will you do it ? Maybe! For requests, you gotta play the long haul unfortunately 😭 unless I’m SMACKED with inspiration, I work at a SNAILS pace 😔
what’s the best way I can make sure You do my request? Fuck around and find out ;b I write what I want (when I am not busy!)
what will you write for? 2k12 and Rise TMNT
who’s your favorite? Leo, I’ve said I’m not too biased before, but looking at my masterlist… that doesn’t seem the case LMAOO okay listen he’s easy to write for cus I understand him the best—
x readers? Yep.
X OCs? Not long ones. And it depends.
Character x character? Nope.
t-cest? hell no.
proship? Hell . No. If you support either of those things, kindly DNI.
NSFW? No, but I will do spice.
I’ll say this once, I mostly write for myself, but you are welcome to request. I’m writing this while I’m tired and therefore I come off as a generally angry person, but I’m not so scary, promise =v=
and, PS. I have a hard time with my feelings for things that I like— more specifically characters I like— you could call me ehhh like aaaa emotionally constipated, i guess??? so don’t feel too bad about anything I might say, I will use tone tags!
MASTERLIST - please let me know if any links are not working :D
My user-specific tags:
#regrettable ramblings - anything that isn’t writing
#regrettable writing - links to all my writings/drabbles/oneshots!
#regrettable asks - any time someone asks a question through inbox!
#regrettable art - on the off chance I post drawings, it’s under this tag!
#regret’s sweethearts - anything with anons or moots!
#regrettable rules - anywhere I specify what I’m willing to write!
#regrettable announcement - important things to note! Usually time-sensitive
#Anon spotlight! - your turn with the mic! Anytime anyone comes into my inbox to show me something, this tag is used!
(I only really have headcanons for 2012 Leo, so I'm sorry if you wanted more broad Leo headcanons-! 😭👍)
• This one feels pretty canon, but I'd like to think Leo's a complete hypocrite of a driver- LMAO / If he's trying to set a good example for April or Mikey, he'll take all the safe precautions and walk them through general "rules" (more or less) when driving the Shellraiser or even the Party Wagon ! But outside of that, he's making illegal U-turns or driving over solid lines to pass someone who's pissing him off cause they're moving too slow- LMAO (Which is even more hilarious to me because I know his ass critiques Casey all the time for some things-)
• Building on Leo and Mikey being professional rage baiters, I can absolutely see Leo engaging with things like Ouija boards or going into (allegedly) haunted just to get reaction on his siblings- Particularly Raph ! I just think he'd enjoy freaking the others out sometimes-!
• Obviously Leo would try to hide this when out of missions / patrols with his team, but I'd like to think whenever he also gets board during a stake out he'd watch people TVs through their windows ! Like if a game was on or maybe the reality TV that apartment had on caught his eye ! Forget about it if they're watching, "Space Heroes"- LMAO
• This is one of my favorite headcanons for 2012 Leo !! I love envisioning Leo as Jerma985 clips ! Jerma is both awkward and charismatic at the same time, and that encapsulates Leo perfectly to me ! You cannot tell me Leo wouldn't have the same obscure sense of humor to him- 😭✨ (The one where Jerma's playing Hitman VR and starts panicking when the characters around him start running just feels like a reaction Leo would have- LMAO)
• I know we didn't get to see her in the series, but if Leo had gotten to meet Casey's younger sister, I have no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't treat her like his own- I need more "Leo and Casey being the eldest siblings" solidarity between them !!
• I think Leo would never listen to music or audio or any kind through headphones- He's always gonna play it on speaker-! I think this would primarily stem from being uncomfortable with his hearing being obstructed in any way (Ninja training stuff, you know?). I also think he's envious that Mikey is capable of having a good sense of his surroundings despite wearing them- Lmao
That's all I got for now, but let me know if you want more of these or more specific headcanons ! 😌👍✨
A/N: Damn it’s been a while. I’ve been taking summer classes and got an internship, so my creative writing time is thinner.
.....
The next morning, you woke up with a fever. Apparently, your human immune system couldn’t handle the exposure to the cool rain. What bullshit.
You still tried to get out of bed, and your parents had to drag you away from your horse, who whinnied at your miserable state. Your father helped you write a letter to the Viscount while your mother left for a village doctor.
Your mind felt foggy, and you fumbled with the quill. You didn’t know what you were doing, but you had to do something. A wet washcloth was placed on your head, and you found yourself slinking back to bed.
Physician Noe declared that you’d be fine, but you had to take it easy for a day or two.
The message was sent to the Viscount, and when your mother went to the village for soup ingredients, you convinced her to nail a note to the fencepost explaining your situation to Lee. It might be taken down, but surely someone could spread the message for you.
The day went by in phases, where you’d drift off for a few hours, get up to drink or stitch your outfit for the festival, and then drift off again. It was an agonizing process between the fever and the fatigue.
Later that night, you heard a knock at your cottage door. You’d told Lee where you lived, and your mind immediately went to him. When you answered the door, you were surprised but slightly disappointed to find April with a care basket of goods from her friend’s bakery, and a hand-scrawled get well soon card from Lee and his brother whom you hadn’t met yet.
Your parents were equally disappointed that they couldn’t meet your cloaked friend, but April easily won them over. It felt odd to have an unproductive day, but you found small ways to keep yourself occupied.
The next day, you still weren’t quite better. April had to go to work, but brought Mayhem over to keep you company. Your parents spoiled him. He ate a chunk of your care package food, but you didn’t mind. It was a small fare for him to help deliver messages to Lee. You also exchanged a few letters with his brother Mike, who worked as a palace cook. Despite your head burning and mind turning to goop, your body was thankful for the brief vacation from work, even if you would be in for it when you went back.
Leo felt bored without being able to spend time with you at night, but it felt nice to talk to Raph about it. Outside of his princely duties, he spent his spare time writing letters to you during the day and playing capture the bandana with his brothers at night, just like old times. He hadn’t seen Raph laugh and be so carefree in a while. It reminded him of how selfish and blindsided he’d been. It was a melancholic twist of pain in the past, joy of the present, and because of you, hope for his future.
On the second night of your illness, Leo went back to that hill you showed him. It was quite far from your cottage, but hopefully you’d still be able to see the show.
Careful not to disrupt any of the flowers, he set off a few of Donnie’s fireworks, just to give a small preview for the festival and his own sharing of hope towards what’s to come.
Nine days left.
With your fever clearing up after two days, you decided to stay at home for another. After all, Viscount Bruce couldn’t argue with an illness, and his daughter would freak out at the possibility of getting sick before the festival.
Plus, you had been kept up all night by some idiot setting off land mines, so you were fairly exhausted. In your many hours of boredom, and inability to leave your house, you eventually found yourself sorting through your father’s old things. He had already given you his dagger, but just in case he had a spare…
In the end, you found something even better.
Leo found you already waiting at the fencepost when he arrived. Before he could make a joke about it, you gestured for him to follow you. A little sketchy, but okay..?
You brought him down an alley, not far from where you’d apprehended the bandit, and out of sight from any wandering villagers. He opened to mouth to ask about it, but you dipped a hand in your pockets.
“Check this out.” You grinned.
“En garde!”
Hidden within your belt, you drew out a chipped and heavily worn agincourt sword. Your stance was completely wrong, and your hands were placed like you were holding an upside-down broom, pointing the tip at him. It was terrible, but your playful grin gave him a run for his money.
Leo laughed, nudging the clearly dull blade away from him.
“Where’d you find this beast? Was it on sale? You didn’t go to the Night Market without me, did you?”
“I think it was my dad’s from the war. Cool, right? This old thing probably saved his life.”
And he’s the reason your dad had been in danger. Leo’s mind unhelpfully commented. He shook his head to scare away the thought. You chuckled at the gesture.
“Scared I might stab you?”
“Stab me? With a long blade like that? No, mi vida, that’s a sword for slashing.” He moved his finger as he spoke, gesturing from the blade’s tip down its side, “This your first time handling a sword of that size?”
“Easy there, tiger.”
He couldn’t hold back a grin, “I’m serious, though. Did you swing it?”
“Not yet, but I brought us here. You ready?” You held it above your head.
Leo jumped to the side for dear life.
You weren’t close to hitting him, but nearly stabbed your own leg. He swiftly grabbed your wrists before you could try it again.
“No no no. You do it side to side. Like you’re… cleaning a window.” Leo tried to explain. He never cleaned a window before.
“Like this?”
You waited until he was out of reach, and swung the sword to the side with your dominant hand. You immediately lost your balance, and nearly tumbled down. Lee jolted forward, as if preparing to catch you.
“Okay okay. Here’s how it’s done. Watch and learn.”
Gripping the sword in both hands, he positioned the weapon over his shoulder, as if preparing to thrust a long spear. Instead, he swung the blade side to side, keeping his hands firm on the handle as his wrists twisted and turned to deliver each blow.
He nearly beheaded some villager’s poor scarecrow before directing his wrath towards a wooden lanternpost. With every bounce of the blade after striking the wood, Lee utilized every recoil, moving the blade and striking upwards, downwards, and side to side in a hypnotic kind of dance.
You watched the scene in awe. If the sword wasn’t so dull and old, you were sure the wood wouldn’t even be standing.
Leo gave the lanternpost a break, and inspected the sword once again.
“Man, this thing’s a dud.” He sighed, eyeing a couple nicks that formed on the blade.
Snapping out of your shock, you asked,
“Can’t you like… turn it into a better one?”
Leo turned to you in confusion, before realizing what you were referring to.
“Huh… I don’t think I’ve ever tried that.”
“Could you make it into, like, a super sword?” You made a growing motion with your hands.
“A sword sword?”
“Sword sword.” You agreed. He considered it.
“No harm in trying, right? Your pops won’t mind?”
You nodded, “Yeah, he won’t.”
Making sure that no one was around, Leo cupped his hands over the sword’s handle and concentrated. When he had been new to his ninpo abilities, he’d just squeeze his eyes shut and hoped for the best, but in his years of experience, he’d learn to let it happen. The energy swelled and swayed, before consuming the blade like a shadow. You let out a small gasp of awe and he already prepared a line about his mystic mojo.
In a fraction of a second, the blade reformed.
The grip tightened and the guard curled. The chipped edges became razor sharp, like an intentionally jagged edge design. It still held Leo’s mystic shine to it. The tiny nicks around the blade reshaped to form what appeared to be old mystic runes.
Letting out a breath, Lee held the sword to the wall, and scraped the stone.
Shing!
A white scratch was etched into the gray rock.
“Now this is a sword.”
In a single swing, the wooden fence was split in two. He gave a smug look, obviously pleased with himself.
“Ooh! Gimme!”
He narrowly avoided your quick grabby hands.
“Ah ah ah! This isn’t a toy. You gotta be real careful not to cut yourself here.”
“I’ve got it, Lee.”
“You sure? I mean,” He flipped the sword upside down, “…just making sure you can handle it.”
Leo nudged the sword’s handled end toward you. You didn’t react to the joke, just reached out and grabbed the weapon.
“…Cause that’s the handle of the sword.”
He watched it dawn on you in real time.
“Oh, I thought that was called the stick.”
“Why would any part of a sword be called a stick?” He snorted.
“I don’t know! Why would any part of the sword be called a guard?” You retorted.
“Because that part guards your hands from touching the blade!” Leo was openly laughing now.
“Oh shut up.” You lightly jabbed it towards him. He sidestepped and took your wrist, guiding you to lower the sword.
“Speaking of, you should probably stick with something wooden for now.” Lee winked, “Don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“I wood if my friend wasn’t being such an ass about it!” You punched him in the shoulder, unable to hide your own smile.
He grinned at your own joke, and plucked the sword out of yourself grasp.
“I’ll grab you a wooden sword tomorrow. Just don’t swing the real one around too much.”
“And what if I have to deal with a bandit again?”
“Then I’ll keep you safe.” He tried to puff out his chest, despite the shell.
“Aww, my champion.” You cooed, preparing to literally swoon over him. He caught you before you could fall, holding you by the waist with one arm and holding the sword in his other hand.
You looked up at him from his plastron, seeing his playful smile falter. Was he shaking? You swore you felt something trilling in his chest.
Lee brought you back to your feet, briefly turning away with a bashful look. You didn’t call him out on it, instead pulling him closer all over again.
His body stiffened, and just as his guard was down…
You snatched the sword right out of his hand again. You giggled as he let out a yelp, trying to steal it back. You ran back out of the alleyway, clutching the weapon to your side, careful not to hurt yourself.
His quick and silent footsteps followed closely, and you could only tell they were there from the slight vibrations in the stone street.
The fencepost was just in site as you were lifted by your underarms, squealing as your feet left the ground. The sword dropped with a clatter and you kicked at the cackling turtle behind you.
You elbowed him on the way down, and snatched the sword when he offered it back to you.
“Make sure you take care of your sword sword.” He chuckled.
“One problem though.” You held it up.
“Yeah?”
You made a show of sliding the sword into its former sheath, which didn’t fit quite right anymore. The blade easily cut through the leather like butter.
“Eugh… I’ll have Do- Dee make a new one. Want me to teleport the sword to your place?”
“Could you?” You asked, not wanting to accidentally cut yourself or your horse on the ride home.
“Of course.” Lee gave you a faithful salute.
Eight days left.
…
Your argument with April felt like a distant memory, as the girl was quickly becoming the highlight of your day. You could see why Lee had her as an honorary sister, she was great. Even Lady Barbara had to nitpick her work to find an excuse to yell at her.
Work was still far from fun, but April made it feel… tolerable.
