#hope the way i integrated leos teleporting made sense!

[lunar-lair]

new starlight in the stars’ hands

(SURPRISE IM BACK!! another celestial au piece for @ashwii because, uh, frankly im a little obsessed. so many ideas so little time!! yet again, a piece on leo and his stars. more domestic, more dialogue-y, and i took some liberties. plus im SUPER tired its noon and i pulled an all nighter. regardless i uhhh,,hope it slaps!!! partially under the cut because 1.7k is kinda long lmao)

Leo has always held his stars close.

Ever since he was born into this universe, they’ve been apart of him, his children, his extended family, little loves and bright spots, part of everything he’s ever known and all the endless care in his heart. 

From the beginning, his brothers have understood. Mikey got it well enough, his comets art and loved beings and fleeting adoration, and Donnie knew many other moons and cared for many of Leo’s stars like nephews. Raph was one of them, as he always has been, and cared for them like brothers and nephews, family of his own, just as all of them do. 

So they all knew the fond little smile when a new cluster of stars were born, knew to leave him to it when he’d blip out of existence. (Pros of being every star in the sky, you can get anywhere they’re at, anytime.)

When he was younger, he’d greet them with something bright and a hope that they’d like it here, that this was home for them, that they could stay wherever they liked, that they were part of him and he’d always be here for them, whatever that meant.

He’s still bright, and he’s still fond, but his edges softened out with age. A fondness that slipped onto his face every time he felt it-this bright little thing, almost like a soothing balm, sheer excitement, something warm and a little confused uncurling in the corners of his mind. 

When he described it to April, she said, “So like a notification but for new stars?”

He just shrugged back. “I guess, yeah.”

It was ironic, then, that he’d found himself shivering and grinning, wide and fond and warm.

Before April could say another word, he blinked out of existence, entirely disappearing from the middle of her living room. Kind of astounding that he could still do that while currently in a less celestial state on earth, but whatever, manifestation of stars does what he wants, she guessed. 

She still pointed, though, brow raised. “Uh. Y’all know what just happened?”

Donnie hummed, looking up from the cell phone she’d given him when she met them. (Sometimes she wonders if the phone scales up when they’re in space, or if they just stay the same size, and then she stops because her head starts hurting.) “Ah, he does that. New stars, probably.”

“...ok,” April said slowly. “But why did he just…leave?”

“He’s gotta greet ‘em!” Mikey chimed, and Raph nodded.

“Yeah. He told you they’re like his kids, right? He never leaves them hanging for long.” And hummed, chin in hand. “I’ll have to say sorry to the little guys for not sayin’ hi right away. Wonder if this new batch is near Mercury like he thought they’d be.”

Donnie hummed down at his phone. When April leaned in, he had a doc filled with a ton of confusing science-y (because he still managed to be an expert in everything human he could find, even before he met her) stuff about chemicals and star locations open. “Based on the amount of hydrogen in the area, I’d say he’s right. Besides, Mikey, you know he always knows.”

He hummed back at him. “Yeah, but he’s wrong, like, once every 2,500 years. Close enough, right?”

“Sure. Not like that’s a long stretch of time, even for us.”

Leo blipped back into existence, celestial form burning new stars into his skin, right next to Mercury. 

His grin softened as he observed them for a moment. They were mostly rather small stars, and they had all grouped together around a couple of the bigger ones already. Ah, these were his brighter stars and his constellations. They happened to form together like this, ready to stay together all their lives. 

They were already acting like siblings. It only made his heart warm. 

He approached, and all of them relaxed, like they already knew who he was. (Well, they did, but only innately. They didn’t know him as a person, not really, not yet.) “Hello! You all must be the new stars I felt pop in.”

The largest of them nodded, already taking charge.

He sat down on thin air, crossing his legs and grinning. “Well, I’m Leo! It’s nice to meet you all.” They relaxed a little further, and more of them nodded back this time, smiling. He held a hand to his chest, watching as they followed his arm, stardust falling as it went. “You all are part of me, though I’m sure you all already know that, at least on some level.” He gestured around him, looking up and around, his grin widening as some other stars gathered to meet the new kids. “This is the milky way. It’s your home, and you’re free to live wherever you’d like. You can stick together, you can split up, you can call each other siblings, anything you want, I’d be glad to do what I can to give it to you.” He held out his hands, letting stardust fall, watching the smallest and newest of them give quiet ‘ohhh’s at the little display. “Me and all the other stars, we’re your family. I’ll always be here for you, til the end of your days, and the end of time.”

