"Hey! Behind you!" I yell quickly.
The turtle turns just in time to duck under the blade, causing the creepy man to stumble into the other. It soon turns into a two-on-one fight. I hastily grab the rusty metal pipe again and hear the turtle hiss in pain as the knife cuts his arm. He glares and strikes the pressure point on the man's neck. His body goes rigid before he falls unconscious to the ground.
I take that opportunity to hit the other man over the head with the pipe as hard as I can. He crumples to the ground. The turtle looks from him to me with a nod, seeming impressed. "Nice."
I smile a bit, exhaling deeply and having no idea what just happened.
• • •
"Are you okay, Miss?"
"Yeah..." I look around at the four unconscious bodies. "Thanks to you anyway..."
"Don't mention it."
Sighing deeply, I release the pipe from my hold, letting it drop with a clang.
The mysterious hero's eyes stay on me, and I suddenly become nervous– paranoid. "What?"
"I'm impressed. You're not running, or screaming. Yet."
"Oh. Should I be...? You haven't actually hurt me... yet."
A smile tugs at the edge of his lips. "Don't worry. I didn't take care of these four just to hurt you."
"Well, in that case," I shrug, still trying to catch my breath. "I mean... you just saved me from four child predators so I don't think that reaction is really necessary."
This makes him actually smile at me. "Maybe you don't mind me asking then, why you're out all alone this late anyway?"
"Oh, well, f/a at school has been running pretty late for a while. And cab rides turn out to be more expensive and awkward than I'd hoped, so I'm pretty much stuck walking home every night without..." I explain but trail off when I see his arm heavily starting to bleed.
"What's wrong?"
"Um... you're just bleeding pretty badly there."
He glances down at his wound and sighs, but shakes his head. "Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it at home."
I take off the jacket I'm wearing and offer it to him. For the wound of course. I'm no medical expert but I've seen enough movies to know this is what you're supposed to do as a temporary alternative, to avoid excessive blood loss I'm guessing. And that sucker was oozing a lot of his insides after just a few seconds.
"I appreciate it, Miss, really. But I don't wanna get blood all over your jacket. I can take care of it myself."
"It's really not a big deal. You're bleeding a lot. And it's an awful jacket anyway. Does nothing to keep me warm."
With a smile, he takes it from me and presses it against his arm with a wince, but I take it from him and start to tie it around his left limb myself.
The guy smiles once again and looks down at me. "Are you close to home? I can escort you the rest of the way if you want. Right after I call the police on these guys, that is. Again." He asks me before nodding his head to the knocked out bodies.
"Sure, my apartment's at the end of the block."
He nods and picks up my bag after not so gracefully nudging a body off of it. I smile more at his chivalry and show him the way to my apartment.
• • •
"So... do you always just, jump over rooftops like that?" I asked when an uncomfortable silence returned after Turtle Guy got off the phone with the cops to go pick up those unconscious perverts he left tied up in the dark alley.
"Yeah. I can't really be seen by people," the savior replies, tucking his cute turtle-shell matching phone away into his belt.
Duh... I think to myself. That was obvious in retrospect.
I climb through my apartment window to my living room and look back to him as he stays crouched in the middle of the windowsill. "You can come in."
"I'm not sure that's the best idea." He whispers as he looks around, then smiles to me. "Don't parents usually freak out about mysterious boys with their daughters in the middle of the night?"
I chuckle at his joke. "C'mon, it's fine."
He looks at me hesitantly. "Are you sure?"
I roll my eyes playfully and walk over to the kitchen. "Come on, scaredy turtle. My parents aren't here."
...
Cue mental facepalm.
What? Scaredy turtle? Seriously, Y/n? Did that actually just come out of your mouth?!
I smile as he comes in, and keep talking to cover up my stupid remark. "You're just lucky I accidentally left the window open this morning."
He chuckles and sets my bag down on the couch. He then looks back to his arm and sees the blood had trailed halfway down his arm through the makeshift "bandage" and frowns. "I hate to bother you more but I should probably go ahead and wrap this. Do you have anything I could use?" He asks as I open my refrigerator.
"Yeah. Medicine cabinet in the bathroom." I point down the hall. He nods a "thanks" before going in.
A few minutes later he comes back, his arm cleaned and in wrappings, but some blood was already seeping through those.
"I'm sorry about your jacket, Miss." He hands me the one I had offered him before.
"It's okay, it's just a jacket." I shake my head so he doesn't feel bad. "How's your arm?"
"It's just a little cut. No harm done. Thanks." He smiles, and I nod.
"Water or something to eat?" I offer him. He shook his head, but I know better and smile awkwardly in attempt to play hostess. "Maybe you're thirsty from battling four old guys. Or need something for the blood loss?"
