Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Hey twinsie" Leonardo smiled, slowly shutting the train car door behind him. Ridding himself of his gear and placing the dark blue scarf carefully on top of some furniture nearby - probably the chair, as he couldn't even see the frame under the neat pile of overalls and hoodies-, he stretched his arms high above, almost to the ceiling to realign those old bones hiding within. Even if only one made those satisfying cracking sounds, while his robotic limb whirred appreciatively.

From the bed, an indignant huff broke the silence stretching through the newly occupied mancave for two.

"I thought you'd never come back tonight" Donatello threw an accusatory look in Leon's general direction; a single eyebrow shooting up with a frown.

"Little me needed a teeeeny tiiiny bit more aid than I anticipated." Leo grinned sheepishly, donning the rest of his clothes to prepare for some long awaited nightly skincare routine. "... I may or may not have fucked up and blew up the oven before that, but badabing-badabumm a quick trip to the local electronics store and voilá! Lil' Mikey has a brand new oven, shiny new digital display and all, no biggie. As planned, of course."

"Of course." Don's still unimpressed face flashed a hint of a smile for a quick moment, before his tablet was placed silently on the bedside table. The darkened screen showcased the eerie hour of one thirty-two am, as Donnie untangled himself from his blanket cocoon to - albeit still grumpily - approach his slightly idiotic twin. Leo waited patiently, albeit in an embarrassed stance, straightening his posture and scratching the back of his neck while trying to keep the cool facade. With less than stellar outcome, but beggars can't be choosers, and he was in his forties afterall. Leonardo would still happily boast about looking absolutely flawless and irresistible compared to other turtles his age. If he knew any.

"...So...?" Leo creaked out, cringing how his own voice came out higher pitch than planned. The need to fill that temporary moment of silence was overpowering enough to lose some of his dignity in the matter. 

" 'So' turn around and give me the bottle, you dumdum." Donnie shook his head, but didn't actually wait for Leo to do the exact thing he asked, instead diving forward for the shell moisturizer on one of the haphazardly built shelves along the wall. Leo blinked the sluggishness out his features and, trying to do at least one of the tasks as he was told to correctly, the war veteran obediently turned his shell towards Don. He could hear the plastic container uncapping in steady hands made for delicate wirework, one of which slid into it to scoop out a fair amount of the creamy substance onto Leon's well-worn shell.

His fingers slid over the long-healed cracks and scars, soon both palms finding the surface to generously massage the special cream into the hard surface. Leo groaned his appreciation as a pleasant shiver ran down his spine, tingling his limbs as he himself blindly reached for another skin product for his actual scales and face. 

"I'm the one being late, and still getting a massage? Damn..." Leon churred, hands stilling in the air, cream on fingers and ready to use, yet the clever movements of his brother halted that train of thought. 

"Shush" even the reprimand from his twin couldn't dampen his mood, yet that actually kicked his proactive mind back to gear to apply the products on himself. Which got another thoughtful huff from the softshell behind him. "Didn't know you still fancied these brands, after all these years. I figured you wouldn't have the need nor the patience for it again." Donnie mumbled, finding it oddly peaceful to help his twin in the newly rediscovered nightly routine of his.

He heard a scoff from the front, and quirked his eyebrow up in curiosity.

"Are you kidding me? I have the means to treat myself like the princess I am again. Maybe the beauty sleep will actually find this old ass if I start taking care of my fab skin!" he giggled, and Donnie suddenly got reminded why he loved the sound of a happy and carefree Leo. When nothing lurked in the shadows he needed to be wary of at all hours of the day, as the joyous turtle he once knew started to resurface day by day, little by little. "Lil' me shoved these brand new babies in my face when I asked for just a couple drops - I saw him using it btw before you ask, I'm not as nascissistic as you might think, thank you -"

"I wasn't going to-" Don tried to protest, but even he knew it was a futile attempt.

"Yeah anyway, honestly, the shell cream is definitely overkill if you ask me - at this point, I'd have been happy for just half a bottle of the cheapest body lotion there is, still better than the big fat nothing we had... uh, before.'

The little stumble of his voice didn't escape the scientist's keen ears. He kneaded his palms gently into the lips of Leo's shell, almost as a reassuring pat; to remind him of the here and now, and the past they managed to leave behind. For some reason, one that they couldn't find an answer for, and didn't quite want to, after a while.

Afraid of the consequences of the knowledge.
For the illusion to break. 

It didn't seem that way, anyhow. Dreams could take a long internal time, but the almost ten months in their intricate detail and painful PTSD moments in their past selves's universe indicated the opposite. And somehow, they got back their Casey along the way. If it was their own, or another timeline's kid, it wasn't clear - and it's not exactly as easy as determining lineage from a DNA test.

Sometimes, not knowing the answers was a blessing, one even Donatello was willing to compromise with.
Because other than this fragile reality, what did they really have?



A gentle shake of a hard surface under his fingers pulled Donatello back to the present. Ha

"Penny for your thoughts?" Leo whispered, bringing his brother back from the dissociation. Donnie's stilled fingers twitched with the renewed motion springing back to them, continuing the scrubbing he didn't realize was stopped momentarily.

"Thinking about Casey Junior." Tello answered truthfully, having wandered there in the latest line of thoughts. "More specifically, how he's still struggling to find his footing in this time and place. Even... after all this time."

