Kiss Me

Kiss Me

"Leo, stop!  Please, think about what you're doing!" Donatello shouted at his brother as he jumped away from the swinging arc of sharpened steel moving towards his legs.

Leonardo's eyes glittered in the dim light of the underground cavern.  This one would be the first; the easiest prey.  This one didn't want to fight back.

Don's bo came up to deflect the next strike and then he spun to avoid another.  He swung his weapon around as he moved, trying to sweep his brothers feet out from under him, but Leo simply leaped over the staff and pressed forward.

The quickly uplifted bo stopped the downward movement of a katana and then Don was backpedaling as Leo pushed against him.

He couldn't let himself be trapped against a wall.  Quickly dropping into a squat and away from Leo's katanas, Don sprang to the side with all the power in his muscular legs.  He felt rather than saw Leo's lightening quick reaction to his move, and twisted with his bo staff outstretched to shove Leo away.

Leo anticipated his move and turned his body sideways so the bo glanced off his carapace.  With a quick shift back to center, Leo shoved the bo aside as hard as he could.

Already slightly off balance, Don shuffled back a step trying to retain his hold on his bo and Leo leaped high into the air, coming down hard on Don's hand with the butt end of the katanas grip.

Don cried out in pain as his numb fingers lost their hold on his weapon and it fell.

Leo caught it before it hit the ground.  Dropping his katanas to the dirt, he jumped and kicked Don square in his chest plates.

Don flew backwards and hit the opposite wall hard.  The vibration through his tough shell knocked the breath out of him, and then Leo was pressing the bo staff into his throat.

"How fitting you should be killed with your own weapon," Leo's voice was low and full of hate.

Don's hands scrabbled against Leo's plastron, and then up to grasp his beloved bo in an attempt to dislodge it from his throat.  Already, he was seeing flashing lights behind his eyes as the air flow to his lungs was slowly cut-off.

Leo leaned into him harder, his toes digging into the ground as he used the advantage of leverage to keep his brother from breaking free.

"Leo. . ."  Don croaked out, looking into his leader's eyes.

"Any last requests?" Leo asked him, grinning hideously.

Don blinked.  His vision was fading and he couldn't feel his legs anymore.  Last requests?

Mustering his final bit of strength, he whispered, "Kiss. . .me."

Leo's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.  Lowering his head, he shook it once and then looked back up.

Don saw a swelling tide of black move across the whites of Leo's eyes and then quickly pool out of them, swirling into a mist around his head.

The black mist rose higher and with a shriek of reverberating anger, it disappeared.

Leo dropped the bo staff and caught Don's collapsing form just as his own began to sink to the ground.

Breathing deeply, Leo held tightly to the purple banded turtle draped across his arms and tried to remember.

Finally able to speak, he moved his mouth close to Don's head and asked, "Are you okay Donny?"

Head down, Don nodded.  His throat hurt, but his vision had cleared and the thudding of his heart had slowed.

"What happened to me?"  Leo murmured, his voice shaking just a bit.

Don looked up into Leo's eyes, his own tender with emotion.  "It was that demon."  His voice was raspy and he cleared his throat before trying to speak again.  "It feeds off rage and fear.  I should have known it would try to possess you Leo.  This is my fault."

"No," Leo said harshly, "it's not.  How could you have known it would come after me?"

"Oh, God Leo," Don told him, eyes moist.  "It didn't go near Mikey or I because neither of us have any of the negative hateful emotions comprising rage; and Raph's already an expert at dealing with it – he wouldn't have been a bargain."  Don coughed, and swallowed as his raw throat protested the speech.

"I don't hate you guys," Leo whispered, his brow furrowed in pain.

Don swallowed again, determined to talk, however difficult.  "I know that."  He lifted a hand to Leo's cheek.  "But you have more than enough repressed resentment to feed an army of those things."

Leo was shaking his head and Don gripped his chin, forcing Leo's head around so their eyes could meet once more.
  
"Yes, you do.  You don't want to admit it, but damn it, Leo, the burden of being our leader takes a toll and you know it.  It wouldn't be normal if you didn't resent that sometimes.  And it wouldn't be you if guilt didn't make you push it down."

"I'm so sorry," Leo said, eyes closed and voice flat; emotionless.

"Don't do that," Don snapped harshly.
  
Leo's eyes shot open, surprised at the tone.  "What?"

"Don't apologize for having your own feelings.  You're allowed to; it isn't right how you try to squash your own wants so you can take care of us.  Sometimes you need to take care of yourself."

Leo stared at him for a moment, reading his expression and the warm sincerity in his soulful brown eyes.  How was it possible for anything to make him want to kill Donatello?

"Donny." The word came out in a needy exhalation before Leo caught himself.  Trying to cover the feelings he had, Leo asked, "What you said, how did you know it would drive the demon out?  Why did you. . . ?"

"Because I know how you really feel about me," Don answered simply.  "I've known for a long time."

"It's wrong. . ."  Leo started to say, but Don's finger on his lips stopped him.

"That's why I haven't said anything, because I didn't want you to struggle with that kind of guilt on top of everything else.  But, for your information, human social norms don't apply to mutant turtles."

Leo's face went blank as he processed what Don had just said.

Preparing to rise, the semi-stunned turtle in blue said, "We need to get back to the lair; the others are going to be worried."

Don caught his arm, holding him down.  "They can wait a little longer.  You haven't honored my final request yet."

Leo started to tremble.  "What?" he asked, slightly confused but hopeful.

"Kiss me."