Work Text:
Casey Junior looked across at the art project from yesterday, as he lay back in bed. A feeling of homesickness washed over him, he knew it would take him a while to be used to being in a different time and place - with different versions of the people he loved so dearly. The thought of it, well, made his heart ache. As much as he tried, he couldn't fall asleep. His mind kept drifting towards memories of the past, of the loved ones he had lost. He tossed and turned, trying to shake off the thoughts. After a while, he gave up and sat up, rubbing his sleep-deprived eyes. Casey let out a frustrated sigh. He knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. He got out of bed and went to the kitchen, hoping a glass of water would help calm his thoughts.
Casey looked over at Leonardo, surprised to see him already up. Despite his injuries, Leonardo seemed focused and alert. Casey could see the sterile material wrapped around his shell, protecting it from potential infection. The sight reminded Casey of the dangers they all faced in the fight with the Kraang. "Could you also not sleep?", Casey asked, his voice raspy from lack of sleep. He sat up and ran a hand through his tousled hair, trying to shake off the remnants of his restless night.
Leonardo chuckled as he sipped his coffee. "Me? No, no, I've had my eight hours of beauty sleep. Just look at this face it's perfection," he said with a grin. Despite his insomniac tendencies, he managed to appear well-rested and composed. He leaned casually against the counter, his fingers drumming softly on the ceramic mug as he took another sip. The layers of material wrapped around his shell crinkled slightly with his movements, but he paid them no mind. His eyes sparkled with a mix of humor and confidence, making it hard to tell he had spent most of the night awake.
Casey rolled his eyes playfully at Leonardo's response. His attempts to look effortlessly put together were not lost on him. Casey stood up, making his way over to the counter. "Yeah, yeah. You're the pretty turtle, we all know," he replied with a hint of sarcasm. He leaned against the counter next to Leonardo, eyeing the coffee in his mug.
"Lemme guess, you've already had, like, five cups of that stuff, haven't you?" he teased, gesturing to Leonardo's mug. It never failed to amaze him how Leo could function on so little sleep.
Leonardo raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "I'm not Donny, it's my third, and it's decaffeinated. Coffee's not good for growing teenagers," he replied, showing he wasn't just the 'pretty face' or 'the face man,' as he sometimes called himself.
Leonardo took another sip, his eyes twinkling with humor. "Besides, this face needs its beauty rest," he added, grinning.The layers of sterile material wrapped around his shell rustled slightly as he shifted his weight, but Leonardo remained unfazed. Despite the protection for his cracked shell, he moved with the grace and confidence of a seasoned warrior.
"It's all about balance," Leonardo continued, a touch of wisdom creeping into his voice. "You can't be all work and no play. Gotta take care of yourself too." The kitchen, with its soft morning light filtering in, felt like a temporary haven amidst their hectic lives. Leonardo's presence, calm yet commanding, offered a sense of stability and reassurance. In this moment, he was more than just the leader; he was a brother, looking out for his family in every way he could.
Casey chuckled at Leonardo's response. He knew all too well Leonardo's penchant for coffee, but hearing him say he had only his third cup that day was a bit surprising. "Sure, sure. Decaf, huh? Wouldn't want you bouncing off the walls from caffeine overload," he joked. Leaning more against the counter, he listened to Leonardo's words. There was a certain wisdom in them, and there was no denying the truth of what Leo said. But Casey still couldn't help but feel restless.
Leo sighed, "Are you kidding? The last time I had five mugs, Raph found out and I spent an hour in 'Air Jail.' He had that 'I'm disappointed' look on his face," he responded to Casey's banter. Leo's face scrunched up in mock annoyance. "He's such a worrywart with those worry chasms on his forehead. Leadership hasn't been easy on him, you know... Did my older self ever tell you about our childhood as a tot's?"
