Jars \\ Rottmnt!Leo

One \\ Twelve Month Hyperthymesia

A year. That’s how long it had been since Leo had seen you. Since you’d gone back on your promise to let him stay by your side. He didn’t know if he could believe anything you’d told him over that year. Why would someone who loves you push you away?

“Easy does it, Leo. You've got this! Concentrate. The whole world's counting on you to break the pizza box stack record. One hundred and twenty five boxes! You know, they say it couldn't be done, but look who's doing it, moi.” He cheekily grins at himself.

“You know, that's Spanish for ‘Leo’.”

He’d found himself doing this more often, skipping training, avoiding Raph. Exactly like it had been for the last year. Slowly building up the wall between the one person who constantly reminded him that you, Y/n, exist. That you had pushed him away.

“Go ahead, my non-lingual friend, count your unhatched fowl. My record stands until you reach the top, which according to my calculations of wind speed, barometric pressure, and dew point, is highly unlikely”

You’d invaded every part of his life, and all he wanted to do was be free of you, of the stupid bugs in the jar that sat open on the shelf, but they refused to leave. He’d tried everything. But they wouldn’t leave.

“According to my calculations,” Mikey starts, dragging out the word for emphasis “as long as you believe in yourself, you can do anything!”

Leo lets off a fake smile, concentration taking over the thoughts consuming his mind.

“Thanks, little brother. No one believes in himself more than me. Leo!”

The eldest of the group may have started the chant to reach the top, but the youngest truly carried it through, shouting his brother's name over and over, till he took that final step onto the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge, victoriously backflipping.

His mind pauses for a moment as he remembers a similar scenario in which you had managed to twist your ankle. Your mischievous smile as you kicked his legs out from under him when he attempted to help you up…

“There you are! I've been looking all over for you guys!”

“Oh, hey, Raph.” Leo begins, a smug grin from ear to ear. “Guess who just broke the record?”

Leo’s heart thuds against his chest involuntarily. You used to have stupid competitions like this with him. Who could compliment the other the most. The ‘Most Flustered’ competition. You always invented stupid rivalries.

“What? You did. How many did you-” Raph shakes his head, putting his head in his hands. It had been rough on all of them, what happened a year ago. Raph had to find his traction as the leader, but was stuck with Leo acting like he was five, forever claiming the title of ‘caretaker’. Raph knew he couldn’t blame you, but it was so difficult when you’d slotted into their lives and then ripped yourself out of it again. “Stop distracting Raph! We were supposed to be training-”

“A-tuh-tuh-tuh. Hold that thought…” Leo trails off, shifting to look at Donnie. Singing out his brother's name in calling. Mikey responded in the same sing-song way.

Donnie lets out a sigh, rolling his eyes. Acknowledging that Leo had, in fact, won.

“Ahem?” Leo questions, giving his ‘disaster twin’ as you used to put it, a coy look. Mikey mimicking him afterwards. Half hearted and begrudgingly, Donnie takes up the chant of Leo’s name, and in the chaos he could almost make out your voice chanting for him too…