“Til the end of our days?” One of the bigger ones spoke, and all of them quieted for a moment as Leo’s knowledge spread throughout the group. 

Every star was quiet, for a moment. The moons still chattered and the planets still spun on their axes, but the light of the universe was silent.

Leo smiled at them again, but it was a little sad, a little pained. “Yes. Stars die, after a time. I’ve outlived every one I’ve met, and I’ll outlive you all, too.” Stardust fell, and he only realized they were tears when some of them crowded forward into his hold. He readily held them back, sighing softly as the others caved in and gathered as well. “What’s important is that we love. That we live, with everything we have, together, until your final moments.”

They all nodded back at him, whether slow or vigorous, determined to live ;ife to the fullest, just as he had asked. 

He leaned back, and grinned at them, soft. He always felt like syrup and honey when he was with his stars, like he was made of the light they gave off. “No matter what, though, I’ll be here for you. I’d be more than glad to be your father, your caretaker, or anything else you wish.” He laughed, holding two of the eldest’s cheeks in hand. “After all, humans wish on us all the time. I think we deserve some, too.”

They all laughed at that, his knowledge innate. Everything he knew, it was theirs to know and see, as long as they wanted to. 

He leaned back, letting them go. “Now! Before I let you meet everyone else, we need to decide on names!”

It was always the same routine: a real name based on their location and age-MU, a dash, and a number for Mercury, VE, a dash, and a number for Venus, so on-and a nickname. It could be anything, something on Earth or something celestial or even something the humans had made themselves. If Leo knew it, they had it to pick from. 

A lot of them chose simple names, as they always did. Then some of them chose names like Jamie, human names, or things they’d made or colors they’d named, like Scarlet or Tower. 

He never minded. He called them nicknames, but really, they were more proper names, to him. He’d lived his whole long life with a name for people to call him by, and he only felt they deserved the same. 

He turned to look around, and laughed. Nearly every older star and some of the others that didn’t have places they preferred to be were gathered around, nervously waiting around Mercury’s orbit. He waved them over, turning to the new stars with a bright grin. “Now that you’ve got names, you can meet the others!” He threw up a peace sign. “I’ve gotta dip. Got places to be, embodiment and all. But I promise I’ll be back with my brothers to check in soon!” 

They waved goodbye, and he disappeared, popping near earth and then popping in again in April’s living room, wide grin on his face.

His brothers just stood there, looking bored, but she nearly fell off her couch. Again. Jeez, it’s been years, she should be used to that. She pointed an accusing finger at him over her coffee table. “I know what you’re thinkin’, Leo! Ain’t no way I’m ever gettin’ used to that! At least text me, you heathen!”

“You are the only one who can do that,” Donnie hummed, sipping the coffee April made him while Leo was gone. (Honestly, one of the best things humans have ever made. Reminds him of being full moon, but it’s synthetic. Astounding.) “And you only do it on occasion, anyways.”

April tsked. “Still kinda weird that you can do it just with some stardust you leave behind. Gives me the heebie jeebies. Like, what is it, your sweat? Your blood?”

Leo shrugged. “I think of it as skin cells.” She just grimaced back at him.

Mikey pulled him into a side hug. “Welcome back! You’re gonna introduce us to the new guys later, right?”

Leo patted his arm, grin easy and light. “Of course, Mikey. They’ve gotta meet Raph, too, you know that.”

Donnie nodded. “We can head over to Mercury when we leave.”

For now though, they settled down, chatting with April for a while about this or that. Leo was never very good at paying attention unless he wanted to. 

He was pretty excited to see his stars again. 

He grinned warmly, staring up at April’s ceiling.

He knew what they were already; the makings of a new constellation. Some of the bigger ones, they were the focal points. The others were the areas in between, filling in empty space. 

He leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. 

He can’t wait to see what the humans think of the new starlight in their sky. 

#hope the way i integrated leos teleporting made sense! #also i kinda winged it on the whole human items thing lmao #like i said i took some liberties. nicest thing abt this being a kind of open au tbh #bit more of a silly domestic one this time like i said. just 4 funsies :o) #rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt celestial au #lunas library #lunas lies #BTW. the casey idea is still in the works dw. i might make a little thing abt that later #once i find the old casey fic someone made and everything else ashwiis said abt it