Chapter Text
Donnie’s room was cold, a fridged nip in the air that made him scrunch his nose in annoyance and sent a shiver down his spine. It was nothing like the warmth of his lab, and for a moment he thought about going back to it. Finding a blanket and some pillow for himself and Leo and just sleeping on the floor or one of the chairs.
However, with the state of his lab and his own injuries, Donnie doubted that it would be worth the energy or that Leo would comply. He was in too much pain to bother fighting anymore and the smell of chemicals had begun to make him feel sick anyway. So, he would tolerate the cold of his room just for tonight.
Donnie felt a gentle squeeze on his hand, his attention pulled from the state of his room to his brother. Leo stood behind him, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. He still had ahold of his hand; eyes trained on the ground like a child trying to avoid punishment. He looked as tired as Donnie felt, still wearing that blood-soaked jacket that Donnie had woken up to him wearing. It was in all honesty, fairly pathetic. Giving Leo’s hand a reassuring squeeze, Donnie gave his brother a tired smile as he tugs him into his room. A smile that Leo did not return.
Leading Leo to his bed, Donnie released his brother’s hand. Shuffling over to the nearby dresser, Donnie pulled open one of the drawers and began to dig around. It took a bit, but before long Donnie had found a clear shirt for Leo and a jacket for himself. Something at least somewhat more comfortable than bloody clothes and armor. Tossing the shirt towards Leo, Donnie watched as his brother fumbled for a moment with it before righting himself.
“Something clean. You’re not sleeping soaked in my blood.” Donnie jabbed a finger toward Leo as he spoke, though his tone came off as teasing. An attempt to lighten the mood just a bit as he tugged on his jacket, being sure to zip it up some so that he wouldn’t have to look at his bandage any longer. It was warm, a nice change to the chill of his bedroom.
Shuffling over to his bed, Donnie settled on the edge of it a small sigh escaping him. He still had to remove his IV before he could sleep. Though even now as he sat there exhausted from the day, he doubted he’d be able to sleep properly if he did try. His shoulder was still throbbing in pain, his back ached and above all else, he was sure his own anxieties of his would reopening would keep him up. But t the very least he could still try, his Leo’s sake and his own.
Beside him, Donnie felt his bed dip, a slight pressure on his shoulder as Leo rested his head on it. His eyes were closed, his breathing soft and meticulous as if he was focusing on keeping it regulated. An attempt to relax after a long day, something Donnie couldn’t blame him for. Wrapping an arm around Leo, Donnie gave an attempt at a side hug, earning a content huff from Leo.
After a bit, Donnie’s arm fell away, shifting slightly so he could scoot away from Leo and get just a bit of room to himself. Much to Leo’s annoyance, snapping awake some as Donnie moved away and offered a mildly hurt look.
“I need to remove my IV still Leon, there’s no way I’m risking it getting torn out while I sleep tonight.” Donnie pointed out, already rolling up his sleeves to remove it. By this point he had finally run out of fluids, so there was no use in even keeping it in, now it was nothing more than a safety hazard… Plus, he didn’t want to be stuck lugging the IV pole around any longer.
Leaning over, Donnie grabbed a small tin off the side of his bedside table. Clicking it open he was greeted with a collection of basic first aid supplies, though all he needed now was a bandage. Sorting through it, Donnie eventually settled on using a brightly colored orange bandaid that reminded him of Mikey.
The thought brought a frown to his face, now remembering what had happened with his little brother. He had been so caught up in his own situation he had completely forgotten what he had said, what he had done. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, one that he would need to remedy soon. Once he woke up, then he’d talk to Mikey, try and explain what was happening without giving away the extent of his injuries. Though he doubted that Mikey would take an explanation as pitiful as ‘I was stressed’. Another thing to add to his list of reasons he can’t sleep.
Shaking his worries from his head, Donnie sat himself back up returning his attention to his IV. It was a simple enough issue to remedy. With slightly shaky hands, Donnie applied some pressure to his IV, lifting up the plastic that kept the tube in place up some. Taking a deep breath, Donnie took hold of the IV and in one swift motion, pulled it out, quickly applying his bandaid over the exit point. The entire thing was nothing more than a light pinch, but that didn’t make it enjoyable. After everything else he dealt with today, Donnie was burnt out from dealing with pain.
With the IV out, Donnie gently pushed the IV pole away before simply turning some and collapsing on his bed. Pain washed over his body once again, a shooting pain in his shoulder that reminded him of the injury he had. Quickly Donnie pushed himself onto his side then his stomach, shifting around until the shooting pain abruptly stopped. A feeling of relief washed over him as the mounting pressure on his shoulder finally gave way. It still hurt, that was undeniable, but it was far more tolerable. Enough so that Donnie thought he may even be able to sleep.
“Remind me to never move again.” Donnie hummed, his head lulling to the side to face Leo. Leo wasn’t facing him, instead far more focused on scanning the room. Though what exactly he was looking for eluded Donnie for the time being. After a moment, Leo pushed himself up into a standing position. His movements were slow as he stepped over various trinkets and items that littered the floor of Donnie’s room.
