Like You | Donnie X GN!Reader (Part II)

Like You | Donnie X GN!Reader (Part II)

A/N: I had to do something with Donnie. In order for me to try and replicate his character, I had to repeat his sarcastic voice in my head over and over. It was an absolute pain, because to focus on this entire imagine (both parts), I had to try and shove all the trauma I got from the movie away for a couple of hours.

Summary: You were trying to ignore your feelings by avoiding the turtle himself. What you did not expect was that he’d be at your homecoming dance, confronting you.

Pairing: Rise!Donatello X Reader

Reader: Gender-neutral. Second POV. 

Genre: Hurt & Comfort

Warning: Good luck on being confronted.

Word Count: ~1260

Part: One / Two

~

You stood on the roof, arms resting on the concrete. It was frigid at night, especially with the wind blowing along your skin.

You weren’t into dances. You weren’t supposed to be here, but not only did your friends beg you to come to homecoming, Leonardo had asked you to meet up on the roof tonight. 

Sure, you had to pay him back for asking him to sneak calculus material out of his soft-shelled brother. Though, you didn’t expect that his request would be to prank you like this.

You sighed. “It’s Leon. I should’ve seen this coming—.”

“Oh Fibonacci.” You heard someone mumble, followed by a creaking of the door. You turned around, facing the mysterious person— or rather— turtle. 

Your eyes widened. “Donnie..”

Oh God. This was Leon’s plan. You wanted to collaspe into embarrassment. You were well aware that you had been avoiding his brother. Maybe this was Leon being pissed after doing so. 

You never wanted to push him away, but the logic was there.

You eyed his tuxedo, features of violet to match him. That and the bandana together. Donnie looked.. incredibly handsome, so much so you felt your face heat up.

No. You shook it off. 

“(Name)..” Your eyes met his again. There was a trace of pain in them, and.. your heart ached. You gazed away as Donnie walked closer to your side, facing the city. “Strange that I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Your hands gripped your clothing.

“...Remember the name?”

You followed his sight to a dot in the sky, shining bright. You knew it well. “..Sirius A.”

“Define a logarithm.”

“The power of a number being raised.”

“Base two logarithm of 32.”

“Five.”

“...Suppose that explains why you haven’t answered my texts.. You didn’t even need my help.” Donnie faced down, eyebrows furrowing. “(Name).. What have I done wrong?”

“No!” You were quick to deny that. “You did nothing wrong.” How could he think of himself like that when you were the one avoiding him without an explanation?

“Then.. why were you avoiding me?”

“I.. I didn’t mean to—.”

“I have common sense, (Name),” he scoffed. “If the lack of it is what you’re trying to take advantage of.” 

You had nothing to say.

“You haven’t contacted me in so long. I thought you might have some family issues or even an existential crisis, but then, you and Leo....” Donnie shook his head. “I know I have something to do it. Why were you avoiding me?”

“I already told you—!”

“For the love of Galileo, (Name), you’ve avoided me enough, so quit dodging my questions!” he snapped. “Tell me, so I don’t have to keep beating myself up over every possible reason that could separate you from me!” 

Donnie heaved, before a couple of tears form in his eyes. He tried to blink them away, but the pain was overwhelming. “I like what we had before, hanging out together in libraries, tutoring you, experimenting with tech.” Though he was hesitant, he let the words slip from his mouth. “As much as it’s not my thing to say affectionate words.. I’ve... missed you.”

You froze as he took and held your hand.

“And I mean it, a-all right? There’s no one else who has a passion for mathematics like you. There’s no one else who would try to memorize a hundred different stars with me like you would. There’s no one else who appreciate my sciences, my passions, my intelligence, like you—.”

“Stop.”

Donnie stopped rambling. “..What?”

Your face was turning hot, burying it into your hands. “Why do you have to make things so hard for me...”

He was starting to panic. “I.. I’m sor—.”

“No! It’s not like that!” You used one of your hands to wave it off. “You.. So this is what it’s about?”

“What’s what about?” Donnie tugged on his collar.

“Are you trying to confess to me?” you laughed. “I never took you for the romantic type.”

You opened your eyes through your hand to find the turtle with wide eyes and a blush darkening his face under the night. “Well—. I—. You—.” He was trying to fight back his short-circuiting. “That’s absurd! Donatello Von Ryan never involves himself with romanc—.”

“I like you too, Don.”

Suddenly, he’s the one hiding his face. You looked away with flushed ears. All this time, your fear—. Oh. The vibrant colors from your moment faded when you remembered your fear, the reason why you were avoiding the turtle.

You.. did owe him an explanation.

“...I was avoiding you,” Donnie uncovered his face, “because I started to like you romantically.” 

You crossed your arms as another gust of wind blew. 

“I was afraid you’d find that weird: a human— a much different.. biological being— falling in love with a mutant. And then, we were becoming really close, so I separated myself to prevent either of our— no, my feelings from getting hurt.”

His brows furrowed

“I am so sorry, Donnie.” 

“...”

WOOOOOOOO!

Cheers from behind the door grew louder as music blasted, startling the two of you. Donnie looked back and huffed, “Way to ruin the moment... I was wondering why no one was actually dancing at a ‘homecoming dance.’” 

You snickered.

The turtle faced you, to see you more light-hearted in his presence had a smile growing on him. “(Name).” Donnie held his hand out. “May I have the honor of holding a dance with you?”

Your face fell. You found yourself backing away. “R-Right now?”

“Oh, of course, I’m asking you for a dance that’ll happen in a century,” Donnie remarked, his face holding a smug look until he realized. “Unless.. you don’t know how to—.”

You quickly interjected, “I’ve told you once that I had never attended dances..”

Donnie proceeded to take your hand anyway. “I’ll show you.”

