Chapter Text
Questions.
So many questions.
And none of them really make sense??
Donnie once asks Leonardo if he can read. He responds yes. Leo seems disappointed by this for some reason.
Then Leo asks if he's ever had a crush on anyone before. Leonardo says no, hoping the two don't catch on to the heat rising to his face.
They don't.
Then Donnie asks him to describe his brothers in his own words.
Leonardo looks down in thought, trying to come with something.
Raphael: Impulsive, hotheaded, paranoid.
Donatello: Secluded, secretive, overzealous.
Michelangelo: Naïve, loud, immature.
…
It occurs to Leonardo that these shouldn't be the first qualities he sees in his brothers.
He just shrugs, brushing it off by saying the answer will probably be more accurate if Donnie were to ask the ones in question.
Donnie and Leo look at each other and shrug. Then the oldest turtle is excused and asked to acquire Michelangelo.
Donatello is pacing the room when the orange ninja enters, mumbling something under his breath. Mikey is there too, sitting on a desk and swinging his feet. He's humming something quietly.
"Uh- Hi." Michelangelo waves awkwardly, not sure what to do.
The two teenagers catch his eye. Mikey grins at him warmly and Donnie claps his hands. "Angelo! Lovely to see you, please have a seat."
Donnie then takes it upon himself to push Michelangelo into said seat instead of just letting him do it himself.
His alternate sends him an amused shrug, obviously used to this behavior.
"SO!" The purple clad turtle all but yells. Mikey whistles behind him and the tingle of embarrassment comes from Donnie. A pins-and-needles feeling, almost.
When Donnie speaks next, it's quieter by a fraction. "Let's start with something simple. Angelo?"
Donnie looks at his own brother, so Michelangelo doesn't answer. Mikey's eyes light up and he hops down from his surface, coming face-to-face with his alternate. "Do you have any special abilities?"
"Uh- Sure?" Michelangelo tilts his head. For a split moment, he wonders what that might mean.
But before he can dwell any longer, Donnie pipes up. "Besides your Ninjutsu training."
Michelangelo dwells a bit longer. There is one, but he doubts Donnie would believe him.
Although... Magic exists here. It's been said by both Mikey and Donnie.
And speaking of Mikey, he's also here. If there's one person the orange banded ninja can count on to take him seriously, it's himself.
But it's an alternate universe. Mikey here might be a lot smarter than Michelangelo. I mean, he talked to Leo in-depth. That boy is nothing like his oldest brother.
Donnie clears his throat, snapping the older out of his thoughts. Michelangelo quickly blurts out a "yes" before he can be yelled at.
Donnie holds up his wrist, typing something on the screen of his brace. Mikey's eyes light up and he thrusts out his hands so they're right in front of the other's face.
Michelangelo feels himself flinch. Mikey seems to notice, but he shakes it off. "Do you have the mystic hands too?"
"the what?"
"The mys-" He cuts himself off, and his hands start to twitch violently. He yelps as the tremors make their way to his upper arms, and he holds his limbs close to himself. "Shit..."
Donnie looks up form his notes. "Again?" His voice is exasperated, but a tug pulls at Michelangelo's gut. He's worried. Like, a lot.
Then the slightly harder tug of younger Mikey's frustration. "It's fine, Dee. I'll deal with it."
And he leaves the room, his hands tucked under his armpits.
Donnie looks back at the older version of his brother. "And then there were two... Sigh..."
"Is he okay?" Michelangelo tilts his head to the side. He felt okay, but that doesn't extend to physical sensations.
"He will be." Is all Donnie says in return. He doesn't like talking about this.
Change the subject- "Why do you say stuff like sigh or groan instead of just making the noise?"
"Oh, it's just a vocal stim." Donnie says casually, as if expecting the other to know what the hell that word means.
The lack of response is what causes the younger to look up and tilt his own head in question. "A stim? Self-stimulation?"
Michelangelo shakes his head.
"What you're doing right now??" Donnie gestures to the other.
Oh.
He's swaying from side to side a bit. He stops automatically once it's brought to attention. "Sorry."
"Sor- Wait, what?" Donnie looks at the other disbelievingly. "Why??"
"Why what?"
"Why are you apologizing to me?"
The orange banded turtle shrugs. "My brothers usually don't like it when I move around during conversations..." He mumbles.
Donnie's eyes go wide, but he's back to solid stoicity before it can be dwelled on. But the sour taste of surprise is still present on Michelangelo's tongue.
Donnie shakes his head. "That honestly sounds like a them problem, do whatever you want."
They make eye contact for a split second before the softshell looks to the side, wringing his hands.
Michelangelo brings his knees up to his chest, rubbing his cheek on the padding. He doesn't know what stimming is, but he's been given permission to do it, so he's taking advantage.
...
There's still the sense of worry, pulled taut.