With eyes shining with excitement and a big, bright smile, Mikey eagerly made his way to Donnie's lab. His mind was bubbling with ideas–cool ideas at that. He couldn't hold it in any longer, so he just had to tell his brother about it.

As he came up behind Donnie, he spread his arms out and flung himself on him for a tight hug. Donnie winced in response and shrugged him off.

"What is it, Mikey?" Don asked in his irritated tone.

His little brother beamed at him, teetering on his toes. He gave a small hop, then pulled out a crumpled paper from his belt pocket.

"Okay, so you know that comic I've been working on?"

"Yeah?"

"Well how do you feel about a massive mecha fight? With plasma guns blazing and–"

"Mikey, I don't care. I'm busy right now," he interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"But–'

" I don't want to hear it," Donnie snapped as he turned away. He used his hand to shoo him off. "Maybe later"

Mikey's shoulders slumped forward as he placed the paper back in his belt. Then he dragged his feet out of the lab, slamming the door behind him. He looked over his shoulder, a bitter look on his face, then continued on to the pit.

He stopped short once he realized Leo was sitting there. There was a book in his older brother's hand, and Leo looked engrossed in the pages. However, if Donnie didn't want to talk to him, Mikey thought that Leo might.

His head perked up as he added a bounce to his steps. Picking up speed, he hopped directly in front of his oldest brother, who hadn't even flinched at his presence. That was a good sign, so Mikey reached into his belt.

"Hey, got a sec?" He asked eagerly.

Leo glanced up over the book, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. He tilted the book to the side and gave Mikey his full attention.

"Yeah, I guess. Did you need something?"

"Well, it's not that I need somethin', but I wanted to tell you about my cool ideas I have for my comic. I'm not sure what to go with," Mikey explained as he smoothed out the crumpled paper.

Leo's lips drew into a frown as he lifted his book back up. "Not now, Mikey. I was just getting to the good part."

"Aw, Leo-"

"Not now."

Mikey stomped his foot and turned away from his older brother. "Fine, then."

As he walked towards the kitchen, he could hear Raph's voice. Normally, he wouldn't be Mikey's first choice, but if Donnie and Leo didn't want to bother with him, then Raph was worth a shot. He stopped short at the entrance and spotted him sitting at the bar. His T-phone was pressed to his ear and laughter boomed out passed his lips.

To Mikey, this was a great sign. Raph in a good mood was a rare occurrence, so hopefully, he'd be willing to listen.

"Hey, Raph!" Mikey greeted his brother warmly.

Though instead of a friendly greeting back, Raph held his hand up. He pulled the cell from his ear and glared at his little brother.

"Whatever it is, no."

Mikey's irritation bubbled up, and this time, he wouldn't be silenced. "But I haven't even said anything yet," he snapped back.

"Yeah, I know. But you have that look on your face, telling me that I'd regret saying "yes" to whatever it is you want." Raph looked at his cell, then back at Mikey. "Look, can't you see I'm on the phone?"

"Aw, come on! It's just Casey," Mikey whined.

Raph scowled in warning, and with that, Mikey stormed out of the kitchen. He didn't bother to cast a glance at Leo, and not even one towards the lab; he just kept on marching. When he got to his room, he slammed the door behind him with such a force, that it rattled the frame.

"They're such jerks! I always listen whatever they have to say!"

He took the paper out of his belt for the last time, squeezed it hard, then chucked it as hard as he could. It flew through the air, then collided with the opposite wall before bouncing twice on the ground. Huffing in agitation, Mikey threw his weight to his bed and rolled to his side. At least he could appreciate himself and his awesome ideas.

Hours had passed, and Mikey sat alone in his room. In his hands, he held his action figures and acted out different scenes with them. The only comfort he currently had was the treasures from the surface, such as the nightlight providing a faint glow. But as he had his Crognard figure execute a punch, the door to his room creaked open.

Mikey immediately ceased all movements and glared at the door. Through the crack, he could see Leo staring back at him. He placed his figures on the bed and folded his arms.

"What, Leo?"

His older brother pushed the door even wider, then glanced around at the space. For all Mikey knew, he was probably judging him for the mess that his room was. However, he intently stared at Leo, showing that he was still mad at him.

Then after a few moments, Leo shuffled inside and shut the door behind him. His face held no aggression, or any hit of authority. Instead, his eyes held a soft recognition, and he moved slowly, till he sat down next to his little brother.

"Are you okay? You didn't come to dinner, and you're always hungry," Leo asked in a low tone.

Mikey shrugged and pointed a pizza box on the floor. "I ate in here, because you guys were jerks and couldn't be bothered."

He watched as Leo winced at his sharp comment, but said nothing else. His brother shifted his weight, causing the bed to creak beneath them. Then after one long, silent moment, Leo sighed.

"I'm sorry, Mikey. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I was just busy at the time."

"No, you weren't. You were reading a book that you've read a hundred times already" Mikey replied back in a sullen manner.

"I may have read it many times, yes, but sometimes I need time to myself. And the others do too," Leo pressed, but his voice was soft.

However, Leo's reasoning wasn't good enough for Mikey. He didn't bother them every second of the day, and he always took an interest when they wanted his attention. It just wasn't fair, and a pang stabbed in his chest from the crushed feelings.

Then suddenly, Leo placed his hand on his shoulder when Mikey didn't respond. Mikey turned his head as he scooted away.

"But bro, I always listen to you when you want to talk about Space Heroes, and I don't even like the show. I always have to hear Donnie's geek speak, and whenever Raph is ranting about something, I lend an ear," he explained as his voice grew quiet. "You guys were really unfair."

This time, Leo's grip was even tighter, and he pulled Mikey in. Mikey tried to squirm, but ceased once Leo wrapped his arms around him.

"I'm sorry, bro. I promise to be a better listener. And I'll talk to Donnie and Raph…"

"Okay," Mikey mumbled back.

Leo released Mikey from the embrace and patted him on the shell. "If you want, you can tell me all about your cool ideas right now. I'll listen as long as you want," he offered with the most sincere smile Mikey knew he could give.

"Sure!"

His mood perked up immediately, and without hesitation, he picked up his action figures. A bright smile slowly replaced that gloomy frown, and he inched closer to Leo, so that he could show him the ideas. As he acted out different scenes, he watched Leo's expressions closely and was glad to have his full attention for once.

Author's Notes: It's rare for me to write a Mikey and Leo brother moment, so I hope y'all liked this and that I did okay. Thanks for reading, and I appreciate all the support. Y'all are amazing!