There was still hesitation in your eyes. He lifted your hand in his left up, and placed your other one on his shoulder. Donnie pulled you closer, making you heat up yet again. 

He definitely has confidence in dancing, that’s for sure. 

“Don’t move too quickly.”

“Don’t fret,” Donnie lowered his voice, “I know how to take it slow.”

Ignoring the shiver on your skin, you deadpanned. “You were so flustered just a moment ago, and here you are.”

“Oh, but (Name)! That’s the fascinating power of dancing: growing comfortable in your own shoes. Try not to watch my steps closely, and simply move along.”

He gave you a spin, he led you a step to the right, behind you. Then, as “Dandelions” played in the background, he twirled you out before bringing you back in. 

Palm to palm, you both moved clockwise and counter, like as if you were dancing in a ballroom. No longer minding the footwork, you were enjoying yourself.

“Were you jealous of my other tutor?” you spoke.

“What an assumption.” Donnie scoffed, “Surely, he can’t be as great as moi, Donatello Von Ryan.”

“Nope,” you answered with no consideration. “In fact, he’s so much worse of a tutor than you that I had to ask Leon to sneak calculus material from you to me.”

He went stiff. “You asked him to get it from me?”

“Don’t tell me you were also jealous of—.”

“Ahahem,” Donnie coughed. “I merely thought he taking my credit.”

You laughed. “Oh come on, we both know well enough that Leo is never interested in calculus, or any subject besides physical education.”

You leaned in closer, hand caressing his face. 

“You know, calculus is still biting me by my ankles..”

“Mhm.”

“I’m wondering.. Donatello.. if you would be interested in being my tutor again?”

“..Always.” He pulled you into a kiss.

Losing My Guard | Kaeya X GN! Reader

A/N: This is my second imagine on Tumblr. I wanted to touch on some angst. People have usually leaned Kaeya towards a “charming and charismatic are his only traits.” However, I wanted for everyone to look deeper in his internal struggles. A cunning individual, who actually holds good intentions yet has an issue with keep a genuine relationship.

I’m still learning how to improve my writing in hopes to conveying a deeper side of characters better. If there’s any feedback, I welcome it!

Relationships: Kaeya X Reader

Summary: You confronted Captain Kaeya about his aggression.

Warnings: Argument.

Word Count: ~ 400

“..Did something happen, Captain Kaeya?” you asked, closing his office door behind you. The room was dark, only barely illuminated by two candles. You found Kaeya by his desk, writing on sheets of paper with a quill and bottle of ink. 

He was frowning. “What makes you wonder?”

Unusual, you thought.

Your eyes trailed down to Kaeya’s black boots, tapping against the floor. “You’re treating the other knights rather aggressively. If I may be so bold, you’re not being yourself today.” 

“A simple act of discipline,” he spoke. “It seems ever since Grandmaster Varka left on his expedition, our.. grounds have loosened up too much.

“I’m afraid I have to disagree.” You creased your brows. “Their behavior shows nothing more than obedience to orders, Captain.”

You paused. There was a sense of hesitation.

“I’m well aware you have other things to say, (Name).”

“Kaeya. I’m speaking not as your subordinate, but as your friend.” You shut your eyes before uttering, “Did you have an argument with Master Diluc?”

Kaeya’s hand tensed on his quill. Then, he dropped it. 

He scoffed. His breaths quickened, and you immediately sensed you ruffled his feathers. “My, if I am not mistaken, you do not seem to understand your boundaries, (Name). Is this a common trait among Anemo holders?” He stood up from his chair. “No wonder Master Jean thinks you’re special.”

He did not like anyone mentioning his familial relations. You deducted that. “Kaeya, you know I never meant to–.”

Kaeya slowly walked to you. You were beginning to feel intimidated. Your feet stepped backwards until your back was up against the door. The man’s right hand slammed onto the wall beside you. 

His left brought your chin up, and you were forced to meet eye-contact. 

Your body tensed under the heavy glare his eye gave. Kaeya leaned close to your face. Your breath hitched.

“Don’t ever speak of my feud with Diluc. My business is not yours.”

Your voice croaked, “Kaeya.”

“Don’t mock me,” he snapped.

Your hand snatched his left wrist holding your chin. Your tight grip threw him off guard as you pushed him and his hand off.

His eye widened.

“And don’t confuse my concern for mockery, Captain Kaeya,” you hissed.

“The intention was never to show pity either. Is it so wrong for me to worry about your well-being? You were being aggressive with your subordinates!”

Kaeya fell silent, his one eye meeting your two. 

“You’re charming, Captain. I admit that much.” You averted your gaze, wincing. “But this personality of yours is only a mask, is it not? I’m speaking as your friend, remind you.”

The bitterness remained on his face. Yet you also found it softening. 

Kaeya turned away, returning to his desk. His elbows rested on the table with his hands held up. He leaned his head down against his intertwined fingers, releasing a heavy sigh. “I apologize, (Name). I.. have a lot on my mind as of late. Just leave me be.” No fluctuation in his tone, no playfulness, no gentleness. He spoke in a blunt, plain voice.

You furrowed your brows, unable to handle more tension. “I apologize for stepping too far. I don’t know your history with your brother, but I only hope the best between you and Master Diluc.” You turned around and left.

Then, his room stood in silence.

...

Slowly, Kaeya lifted his head and stared at his left wrist. There was a red mark left from your grip. His index finger trailed just along it. 

A strained.. chuckle fell from Kaeya’s lips. 

“I’m slowly losing my guard around you, (Name). I’m doing everything to hide the vulnerable side of mine and my past. Yet you somehow always know how to pull it out.” He took a glass frame from underneath the desk, thumb reaching over a photo of he and his red-headed brother. He recalled the childhood moments, when he had Diluc’s trust. 

