Chapter Text
The strength of the foot has greatly diminished since the disappearance of The Shredder, but that doesn't stop other crime syndicates from rising to power and trying to claim the empty spot.
Leo and his brothers have been fighting these crime junkies nonstop for who knows how long. They defeat one gang, two smaller ones come in to take its place, like they're multiplying. The four brothers knew The Shredder had almost infinite reign over the city of New York, but they never could have guessed how many organizations were hiding underneath its belt. As fun as it is for Raph to bust some heads in, or for Donnie to study their habits..
They're fucking tired.
That's it, they're just tired.
On their way home from the last mission, Mikey had flopped so hard on the couch inside the truck that he rocked the whole thing. Raph damn near lied down with him, but Mikey kicked him off and onto the floor. Donnie and Leo had to sit in the front and just lean back in their seats, a long and drawn out yawn forcing its way from their genius brother. Their muscles ached and their bodies were heavy. Heavier than they already are... For once they're feeling that weight.
They get back to the lair, and all they can do is trudge their feet forward. Mikey and Raph don't even have the energy to fuck with each other on the way inside, and instead collapse simultaneously on the couch in the middle of the lair.
Leo thought quick, and grabbed Donnie's hand before he could get far. The genius immediately tried to part and make haste to his lab, or room, either one, he does experiments in both, but Leo's strong grip prevents him from doing so.
"I know you're tired, Don." He says, unable to keep the exhaustion from crackling through his own voice. Donnie just looks at him with lidded eyes, and grunts wordlessly. Leo continues. "We still have to eat dinner. Don't want us going to bed on an empty stomach."
"Mikey's too tired to cook.." Donnie points out, and he's right. They can hear Mikey and Raph's snoring from the couch like a cacophony of growling pitbulls. Leo lets him go, and waves his hand dismissively.
"I'll.. figure something out." Leo says. "Don't worry! It'll be something premade, I know how to use the stove." He raises his hands at the look Donnie shoots him. Everyone and their momma knows Leo can't cook, despite being the oldest. He may be just as tired as his brothers, but he can still navigate a stove. At least.. he hopes so.. Shouldn't be too hard.
Leo pats the back of Donnie's shell encouragingly. "Go and wake them up. Raph won't bite your fingers off."
Donnie grunts again before he starts to move, dragging his feet along the cluttered concrete of their underground home, littered with trash and fast food and other things they dropped and were too tired to pick up. He stands over his usually lively brothers, then gives both their shoulders a push. Neither of them budge. He sighs, then pushes a little harder. There's a dull, overworked ache in his wrists. He doesn't feel like doing it anymore.
He gives in and clambers onto the couch onto Raph's shell, kicking his shoes off before comfortably curling up on top of him. The added weight doesn't wake him. In fact, it probably pushed him deeper into a comfortable slumber.
Leo yawns as he walks into the kitchenette, his hip bumping against the table as he moves past it. He knows it's probably not a good idea for him of all people to try and cook while his only safety nets were dead asleep feet away. He knew Donnie wouldn't get very far.
Despite that, he still wants his family to eat. Being exhausted and not eating food definitely isn't good for their bodies, and they need to be in tip-top shape for what they do every night. He sighs heavily, slumping his shoulders as he reaches into a cabinet for their instant noodles. He pulls out six packs and.. that's all they have left. He contemplates the amount. There's enough for his brothers to get their fill. He can.. wait to eat.
He grabs a pot from under the sink before filling it with water, adjusting his shorts and untucking his tail to let it uncurl behind him. He moans in relief. Being all tight and woven together is so uncomfortable.
He stands in front of the pot, arms draped lazily at his sides, and it begins to boil. Warm steam hits him in the face, and he closes his eyes. How nice it would be for them to be in a sauna, or something. To sit somewhere warm and calm, relaxed. Or to bask in the sun at a beach, letting the warm rays hit their skin, feeling the grainy sand stick to their moist bodies. A break from all of this would be heavenly.
Leo jerks awake as he feels his body dip forward, and he catches himself on the safe edges of the stove. His side tingles, and he jerks his head to the right to see Splinter standing between the kitchenette and the couch, idly stroking his beard. He makes eye contact with Leo, and the eldest feels as though their father knows all of his thoughts just from meeting his eyes.
"It seems you are exhausted, my son." Splinter says obviously. Leo blinks, then nods dumbly.
"Uh.. yeah.. Yes." He corrects himself, flushing at his mistake. "There's just been a lot of activity lately and.."
He trails off as Splinter approaches. He can see the worry in his father's beady eyes, and the thoughtful crease of his eyebrows. He places a furry hand on Leo's arm, rubbing his elbow comfortingly, and Leo feels five again, being lulled to sleep by his father's gentle presence. Able to grab his arm and just keep him there, and sleep. He took sleep for granted. He really wishes he didn't.
