Chapter Text
"Dad...?" Splinter tore his gaze away from the sleeping turtle infront of him, glancing at the doorway.
His three younger sons were standing where the door was once closed, peeking in hesitantly. "Is leo asleep?"
He smiled at their concern, nodding and standing, quietly ushering them out of the room and shutting the door behind him. "Yes, so if you go in there while he is still asleep, then be silent."
The moment he walked down the hall, the three followed him like little ducklings, spouting question after question.
The four made it to the kitchen, where splinter took a seat, gesturing for the boys to sit as well.
"This feels like an intervention," donnie said, squinting his eyes and pouting slightly in suspicion.
"Yea like we're about to get lectured for sneaking out or something," mikey joked, smile faltering when his father didnt laugh.
Raphs face was suddenly serious, concern fluttering under frustration. "Whats wrong with leo?"
"You are all aware that your brother interprets things differently to you, even you donatello, yes?" A chorus of nods, they all knew.
Leos anxiety made him babble nonsense on some days that the boys often ignored, and despite both cool coloured brothers being on the spectrum, their struggles with the disorder varied from eachother.
"Make it clear that I am not implying that you should treat leonardo differently for it, just as none of you are treated differently," splinter started, voice calm and clear as he looked at each of his sons. "However, you must try to be more understanding. He is so patient with all three of you."
"Dad what are you talking about?" Donnie was getting scared again, overly confused. Leo doesnt cry, leo doesnt get upset, they dont ever have interventions without leo or about leo.
"Your brother thinks you three hate him."
"WHAT?!"
"Quiet!" The rat man hushed the moment his boys started to yell, all talking over eachother.
"I dont hate leo! I hate how much of a controlling mother hen he is!" Raph exclaims, throwing his hands up and scowling at nothing in particular.
"What'd we do to make leo think we hate him? We never said that!" Mikey was distressed now, guilt and sadness pooling in his stomach, making him feel ill.
Splinter pulled out his phone, clicking on his and leo's messages where the blue turtle had messily explained the little things his brothers had done. "He is not talking, in fear of bothering you," he said, handing the three the phone to read.
All their eyes were blown even wider, mouths ranging from hanging open to just slightly parted in shock.
The older sighed and took his phone back, resting it on the table. "He is not controlling, he is worried when you do things you are not supposed to because the world we live in is a dangerous. Place." His voice was slightly snappy, but still quiet.
Donnie winced and started mumbling "We do want him around though, he just..."
"He always stops us from doing everything we want to. And he never wants to do those things with us," mikey interrupted, sad eyes looking at his father. "We do love leo."
Raph growled and shoved his palms into his eyes, covering his face. "Theres already nothing to do down here, and leo stops us from doing all the fun stuff. Its just so annoying!" The other two agreed quietly.
Splinter sighed again, placing a comforting hand on the red turtles arm as he spoke. "I understand you three are frustrated about being isolated down here, your brother would be as well," he said gently, smiling when raph unhid his face and listened. "It is not his fault, for any of this. And it is not fair that you take it out on him every day."
"We didnt mean to, we just..." Mikey fidgeted with his hands under the table.
"We're already rejected by society, and he reminds us of it all the time." Donnie had a valid point, however he still wasnt understanding.
"He wants you to be safe because he cares. Have you ever thought that you make him feel rejected even moreso by ignoring him?" Silence was the only response, but the boys knew their father was right. "Your safety is a very serious matter, and you three are not careful when it comes to the humans."
"Leos right," raph started, grumbling, gesturing to his fathers phone. "He does do a lot for us. Even though he thinks we hate him."
They sat in silence for a few moments, before mikey spoke up. "When... when he wakes up we'll talk to him."
Splinter nodded his head in agreement. "That you will. Now, is there anything else I should know?" He asked, eyeing each of his boys before he let them go. Despite the slightly suspicious undertones in the question, he wasnt accusing the three of anything. He just wanted to be sure.
"No, but..." donnie started, voice somewhere in between hesitant and guilty. "How upset was he really? Do we need to worry about him? He'll be okay... right?"
The rat mans face softened at his youngest sons mumbled question, almost considering lying to him.
"I have not seen leonardo that upset in a long time--" Their faces drop. "I'm sure he will be okay, but you must talk to him when he is ready, and apologise."
"Dad." Mikeys voice was more stern than usual, but wobbly. "Do we need t' worry about him?"
Splinter stared, hesitant but having to be honest; honesty is the one things he wants his boys to always value. "Perhaps. But, I do think he will be okay after you three begin to treat him kinder."
