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truths33k3r4 · 1 month

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CHAPTER 23 - Laughter Doeth Good

The bright lights of the Living Room caused Leo’s dilated pupils to contract as he stepped out of the shadows of the hall. His feet sensed the difference as he walked from cold, grainy tiles to the scratchy carpet. He released a long, weighted sigh as he plopped onto the couch centered in the middle of the room. Tiny creaks of aged springs whined as he went slack into the cushions. His eyes closed slowly as he focused on clearing his rapidly moving thoughts.

‘.. Everything’s… fine. Raph is with Lotus. Don is scanning the implant. Everything is just-

OH SHOOT! ‘

Leo grabbed his phone from its pocket on the back of his shell and texted Raph.

[ If Lotus is still awake, have her take some painkillers. There should be a jar of them in one of the cabinets in the Med Bay. Her leg is going to be sore for a while ]

After hitting [ SEND ], something clicked in Leo’s brain:

His shoulders slightly ached from how tense he was back in the Med Bay. His eyes still stung as the moisture dried on his skin. The shaking had FINALLY stopped.

He was exhausted.

“ …. I guess one nap wouldn’t hurt. “ He mumbled, as he nestled himself into the couch’s cozy, warm embrace. Not only did the stress leave a toll on his body, but also his mind. It was taking a lot of his emergency reserves of energy to slow it down. But as his mind raced, his body stilled. His muscles finally relaxed as his pounding heart from earlier faded into a quiet hum in the cushions of the couch.

‘ Sleep will help… ‘

Leo’s mind slowly hollowed, becoming as quiet and empty as the room itself. His eyelids smoothly shut as he released the urge to stay awake.

“.... Hey.. Bro? “

Leo minisculely flinched at the sudden interruption of his precious silence. His face slightly twisted in discomfort, burying itself into the cushions.

“ Mmmghhhmmm???.... “ He groaned.

Leo heard the light patters of feet as they drew closer, and then shifted as a weight fell onto his couch with another groaned squeak.

‘ Mmmmmmmikeyyyyyyy please not nowwwwwwwwww… ‘ He mentally begged to his youngest brother. However the only sound that actually escaped Leo was a muffled,

“ MMmMgmgGhghhhHGHHHHHhhhhhikey~ “

A beat of silence passed as Mikey twisted and fidgeted on one end of the couch, while his oldest brother was fighting every single cell of his body screaming at him to GO TO SLEEP.

“... Hey, Leo!.. “ Mikey shout whispered as he waved his phone, “ Dude, you gotta see this- it’s pure gold- I’m gonna have Raph doin my chores for a month~ “

Leo groggily opened one eye. ( Since his other was too busy being shoved deep into the couch cushions.. )

“ Mmmghhwhat isss itt Mike?.... “ Leo moaned. It was becoming more and more difficult to keep his eyes open..

Mikey’s focus shifted from his excitement of his brotherly victory over Raph, to actually taking in how Leo looked:

Awful - He looked awful. Below Leo’s eyes peeked a deep grey through the blue of his mask. His hands slumped limply by his legs as his head would start to lean and then jolt back up just as his eyes would close.

Even despite Leo’s battle to stay conscious, he could still see the tiny gears turning in Mikey’s head.

‘................ He’s not gonna leave… Something is on his mind…..

..OKKKKKAYYYYYY… ‘

In one violent motion, Leo pulled his limp head out of the embrace of the cushion and slapped his face. His cheek stung from the impact and started to feel warm as the area grew red. Mikey watched with wide eyes as his oldest brother assaulted his own face.

Leo knew if he hadn’t looked so bad, and hadn’t had as awful of a day, Mikey would have been dying laughing right now.

Leo pushed himself away from the warm cushion and leaned over, supporting his chin with his knuckles as his elbows rested shakily on his knees.

“...What’sss - what’sss on your mind, little brother? “

Leo knew what he was doing. Was he exhausted? Oh ABSOLUTELY. Is the couch calling to him in an enticing melody? Yeah it really was- He could hear like four different harmonies singing in his brain-

.. But no matter what..

.. Leo would always have enough strength to support his brothers.

Mikey’s eyes were still full of empathy- and Leo could see him trying to decide if he should say something; If it would be fair for him to speak to Leo in the dreadful state he was in.

Leo decided to make his decision a little easier.

“ I’m all ears, little brother. “ He softly spoke as he reached out and patted Mikey’s fidgeting hand.

The youngest’s eyes filled with gratefulness as he let out a shy smile.

“ I’m..uh.. I’m sorry I wasn’t much help.. back in the Medbay.. “ He spoke as he continued to play with his fingers and nails, “ .. I don’t think Lotus digs any of my jokes… “

Leo’s eyes shined with his tired smile as he gently punched Mikey’s arm.

“ I thhhhink it’s more of your VOLUME that she doesn’t ‘dig’. “

Mikey rubbed his bicep, as he let out a somewhat shameful snicker.

“ Heheh… Yeahhhhh I don’t think I have a volume control button. If I did, Raph woulda found it by now.. “

Even after hearing his little bro joke, Leo could still see that Mikey was resisting telling or asking him something.

Leo squeezed his hand.

Mikey turned over his hand and held it in Leo’s, squeezing a little back. The youngest let out a sigh as his left leg started rhythmically bouncing.

“ I could tell you were stressing like crazy, dude. Your stress chasm was -like- HUGE. “

Leo sheepishly stroked the side of his temple as he felt his cheeks grow warm.

“... I guess… I guess I thought a little humor would help… but..I guess I’m not actually that funny.. I just- I guess- I wanted to help!! Maybe calm Lotus down.. Just like you guys would do for me when we were little. A little comedy goes a long way when you’re goin through something scary.. “

Leo thought back to the years when Mikey was terrified of the dark. There were countless nights when Leo would wake up to the sound of sniffles, finding little Mikey out of bed crowded next to their nightlight in the corner of the room. No amount of light was ever enough for him. It had to be the full-blown SUN in order for him to not be afraid. Master Splinter was thankfully able to find the nightlight, but he would still gently scold Mikey for leaving his bed.

‘ “ You must not be afraid, my son. It is safe in our home. Whether it be day or night, our home remains the same..

..The darkness only holds as much power as YOU give it. “ ‘

..Unfortunately.. logic can only go so far in the mind of a six year old.

One night, as Mikey was brushing his teeth, all his older brothers came together and had a little meeting…

“ - GUYS, I SWEAR TO FOUR CHEESE PIZZA - IF I DON’T GET ONE NIGHT OF GOOD SLEEP, I WILL MAKE MIKEY SLEEP IN THE TUNNELS. “

“ Raph, chill. We aren’t doing that. “

“ On the contrary, eliminating the source of noise will most likely enhance our sleep- “

“ - DONNIE. “

“- Oh I’m sorry- but the facts do speak for themselves! “

“ Ok, so what’s YOUR plan then, LEOOOoo? “

“... We gotta show Mikey that the dark isn’t that scary. “

“ Thank youuuu~ Captain Oblivious~ “

“- Obvious. “

“- SHUT UP, DON. “

“ - Guys stop. Ok- what can we do.. to make a six year old not be afraid.. “

Later that night, their plan was set in motion.

Sensei had just finished tucking everyone in. Well- he tucked Mikey in- the other brothers were a little too old for that now.. ( Though all of them wouldn’t outwardly say it, but they missed it. ) As Sensei said goodnight and clicked off the lightswitch, all the brothers could hear the sounds of a stuffed animal being squeezed tightly, letting out a choked squeak. The brothers all took this as the sign to begin Mission- ‘Make Mikey Not Afraid of the Dark so We Can All SLEEP’.

As Mikey clutched his stuffy to his chest, he could hear the sounds of footsteps and a ladder wobbling. Soon after, three pairs of eyes rose up from the railing of the youngest’s bunkbed.

“.. Bwothers”? … “ Mikey squeaked.

“ Nah- it’s the boogeyman- “

“- RAPHAEL! “

“ Hehe~ Sorry- sorry- ahem.. We’re here to help, lil bro. “

“ That’s right Mikey. We’re all here. “

All of Mikey’s older brothers slowly crept their way into his bed. Mikey flung out of his blankets and hugged Raph tightly, as tears began falling down his face.

“- Heyy heyy. No tears. “ Raph whispered as gently as he could, pulling the youngest’s face away from his chest.

“ Mikey, “ Leo whispered, as he scooted a little closer, “ We have a little surprise for you. “

“ …. Uh.. *sniff* a suwpwise? “

“ Yes, dear little brother. “ Don spoke as he fixed his oversized oval glasses. “ We couldn’t help but notice you find fear and anxiety in the thing called darkness. “

Mikey buried his face back into Raph’s plastron.

“ .. It’s scawy and I can’t see!...”

Raph patted Mikey’s head half-heartedly and pulled him away again, this time lifting him up into Leo’s lap.

“ It can be scary, yeah. But the dark can be really cool too! “

Leo couldn’t help but smile down at his little brother as his small lip trembled and his eyes grew big and pitiful.

“ Look at this, Mikey. “ Leo handed the youngest a small plastic star with a weird feeling on the back of it. It was glowing. Mikey’s eyes lit up as he played with it in his tiny hands. He’d never seen something like this before!!

“ It’s gwowing!! “

Leo smiled at Raph and Don. The plan was working!

“ That’s right little brother. “ Don said, “ But the only reason that you can see it glowing is because it’s dark. You wouldn’t be able to see it shine if it were in the day. “

Leo lifted Mikey and handed him to Raph, and then Raph plopped him down next to his pillow.

“ Watch this! “ Raph said as he, Leo, and Don all slid down and jumped to the floor. Mikey moved to the edge of his railing and watched closely. As Leo, Don, and Raph all went to their beds, the youngest could see color-coded stars shine brightly from the backs of their shells. They were glow in the dark stickers!!

“ Ok, Mikey, “ Don spoke up as he took off his glasses and placed them on the side table by Leo’s bed, “ Any time you get scared, and think you’re alone, just look at the stars on our shells. It will remind you that we’re right here. “

To prove the point, Leo, Don, and Raph all began dancing in the dark, making the little stars on their shells dance too. They bounced and shimmied and spun all around the room resulting in a loud chuckle from Mikey. He pointed to each star swimming in the darkness.

“ Wed! Bwue! Puwple!!! Hehehehe!! “

:MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Leo smiled at his brother as the memories washed over him like an inviting wave, then were swept down the stream of his mind.

“ It’s alright, Mikey. I get it. You were only doing what you thought would help. Humor can be great to heal, like that saying that Sensei taught you.. Uh, how does it go again? “

Mikey lifted his head and scooted back into the couch giving a small grin.

“ It’s laughter doeth good like medicine. Proverbs 17:21. “

“ Yeah that’s it! You worked for weeks trying to memorize it. I remember any time you said “ doeth” your tongue would stick out! HAHA!! “

Mikey’s grin grew into his signature smile as he elbowed Leo in the ribs.