"You need not convince me of your troubles." Splinter sighs softly, then tilts his head to the boiling pot. Leo seethes, and moves quickly. He tears open the packets and drop two into the pot. All he has to do is wait again.
Leo sighs again, tilting his head backwards to give himself a little more relief.
"I just-" He starts, then cuts himself off. His thoughts are jumbled, and he can't get the words out. Half finished sentences ram into his skull over and over like chickens with their heads cut off. Despite this, Splinter still seems to know what he wants to say.
"You four have been working so hard." The old rat acknowledges. "Spreading yourselves so thin. Even the greatest warriors must rest, my son. And I think you all deserve that."
And Leo almost collapses to the damn floor, grateful to know he can sleep as long as he wants.
Splinter begins to walk away, regarding a smile to the sleeping turtle heap on the couch away from them. All he sees are his hardworking sons, and all he has is love for them and their uniqueness. If anyone deserved a vacation, it's them. He turns before walking away completely, hands clasped behind him in his usual put-together-way.
"When your brothers wake.. Or.. when you wake your brothers.." Splinter adds with a chuckle. "Inform them of their break. It'll do you all some good." And with that, he returns to his little sanctuary beyond the water slide where all his plants reside.
Leo has enough of half a brain to remember to stir the noodles. A vacation.. Vacations typically consist of leaving home to go somewhere and relax. Do they have that, though? Where could they go where humans can't see them? Should they leave the city? Can they leave the city? It'd be so much easier if they could just stroll into a hotel, or a motel, or a fancy resort where people water ski and surf and..
Okay maybe he's asking for too much.
He pours the first bowl, then strides back to the couch to shake his brothers awake like Donatello was supposed to do. He's much rougher than Donnie was, and Mikey snorts awake, in turn waking Raph when he raises his hand and smacks it into the hothead's snout, which makes his head jerk up and hit Donnie in the chin. All three of them groan and mutter, two of which rubbed the affected spots with added noises of pain.
"The hell, fearless.." Raph growls, and Leo rolls his eyes. "Get up, I'm making dinner."
"Isn't that more reason for us to go back to sleep?" Raph smirks teasingly at his big brother, but hisses when Leo flicks his forehead.
"If you're awake enough to be a smartass, you're awake enough to eat dinner." The leader humphs, then turns tail, slinking back to the kitchenette to make sure the food wasn't burning. They only had so much, too busy as of late to go on a food run.
Eventually, his brothers file in, still groggy from a lack of sleep. Leo sets a bowl in front of Raph first when he sits down, turning to pour the second one for Mikey. Donnie is still fishing for his purple chopsticks out of the silverware drawer when Raph grunts loudly, still slurping a little noodle from his steaming bowl.
"Leo," He starts, muffled. Leo watches unamused as the noodle smacks against his snout from him slurping too fast. "You didn't put any seasonin' in this."
Leo furrows his browline, then smacks a hand against his forehead. He knew he was forgetting something! The eldest sighs in frustration, now unsure what to do with Donnie's portion. "I'm sorry." He huffs, strained. His brothers throw knowing glances. "I'm sorry." He says again. "I'm just tired."
"aye," Raph hums placatingly. "We know."
"Guess we're doing different flavors today boys!" Mikey smacks his hands together and rubs them eagerly. He then makes grabby hands for his bowl in Leo's hand, and he can't help but smile at how he manages to lighten up any situation.
"Here you go, Mike." Leo hands him his bowl, then Donnie his. Mikey fishes shaker after shaker out of the seasoning rack in the center of the table, popping Raph's hand when he reached out to take one for himself, making him growl in light irritation. The three turtles spruce up their noodles all in a different way, Mikey's being the heaviest on spiciness. "You can never go wrong with a lot of hot sauce," Is something he always says.
Leo leans against the stove as they eat, watching with a fondness as they get some food in their bellies. He could never stand them not being able to eat. He would rather starve than let his brothers do so, which is evident here.
The first one to notice is Raph, raising an eye ridge with some noodle in his mouth. "Why you ain't eatin'?" He asks, almost accusatory. Leo just shrugs. "Wasn't enough noodles. We're gonna need to go on a supply run and-"
"Bro, come on." Raph sighs softly. He doesn't like when Leo neglects his health or himself, even if it is for the good of his brothers. One doesn't eat, they all don't eat. It's just how it works with them. That self sacrificing bullshit is exactly why he wants to bop Leo one half the damn time.
"I'll be fine." Leo tries to argue, but Raph shakes his head. "No buts, come here."
