Wake me up when September comes

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Who: Michelangelo (hot_nunchaku_fury) and Leatherhead (bigsoftie)
What: Mikey wakes up after the beat down he got from Donnie
When: Oct 17 mid morning (backdated)
Where: Leatherhead's apartment

Mikey hurt, in that all over, on the receiving end of a real beat down hurt. This wasn't like he felt after he would get Raph mad and get beat up by him, his brother didn't normally hurt him too bad, this was more like after they had fought the Shredder.

He let out a small groan, cracking his eyes for a moment to see where he was, and it took him a moment to figure it out. It wasn't his room in the sewers, nor was it their living room area, but he was on something soft. He remembered that he wasn't in New York anymore, but with that memory he knew this wasn't his room in the digital world either. No this was... Leatherhead's room.

"Leatherhead?" He said, his voice a bit rough and it hurt a little to talk, in fact it hurt to do a lot of things. Who had given him such a beat down? Who could have left him hurting this-

Donnie... He'd fought with Donnie, or at least tried to defend himself against his brother, who was being very strange.

And with that came another memory, of Donnie warning him that something was wrong, and that he wasn't feeling right. It was like an extra kick in the gut, to realize he had forgotten the warning and now... now he was beat up and he had no idea what had happened with Donnie.

Comments

[bigsoftie]

He barely got any sleep, let alone focus the entire time he dragged him here. Even Duke couldn't ignore how quiet the big guy got, more silent than usual. He sat right at the foot of the bed where he laid Mikey down. This was his fault. If he hadn't told Mikey about Donatello...if he hadn't spilled his feelings for him...maybe he wouldn't have gone to fight his brother.

Everything was his fault, he knew it. He promised himself every passing second. He promised that he would protect his friend even better if he got out alive. He had no idea who he begged, but he just wanted Michelangelo ok.

Once he saw the turtle awake, the former alligator climbed atop the bed and pulling Mikey into a tight hug. His form was trembling as he spoke, "M-michelangelo...you are alive."

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

"Leatherhead!" Even though it still hurt to talk at the moment he wasn't about to stop, he wrapped one arm up around Leatherhead, holding on as well as he could, though he let out a little sound of discomfort at the tightness of the hug.

"Yeah, I'm alive big guy. It's okay, I'm kinda too obnoxious to let myself get taken out." He gave a faint chuckle, trying to make it into a joke, but he found it a little hard to swallow the fact that someone had been trying to take him out, his own brother. "It's alright, I'll be alright. Just need to heal, okay." Even as he said those words he found he was shaking himself, his eyes filling with tears, and not only from the physical pain.

"D-do you know what happened with Donnie? I mean after the-the fight." He didn't doubt Leatherhead knew they had fought, it was a bit obvious in the multitude of wounds he had. And despite their fight he was afraid for Donnie, what if what had been said was true, what if this... other Donnie, had managed to get rid of the parts of himself that made him Mikey's brother?

[bigsoftie]

It was hard to take it as a joke. He heard the pain in Mikey's voice. Never would he think that Donatello would harm his own brother. Himself, maybe, but not Donatello.

He softened the hug, but still hanging on. He never wanted to lose Mikey, never again. Leatherhead stroked the former turtle's back, trying to soothe him. Please don't cry, Mikey. It hurts so much to hear that.

"I do not care," he grimly replied to his question of Donnie, "He hurt you...I should have kept you safe. I should have been there."

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Mikey shook his head softly, pressing his face to Leatherhead the best he could at the moment. "N-no. I think... what ever this is... that's happening with Donnie, I think, if we were both there... he would have done his best to kill one of us. I don't really understand it, except that like this, he likes seeing people hurt, and the easiest way to hurt either of us right now... is hurt the other.

I-if I had to watch him... kill you. I..." he shook his head more, and every moment of his significantly reduced strength was put into clinging to the other, and a small, ragged sob escaped, as he tried to hide that he was crying.

"He warned me... I'm so stupid, I forgot all about it, but he warned me something was wrong. I should have remembered it, and realized that it had gotten worse if he hurt you. And... and... I'm so stupid."

Part of him wanted to push away from Leatherhead and suggest that the other say far away from him, since it would probably be very dangerous right now, but another part, that was admittedly very selfish, never wanted to let go. Leatherhead was his first true friend, the first person who had liked him, as he was, with no need to try to be someone else and without other reasons attached. He was also the first person Mikey had ever loved like this, and the idea of trying to push that away now was at least as painful as thoughts of Donnie.

[bigsoftie]

He had to be strong for Michelangelo. He knew his emotional state wasn't exactly the strongest...but Mikey hurt, he hurt bad. And he didn't know how to fix it, how to fix the torn bond between brothers. And to think this all happened because he admitted his feelings towards the smaller human.

When he heard Mikey's crying and heaping of blaming himself, he wanted to cry too. But he had to be strong...for Mikey. He gently nuzzled his fact into Mikey's assuring him with touch, "No...you are the wisest person I have ever met. It is not your fault Donatello used you."

