Requested by   Fandomsh1t  Topic: ROTTMNT! I am so so sooo sorry it took so long!! I hope you enjoy it  :')

"You don't understand!"

My angered voice bounces off the walls of the unusually quiet Lair. I follow after Leonardo, hands waving in protest. Leo spins around to face me. 

He tugs nervously on his sash. "No, it's you that doesn't get it, Casey."

"What don't I understand?!" I ask furiously. Honestly, I hate arguing with him. The problem is that I'm used to the Master Leonardo I knew, the greatest ninja in the world. Not the arrogant, wisecracking teenager in front of me. 

"I'm not-" His voice falters, his front cracking down for an instant. "I'm not the leader everyone wants me to be, okay? I don't know why you expect me to be perfect." 

"Hmm, I don't know!!" I snap. "Maybe because it's your JOB??"

Leo shakes his head. "Sorry, Case. If that's true, then I shouldn't be leader." He walked away quickly, leaving me without time to protest.

Maybe it's wrong for me to be disappointed? For the first weeks after the Krang invasion, Leo was the image of a leader. Efficient, serious, and always on time. Exactly how I remembered him. 

Recently though, he's been the opposite. Blowing off missions, making reckless decisions...I don't know what happened. I shake my head in defeat and sit down on the couch. 

The other guys are out right now, on a simple mission that should be over pretty quickly. My phone starts ringing fervently in my pocket, so I pull it out and answer. "Hello?"

It's Raph. "CASEY! WE NEED- YOU- LEO- BACK UP- NOW!!" The signal cuts out.

Ughhhh, why, fate? It's completely unfair that we have to work together directly after our argument, but the guys need us. I head to Leo's room and bang on the door. "Leo? We need to go and help the guys."

His voice comes through the door sassily. "Maybe you should go without me. Probably better that way."

I roll my eyes and count to six. The door opens, and he steps past me awkwardly. "All right all right, geez. Let's just go." Past or future, I know him better than I know anyone else. I smirk a little at his predictability and follow after him, flipping my mask over my face.

We leap across rooftops and slide down fire escapes on our way to find the others, the trip being eerily quiet once again. I can't help but feel guilty for all the pressure I put on him the past few weeks. A memory of a former argument flashes through my head and I stop short. Leo notices and glances back. 

"Hey, you good?" 

"Yeah..." I can't seem to find my voice when I need it the most. "I'm...I'm really sorry, Leo. I'm sure being the leader is way harder than it looks."

His eyes widen, and he walks back to where I'm standing. "Is that what this is..." He chuckles, surprising me. "Ah Case, don't feel bad. I probably had it coming."

"But..."

"Nah, no buts. It kinda stinks being in charge, honestly, but you're right. I need to step up a little more."

I look at him skeptically. 

"Okay, a lot more. We cool?"

"Yeah, we're cool."

"Good." He punches my arm lightly and takes off running. "Let's go get 'em, Blue Team!"

I shake my head with a smile and follow him.