Chapter Text
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April walked down the dry sewer tunnel, her high heels clicking against the concrete of the subterranean entrance of her new friends. Her brunette-red hair bobbed behind her, the curly waves bouncing in every step. Her bright yellow jacket clung to her form, keeping her warm from the sewers’ damp atmosphere. She wrapped her arms around herself, increasing the brisk pace in hopes to reach the lair faster than she anticipated.
It had been a hell of a week for her; work kept her busy to the point of exhaustion, and her sleep schedule had been affected terribly. Small naps she took here and there, but not enough to help her through the days. Twelve hour shifts have really kicked her ass at the 2nd Hand Antique shop she acquired. Thank every deity that her work week was over; being that it was Friday night, and she finally had the weekend to herself.
But April felt no joy for that. In fact, she felt ashamed of her actions. She’d been neglectful of her friends - the turtle brothers, whom she cherished in her heart so deeply. After everything that happened within the last few weeks, between the Foot Clan, Shredder, Eric Sacks and losing her old job, April had come to realize that her world would never be the same. Her new adopted family had been there for her every step; they were at first hesitant about letting her into their lives, seeing as they had never been in contact with humans before.
But after almost losing Master Splinter and the four brothers, April knew that she wouldn't have it any other way. They were her family, her secret, her cherished pet turtles as a child, and she would never trade them for anything, not even getting her old job back. She had been lucky to find a new job, playing catch up to help with any past balances she owed from the few weeks she was unemployed.
Her body exhausted that she wanted to slip into bed and call it a day. She’d been feeling under the weather as of late, but she brushed it off, figuring that the workload she took on was a side effect. She would rather be home in a warm bed with thick, comfy blankets wrapped around her. But no, her mind determined, she had to go see them. She had to see him . Her mind wandered over to Leonardo - the leader in blue.
Oh, how her mind drifted to the oldest of the four, his bright blue eyes bore into hers whenever they would have a conversation. She vaguely remembered the way his arms were wrapped around her when they slid down the snowy mountain slope after escaping Eric Sack's estate; his warmth and bravery melted her heart, burying deep inside her, and not wanting to come to light.
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April arrived at the metal door of their humble abode, and began pushing against the heavy metal slab putting all of her weight into prying it open. She had been so proud of herself to make it here alone, without any of the turtles accompanying her to and from her apartment. She finally pushed the heavy door inward, and felt the immediate warm breeze brush past her as she reached inside the subterranean home. Despite wearing heals, she climbed in and pushed the door shut, the loud creaking of the hinges hopefully alerting the members of the household of her arrival.
April turned around, and saw no one within the dojo; her blue eyes questing and confused as she looked around to hopefully locate someone, but finding emptiness that welcomed her. All was quiet to her, and it sent her an uneasy feeling into the pit of her stomach. Her yellow jacket clung to her as she rubbed her arms while trying to get warm. The heated breeze filtering around the room notified April that Donatello must have installed the heating unit recently, considering that they were reptiles and loved basking in the heat.
She climbed down the ladder they installed for her, careful of her heels so she wouldn't get tangled in the roped steps and sprain her ankle, like Michelangelo did one time. She reached the bottom of the ladder, and looked around cautiously, not knowing where the guys were.
"Hello? Anybody home?" April called out, hoping for a response back.
It was strange; April always let them know when she was coming down, or when they were going to be out of the lair for a while. She continued her investigation, wondering where her beloved turtle boys were. Walking briskly throughout the lair, she checked each room that was visible to her: the meditation room, dojo, Donnie's lab, the boys' bedroom, the den, the weight room, and the makeshift kitchen.
“Splinter?” April called out, hoping the fatherly figure would answer her back. Sadly, no response. Unless he was in a deep meditation session locked away in his room, he didn’t answer her.
She was puzzled - they were gone, without a trace; then again, she was dealing with four ninjas who were masters in the art of hiding. Were they playing a game on her? Were they trying to trick her, and possibly sneak up on her? It was a good possibility they would do that. But she knew better, her turtle boys would be too overjoyed to hear her voice in their home. She decided that they went out for pizza and would be coming back soon. Either that, or patrol duty as usual; April had no problem since she was always welcomed in their home.
She shrugged her yellow jacket off, and stalked over to the makeshift couch. She gave the boys points for creativity; the couch was crafted out of pizza boxes, as well as sturdy enough to hold all their weight. April sat down on the makeshift furniture, placing her feet up on the table in front of her. She grabbed the remote beside her, and turned on the TV, the screen coming to life with a movie scene of a martial artist performing kung fu tricks on his enemies, swatting and fighting them off like they were children. She laughed, probably a movie that Mikey was watching and forgot to turn off before leaving the lair.
