neonleon | mcu/rise mashup

Mmm, yeah, that'd be good. [He slurs his words a little sleepily, eyes still closed. He settles more into Leo, actively comfortable and warm. The exhaustion almost pulls him back into a drowse.

For just a moment, he's forgotten his entire world is just this comfortable moment. The reassuring weight of his spouse and the warmth they accumulated overnight.

He startles a little at the sound of a door downstairs slamming open. Voices carrying below. Peter startles from his drowse. Instincts from the war means he's awake instantly. Alert and tense. His ninpo crackles with energy, stretching to grab onto Leo again.

He recognizes April's voice immediately. He can only guess as his brain snaps into awareness that the other voice is Casey's. He sits up a little, staring at the bedroom door before looking to Leo.] Or, we might have to get up...

[He was so happy, pretending a little longer that he'd never lost Peter. He never had to sit outside that tent, their ninpo disconnected and listening to Peter slowly lose his mind as his health deteriorated. The worst two and a half weeks of his life, followed by the longest two years of his life.

April's shouting something about their usual meetup time for breakfast, why wasn't Leo ther- Oh FUCK he forgot about breakfast. Leo groans as he rolls onto his back, rubbing at his eyes with the thick of his palms.]

Do you wanna do this now or wait? If you wanna wait, just... hang out in here a little bit and we can work up to it.

The sooner we rip the bandaid off, the sooner we can figure things out. April will probably have the... least worst reaction? Maybe? [Peter answers back with a frown. He doesn't know the specifics of what Leo did, but Peter knows the reunion isn't going to be easy.]

I can't hide in here for long either, Casey lives with us. He'll figure out something changed pretty fast.

Right... Yeah, I-i meant. More first thing, or ten minutes.

[He definitely thought they could hide Peter for a week or two. But no, Casey living here puts an end to that thought. He's scared, he's clearly scared of what they'll think after he let them think he was dating again (they thought that, they concluded that, he just didn't correct them.]

Ready?

Let me see about standing, I might need a little time for that. [He shifts enough to press a kiss against Leo's brow.] Ready as I can be.

[He rolls away, sitting up completely now. He manages to get himself up off the bed, but is still actively unsteady.]

[As Peter's feet hit the floor, he hears April calling out from downstairs - Hurry your turtle butt down here or I'm taking Case home MYSELF-.

Leo sighs, offering Peter an arm and calling out.]

I'm coming! Have something to show you guys but you can't yell, all right?

[Peter is quiet, gladly taking Leo's arm in his own. He tries to smooth his own nerves over by just squeezing onto Leo. It isn't like he can announce himself and make everything okay.

What is it!? Casey's voice carries before April with some amusement hushes him.

Peter manages a small smile at his husband, aiming for something encouraging and reassuring.]

[Peter taking his arm can feel Leo tense, trembling. His eyes are locked on the door and the hallway beyond it. He can do this. He'd worked two years for this, he just never thought about the "after it succeeds" part; maybe he never thought it would and he felt better trying. Like it didn't mean he gave up on Peter.]

Got someone for you to see!

[And then he looks at Peter, brows knit together and a nod to the door. Ready?]

[Peter squeezes Leo's arm again, trying to be a steady presence for him. Wishing he could do more.

Peter nods in turn. He squares his shoulders a little as the door opens and they move out into the hallway together.

He can still hear April and Casey's voices even from the level above the kitchen without the shouting. Snippets of a conversation. Debating idly about a secret boyfriend.

Well.

Peter was definitely secret.

The walk downstairs feels long, but too short at the same time. Peter barely takes in the house as they walk. Any joy at having sunlight is dampened by the discomfort tight in his chest.

The kitchen is soaked in sunlight coming through the windows. Its quaint, yellow walls and homey. What Peter wanted so desperately. April leans against a counter. Casey... Casey a much older boy now is searching through his bag for something. It's surreal how big Casey is now. How much he's grown.

He speaks, his voice quieter than he intends it to be.]

Uh- hey.

[The conversation of 'secret boyfriend' almost has Leo stop halfway down the stairs. It's clear there are two people coming down, and April's watching the doorway expectantly.

