So, these chapters have been requested for a while... so I made some for you! X'D
"Leo honey, are you okay?"
"No," he replied simply, pushing the air from his lungs with each swipe of his katanas.
I paused, coming to stand in front of him as he practiced his swordsmanship, his weapons cutting through air just inches from my face as I set my weight into one hip and rested a hand there.
"You wanna talk about it?" I inquired, watching his distracted eyes watching the swords swinging in front of me.
"No." He continued to twist and jab at nothing, focused on nothing in particular, barely registering anything other than my voice and the problems bouncing around in his mind.
I rolled my eyes, knowing if he didn't vent soon, he'd lock himself up in the dojo to meditate his qualms away.
Which, most likely, would take several days until his guilt or anger was completely dispelled.
I raised my hands, making sure to evade the blades whirling and twirling in front of me as the telltale tug in my gut ensued. Leo's katanas flew out of his hands, floating in midair in indecisiveness it seemed, before plunking down into the pool of water below the tire swing.
"Hey!" he complained, huffing and beginning to stalk toward the pool when my hand on his plastron stopped him.
"You can take a swim when you answer my question," I bargained, my hand slipping down to his fingers and intertwining. "What's wrong?"
He was silent, and I was about to telekinetically remove his mask to drop it into the water too, when he said, "I'm failing."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"What kind of leader am I?" He answered my question with one of his own, "I can't get my team to get along. Donnie's arguing about brains over brawn with Raph currently, and Raph is still mad with Mikey for ruining his ninja magazines, and Mikey is still ticked off that D used his skateboard and turned into a hover-drone. And you know what they did when I told them to calm down? They turned on me! They said I should keep my shell out of their business. Like they think I'm the one at fault for all the arguments and conflicts happening." His shoulders slumped. "So I probably am."
"Leo, I don't think they think you're at fault," I assured, leading him to the couch, "And this doesn't mean you're a terrible leader. You guys are brothers. You're bound to get in fights every now and then."
"But my team can't work together because of it! They're too busy trying to settle their scores with each other. And inability to function as a team falls on m--"
I cut him off with a small kiss. "Stop it right now. Your brothers are just being boys. We're all finally leaving the lair, which is most likely giving everyone a little boost in self-worth. Everyone is just a bit high and mighty with giddiness to start a life for themselves, that's all. And it doesn't mean you a bad leader, either. If anything, this experience is making you stronger by teaching you how to cope and find ways around an arguing team."
Leo smiled halfheartedly. "Have you ever considered going into psychology?"
I tittered softly, my hands roaming up to his shoulders. "I'm just observing. Psychology has nothing to do with it." I pressed my fingers gently against the taut muscles around his neck. "And another thing. All this tension isn't helping your body. You're gonna worry yourself to death."
I kneaded his shoulders gently, massaging the tensed tendons and making him sigh in relief. I giggled at how relaxed he'd suddenly become, setting to work and working out the knots in his muscles, grinning every time he smiled when I relieved some soreness.
"You always know just what to do to make me feel better," he commented, leaning toward me and kissing my cheek, allowing me to reach around his head and massage the back of his neck.
"I'm just doing my job to make you feel better," I explained, finally satisfied with my work when he reached up to press his lips to mine.
He rolled his now-loose shoulders once we'd finished our kiss. "I love you," he breathed, reaching forward and pulling me to him.
"I love you too, Captain," I replied teasingly, kissing him once more. "And don't ever think you're not leading your brothers well. You guys have come so far, and you can't beat yourself up and get yourself all tensed like that again."
He nodded in obedience, before his eyes flashed with a bit of mischief. "But if I do get tense again, I can bet on another one of those massages, right?"
I laughed, rising up and pointing to the pool of water. "Might wanna go get your katanas. Doesn't the current in there sweep everything toward the septic tanks?"
His eyes widened, and I burst into a fit of giggles watching him dive after his weapons frantically.
Me: *appears from the shadows* I have returned!
Leo: About time!
Me: hey, don't give me a hard time, I've been busy!
Leo: *snorts* yeah right. What could you possibly so-o-o busy with as to--
Me: Sophomore year of high school, performing in the school play, boatloads of homework, preparing for my pageant competition, coping with the election, and obsessing over Hamilton.
Leo: ...
Me: In case you couldn't tell, I've been incredibly busy. Donnie's chapter up next my lovelies!