Chapter 23: Marks...
Electricity coursed in his entire frame paralyzing him from moving. But when he finally realized what happened, Leo quickly pulled back away from the other terrapin.
Their kiss snapped with a tiny pop, even through the impulse the older saw Mikey's confused stare. However, the look on his face condoned confusion, but in less than a second those baby blues widened in shock.
“L-Leo! I’m… I’m SO SORRY!” He shouted in fear raising up from the bed like it had been on fire.
Leo reached to him trying to keep a reassuring grip on the orange banded turtle. “M-Mikey…” But the younger pushed him away, shutting his eyes as he raced away from Leonardo and ultimately out of his room.
“MIKEY!” He screamed after him standing and running after the youngest brother, his frantic orbs darted to see the sea green reptile jumping off the second floor and down into the living room. It took half a moment to see his familiar shell zip out the lair's entrance.
The commotion captured Raph’s attention who was the only one in the living room. Raphael nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard his brothers scream, then turned to see Michelangelo run out of the lair like his life depended on it.
“Mikey! Bro! What HAPPENED?!” Raph cried after the younger, but his scream was heard to deaf ears. His green eyes then spotted Leo who was running down the stairs. But before he could continue on, Raph quickly got in the way.
“What Da FUCK Just Happened!?” He demanded his eyes glaring daggers at the older.
“Not NOW Raph!” Leo shouted his eyes equally turning into slits. He tried to squirm out of the way, but the more muscled turtle wasn’t having any of it.
“Get Out Of The WAY!” Leonardo roared nearly surprising at the other. Using that little moment of freedom, Leo managed to slide his way through.
“LEO!” Raph screamed behind him, but Leo ignored him just like Mike did. But the leader in blue could care less about what Raphael does; his thoughts solely remained on searching for Michelangelo.
Everything could be damned at this moment and all Leonardo could think about is finding his troubled brother. As expected his youngest bro was out of the lair already. No doubt guilt consumed and fueled his escape.
*This is all my fault…* The blue banded turtle thought hopelessly running in the maze of sewer tunnels. Had he just explained to everyone of the situation, just got the word out- if he hadn't been such a pathetic coward- none of this would have happened! Donnie was right, this really was tearing up the family…
*No! I can get through this!* He and Don have been able to do it, they always have. They just needed to work on it!
He had been caught up in his thoughts that he hadn’t even realized that he jumped out into the open pouring air. But again, the blue turtle could care less, all he wanted was to find Mikey… he just wanted to apologize for everything that has happened… everything…
And this time, he is going to tell him everything. No more secrets…
0o0
How could he have done that! WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL WAS HE THINKING!?
Michelangelo had long ran out from the lair; he was grateful at how he is the fastest of his bros in comparison when it came to acrobatics. Maybe not in fighting, but definitely in agility.
He jumped on a random building's roof and even then his negative thoughts would not leave him. Why did he do it!?
He bounced onto the next building when his baby blues glanced on their own unconsciously. Judging by the cracked walls and trash littered around with askew graffiti he was at some random darken alley. By all means it seemed like a perfect spot to hide, but he figured it would be best to keep going. In the name of pizza he cannot go back to the lair.
He just can’t!
What he did… what he did…!
Leo was his damn brother for Peat’s Sake.
Admit it… you always were curious… a little voice spoke in his head.
“But he’s my BROTHER!” He screamed not caring if anyone heard him. His own thoughts had consumed him to the point where he lost balance and ended up falling from his trained parkor.
He let out a girlish scream, but thankfully someone had hung their laundry line so he was easily able to capture the rope, he did a couple of acrobatic loops around the rope before letting go and landing safely on the emergency stairs nearby.
But you had been wondering what it must be like… The voice continued. If he had been so willing to give himself to Don… to Donnie of all turtles…
*Just Shut Up…* He whimpered mentally pressing his palms to his head.
You could have him too…
“NO!” He shouted curling into a ball, every muscle ached, everything in the world just felt cold, and it had nothing to do to the rain…
“There you are…” A gentle voice stated.
Michelangelo screamed bloody murder and bolted into the air. His hands instinctively going to his belt, but then…- realized he didn’t have his chucks on him.
“It’s okay…” Leonardo said softly, his eyes arching in worry as he lifted his hands in reassurance.
“H-How did you find me!?” The shorter squeaked.
He smiled softly. “Call it an older brother’s hunch when he’s being protective of his younger siblings.”
…
Much to Mike’s resistance he ended up following Leonardo until they managed to find a building that happened to have a small coop that had enough cover to protect them from the cold rain.
Mikey was twiddling with his thumbs, he wasn’t sure… how to really react or know what to say to his brother that he just 'kissed'.
“Mikey… look, I just, I just want to let you know that I’m not mad.” Leonardo started staring at his brother.