You didn’t even have to sneak off to talk to her, as the Viscount began closing off a few of the annex buildings around the manor. A few servants were muttering about their housing accommodations being changed, rumors circulating that some were even moved to the old cellars. You’ve never been more thankful to live with your parents.
“What do you think he’s using the annexes for anyway?” April asked you one morning.
You waved it off, “Probably just storing our Lady’s dresses. Or hiding some super dress that she doesn’t want anyone to see.”
“Never thought she’d refuse a chance to show off,” April muttered under her breath. You gave the smallest nod, not daring to get taught tarnishing a noble name.
“So, uh. The festival is a week away. Have you given any thought about.. What I said about the prince?”
You thought back to your fight. Screaming at each other in the middle of the cafeteria. The exact words exchanged were hazy, but there was one line that stuck out.
“Lee and the Prince… aren’t as different as you think…”
Besides both being yokai, you really couldn’t think of anything they had in common. One was a sweet and witty friend, and the other was a prideful and egotistical tyrant.
“Not really.” You admitted, “Been a little too busy to be playing philosopher, y’know?” You gestured to the mountains of paperwork littering your desk.
“Yeah, I get it. Just… make sure you give it some thought. The prince… He’s not a bad guy.”
“You should know better than to gossip at work,” A voice seethed. Your heads whipped around to find an orange snake yokai glaring at the two of you. It was one of the Viscount’s henchmen. Snake Lee or Snake Li, you couldn’t really tell.
April immediately went back to cleaning the windows, and your quill quickened on its page. You both uttered apologies to the yokai, and bowed your heads.
You didn’t want to think about the Prince, or any noble really. Not a second more than you were being paid to.
But then again, April was the highlight of your day.
…
As promised, Lee brought you a wooden sword to practice with, and would easily fight you off with random sticks he’d find. It wasn’t exactly sparring, but you both agreed on meeting at the village outskirts, since there wasn’t a park or official training ground. Just a little ways off the main road, you hadn’t come across anyone outside of the occasional wagon.
“So… seriously, what’s the prince like?” You asked Lee, sticking your sword in the ground. Jokes aside, he had actually served him, right?
Leo followed your lead, strapping the wooden sword to his belt. “He’s a cool guy. Were you, uh, looking to meet him at the festival?”
“God no. April and I got into an argument over nobles the other day, and I promised I’d keep an open mind.”
His eyes widened, “Wait, what? Was this when you were sick?”
“Of course not, it was during work.”
He stared in confusion.
“…April’s been serving the Viscount for a week. Didn’t you know?”
A simple look at his uncloaked face said he did not.
“She’s… What kind of work?”
“Servant stuff.” You shrugged, “Cleaning out the annexes for Lady Barbara’s dresses.”
You picked the wooden sword back up and swung it at Lee’s stick. The wooden edge bounced off the side, and Leo’s stick didn’t move.
“Lee? Anyone home?”
“I’ll talk to her.”
The words left his mouth before he could stop them.
You shrugged it off, and eyed his concealed pocket watch. It was getting late, and the sky wasn’t getting any lighter.
“Do you know the route to get back to the castle?”
Lee snapped out of his thoughts.
“Of course. Just a… little to the left. And then the road right… and left… again?” He dug a map from his belt. You watched him fumble with the paper.
Your lip quirked up in a grin, “You are the worst navigator I’ve ever seen.”
“Tell the troops to scout the coasts. And record the stolen goods. Some of it might have already been sold,” Leo announced, “Require boat checks to any ships on the docks. Tell the sailors it's for safety or something.”
He awkwardly shuffled on the throne, resisting the urge to prop his feet up on the sides. As a kid he’d love to sneak onto it, but nowadays it felt suffocating. Yet, his father wasn’t judging him. Not too hard, at least.
The old rat stood off to the side, comically small for his extravagant robes. He’d give a nod or stroke his chin every now and then, but he’d been relatively quiet. Honestly, Leo would’ve preferred having Raph with him, but he wouldn’t dare say it aloud.
“As you wish, Your Highness,” The noble servant guy (Leo wasn’t paying that much attention) bowed, and gracefully took a written edict from Casey Jr.
The prince gave a half-hearted wave as his subject scurried out the throne room. The doors shut with an echoing slam, despite the nearby guards’ care in closing them.
For the first time in the entire day, no one ran in to take the man’s place. Even with Casey and his dad watching, Leo let out a sigh and stretched his arms.
“Euughh… Is that everyone?”
“Everyone in the kingdom that would like to speak with you? Hah! Not even close.” Splinter waved off the question.
Leo’s cheek fell to his palm, “I’m gonna be doing this everyday? Man, no wonder you’re always busy.”
The rat’s tail slapped the side of the throne, emitting a cracking sound that made the turtle jump.
“Alright, you’ve done enough, Blue.” Splinter began to shoo him off, “Now, give me back my throne.”
Casey smiled at his friend scrambling away, nearly tripping down the steps. He placed his quill into the inkblot, and stood out of his chair.
“Si-.. Leo.” The human corrected himself, “You’ve been in a good mood recently.”
Leo turned to look at him, and Splinter raised a furry eyebrow.
“Well, guess I’m just excited for the festival,” He grinned, “And sweeping the commoners off their feet.” He flipped his imaginary hair.
Back on the throne, Splinter’s commanding, no nonsense voice returned.
“My son, do you plan on marrying a commoner?”
Leo was immediately sent into a coughing fit,
“W-What?! No… That would be… terrible! A commoner in the Hamato family bloodline- I mean, April’s an exception ‘cause she got possessed by Gram-Gram that one time but-!”
“Leonardo.”
For once, Leo shut his mouth.
“I’d like to remind you, there was a time… that I believed Lena was a commoner, and I loved her no less.”
The king’s voice was soft, and despite never hearing her name, Leo and Casey knew exactly what he was talking about.
“The heart wants what it wants, even if it only leads to misfortune.”
The words hung in the air, filling Leo with an uneasy feeling. No one spoke, and Splinter dismissed them with a wave of his hand.
At his chambers, Leo shed and tossed his robes to the side. Left in shorts and a white undershirt, he collapsed into his bed. He barely heard Casey follow him in, and shut the door behind them.
“Master-”
“Was I ever married in your time?” The prince blurted out.
Casey froze.
“...What?”
“In your universe, timeline, whatever. Was I married? I mean, the other me was King by now, right?” Leo looked at his friend, who was clearly taken aback.
“I… Do you… have someone in mind?”
He opened his mouth to argue, make an excuse, or just lie. But nothing came out.
Maybe it was his Dad’s comment, or just an exhausting day, but he didn’t feel like lying to Casey.
He ended up not responding, and the human stopped waiting for him.
“You were married,” Casey admitted, “But it was only a contract. A leader of a warrior clan to get their support. I never really saw you two together.”
It should’ve been obvious. Marrying off royalty for more power would be the first solution for a kingdom going to war. He was really out of it.
“Yeah, it was a stupid question.” He backtracked, rolling over in his bed. His back was to Casey.
What did it even matter? You’re a peasant living on the outskirts. Your family likely would’ve been among the first to be infected or killed.
Casey’s Leonardo probably never met you.
Despite not knowing and also being the guy, Leo felt sorry for him.
He bought you another drink that night in his honor.
Eighteen days left.
….
Lady Barbara had finally found a dress, and expected everyone to treat it as a divine omen. It was a mess of lace and frills, and made your head hurt if you looked at the details for too long. But like every servant in the manor, you were just glad at least some of the nightmare was over.
Your job became less inventory checks and more signing off deliveries and ordering more jewels, fabrics, and food for the festival. Each noble was to bestow an offering to the royal family, but it was clearly more aimed towards the Prince to gain his favor.
So, Viscount Bruce was spending his time between the armory, jewelry, and the kitchen, trying to figure out what food item or shiny rock he would bestow to a man who already had everything. It made you wonder if commoners were expected to give something.
Eh, you already paid your taxes. That’s enough.
You brought it up to Lee that night, and he just shrugged.
“Yeah, the gifts are nice, but it gets old pretty fast.”
“You say that like you’re the one receiving them.”
“Well, the Prince sometimes shares the food, and other stuff.”
“Uh-huh. Sure, Lee.”
He cleared his throat,
“Well, I don’t think you need to bring anything. Just yourself and-” He straightened in realization, “How’s your outfit coming?”
Leo knew he couldn’t control what you wore, but the nicer you looked, the easier it might be to explain himself to his family. And possibly the entire kingdom and its allies.
“I mean… I just barely started. I don’t exactly have a lot of free time, and I can’t let my parents find out.”
You didn’t want to imagine how mad and disappointed they’d be.
If Viscount Bruce kicks you out of his house without any letter of recommendation, you’ll never get a job higher than shoveling manure. Risking your job and career credibility just for a night out… How could you even face them?
“Hey… is everything okay?”
You blinked. Lee was staring right at you.
“Are you alright, Y/n? Did the fabric go bad? W- I could always go back to the Night Market and-”
You shook your head, “It’s fi-...Did you just ask if the fabric ‘went bad’?”
He nodded, as if it wasn’t the dumbest question Lee ever asked.
You let out a laugh, “You really need to brush up on tailoring.”
“Please, I barely even need clothes. I’ve got natural armor.” He gestured to his shell. You wondered how he could wear a knight uniform without a fitting chestplate.
“What about you? Do you have an outfit to wear outside of your uniform? I mean, you can’t be on duty for the entire thing right?” “I’ll have some time. And, uh… I haven’t really thought about it.”
That was a complete lie. The prince had an outfit picked out less than a day after the festival was announced. However, he was still figuring out what “Lee” would wear… and how he’d reveal himself to you and everything.
“Well, you’ve got over two weeks to figure it out.” You nudged him, and began offering your help. Leo gave a few nods, but stared off to the side.
“Yeah…”
Seventeen days left.
….
For the next few days, Leo spent his free time plotting. He’d saved his family from countless situations, rescued his brothers from certain death, and outsmarted enemies threatening his kingdom. But he just couldn’t figure out how to be honest with you.
He thought about wearing his cloak, and throwing it off to reveal a glamorous sapphire suit… but he couldn’t imagine it ending any other way except getting slapped in the face.
He could take you back to the docks and tell you everything, not even bringing the festival into it… but if you reject him, then he’s back to marrying a stranger, and everything is back to how it was before.
Leo sliced a training dummy in half, as if to cut the idea out of his head. Sure, he could probably write his ideas down, but as Donnie would say, the brain is nature’s scroll...or something.
“Something’s going on with you, Leo.”
The prince didn’t even have to turn around.
“No clue what you mean, hermano.”
Raph let out a sigh, the drawn exhale wobbling his youngest brother, who was perched atop his spiked shell. Tucked under his arm, Donnie was pressed to his brother’s side, clearly not happy with the arrangement, and no doubt snatched from the depths of his lab.
Leo cocked his head toward his brothers, “So, are you guys here to watch me train, or are you trying to make a turtle pile?”
Mikey seemed to brighten at the latter, but Raph shook his head.
“You’ve been acting weird. Good weird… sometimes, but still weird. So, your loving brothers want to know what’s up.”
“I don’t see the problem.” Donnie remarked.
“I like this new Leo!” Mikey piped up.
“Relax… I’m just stepping into the leader role, makin’ some personal changes. No biggie.” He waved them off, preparing to slash another dummy.
Raph gave him a quizzical look, “Case said you asked about marriage.”
Leo’s grip on his sword wavered.
“He..uh, said what now?”
“You asked about the other Leo’s partner! Does this mean you have someone in mind?” Mikey squealed with an all too wide grin.
“That or he was just trying to make the festival choice easier.” Donnie shrugged, “Try not to corrupt the time continuum again.”
“Well, which is it?” Raph asked Leo expectedly.
He fumbled with his sword, nearly making a cut on his plastron.
“Just curious, y’know. Festival jitters. You got me.” Leo put on his best defeated expression.
Raph softened, and Leo knew he was in for the big brother baby voice. The eldest put Mikey and Donnie down, and bent his legs to talk to Leo.
“Hey, it’s okay buddy. You’ll meet someone who loves you just the way you are. Just like we do.” He cooed.
“In a very different way than we do.” Donnie corrected, his attention on another gadget in his hands.
“Yeah, uh-huh. Beautiful words, I’m really moved.” Leo feigned tearing up, “Now, I’m gonna go back to my room and… *sniff* stir in my emotions a little longer.”
Donnie rolled his eyes into his forehead.
Mikey started to say something, but Leo portaled before Dr. Feelings could make a visit.
When he was back in his room, he dropped his sword and slumped onto his bed.
In all honesty, he could laugh at Raph’s speech.
You’ll meet someone who loves you just the way you are.
What nonsense… Everyone at that festival wanted him for his power or wealth. Maybe his looks were a bonus, but he knew anything further than a “hello” from another noble was nothing but a ploy. If he hadn’t met you, Leo couldn’t imagine finding a partner he would really connect with.
Wait… what did he just call you?
He smacked himself. What did it even matter? You didn’t like him. You liked Lee.
If you knew that he’d be lying to you, and have been the very yokai you’ve hated this whole time…
What could he possibly think would make you forgive him?
Leo didn’t meet you that night. It was ironic that his brother’s speech had the complete opposite effect it was supposed to. He’d been so sure that he could find a way to tell you the truth, and still be by your side, yet it seems life is more complicated than a glamorous reveal.
He took up Mikey’s offer for a turtle pile, and sent you a letter through a messenger bird, making up an excuse about a mutant silverfish infestation.
If his brothers noticed his odd lack of one-liners, they didn’t mention it.
Fourteen days left.
….
Two weeks left until the festival, and Viscount Bruce was no kinder. More threats, more writing, and more orders. He ordered enough weapons and food to satisfy an army. All for a prince who wouldn’t care.
