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Coming out is something Leo never thought he would have to do. He just assumed that being giant, freakazoid turtles would be deterrent enough. After all, who cares about gender preferences when any interest is unheard of?
And then they headed to the surface. And, surprise, people did show interest in them.
Other mutants, aliens, girls from the future, and even humans all seem to put aside the turtle-ness (or maybe embrace it?) and pursue his brothers.
And him. Kind of. If one counted his years-long “situationship” with Karai as pursuing. Although, technically, she did flirt with him, so it was pursuing. Technically.
People pursue his brothers. Sometimes, even him. Maybe, he and his brothers could pursue others.
Which is the thought that brought him and his brothers out to a bar the Mutanimals had recommended for its “mixed nature.”
Or… his brothers were going, and he was dragged with because his relationship with Karai was deemed, quote, “sad and pathetic,” and he “needed a distraction.” However that comment only led to some very interesting logistics questions about where said distraction would be kept during the night, and Mikey had quickly side-stepped out of the conversation.
And yet here Leo was, being dragged inside. Hoping to find said distraction.
It made perfect sense, from a sheltered 20-year-old point of view. Donnie was also struggling with his own situationship with April, Mikey was still being rejected by Renet, and though Raph was loyal, he’d never miss a chance to go out and drink (and watch Leo drink, by that measure). Of course the place their loneliness had dragged them to was a dingy bar aptly titled “Wyld Side” blazing in tacky millennial neon lights.
The interior wasn’t much better: blue and green strip LED lights along the ceiling and floor. Fake palm trees crowding the entrance. A shitty smoke machine for “ambience.” Water sounds coming from somewhere that quickly fell to the pop music blaring from speakers inside.
Leo wanted to hurl. Both nerves and disgust sloshing away inside of his empty stomach - supposedly the best way to drink, assuming they could score alcohol. He ran over every pro and con his mind could create, a web of mediocre and downright awful to spell out the night.
Best case scenario, his brothers have a great night and Leo gets to give them Designated Driver treatment. Worse case scenario, Shredder returns from the dead to ruin their night out. Again.
Worst case scenario, someone flirts with Leo and he has to decide whether to reciprocate in front of his brothers. Disastrous - that person happens to not be a woman.
But he can’t afford to think like that. What are the odds of that even happening anyway? No one would want to flirt with him, let alone some cool guy with (hopefully) piercings. Instead, he looked to his brothers and forced a smile.
They all seemed genuinely excited, even Donnie. Leo could see the appeal. They’d all never thought they’d have the chance to participate in human life before, especially the messy, reckless parts. The parts where you could step into a bar and pretend you weren’t twenty with a dead father and trying to figure it all out. Having this chance to not only mingle, but mingle with other mutants, was mindblowing.
And then, to break the spell, enter Mondo Gecko. “Yo!” the lizard calls. “Dudes! I never thought I’d see you here! What’re you doin’ out here for?”
Mikey beams, Leo wants to die of embarrassment. “Mondo! Dude, we’re totally here to partay! C’mon, show me around!” Mikey shouts, pumping his arms straight into the air.
Mondo immediately jumps up to high-five both of Mikey’s outstretched palms, linking their fingers and tugging him deeper into the fake foliage. “Dude, I know the raddest babes here…” Leo can faintly hear him yell as they trod off.
There’s something curling up inside of him seeing Mikey leave the three of them. An unease that his baby brother can navigate this all so easily; a clawing reminder that his brothers might be better at this whole social thing than he is.
He needs some way to vent this irritation: “I thought Mondo was seventeen. What is he doing here? Fake ID? Mutant exception?” he snarks.
To no one. Because Donnie, his intended target, has traipsed off as well. Leaving Leo with a Raph that looks like he’s about to follow suit.
How is everyone leaving already? They just got here!
Thinking quickly, Leo grabs Raph’s elbow, guiding him over to the bar. If there’s one place he knows his brother will be, it’s the bar. And he needs that to be true, because the thought that he can only see one of his siblings is making his skin itchy with stress.
Fortunately, if Raph suspects what he’s doing, he doesn’t say anything. He just lets Leo lead him, shoving drunk people aside to make room for the two of them to sit. “You’re not actually going to drink,” Raph finally asks once they’re seated, but it’s more of a statement.
“Absolutely not,” Leo agrees. “And neither should you. We’re not even 21.”
Procuring a beer from… somewhere - did he steal that from the people next to them? - Raph takes a large swig. “Oops.” At Leo’s horror, he takes another sip. “Lighten up, Leo. If we can all risk our shells for the Earth, the least we can do is drink.”
Well. That’s a fair point, honestly. But Leo still wouldn’t find himself breaking his honor code to -
A wetness splashes on his arm, followed by a quick napkin. “Shit,” someone says. “I’m so sorry.”
Exasperated, Leo forces himself to smile. Two minutes in and he’s already been splashed on? Rough. He turns to smooth things over, dodging an elbow and every social instinct in his body to look at who spilled on him.
And… He has messy black hair. Ears covered in piercings. Toned arms. Snakebites.
Shit. Shit. Wow. But shit.
“Uh… Fine! You’re fine. I mean -! It’s fine!” Leo barks. His cheeks heat traitorously, and he suppresses the urge to slap himself in the face. “Like, not, you’re fine, but not that you’re, uh, not.” His face burns brighter. “It’s fine. Ha Ha…”
The man pauses wiping down Leo’s arm (!!!), looking up at him with a strange expression. “Yeah,” he says, half smiling. His snakebites glint with the movement, catching the blue lights. “I know what you mean.”
Is it hot in here? Leo thinks it’s hot in here. If the heat of the press of bodies in the crowd weren’t enough, the rising inferno on his face would surely do the trick. “Great,” he chokes. “No harm then?”
“None.” He hands Leo the napkin he’d used to wipe off his drink, that small smile still stubbornly on his face. “Think you’re closer to the trash.”
And then he just… disappears. Like that. Leo looks down at the napkin, as though it will give him some kind of clue, rubbing the brittle paper until it threatens to rip with the dampness. He quickly smoothes it out, selfishly wanting to keep this little memento.
Then he sees it. On the napkin is his number. Leo’s face lights up.
“Damn, that whole thing was a setup? That’s impressive.” Raph speaks up, startling Leo both because
he completely forgot about Raph
and Raph just spoke exactly what Leo was thinking. “Too bad he chose you.”
“What?” Leo squeaks.
“Because you’re ‘not looking for anyone,’” Raph responds, quirking an eyebrow. “I mean, that’s what you said.”
“Oh, uh, yeah.” Leo fumbles, not quite sure how to move on from nearly being caught. Of course that’s what Raph had meant. Of course. So why does his chest feel so tight?
He fiddles with the napkin, staring until the ink blurs. Tugging a corner back and forth. “Right,” he says again. To no one. The napkin rips. “Right.”