Chance
part 2

In bed, Michelangelo was as enthusiastic and imaginative as Leonardo had known he would be.

He was also fairly vocal, so in order to enjoy each other, they had to continue visiting the building where they'd first connected. Their absences were frequent enough to draw a question in that regard from Donatello.

Leonardo easily fielded the inquiry by explaining that he had decided to help Michelangelo burn off some of his excess energy with additional training runs. Donatello had accepted the explanation, but Leonardo was certain he saw a touch of suspicion in the genius' gaze.

On the other hand, Raphael asked nothing at all. His only comment on the subject was how much he enjoyed having uninterrupted television viewing time.

Leonardo found this to be worrying behavior. As of late, Raphael had shown a tendency to isolate himself from his family. If it weren't for practice sessions and the occasional request from Donatello for assistance, Raphael wouldn't have interacted with his siblings at all.

The one hopeful sign was that he would respond agreeably to Donatello. As the brothers matured, the once contentious interactions between Donatello and Raphael had mellowed. Raphael no longer made fun of Donatello's intellect or his fighting ability.

For his part, Donatello seemed to depend on Raphael more than he had in the past. They had something in common; whereas Leonardo and Michelangelo had been the ones to break off the burgeoning relationships with the women in their lives, their brothers had been left behind.

Y'Gythgba, called Mona Lisa by Raphael, had chosen to return to her own people. Something had happened between them, something that Raphael had refused to discuss. He hadn't seemed overly upset by that turn of events, but he was the brother most likely to hide his emotions behind a facade of indifference.

When April O'Neil had elected to leave New York in order to attend college, Leonardo had braced himself. He had expected Donatello to be devastated and quite possibly unable to function.

Donatello had moped for a week and then had seemed to snap out of it. The quick rebound was a surprise to everyone and it had prompted Leonardo to ask after his brother's well-being. The assurances from Donatello regarding his mental health had the ring of truth to them, so Leonardo dropped the subject.

It had been only a short while later that Donatello had begun actively seeking Raphael's assistance with various projects.

One evening, as Leonardo and Michelangelo lay together in post-coital bliss, the younger turtle asked, "How much longer do I have you all to myself?"

Leonardo's mind had been drifting, his body completely relaxed, and the question coming so out of the blue startled him.

"What do you mean?" Leonardo countered. He wanted to be certain as to the direction of Michelangelo's thoughts before giving anything away.

Michelangelo lifted his chin from his brother's chest and looked him in the eyes. "I know what you're trying to do. You want all of us, don't you?"

"Remember what you told me?" Leonardo asked, meeting his brother's gaze. "Our first night together, you said that you thought about us in a sexual way, that you even dreamed of doing things with us. Us. Not just me."

"Oh, I'm not against it," Michelangelo said, flashing his trademark grin. "I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed being spoiled and that I'm happy you picked me first."

Holding his brother tighter, Leonardo said, "I am too. But you know I have to try to bring all of us together and this feels like the way to do that."

"You're right, it is," Michelangelo replied, pressing his cheek to Leonardo's scutes. "I think we've been putting walls up around our feelings since . . . since Sensei died."

Leonardo fought to hold back a shiver. He hated thinking of that event, but he hated even more how none of them could even reminisce about their father. It was the first time that Michelangelo had referred to Master Splinter in ages.

"Walls." Leonardo sighed. "Yes, that's a great way to describe it. We've been carrying on, going through the motions, and not really connecting. All I know, Mikey, is that it's up to me to break down those walls."

Michelangelo kissed his chest. "My walls are down. I'm really happy with how you broke them. You wanna break them again before we go home?"

Chuckling, Leonardo patted Michelangelo's shell. "I'm certain I can manage that. My question for you, though, is which of our brothers should I approach next?"

"Donnie," Michelangelo answered with absolutely no hesitation. "He needs it. You gotta have seen how he is with Raph."

Once again Michelangelo managed to stun him. It took Leonardo a second to process what he'd said. "How is he with Raph?"