A few swords and daggers were especially glamorous, and caught your eye with the intricate designs. You lost your dagger in the Night Market incident, as it was long gone when you finally remembered it was stuck in the stone wall. You knew that Lee would protect you, but you itched for something to defend yourself. And him of course if it came to it.
Speaking of, word had spread about your apprehension of some Night thieves, along with a cloaked yokai by your side. It was a fairly quiet village, and news traveled fast. Your parents might not get out much, but they sure weren’t hermits. Whether it was from one of your father’s meetings with his old comrades or your mother’s tea and book club, they found out about your Night Market escapade.
Needless to say, they weren’t pleased that you had sneaked out and got yourself in trouble. You only managed to hide one of the rolls of fabric under your cottage floorboard, and claimed that you wanted to be prepared in case Lady Barbara destroyed your uniform again.
But no matter what you said, you couldn’t make them stop talking about your new friend. They even offered a basket of goods to bring to him at one point, but you refused. You knew that you were old enough to marry, and had even gotten a few offers, but no one you really knew. It was always semi-wealthier commoners and lords that wanted you to do their work for them while they got to enjoy their own riches and profit.
You were just lucky to have parents that allowed you to refuse them.
Still, it had to happen eventually, right? No matter the gender, anyone with marital status was treated better and had greater security than those that didn’t.
Viscount Bruce’s wife had been visiting family for months, so you hadn’t really seen her. It certainly wasn’t a coincidence that the Viscount hadn’t gone to many social gatherings without her present.
If you ever want to be someone important, you’ll need to find a partner eventually, even if you don’t have as many choices as Prince Leonardo.
…Would Lee-
You didn’t let yourself finish the thought. Your inkwell was drying up anyway, and there was still plenty more to do.
It felt ridiculous when your mind inevitably repeated it.
Marry Lee… no way.
You didn’t even know his last name. Hell, you never even spent time with him during the daytime, and barely knew much about him other than his job and his brothers. Even then, he never told you their names, except for “Dee.”
Wow, did this guy really put up with you talking about yourself for three hours every night?
Well, actually, you knew he liked swords, and mystics, and a practice called ninjitsu. He also enjoyed illuminated manuscripts, showing off, and unicorns. He always worried if he was doing the right thing, and despite his knack for trouble, truly wanted the best for his family.
You did have a lot in common… outside for the knack towards trouble, but then again, Lee had rubbed off on you.
Even if you didn’t know everything about him, he was your best friend. Maybe, if he needs a partner for a promotion or something…
“L/n! Are the affairs in order yet!?”
You nearly shook your head out of instinct, but just caught yourself, instead giving a quick nod.
“Right away, Your Grace.”
That night, you greeted him with a smile. He returned it, but you couldn’t help but notice it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Did you get rid of all the silverfish?” You asked as he approached your usual table in the dark corner. Lee gave you his best wink in response,
“Yeah, but it took a while. Damn things multiply every time you destroy one, but I took em out,” He made a face that screamed of a “rad skillz” monologue approaching. You pulled out his chair for him and he gave a chivalrous bow of appreciation.
“If they keep multiplying, how do you get rid of them?” You took a swig of a drink you ordered without him. Somehow, you knew he’d still end up paying for it.
Lee smirked, “Well, it’s easy. You- Uuuh eugh….”
A strange noise fell from his throat as his eyes widened like saucers, a mix of jawdropped shock and utter dread. You nearly laughed and choked on your water at the funny sound.
“What? Silverfish got your tongue?”
Without a word, he pulled his cloak down completely over his face. Lee had begun taking it off more often, but now his hands nearly shook as he tried to hide as much of himself as possible. You looked around in confusion, wishing you had your trusty dagger.
What is going on…?
…
Leo’s day had been uneventful. After waking from the turtle pile, he had enjoyed breakfast with the fam, and resumed tutoring, studies, and more throne practice. Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary.
He didn’t get a response from you, but he assumed you just didn’t have paper and a quill on standby.
Mikey had asked about you a few times, but only when Raph wasn’t around. Donnie had looked at him in confusion, but he made up a few excuses to get his twin off his back.
Well, it appeared to not have worked as well as he’d hoped, as he could recognize the styled purple cloak anywhere. Weaved with an intricate design and fitted to hide his battle shell, his favorite twin was talking to Hueso, April by his side, and throwing looks over in his direction.
He was so screwed…
….
You noticed another cloaked turtle yokai approaching your table, but didn’t address him at first. Next to him stood a shorter human girl, wearing a green but smaller cloak, glasses adorning her face, and curly brown hair put up in two buns.
They were staring at Lee.
You looked between the three of them.
“Do you know them?”
He didn’t respond, as if trying to disappear. If it wasn’t for the commoners at the surrounding tables, you were sure he would’ve portaled away.
It wasn’t until they were standing right beside you that your friend decided to speak up.
“Hey… Y/n, I told you about my brother, Dee, right? And this is April!” He introduced you in an unnaturally high voice. The forced enthusiasm made you cringe.
You turned to his brother and friend, “Uh, nice to meet you?”
Dee stared at you for a long moment while April had a forced smile on her face. She looked a moment away from smacking Lee across the face.
“Nice to meet you! Uhm…”
“…Y/n, was it?”
Leo was already starting to inch out of his chair, just as April took a seat beside you. As the two of you were chatting, and he was about to make his getaway, Leo caught his twin’s glare. A hidden metal claw sneaked out of his cloak’s sleeve and made a sit down gesture.
“Le-” Donnie began, but Leo shook his head rapidly, making a “cut it out” motion by his throat. You tilted your head in confusion.
“Lee? What’s going on?”
“Um, as I said, this is my brother and honorary sister. I wasn’t expecting to see them here.” Leo grit his teeth at the end. Why did this have to happen now?
Donnie’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Yes. My dear brother seemed to forget that any messenger birds leaving the palace are traced and intercepted by yours truly.”
“…”
…As a war strategist who had dealt in plenty of spies, Leo really should’ve seen this coming. If anything, he should be glad it was Donnie that read his note instead of Draxum, the main security head.
You were none the wiser. A palace knight with a brother working in the palace too? His parents must be proud. You wondered what his other brothers did.
Finally addressing you, Dee gave you a rather elegant bow for someone who worked in palace security, and declared,
“I must ask what this dum dum has said about me, just to clear up any confusion.”
“Just that your name is Dee and that you don’t like studying rocks. That’s pretty much it.”
“Dee?” He repeated.
“Uh… Dee the third?” You tried.
Dee looked back at his brother with a look between disappointment and offense.
“He’s also an inventor.” Lee said quickly, “Really smart. A genius and all that.”
The softshell stared at the slider with a growing annoyance.
“I accept flattery from parent-aged adults, not from you.”
Still, Dee reluctantly took a seat across from you and next to his brother. Lee tried to shake it off, lowering his voice.
“Ha… so, Dee, Apes, how about we keep this whole sneaking out thing on the down low. I don’t want some people to know about me.” He faced his brother and sister, and gestured to you with his eyes.
A look of understanding flashed through their faces, as did your own.
He was sneaking out of the palace to see you! Of course he didn’t want to get caught by his family. If anyone in the palace found out, they could mistake him for a spy, especially with him sending you a letter.
Lee was risking his job, his livelihood every night to meet you. How could you let yourself forget that?
You stood up in your seat.
“I’m sorry he’s sneaking out to see me. We’re just friends. I swear I don’t mean any harm.” You explained yourself. Your tone was uneasy and apologetic.
Leo’s eyes widened in surprise and he placed a hand on your shoulder without thinking. You didn’t believe that this was your fault, right?
“Hey, you’re…” He suddenly cleared his throat, very aware of his audience, and the hand on your shoulder lightly slapped your back, “Yep! You’re great! Mi amigo favorito!”
April and Dee shared a look. You felt yourself sweat under their gaze.
His brother sighed.
“Nard-...cough..!” Donnie cut himself off with a poor attempt at a cough.
You looked between him and Leo, who he was…trying to address?
“It’s his last name,” April quickly excused, patting the softshell’s back.
Your mind completely cleared at that, and you stared at Lee.
“Your last name is Nard?”
“Yep! Ha-ha… Sure is. Dee’s more of a nerd than a Nard though. Now how about we grab the check and get outta here?” This was wayyy too many feelings for one night, thank you very much!
“Check? Why not put it on the ta-”
“Get outta here and do what?” April questioned, throwing him a judgemental stare. This was feeling like less of a meeting and more of a confrontation you were fourth wheeling in…
“He’s been teaching me how to dance. With the festival coming up and all.” You answered for him, as Lee seemed pretty content in chugging whatever drink was in front of him. (Your drink)
“Well, I am much superior in that field.” Dee huffed.
“...Congratulations?”
April facepalmed next to you, before straightening up in realization.
“Wait, are you a commoner?” She demanded as if wanting some kind of declaration. You just nodded dumbly. Your new uniform might look slightly classy, but it wasn’t that gaudy, right?
Her and Dee shared another look. It was like they could read each other’s minds. You presumed they must’ve been friends for years.
“And how long have you known Leo-oover here?”
“A little over a month, I think. Right, Lee?” You looked to him for assistance, and he was shrinking into his chair.
Leon was disconnected, thanks for playing everyone! He didn’t know what scared him more, the mortification of his siblings piecing his actions together, or you figuring out something you shouldn’t.
Who was he kidding this whole time!? He is NOT ready for you to know about him!
“Yeah… riiiight.”
Donnie squinted, “And how often have you been meeting?”
“Hey- this is not the Salisbury witch trials! Y/n here is a good friend. Who I’d like to invite to the festival!” Leo waved his arms in exasperation.
Why the hell did he say that last part?
“Invite? I kinda assumed I’d just meet you there. What, does being a knight make you a VIP?” You nudged him. He stiffened.
“A knight!? Like you have the discipline-” April angrily whispered, and he prayed to whatever medieval pizza supreme in the sky that you couldn’t hear it.
“What do you do, April?”
You broke the silence and awkward stares with an innocent question. Regaining composure frighteningly fast, April smiled,
“Well, I do a little of everything. I’ve become a knight, worked as a clerk, done some town cryin’. The works.”
“Wow, that’s incredible!”
You gawked at her achievements. It took everything for you to escape the life of a farmer. Career changes were like skipping through social classes, and this girl did it multiple times.
Man, being around a multitalented prodigy and palace workers, you couldn’t help but feel a little insecure.
“It's hard to keep a job sometimes since these guys keep getting me in trouble!” She jabbed a finger at each of her brothers.
“Well, I can see that for him.” You gestured to Lee.
He huffed, “The Night Market was your idea!”
“You suggested it first!”
“I’m sorry, the Night Market?” Donnie looked to his brother in annoyance, eyebrows furrowing.
Leo fought back a wince. He was really digging his own grave tonight, wasn’t he?
“So, uh, why don’t you tell them what you do, Y/n?” Leo changed the subject.
“I’m head of affairs at Viscount Bruce’s manor.” You smiled, instinctively rubbing at the wrinkles in your uniform.
“Viscount Bruce?” Donnie repeated. His eyes narrowed.
You nodded, “His manor is an hour’s ride off the village.”
“His house is a place of… rumors. Many rumors.” He glanced to the side, as if he wasn’t one of the biggest gossip snoops in the kingdom. Leo nearly rolled his eyes, but held back.
“Most of them are probably true.” You joked. Dee didn’t laugh, instead sporting some kind of “I knew it” look.
Keeping his arms crossed against his plastron, a metal limb poked out of his cloak and took your drink, holding it up and shaking it for a barmaid’s attention. You gaped.
“What’s that?”
Not letting his brother respond, Leo blurted out the first one liner to come to mind. (What? He was coping!)
“It’s a Dee’s Nards original.”
Donnie sideeyed his brother and you heard a kick under the table. Leo winced.
“It’s my own invention. An additional set of hands for increased mobility and efficiency.” He explained.
“You made it yourself? Woah… I’ve never seen anything like it!”
For a turtle that claimed he wouldn’t be won over by flattery, he seemed pleased with your surprise.
“It is but one of my many innovations. Including the elevator, a vertical carrier that combines the use of hoists and windlasses with the power of gravity-”
Leo leaned over to whisper loudly, “Told you. More nerd than Nard.”
A metal claw pushed him off his chair, just as a server came to the table. Leo tried to ask for the check, but his family was already asking for drinks.
Not fighting it anymore, he let it happen. After everyone ordered, Leo spoke up.
“Hey April, who was that Earl guy you used to work for? The one who was like, obsessed with silence.”
“You mean Gned? Yeah, that guy was nuts.” April laughed, “Locked up every animal, musician, anyone who spoke louder than a whisper.”
“Can’t be worse than Lady Barbara.” You snorted.
You were so focused on having April and Donnie’s attention that you didn’t notice that Lee’s “cut it out” gesture was directed to you this time. Leo nearly tried waving his arms and shaking his head, but it was too late.
“She’s been obsessed with the crown prince ever since this festival was announced. Like, she kisses his portrait at least once a day. I think she might even have a shrine to him! She hasn’t even met the guy, it’s insane.”
“Is that right?”
Dee and April looked at Lee for some reason.
“Yeah, uh, something tells me the Prince won’t like her.” He looked away.
“The Prince likes anyone who looks his way,” You chuckled, “When his festival spotlight’s gone, she might be the only one left.”
The table went dead silent. April looked at Leo in surprise. He wasn’t shocked by your remark, but that didn’t make it sting any less.
“It seems you have an… unfavorable impression of his majesty?” Donnie raised an eyebrow.