"Can't blame the kid for that, Donnie." Leo, strangely wise for his own persona, smiled like he knew something Don didn't. Donnie would definitely fight this statement with his life. "He never knew peace, not like our idea of what it was. And bedtime stories about like, pizza places and Dance Dance Revolution sound much more like dolled-up fairy tales when he can simultaneously hear a Kraang zombie's gurgling above the underground base as a fucked-up lullaby."

Leo felt Donnie's visceral reaction through his shell to the gruesome visual, internally cursing the at himself how he just casually threw out a trauma anecdote of their collectively unforgiving past. Being essentially desensitized to anything and everything gross had it's pros and cons, which he may or may not have shocked their little counterparts with on more occassions than he wanted to remember.

"I'd appreciate not hearing about the 'Misadventures of the Hamato Family in an Apocalyptic Wasteland' series anymore. I think we had enough reruns to try a new channel by now." Donnie clicked his tongue, though the comeback wasn't as sharp as he probably wanted it to be. He blamed it on the general tiredness and the late hour of night. 

"Duly noted." Leo agreed easily, this time not feeling the vibe to counter his twin's statement, not even for the fun of it. Instead; "Besides, I heard the new episode of the 'Gay Turtle Bros Across the Multiverse' is the shit now, we should check it out sometime."

Don's hand stilled on Leonardo's shell, then his palm landed flat around the second light blue circular pattern, nearing the middle part. Right where the biggest scar stretched across the hard scutes.


The contemplative silence stretched a tad bit too long for Leo's taste, even if the joke he constructed was, in his humble opinion, one of his best sitcom comebacks as of yet. He couldn't shake the nervous energy from his body however, how he shifted from one foot to another. Still feeling a hand near his spine, a gesture otherwise soothing for his nerves, yet now the area almost burned with the unsaid emotions practically radiating into his just from that single point of touch. 


"... We should sleep soon." Donnie gulped, then. Not yet ready to conquer the proverbial ball thrown high into the air, but feeling as if he didn't really have a choice in the matter.

He was in Leon's bedroom, afterall. Or he was in Donnie's. Their bedroom. As they had agreed upon.

Donnie sighed, with Leo turning around to face him fully. Hesitant hands curled upwards on purple marked biceps, gestures which Don let happen. Warm, slightly oily and soft fingers trailing up his neck, then face.


He wasn't prepared to get a surprise moisturizer attack from his brother, of all things that night. He shut his eyes with his snout scrunched up, trying and failing to get out of the hold and away from the sudden texture change, hearing a soft, bubbly laugh from the man beside him.

"Hey- stop tha-! EUGH ENOUGH JUST- Get your greasy hands off of me, you dumdum!"

"Nah-ah brother mine, you have a worse Raph chasm than the man of the hour himself, time to rope your sorry raisin ass into my ten-step skincare routine, now chop-chop!"

"Would be more efficient if you tried it on my face and not OVER MY MASK YOU IDIOT-"

"Your eyebrows need the special treatment!! But oh, you're so right, as always, baby~" with a swift and smooth motion, he slipped the purple mask off his purple-loving brother's slightly toast-shaped head, that only ever grown more and more distinguishably rectangular over the years.

"Of COURSE I'M RIGHT, now you can finally ta-"


He couldn't finish his sentence, as Donnie felt his mask slip off soundlessly, from his shoulders to the floor, somewhere. Warm hands encased his face, being tilted upwards and slightly to the side. Reflexively closing his eyes when a soft mouth found his.

His own hands slowly found purchase on the sides of Leo's neck, fingers pressing down ever so slightly, to feel the lively, upbeat pulse underneath skin and flesh. He parted his lips for Leo, for his leader to guide him once more, to let that tongue take a leisure lap over his own and invite him to a slow dance.

He could never say no to his leader. His brother. The asshole other half of his. The two sides of the same coin.


Parting felt like relief and pain all the same. Donnie wanted to flee and to bury himself deeper at the same time.


Taking in a generous inhale, their breaths mingled and foreheads touched, Leo's hands still holding Donnie's beautiful face. It was safe and warm, and alarming. The genius's right hand curled around Leo's over his cheek, squeezing it ever so softly, as they gazed into each other's eyes.

"I... I can't, Leo. You know I..." the corners of Donnie's lips curled downwards a smidge, not long to show his distress, but just enough for his Big Blue to capture one of the corners in a gentle peck.

"I know. I know, I just... I wanted you to know. I still..." Leo tried to smile, but a shush stopped both the movement and the crooked speech to a halt. He winced.

"I know." Donnie nodded, letting himself have the rare endearment as to hold Leo's head the same way he did to him. "I... I'll try." his fingers trembled, as his exhale came out as a hitched breath. "I promise."


He let Leo go suddenly, and his twin did, at the same time as well. Donnie took a step back, not noticing his haggard breath until it was hard to take another into his, suddenly too small, lungs.


He turned, busying himself with getting rid of his own clothes, including the bandana on the floor, folding them neatly over his desk. There was a stack of papers his panicked mind couldn't discern right away, but then the numbers slowly started to make sense again.

Sheets. Data collection, variables. Some from them, some from their counterparts, their little brothers. Their kid. Friends.

After a few long minutes, Donnie's breathing evened out, finding comfort in the numbers, their predictable and safe system, where he knew his way.


Taking that final deep breath, he chanced a glance over his shoulder, to see Leo occupying his side of the large bed already. Peacefully hugging the Ikea shark plush he got from Mikey and whom he majestically dubbed Sharkie, comforter pulled up to his nose as he always liked it. It always tickled his snout mid-sleep, resulting in Leon throwing the whole bed cover away in a moment of frustration - only to blindly scramble around (and hitting Don square in the plastron in his search), then dig himself even deeper into it upon returning the offending blanket.  

