatched from my hands. I pout up at Raph as he snickers at me, wagging the bag before popping one of the marshmallows into his own mouth. “Raaaaaaphie!” I whine even as heat rushes to my cheeks when Raph winks at me.

“Snooze, ya lose, Darlin’,” Raph drawls as he takes out another marshmallow before closing it and tossing the bag back to Leo, aiming for our aniki’s face.

Leo catches it easily with a thoughtful. Uh oh. We all know what that look means. That’s his “I’m coming up with a plan” look.

“Penny for your thoughts, Leo?” I ask, sitting crisscross on the ground.

A smirk forms on Leo’s face as he places the bag down and his chocolate eyes meet my blue.

“Ain’t likin’ dat smirk, Fearless,” Raph says dryly, eyeing our big brother.

Leo lifts his gaze from mine and I feel myself able to breathe normally once more. Shell! Leo has such an intense gaze! Swallowing thickly, I rub my palms on my thighs.

“I was just thinking about what we can do for our first day here at the campsite,” Leo states, his voice calm and at ease as he leans back a bit.

Donnie leans forward, a skeptical look on his face.

“Um… No offense, Leo, but the last time we did something… It didn’t end well.”

A wave of guilt shoots through me and I glance off to the side. It’s not like I meant to ruin the fun competition we had going on!

Stupid brain! Stupid dream! Stu-

I jerk a little when I’m suddenly nudged and I look up at Raph. Gold eyes are side-eyeing me and I quickly smile at him. Raph’s eyes narrow but he doesn’t say anything before refocusing on Leo.

“I mean, I ain’t gonna argue on wantin’ ta do something, but what da shell we gonna do?” Raph makes a vague gesture. “Ain’t a lot we can do out here right now. Can’t swim, water’s fuckin’ COLD.”

I snicker at that, remembering Raph not even a day ago suggesting that we go swimming and NOW he’s saying the water is too cold? After having just gone fishing? Karma, baby!

“Mikey?”

My snickers stop as I’m addressed and I look over at Leo with large eyes.

“Um, ye-yeah, Leo?”

Leo’s expression softens as he leans forward and my heart skips a beat as the sun hits his face just right making him look like he’s glowing.

Oh noooooo, why are my bros so hot?  I mentally whine as I offer my eldest brother a confused smile when he doesn’t answer right away.

“Leo?”

“What would you like us to do?” Aniki asks, his voice gentle. “If there was one thing you wanted to do right now, what would it be?”

For you three to fu—NOOOOO! Michelangelo Turtle Titan Battle Nexus Splinterson! You stop that train of thought right now!

Clearing my throat, I wet my lips as I think.

“Well,” I start slowly, glancing around, doing anything to keep my gaze off my brothers. Their gaze being on me is so intense! “What… What if we played a game? Ya know, one we haven’t done in a long time?” I drum my fingers on my thighs. “Like… Like… Like Ninja Tag? We haven’t done that in such a long time!”

I bring my gaze back to my brothers finally as they exchange a look. Donnie taps his chin in thought.

“You know? It has been a really long time since we last played Ninja Tag.” Our genius brother smiles at me. “I think the last time we played was after we returned home from the future. So, I would be down to play.”

Raph smirks.

“I’d also be down ta play. Work off some of dis energy I got flowin’ through me.” He flexes and I have to quickly avert my eyes as butterflies form in my stomach. “Leo?”

I bring my eyes up to our big brother, air catching in my throat when I catch Leo staring at me, this gleam in his eyes that is gone before I can identify what it was. Leo straightens in his seat as he nods.

“That’s a brilliant idea, Otōto,” Leo compliments as he stands, that smirk back on his face. “Besides~” Leo drawls as he stretches his arms up making my mouth dry and from the corner of my eyes, I can see the way both Don’s and Raph’s eyes drag over our brother’s body. “You three have yet to dethrone me of my title~.”

The tease, I pout. Wish they’d look at me like that…

Swallowing a sigh, I stand at the same time as Raph and Don, placing my hands on my hips.

“Oh yeah? That a challenge, Aniki?” I ask when Raph wraps an arm around my shoulders.

A wolfish grin forms on Raph’s lips as he winks at me. “Oh, dat sure as HELL was a challenge. Ready ta get yer ass kicked, Fearless.”

Donnie chuckles as he leans on his bo staff.

“Raph, you forget that our aniki spend two years in the JUNGLE. We are in the woods. This is his ELEMENT. I wouldn’t exactly count on us dethroning his title of Ninja Tag Master here.”

Raph scuffs, rolling his eyes as I wave a dismissive hand.

“Yeah? Well, I still have the title of lasting the longest against Leo!” I brag, quite proud of that fact. “And the only reason I lost last time was because of those dumb robot dinosaurs that Stock-loser released in the city.”

“You saying that you got the stamina to keep up with our big brother, Mikey?” Donnie asks but there is a strange purr within his tone.

A shiver runs down my spine as I stare at Donnie like a deer in headlights. There is something about his smirk that has my heart racing and my stomach doing acrobats. My mind races and frantically tries to formulate some sort of answer so I’m not just standing here like a doofus.

Say something, Dummy!

“I-I know I can!” I stammer out, hoping that my burning cheeks is not visible. I point at myself with my thumb. “I’m the Battle Nexus Champion after all! And-And the Turtle Titan! My stamina has stamina!”

“Is dat so?”

My shoulders jump when Raph whispers in my ear, his hot breath caressing my skin, making goosebumps appear. Pressing a hand to my ear and I just KNOW if my cheeks weren’t showing Raphie’s favorite color then they sure as shell doing so now!

“Per-Personal space, Bro!” I yelp, hopping away from my now smirking bulk of a brother. Rubbing my ear, I will my heart to slow as I clear my throat and cross my arms. “But yeah! So so! I’ll prove it!” I glance between my brothers, each looking highly amused by something and determination shooting through me. If this teasing is what will get them to trust me to tell me their mates, then I just gotta endure! “Who’s “it” first?”

  Leo lowers his hand from his mouth, his eyes shining bright. He bends down and grabs four twigs. He breaks one in half and then mixes it around in his closed palm.

“Whoever pulls the small stick will be it,” Leo says, holding his fist out. “Close your eyes and everyone draw a stick.”

Doing as I’m told; I close my eyes and reach for a stick. I’ll show my brothers. I’ll prove to them that I can hold my own! Not-Not because I wanna show off! I just want them to know they can rely on me!

My fingertips grasp a stick and I tug up. I crack my eye open and blink as I stare at a non-broken stick. I glance over as my other two brothers pull out their sticks. I risk a glance at Leo only to flush when I realize that he’s watching me with that ghost smile he does. Biting my lip, I refocus on my other brothers and giggle when I see the short stick in Donnie’s hand.

“Looks like someone got the shooort stiiiiick~,” I sing out earning myself some eye rolls.

“Yeah, Doofus,” Raph teases, rubbing my head and pushing it down a bit making me squawk. “Someone was bound ta get da short stick.”

Donnie sighs with a smile. “True. Though, I wouldn’t suspect that someone would wish to trade with me?” Donnie holds up his tiny stick before sighing again with a chuckle. “Didn’t think so.”

“You know the rules, Don,” Leo says with a laugh making our genius brother shrug.

“Hey, can’t blame a genius for trying,” Donnie states before pulling his bo from his back. “I’ll count to thirty like usual. One. Two.”

“Hey!” I yelp when Leo and Raph suddenly take off. “That’s cheating! You gotta at least say “ready, set, go!” first!”

Donnie’s laugh fills the air. “You better get running, Otōto. Otherwise, you’ll end up losing before you even get a fair shot. Ten. Eleven. Twelve.”

“You’re cheating!” I yell as I rush for the tree line. “You skipped to ten on purpose!”

My lips quirk up as I hear Donnie laugh again, the sound bright and happy. After nearly two years of hardly hearing such a laugh, it’s so nice hearing him willing to let it out so loosely! I want to hear him laugh like this more and maybe, once he, Raphie, and Leo tell me about their relationship, then maybe it’ll happen.

I stop by a tree, panting softly as I glance around, trying to find a hiding spot. A pout forms on my lips as I don’t find any place that feels appealing. I groan and scrub my face.

“C’mon, Mikester! Don’s a genius but you are the MASTER at vanishing into the shadows…” I hum, crossing my arms and tapping my chin with a finger. “But where?”

The image of the cave entrance flashes in my mind and I perk up. Oh yeah! The cave! It’s a two in one! I get to hide somewhere awesome and then I get to show at least Donnie the cave if he hadn’t found Leo and Raph by that time.

Let’s be real, I think with a snicker as I start moving. It would just be Raph at that point. Unless Leo let Donnie find him and then loses the fight.

Ugh, how I’ve missed playing Ninja Tag with my bros. Finding among the buildings, maybe finding an abandoned one and then having an intense spar that almost any of us could win. But with Leo having been gone and Donnie and I not really training during that time since we worked, I REALLY don’t foresee Donnie winning any spar against our big brother unless Leo lets him.

A heat flashes across my face at the reason WHY Leo might let Donnie win and what might happen after Donnie’s pinned Leo down. Donnie definitely has the height advantage and has a bigger build than Leo or myself. He’s by no means as ripped or muscular as Raph is but he’s still muscular, even after our training hiatus. But like… maybe if he wanted it enough?

I quickly shake my head, cheeks burning brighter as I break into a sprint, my brain trying hard to conjure up a scenario on how Donnie could win against Leo.

Shell no. Don’t even start brain! I need to focus!

Biting my bottom lip, I refocus on where I’m going, doing my best to bob and weave through the trees to hopefully throw Donnie off my trail when he decides to go after me. I just gotta make to the cave and I’ll be fine! He’ll never find me and I’ll get a call telling me I won! That’s the best case scena-

A sharp inhale leaves me, cutting my train of thought off when a warm hand catches my bicep and yanks me to the side. My heart seizes and for a moment, the thought of the Foot being out here comes to mind.

“Le-Mmph!”

A hand clamps on my mouth as I try to twist and throw a punch with my left fits.

“Mikey, chill out. It’s just me.” A tenor voice whispers in my ear with a soft chuckle.

I blink and glance up to find Leo standing there, hand on my mouth and the other holding my arm. We stare at each other for a moment before Leo slowly releases my mouth. I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and glare (pout) at him.

“Leo, what the shell?” I whisper back, pressing my hand to my chest. “You almost gave me a heart attack! What’s the big idea?”

Leo chuckles, loosening his grip on my arm, rubbing the area he had been holding sending warm tingles up and down my skin. I fight to not fidget or shy away, the sensation making my nerves go haywire.

“Sorry, Ototo,” Leo apologizes, though the tiny smirk I see and the amusement in his eyes tells me he’s not FULLY sorry. “I just thought we could stick together for a little bit, maybe figure out a way to give Donnie a small challenge.”

“Challenge?” I echo back, head tilting to the side as I think. “But didn’t WE just have a challenge against one another?” My eyes narrow. “Why would we team up? Moreover, why should we, Aniki?”

I hold Leo’s stare for a beat before slowly starting to feel self-conscious the longer my big brother stares at me. Mouth twitching, I clear my throat, glancing off to the side as if scanning the area for Donnie. A squeak slips from me when Leo’s hand returns to my bicep and he tugs me closer to him. My mouth dries as he crowds into my space once he’s manhandled me to where he wants me to stand.

“L-Leo?”

“I know we had a competition going on,” Leo interrupts with that soft boy band smile of his and all words leave me. It needs to be illegal for my big brothers to be cute. I’M the cute one. “But I think we could make it a bit more interesting.”

Swallowing thickly, I fight to remain calm as I listen. I fidget as I try to think about why Leo would want to make things more interesting. I eye my brother as the wheels turn in my head.

“Is… Is this because DONNIE also challenged you?”

My eyes widen when a sheepish look flashes across Leo’s face before he can school his features once more. I laugh and quickly cover my mouth with my hand trying to muffle the sound.

“Dude,” I say, giggling. “I mean, he IS it, but like, why are you getting so worked up, Aniki? Afraid that Onii-san  will be able to make you eat your words?” I wag my eye ridges at Leo and grin.

My grin slowly vanishes as a dark look forms in Leo’s eyes as he leans closer with a wolfish smirk.

“I would most certainly like him to try~.”

“I-I…”

Words die on my lips as I stare at Leo, my gut growing tight as I feel puffs of warm air against my face. Wetting my lips as I try to get my brain to function, I force myself to keep focus on one of Leo’s eyes.

“I…What would you want us to do?” I finally get out, voice barely audible even to me. “Like… we ambush Donnie? Or, um, what do you have in mind?”

Leo smirks and he straightens a bit, giving me space to breathe. Dude, is there a heatwave happening? When’d the forest get so warm all of a sudden?

“That was the thought,” Leo states, hands on his hips as his eyes sparkle. “I believe that Donnie went after Raph first, so we have some time before he comes this way.”

I nod thoughtfully as Leo talks, fidgeting with my fingers.

“But… if he’s going after Raphie and wins,” I start slowly. “Wouldn’t that mean we would have to spar them both?”

Leo nods and I bite the inside of my cheek, glancing off to the side as I tug on my fingers harder. Maybe Ninja Tag wasn’t the smartest idea I’ve had. Ninja Tag is supposed to be fun! Hide out inside abandoned buildings or in the woods, wait for your brother to find and tag you, spar with him, and if he wins, you join him to find the others, if you win, you go free. But I really, REALLY don’t want to have another freak out session like I did yesterday. I don’t wanna hurt Raph like that again. It wouldn’t be fair at all and it would totally make it so Raphie never spars with me again. I can’t handle that! I can’t lose the way I gain touch from my brothers is rough housing! Raphie isn’t the sort that will always give a hug unlike Donnie or Leo. He always only hugged me when I was truly upset.

And for good reason, dummy! He doesn’t like how you smell, you sad piece of turtle sack.  

“Mikey?”

Jolted from my thoughts, I look up at Leo with wide eyes. Leo studies my face for a moment before his expression softens. He reaches out and pulls my fingers apart, taking hold of my hands in his. I glance down and stare at our joined hands before slowly lifting my eyes back up to find Leo searching me more closely.

“What’s wrong, Ototo?” Leo asks, his dark eyes meeting my blue. “Is it because of what happened yesterday while sparring with Raph?”

“Nrk.”

I fight back a surprised noise. How is it that Leo always seems to know exactly what I’m thinking? It’s just not fair.

“Hey,” Leo says tenderly, a small smile on his face as he releases one of my hands to cup my cheek, gently guiding me to look back up at him. “There’s nothing wrong with being cautious and scared, Mikey.”

“I’m not scared of Raph!”

Leo strokes my cheek with his thumb and I fall quiet, face flushing at my outburst.

“We all know it’s not Raph who you’re scared of, Mikey,” Leo says quietly. “But we all can see that dream really affected you and we want to help you through it. If you think that you might have a similar reaction like you did yesterday, I won’t force you into this team up.” Leo’s lips quirk higher in the corners. “This is a vacation after all. We’re all here to relax and recoup. All of us. You, me, Raph, and Donnie.”

Throat feeling tight, I stare up at Leo for a beat before my body moves without thinking and I hug Leo. Warm arms easily envelop me, holding me close.

Only one hug, I think, fighting back tears. He’s still my big brother after all. I’m allowed to hug my big brother.