Trust.

Maybe, he thought, earning back my brother’s trust requires putting my own in someone. And it would be a good time to confide his inner feelings in someone.

Before You Go | Future Leo X GN!Reader (Part I)

A/N: Time to make a series! Inspiration is taken from the movie and several fanart. Constructive criticism is appreciated as usual.

Summary: Heartbroken about a death of a dear friend, you and Leonardo debated on whether to co-parent Cassandra’s baby son, Casey.

Reader: Gender-neutral pronouns are used. Second POV.

Pairing: Rise! Future! Leonardo X Reader 

Warnings: Blood. Death. Child becoming an orphan.

Word Count: ~1280

Parts: One / Two / Three / Four / Five / ...

~

“We’re.. keeping him?”

A wary expression on your face as you met eye-contact with Leonardo. In his arms held a baby boy, wrapped in a soft yet dirty blanket. 

“We are,” he confirmed. 

“But what about the other camps—.”

“I promised Cass we would take care of him.”

You went silent, wincing at the thought— the memory of your friend dying in that rubble. Leonardo shared the same feeling, replaying Cassandra’s final words in his head.

“You didn’t even ask me for my word!” you snapped. “We’re talking about taking care of a baby in an alien invasion! I want neither of us nor the team to get too attached. He’s going to get in the way and if something happens—.”

“We won’t let anything happen to him.”

Your hands curled. “...How can you be so sure?”

“(Name).” Leonardo stepped closer to you. “Think about it this way: he could be a hope for us. He could be the one to stop the Kraang and this mess.”

“No.” You wanted to yell and force him to look from your view. Except, you can’t risk scaring anyone else in the base. There were other humans, mutants, and yōkai taking refuge to hide from the Kraang.

This was one of the only safe havens in New York City, or the entire world at that rate. You wanted this to be a place of consolation, not panic.

Arms crossed, you turned away. “I was afraid you’d think that.”

“...What do you mean?”

“He’s young, Leo!” You faced him again. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking about forcing the idea of ‘being the chosen hero’ on him!

What if he doesn’t rise to that challenge? What if he didn’t succeed? What would you think of him then?”

Leo’s mouth perked up.

And you realized yourself.

“Sounds like you’re the one with a personal attachment, (Name). I almost thought you don’t care about this little guy,” he teased. “I wasn’t being serious about the whole ‘hero’ thing. Splints threw me on the leader spot myself, remember?”

Your shoulders loosened. 

“I remember.” You sighed. “I never said I don’t care. Just worried we won’t be able to give him the childhood he deserves— the life he deserves. I wish that for every child, especially knowing this is the wrong place for them to grow up in.”

You grimmed. “We’ll be busy trying to take out Kraang, Leo.. How are we going to take care him, let alone give him enough love?”

Leo gave no response. But you watched his feet inching closer. Then, he held out the blanket-wrapped baby to you.

“..We’ll find a way,” he assured, “We’ll work it out together.”

You took the baby in your arms. He was snoring away all the problems, a bittersweet moment that warmed your heart.

“The others are going to co-parent too, right?” you asked. That one question making Leo freeze. You spoke again, this time raising an eyebrow. “..Right?”

He cleared his throat. “Well.. the thing is.. they.. probably don’t even know how to take care of a baby.”

“What.”

“But we’ll be fine on our ownn! Trust me, (Name), nothing’s going to go wrong under our watch.”

“And then you’re going to force all the parental responsibility on me.” You scoffed. “Are you serious? You had me thinking that Raph, Mikey, Donnie, and April will help too!”

“Cass trusted us to do this.”

“Exactly, us.”

“The both of us.”

“Why did she exclude the others out?”

Truth be told, you couldn’t understand what made his brothers and April any less qualified to take care of a baby. You knew Leo would be out a lot. You too had responsibilities with keeping resources in check and defending the base. Extra loving hands shouldn’t hurt.

Except, when you found Leo averting his gaze and coughing, a light blush on his face, it clicked for you. He wasn’t being completely serious. He just liked the thought of he and you— did Cassandra tell him?

A chuckle left your lips. 

“Look, as much as I’m willing to try for her,” you paused, “I don’t know if I can make a good caretaker, let alone a parent for Casey.” 

“And Cass knew you’d doubt yourself,” Leo held your hands, “but she still trusted you. She trusted that you can do it.”

You took a deep breath, tearing up a bit. 

“There.. are a lot of responsibilities....”

His arms brought you into a hug from behind. “I know.” 

He leaned his head on your shoulder, watching little Casey sleep. “Like I said though, (Name), we will make it work.” Leo reassured. “I’m here right next to you.”

Him being made leader changed him for sure. It was comforting to see him grow less cocky and more consoling, empathetic.

You kind of missed his overconfident, happy, sarcastic side though. 

.

.

.

“What are you doing?” A shaky breath. “We’re running the same way. Why are you handing him to me, Cass?” Leonardo felt his heart beating faster.

“Take care of him for me. He needs you all, especially (Name).”

“H-Hold on..” Leonardo taken aback.

He watched a couple of tears pooling up in Cassandra’s eyes. Her hand grasping his arm as they both ran for base.

“Y-You know (Name)’s been eyeing me for a while now.” Emotions caught up in her throat as she spoke. “They’ve always wanted a kid— I didn’t even have to ask them. So.. I-I thought that if I’m ever gone, Casey can be the one for them. (Name) can be the one who will love him just as much as I do.”

“What are you talking about—?!” Leonardo’s breath hitched when the woman let go and ran behind him. 

“Please tell ‘em that for me.. before I go..”

“CASSANDRA!”

“They’re just gonna keep following us if something isn’t done. I have to go distract them!”