It brought a smile on Donnie's face.


Leo always knew what he needed. And when he needed time and space, he never hesitated to give him anything and everything Donatello desired.

...Even if it slowly killed him inside.


Switching off the main light source of the room and leaving their warm coloured fairy lights on, it created a dimmed, warm ambiance through their shared space. When Tello slid under the covers himself, he felt Leo shift and place Sharkie's narrow nose in the crook of his neck for support, faced away from Donnie - yet looking back at him with a fond expression. As every night they shared in the past ten years.

"Come here." Leon purred, with a smile so loving that reached his eyes and showed off the crinkles in their corners, and Donnie couldn't do much else than melt into his mate's expression. A kiss was placed on top of Leo's head, alongside a nuzzle and another, deeper and rumblier purr from his twin that tingled through Donnie's skin.

As Donnie faced away as well, scooting backwards bit by bit, until a soft spike of his spine and shell touched Nardo's own.


I love you, Donnie wanted to say. He wouldn't dare, not now. He couldn't.


"Sleep tight, Dontron. I'll be here when you wake up."

Donnie churred back, just as deep, hands pressing tight onto his own plastron. Slumping into the safe space of their shared warmth, watching each other's back for an enemy only threatening their dreams as of late. He could feel his twin's heartbeat over the single point in the universe where they touched. Donnie's own personal white noise, his lullaby he couldn't ever fall asleep without. Placing his own gentle kiss to his own knuckles, as if Leo could feel it, mumbling his share of the same wish and promise.


Soon.

They... He will be able to say it again. Someday.

Getting up was always the worst and best part of his day.

Worst, because the cold sweat drenching his skin and sheets, and the haunting dreams never wanted to leave. Surging up with a wet gasp four days out of seven, on a good week. Gulping down the air as well as the reality that was still cruel, one that was not letting them forget and heal, but remind and torture.

Best, because despite all that... after a slow and fearful moment until Donnie turned his head, his twin was there. Up and awake, or sometimes snoring, which Donnie loved to see. The best part of his day, the moment he woke up, because he could see his twin. The best thing that ever happened to him.

This exact morning, while he came down from a stressful high - one that he, admittedly, could live without -, gazing into his Nardo's peaceful expression, feeling his own chasm slowly evening out. His hand hesitantly hovering over a chiseled jaw and those strikingly beautiful, albeit a bit faded red moons. The desire to be close overpowered the tremor in his fingers this time, newfound determination pushing through until the fingertips traced those sharp marks, a long scar that almost reached Leo's precious right eye. Followed the fluttering movement of those very same eyes, he came face to face with a groggy expression of a war-torn turtle like himself.

Even in the half-asleep delirium, his Nardo smiled up at Donnie without a moment to spare. Sluggishly reaching up with his left, finding a cheek, a neck, where his hand fit perfectly. He had the audacity to giggle into the void, that bastard.

"Are you dream-Donnie or my insufferable twin?" he slurred, clearly amused by whatever he might've remembered from an assumed imagination.

"Is there a significant difference?" Donnie's mouth curled slightly upwards, trying to discern any additional emotion on his brother's face, as a finger tapped a gentle rhythm across the back of his head.

"Maybe. Dream-Donnie agrees with me more and once in a blue moon admits I'm right about something."

"The horror." Donnie actually snorted.

"Right? He drives me crazy. I want you." He nudges Don just a tad closer, breaths mingling but snouts still miles away, though the dreamy eyes locking with Donnie's own never falters. "I want to hear in excruciating detail why I'm in fact wrong."

"The excel sheets and documents are waiting patiently for you to finally read through them, if that's what you're looking for."

Leo throws his head back. His joyful laugh bounces through their sanctuary, making him tingle and fizz all over. He wants to add it to his audio-library. "Of course they are." Leo cackles.

He sits up in bed, the sudden motion setting Donatello's mind back to gear, and a previously overseen detail makes him momentarily back away. That is, that he's been essentially straddling his twin's one thigh that whole time. He knew Leo didn't mind, but the realization burned and started the flood that was impossible to stop, to tame. His hands hovered, again, but this time, the shaking was persistent.

Leo slowly slid his legs from under him; sitting cross-legged directly in front of the genius, his gorgeous brother sat and waited. For what, even he didn't know. But Donnie felt the need to at least brush his finger along Leo's calf - his tether,  the only grounding that ever worked.

The shaky breath caught in his throat at Leo's unexpected words.

"What did you make with little Donnie yesterday?" his voice was like a balm. A simple question, one that floated in his frazzled mind until Donnie actually thought about what it meant. "I could hear your bickering about wires and screens, and about someone being a dimwit. That part was loud." Leo added with a grin.

Yesterday.
Yesterday?
Oh.

"Ah- uh. Upgraded the turtle tank's digital display on the driver's side." and so, he fell into the calming waves of his chain of words, the details, the soon accompanying hand gestures. 

They did great yesterday, significantly so, with the shiny new interface and all the features they didn't know was desperately needed before. And Leo listened fondly, sometimes reaching out. Brushing his fingers over the resting palms of Donnie, encouraging.

He felt the safest when he was with his Nardo, afterall. And the most terrified.