A soft sniffle leaves me when Leo rests his cheek on my head and for a moment, just a moment, I just stand there, soaking up the sense of security that Leo has always provided for me. I take a moment longer before stepping back and scrubbing at my face, laughing weakly.

“S-Sorry. Don’t know where THAT came from.”

Leo chuckles softly, his hand finding my head and rubbing it.

“We all know you love hugs, Mikey,” Leo says. “And you know that we’re always willing to give you one.”

I quirk an eye ridge at him making Leo laugh harder.

“Alright, alright,” Leo concedes with a smirk. “But you know with enough begging Raph would give you a hug.”

I would beg for more than just a hug.

I cough into my shoulder, cheeks flushing as that thought forces its way into my mind. Wetting my lips, I clear my throat and straighten.

“Ye-Yeah, well, not before he gives me a noogie or something!”

My eldest brother laughs again, shaking his head as my heart flutters. He extends a hand out toward me and I take it without thinking.

“He does it because he loves you, Mikey.”

Leo squeezes my hand and I squeeze back trying to keep a genuine smile on my face.

As a brother, yes I know.

“Are you comfortable teaming up?” Leo continues, oblivious of my thoughts nearly veering off again. “I won’t be upset if you say ‘no’.”

I bite my bottom lip as Leo uses his thumb to rub the back of my hand. My eyes lock onto the movement as I think. I know my brothers will be watching my every move and checking my emotional state while sparring. Shell, I bet Raph would even go easy on me and not let loose. So… really what’s the harm?

Releasing a soft sigh, I offer Leo a smile and nod.

“Yeah, let’s do this.”

The smile that Leo awards me nearly makes my heart stop. Oh. Oh. I need to remember that smile. I need to draw it down. His eyes light up and sparkle like gems as the sun hits the side of his face just right and the slight tilt to his head.

Breathtaking.

“We’ll give them a run for their money,” Leo states with a smirk as he gently tugs on our joined hands, leading me into the forest. A devious smirk replaces his smile making my entire body tingle pleasantly. “Show them just what kind of ‘Trouble Magnets’ we really are.”

A surprised laugh escapes me before I can hold it back. A large grin splits my face.

“Shell yeah!” I snicker as the two of us break into a sprint, hands still connected. “Let’s give them a run for their money, Aniki!”

Leo shoots me another look, eyes gleaming in the sunlight as we race further into the trees.

I can always show them the cave later, I think with a giggle. Let’s kick some pretty middle brothers shells!

Chapter 18: Let the Games Begin!

Notes:

Hello all you wonderful people!

Here is the long awaited chapter 18! Life has been a little crazy and I went through a major bout of writer's block trying to get this chapter done on time for all of you. I really hope it makes up for the long wait and I can't express enough how much your patience for me getting chapters out has helped me not feel overly stressed on getting this chapter out (still stressed but not like omg I'm going to completely fail type of stress).

I'm going to give a quick life update. I did get laid off from my job which you would think would have given me more time to write and it technically has, I won't lie. But, it's rather stressful not having a job and the job market right now is not the best. I'm also in a very niche field of work and finding it where I live is rather difficult. Not saying all of this for pity or anything only merely stating what's going on. I do think me losing my job played into my writer's block as I was/am trying my best to find a job while also not go stir crazy inside the house. It took most of March for me to kinda get my mojo back but now that it is, I'm going to cling onto it like Mikey clings onto Raph during scary movies.

I want to express my deepest thanks for all the kudos and comments all of you have been leaving me. They are some of my favorite things to read and they never fail to bring a smile to my face. ☺️ Thank you all so much.

This chapter is not yet beta'd but it will in the future so if you see any changes that's why!

Update: Next chapter will be first week of May! Sorry for the delay!

“Leo, where are we going?” I ask (and totally didn’t whine. Nope, no whining here. I’m a fully grown adult turtle mutant. I don’t whine…. Much.) after what feels like a millennium of walking even though I know it’s only been like five minutes. I gently kick a pinecone out of the way with a huff. Leo puts a hand up signaling for us to stop and I sag forward with a pout.

“We need to figure out a way to lure Raph out,” Leo explains, moving to kneel to check something I can’t see in the dirt before standing once more and motioning us to continue moving on. “And if he DID manage to tag Raph then we’re going to need to make it to an area with enough space for us to move around.”

We both know that Donnie totally managed to tag Raph. There’s no way Raphie-boy would miss out on a chance on getting one up on Leo.

I cross my arms as I think over my brother’s words, following my big brother to wherever he’s leading us, the dirt feeling surprising soft under my feet but not all gross and muddy like it has been the last few times we have gone to Central Park during the night.

Honest and truly? I’d follow him into the sun if he asked.

“But… wouldn’t that give Donnie a better advantage? He’s a long-range fighter after all while Raphie is all up in your mojo type of fighter.”

Leo looks back at me, a tiny smile on his face, one that has my heart skipping a beat and my cheeks warming. That’s his ‘I’m so proud that you thought of that’ look. I used to get that look when we would go on patrols and I figured out something instead of jumping straight into action.

Look what you get when you actually use your brain, Mikester! Leo approval!

My gaze drops to the side as I try not being affect by my brother’s look, pretending to be watching my feet so that I don’t trip. When I feel his gaze shift away, I look back up, watching Leo’s back as we move.

“You’re right. Donnie is a ranged fighter like you pointed out,” Leo states, holding a branch up for me to duck under. “But he is willing to get up and personal when needed. Remember, Donnie likes to think a few steps ahead and while that sometimes can get him into trouble, overthinking, it’s also one of his strengths. He’s going to be thinking of ways to use the cover of the trees to his and Raph’s advantage.” Leo smirks back at me. “If we take away the opportunity for cover, we have a better chance of not being taken by surprise.”

My eyeridges furrow as I nod along, Leo’s logic being sound like always. It takes a beat longer than I’d like before Leo’s words fully sink in and what Leo’s true goal is. As long as we stay in an open space, Donnie and Raphie can’t sneak up on us. Got it. If they can’t sneak up on us then we’re going to be on an equal playing field.

“No ninja stealthing for them!” I chirp out with a giggle as Leo looks back at me, his eyes shining bright with amusement. “This is gonna be a super sensationalistic plan, Bro!”

Aniki opens his mouth to respond before his arm shoots out and he places a finger to his lips. I stop right by his arm, peering around and doing my best to listen for any signs of our brothers. When I don’t hear anything, I look up at Leo, waiting for his signal that it’s safe. His gaze is trained ahead, and I follow the look, spying the opening that he was more than likely leading us to. Still not seeing or hearing anything out of the ordinary, I open my mouth to ask when he lowers his arm.

“Donnie and Raph are close,” Leo states quickly, his lips quirking in the corners. “Not close enough to beat us to the clearing, but close enough that if we talk loud enough they will hear us.”

I try not to bounce up and down on the balls of my feet as I stare at my brother a surge of adrenaline shooting through me at the thought of our brothers find us and us having to dodge their attacks and not get pinned down. Oh, I do love me a good ol’ chase! There’s nothing better than knowing that you are always one step ahead of your brothers when you’ve trained alongside them for years and know they could beat out any Olympian we see on TV with our fitness level.

The thrill of the chase goes on!

“Super ninja stealth time?” I whisper excitedly and my tail nearly starts wagging when Leo nods. I fist pump happily and do a small little dance in a circle before beaming up at my brother who shakes his head in fond amusement. There is a ghost of a smile on Leo’s face as he reaches up and pats my head.

My hands press against my mouth to hold back my snickers as Leo motions for us to continue moving forward. I keep my steps light, matching where Leo walks so that I don’t step on any sticks or dead leaves. My skin prickles whenever a leaf or animal pops out, my body ready to spring if Donnie or Raphie suddenly appear.

We make it to the clearing, and I swear my heart is going to pound right out of my chest. I’m certain Leo can hear it with his freaky ninja master super hearing. My eyes flicker around the clearing, not really noting anything out of the ordinary or spotting anything that Don and Raphie could possibly be hiding behind. Leo did a great job in finding this place! Not a single boulder in sight either. Just grass and flowers.

It's kinda pretty, I think with a slight smile as I squat down to brush my fingertips against one of the newly blooming flowers. It’s still young and small but to think that it’s blossomed so early when we only just had some snow three weeks ago is a testament to the wonders of nature, I think.

Shell, now I wish I had a little tiny sketchbook so that I can capture this little bud in bloom. How neato would that be?

I snicker to myself, pulling out my ShellCell to take a photo for sketching purposes later before replacing it in my belt.

Don’t let Sensei hear me say that or I’ll NEVER be able to play video games again.

My head cocks to the side as I watch the little flower sway back and forth and my mind drifts to the flower petals I found in the cave nearby. Are they still there? Have they started to wither and die? Or do they have some special spell or coating that will keep them fresh for a while longer? My hand twitches with the urge to reach into my belt and pull out the petal that I took just to take a closer look. Maybe the petal isn’t real and just looks really really close to being the real deal? That seems a bit more plausible if the cave was set up with the purpose of bringing someone in later.

“Mikey!”

A crawling sensation tickles down the back of my neck cuts off my thoughts just as Leo’s voice rings in the air and I roll to the side just as Donnie lands right where I was squatting. Oh shell! So much for them not being ninja stealthy! How did I not hear them coming?

“Well, heeeeeey there, Donnie-boy~,” I sing-song as my genius brother stands slowly. I throw a quick glance over my shoulder to find Leo and Raph already engaged in a game of chase.

“I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t expecting to find both you AND Leo together,” Donnie states, turning toward me with shining hazel eyes. It takes a lot of effort to focus solely on my brother’s words and not get lost in how the setting sun makes my brother’s eyes look like caramels and his olive skin is glowing.

Clearing my throat, I shrug as nonchalantly as I can. My brother will not distract me with his beauty and his charm! I will not allow it!

“You and Raphie were obviously going to be working together when you didn’t appear right away, so why couldn’t Leo and I be working together?” I ask, my fingers tapping on my nunchakus but not yet pulling them out. I haven’t had a reason to yet even with Don’s attacks.

Donnie laughs as he twirls his bo, the motion fluid even with how his focus is dragged away and his eyes close as his head tips back.

“Because I TAGGED him, Mikey! Like the game goes,” Donnie says between bouts of full on belly laughter.

Butterflies burst in my stomach as my immediate older brother continues to laugh until his cheeks are slightly flushed. It makes it hard to do anything but stare and just listen as my genius brother tries to calm himself down without bursting out in another round of laughter.

“Yo, Genius! We’re supposed ta be taggin’ them!” Raph’s voice rings out in the clearing, voice barely heard over Donnie’s laughter. “Stop bein’ a chucklehead and tag the goober already!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Donnie says as he wipes his eyes, tears streaming down his face and I can’t help but feel a bit proud that I’m the one who managed to make him laugh till he cries. Even if I didn’t mean to. “Hoo, okay. I’m done, I’m done. Time to get serious. Pull yourself together, Don.” Donnie pats his cheeks and shakes his head before looking at me.

A tiny giggle leaves me as I bounce from foot to foot. It’s truly unfair on just how cute my brothers can be.

“Bring it on, Donnie-boy!”

A large grin forms on my brother’s face causing my heart to skip a beat. Donnie launches forward and I sidestep just in time before he follows after me doing his best to use his bo to trip me up. I keep one step ahead, humming to myself as my brother chases after me.

“Gonna have to be faster than that to catch the Battle Nexus Champion, Donnie-boy~,” I sing out as I twirl away from Donnie.

Donnie chuckles as he continues to move, my body tingly from the dark sound leaving my normally quiet and demure brother.

“What happened to us little brothers sticking together, Mikey?” Donnie asks, swinging his bo out near my shoulder.

I twist to my left, a teasing smile forming.

“That was yesterday, Dude!” I say, giggling as I backpedal with each word. “Today is a new day! All truces have been reset!”

“Oh~?” Donnie purrs out nearly making me trip over my own feet and allowing him to get a bit too close. “Is that how truces work for you, Little Brother?”

“Ye-Yeah!” I stammer, flipping over my big brother almost biffing my landing making me stagger.

“Good to know,” Donnie says with a purr and lunging for me, bo pulled back and his hazel eyes shining bright with the challenge.

Oh, shell! What have I done?!

A very manly squeak leaves me as I take off running. My eyes land on Leo and Raph once more and there seems to be something a bit off with how Raph is moving. A wolfish grin forms on my face when Leo effortlessly flips over our tank of a brother and lands behind him, laughing as he runs to join me.

“I told you, Raphie!” He calls over his shoulder. “You’re not going to be the one to pin me down! Not with those moves~!”

“Shut yer face, Fearless!” Raph growls as he pivots and joins Donnie in chasing after us.

Leo glances at me and winks making me giggle giddily as we rush into the treeline.

“Brats!” Raph calls after us as Leo and I leap into the trees.

“You’re just too slow, Raphie!” I tease back, twirling in the air so that I can stick my tongue out at Donnie and Raph. I shriek out a laugh when Raph throws a kunai at me. “Leo! Raphie’s using pointies!”

“Yer lucky I missed!”

Leo laughs. “Then I guess we should level the playing field then, huh?”

I glance over at Leo as he reaches into his belt and I laugh like a maniac when I realize what exactly my aniki just grabbed. I hold my breath as Leo throws down two smoke pills and a cloud of black smoke engulfs us.

“That’s CHEATING, Leonardo!” Donnie calls out as Leo and I sprint away. I press my knuckles into my mouth to keep from cackling when Leo throws me a smug smirk.

This is honestly the most fun I have had with my brothers in such a long time and maybe Leo will let us start playing this again while on patrol once we get home. Hopefully, by then, they’ll have told me about their relationship and they’re just as relaxed as they are now.

My brain drifts to the possibilities of what my bros might do if we do play games like this back home. Alone in abandoned buildings in the shadows, no one to bother them, their bodies pressing against—

“Eh?!”

A squeak leaves me when I miss the branch I was aiming for, my foot overshooting it. My stomach decides to great my heart as I suddenly plunge down toward the forest floor. My voice sticks in my throat and I squeeze my eyes shut knowing that I’m not gonna land right.

You little klutz monster! What the she—

I twitch when warm arms suddenly wrap around me and my eyes snap open as I look up in surprise at Leo as he holds me close to his chest. Tender brown eyes meet my blue and Leo smiles at me gently.

“I got you, Little One,” Leo whispers before we both land. “Are you alright?”

My heart thunders in my chest and I just KNOW my cheeks are as red as Raphie’s mask on wash day. Groaning, I hide my face in my hands and nod.

Leo chuckles.

“You need to be more careful, Otōto,” Leo presses his snout into my temple making me whine.

“But I waaaaas,” I say, whining as my face grows warmer when puffs of warm air hit my skin from Leo laughing.

“Right,” Leo states obviously not believing me at all as he shakes his head.

“Well, don’t dis look cozy.”

“Noooooo,” I groan, hiding my face in Leo’s chest. We were doing so well! And me and my dainty feet messing everything up! And totally not because I was thinking again and got distracted by my thoughts. Nope. It’s all my feets fault. Yes. Feets. They have betrayed me.

“He’s not hurt, is he?” Donnie asks, the concern coloring his voice has me curling more into Leo in embarrassment.

“He’s fine,” Leo answers for me when I refuse to speak. “He just missed a branch and fell.”

“Awe, is wittle Mikey embawessed?” Raph coos finally making me pull away from my hiding spot to stick my tongue out at him.

