The Bravery in his Eyes - A TMNT Leo X Reader Story

Chapter 32 - Confusion

"I'm gonna miss you more." He pressed a long kiss to the top of my head, and I‌ looked up so our lips could meet. The kiss was fleeting, but sweet. It gave me courage to face this. "You got this, Angel. We're all cheering you on today. I'm more proud than you know. Okay?"

I searched his eyes, detecting a hint of worry still lingering from before. "And you'll be okay today too?"

He gave me a firm nod. "I will, Y/N. Don't worry about me, please. Enjoy college. Make sure to find lots of stories to tell me later."

A small smile crept onto my face. "Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too." He cupped my cheek and pulled me in for one last kiss before letting me go. "Have fun. Text me if you need anything."

I adjusted my bag and turned to leave the alleyway, looking both ways before crossing the street. Leo's emotions still tore into my own. But I had to focus on school today, secure a future for myself. The moment I‌got into the building, I sent Leo a text with three hearts to reassure both of us. We were both going to be okay. We were both going to face our challenges.

The three hearts he sent back gave me a little more strength to continue on and find my first class.

Leo's POV

Karai's words were still ringing in my ears. Because you killed my brother! What brother? Karai has a brother? Apart from us?

As I walked back to the lair, the memories from the night before were relentlessly replaying in my head. I had been frozen to the spot in the hall and could barely blink as Karai started shoving her tanto directly in front of Raph's neck. He struggled before finally pushing her off and holding her against the wall with both arms twisted on top of her head. He threw her tanto away and put all his weight on her. "Okay, Leo, what do we do now?" he screamed impatiently.

Oh, crap. "Uh, take her to the lab. Cover her eyes." I managed to work through my shock and help carry her out of the hallway, Karai squirming from underneath us and whimpering because of her arms.

Raph placed a hand over her entire face and held it there firmly. "Don't worry, sweetheart, maybe if you stop moving, I won't squeeze you to death." That didn't stop her from moving, but whatever. He said his piece.

I pulled the lab door open to find Donnie asleep at his desk, drooling over whatever blueprints he had been working on. Raph and I slammed Karai down on a chair so hard that Donnie snorted awake and blinked a bunch of times before focusing in on Karai struggling on the chair while we tied her up with stray cords lying on the ground. "What the-"

"Just help us!" I screamed.

Karai kicked me in the shin, and I winced as I‌ held her down harder. "You're going to pay for this! All of you will!"

"Leo? Leo, you okay?"

I rubbed my eyes. I was standing at the entrance of the lair, just before the turnstiles. My mind had gotten so lost in the memories that I forgot where I was. Thank God I practically burned these sewer paths into my brain...

"Leo? Dude!" Mikey shook my shoulder. "Is Y/N okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I just dropped her off at school," I ‌mumbled. "How's...you know, Karai?"

Mikey hugged himself and stepped through the turnstile behind him. "She's okay, I guess. You should probably come take a look."

"Okay, what happened?" I‌ could feel my voice rising with every word. What did they do? I followed Mikey to Donnie's lab, where Raph was pacing back and forth in front of Karai and Donnie was holding an ice pack to his head. "Don, are you okay?"