You felt your face heat up. Talking dirt on the crown? In front of witnesses? You really let yourself get too comfortable!
“I’m sorry- I shouldn’t have-”
“It’s fine. They’re not offended.” Leo said, voice completely calm. “Right guys?”
A beat.
They recovered quickly.
“Nope! Not at all!”
“I’ve said worse.”
You still felt guilty, and offered to pay for their food. You’ve been able to save a lot of money lately.
April shook her head, but gave a thankful smile,
“Thanks for the offer, but Do- Dee and I are gonna head out soon.”
“Oh, do you have the time? I’ll have to get home by midnight.” You asked. Dee reached into a hidden pocket, and pulled out a pocketwatch. You never understood why people paid for a fancy handheld clock, but it looked rather expensive.
“Nearly half past the witching hour.”
You cursed under your breath, “Then I’ll have to pack it up. But it was nice meeting you both, April and Dee.”
“Likewise.” April smiled.
Dee gave you a nod, and seemed to look briefly under the table. Out of your chair, it seemed he had a second set of mechanical arms that was… jotting down notes? Was it doing that the whole time?
“You seem to be a hardworking and competent… friend,” Dee concluded, and looked back at Lee, “I’m surprised you find companionship in my dum-dum brother.”
The brother in question loudly cleared his throat.
Before you could say anything else, the clock tower echoed its toll. Midnight was approaching.
You grabbed your coat, and gave the two of them a bow, just as they had done for you. Then, you turned to your side.
“Same time tomorrow, Lee?”
He gave a thumbs up, looking a minute away from collapsing in his chair.
April and Donnie said their goodbyes, the latter “subtly” putting the notepad behind his back.
On the way out, you paused.
…Hey, what the hell? It had been a good night.
“See you Nards later!” You called as you shut the door behind you, blocking any response and no doubt making some patrons turn their heads. You found yourself cackling on the way back to your horse.
Donnie sighed, mostly to himself, “I take it back, they’re perfect for you.”
To his and April’s surprise, Leo didn’t have a comeback. His head was in his hands, and he rubbed his hands over his face.
“Just… don’t tell Raph or Dad, okay?” He begged.
Donnie softened, and April put a hand on the slider’s shell. With a nod from April and a “very well” from his brother, the slider felt a sense of peace.
Leo’s heart was still pounding, but there was a sense of relief in knowing he wasn’t alone in this secret. It was nice to know that they were on his side, no matter how this turns out.
Thirteen days left.
…
“Donnniieee! I can’t believe you went without me!” Mikey whined, throwing himself onto Leo's bed. Donnie shrugged, not even looking at his younger brother.
“If you had told me that Leo was going out for the past month, I would’ve.”
“That’s not fair, Dr. Feelings has physician-patient confidentiality!”
“And I have genius over dum-dum confidentiality.”
Leo held the pillow over his head. Even putting on his eye mask and obnoxiously snoring wasn’t enough to shoo them off. Mikey had pounced on the twins as soon as they returned to their quarters.
Leo tried to make an excuse, but Mikey had watched them sneak in from a telescope in Donnie’s chamber. The box turtle wasn’t mad, but betrayed that Donnie got to meet Y/n before him.
Mikey sighed, resting his head on Leo’s shell,
“Well, they’ll be at the festival, right?”
“They mentioned it, but they don’t know he’s the prince. And this dum-dum won’t tell them.” Donnie jabbed a finger at his twin.
“Romantic!” Mikey intertwined his fingers and put them to his cheek.
Donnie rolled his eyes, “Yes, because lies and fraud is the perfect way to start a relationship. He said sarcastically.”
“What am I supposed to say!?” Leo blurted out. He took off his sleep mask and threw his hands up. “They hate the Prince. They hate all nobility! What am I supposed to tell them!?”
“They’ve tolerated your presence for this long.” Donnie pointed out unhelpfully. The slider hit him with a pillow in annoyance.
“Why don’t you introduce them to Raph? No one can hate Raph!” Mikey suggested, “They think you’re a royal knight, right?”
“No way. Raph can’t know. Him and Dad will kill me.” He put his hands on Mikey’s shoulders, “You know that, right? You promised you wouldn’t tell!” Leo chastised him almost maniacly.
“He already knows.” Donnie casually dropped.
Leo’s neck nearly pulled a 180 spin. The softshell continued tinkering with a pocketwatch that looked suspiciously like Leo’s.
“I’m sorry, did you tell him already!? I know you didn’t snitch after I just made you promise-”
“He’s been waiting outside for the past few minutes.”
Donnie adjusted a few gears, as if he just explained something common knowledge.
The slider’s heart dropped right to his stomach.
His eyes reflexively went to the window. The sun was out. It was morning. Morning meant training.
Raph should’ve dragged him out of his room by now.
Leo had a look of horror, before he ran to his chamber door and flung it open.
The eldest’s shocked and guilty face stared back at him.
Fuck…
…
“...April?”
Her name tumbled out of your lips, to which you were immediately scolded for speaking out of term. The head maid introduced her as a new servant, albeit temporary, to help the Viscount prepare for the festival until he could replace the many servants who had quit or were fired by his daughter.
April was sent to work before you could speak another word, and the Viscount swiftly called for you to finish your duties. Without a choice, you had to obey.
You managed to talk to her on your way back from a bathroom break a few hours later, and quickly pulled her aside.
“What are you doing here? Did you hear what I said about this place last night!?” You whispered. April gave an “it’s fine” gesture.
“Relax, I’ve had worse bosses. Plus, it’s only temporary. Have I told you about how Lee got me fired from my last job?”
You shook your head. She opened her mouth to tell the story, but you cut her off.
“Are you sure about this? It’s not going to be easy.”
She grinned, “Believe me, Y/n. I can handle it. I’ll talk to you during lunch, alright?”
You opened your mouth to speak more, but heard the clacking of fancy shoes down the corridor. April straightened, and you made a run for it.
With your mind on autopilot from so many days following the same routine, you nearly forgot to meet with her. Thankfully, she stayed by the servant dining quarters, and you found her quickly.
“April!” You called out her name, thankful there was no one to scold you this time.
“Y/n! How’s it going?” She gestured to her empty bench.
You gave a so-so gesture, and took a seat beside her, placing down your pottage lunch.
“How’s your first day been?”
April mimed wiping sweat off her forehead, “You weren’t kidding. Whew…”
“Yeah, no one is here by choice.” You laughed, “The second I get enough coin, I’m getting outta here. Start my own business, get some land, something like that.”
“Are you going for a title?” She asked.
If a noble was poor enough, and you had the gold, there was always the option of buying their title out.
“Hell no,” You shook your head, “Never in a million years am I becoming another goddamn noble. I’m getting power my way.”
You said the last part with a smile, but when you turned back to look at her, April was frowning. You raised an eyebrow in question, to which she spoke,
“Not all nobles are like her, y’know. I’ve worked for a bunch of ‘em. Even made some friends.” She kept her words vague.
You gave her a disbelieving look, “No offense, but what noble would want to be friends with a peasant?”
She shrugged, “They might be rich, but they’re just like the rest of us.”
Talk about an oxymoron..
“They don’t have to worry about finding work, or getting fed, or lasting through the winter without getting sick. Nobles have everything they could ever want.” You pointed out. April stirred her stew.
“But life ain’t about the money, is it?”
“No, but it’s a lot better with privilege.”
She looked up at you.
“Is that why you’re here? For privilege?”
“I’m here to make a difference. Everyone deserves privilege in their own right.”
April hummed, contemplating for a moment, before raising her cup of ale.
“Hey, I’ll toast to that.”
You clinked your cup with hers, and took a swig. She didn’t speak for another minute, probably trying to stomach the poor excuse of a peasant lunch. With the Viscount working on a potential food offering, the servant’s rations took a notable hit in quality. You brought the last of your pottage to your lips, and drank up the rest, needing as much energy as you could get.
April was already beginning to speak as you put it down.
“Y’know…I like you, Y/n, but maybe you should give nobles a chance. I’m serious. Not all of them are as bad as you think.”
You wiped your mouth and cocked your head at her.
“Like Lady Barbara?”
“Hell no- some people are just rotten. She’s one of ‘em. ” She practically waved off the idea.
Your lips quirked up, and you let out a shrug.
“Honestly, so is Prince Leonardo.”
April inhaled sharply, and when you saw her face, she looked like you had slapped her. You could hardly register the girl’s odd reaction, her genuine hurt and anger at the comment between the noise of her spoon falling from her hands and clattering on the floor.
“Never say that again.”
As if you had lit a match, a roaring flame sparked in her eyes as her words dripped with nothing short of venom.
You didn’t know how, but it felt like you had just said something horribly wrong.
….
“Um, it’s not what it looks- er.. sounds like?” Leo gave his best attempt at a wobbly smile. His mind was blank, no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t think of a way out of this.
Raph’s expression was unreadable, but if anything, he looked… hurt.
“So… Let Raph get this straight.” The red branded turtle pinched his forehead, making his chasm stick out more than usual.
“For the last month, you’ve been sneaking out to meet up with a commoner. And.. this whole edict and festival business was just so you could bring them? And-”
“It wasn’t just for them!” Leo defended, “I was tired! Of acting like commoners are beneath us. Not just Y/n, but April, Cassandra, Sunita… I don’t want to rule like that!”
Leo could vaguely hear a shuffling sound as his other brothers made their escape through his chamber window.
“This whole new attitude you’ve got. Is that because of Y/n, too?” Raph questioned.
“‘Because of’ is a strong word. Actually two words. And technically, I just came to realize that the true king was inside of me all along-”
“Leo. Just.. stop.”
Raph’s face went blank again, and his gaze drifted to the floor.
“I’m your brother. You know I want the best for you. I know you hate following rules, and I hate enforcing ‘em, but… above all…”
Raph looked his brother in the eyes, and Leo noticed the tears that were welling up.
“...Raph just wants you to be happy.”
“Wait-”
“I’m on your side!” Raph cried, “I-I know I’m tough on ya! And, you think I’m a buzzkill, but I… I want to know these things…”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you! I just knew that you wouldn’t approve, or you’d send someone after me… and I don’t want that! I like what I have right now, and.. I think it’s working well for everyone!”
“They don’t even know who you are!”
“It’s better that way, isn’t it? You’re the one who’s always telling us to hide ourselves from the commoners!” He retorted.
“Do not put this on me!” Raph yelled, raising his voice enough to make his brother wince.
“You’ve been putting yourself, and that means your kingdom too, in harm’s way so you could meet up with a friend? If you had just told me… I wouldn’t have stopped you!”
“And you’re stopping me now!?”
“Yes…! No! I don’t know!” His voice cracked. Raph shut his eyes, covering them with his hands.
How could he be so stupid? Why did he let his brother go? He knew Leo wasn’t ready to lead.
But at the same time… he could understand. It was the taste of adventure that led to them meeting April in the first place. It was what kept them grounded, and not another shiny product of wealth.
Yet this felt different. Not because of his brother pushing him away, or the two growing apart with age. Not even because of the lies or losing the crown prince title.
It was different because Leo was treating him like an enemy to outsmart.
Raph opened his eyes, and judging by the look on the younger’s face, he was thinking the same way.
“...When did we become like this?”
They weren’t children anymore. Sometimes it felt like they weren’t even friends.
"I don't know." Leo admitted. Slowly, giving plenty of time for him to refuse, Raph put a hand on Leo’s shoulder.
"You know I love you, right?"
It was a simple question. No dramatics or baby voice. Just the plain truth.
"I know, I mean, I love you too. Even when you go all mother hen on us." He put a hand on his brother’s outstretched arm.
That made Raph smile, the snaggletooth as prominent as always.
"I won't stop you from seeing them, but... could you be more honest with me? And, I'd like to meet them too."
Leo gave a slow nod, feeling his eyes get a little damp. He wrapped his arms around Raph in a tight hug.
“I’m sorry. For not trusting you.”
Raph hugged back immediately, gently nuzzling his brother. Leo accepted the affection, and let himself melt in his arms.
After a moment, Raph gently pulled away. He looked down at his hands, twindling his thumbs.
“Do you… love them?”
Leo sighed at that. The question had been lingering in his mind for weeks. A nagging inquiry scratching at the back of his brain.
But if he’s going to be honest with his brother, he’ll have to be honest with himself.
“...I think I do.”
His chest tightened with a familiar warmth. A silent longing to find you, and make everything better. A yearning he can’t imagine getting used to.
He hoped you were doing well, with whatever you were doing.
…
You felt a pang of fear at the look your new friend gave you. She didn't seem to mind when you talked about the prince last night. So why was she so offended now?
"Are you okay?"
"Don't talk about him like that."
"I-.. I'm sorry?"
"Leo- The Prince is not rotten. He's one of the most selfless people I know."
"You should keep your voice down-"
"You need to hear it," She snapped, "Leonardo is the farthest from rotten. He nearly died to keep us safe!"
April was grateful for all you've done for him, but she could never accept someone talking down on someone she loves. Especially not Leo. Not her brother who sacrificed himself to stop the Kraang.
But commoners didn't know that part. No one outside of the royal family did. Before the festival, he was simply known as the newly selected crown prince whose pride started the worst conflict the kingdom had ever known.
However April could defend someone like that made your blood boil.
“Half the kingdom did die! My dad almost died because of his stupid war!”
You thought back to every letter you sent. Every prayer and every tear that went into hoping he would come back to you. April didn't back down.
“It wasn’t his fault! Trust me, if it weren’t for him, we all would have died… or worse.”
“That doesn’t make it right! It doesn’t make any of it right! Someone like him, arrogant, impulsive, spoiled… He shouldn’t get to play with our lives like toys!” Your mind conjured an image of a puppeteer. A corrupt wielder of unimaginable power only used for his own good.