By the time Don was finished with all he wanted to say and explain, and his heart rate calmed significantly, he was practically leaning back on Leonardo's plastron, playing with his leader's fingers absently. He mentally noted each uneven detail of the skin and the way there was a few milliseconds' worth of delay in the third robotic finger. Leo even wiggled that pinky finger for him to examine further, wordlessly noting his twin's interest without the need to elaborate on Donnie's part. 

"You comfy?" Leo purred, secretly overjoyed at the close proximity he was allowed that morning. 

"Plenty" came the easy reply. When it came to physical contact these days, the ones Donatello initiated lasted longer and provided room for experimenting a little bit more each day.

It had to be on his brother's terms, at least the majority of them, Leo knew that. Didn't make it easier, yet he was content however much he was allowed in that space. 


Sitting this close however, shell to plastron as the peaceful morning shifted into that malleable time before noon, both felt a palpable shift in the intimate atmosphere. Leo felt brave enough to try and rest his chin, although after a minute of consideration, on top of Donnie's head, and his advances were met with a welcoming sigh. Like a piece of a bigger puzzle sliding into it's rightful place, as Donnie's exhale felt calm and collected, like he was even waiting for Leo to take that step. Maybe that way, Donnie could just accept it without thinking of his own move, Leo rationalized, as he timidly nuzzled closer into his brother. He felt those curious fingers previously examining his hands to slide right between his own digits, squeezing his palm and brushing their thumbs along the other. 

Leo couldn't help but smile like a love-struck idiot, and he had a feeling his Don knew very well he was grinning that way. He might even saw those same face muscles twitch from above, indicating that his other half was at least enjoying himself for the time being. A pleasant churr rumbled through Leon's chest and mouth before he could stop it, and he felt the answering vibrations that made him even happier. 

It was perfect. Seriously. The most contact they had since... everything that happened. 

A moment of hope shone brightly upon the both of them, ninja mind-meld style or just plainly through the bond they shared. 'We'll get through this', both mused in their own head, as the squeeze of their hands felt all the more real the longer it stretched. Unspoken emotions bubbled up in Donnie's chest, and he so desperately hoped his twin could feel them just as well. 

Maybe the universe will help him convey all those without words, he thought, as he let Leo's fingers untangle themselves, and instead circle around his middle. Hugging him close. Churring even louder, momentarily dipping down to place a chaste kiss to the crook of Donnie's neck, that made the scientist sigh once more. Just for a moment, not wanting to overwhelm his twin as Leo rested his head on top of Donnie's once more. 

Maybe... they can have this. Maybe this time, it will be different? 

Donatello's heart picked up the pace, singing a song through his pulse only Leo could understand. The genius turtle held his twin's hands in their hold, taking a deep inhale that shook in his lungs, shifting in the gentle hold to face the handsome slider. 

"Le-"



A thundering CRASH boomed through the lair, jolting both of them out of the moment's fragile serenity. As Donnie was in the middle of turning his head upwards prior the surprise, their sudden jump surged his forehead up, banging right into Leonardo's chin - sending both to the sides with loud, painful hisses. Don rolled to his right while clutching his pounding forehead, while Leo blabbered a chain of 'OW OW FUCK ow's into the plush pillows, massaging the battered skin. 

"-Shit, that will leave a mark, owwww" Donnie cursed while his words morphed turned into a long, strained whine. Trying to shake the remnants of pain away and pouted back at Leo apologetically. "Didn't anticipate that one, my bad."

"Aw ouch- No nonono it's fine, no worries." Leon rose up, robotic hand still on his chin as he opened and closed his jaw a few times to test the remaining ache. "That forehead not only looks but feels like a brick wall, damn-"

All he got was a shove and a pillow in his face, falling back to the bed and laughing away the assault. 

"Heyyyyy no come back, I was just joking, I love that big smart forehead mi amor!! Let me kiss it better-!" Leo quickly rolled back out from the blankets and pillows that engulfed him in his fall, crawling to the edge to get a hold of Donnie's leg but missed, resulting in another faceplant into the mattress. 

"Scoff! You wish." Donnie turned on his heel to get his gear, overalls already in place by the time Nardo untangled himself from their bedsheets. "It's time to face the day anyway, enough lazing around. While that... sound will no doubt require my assistance, I reckon you promised a visit Hueso's today with little you." He punctuated his words with a firm pull on the tails of his freshly tied mask. 

"But-!"

"I want a large Meat King with the cheese sauce on the side, as always, thank you for the offer." Donnie smirked self-assuredly to a gobsmacked Leo, already halfway out of the door. Stopping for a step despite himself, however, as they locked eyes once again.


Both recognizing the pained glint and a shared promise from the shattered illusion. Next time, as they always knew it would be. 


Leo broke the tension first as he averted his gaze, huffing a defeated grin while waving his twin off.

"Yeah yeah, I know the drill. Gonna bring it fresh and hot right from the oven so you can burn your tongue off, ya freak." Leo rolled his eyes as Donnie's grin stretched even wider, pleased with himself at the bargain he knew he would win. 

"Wonderful! Gratitude upon your way." the last words of the sentence trailed off as Don left the premises. 


Out of everyone's field of view, Leonardo let himself deflate in the companionable silence. A faraway look on his face, as he absently gazed into his palm, remembering the touch he was allowed and received back that morning. The hope that fizzled out right when that god-forsaken blast from somewhere around the lair yanked them right back to their... situation. He dragged his hands accross his face, groaning in frustration, but the pang of sadness and uncertainity was more prominent than the slight anger he felt towards the current predicament. Surely the younger ones didn't mean to distract them, he knew that at least, unreasonable feelings or not. Leo just wished the universe didn't have it out for them, always throwing shit their way when...

