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Leo knew this was bound to happen.
Every day since around one week ago, he woke up with that feeling of “I’m gonna be sick”, that general feeling in the back of your head that just told you that you were coming down with something.
He tried to stop it before it even began, doing a quick stop at the med bay and grabbing one of the medicines that helped with the general flu symptoms and he was good as new. But he knew that he was pushing down the inevitable. Ironically, out of all his brothers, he had the weakest immune system when it came to random flu, and it had been a while since the last time he was sick, so it wasn’t really that surprising.
And that’s how he woke up that morning coughing, his throat feeling like had swallowed sandpaper, and just generally feeling like absolute shit; his mind foggy and with a pounding headache. The fact that his insomnia was acting up recently didn’t help him either.
Looking at the time, he knew his brothers must all be awake and probably taking care of breakfast (he also noticed that he slept more than usual, probably because of the cold). Leo sat on the edge of his bed as he tried to at least pull himself together enough so he could get to the med bay and grab some of the medicine and a cough drop.
“Leo~, breakfast is rea-...” His little brother stopped in his tracks the moment he entered the room, squinting his eyes with suspicion. The both of them maintained eye contact for a good 10 seconds before Mikey started to slowly back away.
“Mikey wait- “A cough cut him off, his voice sounding raspy and more quiet than usual. Mikey ran away from the room, looking like that was the only confirmation he needed.
“GUYS WE HAVE A CODE BLUE” He heard as his little brother ran around the house, announcing to everyone that he was sick.
He simply put his head against his hand and braced himself for Raph’s mother hen and his brother’s shenanigans. He always enjoyed it, mostly the cuddles, but don’t tell Raph that.
Leo was also working on letting others take care of him, after a bunch of things that happened after the invasion, it’s been a process but he was getting there, and knowing that his brothers were not gonna let him deal with this by himself also brought him a sense of comfort that he did his best to let himself enjoy.
Deciding to at least go to the med bay and get the medicines he would probably need for the next 5 days, he got up and walked out of his room, slowly, fighting the dizziness and the headache. Meeting his older brother halfway to the med bay.
The oldest hissed sympathetically under his breath the moment he laid his eyes on him. He probably looked as bad as he felt.
“Hey bud, how’re you feeling?” Raph said with a soft smile on his face.
Leo had that familiar urge to lie, to tell everyone that it was fine, and try to play it off as a joke. But he immediately pushed the feeling aside and simply moved closer to Raph, putting his forehead against his plastron, silently asking for comfort.
“Sick” He answered, voice still raspy, feeling himself being pulled into a hug, immediately relaxing at the warmth that was behind every ‘Big Bro hug ™’ before Raph pulled him back rather abruptly and put his palm against his forehead and cheeks.
“Oh yeah, you definitely have a fever. You’re going to lay down.“ Leo honestly didn’t care at all when Raph picked him up and he laid his head on the snapper’s shoulder. But he definitely couldn’t stop the snicker that came out at his brother's worry “You want your room or the couch?”
Considering his options for a moment, he wanted to say in his room, but he knew that being alone wouldn’t help with his head space in the long run, so he went for the couch. Besides, it was easier for his brothers that usually wanted to stay with him, but still at a safe distance so they wouldn’t get sick.
“Couch” He mumbled, but Raph seemed to understand him just fine, as he started walking towards the living room.
When they got to the living room, it was already covered in blankets and pillows, as if when they were getting ready for a turtle pile.
Raph put him down on the couch and went to the kitchen to help Mikey as his twin entered the room with a weighted blanket and a water bottle, raising an eyebrow at him with an amused expression.
“Wow, it’s been almost 5 months since the last time. Also, you look like shit.” He said, passing him the supplies he brought and looking at the screen on his wristband.
“Thanks, Don. New record? and I feel like shit.”
“Nah, close enough tho!” Donnie laughed at the annoyed groan he let out and sat beside him, pulling a thermometer.
Leo, knowing the drill, took it, turned it on, and put it in his mouth. While they waited for it to beep, Mikey appeared with more pillows, one of his hoodies, and even his unicorn plushie that he’s had since he was 6.
