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For as long as Donnie could remember, he always loved to dance
If there was a particular beat or song that got him into a rhythm, he would normally bust out a move. Sometimes it was just swaying his hips to the beat, while other times it was a full out dance, completed with graceful movements.
Now Donnie wouldn’t call himself a dance expert, as that honor belong to Mikey, who considered himself a ‘ballat master’, which Donnie would never take away from his baby brother as he truly was graceful on his feet
But Donnie like to admit that he wasn’t half bad, if his Dance Dance Revolution high score was anything to go by
When Donnie was younger, he didn’t like to show off his moves all that often. He was worried that one wrong move would send him tumbling and that he would damaged his softshell. Splinter always warned him and his brothers to be careful about Donnie’s softshell, hence why his brothers couldn’t be as rough with him as they would like
When Donnie wasn’t playing with his brothers or working on some new invention, he would often listen to music. When the music hit his ears, the rest of the world was blocked out and he just solely focused on the music. It provided him a much-needed distraction
Eventually, that distraction would bleed over into his work and Donnie would sometimes play music while he worked
If you were to asked what Donnie favorite type of music was, he will tell you that dub-step was his favorite. He wasn’t sure why but the sound of that ear-bleeding music was soothing to him, whereas his brothers hated it.
Ok, hate was a strong word there. More like really didn’t like it as they prefer like smooth jazz or whatever that Donnie couldn’t stand
However, there was one particular song that Donnie considered to be one of his favorites
He must have been around 10 or 11 when he first heard it but he knew instantly that he liked the song. It was “Dancing in the Dark” by Rihanna. This song was from the movie soundtrack “Home”, which the brothers watched about a few weeks ago
It was a really good movie and most of the songs got stuck in the boys’ heads. Donnie’s favorite from the movie was “Dancing in the Dark”. He liked that song because he felt like he could relate to it the most as he loved to dance.
Donnie’s twin, Leo, also shared that he loved that song and the twins spent the day after watching the movie dancing to the soundtrack. Donnie found that Leo loved to dance as much as he did, though he had his own style that Donnie wasn’t too fond of
At one point, Donnie had asked Leo if he wanted to take some dance lessons together through some videos on the internet. Leo shrugged his head and said sure.
For the next several months, the twins spent about every other day learning all different kinds of dancing. Donnie picked it up pretty well, while Leo struggled a bit
Whenever Leo would fall, he would get frustrated and crossed his arms. Donnie could tell that his brothers wanted to quit. But, truth be told, Donnie loved doing these lessons with his twin. It felt like it was something special just between the two of them. Donnie would always give Leo his hand and told him that it was ok and that he just needed to keep trying
“But I’m no good at it Don” Leo would whine. “You are clearly the better dancer then I am”
Donnie, however, would not give up on Leo. “Just keep trying at it Leo. You will get the hang of it” Donnie would always say
Eventually, Leo got the hang of some of the dances and that made Donnie very happy
The twin showed off their moves to their brothers, Splinter, and even April who had dropped by, dancing along to their collective favorite song, “Dancing in the Dark”
Leo and Donnie were on rhythm with each other and they danced gracefully together, making even Mikey a bit jealous.
When the song was over, everyone gave them an applause and Leo and Donnie shared a hug. Leo was all excited and Donnie smiled a genuine smile, happy to share something fun with his twin. To Donnie, it didn’t matter about getting the moves down. He was having fun with his twin and that’s all that mattered to him
…
That was four years ago
The twins were 12 years old when they performed that dance together
Since then, the twins would find every opportunity they could to dance, whatever that be together or by themselves.
Espeically when “Dancing in the Dark” came up in their playlists. Raph and Mikey knew that whenever that song came on, it was not hard to find the twins as they would be swaying and dancing to the beat of the song.
