Donnie hides a smile at the pitter patter of limbs approaching them and places down the circuity they were working on. They listen to them stop and they begin to count down.

3.

2.

1.

"DEE!"

"Oh no," Donnie says, letting the instinctual hiss into their voice, as Leo wraps his arms around Donnie, trapping Donnie to their chair, "I have been caught. Whatever ssshall I do?"

Leo just rubs against Donnie's neck and Donnie rolls their eyes, patting Leo with an arm from their spidershell. Leo blinks and looks up at the arm. He releases Donnie and pokes it, following it back to Donnie's shell.

Leo's eyes light up as he pokes the shell and looks back at Donnie, "Different different!"

Donnie smirks. They don't get to show off much.

"I made it myssself," Donnie grins, tapping their tech to try and convey their meaning. Leo nods in understanding and Donnie stands up, disengaging their shell, "It comesss off. Sssee?"

Leo watches in awe as the shell is removed and Donnie watches him look at their real shell. They push down the desire to hide it again and instead watch Leo observe the shell, not touching it. That strikes Donnie as weird. Leo is a very touch-orientated person after all.

"Isss sssomething wrong?" Donnie asks.

Leo points at Donnie's shell and Donnie instantly knows what he's seen, even before Leo lets out a whimper and asks, "Hurt?"

Donnie smiles, "Sssometimesss," they admit, "But the ssshell," Donnie taps the tech they just placed on the table in front of them, "Helpsss with that."

Leo frowns.

Donnie pats his head and Leo looks back at them, "It'sss okay. Dee isss okay."

Leo's frown doesn't fade, but he lifts his arms and makes grabby hands. Donnie shakes their head. Mikey just had to teach Leo that one.

"Come here then," Donnie opens their arms and Leo dives in for a hug.

Donnie rolls their eyes as Leo starts churring against their plastron and they wrap their arms around him. Leo's churrs grow in volume as Donnie tries to replicate the sound.

If Donnie fell asleep grinning, Mikey wasn't going to tell anyone besides April.