Chapter Text
Mikey watched Leo train, following each move carefully as he had been taught. He watched the lean muscles clench and loosen as Leo swiftly and fluidly completed each kata. Mikey sighed a little as he saw beads of sweat form on Leo’s muscular figure and the light shone from his green skin, catching the younger turtle unaware as his breath suddenly hitched.
“Are you paying attention, Mikey?” Leo asked as he stilled suddenly, turning his head to the smaller turtle sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat. “I’ve shown you the same kata three times and you haven’t picked up on it yet. You asked me for a one-to-one and now you’re not even here.”
“I’m watching, Leo.” Mikey stumbled to his feet quickly, getting into a ready stance. He started to copy the moves he had seen perfectly.
Leo grunted in approval as he watched Mikey sweep across the floor following his example without a single mistake in form. It was a skill Mikey had developed, watching Leo intently as he moved whilst memorising the example set. Even daydreaming away, Mikey could keep up.
The feelings Mikey had for Leo had deepened over the years. His brothers accused him of being flighty, lacking focus, demotivated. The truth was more complicated than that. His thoughts would drift to the muscular brother in blue and become secret fantasies that completed messed up Mikey’s attention.
“Very good, Mikey. Just imagine what you could accomplish if you were all there.” Leo half-praised, half-admonished. He walked briskly over to the orange-banded turtle and stood directly behind him, Mikey’s breathing accelerating as he became hyper-aware of his brother’s proximity.
“You’re leaning forward a little too much…” Leo’s hand touched his shell, sending a spasm of pleasure through his entire frame. “Try standing straighter. Posture is everything.”
Leo was so close. If Mikey spun round right now, they would be carapace to carapace. He froze in place, rigid as a stone as Leo huffed impatiently.
“Mikey, what the shell! You need to keep moving. Ignore me, I’ll keep step with you.” Leo rapped Mikey sharply on the back of his head and Mikey snapped back to attention. He took in a sharp, ragged breath and inched forward, his movements almost robotic as he tried to focus on training and not on the shadow following so closely behind.
All the years of being accused of lacking focus suddenly seemed so unfair. He had been unable to concentrate because of Leo’s presence. His smell was too distracting, the aroma of tea and musk and sweat. Mikey’s senses became inflamed by the aroma and he stepped back a little, almost against his brother’s body.
Then…
Then he was on the floor of the dojo with Leo straddling him. Fire blazed in the leader’s eyes as he looked down at Mikey in a fury. Mikey didn’t trust himself to move so he lay beneath his brother as still as a stone and waited for the tirade to begin.
He had heard it all before. How his incapability to focus would destroy the team and lead to an inevitable capture. Leo had begged him to keep his attention on his surroundings and enemies. He had pleaded with him time and time again to keep focus. Yet, Mikey was unable to do this.
Tears pricked his eyes as he turned his head to the left and awaited the diatribe to come. When the lashing of harsh words didn’t come, Mikey braved a peek and found his brother deeply troubled. Leo was staring at him as if he was something he couldn’t comprehend and Mikey found tears threatening once more.
“Mikey, what the shell is wrong with you?” Leo pleaded, his voice cracking with emotion. “This is getting so bad I’m terrified about taking you into battle. I’m afraid you’ll get killed.”
Mikey looked at Leo intently. His brother was close to crying, still straddling the youngest between his firm thighs and Mikey’s thoughts drifted to the sensation of feeling Leo on top of him. It was too much suddenly and Mikey tried to squirm free but Leo held on, tears collecting in the corner of his eyes. If he didn’t get out from under Leo soon, he’d humiliate himself.
“Let me up, Leo. Please.” Mikey begged and Leo ceded. He rose to his feet and held out an arm to his brother. His features had hardened and Mikey felt dread settle in his gut as he watched Leo warily.
“No more patrols, Mikey. Until you can focus, you are a liability to the team.” Leo turned away and walked briskly out of the dojo.
Mikey felt crushed. His breathing was torn and ragged as Donatello ventured into the dojo and smiled gently.
“You okay, Mikey?”
“Great, thanks. I just lost Leo’s trust and Raph isn’t even talking to me anymore.” Mikey sighed and loped over to Donny. “I’m a failure to them, embarrassing to be around. I freeze up all the time.”
“You aren’t an embarrassment, Mikey. Leo and Raph are worried about you. They don’t know why you are so distant. You almost got killed on our last mission.” Donny shook his head, mystified. “I don’t know why you are going backwards in your Ninjutsu training. Would you indulge me with some more tests? I just want to rule out any physical cause.”