“ DUDE, I WAS LIKE SIX!! SHUT UP!! “

At that moment, the room that was once peaceful and serene erupted with roars of laughter as Mikey launched over the couch and piled on top of Leo. The brothers tussled, testing each other’s strength as their arms and legs kicked and yanked.

A wrestling match between siblings was nothing new in their home. Splinter would have the brothers attempt to pin each other down, using any of the allowed techniques they were taught. Not only was it good for training, but for a single father of four teenage boys, it was a great way to drain any remaining energy at the end of the day.

After only a few measly minutes, Leo and Mikey found themselves on the floor, squeezed between the couch and coffee table. They were still laughing as they panted and coughed from the rigorous expelling of their energy.

Leo’s body still ached, but it was a good kind of pain. Like the kind you would feel after running a marathon: adrenaline coursing through your body, a flickering burn in your chest as your heart beat rapidly, and a pit in your stomach all happening at the same time.

Leo crawled back onto the couch as he gasped in between breaths.

“ You’re… getting stronger, little brother.. ”

Mikey remained on the floor, also panting, and dramatically waved his finger in the air.

“.. Not- guh- Not so little anymoreee~ I’m thirteen now, so.. phew.. No longer a kid!! “

Mikey’s hand flopped back down landing with a *slap* on his plastron.

“.. What you see before you.. Is the peak of maturity.. “

Mikey expected a sass-filled comeback from the oldest, but.. Nothing came. Mikey started to worry a little by his brother’s silence- until he heard something.

Leo was snoring. Loudly.

‘ WHOA DUDE- Had no idea you could hide a lawnmower in your face..’

Mikey sat up to inspect his now slumbering brother, taking note of the deep lines making themselves known under his mask again.

He knew how much stress Leo put on himself. Not only as the leader of their team, but as the oldest brother. Sensei had told Mikey that that kind of weight was healthy for someone who carried as much responsibility as Leonardo did. It kept him from being foolish, always weighing his options and never becoming arrogant.

Always on his toes.

NEVER at rest.

Mikey looked over to his brother once more, whom was now curled up on the end of the couch, nearly suffocating himself in the clutches of the cushions.

Mikey smiled. He watched as all of life’s burdens and responsibilities fell off of Leo’s shoulders as he was pulled deeper into sleep. Where once a tall, strong leader stood, now laid an exhausted teenager.

Leo channeled everything he had in him to keep his family safe. This ongoing burden changed him as he grew.

Molded him.

Sharpened him.

Where dull, rounded edges of fun and naivety once were, now stood as pointed corners of honor and understanding. Of fear. Of protection. Sensei was the iron that scratched and tore through his smooth exterior to reveal the steadfast facets of Leo’s jeweled heart.

The thing about having a jewel as a heart though…

.. It comes at the cost of your freedom. It comes at the cost of not having the choice to have fun and live as if life were the same as when you were a child. The burden will weigh you down, as a golden chain around your neck. It brings honor. It brings a sense of duty. But Mikey would question if it was all worth it to Leo; needing to grow up.. so fast…

Looking at Leo would always make Mikey doubt if he would ever reach the level of maturity and honor as his oldest brother.

‘ Leo wasn’t even that old!! He’s SEVENTEEN!!! And yet the oldest has never failed to keep his family saf- ‘

Mikey’s mind froze as it flashed him back.

Back to that awful night.

When Don and Raph…

.. were gone.

That's it for this chapter!! :) Hope you enjoyed!!

To God be the glory!

( EDIT- Mikey's eyes in the second panel are inspired by @allyheart707's Mikey!! ) :)

~ Melissa

Masterpost <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

#tmnt #my version of tmnt!!#the strength in weakness #SIW Mikey #SIW Raph #SIW Leo #SIW Don #SIW Splinter #comfort #afraid of the dark #Best big brothers

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truths33k3r4 · 26 days

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CHAPTER 26 - Blurs and Pixels

Mikey blinked away the growing tears on his face as he shook away the memories he had re-lived in his mind.

No. That’s all in the past. Don and Raph are home now- stop thinkin’ about it-

Mikey clicked with his tongue to fill the uncomfortable lack of sound looming in the room. His leg began to bounce again as he plucked at the stray threads from the couch cushions.

Mikey. Hated. Silence.

There’s silence when there’s no life. There’s silence when a joke doesn’t land. There’s silence when he’s ALONE.

Nope- stop it. Leo’s right there, I’m not alone. Quit it, brain. La~la~la~la not listeninggggg ~

Just to prove it to himself, the youngest turned his head to face Leo, who was now silently asleep deep into the couch cushions.

Yup- there he is- my fearless leader. He’s right there.

Mikey quietly hummed to himself in contemplation as he inched closer to Leo’s side.

Just… move…. Slowlyyyyyyy...

As smoothly as he could manage, he slid next to Leo and gently placed his head on the oldest’s shoulder. Mikey took a silent deep breath as he cozied next to his brother, the warmth of each of their bodies wrapping them cozily.

.. A nap doesn’t sound so bad right about now…

. . .

After THOROUGHLY sanitizing Lotus’ implant, Don had been hard at work trying to decode the infuriating piece of tech. His keyboard clicked and clacked as the images of his monitor reflected in his glasses’ lenses. He’d decoded technology before, but nothing this advanced. Normally it would be re-wiring the toaster, or installing an emergency alarm-

Don’s focused pupils constricted slightly.

His breathing started to hurt.

His hands which had laid firmly on his keyboard, working with precision and practice, began to misspell words. Every time he tapped the backspace, the sound got louder as his shoulders raised in irritation.

Focus Donatello. Get your scrambled brain back to the mission at hand.

After misspelling the word “ what “ as “ wuht “ he had given up, sighing loudly in defeat as he swiped off his glasses to clean the lenses.

So much for actually getting some WORK DONE.

He had lost so much time. SO. MUCH. TIME. Everywhere he looked in the lair something needed to be fixed or tightened or re-installed. Even as he was decoding the implant, his eyes would stray to land on the two new leaks dripping from his ceiling. Thankfully, the light pitter patters of the sky’s condensation only fell onto his bed, and NOT his computer. Still though, it bothered him greatly.

Ok. Add that to the list.

Don pulled back his sleek, dark purple chair from his desk as he reached into one of its drawers. He pulled out an untitled lavender notebook.( He hated when he would start a new notebook with its own title, and then later in its pages change the subject, resorting the title plastered on the front to be nearly entirely useless, so he left all his notebook covers blank. ) Once he landed on a blank page, he wrote of the two new leaks as numbers seventy-one and seventy-two on his list of to-do’s.

Seventy-two. Hmm. I expected there to be more..

As his eyes began drifting through the pages, taking note of all that needed to be done, all that he had failed to do, he felt his heartbeat begin to quicken. His hands clenched and wrinkled the notebook’s pages as his anger grew. He could feel a pulsing burn spread over his cheeks as tears started to form on the corners of his eyes.

Stop that right now, Don mentally shouted at his own body, I do not need this emotional crap- have you SEEN the SIZE of my to-do’s??! SO MUCH needs to get done and I will not sit here and cry- I will use this time CORRECTLY and LOGICALLY. Crying like an infant is neither logical nor correct- SO STOP IT.

With a defiant rub of his arm to erase the liquid nonsense, he tried to go back to his computer. His eyes needed to squint with how bright the screen now shone, which was.. a bit concerning seeing how earlier his vision was just fine.

Probably just the stinkin’ tears…

As he tried to focus harder, squinting even more, the image didn’t change.

But his tears were gone…

He decided to do a little experiment.

He closed his left eye, and his vision returned to what it was before. Nothing was out of the ordinary as he could clearly read all his notes on his computer, the glowing light now faded to a more comfortable level.

Huh. Interesting..

Then he closed his right eye.

The view of his computer pixelated into a glowing square on his wall. All the codes and words and notes on his desktop now deteriorated into nothing but faded lines. He focused as hard as he could, shifting his glasses, squinting his eye, but the distorted view stayed the same.

At first, he questioned if he needed to update his prescription.. But the piercing sting in his left eye forced his whole train of thought to go careening off its tracks. He hissed in pain as he covered the offending sensory organ with his hand. And then a memory hit him so hard he found himself on the ground, clutching his now racing heart.

. . .

It was just reaching sunset, the sky alighting with vibrant orange and pink hues. He and Raph had finally been allowed by Sensei, ( and a very reluctant Leo ), to go on their first mission on their own.

Raph had just found some kind of cd player in the piles of scraps at the scrapyard. It was a little dented, very dirty, but worth a shot to revive.

Mikey loves his music, so perhaps this player could make a good 13th birthday present.

Don contentedly placed it into his satchel as he and Raph continued to search for more useful items.

And then… something sharp jabbed into his neck…and his thigh… He instinctively raised his bowstaff defensively as Raph readied his twin sais.

“ WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT??? DON!! “

The world began to distort and blur as he felt every muscle in his body begin to defy his will. The sky of the lot lit up with a blinding white light. Before his brain could catch up, he had hit the unforgiving pavement. An ache shot up his shoulder and hip at the impact, as his glasses and staff both scattered out of his reach. He found he could only unleash a low groan at the pain, slowly watching as his body fell into the darkness creeping into his vision.

He felt so tired.

Tranquilizers he had thought to himself as he heard the muffled sounds of his twin crying out as a dart was thrust into his leg. And then another into his arm.

“ R-raphael-l.. “

“ D- Don!- “

His twin fell to the ground next to him.

He had to act fast. He needed to warn his brothers NOW. He put all his focus into pulling out his phone. His hand hesitated only for a moment as he pushed down onto the Panic button.

His fingers hadn’t even let go of his phone as a heavy-duty boot came down, crushing them under its merciless pressure. Don cried out as whoever it was that was stepping on him twisted their foot, further injuring his fingers with a sickening *CRUNCH*. With all the strength he had left, he kicked the offender in the most sensitive area he knew of. Said person then cursed loudly and fell backwards onto his posterior, freeing Don’s mangled fingers.

THANK YOU, ANATOMY CLASS.

Don turned over onto his side, now facing his fading brother. Raph fought tooth and nail to stay awake, but his body, too, was slowly turning on him.

Grasping onto their last moments of consciousness, they looked each other in the eye, intertwined their hands, and squeezed as tight as they could.

The sounds of a helicopter and footsteps coming from every angle echoed into nothing as they finally gave in to the darkness.

When Don woke, he was met with a literal gun to his head.

At least.. he thinks it was a gun. The brutes who took him and his brother captive had taken away his glasses. Rude. When he tried to stand up from the chair he was sitting on, a heavy tug of chains sounded, keeping him from any movements past raising his cuffed hands to his chin. By the fact that no one came and disciplined him for trying to stand, he assumed he was alone.

Even with blurry vision, he still tried to get a hold of his surroundings.

It was dark. That much was obvious. The only light Don could see was peeking through four thin rectangular windows above him and Raph.

RAPH.

Don could sense his brother’s shell slumped against his own. He calculatedly backed up his head and leaned over his twin’s shoulder. Thanks to the deathly quiet room, Don was able to hear Raph’s slow, but steady breaths.

