Prompt: Leo and Mikey: Things you said at the kitchen table

Words: 380

Rating: K

*Leo and Mikey are about 8 or 9 in this minific*

Owning Up

"Just start at the beginning, Mikey. What happened?" Leo asked as he rubbed his little brother's shell comfortingly.

Mikey was sobbing wretchedly at the kitchen counter, the remnants of a broken CD player sitting between him and his oldest brother.

"I just wanted to see it!" Mikey bawled tremulously. "Raphie was bragging about finding it in that junk pile and he wouldn't let me even look at it. He even let Donnie hold it, but told me to keep my hands off."

"So you just went into his room and took it?" Leo asked incredulously. Mikey's eyes grew wide and he shook his head quickly, trying to absolve himself of guilt.

"Borrowed! I borrowed it, I swear! I was going to take it back as soon as I was done with it, but it slipped out of my hands and it fell and the whole thing just… Leo, what am I gonna do? He's gonna kill me, bro!"

Yep, Leo thought, Raph's going to really ticked when he finds out, but it'll be worse if Mikey doesn't own up to it.

"You gotta tell him, Mikey. He's going to find out sooner or later."

"But…," Mikey stared up at him, his bright blue eyes filled with absolute terror and swimming in miserable tears.

"Don't worry, I won't let him kill you," Leo said consolingly, yet with the arrogance of a big brother who knew just a little more about life than the younger siblings. "But you can't just take his stuff without asking him first! That really dumb, you know?"

"Yeah…," Mikey sniffed and rubbed at his eyes. He looked pretty remorseful, but he was still going to have to face Raph's wrath. Master Splinter always said that there were consequences to their actions, and Mikey was going to have to take responsibility for his.

"And I'll even help you look for another one," Leo offered impulsively. "Probably won't find one, but at least we can say we tried, right?"

Mikey's eyes brightened and his signature smile spread across his face once more.

"Really?" he asked excitedly before tackling Leo in a bear hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best big brother ever!"

Leo chuckled and rumpled Mikey's mask affectionately.

"You're not too bad yourself, little brother."