“You saying I’m a nutcase?” Mikey grinned and Donny laughed. For a moment, things felt normal between them. As if the pain of hiding the biggest secret of his life wasn’t bothering Mikey anymore.
“No,” Donny said carefully, “I’m just worried and want to rule some things out. It’s necessary, Mikey.”
Mikey nodded and followed his brother into the laboratory. Walking over to the cot without having to be asked he lay down and waited for the examination to begin.
Donatello had picked up a few pieces of equipment and lay them on a table that he wheeled to Mikey’s side and began by taking a blood sample. As the red, viscous liquid filled the vial, Mikey looked at Donny curiously. His brother was an attractive mutant, no doubt. He had an equally impressive amount of muscles as Leo, but the attraction just wasn’t there. Leo had a hold over Mikey that Donny just didn’t have. It was a terrifying distraction.
“Earth to Mikey. I need a spit sample.” Donny shoved a q-tip into Mikey’s mouth without waiting for an answer. “I’m worried too, bro. You’re so distant all the time. I thought you’d gain focus the older you got but this isn’t right.”
“I don’t mean to be, Donny. I just can’t concentrate. I freeze up and can’t move.” Mikey tried to explain.
“What are you thinking about? Are there any thoughts in particular?” Donny asked, moving a notepad within range to write notes upon.
Mikey gulped. Oh, yeah. One mutant in particular keeps springing to mind.
“I have intense feelings I never used to have.” Mikey said, hoping the half-truth would keep Donny from the whole truth.
“Intense feelings? Can you explain further?” Donny’s eye ridge was narrowed in confusion.
“Like, um, naughty feelings. You know?” Mikey gulped, hoping he wouldn’t have to explain any further.
“You are starting to explore your sexuality?” Donny asked, the light bulb turning on in the genius brother’s head.
“Yeah, it’s freaking me out. I get feelings all the time. Can’t shut them off.” Mikey huffed, shoulders hunched.
Donny nodded and labelled the vial of blood with a large, felt-tip M. “Is there anybody in particular as your paramour or is it a general, unfocused feeling. For example, do you get the feelings around April?”
Mikey scoffed and looked away. He had never had feelings for April.
“How about Casey?” Donny pressed.
Mikey’s eyes shot open and he looked at Donny in alarm. “Casey is a dude, Donny.”
Donny put his arms up placatingly. “I know… but I’m also mindful of the fact we don’t know that many people. Unless…”
Mikey’s mouth popped open. Surely Donny didn’t know… couldn’t know…
“… It’s not Leatherhead, is it?” Donny finished, his eyes almost as wide as Mikey’s.
Mikey supressed an urge to laugh and coughed into his hand. “Um, no. Not Leatherhead. I’ve never fancied Leatherhead, Don.”
“So you admit you ‘fancy’ someone?” Donny pried and Mikey suddenly shifted uncomfortably on the cot. Donny was getting way too close for comfort.
“It’s nothing.” Mikey leapt up and backed out of Don’s laboratory quickly. “Just forget I said anything, Donny.”
Fleeing from the lab, Mikey found Raph sitting in the living area and watching TV. Flopping next to his brother he watched the news channel indifferently, brooding on his conversation with Don.
“Ya real uncomfortable with it, huh?” Raph said suddenly, his baritone voice making Mikey jump in surprise.
“Geez, Raph. Thought you were watching the news. What dya say?” Mikey leaned forward and Raph just stared at his younger brother with knowing eyes.
“How ya feel about Case.” Raph shrugged. “It don’t matter that it’s a guy, Mikey. Ya have feelings for the bonehead. I get it.”
“What?” Mikey’s head was beginning to ache. “I don’t fancy Casey!”
“Heard you in Don’s lab. Was listening at the door,” Raph grumbled, eyes focused on Mikey. “Explains yer lack of focus. Leo’s barred you from going topside because of it, ya know. Maybe ya should talk to Case. Get it out in the open.”
“What? I mean it, Raph. I don’t fancy Casey!”
“What was that?” Leo walked into the room and paused mid-step.
Mikey felt the flush settle on his cheeks and he suddenly found his mouth dry. He squeaked a reply but a grunt from Raphael had Leo standing before them and curious.
“Mike’s in love with Case, Leo. S,why he can’t focus. Must be real bad.” Raph explained as Leo watched Mikey shiver suddenly.
“You’re in love with a guy?” Leo asked, taken aback. He frowned, trying to digest the information and then shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever, Mikey. I mean, go for it. April and Casey split up months ago, he’s fair game.”
“I’m not interested in Casey!” Mikey cried indignantly. “Seriously guys, Casey doesn’t do it for me.”