One time, Mikey found Leo and Donnie in the kitchen with utensils in their hands, singing along to the song while twirling each other around. It was definitely a sight to behold and Mikey started to record the whole thing. Only to get yelled out and ran out of the kitchen a couple of minutes later by Donnie once the song was over, though Leo was laughing his butt off the whole time
Moments like that were common around the Hamato household. Whenever that song came on, or any song with a strong enough beat, Donnie would find himself jamming along to it by dancing or sometimes even singing along, if his mood felt right
It was why he called himself ‘Bootyshaker9000’ for a reason. He loved to dance and he was definitely not going to apologize for that
Donnie’s mind often wander to the fact if he and Leo were truly twins. He knew biologically it wasn’t possible but something about being twins with Leo just felt right. Leo understood him unlike any of his other brothers and vice versa. They were the closest when they were children and, despite being polar opposites personality wise, they shared many similar qualities and interests
Music was the same way. Sure they had different taste in music and sure, Leo liked to sing a bit more then he liked to dance, to which Donnie was the opposite. But, they both liked the same song and, despite Leo being more of a singer then dancer, it was the only song to which they danced to together. No other song could come close.
“Dancing in the Dark” soon became known as the “twins song” and both Leo and Donnie couldn’t agree more
However, Donnie should have know that good things don’t last forever.
He was the science guy
He should have been able to predict this
Donnie could not predict the near end of the world. He couldn’t predict the Kraang invading his home and threatening to take away the most important thing in his life
Standing there and watching his brother, his twin, sacrifice himself and getting locked away in the prison dimension was not something that Donnie could ever predict
Tears were rolling down Donnie’s face before he even realized it. He looked at the wetness on his face and couldn’t understand just how much he lost in that moment. Sure they defeated the Kraang, but at what cost?
What price did Donnie and his brothers have to pay so that the rest of the world could be saved? Why was the world always against them? Why did his idiotic, stupid, fun, sweet, lovable twin have to sacrifice himself so that his other half could live? How did that make any sense?
Donnie’s mind soon flashed to all of his dance lessons with Leo. All of those long hours and the amount of dedication from both him and Leo, just so that they could show off to their family. How it was all fun to Donnie and how he loved sharing something special with his twin.
Donnie’s heart broke even more as he started to sob quietly
Donnie had lost his dancing partner, his other half. Donnie wasn’t sure if he could ever play “Dancing in the Dark” again without being reminded of all of the happy times that he had with Leo. The pain would just be too much to bear
Donnie began to wonder if he would ever dance again. He knew that he couldn’t if Leo was gone. Donnie wasn’t even sure if he could continue to live his life without Leo in it
Luckily, that reality never came to past as Mikey, with the help of Raph and Donnie, were able to pull Leo out of that horrible dimension
Donnie couldn’t even be happier to see his twin as he crushed him in a tight hug, which didn’t last long as Leo passed out shortly after
Donnie started to freak out, but calmed down once he saw Leo’s steady breathing. He did a scan on him and said that he was fine, just some bruises and a fractured leg, but nothing that couldn’t be healed with some medication and time
After meeting up with April, Splinter, and Casey, everyone made their way back to the lair and everyone was patched up, with Mikey and Leo being treated for their injuries
The invasion was about two weeks ago
Leo had to stay in the medbay for a bit, due to his injuries. The first night, everyone slept in the med bay together, afraid that something would happen to Leo if they left him. Leo was still unconsciousness at this point, though Donnie assured everyone that he would wake up by tomorrow.
One look at Leo’s bandaged body was enough to send Mikey into a spiral, hugging Leo tightly and sobbing into his shoulder. Donnie did the same on Leo’s other side, though his tears were a bit more subdued. Raph came up from behind and gently held his three brothers in his lap. The four brothers ended up laying in bed with Leo, while April, Splinter, and Casey opted to sleep on the floor
Afterwards, everyone felt better about leaving Leo alone, once he woke up the next day. He was still in a lot of pain but seemed to be doing alright. All of the brothers would visit Leo everyday, but none more so then Donnie
During these visits, Donnie noticed something was off with his twin. He didn’t smile as much as he used to and didn’t try to crack any jokes. It was definitely jarring and Donnie hated seeing his twin like that.