Thank God…

He nudged Raph’s head gently. At first there was no response, which was somewhat normal seeing how he would normally need something with the sound range of one hundred and twenty decibels to wake up his fiery twin for school when they were kids; Raph’s always been the heaviest of sleepers.

So, to counteract his twin’s tendency to sleep like a grizzly in hibernation, Don gathered as much spit in his mouth as possible, and sloppily licked the side of Raph’s face.

… That… may not have been a good idea.

It was effective…. But at the cost of Don’s nose getting thwacked by Raph’s shoulder.

“ HHUGHHH! .. Raph!..ughhhhh.. “ Don moaned as his face grew a painful shade of red.

“ WHY. Would you DO that?! “ Raph scolded, whilst he attempted to rub off the remainder of Don’s spit with his shoulder.

“ Nevermind that. What can you see? “

“... Skies a blue.. Red roses too- “

“ RAPHAEL. “

“ Dude, you gave me an opening- “

“ I’M SERIOUS, RAPH. What do you see?.. “

The older twin looked around the room.

“ Looks like we’re in some kinda garage… I can smell motor oil and grease, and there’s a box of tools on a bench to your far left. “

“ Are there any cameras? “

Please no. Please no. Please no-

“ Yeah, there’s one in the corner of the ceiling. Pretty sure it can see us. And it’s blinkin’ red, so I think it’s on. “

Frickgoshdangit.

“ Wait- why are you askin’ me to look around? Don, CAN YOU SEE RIGHT NOW??? Did those JERKWADS BLIND YO- “

“- No, dear twin of mine. I simply can’t see because the insolent koalas stole my glasses. My eyes are still functioning properly. “

“.. The what now? Dude, aren’t koalas all cuddly ‘n stuff? “

“.. Yes, and they have one of the smallest brain-to-body ratios of mammals. “

“....”

“... They’re Dumb-Dumbs. “

Don felt a heavy sigh leave Raph’s body, not only releasing his built up steam, but also a small chuckle.

“ Ok.. You said there’s tools to my right? “

“ Left. “

“ Right..ok- “

“ Dude, I just said left. “

“ -NO- RAPH- ‘RIGHT’ AS IN CORRECT. “

“ Then just say ‘correct’, man! “

“ I DID, YOU SON OF A SPITEFUL POPTART. “

“ Ppfft- Dude seriously, you need better insults. I got a list we can go through when we get ho- “

The two brothers flinched at the sound of two metallic clicks.

Don REALLY wished he could see right now.

Judging by the way Raphael’s whole body tensed it wasn’t anything good.

“ Raph. What is going on? “ The purple-clad turtle whispered.

“ There’s two guns pointin’ at us.. And I think they’re loaded… Any ideas, Brainiac? “

“..Working on it.. “

“ Work faster… “

That's it for this chapter! :) We're finally getting to what happened to Don and Raph, and man it's gonna be a ride. ;)

Hope you enjoyed!

~ Melissa

MASTERPOST <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

#tmnt #my version of tmnt!!#the strength in weakness #SIW Mikey #SIW Don #SIW Raph #SIW Leo #Hurt #Stressed out Don #Brotherly cuddles #tw darts #tw capture #tw tiny bit of blood #tw drugged #tw trauma

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truths33k3r4 · 30 days

Text

CHAPTER 25 - Grieving Cadence

The room burst with chaotic energy in a matter of milliseconds as Leo ran into the dojo to grab his twin katanas. For a normal person, such a stressful situation would leave the barer with a scrambled mind, floundering through the room and tripping over themselves as they try to process what just happened.

But Leo has never been normal. His eyes remained focused as his feet ran with purpose and will. His expression had gone into full ‘ Leader Mode ‘, leaving behind any traces of ‘ teenager ‘. His ‘oldest brother’ side still shone brightly, but it mirrored the image of a stoplight; Flashing and pulsing with warnings of danger, and no warmth in its vibrant hue.

When Leo sprinted back into the Living Room, Mikey could see the panic shrinking his pupils. The eldest was still very much aware of his surroundings, and was even still forcing a steady heartbeat. But his eyes gave away the facade the leader always carried.

Without thinking, Mikey flung the afghan off his legs and pushed himself off the couch, dropping the bag of frozen broccoli to the floor with a crunch.

He made it about two steps before the adrenaline rushing through his body slightly dissipated, allowing a tightening pressure coiling around his right ankle like a boa constrictor squeezing its prey. With a piercing screech, the youngest fell onto the floor holding his leg tightly to his chest.

Well…. That was stupid. He mentally groaned.

“ MICHELANGELO HANTEN! “ Yelled the leader, whom was quickly rushing up to the side of his once again fallen brother.

Ok…. Now I’m dead.

Leo grabbed Mikey’s shoulders and raised him up off the floor, then slid his arm around the youngest’s waist while leading him back to the couch.

“ Mikey I don’t have time for this- “ the leader rushed, nearly dropping Mikey haphazardly onto the cushions, “Just… Just stay here- I’ll be back as soon as I can- “

“ - No way, dude! You are not leavin’ me here like some cripple- I’m coming with. They’re my brothers too! “

To enforce his statement, Mikey pulled off the afghan Leo just placed back on his legs, and began sliding off the cushions again. This action was met with a silent but DEADLY whack from his brother’s calloused hand to Mikey’s right knee.

“ No, Mikey. “ The oldest solemnly stated as the youngest groaned from the impact, “ You are staying HERE. “

After the brotherly-inflicted pain faded in his knee, Mikey raised his head in defiance at the leader.

“ I’m.. coming.. You can’t stop me, Leo. “ Mikey tried very hard to sound as tough as he could, while still also struggling under the intensifying ache in his ankle. It didn’t come out as a pathetic squeak, so he’ll call it a win in his book.

The eldest’s eyes sparked as a war was fought between feelings of annoyance and respect for his little brother. Mikey watched as Leo sank deep into thought, probably trying to think of a plan to get Mikey off his back so he could go search for their missing brothers.

Leo growled as he reached for the built in power panel and clicked one of its many buttons, finally ending the horrible cacophony of the panic alarm.

“ - I can’t THINK with all this noise.. “ Leo grumbled as he rubbed his fingers into his temples.

As the leader tried to make a plan, Mikey was also attempting to figure a solution to his problem.

How bad does it REALLY hurt-

He tried to wiggle his foot, but abruptly stopped the motion as the ache returned with a vengeance. He was VERY lucky that the only noise that escaped him was a low rumbly hum. Had he shouted, groaned, or yelped again, Leo would have had him in his arms and off to bed in a second.

Alright, maybe I shouldn’t walk just yet… OW.

Mikey let out his own quiet growl as he could hear the grandfather clock tick away in Sensei’s Study.

They were running out of time.

The panic button carried a graven heaviness to it. One of the reasons the alarm’s song was so frightening to Leo and him was the fact that they’d never heard it before. Don had only just installed it on the day that Master Splinter finally allowed the brothers to go to the surface on their own. That was like two weeks ago.

Mikey slowly turned to look at his leader.

Leo’s expression finally revealed the torment running rampant through his mind, as he grew more and more tense with each failed phone call to his lost brothers. Mikey could hear the annoyed sound of Raph’s voice as his message played again and again in Leo’s ear.

‘ “ How does this stupid thing work…….what- what do you mean it’s already recording?! GRRRR DON SHOW ME HOW TO WORK THIS PIECE OF- [ BEEP ] “ ‘

When Raph first recorded his answering machine message, the brothers would all burst into laughter whenever he missed their calls. But now, Leo only grimaced and shrank at the harsh sounds of his fiery brother, almost as if the recording was taunting him.

REMINDING him.

“ Come on.. COME ON. “ The eldest bit his lip as he tried for Don’s cell again. With each failed call his mind became more and more unclear, as his voice was failing to conceal his shame and anger, his sadness… and his regret.

‘ “ Sorry, this is Donatello Hamato, I’m not at the phone right now, please leave a message, and if I have time I might call you back. [ BEEP ] “ ‘

“ - GRRRAHHH!! “

Leo raised his phone as if he were about to throw it into the ground, his arm stretched and taught like a band on a slingshot. Just as he looked like he was about to throw it with all the force he could muster, his arms went limp to his sides as he lost the battle to hold back his tears. The leader in blue, the one with the plan, the one who should never fail his family, fell down on his knees and began….

.. to pray.

Mikey could barely hear his brother as the oldest’s voice clashed and strained from the guilt and shame that swirled in his heart. The youngest could make out a few words through the chokes and sobs, the most used being “ please” and “ help them”… But the rest was grief-stricken gibberish that only God Himself was able to understand.

That’s good..seeing how He can actually do something for our brothers.. Mikey thought to himself, his inner voice tinged with bitterness.

Mikey looked down with hate filled eyes at his swollen ankle. He could feel his own tears now beginning to stream down his face as he gulped down the growing anxiety bubbling up his throat.

I can’t do anything.

His bitter heart added a sting to the tears as they pricked the corners of his eyes.

I can’t do anything for them.

He looked up.

…. But… I know You can.

With a strained voice, Mikey called to his brother, but all that sounded was the same pathetic squeak he was trying to avoid from before.

Dang it.

Mikey tried again, this time clearing his throat the best he could.

“ Leo…”

The oldest’s bowed head slowly rose from the ground to look up at his youngest brother. Tears had stained his royal blue mask, and his eyes were rimmed with a soft red. Choked sobs still weaseled their way out of Leo’s throat, as his gaze met Mikey’s.

“ Come.. *hic*.. Come here, bro. Pl- pl- lease..”

Without a word, Leo walked to his brother’s side. And Mikey, in one smooth motion, leapt off the couch one last time.

“ M- mikey n- no- “

The oldest never finished his sentence as his body was met with a crushing hug from his little brother.

The two stood there for what felt like hours, embracing each other as their shoulders trembled, and nestling their heads deep into the other’s neck. Their arms clung tighter and tighter as their separate sobs melded together into a cadence of fear and grief.

Their fight from earlier had no place in either of the brothers’ thoughts as they continued to try to comfort each other. The two boys’ minds were far too busy being filled with reasons of why Don and Raph sounded the dreaded alarm. What could have happened to them. If they were both alright.

..If they would ever come home.

“ We- we’re run-n-ning out of ti-ime.. “ The oldest whispered as he rubbed the tears from his eyes into Mikey’s shoulder.

The youngest’s chest tightened as he took a sharp inhale.

He knew what he had to do.

And he hated it.

“…G-go…..Go fi- find the- them. “ Mikey whispered back, “ I- I’ll only s-slow you do- down.. “

Leo lifted his head to look his youngest brother in the eyes. The oldest’s expression was filled with child-like fear and nervousness; He looked like a kid again. He had that same look that all kids wear when something scary happens:

WHAT DO I DO?

And with that question, a child would usually go to the closest adult in the room.

Leo is seventeen.

And he’s the closest they had to an adult until Splinter came home from scavenging in Central Park.