“Then, who does?” Leo asked as if he had suddenly worked out a major problem. “You must have feelings for someone, Mikey. Is it April? Wish we’d known this sooner, could have sorted this out before it became a major problem for the team.”
Mikey felt his cheeks flush as Leo sat between him and Raphael. Leo was so close now. He could feel the body heat emanating from his brother and it was working him into a frenzy. Jumping up, Mikey bolted to his bedroom and locked the door. He lay down on the bed and thought of how he was going to deal with his reactions to Leo.
If only he could fake nonchalance, or at least not get so aroused every time he got close to his brother.
“You okay, Mikey?” a voice from outside the door and a gentle knock had Mikey sweating anew. Trembling, Mikey held his breath for a moment, trying to calm himself down.
“Mike. If you don’t answer me, I’m going to pick that lock and come in and find you.” Leo warned in a worried voice. A strong hand tried the door and rattled the lock as Leo made his presence known.
“Hold on,” Mikey jumped off the bed and walked up to the door. His hand brushed the wood gently, knowing that his older brother was only inches away from him, on the other side of the door. He took a couple of deep breaths, steadying his raging emotions and unlocked the door.
A second later, Leo breezed into the room. Raph and Don were hot on his heels and Mikey knew, he just knew, what that meant.
They were staging an intervention.
“Okay, Mikey,” Donny lay down a science kit on the bed and gestured to his brother with a gentle smile. “We can either do this the easy way…. Or the hard way.”
Mikey gulped. He didn’t like the direction that this was going. He pointed to the kit and his mouth suddenly went dry. “What’s that?”
“Don’t worry about that,” Leo said. He was standing still, his arms crossed and he looked… hot. Mikey felt the familiar squeeze of his shell, the shudder involuntarily making its way up his body until his head felt clouded.
Raphael was standing by the door. By the way he was stationed there, hand on the door knob and body taut, Mikey knew he was in trouble. Raph was getting ready to grab him, should Mike attempt a getaway.
Mikey was fast but the door was completely covered by Raph. Without an easy exit he looked at both Donny and Leo pleadingly.
“Do you want to sit down, Mikey?” Donny asked, patting the bedspread.
“Um, not really.” Mikey responded.
“Sit down, Mikey.” Leo ordered and… there it was. The magical effect that Leo always had on him. Not that Mikey had much of a choice as his knees practically gave way.
“The last three battles have given us all cause for concern.” Leo began. “You have been vulnerable and our enemies have picked up on it too. They targeted you in the last fight we had, Mike. They went straight for you, knowing you were the weakest.”
Mikey tried to protest but his voice came out in a faint, ‘eep’. That annoying blush was happening again and Leo was staring at him as if he were some strange creature.
“It’s not fair!” Mikey finally said and Donny lifted his head at the sound. He had seemed almost disinterested or bored before but now Mikey’s voice had awakened his interest.
“What’s not fair?” Don immediately latched on like a terrier on a bone. “That you fancy someone who doesn’t like you back?”
Mikey felt a shiver run through him at the words. He tried to form a sentence, even a thought but his mind was too blown to think of anything except those final words.
WHO DOESN’T LIKE YOU BACK…
HE DOESN’T LIKE YOU….
“Mikey?” Donny pressed, nodding towards Leo. Leo nodded back as if to say, please continue. “It’s obvious from your body language that you have feelings towards someone you shouldn’t. I take it you approached April, or whoever, and they turned you down?” Donny was fiddling with his science kit and Mikey grew nervous.
Mikey’s head was in turmoil.
There was no guarantee that Leo would feel the same.
A horrible feeling rose in his gut that Donny had inadvertently hit on the truth.
“Mikey?” Donny’s voice seemed far away.
Suddenly, two big green hands were on his shoulders and shaking them gently. A choked gasp as Mikey looked right up into Leo’s searching face.
They were so close Mikey could taste Leo’s scent in the air.
“Mikey, please. Tell me what the problem is. We don’t want to have to use the truth serum.” Leo was almost begging. His whole posture was slumped and Mike felt like a horrible jerk.
“I’m in love.” Mikey almost whimpered.
“Yeah, and…” Raph snapped by the door.
Donny had become quiet and thoughtful, his face almost serene as he waited for an answer.
Mikey choked the words back as he fastened to the calming, reassuring presence of Leo holding his shoulders in his forest green hands.
The moment felt completely unreal as his eyes locked to Leo’s and he clawed back the dread from claiming his heart as he finally decided to unburden himself.
“I’m in love… with Leo!”