You stopped in your tracks the moment you found your best friend turning the other direction. The baby gone from her arms and in Leonardo’s instead.

“Casey? Casey!” you shouted. “Where the hell are you going!?”

She was running towards one of the giant machines. A large rock into the eye with her hockey stick and a loud BOOM blasted from an ignition.

You immediately sprinted after her. “Casey! CASEY, STOP!”

“(NAME)!” Leonardo followed. 

Cassandra caught the attention of other nearby mechs, this time using her hyperbeam gun to strike. 

You were starting to lose your distance.

“Please! I don’t want to lose you—!” Leonardo yanked you back with his other arm. This was when you felt your eyes burning. This couldn’t be happening, not when you weren’t prepared to lose someone.

Leonardo kept a tight grip on your arm. “(Name)! We have to go back!”

“Casey’s out there! Let go of me—!”

“Yet you’re out here— I’m not gonna lose you too while we’re at it. Listen to me: we have to go back, or you’re putting everyone else at risk. We have to go NOW.”

You took one final glance at Cassandra, so far away. 

Suddenly, a bright beam of light shot down on her ground. You watched the dark silhouette in your sight evaporated.

And you screamed.

Leonardo pulled you into his chest, hand over your mouth. He carried you over his shoulder as you sobbed into your own palms. He fled, fled as fast as he could with stinging eyes, not because of the dust this time.

No one back at the base could’ve prepared to see you and Leonardo return with Cassandra’s baby alone. 

That ache hurt more when you found a photograph of her and everyone tucked in little Casey’s blanket. 

Rise of TMNT Movie Review (No Spoilers)

Everyone, I am proud to rate this movie a 7.5 out of 8 slices. (For reference, that is an equivalent of 9.375 out of 10.)

This is from someone who assumed for a moment the movie might fail.

For one, I need everyone to understand how DIFFICULT it is to fit every development into an hour and a half movie. Especially considering it is an animation movie. 

I couldn’t blame the producers, knowing the backlash the series received for no good reason.

—

I cried during the emotional segments. The sight of trying but your efforts failed hit me hard. Hearing the turtles’ frustration too.. The VAs did amazing. Props to them for reaching my heart.

The animation, I want to hug the entire team. The backgrounds, the action, and the personal moments gave me CHILLS. 

It’s a disgrace to every person working on the movie when the Internet decided to put it under plain “comedy.” 

Sure, be judgmental, only because it’s animated. Why don’t you say the same for Marvel and DC’s dark animated films?

ARE WE GOING TO IGNORE EVERYTHING ELSE?

Here, the Kraang actually looked menacing. World-threatening to its literal definition. Murder? Yep, one of them is a deranged psychopath. I’m glad they didn’t go down the whole “just alien brains” route. (Sorry not sorry.)

Awes me when they managed to snuck in a few mature moments. 

—

I do have to admit: the comedy could’ve been improved. And I do wish that there was an extra hour in the movie for enough room to seam everything smoothly.

Although, the emotional moments made me forget those flaws.

—

Happy to know my fan fiction is 15% accurate to the actual movie. I mean, it’s expected Leo would point out the “Master” part.

Bruh, making a review without spoilers that can express my hype is a challenge.

Comfort and Confession | Rise!Leo X F!Reader

A/N: This is my earliest one-shot on Tumblr, and I’ve decided to dedicate that to Leonardo from Rise of TMNT. He’s my favorite character due to his charismatic personality. 

Also, I included some Spanish at the end, but due to a lack of knowledge in that language, I resorted to Google Translate. Anyone with experience in Spanish please inform me if I made a mistake.

Enjoy yourself!

Rise! Leo X Female! Reader (One-Shot)

Word Count: ~2600

You were quietly seated at your study desk, your mechanical pencil maneuvering over your sheet of algebra homework. Your senior year would soon be coming to an end, and yet, your days kept getting overfilled with responsibilities. Not to mention your scholarships and university applications.

Headphones snuggled over your ears, you sighed, holding your chin up with your hand. The shuffled playlist of songs made your silence bearable, even against the loud streets of New York City during the late evening.

Nothing changed out there.

And here you were, feeling your own life about to flip over.

You tapped your pencil rapidly. You tried to shove away those questions, but they seeped in anyway. Have you done enough? Have you made the most of everything? Have you spent enough time with your friends? Soon, your grades wouldn’t be your worry anymore, but your career.

It scared you.

How you could never relax. Let yourself vulnerable.

You were quite popular among your peers: persistent, open-minded, and had always tried to maintain top-quality work. You should be happy, but you ended up being haunted by a fear of slipping up. People say they wouldn’t care, but is it really the case? You had underclassmen looking up to you, friends who admired you, so who’s to say they wouldn’t turn you away once you disappoint them?

Oh, how you could never settle down.

The hues of your eyes gazed out the window, which perfectly hung right by your desk. Your face looked solemn, scanning over the street lights hanging around your neighborhood. Then, you shook your head and took off your headphones, worried that you might have grown distracted. Your music playlist paused.

The mechanical pencil flickered around in your hand, while you turned to read the ninth unit of your AP Chemistry textbook. 

. . .

Tap Tap.

You smiled. Must be the rain. It should’ve been hot outside. Then again, rainfall comes often when you’re by the sea and the temperature’s high.

You felt a bit glad though. Rain had a therapeutic effect on your mind.

There was a pause.

You hummed. Well, that was a quick sprinkle. 

Tap Tap.

Now, the sound puzzled you. What kind of rain paused like that? 

You turned your chair, going to check the weather. Except, your body practically jumped for a second and lost your grasp of the pencil. In that split moment, you knew exactly where– or who– the sound came from. A figure tapped onto your window, waiting to be let in. Your heart still raced under your shocked breaths.