But with the call to leadership, Leo’s face and posture changed. His slumped shoulders straightened, and his chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. He gave the weakest of smiles, rubbed his eyes one last time, and then nodded as he gently pushed Mikey back onto the couch.

“ I’ll f- find them, Mikey. “

Leo placed his hand on the back of Mikey’s neck, and lowered his forehead to the youngest’s.

“… I promise. “

As Leo picked up his katanas and began to run to the Lair’s main doorway into the tunnels, Mikey remembered something.

“ W-wait- Leo, hold up! “

The eldest quickly swiveled his head to be in Mikey’s direction, as the youngest leaned over and pulled some kind of secret drawer out of the coffee table. He grabbed something shiny and then threw it to Leo. With a quick flick of his wrist thanks to his ninja skills, the blue clad turtle caught the energy bar with ease. After a slight glance at the snack, he looked back up to Mikey with a “ you know what you did “ grin. Mikey responded with the widest of grins Leo’s ever seen.

“ .. Thanks, Little Brother. “

In a blur of green and blue, Leo had vanished sprinting down the tunnels.

Mikey gave a long, weighted sigh as he wiped away the remaining tears on his face.

… It’s ok….Leo’s got it… He’ll find them….

As he sat on the couch, not sure where to land his eyes, he noticed the wooden picture frame hanging on the wall next to the hallway. The words written inside the glass echoed in Mikey’s mind as his heart finally shattered.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will direct your paths. “

They’ll be ok…. Mikey thought as he fell deep into the cushions of the couch, once again letting his tears stream freely, Leo will find them.. God will help him find them..

Mikey closed his eyes.

Lord… Keep my brothers safe.. Please, Lord..

PLEASE bring them home.

That's it for this chapter! :) Hope you enjoyed it! ( Or it made you sob your eyes out, either way as a author I win XD )

To God be the glory!

~ Melissa

MASTERPOST <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

#tmnt #my version of tmnt!!#the strength in weakness #SIW Leo #SIW Mikey #hurt/comfort #comfort #hugging #tcest DNI- THEY ARE BROTHERS YA FREAKS #Sibling moment #Grieving #loss #trusting in God

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truths33k3r4 · 3 months

Text

Finally got to making a reference sheet for the four brothers in "the Strength in Weakness!" :) It was quite enjoyable figuring out all their markings and gear, keeping to each turtles personality and needs.

Leonardo- Leader, Realist, Team Medic - 17 years old

Raphael- Wise-guy, Pessimist, Strategist - 16 years old

Donatello- Calculator, Pessimist/Realist, Eye in the Sky - 16 years old

Michelangelo- Faceman, Optmist, Team Uplifter - 13 years old

Now onto Lotus. :)

~ Melissa

#tmnt #my version of tmnt!!#the strength in weakness #SIW Leo #SIW Raph #SIW Don #SIW Mikey #character sheet #character design

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truths33k3r4 · 3 months

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CHAPTER 19 - Silent Connections

Raph walked through the tunnels with a determined expression etched on his face. After hearing some kind of angry outburst ignite from the Medbay, he quickly raced through the halls to see what happened.

As he arrived to the door, he took a moment to.. compose himself.

‘ Mikey can smell emotions from a stinkin’ mile away.. Gotta get this stench OFF. ‘

Raph hurriedly brushed off the last remains of his tears, wiping his somewhat damp hands in the pocket in his hoodie. As his hands went to work to erase any signs of moisture, he took two slow, deep breaths.

‘ It’s all good. I’m good. ‘

With one last quick exhale, he turned the knob.

Entering into the Medbay, he happened upon two of his brothers displaying a look of disappointment only a mother could emote towards their youngest brother who, as always, did not give a care in the world.

And then his eyes landed on Lotus; Awake, exhausted, and annoyed Lotus. Her expression of exasperation nearly made Raph recoil into his shell.

‘ Yeeeeeeesh! An’ I thought I looked terrifying when I’m mad.. ‘

“ Mikey, what- … what the heck are you doing?… “

The youngest brother’s eyes fell upon Raph, and for a second had a sense of worry glazed over. His eyebrows raised the smallest bit, as his breath hitched for just a second. But that glimpse of surprise and concern was quickly covered up by his famous smile.

Mikey gasped in offense, planting his hand on his plastron with as much drama as possible.

“ Le GASP. Oh, dear brother, how you WOUND me! I was just checking in on Lo! “ Mikey retorted.

“ - Don’t call me that. “ Lotus deadpanned.

Mikey somersaulted over the surgical table, earning him a startled gasp from Lotus, as he landed down in front of Raphael.

Mikey looked up at his older brother, surveying his face for any signs that would answer his walking out earlier.

Mikey’s sky blue eyes connected with Raph’s brown-

… and green?

This was the first time, Mikey realized, that he’d truly seen Raph’s change up close.

The first time he laid his eyes on what those horrible scientists did to his brothers.

Back when they all returned to their home that morning with Lotus, he had noticed something.. different… about the twins. Besides the obvious bruises and scratches, there was something else that was off that he couldn’t put his finger on.

Now he saw it up close.

He turned his face to Don’s direction, squinting and focusing on the purple-clad twin’s eyes.

‘ Brown….. and blue. ‘

As Don noticed the unrelenting gaze of his youngest brother on himself, his eyes darted, and his hand rose to his chin, forming into a “ surf’s up, dude “sign. ( ASL for “What’s the problem?” )

Mikey didn’t answer, but instead just turned his face back to Raph’s.

The youngest brother knew how each of his siblings worked, how they would convey their emotions, and how they would communicate their feelings.

Mikey knew Raph absolutely despised talking about his feelings. The guy couldn’t even say the word without voicing a verbal groan. So, with this information, Mikey used a different technique to check on his crimson-clad brother:

Silence and pats.

( Over time, the two brothers silently created a code that helped them to communicate their emotions. The physical touch would help ground each other, and the lack of stress from not needing to speak helped to clear their heads. They fully relied on the code and their expressions to speak for them. )

Mikey slowly reached to Raph’s arm, gently grasping it between his fingers. He let a small grin grow on his face, not showing any teeth, but at least trying to bring some comfort to his big brother.

tap tap *

Raph let out a sigh as he calmly placed his hand over Mikey’s.

tap *

Mikey kept his eyes on Raph’s as his grin grew to his signature smile.

“ Glad you’re ok now, bro. “ He whispered.

Raph shrugged, pulling his mouth into a line, but not breaking eye contact.

“ I’m good, little bro. No need to worry. “ He whispered back, as he planted his hand on Mikey’s face, pushing him away playfully.

Mikey giggled under the palm of Raph’s hand, then stuck out his tongue, barely grazing the skin.

Raph yanked his hand off, shaking off the little bit of spit.

“ - BRO. AGAIN????? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? “

“ I AM WHAT YOU MADE ME, DUDE. “ Mikey joked, as he used his hands to gesture to himself. “ This is all your fault- I wasn’t born like this.”

“ I beg to differ, “ Don piped in, raising a pointed finger in the air, “ you have, indeed, always been this melodramatic and grotesque since birth. “

“ Yeahhhh.. You kinda have, Mikey. “ Leo said, smiling sheepishly and shrugging his shoulders. “ You used to spit in Raph’s face just so he would chase you around the lair. “

“ Uh- YEAH. Every youngest brother knows which sibling gives the best reactions! It’s an art really~. If Raph didn’t want me to gross him out, he should’ve not reacted so hilariously. “

Raph gave a dry snicker as he spoke through gritted teeth, “ - It ain’t gonna be so funny when I punch you straight in your- “

“ Guuuys. “ Lotus almost whimpered, “ I can’t sleep if you don’t shut upppppp.. “

All the brothers turned to see the female mutant now sitting up on the surgical table. The light teal crescent markings near her eyes did nothing to distract from the obvious shade below. Even as she was sitting, her arms were unsteadily shaking trying to hold up her weight.

Leo’s posture straightened as he transformed back to “ Medic Mode”. “ She’s right. She needs sleep… Alright everyone! Clear out! “ Leo began to gesture shooing away his brothers, making Mikey and Don exit the room as he approached Raph.

“ Think you can take her back to bed? It would probably be best for her to get off the surgical table.. That thing is dang uncomfy. “

Raph nodded and began to walk to Lotus, but was stopped by the sensation of Leo’s hand grabbing on to his right wrist. Raph tried as hard as he could to not wince from the quick jolt of pain on the tender area. ( Leo was already stressed as it is with ONE patient. As soon as he finds out how many cuts and bruises Raph and his twin had he’d earn himself another stress chasm. )

“ Hey. “ Leo whispered.

Raph turned around, failing to squint his eyes a little from Leo’s grip tightening on the faded scars.

“ ….You good, dude?..”

Raph pushed down all the pain that was attacking his nervous system, and put on his best “ I’m fine“ voice.

“.. Yeah, man. I’m good. “

Raph tried to walk past again, but stopped once more with another tightening squeeze on his wrist.

This time Raph couldn’t help the small yelp that escaped his mouth.

‘ Please don’t notice. Please don’t notice. Please don’t- ‘

Leo’s eyes tightened to an alarming degree.

‘ - CRUD. ‘

“ What was that- You squeaked- You don’t squeak, that’s not a thing- “ Leo’s tone changed from confused concern to downright interrogation in a matter of seconds.

“Raphael Kisho Hamato. ARE YOU INJURED? “

Raph’s eyes darted to all possible exit points in the room.

‘ CRUD! CRUD! CRUD! ‘

That's it for this chapter!! :) Besides the first chapter of this story, this is the only time all the brothers and Lotus have appeared in the same chapter! ( With Lotus conscious that is ) :) And mannnn did that bring it's own problems! ;) This chapter definitely took longer than most, just cause I had to figure out a good amount of dialogue, but once I got on a roll, ( and took a much needed mental break ) it all clicked into place. :)

If you liked reading this story, please feel free to share it and reblog it. :)

To God be the glory!!

Masterpost <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

#tmnt #my version of tmnt!!#the strength in weakness #angst #angst comfort #hurt/comfort #SIW Leo #SIW Raph #SIW Mikey #SIW Lotus #siblings

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truths33k3r4 · 1 month

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Hey guys!! So after a good talk with @poetique823, ( THANK YOU BY THE WAY!! ), I decided to add the rest of the scene in my latest chapter of the Strength in Weakness. ( CHAPTER 23 - Laughter Doeth Good ) I at first thought that the rest of the scene would make the chapter too long, but thankfully, it turns out I was wrong. :) So make sure to read the chapter ALL the way this time!! The rest of the chapter starts after " DUDE I WAS LIKE SIX! SHUT UP!! "

~ Melissa

#tmnt #my version of tmnt!!#the strength in weakness #SIW Leo #SIW Mikey #Responsibility burdened Leo #Oldest Brother leonardo #Mikey the cinnamon roll #empathetic brother #Deleted Scene becomes UNdeleted!! :)

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truths33k3r4 · 1 month

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CHAPTER 24 - Hard Words to Swallow

It had been a regular mission.

