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Leo was three when Donnie gave him the first present.
Before then, Leo hadn’t even been sure Donnie liked any of them. He didn’t look at them, or talk to them, or even play with them. He just sort of… played next to them.
Donnie had been working on painting some of his weird metal pieces he kept the day before, and when dad had said they were dry Donnie had made his happy noise. He ran off to collect them, then came back and placed one of the painted metal pieces in front of each of them.
The one in front of Leo was painted blue, Raph’s red and Mikey’s orange. Leo picked up the blue one and looked up at his purple brother, who was doing the hand movement he did when he was waiting for something. Leo grinned, clutching it tight.
“Thanks, Donnie!” He said brightly, his other brothers chiming in with their own thanks after him. Donnie flapped his hands and giggled, making Leo clutch his new present tighter.
Donnie did love them, and this was the proof.
~~~
The next one was one of Donnie’s prized Lego bricks, light green, a blue band drawn on in marker.
Leo put it with his blue metal inside his Jupiter Jim lunchbox, so they wouldn’t get lost.
~~~
There never really seemed to be an occasion. Birthdays and Christmas seemed to slip Donnie’s mind, but the little presents would just appear in their rooms. Or, on a good day, have Donnie running up and excitedly presenting the thing to them.
Those times were Leo’s favourite.
“Leo!” Donnie called, running up to him with something in his hand. “Leo! Leo!”
“Hey Donnie!” Leo beamed, putting down his video game to accept his new gift.
“Whatcha got?” He asked. Donnie grinned, holding his hand out flat so Leo could see. He had used some of Mikey’s colourful pipe cleaners to fashion a tiny Jupiter Jim, it even had the helmet!
“Woah, that’s so cool!” Leo gasped, holding his hands out so Donnie could drop it in without touching.
“Leo!” Donnie said as he tipped his hand over. He still didn’t talk a lot, just a few words he seemed to think were important.
“Thanks, Donnie! I love it!” Leo grinned, holding his fist out for a bump that Donnie acknowledged.
~~~
Sometimes the presents weren’t that thought out. Sometimes that made them even better.
A rock with blue colouring that reminded Donnie of him. Clacky magnets that Donnie thought he’d like the sound of. A photo of a flower from one of the magazines dad would bring down. Interesting shaped bits of scrap metal. A random playing card. A scarp of yarn just because it was blue. The lid from an empty bottle of his favourite soda.
Small, tiny things, that told Leo his brother knew him, loved him, cared about him. He treasured every single one, each getting placed into the Jupiter Jim lunchbox with reverence.
~~~
When Donnie got into tech, the presents started upgrading.
Leo’s first tech present was a simple button that glowed blue when pressed. He would press it when he had nightmares, the soft glow reminding him that his brothers loved him, and that he was safe at home.
He got a mini robot that played his favourite song. That one was left on his bedside table, Leo beaming as he saw it first thing in the morning. He pressed himself against Donnie’s side when he saw him at breakfast, the closest thing Donnie could stand as a hug.
“Thanks, it’s great.” He said, Donnie beaming before going back to his toast.
A decked out tamagotchi came next, Leo treasuring it for weeks before placing it in the box. As much as he loved it, he wanted to keep it safe even more. These were Donnie presents. Presents from his twin. He couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to them.
~~~
The last present, not that he knew it at the time, was when Leo was eleven.
He was flicking the button absently. It wasn’t one of the crazy ones, but the button made a nice sound when clicked. Leo loved it as much as he loved all his presents. It was going to go in his Jupiter Jim lunchbox that night, where he’d probably spend several minutes looking at all the old ones.
“Ohmigosh! Really!” Donnie yelled from the other room. Leo paused the show he was watching to join them. Donnie was draped over a cart of old tech, Raph holding a whole engine in his arms. Dad pat Donnie on the head.
“Yes, Purple. It’s yours to do with as you wish.” He said, Donnie squealing happily as his hands flapped.