He let out a long sigh, stretching instead to occupy his body with something. Cracking the old bones and mentally readying himself for the day ahead, he also got a tad curious about the noise. 


Next time, he mused. 


Until then, a situation needed to be assessed. And a big pile of pizza devoured with his family. 

Chapter Text

A frantic tapping of a heavy foot could faintly be heard through the night, if the New Yorkians listened carefully enough.

"I am telling you for the one-hundred-fifty-ninth time that it's not going to work, Nardo."

"And I am telling YOU that it will be fine, relax Don!" Is all Tello got, along with a show of an exaggerated high-five with the slider's little counterpart, before a moderate-sized portal opened horizontally right at their feet. "The newest model of our barbecue station coming riiight up!" 

"Raph's not sure about this either..." The gentle giant murmured under his beak, scratching an invisible itch at his neck to somehow distract his nerves. He was of course summoned for the promise of a juicy steak and some grilled cheese goodness, but as for the how, he was still not convinced. 

"Oh don't get chicken feet now, Raphala!" Leo shushed his big brother with a scoff, avoiding the pointed gaze he got for the jab, emboldened by the fact that his big double actually had his back in this. If he says it's okay, then the others gotta believe those legendary leader skills they heard so many stories about! 

All eight of them, the extended turtle family and their human companions - sans Splinter and Draxum, they would've gotten all their heads for this stunt - hovered over and near the portal, looking on in awe as Leonardo dunked his head in first, looking around to check if the coast was clear. "Alrighty!" When they heard the sound of victory, the bigger slider tapped Tello's calf with the hand not gripping the edge of his portal. "Nofunatello, the spider arms please!"

"Real creative," Donatello deadpanned, but did as told as he tapped the appropriate command for a few of his mechanical limbs. They zoomed past him into the hole and around his twin still occupying half of it. "But just so we're crystal clear, I am not going to clean up the mess you'll inevitably make on this ominously and conveniently empty restaurant rooftop." 

"If you're tellin' me you now also have a problem with our location, I'm gonna bite your leg." the slider sounded muffled until he drove back up with his eyes squinted. "And you're not getting a steak." 

Tello gasped, though his twin didn't exactly hear his offended intake of air since he now actually full-body jumped into the mystic opening. 

"Heyheyhey hold up!" April jumped, looking frantically into the space Nardo disappeared in. "Didn't Donnie say there were motion detectors inside?!" 

"Nah. Not anymore at least." She let her fighting stance ease up when no blaring alarms could be heard from down below, releasing a huff of relief. "My pain-in-the-ass twin would've alerted me already." Leon readily supplied the info from a distance on the other side of the portal, before they all heard the slight clattering of kitchen utensils and something heavy and metal-sounding scraping the tiled floor. 

"Again. Very creative." Tello rolled his eyes, leaning on a steel... something, a beam of sorts as he rolled his eyes. "But affirmative. I already eliminated the threat."

"Wasn't much of work, anyway." Donnie added from next to Tello, who nodded along. "These alarm systems are the lower range of mediocre at best." He tapped along his own gauntlet, constantly checking the camera feeds, as per Leo's order, distracting an approaching guard on the same floor with remotely turning on a portable tv in a further away break room. A hint of a smile ghosting on his face as he saw the man taking the bait immediately. "They won't even notice the disturbance in the force." 

"Neeeeerd." Leo hollered, earning a snap of softshell jaw in his direction, almost losing one of his fingers from the way he formed a tube from his hands. 

The bickering faltered as they heard the sound of something big and heavy approaching from the portal. "Package delivery!" Leonardo's large frame was obscured by an even bigger object raised above his head, as April and Leo stepped aside for Raph and Mikey to help lift up that behemoth of a grill machine onto the roof, along with the assisting spider arms. 

Mikey whistled as he finally had a once-over of the grill, just after Nardo hopped up and out of his portal, closing it temporarily with Leo's assistance. "A pretty baby for sure." He slid his hand lovingly over the perfectly aged and pristine quality metal, while taking a sniff of the thing, which he realized he did at the same time as Nardo, who nuzzled up close and admired their prize just as longingly.
 
"Not that I am against some perfectly cooked meat," Donnie looked on the almost salivating pair at the machine, "but pray tell, why exactly did we have to steal one from a restaurant? Wouldn't it have been more beneficial if we got a new one from literally any store in the area?"

"With less guards to account for, may I add." Tello pointed out, both Donnies wearing an already exhausted expression. 

"Are you joking?" Leonardo stood up to his full height, flabbergasted, as he thrusted both hands in the direction of their newly acquired toy. "The new ones in those shops could never!" he said, almost disappointed with his big dum-dum twin. 

"Exactly!" Mikey joined as he jumped on Nardo's shell, the new vantage point a bonus layer for his ongoing infodump of culinary expertise on the matter. "This one has years of fine tuning and the perfect amount of meat flavor ingrained to the grills! How do you think their steak is literally the best in New York??" Mikey animatedly gestured with his hands, accentuating every rushed word leaving his lips with an almost manic glint in his eyes. 

"Having good chefs?" April smiled, crossing his arms and being amused by his littlest brother's fascination. 

"Having good chefs who know how to treat this queen!" Mikey beamed, leaving his perch (and Nardo slightly wobbling to regain his balance from the jump down the shell) to land right behind the machine, hugging it about halfway due to his size, like he would embrace a long lost lover. "Don't worry baby, I'm gonna treat you so right!" 

