"You have a date with Leo?!"
Sofia nodded quickly as she tried to manage the heat in her face. "Yeah. Tonight."
April squealed excitedly. "We've gotta get you ready! I'll help you! What are you gonna wear?!"
"I don't know yet. I was thinking something casual but cute, you know?" Sofia said as she rocked on her feet.
April quickly started rummaging through Sofia's closet, gasping as she pulled out a light blue off shoulder sun dress. "This is perfect!"
"Doesn't it seem a bit on the nose?" Sofia questioned as she took the dress from April.
"That's the point! It's blue! He'll love it! And plus it'll look so good on you!" April explained.
Sofia looked at the dress and nodded a bit. "I guess you're right. I'll wear it."
"What are we gonna do for hair and makeup?" April thought aloud as she studied Sofia.
"I was thinking just like a simple winged liner, mascara, and lipgloss for my makeup," Sofia answered.
April bobbed her head in approval. "Simple and accentuating. Perfect. And hair?"
"I could do a loose French braid. Curl the framing pieces. I think that would look cute."
"Looks like we've got a plan! Operation: Date Night is in full swing!" April announced.
"Operation: Date Night?" Sofia questioned with a snicker.
"What? It's fun! Now come on! Sit down!"
🍕
"Why are you so wigged out tonight, bro?" Raph looked up from his comic to see Leo staring at the counter with an intense glare.
"I'm gonna take Sofia to dinner at Murakami's and then I thought maybe we could watch a movie. Is that too cheesy? Maybe it's too cheesy..." Leo mumbled as he bit the inside of his lip.
Raph blinked for a moment before he laughed. "Are you really trying to impress her? You think tricking her into a date is gonna make her like you? You are hopeless, man. Hopeless. I can't believe you're still gonna go after her."
"Well, I mean-"
"Or are you gonna tell me that this is just a friendly hangout?" Raph teased, his laughter only growing.
"No," Leo started as he frowned a bit.
"You really are worse than Donnie," Raph continued as Leo tried to defend himself.
Splinter approached the two brothers with a raised brow. "What is going on here?"
"Leo's being a bozo again," Raph cackled as he slapped his knee. "He thinks taking Sofie out to dinner is gonna make her fall for him."
"Oh?" Splinter turned to Leo for an explanation.
"Well, it's not just dinner. I asked her on a date," Leo shot back at Raph.
The red clad turtle paused. "Wait... what?"
"You did now, did you?" Splinter questioned.
"Yeah." Leo nodded in confirmation. "It's our-"
"Leo?"
They all turned to see Sofia walk towards them. She wore a sky blue sundress that sat off her shoulders, her chocolate hair resting over her left shoulder in a braid with the short fringe pieces around her face being nicely curled.
"-first date..." Leo trailed off as his face lit up.
"Sorry, I know I'm a little early, but I didn't think you'd mind," Sofia said as she smiled at Leo.
"No! You're perfect! I mean fine! You're perfectly fine!" Leo sputtered quickly as his cheeks went pink.
Splinter chuckled lightly as he shook his head.
"Wait, wait, wait. You guys are dating?! When did this happen?!" Raph burst with wide eyes.
"Well, we're not dating exactly. Yet, at least," Leo said as he turned to his brother.
Sofia giggled lightly and leaned towards Raph. "Don't tell him I said this, but if he asks, I'll say yes," she whispered loudly, making sure Leo could hear her.
Raph looked between the two, his mouth agape. "When? How? Why?"
"Last night," Leo said. "I was gonna tell you guys afterwards. I just wanted everything to go well. And I know if Mikey found out we were going to Murakami's, he would want to come too."
"Okay, fair point," Raph grumbled.
"Oo! We're going to Murakami's?!" Sofia brightened up as she looked to the blue turtle.
"Yeah. I thought you would enjoy that. And I can actually go there with you," Leo replied.
"It's perfect! I love his gyoza!"
"Did I hear 'gyoza'?" Mikey popped up with wide eyes.
Everyone looked at him quickly.
"We were thinking about going to Murakami's after patrol tomorrow night," Raph said quickly.
"Yes! We definitely should!" Mikey agreed.
"Okay. Now shoo," Raph said as he waved his little brother off.
Mikey pranced off happily and Leo let out a sigh of relief.
"Go. Have fun," Splinter urged. "But I expect no funny business."
"Sensei!" Leo whined.
Sofia just laughed as she nodded her head. "No funny business. You got it."
Splinter watched with a smile as the two left towards the entrance of the lair.
"Did that really just happen?" Raoh questioned.
"I believe it did."
🍕
Sofia smiled as she walked with Leo through the sewers, heading to their destination.
"By the way, you look really pretty," Leo spoke up as he gave her a nervous smile.
"You think so? I guess blue does look good on me," Sofia flirted as she nudged him lightly. "Maybe I should wear blue more often. What do ya think?"
Leo's face lit up as he nodded quickly. "Yeah! You-you should! I would like that. It makes your eyes look really pretty."
She smiled as she moved to grab his hand. "You're so sweet."
Leo looked down at their hands and his smile grew.
They walked in a comfortable silence until they came up to a ladder that led to the surface.