“No! I just didn’t wanna see your ugly face!” I argue only to ‘eep’ when Raph’s eyes narrow.

“What ya say, Squirt?” Raph growls, starting toward me and Leo. “Ya wanna say dat when ya ain’t hiding in Fearless’s arms?”

Panicking, I start smacking Leo’s chest before something catches my eye. I tilt my head as Raph gets closer.

“Why are you limping, Raphie?”

Raph pauses midstep, already halfway to me and Leo. His golden eyes are wide as he stares at me. Soft snickers from Leo and Donnie has me glancing around in confusion. What’s so funny? I look back at Raph when he clears his throat and he crosses his arms but doesn’t say anything. It’s almost like he’s trying hard to formulate his next set of words before continuing. But when the silence seems to stretch on too long and I feel myself growing antsy, I cough softly before addressing my lost in thought big brother.

“Um, Raphie?”

That seems to jolt my brother from whatever shock he was in and Raph looks away as he scuffs.

“I ain’t limping.”

My eyes narrow. “What do you mean? I literally just saw you walking! You were so limping!” A lightbulb goes off. “And you were so limping while fighting Leo! I saw it! Your normal style wasn’t there either! It wasn’t as fluid and-and jabby as usual!” I lean toward him, squinting. “Did you twist your ankle? You totally did, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, Raphie~,” Donnie echoes as he slides in next to Raph and throws his arm around our tank of a brother’s shoulders which tense and jump up at the sudden touch. “Were you limping? Do you need me to check you over? I will make sure I’m very thorough so that we don’t miss a single thing.”

I blink in surprise when Raph’s eyes widen and a deep flush spreads across his face as Donnie presses close to him. Raph blinks owlishly for a moment, something I haven’t seen him do in AGES and I swear I can see the wheels turning behind Raph’s eyes as if trying to process what Donnie just said to him. But, I mean, it’s Donnie. Of course he’s going to ask to check Raph over. So, like, I’m not entirely sure why Raphie is having such a hard time with what Don said.

…..

Unless….

Unless Raphie really DID twist his ankle and is trying super hard to not let our brainiac of a brother find out because then he’s going to force Raph to sit the entire trip and constantly have his ankle up. Oh. Raphie wouldn’t like that at all! But Donnie would totally tell him that if he DOESN’T ice and keep his ankle elevated then it’s just gonna get worse! To which we all know Raphie is just going to flip him off and say angry Raph words but still do what Donnie tells him because he’s our doctor but ALSO Donnie’s his mate. Raphie is truly just a big softy on the inside so I just know he’ll be the world’s biggest teddy bear where it comes to his mates and Donnie would totally use that to his advantage!

Maybe I should give him pointers on his puppy-dog eye look, I think, tapping my chin. That always gets Raphie to give in for me after about ten minutes of continuous exposure. Imagine what Donnie could do with it! Raphie will completely powerless against him!

“Wh-What?” Raph stammers out dragging my attention back to the conversation at hand and I tilt my head in amusement as he chokes on some air causing him to cough. He frantically waves Don off when our brainiac brother pats his back to help his coughing fit. “What?! NO! Ya ain’t--! Yer not--! Fuck off, Donnie! Ya dick! Ya ain’t checkin’ nothin’! Only thing ya got right is dat it’s yer fault!”

Donnie’s fault? Oh, it must have happened when Donnie was sparring with Raph when he went to tag him.

I shoot Leo a confused look when Donnie snickers as Raph yells at him before he catches the side of our hotheaded brother’s head. My eyes widen when Donnie tugs Raph closer to whisper something in his ear and Raphie LET’S HIM. Dude, for someone claiming to be so angry before he’s sure letting Don be super close. Is that ‘Mate Privilege’? I don’t think I have ever seen Raph’s face turn so red so fast before. It’s almost impossible to tell where his mask starts and when it ends on his face.

“I’m gonna kick yer ass, Donatello!” Raph spits, turning on Donnie who cackles and dodges away from the swings Raph takes at him and yet the redness in his face has yet to disappear.

“What did he say?” I ask Leo who snorts at something.

Brown eyes flicker down at me before Leo shakes his head. I glance back over just as Raph lunges for Donnie who easily dodges the attack having anticipated the move before our bo-wielding brother sticking his tongue out at Raphie before squeaking when the hothead rushes him.

“Nothing. Just our Donnie teasing our Raphie,” Leo explains before he turns and starts walking away with me still in his arms.

What I wouldn’t give for that to truly be true for me.

Swallowing down that sad thought, I peer over his shoulder as Donnie laughs again and an angry but that embarrassed angry Raph noise soon follows after.

“Should we stop them?”

A puff of a laugh leaves Leo. Confused, I stare up at him only to flush when I spot him watching me but I find that I can’t look away.

“And lose?” Leo teases, his eyes sparkling in that way that always has me captivated and ready to do anything my eldest brother asks of me. “Nah, they can fight with themselves. You know we have a time limit on our game sessions so if they run out their time? Then that’s their problem.” Leo then winks at me as I giggle trying to ignore the butterflies fluttering around in my gut and trying hard to not kick my feet like those school girls in those animes that Leo watched when we were fifteen.

“Yeah! And then we’ll continue being the reigning champs of Ninja Tag!” I cheer, throwing my arms into the air. When I nearly clip Leo’s face, a contrite smile replaces my cheerful one. “Whoops, sorry, Leo.”

“Don’t worry about it, Otōto,” Leo says, kissing my forehead making the air stick in my throat and a tingle rushes through my body at the sweet gesture. “You didn’t even touch me so no need to apologize.”

Could I touch—NO! Michelangelo! This is what got you in trouble in the first place!

I bite the inside of my lip hard to try and hide where my thoughts just went before I smile with a nod. I then glance around as Leo continues to walk.

“Um, but if we aren’t going to wait for them or stop them, then where are we going?” I ask.

Leo smirks. “We’re going back to camp of course. The sun’s starting to set and it’ll get cooler soon. I want to catch us a few more fish for supper and then we’ll see how long it takes our wayward brothers to return to us.”

I perk up at the mention of food. “Oh! I still have some mushrooms left too!” I wiggle happily in Leo’s arms. “I’ll get the fire started and may see what side dishes we have to go with it. Maybe some potatoes? Oh! Oh! I know, maybe some jasmine rice? I think I packed some.” My stomach rumbles and I whine. “Noooo, now I’m hungryyyyyy.”

Leo laughs softly nearly melting my insides with the sound that just carries so sweetly through the air. If someone could figure out to make a windchime of Leo’s little laugh like that, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

Maybe Donnie could make one and I could just listen to it when I help him in the lab?

“Don’t worry, Little One,” Leo says, pulling me away from getting too lost in my thoughts once more. “We’ll have you nice and filled up here soon.”

Don’t even think it, I think to myself as I nod, rubbing my palms on my thighs. Leave it alone. He means food and only food. No matter where your mind goes. He. Means. FOOD.

“Ri-Right!” I squeak out, looking forward to watch where we’re going and I swear I feel Leo’s eyes on me, the gaze burning oh so pleasantly against my skin even though I sorely wish he both wouldn’t and would stare at me. “I’ll-I’ll just think of what to make then!”

And nothing else. You’re going to behave, Mikester. Ugh. My bros are killing me. This is going to be the longest trip ever.

Notes:

Update: Next chapter will be first week of May! Sorry for the delay!

Chapter 19: Bonfire Chats

Notes:

Hello everyone!

Thanks so much for your understanding and letting me push this chapter back to the first week of May instead of my usual end of the month 😅. I didn't want to rush the chapter for all of you and I don't think it would have come out as nicely as it did (or I think it did 🤭). Plan for another chapter at the end of this month but keep an eye at the bottom of this chapter just in case if I need to push it back because of life reasons. I appreciate all of your patience and for leaving such wonderful comments 🥰. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Not Beta'd yet but it will be in the future ☺️

It didn’t take Donnie and Raphie all that long to return to the campsite and I can see a few spots of dirt on my brothers meaning that as some point they did end up on the ground. However, there was this satisfied smirk on Donnie’s face when they returned and Raphie is still limping so that tells me that Donnie won this tussle too. When I went to make a comment, a large emerald finger got jabbed into my face and Raph growled at me to keep my mouth shut or he was going to throw me in the lake. And, um, yeah, no thank you! I took my one and only dip in that lake, ain’t happening again.

My gaze drifts up to the stars as Leo adds more wood to the fire and Raph pushes it around with a large stick. I tug the blanket that Donnie forced around my shoulders closer.

The air is rather chilly but you won’t catch me saying anything when Don and I just argued about why I DIDN’T need a blanket. I truly didn’t! I could have just sat closer to the fire! I would have been just fiiiiiiine.

I shove my snout into blanket, my eyes flickering over to Donnie. Only to find my genius brother shooting me a smug look. I stick my tongue out at him making him chuckle. Huffing, I turn my snout up and away from the blanket and my brother. I instantly regret it when my snout grows cold within seconds. Ugh, he’s going to be so a mug about it! He’s not gonna say ANYTHING about it but Don is going to send me all these sly little looks that are so hot but like, he can’t be sending these to me BEFORE we go to bed. Not when we have to share a tent together!

Why can’t he go back to teasing Raphie? I mentally whine. At least it's interesting and funny to watch Raphie squirm and get all red as he glares at Donnie-boy.

Honestly, I have a pretty good idea on what went down between Raphie and our resident genius and while super-hot to think about, I can’t help but feel a smidge of hope for this. If they totally did what I think they did and it’s not Raphie’s ankle’s that’s sore, then they’re getting comfortable around me! And comfortable around me, then that’s one step closer to them finally telling me that they’re mates!

I have to bite the inside of my cheek to not start squealing out loud. It might ruin my bros chance or confidence! I can’t do that. I NEED them to tell me.

“Hey, Leo,” I say out loud, breaking through the silence. “What exactly did you do while you were in South America?”

Leo sits up a bit, his head cocking to the side as he looks at me, a cup of tea in hand.

“Um, I did quite a bit in South America, mainly dealing with the temple that I told all of you about,” Leo states, his brown eyes glowing in the firelight. “Why?”

I shrug with a grin.

“Well, I don’t know. Maybe you did something you didn’t wanna tell Sensei about but since he isn’t here, I thought maybe you could tell us. Hmm~?” I lean forward. “C’mon, Leo! You hardly ever talk about South America! Surely you did SOMETHING fun outside of the temple while you were there!”

“Nah, bet he meditated da entire two years he was gone,” Raph jokes, snickering as he sips on one of the cans of beer.

Leo rolls his eyes.

“No. If you MUST know, I actually spent a lot of my time helping the villagers within the jungle go against a gang that was pretending to be the military and even had military grade weapons on them.”

“Whoa,” I say, leaning forward as my eyes grow wide. “Really? That-That must have like mega scary!”

Leo shrugs, sipping his tea as he stares into the fire, the cast of the light illuminating his gaze.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say I was SCARED of those idiots. If anything, I was more angry that they were using innocent people and stealing their resources. They were cutting off villages from imported goods and food. Either stealing it from the vehicles that dared to go so deep into the jungle or raiding the villages themselves to strip it of all its resources.”

“And I bet ya gave dose losers the thrashing of a lifetime, huh?” Raph interjects, a mean smirk on his face that quickly vanishes when he tries to lean forward. I spy him catching himself as if pretending to get into a new, more comfortable position as he points at Leo. “Wish we were dere ta see ya wipe da floor with dose bozos.”

Leo sips on his tea, a ghost of a smirk on his face as he watches Raph shift around.

“I would have enjoyed having the three of you with me. Outside of the…EXCITEMENT and the temple that Father sent me to, I truly believe you three would have enjoyed it. For the most part.” Leo then snickers. “I think the hardest part would have been the size of the bugs and the lack of electronics. Because those bugs were no joke. Some of them were as big as my hand.”

Donnie and I snicker when Raph suddenly goes quiet with a slightly sick look on his face. Reaching over, I pat Raph’s knee.

“Ah, don’t look like that, Raphie! The three of us would make sure the big bad buggies wouldn’t bother you!”

Donnie nods even as his snickers turn into a sigh.

“I would have loved to have studies some of the fauna and the wildlife there. I bet you probably saw some wildlife that hasn’t been seen in ages or maybe even a new species! There is so much about the jungle that is still being explored. It holds about 10% of all known life there after all!” Donnie states, his free hand waving around while his other tries to not slosh his coffee.

Leo smiles as he reaches over to steady our brainy brother.

“Well, maybe in the future I can speak with Father about bringing all of you there and showing you all the places I went.” Leo winces and clears his throat. “I, uh, unfortunately, won’t be able to bring you into the temple that Father sent me to. We could visit the outside of it, though.”

The three of us look at Leo in surprise and I can see a look of dread on Donnie’s face.

“Leo, what did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Leo defends quickly and I swear a pout is just barely forming on his lips. “The entire place was rigged to collapse! And those bandits were there as well, laying explosives everywhere. I had just barely reached where I needed to be before the entire place started to shake and was ready to collapse due to all of their activity.” Leo frowns. “Though… I would very much like to check up on the villages that were near there. Just to make sure they’re doing okay.”

I bite my lip and shoot Raph and Donnie a look as Leo looks back at the fire.

Shell. I knew that Leo really missed the jungle, but I didn’t realize that he was also down there protecting the people who lived within the jungle too. I thought he was just sad about not being able to be outside during the day or be in nature.

I swallow a lump that forms in my throat.

But the knowledge that he was risking his life, by himself, while Leo was down in South America leaves me with a twisting feeling in my gut and a cold pit in my chest. So… our fear of Leo possibly having died in the jungle COULD and WAS a very valid concern. Does Sensei even know about what Leo was doing? Did April when she went to go locate him?

My eyes flicker over to Raph and Donnie again, the light of the flames making their faces glow bright. How broken would my brothers have been had we found out Leo died down in the jungle? Would they have even THOUGHT to get back together? Would they have made up? Or would Donnie have worked himself till he forgot and would have Raph become some sort of vigilante machine to hide his pain and anguish from us?

My stomach rolls at that thought. We wouldn’t have ever been back to normal again. My bros would have continued to argue and maybe never even realize their love for one another.

And I would have lost more than just one brother had we not gotten Leo back. My throat tightens unpleasantly.

“But for right now, I’m just happy to be home and with all of you,” Leo continues, his voice tugging me back to reality and out of the dark despair I was about to fall into.

“And we’re happy yer back,” Raph gruffs, his usual smirk in place except, I can see that it’s not as sharp as usual or as mocking as Raph lifts his beer in a type of cheer. “Even if yer a hard ass sometimes.”

“Hey!” Leo laughs out as he holds up his tea as Donnie holds up his coffee and I pick up my almost empty can of root beer. “I’ve gotten better over the years.”

“Yeah, you have!” I chirp with a grin. “You’re less “Mom” and more “Fun Mom” now!”

A shriek leaves me when Leo suddenly throws some marshmallows at me before standing, stalking around the fire. Leaping to my feet, I hurry away, laughing.

“I say it with love!” I call out as Leo breaks into a run after me.

“And I’m going to tackle you with love!” Leo calls back, his longer legs closing the distance between us much faster than I anticipated.

“No violence on our vacation!” I cry out just missing a grab from my big brother. “I’m too pretty to be tackled! Donnie! Raphie! Help meeeee!”

