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"So… you two are… twins…?"
"Yeah we are!"
"No, we're not."
Leo huffed, turning to Donnie and frowning. A nonchalant shrug was given in response, and Leo laughed nervously as he turned to face Donatello. By this point, the tension could be sensed from miles upon miles away, and no one else wanted to involve themselves in this conversation.
"Oh, he's just joking!" Leo stated, waving his hand dismissively. A sense of embarrassment was present, but Donatello chose not to press on that.
"No, I'm not joking." Donnie scoffed. "I've been telling him this since we've been able to form coherent sentences. We're two different species, and have no qualities to prove in any other way that we could be twins."
"Damn, how's about you just go ahead and tear his heart out while yer at it?"
"Raph, go away." Donatello groaned. Raphael rolled his eyes, walking away despite his interest in the situation. "Now then, what do you think might have caused this idea of you two being twins?"
"The answer is simple." Donnie stated. "He just wants attention."
"That's not true! We're twins, and you can't deny it!" Leo exclaimed, face beginning to take a shade of pink.
"Yes, I can. We aren't twins, we've never been twins, and we never will be twins. End of story." Donnie hummed, doing nothing more than raising a brow as Leo suddenly stood and stormed away.
"Is… is he gonna be okay?" Donatello asked worriedly.
"Hell if I know." Donnie replied. "He always does this when I call him out on this bullshit of an idea."
This time, it was Donatello who frowned, breaking into a sweat as he thought of possible scenarios that could happen while Leo was in this state.
None of them ended well.
"Maybe we should go apologize to him." Donatello suggested. "Just to make sure he doesn't get to the point where we can't get him back down immediately."
"Oh, he's fine." Donnie assured, leaning against the swivel chair he was sitting on. "Trust me, he'll be laughing and making terrible jokes in no time."
"Alright… whatever you say…" Donatello sighed.
The rest of that day was spent with awkward tension. Whenever Donnie tried to talk to Leo, even for a second, he would be hissed at. No one else got this treatment, and Donnie would be lying if he said he wasn't even a little hurt by the situation.
It wasn't until a little later in the afternoon when Donnie decided to confront Leo about the situation. A convenient decision, considering how the entire group had sat down in the living room to watch a Jupiter Jim movie.
"Leo, may I speak with you privately for a moment?" Donnie asked, gaining everyone's attention. With a sneer, Leo leant close to Michelangelo, letting out a series of growls and hisses.
"He says he doesn't want to talk to you right now." Michelangelo chimed.
"Oh, really now?" Donnie scoffed. "How petty do you have to be to use any version of Mikey to talk through?"
Leo hissed softly, and Michelangelo, Raphael, and Mikey snickered in unison.
"He said he wants you to fuck off." Raphael announced. Leo hissed once again, and Raphael burst into laughter.
"He called you a bitch." Michelangelo giggled.
"How mature, Leon." Donnie muttered. "Look, just… it won't even be that long of a conversation. We'll talk, you take it how you will, and things will continue on from there."
Leo growled once again, but decided to stand nonetheless. Angered glares were shared between the Slider and the Softshell as they walked into the kitchen. Unsurprisingly, everyone else followed suit, listening in at a safe distance.
You know, just in case something exploded or someone got stabbed.
"Alright, cough it up. Why are you acting so childish?" Donnie asked. "We've had that conversation at least 50 times, Leo. Why is it now that you're getting so much more butthurt about it?"
"I'm not butthurt about it! And the only reason I'm upset in the first place is because of your jackass attitude!" Leo shouted, leaning against the kitchen Island. "The least you could have done is humor me! But apparently, all that you care about is making it clear that you wish I was gone!"
"What? When have I ever said-"
"You don't have to say it! I see it in your eyes every time you berate me for being myself!" Leo interrupted, shaking and blushing heavily. By this point, tears were freely falling down Leo's face, yet he did nothing to stop them. "If you don't want me as a brother, then just go ahead and tell everyone! I'm sure they'll say the same thing! All you want is to get rid of me!"