April laid her head on a pillow, her eyes becoming heavy as the screen became blurry; the pictures fading and blending together like a watery mosaic that was done by a toddler. Her blue eyes couldn't stay open, her mind wandering in various places, but all the while, vivid images of Leonardo popped into her head, never leaving her dreams.
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Leonardo returned home from a night of patrol, his limbs heavy with the running and crouching he had done earlier that night. He should be used to it after years of training and discipline he had endured from his sensei. He was quite surprised that it was a rather quiet night in Manhattan. His brothers decided to have a little fun by going to a movie, while he decided to have the rest of the night off to relax and meditate.
That was the plan, until he opened the large door to their subterranean home while hearing the sounds ricocheting from the newly repaired den. He slowly walked into the warm home, wondering if Master Splinter was up and watching one of his soaps. He then remembered that his sensei was going to be doing a deep meditation session in his quarters. So if it wasn’t his dad in the den, then who was? He stealthy moved to the room while having one hard hand wrapped around the hilt of his katana. As he entered the den, Leo was ready to defend his family’s territory once again. But as he peered over to the couch and felt his chest tighten with trepidation.
His gaze fell onto April O'Neil, who was quietly asleep on the couch. Leo felt relief flow through him like a waterfall, calming his nerves instantly. His hand drew away from the katana’s hilt and felt his massive body glide over to the couch. Why was April here? Did they forget to tell her they had patrol tonight? He swore either Mikey or Donnie sent her a message via text or at least called her.
He took note of her brunette-red hair that flowed around her, framing her face like a halo. She laid upon the couch, her body still and relaxed along the pizza boxed sofa, no jacket on or a thick hoodie. She wore a simple black sleeve overall and gray t-shirt with blue jeans and her zipped up heels; her breathing relaxed and slow, signifying that she was indeed asleep. He knelt down to her level, his blue eyes never leaving her form. Brushing a stray strand of wavy hair from her face, Leo marveled at her beauty - a deity worthy to be worshiped.
When he first met April, he was very skeptical of her, debating if she would be a threat to him and his family. She was frightened of him and his family at first, but grew accustomed to their appearances. April developed a great deal of affection for each of the brothers as well as Master Splinter.
She was there for them when she met their sensei and learned of their origins. She saved their lives as infant turtles, giving them a chance at life. He concluded that she was their hogosha, their guardian who took care of them before they lived in the sewers. She was there when he, Donnie and Mikey were kidnapped by Eric Sacks, and rescued them. She was there to help retrieve the mutagen at Sacks Industries tower, facing the Shredder head on. Not only that, but April kept their secret away from prying eyes and nosy reporters, even after being offered her old job back, which she declined.
Leonardo admired her, she was a worthy warrior as well as a hogosha who deserved to be cherished, honored and protected. He carefully threaded his thick fingers through her hair, mesmerized by the soft curls gliding over his rough, calloused skin.
He noted her features - soft pink lips parted slightly, her creamy skin paled in the fluorescent lighting above them. Her petite body curled slightly in the couch, barely taking up any space. He quickly noticed she was shivering, silently reached up to the back of the couch. He began pulling down the thick quilt and covering her with it. Tucking her in, he froze briefly as she shifted in her sleep, nerves shooting up through him. Did he disturb her rest?
He felt relief settle back into him as he watched her body calm down, shifting closer to him in her sleep. He smiled slightly, brushing her hair back before leaning over her. He summoned up the courage to place a gentle but brief kiss on her forehead. Leo felt content as he retreated back on his haunches. Settling himself by the side of the couch, he kept a watchful eye on her, praying she wouldn’t be disturbed by any unexpected visitors, mainly his younger brothers.
"Sleep well, my hogosha." Leonardo whispered quietly, his voice hushed as he contained his watchful gaze over her while reaching for the remote and turning off the television.
Leo then began his duty to guard over his precious hogosha.
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April woke up slowly, her eyes fluttering open to reveal a familiar surrounding. The lair - her second home away from home; her safe haven from the insanity that the world above offered, and she hated it with a great passion. Her blue eyes wandered around the room, becoming more in tune with her surroundings. She sat up while feeling some stiffness in her back. She must’ve slept wrong on the makeshift couch. April noticed that the television was off, making her wonder if Master Splinter had turned it off to not disturb her.
When she glanced over, she immediately froze but smiled. Leonardo, the leader in blue, who sat cross legged on the floor, was quietly asleep. She edged her way closer on the couch, and gazed at his relaxed body - he was indeed asleep, his soft breaths confirming it. She let her eyes wander on his stance, his green skin taut and rough in some spots while smooth and gentle in others. His head on the arm of the couch, his arms crossed in front of his plastron; his breaths steady and silent that she wasn't sure if he truly was really sleeping or not.
