I'm not a huge fan of finishing or posting chapters from my phone- but I've been on the road but didn't want to leave you guys hanging. This chapter is very far from perfect, but sometimes It's better to just post.

Leo walked in to Don's lab. The shadow interior pierced by the blinking LEDs and flickering screens. A life time of habit had Leo skirting the pools of light as he picked his way through the tangles of wire and half built machines that littered the floor. Donatello was seated in a battered desk chair in front of a broad array of monitors their blue light outlining his silhouette. His sable eyes were liquid, pupils swimming large in the dark of the lab as he watched Leo approach.

There was something unsettling in those eyes, as much as Donatello was his beloved brother and a close member of the family he also operated at cognitive depths the rest of them could never transverse. Donnie wasn't unhinged like Baxter Stockman, but go far enough along the binet simon bell curve and there was a little madness in every genius.

Leo had felt a little strange around his soft spoken brother lately. He honestly wasn't sure if the olive skinned turtle was treating him differently or if the recent shift in his relationship with Rapheal had made Leo more acutely aware of his interactions with all of his teamates.

Whatever had caused the sharper edge to Don's teasing, Leo hopped he could repair the rift before it widened any further. And was greatly relived when his brother had asked him to come by the lab after he finished his one on one training with master splinter.

But now that Leo was here the back of his neck pricked with tension. There was something almost predatory in Don's gaze as he watched Leo glide those last few steps towards him. Hits of an untamed hunger flicking behind the darker shadows of his irises.

However Don's voice was glass smooth as he spoke, soothing him. "Hey Leo, have a seat."

Leo dropped into the offered chair "What's up, Don?"

He spun back towards the screens clicking around and bringing up half a dozen windows. A few clicks later and multiple videos were patchworked silently across the monitors. Leo felt the heat rising to his face as he recognised the contents. "You brought me in here to watch porn, Donatello?" Leo asked sardonically. Don smiled "Maybe another time, there is something I need to talk to you about."

Don turned to face Leo ignoring the sensuous display that haloed him. "What do you see Leonardo?" Leo tried to focus on Don's face and not the shifting images behind him. "People having sex?" Leo answered. "No" Donatello corrected "Humans mating." Leonardo rolled his eyes and gave him an incredulous look.

Donnie continued undaunted "We aren't human, Leo." The supple flesh that sweated and twisted together behind Don's head illustrated his point. A woman bent backwards, her spine arched in a way their shells even semi rigged as they were would never allow. "At least not entirely; and no amount of dress up and pretend, or philosophical teaching from father, or wanting to be will ever change that."

Leonardo cocked his head, considering Donatello's statement. In the break in conversation the white noise of the lab filled the silence. All around them Donatello's science pulsed and glowed. Not the clean dry science of research facilities and university labs, but something wilder. Don's inventions were as patched together as they were, a mishmash of alien technology, scavenged parts improvisations. "Why do you bring up our hybridization?" Leo asked finally.

"It's almost fall." Donatello paused letting the implication sink in. "Do you have a strategy for your interactions with Raphael during mating season?" Even in the dim light of the lab Leo's blush was visible. "If you have a plan, I'm happy to provide you with tactical advice" He placed a cool hand on Leos thigh. "or feild support." Don continued dryly.

"W-what? D-don-nie!" Leo stammered, shifting away from Don touch. Leonardo was about to lay into Don about his strange teasing the glimpsing the earnest concern in Donatello's face hesighed instead. Leo took a deep breath before speaking "It's not our first season." he fidgeted uncomfortably before continuing "We will handle things as we always have, individualy with as little disruption to Sensei and training as possible."

Don snorted in reply "Is Raph onboard for this 'individually' clause? Further even if you some how convince Raph aggree to sit on his hands while you keep your legs crossed" Leo half suppressed a chuckle at Don's colorful imagery. Don gave him an incredulous look and resumed "do you honestly think that will still stand with Raph's blood running hot a the smell of his mate just down the hall?"