“He doesn’t think that way. He’s not like that!” April grabbed your wrist, scenes of night terrors, tearful turtle piles, and days where the prince wouldn’t even leave his room ran through her mind all at once. The reveal that the prince you hate has also been your best friend lingered on her tongue, but she couldn’t betray him like that.
Leo had changed for the better because of you. He had to tell you on his own terms.
To your surprise, April seemed to deflate. The dejected look in her eyes made you pause in your own fury.
“Lee and the Prince… aren’t as different as you think.” She held up a finger when you opened your mouth to argue.
“Just.. think about it, okay?”
“...I-”
CLAP!
You both jolted at the sound.
The head maid clapped her hands, declaring it was time to go back to work. Mind still reeling, you meekly apologized, and you each went your separate ways.
The argument ran fresh in your mind for the rest of the day. You pondered her words as you continued to work. Like the ticking of a clock, you followed your routine, counting down the time you had left.
…
When he saw your horse approaching the fencepost, Leo laid back on his hay throne. The whole emotional confrontation with his brother had really drained him for the day, and from the looks of it, you weren’t much better.
You dismounted your horse, slightly stumbling, and gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes.
“Long day?” He asked.
“Yeah, just… a lot to think about.” You shrugged.
“Same here. Don’t have much of an appetite, but I’m still up for Hueso’s if you want.” Leo offered. Despite the emotional drain, he felt.. Lighter. Sure, he still held the weight of an entire kingdom on his shoulders, and wasn’t quite ready to expose himself to you, but it had been a long time since he had an honest conversation with his older brother.
He didn’t know what happened to you though. If anything, you looked more stressed. Did Lady Barbara do something?
“Can we… do something else?” You suggested.
“Sure, got something in mind?”
Despite the exhaustion pulling at your eyelids, you smiled. A real one. Without another word, you hopped back on your horse. Leo almost thought you were going to ditch him.
But then you held out your hand.
“Can I bring you somewhere this time?”
Ha… His face wasn’t heating up! Totally not. Noooo…
“Well?”
“Huh? Yeah- I could totally go for some water-”
“Yes or no, Lee. Are you getting on?”
“Yes!” He cleared his throat, “Sure, yeah, sounds good.”
His voice changed pitch at least three times in that one response, but you didn’t comment on it. Leo took your hand before he could embarrass himself further.
His three fingered hand nearly intertwined with your own, and you tugged it up your horse. He didn’t budge, and you threw him a look of annoyance.
Lee gave his signature smirk.
“...Are you trying to pull me up? Cause you’ll need a little more muscle.”
“Just get on,” You huffed.
He obliged, and your horse seemed to complain about the added weight. Lee wrapped his arms around you, and you flicked the horse’s reins with a slight force to distract yourself from the contact. With a loud neigh, the horse trotted forward.
It had been too long since Leo had gone horseback riding. As the designated “portal guy” there wasn’t much need, though he spent plenty of time petting the horses in the castle stables as a kid.
The shaking and uneven trots on the stone roads were slightly uncomfortable, and he hoped wherever you were taking him wasn’t too far, as he didn’t want to deal with bareback horse pains (did you even own a saddle?) in the morning. Leo couldn’t even see that far ahead of him, not sharing your odd ability of making things out in the darkness.
But some traitorous part of his brain reminded him that you were warm, and holding you like this was kinda nice…
He loosened his grip to smother the thought, or god forbid if he started churring. Leo was thankful that the horse’s movement probably hid his racing heartbeat.
A little ways off the village, not quite at the distant outskirts yet, you brought the horse to a stop in a grassy field. It must’ve been abandoned farmland or meant for cattle, as the grass had grown up to his knees. It was slightly uncomfortable to walk on, but he wouldn’t say it out loud.
With both of you dismounted, you pointed to a small hill.
“Up there. Is that alright?”
“Whatever you say, N/n.” He grinned.
You let go of the horse’s reins, trusting him to stay in the area. Instead you took Leo’s wrist, pulling him in the direction of the hill, overgrown grass itching your legs. Despite how unkempt the place seemed, it had an aroma that Leo couldn’t quite place, but it rivaled the purest perfumes in the palace.
The side of the hill had a thin, uneven dirt road, if it could even be called such. It was likely a wear on the land from so many journeys to the top. You kept pulling him along, and sometimes he’d pull back just to mess with you. It was a quick and quiet hike, and at the top of the hill, the grass was much shorter, and surrounded by a few flowerbeds.
He whistled, “Did you grow this?”
You laughed, “I haven’t had the time to come up here in a while. My parents found this place before I was born.”
You made a sweeping motion on a patch of grass, dusting off any potential insects, and laid down on your back.
Lee stood over you.
“You aren’t gonna place anything down first?”
You didn’t look at him.
“Part of the experience.”
Your words were slightly slurred, as if you were distracted. Squinting, he tried to follow your eyes, but it meant having to crane his neck.
With a dramatic sigh, and making sure not to step on any flowers, he placed down his cloak and laid on it. The grass felt soft, almost moss like against his back. Leo let out a breath as he stared up at the sky, the moon and twinkling stars staring back down at him.
“Never took you for a star gazer.” He breathed.
The view felt… different. Breathtaking.
Sure, Leo’s chambers were located at the top of a tower, and he even had his own telescope to see the stars up close, but this was far from the same. It was as if he wasn’t up close with the stars, but far beneath them. It made him feel like he really was a small speck of existence, looking into the eye of the milky way.
It made him dizzy to think about, despite his knowledge of space definitely surpassing your own.
The two of you laid in silence for a while. Whenever his mind started to drift back to his responsibilities, and that unbearable weight tried to seize the moment, Leo turned to his side, quietly listening to your shallow breaths. He’s sure you’ve dozed off a few times at least.
Eventually, you turned and caught his gaze, making his heart race a little faster. It took everything not to look away, and he felt smug when you were the one to turn, face flushed. He thought the action gave him a second heartbeat, but Leo quickly realized it was just his traitorous tail. He sighed, mostly to himself.
What he wouldn’t give to kiss you right now.
He covered his face with his hands, hiding a groan.
Why did his mind always have to ruin it?
“You okay?” You asked him. He quickly turned back, and frowned at your concern.
“I’m good. This reminds me, Dee’s got some spare star charts back at his lab. I can borrow some if you’d wanna do this again.”
He couldn’t fight back a smile at the way your eyes lit up.
“You’re adorable. You know that?”
It slipped out before he could stop it. Both of you froze. You rolled to your side to face him. He was already preparing to commit seppuku.
After a moment of silence, you rolled to lay your back again. Your body slightly shook with… laughter? Leo huffed, turning his attention back to the night sky.
Spotting a familiar constellation, the prince slowly rotated his body to piece it together. He didn’t realize how much closer he had gotten until you were nearly side by side. When he noticed, he didn’t speak up.
And you didn’t either. After such an eventful day, you embraced this time you had with Lee. The growing rhythm in your heart was becoming a familiar melody. It played on, its own fruit of love dwelling as you rested your head on his shoulder again. This time, Leo leaned back against you.
He knew the stars better than you could realize, and had a much closer view from his personal tower.
But this was better, simply because you were there.
Out in the distance, the clocktower rang.
Twelve days left.
…
You had a pep in your step the next day, noticeable enough that even Lady Barbara narrowed her eyes at you. April had a knowing look for some reason, and the two of you spoke over lunch again.
“How long did it take you to become a knight?”
“A couple of years. Lost a lot of good swords… and bats.”
“Have any spare daggers? I lost one to a bandit a week ago.”
“I’ll check, but Mayhem’s got a bad habit of takin’ em lately.”
“Are they your sibling?”
“He’s my… mystic pet. Still don’t know what kind.”
You let out a “huh” and took a bite of your lunch. Wiping your mouth, you quickly remembered what you’d been meaning to say.
“By the way, sorry for lashing out on you yesterday. You didn’t deserve that.”
“Nah, it’s alright. We’ve all got qualms about a noble. You just gotta remember that he’s a person, too.”
“Yeah…” You still weren't really convinced, but didn't want to argue again.
The rest of the day came and went. Viscount Bruce ordered more junk, made his cooks work overtime and exploited their personal recipes for his offering, just typical work. Not your department, not your problem.
What was your problem was the water droplets hitting your face, growing by the second as you rode away from the manor. April was lucky and had her mystic pet teleport her home, but you couldn't leave your horse. He was kicking up mud by the time he reached the village, and your mind was still in work mode that you didn’t redirect him home.
Lee stood a small distance from the fencepost, trying to hide from the rain beneath the edge of a roof. You didn’t see him at first, and he gave a whistle for your attention.
Careful not to slip, you tied your horse down and made your way over.
“Nice weather we’re having,” He remarked.
“Yep. Feels great.” You were already half drenched. He didn’t pity you nearly as much as you’d hoped.
You sighed at his dry form,
“You aren’t gonna give me your cloak?”
“Nah,” He gave his punch-me-in-the-face smirk before he added, “But I brought a spare.”
In a small bag strapped to his waist, he pulled out a balled up cloak. It was identical to his, but looked slightly more fashionable. He handed it to you, and your eyes widened at the material. The fabric was durable and absorbent, yet felt like silk.
“Woah, where did you find this? Did you bring it from the palace?”
“You could say that. Yours to keep. Gift from me to you,” He forced a smile, “An apology for last night.”
“You probably have to say that a lot.”
“Hush, you,” He put a finger to your lips. You tried to bite it.
“I hate to say it, but I saw Hueso on the way here. The place is closed for the night.”
“Again? Who keeps scheduling those things?” You complained.
"Dunno," He sighed, "But it means more one-on-one with little ol' me." His lips curled in a grin.
"What a nightmare."
"I'm a dream and you know it, N/n."
"Keep telling yourself that!" You had to call out. The rain was really coming down, making loud splatters against the cobblestone ground.
"La-la-la! I can't hear you~!" Lee yelled back, running away from the side of the house he was staying under. Pulling his hand from his cloak, he swung his sword, opening a portal and leaping through it.
You hesitated to follow, but your shoes were already soaked through. The blue ethereal glow beckoned, and you returned its call before another moment could slip by.
Running face first, eyes closed through an unknown portal was not a good idea. Leo just managed to grab you before you ran yourself into a wall.
"Woah! Easy there, what's the rush?"
"Sorry, first time willingly going through a portal."
You wiped at your eyes, rain still pouring down. It took a moment for your eyesight to clear. You were still somewhere in the village, and you spotted abandoned stalls lining the ends of the streets.
"Is this... the Night Market?"
He nearly scoffed at the idea, "Oh no, the Night Market is rain or shine. Crime never takes a break. This is the regular market."
"This is the Town's Square?"
You had been plenty of times, but it was always crowded. It had the highest quality goods, but the prices were high, and you had to push your way through crowds.
"I've never seen it so empty before."
"Well, not a lot of people do their shopping in the rain." He stepped into the middle of the street, "So we've got the whole place to ourselves!"
”How romantic.”
Lee tried to form a response, but it turned to awkward laughter.
“Ah…haha..”
You spun around, taking in the sight. The puddles reflected the lights of the village, emitting their own otherworldly glow. It reminded you of that night on the docks.
“This is… really pretty.”
“You should try it barefoot.” He suggested, gesturing to his own absence of shoes. His cloak was discarded in an abandoned fruit stall.
“I’ll get sick. Plus, this streets probably nasty.” You reminded him that the puddles probably contained at least a week’s worth of dirt.
“You worry too much, N/n. Wanna dance?” He outstretch a hand playfully.
You looked around again. There was no one around. No music except for the cascading rainfall.
Just as you opened your mouth to respond, a splash of water hit your torso. You staggered back, Lee innocently hiding one foot behind another, as if he hadn’t just kicked a puddle at you.
“You son of a-“
You narrowly dodged the second. You were already drenched, but still!
Before he could make a taunt, you sidestepped around the cobblestone ground and charged him. Leo easily swung his body to the side, more than happy to show off.
He laughed as you tried to grab him again, and managed to grab your wrists instead. Water dripping from your hair despite your cloak, he tried to dip you, but you kicked his shin.
“Oof!”
“You’re an asshole.”
“You know it! Are you done fighting it now?” He gave you puppy dog eyes, as if trying to make you feel bad about a fight he started.
”Never!” You kicked up a puddle at him. What came next was a messy tango of chasing and dramatics. You alternated between splashing each other, trying to grab the other, or pulling each other into a chaotic dance.
You tripped up a few times and nearly tapped out, but he talked you out of it.
“What if we slip and fall?”
“Then I’ll just have to pick you back up.” He tried to throw you over his shoulder again for emphasis, but you pushed him back, trying to blind him with your cloak.
CRACK!
A white zigzag slashed through the storm clouds like a whip. You and Leo jumped, and you were immediately pulled into his plastron. Your heart soared with the thunder.
Your bodies stilled, waiting for another possible strike. Your face pressed to the keratin, the world around you was reduced to the dripping rain and Lee's quiet breaths.
Another moment passed, and he let you go.
"Well, maybe it's time to pack it up for the night." Leo suggested. He was not looking forward to the trek back to the palace. If his brothers hadn't known about you, he'd be scraping for excuses by now.
"Yeah, that's probably the best idea." You breathed.
You picked up your discarded layers, and offered both cloaks back to Lee, to which he insisted on letting you keep it again.
Putting the cloak back on, you paused as you nearly mistook a hidden pocket for a sleeve. Lee called for you, and your eyes widened with the realization.
"You ready?" He called, waiting next to a portal.