Casey chuckled at Leonardo's revelation about Raph and the famous 'Air Jail'. The thought of a caffeine-fueled Leonardo airborne was quite a sight to imagine. But his amusement was short-lived as he listened to Leonardo mention leadership and their childhood.
"No, he didn't," Casey admitted, curiosity and melancholy mixing in his voice. He was always eager to hear stories about his older self, his Sensei.
Leo took a deep breath and placed his mug on the table with a silent clack. "Raph... Raph was responsible," Leo started, searching for the right words. "Dad... Dad loved us, we know that, but... he wasn't parent material." Memories flooded back to Leo. "He often sat for hours in front of the TV watching his soaps or old movies. As kids, it was cool because we could stay awake as long as we wanted. He was the chill dad, but kids need rules for a reason."
Leo's eyes grew distant as he continued. "Due to our biology, Raph grew much faster than the rest of us. By the time he was six, he was the size of Splinter, and Splinter, at 3'0", isn't really big." Casey listened intently, his heart heavy with understanding. Hearing about the struggles and difficulties his family—his younger family—had faced was tough. Growing up without proper guidance and structure was something he was all too familiar with.
Casey ran a hand through his hair, a mix of sadness and determination in his voice. "Yeah, I get it. It's hard not having a proper parental figure around. I grew up without one myself... but it sounds like you guys had it rougher in some ways... and Raph, he stepped up, huh?"
Leo sighed, taking his mug in his hand and taking a sip. "Raph felt responsible. All those movies and series we watched—the biggest sibling was always the oldest, the one responsible when parents weren't around. Dad still cooked for us, bathed us, and read us stories, but over time, Raph took more and more on his shoulders. If Donny or I couldn't sleep and Dad wouldn't wake up? Raph was there. If Mikey had his zoomies because of his ADHD? Raph was there. If Donnie had a meltdown because his favorite hoodie got worn out and didn't feel right due to sensory issus? Raph would go to the surface and get a new one."
Casey's admiration for Raph grew as he listened. "That must have been tough on him, always having to be the responsible one." Leo nodded, a hint of sadness in his expression. "Yeah, it was. He always felt the weight of responsibility, even back then. That's why he's so hard on himself and on us sometimes. Leadership hasn't been easy on him."
The kitchen, bathed in the soft morning light, felt like a sanctuary amidst their chaotic lives. Leonardo's presence, calm yet commanding, offered a sense of stability and reassurance. In that moment, the bond between them grew stronger, fortified by shared experiences and mutual respect.
Casey nodded in understanding, his heart aching for the young Raph who had to bear such a heavy responsibility at a young age. It explained so much about the Raph he grew up with—why he was so stern and serious. It also shed light on why the Raph of this time was different—he hadn't yet been forced to take on that role.
Casey leaned against the counter, mulling over everything Leonardo had just told him. "And Donnie... what about him?"
Leo stood up, grabbing another mug and preparing a coffee for Casey as he spoke. "Donnie... Donnie is sensitive. More so when he was a child than now. Primarily, he's a softshell turtle, a water reptile. He needs a lot of care for his scales and shell. If he doesn't follow his daily 'wet' routine, his leathery shell could dry out."
Leonardo placed the freshly brewed coffee in front of Casey with a gentle smile. "Besides that, he's the smart one. Whenever we had a question that Dad couldn't answer, we'd ask Donnie. If Donnie didn't know, Raph would head to the surface to find books—at least until we met April, and she showed us how to use smartphones. Nowadays, we just Google most things."
Casey took the mug of coffee, feeling the warmth in his hand. The steam wafted up, filling his nostrils with the comforting scent of caffeine. He took a small sip as he listened to Leonardo. "Donnie was always good with tech, even as a kid, huh? And Raph... he went all the way to the surface just to get books for you guys?"
Casey chuckled lightly at the thought. It was heart-warming, yet also sad, knowing how responsible Raph had to be at such a young age. He took another sip of his coffee.
