“Leo...I...uhh” Mikey stuttered.
At that moment Donnie barged into the room.
“Leo, April is in trouble by the Foot, she need our help” Donnie said.
Leo started following Don and Mikey went to get up but was stopped.
“I want you to stay here and rest Mikey” Donnie told him.
Mikey moaned and Don and Leo were gone.
“I hate being injured” Mikey said to himself as he got into bed.
“I hear ya”
Mikey looked up and saw Raph at his door.
“I'm sorry did I scare you again” Raph mocked. “I need to ask you, what's up with you and Leo?”
“Nothing” Mikey responded
“Come on, I've caught you staring at him twice now and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna catch you more” Raph said as he walked up to Mikey who was sitting on the bed.
“I...guess I'm starting to look up to him more now” Mikey replied
“Nnnah that's not it, do you know what I think it is? I reckon you like him, you know...more than a brother”
“That's silly” Mikey's tone of voice didn't sound too convincing.
Raph crossed his arms and let out a quick chuckle.
“Well Leo wanted me to stay here for you so I'll be in my room if you need me”
Raph was gone before Mikey could reply.Raph was onto him, Mikey didn't believe Raph thought he was telling the truth. Mikey stayed in his room and tried to read a comic book but for the first time ever, Mikey couldn't concentrate on his favorite superhero. He knew Raph now knew about Mikey and Leo and Mikey wanted to know how Raph felt.
Mikey set his comic book on his bedside table and went over to Raph's room. He stood outside of his door for a moment and breathed heavily, as Mikey lifted his arm up to knock, the door opened.
“Hey Mikey, I was going to toughen myself up in the dojo, wanna join?” Raph offered.
“Uhh...yeah sure” Mikey accepted.
Mikey was aware that he wouldn't be able to spar with Raph due to his condition but even Raph needed a spotter when it came to the barbell, even if it was the clumsy youngest turtle spotting him.
In the dojo Raph went straight to a new punching bag that Donnie had pick up from the trash yard. Raph didn't make haste, as soon as he got to the bag he started throwing punches and kicks.
“So...what did you want?” Raph said between punches.
“Huh” Mikey somewhat forgotten that he was going to confront Raph.
“You came to my door” Raph reminded.
“Oh yeah um...with what you said about you thinking I like Leo...what would your response be if that were true?” Mikey nervously said as he touched his fingertips together.
In an instant, Raph reached behind him and drew a Sai and pointed it to Mikey's face with the tip inches from him. Raph's face then went from angry to concerned.
“You actually do don't you?” Raph lowered his weapon and moved in closer to his little bro.
Mikey nodded in shame and embarrassment, he kept his head down to avoid eye contact.
“Does anyone else know?” Raph continued.
“I've got a feeling Donnie has a hunch” Mikey said in a low voice.
“Look, don't be afraid to tell Donnie, he will help you much more than I can” Raph said.
“He's probably gonna laugh at me” Mikey responded.
“I bet you thought the same way about me”
Mikey looked up at his older brother who had his arms cross and a stance of achievement.
Maybe he won't laugh Mikey thought to himself.
“Yeah but I don't tease you for liking Mona Lisa and we all make fun of D for liking April’ Mikey said.
“Don will understand little bro, like me”
“Why do you understand? I was getting ready to be laughed at or pounded into” Mikey asked.
Raph remained silent for a few moments as for the reason he wasn't disgusted with Mikey was something Raph didn't want to admit, Raph always felt uncomfortable with speaking from his heart. Raph shook his head and spoke.
“You know I always screw with ya on a day-to-day basis, but I know how much it hurts when someone makes fun of you because of who you fancy, hence why I've cut down on Don”
Mikey was surprised by how Raph spoke, Raph spoke in a sweet caring tone that Mikey had only heard about four times in his life. Raph had a soft heart when it came to his two younger brother's, but 90 percent of the time he hid it.
“Just don't be heartbroken if Leo rejects you, he still has a thing for Karai” Raph continued.
Raph and Mikey jerked their heads up when they heard the sound of approaching voices. The first noise Mikey noted was that of April O'Neil giggling.
At the same time, Mikey and Raph walked out of the dojo to find Donnie swinging his bo staff around, Mikey and Raph knew it was a repeat of what the purple banded turtle had done to the enemy. Donnie finished his ‘show’ with a sexy pose aimed directly towards April. April let out a quiet but audible giggle.
Raph had seen enough of Donnie's attempt to impress his crush, Raph walked up to Don, who had his eyes closed, and slapped him on the back of his head.