"You first," Leo said as he let go of her hand slowly.
Sofia gave him a lopsided smile. "I'm wearing a dress, young man. Eyes front, soldier."
"What? No! I didn't mean- I wouldn't-"
Sofia cracked, her laughter filling the sewer tunnel.
"My eyes are always front! I promise!" Leo defended quickly.
"Mine aren't~" Sofia sang as she moved towards the ladder.
Leo's face was burning as he stared straight forward while Sofia climbed the ladder. He followed her up, his eyes not moving from looking straight in front of him until he made it to the surface.
Sofia snickered as she saw his glowing face. "You are so cute. I love seeing you so flustered."
"You're so mean," he mumbled as he grimaced.
"You love it," she said before pecking his cheek. "Now come on! I'm starving!"
Leo smiled as he felt Sofia slip her hand back into his. He gripped her hand lightly as they walked out of the alleyway beside Murakami's. He forgot all about staying out of view.
They walked into the noodle shop and the blind man turned towards them at the sound of the door opening and closing.
"Evening, Murakami~san!" Sofia spoke with a smile.
"Ah, Sofie~chan! Leonardo told me tou would be coming tonight," Murakami spoke with a wide smile. "I've already started preparing the gyoza. I wanted it to be fresh for you both."
"We appreciate it, Murakami~san," Leo said as the two took a seat at the counter.
Sofia turned to see Leo smiling at her. "So, anything else on the plan for the night?"
"Well, I was thinking we could maybe watch a movie or something. We don't have to though," Leo admitted as he looked at his lap.
She hummed softly and grabbed his hand once again. "I think it's a perfect idea. I just want to spend time with you. But maybe we could keep watching Space Heroes."
"You actually like watching it?" Leo asked as he moved his gaze back up to her eyes. "I thought you were just pretending to like it."
"You kidding? I think it's a funny show! And the best part is seeing your smile whenever you see Captain Ryan," Sofia replied as she squeezed his hand.
Leo felt his blush rise back up to his face.
"I think you're going to make him burst, Sofia," Murakami said as he set their trays in front of them.
"But he's so cute! I can't help myself!" Sofia gushed as she reached for her chopsticks. "Thank you for the food, Murakami~san."
"Anything for my best customers," the man replied with a curt nod.
"Itadakimasu," Leo spoke as he pressed his hands together with a bow of his head before grabbing his chopsticks as well.
They both began to eat the pizza gyoza they had been given, relishing in the glorious taste.
"Perfect as always," Sofia melted with a content sigh.
Leo watched Sofia's face contort into a blissful smile. He couldn't pull his eyes away as he continued to gaze at her while she ate.
She could feel his eyes on her, but she just let him be.
The calm sounds of Murakami cleaning filled the shop as the two ate and joked around through their meal.
🍕
"So you were gonna tell me and I ruined it?" Leo whined as they climbed up the fire escape to Sofia's window. "I feel like an idiot."
"I was the idiot!" Sofia corrected as she turned back to look at him. "I should've said something sooner. I just thought maybe I had more time."
"Why did you try to encourage me liking Karai then? You kept saying that you trusted me," Leo said as they stopped on the platform right outside her window.
Sofia gave him a small smile. "I wanted you to be happy. If you had chosen to be with Karai, I would support you no matter what. You're my best friend, Blue. I never want to see you hurt."
"Well, could we maybe be more than best friends?" Leo asked as he fiddled with his fingers.
"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, Mr Hamato?" Sofia asked with a grin.
"I believe I am, Miss Dellucci," Leo replied with a nod, his smile growing. "What do ya say?"
"I say, absolutely," she said quickly. "I could never say no to such a cute face!"
Leo's face went pink as he chuckled lightly.
"Now come on! I wanna watch Space Heroes!" Sofia opened her window and climbed through.
Leo followed her and looked around. Her bedroom wasn't anything too fancy.
She had a full sized bed with dark gray bedding. She had a few stuffed animals and throw pillows as well. There were cascading lights that hung on the wall behind her bed, casting a nice white glow across the room.
She had an open closet where he could see dresses and coats hung above a shoe rack that sat on the floor. Her tv sat on top of her dresser that sat against the wall. She also had a desk with a laptop and some strewn around papers, presumably her schoolwork.
"This is my humble abode," Sofia said as she sat down on her bed.
"It's cute. A lot nicer than my room," Leo said as he moved his gaze to her.
"Come here," Sofia said as she scooted back against her pillows, reaching for the remote to her TV that was on the nightstand beside her bed.
Leo sat beside her on the bed while she turned on Hulu, putting Space Heroes on.
Sofia slipped under her comforter and snuggled up against Leo's side. He froze as he watched her. When she got comfortable, he slowly wrapped his arm around her.
She could feel how tense he was, so she held his hand. "You're doing fine, Blue."
"Are you sure? I really wanted to make sure you had a good time tonight," Leo admitted as she turned her head to meet his gaze. "I really don't wanna mess this up."
"You're not messing anything up. I'm just happy that I get to spend time with you," Sofia replied, leaning her head against his side.