He held onto him, nuzzling him even more. What's worse, he felt his breathing grow heavy and uneven, "I will make sure no one will ever hurt you."

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Now that he had started crying he couldn't find a way to stop it, but he stopped trying to keep it quiet, just letting it happen and clinging to Leatherhead, one of the few pieces of sanity in his life at the moment. The touch, the nuzzles, they helped and he returned them. He wanted to tell Leatherhead he wasn't, point out all the ways he was stupid, but hearing that from anyone, even someone who was possibly saying it out of love and a want to sooth him, it felt good, and so he let it be.

He also noticed the change in his breathing, and knew he couldn't leave Leatherhead without support of his own. He brought up his other hand, the one that had been stabbed and injured to gently touch Leatherhead's face, keeping the action soft and light. "Thank you, I know you will, you care so much, with all your heart." He said. Impulsively he turned to lay a single kiss on Leatherhead's cheek, wanting to to show his thanks in that way as well.

[bigsoftie]

Everything had been going wrong in this place...everything but Michelangelo. And to almost lose the one thing he got right, it nearly crushed his heart. The former turtle meant so much to him. But he really did mean what he said. He thought so highly of his friend, he doubted anyone could be any wiser than his friend.

And as he began having breathing troubles, it almost subsided when he felt that touch on his face. Even with the human guise it felt so familiar, so safe. But he felt something new on his face, the contact of lips on his face. He stared at Mikey, feeling his heart murmur a bit. He asked, "What...what was that for?"

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Held against Leatherhead he couldn't feel any safer, and considering everything that had happened lately he allowed himself to be happy with being there.

He felt his face warm a little when Leatherhead asked him what the kiss was for but he smiled slightly. "I felt like it... and... and because... thank you."

[bigsoftie]

He stared long at Michelangelo, words racing to find something to say. Looking at Mikey, he never felt anymore safe in anyone else's eyes...or arms. He wanted to be lost in those eyes forever. It felt...safe, right.

And since no words could come to him easy to show that sentiment, he reflected the former mutant's actions. Gently he pecked the boy's cheek before pulling away, smiling.

"No...thank you."

[shoulderpads]

Almost as if on cue, there's a loud knock on the door.

Who could that be?

And why would they pick the most inconvenient of times to interrupt this Chapter Ninesmall moment of affection between two close friends?

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

"Who..." Mikey asks, his voice rasping slightly as all of his muscles tense.

Without realizing it he moves closer into Leatherhead, as if he could hide against the other. His face shows his fear when he looks up to the other, unsure what to do about this.

[bigsoftie]

Oh god.

Whoever that was had to pick the worst time to show up. With no idea what to do, he remained close to Mikey, awkwardly holding the smaller friend.

He said lightly, trying to remain inconspicuous, "I am getting dressed..."

Nice try, Leatherhead.

[shoulderpads]

...

A familiar voice is muffled through the door.

"Leatherhead, you were absent for your training."

It wasn't threatening, but it was firm. He made a habit to keep all the members of his group in line on specific matters. If they wanted to act as a unit they needed to be cohesive. The second question is slightly gentler:

"Are you alright?"

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Mikey offered a small attempt of a smile at Leatherhead, especially since the other just basically lied for his benefit. Then he looked to the door then back to Leatherhead, as if asking who it was, or rather if it was someone as safe as it sounded, since they talked like they knew him apparently.

He tried to keep as quiet as possible, not sure what he should do, or not do. Did anyone other than Donnie know they even liked each other?

[bigsoftie]

He knew with Magnus there was no real leeway when it came to serious matters. And he and Mikey, that'd be a pretty serious matter, right? Who knows what he would do if he found out.

Giving a reassuring stroke of the back to Mikey, he returned to answering Magnus, "I...did not feel well. I wanted to get some rest."

[shoulderpads]

"May I enter?"

The question was filled with concern. He found it odd that Leatherhead was talking through the door. Maybe he couldn't get up?

If he was feeling ill and unable to answer the door, then perhaps he was unwell enough to need a little assistance.

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Mikey found that even as he tried to keep from being absolutely afraid he was feeling worn out. And his throat was burning...

In fact it hurt badly, and for a single moment it felt like the fabric band was held tight against it again. He gasped, tears springing to his eyes, and then the quick draw of breath sending him into a coughing fit, his throat to sore to handle that at the moment.

As he coughed he pressed himself as hard as he could to Leatherhead, trying to hide the sound, or something.

[bigsoftie]

Just as he began to answer, Mikey began going into his coughing fit. Leatherhead sat stock still as Mikey continued making noise. Not that he blamed Mikey, no...it's just that now was not the best time.

Maybe if he kept quiet, Magnus would just assume it was him not Mikey. Uh...maybe he can hide Mikey. Quickly Leatherhead pulled the blanket over him, an attempt to hide his friend.