A Student In Need (CHAPTER 1)

Leonardo sighed and stood up; the class of talking students instantly falling silent as he began to write his name on the blackboard. Turning around he smiled at the class of students who stared back at him. taking a moment before he spoke he scanned the crowd, mostly teenagers who were probably looking for an easy credit…….but as he scanned the group he found his eyes drawn to a single student who was sitting in the front row. Like him the student was a turtle; although lighter skinned and smaller, with several flecks of orange around his eyes. Unlike the other students this one was sitting straight in his chair, not slumped over. Clearing his throat Leo spoke.

“Welcome to Japanese studies. My name is Leonardo; I’ll be your teacher for this class.”

A dull but polite chorus of “hello Leonardo,” Echoed back at him.

Sighing Leo began the speech he’d given dozens of times, about how Japanese studies was an important subject that required discipline and adherence to rules. By the time he was done with the speech he could easily guess who would and wouldn’t pass his class. Again his eyes flicked towards the turtle in the front row; noting that the turtle was still paying attention.

“Are there any questions for me?”

a dozen hands went into the air. Leaning back against his desk Leo spoke.

“when I point to you please stand up, give us your name and then ask your question.”

He went around the room, rolling his eyes as he found that several questions related to anime and manga; before outright telling a student to leave when she asked about tentacle erotica. Rubbing his eyes he gestured to the last student, the turtle in the front row. Mentally he prayed that it would be a serious question. He watched as the turtle stood up and spoke.

“Hi everyone. I’m Michelangelo, but most people call me Mikey……actually everyone calls me Mikey. Anyways my question is about the samurai.”

Leo sat up a little straighter; finally a REAL question.

“I heard….and it’s ok if it’s not true; but I heard that sometimes the more experienced samurai would sleep with the apprentices. Is that true?”

In the back of his mind Leo could not help but feel that Mikey’s question while oddly specific was the best question he’d be asked today. Nodding Leo spoke.

“Yes. It wasn’t uncommon, but it wasn’t required of them. But it was not about sex it was viewed as another form of training; a way to pass on the knowledge of the older samurai to the younger ones. Why do you ask?”

Mikey shrugged and sat back down, “I was just curious.”

As Mikey’s words trailed off and Leo found himself oddly speechless as their eyes connected; for a split second he found himself slightly mesmerized by Mikey’s light blue eyes. Shaking his head slightly Leo pulled himself out of those blue orbs and back into reality. The rest of the class was uneventful, going over the syllabus and what was expected of the students. Against his will he felt his eyes flick back to Mikey’s eyes whenever he turned to face the class, something about the smaller turtle was captivating; weather it was his light green skin, his smaller frame, of the flecks of orange around his eyes; something was drawing him to look at Mikey.

Mentally he thanked god when the bell rang signaling the end of class. As the students filed out of the classroom Leo sat down and dug into one of his drawers pulling out a water bottle and taking a drink. As he screwed the cap back on the bottle he found he was not alone, Mikey had approached his desk and was looking at him.

“Yes Michelangelo? Is there something I can-”

but Mikey cut him off. “ah ah ah. It’s Mikey, professor.”

Leo shook his head. “I’m afraid I must insist on calling you Michelangelo.”

But Mikey too shook his head.

“Nope. It’s Mikey.” Leo sighed,

“very well Mikey. What can I do for you?”

Mikey smiled at him, an action that sent a small shiver through Leo’s body.

“I just wanted to say that I’m really looking forward to taking your class.”

Leo smiled pleasantly at Mikey who smiled back.

“That enthusiasm will fade around week 7.”

But Mikey continued to smile and shook his head.

“Not for me. I’m always full of energy, my brother says it’s my most annoying trait.”

Leo smiled. “So you have a brother?”

He wasn’t sure what made him ask; generally he didn’t care much about his student’s outside life. And yet without thinking about it he felt himself gravitating towards Mikey, who was nodding.

“yeah. His name is Raph. He goes here too. Although he’s here on a football scholarship.”

Leo nodded slowly.

