Drabble: Not When Raph And Don Are Home! (2 of 4)

by KC

Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles.

Pairing: Michelangelo/Leonardo

Forget video games. Bugging Leo 'till he has to pay attention to me is the best game ever. I pop into his room with my headphones cranked all the way and come up behind him. Of course he knows I'm here, but he's meditating and nothing will make him look up when he's meditating. It totally isn't fair that Leo can sit and do nothing and Splinter encourages him, but when I sit and do nothing, I get called lazy!

This is fair comeuppance, as far as I'm concerned.

I plop down on the mat and lean back against his shell, nodding my head in time to the beat. I know he can hear the music through the headphones. I chose the bubblegum pop specifically to bug him. I wonder how hard he tries to tune it out. Splinter makes it look so easy when he contemplates the cosmos. He meditated straight through some of my worst kitchen explosions. Or maybe he just didn't wanna open his eyes and see what I did.

Never ever ever touch hot glass with a cold, damp dishrag. Just fyi.

Leo shifts around behind me but he doesn't say anything. At least I don't think he says anything. I can't really hear anything except the music right now. But he's moving--ha, he moved again--which means I've broken his focus. He's just delaying the inevitable now.

He heaves a small sigh which pushes me up a little, and when he exhales he kind of leans forward, which tips me further back. Perfect angle for me to lay my head on his shoulder. When he turns just enough to give me that familiar glare, I smile and flutter my eyes at him.

See, Leo doesn't play this game fair. He doesn't smile to let you know when you're doing something right. He doesn't tell you when you've hurt his feelings. And although he will say when he's angry, he does this "disappointed in you" thing where you feel guilty and you can't even really argue back. Don calls it being passive aggressive and Raph calls it him being a jerk.

I'd be more upset about it if I didn't know it's not 'cause he won't play by the rules. He doesn't play fair 'cause he doesn't know how to play fair. No one ever told him the rules. Which is totally cool by me 'cause that means I don't have to play by the rules, either. Well, except his rules.

I don't move as his glare softens. It really doesn't take much to get him to soften. Not for me. He reaches up to take off my headphones. That's it, I think as the music fades. Bend a little closer. Just a little more...

I'm on my shell before I realize he's dropped me on the floor and moved across the room. Of course I know why I've been dumped. I can hear the reason stomping up the steps.

"Hey, Leo! Where the hell are you? Splinter said we--"

Raphael, master of timing. I snag my headphones and ignore him, usually not the safest thing to do but Leo won't let him do anything. Funny. The squeaky song kind of matches Raph's mouth when he's grumbling.

Raphael leaves again after a couple seconds, but the damage is done. Leo's back in serious mode. I already know what he's gonna say when he comes over and pulls one of my headphones up.

"Not when Raph and Don are home," he whispers as if they might hear us all the way downstairs.

I watch him walk away, pausing to give me a quick look over his shoulder before he keeps going. Yeah, these rules he makes up as he goes along would be harder to swallow if I didn't know he hates 'em, too.

I put my hands under my head and stare at his ceiling for awhile. It's okay. I won't get mad. It's not Raph's fault he's completely clueless. And it's not Leo's fault he's so cautious. I'd hate to get caught, too. I mean, even if everything went perfect and none of them spazzed, Raph would still heckle us and Splinter would make those embarrassing fatherly comments. Don't even get me started on the birds and the bees talk. I just wanna pretend Splinter doesn't even know what sex is.

It's okay. I can wait. Contrary to what everyone thinks, I can be one patient turtle. Leo and I fit together good, I think. He thinks following rules keeps us safe.

And I know rules are made to be broken.

end