Chapter Text
Raph had been missing for a week. And before you go and get concerned and ask a million questions, let me answer some. He was found two days ago. He hasn’t woken up yet. He was grabbed by the Purple Dragons.
But this isn’t about him. When bad things happen to dysfunctional families, some light starts to shine on the biggest issues.
For example, Donnie hadn’t left the lab at all until he found him. Leo had barely been home, he hadn’t stopped looking. And Mikey…
Well, he was everywhere. Hanging over Donnie’s shoulder, sneaking out after Leo, talking really, really loudly all the time in every room. It wasn’t that bad at first, they could chalk it up to worry, but once they found Raph, he was like a cheetah. You couldn’t catch him.
Leo could ignore it, but when he started breaking things- on purpose- something needed to be done.
He cornered him in the kitchen. “This needs to stop,” he said. Mikey canted his head to the side like a puppy. “You’re being needlessly destructive.” Mikey blinked. “Look, I get it, you’re worried, we all are, but this-” he made a circular motion with his hand. “-is not going to help.”
The younger terrapin at least had the audacity to look guilty. Good.
“Sorry, Leo,” he muttered, a sheepish smile on his face.
“So does this mean you’ll stop?”
“I’m not sorry about breaking stuff.”
“Goo- wait, what!?” Leo threw his hand up and Mikey flinched. “What the heck, Mikey?”
Both of his hands were in the air now and Mikey was watching them hopefully and- oh.
Oh.
“Are we really gonna do this without Raph?” Mikey whispered.
“We can handle it.”
“I dunno, just feels like something’s missing.”
Leo reached up and slapped the back of his brother’s head. Not that hard, softer than Raph did, but enough to get the point across.
“Ow!” Mikey exclaimed, though only for a moment, a content smile finding it’s way across his face. “Thanks!”
Leo tried not to roll his eyes. “Happy to help.”
“Do you-” Leo paused, the absurdity of the question soaking in. “Want me to- hit you?”
Mikey’s eyes snapped to his, wide and unsure. Hesitating for a moment before giving a small, tentative nod.
Pizza supreme, what was he doing?
He raised a hand, observing the way Mikey tensed, and brought it down, hard, on his head.
Mikey grunted, squeezing his eyes shut as the pain worked through his body. He released a breath and his shoulders sagged. “Thanks.”
“No…” problem he started to say, but there was a problem. “You’re welcome.”
Mikey went to walk away, much more subdued than when he’d entered, but Leo stopped him, grabbing his shoulder. “Why are you sorry?”
Mikey’s forehead scrunched up.
“You said you weren’t sorry about breaking stuff. Why are you sorry?”
“I’m sorry I’m not worried about Raph anymore,” he explained. Then he walked out.
Raph woke up two days later, just when Mikey was getting bad again, and things went back to normal. Well, as normal as they could with the trauma of the event weighing on everyone.
But Leo watched. He watched the way Mikey would get too close sometimes, too loud, and Raph would shut him up; a smack to the head, a shouted insult, tight grips around the wrist or throat that held just a little too long.
But it kept Mikey quiet, in line, and Leo couldn’t tell if it was better that way.