“Well I hope you continue to enjoy my class.” Mikey continued to smile at him, before nodding.

“For sure. It helps that I have such a cute teacher.”  

Leo felt himself blush slightly as Mikey gave him another smile before exiting the room, leaving Leo alone. As Mikey walked away Leo’s eyes lingered on the young turtle’s hips, which walked with a kind of sway that was very……. Shaking his head Leo did his best to clear his mind. This year was going to be very interesting.

1 WEEK LATER

Looking out over his class Leo smiled pleasantly as he found several seats were now empty of students who had either dropped out of the class or had simply decided not to show up. As always he felt his eyes drawn to Mikey who still sat in the front row; his notebook out on his desk, scribbling notes as Leo gave his lesson stopping only when the bell for the end of class rang. Turning back to his class Leo spoke.

“I expect each of you to read the next chapter in your textbook and to summarize it, as well as write down any questions you have that you wish to have answered.”

As the class filed out Leo felt his gaze drawn to Mikey who was moving slower than the other students taking his time to pack up his notebook and pen before looking up and catching Leo’s gaze. Mikey smiled, an action that Leo returned not completely comfortable with the gentle ‘whooshing’ feeling that happened in his stomach.

Sitting down in his chair he watched as Mikey again approached him, as he had done every day since class began.

“Yes Mikey? Can I do something for you?”

Mikey nodded and shifted his weight from one leg to the other, a small look of embarrassment covering his face.

“Well…..I…….the next chapter is about sexuality in ancient Japan right?”

Leo nodded; he had a faint idea where this was going. In almost every class there was generally one; but he remained calm as he watched Mikey continue to look embarrassed.

“how did they……treat…….gay men?”

Leo felt a small smile tug at the sides of his mouth.

“well……they treated them a lot better than most cultures did at that time. Going back to the question you asked on the first day there were the Kabuki acting troupe. Although historical documents have varying arguments it is widely accepted that most of the men in these acting troupes were gay. Why do you ask?”

he watched as Mikey shifted again before speaking, a gentle blush covering his face.

“Personal curiosity.”

Leo smiled at Mikey and leaned forward.

“don’t let anyone make you feel bad for being who you are ok?” Mikey looked at him but did not speak.

“You’re not sick or wrong. You’re; you.” Mikey smiled weakly at him, speaking after a moment. “thanks.”

Leaning back in his seat Leo spoke again.

“If you don’t mine me asking……does your brother know?”

he wasn’t sure why he asked. But something in his head told him to ask. He watched as again Mikey shifted nervously from one leg to the other before shaking his head.

“no…..no raph doesn’t know. I’m…..i’m not sure how to tell him.”

Leo smiled. “do you think he’ll be ok with it?”

Mikey nodded.

“I don’t think he’ll care either way. We’ve been together since foster care.” Leo cocked his head sideways.

“you were in foster care?” Mikey nodded.

“yeah, since I was born. Met raph when I was 6 and we’ve been brother’s ever since.” Leo smiled.

“Children in foster care bond tightly with each other. I think raph will accept you.”

Mikey smiled at him, a move that made his heart flutter slightly. “Thanks Leo.”

Leo smiled at the use of his shortened name.

“have a good day Mikey.” Mikey nodded.

“You too teach.”

Before turning and leaving the classroom, leaving Leo alone with his thoughts. Sighing Leo dropped his head so his forehead was resting against the desktop. What had gotten into him? in the last 7 days he’d developed some kind of……affection towards Mikey. Biting his lip he tried to come to a logical reason for this affection; yes Mikey did remind him a little of himself, and yes the young turtle was……attractive; but he was a teacher and Mikey was a student. And that was something he could not escape or betray. Sighing again Leo sat up; tomorrow he’d talk with Mikey. He’d say……something to make Mikey understand.