Not even the kick-butt kind, but a treasure hunt; Picking up a few trinkets from the scrapyard for one of Don’s stupid inventions.

The goal was simple:

Retrieve the junk, maybe stop to get pizza, then head home.

How could his brothers mess up something so easy.

Leo, for once in his frickin life, didn’t even make a plan to follow.

“ Ok, you guys can do this- " The eldest stated mostly to himself, " Raph, keep an eye out at all times. Remember you can't be seen- and Don.. Keep an eye on Raph. “

Mikey watched from the couch as Don slung a satchel over his head, securing it on his freckled shoulder. Raph grabbed his twin sais and twirled them in his fingers, like a total showoff, before smoothly clicking them into place by the magnets on his belt. His crimson clad brother rolled his eyes and pushed Don through the door.

“ Yeah- yeah- Be careful. Don’t get caught. Don’t die… Sheesh man, you’re starting to sound like Sensei… “

Mikey shot up swinging his arms in the air wildly.

“ - And don’t you dare eat all the pizza!!! “

Had Mikey known these would be his last words to his brothers, he would've chosen them far more wisely.

Mikey had been waiting for hours. His foot tapped on the ground faster and faster as anticipation took over him. His hands held one of the brothers’ many prized comic books, but his eyes would constantly shift to the main entrance of the lair. He specifically had chosen Raphael’s favorite comic to read knowing full-well, ( and counting on ), the fact that his brother would completely lose his top at just the thought of Mikey touching his mint-condition, extremely rare Sumo Wrestlers comic.

It will be legendary.

Mikey made sure to keep his phone at the ready by his side. He had even practiced the motions of grabbing his phone, clicking a few buttons, and taking a photo. He had to be ready. Once Raph saw what he was doing- there was only one chance to snag a pic before Mikey had to start running for his life.

Like he said. Legendary.

Eventually, after Mikey finished re- re- re- reading Raph’s prized comic, Leo had walked into the Living Room. His eyes were a bit more tense than usual as he paced up and down the carpet on the stairs to the lair’s entrance.

“ Where the heck are they?? This is way past their curfew… “

Mikey groggily lifted his head from the way past boring comic.

“... Huh?.. “

Leo turned to his youngest brother with a ‘ Haven’t you been paying attention? ‘ look. Mikey shrugged. Leo sighed as he dropped his shoulders. Classic.

“ Mikey, it’s been hours. And they still aren’t back yet. “

Leo raised his eyebrows expectantly hoping Mikey would catch on to what he was saying.

His youngest brother just stared with drooping eyes. A yawn caused his arms to rise into the air as he stretched, releasing a relaxed sigh as he fell back into the soft cushions.

“.. So…. no pizza then?... “

“ Mikey! This is serious! They should’ve checked in by now.. A text- a call- something.”

Leo began scrolling through all his messages after swiping his phone from the back pocket of his shell.

“.. There’s been nothing but radio silence since they left…..

..I never should have let them go off on their own, maybe they weren’t ready.. “

Mikey watched the oldest’s ice blue eyes dart through the texts. His brother’s shoulders continued to raise in a defensive position.

If he keeps this up, he’ll have a stress chasm in three seconds flat…

Mikey groaned as he lifted his back away from the cushions, and then proceeded to flip backwards over the rim of the couch, landing perfectly on his right leg with his arms held out.

Well. Almost..

A deep ache reawakened in his ankle by the force of his landing. He yelped as his hands shot down from their position in the air, wrapping around the slowly darkening area. Without his arms to keep balance, and the pain stealing every brain cell’s attention that he had left, he quickly found himself watching the ground get closer and closer.

I. Am. So. Dead.

As he hit the floor, his ears picked up the sound of rapidly progressing footsteps.

I’m dead- I’m DEAD- I’m SOOOO DEAD.

Mikey twitched a little at the sensation of his brother’s freezing cold hands touching his arms.

SERIOUSLY, what’s with doctors always having ice cubes for hands?!?!

“ Mikey! What were you thinking?!?! “

The youngest brother was kinda too busy to answer, as his ankle faded from a vibrant green to a greyish blue.

MAN ALIVE I forgot how much this hurt.

The younger turtle lifted his head from his plastron the tiniest bit, and gave a strained,

“....Ouch…. “

Leo sighed and nodded his head back and forth as he rubbed his brothers’ shell.

“.. How bad? “

Mikey tried to move his foot.

Mikey never should have tried to move his foot.

Leo flinched as his brother choked out a sharp gasp, clutching his ankle tighter.

“.. Ok! Ok- don’t move it!.. Let me help you up. “

The oldest didn’t hesitate as he lifted Mikey up bridal style, and walked to the couch. Even with all the pain making a mess of his brain, Mikey still put a few brain cells to work wondering how Leo can hold him so easily, even after eating three pizzas, six corndogs, and eight.. no, nine donuts today.

Being carried was so.. normal for Mikey. Almost as normal as his daily squabbles with Raph. Maybe it was just his right as the youngest. He was the cutest and most lovable out of his brothers, hands down. For as long as he could remember, no one has been able to resist his big beautiful blue eyes, so getting carried everywhere was always in the bag. There was a soothing comfort he always felt as he was being carried. His brothers’ plastrons were always so warm as they held him close, and even now at thirteen years old, he had to resist the urge to nuzzle his nose underneath their necks. When he turned eleven, he was told that he was too old for that. Sooo apparently, you shouldn’t like being warm and comfortable when you become a teen. Nice wisdom there, Raph.

Mikey was brought out of his thoughts as Leo gently placed him down onto the couch.

“ ..Can’t believe… stinkin’ one legged flip- “ the eldest mumbled to himself as he carefully placed one of the fluffiest pillows underneath Mikey’s foot.

Mikey lifted his head as Leo got up and began walking to the kitchen.

“ Don’t. Move. “ The eldest called out with a pointed finger raised as he speedwalked to the fridge.

Mikey could hear the sounds of the freezer door being opened, and then some scratchy movements of some kind of bag. More footsteps followed, getting louder and louder as Leo returned to his brother’s side.

Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. ~

Mikey couldn’t hold back the shiver that tensed his body as a bag of frozen broccoli was placed on his ankle. It didn’t feel.. amazing, but he knew it would help with the swelling. Been there, done that.

“ How does that feel? “ Leo asked, as he comfortingly rubbed Mikey’s right knee.

“ Not…very… good.. “ Mikey squeezed out, as his teeth started chattering from the cold.

Leo gave a sympathetic smile as he turned around to grab the thick afghan folded underneath the coffee table.

“ Well.. that means it’s working.. “

Mikey let out a contented sigh as the warmth of the blanket enveloped his shivering body. His ankle still hurt, and the stinkin broccoli was still freezing, but the blanket really helped. As always, Leo knew what he was doing.

Another sigh was heard in the room as Leo joined his brother on the couch. Since Mikey was laying down though, Leo made sure to leave him enough space to still be comfortable. This left Leo propping himself up on the arm of the couch, twisting and shifting until he could balance properly. Mikey failed to hold in a laugh as his brother awkwardly flapped his arms as he nearly fell off the small bit of furniture.

“ Heheh.. Here, dude. “

Mikey carefully hunched over and grabbed the fluffy pillow beneath his ankle, moving it to the coffee table standing in front of the couch. He then let out a slight hiss as he turned and placed his injured ankle back on the pillow, resulting in a quick look of concern from his anxious brother.

With a smile, Mikey patted the empty cushion on his left. Leo gave a tired grin back as he let himself fall off the inner edge of the couch’s arm, plopping down at Mikey’s side.

“ Thanks, little bro. “

“ No probs. “

Leo’s posture changed from chill and relaxed to alert and worried in a second as he switched back to “ doc mode “.

“ What were you thinking, Mikey? You know its sensitive. You gotta be more careful. “

The youngest’s smile faded as a look of guilt subtly washed over his face.

“ I’m fine… “ he mumbled as he began picking at the breaking seams of the couch’s stitching.

Those two little words not only annoyed Leonardo, but also caused him to switch to his worst mode in times like this:

LEADER MODE.

“ Eh- Eh- Eh. None of that- “ the oldest scolded, waving the same pointed finger as earlier, “ Don’t give me any of that. I gave you orders to take it easy. It’s only been a few days since you twisted it last week. Do you call THIS- “ Leo gestured to all of Mikey, “ ..taking it easy?? “

Mikey started to open his mouth, but the eldest continued.

“- Remember what Sensei tells you. You call this being a good steward of your body?? “

Mikey’s guilty expression morphed into one he never wore. One his brothers and Sensei rarely ever saw.

“.. When was the last time you ate. “ He spoke without blinking. His eyes were glazed over with a film of bitterness as his words burned into Leo like the defensive rays of the sun.

Silence.

Yeah, not so talkative now, are you..

“.. I.. was busy. “ Leo whispered, as his whole body tensed.

“ - Oh COME ON,DUDE!! “ Mikey shouted, making Leo minisculely flinch, “ That’s bogus and you know it. It’s my job to do the dishes this week- I memorize the colors of everyone’s plates. Yours is always the black one with blue rims. You picked that one since you were a kid. I never have to wash it. It’s always all NEAT and CLEAN and stacked in the cupboard. “

Leo’s expression twisted as his guilt grew.

“ The only thing I’ve seen you take a bite out of this week was my bubblegum and jalapeno pizza. And you hacked it up immediately. “

“ Oh come on!! Did you even taste that thing??? “ Leo half-heartedly chuckled, hoping that adding a joke or insulting Mikey’s cooking would distract his youngest brother.

For once, Mikey wasn’t in the mood for games.

“ -STUFF IT IN YOUR CRUST, LEO. “ The youngest growled, “ You. Aren’t. Eating. Admit it! “

“ I’m just not hungry. “ Leo shrugged as he edged closer to the arm of the couch.

“ Admit it. “

“ I have too much to do- “ The eldest's eyes strayed from Mikey's.

“ ADMIT IT. “ Mikey over-emphasized every syllable.

Leo threw his hands up in the air as he yanked himself off the couch.

“ - OK SO WHAT???!!? I don’t eat sometimes, SO THE FRICK WHAT?? “

Mikey’s glare remained steadfast and unmoving as he peered into Leo’s constricted pupils.

“.. You call that being a good steward? “ Mikey spat.

Leo’s face fell, flashing from guilt, to shame, to stubbornness.

Silence swept over the Living Room once again. But this time it didn’t carry any peace or relaxation with it. A deep weight pressed down on the two brothers, almost as if they were sinking into the ocean’s depths. Neither spoke a word as they choked and drowned in the silence.

[ BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! ]

Leo’s movements froze as the whole lair was bathed in a bright, flashing red. Mikey’s eyes darted from his phone to Leo’s face. The youngest could feel his heartbeat begin to quicken as he saw nothing but terror and anxiety flood through his brother’s expression.

The sensation of the frozen bag settled on Mikey’s ankle couldn’t even compare to the frigid crystals of realization growing in his heart.

The Emergency alarm continued to scream its horrible song, replacing the somber emptiness with a shrilling crescendo.