“Hey!!” Donnie yelled as he opened his eyes and looked at Raph.
Donnie then turned his attention to his younger brother who was still standing at the doorway of the dojo. Donnie holsted his bo on his shell,walked up to Mikey and spoke.
“Did you get some rest like I told you?”
“Uhhh...no” Mikey said as he placed his hands behind his back and smiled.
“Uhh Mikey, your leg isn't going to get better if you are always using it and I hope you weren't using it in the dojo” Donnie objected.
Mikey was about to speak but Raph decided to.
“He wasn't Donnie, he was watching me”
Mikey mentally thanked Raph for speaking for him, Mikey knew that Don would've thought he was lying. Mikey then found his head turning towards his oldest brother, but it wasn't from affection like the last two times, Mikey was concerned on why Leo was being so quiet.
“Leo you're being awfully quiet” Mikey moved around Donnie and started walking towards his oldest brother but stopped when his eyes met with Raph's.
“I felt no need to talk, I was waiting for you guys to finish your conversations so I can ask what everyone wanted for lunch” Leo told his youngest brother.
“I think you know what I want for lunch” Mikey smiled as he headed towards the kitchen.
“You can have lunch Mikey then it's straight to bed” Donnie sounded like a strict mother.
Mikey heard him but didn't say anything as he entered the kitchen, his brothers and April followed. Mikey was sitting down with about five slices of pizza on the table in front of him before the others got to the room. Quite unexpectedly to Mikey, April sat next to him.
“How are you feeling Mikey?” April asked.
“My leg is still a little sore but other than that I'm fine” Mikey answered.
“I'm sorry for making you train with a bum leg” Leo worded out as he sat down on the other side of him, Leo didn't get too comfortable in that seat yet ‘cause he knew he had to get up and make lunch.
Mikey then started feeling like a school kid when their crush sat next to them in class.
“D-Don't apologize bro, it was my mistake for attempting a backflip” Mikey assured.
Leo didn't say anything and stared at Mikey, Leo remembered Mikey tried to tell him something before Don brought him news about April.
“Bro you know how much I hate the death stare” Mikey commented.
Raph stood a few feet away from them and smiled at how nervous Mikey looked, Raph had never seen Mikey so nervous. Knowing why his baby brother was feeling nervous, Raph had to intervene, this felt like torture on Mikey's behalf.
“Come on Leo, stop making him uncomfortable”
“So what does everyone want?” Leo asked as he got up from the seat.
It had been 2 months since the passing of their father and Leo has felt like a father figure to his younger brother's ever since.
“I'll just have what Mikey's having but you know, heated up” Raph was too impatient to wait for Leo prepare and cook his food and to be honest, Leo wasn't the best cook.
“I'll just have a sandwich with...well normal sandwich food” Donnie had seen Mikey make hundreds of sandwiches in his life and Don was still disgusted and at the same time amazed by what Mikey could imagine to put in one. Don had seen sandwiches filled with ice cream, pizza, potato chips, but the worst he has seen was when Mikey put one of the biggest cockroaches he had ever seen in a sandwich.
“Make that two please” April added, it was normal for April to eat what Don ate especially when they ate in the lair. April knew that Donnie's choice of food was the least likely to send her to the hospital or worse.
Leo worked on Raph's food first, grabbing three slices of pepperoni and mushroom pizza from the fridge and put them on a plate in the microwave for only a few seconds. Donnie smiled every time they used the microwave because he made that specific one.
Leo placed the plate in front of Raph and immediately started on Don and April's lunch. Leo knew exactly what Don liked and didn't like but he wasn't sure about April, so every time he'd pick out something to put on Donnie's sandwich he would ask April if she wanted it too.
Leo piled lettuce, cheese, ham, tomato onto the bread and only put avocado on Donnie's, April rejected to have avocado on hers. Leo cut them both into two separate triangles before serving them.
Then Leo made a small sandwich for himself and sat back down next to Mikey.
“So what exactly were you and Raph doing in the dojo?” Leo didn't sound angry or anything, mainly curious.
Mikey looked passed Leo at Raph with a face that said ‘help’ but Raph's expression said ‘you're on your own’. Mikey then looked at Leo.
“I...was studying his moves like what I've been doing to you” Mikey didn't want to bring up him watching Leo but he knew it would help with his lie.
“Studying Raph's moves isn't such a good idea”
Raph decided to ignore Leo's remark.
“We will continue our training once you are healed” Leo continued.
________________________________________________
Mikey had gotten the rest Donnie wanted him to get and was laying in the middle of the main area of the lair, looking up at the roof.
