Hey! Haven't written TMNT stuff for a while. This takes place in the 2003 universe. Hope you enjoy!
I do not own any TMNT's.
They had originally been watching a documentary on sharks. Or, more accurately, Donnie had been watching it and then Raph - caught by the sympathetic viewpoint the shark was getting - joined him. Then, predictably, the show had finished and the two of them had just kept the TV on because, why not?
"What's on next?" Raph asked.
Donnie checked. "A documentary on something called Autism."
Raph frowned. "What's that?"
"I've heard of it." Donnie said, doing his favourite trick of not actually answering the question. "Some kind of neurological condition, I think. I don't know a lot about it actually. Shall we watch it?"
Two minutes later and they were watching it. It wasn't a bad documentary actually, listing the symptoms and talking to several autistic people including a scientist, a news reporter and a well-known Olympian. It was the list of symptoms - or traits rather - than interested Raph. It described Donnie rather well, he realised looking over at his brother.
Intelligence, literal-mindessness, special subjects but also a certain sensitivity and insightness along with a kind heart and well-meaning nature...
He could see Donnie was connecting the dots as well, tapping his fingers anxiously on the arm of the chair. Eventually his hand darted forward and he grabbed the remote and turned the TV off.
"You alright?" Raph asked, looking at him keenly.
"Fine." Donnie said, abruptly. He then got up and muttered he was going to his lab.
Raph leapt up and grabbed Donnie's arm before he could leave. "Hey. You know that's not an actual diagnoses, right? Just a couple of doctors saying what they think."
"Yes, because doctors have a reputation for being wrong." Donnie said, sarcastically, trying to pull his arm away.
Raph loosened his grip on his brothers arm, but still pressed on with. "And anyway even if you do have this Autism thing, it's not bad, ya know? You're still you. And from what they were saying this...condition, if ya wanna call it that, can give people a gift of sort. Be that advanced intelligence, good art skills, ability to order things properly, creativity in general, the list goes on. And even if you didn't have it or your 'gift'-" Here Raph made finger quotes. "-It wouldn't matter cos your our brother and you-" He affectionally pushed Donnie in the chest. "-Can't shake us off whatever ya do. I mean, let's face it." He added. "In this life we lead we're always one step away from being killed or brain-dead or something. I think the only thing we can rely on is that we have each other an' that's never gonna change. Ask the others if ya don't believe me."
Donnie looked at him, carefully then - without warning - threw his arms round his brother and hugged him tightly. "Thanks Raphie." He muttered. "That means a lot."
Raph nodded and patted Donnie on the back. After a few more seconds Raph gently pushed Donnie away and asked.
"You still want to go to your lab or do ya wanna watch somethin' else?"
His younger brother considered, then decided he'd watch something else with Raphael. A few hours later Leo - suffering from insomnia - found them both fast asleep in front of the TV and draped a blanket over them.