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The lair was warmer that night, even when the sewers were damp and cold.
Balloons were taped slightly crooked across the pipes, streamers looped between old support beams, and Donnie had tried to hide the exposed wiring behind a birthday tarp that glowed faintly with leftover lights from his lab
Mikey's eyes sparkled as he jumped slightly on the balls of his heels.
“Awe, guys,” he said, voice bright with disbelief, “you did all this?”
Raph scoffed from the couch, arms crossed, but there was no bite in it. “Don’t make it weird, Mikey.”
Leo leaned against the table where a slightly lopsided, definitely not store-bought, but carefully decorated cake sat. “We said we’d do something this year.”
Donnie adjusted the candles carefully. “Don't worry, Leo didn't bake the cake. April and Casey did. We just decorated.”
April and Casey couldn’t come down to the lair because of human-side problems, so they’d helped make the cake for Mikey ahead of time.
"Hey!" Leo puffed his cheeks.
Splinter stood behind them, chuckling as he approached.
“Today,” he said gently, “is for celebration and for family.”
Mikey beamed at his words, smiling happily as Splinter placed a hand on his head.
When the candles were lit, the small flames flickering in uneven rows, the room dimmed instinctively. Everyone’s faces softened in the glow.
“Make a wish,” Donnie said, quieter than usual.
Mikey closed his eyes.
He didn't even know what to wish for. He had to wish for something that made him happy, right? But he already had his family and friends. That was happiness, wasn’t it?
He blew out the candles.
Pizza boxes were stacked higher than usual, while soda bottles lined up like a small parade. There were extra snacks and extra everything. A second cake, because “one wasn’t enough,” Leo had said. Gifts piled beside him, more than Mikey remembered seeing at anyone else’s birthday.
He laughed through it all, of course, easily slipping into jokes, snapping photos, leaning into hugs like it was second nature.
But somewhere between the second slice of cake and Raph pretending not to smile while patting his head, Mikey noticed something small.
He started remembering other birthdays.
Leo’s had been simple. Simple pizza with a training break, and a movie night with everyone forced to watch Space Heroes to make the leader happy.
Donnie’s had been shorter, too. A simple and quick gathering with a pizza before Donnie slipped back into a project he insisted could not wait after receiving his gifts.
Raph’s… well, Raph usually acted like birthdays were sometimes a bother. He would get a cake, but he wouldn't eat it, excitedly playing games right after instead.
Splinter always made sure there was something special. But not like this.
Not this much.
Not like his birthday.
Mikey looked around again.
He stared at the amount of food on the table and the effort on the decorations around the lair. He had even noticed how everyone kept making sure he was laughing and smiling.
Mikey smiled anyway.
Later, when the noise finally faded and the lair settled back into its usual hum, Mikey lingered near the kitchen table.
The last slice of cake sat untouched on a plate in front of him.
Leo had already gone to check patrol routes, Donnie had retreated to the lab, and Raph was somewhere in his room, probably pretending he wasn’t tired. Splinter had excused himself quietly, leaving Mikey with a soft touch on the shoulder and a smile from his father.
It should’ve felt full.
Instead, it felt heavy.
“Hey,” Leo’s voice came from behind him, softer now without the crowd.
Mikey didn’t turn right away. “Hey.”
“You good?” Leo asked, sliding his katanas on his back.
Mikey gave a small shrug, forcing a smile. “Of course. It was awesome. Best birthday ever, right?”
Leo stepped closer, then stopped beside him.
Mikey waited for him to speak, but the blue turtle just kept waiting.
That was the thing about them. They always waited.
Mikey let out a breath and looked down. “It’s just… weird.”
“What is?” Leo asked gently.
“It feels like I get more of everything." Mikey finally admitted, "More food, more stuff, more… everything.”
Leo blinked, a little surprised.
Mikey continued anyway. “And I don’t think I ever noticed before, but I don’t remember you guys getting this much. Or… anything like this, really.”
Leo sat down beside him at last. “We don’t need it like you do.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Mikey said quickly.
"Then what do you mean, otouto?" Leo looked at him.
Mikey faltered at the look on his brother's eyes, how he easily called him, and he easily frowned, his eyes fixed on the table.
“I get… more than you guys.”
Leo tilted his head slightly. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
Mikey opened his mouth fast, words spilling before he could stop them. “Aren’t you guys bitter? We’re brothers, we should have the same stuff! Same cake, same food, same everything, right? That’s how it should be, right?”
His voice cracked near the end, frustration lacing his tone.
From the doorway, Donnie glanced up from the mug in his hands while Raph faltered in his steps, halfway about to smack Donnie's mug from his hands.
Mikey tensed, suddenly aware of how loud he sounded.
"At first?" Raph crossed his arms as he leaned back on the wall, "I sure noticed."
"The difference between your birthdays and ours? It's pretty obvious." Donnie hummed, placing his mug on the sink.
Leo exhaled with a quiet laugh. “We all did.”
Mikey blinked at them in surprise.
Raph shrugged. “When we were younger? Yeah. I thought it was unfair. Like… why does Mikey get the big party and I get pizza and a game I didn’t even pick?”
