This if for my sister, Ltkeke! (Who also gave me the title for this story!)
You asked for Mama Leo and while I don't think that this is my best, I hope you enjoy it!
And if anyone sees any mistakes, please feel free to let me know. This was more of a "write and post immediately" so there's probably a lot of mistakes.
The lair normally grew colder in the winter months, especially at night.
Obviously.
It didn't ease Mikey's frustrations any as he let out another sneeze that ricocheted throughout the lair.
"This sucks! Why do I have to be the one on house arrest?" he sniffed, wiping at his beak with the back of his hand.
"Because out of everyone else in the family, you get sick the most during this during this time of the year."
Michelangelo looked back as his eldest brother entered the living room with a mug filled with a steamy drink and a box of tissues. With a flick of a wrist, the box of klennex went flying towards him but he easily caught it and drew out several to catch the next sneeze that tried to launch him from his seat on the couch.
"Geez, Mike, I'm starting to think you're getting worse."
The orange banded ninja swatted at the leaf green hand headed for his forehead in a huff. "I'm fine, Leo. Seriously. It's just a little dusty is all."
Leo's hazel eyes squinted at him in disbelief. He knew how sick his baby brother could get during the winter months, they all did. That exact reason was why Donnie stressed so hard over them having working space heaters and heated blankets for cooler weather. Unfortunately for this year, multiple heaters decided to go out at once after a night patrol around the city. So instead of patrolling this night, Leo decided he would stay at home with the youngest while Donnie and Raph were at the dump searching for parts.
"It's always dusty," he pointed out. "We live in a sewer, remember?"
Mikey offered his big brother a grin in spite of the obvious sarcasm, drawing out a withering sigh from the eldest turtle as he placed the warm mug in light green hands before sitting down. "Drink this, it'll warm you up for a bit."
Michelangelo didn't argue and sipped at his drink, his eye ridges raising as he realized exactly what the drink was. "Hot chocolate?"
"I figured you could use a break from Sensei's medicinal tea blend." Leo laughed at Mike's bewildered expression and wrapped his arm around cool shoulders. "Don't give me that look. You know I only shoved it down your throat because I hate seeing you sick. I had honestly thought that fixing it for you and letting you sleep with me last night would've keep you warm enough to prevent this but you just had to be difficult about taking your medicine, didn't you?"
"S'not my fault it's too bitter," the youngest grumbled.
"The bitterness means it's working. Now shush, my favorite part is coming on."
Mikey huffed in response, more focused on his warm drink and the feeling of his brother's warm body he was pressed against as they watched the animated jujitsu fighters duking it out on their television set. It made him miss his father. Not that he would've said no to Leo cuddles if his father were here, but because it was normally Splinter wrapped around him to keep him warm when their heaters went out. He couldn't blame him for being gone though. The Ancient One had sent a letter saying he needed to see Splinter urgently and alone, and who was Splinter to deny the man that raised him. The only reason why the man didn't try to sneak his sons along was because they'd convinced him that they were plenty old enough to left alone at home for a few weeks while he was in Japan, promising to contact April if anything went wrong while he was away.
"And of course everything went to shell."
"What was that, Mike?"
Blue eyes looked up to meet those ever warm hazel and Mikey did nothing to answer his brother but shrug and burrow his face further into the strong shoulder it rested on.
Leo was having none of that. He turned the tv off with the remote and pushed lightly against his little brother with a concerned chirp, trying to get his attention. "What's wrong, buddy? You not feeling too hot again?"
No answer.
Leo carefully pushed Mikey away to get a better look at him, resting the back of his hand on a clammy forehead before cradling his youngest brother's cheek. "Come on, otouto, Talk to me. What's going on in that head of your's?"
Mikey could only sigh in response. Leo always got like this when any of his little brothers were hurt or sick, even Raph. The mother hen side of the eldest was nothing to trifled with and even when their Father was home it never wavered.
So of course he had no choice but to tell Leo. He wasn't going to be happy about it, but if he did decide to keep it to himself then his brother would keep pushing out of worry until a fight broke and even then he would still worry about it.
"I just kinda feel like all I'm good for is wasting Don's supplies." Mikey avoided eye contact before he could see the disappointment in those hazel eyes. "Like, I know it's not my fault this time. I didn't make our heaters go out. But it feels like I'm the one getting the most hurt on patrol or during missions because all I can do is suck or I just get sick out of nowhere even though it doesn't make sense because I feel just fine any other time."
