AN: A collection of oneshots prompted either by clichés or facts that blew out of proportion. This, of course, is merely my opinion and I respect every headcanon in this fandom. Be warned, I can make fun of things I respect.
I won't hesitate to go against my own headcanons, hence the 'out of character' warning.
Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles.
First prompt: Fandom Says… Leo Can't Stop Training (And Will Stop at Nothing to Achieve This Noble Goal)
2012 turtles.
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Leo Can't Stop Training
"Leonardo!"
Donnie's roar echoed through the whole lair. In the living room, Raph and Mikey jumped, their video game forgotten. Mikey let go of his controller and hid between his brother's shell and the sofa.
"Not again," Raph sighed, exasperated. "That's what, the third time today?"
Mikey made a whimpering noise that Raph interpreted as a 'yes'.
"You're supposed to be bedridden!" Donnie was yelling from the dojo. "Not training! What if you worsen your injury?"
Leo's response was lost to Raph and Mikey.
"You could have thought that tying him up, locking his door and gluing the lock would have kept him away from the dojo," Raph ranted. "The glue antidote was supposed to be in Donnie's lab! How did Leo manage to get away?"
Mikey made another whimpering noise.
"I know, I know, it's Leo, but still," Raph said, throwing up his arms. "I swear, the guy has magical powers!"
The red-clad turtle stood up, throwing his own controller on the floor. Mikey whined at losing his shield and grasped a cushion.
"Let's back Donnie up," Raph grumbled. "It's too bad Master Splinter won't be back before a few days, Leo would never have put any of this nonsense with Sensei in the lair!"
Ever so reluctantly, Mikey stood up too and followed his brother to the dojo. Donnie was still yelling at a not-so-sorry looking Leo, who was standing in the center of the room in a posture that favored his right leg.
"Leo, if you haven't decided to cooperate, I'll have to take even more drastic measures!" Donnie was saying.
"Donnie," Leo tried, "I'm feeling perfectly fine! I was just going through a few kata, nothing dangerous!"
"You. Should. Be. In. Bed!" Donnie shouted at the top of his voice, as if his point would get through his brother's thick skull if it was loud enough.
"Yeah, you really should, Leo," Raph interjected more calmly, placing himself at Donnie's right while Mikey took the left, not daring to look at Leo. "We understand your frustration, but you need to give your body time to heal!"
"You're one to talk," Leo replied flatly.
Raph let it slip. Like water over stone. Leo wasn't in his right mind anyways.
Donnie massaged his temples.
"Okay, guys," he finally said. "Let's get Leo back to his room."
"You're coming of your own free will or I carry you bridal-style?" Raph grinned at Leo.
Leo rolled his eyes.
"I'm coming," he grumbled.
Once in Leo's bedroom, the blue-clad turtle hopped to his bed and lay down sulkily.
"Do I have your word that you won't try to train again?" Donnie demanded of his blue-clad brother, his tone weary.
Leo shrugged noncommittally.
Donnie sighed.
"In that case… Raph, please search him for knives. Obviously Mikey forgot one or two last time."
"Hey!" Mikey protested.
Leo didn't resist and allowed his red-clad brother to retrieve three short blades from his wrappings.
"I'm tying you up again," Donnie warned. "More drastically. You've been warned."
And he was true to his word. When he was done, Leo looked more like a mummy than a turtle.
"Guys, this is ridiculous," Leo protested. "I can't even turn over! What if I need to move my leg?"
"You should have thought of that before," Donnie retorted. "And we'll free you for dinner, in not even an hour."
"Donnie, that's not like you to be so insensitive," Leo pleaded.
Donnie stopped dead in his tracks. Why did Leo have to make it so difficult? He was usually more reasonable. Maybe it was a side-effect of the painkillers he had given him. He would have to check the instructions.
… Was he too harsh on him? Leo's state didn't require constant monitoring, he just had to stay motionless for a while, and Donnie had tried to tie him up as comfortably as possible, he just didn't want his brother to worsen his injury, how could that be selfish of him? Of course Leo knew his own body, Donnie just wasn't sure that his judgement could be trusted right now, but what if it could and he, the improvised doctor, was making matters worse? And…
Raph shook his head.
