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Leo had been in a weird mood all week. It started with the overly irritable days, where he had to bite back the urge to snap at his brothers over everything. They weren't doing anything different either, yet every little thing grated on Leo's nerves. Then it was the hollow feeling that filled his chest, and magnified every little mistake and upset. It brought him to tears by the end of each day, the exhaustion from managing this bubbling mess of distress combined with the increasingly harsh self talk and painful sense of emptiness. He should have been able to recognise the signs by now. He'd been dealing with this ridiculous version of the menstrual cycle for a year now. Still he hated it passionately and couldn't resist the urge to ignore it, to ignore the warning signs. Hope he was just having a rough week, and all would be fine again soon.
The second Leo woke up he knew. He knew he had to face reality, and accept what was happening. Accept his period had officially started, that shark week had begun.
It was ridiculous. He was a mutant turtle for crying out loud. Why on earth did he have a period. Donnie had tried explain it to him more than once but Leo didn't particularly care to hear it. Besides Donnie's grasp on biology was shaky to say the least. He was a technological genius. People (or mutants) was where he started to falter. Regardless it was just Leo's luck. What part of mutant transgender turtle meant he lucked out and got to experience a dreadful dysphoria inducing week every month.
Leo had gotten into a routine by now. He would spend the week curled up in his room, avoiding his brothers and his missions. Wearing only the comfiest pyjamas and binge reading comics he'd read a thousand times before. He'd ignore the stabbing cramps and dizzying sensations he got when he stood up too fast and instead focus on relaxing. Ignore how desperately alone and different it made him feel. And ignoring what was happening for as long as possible. It wasn't the best way of coping by far, but it worked.
Except this time something was different. Maybe Mikey had heard Leo's frustrated exclamation from the bathroom after he woke. Maybe Mikey could just tell from the horrible mood Leo had been in. Regardless of why, the little turtle was all curled up in Leo's bed when the frustrated red eared slider tried hop back into it. Mikey met Leo's confused look with a dazzling grin, pulling off the blanket to reveal a stash of DVDs, DVD player and snacks for days.
“Movie night! Whaddya say? Well- it's more like a movie day really. But a movie day sounds just as good huh? C'mon, there's still room for you.” Mikey rattled off, words coming out rapid fire as he cleared space for Leo in the surprised turtles own bed. Leo gingerly climbed into bed, his pale blue pyjamas contrasting nicely with Mikey's bold orange ones. That was another irregularity. Normally only Leo really cared about clothes or pyjamas. Especially in a week like this one. Normally his brothers only got dressed for special occasions, missions etc. Leo didn't question it, he didn't get the chance to fully think about it before Miley thrust a bag of popcorn at him as he announced
“So what first!”
Leo had spent the morning in a surprisingly good mood, all things considered. The cramps weren't too bad and it was harder to get bogged down by dysphoria with Mikey's constant conversation and cheery attitude. In fact he'd actually been laughing alongside Mikey the whole morning, a sight that was exceptionally rare during these weeks. The sound was enough to draw attention. Soon enough the brothers were all cooped up in Leo's room, enjoying the good mood. Their team leader was the first to come bounding through the door, swamped in his large red hoodie. He smiled widely at his brother and plopped down in the bed beside them, ignoring Mikey's protests about there not being enough room. Raph spent the time slowly working on his knitting. A new project, and one that was slow to get going. He claimed it was a scarf but right now it just looked more like an endless pink knot.
Donnie crept in soon after, wearing his favourite purple night gown. It was the source of endless teasing, which he pointedly ignored. He insisted it was far more comfortable than anything else, and knowing how particular Donnie was about clothes he was probably right. He slipped in to the room, dragging behind him a large pillow to form his little nest on the floor. Donnie spent the time remarking on the movies and making progress on his near infinite collection of to be read books from his perch in the corner. It was a cosy day, one filled with laughter, good company and delicious food.
The biggest issue was night, when his brothers had fallen asleep and the cramps returned with a vengeance. Leo groaned quietly, careful not to wake anyone. He slowly pulled himself up to sit, gingerly placing Mikey down against the pillow. The young turtle furrowed his brow as he stared intently at the door. He should get up, get some medicine. He should get a hot water bottle or run a cool shower. Instead he focused on trying not to fall over as dizzying waves of pain shocked him. It frustrated Leo, more than anything else. Each one reminded him of countless hits taken in training and in fights that he was able to brush off. Yet something about these incessant cramps combined with the constant dysphoria, a painful reminder off the ways he didn't feel like himself, always got to him.
Leo sighed, attempting again to get up. From the outside it didn't look like much, just the turtle sitting on the edge of the bed, gripping the blanket as he stared at the floor. Internally it was a mental battle, a ridiculously difficult one with the dizzying feeling that rocked him. He was so distracted by this he didn't notice Donnie was awake. Leo didn't even notice Donnie move until he was right beside him.
“I made you some tea. It should help, it's soothing.” The taller turtle thrust the steaming cup in Leo's direction, pointedly looking away as he tested a spare hand on Leo's shoulders. “I got you some medicine too. And a heat pack.”
The frustration that marred Leo's face melted away, instead replaced with a warm sappy smile. The tea smelt delicious, and Donnie's hand on his arm filled him with warmth. He knew the young genius could often be averse to touch, just as well as he knew how hard Donnie tried to show his care for the other turtles. Leo smiled up at him as he sipped the steaming tea. It took a few moments for Donnie to get everything set up, to make sure the heat pack wasn't too hot and set a timer for the medicine. All the while he murmured to Leo, telling him about the ingredients of the tea (all carefully chosen for their soothing properties) and the time it takes to brew (82 seconds exactly).
Leo let himself relax, looking around the room at his brothers. No matter how ferocious of a bad mood he was in they were always there for him. Not only that, but they always did all they could to cheer him up. It warmed Leo's heart, in an incredibly sappy cliche way. He smiled at Donnie as the other turtle settled into a seat beside the bed, book in hand.
“Thanks Donnie. Whatcha been reading?”