“Wait… wasn’t this Dee’s?”
Swinging his sword over his shoulder, he shrugged, but couldn't hold back a laugh.
“Eh, he’ll get over it.”
--------
Hueso's Run of the Mill Tavern was practically silent. The growing rainfall camouflaging the hushed whispers beneath the surface.
"Did you hear?"
"Are the supplies ready?"
"How much is in stock?"
"How long do we have to lie low?"
"Patience, everyone." A woman’s voice cut through the crowd. Everyone turned their attention to her. No objection or second thought, just how Big Mama liked it.
“As always, it’s a pleasure to meet all my supporters. And I’m ever so grateful for your help. Especially with the Prince-a-roo’s festival so close…!” She smiled. Her lair was far from this pathetic excuse of a tavern, yet it was the only place she could meet with her spies in private.
”Now,” She continued, “We must bide our time.”
A few muffled grumbles from the crowd.
”And extend our thanks for these lovely weapons and scrumptious treats.” Big Mama grinned, “Your contributions to our cause are much appreciated, Viscount Bruce.”
The man in question bowed his cloaked head to his queen.
“When I reclaim my throne, I promise you all the riches your hearts desire. For the rest of you, I will bring a new age of prosperity greater than this kingdom has ever seen!”
The room erupted in cheers, the silence long forgotten. Her spider web was widening, just waiting for the perfect time to strike.
Unbeknownst to her followers, the former queen whispered to herself.
“My dear Yoshi…how I’ve longed to see you again. I’ll look forward to renewing our contract… even if someone had changed the terms at the last second.”
I have been LACKING on reading one of my favorite ongoing fics, but YAYYY I LOVED THIS SO MUCH HEHEHEHEHE the slow buuuuurn…. THE SLOWW BUUURRNNNN AAAUGHHHH
Like it could be kind of like the scene in princess monoko?
(Basically the scene for princess monoko is where she tries to cut the guy throat to "shut him up" but all he says is "you are beautiful" and like she becomes flustered and shi??)
INGORE THIS REQUEST IF ITS TOOMUCH
🝮 “ finish me off, damn it! ”
rise!leo x fem!y/n
author’s note: my inbox wasn’t loading so I just chose from whichever requests would load, and what do you know? This one lit a fire in me. Thanks <333
word count: 1.7k
He should’ve waited on his brothers.
He should’ve listened to Raph.
He should’ve waited for Donnie’s assessments to conclude.
He should’ve let Mikey come with him.
He should’ve, he should’ve, he should’ve.
And now Leo found himself running faster than he thought was possible, bounding rooftop to rooftop as he was pursued by the Villain-of-the-Week.
His feet rose and fell with hesitant determination. It was a miracle he hadn’t lost his footing, and he wasn’t quite sure what was keeping him going aside from pure adrenaline at this point.
“ C’MON, BOY! FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED! ”
Chills crawled up his spine as something in his body screamed ‘ PIVOT! ‘
So he did. Whatever guardian protected him today needed a raise as Y/N’s foot pierced where he occupied only a second prior.
She carried no weapon yet split through the air with such speed that it sounded as if she struck with the thinnest, sharpest blade known to any craftsman.
“ How about no! ”
Leo quipped weakly as he stumbled backwards. His gaze was fixed on her—quite the angry mutant.
It had happened earlier this week, Donnie had theorized. There was a mutant trying to create some type of reverse formula, a sort of ‘ anti-mutagen ’, but all they came up with is another dose of mutagen.
Raph and Leo both agreed that it should be seized at once and properly disposed of.
The ooze-squitoes were already a pain in the ass, though only producing mutants whose novice abilities couldn’t quite reach as dangerous a level as the Hamato brothers.
“ GYACK—“
Leo choked as his heels slammed into the rim of the roof’s edge. His eyes shrunk in fear as Y/N dug their heel into the concrete and shot off towards him like a bullet straight from the chamber.
Gravity reached up and yanked him down the building’s side desperately, allowing him a narrow escape from the angered rabbit. She fell after him, well beyond reach.
This woman had been in the wrong place at the wrong time—a classic scenario.
The mutant swore the mutagen they created was their cure. They begged, pleaded, and finally fought to keep it in their hands.
Desperation was a crazy stimulant for strength.
Amidst their tussle, Mikey grabbed ahold of the vial—such a small amount, it shouldn’t have been so potent!
He threw it to Raphael who threw it to Donnie who fumbled it towards Leo after the mutant grabbed ahold of his robotic limbs and /yanked/.
Leo’s fingertips grazed the vial as he haphazardly leapt to catch it, only to find himself staring down at a hefty fall to the New York roads below.
He quickly produced a portal, and on the other side was Y/N. Just a poor girl in a poor position, turning the corner of an alleyway after hearing something that sounded like an injured animal. She worried it might be a cat or a dog hit from the busy street over.
Pure intentions.
Instead, she was met with the frightening sight of a blindingly bright circle burning through the space before her. Out came a swirling test tube and a startled mutant with a blue bandana.
It burst open as it collided into her, soaking as Leo followed after and quiet literally slammed her down onto the cold hard concrete.
Shortly after that accident, they were unable to find her again for weeks.
For whatever reason, Y/N suddenly appeared after almost a month, hellbent on getting ahold of the brothers.
“ We can talk about this! ”
Leo yelled as they both fell along the length of some of the tallest buildings in New York.
Y/N’s expression twisted painfully as she beared her teeth in a snarl.
“ Are you KIDDING ME?! ”
Her body maintained a humanoid figure, albeit with rabbit-like features. After the incident, her ears had lengthened and grew fur, resembling floppy bunny ears. Her nose and mouth altered into a snout with a little button nose and whiskers that only heightened her senses—quite overstimulating for a previously-human.
Even Y/N’s hands morphed, transforming the nails into something sharper than human or rabbit, more catlike in their lethality. Complete with a little cotton ball tail and legs more geared towards powerful jumps and kicks than regular human walking, she was the spitting image of “ far-from-human. ”
“ UghhhRRRRHH! ”
Y/N gave a growl that grew into a pitchy screech as she kicked her feet for momentum. Her falling position quickly turned into a spin, and with enough force focused in her heel, she redirected the spin into a heavy drop-kick.
Leo sucked in air too sharply for it to sound remotely like a fearful gasp. His ōdachi sliced the air below him to create another portal. His gravity shifted as he fell across another rooftop and scrambled out of the way of the hellbent rabbit decimating the ground instead.
“ Come on! We can talk, I swear. Mutant life isn’t even that bad, I mean look at me? I was born this way, and I turned out fi—“
If only his legs were running as much as his mouth did. He watched in horror as Y/N recovered faster than usual and leapt toward him ferally. Leo was backing up as he spoke, recreating yet another trip backwards.
Her hands connected with his shoulders, gripping tightly, as they both fell into the ground.
“ Talk? You want to TALK? ”
“ That’s all I’ve been saying! ”
Y/N’s chest heaved as she glared down at him with wild eyes. One hand pressed hard into his shoulders, illiciting a sharp hiss in pain from Leo. Her other hand pulled backs her index and middle fingers—paws? paw-ingers?— pressed together as the rest of her fingers tucked tight.
Leo could already see his life flashing before his eyes. He should not have confronted her alone.
“ Fine! ”
She growled, catching him off guard.
“ Let’s talk! Let’s talk about how I’ve been TREATED since turning into THIS! Let’s talk about what people have DONE to me! LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW YOU RUINED MY LIFE WHEN YOU THREW THAT-THAT—THAT—!!”
“ Mutagen? ”
“ SHUT UP! ”
Her voice cracked with emotional pitch, her fingers folding into a fist as she instead punched him across the cheek.
Leo’s head snapped to the left before returning back to staring up at her. His chest was heaving just as wildly hers. The moon above them framed her in an almost ethereal way that lit the way for guilt to claw up his throat.
“ You made me into THIS! I had enough to deal with, and no offense to you, but I do NOT make a cute mutant! ”
Y/N’s lips tightened into a frown that obviously held only enough anger to keep from crying. For a moment, she faltered. That fighting spirit wavered as her gaze trailed from his face to the ground beside him, over to whatever was to the left of them.
Maybe it was the birds circling his head after that hit, but Leo was started to find himself entranced as he was able to get a closer look at this particular villain. The nightly glow casted on Y/N’s face illuminated the more minute features that only a trained—or adoring—eye could catch. All the wrinkles, moles, freckles, things like that. Her whiskers, her nose, the fur, her ears, and how her hair framed her bunny face..
Leo felt defeated. He was at a loss for words. She wasn’t even really deserving of the “villain” moniker—well, aside from the ‘ trying to kill him and his brothers ’ part.
No, but he had a few words in particular left.
Rather, he was at a loss for anything more intelligent to say.
Y/N pulled her arm back again, and Leo didn’t flinch. Her index and middle fingers connected tightly, her other digits folded. There was nothing for her in this society, not as a mutant!
She would kill them! All of them! It’s their fault! Who’s going to accept all this anger?
Who’s going to accept HER?
“ I look so, so.. STUPID! So, just, I’m so—! ”
“ Beautiful… ”
“ Wh—Guh—Sh—.. Hwuh-Huh…? ”
Y/N completely weakened, sitting all her weight into Leo as she just… gave up.
The fight in her fizzled instantly. Her voice lost its sharpness.
“ You.. … Shut up.. ”
Leo stared up at her, dumbfounded. He didn’t know that would work. His lips moved faster than his brain. That wasn’t a plan, it wasn’t a clever strategy to take her by surprise.
It was just his thoughts: plain, simple, raw.
“ You’re beautiful.”
Leo repeated, doubling down with a clearer tone. Louder, too.
The words stung. They felt bitter to Y/N. Emotion welled in her chest, the kind that felt suffocating. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“ Shut up, stop it! ”
Her voice wavered.
Leo moved as barely as he could, sitting up on his elbows to get a better look at the now-calm villain sat upon him.
“ It’s hard not to say when you’re perfectly framed by the moon. … You’re breathtaking.. ”
Y/N snapped her head behind her, looking up at the moon. Its reflection swirled in her eyes as her hand planted firm against Leo’s chest. There was no strength behind the gesture. It carried with it the tone of ‘ don’t even try to get away ’ but held none of the intimidating weight.
Tonight, the moon was overbearing in the sky. The clouds were scarce, and of course the stars wouldn’t be so visible in New York’s sky, so it was just the moon.
…
All alone..
Y/N slowly turned back to Leo. Her shoulders dropped as a gurgling noise bubbled up her throat. It quickly transformed into the rawest, most vulnerable of sobs.
Even the way her tears rolled down her fuzzy cheeks was drawing him in.
Was this the innocent charm of a bunny, pulling him in until she could take the final strike?
…
Leo thought for a second that he’d let someone this beautiful kill him if she promised to be the last sight he saw.
“ … I’m sorry for.. this.. ”
Leo gestured to her bunny-likeness
Y/N’s hands rose up to cup her face as she cried into her palms, shrinking into herself.
He shifted his weight into his right elbow, maintaining its propped-position, as his left hand reached to plant gently on Y/N’s back. He gave the lightest of nudges, an invitation for comfort if she were to accept it.
Y/N fell against his plastron like deadweight, letting him hold her.
He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this horrible for the people mutated or affected even by his mistakes..
It wasn’t too long until he finally saw his brothers in the distance.
˚ ˚̣̣ ᵕ̣̣̣̣̣̣ ❀ ᰷ ⎯⎯͟͟ this one is for my haters, enjoy
leo notices almost immediately when you’re quieter than usual after posting a new chapter. you keep insisting it’s “nothing,” but the way you keep opening and closing the comments gives you away.
when you finally show him the posts from other fanfic authors criticizing your writing, he reads them for a minute before letting out a small laugh. not at you—at them. “they’re taking fanfiction way too seriously.”
he doesn’t think every criticism is automatically bad, but he knows the difference between someone genuinely trying to help and someone just wanting to feel superior. “if they wanted you to improve, they wouldn’t be trying to embarrass you.”
leo refuses to let you doomscroll through people talking about you for hours. after a while, he just reaches over, locks your phone, and sets it on the table. “that’s enough. you’ve given them more attention than they’ve earned.”
if you start saying things like “maybe i should just stop writing,” he’ll look at you like you just said the dumbest thing imaginable. “because a few strangers didn’t like your story? no.”
he actually enjoys reading your fics. sometimes he’ll point out lines he especially liked, or tell you that a certain scene reminded him of you. he likes seeing your personality come through your writing more than whether every detail is “perfect.”
if another author starts acting like they’re the ultimate authority on characterization, leo just rolls his eyes. “everyone thinks they’re an expert until someone disagrees with them.”
mikey absolutely wants to defend you in the comments. leo has to physically stop him from logging into his account to start arguing with random people online. “you’re making this worse” “i was cooking…”
he reminds you that the people enjoying your stories are usually the quiet ones. “the loudest people online aren’t always the majority.”
whenever you get nervous before posting another chapter because you’re scared of getting criticized again, leo gently squeezes your hand and says, “post it. don’t let people who don’t even know you decide whether you get to enjoy something you love.”
It's been 3 days since you've been with the different versions of your boys. Donnie is still insistent that you're not well enough to leave the lair yet, but the turtles have been keeping you busy at least. Donnie asks questions about your universe, Mikey likes having some one to chat and cook with, and Raph enjoys having another person to spar with (much to Donnies dismay).
Leo seems to enjoy spending time with you in general. Whether it be him showing off, sparring, talking with you, listening to music, or even reading your own comics while in the same room. You were starting to see that where ever you were, Leo was there too. Not that you were complaining...