I rush by my still sitting brothers (the traitors) as they merely laugh at my pain!

“Nah, don’t think I will,” Raph says, sipping his beer noisily. “Think I’m gonna sit back and enjoy da show~.”

I stick my tongue out at Raph earning myself a low laugh from the hothead as I zip by him, Leo hot on my heels.

“Sorry, Mikey,” Donnie says, leaning forward as I rush behind him, Leo far too close for me to use my tallest brother as a shield. “But you got yourself into this mess, you’re on your own. And to think of such betrayal after Leo helped you get away from me.”

“I-I helped him too!” I defend with a pout, looking back at Donnie. “So don’t—Leo NOOOO!” I shriek again when suddenly Leo lunges for me and our bodies connect.

“Oof!” I squeak as solid warmth wraps around me and my eyes squeezing shut as I feel myself falling backwards.

However, I feel my descent halted and something warm caresses my cheek. Cautiously, I crack an eye open before opening it fully when I notice the world is now sideways. A puff of hot air hits my face again with a soft chuckle. I turn my face toward the sound only for my heart to nearly stop.

“Caught you,” Leo whispers, a small smirk on his lips as his brown eyes sparkle in the moonlight and the fire behind him casting a beautiful glow outlining him.

Close. Too close, my brain screams as my mouth works to form words. My mouth dries for a moment and I swear Leo can hear my heart as it tries to jackhammer out of my chest.

“Ye-Yeah!” I squeak out, trying to cover the sound with a chuckle. “Y-You caught me! Heh, you got a be-better track record than R-Raphie-boy!”

“Mikey….” Raph growls somewhere behind Leo. I DARE you to stand, Raphie! I dare you with that sore bum.

“He’s not wrong, Raphie.”

“Genius, if ya don’t wanna end up in dat lake, shut yer trap.”

A soft rumbling chuckle leaves Leo and the vibrations of it drag my focus back to my current predicament and how I need to remain calm and NOT freak out or get aroused. Or both. Yeah, let’s not do both because THAT would be embarrassing! Like, I literally have to share a tent with my hot bros! And I’m CERTAIN that they’re getting more comfortable with wanting to tell me about their relationship! I can taste it!

Like how I wish I could taste-NO brain that is NOT where we are going when Leo’s plastron is pressed against mine and his arms are wrapped around me in some weird dip like in those romantic movies where the love interest dips the main lead and then it leads to a ki---kick ass fighting scene! Yeah! Fighting scene! Nothing else! Nope. Nothing. Nada. We fight the bad guys and then skip off into the moonlight. The end.

A soft yelp leaves me when something firmly raps on my forehead without hurting. Blinking, I glance back up at Leo only to find him watching me in amusement. I pout at him.

“What was that for?” I whine reaching up to rub the spot even though it doesn’t even hurt. Don’t think about how he’s only holding you up with one arm right now. Because that isn’t hot. It’s not and it totally wouldn’t be hot if Donnie and Raphie ALSO did something similar. Nope. Not at all.

Leo tilts his head, his second arm lowering to wrap back around me as he chuckles again, the vibrations traveling to my own chest.

“You spaced out on me, Little Brother,” Leo states, his tone amused. “And you weren’t responding when I was calling your name, so I had to get creative.”

I huff.

“Why do you three always gotta go for my pretty head?” I whine out. “I swear you’re gonna give me brain damage!”

“I don’t think dat it’s US dat’ll give ya brain damage,” Raph drawls. Thump. “Ow! Don, I swear ta everythin’ holy ya don’t want me ta get up off dis seat!”

My mouth opens to make a comment to what I hear Raph saying when something warm touches my forehead. All words die on my lips when I look ahead only for my vision to be filled by only Leo. His lips leave my forehead, and my hands automatically reach up to hide the spot, my eyes wide as Leo looks down at me. My heart skips a beat as the spot stays warm under my palms and my eldest brother smiles so softly down at me. There’s something in his eyes that I can’t quite place, and I swear my face is on fire.

“Is that better?” Leo asks, his voice low and soft and it takes all of my self-control to not shiver from it.

Not trusting my voice, I nod in reply causing the smile already on my brother’s face to widen.

“Good. Now, I think it’s time for bed.”

“Wh-What?” I ask, blinking dumbly at the sudden topic change.

Instead of answering, Leo’s arms tighten around me and the next thing I know, I’m being lifted and thrown over my big brother’s shoulder.

“Le-Leo!” I stammer out, flailing a little and yet I barely budge in my brother’s grasp. “Dude! I have legs! I can walk to the tent!”

“You do and you can,” Leo agrees as he walks by our brothers, and I feel him motion with his head for them to follow us. “But this is just easier. We also have an early day tomorrow to do some exploring before it rains, so I don’t want you to go running off again, Goofball.”

Huffing, I cross my arms as I glare at Leo’s scarred shell so that I can give Raph some privacy as Donnie helps him stand. We disappear into the tent before Raph full stands, and I can hear Donnie asking him something before laughing. Raph must have flicked him off.

Such a tsundere, I think with a smirk. Bet Raphie’s a pillow princess. I fight to not snicker when Leo gently places me back onto my feet. He steadies me with warm hands on my shoulders and I swear that he’s studying me but he’s turning away to deal with the blankets and pillows before my brain can fully process it.

“Have you decided who you’d like to sleep next to, Otōto?” Leo asks, rearranging everything as he speaks.

“Uh,” I start, rubbing the back of my neck. “No? I didn’t think it’d matter with us being in the tent together, ya know?”

Leo shoots me an unimpressed look making me laugh nervously.

“But, um, I could… I think maybe tonight be…um… Raph?” I ask with a questioning smile.

Leo studies me from his spot next to his blanket, his expression unreadable for a moment before he relaxes with a nod.

“Perfect,” Leo states, picking up my blankets and moving them closer to where Raph usually sleeps. “If you need to get up to go the bathroom, please wake one of us.”

“Scared I’d get lost?” I tease, sticking my tongue out as I squat next to my big brother as Mr. Perfect tries to arrange my blankets into a neat pile that I purposely and sneakily reach over and mess up until he catches me. Leo gives me a dry, yet amused, look before he tries to shove me over making me snicker.

“No,” Leo finally says standing, giving up on making my blankets nice. “You have a nasty habit of disappearing on us.” He eyes me as I smile contritely at him. “And the buddy system is always a good thing to stick with.”

“It’s ‘cause yer a boy scout,” Raph states, entering the tent with Donnie close behind him. I eye my hotheaded brother, my lips twitching as if to grin when I spot a pink blush on his cheeks. Guess someone just got a checkup outside~. His limp has calmed down since sitting for a while.

Or maybe Doctor Donnie worked his magic, I think, trying hard to not snicker.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Leo states firmly, moving back over to his blankets, rearranging them to his liking.

A squeak leaves me when Raph suddenly catches me in a headlock.

“Looks like I’m da lucky turtle tanight?” Raph asks, rubbing his knuckles gently on the top of my head as I squirm and wiggle.

“Raaaaaaph, stoooooop,” I complain, shoving at my bulky brother ineffectively until he decides he’s done. I stick my tongue out only to cover my mouth when he moves to catch my tongue. “And yes, you meanie.”

Raph chuckles as he tosses his pillow down.

“Fine by me. Just no complainin’ ‘bout my snorin’, got it?”

I bat at Raph’s finger when he points it in my face and I sniff.

“Well, maybe if you didn’t snore like a chainsaw loud enough for New Jersey to hear, we wouldn’t complain! So, there!” I plop down on my blankets just as Raph, a little bit more gingerly, collapses onto his.

“Right, ya princess,” Raph states, rolling onto his back, his eyes closed already and his arms behind his head.

I press my thumb to my nose and wiggle my fingers at my brother knowing he can’t see me. I giggle to myself as I flick my blanket out over my legs. Once happy with how it’s sitting, I lean back onto the ground.

Only to squeak when the back of my neck touches something warm and I’m being forced to roll onto my side, pressing up against Raph’s side. My eyes are wide as I stare at my brother’s chest, or what I can see of it when Leo turns the light inside the tent off.

“R-Raph?” I whisper, peeking up and just spying the outline of my brother’s strong jaw.

“Shh, Darlin’. Just go ta sleep. Ya know Fearless is gonna wake us up at like da crack ass of dawn, so ya better sleep.”

“You know I can hear you both right?” Leo’s voice filters through the air.

“Children, no fighting in the tent,” Donnie jumps in, his screen illuminating his face as he scrolls through his phone.

A soft giggle leaves me as my cheek rests against Raph’s warm shoulder. I mean… it IS rather cool out and Raphie is warm. This was also HIS idea and Leo and Donnie aren’t protesting, so like it would be super rude to refuse such an open invitation to cuddle my hotheaded brother. Like two cuddle times in the span of less than a week? It’s like a new record! So, truly, this is a rare opportunity that I would be a fool to miss out on.

And who knows when I’ll get another chance like this?

Steeling my resolve and just allowing myself to be a tiny bit selfish, I turn more into Raph, pressing my snout into his shoulder. The strong scent of sandalwood and the bonfire fills my senses, a scent that I’ve come to recognize as uniquely Raph’s. Sometimes there is a scent of metal mixed in there if we had just been in a fight or motor oil when he’s just gotten done working on his bike.

I bite the inside of my cheek when I feel Raph readjust my blanket so that it’s further up my back and around my shoulders. His hand then lands on the back of my neck, a comforting weight and his fingers rub gently at the muscles there. I practically melt into Raph’s side and a yawn escapes me.

“Good night, bros,” I mutter though a tiny smile forms when I hear three different chuckles fill the air, one of which makes my cheek vibrate.

“Good night, Otōto,” Leo says, and I swear I feel something soft and warm brush the top of my head. I don’t get a chance to think too much about it as the warmth from Raph and the security of being surrounded by my brothers lulls me right to sleep.

Chapter 20: Patience in the Morning Sun

Notes:

Hello my dear readers! Hope May treated you well! I am happy to say that I got approved to start some summer college classes as well as got a part-time job to help me while I search for my next full-time job. So that’s a bit exciting! Not exactly what I planned for or truly wanted (ideal situation I’d have gotten a full-time job lol) but beggars can't be choosers and I’ll celebrate even the small wins!

This chapter today is a touch shorter than normal but I hope you don't mind. I promise things will start amping up here in the next few!

Thank you to everyone who has been commenting and kudosing my story. It means a lot to me! All of you are the best!

Fyi: this story will be beta’d down the road so if you see changes in the future that is why!

Enjoy the story!

A loud yawn escapes me as I’m slowly dragged out of the darkness of sleep. Something warm is under my cheek and I can’t help but rub my cheek against it as I curl closer to the source of warmth, burying my nose into the scent of sandalwood with a hint of smoke.

Home. Safe.

I sigh, a small smile forming on my lips as I slowly start to drift back toward sleep. My smile slips a bit and my eye ridges furrow in confusion as the cushion vibrates under my cheek. My eyelids flutter for a moment before finally opening, my vision blurry. A large emerald green blur fills my vision and I squint at it. I don’t recall owning anything that shade of green.

I mean…. Not that I WOULDN’T want a certain someone of this shade~. But he isn’t mine to want….

Pouting, I turn my face back into the warm, though much harder cushion than I remember. My face scrunches as I rub and nuzzle into the scent, desperately trying to fall back to sleep. It’s too early to be up! We’re on vacation! I should be allowed to sleep in!

My thoughts are interrupted when I feel my cushion move and something solid and warm wraps around my back, covering my body like a heavy blanket. Something hot hits my cheek just as I’m nudged on the same cheek.

“Darlin’, I think it’s time fer ya ta get up~,” a deep bass whispers causing me to shiver and grumble. “I know. I know, but ya remember last time ya slept in and Fearless decided ta try and cook, dontcha?”

My eyes snap open at the mention of Leo and the thought of him, or any of my brothers, trying to cook again.

“No!” I yelp as I try to sit up but the weight draped across me, keeps me where I am.

I wiggle around frantically before a frustrated huff leaves me. Why is my blanket so heeeeeaaaavy?

Another puff of air hits my cheek as I fall still. Grumpy, I turn to look up at what is breathing on my face only to freeze when golden eyes stare down at me. My mouth dries as Raph grins down at me.

Wh-Why is he so close?! I think, my brain frantically trying to work again. O-Oh, shell! I was sleeping with him last night! Heat rushes to my face. And I just rubbed my FACE all over him! What if I got my stink on him?

Raph’s grin widens.

“Awe, what’s wrong, Darlin’? Havin’ problems?” Raph purrs and it takes everything in me to not squeak and hide in the blanket.

“N-N-No!” I grumble, turning my face away as Raph’s grin transforms into a smirk, a stupid, no good, not hot at all smirk. Why does the universe hate me so much? “I-I was just startled by your-your not cute face!” I squirm and free my arm to weakly push at Raph, whining. “And you’re in my buuuuuuubble.”

Raph snickers at my whining making my heart skip a beat and my body tingle. I scrunch my face as I fight to not just start crawling away like I want to. Ugh. Where are Leo or Donnie? Why aren’t they helping meeeeee?

“Raph, you’re gonna make him burn your portion of the food if you keep teasing him,” Donnie’s voice filters through the air. “Just let the knucklehead up or you know Leo will come in here and tell you to.”

Raph scoffs and looks over to where our genius brother lies, his phone illuminating his face.

“Yer no fun, Brainiac.” Raph sighs as if put out and I pout up at him. He rolls his eyes with a huff. “Yer on my arm, Chucklehead.”

“Huh?”

I glance over just as I feel my “pillow” only to make a noise and try to sit up.

“S-Sorry!” I quickly blurt out only for me to bump into Raph with my chest and shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, Darlin’,” Raph says lowly in my ear, and I SWEAR his lips brushed me!

But before I can confirm, Raph is pulling away and standing, groaning as he stretches, arms high in the air. My eyes drift down the length of his body before reaching his butt and I have to quickly look away or else my burning face will give me away.

Shell. I knew this was going to happen. I knew us sharing a tent would be my downfall. All I can be thankful for right now is that I didn’t have a freaking wet dream while all plastered up next to Raph.

I run a hand down my face, pretending to try and wake myself up.

Wouldn’t THAT have been dandy? Me waking up next to Raph, humping his leg as I press and rub myself all over him? He’d have pounded me for sure!

My mouth twitches at that thought, shoving away the image of Raph over me with a sai in the air that tries to claw its way back from the little box I locked it in deep inside my brain.

“Why are you both up so early anyways?” I ask, trying hard to change the subject so my brain doesn’t go to places I don’t want it to.

“Leo wanted to have an early start on our hike today,” Donnie answers, still unmoving from his spot on the floor of the tent, blankets just barely covering his hips and legs.

Don’t look, Mikester. It’s just a trap. Don’t do it.

“Ah,” I say instead, pretending my brain isn’t trying to get me maimed by my hot brothers. I then pout. “Wait, hike? Since when are we going on hike?”

“Since always, Chucklehead,” Raph states kicking my blanket up and over my head making me squawk. “Ya know dat Fearless has been plannin’ a hike fer us since we learned about dis trip. So, just be happy dat he ain’t forcin’ us ta train with him.”

Yanking the blanket from my face, I stick my tongue out at my brother before I make a face.

“Yeah, um, no. No training for me. This is a vacation, and I am going to treat it as such. Which means no training.” I cross my arms and stick my nose in the air.