THE NEXT DAY

Leo scanned his students as they filed into the classroom; looking for Mikey. But a small frown covered his face, Mikey wasn’t there. Leo’s frown deepened as the bell signaling the beginning of class wrung. Starting his lesson he could not stop himself from glancing towards the empty desk every few minutes. Where was Mikey? In the last week he’d always shown up on time, eager to learn and take notes. Doing his best to remain calm Leo continued with his lesson but found himself distracted, dropping his chalk several times as well as losing his place in the lesson and stuttering several times. By the time the class was over he found his mind consumed with questions. Where was Mikey? Why hadn’t he come to class? Was everything ok with the young turtle?

As the students moved to leave his class he spoke.

“does anyone know where mick……Michelangelo is?”

several of his students shook their heads; but one a white bunny shrugged.

“I saw him leaving the Alpha cal fraternity house. He looked upset.”

As the last student left his classroom Leo gather up his coat and left, making his way across campus to were the fraternity houses were. He frowned as he passed house after house with loud music and the signs of an obvious party. Finding the frat he was looking for Leo marched up to the front door and pounded on it; doing his best to be louder than the blaring music on the other side. A moment later he wrinkled his nose as a drunk bunny stuck his head out of the door his breath wreaking of booze and possibly pot. After a moment the bunny spoke, his voice slurred.

“yer na ta pizza man.”

Leo shook his head.

“no I’m not. I’m a teacher here at the school. I was hoping you could tell me where I could find Michelangelo.”

The bunny looked at him.

"who?” Leo sighed.

“Michelangelo, he’s a turtle shorter than me, light green skin.” T

he bunny paused for a moment his face scrunched up in thought, after a moment he let out a loud laugh.

“oh I ge it. s a trick questin; yer mechel-what’s-his-name ern’t ya?”

Leo rolled his eyes. Obviously he would get nowhere talking to this bunny. Walking away from the frat house Leo instead pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number a few moments later a voice on the other end of the line spoke.

“Leo? What’s up?”

Leo smiled at Donnie’s voice. It had been a few days since he’d last seen the brainy turtle.

“I was wondering if you could help me Donnie.”

There was a slight pause.

“yeah….sure. what’s up?”

Leo sighed, Donnie’s voice was a dead giveaway to what he was doing.

“Donnie are you playing online chess again?”

Donnie was silent for several seconds. “no.”

Leo rolled his eyes.

“even through the phone you suck at lying.”

More silence; again Leo sighed.

“how many games are you playing.”

Donnie’s voice responded, an air of pride in it.

“9. And I’m winning in 7 of them.”

Leo smiled thinly, at least Donnie was winning.

“look I need your help. I’ve got a student who didn’t show up at class.”

Donnie was silent for another moment; in the background Leo could hear the click of a mouse pad.

“why is that such a big deal?”

Leo bit his lip. Why was Mikey missing class such a big deal to him? Plenty of students missed his class. Sighing Leo rubbed his eyes.

“your right. Sorry Donnie. I’m sure he’ll show up tomorrow. Sorry for bothering you.”

He didn’t have to be in the room to know Donnie shrugged.

“it’s ok. What’s his name? Maybe I can keep my ear out just in case.” Leo smiled.

“thanks Donnie, his name is Hamato Michelangelo.”

Saying their goodbye Leo hung up and slowly began to walk back to his car, before driving home. Pulling into the drive way Leo sighed as he turned off the engine. What had gotten into him lately? Normally he didn’t care if students skipped or missed his class; yet Mikey missing a single day had prompted him to call Donnie and ask for help?

Sighing again Leo buried his forehead against the steering wheel. In the back of his mind he could not help but feel uneasy, since he had not really found out why Mikey had missed his class. If what the bunny in his class had said it was possible Mikey had moved out of the frat house he and his brother had been staying at. Biting his lip Leo supposed that was an alright reason to miss class. Why then did he have a feeling of dread in his gut? Slowly he got out of the car shivering slightly; the night air had changed, no longer chilly but now outright cold; so cold that his breath made a small cloud of steam as he exhaled. Walking up to his front door Leo froze as he found that something was in front of his door. A large green form huddled against itself doing its best to keep warm in the rapidly dropping temperature.

