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Leo liked the life he led. Surrounded by a kind sensei, and his beloved brothers.
Brothers... he mused.
Now for a certain nunchuck-swinging pizza-loving turtle, that label wasn't enough. Leo often found the surfer-dude voice replaying in his mind. He always knew just what to say to lighten up his day.
Sometimes, Leo liked to write down Mikey's words of encouragement to him in his diary. Looking at the small quotes of Mikey, Leo smiled as his mind replayed his brother’s words through a rose-tinted filter. How cute he always was, cooking all manner of pizzas with his "Kiss the Cook" apron. Mikey liked to hum & sway as he prepared the pies, Leo often sat at the kitchen table, pretending to read. Some kisses would have been great, but not at the cost of making things awkward.
Like that time they all pretended to forget his birthday... He looked so crushed! Leo had to remind himself not to break the act & just coo his baby brother. Leo didn't like seeing Mikey sulk. Though he still was precious, Leo very much preferred a happy turtle. The little dance Mikey had was also adorable! Leo might not be a dancer himself, but watching Mikey groove would be good enough for him.
One of Leo's favourite daydreams was just them dancing together, having a good time. This often left the leader in blue in a giggly mood. Though he might not be the sharpest tool on the shed, Mikey never failed to surprise him at every turn. His knack for creative solutions always did wow his brothers, chalk it up to them not expecting much of him pretty often.
Which leads Leo to his current predicament: Just how does one make an impact on the creative turtle?
He considered cooking, but he never could make anything as scrumptious as Mikey. Any book, apart from comics, wouldn't be interesting... And Mikey already had quite a collection. Showing favouritism during training was not going to fly with Don & Raph. Leo just couldn't keep to the rhythm either. Perfectly good with katas, but not on a dancefloor with music & no weapons.
But what about a song? Surely that would be doable?
Leo started forming a plan: a song just for Mikey... Yes!
A smile overtook his face as the first lyrics came together on the page. This would be his little secret project. Now he just needed to learn to read sheet music & learn to play the piano. He practised in secret, using a keyboard abandoned in an alleyway. Luckily for lover boy, it was in good condition & just needed a minor tune up.
Leo hid the keyboard in a dry section of the sewer, where he could belt out those repressed feelings as much as he wanted.
This was what he came up with:
🎵🎵🎵
Mikey, you're so cool.
With you by my side, we're gonna rule.
Mikey, understand,
I'm gonna love you 'til the very end.
As the first verse passed, various cute moments of Mikey flashed through like a movie. His smiles, his hugs, the delicious food he always cooked up, Mikey cheering them on ... All of it inspired Leo.
How he wished to cuddle Mikey & give him all his love.
He sang the chorus.
🎵🎵🎵
Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey,
Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey,
I love you, oh
Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey,
Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey,
I love you, oh
Simple and short, Mikey would not need to bother with anything complex. He hoped his intentions would be understood by Mikey. The soft melody continued on and as did Leo's voice. Today's rendition was going smoothly, he hadn't played a wrong note yet.
🎵🎵🎵
The sun, the seas and a meteor too.
A thousand troops of Footbots couldn't keep me from you.
Dearest Mikey, at the end of the line
I'll make you mine, oh
He really meant every word in this verse, he would go above & beyond for his endearing little brother. His precious sunshine lighting up his life would never be stolen from him.
Not even Shredder's soldiers would block his way. No natural phenomena would stop him either.
🎵🎵🎵
Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey,
Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, Mikey,
I love you, oh
Mikey, Mikey, Mikey
Going over the chorus, Leo readied himself for the finale. As he reached the last three repetitions of "Mikey", Leo drew out his deepest love for Michelangelo & let it out. The short song ended with its notes growing softer until Leo stopped playing. Leo sat with his eyes closed, basking in the joy of his success.
So much so his ninja reflexes did not notice the peeking audience he had since the beginning. Michelangelo was given quite the show indeed. Leo's musical number left him all warm inside, especially at the closing lyrics. Mikey didn't think his goody two shoes leader could ever make sounds like that.
Honestly, this was flattering to hear. He didn't think following the leader would lead to this discovery. While his curiosity of what Leo did in his spare time was answered, it did open doors to more questions. Tucking away this new memory, Mikey smiled to himself & got started on lunch.
Too can play the wooing game compadre, Mikey snickered. He wondered how he would get Leo to smile from the heart.
For now, Leo would be taking the lead. And Mikey would be there to react.
Afterall, what's a little fun to bring joy to a fellow turtle?