“What’s this about training?”

A squeak leaves me when Leo suddenly enters the tent, a towel wrapped around his neck as he dabs at his forehead. His brown eyes appear so much darker inside the tent than I know that they are and I can see this knowing smirk on his face.

“You heard what we said, Liar!” I call out, pointing at our big brother as he shifts over to where his bag is.

“Oh?” Leo asks, a too innocent tone making his voice lilt up. “Is that so? So me hearing about how you three would LOVE to train with me before our hike was accurate?”

“No!” the three of us shout in unison.

Leo’s head tips back as he laughs, a true deep belly laugh that makes my whole body warm at the sight of. It’s not often Leo laughs like that. Shell, it’s not often for any of my bros to laugh like that anymore. It’s so nice to see and to know that they’re becoming so much more relaxed on this trip is making my heart so happy.

Now, if only they will tell me about them being mates, everything will be perfect! I think, finally standing and stretching myself.

My eyes close as I crack my back with a groan and a sigh.

“Well, since our wonderful big brother wants to go on a hike as soon as possible, I better go start breakfast.” I grin when Leo tries throwing an unused towel at me and I catch it. I throw it back with a laugh. “Who wants bacon and eggs?”

“Oh, that sounds great,” Donnie states, finally sitting up, phone face down on his lap as he smiles at me. His hazel eyes catch the small sliver of rising sunlight making them sparkle and shine like pretty polished rocks.

Clearing my throat when I feel myself starting to drift into a daydream, I nod and head for the tent flap.

“Good, good,” I state absentmindedly, trying hard to focus on what tea and coffee I should make my brothers instead of how gorgeous they look freshly woken up or freshly flushed from working out. Ugh, because my heart? It can’t handle that right now. I’m not awake enough to control myself.

“You sure you don’t want us to help?” Leo asks innocently (not) with that small little smile that he does.

“Shell no!” I answer swiftly, yanking the two flaps open before glaring over my shoulder. “Any of you so much as LOOK at the food we packed and I’m going Rapunzel on your shells! Hot pan and all!”

Donnie laughs, holding his hands up in surrender.

“We promise not to touch any of your food or any of the utensils, Mikey.” Donnie makes an ‘X’ over his heart. “Cross my heart.”

My eyes narrow as I glance from Donnie to Leo and Raph. Leo also makes the ‘X’ over his heart with a grin. Raph on the other hand makes a face as if he’s thinking about it. He then smirks and mimics Donnie and Leo.

“Yeah, yeah, we won’t touch shit, Darlin’. Promise.”

“Good,” I state again, turning my snout up with a sniff. “Now, if you excuse me, I have a breakfast to make.”

I walk out of the tent, letting the flaps fall behind me before my bravo finally dies and I scrub at my face.

It’s not fair! It should be illegal for my brothers to be this cute before the sun is even over the horizon! What the shell have I done in the universe to be punished like this? Because it has to be a punishment! There’s just no other way around it.

Grumbling to myself, I lower my hands and hurry over to the fire pit. Leo, the saint that he is, has it already going for me but none of the kitchen supplies have been touched from where I moved them last night.

“Good,” I grumble as I pull out my pan and the food items I need. “He’s learning.”

It’s not even the fact that I wouldn’t welcome their help. If they really, REALLY wanted me to, I would do my best to teach them how to cook in a heartbeat. But… they just never ask and their food really is awful. Sometimes I wonder if the appliances have a vendetta against Leo after he’s set them on fire one too many times.

A soft snicker leaves me at the thought of the kitchen items all holding a meeting whenever we’re not in there to discuss how to mess with Leo next so that he never touches them again. It’s super amusing.

“Maybe when we get home, I’ll start whispering little ideas to them to try out to see if they’re actually doing it,” I say to myself, giggling.

I crack an egg like the pro that I am and plop it into the pan, listening to that wonderful sizzle before adding a few strips of bacon. This is going to be Leo’s plate as he likes two slices of bacon with scrambled eggs. The next will be Donnie’s as he’s going to want a slice of toast with is to scoop his scrambled eggs onto before eating his bacon. Last will be Raph’s since he’s more a sunny side-up kind of guy and I don’t want to risk breaking the egg on the bacon as I flip them. So, he’ll need to have his egg and bacon done separately.

Humming to myself, I let myself get lost in the motion of making the food, calling out the name of whosever plate I just finished. The moment my plate is finished, I start working on the tea and coffee, the kettles having been going the entire time so that the water would be nice and ready for my bros. I pretend to wipe my forehead once everyone has their plate and drinks and I beam at them.

“There we go! Bon appétit!” I say cheerfully before scooping up my plate and plopping down in my spot from last night to start digging in.

“Wonderful as always, Mikey,” Leo compliments after a few bites. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, Dudes!” I reply back cheerfully, swallowing my first bite. “A happy belly means happy bros!”

“Got dat right!” Raph states, his plate almost clear of food. “Ya always make da best sunny side-up eggs.”

My face warms from Raph’s compliment, the hothead not really known for giving those out lightly and I can’t help but smile down at my food. I laugh.

“I’ve been cooking for ya since we were fourteen! I should have learned how you all liked your eggs by now.”

“You really do know how we like your eggs, Dove~.”

I nearly choke on my bacon as Donnie speaks and I look over at him as he takes another bite of his toast. He’s watching me from the corner of his eyes as he bites down, and I swear there’s a smirk on his face. What was that weird tone he just used?

My eyes flicker to Raph and Leo, but our older brothers appear unbothered by how Donnie said what he did.

I’m imagining things, I think, clearing my throat before resuming eating. Donnie said a perfectly normal sentence in a perfectly normal tone. It wasn’t weird. It wasn’t flirty or anything. Nope. Totally normal.

Releasing a slow breath through my nose, I clear my plate before jumping when Leo just appears before me. I scowl/pout up at him.

“We’re getting you a bell when we get home,” I state earning myself a smile from Leo.

“Alright, but I’ll just use it as a challenge to move so the bell doesn’t ring,” Leo states, taking my plate from me before he moves on to our other brothers.

I whine.

“Leeeeeooooo, that defeats the whole purpose of the bell!”

Raph pats my head.

“Eh, it was a good thought, Darlin’, but ya know dat Fearless is gonna turn anythin’ and everythin’ inta a trainin’ exercise.”

I sigh. “Yeah, I know. But a turtle can dream, can’t he?” I then perk up as I watch Raph walk back toward the tent. “Oh! Raphie! You’re not limping anymore!”

The sound of coughing and the spitting of a drink fills the air before quickly being followed by Donnie laughing. Raph turns toward me, eyes wide and cheeks tinged pink for some reason before he turns his golden glare onto our genius brother as he continues to laugh.

“What?” I ask as I glance over at Leo for clarification. “What did I say? Isn’t him not limping a good thing with our hike coming up?”

Leo licks his lips and I can see the strain in his face as if he is also holding back a laugh as he glances over to where Donnie is trying to stand as Raph stalks toward him.

“Ye-Yes, otōto, it IS a good thing he isn’t limping.” Leo swallows and clears his throat. “Um, I think it was just how…. SUDDEN you declared it is what caught Donnie off guard. That’s all. Ahem, but I think… for right now…. I’m going to wash these.” Leo’s lips tremble with the effort to keep a straight face as he pats my head. “Go… get ready for the hike, yeah?”

My eye ridges furrow but I nod in agreement anyways. I watch as Leo walks away and spot as his shoulders start shaking as he no longer tries to hide his laughter even though nothing rings out. I glance over just as Donnie springs from his seat, Raph just barely missing his shell and straps as he lunges for him. His entire face is red as Donnie continues to laugh.

Still not entirely sure what I said was THAT funny, I slowly edge my way toward the tent.

“I’m… just gonna go do what Leo said,” I say to no one in particular as Raph tries to catch our wayward genius brother.

“You do that, Mikey!” Donnie calls out, laughing as he narrowly misses a tackle from Raph again. “Raphie and I will be in the tent shortly~.”

“I swear ta fuckin’ EVERYTHING, Brainiac,” Raph growls. “If ya don’t stop laughin’ I will MAKE ya stop!”

“Promises~. Promises~.”

My eyes widen as I hurry back into the tent, the flirting between my brothers making my heart leap into my throat and makes my little tail wag. Ugh. How EMBARRASSING. That flirting wasn’t even directed at ME. How can I be the one getting excited?

“So stupid, Michelangelo,” I mutter, glancing around the space for my personal bag.

Locating it, I walk over and drop to my knees next to it and start looking for items that I might need on a hike: water bottle, Gameboy, Walkman, and some of my own personal snacks of course.

Once all packed, I sit there, staring at my bag. The sound of Raph still chasing a laughing Donnie can be heard just outside but I try to not pay it any mind. I want to give them privacy as mates after all. If I leave this tent now, they’ll have to go back pretending to be just brothers and that isn’t what I want.

Scrubbing at my eyes, I huff. I HATE waiting! So, why can’t they just tell me about them being mates NOW? It’d make everything so much easier and I can move on with my life!

My hands fall to my knees, resting there.

Who am I kidding? I’ll never move on. But… it’s fine. But pretending to just want to be their little brother will be so much easier if they would just tell me that they were mates. Solid. Concrete. It would cement in my heart that they’ll never want me like that and it’ll make pretending all that much easier.

Dragging in a deep breath, I release it slowly.

Everything’s going to turn out fine. Just gotta be patient.

Chapter 21: Raindrops and Rose Petals

Notes:

Hello you amazing people you!

Hope all of you are doing well! My life has been a bit busy lately. I got a new job that I'm not exactly the biggest fan of while I continue my search for a new full-time job and I also started taking classes to help further my education to help me get that full-time job. So this month has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. But the story is really picking up now!

And all of your comments have been so sweet and lovely! While I don't have the chance to respond to them all I do read them all and they always brighten my day when I see them. As do the kudos, which I deeply appreciate 🧡. All of you help me stay motivated as does my lovely beta reader. This chapter is not yet beta'd but will be in the future, so if you see changes when coming back to this story, that'll be why!

Also, if class and work start to get a bit much and I have to delay a chapter I will put so here in the chapter note. So, just keep your eyes out for that if it happens 😊.

Note from Lotus_Empress: She wants to apologize that the last few chapters have not been Beta'd yet. She has been going through a lot the last 6 months and they've been a rather hellish for her as well. She plans to get the chapters beta'd here within the next few days for us. So please send her some love and support!

But for now, I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

*UPDATE* Hello! Update! I am running a bit behind on the next chapter ^.^" I lost track of time and oh gosh it's August already?! Holy Moly! My goal is to have the new chapter up by 9-9:30pm my time (CT) and if it doesn't get up tonight, it will most certainly get posted on the 2nd of August! So sorry about this. But a new chapter is coming!

I stretch my arms up above my head and look up toward the sky, bag weighing me back a bit further than normal. I drag a deep breath in, releasing it slowly as I listen to the sounds around me. 

We’ve been walking for what feels like forever, but I know it’s only been like fifteen minutes. Raphie and Leo are currently arguing over different stealthing techniques for when we return to the city. I can’t help but wonder how far we’re gonna go. Is this hike an all-day thing? No. I don’t think it is since we didn’t pack the tent. My bros seem to know where we need to go so that’s all that matters to me. Less for me to think about and more time to plan on how to get them to tell me about THEM. Like how hard can it be? They’re already flirting in front of me openly! Like, that has to be a good sign, right? So, maybe they’ll feel up to discussing it.

Maybe I should do like an ice breaker? I think, fingers tapping the top of my shell. Like a typical camping or sleepover move? Sooooo, who’s everyone crushing on?

My snout wrinkles. No, that’s a bit too direct, huh? Raph would also make fun of me for sounding like those cheesy teens in those teen romance movies. Which really aren’t my cup of tea but like, how else am I supposed to get them to talk to me? I’ve tried subtle but I’m afraid if I do direct they’ll get cagey on me like they always do when emotions are involved.

So, direct questions? A no go.

 Clouds drift by, the sky slowly turning grey as we walk and the wind picks up a bit causing the trees and grass to sway around us. Dead leaves bounce along the path. I blink in confusion when I suddenly shudder, the sudden drop in temperature catching me off guard. My eyes narrow.

“Uh, Donnie-boy?” I call out, lowering my arms and jogging a bit to walk beside my tall, brainy, muscular brother.

“Hmm?”

I peer up at him.

“Um, is it supposed to rain?” I ask, shooting the sky a look before peering back up at my brother.

Hazel eyes lift from his phone to check the sky as another breeze cuts through the trees making the newly forming leaves rattle and shake.

“Yes,” Donnie starts slowly, head tilting to the side. “Though, it’s not supposed to start for another two hours. I wonder if the weather is moving faster than they predicted.”

“Does… Does that mean we’re gonna get caught in the rain?” I ask/whine, rubbing my arms with a pout. “I didn’t bring a jacket! Or pants, or-or anything!”

“Awe, is Darlin’ afraid of a little water and meltin’?” Raph asks in a baby voice, a smirk thrown my way as his golden eyes sparkle.

My cheeks color and I pout at him.

“N-No! But it’s just barely spring! It’s gonna be cold rain! Not that nice warm rain that we sometimes get in summer!” I cross my arms, turning my snout up. “Not everyone is a walking heater like you, Raphie!”

Raph opens his mouth but stops when Leo shoots him a look and our big brother slows so that he is walking next to me.

“If it starts to rain, we’ll figure something out,” Leo reassures me as he wraps an arm around my shoulders. I can’t help but lean a bit closer into his warmth with a pout.

“But I don’t wanna walk in the rain.”

Donnie laughs softly as he looks up from his phone again.

“Then we won’t have to. I’m certain there are some places around here we can take shelter in until the rain lightens.” Donnie reaches over and rubs my head, offering me a gentle smile that has my heart skipping and dancing and throwing confetti that isn’t allowed.

“And it ain’t rainin’ now,” Raph says with snort and he rolls his eyes at me when I stick my tongue out at him. “Fer all we know, we could make it ta where we need ta go before it even starts. It’s just windy right now.”

Sighing, I shrug, Leo’s arm a nice weight still on my shoulders.

“I guess all of you are right. I just don’t wanna be blasted with cold water again.” I shudder and I swear Leo holds me closer, but I try to ignore it, knocking the butterflies in my gut out with my mental nunchakus.

“And whose fault was it da first time?”

A pout reforms on my lips and I grumble out an answer, hoping Raph can’t hear me. Unfortunately for me, Raph’s signature smirk appears, making my heart dance the tango. My hotheaded brother slows until he’s also walking next to me and leans down to meet my gaze even as I try to look around.

“What was dat, Darlin’~?” Raph practically purrs out. “Didn’t quite catch dat~.”

Ugh, why’s he gotta ask like thaaaaaat? I mentally whine as I turn my face away again.

I swear sweat starts to form the longer he drills holes into the side of my head and I can feel Leo shaking with held back laughter.

“Well, Darlin’?

Ugh, Raphie really won’t let this go huh?

Sighing dramatically, I turn another pout toward my beefiest brother and do my best to glare at him. Which only seems to make his smirk grow and my cheeks grow warmer.

“Mine….”

“Uh huh,” Raph says a little too happily for my liking as he lightly pinches my cheek causing me to swat at his hand. “Dat’s what I thought. Now, ‘nough chit-chat. If we want ta beat da rain, we’re gonna have ta walk faster. Right, Brainiac?”