What they don't expect is Peter standing there with his mismatched eyes, or Leo's tattoos to still look so vibrant. Both Casey and April's jaws slack open taking him in, recognition in both their eyes. But then Peter talks, and the recognition shifts to anger and confusion in April's eyes. She carefully starts moving Casey behind her for the moment.]

Leo.... [Her voice a warning. Concerned. Barely contained anger at whatever Leo did.

He holds one hand out plaintiffly.] I-i know how this looks-

It LOOKS like you did some black mystic magic shit to bring your husband back to life.

...Okay, so that is how that looks.

[Peter winces a little, trying not to hunch into himself at the reaction. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, but it doesn't make it any better to deal with.]

It's... not great he used black mystic magic, but, uh. I'm back?

[April releases a frustrated breath. She holds her ground.] No offense, Peter, but- this is more than 'not great'! You feel me!? This is dangerous! All of it is mad dangerous to even attempt!

Y...yeah. I get it. [He isn't sure what else to say.] I don't know what Leo did. I feel like me at least.

It's him. [Leo confirms it as firmly as he's staring at April. He loves his sister from another mister, but this isn't something he's going to roll over about. Leo squeezes Peter's hand in their grip.]

And it doesn't matter, the dangerous part's over. He's here.

Uh, it DOES matter? Where do you think all those spells get their mojo from? Barry didn't do a lot of that stuff for a reason.

Well, Barry's gone, isn't he? From the same black magic shit that got Peter back.

[Peter manages a warm smile at Leo for the reassurance. Not that it lasts long as he look back at April and Casey. The genuine fear and confusion on the boy's face knocks the smile right off of Peter's features.

He never wanted Casey to be afraid of him.]

The same black magic shit that killed Peter in the first place. Leo, we don't even know how stable this magic is going to be! Barry isn't here, so we can't ask him what- any of this could turn into! [She gestures at Peter for emphasis.] How long is he going to stay Peter? Will the curse come back? You need to think about that.

[Peter honestly hadn't even thought about any of that. The idea of the curse coming back makes him feel ill. If he was cursed badly enough to end the war, what would happen now if it came back?]

April-

[The idea that the curse could come back. Could take Peter over again, that he'd have to sit through it all over again curdles something in Leo's gut. An angry ball of fire and acid that's been building and building for two long years now while everyone made do, everyone just moved on while Leo's world fell apart.]

That's easy for you to say. [His voice is calm. Quiet. That dangerous kind of anger that so few outside the war council meetings heard when someone brought up Peter in the end.] You still have Sunita. You still have everyone else. You didn't have to sit and feel a gaping chasm in your soul be ripped away from you because everyone else said it had to be done and wouldn't listen to you. You didn't have to sit for two weeks listening to the man you've loved for over half your life slowly lose his mind and ability to even think coherently as a curse destroyed him, because what? Because everyone decided he should be the one to go into that base? And you couldn't do ANYTHING to help him. Because everyone needed me. I couldn't break, I couldn't stop.

That's so easy for you to say, April. [By the time he's finished talking, his eyes are angry, his markings glowing furiously.] I don't care what you think might happen.

[Peter runs a gentle hand against Leo's arm, trying to draw him back. Hearing everything summarized so neatly just makes it feel worse. They had to keep choosing everyone but themselves, even at the cost of their own lives.

Hearing that Leo never had the chance to recover, nor really let go doesn't help.

The initial gentle light touch just turns into Peter shifting his hold enough to hold Leo.

April's expression shifts from surprise to a brief moment of grief and then settles on a resigned kind of anger. She empathizes but can't accept what he's done.] Both of you deserved better. I know that much, Leo. We had no real choices. We were making due. It doesn't make any of it better.

I don't want either of you to live that again. Even if you don't care, I damn well do.

[Peter interjects, voice firm. Old habits of being Leo's second in command easy enough to tap into. He was a balm on an argument or a decisive comment that settled a debate.] We don't know what could or couldn't happen yet. Mikey would be able to give us a better idea. It wouldn't be a bad idea to consult with him about- me.

If we deserved better, why did you vote to send him?!

