It's not your job

By

Hannio

Disclaimer – None of the characters mentioned in the below work of fiction belong to me in any fashion but to the creators instead

Author Note – Just another little Leo/Donnie Brotherly one shot fluff for you all to enjoy. I'm not sure why but for some reason I like writing this kind of story! Anyway I hope you enjoy it!

Donatello sighed as he threw his spanner to the wooden work bench, exhaustion pulling at him destroying his concentration and making him long for some much needed sleep. His head was hurting and had been for the past few hours. On top of that his eyes felt as though there was grit in them, stinging every time he blinked.

Yawning loudly he turned walking away from his current project, he had managed to do the most important part of the building process that afternoon, it had taken him days to get to that stage but he felt satisfied with the work he had done, satisfied enough that he could finally rest easily. He left his lab, pulling the metal door closed behind him; he automatically reached back and tapped his security code into the keypad to lock it behind him. As much as he loved his brothers he didn't trust them when it came to his lab, He could just about tolerate Raphael in there if he was in there with him but Leonardo and Michelangelo were banned completely. Past experience and mistakes had taught him wisely.

The rest of his home was dark indicating that his brothers and father were already asleep; the snores emerging from the sleeping area situated above him confirmed that. He yawned again walking almost in a daze across the large living space, intent on his bed. Training began at 6 the following morning like it always did but it was only midnight now and 6 hours sleep was a great deal more then he was used to having. Normally he functioned on about 3 hours a night.

A flickering light to the side of him caught his attention and he turned his head towards it with a frown. He moved towards the light, his hand reaching over his shoulder to grasp his bo and pull it out of his belt, he swung it round, the sound comforting as he gripped it in a classic defensive pose. He stopped outside the Dojo and glanced once more around him making sure that he was alone before he entered the room, his movement silent.

He stopped his frown of concentration dropping to a look of confusion at the sight facing him. Leonardo stood in front of him, surrounded by candles, running through a Kata that Master Splinter had made them do earlier in the week. His movements were flawless the same as they always were. Donatello watched silently as Leonardo stopped his motions mid stride with a sound of annoyance before straightening and walking a few steps back. He dropped into the starting position and began running through the movements again before stopping at the same point with the same look of annoyance before restarting it again.

"Erm Leo" Donatello finally said stepping forward from the shadow into the light from the lit candles spaced evenly round the room "Is everything ok?" Leonardo stopped, his sword held out in front of him, his movements still as he tilted his head to look at Donatello, an intense look in the normal calm brown eyes.

"Donnie" he said after a moment's silence. Donatello watched as Leonardo straightened, reached up and slipped his swords into their sheaths. "What are you doing up? I thought you were in your lab or in bed" he stated, his voice calm and reassuring the same as it always was.

"I've just finished up in the lab and was heading to bed when I saw the light and thought I'd investigate it" Donatello explained, there was always something about Leonardo that made him explain everything to him even if he never meant to.

"So I see" Leonardo replied dryly, his eyes dropping to the Bo that Donatello still held in his hand. Donatello glanced down, looking surprised that he still held his weapon in his hands. He followed Leonardo's example and placed it away.

"Is everything ok?" He tried again; Leonardo nodded his head turning to face Donatello head on, his arms crossed over his chest as his legs parted slightly in a classic defensive posture, the same posture that Leonardo always adopted before he spoke to Raphael about something he knew the younger turtle wouldn't like.

"Its fine Donnie, you should head off to bed, you look tired" he said, Donatello shrugged

"I am a bit tired" he replied before continuing an interested note coming to his voice "Why were you doing that Kata over and over again?" he asked, Leonardo stared at him for a moment before he glanced away, his gaze focusing on one of the pictures that littered the Dojo wall.

"I was just working on it to make it perfect" he answered, Donatello frowned at him.

"It was perfect the first time you did it in practice" he stated "Is there something on your mind? Has Raph done something to upset you again?" he asked shaking his head with a sound of annoyance "Because if he has then I'll have a word with him if you want?" Leonardo shook his head

"Raph hasn't done anything, we haven't even argued this week which has to be a record for us" Donatello smiled at Leonardo comment.

"Well I hate to burst your bubble Leo but it is only Monday, technically the week is only a day old" he pointed out "I believe your record is 1 and a half days and that was probably because Raph was sick and had been sent to bed to sleep by Master Splinter and you were banned from the sick room" Leonardo looked sharply at Donatello before his face softened into a smile.

"Well considering he isn't sick at the moment I think we should count today as the record" Donatello nodded.

"We can do that" he said before reverting to their previous subject of conversation "So if it isn't Raph then what is it and don't say it's nothing because then I'll know you're lying to me. I mean no one is up at this time just because they want to perfect a move. I know what you're like, you clearly have something on your mind and you're trying to work it out and you're doing the Kata because they relax you and help clear your mind of all the random stuff that's in there sort of like when Raph attacks the punch bag or Mikey flicks through the channels on the TV without ever actually stopping on one."