“I'm so bored” Mikey said for almost the twentieth time.
Donnie was in his lab, Raph had retreated to his room and Leo was meditating in his now preferred location which was his father's room. Leo never slept in there because even with Splinter gone, as far as Leo was concerned, it was still Splinter's room. Leo only meditated in there because he could sense his father's spiritual presence the most in there.
Mikey laid on the floor with his hands behind his head and legs bent. Mikey closed his eyes with boredom. It was then that the lights from the lair shining on his closed eyelids started to dim, he then felt the warm presence of someone near his head. Mikey kept his eyes closed.
Mikey started sniffing.
“Hmm, much warm temperature, smell not so good...RAPH?” Mikey guessed as he open his eyes and pointed at the figure standing above him, Mikey was disappointed that his prediction was wrong when it appeared to be Leo staring down at him.
Mikey quickly got to his feet and stood in front of the turtle in blue. Leo then lifted his arm up and smelled his armpit, it wasn't that Leo thought he smelled, it was to remind Mikey that he told the wrong turtle that they smelled.
“oops...sorry” Mikey rubbed the back of his neck with embarrassment.
Leo didn't go further into the subject.
“You wanted to tell me something earlier before Donnie informed me about April”
Mikey didn't know how to react, even though he wanted to tell Leo before, he didn't now.
“No I didn't” Mikey lied at the inevitable.
“Yes you did” Leo denied.
“Fine...I...uhhh…” Mikey then went deep into his brain to figure a clever lie. “I used your toothbrush”
Leo sighed with disappointment, Leo thought it was about something really important.
“I'm glad you told me” Leo, fortunately for Mikey, believed him. It wasn't the first time something really important to Mikey had turned out to be nothing, or the second, or the third, in fact Mikey was always confronting his brothers about ‘Mikey important’ things.
“Ouch my leg is hurting, gotta go see Donnie” Mikey sounded unconvincing.
Mikey sidestepped away from his older brother and in a few moments found himself at the lab door. The door was open just enough for Mikey to enter without having to open it more.
“Hey Mikey” Donnie said without looking away from his work.
How does he do that? Mikey jealously thought.
“Hey D I need your help” Mikey shut the door and walked over to him.
“Sure, what do you need help with?” Donnie peaked at up at Mikey and then back down on his notes.
“Ok...uhhh...how exactly do you plan on getting April?” Mikey didn't know if he sounded anxious or teasingly.
Donnie had a bit of trouble taking in what his younger brother just asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean how do you plan to make April your girlfriend?” Mikey was now feeling a little bit more confident.
“Oh so now she isn't my girlfriend, after years of teasing me that she is?” Donnie felt anger build but was able in pass it off. After a heavy breath he spoke again. “Why do you ask?”
“There is...umm...someone I like” Mikey's voice got lower as he spoke the last three words. Fortunately Don’s hearing was on point and he got up and rushed to Mikey.
“How is she? Is she pretty? Is she smart?” Donnie was speaking like a mother or sister that had just found out that their son or little brother had just told them the same thing.
Donnie use the word “she” too much to Mikey's liking. Mikey didn't answer as he didn't know how or which question to answer first. Don noticed his brothers awkward silence.
“It...is a girl...isn't it?” Donnie asked.
“That's one of the reasons I need your help” Mikey finally spoke.
“It's a guy?” Donnie already assumed that after Mikey's statement but asked anyway through force of habit.
Mikey nodded his head slowly as he felt like a disgrace, but unfortunately revealing that he was into a guy was the somewhat easy part. The hard part was yet to come and it had Mikey shaking.
“I need to sit down” Mikey said as he started feeling lightheaded and cupped his hand on his forehead.
“You ok?” Donnie grabbed Mikey's arm and guided him to the bed in the lab.
“I'm feeling lightheaded” Mikey informed. Mikey didn't expect that telling Donnie about his thoughts would be so hard, he had no problem with going to Raph about it but that was because Raph had told Mikey before Mikey told him.
“Is this because of who you like? If you are embarrassed, you don't have to tell me” Donnie said in the most softest voice.
“I am embarrassed...but I need to tell you” Mikey's confidence had dropped a ton but went on. “It's...L-Leo” after Leo's name came out, Mikey slid his hand that was still placed on his forehead, down to cover his eyes.
Donnie was speechless, he didn't know what to do or say.
“What is me?”
Mikey and Donnie's heads jerked up to the lab door and seeing Leo standing there made Mikey pass out.
To be continued...