... No…

That's it for this chapter. :) The art piece took FOREVER to get right, but I'm very happy with how it turned out. :) This was my first FULL FLASHBACK chapter, so it was interesting figuring out some things like pre-tense or past-tense or present-tense.. But thanks to some help from @poetique823, I think it turned out great! :)

Thanks for your help, Poet!! :)

To God be the glory!

~ Melissa

MASTERPOST <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

#tmnt #my version of tmnt!!#the strength in weakness #SIW Leo #SIW Mikey #SIW Raph #SIW Don #hurt/comfort #tmnt brothers #brother moment #eating disorder

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truths33k3r4 · 3 months

Text

CHAPTER 21 - Lost Control

The silence of the hallway did nothing to relent the growing noise in Raph’s head. Over and over, he replayed the past 5 minutes of his fight with Leo.

‘ He’s never done this before.. It’s always “ You should’ve known better! “ or “ WISE UP, RAPH!”... And what the heck did he ask me.. AGH! STUPID BRAIN- Stupid. Stupid. STUPID. ‘

However deep he scraped into his mind, Leo’s words to him still remained hidden.

And it was driving Raphael mad.

‘ A question.. He had his brows up… It was a question- Ok what would he ask??....

Uh maybe “ Can I look at your arm? “... ‘

Raph’s cheeks softly warmed at the reminder of the pitiful squeak that escaped his face when Leo grabbed his sore arm. Despite the embarrassment of the memory, Raph let out a small smile. Even though Leo had been so angry with him, as soon as he knew Raph’s arm was in pain, he relinquished his tight grip. And then later switched to Raph’s left arm.

‘... Even when he’s as angry as me… He’s still above me. ‘

The times his oldest brother’s temper made an appearance were far and few between. Even when they were kids, when Sensei’s patience was on its last breath trying to recall the names of his four sons, he resorted to calling them “ Shizukana “( Tranquil ), “ Kisho “ (Temper), “No” ( Brain ), and “ Hanten” ( Spots).

Sensei knew what he was doing when he called Leonardo “ Tranquil”.

For as long as he’d kept watch over Leo, the little mutant always carried a soothing calmness to the chaos of the family. Whenever the brothers got into their usual tussles, Leo would quietly waltz into the room, pause and listen to both sides of the argument, process and discern who was in the right, and going by his judgment, grab and pull the instigator into a separate room to Sensei.

Somehow at a very young age, Leo carried a maturity only a senior person could hold.

And then…

.. there was Raph: The one who instigated the most.

The one who could never control the burning fire flickering in his heart…

… The one who hurt his brothers.

“ Mmmmnghhhh… “

Raph jolted at the sound of Lotus’ quivering voice. He looked down at her, cradled helplessly in his arms. He had forgotten he was even carrying her… It only felt like he was carrying Sensei’s thicker robe, or maybe a 8 year old Mikey.

He was somewhat used to the sensation from years of carrying his brothers.

There were times growing up that training became far more draining, leaving Raph carrying a very exhausted Mikey to bed, or a sore Don to his beanbag chair. But Leo never allowed someone to carry him. Even Sensei. No matter how physically spent he felt, he’d much rather drag his heavy feet and aching limbs to his bedroom on his own, than risk such humiliation. He was the oldest, and therefore he had to be the strongest.

‘ “Weakness isn’t a trait a leader should possess. NOT EVER.” ‘

Raph found it ironic when Leo stepped up as Team Medic at the age of 15. How the heck can someone be so good at carin’ for others when he’s so bad at carin’ for HIMSELF??? Leo was always the one to come running when one of the brothers scraped their knee, or twisted their ankle, or whatever. The brothers would joke that he slept with the first aid kit under his pillow.

.. How can that same brother get caught with blood all over his hands alone in the dead of night?

How can that same brother be found with an ice pack over his dislocated shoulder?

How can that same brother ask Raph to never tell his family about any of it?

‘.. At least I know when to ask for help..Sort of..’

Raph looked down, escaping from his memories, to study Lotus.

Her breathing had finally slowed down to a normal pace, and her eyelids fluttered and winced.

Now that he was holding her, he got to really see all the scars and bruises plaguing her body up close. Her skin was so pale. And the insides of her arms were bruised with black and blue. He could feel her bones nearly poking through her thin skin.

‘ This girl’s really gone through heck and back..’

Raph walked slower through the hallway, flattening his feet to make less movement so as to not disturb Lotus. With all the bruises and cuts, he knew to be more careful with his jostling movements.

He also realized, while focusing so hard to not move Lotus too much, that he was now squeezing her limp body up to his plastron. He could feel the small breaths rise up in her chest and then extinguish with a faint sigh.

They were way too short.

Normally a deep breath would last about two seconds.

Her's weren’t even lasting one.

‘ Gotta make sure to tell Leo about that..

Ughh… After.. I apologize, that is….’

As Raph arrived back at the brother’s bedroom, he noticed his youngest brother in bed laying on a pile of dirty clothes reading comics. Mikey gave his brother a small look, but then shot up when he saw who Raph was carrying.

“ Awwwww Raph, you’re a big softieeeee~” Mikey cooed as he reached to grab his phone.

Without skipping a beat, Raph immediately grabbed his lone sai left on the ground and chucked it full-force about 3 inches away from Mikey’s snout. Mikey let out a startled gasp, covering his nose with his other hand, and looked back at Raph with his eyes bugging out.

“ I WILL END YOU. “ Raph mouthed with the fierceness of a lion as he shone his sharp fangs to Mikey. “ PUT THE PHONE DOWN. “

Mikey paused for just a moment, contemplating if it would be worth it to retaliate.. But the look of barely- contained seething anger in Raph’s eyes made him rethink his choices.

But consequences have never stopped Mikey.

SOMEHOW- AGAIN- In the span of a FLIPPIN’ MILLISECOND- Mikey swiped up his phone, tapped the screen, slid down the ladder from his bunk, and zipped out the door.

Raph stood there, still holding Lotus, with his mouth gaping open and his head flipping from Mikey’s bunk to the door.

‘ ………….. I always thought three brothers were too many. ‘

With a low growl, Raph braced his core and bent his knees as he carefully placed Lotus onto the mattress. Thoughts pushed into his head as he pulled the covers over her, tucking her in as best he could. But this time, since he wasn’t in the annoying presence of his brothers, Raph allowed such thoughts to gain the front of his mind.

Normally, he would push against things that would pull unwanted emotions to the surface of his rough exterior. However much Mikey encouraged him to “ not ignore his feelings”, Raph knew better than to listen. Feelings lead to emotions. Emotions lead to hugs and tears; Something so awkward and… VULNERABLE for everyone involved. So, yeah, no thanks. Not his thing. He’ll leave that to Mikey.

However..

If there ever WERE times he would allow such things to cloud his mind and judgment, they would be felt BEHIND DOORS. NO ONE present.

Raph scoped out the room. It was only him and.. his unconscious roommate.

‘ …. Guess it’s safe enough to… ugh… feeeeeel. ‘

His eye brows lowered as he watched Lotus from the edge of the bed. Theories of the causes of her various cuts and bruises flew through his mind. He’s seen all kinds of injuries, (mostly by being the older brother of Mikey), bruises included. He also understood that they weren’t made by any trip or fall. The ones wrapped around her wrists seemed to be spread over a sizable dent imprinted into her skin.

Raph’s pupils constricted as he remembered the cuffs that had been strapped down on his own body. The jerks at that lab made sure to make them way too tight. He remembered how simply clenching his fists would squeeze a painful pressure into his wrists and upper arm.

He absentmindedly rubbed his right wrist as he shook his head to bring his mind back to the present.

‘ NO! I’m HOME. I’m SAFE. I’m OK. ‘

He thanked God that the shaking didn’t start again. He hated when things were out of his control. ESPECIALLY if it’s his own dang body.

That thought brought more to Raph’s mind. He laid his hand down next to Lotus’ on the edge of the bed.

‘ Looks like you’ve never been in control of anything in your own life…What the heck were you doin’ at that lab? What did they want with you… ‘

Raph jolted by a faint groan and a small voice.

“.... Th- thank you…Raph… “

He turned his head to look at Lotus, whom was now fighting to stay awake. Her eyelids hung low as she spoke looking up at him.

Raph allowed a subtle smirk on his face as he plopped down on the floor next to her. His eyes stayed glued to the ground as he patted the top of the covers where Lotus’ hand was peeking through.

“... No problem. “

Just as Raph began to lift his hand, the feeling of something quickly wrapping around it shocked his senses. His eyes shot up to see his hand clutched between Lotus’.

Everything went silent including Raph’s brain.

That's it for this chapter! :) This one was one of my easiest to write by far. ( Probably helps that Raph is the focus.)

Hope you enjoyed!

To God be the glory!

Masterpost <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

#tmnt #my version of tmnt!!#the strength in weakness #SIW Raph #SIW Lotus #SIW Mikey #angst #angst/comfort #Raph the softie #Mikey's gonna die if he doesn't learn

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truths33k3r4 · 4 months

Text

( TW for nightmares, implied character death, panic attack )

CHAPTER 15 - A Leader’s Nightmare

As Leo began to pull himself off the ground, he heard little shuffling sounds of the surgical blanket. He briskly walked over to check on Lotus.

With closer inspection, he was comforted by the fact that she remained asleep. But that feeling quickly vanished when he laid his eyes on Lotus’ face. Her head was slightly shaking back and forth, and her forehead glimmered with beads of sweat. She wore a pained expression, making Leo double-check her stitches just in case.

As he scoured over her incision searching for any signs of infection, he heard a faint whimper squeeze through Lotus’ lips.

This brought him even less comfort.

He tried again, strategically and thoroughly checking over every stitch, but he saw nothing wrong. No broken seams and no inflamed skin…

Lotus’ whimpering got worse.

With a violent spasm through her body, she jerked her head back and let out a loud groan.

Leo tore his eyes from the incision and backed away from the table as Lotus nearly kicked his chin with her knee.

‘ Thank you, ninja reflexes. ‘ Leo thought as he cautiously walked up to behind Lotus’ head. He gently placed his hand under her chin and lifted it up so he could get a good look at her face. Her expression twisted as she hissed through her teeth.

Leo’s face fell with sympathy as he realized she was probably having a nightmare.

And with this realization, an old memory decided to fill his thoughts..

It was after he was named the leader of his brothers by Sensei.

That same night, something happened that would spark a deep fear within Leonardo ; A horrible thing that would plague him for years to come:

a nightmare.

He was standing over the towering ledge of one of the city’s many skyscrapers.

Below him, falling thousands of feet down, were his brothers.

Their brightly-hued masks slowly fell deeper into the darkness of the unknown.

Their screams echoed through his ears.

He couldn’t move.

Some unseen force was pressing a weight down on his form that left him frozen in place.

His hands were clenched around the hilts of his katanas, shaking violently with a flurry of fear, sadness, and anger.

FEAR of his brothers falling to their death.

SADNESS of his failure to protect them.

