Memory Lane | Leo's Story 💙

I Care 💙

"For the love of pizza supreme, how many more times do you want me to say sorry?!" Leo spits out for about the 6th time since he and his brothers got back to the lair.

But Donnie ain't having it today.

"I don't want your sorry, 'Nardo! What I want is for you to take fighting more seriously!"

"And I said I would! Do I have to remind you that I do what I do to cope!?"

"Cope? Now why would YOU need to do that? Oh you just have SO much on your plate, don't you?!"

Leonardo nearly bites right through his tongue in anger.
To either his dismay or delight, Splinter trots into the main room.

"Now just what is all this yelling, boys? I can barely hear my show over your screaming!" The old rat huffs, clearly displeased.
The two bickering however do not pay their father any mind.

"If you must know, I DO!" The frown on Leo's face deepens.

One of Donnie's thickly drawn eyebrows twitches. "Oh yeah? And what might those be? Having to come up with annoying one-liners? Distract us along with yourself? Perhaps to disappoint father?!" The soft-shell knows he is throwing harsh things at his twin right now.

He really doesn't mean half of the things he spouts but his mouth runs wild against his better judgement, rage clouding his mind.
The oldest and youngest both shrink against each other a little ways away from the two.

"To be fair, I am quite disappointed as is." Splinter shrugs with disinterest.
This is not the first time that these two are at each other's throats so he easily brushes them off.
Besides, his show is waiting.
The rat mutant worldessly scoots out of the room.

Little does he know his words had struck his son in blue way deeper than he could imagine.

Was he really that much of a disappointment to all of them?

Just a hinderance?

.....A mistake that can't be fixed..?

"Why is it that..." Leo's tone lowers into a feeble whimper. "Everything I do is.. Wrong?" He looks into the eyes of his twin, tears prick at his own as his eyeridges harshly pinch together.
All of a sudden both his hands and feet feel awfully cold.

Donnie's sharp eyes soften at the unusual tone coming out of his brother's mouth.

"It's like... Just simply the way- The person I am- It's as if the kind of person I am is wrong!" The agitated slider raises his shaking voice, causing his siblings to recoil. "My jokes annoy you, my voice annoys you, the way I talk, act, look, fight- Everything about me only ever just annoys you!" Leo's whole body shakes with shivers against his will, his heartrate has long since risen high above the clouds and he just feels cold, so, so cold.

"I know that I've disappointed Splinter long ago.... Disappointed all of you.." He sniffles a single time, very much audibly and it registers in Donnie's brain that he had messed up.
He had messed up big time.

"If you didn't want me around so bad you could've just said so..." Leo clenches his jaw close in an attempt to keep the oversized lump in his throat down.
However that doesn't stop a stubborn droplet of hot, salty water to glide down his cheek.

In that very moment, a whole new kind of fear settles within Donatello.
He had never seen his twin cry before, not once.
Right now when he looks at him, Leo just looks so beat down, so... Volnurable and it doesn't sit right with him.
It's so... Unnatural.

For the very first time in his life, Donnie feels really stupid.

It's only when he sees his brother visibly begin to tremble that he finds the courage to speak again.