It was liked when Leo went into that dimension, a different Leo came out. One that may have looked like his brother but sure didn’t act like it
About two weeks after the invasion, Leo fractured leg had healed and Donnie declared that Leo could officially be discharged from the medbay. Donnie told him this as he was undoing his bandages and while Leo gave him a tiny smile, it still wasn’t the smile that Donnie was used to
“Ok what’s up with you Leo?” Donnie asked, as he finishing unwrapping the bandages. Leo’s smile faltered for a second. “What do you mean, my dear twin?” Leo asked, seeming oblivious to the situation. “Don’t give me that” Donnie said, pointing his finger in Leo’s direction. “You know exactly what I am talking about”
“I’m afraid I don’t. Enlighten me dear Donatello”. Donnie wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or irriated that Leo was making a joke right now. “Well let’s see…” Donnie began, holding up his fingers. “You don’t smile much anymore and you don’t joke around as much either”
Leo looked away when Donnie said that. Donnie sighed and walked up to his twin and placed his hand on his shoulder. “The Leo that is sitting in front of me right now, is not the same Leo that I used to know”. Leo chucked, though it didn’t sound genuine. “I’m still the same Leo, Dee. I’m still the same twin that you know and love” Leo quietly said, not sounding too confident in what he said
The fact that Leo said it like that broke something inside of Donnie. Donnie squeezed Leo’s shoulder. “No it’s not Leo. I know my twin. This person in front of me is not my twin. He is too quiet. The Leo that I know is loud and makes annoying jokes, yet has the biggest smile that radiates off so much warmth and love. The Leo that loves to sing and dance and would do anything for his family. For his twin. Where did my brother go?” Donnie asked through his tears
“Gone” It was so quiet that Donnie almost missed it. Leo sniffled as he wiped away his tears that were started to come down his face. “The Leo that you know disappeared when he went into the prison dimension. This is the new me now Donnie and you are just going to have to accept it”
Donnie would not accept it. “No Leo. I will not accept this” Donnie said, backing away from his twin. “I will not let you watch wallow in your own self misery. I will not watch as my twin loses himself to his own depression or whatever emotions you got going through your head right now”
Donnie realized that he was yelling at Leo as he saw Leo flinched and look away from him. Donnie took a moment to compose himself, wiping away his tears. “Leo, I don’t know what happened to you in that prison dimension and if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I…I just want to help you Leo. Please tell me how to help you. I just want my twin to be happy again”\
Leo looked up to see Donnie was once again crying. Leo hated to see Donnie cried but his own self-wallowing was getting in the way of giving Donnie want he wanted. “I’m sorry Donnie. But there is nothing that you can do to help. I appreciate it, truly though. But maybe it is for the best if you just leave me alone for now”
Donnie was at a lost for word as he watched Leo buried his face into the pillow and began to cry quietly. Donnie wasn’t sure what to do until a lightbulb popped into his head
He quickly left the medbay, leaving Leo alone for the time being
Leo watched Donnie leave and he felt mixed emotions. He was glad that Donnie took his advice and left him alone. Yet, another part was screaming at him for sending his brother away. He needed Donnie. He needed Donnie to pull him out of this hole that he had dug. He wanted his twin to comfort him, even though wasn’t the best at it. He just wanted a hug from his twin so badly, yet his mind had to be stupid and mean and throw him out
Leo’s thoughts were interrupted by the lights to the med bay dimming to ‘night mode’. Leo slightly turned to see that Donnie had returned, with a speaker in hand and one of those disco balls that spun lights everywhere. Leo was confused at what Donnie was doing. “Donnie what are you doing?” he asked his twin. Donnie just gave Leo a smile. “You’ll see”
Donnie turned on the disco ball, casted lights all around the room. Donnie then pulled out his phone and seemed to scroll it through a bit. Soon, familiar words filled through the speaker
I want to dance in the dark
C’mon
We going to light up the night
Leo instantly recognized this song as him and Donnie’s favorite song to dance to when they were younger. It brought back many wonderful memories of dancing with his twin
Leo looked up to see that Donnie was starting to sway a bit to the music, along with singing along with it. Donnie then approached Leo and held out his hand to his brother.