And ANGER of how he couldn’t do ANYTHING. He couldn’t MOVE. HE COULDN’T FIGHT AGAINST THE POWER OF GRAVITY AS IT QUICKLY DRAGGED HIS BROTHERS DOWN DEEPER INTO DARKNESS.

He fell to his knees, tears burning his eyes, and cried out.

His brothers were gone.

He failed.

HE FAILED.

The next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake by his little 13 year old brother.

“ LEO! WAKE UP, BRO!! “

As Leo opened his eyes, which he then realized were streaming with tears, he saw Raphael, angry but also concerned, gripping his hands onto Leo’s shoulders.

“ - WHA ? …. R- r - raph.. ? “

Leo rubbed his eyes, trying to rid them of the embarrassing streaks cascading from them, as well as trying to bring his vision back into focus.

“ WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT??? “ Raphael shout- whispered as he punched Leo hard on his shoulder.

“ - OW - RAPH! “ Leo groaned as he rubbed his sore arm.

“ You woke me up, YOU JERK. You were-.. You were groaning, and flailing, and whimpering.. “ Raph looked down, as he squeezed the end of Leo’s blanket with all his might to bring him some shred of comfort.

Raph was never good at feelings.

Leo’s face filled with guilt and shame as he realized the inconvenience he had become to his little brother..

His mind still echoed with the sounds of his brother's cries.

Every time he blinked he could see them falling.

Calling out his name.

He wanted it to STOP.

Leo yanked his arms up and covered his ears.

" It's not real, it's not real, it's not REAL! " He muttered to himself.

Raph's face fell with far more concern than annoyance now. He grabbed Leo's wrist, with just enough pressure to ground his big brother. Maybe it would help clear his mind or something.

" What the heck are ya talkin' about?? " He whispered. Raph was now officially freaked out. He never saw his older brother this.. scared.

" LEO. " Raph said a little louder, ( but not enough to wake their sleeping younger siblings ), as he shook Leo's wrist a little.

Finally snapping out of his trance, Leo's eyes filled with consciousness. His breath was nearly gone.. Raph tried again.

" What is going on? You're scaring me!! " Now Raph was losing his breath.

It was too much.

There, in front of his little brother, Leo fell apart.

He yanked his hand from Raph's grip, and tucked his head into his shell. And then his arms. And then his legs.

Raph flinched with surprise. It had been years since Leo had completely retracted into his shell. He thought he was too “ mature “ for that or whatever..

As Raph sat in silence on the end of Leo’s bed he heard a small echoing sound of crying and sniffling.

Raph groaned as he slid closer to his big brother’s shell, cozying up to it and pulling the blanket over it.

Leo felt the tiny vibrations of little comforting pats.

“ Dude, please don’t do this to me- it’s 3 in the morning and I have a Math test tomorrow… “ Raph moaned.

Leo remained still and silent.

Raph groaned louder, but still continued to rub and pat Leo’s shell.

“ .. So……. what, were you….. dreamin’ or somethin? “

A quivering hand emerged from inside Leo’s shell, nodding up and down with a closed fist, (ASL for “ Yes.” ), and then quickly retreated back from where it came.

Raph’s brow’s raised as his shoulders sagged in defeat.

He scooted closer to Leo and nudged his shell a little with his elbow.

“.. You wanna talk ‘bout it?.. “

Somehow Raph could sense Leo was shaking his head “ NO “ inside his shell.

So there the two brothers stayed, silent and contemplating. At the awkward ages of 14 and 13, this situation proved to be too much as the brothers just used each other’s presence to bring comfort, instead of a failed attempt with their words.

Despite the awkwardness of their silence, there was still a wave of peace warmly surrounding them, as they stayed by the other’s side.

And then the silence was gone.

“ Whha’s going on guysss??...” a little voice yawned.

Leo’s head popped out of his shell startling Raph into a sloppily-stanced ninja fighting pose.

“ -WHOOOOOZAT!??! “ Raph warned as his hands uselessly patted over his hips in search of his sais.

A bright glint from glasses peered from above Leo’s bunk, followed by a small, spotted head rising from the edge of his mattress.

Don fixed his glasses after they nearly fell off from his hanging upside down, “ You are, indeed, aware of the fact that it is 3:16 in the morning, yes? Are you also aware that the brain needs a minimum of 7 consecutive hours to be able to FUNCTION?????? “

Raph rolled his eyes at his twin with as much attitude as possible.

This didn’t deter Don from continuing his scolding.

“.. Raph, YOU, sir, have a math test in the morning, and if you don’t get enough sleep you’ll fai- “

“- Leo?? Why are you crying? “ Mikey spoke softly as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

That one observation stopped Don dead in his tracks, much to Raph’s delight.

“ He’s what?? “ Don said as he climbed down his ladder to peer into Leo’s bunk.

“ Leo.. What’s wrong?? “

Leo slowly emerged from his shell, and pulled his blanket up to his chin. He was quick to try to wipe off his tears.

“ I’m sorry, guys.. I’m fine. Please go back to bed… “

“ -NAH, BRO, YOU AIN’T DOIN NO HEROIC SACRIFICIAL CRAP HERE, we’re all awake now, so SPILL. “

Leo sighed as he fell down onto his pillow, pulling the blankets tighter to his chin.

“.. It.. It was just a nightmare. “ He whispered, as his eyes strayed from all of his brothers’.

Raph looked at Don, sending his mental message via their twin connection, and Don nodded, leaping from the ladder onto Leo’s bed. Mikey followed suit, somersaulting onto the mattress.

The four brothers could barely fit in the cramped space of Leo’s nook.

Eventually, however, they all found their designated spot, using the pillows and blanket to add some cushion against the hard stone wall. Sure, some of their limbs were hanging limply off the mattress, and yeah, Raph had to sleep at nearly a right angle against the wall in order for there to be enough room, but they all knew the reason for their “ turtle pile “ far exceeded the small discomfort they were feeling :

Their big brother needed them.

Leo paused, returning to the present.

He looked down at Lotus and gently shook her awake.

With a sharp gasp Lotus’ lavender eyes shot open. She began to pant, trying to catch her breath.

“ Shhh.. It’s ok. You’re ok. “ Leo comforted as he gently rubbed the back of her shell.

“ You’re safe, Lotus. It was just a nightma- “

Before Leo could finish his sentence, a pair of thin arms wrapped around him, squeezing tighter and tighter. He placed his hand on the back of Lotus’ head, and pulled her close to his plastron into a hug. His other hand continued it’s pattern of gently rubbing up and down her shell.

“.. It’s ok…” He repeated over and over as Lotus’ sobs slowly changed into sniffles.

The soothing rubs mixed with Leo’s calm, soft voice helped Lotus to once again fall asleep.

After Leo carefully lowered her limp body back down onto the table, he reached into one of the drawers in the Med Bay for the nicest blanket they had, draping it over Lotus.

It was heavy, soft, and the definition of cozy.

Lotus breathed out a content sigh, as she pulled the blanket's rim all the way up above her chin, nearly sneezing from the soft faux fur tickling her nose.

Lotus' eyes opened and fell onto Leo's.

" Thank you, Leonardo.. " She whispered as her eyes closed once again.

For the first time, Lotus slept with a smile gracing her face.

That's it for this chapter! :) Hope you enjoyed!!

If you have any questions or theories, please feel free to send me an ask and I'll answer them as best as I can! ( Hopefully without spoiling anything. ) ;)

To God be the glory!

Masterpost <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

#tmnt #my version of tmnt!!#the strength in weakness #hurt/comfort #tw panic attack #tw nightmares #SIW Leo #SIW Raph #SIW Mikey #SIW Don #SIW Lotus

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truths33k3r4 · 3 months

Text

CHAPTER 17 - IQ vs EQ

Another small jolt from Lotus made Don rethink his slight outburst. He lowered his volume automatically.

“.. Leo… PLEASE tell me you have a good reason for such a.. miscalculation on your part, oh, TEAM MEDIC. “ Don made sure to over-articulate the last three words..

Leo’s shoulders rose higher and higher with each of Don’s questions, as his head slowly retreated into his shell. As Don paused, Leo saw his chance to speak up and snatched it immediately.

“- I KNOW, OK? I know.. I THOUGHT that because she was numbed, she wouldn’t wake up, so I didn’t give her anything else- “

Leo got cut off as his body was pulled by Don out of the Medbay and into the hallway.

Don shut the door quietly.

And then he inhaled.

‘ Here we go..’ Leo braced for impact.

“- Leo. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???? Yes, when you started the procedure, she was unconscious, BUT YOU ALWAYS PREPARE FOR THE WORST.. “

Don’s hands shook and swayed with every emotion he manifested.

“..Your optimism of how the procedure would go cost Lotus PAIN. Physical discomfort- or how Mikey would say it - THE OUCHY FEELINGS. “

Leo sighed as the words he had ready on his tongue disintegrated instantly.

As always, Leo’s genius brother was right. Leo had been an idiot with how he handled Lotus’ procedure. There was nothing he could say that would change that.

Don took Leo’s silence into consideration. He watched his oldest brother’s expression change from passionate and defensive, to despondent and regretful. Leo’s shoulders, which were earlier nearly to his ears, now hung low and heavy.

‘ Perhaps I’m being too harsh.. ‘ Don thought to himself, as he forced a more softened expression on his face.

‘ Maybe adding a hint of a compliment will help.. But nothing too obvious.. Just enough so that he doesn’t think I’m.. attacking him.. ‘

“ What happened in there? You’re our team medic. You would KNOW BETTER than to choose such a… amateur medical decision… “ Don’s voice no longer dripped with the sting of bluntness, but now carried a soothing coolness with his tone.

He was never really good at verbally comforting someone, so over the years he learned to use facts, something unmoving and true, to help calm his brothers. ( And sometimes himself when he needed it. ) The same principle applied with his ‘ compliments ’. ( On the rare occasion he would attempt to encourage or uplift his brothers that is. They had Mikey for that. )

It was hard for Don to take it in his own hands to be the.. ugh.. ‘emotional anchor’ of EQ based situations. That was Mikey’s job. Or Sensei. Anyone but him. He was the last resort. It didn’t make sense to him to waste time with trying when there were others more equipped for such a daunting task. He does machines, and Mikey’s the party dude: He works with elements that can be fixed with the creative mind or an instruction manual, and Mikey.. deals with feelings ; Messy, illogical feelings.

Leo sensed the sincerity of Don’s words. As his face warmed with a faded smile, weighed down by pressure, guilt, and just- PURE exhaustion, he responded to Don’s question.

“ Don, I - I TRIED! I thought since I numbed Lotus’ leg, she would stay asleep till it was over, but then she woke up while I was pulling out the implant! “

Don tried and failed to hide a grimace at the thought.

“.. It was like the lidocaine just stopped working.. And by the time she was fully conscious, I had already gripped onto the implant and was pulling it out!! “ Leo raised his hands over his head and began to massage the back of his neck as his voice grew more shaky, “ There wasn’t any time to- I… I didn’t know it wouldn’t.. “

Leo dropped his head into his hands, as he let out an exasperated groan.