Leo grinned, walking over to help Donnie move the parts to his ‘lab’. His brother had stopped properly speaking, making a trilling noise that happened when his thoughts moved too fast for his mouth. He was happy to sit and watch, occasionally passing tools as requested.
~~~
“Annnnd, ta-da! I fitted the lair with air conditioning! We’ll be able to adjust the temperature!”
“Woah, awesome!”
“Very well done, my son.”
“I fixed the fridge! It should stay properly cold now!”
“Wicked! Thanks Don!”
“Sweet, you’re the best!”
“I installed more lights!”
“Excellent work, Purple.”
“Woah, do you think you could do some in my room?”
“They’re motion detectors! In case there are any workers or something, we know to redirect them or get out of the way!”
“That’s so smart!”
“Genius, Donnie!”
~~~
It was a year of stuff like this, big extravagant upgrades to the lair, when Leo suddenly realised he hadn’t gotten a present from his brother since Dad and Raph came back with that engine. Donnie was chatting away about upgrading the microwave, and he really had been trying to pay attention, but now his mind was on his Jupiter Jim lunchbox.
Leo didn’t know how to bring it up. Should he bring it up? Was it selfish to want little gifts when Donnie was spending so much of his time trying to make their lives better? That stuff was cool and all, but… those presents were important to him. Weren’t they important to Donnie too?
Did Donnie not care about him anymore?
No. No, that was stupid. Donnie was doing all this upgrading stuff for all of them, because he cared.
Still, Leo thought, looking through his lunchbox that night. It had made him feel happy, and loved.
Maybe Donnie would go back to the gifts when he was finished all his upgrades.
~~~
Donnie was never finished with his upgrades.
There was always something breaking, or some new idea he had, or a request from Dad or Raph or Mikey.
Leo had thought about asking for something, but the idea of the gifts being tainted because he asked for them put a bad taste in his mouth. He’d go to his brother for help when his phone was messing up, or one of the appliances failed. But a request like Mikey’s lights, or the little machine that tracked Raph’s weightlifting, he couldn’t do it.
It wouldn’t be a gift, it would be another task in Donnie’s ever growing to-do list.
~~~
Donnie made them presents again!
Leo pretended not to care too much, he had his carefree cool guy image to maintain, but inside he was crying with joy. He didn’t even care what the collar was for, he was just so excited that Donnie was making trinkets again.
Until the first shock.
He played it off in front of his brothers, like it was all a big joke. Like it didn’t crush him to have the one thing he wanted back so badly only for it to be twisted and perverted. A reminder that Donnie found him lacking, rather than loved.
Leo didn’t sleep that night, hugging the Jupiter Jim lunchbox to his chest as he sobbed into his pillow.
~~~
The vine holding him vanished and he was falling.
Falling and falling and falling
The windows flew past him, the ground getting closer and closer
There was no Raph, no Mikey, no Donnie, just Leo and the freefall after being dropped by Draxum.
Just Leo and the rapidly approaching gro-
Leo gasped, throwing his blankets off him and pulling his knees up to his chest. His heart was pounding in his ears, his body trembling. It was dark, and he was alone, he was alone-
He scrambled for the shelf above him, pulling down the Jupiter Jim lunchbox. The light pressed on, calming Leo instantly. He wasn’t alone, he was home. His brothers in their own rooms, sleeping, like he should be.
Scoff, a Donnie-like voice in his head said. Be real, he wasn’t going back to sleep after that.
He pulled out the tamagotchi, entertaining the little guy until he heard one of his brothers wake for the morning.
Leo put his presents back in the box and went to join them.
~~~
Leo swallowed thickly as he took in the remains of their home. Shredder had done a number on the lair, everything hidden or crushed under rubble. Donnie had spent the last week and a half building supports and systems to access their rooms and some of the main areas, though some were still lost to them.
“Essentials only. Once I get some more tech back we might be able to get some of the knick knacks, but we gotta be light when we leave.” Donnie said, the three of them nodding in response. Raph’s room was first, Leo squeezing his hand at the sight of all his stuffed animals torn asunder.