The younger turtle huffed. Getting it out felt kinda nice, not that he would ever admit it, but now came the part he hated the most...
The lecture.
And so he braced, hunching his shoulders as he defiantly kept his gaze away from his brother's so that whatever words that came might not hurt or aggravate him as much.
But what he wasn't expecting was to be pulled forward into Leo's embrace, his head tucked underneath a leaf green chin and body situated on his big brother's lap like he was a little kid. And instead of words, chuffs met his ears. Those comforting, deep sounds that Leo always made when any of them were upset that promised safety and care. He'd done it since they were little kids and while it was much deeper now as a teen, it was no less comforting to any of the brothers and they would often chirp back in response.
The language of four turtle brothers.
And as Mikey's warbled chirps left his throat, he could feel Leo's smile against his temple.
"You are so much more than what you think of yourself, little brother," the blue banded brother assured as he took the empty mug clutched between Mikey's hands and placed it on the table beside them. "Now don't shake your head at me, Michelangelo. Listen. You are so good and so talented and so important and I can't just sit by and let you say those things. You can't help that you get sick, that's absolutely true, but it doesn't mean we love you any less or that we're annoyed with you over it or think that you're a burden to us in anyway. We get concerned. We get upset that we can't take away your pains and sickness. But we're never upset with you about it. We just want you happy and healthy, otouto. We love you"
Mikey sniffed as he began to draw patterns on Leo's plastron with his finger. "I love you guys too. I just wish I could at least do better topside. I always get hurt and then you have to drag my sorry busted shell home. I just want to be better, make you guys and Dad proud, and actually do something for the team, ya know?"
"Well as your leader, and more importantly as your big brother, I think I have a pretty good opinion of your capabilities." Leo rubbed at Mikey's shell as he felt the youngest's muscles began to stiffen. "And my opinion? You're doing amazing with our team. You're quick and agile. You know just how to throw the enemy off with your banter. You keep our morale up even when things start getting tough. And-no let me finish. And the reason you're always getting injured is because you're always trying your best to make sure we don't get hurt by covering our blind spots. That's nothing to dismiss either. We fight a lot of tough enemies, but that's why we look after each other and watch each other's backs. And trust me, we've had to drag Raph down here just as much, if not more than you for protecting this family, much to my ever growing dismay."
Silent tears rolled down Mikey's cheeks, hitting his brother's shoulder and chest. Leo continued to cradle him in his arms. He knew that Mikey had some self doubts, but to think of himself as a problem and a burden was something he couldn't let fester any longer.
Sure they argued and got on each other's nerves all the time, they were brothers, but that never meant that they didn't care deeply for each other or thought each other as a burden.
Brothers forever. Until the very end.
"I'm sorry, Leo," Mikey rasped as he sniffled again.
"No. You have nothing to be sorry for, Mikey. Everything's fine, but let's get you into bed, okay? You're starting to sound bad again."
"Do I have to drink tea again?"
Mikey turned his watery blue eyes towards his brother with a pout as he got up and Leo immediately wilted at the sight.
"No," the eldest sighed. "I guess you don't, but I'm making you drink it tomorrow."
That was enough for the light turtle as he beamed and and headed towards their bedrooms, only changing coarse from his own to Leo's when his brother called out that he didn't want him sleeping by himself in the cold and making himself feel worse.
Leo could only shake his head in amusement as he followed at a more leisurely pace behind his youngest brother, letting Mikey get settled in bed before he got there. Sure enough when he entered his bedroom, the youngest was against the wall where he felt safest and already beginning to nod off.
The leader in blue silently thanked their purple banded brother for the powdery cold and flu medicine he had stashed for Mikey. They were perfect for mixing into a sweet drink without adding a strange flavor, but they did tend to make the person taking them very drowsy after a while.
Mikey didn't budge as Leo climbed in next to him, turning on his heated blanket before wrapping his little brother up in his arms again. With them settled for the night and a familiar weight against him, Leo pressed a kiss to his baby brother's forehead.
"Goodnight, precious little brother."
Insecurities and doubts are a part of life that everyone will go through eventually. What matters the most is if you have supportive people around you to help you see the truth about yourself and that it's okay to mess up and not feel your best. You'll get through this. I believe in you. So don't give up, okay?
~Bless, Alpha 3