“Here you go, Leon! I’ll bring breakfast over here so we can eat and then you can take your medicine.” He said while dropping everything on the couch and handing Leo his hoodie.
“Thanks, Mike, I’m sor-”
“If you say that you’re sorry for the trouble, I will bring Doctor Delicate Touch.” His little brother cut him off. Before sitting down beside him and putting his head on his shoulder. “You always take care of us when we’re sick, let us do the same for you”
Leo simply let his head lay over his little brother’s and slightly nodded, really not wanting to talk more than necessary.
The thermometer beeped in his mouth, being immediately taken out by Donnie.
“Eesh- congrats Nardo! You’re officially on bed rest” He said, making Leo let out a tired ‘yaaay’.
That seemed to remind Mikey of his original task, as he got up and walked to the kitchen to get breakfast. When Donnie gently put his hand on his shoulder to get his attention.
“I’m going to get the medicine, you want something in specific?” He asked with a slightly worried look in his eyes.
Too tired and not wanting to talk, he signed to his twin. Just now noticing that he didn’t put his arm on so it was a little harder.
Cough drop
Donnie understood and also seemed to notice that he struggled a little bit “Got it, you want your arm?”
He nodded and Donnie squeezed his shoulder before getting up to get the stuff.
It wasn’t long before Mikey and Raph brought breakfast and they were all bundled up in the living room watching one of Leo’s favorite JJ movies.
The cough drop helped and he managed to eat a good portion of his breakfast, taking the medicine and now sipping on a tea that Mikey brought him.
His mind was foggy and he was getting sleepy, probably because of the medicine, but he couldn’t help but think that he forgot something.
“Everything ok Lee?” Mikey asked from the floor.
“I feel like I’m forgetting something” Mikey seemed to think about it but just shrugged and put his hand against his knee.
“It’s probably one of the training stuff, don’t worry about that and rest” Leo gave him a small smile and they put his eyes back on the movie.
By the time he finished his tea, his eyes were closing on their own, so he just laid down on the couch, covered in the weighted blanket and hugging the unicorn plushie close. Immediately falling asleep.
-----------------------------------------
Raph poked him slightly to get his attention, pointing at the couch. Both he and Donnie turned to see Leo, bundled up in blankets and asleep.
The three of them celebrated quietly and with high threes. It was no secret that Leo always had trouble sleeping, so any rest he could get was a win in their book.
If the calming tea and the pills usually meant for the night had anything to do with it, nobody had to know.
Raph and he took care of the dishes while Donnie took Leo’s arm out (he said it was bad that he slept with it, and probably uncomfortable) and went to check on the heater. Winter was closer every day and he wanted to make sure it was functioning correctly by the time it finished settling. The change between seasons’s probably one of the reasons for Leo’s cold.
He was just thinking of checking ‘Leo’s manual for ouchies’, as he lovingly called the manual his big brother did for them when his cell phone blasted Lady Gaga, announcing a call, startling both him and Raph as they were quietly washing the dishes.
There were moments of panic, causing Mikey to answer without even looking at who was calling, while Raph poked his head into the living room to make sure Leo was still asleep after all that noise.
Only after receiving the affirmative of the oldest, did Mikey put the phone to his tympanum.
“Hello?” He said with a small sigh of relief.
“Michelangelo? Everything alright?” His brother’s boyfriend's voice sounded on the other side of the line.
“Usagi! Hey! Yeah, sorry, you just startled me there”
“Sorry about that, I was only calling to ask if everything is alright over there. Leo said he wanted to go on a date today but he hasn’t answered any of my texts and I got worried”
Oooh, so that was what Leo was forgetting.
“Yeah, yeah, everything is fine in general. Leo definitely didn’t mean to forget! He woke up with a cold and his brain is probably jello because of it. It’s nothing serious, but now he’s asleep.” He explained.
“OH- ok, that makes sense… Do you guys mind if I come over later to check on him?”