He looked up, seeing the leader’s genuine eyes. “But…-”
“But nothing.” There was no contact this time, but Leonardo did managed to keep that calming effect. “You did that out of reaction… just like… just like I did…”
For a moment Michelangelo stared at the older in surprise. Or at least he thought he did considering he already had a feeling where this was going.
“Look, what I’m trying to say is…” Goodness he couldn’t do it… Damn coward...
The younger looked down his lips mouthing before he could think. “It’s because of you and Don isn’t it…?”
Leo’s heart froze as his eyes glanced to orange-banded turtle in absolutely horror. “Y-You Know…?!”
For a second Mike didn’t move, but then… he nodded.
This time it was the leader’s turn to freak out, or at least felt the shock. “H-How long?”
“For a few weeks now…” He breathed.
Leonardo lowered his head. “I’m… sorry…”
“Why are you sorry?”
The eldest rose his head staring at the other in shock.
“If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I mean, I was the one who walked in by accident.” A healthy red hue brushed over his sea green cheeks.
A faint pink color also spread over Leo’s face. He also didn’t react, whether it was because of the initial shock, or the fact that Mikey was handling this situation pretty well. Maybe it was both…
“Why, why didn’t you say anything?” Leo questioned softly.
“I… I guess I thought it wasn’t my place. You guys looked really happy. I didn’t want to be the killjoy of that. I mean, I’m suppose to be the cute and fun one remember?” Michelangelo stated, there was a shadow of a smile on his lips.
Leonardo's jaw dropped in wonderment, so Michelangelo knew. All this time he knew and kept it to himself. Never so much breathed a word to their master or to Raph. Despite everything, he had their shells…
A faint memory returned when Mikey had started his season, just when Leonardo just finished his. So... Mikey has known since then…
Was he that scared to so much even say a word to him?
No wonder he panicked about the kiss.
The kiss… part of him wondered… how would he explain this to Donnie? There could not be any secrets to him… they promised each other.
“I don’t know why I kissed you…” Mikey started before Leo could so much even think of interrogating that segment.
“I guess… it was just the emotions talking for me…” Mikey said truthfully. “But I cannot say that I really had no control over it. Because I did, part of me wanted to know… I wanted to know what it was like to kiss someone.” He admitted as his face blushed a bit once more and he removed his eyes from Leo’s own.
“I’m sorry I did it…”
Even though he should feel upset, Leonardo could not even so much bring up a single ounce of anger at the baby of the family. Especially when he noticed the loneliness in his bright blue gaze.
“I don’t blame you…” Leo whispered placing a cautious but gentle hand on Mikey’s bare shoulder. The younger turtle turned to him, looking at him in worry but also confusion.
“The reaction was instant… I had been the same way when… I began seeing Donatello differently.” The pink color darkened to a red as he recalled when that night… the night that changed everything between them.
“Does that mean, that I will-” A look of panic shriveled in the younger’s features.
Leonardo shook his head at the unfinished question. “I don’t think it would, the connection I made with Don was more intimate and more rushed than what happened between us. Curiosity was what got you there Mikey, not attraction.”
There was a heavy, but relieved sigh that escaped the orange banded ninja’s beak. “That’s good. No offense big bro, but I can’t see you anything but a brother.”
Leo smiled. “None taken. And the feelings are mutual.”
There was a mild silence between them.
"So... does anyone else know?" Mikey wondered out loud facing the other.
"Just April and Casey. And knowing how close Don is with Leatherhead, chances are he does too." Leo answered.
"Wow, that's cold bro." Mike stated but in jest.
Leonardo smiled a bit. "Yeah, I know. But I learned that now."
The orange ninja gave him a tiny salute. "Glad to know."
Seeing and hearing the rain getting rougher Leonardo rose up from the cool ground. “It’s getting darker, we need to be heading back.” He offered a hand at the younger. "The others must be getting worried."
Mikey took his hand and got up. “Will you speak to Raph and Master Splinter about this too?”
The leader in blue stopped dead in his tracks, then the words really sunk in. He still had two other family members he needed to speak this about.
“I…”
Michelangelo walked into the blue turtle’s line of vision. “Leo?”
“I still have to think about it… I’m not sure about Raph, but with Master Splinter… It's hard to predict how he would react…”
The shorter terrapin lowered his head, but he understood what he meant.
“In the meantime Mikey, I know this must be a selfish request, but I would like for you not to speak a word about this. At least not yet. I feel like this is something I have to do.” He said his eyes sharpening in a serious tone.
Brighter colored eyes looked at him in surprise, but ultimately nodded in agreement.
A smile full of gratitude filled Leo’s lips. “Thank you.”
He got a thumbs up. “No prob bro, I got your shell.”