And that was the end of the conversation. They werent punished, because despite being nasty to leonardo, they were teenage boys who were frustrated and isolated. Just taking their anger out on the wrong thing - person.
-
"Guys! Be quiet, leave him alone!"
"He's been sleeping for ages donnie, take a chill pill hes about to wake up anyways."
"You dont know that, just because he rolled over."
Sensations started to trickle through leos hazy mind, awakening finally. The softness of his bed, his blankets, and the voices of his brothers.
Shit. The voices of his brothers.
Maybe if he pretends to be asleep, they'll leave.
"Im sick of waiting," raph groaned.
"I know, I just wanna apologise and make sure he's okay." Leo was surprised at that. He thought his brothers would just call him dramatic and move on, continue to do whatever they wanted because it really wasnt a big deal.
He guessed he shouldn't ignore them, he did feel bad...
So he peels his eyes open, looking at his brothers hesitantly. They werent currently looking at him, so he took that as his chance to sit up. Yawning, he rubbed his eyes gently, attempting to wake himself up a little more.
When his eyes squinted open this time, all his brothers gazes rested on him, making him flinch.
He tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace, offering an awkward wave.
Both the youngest brothers immediatly jumped onto leos bed, wrapping him in a tight hug from either side. "Leo!"
He hugged back, patting their shells comfortingly and rolling his eyes at their dramatics.
They pulled away, glancing at raph before donnie started speaking. "We're so so sorry. We didn't mean to make you feel bad, we do love you a lot! And we're really grateful to have you, and we don't hate you and we do want you around--"
"Donnie, holy shit dude take a breath," raph grumbled, interrupting the youngest.
"Do you feel better now?" Mikey asked leo gently, eyes wide and hopeful. He sighed with relief when the oldest nodded lightly, smiling.
The blue turtle wasnt lying, he felt better than he had. Because he had slept for a full night for the first time in probably a week, and his brothers weren't ignoring him right now.
"Leo we're so sorry. We didn't know you felt that way, and we didn't realise we were being so mean. Can you forgive us?" Mikeys words were dripping with so much sincerity that leo felt bad for ever making such a big deal out of it.
He nodded his head, raising his hands to sign. "I'm not angry. I just dont understand what I did wrong."
"Y' didn't do anything wrong, you were just being annoying like usual and we were being more assholey."
"Great apology raph," donnie said sarcastically, rolling his eyes when the older gave him his middle finger. "Eat shit dork."
Leo watched his brothers bicker pointlessly, little jabs back and forth. Nothing they said was ever too hurtful or personal, which made him wonder why they were always so specifically hurtful towards him.
"Leo? What're you thinkin' about?" Mikey asked curiously, shoving his face in the olders and turning his head sideways.
The blue turtle silently prayed in his head before signing. "How was I being annoying?"
Raph seemed to squirm uncomfortably at that, the other two turning to him to answer that question. "Well... just the usual stuff. Your rules and hovering and controlling stuff," he said casually, gesturing with his hands.
Leo frowned, and didnt hesitate to lift his hands to communicate this time. "It's not my fault the world is dangerous and humans hate us. Theyre not my rules. theyre dads, and theyre there to keep us safe," he signed, clear emphasis on a few words.
"Leo--" The blue turtle shook his head, giving his brothers a look. "I just dont want you guys to get hurt. Why am I annoying for that?"
The younger boys weren't sure how to answer that, staring guiltily. "We're sorry leo."
The older just sighed, signing that it was fine.
He appreciated the apologies, knowing that they were entirely sincere and genuine. But he was still sad about it, he couldnt lie.
"Are you really really sure though?" Donnie asked, squinting at his eldest brother. "You dont seem sure."
Leo smiled and rolled his eyes, nodding his head and opening his arms for hugs from all his brothers.
Mikey was always very sensory seeking, donnie being 70/30 with sensory seeking vs sensory avoidant. Raph didn't care for physical touch, it didnt bother him but he didnt seek it.
And leo? He was very fidgety and sensory avoidant, not liking being touched too much. But he always tried to accept it from his affectionate baby brothers, being mostly used to it by now.
When raph kept standing and didnt come in for a hug, leo gave him a look that made him roll his eyes and walk forward, immediatly being dragged by the two youngest. "Family group hug!"
Leo laughed at the different levels on enthusiasm his brothers had, smile yet to leave his face.
Yea, they're just teenage boys.
They still love eachother.