“ .. I didn’t know what to do. “

Don paused to study his brother. He noticed now how shaky Leo’s breathing had become, as well as the slow drips of sweat that were traveling down his forehead onto his hands:

Clear indicators of stress.

Don gently placed his hand on his oldest brother’s shoulder, causing Leo to flinch, lifting his head out of his hands in a quick, fluid movement. As their eyes met, an understanding, but miniscule, grin grew on Don’s face.

Just like with his twin, Don sent a mental message to Leo:

‘ It’s ok. You did what you could. I understand. ‘

Leo smiled back at his violet- clad brother.

“ Thanks, bro. I needed that. Facts and all. “

Don nodded, dropping his smile, and returning to the face he had programmed himself to wear. He then used his grip on Leo’s shoulder to push him back near the Medbay door.

“ We should scan that implant as soon as possible. Once um.. once it’s been THOROUGHLY decontaminated and STERILIZED… Maybe it holds information on who Lotus is, or coordinates to where she resided before she was taken to the lab..”

Leo took Don’s quick change of subject as his way of ending the emotional talk as soon as possible, which… he was fine with.. How many times had he cried today? WAY THE FRICK TOO MANY.

Leo made his way back into the Medbay, with Don following close behind. As they walked in, a certain tint of an orange mask caught their eye.

“ MIKEY! “ They both whisper-shouted in unison. The youngest turned his head, smiled with the brightness of a thousand suns, and then waved emphatically at his speechless older brothers.

“ Sup! “ Mikey some-what whispered.

Leo and Don turned to each other, with the same question etched into their face,

‘ How the heck did we not see him go in??? ‘

Mikey also understood the question behind their tongue-tied expressions.

“ A ninja never reveals his secrets. “ Mikey triumphantly taunted, wiggling his fingers as if he were playing an air- piano. “ Sooooo, snacks are all set in the kitchen.. Want me to wake her u- “

“ TOO LATE, OJ. “ Lotus interjected, turning over on the surgical table, revealing her VERY ANNOYED expression.

“- GAAIIEEEE! How long have you been awake?? “ Mikey shouted, as both Leo and Don smacked their foreheads.

“ …FAR…TOO….LONG… “ Lotus grumbled as she sat up slowly.

Unfortunately, Leo was too late to warn her not to move.

With a loud hiss, and a quick flinch of fire shooting up her left leg, Lotus’s shell landed back onto the table with a THUD..

..” Right… “ Lotus rasped, “.. No… moving… Owww. “

“ Ooooh~ That probably didn’t tickle..” Mikey winced in empathy.

“ NAHHH what gave you THAT idea?.. “ Lotus growled as she tried to manually move her leg to its original position on the table, being careful not to strain any muscles.

Leo had to blink when he heard Lotus’ growl.

‘ ..She sounds just like Raph…’ Leo thought to himself.

Just to test his theory, he turned his head to face his two brothers. Perhaps they had noticed too.

Mikey didn’t seem all that fazed. Which is completely normal. He had grown accustomed to Raph’s snarls seeing how half the time they were targeted at himself, so it didn’t really frighten him when Lotus mimicked the behavior.

But Don was a different story.

When Leo turned to Don, his eyes were slightly widened, and he was peering at Lotus while he fixed his glasses. His mouth was slightly ajar until it shut as he hummed to himself.

“ Hmmmmmmmm. “

That's it for this chapter! :)

If you have any questions or theories, feel free to send me an ask, and I'll answer as best I can without giving away too many spoilers. :)

To God be the glory!

Masterpost <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

#tmnt #my version of tmnt!!#the strength in weakness #comfort #fluff #SIW Leo #SIW Don #SIW Mikey #SIW Lotus

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truths33k3r4 · 4 months

Text

CHAPTER 16 - Facing Faults and Facts

“ - DUDE, WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED!?!? “

Mikey burst through the Medbay doors, scaring the shell off of Leo, whom had JUST gotten Lotus to sleep.

“ We heard a scream!! Is everyone- “ Mikey abruptly paused his blaring voice as soon as he saw Lotus flinch underneath her blanket, “.. Is everyone ok? “ He whispered with a wince.

Leo nodded, “ Yes, everyone’s ok… “

He mentally paused at his statement.

‘ I mean, as ok as she COULD be.. Ya know, after waking up and feeling every twist and pull as I ripped out the implant buried in her leg, and then every prick and pull as I stitched.. ‘

Mikey nodded to Leo after fully searching over the room, and especially focusing on Lotus’ incision.

He gave a small smile to his older brother, “ Nice work with the stitches, dude! Looks clean. You’d know if there were any.. Uh, leaks, cause I would have lost my lunch by now..Sooo um… what was the scream about??? .... “ Mikey glanced down to Lotus again, “ ..Did it hurt? “

He watched as Leo’s eyes became full of grief and shame.

‘ WHoooaaa back up. Struck a chord- try again- ‘ Mikey mentally noted.

“ Dude, what’s wrong? Are YOU ok?? Didn’t cut yourself did ya? “ Mikey gently picked up Leo’s hand in his, searching over it with squinting eyes. “ I don’t see anything. “

Leo took a deep breath, pared with a glint of joy in his eyes and a shine from his tired smile. Something that he truly loved about his youngest brother was how much he cared about his family; How much he wanted to help with any and every problem. ( Even the times when he was the one to blame for the mess. )

Leo looked his brother in the eye, “ I’m ok, Mikey. No cuts. “ Leo slowly pulled his hand out of Mikey’s, “ It’s just that- something.. a LOT OF THINGS went wrong..

.. And it was my fault. “

Leo’s smile faded as fast as it had appeared.

Mikey’s brows pulled closer to each other as he placed his hand on his big brother’s shoulder.

“ Dude, you can tell me. I won’t judge or nothin’. You know the most out of everyone how often I mess up stuff. “

Mikey grinned as Leo’s smile tried to reappear.

“ Thanks, bro.. Ok- “ Leo started.

Mikey’s eye brows raised encouraging him to go on.

..” The truth is.. I don’t know how, but the lidoca- “

-Leo noticed how Mikey’s face went from interested to downright confused.

“.. the stuff that numbs the skin- “ Leo started again, “ it.. It didn’t WORK. It wore off in like 2 minutes!! And I have NO IDEA why!.....

… Mikey.. I.. I did hurt her.. She- she felt… everything. “

Mikey’s eyes grew as they filled with understanding of what Leo said.

“.. Everything??? You mean when you pulled… and poked.. and SLICED- “ Mikey accidentally let out a small gag at the thought, covering his mouth with his other hand. Then he took a breath, lowered his hand, and looked back at Leo.

‘ Can’t hurl when Leo’s hurtin’, GOTTA STAY STRONG- Just DON’T THINK ABOUT IT- ‘

“ Dude, it’s not your fault. You didn’t make the lido-stuff not work. You didn’t KNOW it wouldn’t work. That’s not on you. “ Mikey patted Leo’s shoulder encouragingly.

Mikey knew how often Leo would blame himself for things that were out of his control. It happened ALL the time. Especially now that he was named the leader.

Mission failed - LEO’S FAULT.

His brothers mess up during training - LEO’S FAULT.

One of his brothers gets hurt - LEO’S FAULT-

Mikey switched the weight from his right ankle to his left.

“ Come on, dude. Say it. Say it’s not your fault. “ Mikey squished Leo’s face to mimic his mouth moving like a puppet, “ Sayyyyy it’s nottttttt your faullttttttttt. “

Leo rolled his eyes, and with a squished face answered, “ It’s noht mhy fhault. “ Leo turned his face to escape out of Mikey’s hold, as he filled the space between Mikey’s open hands with his own, pulling them down. “ You happy now, little brother? “

Mikey’s nose wrinkled as he squinted deep into Leo’s eyes.

“ Didya MEAN it? “

Leo sighed and dropped his head a little, “ Sure.. I guess. “ He smiled, making his teeth shine all big and bright like some movie star. ( And it was just as fake. )

Mikey’s squinting eyes tightened even more.

“ LIESSSsssssss. “ He jokingly hissed.

Leo’s knockoff smile was replaced with one of full genuineness.

“ OK THAT’S ENOUGH- “ Leo stated as he flicked the tip of Mikey’s snout with his finger. “ I have to clean up here, and Lotus needs rest. Can you go get some snacks ready for when she wakes up? Simple things like crackers, water, and toast? Maybe some tea? “

Mikey rubbed his nose as he smiled and nodded.

Leo was no where close to accepting the truth- but he at least took steps to reach that goal.. Maybe, someday, he would believe it.

In a flash, Mikey was gone again.

Leo turned around to begin clean-up, putting away gear, disposing of the basin’s grotesque contents, and-

“ -WHAT WAS THAT RAUCOUS RACKET???? “ Don yelled as he, too, BURST through the Medbay door.

“ GYYEEEE- DON!!! “ Leo snapped as he held his hand over his thumping heart. Then he used his eyes and head to gesture to Lotus, lowering his volume immediately, but still keeping the strict tone, “ SHE’S TRYING TO SLEEP. “

Don nodded, then whispered back, “ Very well. I won’t disturb her.. Ahem. What, dear brother, was that noise?? The scream? My calculations led me to this room judging by how feminine it sounded- unless Raph found another cockroach again.. “ Don’s grin curled with smugness as he dissed his twin.

Leo sighed again, ( he was doing that a lot lately ), as he prepared to face the same shame when he answered Mikey.

“ Yeah.. It… it was Lotus.. The lidocaine didn’t work. “

Don’s face changed from smug to full of questions. This left Leo unnerved, especially when he didn’t need to use his full 3-fingered hand to count the times his genius brother has been confused.

It wasn’t a good look for him.

Don pulled his glasses higher onto his face as his mouth remained ajar, not even sure which question to ask first.

“ You- She- How- Why- …… Okay. How did it “ wear off “ ?? “ Don spoke as he used his hands to mimic quotation marks. “ Medicine doesn’t just completely WEAR OFF. “

“ I don’t know, dude.. Maybe she’s immune to that kind of anesthetic? Is that a thing?? I KNOW I gave her enough of a dose!! It’s not like I skimped on it…”

“ It can be POSSIBLE to be immune to particular medications… If one has been treated with it for long periods of time, the body can get accustomed to it, and eventually it can be dulling to the effects of the meds.. It’s called being ‘tolerant’ to them. “

“ Well- apparently- Lotus is VERY TOLERANT..”

Leo paused as his shoulders rose a little, bracing for the scolding to start,

“ And I.. I didn’t administer anything else besides the lidocaine-“

“- YOU DIDN’T WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!! “

That's it for this chapter. :) Hopefully these past chapters have been a nice breath of fresh air for yall readers. ;) It's been quite fun figuring out the sweet moments the bros have with each other. :)

To God be the glory!

Masterpost <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

#tmnt #my version of tmnt!!#the strength in weakness #comfort #fluff- FINALLYYYY #SIW Leo #SIW Mikey #SIW Don #SIW Lotus

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