“Mikey?”

his voice came out softly; barely louder than a whisper. He watched as the huddled green form of his student moved to look at him; he inhaled sharply.

Mikey’s face was a dead giveaway to why he hadn’t been in class that day; a black eye, slit lip and several small cuts and bruises covered the young turtle’s face. Mikey’s normally blue eyes were bloodshot and oddly cloudy, even as Leo stood there his mind reeling he watched as Mikey reached up and tried to wipe away the tears that were half frozen to his face; but only succeeded in wincing as he touched his injured face. Leo’s eyes raked the turtle’s small frame, trembling from the cold. He noted rather alarmed that although Mikey’s legs were drawn in against his body, his toes seemed to be relaxed; a bad signs when it came to reptiles and cold. He watched as Mikey tried to give him a small smile.

“sorry…….I’m late for class.”

Moving forward Leo knelt down while tugging off his jacket before wrapping it around Mikey’s shuddering form.

“are you crazy? It’s freezing outside; where is your jacket?”

Mikey didn’t respond as a fresh wave of shudders wracked his body. He felt Leo’s arms wrap around his waist and slowly help him into a standing position. Balancing himself against Mikey’s oddly limp form Leo dug around in his pocket until he found his keys Before opening his front door and half dragging the younger turtle inside. Carrying Mikey through his house into the living room where he guided Mikey down onto the couch before grabbing kneeling down in front of the fireplace busying himself; a few minutes later smiled as a fire sprang to life, casting a warm yellow light through the room. Turning around he grabbed a few blankets and wrapped them around Mikey’s still shuddering form; making sure to cover as much of the turtle’s exposed skin as he could. He could feel the younger turtle’s skin, it was ice cold, and with alarm he found several small patches of blue; a sign that the skin had been exposed to the cold for a dangerous amount of time. Biting his lip he weighed his options. the fire would help warm Mikey up, but because of the blue patches of skin Mikey needed more heat right away.

Sighing Leo moved over to the windows and closed the blinds; if anyone saw him do what he was about to do, he could get into serious trouble. Once the blinds were all closed he moved back to Mikey and gently gripped his shoulder. Pulling Mikey down off the couch Leo did his best to make him comfortable on the floor, before moving behind him and laying down next to him.

“I don’t know if you can hear me Mikey; but I’m doing this to help. ok?”

Mikey didn’t respond, instead only let out a faint whimper. Wrapping his arms around Mikey’s body Leo pulled the younger turtle against him; his hands wrapping around Mikey’s chest Leo felt a faint blush cover his face as he buried his nose against the younger turtle’s neck and exhaled warm air against Mikey’s cold skin. He could feel Mikey moving, instinctively moving closer to the source of warmth and comfort. He felt his heart clench slightly as one of Mikey’s hands found his hand and forced its fingers into his own.

Mikey’s hand was trembling just as badly as the rest of his body. He could feel Mikey trying to talk but he gently squeezed Mikey’s hand.

“shhhh. Don’t talk. Save your energy.”

After a moment Mikey responded his voice quivering and shaking.

“th….th…thank you.”

Leo pulled Mikey in a bit closer.

“It’s ok. Just rest now; get warm.”

As he spoke Leo felt Mikey shifted in a little closer. He could hear Mikey breathing, taking in large gasps of the warm air. Gently he cupped both of Mikey’s hands in his own, rubbing them gently so the skin would warm up a little faster. He could not help but blush slightly as Mikey let out a low ‘churr’. After a moment the younger turtle spoke; his voice filled with embarrassment at what he had just done.

“s…s…sorry.”

Leo shrugged and continued to rub Mikey’s hands. “it’s ok.”

Inhaling, he could not stop the faint shudder that ran through his own body as his nostrils filled with Mikey’s scent. There was something……intoxicating about the smell the young turtle was giving off; it was sweet yet….. again Leo shuddered as he inhaled another lung full.