Rolling over, Michelangelo sat up. "Do you really think Donnie needs that much help with stuff? He hardly ever asked us to do any of his projects with him in the past, but now he suddenly can't finish something unless Raph helps him?"

As always, Michelangelo's insight was eye opening. Leonardo silently thanked his own instincts for choosing to approach his youngest brother first.

Then a thought struck him. "Do you think Donnie would only be receptive to Raph?"

"If receptive means will Donnie only open his legs for Raph, then no," Michelangelo responded, an impish expression on his face. "Dee wants to feel like he's important to someone. More important than just being Mr. Fix-It. You remember how he was always trying to find a reason to be near April? He's doing it again and he picked Raph 'cause he thinks I break stuff and that you don't know how to use a screwdriver."

Leonardo frowned. "I do so know how to use a screwdriver."

If possible, Michelangelo's smile grew wider. "You stuck one in the toaster and blew out half the lights in the lair."

"Okay, so maybe Donnie has a point," Leonardo said. "You do too. I'll find a way to get Don alone."

"I'll help," Michelangelo said with a wink. "No one is as good at distracting Raph as I am."

Leonardo grabbed onto his brother's arms and pulled him close again. "You should be paid in advance for your assistance," he said, his lips brushing Michelangelo's.

"You're darn right I should."

xxxxx

Another day passed before Leonardo saw his opportunity to approach Donatello.

On his way to the genius' lab, Leonardo exchanged glances with Michelangelo. The younger turtle gave him a thumbs up, which thankfully wasn't seen by Raphael, who was sprawled on the couch reading a magazine.

Pausing in the doorway to the lab, Leonardo watched as Michelangelo plopped down on the floor near Raphael. Crossing his fingers that Michelangelo could keep his brother occupied without also aggravating him, Leonardo stepped into the lab.

Donatello was at one of his work tables, scribbling something onto a note pad, his tongue peeking from between his lips. To Leonardo, the tongue thing was an endearing habit, one that Donatello wasn't even conscious of doing.

"Oh hey, Leo," Donatello said, glancing up when his brother's movements caught his eye. "What's up?"

Leonardo shrugged, endeavoring to appear both nonchalant and mildly distressed at the same time. "Actually, I wanted to check on you. I just realized that I've been spending so much time focusing on Mike that I haven't asked how you've been doing."

"I'm good. Getting a lot done actually." Donatello offered his brother one of his gap-toothed smiles.

There was a hint of sadness to it that Leonardo did not fail to miss. Rather than commenting on it and risk embarrassing his brother, Leonardo said, "I have noticed all of the work you've put into fixing up the lair. Raph seems especially fond of the foosball table the two of you scrounged up."

"You mean he likes kicking everyone's butt on that game. It was nothing. Raph helped a lot with getting it home and repaired," Donatello said, trying to sound humble.

There was still a touch of satisfaction in his voice. Michelangelo had been right; Donatello did need to feel like he meant something to them.

"Raph has been helping you with modifications to the Shellraiser too, hasn't he?" Leonardo asked.

Donatello's eyes lit up. "I've managed to increase the Shellraiser's energy output by seventeen percent. It's cleaner too; no puffs of smoke from the exhaust to give away our position anymore."

"How does it handle?" Leonardo asked.

"Smooth as silk," Donatello replied. "We also added additional stabilizers."

The conversation couldn't have played more perfectly into Leonardo's hands. "As the designated driver, I think I should be the judge of that. How about the two of us take the Shellraiser for a test spin?"

"Okay," Donatello said, immediately jumping up from his seat.

For Leonardo, this was one of the trickiest parts of his plan. He needed to leave the lair in the Shellraiser without drawing Raphael's attention. As it turned out, Michelangelo had taken care of that for him by somehow getting his brother into the dojo. Leonardo had no idea how he'd managed it, but he could just hear their voices as he and Donatello went through the turnstiles and entered the Shellraiser.

The vehicle's engine turned over with less noise than usual. "Wow, it practically purrs," Leonardo observed.