Leo's muscles slowly began to relax. "I'm really glad you said something. I was too scared. I didn't think I stood a chance and you're like my favorite person! I didn't want to ruin that, ya know?"
"I understand. I just thought that you didn't want me like I had thought. But I knew that I had to support you. You mean the world to me and I just wanna see you smile. You have a really nice smile," she said, a light blush crossing her cheeks.
He nearly chuckled before thinking about how she thought he liked Karai more. "Did I... did I make you cry?"
"Don't do that to yourself, Leo," Sofia said quickly as she sat up to face him.
"But I-"
"Don't make yourself feel guilty for something that's not your fault."
The sound from the show playing behind them was drowned out by Leo's thoughts. "How is it not my fault?"
"Leonardo, listen to me. I let my jealousy get to me. That was my fault, not yours." Sofia reached up to hold his cheeks in her hands gingerly. "And it's over now, right? Don't dwell on what's already done. I'm certainly not. I'm sitting here with you right now. I'm happy as a clam."
Leo melted into her touch, relaxed by the comfort she provided. "Me too. You make me really happy."
"That's my job," she chirped.
She went to lower her hands, but he put his hands over hers, keeping them on his face.
"You asked me yesterday what Karai has that you don't, but it's the opposite. You're so kind and caring. You're incredibly smart! I mean you speak so many different languages! That's amazing! You're strong and-and you have an amazing gift to go along with your strength. You're cooking is to die for, and you were willing to give up what you wanted to make me happy, even though you suffered for it. I guarantee Karai has none of that," Leo ranted.
Sofia felt her face light on fire as he gazed at her. Hearing him made her heart flutter with utter joy.
"I admit, I thought Karai was pretty and I thought it was cool that she's a kunoichi, but she is nothing compared to you. I would choose you over her any second of any day. Being here right now, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me."
"That may be a bit of an exaggeration," Sofia replied quietly as she looked at her lap. It felt weird being the flustered one.
"I mean it. I'm not gonna ruin this chance. I promise." Leo brought her hands down from his cheeks but continued to hold them. "I'll be the best boyfriend I can be."
Sofia smiled at their hands before returning her gaze to his beautiful sapphire eyes. "I know you will. And I'll do the same."
"Well, I don't know how good of a boyfriend you'll be, but I know you'll be the perfect girlfriend," Leo teased with a light chuckle.
"Shut up! You knew what I meant," Sofia groaned and turned to lay back against his side.
Leo snickered as he rested his arm her once more.
"I missed what happened! We gotta go back!" Sofia whined as she looked at the tv, reaching for the remote to rewind the show.
The two cuddled under the blankets as they watched Space Heroes together. Whenever Leo would quote the lines under his breath, it made Sofia laugh. She enjoyed seeing him to enthralled with the animated show.
Eventually her eyes began to droop as her previous excitement caught up to her. She curled into Leo's side as she finally fell into a blissful sleep.
Leo noticed almost immediately, not wanting to wake her. He smiled, thinking she looked so beautiful as she slept peacefully. He gently trailed a finger along her cheek, enjoy the soft feeling of her plush skin.
He waited until the episode ended and he carefully slipped out of her bed.
Sofia's eyes fluttered open a little. "Blue?"
"It's okay. You can sleep. I'll see you tomorrow," he said as he looked at her, grabbing the remote to turn off her tv.
"Thank you," she spoke quietly before her eyes fell shut once again.
Leo chuckled lightly and leaned over, pressing a kiss to her head. The mere action made his heart flutter. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but he would wait until she was fully awake before he asked if she would allow him to.
He made sure she was tucked into her bed before he laid one last kiss against her cheek. "Goodnight, Sofie."
With that, he slipped out her window and shut it gently before making his way back home.
🍕
Leo jumped the turnstiles with a huge smile on his face before Mikey and Donnie charged at him.
"You had a date with Sofia and you didn't tell us?!" Donnie shouted in absolute shock.
"What? Raph! You weren't supposed to tell them!" Leo whined.
"Wasn't me!" The red clad turtle announced as he threw up his hands. "That was all April. She came down all excited and told everyone that y'all were on a date."
Leo slumped. "Well, I was gonna tell you afterwards because I didn't want you all trying to hound me for questions."
"I do have one question though!" Mikey spoke as he grabbed Leo by the shoulders, beginning to shake him. "Is Sofia gonna be my sister now?! Because that would be so cool!"
"Not yet, but maybe one day," Leo mumbled as his face went red.
Mikey squealed as he jumped up and down. "This is amazing!"
"Gotta say, I'm surprised. Didn't think she'd go for you," Raph admitted.
"I really proved you wrong. So much for her being out of my league," Leo replied with a light chuckle.
Mikey then gasped loudly. "Did you kiss her?!"
"Ha! Leo's not that good!" Raph exclaimed as he slapped his knee while cackling.
Leo grimaced. "It was our first date! I'm not gonna kiss her right away!"
"I bet you ten bucks that you won't kiss her by the end of the week!"
"Oh, you're on!" Leo narrowed his eyes at his brother.
Not exactly what he wanted for his first kiss with Sofia, but now he was determined to kiss her.