A/N: Yoooo! This was something I promised to post on tumblr AGES ago, in honor of the episode 'Journey into the Center of Mikey's Mind'. I don't care what anyone else says, that was a really CUTE episode! And as a warning, this fic WILL give you cavities from how sweet and fluffy it is. You HAVE BEEN WARNED XD

I OWN NOTHING.

I hope you guys enjoy!

Always and Forever

"Ugh, maaaan…anyone got any painkillers handy?"

Dragging his eyelids open, Leonardo looked up from the rounded table, which his face had been plastered on top of for the last five minutes, and looked across at Raphael. The red clad turtle looked as miserable as Leo felt, with an ice-pack pressed against his forehead, his eyes reddened around the edges, and a scowl deep enough to dig a grave. Donatello wasn't much different, currently using Leo's shell as a substitute pillow, not that Leo really minded. He couldn't be bothered moving at all, much less shove Donnie off him. Besides, not even Leo was that mean.

"Sorry, Raph," the young leader mumbled. "No painkillers. Just killing pain."

"Try thinkin' of 'em in the 'Think-A-Food Machine'," Donnie offered, his voice slurred with drowsiness and the fact his cheek was squashed against Leo's shell.

"Can't. All I can think of is pain," Raph grumbled, leaning back against the chair. "And swearwords."

That managed to get a snicker out of both Leo and Donnie despite their own banging headaches. The image of Raph eating his own cuss words was almost funny enough to bring them out of their funk. Almost.

The journey into depths of Michelangelo's mind a few hours earlier had been…well, to put it bluntly, it had been by far the weirdest, craziest, most nonsensical adventure they had ever been on, and one they would surely not forget for the rest of their lives, no matter how hard they tried. And in all honesty, none of them really wanted to forget.

It was true that their baby brother's mind had been a complicated maze, one filled with memories both good and bad, thoughts and feelings they had never anticipated or even dreamed the youngest turtle would have…but it was also filled with wonder. It was filled with life, color, magic and dreams that were wild and free and limitless. As crazy as it was, his imagination was a safe haven for Michelangelo's inner child. It was the safest place their youngest brother had to run to whenever things took a turn for the worst.

It was amazing how in the space of a few hours, they'd learned more about their little brother than they had in nearly eighteen years together.

And all they had to show for it was a banging headache that wouldn't go away, and a look of murder in their eyes as the pain continued.

"Hey, dudes."

Blinking rapidly, the three turtles looked up to find the aforementioned orange clad turtle walking into the common room, hands laced behind his back and his head ducked low, looking very much as if he'd done something wrong. And upon noticing this, and the gloom that had suddenly cast over Mikey's usually vibrant blue eyes, the older three straightened up from their pitiful slouches, brows furrowing. What was wrong with him all of a sudden? Minutes earlier he'd been ecstatic after they'd taken down that Belly-Bomb guy, or whatever his name was. But now…

"Um…April's still resting, just so you know," Mikey said, rubbing his arm with his right hand and averting his gaze from his older brothers. "She had a pretty bad headache after what happened, too. But she'll be alright."

Setting his ice pack down, Raph stood up and strode over to Mikey. "Hey, bro, what's gotten into ya?" he asked. "You were buzzing like crazy just a few minutes ago."

"Yeah," Donnie agreed, staggering to his feet before approaching his two brothers, with Leo not far behind. Laying his palm atop Mikey's brow, Donnie tilted his head. "You still feeling sick or something? Must be the residual influence the Neutrinos had on you –"

"It's not that, Dee," Mikey said, gently pushing Donnie's hand away. "It's…I feel bad that you guys had to go through all that. 'Cus now you've all got the worst headaches, on top of the beat down you took from those nasty Neutrino dudes, and –"

"Mikey," Leo intervened, pinning Mikey with a knowing yet gentle look. Mikey flashed his sullen baby blues up at him, and not for the first time, Leo felt his heart throb for his youngest brother, despite the fact he hated it when he gave him those damn puppy eyes.

He reached out, taking Mikey's hand before guiding him towards the couch, Raph and Donnie close behind. Once they were all seated, Leo clasped Mikey's shoulder, looking into his big blue eyes. "Mikey, do you think we resent going into your subconscious to save you, just because we have headaches?" he probed, raising a brow.