“After everything that happened today and that’s the best you’ve got?” Leo quipped, shooting a glance toward Donnie as he approached the only light in Donnie’s room and without hesitation, flicked it off.
The room was plunged into darkness, the only light remaining being the dull light that creeped out from beneath the curtains that covered the doorway and the soft glow of a few untouched machines. Leo idled in place for a bit, his body lightly swaying side to side as he stared blankly at the wall. It wasn’t until Donnie cleared his throat that Leo snapped back to reality.
Grabbing a blanket off the floor, Leo stared at it for a moment. The exhaustion from the day clearly hitting him far harder than it had hit Donnie. Despite not being able to see his brother well, Donnie could see the gears turning in his head. Slowly clicking together before Leo finally shuffled over to the bed again, moving to sit beside it instead of on it. Gently Leo pushed away some of the things on the floor, slowly working to make a Leo-sized spot on the floor.
“What are you doing?”
“Laying down…?”
“Leo you can’t be-“Donnie sat himself back up, scooting over to the edge of his bed to grab Leo’s arm. “Ardo you are not sleeping on the floor. Get up here.” Donnie hissed, pulling gently on Leo’s arm to get him to stand back up. Leo started up with him, and even in the sark Donnie could tell how confused Donnie’s statement made him. If it wasn’t for the fact they were both sleep-deprived, Donnie would’ve thought Leo was braindead for a moment.
It took a bit of convincing before Leo finally joined him on the bed. Awkwardly shuffling in beside Donnie but staying close enough to the edge that one wrong move would land him lying on the ground. Laying on his back as straight as a board, hands resting on his stomach as to not take up any more room than needed. It looked uncomfortable, to say the least. Meanwhile, Donnie in turn laid back on his stomach, using his arms as makeshift pillows even though it strained his shoulder just a bit. It wasn’t the most comfortable sleeping position, but it was still better than a metal table in his lab or the floor.
“I know you’re trying to do the whole ‘unbothered leader’ thing but you should know I’m not going to force you to sleep on the floor,” Donnie said, gently nudging Leo in the side. “At least, not right now.” He tacked on, a slight sarcastic edge to his words. With that, Donnie earned a small laugh from Leo that quickly melted into a yawn. While it wasn’t much, Donnie couldn’t help but smile just a bit at it. Hearing Leo genuinely laugh after everything that happened? It made the pain just a bit more tolerable, so Donnie would take it.
A comfortable silence fell quickly between them, neither finding the need let alone the energy to speak. Now it was only the gentle sounds of breathing and the clicking of the clock that hung on the wall filled the air. It was peaceful, the first truly comfortable moment Donnie had felt since he had gotten home hours ago. No mechanical whirling, no overwhelming heat or buzzing from computers, just silence. He felt almost at peace.
Almost.
Despite everything, the want to sleep, the peace he finally felt. Donnie still felt anxious. His mind danced with a dozen different thoughts and ideas that even now kept him awake.
Would his wound heal properly? How long could he keep it hidden from everyone else, especially with Leo knowing the extent of the damage he had taken? How he would apologize to Mikey without coming off as bitter or distant. Though he doubted that he could even come up with something that Mikey would consider good enough. The thoughts made his mind buzz, almost overwhelming him as he turned over every worry in his head. Fidgeting in place as he began to overanalyze each and every idea or worry he had.
“Hey, Donnie?” Leo’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper as he spoke but it still caught Donnie’s attention. Halting his thinking and snapping him quickly back to reality. Beside him, Leo shifted slightly, one of his hands falling off his stomach and to his side. “Can you just… hold my hand?”
It was a bit awkward, a slight embarrassment laced into Leo’s simple request. The request caught Donnie off guard some, but Donnie couldn’t help but comply. Pulling one of his arms free from beneath his head, Donnie carefully settled his hand into Leo’s.
“You’re such a baby, you know that right?” Donnie huffed, only earning a content sigh from Leo as lightly squeezed Donnie’s hand. The feeling was reassuring, a familiar warmth that made Donnie feel far less alone. The almost suffocating anxiety he had felt slowly but surely ebbing away as Leo held his hand, grounding him in reality once again.
“Maybe… But some needs to balance out that emotionless façade of yours.”
“I hate you.”
“I would be sleeping on the floor if you did.”
Donnie couldn’t help but snort, burying his face into his elbow in response to Leo’s stupid quip. “You got me there I suppose,” Donnie said, giving a slightly dramatic defeated sigh.
There was no response. No equally dramatic sigh or over-the-top quip to what he said. Only a soft hum that quickly disappeared, replaced by gentle breathing and the ticking of the clock. There was no reason to talk anymore, no reason to worry or overthink every little thing. For the first time since he had arrived home, Donnie no longer drowning in an overflowing bottle of emotions or fighting to keep his head above water. He felt simply at peace, even knowing that when day broke it might be just as grueling or hellish as that night. That he could break again so easily, or the world could fall apart around him again without any control. He knew that at least for now, he wasn’t alone in it.
And maybe that was enough.