Mikey smiled softly at the worried tone of the rabbit. He knew that he cared about his brother. They have been dating for a good 6 months now, if he remembered correctly, and was always happy to see the content smile on Leo’s face every time he saw Usagi.
“I’m pretty sure he would like that” He confirmed.
“Cool! I’ll be there as soon as I can then!”
They said their goodbyes and hung up. Raph looked at him with a raised eyebrow, curiosity in his eyes.
“It was just Usagi, he’s coming over later to check on Leo. It turns out they had planned something for today but with the jello that he has for a brain right now, Leo forgot.” He explained with a shrug.
“Can’t say I’m surprised.” Raph shrugged. “I’ll stay in the living room in case he wakes up. You?”
“I’ll go check over his notes to see if we’re missing something”
“Okay, try not to move anything, you know how he gets,” His oldest brother said while walking towards the living room again.
Mikey snorted at the thought, how many times they have been startled by Leo screaming that someone disorganized something in the med bay; it was usually Donnie carelessly looking through the medicine for the pills that help with his migraines. They all knew he did it on purpose just to mess with Leo, who claims to have a ‘system’ (A system that changes every time the anxiety gets the best of him and he re-organizes everything)
He went into the room and went directly to Leo’s ‘office’ at the corner of the room, doing his best to try not to touch the pile of papers or medical books spread on the desk.
He was able to clear it enough so he could use the mouse and keyboard, smiling fondly at the picture of all of them in one of their sleepovers that Leo has as his wallpaper and he looked through the files until he found what he was looking for.
It only took him a few clicks to find the chapter on seasonal colds, with a special section for Rat-Flu, but luckily that wasn’t the case this time.
Mikey actually didn’t mind studying every once in a while. He definitely didn’t have Leo’s dedication on the matter, but he liked it and he had learned a lot by being his big brother’s assistant sometimes when he needed it. So he definitely didn’t mind checking the book again on how to treat his sick brother.
After reviewing for a while, and checking the list of medicines, he concluded they were good for now, but they needed to constantly check Leo’s temperature to make sure it was coming down.
Stretching once he had left the med bay (and leaving everything exactly how he found it) he heard noises coming from the entrance and soon saw a white rabbit yokai coming in with a big topper wear of what seemed like soup in one hand and two pizza boxes in the other.
“Sagi! Oh my gosh, you brought food!” Mikey said excitedly while minding the tone of his voice. He quickly ran over and took the pizza from the rabbit’s hands. “Thank you! You really didn’t have to though”
“It’s no problem, really, the soup is mainly for Leo and I just brought the pizzas when I was done with my shift at Hueso’s.”
“Still, thank you, you saved me from having to do lunch,” He said once they were in the kitchen and leaving the stuff on the counter.
“It was nothing.” Usagi shrugged “How’s Leo doing?”
“I think he’s still sleeping, he woke up feeling bad and has a slight fever, nothing really horrible, but he probably won’t get up in a couple of days” Mikey lowered his voice as they were walking towards the living room. “Raph is with him, we can check real quick”
They both poked their heads into the living room, where Raph was looking at his phone while sitting beside Leo, but they couldn’t really see him from their angle.
Raph waved at Usagi, who returned the gesture. Then Raph turned towards their brother, analyzing him for a second before an amused smile appeared on his face. They heard small sounds of protest coming from the slider.
The oldest gave him a wave that they could come in, given that Leo was awake. His eyes were only slightly opened when Usagi quietly crouched in front of his feverish boyfriend, putting a hand on his cheek. Leo immediately smiled at the contact.
“Cottontail!” Leo slurred the word, eyes still closed as he put his hand on top of Usagi’s.
“Hey Lee, how’re you feeling?” He asked with a small smile on his face. Brushing his thumb softly on the slider’s cheek.
“Like shit,” He said, before finally opening his eyes completely and taking the scene in front of him. “Wait a minute…”
Leo kept staring at Usagi, Mikey snorted because he could almost see the gears turning in his head.
He was able to recognize the moment the realization slapped his brother in the face. His eyes widened.
