He had started the prep work the night before. The mixture of ground pork, silky tofu, green onion, ginger, leak, and spices sat in the refrigerator all night so the flavors could marry. That afternoon he mixed together the dough and let it set so that the flour had time to absorb the water.
Hours were spent rolling, filling, and forming it all into dumplings. Time well spent to make Leo’s favorite food. Large pots of salted water sat on the stove to boil and steam some of them and skillets sat ready to pan fry others.
He and his brothers had large appetites, so Mikey made over two hundred of the pockets and three different dipping sauces for them.
Raph entered the kitchen and took a look at the plethora of dumplings. “Whatever I pack for this picnic will be trash compared to what you’re makin’.”
“No need for you to pack, Raph.” Mikey smiled at him. “I already have a bunch ready for you to take.”
“Really?” Raph walked over to the basket on the counter and took a look inside. “You’re the best.”
Mikey playfully slammed the lid back down. “Keep it closed or you’ll let out all the heat.” He turned back to his work, humming to himself as he did.
“Tryin’ to get to Leo’s heart through his stomach?” Raph nudged Mikey then swiped a dumpling and popped it in his mouth. “Oh, hot.”
“Serves you right,” Mikey punched him.
“Worth it,” Raph grinned. “Those are good. I swear, Mikey, you make the best damn dumplin’s.”
“Thank you,” Mikey blushed.
They stood in awkward silence while Mikey continued to cook. To end it Mikey cleared his throat, “Where do you plan on taking Donny?”
“Just outside the city and away from all the light pollution so he can see the stars. There’s a field with tall grass where we can stay hidden from the main road.”
“Sounds nice.”
“Thanks again for packin’ the food.” Raph kept his hands on the counter resisting the urge to touch Mikey. “You really are great. It’s good to have your support in this. Leo on the other hand has been trying to impose limits on us tonight. He’s being a bitter ass. I don’t know what you see in him.”
“He’s just upset, he has been for weeks. That’s the real reason I’m making the dumplings. I know he’s hurting so I wanna do all that I can to help him feel better. I just wanna see him smile again. I know it will be a while before he’s over Donny enough to be willing to date me. I just want him to hang out with me like we used to. He’s pulled away. We’ve all pulled away from each other and it hurts”
Mikey took a deep breath then let it out slowly, “I’m sorry I hurt you, Raph. I really hope we can still be friends. I like spending time with you and lately you’re the only one willing to spend time with me. I shouldn’t have pushed you away like I did.”
“I ain’t givin’ that up, Mikey,” Raph turned to face him. “Donny’s just gonna have to accept the fact that you and I are gonna stay friends.” He cleared him throat and fidgeted a little. “I really hope that Leo opens his eyes and sees you for how wonderful you really are and how lucky he is. I want you to be happy, Mikey, even if it’s not with me.” His emotions had his voice trembling by the end but he managed to choke it all out before he started to tear up.
“I…,” Mikey started but he didn’t know what to say.
Forcing a smile, Raph grabbed the basket and headed out of the kitchen. “Thanks again, Mikey.”
“Have fun,” Mikey called out after Raph. “I want you to be happy too.”
Mikey finished the rest of the dumplings and set everything out on the table.
Splinter entered the kitchen and sat at down. “It all looks wonderful. Do you have the garlic soy dipping sauce?”
As Splinter spoke, Mikey placed a bowl of brown liquid on the table. “Does a turtle have a shell?”
Mikey smiled at his father and handed him a plate along with a set of chopsticks then excused himself to go get Leo. He was excited to get a dinner without Donny around since Leo usually spent the whole time glancing up at him. Maybe now Mikey will be able to have a conversation with him.
He knocked gently on Leo’s bedroom door. “Dinner’s ready.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“What?” Mikey felt his heart sink. “Why?”
“I’m not hungry, Mikey,” Leo shouted through the door. “I don’t owe you an explanation. Just because Raph and Donny are going out on a date doesn’t mean anything for us. Just go away.”
Mikey just stood staring at the door in disbelief. He could hear Leo’s gentle sobs coming through the door. After a while, Mikey made his way back down to the kitchen and started to clean.
Having eaten his fill, Splinter sat at the table and watched his youngest clean. “You’re supper is getting cold.”