Leo giggled for Mikey's antics, leaning on his sword. "Alright, then time to fire up this baby before the night closes in on us. April?" He turned to his sister, earning a matching smirk as she pulled up the three cooler bags from beside herself. 

"Meat heaven incoming!" She declared, opening the lids as they took a moment to marvel at the selection; a generous amount of beef steaks occupying one of the bags, two for each member of the family, then sausages, pork chops and ribs, fresh vegetables for Mikey and Leo, plus meat patties for the hamburger encore in the third one, along with enough buns to stuff a whole football team and then some. 

"Eye-boner right there..." Nardo ooh'd and ahh'd rather filthily, even raising a finger to wipe off a drop of saliva from his mouth. Mikey made a rather disgusted sound as the rest just laughed or rolled their eyes - looking at you, Donatello -, before the two future siblings hauled the bags up along with Raph to prepare for their meaty paradise. "We could do this every night." 

"Don't bet on it." Tello kicked the back of Nardo's foot accusingly, for his twin to skip a step ahead and almost trip over with their precious cargo. "Hey! Respect the meat, you carnivore!" 

"The meat I respect." Tello snorted despite himself, righting Nardo's posture with his fake arms anyway. "The carrier, not so much."

The resident oldest genius conveniently leaned away from his share of a swinging kick, neatly placing his bag down before his portion would fly away to the streets below. "Try working on your aim, dear." After a beat and a sudden moment of silence, "...Twin." He added. 

Mikey and the younger bale didn't notice the slight slip of the tongue; only April picked up on the millisecond of hesitation and a glimpse of Leonardo's hopeful smile, only to feel as if she intruded on something private. She averted her gaze to focus on the grill instead; which way she couldn't see a pair of eyes lock for a beat, fingers grazing just a touch, as Leon joined the gang with a smile that reached the clouds. 

"SO!" The leader in his signature dark blue scarf caught their attention, standing proud and hands planted on his sides in a wide stance. "Who wants some meat?" 

-

They should have known it was gonna end in a fire. 

Alas, it was partially all of their fault for thinking the kitchen course evaded the older and supposedly wiser Leonardo, just because he could manage to not destroy the barely functioning excuses of kitchens in the apocalypse. 

They had to give the big slider his due credit, as he was a great sous chef for Mikey. The youngest Hamato brother flipped and sizzled the meat with the kind of fluid expertise, it was like watching a delicate dance instead of live cooking. Leo, for his due diligence, also turned the patties and sausages when Mikey instructed him - it even emboldened Leo to try and sneak into the makeshift kitchen area himself, only to be booted back by glowing chains to their also makeshift picnic station. 

By the time Mikey entertained the idea of leaving Leon alone with their precious vegetables and the last portion of pork chops and steaks, Raph already devoured his share of the perfectly cooked medium rare dreamy meat bits and one and a half packet of XXL-size sausages. The self-made barbecue sauce got it's own share of compliments, Leo and April especially praising Mikey to the Moon and back for the blend and quite literally begging on their knees for the repice and the secret ingredient (not that Leo would ever be able to attempt making it, no, but he had to know what made it this good, sue him!) 

Maybe all those praises and the two Donatellos' almost sultry moans through the first and second bites made Mikey weak. His attention shifted, rotating his stick of various vegatable pieces between his fingers as he soaked up all those sweet words and worship for his skills. 

He should've known better. He really should have!

All the alarm they got was a burst of warmth emanating from the grill. Mikey's eyes became the size of saucers, back currently facing the source of a distressed yelp while his family looked on in horror and exasperation. 

"LEONARDO!!" Mikey jumped up and literally flew for the counter, coming face to face with the tall licks of flames that tried to reach the sky. "What did you do??" 

"NOTHING I SWEAR!" Nardo sputtered, trying to fan the fire, only to make it even bigger and even more scorching, bits of hot coal clattering everywhere. "IT JUST- I only flipped the patty!"

"Literally how." April raised an eyebrow as she, once again, slumped back to her place when she saw how Michael was handling the situation, with the assistance of Donnie's ninpo dome to smother the fire and cut the feeding source of oxygen.

"Don't ask me." Raph bit into his burger with a bored look. "Leo's capable of setting a bowl of cereal on fire."

"Hey, that was ONE TIME!" Leo scowled mid-bite, lifting a finger for punctuating his point. "You always bring that one up, like I'm not the one who can bake the best pizza in the family!" 

"Pizza is one thing. Milk on fire is 'nother." Raph smirked, enjoying the way this one flaw always made the slider flustered and he could flaunt his big brother privilege. "Ya can bet you're not gonna live that one down." 

"Augh!" Leo threw his arms up, frustrated and leaning on Donnie's shell. "Deeeeee, Raphie's mean to me!" he brought out the puppy dog eyes, his twin sparing him a quick glance over his shoulder before he went back to his screen.

"Woe is you I suppose." He only commented as he bit into his rare steak, with Leo leaning away with his nose scrunched. 

"Carnivore." Donnie didn't dignify the attempted dig with an answer, continuing to scroll on his phone and prolly ignoring Leo's sulking. 

"Bigger Deee!" Leo's quick plan B was to change targets; as soon as he caught sight of Donatello and the inclining of a head for being called, he seized the opportunity and plopped himself right into his lap, effectively pushing Donatello's plate out of reach. 