"Leo, that's not-"
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT!" Leo screamed, shoving Donnie onto the ground. "I play no important part in this team, and I try so hard to find somewhere to fit in, but I just can't! I don't have an immense amount of strength! I'm not artistically gifted! I can't easily find some way to solve whatever goddamn arithmetic formula you deal with every day!"
"Leo-"
"NO! SHUT UP! I don't know how to set up a perfect amount of sets needed to keep a constant and healthy muscle mass! I don't have the type of mindset to place every color, shade, and texture in the perfect place! And I sure as Hell don't know how to correctly calculate the ooze to blood ratio in our systems!"
"Leo… oh my god…" Donnie whispered, watching Leo pace and breathe heavily.
"I can't do any of that stuff! I don't have a role in this family, and I don't have a role in your lives!" Leo sobbed. "If I can't even have you as my twin, and none of you want me as a brother… what role in life could I ever play…?"
A long, uncomfortable silence rang through the area, and the group of teenage turtles outside of the kitchen was split in two groups. Either they were cringing in shock, or beginning to cry along with Leo. To hear this rant was like watching an emotional movie, the kind that affected even the most stoic of people.
"Should we… should we go in there?" Donatello asked.
"I… don't think so." Leonardo replied. Raph nodded in agreement. "I do believe that something is about to happen. Something positive."
The others frowned, not necessarily feeling the same, yet not having the courage to argue.
"Leo, who told you that we don't want you as a brother?" Donnie asked, standing up and taking hold of Leo's arms, holding Leo in place.
"No one… I just know." Leo replied, taking a shaky breath. "I always make things worse for you guys."
"Okay, now I'm calling bullshit." Donnie chuckled. "You, Hamato Leonardo are perhaps the most important member of this team. Of this family!"
"How?" Leo asked feebly.
"Need I create a list?" Donnie asked. "Because I will. You know me. I won't hesitate to make a list, and force you to listen to me go through everything."
Leo sniffled, letting out a tearful giggle.
"Let's see… aha! I have the perfect idea!" Donnie shouted. "For every surprisingly successful idea you've had, I'll give you five dollars!"
"So… I'm not getting any money." Leo muttered.
"Alright. Number one: Your idea to use a rope to save Mikey from that sewer flood when we were four. Number two: Your idea to use that spoiled milk to keep those dogs from attacking us when we were six. Number three: Your idea to use Dad's dirty laundry to scare away those rabid squirrels when we were ten. Number Four: Your idea to-"
"Okay! I get it!" Leo huffed, setting the money he'd earned on the Island. "You've made your point."
"No I haven't." Donnie chuckled. "I'm just. Getting. Started."
The next four minutes were filled with nothing more than Donnie listing Leo's accomplishments, and everyone else listening in shock. It wasn't until minute four when Donnie paused dramatically, causing everyone to lean in.
"And… for the dramatic reveal… Leonardo, I gift you… with TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!" Donnie screamed. "A reward for getting the collar from Big Mama! Boom! You've won the lottery!"
"What the- hey! Donnie, stop it! NO! Don't tickle me!" Leo pleaded, laughing aloud as his plea was ignored. "No! Stop it! RAPH! HELP ME!"
"No one will stop me!" Donnie shouted, pulling Leo into a hug. "No one."
"Let me go." Leo whined, purring contentedly despite himself. "You make me Angy."
"And you make me so as well." Donnie hummed, letting Leo go. "Very much so."
Happy sighs were shared before the boys hugged once more, a rare spectacle to behold.
"So… you good?" Donnie inquired.
"Hmm… yeah, I guess." Leo hummed, squeezing Donnie harder.
"Hey, Leo?"
"Hmm?"
"Wanna be twins?"
"OF COURSE, YOU BITCH!"