Leo sat a little straiter I'm his commander and his partner, he'll have too. Thankfully I've got almost a month to figure it out."

Don snorted "You may have a month but by my estimates Raph has a week at best."

Leonardo gaped at him, Donatello warmed inwardly at the adorable sight of slack jawed Leo couldn't help adding "Raphael is always as early as you are late."

"Yo Raph, ya want your ass handed to you for a couple rounds of old school street fighter?"

Raph surged with an easy roll of his shoulders. Holding out his hand for a controller "Sure thing twerp, I'm always happy to wipe the floor with ya."

They exchanged easy banter for a few rounds while Michelangelo probed for an opening.

Finally Mikey risked a quick glance at his brother during the wind up animation on a super "Not any of my business, but I was like just wondering if you had you know, come up with a good excuse for master Splinter for why your stealing his most perfect student for two weeks of you bunny humping that bubble butt."

Raph shot him a confused look "What are ya on about now?"

Mikey grinned " Summers ending."

Raph's expression was the perfect mirror of this thoughts as he teased through Miney's hint. "Shell." he whispered eyes wide.

Michaelangelo grinned "Ready to play sink the submarine as a full time professional sport?"

"We haven't actually, ya know." Raph trailed off uncomfortably. "Mated?" Mikey supplied helpfully. Raph slapped him on the back of the head automatically "Got a real way with words little bro, you could make anything sound unsexy."

"If I'm lucky nature will just take its corse." Raph cracked his knuckles before continuing "But we both know I ain't that lucky. And..." he paused focused look settling over his features "I can't have an easy win on this. Its gotta be all or nothing."

"Sounds like your making this hard dude. Just flow with it." Mikey advised.

"Ya gotta look at this from my side, I'm all in, but I take it too far, too fast Fearless is gonna freak." Raph grinned "Ain't like I ain't dreaming of it though, that ass is going to be sweet to tap."

Mike chuckled at Raph's colorful language "Can I ask you something bro?"

Raph sruged and waited for Mikey to continue.

Mikey bounced slightly and then spat out "How do you know if you are like, in love, love?"

Raph's eye brows shot up and he rocked backwards slightly in suprise "Shell Mikey you are better at this stuff then I am."

Michelangelo shook his head emphatically "No way dude, you are like mad in touch with your feelings bro. It's like one of the reasons we get along so well. That and you're shella funny when it's not me you're ragging on."

"I'm good at having them, I'm not always good at explaining them in ways other than with my fists." Raph counterd.

The intensity of Raphael's eyes on him was heady stuff. Mikey pressed onward. "Like, when we were younger." his words rushing together a little in his eagerness. "For strait serious, I saw what was happening between you and Leo, but I couldn't see why. I mean he's hot and all but really, why Leo man?"

"Just was. Like gravity or the color of the sky ya know?" Raph shifted on the couch, emotions rolling across his face to fast to name. "My whole life I've been a fighter, but I couldn't fight this. Then I realized that I didn't even want ta."

"Sounds heavy dude." Mikey quipped.

Raphael nodded vaguely risking a quick glance at Mike before continuing. "Thats not even the scary part, you want to know what the scary part is?"

"Lay it on me."

"That all this, everything I feel about him, might not be enough." Raph paused eyes shifting away uncomfortably. "Fearless, he's got this distance. Sometimes I feel like it takes everything I've got and then some just for me to reach him." Mikey felt Raph's gaze as a near palpable heat as green and gold rings burned into him. "I put my self out there. And I got no guarantee he's ever gonna reach back."

Mikey cocked his head considering "Dude, I wouldn't get sloppy, but I wouldn't worry to much either."

"No?" Raph asked slinging an arm over the back of the couch as he leaned into it.

"Leo's not as complex a dude as everyone makes him out to be. He's like efficient, just a matter of time before he figured out he can't survive with out you." Mikey made a little balncing gesture with his hand "then again, bro's not the fastest on the uptake, so it may be a while."

Raph grinned, in responce the conquest thrilled him almost as much as the prize.