“Unfortunately,” Donnie says with a nod making me groan and lean more into Leo. “It appears that the rain is heading this way much faster than the reports were making it out to be yesterday or even earlier in the week.”

My eyes widen and I shoot Leo a look when he gives me a bit of a squeeze. My chest squeezes and my heart leaps into my throat at the look on Leo’s face. His eyes are slightly narrowed and there is a gleam in his eyes that tells me that he’s calculating and readjusting his plan in his mind.

Why is that look so hot? I whine silently, mentally weeping at the fact that my brothers will always be hot without trying. It just really isn’t fair.

“Leo?”

Our aniki blinks once before focusing on Donnie as he calls his name.

“Raph’s right. We will need to walk faster if we don’t want to be caught in the rain.” Leo’s eyes flicker from me then up to our other two brothers. “If we must, we’ll make a detour and find shelter somewhere. Donnie, if you can, please try to remember if you saw anywhere that might make good cover for us that will also block the wind.”

“On it.”

Leo looks back down at me, his brown eyes softening in that way that makes my insides feel like goo and I wish it meant more than me just being his baby brother, but I know it never will.

“Don’t worry, Mikey. We’ll keep you from melting in the rain,” Leo states, the corner of his mouth lifting up in that way it does when he’s pretending to be serious.

A faux scowl tugs on my lips as I move to swipe at my brother. Leo easily deflects the strike.

“You dudes are the absolute worst, you know that?” I whine, hmphing as I grumble. “I deserve a snack for such bullying behavior.”

My brothers laugh as I reach into my pouch on my belt and start digging around for one of my granola bars.

“Since when do you need a reason to snack, Mikey?” Donnie teases, bumping me lightly as I pull out a chocolate chip granola bar.

I stick my tongue out him.

“Never. All times are snack times, but all this walking is making me hungry and then worrying about the rain is making me even hungrier!”

“We’ve only been walking for like twenty minutes!” Leo says with a laugh, releasing my shoulders as he bends down for some reaon.

I take a bite of my granola bar, humming in happiness as the chocolate sweetness melts in my mouth and I wiggle happily. However, my wiggles are cut short when something cool and wet hits my snout. I glance up at the sky with wide eyes. A squeak leaves me when a raindrop hits me square in the eye and I scrub at it.

“Gah! The sky spit in my eye!”

“Uh oh,” Donnie says as he holds out his hand as more droplets of water spill down. “Um, Leo? I think we’re out of time.”

“Ah, fuckin’ hell,” Raph groans causing me to turn and look at him.

“What’s wrong, Raphie?” I ask in the most annoying voice I can muster. “Afraid you’re gonna melt?”

Raph turns toward me with narrowed eyes causing me to drink even as my face gets hit with more rain. Raph opens his mouth to retort only to stop and his eyes shift to stare at something behind me.

“Uh, Fearless? What ya doin’ back dere?”

Blinking, I turn back to see Leo standing where he had bent down, staring at something in his palm.

“Leo?” Donnie calls out and my smile drops to a concerned frown when Leo jerks as if he only just heard us. His head lifts slowly and a few raindrops hit his face but he doesn’t flinch as his intense gaze lingers on me. He holds something out.

“Mikey, I think you dropped this.”

My eye ridges lift in surprise, and I hurry back to our big brother to peer into his palm. My eyes widen as I spot the rose petal from the cave resting there, the color contrasting nicely with the leaf green of Leo’s skin. Gingerly, I pick the petal up and stare at it, feeling as Raph and Donnie grow closer and peer over my head to see.

“Oh, it’s the rose petal I found,” I state, offering my brother a smile as my stomach twists for some reason. “I found it while I was looking for mushrooms.” A lightbulb suddenly goes off and I glance around at our surroundings. “Wait, no, this is perfect!”

“Perfect?” Donnie echoes back, confusion written on his face. “What’s perfect?”

I shake my head as I’m nearly bouncing on the balls of my feet, shoving the rest of my granola bar into my mouth swiftly.

“We’re totally close by!” I nearly shout after swallowing. “I know a place where we can be nice and dry! Come on!”

Without waiting for a response, I take off in the direction I am certain the cave was in, my brothers calling after me to wait. My eyes flicker from tree and to tree, instantly finding the marks that I left and I giggle giddily. This is totally perfect! I’ll bring them to the cave, show them all the romantic stuff that the people left and then see how they react to it! That can be my lead in!

Turtle luck is really on my side this time! I think as I wipe water from my face. Getting to show my bros the cave AND use it as an excuse to talk romantic stuff? Two birds, one stone and all that jazz!

I can hear my brothers calling out and Raph cursing up a storm as the rain starts coming down harder.

“C’mon!” I cheer. “We’re almost there!”

“Mikey, wait!” Leo calls out but I’m already moving before the three can reach me.

“You dudes are gonna love this, promise!” I reassure over my shoulder. “And it’ll be dryyyyyy~!” I sing out the last part as I duck under a branch before emerging out into a small, familiar clearing.

I extend my arms out and gesture toward the mouth of the cave.

“Tada!”

Chapter 22: Raw Confessions

Notes:

Hello everyone! Hope you're doing well!

As promised, I'm getting this chapter up before 9pm my time! So sorry for the wait! I started taking college classes and my new(ish) part-time job has really thrown my sleeping schedule outta wack. I have morning classes and then work overnights lol not a great combo but we make it work lol. Again, so sorry for the wait and I really hope all of you like this chapter. I actually have the chapter after this already started and with me started fall semester on the 25th, I will try to coordinate my timing better. August really snuck up on me. ^.^" I still thought it was July until I woke up this morning and was like ope it really is the first of August. I deeply appreciate your patience with me and for leaving such sweet comments and kudos. Hope all of you are safe and well.

This chapter is not yet beta'd but will be by Lotus_Empress once everything has calmed for her. Thank you Lotus_Empress for also being patient with me!

*Edit* Also just looked and today, August 1st is the anniversary of when I first published this story! Thank you all for sticking with me for the last three years! I deeply appreciate all of you!

“Tada!”

I beam as I spread my arms out toward the cave, excitement bubbling in my chest as I glance at my brothers. My excitement builds at the wide-eyed looks on my brothers faces.

“Cool, right?!” I ask, wiggling happily despite the rain falling around us. “I found it while looking for mushrooms and Dudes, you’re not gonna believe what I found!”

“What did you find, Otōto?” Leo asks, his voice quiet and almost blending in with the sounds of the droplets against the leaves.

I place my hands on my hips and smirk at the looks on their faces. My bros are so totally surprised! Bet they never thought a cave like this existed!

“Why, I’m glad you asked, Leonardo!” I hurry over to my brothers and get behind them, pushing them. “Why don’t we head inside and find out?”

My heart pounds as I manage to get my bros inside the cave before I slip around them once more.

“C’mon!” I encourage with a giggle before hurrying further inside.

The cave is a bit darker than it was when I was last here due to the lack of sunlight and the sound of the rain bounces off the walls. However, I find my way to the main area of the cave, and it looks just as it did when I last came, rose petals and all. I nearly squeal. Whoever set this up must have forgotten about it! What luck! This is the perfect setting for my brothers to tell me about their relationship! Then, when the rain stops, I can head back to camp to cook while giving them some privacy.

I rub my hands together like a little gremlin as I giggle. I just can’t believe my luck with all of this. Everything is falling into place! After the disaster of the supper and the candles, surely there is no way this can go wrong. I will have to figure out who set this up if I can so that way I can thank them for such an easy setting! Like, how more romantic can one get? Candles? Rose petals? Those awesome circular beds that you see in any romcom when they go to visit a hotel and accidentally get booked in the honeymoon suit? Someone obviously put a lot of thought into this!

Don’t worry, Unknown Stranger, I think as I sense my brothers behind me. I will make sure my brothers put this to good use for you! Your efforts won’t be in vain!

A sharp inhale from one of my brothers has me nearly bouncing as I turn toward them.

“Isn’t this the coolest?” I ask, practically vibrating. “I was afraid it’d be gone or all messed up by the time I was able to show you this!”

My brothers remain silent as I lead them further into the cave, carefully avoiding the rose petals. The looks on their faces is almost unreadable, but I can totally tell that they’re shocked. I mean, who can blame them? This is like right out of a romance novel that I totally never read or borrow from April.

“Mikey… I…” Donnie starts as he picks up a fake candle before putting it down. “When…”

My cheeks ache from my smiling as I bend down and pluck up a rose petal. I skip over to Donnie and gently place it in his palm.

“Told ya, Dude! I found it when I was mushroom hunting! Chased a whole squad of mushrooms in here before taking them out like the awesome ninja that I am!” I snicker as Donnie stares down at me, bewilderment in his eyes. “Don’t worry, Don, I subdued the mushrooms without getting a single scratch!”

“And you didn’t tell us about this cave why?” Leo asks, an unreadable look in his eyes as he steps up next to Donnie, his brown eyes locked on me.

I sigh dramatically.

“Because I wanted it to be a surprise, duh!”

Donnie makes a soft noise, and he turns away. I roll my eyes fondly. Leo’s gotta be paranoid about EVERYTHING.

“Dudes, c’mon,” I whine. “If I would have thought the humans that set this up were anywhere nearby or were coming back, I would have said something! But my gut told me that they weren’t, so I was like: Why not surprise my bros with something as awesome like this?” I bounce on the balls of my feet. “And aren’t you dudes surprised? Like, this is such a neat place! For one, it’s dry. Two? It lets in natural light so like it ain’t all dark and scary. Not that I’m scared of the dark!” I quickly add earning myself a fond look from Leo. “And three? It’s covered in like the best color ever! Orange! No one can be sad when looking at the color orange!”

Donnie still won’t look at me as Leo slowly nods, as if trying to process everything I just said. I mean, I get it. Sometimes they gotta take a minute to interpret my awesomeness, so I’ll give them a second to soak it all in.

I wait patiently as Leo continues to stare at me, but I can see the wheels turning behind his eyes. Leo’s usually the fastest at understanding me most of the time, so I have no worries that he’ll misunderstand. And then, once we’re all on the same page, I can start loosening them up with some treats I have packed in my belt and then they’ll tell me all about them being mates. Boom, pow! All done in one easy swoop.

Leo clears his throat, pulling me back to reality and I smile at him. Leo takes a step toward me, shooting a look behind him before focusing on me again. My head tilts to the side when Leo gently takes my hands and his thumbs rub soothing circles on the back of my hands.

“Ahem, no, you’re very much correct,” Leo starts slowly, making me smile. Knew he’d understand! “We… We are just worried… that…”

“Fuckin’ HELL, Leo!” Raph suddenly shouts causing me to jump and Leo sighs, eyes rolling up to the ceiling. “Just fuckin’ say it! Stop beatin’ around the bush!”

My eyes widen as I peer around Leo at Raph just as he punches a rock. Or tries to. Donnie catches Raph’s wrist before he can actually make contact and I can hear him whispering to Raph.

“Um…” I glance at Leo for more context. “Say what? Honest, there was no humans around!”

Leo winces as he glances down at me. I tilt my head as he lifts one hand and cups my right cheek. Confusion swirls in my chest as his thumb swipes under my eye. Chocolate brown eyes flicker around my face and I nearly curl into myself at the scrutiny of Leo’s piercing gaze.

“What?” I mumble, a pout forming.

“You’re not in trouble,” Leo soothes as he strokes my face again. “So, don’t pout. We’re just trying to… get our thoughts out correctly.”

My lips twitch and my head cocks to the side.

“Why? Do you guys not like the cave?”

I wilt at that thought, my mood dampening. But I really thought they’d like the cave! Leo tilts my head back up.

“Hey, no, don’t do that,” Leo says softly. “We didn’t say we didn’t like the cave. We just…”

My eye ridges furrow when Leo trails off, seeing him struggle for words. Leo almost never trails off. He always knows what to say or how to say it. It always pisses Raph off but like, it’s so helpful to keep things calm.

But now?

I swallow and fight to not fidget.

Now he’s acting all nervous! Leo doesn’t get nervous! That’s-That’s like seeing Chichi biff a kata or something! It’s unheard of!

Leo releases a slow breath that almost sounds shaky. My heart skips a beat and my palms feel clammy. Wait. Wait. Is this Leo about to tell me about them being in a relationship?

My eyes widen.

Oh my gosh. What if they set this up for themselves and I ruined it? Oh shell. Maybe Raph and Leo were trying to surprise Don? That’s it, isn’t it? They were going to surprise him! And I ruined it.

“Mikey-baby, please pay attention.”

I jump when Leo’s voice snaps me out of my spiraling thoughts. I stare up at him with wide eyes.

“Ye-Yeah?”

A tiny fond smile forms on Leo’s face as he watches me. Seeing that I’m now fully paying attention, Leo brushes his thumb under my eye again.

“There we go,” Aniki says softly. “Okay, let me try again. Just… Just let us try and explain.” Leo drags in another deep breath and for a moment, I swear I feel his hand on my cheek tremble a little.

Boy, I didn’t think he’d be this nervous to tell me about the three of them, I think, my heart squeezing sadly. My bros aren’t supposed to be scared of me! I thought I had done a good job proving that I would love them no matter what! Did I do something wrong these last few days to make them think otherwise? Were they not actually getting comfortable around me? I thought them using pet names was them getting comfortable?

“-and we have been feeling like this for a long while but never knew how to bring it up to you. So, we thought now would be the best time while in the safe space of the farm,” Leo continues and a sinking feeling spreads through me when I realize that Leo’s been talking the whole time I was thinking.

Panic floods me as my eyes flicker to Donnie and Raph, who at some point stepped closer to Leo, peering down at me. Almost expectantly. Shell! Why do I always do this?

Leo’s hand squeezes mine and I look back at my eldest brother’s face.

“Do you understand, Mikey?” Leo asks gently, his thumb stroking and leaving a burning trail behind.

Wetting my lips, I glance between my three brothers. Each looking rather excited and eager for my answer. Shell. One wrong word and I can upset them greatly. Working through my panic, I shift in place and force a smile though it feels as sheepish as I’m sure it looks.

“Uh, what?” I asks, chuckling nervously as I rub the back of my neck.

I duck my chin down when my brothers sigh and groan. Raph runs a hand down his face.

“Oh, my fuckin’ gods,” he groans loudly before glaring at me. “We’re fucking in love with you, Shellferbrains! Leo LITERALLY just said that! How can ya not understand? We literally set dis all up fer ya!”

Raph throws his hands into the air as everything else just stops. My mouth falls open as I stare at my brothers, Raph’s words stabbing me in the chest as I fight to breath.

We’re fucking in love with you, Shellferbrains!

In love with you…

They’re in love with me?

My hands shake as a flood of emotions wash over me. I distantly hear Leo scolding Raph for his brash approach, but I ignore it as I fight to not throw up or pass out.

They’re in love with me? With ME? No. No, that can’t be-that can’t be right. They’re not in love with me. If they were in love with me, they wouldn’t have waited. They wouldn’t have said I stank or-or….

Air catches in my throat as my vision starts to blur. I can feel myself shaking and the hand still in mine squeezes again.

“Mikey?” Leo asks, concern flooding his tone. “Mikey? What’s wrong?”

“Talk to us, Dove,” Donnie coaxes sweetly which only makes me tremble harder as I fight to keep the tears at bay.