Speaking of spending time with Leo, that's what you were doing, both of you seated in the living room. Leo lent you a Jupiter Jim comic while he was reading one of his own. You liked reading comics, but after doing it for 3 days... it was getting rough. You let out a groan of frustration as you flopped fully onto the couch, "I'm so booooored!"
Leo laughed as he put down his comic and stood from the bean bag chair, "Well, what do you want to do?" You looked up as he stood over you, "Go to the surface." You sat up again as Leo took the seat beside you. "C'mon, you know Donnie will have our hides if we go out before you're healed." You crossed your arms and smirked at him, "Our sparing session says I'm healed enough, since I, y'know, beat you."
Leo scoffed but smiled nonetheless, "Hey, I let you beat me up. But, you're right. I'm dying to show you around my world." He flipped up and off the couch and mischievously continued, "Let's meet up here when everyone's asleep." You gave the blue masked turtle a joyous grin as your brows rose with surprise, "What?! Really?! Alright!"
*Time skip*
Everyone in the lair was passed out, snoring. You peeked out from behind your bedroom curtain to make sure no one was nearby, just in case. Seeing no one, you quickly and quietly ran to the entrance of the lair.
Once you made it, you looked around for Leo. Seeing no trace of him, you started to worry. 'Did he forget?' You thought, disappointed. Just then, you got a sense of déjà vu. The memory of you waiting alone in the rain on a rooftop for your dimensions Leo flashed through your mind.
Fortunately, you didn't have to think any longer about that moment. Because the Leo you were currently waiting for, tripped and crashed with a loud 'bang' as he was trying to make his way towards you.
"Ow..." The blue masked turtle weakly let out. "Leo!" You whisper-shouted, running over to said turtle. "Are you okay?" You asked, helping him up. "Yeah," He grunted out, rubbing his head. "I just hope no one heard that." You couldn't help but let out a small giggle at the situation, "I'd be surprised if they didn't." Leo shook off his pain and smiled at you, "You ready?" You returned the smile, "Ready!"
You both took off, Leo leading the way to the surface. Soon after, you two reached a manhole cover. Leo peeked out, making sure no humans were nearby. Once clear, he pushed the cover to the side and climbed out. He then turned around and reached down with a smile, hand opened, "C'mon."
Seeing Leo with his hand stretched out to you, the glow of the moon surrounding him, and his warm smile made your heartbeat quicken and your cheeks flush. 'He looks so handsome...' You thought. After realizing what you were thinking, you shook your head then took Leo's hand. He helped you out as your mind continued to race, 'No. Stop thinking like that. I can't let myself go through that again.'
Leo was about to make his way up a fire escape and paused, realizing that you weren't following. He turned to see you still next to the manhole, your fist and jaw were clenched, brows furrowed as a pained look adorned the face Leo was coming to cherish.
With no hesitation, Leo ran to the girl, placing both his hands in a gentle manner on the sides of her neck, softly lifting her tilted down gaze up towards him. "(Y/N), are you okay?" The blue masked turtle asked, his words softer than his touch.
You were snapped out of your daze at Leo's presence. "O-Oh, yeah, sorry. Just thinking about something." You replied as you took Leo's hands in yours, sending the male a tight-lipped smile. The worry on Leo's face didn't leave at your words. "Leo! I'm fine! Really." You assured, feeling slightly better that the turtle in front of you seemed to genuinely care. This time, you did send him a small, real smile.
The red-eared slider turtle hummed, "I don't really believe you but... I have a surprise for you and I'm really excited to show you. Let's go." Leo started to pull you towards the fire escape then paused at the base, turning back to you. "I know we just met a few days ago... but I want you to know that you can tell me anything." He said with a smile that crinkled his eyes. Your (e/c) eyes grew wide at his words.
"Seriously, anything you want to talk about! Whether its about what you want to eat, something you want to do or try, something you want to watch, something that makes you mad or happy, or... math," He shudders, making you giggle. Leo's voice suddenly got serious, "Especially your troubles... I hated seeing that... pained look on your face."
Your heart raced at what the male said. Not sure how to respond, you stuttered out, "O-Okay... y-yeah." Leo smiled once again, "Perfect. Follow me." He jumped up onto the fire escape and started to make his way up to the roof. You couldn't help but think, 'What was that? My Leo isn't anything like this...'
*Time Skip*
Its been about 2 hours since you and Leo made it to the surface. The blue masked turtle showed you around the city, telling you about the stories and adventures he's had with his family. It was definitely amazing to see all the differences and similarities between your universes.
"Y'know, Leo," You started, gaining his attention, "I think I was promised a surprise. Where is it?" You asked with a grin. "Let me just double check something real quick." He said, pulling out his phone. After looking at the device for a few seconds, he smiled, putting it back in his belt pocket. "Are you ready for your big, ultra, totally amazing surprise?" He grinned, throwing his hands up in the air.
You chuckled, "I thought I already made that clear." He turned his shell to you and dismissingly mumbled, "Yeah, yeah, whatever." You scoffed with a grin, opening your mouth to retort but closed it when Leo turned back to you. "C'mon, slowpoke!" He shouted, starting to run in the opposite direction of you. "H-Hey! Wait! Leo!" You groan, sprinting after the blue masked turtle.
You could hear Leo's laughter as he continued to keep ahead of you, jumping rooftop to rooftop. "No fair! You had a head-start!" You shouted at him. He shouted back, "I thought a kunoichi like you could keep up!" Your eyes narrowed in a competitive way, 'Oh, so thats how he wants to play.' You grinned as you pulled out a pair of bolas from your belt. You aimed, then threw them at Leo's ankles, successfully tripping him.
The blue masked turtle let out a yelp, looking to his ankles, "What the?" He then looked up, seeing you gaining on him, and fast. He smiled, quickly cutting himself free from the bolas. He got up as fast as he could, running again but this time, he was neck and neck with you.
"Nice move! But I got one better!" Leo quipped. "Oh yeah? Let's see it then!" You retort. Leo laughed before disappearing from your side. You look over your shoulder to see a bright, neon blue puddle on the ground. "Huh?" You said to yourself before hearing Leo's voice in front of you. "Ta-da!"
You turn your gaze back forward to see the blue masked turtle with a large grin and his arms outstretched in pride. "Look out!" You screamed. Unfortunatley, you were not able to stop yourself in enough time with how fast you were going. "Woah!" Leo shouted, right before you crashed into him.
"Ugh..." You both simultaneously groaned after the impact. "Y'know, if you wanted to cuddle with me, you could have just asked." Leo groaned out. "Huh?" You look up to see the blue masked turtle with a smug grin. Looking down, you realize that the two of you were, in fact, in a prime cuddle position. "Oh!" You shoot up to your feet, a dark blush emanating from your cheeks, "Sorry..."
Leo also jumps to his feet, "Hey, I wasn't complaining. It was kind of perfect, because we're here." He then steps to the side to reveal a smaller rooftop decorated with fairy lights. "What the... whats this?" You ask with a growing grin, pleasantly surprised. "April did me a solid and set this up, but everything was my idea. C'mon." Leo responded, taking ahold of your hand as he lead you across to the rooftop set-up.
"Here we have pillows and fluffy blankets for maximum comfort. Over here we have board and card games for maximum fun! Right here, we have sushi and/or sub sandwiches because I didn't know what you would be in the mood for and I wanted you to have options. And for the pièce de résistance! Mousse cake for dessert. Both chocolate and white available." Leo explained, puffing his chest proudly at the end.
You couldn't believe it. No one has done anything as special as this for you. You've dreamed of a situation like this happening for you, but in your dream, it was your dimensions Leo presenting you with this beautiful gesture.
"Woah! Why are you crying?!"
"Huh?" Leo's panicked shout snapped you out of your thoughts. Bringing your hand up to your cheek, you realize that you had, in fact, been crying. "Do you hate it that much?" Leo questions, frown adorning his lips. You chuckle, wiping away the remainder of your tears, "No, I absolutley love it."
"Uh huh. Then why did you start crying?" The male said with an accusatory tone. You turn to the blue masked turtle, grateful smile on your face, "Because I love it so much." At your words, Leo grew a smile, "If that's the case, let's get settled!" The blue masked turtle jumped into the pile of pillows and blankets at his own words.
With a chuckle, you follow the male, sitting next to him and grabbing a pillow, hugging it to your chest. "What would M'Lady like first?" Leo questions with a British accent, gesturing to the spread in front of us. "Hm, I think I'll start with the sushi." You reply, also with a British accent, causing the male to laugh, passing you the food.
Leo grabbed a sub sandwhich, watching you out of the corner of his eye as you take a bite of the sushi, smiling at the taste. The blue masked turtles heartbeat raced at the thought of what he was about to say. "Y-Y'know," He started, gaining your attention. "Y-You could say this is our f-first date." He ended with a nervous chuckle, still watching you out of the corner of his eye, waiting for your reaction.
He felt his heart stop when your smile fell. You place the sushi down and regrab the pillow, hugging it once again. "Leo," You start, voice disheartened. "There's another reason why I started crying at your gesture."
At her words, Leo fully faced her, worry on his face. "L-Look, I'll be honest with you, it's what you deserve." You continued, voice shaky and tears forming. "The other reason why I started crying was because I was sad... sad that it wasn't my dimensions Leo doing this for me. I had, well, kind of still have feelings for him."
"Oh." The Leo in front of you said, obviously conflicted. "He... um..." At this point, your tears started to fall, voice cracking. "He doesn't feel the same way about me." At seeing your vulnerable state, Leo's heart ached. With a comforting smile, he leaned over and wiped your tears away, "Well it's nice to know that the other version of me is insane."
You couldn't help but let out a weak laugh at Leo's words, the male laughing with you. You took ahold of his hand that had lingered on your cheek, bringing it down to your lap. "Leo, I don't want to lead you on." You said, causing Leo's smile to fall.
"You and your brothers have been so nice to me, I don't want to hurt any of you in any way. There's so many reasons why you shouldn't pursue me. I'm not from here and I'm eventually going to have to go back to my dimension. But the main reason is that I'm afraid that I might compare you to the other Leo and I don't ever want you to feel that way. He's done it to me and it does not feel good. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that to you-!"
"Hey," Leo cut you off, taking his hand back to, once again, wipe away your tears. "You're such a sweet girl." He mumbled out, a weak smile growing on his face again. "Compare us." Your (e/c) eyes widened at his command, "What?" Leo nodded, "C'mon, compare us. What do we have in common and what's different?"
You stood still for a moment, confused. But at seeing the red eared slider turtle still waiting, you started, "U-Um... physically? You both are turtles, but different kinds. You both wear blue masks, you're both on the tall side-"
"Compared to you." Leo interupted with a teasing tone, causing you to chuckle. "Yes, compared to me. Um, I guess that's about it for physical. Personality wise, you're definitely funnier." Leo smugly brushed back his non-existent hair, "Obviously." This time, you laighed more whole heartedly. "You're both nerds when it comes to comics, you're both kind of dorks-"
"Hey!" The male called out, but by the tone of his voice and smile, he wasn't genuinley upset, making you laugh once again. "But... I guess that's about it." You finish. "'That's it'? That's what you were worried about?" Leo asks with a slight incredulous tone. "That was nothing!" You gave him a serious look and said with a slightly whiny tone, "Leo!"
"Hey, no, I'm serious! I understand why you were worried, we're both a type of 'Leo' and we have some things in common, but it sounds like we're pretty different! What was the other reason?" He then asks, more so to himself. "Oh! The different dimensions! Well when you find your way back, I'm sure you can find a way back here or I could come to you! We can visit each other! But," Leo's tone changed, it was now bittersweet. "If we can't find a way to see each other again, then... I want to enjoy the time that I do have with you." His hand found yours again, giving it a tight squeeze, giving you a bittersweet smile to match his tone.
You've never felt so connected to someone before, your heart racing. Without thinking, you pull Leo into your embrace, the male hugging you back with no hesitation. You both held on tight to each other, neither of your strengths waning. "I'm still hurting a little bit because of him," You whispered, referring to your dimensions Leo. "Are you okay if we take things... um, slow?" The Leo in your arms softly chuckled and whispered back, "Of course, take all of the time you need."
You blush, squeezing the male tighter, burying your face into his shoulder. At your movement, Leo also squeezed you tighter, burying his face into your head.
Eventually, you both simultaneously pulled away, both of your cheeks rosy. Leo nervously chuckled, "Should we, uh, get back to eating?" You let out a laugh at his topic change, but nodded nonetheless, the nervous air leaving the both of you. "Yes, but can we start with dessert?" Leo largely smiled, grabbing the two cakes, "Say less."
The two of you ate then played a few games afterwards, laughing and teasing each other into the night. But the sun had to come up eventually. After tidying things up to make it easer for April to fully clean up, you both made your way back to the lair and bid each other goodnight.
As you both laid in your own beds, traces of smiles on your faces, you both had the same thought: 'That was the best first date I've ever had.'
A/N: I was thinking about how comforting it is to share your favorite things with the people you love, and the guys would absolutely match your energy in their own chaotic ways.
Enjoy! 😊
CWs: None! All characters are aged-up.
LEO
Leo is the easiest to get to watch something with you, but the hardest to actually keep quiet during it. If it’s your comfort media, he takes it upon himself to become its biggest fan just to share that connection with you (and to have new material to tease you with).
He sits incredibly close to you, probably draped over your shoulders or with his chin resting on your head.
If it’s a live-action show, he’s immediately analyzing the dialogue. If a character makes a dramatic entrance, he’s taking notes. “Oh, okay, see how he did that? The pause. The smirk. The unnecessary cape flourish. That’s confidence. Charisma. Art.”
