Miracle on New York Hills (Part 1 of New York Hills)

When we were kids

It is a story Mikey has heard many times before. At this point, it's engrained into his idealic memory or whatever Donnie called it. Not much of an achievement, but his point still stands. Still, Leo always adds some detail that wasn't there before. It's like a game and Mikey always wins.

"It was with Grandma Atsuko's sacrifice to protect us, Dad, Grandpa Sho, everyone that our miracle was born. From the river a dragon defeated the invading Baron-"

Mikey giggles, "That's not part of the story! Stop making it so easy Leon!"

Leo scoffs, raising his hand to his chest, "How dare yee! My own blood! Insulting me so!"

Donnie's book snaps close, "Are we insulting Nardo? I have many lined up."

"Need the practice, Dee?" Leo smirks, crossing his arms.

"Clearly you do, if you're being so obvious, dear brother," Donnie retorts.

"Please! I have many hard ones lined up!"

"Make it harder then!" Mikey says through his laughter at his brothers' dramatics.

Leo returns to his story with a confident grin, arms returning to their constant movement, "The mountains rose and from the miracle, a house bloomed-"

"Don't be silly, Leo! Houses don't bloom!"

"This house did! It grew just like a flower!" Leo protests, clearly not remembering every detail of the story that their father used to tell them like Mikey does, but he loves Leo's additions, "Slow at first, but it became a beautiful, powerful home-"

The window shutters to their room slam.

"But you are! No need to be embarrassed Gram-Gram," Leo protests and the wall creaks as it bends to nudge him affectionately, making Leo blush and giggle.

"Leo! Story!" Mikey reminds him, after a few moments, because he's not mean, "You promised!"

"Right! Sorry Miguel," Leo chuckles and rubs the back of his neck, "Where was I-?"

"The house becoming a home," Donnie adds from his bed, where he is clearly not listening in.

"Right. At first, the survivors lived under one roof, but, slowly, as time passed and they got used to safety, people built their own homes and this home became the home of the great Tomato clan!"

Mikey starts bawling and almost falls of his bed, but Leo catches him, despite his own giggles. Even Donnie lets out a small snort. Gram-Gram slams her draw in protest.

"S-sorry pfft haha, sorry Gram- snrk- Gram," Leo manages, "It was part of the game, I swear."

"The game you will finish another night," Raph's voice comes from the door.

Leo and Mikey groan.

"Don't start that," Raph scolds, "You two should've been asleep an hour ago, like Donnie," Mikey hears Leo's scoff under his breath and a whisper of something that sounds suspiciously like a curse word Casey called that village kid picking on Mikey and traitor, "I only allowed it because I know you're excited, but you've got a big day tomorrow, Leo."

Mikey doesn't let his frown show on his face. Don't get him wrong, he's proud of Leo and Donnie. They're five and they are getting their gifts tomorrow, like Casey and April a few months ago or Raph a little over a year ago. It's cool and exciting and... it means they're growing up. They're leaving Mikey behind.

Mikey flops backwards and stares up at the now empty top bunk he used to use. He's rarely used it in the last year, just like how Raph doesn't have time to knit while Mikey draws and Leo reads and Donnie fiddles. His
frown shows slightly when Raph picks Leo up and Raph's old bed rises.