Chapter 8

The Vicious Circle

Brain Ninja's Ain't Got Nothing On Me.

Author's Note: Please forgive the title, but you should understand it once you finish the chapter… I hope… As well, I am So Sorry for the lateness of my update. It's been a long couple of months, and most of you have been patient. I promise the story should start becoming more upbeat from here on out, if the muses keep this mind set going. Also, for some reason, the songs that inspired this were 30 Minutes by t.A.T.u and Underappreciated by Christina Aguilera.

And now, for the Leo-centered chapter!

Chapter takes place a few days after the last one

Over and over again it ran through his mind; "Do a little more meditation before you choose which one of us to confide in, bro."

He moved his left arm half circle, pulling it back towards himself as he moved the same leg as well, pulling both back after the other, before turning again. Performing the kata of the mind, body and soul. The Sanchin could always calm him, help him sort out problems.

If Mikey felt that way, why didn't he tell me sooner? Why wait until now, when every thing is crumbling around us?

Time had almost seemed to stand still in the Hamato household since the declarations had slowly but heartbreakingly been made to all separate members. Their master and father seemed to have no inclination as to what was happening around him, if he did he was keeping the news to himself to spare the sanity of his sons.

For now.

Leonardo groaned at what would happen if Splinter ever did find out. He was an older man, with long past ideologies about what was acceptable and normal. Despite none of them being blood related, he felt that it would not matter.

Love for one another as brothers, and team mates were one thing. To feel for one out of the others as more; as a lover would bring dissention among them with jealously. As it was … no, had been doing to them for the past year.

Pulling both arms back to his chest, crossing them, he exhaled. Training finished, he relaxed his stance eyes finally opening. He took in the warm glow of the candle lit dojo and sighed, feeling more confused and stressed than before he had begun.

He wanted to fix things, to try and make things right again, like they had been a little over two weeks ago. But even that seemed like an impossibility, everything had moved too quickly and suddenly, Leonardo found himself for once lost. No one to guide him, no words of wisdom that could be sought out from his sensei's ever comforting presence.

What could he do now that all the cards were laid out?

With a groan, Leo sank down to the futon behind him, resting atop the soft cushioned mattress suddenly having a revelation as to how the characters in his father's soap opera felt.

It wasn't like he felt nothing for his youngest brother, but he doubted the feelings went beyond that of sibling love, besides, anything he might suddenly feel for Mikey might not even be true. It could simply be what people would call a 'rebound'. Although Leo had a suspicion that in order to have or need a rebound, one had to have just gotten out of a relationship in the first place.

But then again, would the feelings be false? Had he ever really even looked at his youngest brother in such a light before? The truth was he never suspected the fun-loving turtle even thought the things that he had hinted at.

Rolling his shoulders with a sigh, the blue masked turtle stood with a new resolve. He didn't know where he now stood with everything, but he decided it couldn't hurt to at least start spending some more time with Mikey. It might not be what the youngest really wanted from the oldest of the turtles, but he hoped that some extra brotherly time together would make up for it.

The search for his wayward younger brother didn't last long; all he had to do was follow the sound of echoing booms and crashes from his games. He soon spotted the boisterous turtle bouncing around on the sofa, waving the controller around madly, as if moving it to the left or right would give him the extra momentum needed to execute the right angle on the Xbox game. Beside him sat Raphael, a controller in his hands also, he wasn't moving around as spastically as Mikey, but from the looks of it, he seemed to be the winning opponent.

He leaned over the back of the worn brown leather of the sofa, watching the screen. He was pretty sure this game was called Championships or, Unreal Tournament or something like that.

"So who's winning?" He asked, looking between the two.

Raphael merely gave a smug look as his eyes left the screen for a split second to look at Mikey, who was completely absorbed with the game. For all the good it did him as some creature full of too much armour blew him to smithereens.

"Hah! That makes three times, bro! Call me when ya stop suckin'." Tossing the controller on the coffee table in front of the sofa, Raph stretched his stiff limbs before standing. He looked over to Leo.

"Hey, I'm gonna head out, maybe see if Casey wants ta hang out or somethin'."

Leo made a disapproving noise in the back of his throat, but withheld any other reproving comments.

"Just try not to come home with too much damage; we're running low on gauze currently."

"Heh, ya know my motto bro, however I look, the other guy looks three times as bad." He smirked before heading up to the elevator in their lair that led to the garage holding his motorcycle.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Leo moved over and took over Raph's seat beside the orange masked turtle. Michelangelo glanced over at Leo.

"So…are you gonna whine for the t.v now?" He pouted.

Leonardo blinked. "I don't whine."

"Dude you totally do when you want the television…but it's sneaky, in your own way." He gave a knowing smirk.

Chuckling, Leo shook his head, "I stand by my word. I don't whine, and no, I'm not looking to apprehend the remote from you. I remember seeing a commercial for a Dane Cook special on the comedy channel, and thought you might like to watch it."

Mikey stared at him wide eyed for a moment. "Ya mean, you'll actually watch comedy central with me?"

The leader nodded a warm smile on his face. "M'hm."

"Dude, what's the catch? Do I have to like, clean the dishes again or something?"

"What? No… I just wanted to see what you liked about him, that's all."

"Oh," He paused, taking the remote and pressing the up button to move from video channel to the comedy channel. The show was just past its opening lines.

"So, you gonna watch the whole thing with me, and not take off when it starts to bore you…are ya?"

Grabbing his brother into an affection hug, turning it into a quick little noogie, Leo laughed. "No, I'm not. I said I was going to watch the show with you, and I plan on it…now are you gonna talk all through the act? Or am I gonna have to find ways of keeping you quiet?"

Mikey couldn't help but smile widely, wondering exactly of all the ways he could enjoy being kept quiet.

TBC