Tello regarded Leo with a slightly annoyed but secretly amused look, and after a comtemplative few moments, decided to indulge his smaller multiversal twin. 

"Yes, mini Leo?" he leaned back on his haunches, looking on at the chaos and listening to the slider's whining. For some strange reason, both ot them - the small and the more seasoned slider in attendance - targeted Tello, of all people currently on the roof, with their problems. 

"Nobody appreciates my talent in the kitchen." Leo crossed his arms and pulled his legs into criss-cross applesauce position, thunking the back of his head to Donatello's plastron. He got exactly two reassuring pats on the forehead with an affectionately scoffed There there from the older mechanically inclined turtle. 

That's all he'll get, Leo supposed, which turned out to be true and the big version of his twin considered him appeased with that gesture, so he just kinda stayed there, granted Donatello wouldn't push him out of his lap. And since the aforementioned turtle didn't mind the close proximity, he let little Leo indulge in a bout of familial connection and lay back against Don again, this time more comfortably. 

Casey, who up until now just silently regarded the events and munched away on his best burger in his entire life - which was not a lot yet, but he'll get there -, he just smiled and laughed together with the group, soaking in the happy memories forging right in front of his eyes. 

Especially experiencing the 'Leo kitchen curse' firsthand, which he only heard bedtime stories about before. 

"Hey," a soft voice cut through the chilly New York night as he turned to his uncle. Leo started an animated argument over steaks and vegetables with Raph, leaning away from Don but still staying in his lap, so Tello took the opportunity to regard his former student. He offered the youngest time traveler a plate of freshly made sausages and pork (somehow miraculously saved from the Leonardo disaster), nudging it over to the boy, "all good?" Don asked, noticing the overall quiet reservedness of Casey. 

The addressed apocalypse survivor blinked, a slight breeze caught in his hair, as the smell of slightly burnt meat and smoke hit his nostrils. He smiled at Tello, a bit bashful for being caught, but looking over at Leon's attempts to apologise profusely to Mikey and his ruined workstation. "Yeah. It's just nice." Casey leaned back, plates in hand. "...A bit much?" he snorted, and Tello understood. 

"Yes, well... They- we can be a lot." For the first time that night, he looked, and really looked at Leonardo. The twin who was always the beam of hope for him through the worsts and the hopelessness, the way he could always make him laugh when there was nothing to be happy about. Thinking about him holding the baby Casey and giggling to him just to see him smile. A pang of pain seared through his frame momentarily, before his gentle smile returned. "But I'll gladly stay overstimulated for just a bit more." 

Casey scooched closer while he was distracted, nuzzling up gently to and under Tello's arm, like he used to do when he was younger. The genius let his adopted nephew get comfortable beside him, draping an arm around smaller shoulders to show Casey he was still and will always be welcomed in his close proximity. 

They didn't get to feel like a whole family for so, so long. 

Casey let himself relax in the familiar warmth, one of his safe person's presence easing his own anxiety over the hyper family activity. Somehow, even through mountains of pain and hopeless fights during his childhood, those quiet, shared moments with his loved ones felt the same as the new ones. Louder, bigger and with more razz, but safe and warm nonetheless. Multi-dimensional never-happened memories, if you will. 

"You'll get used to it." Tello squeezed Casey's shoulder, his voice carrying a soft and uncharacteristically hopeful edge. The softshell turtle's hand dropped and went back to his meal, gently pushing Leo out of his lap finally to the concrete floor, which the slider didn't even register. Casey hummed with a nod, peeking over Tello's lap with amusement to Leo who, following the momentum of the push, opted to stride over to Raph and his unsuspecting lap to plop down and continue the heated discussion neither will back out of anytime soon. 

"I can't help but feel like an intruder more often than not, though." 

Casey didn't register his own voice carrying in the wind, absent-minded. He was used to speaking to himself, granted very few would actually hear or pay attention to it back at the long demolished underground military base. He noticed Tello turning to him with a questioning, almost worried look, and then he realized he must've said it out loud by force of habit. 

"Ah- well..." Casey cleared his throat. The unspoken question was clear on Tello's face. "Don't worry about it." 

"You do realize it is going to be a hard task, considering the weight of this confession." the softshell conceded with an even voice. "Should I pry further, or you would prefer somewhere private for this conversation?" 

Casey groaned with a slump to the floor.

"Do we have to?" 

Tello smirked down at the boy. "Either that, or I'm gonna tell your resident Father Hen here. Worst case scenario, he'll do an intervention with the whole family involved."

Casey had the audacity to actually look horrified by the idea. "He wouldn't."

"He would, and he will." Donatello jerked his chin over to the commotion, alerting Casey of a worried Leonardo approaching them just at the right moment. "So what will it be? You have a limited time frame here to-"

"Okay okay, later! Just, please don't tell him yet, okay?" Casey quickly shushed him with a pleading look, earning a chuckle and a reserved nod in agreement, the slight blush from Casey's mild embarrassment dying down before the man of the hour reached their little sitting nook.

"And what have you been murmuring about while I was gone?" Nardo questioned with a quizzical look, one hand on his hips and one holding a towering plate of a great-smelling pork rib ready to be devoured. 

"You mean while you were gone trying to burn down the building?" Tello hummed, reaching for the plate but it was snatched from him mid-air. He let out a disappointed growl for his prize taken away.

"I'll let you know that I was perfectly in control of the situation." Nardo huffed.

"Mikey's still smothering the flames." Tello pointed, earning a gasp of the slider before he unceremonously dropped the food in Donatello's overalls-covered lap in a hurry.
 