And then Leo's puzzled. He lifts himself from the stove, then walks over, tilting his head away. He's approaching cautiously, as if he's not sure what's at his destination is safe or not. Raph gathers some noodles onto his chopsticks, then holds them up, keeping a hand under them to keep the juices from getting all over the table. And Leo flushes, ready to protest.
"Nah, aht aht," Raph shakes his head. "Don't argue with me. Eat it."
Raph's expression is unyielding, and there's no winning this one. Leo half sighs, ignoring the thumping in his chest from the gesture. It's not like they've never shared food before.. It could just be the sleep confusing him. Yeah, that's it. He leans forward and slurps the noodles off the chopsticks, bracing his hands against the table for leverage. He's quick to raise his hands up under his chin to reduce the mess.
Raph stares at him as his cheeks puff out from the amount he eats, and he knows he's staring, but he can't look away. Something's pulling at him, like the same sensation people get when sitting on the edge of a high surface, to jump off.
"Oh, dude, you gotta try mine!!" Mikey tries to do the same, but Leo holds up a hand and shakes his head, mouth still full of noodle. He waits until he swallows completely, appreciating having something in his gut. "No." He says plainly. "Your food's always too spicey, Mikey, I can't do it."
A low rumble of laughter starts up. The only one who can really handle the heat is Michelangelo. Leo would never subject himself to that kind of torture.
"You can have some of mine too." Donnie offer sweetly. Not too dissimilar from Raph, the look in his face is one Leo couldn't say no to, even if he asked and Raph didn't. Leo hesitates, then gives in again. "Yeah, okay.."
And Raph's gut twists in a way he doesn't understand. Leo leans forward to take a bite of Donnie's noodles, and Raph doesn't miss how the leader's tail wags even just a little bit. Did it wag when he ate from Raph's bowl? His chest feels tight, and the common denominator here is Leo, so it must be his fault. He huffs, and keeps eating his food.
Leo very idly bounces on one foot as he eats, and has to swallow again before speaking. "Master Splinter says we can take a break."
"Dude really!!" Mikey barks, all of the sleepiness leaving his body in the blink of an eye as he slams his hands down on the table, and the others jump from the sudden loud noise. "Idiot.." Raph gripes under his breath.
Leo does smile though, snagging a napkin from the table to wipe his face. "Yeah, he says we need time to relax. I couldn't agree with him more."
"Did he say how long?" Donnie asks, tilting his head. "No," Leo answers, and Mikey whoops, leaning back on his chair as he finishes his food. Leo takes his bowl to wash it out. His chopsticks as well. "He didn't really specify how long.. It shouldn't be too long, of course, nothing longer than a week."
"You would try ta put a cap on it." Raph narrows his eyes at Leo's back. "Why can't it be longer than a week, huh? When do we get to relax, Leo?"
"We have duties, Raph." Leo says sternly, turning to eye him wearily. "Crime never sleeps, and neither should we. The only reason this is suggested is because it's effecting our performance."
"Or because we're tired as shit." Raph spits. "When's it gonna be about us instead of being about those people out there? Crime is everywhere, Leo."
Leo frowns, setting the dishes in the sink. "And that's why we have to stay vigilant, Raph. We're the only things standing between the safety of those people and the collapse of the city."
Raphael scrapes his chair against the floor with the force he takes to push it out, scowling. "Well maybe they should get someone else to look after them for a while."
"Raph!" Leo calls out exasperatedly as the large turtle stomps across the lair straight to his room, slamming the door shut behind him, and Mikey falls back in the chair with a yelp as the noise echoes. Does he always have to do that? Leo groans and puts his face in one hand, leaning over the sink. "What'd I even say wrong this time.."
"I believe you went wrong at, 'no longer than a week', but that's just me." Donnie commented, getting up to set his bowl and chopsticks in the sink himself. Donnie puts a hand on Leo's shoulder to get his attention. His older brother looks so tired. A different tired that Donnie and the others can't even begin to imagine.
The genius smiles, and gives Leo's bicep a squeeze. "I'll handle the dishes." He says. "You go get some sleep."
Leo shakes his head. "It's fine Donnie, I'll-"
"Don't you argue with me, Leo." The taller takes on a stricter tone. "Go to bed."
There he goes with that look again. Leo half smiles at him, then nods. "Alright." He concedes. "G'night, brainiac."
"Night, Leo." Donnie smiles, then darts his eyes at Mikey, who's rubbing the back of his head. "And fix that chair, doofus. Go to bed."
"Alright, alright! Jeez!" Mikey calls back, and Leo chuckles on his way back to his bedroom.
He spares a lingering glance to the door with red paint.
(Preview by baraturts.tumblr.com, thank you kind friend for the art!! <3)