He gathered his stuff quietly, the rest of them waiting just as silent. By some stroke of luck, Raph’s favourite, Sir Beary, was found intact. When he turned to their purple brother, Donnie nodded, and Raph gratefully put him into the bag.
Mikey was next. His torn and wrecked art was just as heartbreaking. He stood in the middle of the room for a moment, then turned back to Donnie.
“Are my string lights light enough to come back?” He whispered, all of them scared that too loud a noise would send more debris flying.
“They would be, but they’re too tangled up in the rubble. But, um… your oil pastels. They’d be light enough.” Donnie answered. Mikey took a shaky breath, but nodded and walked across to where the box was on the floor.
Leo’s turn. He swallowed thickly at the sight, blinking back a wave of tears. Get in, get the stuff, get out. He could do this. Scanning the room, he noticed the Jupiter Jim lunchbox wasn’t on its normal shelf, but nothing else was either. He kept an eye out for it as he grabbed his spare masks and belts, and some of the medical supplies he kept in his room. He started panicking just a little as he grabbed the spare (well, main now) t-shots and epi-pens, not having anything else to stall with.
He scanned the room again, kneeling down to see if it was under the bed. Shit. Fuck. Fucking shit.
“Leo, c’mon. We need to keep moving.” Donnie said gently, Leo shaking his head.
“I just- I just need one more thing. Even if I just see it so I know I can get it later. I can’t see it- I can’t- it has to be here…” Leo’s voice shook, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. If that box was gone, if all his presents from Donnie were gone…
“What is it? Maybe Don can scan for it with his goggles.” Mikey said, Leo glancing up at them.
“It’s- it’s my Jupiter Jim lunchbox.” He said, still searching for the familiar navy blue.
“Really, Nardo? The lunchbox?” Donnie scoffed, rolling his eyes.
“It’s not the lunchbox, it’s the stuff in the lunchbox. Please, Donnie, can you check, please?” He begged, his heart pounding.
Donnie softened some, lowering his goggles and typing on his wrist com.
“It looks like it fell out of the room into the tunnel below. Good news, that tunnel is stable and is on our way out. If it’s that important, we can grab it.” He said, lifting his goggles. Leo let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping in relief.
“Thank you, Donnie.” He grinned, joining his brothers again.
Leo carefully stored the bits of tech and metal Donnie passed him in the bag, and followed him to a lower level of tunnels.
“To avoid us falling if something does happen.” Donnie explained. The tension eased just a bit, as they left what they knew as ‘home’. Mikey started talking about an idea he had for a mural on one of their new walls, Leo chiming in with a weak joke and Raph telling him to knock it off with a grin.
The chattering stopped as Donnie came to a halt. They watched as the spider claws came out of the battle shell, Donnie lowering his goggles as he carefully shifted a few slabs of concrete.
“Aha!” He said triumphantly, a claw reaching into the hole he’d made and coming out with the lunchbox.
Leo grabbed it as it came within reach, hugging the box tight to his chest. He took a few deep breaths to drive back a wave of tears, not wanting to deal with their questions.
“Thank you.” He breathed, smiling shakily at his brother.
“Sure. Anytime.” Donnie seemingly brushed off, but with that specific brand of eye contact that spoke of emotions he didn’t know how to deal with.
Leo stepped forward and pressed into his side, showing his appreciation in a way Donnie would understand.
“C’mon, show us outta here.” He said as he stepped back, Donnie nodding. He was using his wrist com to track where they needed to head, but Leo didn’t miss the happy flaps his free hand made.
They’d make it through this. They’d be okay.
~~~
You’ll pay for this you insolent rat!
Bang - Crunch - Scratch
Leo was falling
Falling falling falling
His shell hit the ground with a sickening crack
He was so tired
Bang - Punch - Fall
There was no escape
No end
Just the Krang, raining down on him with the fury of centuries
He was falling again
Falling
Cra-!
Leo gasped, and gasped again when it felt like that did nothing. He couldn’t breathe. It was too dark, everything hurt, god everything hurt-
“Leo, Leo, hey, you’re okay, you’re safe.”