You ran a hand through your hair, trying to laugh your way to being calm again.

“Oh my God.” 

You recognized the person– turtle– who came by occasionally to bother you out of their boredom. He wore an electric-blue mask and adorn in his iconic red markings. He rubbed his nape, cheekily smiling. 

“Leon.” You lifted your window up for an opening. “You scared me. I thought it was some random homeless guy. Or some delinquent trailing me from school. You–. Please give me a heads up next time! You literally have a phone!”

Unfazed, Leonardo waved his hands. “Okay, okay. Relax, Cariña.” He grinned. “You have nothing to worry about! Anyone who tries to come after you will have to mess with me. And who’d be dumb enough to fight a guy like me anyway– did you say someone was following you?”

“Some underclassman, but one of my guy friends usually handles him.” You shrugged.

“I can handle him, (Name)! You could’ve called me!”

“You’re forgetting something, Leo.” You pointed your finger from down to up his figure. “You’re a turtle. I don’t know how well NYC’s gonna take you. Once someone sees you, you’re plastered all over the news.”

He huffed, making himself comfortable on your bed. His katanas laid on the floor. Hands behind his head, Leonardo shut his eyes. “Y’know, having my handsome face across billboards doesn’t sound so bad.”

You snorted. “I wouldn’t exactly say you’re ‘handsome.’”

His grin faltered. Ouch.

“Say whatever you want, Cariña.” He puffed out. “So? Gonna tell me whatcha up to, (Name)? Let me guess: homework here, homework there.” He wagged his feet as he went on.

“Pretty much.” You winced, not expecting your voice to be so strained. “Nothing really changes when you’re a student about to enter the ‘adult’ world.” You curled your fingers in quotations. Leo opened one of his eyes. The lightheartedness he had dropped when he noticed you pursing your lips. You seemed out of it. “Just more responsibilities coming my way. And I thought I’m already having it hard.”

“(Name).”

Leonardo sat up. He extended his palm to yours. His scaly yet gentle touch comforted you. Low-key, he caught you off-guard by how genuine he can be instead of teasing or joking around. You returned a weak smile, rubbing his hand with your thumb.

“Hey. Y’know I’m here to listen. I’m all ears.” He immediately rubbed his nape. He averted his gaze and whistled, “Okay, Leo, weird of you to say when you don’t have any ears– but you get the point.”

You took a deep breath.

Your spare hand twiddled with the hem of your top.

“You remember how I met you and your brothers as a high-school junior, right? Like by accident. Then some time of hanging out and fighting the Foot Clan passed, you guys and April accepted me.

Even when being so different in our personalities and standards, I guess we bonded well. I’ve always appreciated our friendship, because no one there tries to expect anything out of me. Like you guys only cared if I spend time. Although, you are all really goofy to be picky about a friend anyway.”

Leo snorted.

“Except, this year, I’m a senior.” A frown tugged on your lips, and your twiddling hand crept to hold Leo’s other. “The final stage of high school before moving on to college... Even if I attend a school close to here, I’ll be so occupied with my classes, I won’t have any time to spend with you like we normally do. I’ve put in so much effort to focus on my studies. I’m scared to disappoint my family and everyone, but that means I have to give up seeing you guys too.”

Your voice began to break. Your hands retreated and buried your face. The stress of your situation dawned on you.

The thought of you leaving almost stabbed his heart. He clenched his hands. “Hey.” he shook your shoulders. “Enough of that. Don’t get yourself down in the dumps. So what if you don’t come ‘round anymore? You don’t have to be the one to visit us, (Name).” 

Leonardo pulled your hands away from your face, meeting your eyes again. 

“I mean, my brothers and I are ninja turtles, (Name)! April even handled the Foot Clan on her own. If we could do that, busy or not, you bet we’ll trespass the school for you,” he declared, standing up tall with his arms crossed over his plastron.

He seemed a bit too serious with that one.

“Woah, hold on there, Leon,” you laughed, tugging his arms to stop him from continuing. “You’re overlooking a few things, again. Roommates are a thing.” You counted on your fingers. “And would April and your brothers even agree to this? You guys are risking your identities, and April, her journalism career if an officer comes by.”

“No worries.” He tossed the ends of his mask behind, as if flipping his locks of hair. “As the ‘Face’ of Mad Dogs, with my charming personality and for the sake of you, my brothers and sister will never turn down my idea. And since we have Donnie, our plans are unstoppable. We can meet whenever, wherever, s’long as you’re up for it.”

He held his palm out, this time, asking for yours. “So what do you say?”

You stared into his eyes. His sly and devious grin, his charismatic persona, and his oddly-effective methods of reassurance. No wonder you would let yourself fall too long for him.

Your fingers wiped off the trailing tears that linger by your hues, and you leapt off of your chair to embrace Leo to your bed in a hug. Face snuggled into his shoulder while your fingers played with the ends of his blue mask. “Of course.” The red-eared slider tensed– you could tell. Though it wasn’t long until Leonardo loosened up, returning the contact by sliding his arms over your waist. It remained that way for a while, feeling each other’s body rise and fall between each breath.

“Mind if I show you something?” Leonardo whispered.

A soft chuckle left your lips. “Sure.”

“We’re probably gonna have to climb to the top of the apartment, though.”

Now, you tensed up. You could feel your palms become sweaty. You grumbled, “Leonardo–.” “Come on, I’ll hold your hand as we go; you’re not gonna fall,” he promised.

“Even with the fire escapes, you can’t expect me to trust them with how rusty they’ve gotten over the four years of living here. We’re five stories high!”

“Just trust me, (Name).”

You rubbed your palms onto your clothes, drying away the blood-rushing feeling in them. An hesitant smile appeared on your face. “All right. Fine, I’ll go.”

