#soft-shell

When Leo raced back to the lab after Raph's talk yesterday, the doors were locked. Leo really did not expect that, but nothing of this situation has been expected. So he called Donnie on the phone, despite his brother being only a door away. He asked if he could open it and if they could talk. Donnie said they could talk, only it would need to be later that night.

Later that night, when Donnie made sure to at least make an appearance, Mikey was so fixated on the idea of them all doing something fun, like skateboarding or training or cooking or literally anything. And of course Raph thought that was simply the most incredible idea ever, especially since they had just stocked up on food a few days prior. Making cookies seemed like a perfect idea.

Donnie originally tried to slip away at that, but he ended up staying when Mikey hugged him, begging kindly that this would be the best family activity ever. Splinter came out and insisted it was a good idea too, adding to Michelangelo's excitement, although Splinter's was made by the promise that he got to try whatever they cooked.

The only one not onboard had been Leo, and that just crushed Mikey all the more. So Leo stayed, making sure to stick to his immediate older brother's side. Donnie looked done with just about everything the whole evening, and that had been that for the night.

Now, Leo sits on the lab floor. Wedged between an overjoyed Mikey and a concentrated Donnie, he tries to focus. Raph and April are outside the lab, making snacks for them all. And although Leo knows now is not the perfect time to have a serious conversation with his brother, it brings in a closer possibility of it happening soon.