Leo nodded. "Most of the time, when Dad was out getting food for us, Raph would stay behind. He was even the one who found the trick to make Mikey eat his vegetables. He made them really thin and put them in pancakes. When Mikey figured it out, he wanted to know how it worked and why it tasted better. Maybe that was part of the start, alongside watching Rupert Grimm, the TV cook. That's how Mikey started cooking."
Casey looked bewildered. "The trick came from Raph? Master... I mean, your older self would always put veggies in my food when we had some so I would eat healthier, besides the rat meat we ate."
Leonardo smiled, a mix of pride and nostalgia in his eyes. "Yeah, Raph was always finding ways to take care of us. Even if it meant being sneaky about it."
Casey shook his head in amazement. "That's incredible. You guys really had each other's backs, even when things were tough."
Casey took another sip of his coffee, his mind still processing the stories Leonardo had shared. It was both touching and saddening to hear how much the younger versions of his family had been through, and how they had found ways to survive and thrive despite the circumstances. He chuckled lightly at the thought of Michelangelo finding out about the vegetables in his pancakes and wanting to know how it worked. It was a cute and funny story, but it also showed how much Mikey, even as a little tot, had a curious mind.
Leo looked intently at Casey, sensing it was now or never. "I know it's a sensitive subject, but you told us how I was this amazing, awesome self with a robot arm because I lost mine in a battle in the apocalypse. You said you don't know Raph because he died before you could make memories with him, and that Donnie died too, but you knew him. How...how were we?"
Casey took a deep breath, the weight of the question settling in. "You were amazing, Leo. You were strong, brave, always putting others before yourself. Your leadership kept us going, even in the darkest times. And Donnie, he was a genius, always tinkering, always finding solutions when we thought there were none. He was the heart of our tech and innovation."
Casey's eyes softened as he remembered. "Raph... I didn't know him personally, but I heard stories. He was a fierce protector, always ready to jump into the fray. His loss was felt deeply by everyone. And Mikey... he was the light, the joy that kept us all smiling, even when things were tough. Your older selves were heroes, Leo, in every sense of the word."
Leonardo's eyes glistened with emotion, the tales of their future selves resonating deeply within him. "Thank you, Casey. It's... it's good to know that despite everything, we stayed true to who we are."
The kitchen, bathed in the soft morning light, felt like a sanctuary amidst their chaotic lives. In that moment, the bond between them grew stronger, fortified by shared experiences and mutual respect. They knew that no matter what the future held, they would face it together, as a family.
Casey's eyes met Leonardo's, a mixture of sadness and determination swirling within. He could see the emotions reflected in Leonardo's expression, the weight of the future hanging heavily in the air.
"Of course, Leo. You should know. You were all incredible. Heroes... every single one of you."
Sensing the younger boy's sadness, Leo stood up and, taking a page out of Mikey's doctor-feeling persona, placed his arms around Casey to give him some comfort. He couldn't quite picture himself all grown up, maybe with chasms on his forehead, built like a real survivor, all stoic, not his goofball self. But that might be because he lost Raph and his twin Donnie. Perhaps their loss made him that way.
What Leo could see, though, was that he wasn't just Casey's master as the boy grew up; he was his father. Losing a parent, an uncle, people he knew, a whole timeline? Leo wasn't selfish enough to wipe that away and let Casey suffer alone.
Casey leaned into the hug, drawing strength from Leonardo's presence. "Thanks, Leo. It means a lot."
Leo squeezed his shoulder gently, offering silent support. "We're a family, Casey. We face everything together."
The kitchen, bathed in the soft morning light, felt like a sanctuary amidst their chaotic lives.
As Leonardo and Casey made their way to the living room, they found Mikey sitting up on the couch, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His hair was messy, and he still had the beginnings of a 'sleep face' with some drool on the corner of his mouth.
"Mornin'...."
He mumbled, his voice still slightly hoarse from sleep as he looked up at the two.