Chapter Text
It's kind of cool having two Leos around.
Leonardo (a name distinction they quickly put into place to not confuse the two) is infinite points of familiarity and contradiction and that makes it hard to leave him alone for the first few weeks. Rather than be annoyed Leonardo revels in this attention. On some level, Mikey knows it's because this is the closest Leonardo will ever get to HIS brothers again without comparing them. And he is very firm about keeping them separate individuals.
There's Mikey, here, and there was Michelangelo, before. Mikey is coached out of asking questions such as, "What was I like?" to "What was Michelangelo like?"
It leaves Mikey conflicted. He doesn't think he'd like being compared to someone he's never really met before, but. It feels like an emotional distance he's not sure how to broach. There's a yearning for him to be closer to his counterpart.
"Leonardo, do you still see us as your brothers?" Mikey kicks his feet in the cool waters of street runoff down near the lair. He wants so badly to look up, be brave and ask this to Leonardo's face, but he knows he can handle whatever the answer is as long as he focused on the dark eddies in front of them.
"You'll always be my baby brother, Mikey."
"Oh, good," Mikey lets out a sigh so explosive he lays down on his back, shell rocking as he centers his weight on the hard concrete.
"That worried about it huh?"
"I mean, I would have accepted if you saw me more as, like, a cousin or something. If I were you I think it would be kind of weird. Super happy, but also…sad?"
"That's deep, man."
"C'mon!" Mikey lashes out a hand to smack Leonardo's right arm only to realize, too late, there is no arm. His fingers swipe through empty air and it sets his shell rocking back and forth for his trouble.
"You don't have to worry about me like that."
"But you are sad," Mikey protests, suddenly serious. He even sits up, like the more vertical he is the more emotional depth he's capable of. "I want to make sure I don't, I dunno, add to that. Leo isn't good at showing us where his boundaries are until it's too late. While I hope you got over that there was the whole alien apocalypse, and that doesn't sound super helpful for, uh...emotional growth."
Leonardo's face softens long before Mikey is done talking. "You're right. I am sad." Hearing him admit it so candidly throws Mikey for a loop.
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright, little man. I'm going to be sad for a long time, that's just how grieving works. But I'm also happier than I've been in a long, long time."
This perks Mikey up enough to remove his feet from the water and clamber into Leonardo's lap, belly down and wriggling until he's comfortable. He even lets out soft, vocalizing chirps encouraging Leonardo's good hand to scratch soothingly across his scutes. Leonardo isn't as touchy as Leo is but he's always delighted when any of the brothers initiate it with him. Mikey loves it, and Leonardo is just as good as Raph at giving enveloping warm hugs and cuddles.
Mikey decides Leonardo has had enough of him prying into his past for a bit. There are landmines there he's always tripping over, even when he tries really, really hard to be conscientious (Donnie's word) and he wants Leonardo to keep this tired, content smile for a while.
That doesn't mean he stops thinking about Michelangelo, though.
His mind pivots wildly to their clan's ancestors. They'd be bonafide ghosts, hadn't they? With unfinished business? Surely Michelangelo has unfinished business. Unless he knows he saved Casey, and that's enough?
Mikey doesn't know what ghosts know, or if dimensional differences keep them in separate limbos, but he thinks he can find out.
New idea secured Mikey goes completely limp across Leo's thighs, and takes in the warmth of him.