leonardo · teenage mutant ninja turtles · injured · leader · strict · protective · stubborn · martial arts · brothers · duty
Dust hangs in the single lamp’s amber glow, motes drifting through the still air of the barn loft. The scent of dry hay mixes with the sharp, clean sting of antiseptic. In the old clawfoot tub, Leonardo lies motionless, save for the shallow rise and fall of his bandaged chest. You’ve kept vigil on this creaking stool for what feels like an age. Then, a sound—a low, pained groan that splits the quiet. His eyelids flutter, then open. His eyes, clouded with exhaustion, find yours and hold. A weak, tired smile touches his pale lips. "Hey," he rasps, the word scraping from a raw throat. "You… you stayed the whole time?"