Simple Pleasures

“Father? When you have something of grave importance to say to someone very dear to you, and you do not know how they will take it, what do you do?”
“You must make sure your dear one is at peace and their mind is opened, my son. There is an easy, unsuspicious way of achieving this.”
“What is it?”
“It is called simple pleasures.”

Donatello hated mornings. His constant fatigue, which dulled to a subtle weight in the wee hours, settled onto him like a stone during the night. It pushed him down into the mattres as he lay in his bed, unable to move. Don actually got into a fight every day. The fight between his will and the horizontal position. More often than not, Leonardo sided with his will.
Cracking one eye opened, Donatello found out that the blur of blue and green was indeed floating next to his pillow. Leo was talking, he realised lazily. Better listen.
“We’ll be doing full-day training today...”
...Or not. Leo’s speech flowed right through his head as Donatello wrapped himself in a momentary agony. His body really, really wanted to sleep. It begged him to have mercy and give it a few more hours. Five a day weren’t enough, it complained, hanging lead anchors onto every part of him. Just close your eyes and take a nap, and I’ll be good when you wake up again.
Out of the blue, a heavenly fragrance hit Donatello’s nostrils. His head lifted in search of the source and his eyes fell upon a red mug, full of liquid black gold. He was being given coffee.
Faster than he could see, his hands shot out and brought the nectar to his lips. He breathed in, sucking its wonderous aroma into his head. From there it spread into his every limb, painting him a warm, gentle brown. He put the rim to his quivering lips and took a sip.
Overcome with pleasure, Donatello mumbled: “I love you Leo...” before he was enveloped in caffeine paradise.
Only distantly did he hear is brother whisper: “I love you too, Donnie.” The affectionate way Leo’s palm stroke his head didn’t occur to him until much later in the morning.

“Dude,” flew out of Mikey’s mouth. “You didn’t tell me the two of us would train topside! Sweet!”
Through an opened manhole sunshine poured over Leonardo and Michelangelo, blinding at first, and then dimming to a pleasant August afternoon intensity. Michelangelo clapped his hands in delight. He loved the sun. He spent most of his life in the sewers and most of his time topside in the moonlight, so it was a rare luxury to be out during the day. Even when it was for a full-day training session with his obstinate big brother.
“Come on,” Leo told him, offering a leg-up.
One thrust later, Michelangelo found himself in paradise. He was standing on a small clearing surrounded by oaks. The trees were vividly green in the gentle light, leaves whispering with the breeze, and Mikey had a hard time believing they were still in the city.
“I’ll check the perimeter,” Leonardo announced, walking to the edge of the clearing. Casually he bent over and swept his hand through a bunch of light green plants. Michelangelo’s trained hearing picked up little bursts and his curiosity piqued. He danced to where Leo was and brushed the plants with his hand. To his amazement, their yellowish pods exploded under his touch, spraying his hand with black seeds and green curls. Mikey’s eyes lit up. He’d never seen such funny plants!
“I’ll be back in five,” Leo said.
“Be back in ten?” Mikey suggested hopefully. Leonardo looked at him, eyes narrowed. Michelangelo gave him a beaming smile, begging his big brother to let him play with the pod-bombs a little longer.
Leo huffed and looked away. “Alright.”
“Yay!” Mikey jubilated. He sprung to his big brother and hugged him quickly. “I love you Leo!” he chirped. Leonardo patted him on the head.
“I love you too, Mikey,” he said. That he didn’t roll his eyes like he always did, escaped most of Michelangelo’s attention as he dove into the exploding plants. After all, ten minutes were very little compared to a whole day.

Raphael lay face down against the cold floor, feeling like he could pass out with exhaustion there and then.
“My sons, surely the training did not drain you this much?” Splinter asked.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get up,” Donatello replied from Raph’s side. The statement was painfully truthful. God Raph’s body hurt. Especially his shoulders, from all the pull-ups and push-ups he’d been made to do.
“When you find the strength to get up then,” Splinter said, “I will be awaiting Leonardo’s arrival.”
The leader’s name stabbed Raphael’s tired mind like a needle. If Leo saw him collapsed like this... He groaned and got up, helping Don to his feet as well.
“I’m getting a shower,” he muttered. Donatello acknowledged his dibs with a nod.
Not too long after, Raphael exited the bathroom, rubbing his sore shoulders with a towel. Although the water had energised him, it had done little to relieve his overworked muscles. He would wake up in the morning with cramps all over.
“Hey Raph.”
He turned his head to spot Leo standing a few steps away in a posture that gave away exhaustion just as deep as Raph’s.
“Hey. Back already?”
“We’ve just arrived. Mikey got hungry, so he was motivated to hurry up.”
Raphael smirked. He looked around to see if the bonehead was anywhere in sight, straining his neck in the process. He rolled his shoulders to relieve the stiffness.
“Shoulders?” Leo asked.
“Yeah.” Raphael grimaced. “Hurt as hell.”
Leo walked around him. “Here?” he asked, squeezing a muscle.
“A lil’ more to the left. Sheell...” Raphael couldn’t help but close his eyes. Leo’s fingers were so deft! “I love you Leo,” a grateful moan escaped his mouth before he allowed himself to drown in the massage.
The answer, “I love you too, Raph,” was so quiet he nearly didn’t hear it. And for the next few minutes, he didn’t really care about it.