On his viewing screen he could see Donatello beaming with pride. As they drove out of the tunnels and onto the city streets, Donatello began a running dissertation on all of the alternations he'd made to both the Shellraiser and the Party Wagon.

It had been a while since Leonardo had seen Donatello so animated. It was rare for any of Donatello's brothers to actually listen to him; they usually cut him off when he started to get long-winded.

This time Leonardo focused not so much on the words, but on the way Donatello spoke. Leonardo had become so inured to his brothers ramblings that he normally paid little attention beyond grabbing the information he absolutely needed to hear.

Because of that, Leonardo had forgotten how Donatello's whole being seemed to light up whenever he was enthusiastic about something. There was actually a kind of poetry in the way Donatello spoke; his words ardent and compelling all at once.

It was enlightening to hear Donatello in this new way, so with encouraging words and intelligent questions, Leonardo kept him talking. As he grew more confident with his audience, Donatello's voice took on a different timbre, one that was richer and more vibrant. There was a sweetness to it as well, especially when Donatello spoke of things he'd done or wanted to do in order to improve his brothers' lives.

They were nearing the destination that Leonardo had chosen; Brooklyn Bridge Park. In the aftermath of the Kraang invasion, the park hours had changed and so had the security measures to keep people out at night. Those security measures didn't apply to a vehicle that was large enough to appear as though it belonged to the sanitation department.

It wasn't until Leonardo parked the Shellraiser that Donatello took note of their location and stopped talking. The view was one of the best in the city, and looking out over an expanse of trees towards the water, they could even see a few stars.

Leonardo got out of his seat and opened the door to leave the vehicle. When he looked back, he saw that Donatello was still seated and was staring at him in confusion.

Crooking a finger at his brother, Leonardo said, "Come with me."

Using one of the back wheels as a springboard, Leonardo hopped onto the top of the Shellraiser. Donatello followed suit and went to stand next to his brother, who was looking out towards the Statue of Liberty.

"What are we doing?" Donatello asked.

"We're enjoying the view of the city we saved," Leonardo said. "Don't you think we should do that every once in a while just to remind ourselves of all the good we do?"

Donatello shrugged. "Sure, I guess so." He was quiet for a moment, and then asked, "Is this what you and Mikey have been doing?"

Leonardo glanced at him and then sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him. Reaching up, he took his brother's hand and said, "Join me."

Once Donatello was sitting beside him, Leonardo released his hand. Donatello was seemingly unaware that Leonardo had guided him to sit close, because the maneuver had been subtle.

After a few more moments of silence, Leonardo spoke softly. "Mikey and I have been taking the time to remind ourselves of what we have in our lives that is good. We can't always worry, Donnie. We can't spend all of our time trying to prepare for the things that might happen because when we do that, we aren't living."

Frowning, Donatello said, "But you're the one who stresses that we practice every day, that we improve our skills as much as we possibly can."

"Of course I do," Leonardo said. "For us, that is basic survival. It doesn't have to be everything that we are."

"Is this some new insight you've achieved through meditation?" Donatello asked.

"Actually, it is," Leonardo said. "It didn't come to me through meditation, but it did help me to find the answer I was seeking."

"What answer was that?"

Donatello was staring at him, curious and open. When Leonardo turned his head to meet his brother's eyes, he was sure he saw expectancy in them as well.

"I think you know."

They were four simple words, but the effect was immediate; Donatello blushed and looked away. "I misunderstand things," he mumbled.

A more direct approach worked with Michelangelo, but Leonardo knew that what Donatello needed was romance. For Donatello to be receptive, Leonardo needed to court him. Hence the choice of setting and their proximity to one another.

Both were leaning back on their hands. Very slowly, Leonardo inched his hand towards Donatello's and set his fingers atop his brother's.

Leonardo heard the slight hitch in Donatello's breath, but his brother didn't try to pull away. Tilting his head back, Leonardo contemplated the moon. He could feel it when Donatello peeked at him and then glanced away, skittish as an alley cat.

"Remember how it was out there in the vastness of space?" Leonardo asked. "Despite our worries, we still had time to see the beauty that was all around us."