Biting his lip, Mikey averted his gaze yet again, finding his knee-pads far more interesting, apparently. "…kinda," he muttered after a moment. It wasn't the answer Leo had wanted to hear, not in the slightest, and it admittedly shook him.

"And are you afraid that since we've seen what really goes on inside your head, we'll make fun of you for it?" Raph asked from Mikey's right, folding his arms over his chest.

Again, Mikey ducked his head even lower. "…well…aren't you?" he squeaked.

At that, the three older brothers all shared a near guilt ridden look. Had Mikey really believed they would tease him for what they'd witnessed in his subconscious, a place that had been nothing but a safe haven for his most private thoughts and feelings? Had they really allowed Mikey, their baby brother who'd bottled up so much anger and insecurity, to feel that way about them? That they would regret trying to save his life over some stupid headache?

Leo narrowed his eyes, his grip on Mikey's shoulder tightening in anger. He wasn't angry at Mikey, by no means. He was angry at himself for allowing his baby brother to believe such nonsense because of their pitiful moaning.

"No way, Mikey. Not in a million years," he said firmly, taking Mikey utterly by surprise as he snapped his head up, staring at Leo in mute shock. "We'd never make fun of you for something like that. And for your information, we don't regret going inside your head just because we have headaches."

"But –"

"And before you say anything, neither does April. We went in there because we wanted to, Mikey, because you mean the world to us. We don't regret it, not for a second."

"Your subconscious was freaking weird, I'll give you that," Raph said, draping his arms around Mikey's shoulders. "But like Leo said, we did it to save you, mike. And hey, I've gotta admit, it was kinda cool. I mean, come on, where else am I gonna get the chance to be an actual Fire Bending turtle?!" He added with a wide grin, one that was soon mirrored by Leo and Donnie as they all nodded.

"And on top of that, the rap you made up to give us a clue was actually pretty clever, innovative even," Donnie snickered with a shake of his head. "I swear, I'm never gonna get that outta my head, not for a long time. And plus, I got to ride a freaking tiger! That was pretty sweet. Too bad I couldn't actually wrestle a shark, though."

Rolling his eyes with an exasperated smile, Leo turned back to Mikey, and felt his heart soar when he saw the light return to his eyes at their words of praise and admiration. "You see? We loved your imagination, Mikey," he said, laying his hand against his brother's cheek. "Granted it was a lot to take in, and it was a literal maze of mayhem, but that's just part of who you are. And we wouldn't change that for the world, little brother, not even over the headache of the century. Okay?"

Blinking hard, Mikey's gaze darted from Leo, to Donnie, to Raph and back again. Then, at long last, a wide smile grew across his freckled face, along with a few traces of tears, which Leo promptly, gently, wiped away with his thumb. "Y-Yeah! Okay," Mikey sniffed, nodding as he used the back of his hand to scrub his face. "Thanks bros. That adventure was pretty rad, huh?"

Leo chuckled. "Not as rad as seeing Little Mikey kick some serious Neutrino butt!" he said, a new grin spreading across his face. "Now, c'mere you!"

Without further warning, Leo tugged Mikey to his chest, wrapping both arms around him before giving him a big, mushy kiss on the cheek. Mikey squeaked in surprise, trying to wriggle his way out of his older brother's grip, but was laughing his heart out all the while despite his protests. "Gyah! Leo gross! Hahaha, leggo! " he cried.

"Never! You've been infected by another alien, the Cutetrinos! The only way to vanquish them is by hugging you to death! There's no other way!" Leo cackled, his cheek nuzzling against Mikey's as they continued to laugh. He hadn't done this since they were kids, and he'd missed it, more than he wanted to admit.

Raph and Donnie shared a grin, before both of them pounced on Mikey and Leo, adding their strength and thunderous laughter to the turtle pile as they latched onto their younger brother. "You need backup, Captain Leonardo! You can't handle the Cutetrinos on your own!" Donnie hooted.

"C'mere you lil' squirt!" Raph barked, just as the four of them toppled onto the floor in a pile of green limbs. And above their laughter, Mikey's was the loudest, mirthful of them all.

No matter how old they got, no matter the trials they endured, the dangers they faced or the enemies they made along the way, Michelangelo would never change. Inside, he would always be their little brother, their ray of sunshine on the gloomiest days, their source of laughter and undying love.

And no damn little headache was going to change that.

A/N: I expect your complaint letters due to cavities in the next hour or so XD I hope you guys enjoyed that, and more are on the way...possibly in the next few minutes XD