It started out slow. As the air in the room became warmer and warmer Mikey’s body relaxed, his tense muscles releasing and allowing him to lay on the floor with less discomfort. Slowly his shudders became gentle trembles before they too vanished. Leo felt Mikey begin to stir, slowly turning so he could look at Leo who did his best to hide the faint blush that spread over his face as the young turtle looked at him. he really was……….Leo wanted to say attractive; but now was not the time. Pushing those thoughts away Leo pulled back, making sure to keep the blankets on Mikey who continued to huddle under them as Leo sat up.

“we should clean those injuries.”

Mikey looked down at the floor.“ok.”

Getting up Leo moved into his bathroom pulling out the first aid kit he kept under the sink, before making a short run to his bedroom and pulling on a small jacket. Without Mikey’s body heat, the blankets, or the fire he was feeling a little chilly.

Moving back into the living room Leo found that Mikey had moved himself and was now laying on the couch his eyes closed and his breathing almost back to normal. Kneeling down next to the obviously exhausted turtle Leo spoke.

“are you ok? Do you feel light headed?”

as he spoke Leo reached forward and touched Mikey’s forehead noting that Mikey’s skin was…….he could suppress the shudder that washed through him as he found Mikey’s skin to be soft and smooth. Slowly Mikey nodded.

“Yeah….I don’t like it.”

Leo bit his lip. Lightheadedness was a sign that Mikey needed food; his body was trying to restart without having enough fuel to keep it running. Gripping Mikey’s hand gently Leo spoke.

“Stay here. I’ll get you something to eat. Ok?”

Mikey only nodded his eyes still closed. As he got up to move the kitchen Leo could not help but notice that Mikey’s grip on his hand lingered for several seconds. Digging through his cupboards Leo found what he was looking for before returning to Mikey and pushing the wrapper into his hand.

“eat this. It’ll help.”

Mikey did as he was told, slowly unwrapping the granola bar he had been given. It was tricky; he felt disconnected from his fingers. As though he was watching them move because someone else was telling them too. He groaned as he felt Leo dab his injuries with antiseptic making them sting and burn slightly. He watched as Leo began covering the injuries with Band-Aids.

“got any ones with skateboards on them?”

he felt his heart flutter slightly as Leo chuckled, a small smile passing over his face.

“no. but I got some nice my little pony ones from when my niece came to visit.”

The split on Mikey’s lip wasn’t too bad, and it would probably heal on its own, as would Mikey’s black eye. Closing up his kit Leo spoke.

“are you still lightheaded?” Mikey nodded.

“yes…..but it’s not as bad as before.”

Leo smiled. “how about I fix you a sandwich while you stay here and keep getting warm?”

he smiled as Mikey nodded. Moving to stand up Leo felt a small shock pass through his as Mikey reached out and gripped his hand; the smaller turtle’s hand fitting perfectly inside his.

“thank you.”

For a moment their eyes connected and Leo felt his heart lurch. Slowly he leaned in and pulled the blankets around Mikey.

“it’s ok. You just rest.”

He felt a small part of him long to keep this small connection to Mikey; it made him groan slightly at the loss when he pulled away. moving into the kitchen Leo did his best to busy himself with making Mikey’s sandwich to help distract himself from the odd feeling of loss of Mikey’s touch. A short while later he returned finding that although Mikey was still bundled under the blankets, the young turtle had moved standing up and looking at the photo’s that Leo had hung from the walls. Moving over to Mikey Leo cleared his throat and watched as Mikey turned, revealing the picture he had been looking at; a small photo of Leo smiling while kissing Donnie on the cheek.

For a moment a silence stretched between the, broken when Mikey spoke softly.

“your………” Leo nodded. “yes. I’m gay. Like you.”

Mikey remained silent for a moment before taking the sandwich Leo was holding out for him. scarfing the sandwich Mikey smiled sheepishly at Leo smile smiled pleasantly back at him.

“we need to get you out of those clothes.” Mikey felt his eyes widen; his mouth opening. “I…….a………I…..” his heart was thundering in his chest, was Leo talking about…. But his thoughts were cut off as Leo shook his head.