"Or like you tinkering with something in your lab?" Leonardo interrupted raising an eye ridge at his younger brother. Donatello nodded

"Exactly" he replied "You can talk to me you know, I'm a good listener and everyone needs to rant sometimes, even you Leo" he stopped for a moment before speaking again a thoughtful tone to his voice "Especially you Leo" Leonardo sighed

"It's nothing in particular Donnie" he began "just lots of little things that always seem to add up until I think my head will explode with all the stuff going on up here" he lifted a hand up and pointed in the vague direction of his head before dropping it again.

"What sort of little things?" Donatello asked curiously, stepping back slightly so he could lean against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited patiently. Seeing Leonardo struggle with his words was a new experience for Donatello. Normally the eldest had at least 4 speeches that he could use at any given time for any given situation seeing him struggle showed a new side to him that Donatello hadn't seen before.

"That's the thing" Leonardo eventually said "I can't actually think of anything off the top of my head to account for this feeling, that I could tell you about" Donatello breathed out loudly before biting his inner lip as he thought.

"I know that feeling" he said "When you feel like the world is crushing you but you don't know what exactly is giving you that feeling, sometimes you need to go through a list"

"Donnie you don't…" Leonardo began before Donatello cut him off

"I know" was all he said before continuing with the previous conversation as if Leonardo hadn't spoken "So you said things are ok with Raph?" he asked, Leonardo watched him for a moment but answered clearly seeing something in Donatello's expression to make him realise that he had no chance of getting out of this situation.

"Me and Raph are fine, we've been getting along more because he's finally been listening more to me when I give orders instead of just following them if they suit him" Donatello nodded his head, he had noticed that as well.

"Seeing Mikey get hurt did that, he blames himself" he commented thoughtfully "So maybe that was it? Mikey getting hurt shook you up?" Leonardo shook his head.

"That would be the most obvious reason but its not, that was just a freak accident, it could have happened to anyone, the only reason Raph is blaming himself is because he seems to believe that he should be the one to get injured out of us all, as if he's somehow less important then us all" Donatello raised an eye ridge at the anger in the eldest voice but remained silent. Getting Leonardo to open up at all was difficult so Donatello wasn't going to risk him going silent again due to a thoughtless comment especially when it seems as if they had reached the crux of the matter already.

"That's Raph though Leo" Donatello finally said when the silence threatened to drag on "he's the protector of us, he always has been and he always will be, he's not going to change now, you must see that. It's better to just let him get on with it and just be there for him on the rare occasion he comes to you for guidance or comfort or whatever else he needs at the time." Leonardo looked frustrated.

"I don't see why him and Mikey have to constantly put themselves at risk the way they do, our lives are hard enough as it is. We're rejects, protectors of a world that would destroy and kill us after they finished experimenting on us. Master Splinter tells us to keep to the Shadows for a reason but they don't seem to get it, sometimes I think you don't get it either Donnie. How can I protect you all when you all risk so much for so little" Donatello remained silent for a moment before speaking. His voice quiet and soft with an intensity that was normally lacking in it.

"It's not your job to protect us" he said holding a hand up as Leonardo went to interrupt "I understand the desire to protect your family I do, we all experience it especially as our family is so small but we can't stop living just in case we get spotted one day. Being spotted would be a disaster, we all know that, we've seen it and we've been told about it every day of our lives, if not by Master Splinter then by you but that way of life is not living, hiding beneath the surface only coming out on missions is a disaster as well. We are who we are Leo and we don't need protecting anymore then you do. Raph and Mikey are more then capable of taking care of themselves; I'm capable of taking care of myself. You shouldn't take all this extra pressure on you. Shit happens, we deal with it and then we get on with it."

"Donnie did you actually just swear?" Leonardo said his voice surprised. He looked shocked by the fact. Donatello shrugged his shoulder pushing himself off the wall and walking over to his older brother.

"I guess I've been hanging out with Raph too often, it's amazing what you pick up without realising it" he commented lightly placing both his hands on his brother's shoulder and looking at him directly in the eye.

"We don't follow you because Master Splinter named you Leader Leo, we follow you because you're our older brother and we all know you have our best interests at heart, even Raph knows that deep down. But staying up late, worrying over things that you can't control is pointless. You need to trust us enough to know that we know the score. Everything for the team, we all get that and we all live by that. You get me?"

"I get you" Leonardo replied softly after a moment's silence "I'm sorry I went off on one" Donatello shrugged his shoulders as he removed his hands from Leonardo and took a step back.

"That's what brothers are for Leo" he commented lightly "to point out to the other ones when they are being stupid, go to bed, its late and you look exactly how I feel" Leonardo opened his mouth clearly about to say something before he stopped himself. He smiled at Donnie and shook his head. Donatello smiled back before turning and walking towards the entrance to the living room.

"Thanks for listening Donnie" Donnie smiled as Leonardo called after him.

"Thank me in the morning by taking over my breakfast duty so I can get more sleep" he said over his shoulder with a grin as he left the room intent on his bed. Sometimes going to bed early was a good thing.

Author Note – All done! Hopefully you've enjoyed it enough to review it? Many Thanks for reading.