“I’m not hungry anymore,” Mikey choked out then turned to grab the food and threw it in the trash. “It was all for nothing.” After wiping his tears away, Mikey turned back to cleaning the dishes.
“Give him time,” Splinter soothed. “He needs to get used to the idea that Donatello is with Raphael.”
“I get it,” Mikey said while he worked. “I just thought…. I’m trying so hard to be better for him to show him that I can be what he wants. I just want a chance to sit and talk to him. I wanted a dinner with him where he wasn’t always looking at Donny; where he would see me for once.”
“I know,” Splinter sighed. “I hate to see you hurting so much.”
Splinter sat in silence while Mikey cleaned the kitchen, scrubbing every last surface. Leo thought Mikey did it all because Splinter had told him to but he was actually very particular about the way things were in the kitchen. The kitchen was his space and, unlike his room, Mikey kept it in spick-and-span. He had honed his skills over the years and had come a long way from simply ‘scrambling a mean egg’.
His youngest was also an artist and Splinter was proud of him.
Something the others didn’t know about Mikey was that he kept a journal in the form of comics. He drew out their adventures in great detail. He actually showed them to Splinter one day, along with a book full of art. They were beautiful. He had drawn pictures of each of his brothers and places that they have been but Mikey was too shy to show his brothers so they stayed hidden in his room among the clutter, minus the few that Splinter kept.
When Mikey was done cleaning, he started to cry. Tears streamed down his cheeks as sobs wracked his body and he fell to his knees. Splinter was up and at his son’s side in a matter of seconds. He held Mikey and the cries of his youngest broke his heart.
After a while Mikey calmed down and Splinter sent him off to bed then sat back down at the table. He sipped his tea and waited.
It was around midnight when Leo finally came down to the kitchen. He saw Splinter at the table but didn’t say anything. Leo opened the refrigerator and looked inside.
“Your dinner is in the trash,” Splinter calmly stated.
Leo looked at him over his shoulder then walked over to look in the trash. “A bit over dramatic, don’t you think?”
“He was upset.”
“All because I wouldn’t come down and eat dinner with him?” Leo scoffed. “And he wonders why I don’t want to be with him. He’s still a child.”
“Do you know how much work goes in to making dumplings?”
Leo shrugged, “He opened a package and heated them up.”
“I used packaged dumplings.” Splinter shook his head in disappointment. “Michelangelo made them by hand. He always has.”
“He did? He has?” Leo sat at the table.
Splinter nodded, “He adjusted the recipe based off of your criticism.”
“I didn’t know,” Leo crossed his arms over his plastron. “How did I not know?”
“You were always training or meditating while he worked in the kitchen.” Splinter chuckled, “That and you are forbidden from the kitchen for anything other than making your tea and eating.”
Leo heaved out a sigh, “That still doesn’t excuse the way he acted. He didn’t have to throw them away.”
Splinter stood and put his cup in the sink. As he turned to leave Leo slammed his fist on the table. “Would you prefer that I use him the way Raph’s using Donny?”
Splinter stopped and turned to sit back down at the table. “Would you care to elaborate on that?”
Swallowing hard, Leo regained his composure. “Raph doesn’t love Donny. He’s just with him to get over his hurt from being rejected by Mikey. He gonna end up hurting Donny. I won’t do the same thing to Mikey. I care too much about him to treat him that way. I’m not going to use him and give him false hope for something that isn’t going to happen.”
Splinter sighed as he looked his eldest in the eyes. “He knows that you are upset over Donatello’s rejection and that he is out with Raphael, so he decided to make you your favorite meal to help you feel better. All he wanted was for you to come and eat dinner with him, nothing more.”
With that, Splinter stood and left Leo alone.
Leo didn’t want to hurt Mikey, it was the last thing he wanted to do. Leo knew that Raph was going to hurt Donny and Donny will realize he’d be better off with Leo. If Leo indulged Mikey’s fantasy and gave him false hope it would only hurt him more in the end. Mikey would just have to settle for Raph; they worked better together anyway.
Leo looked up at the clock to check the time. He wondered how long Raph would keep Donny out and what they were doing. His eyes drifted over to the trash and tears started to run down his cheeks. He was growing weary of crying.
Leo just hoped that Raph doesn’t take too much from Don while they are together.