“shit…no….that came out wrong. You’re clothes are wet. You need to put on dry clothes or you’ll catch a cold.”

Sighing Mikey mental kicked himself for jumping to such a conclusion about Leo’s words. He felt himself shudder as the older turtle gripped his hand and led him down the hallway before moving into a room. Looking around Mikey found himself in a bedroom. dropping himself down into the bed he looked nervously at Leo who remained by the door.

“I’ll go see if I can find you some clothes that will fit you.”

He nodded and watched as Leo vanished back down the hallway. Shivering slightly Mikey moved over to the door and closed it before shrugging off the blankets and beginning to strip down. His shirt came off first, the thin yellow material letting out a soft ‘flap’ as it dropped to the floor, his pants soon joining it. shivering again Mikey gripped his underwear and began to pull them down his legs.

“ok, I think I found some clothes that will-OH GOD!”

mike’s eyes jerked towards the door; Leo had come in carrying a small stack of cloths but had frozen and now stared at him. For a full 5 seconds they both stood frozen to the spot as their brains tried to catch up with what had just happened. a second later Leo moved, practically throwing the clothes at Mikey before turning and making run down the hallway; only to be stopped as he ran face first into the doorframe making his gasp in pain as his nose collided with the hard surface.

Stars burst in front of his face as he staggered backwards. Swearing under his breath he blinked furiously trying to rid his vision of the tears that now prevented him from seeing straight. He fumbled about looking for the wall or door; something to help him know where he was. He felt Mikey grip his wrist and begin pulling him along. A second later Mikey pushed him, dropping him onto the bed. Reaching up to rub his eyes Leo’s vision cleared. Nervously he looked at the floor, when he spoke he stuttered with embarrassment.

“s….sorry.” I didn’t expect….”

Chancing a glance upwards Leo felt his voice die as he found Mikey had pulled on the sweatshirt that had been on top of the stack of clothes. Against his will Leo swallowed the small rock that had formed in his throat. Mikey’s body was perfectly framed by the sweatshirt, accenting his shoulder, chest and hips. Looking back down at the floor he did his best to calm down.

“it’s ok Leo.”

Leo felt his eyes flick back up to Mikey’s. the young turtle had moved in closer now. Leo inhaled sharply as he felt Mikey touch his chest before gently pushing him back so he was lying on the bed. A moment later he shuddered as Mikey gently crawled on top of him, coming to rest with his hips against Leo’s.

“Mikey? What are you-”

but the rest of his words were cut off as a small moan escaped his mouth as Mikey gently ground his hips against Leo’s sending shivers of pleasure through his body.

“shhhhh. You’ve been nice to me Leo…..I wanna repay you.”

Leo sat up and moved to speak.

“no that’s not-”

but again he found himself interrupted not by Mikey’s hips this time but by his lips. Leo groaned as Mikey kissed him, the younger turtle’s tongue coming out to flick across his lips; as though seeking permission. Against his will he felt his hands wrap around Mikey’s wrists. why did the kiss have to feel so good? He felt himself returning it, his tongue leaving his own mouth to explore the younger turtle’s. he felt Mikey press forward grinding their hips together sending another shiver of pleasure through his body making him growl in need.

They broke apart only from lack of oxygen both of them gasping several times before Mikey leaned forward to kiss him again. as he did so Leo caught sight of Mikey’s eyes, they were oddly empty and…… he let go of Mikey’s wrists instead planting them against the younger turtle’s chest firmly hold him back.

“don’t….”

Mikey’s eyes changed, Leo watched as they filled with confusion, fear…..pain.

“did I do something wrong? Would you rather…..”

but Mikey stopped talking as he felt Leo pull him into a hug.

“Mikey……you don’t owe me anything. I want to help you.”

He struggled against Leo’s grip.

“but…..I…….need…….to repay you……I…..you……..I….”