Leo looked at it with apprehension. Donnie sighed. “C’mon Leo. I know you want to. Dance with me?” Leo looked down to his leg. Donnie seemed to notice Leo’s concern. He cupped Leo’s cheek. “Hey your leg is fine now. We can start out slow if that makes you feel better” Leo still wasn’t sure. “Please Leo?”
Well, Leo could never say no to Donnie
Leo grabbed onto Donnie and carefully stood up just as the chorus was beginning to play
I wanna dance in the dark
And never stop
Leo held onto Donnie as the two began to slowly dance around the room. Leo was unsure at first, but with Donnie guiding him, he was able to slowly get his feet to go along with the beat
Donnie slowly watched as his twin went from being scared and unsure, to having a bit of fun. Donnie eventually let go of Leo and the two of them were dancing independently of each other. Donnie was having his own fun, just kept an eye on Leo every now and then
About halfway through the song, Leo started to sing and Donnie couldn’t help the huge smile that came upon his face as he watched his twin start to be like his old self again
When the last chorus came, the twins came together to sing and dance together. They held onto each other within arm’s width, coming together and pulling apart. They ended up spinning each other as the last words of the song rang out. As they did so, Donnie could see that Leo was laughing and having a good time. His twin had a genuine smile on his face and Donnie couldn’t be happier
As the song ended, the two of them ended up on the floor, exhausted from all of the dancing, but laughing all the same, just as they had done all of those years ago. Donnie watched his twin with fond admiration and felt like his heart could burst at hearing Leo’s laugh. He thought that he would never hear it again
Donnie got himself up and extended a hand out to Leo, who took it graciously. Donnie then immediately pulled Leo into a hug, which surprised Leo at first, before melting into the hug. “Thank you Tello for bringing me back” Leo said, resting his head against Donnie’s. Donnie squeezed back tighter and hid his teary face into Leo’s shoulder. “Anytime Nardo. I knew that dancing would do the trick”
The twins shared a laugh. Leo tried to pull away but Donnie wouldn’t let him. Leo chuckled fondly. “You know you are going to have to let me go Donnie” Donnie just brought Leo as close to him as he could. “Never. I am never letting you go. Leo, promise me that you won’t ever do that again”
Whatever Donnie was referring to the self-wallowing or the sacrifice, Leo wasn’t sure. He didn’t press though as he nuzzled his beak against Donnie’s head. “I won’t Donnie. I promise” Donnie just hummed in response.
The twins eventually did pulled away and wiped at the tears on their faces. They stared at the dancing lights around them and Leo couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of it. His twin really knew just the right thing to do to pull him out.
Donnie could see Leo’s face light up and he couldn’t help but smile. “What to go for another round of dancing?” Donnie asked with a smirk. Leo smiled and shook his head. “Maybe tomorrow. Right now, I’m kind of tired from all that singing and dancing”
Donnie couldn’t argue with Leo on that one. “Alright well let’s get you to bed then”
The twins started to walk towards Leo’s room when Donnie felt a hand grabbing onto his. Donnie turned to face Leo. “Stay with me tonight?” he asked in a soft voice. Donnie never felt happier to hear Leo say that. “Of course I will Leo” he replied, squeezing Leo’s hand
The twins piled onto Leo’s bed and got themselves comfortable
However, before going to sleep, Donnie pulled out of his phone and played his most recent song. Leo smiled up at Donnie as the song “Dancing in the Dark” was played in the dark as the twins drifted off to sleep, cuddled up against each other
Donnie was glad to have his twin back and he was glad that their favorite song was still their favorite song, even after all of these years later. It was their own special song and Donnie was glad that it was used to save his twin
Dancing was something that the twins shared together and Donnie hoped that their special tradition could continue for years to come