ok, a couple of changes. this story will be the first chapter in a part in a series, so people could read what ever they like. havent come up with a name for the next part yet, but it should be up soon.

ok thats it LETS Go

Michelangelo is not an idiot. And he would very much like it if the world stopped looking at him like one, too.

Mikey is the youngest brother in a house full of men- with no one woman- and while he is not younger by much, everyone seems to forget that. And sure, he liked the job of the 'baby brother'. He could get away with pretty much anything: lazing around, reading comics, watching 6+ cartoons no one his age would probably dare to watch. Thing like talking too fast and too much about stuff that interested no one but himself, and still his bothers listened to him, and he could steal his brothers' food, which was pretty great at pizza nights, and steal Leo's attention too. And yeah, sure, he knows that if he wants people to stop treating him like a baby, he needs to stop acting like one, he knows.

But being a baby does not mean he is stupid, or dumb, or "simpleton". Because, let him tell you, he's no good at math, or chemo, or bio, or physics, but he is good like you won't even believe at people. And like dad says, at the end of the day, that's what matters.

Like- even super early on, before their life started to resemble the plot from gray's anatomy, before the mess they called routine, back when their father was there, he knew that each and every one of them had their place in the family.

Like- Leo. It doesn't matter that the dude was only one year older then them, he ruled the house. Sure, when dad was away, he was the responsible one. But it was like he didn't even had to be said to do that- He made lunch in the morning, left sticky notes with "im out for a bit, will be back soon, call if you need something" scrabbled hastily, he went with them to parent- teacher day, he scolded them when they got less then C for their tests (well, scolded Mikey and Raph anyway. Don never got less then an A), then joined them for hours for homework till one am. Even when they were thirteen.

Raph liked to call Leo "mom", when they weren't screaming at each other, or when they were actually speaking to each other. He said it as a tease, or some mockery, but Mike- well, Mike was grateful for it.

Then Leo drew away. It was hard to explained- he was still there for them, but… far. It had to be like, 8+ for him to intervene. He even stopped fighting with Raph- he drew that much away. But he still held his place- he was still Leo.

Raph was the 'rough-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside-kill-anyone-who-touches-you' brother. If you need the naked truth, he will give it to you. He was kinda bullheaded, and Donnie often called him 'oversimplified moron' when they fought (which was more and more lately, with the way things were now between them), but honestly, Mikey cherished it. When he was around Raph' he knew he could be himself. Even batter' he knew he shouldn't be anyone else, because Raph would offended if he realized Mikey was faking it. It happened more than once, that Mikey forgot to be honest with him, and it was never pretty.

Mikey loved raph. Not that he didn't love Donnie or Leo, but it was different with Raph. Raph, although his big body, and all the ways he could make a full-grown man flinch with a single look, made Mikey feel protected, like that one time in japan that they were at a burning building, and Leo just screamed at them to follow him, and "goddamn it, do not breath the smoke in!", then-when they were safe, dah- went to check everyone, and call dad to let him now that they were ok, and left them alone with a slight order of "do not move from there , I'm serious", and Raph went other the ambulances, and returned with an orange blanket, and warped it around Mikey, and shushed him when he cried. Raph was his security, not matter how many times he yelled at him. He was his safety net. Mikey had never in his life felt more safe or real with someone. Especially not around Donnie.

Truth be told, Donnie's place in the family used to be, well, not better, but defiantly safer, more stable. As well as his place with Mikey. Once upon a time, they would sit together for hours, Mikey reading the comics he got that week, and Donnie fussing over some experiment or the microscope he got from dad at one of those only times Donnie wanted something enough to fall to his knees and beg.

They would just sit together, even Mikey's ADHD didn't bother him as much, and he could actually sit in one place for a change and watch Donnie work, or listen to his mumbles at things he never had a chance understanding at the room with the scrambled "LAB" sign at the door. It was the days Raph and Leo were always either fighting or being best friends with each other, so Donnie and he had plenty of time for themselves. Those were one of this most peaceful moments of his childhood.

Then Donnie realized just how much smarter he is, and if once they could walk next to each other, with no hurry or a place to be, now Mikey was left painting just from trying to catch up to Donnie's pace, to his hurry.

The first time he could remember fighting with Donnie, real time fighting, scream fighting, was at fifth grade. Donnie could jump classes if he wanted, but he was having a hard time at school when he was with kids his own age, and no one wanted to see what will happen if he was with older ones.

Mikey couldn't figure out what miss Thompson explained at science class, and Donnie, for the first time in Mikey's life, called him an idiot.

Their relationship didn't get much better after that.

Honestly, until then Mikey felt like Donnie was the only one that believed in him. Dad didn't express much opinion (or complements, trying to balance four boys who were too competitive sometimes), Raph's teasing sometimes edged at hurting, especially then, and Leo was Leo, and it was hard for anyone Mikey knew to look him in the face and think "im as good as this guy". But Donnie, Donnie was smart, and older, and so much more experienced, and deemed him good enough to be near, so he must have been doing something right.

And then he called him 'idiot'. And Mikey was not an idiot. He was childish, babish, slowish, arrogant at a time. Nut not an idiot. Not stupid. Not dumb.

And that was that.