"Oh no, you're not guilt-tripping Donnie when all he wants is to help you," he growled to Leo.
Bending over his brother, he slid his blue mask against his mouth, gagging him.
"There. Much better."
Leo looked daggers at him, but Raph merely grinned.
Donnie took a deep breath.
"Try to get some sleep, Leo," he pleaded. "Time will pass faster."
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Mikey's senses were on alert as he picked Leo's lock. Donnie's in the lab. Raph's watching TV. All clear.
The orange-clad turtle couldn't bear the idea of Leo being alone and tied up inside. He had to take a look at him and tell him that everything was going to be alright, that it was for his own good and it would soon be over, and Mikey was here for him and would order him his favorite pizzas, no problem…
The lock yielded. At least this time Donnie didn't glue it, Mikey thought somberly. He didn't want to sneak in his brother's lab again while Donnie was inside. Last time had been a close one.
Opening the door, the short turtle entered quickly before closing it behind him.
"Leo?" He whispered.
Leo didn't answer. That's right, he's gagged, Mikey remembered.
"I'm here, bro," he whispered, putting a hand on his brother's plastron. "I'm sorry about this, but we don't want you to aggravate your injury, do we?"
Leo narrowed his eyes at him. Mikey could only guess what he wanted to say. Suddenly, he was grateful that Leo couldn't speak. Last time, his brother had convinced Mikey to free him in no time, telling him that the mind was more important than the body and he would never be able to heal if he wasn't able to train, and Leo's voice had sounded so reasonable, so reassuring…
"It's okay, Leo," Mikey said, patting his brother's shell awkwardly because of the absurdity of this sentence – Leo was tied up and gagged and it was his brothers' fault, how could it be okay?
Leo's eyes shifted shapes and Mikey's widened. Oh no. Not that, please.
His prayer went unanswered.
Mikey fidgeted, panicking. His three brothers agreed that his puppy-dog eyes were the best, the cutest, the most impossible to resist. He wouldn't know – he had tried to puppy-dog eye himself in front of the bathroom's mirror, but it had only given him a headache.
If he had been asked, Mikey would have said that Leo's puppy-dog eyes were the best. Maybe it was because he almost never used them on his brothers – actually, Mikey wasn't sure that Leo had ever used them on someone else than him, and Splinter, but at least Splinter was immune most of the time… Or maybe it was because it was impossible to deny him anything when he looked so innocent, so vulnerable… He was always so careful not to show any weakness…
"Leo, really, I shouldn't…" Mikey whispered weakly. "You heard what Donnie said…"
If it was possible, Mikey would have sworn that Leo's eyes had become more pleading.
"The guys will get suspicious," Mikey tried again, his throat hoarse. "You're completely tied up! Last time, you could still pretend to have a hidden knife, but now…"
A single tear escaped Leo's right eye. It trickled down his cheek and was soaked up by his blue mask. Mikey's heart stopped.
Before he had registered it, he was kneeling next to his brother's bed and untying the knots with shaking hands.
"You're not playing fair, Leo," Mikey whispered with a hint of reproach in his voice.
As soon as his arms were free, Leo untied the mask that Raph had used as a gag and put it back in its right place.
"I'm a ninja," he replied. "Ninja use every weapon in their arsenal to reach their goal. You know that."
Leo's eyes were shining with mischief and the orange-clad turtle resisted the urge to smack him, like Raph did to him when he was particularly annoying. Leo grinned at his brother, his expression all innocence once more, and Mikey sighed in defeat.
"Just don't injure yourself further," he whispered. "Please."
Leo sat on his bed.
"I won't," he whispered back. "I know what I'm doing."
"That's not what Donnie yelled."
"He worries too much," Leo retorted. "You should go back to the living room. I'll try another escape in a few minutes."
Mikey nodded and turned around, shoulders slumped.
Maybe he should tell Donnie that it was useless to bind Leo if he didn't blindfold him, too.
He heard movement behind him, and strong arms embraced his shell.
"And thanks, Mikey," Leo whispered, nuzzling his neck. "What would I do without you?"
Or rather not.