“You won’t regret it, Princesa.”

You shoved his shoulder lightly. Your ears flushed. 

“Please don’t.”

You and Leonardo ducked underneath the window toward the fire escape. At such a height of meters over the bustling streets, your heart rate began to speed up. But like the turtle promised, Leonardo took your hand firmly and guided you up. Your vision quickly adapted to the darkness, so you noticed there was actually– barely any rust on the escape. You could assume the metal had been galvanized. 

At least you could confirm that there’s a lower chance of the escape breaking apart. 

You narrowed your eyes. But never zero.

“All the way to the top, Leon?” Your voice held hesitation. 

“We’re close, (Name). You got this. Just keep holding onto my hand.”

The creaking of the ladder continued, until the two of you finally made it to the apartment roof. You heaved a loud sigh, relieved nothing went wrong. You dusted off your hands. “So, what exactly would this ‘something’ be, Leo?”

The red-eared slider grinned. Placing his hands on your shoulders, he turned you around to face the city. 

And your breath left. 

Your eyes practically glittered.

From that height, the city looked more enchanting. All those vehicles and voices sounded more quiet. So much so, the one thing you could hear were the cool breezes. You walked over and leaned by the edge, taking in the landscape. The mutant held his hand on your waist, making sure you won’t get caught up in the sightseeing.

“Leo.” You sighed in awe. “The view’s so beautiful.” Glancing between him and the scenery, you remarked, “You see this every night, running and hanging on those rooftops? I’ve never gone this high up during the night. And now, I wish I could do this all those nights ago.”

Leonardo only hummed. His hand held his chin, eyes closed, as if he was thinking of something else. You called to him. “Is something up? Do you have to go somewhere?” Your heart almost fell at the idea.

He opened his one eye, before huffing lightheartedly. “No, nothing’s wrong. There’s something–. I swear it should be here–.” Then, he whipped his head up. “Oh-ho! There we go! About time!”

“Huh?” Your eyes gazed up to the sky, covered in layers of clouds. From what you could tell, those clouds were heavy.

Pit. Pat.

Pit. Pat.

Pitter. Patter.

You felt something cold touch your head. It dripped down your face. “Raindrops,” you realized and faced Leonardo, strolling back to your side with a pleased smile. “You were expecting rainfall?”

The red-eared slider sat down by the edge, letting his legs dangle off. He patted the space next to him, meeting your eyes as he did. 

You remembered the height of this building. 

Being cautious, you hesitated. But after months of interaction with someone who’d helped save the city countless times– despite the idea most humans likely wouldn’t treat him back too kindly– you had always put your trust in him. 

“Sí, Cariña,” Leonardo responded. “What would be a better, relaxing day than some rain in New York City~?”

You raised an eyebrow. “I never realized you’re a rainy-day type of guy, Leon. I thought you’d prefer the sun... I mean, sunny weather feels more like your personality after all.” Your contented mood died down, when you found the turtle turning his head away. You quickly felt troubled.

“..Have I said something wrong–?”

“What? N-No, nothing like that.” Leonardo shook his head as he waved his hands. The silence caught up again, so you decided to continue speaking. “You know, Leon. Rain being part of your ‘something’ for me is really a coincidence, because–.”

“I overheard you.”

“I... I’m sorry?”

The red-eared slider felt his blood rushing and heart beating quick. He should be comfortable expressing his feelings. He was supposed to be overly confident! That daring kind of guy! That one mutant with the audacity– as Donnie often reprimanded him. But the embarrassment he felt here was high.

“When you were hanging out with April and Sunita that one time, I... might have or might-have-not overheard you say how much you like rainy weather.” Leonardo rubbed his nape with his clammy hands. His blush was becoming more apparent– even under thick clouds that covered the moonlight. 

“And since Donnie has a weather forecast that predicted a 70% chance of rain, I thought today would be a perfect day to show you the city lights.” His words slowly died into a sheepish mumble.

You were stunned. Your face couldn’t hold back the light blush either. “That was so long ago, I can’t believe you even remembered that.”

You pursed your lips and told him straight on. “I really appreciate it, Leon.”

Anything for you. Leonardo felt his heart flutter inside. “Yeah. O-Of course. I mean, you’re not wrong: I prefer the sunny days and all. Doesn’t mean I don’t mean it when I say rainy days are chill. Never thought I’d feel any more unwinded until today.” He brought his knees close to his plastron.

Soft winds blew. The sprinkling rain pitter-pattered. You could confirm: they were all reasons why you found rainfall soothing. “So,” Leon murmured, “You have any idea on where exactly you’re gonna go past graduation?”

Your face faltered, slowly looking back overhead the city. “Not sure. I could go to the one in Massachusetts to pursue my studies in a high-class school, or stay in New York. I hope to stay as close to here as I can, to be honest. Close to you and everyone: Raph, Donnie, Mikey, April; Casey and Splinter too.”

“You know Mikey’s gonna miss you treating him so well.” Leonardo rolled his eyes and scoffed. You snickered and spoke with the most annoying voice you could conjure up, “Aww. But he’s so precious, how can I not resist giving him special treatment?”

“Youngest child privilege,” he grumbled.

“Thought you love your little brother, Leon~?”

“Woah-woah. Hey now, Cariña, don’t get me wrong. I’ll always love my brothers when they’re not abusing their benefits,” he defended. “Speaking of which, how come I get any?”

You couldn’t tell if your forehead was sweating, or if they were only raindrops. Either way, you sensed some blood rushing to your face. You playfully crossed your arms. “Oh come on, I-I can’t answer that.”

