Little Leo

The Little Leader

A/N: Hello Cheesecicles! This is a Leo age regression story! Age regression is when someone regresses to a younger mindset to cope with stress, anxiety, trauma, and helps them feel safe and happy!

It's a safe coping mechanism!

~*~

Leo sat in his room wearing a blue bunny onesie. He had a bottle of milk at his side, Space Heroes toys, plushies and other things with him, including a large Space Heroes blanket.

Leo was an age regressor. He'd become stressed and anxious due to everything that's happened, and from the pressure of being leader. He'd been doing this for a few weeks now. Plus, from the trauma of everything.

The young turtle was sucking on a blue pacifier, the one he'd used to use as a turtle tot. Luckily, Leo still had all of his baby things that he'd found in storage, so he didn't have to get more.

Leo wasn't planning on telling anyone. Raph would tease him, Donnie would be confused and Mikey...well, maybe Mikey wouldn't mind. And Splinter? Leo knew his father wouldn't understand.

He could almost hear them now...

You? The fearless leader? An age regressor eg?! Ha!

You're an age regressor?! You can't act like a kid, we're 16! You're such a freak!

An age regressor?! Wow, and I thought I was the youngest! You're so weak Leo! Such a big baby! You can't act like that, you're the oldest, dude!

I will never accept you Leonardo! No one of mine will be an age regressor! You are the leader, act like it!

Leo whimpered as he imagined his family saying those things. Tears came into his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away. He couldn't let them find out. He just couldn't.

Leo watched his old Space Heroes DVDs, snuggling against his onesie and blanket. He was holding a lion plushie in his arms as he sucked on his pacifier. Leo was very content in a 3-year-old headspace.

He was so peaceful that he didn't hear the door crack open. He'd forgotten to lock it. "Hey Leo, can you-" Mikey froze in the doorway, looking at his older brother in complete shock.

Leo's deep blue eyes widened as he spat out the pacifier, blushing a deep shade of red out of embarrassment. Tests pooled in his eyes as Mikey finally snapped out of his shock.

"Gah, sorry, sorry!" Mikey closed the door, running out of the room, trying to process what he'd seen. Why was Leo sucking on a pacifier and sitting on the floor playing with old toys?

"Mikey?" Raph walked by and saw the surprised look on his little brother's face. "Ya okay? Ya look like ya just saw a ghost or somethin'." He asked as Mikey broke from his thoughts.

"Uh, bro I need to talk to you, Donnie and dad about something!" Mikey said quickly as Raph raised an eyebrow. "Master Splinta's scavenging for food, but Don's in his lab what's up?"

"I'll explain when we get to the lab, dude." Mikey said as Raph nodded in confusion, walking with Mikey to the lab. "Wait, what about Leo?" Raph asked. "It's him I want to talk to you about..." Mikey replied immediately.

Raph was still confused. Obviously, Mikey had found out something, but what? They entered the lab. "What's going on?" Donnie asked. "Mike wants to talk to us 'bout somethin." Raph said as Donnie looked at Mikey.

Mikey took a deep breath. "I saw Leo sitting in his room watching Space Heroes, hugging a stuffed lion, playing with toys and he had a bottle of milk...he was sucking on a pacifier too." The youngest turtle explained.