April admired him for his beauty, despite being a mutated turtle. She lifted her hand, her fingers slightly shaking as she leaned closer to his face. The tips of her fingers gently traced the scar that ran from his eye down his cheek with a feather-like touch. She marveled in silence at his physique, his muscles not bulging but perfectly well built for his height.
Too engrossed with his appearance she wasn't aware that he opened his eyes, and took in her appearance with a stealthiness that he specified in. Her fingers brushed the rough edge of his mask and quietly loved the feel of the material, the blue standing out in the dim lighting of the den. She was startled out of her observing when thick fingers lightly tapped the inside of her wrist. April snapped out of her trance and peered into his bright blue eyes.
"Leo." April gasped quietly as she stared at him, questioning how long he had been watching her, and how long she was induced in her trance of him.
"Hi, did you sleep well?" Leonardo asked her, focused on her sitting up from her slouched position. She pulled the quilt around her tighter, snuggling into the warm material. His eyes bore into hers with a silent attraction that she wasn't able to read.
"Mhmm. How long was I out for?" April asked as she stretched her arms above her, not realizing the t-shirt slightly pulled up. Leo felt his eyes travel down her slight form, over her well portioned breasts and lower to her slim waist. His orbs stopped at her midsection, the gray shirt revealing a small amount of her tight, flat stomach. Leonardo slightly blushed and looked back up to her face while attempting to hide his embarrassment.
"About four hours. Is everything alright?" Leo asked her as he stood up and rolled his shoulders to take the tension out of them. He looked down at April and offered her his hand, which she took generously and was helped up to stand in front of him.
"Yeah, I just wanted to come see you guys, but no one was home. I hope you didn’t mind me letting myself in." April answered as she stretched her shoulders to let the kinks out, and looked at Leonardo sheepishly, wondering if she was in the wrong for barging herself into their home without their knowledge or their permission.
"April, you are always more than welcome down here. You have no reason to be ashamed of coming down to see us." Leo said as he looked down at her, his eyes steeled slightly at the fact that she might've blamed herself for being a burden in their home.
She felt giddy after he confirmed her presence in their family. April looked down at her watch, noticing that it was late. And by late, she meant eleven thirty late. She would normally be in bed by eight or nine the latest due to her new working hours.
"Oh shoot! It’s late, I didn’t realize I slept that long. I’m sorry Leo, but I’ve got to get going." April gasped as she grabbed her yellow jacket and slid it on before starting to walk around Leonardo to their door.
April felt her foot catch on a protruding part of concrete, causing the young woman to lose her balance. She yelped and was ready to eat concrete when she felt a set of strong arms wrap around her and brace her in their grasp. April gripped her arms around the thick neck of Leonardo, her heart pounding against her rib cage. She felt she would either pass out from the embarrassment she endured, or the fact that she was very close to him.
"You okay, April? I don't want you to hurt yourself now, why don't I walk you to the door?" Leonardo asked as he carefully set her down away from the broken slab on the floor, not wanting to have her injured in their home.
"Sure." April smiled as Leo led her out of the den and back to the entrance of their home, being such a gentleman about it.
When they reached the door, she looked up to the ladder and prayed her foot wasn't too badly banged up to climb back up. She truly wished she wore her sneakers instead of heels; reminder for her next visit down here. She reached for the rope, but Leo gently pulled her hand away and looked at her with a gentleness in his eyes. He shook his head no, and silently scooped her up in his large arms, carefully carrying her like a precious gem that was to be tended to with care. He embraced her close to his plastron, and jumped up to the platform while keeping his grip on April. He landed with ease, and slowly set her down on her feet, his eyes never leaving hers and being so careful with her.
"Thank you, Leonardo." April said as she smiled up at him while starting to open the door to return to her chaotic world above.
"You're welcome, April. You sure you’re alright to walk? I can escort you home just in case?” Leo asked her, holding the massive door open for her.
“I appreciate the offer, Leo, but I should be alright to walk home.”
“Will you be down tomorrow night?" Leonardo asked as she looked up at him and smiled brightly.
"Of course, I wouldn't miss it! I'll see you tomorrow, goodnight." April said as he bowed to her, signaling that he was saying goodnight to her silently. She climbed through the doorway and began her trek back to the above world.
Leonardo looked out of the doorway for a moment, watching her retreating form disappear from his sight. He shut the heavy door, and leaned his shoulder up against it while slowly smiling to himself. He already missed seeing April, despite her haunting his dreams almost every night since he first met her. Her brunette-red hair, blue eyes, her smile - everything about her was so bright and beautiful for him that he felt undeserving of her. But he wouldn't let his ego or pride get the best of him. He would see his beautiful April again, but he would make sure that the two of them would have plans together and uninterrupted.
"Goodnight, my hogosha." Leonardo said quietly as he walked away from the door, and drifted into the dojo, hoping some training and meditation would keep his mind occupied for a while.
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