“Can’t sleep?” Leonardo turned a lamp on, illuminating his late night visitor.
“I wish I could,” Donatello shook his head, moving to sit next to Leo’s futon.
“Bad dreams then?” Leo stretched out on his shell, watching Don sympathetically.
“No, I just can’t stop thinking about something.”
“Thinking about what?” asked a third voice. Don and Leo turned their heads to see Raphael at the door. Their red-banded brother let himself in, followed by a hesitant Michelangelo. “Spill Don. What’s so interesting it keeps you up at night?”
“I don’t think...” Donatello trailed off, watching Raph sit by his side. “It’s personal...”
“It ain’t personal anymore,” Mikey responded, settling down between Raphael and Leo’s knees. “Not when all of us received the same message.”
Donatello glanced at him. “We did?”
“I got it in the morning, Raph in the evening,” Michelangelo nodded. “I didn’t think much of it at first, but it came back to me and I had to think and think about it...”
“Same here,” Raphael muttered. “It just wouldn’t let me go. I think Leo has some explaining to do.”
Three pairs of eyes rested on Leonardo. The turtle sat up slowly, putting his blanket aside. He looked each of his brothers in the eyes to see what was in them.
“Guys,” he began, structuring his tone carefully. “You mean the world to me and you know it. I have dedicated my life to making the four of us a team, a unit, a single body in which every part has its unique task.”
“Cut the crap,” Raphael recommended.
“I’ve come to realise that no matter how hard it gets,” Leo eyed him, “I never want to quit. I want to live by your side for the rest of my life.”
Michelangelo gave off a screeching sound. “Sapometer overload,” he grinned.
“We are brothers,” Leonardo continued, lowering his voice, “but I love you dearer than brothers. Dearer because there is no one like you in the world. Dearer because no one can replace you in my heart. And I want this,” he placed a hand on his chest, “to bring us closer together.”
“Closer?” Michelangelo ventured, eyes wide and filled with lamp light.
“As lovers,” Donatello mumbled. “I knew this would come up one day.”
“Hold on,” Raphael raised his hand. “I didn’t understand half of what you said. Make it simple.”
Leo nodded and said: “I can do that, I just need you to stay calm.”
Raphael shrugged. Leonardo leaned over and kissed him.
The lamp light kindly covered the hot blush that rose to Raph’s face. Before he knew it, he was staring at Leo and their two brothers were glancing back and forth between them.
“Okay,” Raphael drawled out. “Simple enough.”
“Are you going to force yourself onto every one of us?” asked Donatello, apparently uneasy.
“I’m not going to force myself onto you,” Leonardo replied quickly. “I would never do any of this if I thought you wouldn’t want it. As it is now, I firmly believe that all of you are ready for this step.”
For a moment there was only silence, as each of the turtles contemplated Leo’s statement.
“I’m not...” Donatello said finally, “opposed to the idea. It’s just too fast for my taste.”
“Believe me,” Leonardo smiled at him, “we’re not going anywhere past this point in any near future. If you don’t want me to, of course.”
“Let me get one thing straight,” Raphael said, narrowing his eyes and pointing at Leo’s chest. “You ain’t giving out orders in bed.”
Donatello chuckled in amazement and Michelangelo choked. Leonardo gave a sheepish expression. “No,” he admitted. “This is entirely up to you guys. I’m here as a mere coordinator, not a leader.”
“So I can do what I want.” Raphael cocked his head, fixing Leo with a glare. “I can even get you to do what I want.”
“Not if I don’t want to,” Leo told him quickly. “Mutual agreement is essential...”
He was silenced as Raphael lurched forward and evened the score.
Donatello looked at Mikey, ignoring the tension that was building up between his agressive siblings. “How do you see it bro?” he asked gently.
“I don’t know,” said Michelangelo, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Is this something Turtle Titan would do?”
“I don’t think it’s exactly a superhero thing. But maybe...”
“Don’t give me that look or I’ll go medieval on your ass,” Raphael growled suddenly.
“I’d like to see you try,” Leo quipped, crossing his arms confidently.
“...Maybe not that much is going to change,” Michelangelo finished for his brother.

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