Oh god, Donnie was here? His brothers were supposed to be on the other side, his brothers were supposed to be safe.
“Leo, I really need you to breathe for me, bro. Can you follow my breathing?”
Donnie needs him to breathe. He can do that. He’ll do anything for his brothers. But- fuck- he shouldn’t be here. Why was Donnie here? Why hadn’t it worked?
“Leo, please, you’re safe, you’re home. We’re home together. We got you home, remember?”
Home. Mikey had brought him home. That’s right. But it was still so dark, and everything still hurt, if he was home why did it still feel like he was there?
“You’re home, you’re safe, it was just a nightmare. You’re safe, Leo.”
Nightmare. A nightmare. Donnie was trying to talk him down from a nightmare. Why did home have to be so dark-
“Box.” He hissed, knowing he’d never make it to his room and that his brothers wouldn’t let him move in this state anyway.
“Box? Hey, Leo, stay with me. What do you mean by box?”
“Please.” He begged, still struggling to get enough air in.
“Box, box, box, what could you- the lunchbox. That stupid Jupiter Jim- guys, I need someone to grab Leo’s JJ lunchbox, and fast. I think there’s some sort of comfort item in there and he’s not calming down. Alright Leo, we’re getting the box. Please just try to breathe with me, here.”
Leo did his best, but he couldn’t quite match it. Familiar cool metal slid into his hands and he opened the latch on muscle memory, hands easily scoping out the familiar device amongst all the other familiar items. The button let out the soft blue glow Leo knew all so well, illuminating the box, as well as Donnie and Mikey’s worried faces.
His brothers were here. He was home. He was safe. He was loved.
The effect was instantaneous, his breathing calmed, his body relaxing, the traces of nightmare telling him he was in the prison dimension being washed away in the light.
“Leo? You with us?” Donnie asked, Leo finally able to actually register him. He held out a hand to squeeze Donnie’s, way too sore and exhausted to do much more.
“Oh, thank fuck.” Donnie sighed, stunning Leo into a painful laugh.
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. You were really out of it, Leo.” He muttered. It sounded like he was accusing him of something, but Leo knew he was just scared. They were all scared right now.
“‘S dark.” He rasped, Mikey grabbing a cup of water for him.
“Shit, I should have thought of that. Lights up 30%.”
The room brightened softly, the medbay becoming visible around them. Leo tried to smile at his brothers, unsure if the expression landed.
“You need anything, Leo?” Mikey asked, still looking on the verge of tears.
“Fuck ton of painkillers and a cuddle session would be nice.” He said, smile becoming easier as Mikey huffed with amusement.
“I can do one of those.” Mikey agreed.
“Hang on, I want to check if there’s any issues. I know it probably hurts a lot, but are there any areas of concern?” Donnie asked, stalling Mikey. Leo took a deep breath, taking a moment to actually take stock on the pain he was in.
“Shell hurts the worst, but I’m pretty sure that’s because it’s the worst off.” He said. Donnie hummed and flicked his goggles down, studying him for a moment before relenting.
“Alright, painkillers and cuddle session are a go. Let me move…” Donnie trailed off, looking down at the still open lunchbox on Leo’s lap.
Leo grinned, placing his blue light back in the box.
“Recognise your handiwork?” He teased, Donnie blinking rapidly.
“You kept this stuff?” He asked softly, disbelief clear in his voice.
“Donald. Come on. Of course I did.” Leo said, smiling fondly down at the box of trinkets.
“Why?”
Leo looked back up at his brother. In the past he would never have imagined sharing this with his brothers, but almost dying changed your perspective on a few things.
“I didn’t always understand you, Don. You didn’t look at us or speak to us, and I was too young to get it. But this?” He pulled that very first piece of painted metal out. The cheap child’s paint had chipped in the long years, but it was still mostly blue. “This was one of your favourite things that you gave to me to make me happy. This was you telling me you loved me, and that I understood.”
Donnie was staring at him with wide eyes.
