a/n: happy birthday to my friend and fellow tmnt author flynne! she requested some leo/april sibling fluff, which just so happens to be one of the best things ever. i present my deeply humble offering to such greatness. enjoy!

"You had better not be doing what I think you're doing, mister."

With a start, Leonardo snatched his hands away from the display case, turning to look at April with an expression akin to a child caught raiding the cookie jar. Apparently even teenage ninja masters can't see everything coming.

"I was just straightening up."

"One display? For the fourth time in a row?"

Leo's gaze sheepishly trailed to the arrangement of antique, gold-rimmed dishware she'd received just that morning. Then his brow furrowed as he clearly saw something else about the display that he wanted to change.

"Don't even think about it," April chided firmly.

Leo deflated a little. "Sorry."

"Don't be." April gave him a friendly tap on the shell, pulling his attention away from the set. "I think that's enough work in the shop for today. Why don't we go upstairs and have some tea? Just so you know, I only have instant."

Leonardo's expression lifted slightly, and he closed the lid to the display case. "Sounds great."

She led the way to her second floor, asking him to hit the lights to the store as they went, and let them into her apartment. As April made a beeline for the kettle and tea bags, she watched Leo slip into a kitchen chair out of the corner of her eye.

From the second he showed up alone at her door early afternoon offering his assistance in the shop, she'd known something was wrong. It wasn't uncommon for him to drop by, but he'd seemed distracted and tense today-quiet, not even pretending to listen to her chatter, anxious all the way up to the moment she'd caught him arranging dishware for the fourth time in under ten minutes.

He was still tense now, his posture a bit too rigid as he folded his hands politely over the table.

Leonardo had always been one of her more well-behaved guests, but the needless formality was a big red flag that April intended to pull down. No turtle under her roof would act like he was at a daimyo's home as long as she had something to say about it.

April poured the tea into two mugs, setting one in front of Leo and trying not to frown at his murmured thanks as she slid into the chair across from him.

"Okay, Leo. Start talking."

He gave her a puzzled look over his cup. "I'm sorry?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Her tone softening, April pushed aside her own mug and reached across the table to set her hand over his. Leo followed the motion with his eyes, still as a stone. "I'm always happy to have you come help out, you know that. But you've been acting neurotic all day. You don't get like this unless something's bothering you."

Leo's gaze quickly darted away. "It's nothing."

"Leo."

With a sigh, Leonardo released his mug to scratch the side of his snout in embarrassment. "Really, April, it's nothing. I just… needed to get away from the lair for a bit."

April raised a brow.

"The lair, or your brothers?" she asked knowingly. Leo cringed, as though it physically hurt him to admit that his family was overwhelming him, and April had to bite her lip to keep it from twitching upwards. Bingo.

"It's not them," Leo said quickly. "I was the one who fumbled during practice today. Raph and Mikey won't let me live it down, and I don't think Donatello is even talking to me until we find him a new bo."

Part of April really, really wanted to know exactly what happened during practice, but she managed to rein her curiosity in. Instead, relief and fond exasperation flooded her veins. Nothing serious, then. But this is just the sort of thing he would obsess over. "Leo-"

"Then Sensei called me into his room. I think he was surprised. I tried to tell him that nothing was wrong-that I just made a mistake-but he was worried that I-"

"Leo." April withdrew her hand, and instantly, the loss of touch halted Leonardo's rambling. April smiled and raised her mug to her lips. "You're just having an bad day. Breathe. Relax and drink your tea."

He blinked in mild confusion, probably realizing how much time he'd just spent talking. Then the look dropped in favor of something a little more tranquil, and he chuckled, the tension draining from his voice. "Yeah. I guess I am."

They sat in companionable silence for a while after that, drinking cheap green tea brewed from bags, and April couldn't be more content. Then she looked up to see Leo staring at her in amusement.

"Go ahead," he said. "I know you want to ask."

April hid her smile behind her mug. "Okay then. What on earth did you do to poor Donatello and his bo staff?"

He laughed again, the lines around his too-young eyes smoothing away. Leaning forward across the table, mug pressed between his hands, Leonardo's mouth pulled into a conspiratorial smile. "Well, it all started with weapons practice…"