Donnie nodded once. “I also saw the difference. It felt useless to me because why couldn't we just get equal treatment?"
Leo’s gaze softened a little as he spoke. “I remember thinking the same thing. I didn’t say it out loud, but… yeah. I noticed.”
Mikey’s stomach tightened slightly.
“But…” Leo continued, “That was before I realized I didn’t actually want what you were getting.”
Mikey frowned. “What do you mean?”
Raph snorted lightly. “I hate loud stuff on my birthday. You think I want balloons popping in my face and people screaming for three hours?”
Donnie leaned his shell back on the counter. “And it's too distractin for me, I much preferred silent celebrations so I could be happy about the new stuff I got.”
Leo gave a small nod. “And I like training. That’s how I spend my time anyway. So for me? A simple meal, a sparring session, maybe something competitive… that feels right.”
He glanced at Mikey then. “It doesn’t feel like I’m missing anything.”
Donnie continued, matter-of-fact. “And I prefer useful gifts. Something I can use immediately for my inventions. It's more valuable to me on my birthday than this kind of celebration.”
Raph grunted. “And I like games. So after food? I’m good. Video games, board games, whatever. That’s my thing. My birthday doesn’t need fireworks for it to be fun.”
“We didn’t stop noticing the difference." Leo leaned forward a little, his voice gentle. "We just stopped wanting the same version of it.”
Donnie nodded. “Liking different things is normal in siblings, Mikey, even with us.”
“You like chaos, so you get it. We don’t like that, so we don't get it.” Raph pointed out.
Splinter’s voice came from the doorway.
“That is why your celebrations are different, my sons.”
The brothers turned towards the doorway where Splinter had appeared, and had heard their conversation beforehand.
“I noticed long before you did,” he said calmly.
“Each of you responds differently to joy. Leonardo seeks discipline and growth. Raphael seeks challenge and play. Donatello seeks utility and progress."
"And Michelangelo…” He paused, affection warm in his eyes. “Seeks celebration itself.”
Mikey swallowed.
Splinter’s tone remained gentle. “So I did not force similar routines when my sons had already shown me the differences.”
Leo nudged Mikey lightly with his shoulder. “So no. We weren’t jealous because of how big your birthday was.”
Raph smirked faintly. “We're alright with what we actually want.”
Donnie added, “Which is significantly more efficient.”
Leo smiled. “And for you, Mikey… It’s this.”
Mikey looked down at the leftover cake again.
He softened slightly with a smile.
Leo nudged him gently. “So… what was your wish?”
Mikey blinked at him. “Huh?”
Raph crossed his arms. “Yeah, you know it’s not supposed to be secret anymore. You already blew out the candles.”
Donnie huffed. “Technically, wishes being secrets are so it comes true in most countries."
“Donnie, we're turtles, nobody asked,” Raph muttered.
Splinter watched quietly, letting them talk.
Mikey hesitated. His fingers traced the edge of the table before they slowly relaxed.
“I didn’t really know what to wish for at first,” he admitted. “Because I already have… all of you.”
Leo softened immediately. “Mikey-”
“But then I figured it out,” Mikey continued with a little more certainty now.
Mikey gave a small, shaky smile, eyes still on the cake.
“I wished…” he said softly, “that we always stay like this.”
“Not perfect,” he added quickly. He didn’t want to sound too cheesy. “Not the same, not always happy every second or anything.”
Donnie tilted his head slightly, listening.
Mikey swallowed. “Just… together. Even when things are different. Even when it’s loud or quiet or messy or weird.”
Leo’s expression softened completely.
Mikey finally looked up at them.
“I just wished for us,” he finished. “For family. That’s it.”
...
Raph snorted. “Your wish sucks.”
Mikey gasped in horror. “What?!”
“We're not going anywhere, genius.” Raph flicked Mikey's forehead
Donnie nodded once. “Logically speaking, wishing for something you already have seems useless."
“Wow,” Mikey deadpanned. “Thanks, guys. Happy birthday to me, I guess.”
Leo giggled. “You could've wished for something cool.”
“Like what?” Mikey narrowed his eyes.
“A pizza birthday cake.”
Mikey immediately sat upright. “A pizza birthday cake?”
“See?” Leo pointed. “He likes it.”
“Don't encourage him!” Donnie groaned. “April already spent hours making a normal cake!”
“Imagine it, though,” Mikey said dreamily. “Cake on top. Pizza on the bottom.”
“That's a health violation.”
Leo waved his hand. “That's art, Donnie.”
“That's indigestion.” The genius scoffed in debate.
The brothers immediately dissolved into overlapping arguments.
Their voices bounced around the kitchen, and Mikey wouldn't wish for any other noise.
Splinter simply stepped forward and rested a hand gently atop Mikey's head.
The turtle looked up.
“Family,” Splinter said softly, “is what keeps us together through every difference.”
His eyes shone with quiet affection.
“And we are most fortunate to have you, Michelangelo.”
Mikey's eyes widened in awe.
He leaned into Splinter's hand and giggled, a smile on his lips.
“Good,” he whispered.
As his brothers continued arguing over whether a pizza cake was genius or a crime against nature, Mikey looked around the room one last time and at his family.
And decided his wish had already come true.