“But- I- you never- you like to show off your things. You never did that with…”
“Yeah, because they all went in here to keep them safe. These aren’t just things, Don. They’re… you.” He grinned, smoothing his thumb over the blue metal. Donnie was still wide eyed, Leo’s grin softening into something fond.
“Hey Mike, smoosh his side for me, I’m kinda stuck here.”
“Can do!” Mikey beamed, rounding the bed to press his side against Donnie’s.
Donnie blinked a few times, looking down at the box. His shocked face settled into something content, before his usual mask of indifference went up.
“Alright, that’s enough, Angelo. Leon wanted a hug, not me.” He said, Leo rolling his eyes good naturedly.
Mikey carefully climbed into Leo’s bed, moving slowly to not hurt him while Donnie injected something into the IV. As Mikey’s head settled against his chest, Leo felt the last of his nerves dispel, getting further away with every stroke of Mikey’s thumb. The exhaustion and the painkillers did their work, and Leo was out in less than a minute.
~~~
As much as Leo loved his family, and as much as he wanted to spend time with them after almost dying, he was, unfortunately, still recovering.
After the third time where his character fell off the platform in super smash bros because he was nodding off, he passed the remote to Casey.
“Hey, Raph? Can you help me to bed?” He asked quietly, his big brother nodding easily. He didn’t mind falling asleep on the bean bags surrounded by everyone, but the lack of proper support would mess up his shell, and it was already a bad day for it.
“Sleep tight, Leo!”
“Night, bro-bro!”
“See ya, sensi!”
Leo waved from Raph’s arms, smiling as he curled up in the embrace. He was already falling asleep again by the time they reached his room, content to drift the night away.
“Donnie? What are you doing?” Raph asked. Leo stirred and turned his head to find his brother on a step stool, some… thing… in his hand he was hiding behind his back.
“I thought you guys were playing smash bros, nervous laugh.” Donnie said, shrinking back against the wall.
“Tired. Bad pain day.” Leo muttered, Donnie nodding.
“Right. Sorry, I’ll g-… I’ll just be a minute. You get settled and I’ll show you.” He said, changing his mind halfway through. Leo just hummed, too tired to think to argue. Raph moved him over to his bed, helping set up the billion trillion (read; four) extra pillows that kept him from moving too much in his sleep and hurting himself more.
A familiar blue glow came on through the room, Leo humming curiously. He could see his button on the nightstand, decidedly un-pressed.
“There we go.” Donnie said, Leo looking back towards his brother. There was a neon sign on his wall, like they might see in a diner, the cursive script spelling out Leon. That was what was making the blue glow, he noted tiredly.
“It’s motion activated, so if you’re sleeping it won't bother you, but if you wake up. Well.” Donnie explained, shrugging off the implications. Leo giggled, a little delirious.
“You made me a nightlight.” He said, Donnie rolling his eyes.
“If that’s what you wanna call it. I know it won’t exactly fit in your lunchbox, but. I hope you like it anyway.”
Leo stopped giggling, his eyes going wide and watery. Donnie made him a present. Donnie made him a present. To help him with nightmares, to remind him he was home, to remind him he was loved.
“Donald if you don’t come over here and hug me right fucking now.” He choked out, holding out an arm. Donnie hesitated for a second, but shucked off his battle shell and climbed into Leo’s bed.
“I got him.” Donnie said, addressing Raph.
“Alright, goodnight Lee. Love you.”
“Love you, Raphie.”
Leo curled around his brother as best he could, clutching onto him.
“Thank you.” He whispered, nuzzling into Donnie’s neck. “I love it.”
“You say that everytime.” Donnie said, Leo recognising the faint hint of amusement.
“I mean it everytime.” He answered seriously.
“Get some sleep, Nardo.” Donnie murmured, moving his hand to the back of Leo’s head and scratching that one spot that put him out like a light.
Sneaky. Two can play at that game.
“Stay?” He mumbled, smiling as he felt Donnie shift to take off his goggles and mask.
“I’ll stay.” He promised.
“I love you, Donnie.”
“Love you too, Leo.”