My Fearless Leader | Leonardo x Reader

Back to School - Part 1

April didn't say anything when she received highly distressed waves from your direction. Nor as she watched you fiddle with the straw tucked between your fingers, tapping its ends back and forth on the table at an energetic speed. Strangely, she didn't notice or sense your blatant fussing until now.

Maybe because you all have been on the move all morning, getting your school supplies together for tomorrow. Now that you were sitting, still waiting for everyone's food to come, it must be bringing about more restlessness. These days, April often felt the defensive trepidation radiating from you. But she tried not to let it affect her interactions with you.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea choosing an outside table. Your gaze would constantly stray from the table to brushing over the streets and roofs. After being in a windowless lair so long, this must've felt incredibly exposed. "Y/n, you don't have to be nervous."

"I'm not nervous." You responded, unaware of what she meant until her eyes shifted to your fidgeting hand. Your eyes follow to the same tell-tale sign, making you pause awkwardly and cease the incessant tapping when you set it down. You sat back into your chair, not noticing the nervous energy transferring to your foot, as it was tapping a mile a minute on the concrete now. April shared a look with Casey, who was on her other side; one that wasn't hard to catch. "Really. I'm not nervous. I just... have a lot of built up energy. Ya know, being underground for the past ninety-seven days..."

"We told you, if anything was gonna happen in broad daylight, which it isn't, the only one who could even come after you was Kara– er, I mean, Karen..."

Your head tilts at the correction. "Wait, what?"

"Oh, I came up with a different name to use for you-know-who when we're around you." Casey spoke up with a grin on his face.

"Okay..." You shifted awkwardly, dragging the response out. You hadn't realized how obvious the surge of blood-rush through your body must've been every time you heard the name. "Why Karen?"

Casey stared at you, as if lack of response would put the answer in your head. "... You don't get it?"

Your attention flicks to April.

"Ya know, entitled, unreasonable; someone who whines over unimportant stuff and demands justice over the smallest inconvenience." She recited the explanation boredly, sounding like she's heard it before.

"She's a Karen!" He burst out in excitement, apparently pleased with himself. "I think it fits pretty well."

"My point being, The Foot don't operate in the daylight. They wouldn't risk exposing themselves. If anything were to happen, we can protect you against her. We already got you everything you'll need for school so we can relax now. Just think of this like a normal day, grabbing food with friends."

"Mhm. Normal. Got it." You nod firmly, trying to roll your shoulders back. Though you had doubts it was actually loosening you up, because it actually only made you realize just how rigid you felt. "I can do that."

Your arms stretched forward to rest on the table, and you slumped further into your chair to relax. Yeah, this looks casual. You felt sure no one around could see the defenses of your brain constantly searching your surroundings for that red flag, or the prickling along your arms and down your back whenever a car horn is blared from the street or a glass clatters onto a table nearby.

That's what you convinced yourself of, until a waitress balancing a tray and making her way between tables stumbles. In attempt to catch herself, she grips onto the nearest hold, your shoulder. And when she unknowingly flounders into you for balance, you immediately jolt away, feeling your hand clench tightly as your head whips to see the offender coming from behind.