“I’m being serious, (Name)! Let me count my hermanos off.” Leonardo extended all three fingers. “One, you treat Mikey like a mother to a kid. ‘He’s a teenager?’ My point’s still kind of there. Two, you buy a bunch of snacks for Raph whenever you visit. Low-key, I think he’s getting obsessed with shrimp chips. Three, you occasionally have Donnie to tutor you!”

You stopped him. “I wouldn’t even consider that last one a benefit, Leo.”

“Trust me on this one, (Name). As his brother, I know he loves it when he gets the chance to– in his words– ‘share his intellect.’” Leonardo did the bunny-quotes. “But what about me? I’m not looking for any favors– not trying to be that guy. I’m just trying to understand if I did anything wrong to be treated any differently from my brothers.”

You would have continued to tease him, thinking nothing serious of it. However, his fallen shoulders and pained expression told you otherwise.

You fell silent. 

You began, slowly moving your hand toward his, “Leo... I’m sorry, I can assure you you haven’t done anything wrong to upset me.”

“Then, what is–?”

Pit pat, pit pat, pit pat.

Plop, plop plop, plop plop plop.

As more sounds reached your ears, you cursed. “Oh my God. They’re getting heavier. I shouldn’t get sick for tomorrow’s assembly!” You leaned over the fire escape, stopped upon the height, and glanced toward the red-eared slider. 

“L-Leon–.”

“Don’t worry.. I’m here.”

The rainfall became dense. Leonardo held your hand all the way until you two reached your apartment window, where the water had condensed onto the glass, and where some of it fell into your bedroom.

You quickly grabbed two towels from the bathroom, drying any water off your head and on the floor. Walking back to the opening, where Leon waited, you picked up the turtle’s twin swords, knowing he’d have to leave soon. “I hope it won’t be too cold for you to handle out there, Leon.” You handed his weapon.

He shrugged. “Eh... What’s a bit of rain going to do to a mutant turtle living in the sewers? Don’t forget, I got Lou Jitsu’s blood in me too.” He winked. “‘The cold never bothers me anyway.’”

You huffed lightly. “Stay safe.”

“Will do.” Right as Leonardo was about to leave, by instinct, you took your chance and suddenly grabbed his hand, holding him back. The red-eared slider– with wide eyes– gazed down at you, confused yet expectantly.

“I.. I never answered that other question.”

Leonardo’s shoulders slumped. “Forget it.” He waved off. “You said you couldn’t tell me... I shouldn’t be begging you to spill anything personal.”

“No, not like–.” You sighed. “Just come here.”

Leonardo leaned down near the window, concerned. But then, your hand reached out through, fingertips tracing along his jaw, caressing his skin. Your intentionally slow pace gave him enough time to process this moment.

Your red-eared slider leaned right into your touch, and he gulped. His face bringing out a light blush. The very charismatic and overly confident mutant melted under your hold. You moved him closer and closer. Your hues locked in contact, before you both slowly shut them.

The tiny space between your lips gone as you crashed into a kiss.

“Mmm.” His shoulders visibly relaxed. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer, as he did around your waist. The heat on your face not going away. Leo’s hands trailed down and gripped your thighs, while you went on playing with the ends of his mask.

After what felt like a minute, you both broke from the kiss, panting softly. Those breaths can be seen against the cold.

“Eres buena para tu primer beso, Cariña~.”

“Como si tuvieras alguna experiencia con los besos, Cariño~.” You used your finger to close his gaping mouth. 

“H-Hold on, you speak Spanish–?”

“High school requires at least two years of a foreign language.” You kissed his neck. “Next time we get a rainy night, you wanna climb up the roof again?”

Before You Go | Future Leo X GN!Reader (Part IV)

A/N: Any constructive criticism is appreciated.

Summary: You’re both adopting-parents of Casey. What was expected to be a calm rainy night turned out to be more ominous than you would like.

Reader: Gender-neutral pronouns are used, except the terms “(Mama / Papa)” are also used. Second POV.

Pairing: Rise! Future! Leonardo X Reader

Warnings: None.

Word Count:  ~960

Parts: One / Two / Three / Four / Five / ...

~

All was quiet..

For once in a long time, rain poured down onto New York City and its boroughs. It almost felt like a rainforest. The climate growing hotter over the decade had the water vaporized into a fog. Though you found it suffocating, it prevented the Kraang from seeing clearly. 

Except.. that was only an assumption.

There were many things undiscovered about the alien race and their weaknesses. For now, your base was once again deemed safe.

The red-eared turtle laid on a rock-hard bed, snoring soundly. It was recent when some refugees ran across large segments of concrete. Used not just for sturdy walls, but to replace having to lay on soil. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but you’d never felt any cleaner.

Beside Leo was your sleeping form, arms around Casey. Or so he assumed.. up until something— rather someone— sharply jabbed into his jaw.

THUB.

“Augh!” Pain surged in his teeth and Leo recoiled. He groaned. He hissed. He was ready to yell, ready to complain, but then.. came a young voice to his inner ears.

“..Papa.”

The turtle loosened up his shoulders.

A loud huff out.

It was Casey. The going-onto-five toddler crawled onto his plastron and managed to kick his chin. Leo did not mind him climbing up, except, him rolling around….

“Case,” Leo whispered, “Come on, buddy. I’m trying to sleep here.” The red-eared slider dragged his hand across his face, his fingertips lingering on his chin as if it would help soothe the pain.

Then, he picked Casey up and positioned him between your sleeping form and his. However, the toddler whined and flailed his arms, thrashing not only onto Leo but also your back.

“Noo! Don’t sleep Papa! I don’t want to sleep yet.”

You mumbled in your sleep. That was the cue for Leo to hold Casey down, fearing you would wake up mad. Sleep was precious in a time like this. He knew it himself how much losing any could affect your ability to fight.

He sighed, grimacing. “God, you’re a hyper one. I miss that energy.” This was definitely Cassandra’s son. “Man, if only I know how to sing a lullaby.”