"I've always liked astronomy," Donatello said, almost shyly.

"I always liked it when we were little and you drew the planets and stars on pieces of paper," Leonardo said. He chuckled. "For you it was science, for Mikey it was something he could color."

"He would drive me crazy always stealing my projects," Donatello said.

"He wasn't the only one. I stole a few of them too," Leonardo confessed.

"You did?"

Leonardo looked over at him, making certain to hold his brother's gaze. "I still have some. I'd look at them at night, when we were supposed to be sleeping, and imagine all sorts of adventures we could have together."

"I never knew that," Donatello said. He sighed. "I guess we got to have those adventures."

"We did. Together," Leonardo stressed. "People come and go in our lives, Donnie. The one thing we truly have is each other." He gently caressed Donatello's fingers, rolling onto his hip in order to bring the other hand up to his brother's cheek. "The only thing we truly need is each other."

"Are you sed . . . sedu . . . ?" Donatello's words trailed off; his expression poignant.

"Seducing you?" Leonardo asked. "Yes, I am. No misunderstandings. I will always be open with you, I won't lead you on, and I won't leave you wondering about my feelings."

Donatello blushed even more, his lips parting as he drew in a shuddering breath. "So, you and Mikey . . . ?"

"Yes," Leonardo answered. "He wants to be with you too."

"That's why . . . distracted Raph . . . this trip . . . helping you . . . ."

Donatello's brain seemed almost to be overloading. Leonardo quickly set his thumb against his brother's lips, stopping the flow of words and redirecting his attention.

"I want you to focus on me right now," Leonardo said. "It's just the two of us. I want to make love to you, Donnie."

Blinking a few times first, Donatello began speaking rapidly. "It makes sense when you think about it. I mean, it's not like I haven't considered . . . this. If anything, April made me think about it more, not just after she left, even though I did after she left too. I thought about it before, when she was still around because she never seemed to get how I felt. How I thought I felt. Then I wondered if I was doing everything wrong for a deeper reason. Maybe I was pursuing her because I thought I had to, not because I wanted to. Does that make sense? She was giving me mixed signals, well, mostly it was no, and Casey was . . . I think with him I was being competitive, and then Raph teasing me. But after she left, I didn't feel like I'd lost everything, and isn't that what I should have felt if she was the one?"

He giggled nervously, staring at Leonardo as if he needed a lifeline. Leonardo lightly gripped the back of his head and pulled him down so that their foreheads were touching.

"Shh," he shushed. "Take a breath. I know you prefer to weigh things out, to analyze every step before moving forward. Sometimes, Donnie, you have to simply take a chance."

"Isn't this more than a chance?" Donatello asked, his voice hushed. "Isn't this . . . life altering?"

"Yes it is," Leonardo said. He shifted in order to place a barely there kiss to Donatello's lips. In a gentle whisper, he added, "I love you. There is no greater truth than that."

Donatello exhaled slowly, as if releasing all his inhibitions, and melted into Leonardo's touch. "I love you too."

With a smile, Leonardo pressed his lips to his brother's. This kiss was stronger, Leonardo's tongue pushing its way into Donatello's mouth. The pair moved even closer, their arms wrapping around one another as they kissed.

Leonardo felt more than heard Donatello's first churr and he responded in kind. A pulse had begun beating between his legs and from the way Donatello kept pressing his knees together, Leonardo knew he was becoming just as aroused.

It took will-power to pull his mouth off of Donatello's. He heard his brother swallow thickly, his eyes glazed as he stared at Leonardo's lips.

"You know, you never responded to me," Leonardo said.

Donatello drew in several long breaths, his shoulders shaking. His tongue flicked out over his bottom lip before he asked, "About what?"

"When I expressed my desire to make love to you," Leonardo said. "Do you want that too?"

Desire darkened Donatello's brown eyes, the reddish tinge in them suddenly more pronounced. "Yes, oh yes," he responded, quickly lying back and spreading his legs.

Leonardo needed no more encouragement than that.

TBC...