Leo bit his lips as he waited for what was about to happen; to happen. He’d seen that look in a person’s eyes before. When he’d been younger he’d gone to bars. He’d met boys, mostly runaways; scared, confused. Unsure of where they would spend the night, or if they would even live that long. They’d throw themselves at him and other men, desperately trying to attract one so they could go back to their home and spend the night someplace warm with a roof over their heads; instead of out in the cold. Every action they took made them seem happy but their eyes betrayed them; every kiss, touch, and thrust would be met with cold, empty eyes. The same eyes Mikey had had moments ago.

He felt Mikey stop struggling and for a moment the young turtle remained still, his body tense. Gently Leo squeezed the younger turtle’s body. “I don’t want sex Mikey. You don’t have to repay me, not like this.” He could feel it now, the small trembles in Mikey’s body; each vibration growing and growing until the turtle’s entire body shook with the force of his sobs. Leo did the only thing he could do; held Mikey close against his body as Mikey began to sob, tears flowing from his eyes only to drip from Mikey’s face and land on Leo’s shoulder.

“Shhhh. Shhhhh. It’s ok, I promise everything will be ok.”

he continued to sooth Mikey, holding the younger turtle in his arms, supporting him, willing him to understand that he was safe. He could only imagine the feelings that were rushing through the young turtle’s mind. He felt Mikey bury his face against Leo’s neck and continue to sob his tears landing against Leo’s skin. Gently he did what he could rocking mike’s body back and forth, offering kind words, holding Mikey while the young turtle sobbed.

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like this. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours; he didn’t know. he could feel Mikey’s sobs weakening, his body reaching its limit to the emotional toll it could handle. Relaxing his grip on Mikey Leo looked at the young turtle. His eyes still leaked tears but they were closed, fluttering every so often as Mikey tried to open them but failed. Gently he moved, shifting so he could lay Mikey down against the bed, pulling the covers back before covering the young turtle with them. He watched as Mikey curled up under the blankets. Moving to leave the room he looked back as Mikey spoke.

“am I dirty?”

turning back Leo looked at the young turtle who was huddled under the blankets obviously in the fetal position.

“no Mikey. You’re not dirty. You’re beautiful. I promise.”

He felt his heart break slightly as Mikey let out another sob. Moving back to the bed Leo sat down.

“do you want me to stay here tonight?”

he watched as Mikey looked up at him, eyes trying to find the hidden meaning behind his words. He shook his head.

“not like that Mikey. I’ll sleep in the chair.” He gestured to an armchair in front of the window. “I just…..do you want me to stay here tonight?”

He watched as Mikey nodded. Smiling at the young turtle Leo spoke.

“ok. Let me just use the bathroom and then I’ll be back. Ok?”

Mikey nodded and watched as Leo left the room, marching off into the darkness. Fighting back a fresh wave of tears Mikey felt like dirt. Reaching out he grabbed one of the pillows he wasn’t using and pulled it against his chest, doing his best to hold back the fresh wave of tears that threatened to spill out of him. He bit his lip until he could taste blood in his mouth. he felt dirty, used, unworthy to be here with someone who seemed to care so much for him. he flinched as Leo reentered the room. Against his will he let out a strangled sob, burying his face against the pillow. His body ached, his throat felt raw and his vision swam as he felt the room spin. He acted without thinking.

“Leo….LEO!”

he called his name, hating himself for sounding weak. His hands tore at the blankets searching for something to grab onto the keep the room from spinning any more. He felt Leo’s hand touch his; he grabbed at it, strangling Leo’s fingers with his grip. Above him Leo was speaking again.

“shhhhh, shhhhhh. It’s ok Mikey. It’s ok, everything I’ll be ok.”

He felt a wave of fatigue wash over him; suddenly he felt drained. He didn’t even have the energy to cry anymore.

Leo watched as Mikey’s entire body seemed to relax; going limp under the covers as the young turtle reached his limit and slipped into unconsciousness. Sighing he gently tucked the turtle in so he was completely under the covers before moving over to the closet and retrieving a blanket for himself. Settling himself down in the chair, Leo sighed and closed his eyes. In the morning, if Mikey was up for it; there were many questions Leo wanted answers to.