“Hey,” Raph says softly, “if me yellin’ freaked ya out, I didn’t mean it, Darlin’. I wasn’t mad at ya or anythin’.”

My head shakes before I work the courage to actually look at my brothers, my whole world really. My throat tightens at the looks of concern on their faces as they stare at me. Leo takes a step forward but stops when I shift backward. Confusion mixes with his concern as my big brother, my leader, my aniki watches me.

“Mikey?”

I shake my head, a hiccup slipping passed my lips just as a single tear escapes toward my chin.

“N-No.”

I press hand to my forehead as my brothers freeze. My heart slams against my ribs as I stagger backwards.

“N-No?” Donnie whispers back, voice cracking which causes me to flinch.

I shake my head again, the heel of my hand pressing harder against my forehead until both ache. Anything to replace the ache in my chest.

“What do ya mean ‘No’?” Raph gruffs, a touch of anger in his tone though there is something else there that makes me want to curl into myself.

“Y-You can’t be in love with me,” I gasp out, my tongue feeling thick in my mouth as I stare down at the stone floor, tears flowing freely down my cheeks. “You can’t! You don’t! I-I’m not yo-your type! You-You think I st-stink!” I choke on a sob as my brothers stare at me, mouths agape.

“Who da fuck said dat?! I’ll kill ‘em!” Raph snaps, nearly taking a step forward if it wasn’t for Leo placing an arm out as I shrink back from my hotheaded brother.

Leo looks over at me as another hiccupped sob leaves me. His face is blurry from my tears, but I can still make out his confused look as he tilts his head.

“Mikey, Baby, talk to us,” Leo urges quietly, giving my still trapped hand a squeeze. “What’s going on? Was it something we said?”

Another sob escapes me, and I tug my hand from Leo’s hold. Alarm spreads across all my brothers’ faces as I bring my hand to my chest, curling in on myself.

This can’t be real. This has to be a dream. There is no way any of this is real. It’s never real. The moment I allow myself to think it’s real, it’s going to be taken away.

This is too much. Too much. Too much. Too MUCH!

Mind reeling, I break into a run, zipping right pass my brothers. I can hear them calling out for me but I ignore them as I pump my arms faster, trying hard to not trip as more tears obscure my vision as I make for the entrance of the cave as another set of footsteps are right behind me.

An ugly sob escapes me as the mouth of the cave comes into view.

Why is the universe so cruel to me?!

Chapter 23: Wayward Brothers and Springtime Showers

Notes:

Hello all of my wonderful readers!

I hope all of you had a wonderful August and a good first of September! I'm two days late and I am so sorry. I finished summer classes and had two weeks to enjoy a bit of freedom with work and a convention thrown in before I started school again full-time and while this doc was mostly finished, I just... needed to not stare at a computer screen for a bit after having spent the summer writing papers ^.^". However, I got the first week of school out of the way and made it to Labor day! I really hope that all of you like this chapter and that it makes up for the wait (again, I am so sorry, I have no excuse). But with this chapter added, we truly are in the home stretch and it feels so strange to say. I have had this chapter planned out since December of 2022 ^.^" and I've been dying for us to get here and here we are! This did get away from me a bit but I hope all of you don't mind.

To all the comments and all the kudos, thank you so much! There were some OG readers that popped in that have been with me from the start and I couldn't be happier to see your names again! Thank you for popping back in! And to all my new readers, thank you for taking a chance with my fic. I enjoy seeing new names popping in <3 I'm sorry that I haven't been able to respond to comments. I promise I read them all and truly, during my final paper I would go back and read them because they warmed my heart. And all of your comments have been so sweet to our poor little Mikey 🥹. He truly deserves the world, doesn't he?

But honest and truly, without all of you, I probably would have given up even though I never want or wanted to leave a fic abandoned. All of you have been so nice and encouraging and I just wanted to say, from the depths of my heart, thank you and I appreciate all of you so much. It's this kindness that had me falling in love with fanfiction back in elementary school and wanting to try my own hand at it. So, thank you and I hope each and everyone of you have the best days, weeks, months, and years ever.

Okay, mushy stuff over 🤭 (I'll be mushy again next chapter don't worry, I just really love this community so much). Happy reading everyone!

*This will be beta'd later! Lotus_Empress is doing great but trying to settle in at her new place <3*

My heart pounds in my chest as I sprint from the cave, the voices of my brothers calling after me. My thoughts swivel and my vision blurs as I burst into the forest. No. This can’t be real. This can’t be right. My bros don’t love me. They don’t want me. They didn’t just make a romantic scene inside of a cave, claiming that it was for me. No. It didn’t happen. It was just a cruel dream. A cruel dream that I’ll wake up from the moment my bros even touch me.

Just like it always does.

A sob slips from my lips as I shove a branch out of my way.

No. I’m not gonna allow myself to go through that pain again. I’ve gone through those dreams and I just can’t handle it. I’m not strong enough to handle it. I have nowhere to hide out here if I deal with such a dream. If I was at home, I could just hide in the sewers until patrol, but we’re at the farmhouse, out camping in the woods. I can’t just hide in the woods for hours on end, my bros would TWEEK. No. I need to get as far away from this situation as possible until I wake up. That way my bros can deal with happy and cheery Mikey. Not sad, depressed, and dreary Mikey. Nobody wants to deal with that Mikey.

“Mikey!”

A gasp slips from me when Leo’s voice cuts through the air. Eyes widening, I glance over my shoulder. My heart leaps into my throat as I spot Aniki chasing after me, a concerned but determined look on his face as he pumps his arms.

Oh, kami. Oh, shell. Dream Leo can’t catch me! He just can’t! If he catches me, it’ll all be over! Because if he catches me, I’ll—

Air rushes from my lungs when I lurch forward, my ankle catching on an exposed root. A hiss escapes through my teeth I as hit the forest floor, twigs and tiny rocks stinging my arms and legs.

“Owwie,” I whine, pushing myself onto all fours. Tears leak down my cheeks as I study my now scrapped up palms.

“Mikey!”

Leo falls to his knees next to me, chest heaving as he frantically scans me.

“Are you all right, Otōto? Are you hurt?”

I flinch away when leaf green hands reach for me, curling into myself as I drop my head. Distress wafts from my eldest brother as his hands hover awkwardly in the air. My body tenses when twigs snap and leaves crunch as Leo shuffles closer.

“Mikey? Baby? What’s going on?” Leo asks softly. “Did…did we overwhelm you? I’m sorry if we did. I…We just thought…” I hear Leo pull in a deep breath and release it slowly, but I refuse to lift my head. “I’m sorry if we scared you, Mikey.”

My snout twitches as I use my forearms to wipe my face.

“You…you didn’t scare me,” I murmur, causing Leo to scoot closer. I let him.

“Then what is it, Baby?” Leo asks and my heart jolts at the new nickname. “What is it and I’ll do my best to make it right. Just…just tell me what’s going on.”

My lips tremble as I fight not to sob. Clutching my hands to my chest, I look up and meet Leo’s chestnut brown eyes.

“You don’t have to pretend, Leo.” Hiccupping, I try hard to smile as Leo’s eye ridges furrow and a deep frown mars his lips. “Honest, Leo. It’s…It’s okay. I’ve already made peace with it. I…I just want you dudes to be happy, ya know? Because you guys are the best big brothers and I just want you to have everything you deserve.”

Leo reaches out again and, this time, I allow him to rest his warm hand on my shoulder. Tingles skit across my skin but I ignore it as I wait for my eldest brother, one of the three who has captured my heart, to make the first move. He leans closer, his eyes flickering around my face as I sniffle. His free hand comes up and catches a tear.

“Mikey, Baby, I…I don’t quite understand. I don’t have to pretend what?” Leo questions, pressing his other palm to my cheek.

Shaking my head, I dislodge his hand from my face as I wobble to my feet, scrubbing at my face again. Leo follows after me, hands out as if to catch me. He remains silent while I drag in a deep breath, trying my hardest to pull myself together.

This isn’t how I wanted them to find out. I…I wanted them to TELL me they’re together. Not… not… not pretend…

Releasing a shaky breath, I turn toward Leo. However, just as I open my mouth to speak, Leo crowds into my space and cups my cheeks. His face is drawn as his eyes scan me, confusion and distress swirling in those deep chestnut eyes. The words stick in my throat as his thumb swipes away a stray tear. My stomach swoops when he suddenly leans forward, resting his forehead against mine as he closes his eyes.

“Please, Otōto,” Leo breathes out, pleading and strained. “Talk to me. Don’t shut me out.”

Wetting my lips, I stare at him for a moment, heart pounding.

It’s now or never, I guess.

Leaning back from him, I reach up and grasp Leo’s wrists and tug his hands from my face. Leo opens his eyes, glancing at my hands briefly before refocusing on my face, a frown marring his lips. Once I have his attention, a sad, watery smile tugs at my mouth and I squeeze his wrists in reassurance.

Whether the reassurance is for myself or for him, I’m not sure.

“Mikey?”

“It’s…It’s okay, Leo,” I croak out, chuckling softly. “Honest. You… you dudes don’t have to pretend to love me just to make… just to make me feel better. I’m… I’m a big turtle. I’ll love you three no matter what happens. But… but please don’t ruin the happiness that you dudes have built just to try and appease my stupid, silly heart.” Leo’s mouth falls open and his eyes widen as I continue, dropping my gaze to a spot on his shoulder, digging deep inside to keep from sobbing. To be strong like my Aniki always is. “R-Really, it’s… it’s fine. You three? You love each other. And I couldn’t be happier for my awesome and w-wonderful big brothers. You dudes deserve EVERYTHING. And… and sure, ya know, it… it hurts knowing that… that I’m not APART of that aspect of your lives but I’m not gonna hold it against you either. Because… because the heart doesn’t choose who it falls in… in love with and… and that’s okay.” I lift my gaze, aiming for Leo’s eyes but I’m only brave enough to make it to his snout. “I’LL be okay. I... I just need... time. Time to heal. Time to make peace with everything, ya know? And... and after a while, it’s not gonna hurt as much. But please know that I am so PROUD of you three and I AM happy for you. I love you three so much and knowing... and knowing that you make each other so happy is... is enough for me.” I steel myself and finally meet Leo’s chestnut eyes again. “My bros happiness will always be enough for me.”

Silence follows my admission, a sheen gleaming in Leo’s eyes as he stares at me. His eyes are wide and there is disbelief written all over his face as his mouth moves, as if to speak but nothing comes out. His hands tremble in my hold and concern builds in my gut. Afraid that I’m making him uncomfortable, I release my grip on my big brother and allow my hands to fall to my sides.

Was... was that, okay? Or... or maybe it was too much? I worry my bottom lip as Leo remains stock still. Maybe I revealed too much? Maybe... maybe I read the situation wrong? That the cave wasn’t a romantic thing? My heart sinks into my stomach as I shuffle in front of my blue-banded brother. Oh, shell. That’s it, isn’t it? I misread the situation and now Leo knows that I love them. Oh... oh, shell.

“No.”

Jumping, I glance up at Aniki’s face. Unease creeps into my chest at the hard set in his jaw and the gleam of anger mixed with determination swirling in his eyes. My mouth twitches as I lift a hand toward him in concern.

“’No’ what, L-Leo?”

My breathing hitches when Leo’s hand snaps out and grasps my wrist in a vice-like grip. A trickle of fear fills my chest when Leo glares down at me, his stare piercing and intense as he steps forward. My heart pounds against my ribs as I try to shuffle back but my shell hits a tree and within seconds, Leo has a muscular thigh between my legs and pinning both my wrists next to my head.

“L-Leo? You’re...you’re kinda freaking me--”

“ENOUGH.”

My mouth snaps shut as Leo GROWLS at me, anger radiating from him in droves. Heat builds behind my eyes as I feel my eldest brother tremble against me, body hunching over me as he drags in deep breathes as if he just ran a marathon across New York City. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I blink rapidly to keep my vision clear.

Here it comes, I think as I wait for my brother, my aniki, to tell me how wrong it is for me to feel this way about them. That they’re taken turtles and can’t have such a sad and pathetic being like me around them. That they’ll never be able to--

“You... you think we were PRETENDING?”

I blink in surprise as Leo cuts off my thoughts.

“Wh-What?”

Leo shifts his hold on my arms until he can pin my wrists above my head with a single vice grip. Once he has a hand free, he takes my chin so that I have no option but to meet his gaze unless I close my eyes.

“We’ve NEVER pretended to love you, Michelangelo,” Leo growls, leaning in until his breath puffs against my snout. “We would NEVER do that to you. We would never hurt you in such a way. EVER. You... you are way too important to us. We LOVE you, Michelangelo. Me, Raph, and Don. The three of us love you so fucking much that it’s been KILLING us to not have you near us. To not have you safe in our arms. To not be able to physically SHOW you just how much we love you.” Leo’s face softens a little. “We love everything about you. Your smile. Your heart. Your jokes. We love YOU. With all of our hearts.” I wince when Leo tightens his grip and I swear I feel the bones in my wrists start grinding together. “So, don’t you fucking DARE think for one moment that we would be so cruel as to pretend to love you like that.” Hot tears spill from my eyes as Leo shifts closer so that our plastrons are touching, hiking his thigh higher so that we can be at equal eye level, his knee rubbing against my tail causing me to shiver. “We would never, ever do that. You bring so much light into our world, so much love. You remind us that we are more than just ninjas. More than just killing machines. That we are a family. That we look out for each other. That it’s okay to feel things. To LOVE things. To LOVE each other.” Leo pauses, gulping and breathing harshly through his nose. “We... we’re sorry, Mikey. We’re sorry that we made you feel that way. We’re sorry that we let it get to this point that you thought we were leaving you out on purpose. But know that we love you for infinity and will continue to love you even when we no longer walk this plane of existence.”

My jaw works as Leo’s voice cracks at the end of his little speech, his bravado from earlier fading as he blinks rapidly, his tell that he’s trying hard not to cry. And Leo almost never cries. I think the last time I saw Leo get close to shedding a tear was when he attacked Sensei before going to train under the Ancient One in Japan for nine months.

Leo’s hand leaves my chin, and he rests his palm against my wet cheek. Unable to help myself, I lean into his touch, my heart somersaulting when it’s not pulled away and Leo’s expression softens at my reaction.

“Leo?”

“Yes, Baby?”

A warmth sparks in my chest at the new nickname and I shyly meet my blue-cladded brother’s gaze.

“Do... do you really mean it?” I whisper, afraid that if I speak too loudly that the illusion will burst. “That... that you love me? Like... love-love me?”

A wet chuckle escapes my big brother’s lips and he presses his forehead against mine.

“Yes,” Leo breathes out, the puff of air tickling my snout. “Yes, Mikey. Kami, I love you oh so much. I love you so much that my heart wants to burst. And I know that Raph and Don feel the same way, Baby. The three of us love you so much that we ACHE for you. We weren’t telling you lies in the cave. We weren’t just saying those things because we thought you wanted to hear them. We said them because that’s how we truly feel. We really do want you as our forever-mate. So that no matter what plane we are on, we will always find each other.”

A broken laugh slips from me at my brother’s words and I press closer, closing my eyes as more tears leak from my eyes. Nothing but sincerity laces my brother’s words and the love and the feeling of RIGHT coming from my brother is enough to start soothing the broken pieces of my heart.