[It's out as Peter shifts into that old habit. Breaking into the discussion with objectively the best answer. Mikey would be the best resolution here. Leo knows it. But his face is wet with hot, angry tears before he sees Casey's face - a little afraid of seeing this side of the adults in his life that he never had to see before. They'd always kept him carefully away from these sorts of conversations during the war, and afterward there really weren't any.

He lets out a shaky exhale, trying to bring himself back down from that raging cliff, if not for himself then at least for Peter and Casey. His voice is so small when he does speak again. Quiet like a single crack of glass.]

Yeah. Yeah, we should- Get Mikey on this.

[April seems ready to argue with Leo, but is derailed by Peter as well. She clicks her teeth together unhappily.

Peter takes control as Leo's voice settles into something small, it's easy enough. If Raph or Leo weren't present, he was usually the next in line people would approach for direction. He's just holding onto Leo gently, trying to help him stay grounded.]

April, could you please reach out to Mikey? I'll stay here with Leo.

[April nods, the gesture decisive.] Right. I'll do that. I'll take Casey with me.

Whatever makes Casey the most comfortable. [Peter says simply back, leaving the choice in Casey's hands.]

[I'll take Casey with me.

It hurts. The sting of that hurts, but it's earned. He doesn't deserve to look after Casey after what he's done. That none of them knew, hopefully won't if he's lucky. He wipes at his eyes with the back of one hand before looking at Casey who can't... seem to decide.

But April makes the decision for them, hand around his shoulder and gently ushering him back to the front door. It's the front door slamming closed that jostles Leo's nerves, has him on edge.

There's no way back now. He did this. He did this and now they're all going to know he did this and he can't go back to the easy denial now.]

...Can't go back now.

Only forward. [Peter agrees softly, he nudges Leo gently trying to get him to sit down.]

Whatever forward has in store for us, we're together. [Peter if anything is hopeful. He still holds onto that hope even if it feels odd now.]

Yeah. Y-yeah.

[With the nudge, he's easy to get seated at the nearest stool at the counter.

(Once a month, once a month they'd all come over with food and drinks to remind Leo he hadn't lost everything that day, remind Leo he still has his family, so he got stools and chairs that are empty the rest of the month, that he'd stare at and try to picture himself and Peter sitting eating together until it drove him to tears.)

He sniffs, wiping at his eyes again before reaching for Peter's hand again.]

Yeah. Y-yeah, we're. Together.

[The whole situation is... complicated, heavy, uncomfortable. Peter wishes he knew what he could do.

Peter sits down a little more heavily on a stool, still tired. His whole body is new, but feels wrung out from the wild range of emotions.

He readily holds onto Leo's hand. He laces their fingers together.

Peter's voice is quiet, a touch remorseful.]

I'm sorry... if, if I cost you everyone else. [He had no part in bringing himself back, but the guilt is still uncomfortably tight in his chest.]

You didn't. [Said quickly, firm. He's solid on that. Peter didn't do anything wrong.

If he lost everyone else, then that's squarely on Leo. He'd kept them at a distance since Peter was gone, and if this cuts them off completely? That's his fault. But he at least has Peter back. They can be happy the way they were supposed to before he let the Foot get the Krang door open.]

So don't worry. You didn't do anything. All right?

[Peter frowns at that, just squeezing Leo's hand in his own. He wants to argue, but he has nothing to argue back with. The whole situation is something he's more or less woken up into. He has been out of the picture for two years.]

I... okay. I just, I don't want to be the reason you're alone, Leo.

I'm not alone, Peter.

[He turns on his seat to face him, taking both hands in his now and squeezing them. He has Peter back, he won't be alone.]

And even if that happens, if they decide to walk away, it isn't because of anything you did. Got that?

Right, we're here, we're together. [Peter exhales softly, just looking at Leo.

In the warm morning light, he can really look at Leo. He can take in what has changed. The replacement arm looks better, less unwieldy on Leo. It fits his frame much better than what he had before.

The prosthetic leg is new. Worrying. Did something else big happen or was this... tied back to why Peter is here again. The magic tattoos seeming to shift on Leo's skin seemingly towards Peter is just as jarring.]

Got it.

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