“…We had a date today didn’t we?” He asked, groaning while sitting up and rubbing his hand against his face, probably trying to get rid of the sleepiness. “Shit Sagi, I’m so sorry I didn’t-“ The rabbit didn’t let him finish, cupping his face now with both hands and squishing his cheeks.
“Leo, you have a fever. I definitely don’t blame you for forgetting, you have nothing to apologize for” He kissed his forehead. “We’ll have that date when you feel better but for now you need to rest”
Those two were disgustingly cute, and for Mikey, it was always funny to see how his brother’s blush (which already made his skin a darker color around the cheeks because of the fever) extended almost to his neck.
“Alright… but I’ll make it up to you,” Leo said, incapable of saying no to the rabbit.
“Oh! Leo, you’re hungry?” He said suddenly, not wanting to interrupt the moment but remembering the promise of lunch that Usagi had brought.
The slider grimaced a little bit. “Not really if I’m being honest Mike.”
“Well, it’s almost lunch and Usagi brought pizza and soup, which is for you. But you can eat it later.” His brother had to eat, but he didn’t know that trying to force him was a bad idea.
“Sounds like a good plan-” Leo was cut off by a coughing fit. Usagi immediately rubbed his shell softly while he was able to compose himself. Grabbing his throat with a frown.
Raph passed him another cough drop which he accepted and immediately popped into his mouth. Resting his forehead on Usagi’s chest with a tired sigh.
Usagi looked at both of them with a worried expression before focusing back on Leo.
“You want me to stay with you for a little bit?”
Leo just nodded.
“I’ll go help Mikey.” Said Raph softly, going to get up if it wasn’t for Leo falling back onto the couch and flopping against the oldest’s arm, silently asking for a hug. Which he got, before letting the oldest get up.
It wasn’t long of them working on warming back up some slices of pizza when Donnie got down some small bottles of pills in his hands.
“Hey, Nardo is due for a medicine dosis in a bit,” Don said, getting quickly shushed by the warmed-colored brothers. “What?!” Now angry whispering
They both pointed at the living room, where, as promised, was Leo. Fast asleep with his head on Usagi’s lap while the rabbit had his hand on Leo’s shoulder, mindlessly tracing the stripe on the slider’s shoulder.
Donnie walked in without making a sound, giving an acknowledging nod to the rabbit that was returned with a small smile. He then lowered his goggles, probably to quickly analyze Leo’s state.
“His fever is going down, which is good. Keep him there for like half an hour? Then we’ll wake him up for food and meds” He whispered getting back up and putting the goggles back in their place, addressing the rabbit that offered a playful salute, accepting his mission
----------------------------
He had to say, as much as he hated being sick. A part of him always enjoyed the attention he received from his family. Going to sleep with the weight of Raph’s hand over his shell was always comforting and safe.
Then waking up no longer than an hour later to his wonderful boyfriend… who he had a date with. He still felt awful about forgetting, but Usagi’s reassurances helped, and as soon as he was better he would make it up to him.
Usagi insisted that he slept a little while more, Raph leaving his spot to go help Mikey and being quickly replaced by the rabbit, who very lightly ran his hand over his scalp, mindlessly tracing his markings both on his face and arms, knowing exactly what to do to knock him out.
He did woke up again around half an hour later, with Donnie ready with the medication as he mumbled grumpily about him not taking them on time as he passed him a glass of apple juice (his favorite) to take the pills with.
His family set up around the living room with pizza, Mikey helping him put his arm back on and setting a bowl of soup on his hands; which he immediately recognized as one of the five things that Usagi knew how to cook.
April and CJ appeared after school with snacks for all of them. Junior mentions how Master Leonardo was prompted to a cold every now and then even in the apocalypse, confirming that this is not something that he will grow out of, sadly.
But as he cuddled on the couch with his boyfriend, his brothers and sister divided between the rest of the couch and bean bags, while his twin was setting up another of his favorite Jupiter Jim movies.
Yeah, maybe he still had a mild headache, and the raspy throat was incredibly uncomfortable. But maybe, it wasn’t so bad after all.