My brothers love me. And not just any love, but the big L-O-V-E. The exact same kind of love that fifteen-year-old me thought would never be obtainable. That my brothers would shun me for. And yet, here is my eldest brother, the one brother who has NEVER lied to me, who has done everything to protect me, on the verge of tears, confessing to me that not only he, but Raph and Donnie, love me like I love them.

If this is a dream, I never want to wake up. Please. I’ll do anything to not wake up this time.

My wrists above my head are suddenly released and I glance up at Leo as he frames my face. My heart leaps into my throat at the hooded gaze that my brother is now giving me, one that looks oddly similar to the expression he wore on our first night here in the kitchen after lighting the candles. My brain nearly short-circuits when Leo tilts his head, only stopping when our mouths are centimeters from each other, and each exhale caresses my lips and the scent of freshly fallen rain fills my senses.

“May I show you how much I love you?” Leo murmurs and my heart almost explodes when his lips just barely brush mine.

“Ye-Yeah,” I whisper back, nodding minutely.

Without another word, Leo presses our mouths together sending sparks and warmth throughout my body. His hands tilt my head to the right slightly to better slot our mouths together, our lips moving as one. I try my best to follow his lead, but everything is so overwhelming. Leo’s scent filling my nose as a rumbling churr vibrates from his chest to mine. Leo’s warm body pressing me hard against the tree, pinning me in place as if afraid that I might try to run away again.

I’m not running away even if I had the option too.

His hands leave my face to rest one of his forearms on the wood behind us while the other wanders down to grab my left thigh, hiking it up to his hip so he can press even closer, hips grinding against mine. A whimper bubbles from me when something hot and slick glides against my sensitive lips. My mouth opens automatically, and it takes me a moment to realize that it’s Leo’s TONGUE that I just let into my mouth. However, the moment I have that thought it vanishes as his tongue brushes against mine, coaxing it out to play. I hesitate for a moment, but Leo is patient, always is when it comes to me, and waits for me to make the next move. When I reciprocate the touch timidly, Leo swirls his slick muscle around mine, as if embracing it, and I grow a little bolder, pressing a little harder against my brother’s mouth. Another pleased rumble vibrates from Aniki, sending a pleasant heat pooling south, causing my groin to tingle and my penis to throb in its confines. The sensation has me wiggling against his chest, unsure if I should grind down or continue wiggling around. My tail wags against the tree behind me, the bark causing me to gasp against Leo’s lips. Leo takes charge like he does and chooses for me as he bucks up, sending me scrambling as spikes of pleasure course through me as our lower halves rub against each other. His knee presses against my slit and would have caused me to drop down if his knee wasn’t covering the space that my penis needs to go.

I gasp as our mouths separate with a wet POP, shivering as a string of spit connects our mouths still. Leo chuckles breathlessly as he reaches up and wipes it away before leaning in to kiss the corner of my tender mouth.

“So, do you believe me now when I say, ‘I love you’?” Leo asks quietly, lips brushing my cheek and moving down. “Do you understand which version of ‘love’ I’m talking about when I tell you that Donnie, Raph, and I love you from now and until the end of infinity? How you make us feel?”

Giggling, I rub my cheek against my eldest brother’s as I fight to catch my breath, body trembling.

“Y-Yeah, Aniki, I believe you.” Biting my bottom lip, I glance at my brother sideways, reaching up to play with one of his mask ties. “But, uh, if I just say ‘no’ anyways, will you kiss me like that again?”

The laugh that emits from my brother warms my chest as he finally lets me put my leg back down and he pulls back just enough to stare at me. The love radiating in his dilated gaze is enough to make me feel oddly bashful. Heat spreading across my cheeks, I squeeze my knees together and start to glance away when he catches my face in both his hands.

My heart skips a beat at the lustful gaze on my brother’s face.

Leo smirks, eyeing me with nearly black eyes.

“Oh, don’t worry, Baby. There will be more than enough time for more kissing. But I think we have two other brothers who would be more than happy to provide you with those kisses while we lavish the rest of your body with love and attention.” His gaze flickers down as he releases my face before he leans in, pressing his snout against my neck, breathing deeply. “You always smell so good, Baby. And I know that Don and Raph are going to go wild once that get a good whiff of your natural scent. But...” Leo shifts back, dragging his hands down my body, causing my skin to tingle. “I want our first time to be special and something you also want, not something you feel pressured into. We set up the cave to give you a nice first date with treats and cuddle time. If you wished to do more, then we would have but we weren’t going to rush you. Well….” Leo huffs out a laugh against my neck, my heart thundering in my chest. “I know a certain someone would have a hard time keeping his hands to himself but we’d keep him check.”

A tiny laugh bubbles from me.

“Ra-Raph that much of a horn-dog?”

Leo pulls back from my neck, an amused expression on his face.

“I wasn’t talking about Raphie~.”

A confused noise leaves me as my eye ridges furrow. Surely my bro wasn’t talking about himself, was he? Mister I-Must-Be-Disciplined-In-Everything. Unless…. Unless being with Raphie and Donnie has turned Leo into a sex fiend?

A bright laughter drags me back to reality as I look up at Leo. Air catches in my throat as my brother’s head is tipped back, raindrops sliding down his face and neck making his leaf green skin glimmer. A large grin that I haven’t seen in so long is on his face as Leo looks back at me and the way his eyes shine has me feeling just like I did all those years ago on our first night above ground in the neon lights of the city that never sleeps. The very night that defined what my feelings for my brothers really were outside of just admiration and familial love.

A warm palm has me blinking and I meet Leo’s gaze once more.

“Such a little brat,” Leo says between chuckles. “Looking at me like I’M the one who can’t keep his hands to himself.” I squeak when Leo’s free hand squeezes my hip and my stomach grows warm. Thank everything it’s raining outside, or he’d see something else that is very embarrassing. “I was talking about Donnie!”

….

“Hold up, WHAT?!” I ask, my eyes growing wide. “Donnie? As in Donatello? OUR Donatello? Brainiac? Genius brother of ours who loves purple? That Donnie?”

Leo nods, another chuckle escaping him as he watches me. My mouth opens and closes a few times before snapping shut as I try to process his words.

“Mr. Let-Me-Give-You-Safe-Sex-Talk-When-We-Were-Fourteen?” I ask again causing Leo to nod, his smile never fading. “I don’t believe you! There is just no way our sweet and shy Donnie couldn’t keep his hands to himself!”

Leo shrugs, his smile growing.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Otōto,” Leo says, laughing. “But you’re about to find out soon enough that Don? Is a very hands-on lover and he can go for hours.” Leo’s head tips back with another laugh. “Raph found out the hard way what Donnie meant by he can go a few rounds. His few rounds and our few rounds were very different.”

My cheeks heat up and I fight to not squirm at the thought of my brothers going round after round with one another.

“But… like…” I stammer out. “Surely, his butt was sore after, right? How come I’ve never seen him limping?”

“Who said Don was the one on the receiving end that night?” Leo asks, amusement coloring his voice. “Don loves to receive, but he equally loves giving. And when he gives?” Leo chuckles, shaking his head. “You better hope you don’t have anything to do the next day. Because when Donnie is in the mood? He will give you a night that you will both remember and possible forget which just gives him a reason to do it all over again so you DON’T forget.” A dusting of pink spreads across Leo’s cheeks in a way I’ve never seen before. “I learned very quickly that normal training isn’t…. isn’t quite possible when Donnie’s in a mood like that.” Leo clears his throat. “So… I have made sure to come up with training regiments that are doable.”

My mouth falls open.

“Whoa, wait, hang on.” I hold up a hand. “You mean some of those days with slightly lighter training and the days you came into the kitchen not as sweaty as normal you had just… You were just…”

“Completely and utterly fucked out of my mind the night before by Donatello?” Leo finishes making me squeak but nod, heat traveling from my face to my gut. Leo smirks. “Yes. We did learn very quickly that we couldn’t do that on days that Father would train us.” A dark blush forms on my big brother’s face as he glances off to the side.

My brain brings up that time that Chichi asked to speak to my older three brothers alone and how I figured it was so he could discuss maybe their relationship with them. That maybe he heard them. Which… THAT would be mortifying!

A tug of mischief hits me as I give my brother a sly look.

“Dad noticed, didn’t he?”

My mouth falls open when Leo’s blush grows darker and he clears his throat.

“I… We both know how perspective Father is,” Leo states, trying so hard to sound nonchalant. “He just… HAPPENED to notice that my katas weren’t as tight as usual and that Raph looked rather… SPACY and wanted us to… hold off on doing any extreme or overly rigorous extra-curricular activities for days we wouldn’t have heavy training or he would double training.”

A bubble of laughter leaves me.

“You dudes got in trouble for fucking too hard before practice! I can’t believe it!” I cackle as Leo totally not-pouts in front of me. “And here I thought Dad was just asking you about your relationship or something! Or that he heard you!”

Leo winces, thumb stroking my hip as the hand on my cheek moves to adjust my mask. My eye ridge raises again as Leo refuses to meet my gaze.

“Oh shell, Dad’s actually heard you three?”

My big brother flinches again.

“Um… He might have…” Leo’s blush spreads down to his chest. “He might have walked in on Raph and I once. I was…” My big brother closes his eyes, this form of embarrassment and mortification so strange on my usually composed older brother. “I was being too loud.”

My mouth falls open. Leo? LOUD? I… I don’t recall ever really hearing him when they would do stuff in Raph’s room unless….

“Wait, those high pitched cries were YOU?! Not Donnie?” I blurt out in disbelief.

Leo curses softly in Japanese as his head falls forward till it rests on my shoulder.

“I told Raph doing it in his room was not a good idea,” Leo grumbles. “But no! He was so confident you were wearing your headphones.”

I reach up and pat my brother’s shell.

“Hey, I, um, I mean, I’m sure it felt great! So like, while I was hoping I would be included, I never wanted you guys to feel like you couldn’t enjoy it, ya know?” I wince at how lame that sounds. I mean, how am I supposed to comfort my brother on him being too loud during sex when I wanted nothing more than to join?

Leo lifts his head from my shoulder, a light frown on his face as he studies me. I clear my throat and fight to not fidget under his intense stare. It’s almost like he’s staring into my soul. He always does this when he’s trying to get an answer out of me but it’s usually when I’m hiding something and he knows it.

“What?” I ask, trying to not curl into a self-conscious ball.

“That’s another thing we need to discuss,” Leo finally says, voice oddly serious causing me to tilt my head in confusion.

“What do we need to discuss?”

“How long you’ve had feelings for us,” Leo states as he reaches up and flips my mask tails over my shoulder so that the wet fabric rolls down my shell. “Because I only figured out how I felt when I returned home and saw all of you again. Saw how much the three of you grew and became more confident in yourselves.” Leo’s chestnut eyes study my ocean blue. “That’s when I realized that the thing I was searching for in the jungle wasn’t perfection nor was it how to be the perfect leader. What I was searching for was a reason to keep fighting and while you three and Father and even Casey and April were already an answer, I knew there was something else there that I needed to find. And that was how much I love you three. More than just brothers, more than just as a team. Like I truly love you three that seeing all of you again I both felt an ache and felt whole.”

A dizzy feeling washes over me as I listen to Leo. So… So he even loved me back then? All of these months he’s loved me as well? Then… Then why didn’t he say anything!?

“Shh, Mikey, I know, we messed up big time,” Leo’s soft voice cuts through the buzzing in my ears that I didn’t even notice until now. “But will you give us a chance to explain? Please?”

A lump forms in my throat and I blink away the blurriness that was gathering once more. I am greeted by a pleading and sad Leo. Remorse swirls in his gaze and I feel myself nodding. Truly, I would and could never say no to them. But seeing the guilt that plagues my eldest brother’s soul hurts more than any anger I could feel toward him. Toward any of them.

“Ye-Yeah,” I say wetly, scrubbing at my cheeks. “Better-Better be a good reason or you owe me a month of pizza.”

That cracks a smile on my big brother’s face and his shoulders relax a touch but the remorse and guilt remain though more hidden in the back in the depths of his gaze.

“I think that’s completely fair. Shall we head back to the cave?” Leo asks softly, kissing my snout and then my lips lightly.

My mouth moves a bit as my brain short-circuits because…because we can do that now. Like honest and truly. No more brotherly kisses but like actual kisses.

A low chuckle has me refocusing once more.

“Yes, I promise you will be getting many more actual kisses,” Leo says, a small smirk on his face as I stammer and stutter.

I said that out loud?!

“Yes,” Leo answers again with a laugh as I gawk at him.

I knew he could read minds!

“I’m not a mind reader, Mikey,” Leo says with another laugh. “I just know what that face means when you stare at me. You’ve given me that same look since we were five, of course I’d know it.” Leo’s smirk grows and the butterflies return to my stomach like they’ve never left. “But I also know two very impatient turtles who will be upset if I don’t return with you so that we can explain.”

A shy and almost bashful smile forms on my face as I duck my chin down. Leo smiles sweetly at me, gently kissing the corner of my eye.

“Hey, don’t look like that,” Aniki whispers. “We shocked you and obviously not in a good way. So, I think we need to have a full discussion before we continue, okay?”

I nod, sniffling once and straightening.

“Yeah…” I say before stepping closer to Leo. “And then, um…. Would you tell me what EXACTLY the cave was for?”

Leo chuckles and nods.

“Of course, we’ll explain everything we were hoping to do that would have led us to bringing you there for supper and hopefully at least some cuddling and talking.”

A rush of love and giddiness surges through me but I push it down as I nod.

“Okay, I’d really like that. I’m ready to head back now.”

My older brother and leader nods once before he reaches down without another word. Before I can utter a word, a tiny shriek leaves me as I’m swept into the air. My arms snap out and wrap around his strong neck and I stare up at him in shock.

“Dude?! What the shell? Warn a turtle!”

“Sorry, Baby,” Leo says, totally not apologetic in the slightest. Which is just rude. “But you scrapped up your leg a bit after that trip you had.” Leo pauses for a moment as he starts walking and I cross my arms with a pout. “I also want to hold you.”

A choked noise leaves me as I cover my face and I look away.

“Duuuuude,” I whine, my cheeks on fire and I just know Leo has that smirk he always has when he makes one of us squirm or really embarrassed. “You can’t just say stuff like that!”

I feel Leo shrug as his chest vibrates with a chuckle and there is a soft brush of lips on the top of my head.

“You sound just like Raph, Baby~,” Leo teases making me whine and I peek out between my fingers. Leo flashes me his boy band smile and I quickly cover my eyes once more earning myself another chuckle.

Leo continues walking, holding me close to his chest as he does his best to keep the rain off of me. I lower my fingers from my face to peer up at him without him seeing. Water droplets slide down his face, gathering at his chin and his blue mask is darker than usual. There isn’t a single sign of strain on his face at carrying me, not that I expected there to be. I know he could even make carrying Raph’s heavy as a bus shell up a cliff and make it look like a walk in the park. Suddenly, Leo looks at me from the corner of his eyes and I quickly look away, hands still near my face just in case.

If this is truly a dream, I never wanna wake up, I think, my lips twitching into a bashful smile and very slowly I relax into Leo’s hold, something I haven’t been able to do in who knows how long. My head connects with Leo’s warm shoulder, the scent of the freshly fallen rain filling my senses that has nothing to do with the spring rain falling around us. My eyes slide shut to soak in the warmth around me and for a moment, just enjoy this moment, one of many hopefully.