"Oh fucking-!" He ran back to help, but the flames must've sensed their cursed father's presence, because they crashed through Mikey's mystical fingers and up to the sky, as if applauding their leader's arrival. 

"...Good save." Casey bit back his laugh and tried very hard to stay stoic. He took a big breath under his nose to stifle the giggle threatening to break out. 

"Been dealing with his ass for a long time." Tello just sniffed the prize meal for a jobb well done, taking a healthy bite - and promptly whistled as he saw April bring out a few cans of chilled beer she cleverly hid under the hamburger buns. "I see you're bringing out the big guns." 

"Just a girl who knows her family." She sent him a cheeky wink, sharing her bounty around and opening her own can with a satisfying crack and a follow-up fizz. "And prepared for a good time." 

"Can't argue with that." Donnie clinked his own can with April's, gratitude shown her way as he sipped his favourite cold brew. "Though getting shitfaced on a restaurant roof is not on my bucket list for the night." 

"Then you can be the sober sibling." Leo sidled up to Donnie's side with his eyebrow ridges wiggling, and he was promptly shoved back by his face. 

"May I remind you that you need your shit together to portal us home?" Donnie bit back.

"Oh pish-posh, I can hold my liquor when I want to." Leo giggled.

"Except you almost never want to." 

"And that's why you're the boring twin." Leo concluded, taking another blow from a ninpo pillow-construct to his face. 

Raph looked like an exhausted parent as he calmly took a swig from his drink, welcoming the sharpness of his nerves slowly dissipating as he still had a whiny slider and his antics a bit too close for comfort. When that ADHD minx got like this, it was way easier to handle him with something to take off the edge. Just a bit. 

When Leon finally managed to stifle the flames and evaded Mikey's murderous glares for his ruined beef patties, comfortable silence fell on the group. Only the soft sounds of munching and the satisfied groans of a good meal could be heard for a while, then the soft creaking of metal scraping on metal with Tello leaning back on a chosen aluminium pipe. Resting a fair bit further from his family, he churred in delight of the remaining taste of home-made barbecue sauce still lingering on his tongue, stomach full and not a threat in sight; truly the best night he ever had in decades. 

He opened his eyes to the faintly glinting stars above New York. Even with all the light (and possibly many other forms of) pollution, he could discern some of the constellations, the honking of cars and people a nice backdrop of white noise with the sensation. His skin prickled with the kind of contentedness that overcame him in situations like this, specifically since he found himself in the future-turned-past. His fight-or-flight response firing up and out like goosebumps, the anticipated looming presence in his mind passing, giving space to this new (or old?) feeling. 

"I missed this." Another weight descended in Tello's immediate proximity, and he didn't need to turn to know who spoke. 

"The meat specifically, or our family together?" Tello asked. Not mocking, more genuine curiosity painting his normally emotionless tone. 

Leon snorted good-naturedly. "Well, I'm not much of a huge meat lover as my favourite twin, but I can't deny a good burger when I see one." Tello felt a warm hand sneak under his own near his side, interlocking their fingers together. "By the way, have you seen the aforementioned twin recently? I haven't heard his ego manifest in almost five minutes, I'm getting worried." He jutted out his lips, like he always did when he thought he landed a banger joke. Tello wanted to kiss that stupid smug grimace off of his face. 

"You always know how to ruin the mood." Tello groaned instead, trying to pull his hand away, to no avail. Instead he listened to the giggles of the man he loved hearing it from the most. 

"Whaaat? I'm charming as ever. Maybe you ate too much burnt meat, it filled your head with coal too." He lifted up the jade green hand in his, planting a quick peck on the knuckles. Another round of goosebumps ran through Tello's scales, and it wasn't exactly the bad type. 

Tello swore he felt that kiss lingering on his hands, even hours later. In that moment, that spot almost burned with a lot of things unspoken between them. A glance away from the sky and towards pairs of eyes, pulled from the family and the domesticity of it all. The gentle squeeze of hands joined together, foreheads bonking lightly with Leon's smile that shone brighter than any stars. Don felt the slight nudge against his cheek, a beak inching closer with mingled breaths between - then a turn and a kiss under his right eye, one that tickled his scales. 

He sighed. Letting it take him until he was resting his head against Leon's shoulder. Slumping down a smudge, finding a comfortable landing, feeling his self-appointed twin's intake of breaths by his chest's rhythmic expand and drawback on his sides. It definitely helped that he was full and overall comfortable, otherwise the concrete lining of the roof would've proved a challenge for his bad knee. 

"Just to be clear, I meant the other thing too." Tello added, feeling more than hearing Leon's purr through the breath he took. 

"Of what?" 

"The two options you just proposed." Don brushed his thumb over Leon's hand. "Our family," he kept in a short breath, then sighed with the barest of nuzzles to Leon's jawline, "And you." 

If Leon had said something, he didn't hear it. Instead, he felt his hand being squeezed once again, and he let Don's right leg pull up and rest over his, easing the dull pain in Don's joints. 

........................

"Just so we're clear, even if you're acting cute now, I'm still not helping you clean your mess after this." Don added before he drifted off to a quick nap.

"Aww man..." Leon pouted quietly, peeking back over his shoulder where the blackened goop on the grills remained untouched by the younger counterparts, who were slowly packing up their stuff for the night. "...Please?"

"Not a chance." Tello murmured, the corner of his mouth turning upwards and snuggling closer to a displeased Leon and the consequences of his actions.