Chapter 10
That night, Leo fell asleep with his head pillowed on Mikey's plastron and the bedside lamp glowing. There was one time that the others poked their heads in to see what was going on, but it was easy enough to keep them from getting suspicious.
"He had a nightmare," the orange-banded turtle said. The small lie was all it took to make Raph and Donnie nod and leave the room.
Mikey sighed as the door shut again and gazed down at his oldest brother, taking in the peaceful expression on Leo's face. For once, the leader seemed to be completely at ease, no bad dreams or "failed" missions plaguing him.
Smiling a little, the freckled ninja turned out the lamp and closed his eyes. He fell asleep in seconds.
The next morning, Mikey awoke to an empty bed. He panicked for a moment until he heard the sound of Leo's shower turning off. Mentally kicking himself, he tried to steady his breathing before Leo came out of the bathroom.
When the leader finally emerged, Mikey's eyes widened in surprise. Leo hadn't covered his wrists. The blue clad turtle noticed him staring and shrugged. "You already know about them," he said. "It doesn't matter if I hide them from you or not at this point."
"Are you gonna show the guys then?"
The question slipped out before the youngest turtle could stop it - and the result was immediate. The guarded look that Mikey had become accustomed to slammed down over Leo's face again, the light in his eyes disappearing. Without another word, the leader slipped the leather bands over his scars and headed for the door.
"Dude, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"Forget it."
"Please," Mikey whispered. "Don't shut me out again."
At that Leo paused, one hand hovering over the doorknob. Then he sighed and turned around, his shoulders drooping. "Sorry, Mike. I just...I'm not used to anyone knowing. I don't think...I'm not ready for everyone to see yet. Okay?"
The orange-banded turtle nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He had almost blown it. And he had a feeling that Leo wouldn't be willing to open up a second time. "Okay," he said finally.
Leo relaxed a little at the answer, coming to put an arm around Mikey's shoulders. "I'll show them some day, little brother. Just not yet. Now, let's go get breakfast before Raph eats it all." He stood and made for the kitchen, leaving Mikey to follow as best he could.
After a moment, the youngest did, determination in his baby blue eyes. Mikey hadn't been lying last night. He knew what it was like to be alone and hurting. And he wasn't going to let Leo suffer like he had. He was going to help his brother.
Whether Leo liked it or not.
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