Things Change

Chapter 3: Cinderella

"You really look bad, sis." Donatello said without turning his back, having seen her appear in one of the monitors a few minutes ago.

Leonardo wore a tired face, observing her brother's reaction as she began began to speak. "This really got out of hand. I guess I owe you an apology after all, but hormones are to be blamed, and could you quit the 'sis' before someone hears you?"

The purple cladded turtle nodded regaining his grip. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, much better." Her cheeks suddenly reddened, "Do I still smell..."

He felt his own cheeks redden. "Uh, yeah. I'm trying to find a way to deactivate your scent, but I have been unsuccessful." He cleared his throat, trying to avoid her thoughtful gaze. "Since I know about your...season, I can control myself. But I can't say the same for Raph and Mikey."

Their relationship improved greatly compared to the previous week as things began to recover some resemblance of normalcy. Training, night rounds, more training, despite Raph and Mikey's continual harassment which was really not all that new. But what was new, was the odd form of harassment they'd chosen.

"Leo, you look at little red." Michelangelo comments, shoving mouthfuls of pancakes, syrup dripping down his chin. "Are you feeling, okay?"

In truth Leonardo felt awful. Hot flashes had plagued the turtle ever since she'd started her breeding season. Of course she couldn't go out and say that. Oh, what a fun conversation that would be. 'No Mikey. I feel like shit because my body is working overtime, so I can make eggs, but I'm only 17 years old and I don't want kids! So there's no point in this whole dumb season!' So she kept her mouth shut.

Raphael chuckled swinging an arm around Leonardo's shoulders. "He's probably still red faced from that biology book he was reading earlier, huh?" The blue cladded turtle scowled shoving off her brother. "You realize the closest thing we have to a girl of our species around here, is our resident Cinderella." He states pointing at Mikey.

Donatello shrugged and muttered in a low voice, "I already checked, I too had my doubts."

It was then the youngest turtle decided to turn the joke on his older brothers.

"Well, excuse me." He comments raising his voice to make it high-pitched. "But if I am the Cinderella, why would I choose you two, when I have Prince Charming." He laughed and pulling Leo's head by the bandanna tails, he planted a big kiss on Leo's unsuspecting cheek, almost making her choke.

Leo, still startled, rapidly reacted pushing Mikey off, mumbling something inaudible about needing an urgent shower and cursed hormones. If her face wasn't ready before, it was after that incident.

"Dude it was only a joke." Mikey defended himself not exactly sure of what had happened.

"I will I could believe it." Donnie said in a low tone walking out of the room.

"You pull something else like that on Leo again and I won't guarantee your safety." Raph mutters taking his plate to the sink. "I mean it."

"Come on! Leo let's us get away with anything." The orange cladded turtle said with a big grin.

"Who said anything about Leo?" Raph replies in a dangerous tone leaving the kitchen in Leo's direction. The baffled Mikey was left scratching his head and resigning to clean all the mess on his own.

"Yeah." Leo says absently. "After this mornings incident, I feared the worst."

Donnie sighed, knowing that he was barely concealing his own hormones. As odd dreams concerning his sister had plagued his sleep lately. Mainly consisting of a giggling Leonardo running through a field of flowers, her girlish figure much more defined. But the dream always ended with her ditching the purple cladded turtle, and running off with their obnoxious older brother, Raphael; while Michelangelo threw flowers at their departing figures.