Casey huffed and climbed back onto Leo’s plastron. “What is it, buddy?”

“Red.. stripe,” he muttered.

Leo was taken aback when the kid began to tap his hands up his neck and onto his red markings. This genuinely made the turtle embarrassed, flustered. Sometimes, he forgot he had those features.

At least he was reminded of how unique he was.. and how much you would talk about your infatuation for his stripes back then.

“Cool..”

“You just noticed them now, huh?”

“Where is it from?”

“I..” Leo wouldn’t know how to answer that.

“Can I get one?”

Ah.

“Ohoho. When you go to sleep, bud.” Leo snorted. “You get these cool stripes if you let your Papa and (Mama / Papa) sleep.”

The toddler grumbled, throwing hands at the turtle’s plastron again. “But I don’t want to! Why do I have to sleep?”

Thump..

“Shh shh.. Sleep is important, bud. Do you want to know why we have to stay underground?” This piqued Casey’s interest. He’d never seen the overground, only heard it from the refugees’ stories. He’d also heard about the Kraang, though generally that they were enemies.

“Why?”

“Because the Kraang are monsters who don’t get enough sleep.”

“R-Really?”

“Mhm,” Leo warned. “Stories have it that if you don’t try to get enough sleep, you’ll slowly become crazy and a Kraang—.”

He immediately stopped once he noticed Casey tearing up a bit. The kid whimpered, “I don’t want to be a Kraang..”

“Ah, don’t worry too much about it, bud. If you at least try not to bother others and fall asleep, then you won’t become one.” Leo tapped onto Casey’s chest. “You see (Mama / Papa) over here?”

“Yah.”

“They’re sleeping. You don’t want to get them mad, do you?” Leo brought Casey closer to his face and tapped their noses together. He smiled when the child calmed down and began to giggle. 

“No, Papa.. I want (Mama / Papa) to stay the way they are.”

“Now that’s a good kid.”

—THUMP! THUMP! 

The ground suddenly shook. The dust and dirt falling from the dugout’s ceiling had Leo pushing himself upright.

His heart dropped. Oh no.

“Papa.. What’s that noise—?”

“Shh shh. Probably just Uncle Raph turning over. Get to sleep, bud.” He brushed the bit of dirt off of Casey’s back and carefully placed the toddler on the bed. “Papa’s only gonna check on something real quick.” 

“But.. where are you going!” Casey cried out his questions but was ignored. His father had already hurried his way through the underground base.

.

.

.

“Lee?” The younger brother stepped out of his room rubbing his eyes.

If Mikey heard that.. Leo was not going crazy then. Those noises.. they’d been getting close. 

“What’s going..?” 

Midway in his question, he quickly quieted down, seeing a harrowing expression on Leo’s face. Mikey had a feeling; he had some bad feeling when his bed shook. Was he willing to accept the worst however? He would never be able to. 

“Don’t tell me..” Mikey followed behind. 

“Lee. Lee! It’s not what I think it is, right?!” 

“I-I don’t.. I don’t know.” His older brother’s chest felt heavy as worse outcomes clouded his head. “We.. we’ve gotta check.”

“No no.. God no..” The box turtle prayed. “We can’t move! This was our place for so long!” Leo had never heard nor seen his brother so alarmed, fear behind those wide-eyes. The idea of leaving behind all those memories.. 

It was disturbing him.

“Mikey. We might not have a choice. It’s everyone’s safety above all else.”

“But where do we run to then?!”

Leo winced. He did not want to think further about this right now. 

The two climbed to the top of a ladder, a sewer plate that met their base with the overgrounds. Reluctant, Leo lifted the plate, eyeing around only to see mist against a red sky, glowing faintly under the moonlight.

“Crap. The fog’s not just a disadvantage to the Kraang,” he cursed.

“Anything, Leo?”

“Can’t see anything..” Leo tapped his foot on one of the rungs of the sewer ladder, and his brother began to climb down.

“..They’re not gonna stop,” Mikey mumbled.

He watched his older brother grimace, indicating he was still have a hard time accepting their situation: everyone seeking refuge underground in fear.. having so few resources and life left in them.

Mikey narrowed his eyes. 

“C’mon,” he spoke, reaching the floor, “You said to put everyone’s safety’s above all else.” He placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I know anything can happen, but.. as long as we take care of each other, we can push through this, Lee.”

.

.

There was a long silence before Leo took a deep breath. His hand reached over and returning Mikey’s touch, letting him know.. he was still there. 

“..Right. Thanks, Mike.”

Separating ways, Leo stumbled back to your bedroom with half-lidded eyes, expecting for Casey to have fallen asleep in your arms. 

Which did happen, just not in the way he was imagining.

You were up leaning by the room entrance. The kid was snoring in your arms as you held him close to your chest.

“Agh...” A drained laugh escaped his throat. “And here I was hoping he could be trusted with letting you sleep.”

“Don’t worry,” you smiled. “I’m not mad.. this time.” Leo would’ve returned it, if only he hadn’t seen your expression falter. “They’re trying to find us, aren’t they? They know we’re alive.”

Leo winced again.

“I have to admit.. I’m scared, Leo,” your voice wavered. You could feel it: the outcome was slowly becoming inevitable.

“No.. Stop that, (Name).” He held your shoulders, his thumb rubbing to soothe you. 

One of his hands then lifted your chin up as he leaned closer to kiss you on your lips. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, “I won’t let anything happen to you, Casey, or anyone else.. I won’t let them win.”

You furrowed your brows. “We. We won’t let them win.”

You let yourself get pulled close to Leo. You felt his arms wrap around your body, while you stilled yours around Casey, a tight embrace that showed more fear than reassurance.