For a second, he just blinks. Then he smiles gratefully. "Fair point. Water?"
I nod and toss him a water bottle from my refrigerator.
"Thank you."
"Don't. It's the least I could do." I sit down before looking at his arm again, and the bloody wrappings. "You sure that'll be okay?"
"Oh yeah, I'm used to stuff like this. And I'll be able to wrap it better at home. I can help you with your hand, if you want."
"Huh?"
He points at me, or rather my hand, which has started bleeding too. There were small cuts and scratches from when that man ripped the rusty pipe from me. I hadn't even noticed til now...
The boy has already sat down and has some Neosporin. He gently takes my hand, holding my palm up, and sprays it on the cuts. I hiss at the instant sting and pull my hand back.
"Sorry. Are you okay?" He asks.
"Yeah... Ugh, now I remember why I never use that." I say as I shake my hand out.
That makes him smile before holding his hand out for mine. I place my hand back in his, then notice how well they fit together. I grimace at the sting but try not to pull away again, and occupy myself by subtly staring at him. My mind was racing back there in that alley, so I'm really just now getting a good look at him.
He had a muscular build. A scratched up shell with three-fingered hands. And big feet, but they still looked appropriate for the rest of his body– considering. Still completely green, too. Yep, it's no question, there's no way it's a costume... Looks like those mutant rumors from the news are true.
His face was a nice shape actually, and his blue mask brought out his amazing eyes.
I mean– his eyes.
I'm glad he's concentrated on my hand because I'm pretty sure I'm actually starting to blush...
What are these weird reactions? Have I really avoided social interaction so much that the second a stranger talks to me my face starts burning????
I shake my head and look elsewhere, before he can catch me analyzing and I make him feel bad.
He continues to clean the cuts, oblivious to my previous staring.
I've been around him for like ten minutes, but there's just... something I like a lot about him. His calm disposition. Maybe the humane way he sits here and takes care of the cuts on my hand. It's easy to tell he's different from all the obnoxious, annoying guys at my school, so maybe that's just a nice change. It's easy to notice his open and caring demeanor, and how gently he holds my hand as he tends to it.
"Am I hurting you?" He catches me staring as he nearly finishes.
"Huh? Oh– no! Not at all. Sorry, I– I zoned out for a second..."
He nods, watching me, then smiles politely in response to my outburst. "Thinking about how you don't normally meet green mutants on your Thursday nights?"
I smile at his humor. "Something along those lines."
"I have to give you your props. Your reaction was fairly tame for an unsuspecting civilian."
"Maybe we should wait 'til the shock wears off." I joke, staring blankly as he wipes down my hand. "I don't think I've come back to reality yet." I mumble, but cringe once I realize what I've said. Kicking myself mentally, I wonder why I felt the need to say all that after he's just helped me twice. But he doesn't seem to take any offense. After that close call alien invasion last year I'm just glad I came across someone friendly.
"We're way past that point." He disagrees, letting my hand go and watching me in curiosity. "You're just better than other people about it." He commends, setting the spray down.
"Or maybe I'm just that tired." I wonder aloud to myself. Oh my God, Y/n get a freaking filter. "I mean– I'm just exhausted from school. You're really not that scary. You're not scary at all! I just–"
"It's okay, Miss. Really." He stops my rambling with a light hand on my arm. "You're a human, I don't expect you be used to seeing someone like me. You've been very nice. I appreciate it."
"Oh... I'm glad, then."
His smile widens, and he gets to his feet. "And I've really appreciated your hospitality, but I should get home now."
"Right. Well, thanks again, for everything." I walk over to the window with him and watch as he climbs out. Adrenaline from that encounter and nearly falling off my fire escape was starting to wear off, and I realized how bad things could've actually been if he hadn't shown up. "Seriously... "
He smiles. "You, too." He pauses, lingering in the window. "I would really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about seeing me tonight..."
"Oh, yeah sure." I wave my hand. "I do owe you." I smile a little, and shove my suddenly shaky hands into my armpits. "And I don't think anyone would believe me anyway."
He returns a warm, appreciative smile to me. "Like I said, it's just important that nobody knows I exist."
"It's no problem."
"Thanks. And hey, maybe get some mace to carry around with you? I don't want something bad to happen if you have to walk at night again."
I nod my head, feeling my heart beating a little harder for some reason. Then I remember something else before he can take off. "Ya know, I never did get your name."
There's silence for a moment, as if he's wondering if I should know or not. "Leonardo." He smiles decidedly. "You can call me Leo. And yours?"
My smile widens a bit. "Come by again sometime and I'll let you know."
Leo chuckles. "Deal."
Then he jumps off of the fire escape and runs off into the night.