Once he figures out your favorite scenes or quotes, he will randomly drop them into everyday conversation or mid-battle just to see you smile. If you’re having a bad day, he’ll dramatically reenact a scene from the show in the middle of the lair kitchen just to cheer you up.
RAPH
Raph loves that you want to share something you like so much with him. He takes the responsibility of being a good audience member very seriously. He will literally threaten his brothers to keep them quiet so you can enjoy your show.
He’ll sit holding a bowl of popcorn, looking intensely at the screen.
He wears his heart on his sleeve. If your comfort media has high stakes, tension, or sad moments, he’s a goner. He will loudly gasp and yell warnings at the screen (“Don’t go in there! Look behind you!”) and actively try to blink away tears during the emotional climaxes.
If you look over at him during a sweet or nostalgic part, you’ll catch him looking at you instead of the screen with the softest smile on his face. He just loves seeing you happy and relaxed. He’ll buy you merch of your favorite character the very next day.
DONNIE
Donnie is initially very resistant. He’ll make a big show of sighing and crossing his arms. “I suppose I can spare forty-three minutes to study the psychological appeal of whatever has you this emotionally attached.”
He will sit on the opposite end of the couch, staring at his wrist-tech … for all of about five minutes.
The second a plot hole, bad CGI, or scientifically impossible event happens, he’ll enter critique mode. “Excuse me? Did she just hack a mainframe using HTML? That is technologically offensive!” He will spend the first half of the movie angrily debunking the logic.
But he gets totally sucked in.
Eventually, he’s leaning forward with wide eyes. If a character hurts your favorite character, he genuinely gets offended on your behalf. “Hold on, I’m looking up the writers of this show. I have notes.” He’ll even secretly download the soundtrack to listen to in his lab.
MIKEY
Mikey doesn’t just watch your comfort media; he absorbs it into his soul. To him, your comfort media is a window into your mind, and he wants to celebrate it with creative output.
He will wrap himself in blankets right next to you, vibrating with excitement, holding a sketchbook or an iPad.
He becomes instantly obsessed with the aesthetic, the colors, and the character designs. Every time a cool outfit or background appears, he’s gasping, “Oh my gosh, the color theory in this scene is immaculate! Look at the lighting on their hair!”
By the time the credits roll, he’s already drawn three different pieces of fan art. He’ll draw you hanging out with the characters, or he’ll draw his brothers in the art style of the show. If it’s a comfort movie that features specific food, he will pause it, run to the kitchen, and recreate the exact meal for you so you can eat it while you watch.
every leonardo is a li shang with a flynn rider locked inside, and they constantly fight to keep him chained because they need to be “the serious leader” but every now and then flynn escapes and takes control.
except rise leonardo who is the opposite and is a flynn rider with a li shang sleeping in the depths of his mind that awakens only when necessary.
One of my friends was talking about how Leo got super tongue tied during his first meeting with Jupiter Jim, and that they think he would also be that way towards someone he has a crush on.
And now I can’t unsee it.
So like-
Could I request Leo fumbling.
Leo actually kind of trying to open up but it doesn’t land or he keeps backing out.
Leo being a stupid dumb idiot over the reader.
Leo with no riz.
You get the idea.
But reader thinks he’s cute so it ends up okay lol.
“What do you see in that guy?”
“He makes me laugh” kind of dynamic lol
Maybe they don’t end up together maybe they do that’s up to you. I just think Leo failing the speech checks would be a funny story prompt.
Leo’s Off Day — A Rise!Leo x Reader Oneshot
A/N: Failing speech checks you say? Heheheh… it came to me in a VISION I INSTANTLY knew what I was going to write HEHAHAHA anyway! I’m sorry it took so long, I hope this was what you were looking for and I hope you enjoy!!!
Disclaimer!: I wanted this to be a good few years after the events of the movie, therefore you can imagine Leo and Reader to be anywhere from 19-22 (college/ish for reader) as well as yokai to be more accepted around New York City at this time!
-
Flirting was easy, for Leonardo.
Too easy, sometimes.
It made him understand, a little, why magicians never revealed their secrets. His ability to weave a conversation was always something he held close to his chest, on account of his position as a face-man. It was his position! He wanted to keep his job security.
No matter rain, sleet or snow, he could concoct anything to get him or his brothers out of trouble, or into it, if he wanted. It was the same with pulling anyone he wanted under his arm.
Sure, after the allure of smooth talking wore off, often the muse of his affections flew to greener pastures, but at that point he usually bounced back. He knew his partner’s feelings for him were shallow, he’d grown to expect it.
There were occasions a line fell flat, but he had only gotten better at this craft over the years.
That’s what it was, a craft, not an… “equation” as Donnie liked to put it.
This time, for example.
His target was in sight, leaning against the bar of what had come to be his favorite coffee shop, staring at the menu. This person was new, unlike the warm, familiar decor that surrounded them— smiling paintings, plants, and ceramics all held against clean, ivory walls that provided a safe getaway from the dingy nature of the New York City.
He finished what was left of his coffee, and leaned back in his fitted chair to simply observe before he made his approach.
His target, although unfamiliar, was just akin to the coffee shop itself: Warm, unlike their drink of choice— but another connection was that distinct comforting aura. The way their eyes scanned the room, full of bright curiosity, he could only hope they held some of that sentiment for him, as well. They were just his type.
Once they finished their order, it was time for his grand entrance.
“I’ve got it.” He swooped in with a handful of cash once he saw them lift their card, a disruption to the smooth transaction. The barista raised a brow, but didn’t question it— they’d seen him pull this move before.
Leo’s attention was fully on his target, who locked eyes with him then. In an instant, all the curiosity from their surroundings was centered solely on him, and it made a weird flip happen in his chest. “Oh— thank you! Are you sure?” They smiled, with that slight edge of nervousness that he’d come to expect. “You didn’t have to do that.” The way their eyes sparkled was marvelous, he wanted their attention for as long as he could get it.
“Hm? Oh, that? It was nothing!” He shrugged it off in hopes to alleviate some of that obligation he knew some guys tried to hinge on. It wasn’t his style. “I just couldn’t stand to see someone as stunning as you walk by without taking a chance on fate.” He gave a signature smirk, and they threw out a reserved smile in return.
“Well, thank you, again.” a hand played with their hair as they looked up at him.
Perfect, everything pointed towards a go-ahead to advance.
“I won’t twist your arm, but hey, if you’ve got the time..” he drawled, trying to hold onto the anticipation, “I’d love to hear your nAme—“ … and it nearly worked.
…
Shit..
he couldn’t explain it, but clearly fate or whatever had something against him, and just then, his voice decided to crack.
His eyes darted away, damn, that ruined his cool facade, but it would be fine as long as he didn’t comment on it. “Ough, wow—“ his tongue suddenly seemed to answer for him, and he internally cursed at the word vomit that came after.
A flush crept up his neck, “That was..” he cleared his throat, “embarrassing—“ he laughed, but it was flat and nervous, something he wasn’t used to hearing from himself. “My uh— question still… stands..?” Goddamn it, he just had to open his big fat mouth, huh?
He finally looked up at them, relieved that they weren’t grossed out, but the laugh they let out nearly made his knees give in. “I’m— I’m sorry, Did you practice this in the mirror?” The slight look of pity made him want the floor to swallow him up.
“What? No!!” Oof, a little too quick with that answer. He looked up at them and gave a crooked, desperate smile, “Haha, sorry, no, no—“ he ignored the way his palms began to feel sweaty under his gloves. “I assure you my one liners are completely un-scrIPTed.”
There it was again! What was in that goddamn coffee!? It wasn’t as if his silver tongue had grown rusty, right!? Oh lord, that just incriminated him even further…
The stunning creature in front of him laughed yet again, at him, and grabbed their order from the receiving end of the bar. “I’m sure, I’m sure…” they didn’t believe him, not even for a second.
Well, there goes his smooth talker persona.
And yet, he didn’t want to give up.
“Uhh— haha! Forget about the liners—“ he coughed, and scrambled to lean on the closer counter’s edge, more for support than actually trying to be suave. “can I maybe get that name?”
They raised their brow with a familiar smirk, he knew it, it was the same smirk he usually gave to others, “Sure.” Their reserved demeanor from earlier was gone now, replaced with a dizzying confidence.
“Y/n.”
They took a sip of their coffee, “don’t you go forgetting it, Sir Cracks-A-Lot.” They gave a finger gun, and left him leaning on that counter, where he continued to feel like he was losing his mind.
Was that a liner? A joke, even? It was painfully cliche and unoriginal, and he wondered for a moment if maybe he was falling in love. They joke!
He nearly tripped over himself, “Sure won’t!” He waved, “I’ll uh— rehearse it in the mirror!”
The bell rang as the door to the coffee shop closed, and He instantly put his face in his hands.
“…Oh my god.” He groaned under his breath. “Rehearse it? Right, I basically just told them ‘yeah! I’m an idiot!’” He ignored the eyes of everyone in the shop, (that being about three people— which almost made it worse) and fell into one of the small one-person sofas beside a window. “…That was such a bust.”
He sprawled out across the impossibly small chair, and stared at the deathly pale, sickly walls that held paintings of mocking, pointing characters. Mocking him. Even the sight of the imposing ceiling made him feel trapped in a replay of the moment over and over. He sighed, and rested his head back against the armrest.
He hadn’t fumbled this hard since he was 16 or something..
Damn. They were funny, too…
….
Ring…
Ring…
Click!
“Y/n? What is it?” April sounded from the other end of your phone, a little drowsy from her late night studying. You knew it was early, but the excitement just couldn’t wait!
“April!!” You skipped along the road to class, a kiddish grin split on your face, “sorry to wake you— I just met the cutest guy while ordering coffee!!”
“I gotta tell someone about it!!”
—
A/n: I FINALLY DID IT YAYYYY HEHEHEH I had so much fun with this LMAOO I hope it reads right given that I wrote this at night 😭😭 I DID PROOFREAD THOUGH so lmk what you think :DDDD
Fun fact, the very first panel is based off of the first sketch I did for toddlermnt before I even knew it would be a long comic. I can't believe I've been doing this project for this long
could I req 2012 Leo where he teaches you how to skateboard and you probably aren’t so great at it but he is super patient(so fluff) ?
SK8TER BOI
You ask your crush to teach you how to skate, and now you're starting to have your regrets.
content: 2012!leo // unestablished relationship
"Leo, I can't do this."
"You haven't even put your other foot on the board yet." He retorts lightly. "Come on, you asked me to teach you. Give it a try, and if you hate it, we won't do this again."
Your tense expression eases at his reassurance, taking in a sharp breath as you accept his offered hand, stepping fully on the board. Your knees buckle instantly as the wheels of the skateboard shift under the sudden movement, your balance maintained by Leo's hand on your waist. Normally, you'd be flustered by the close contact, but currently, your mind is too preoccupied to fully appreciate the moment.
"Not bad so far, right?" He smiles at you encouragingly. "Don't worry about falling. I've got you."
"Okay... okay," You mutter, gathering some courage. "So what now?"
"First, you have to fix your balance." He lets go of your hand to point. "Put one foot forward and your dominant foot on the rear—the one you're going to use to push."
You hesitantly follow his instructions, stiffening when you begin to wobble. Leo has to bite back his grimace when your hand tightly squeezes his.
"O-Okay, take it easy," He forces out a nervous chuckle. "Alright, now that you're comfortable, let's try pushing off. Do it slowly, and put your foot back on the board. Make sure to bend your knees to keep your balance."
When you feel the warmth of his hands disappear, you swivel your head to stare at him in disbelief.
"You're letting go?" You question, your voice rising a pitch too high.
"I have to, but don't worry, I'm right here." Leo consoles patiently. "Again, we'll stop right now if you hate it."
You feel a prick of shame at the idea of turning back and heading home after you specifically requested that he teach you. You just wanted to try and feel included when the guys go on their nightly skateboard runs—and maybe you also wanted to impress Leo, your friend that you've been crushing on for months.
You reaffirm your resolve, trying to remind yourself of your goal as you slowly lower your foot, gently pushing off the ground. The board sways as it moves, even as you hastily put your foot back, with Leo already reaching out in case you take a tumble. Yet, by some luck, you manage to stay upright. You try again, and this time you glide for longer, excitement bubbling in your chest as you realise that you're doing it—you're skating!
"Leo, I can skate!" You cheer jovially, pushing harder as you slide faster. However, in a moment of witlessness, you crane your head to observe Leo's reaction, which also means you quickly lose your balance. Leo's smile falls once he realises what's happening, and within a flash, he's at your side as you lose your footing. The board slips from underneath you as you tilt over, letting out a yelp. Before you can hit the concrete, an arm snakes around your waist, stopping your descent. You look up to meet Leo's wide gaze, your breath hitching at his proximity, your hand unconsciously gripping his bicep.
"Are you okay?" He asks, tone dipped with worry, while you frantically nod, having to fight off the flush creeping up to your face as you hastily let go of him. He eases you upright, though his arm remains around your waist as his gaze darts to the discarded board.
"Not bad for your first attempt." He declares, and your heart races when you spy an almost smug gleam in his eyes when he looks back at you. "Didn't I tell you I'd catch you?"
You feel almost feverish under the weight of his statement, swiftly untangling yourself from him, swatting his arm with no real annoyance.
"Shut up, weirdo." You grumble, averting your gaze as his smile widens at the expense of your embarrassment. "Next time, I think I'm just going to watch you skate."
"Sounds like a deal." He hums, his eyes twinkling under the moonlight. "I like having you in the audience anyway."
This turtle is going to be the death of you.
Fancy Meeting You Here… @regretisstoredintheme - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
