Leo's POV
Y/n is sitting on the bed in her apartment when I find her. Covered with the insides of ripped and cut up pillows the trio of gangsters left as part of their mess. I climb through the window opening, seeing that the rest of her room is still in shambles as well. I can tell she wants to be alone, but I move forward anyway, being careful not to step on anything. For now, at least I know where she is and that I'm with her.
"Uh... hey."
She doesn't look at me as she sniffs and wipes her face, making my heart lurch. I take a breath, noticing discarded books from a battered book stand littered all over the cluttered floor.
"Y/n... you know you can't keep coming back here, right? It's too dangerous." I start gently. But she still doesn't say anything, or even acknowledge my presence. Too soon to bring that up I guess...
Insensitive idiot.
"I mean... what I meant was, you... uh, you seem to keep coming back here."
With every dumb word that comes out I can't help hating myself even more. This day has really screwed with my head.
"I don't know why. It's depressing."
I frown, and take another unsure step towards her. "How is your head?"
She's silent again, letting her hair fall over her face as she looks away, concealing her from me. I set the gift bag down on the bed before sitting next to her.
"Here... I brought you this." Gently I hold the ice pack to her head. She flinches from the contact, then reaches up her hand, her fingers gently gracing mine when she decides to hold it to her head herself. So I retract my hand.
She still doesn't look at me, but I can hear the hurt laced in her voice as she speaks.
"I... Why did you say that to me?" Y/n's eyes dart across the floor, averting me. "I-is that really how you think of me?"
I stare at her, unsurely. "Wait, what?"
Her free hand picked at a thread on the bed. "Just some charity case kid for you to help out?"
My eyes widen. "I...? Did I say that?"
She looks away but I catch her pained expression as she slides the pack off her head and sets it down. "'Cause if that's why you let me move in then I don't have to–"
"No, no, no," I move from the bed and kneel on the floor in front of her, gripping both of her hands gently but firmly. "Y/n, listen to me. I never meant to do those things to you. I would never hurt you– not on purpose..." I tried to remember how it happened, it had all gone down so fast... "I was pushing you away, and I guess I was too harsh, and when I saw you hit the door..." I look at her, and she was finally looking back at me. I sigh. "I am so sorry, but you need to know it was an accident."
"It was?" She watched me unsurely. "But you were so angry... Just last night you were kissing me on that rooftop and now you're snapping and pushing... I've never seen you like that."
"I know, I know. I wasn't angry at you. With everything that happened today..." I sigh. "It was a freak accident, and it's not an excuse, but it's the truth. I have never looked at you in that way. I have no idea where it came from, but I'm so sorry about everything I did."
For a moment Y/n watched me, and then she broke off eye contact.
"What happened today?"
"We ran into trouble... Mikey got hurt, then Raph and I fought... But it doesn't change anything. I shouldn't have treated you like that."
"No, tell me." She asks softly. "I want to know."
So I nod, wondering where to begin. "Basically... the Foot fleet showed up while we were out, and we were starting to become overpowered. I wanted to fallback before things got out of hand but Raph didn't want to leave and... Things got complicated." I shake my head, forcing myself to hurry and get on with it. "Karai had knocked Mikey unconscious and before I could get to him she dropped him off the building." I hear Y/n's gasp after saying it. "We got to him and barely got away but, Raph was angry and ran off." I exhale deeply, stopping myself there before the emotions and pressure come back.
Her eyebrows raise in concern. "Is Mikey okay?"
"His shell is knocked loose. His arm was dislocated, and on top of that he's got a gash on his head..."
"Oh my gosh... That's awful."
I sigh, attempting to relieve the stress through my breath. "Donnie said he'll be fine. Back to normal in a couple of weeks... I just wish I had known– I wish I had been there for him before she got to him."
Y/n nods slowly. She was staring at me, seeming to understand now. "Wow... no wonder... I had no idea." She shook her head. "I guess I shouldn't have kept pressing you like that when I could tell you were upset." I look at her again as her voice becomes apologetic. "I should've left you alone, I'm sorry."
I frown. "No, don't say that. It's not your fault." I stare at her for a moment, looking between those e/c eyes.
After my silence, she moves towards me and lowers herself to my level, sitting down with me and suddenly sympathetic now. "What is it?"
I looked into her questioning/concerned eyes, still holding her small hands in mine. I've insulted her, and made her doubt the both of us, so the least I could do is tell her what I actually think. "Listen, Y/n. The truth is... I think you're amazing." I smile, fighting the nervousness as I admit this to her. "You make me laugh more than anyone else, and knowing you has made my life so much easier... I would never want you to think otherwise."
I see a glimmer of a smile on her slightly puffy face. But her eyes are still sad, as if she's almost afraid to let herself believe it. "Really?"
"Really." A small smile tugs at her lips, and I smile too at finally seeing hers. "I promise I will never hurt you again. And I won't stop trying to make it up to you. So, can you forgive me?"
Her smile widens and she looks down bashfully. "Yeah..." she nods. "Yeah, we're cool."
"Whew..." I breathe, relieved. Y/n looks at me again, surprising me when she wraps her arms around me in a hug.
I grin and squeeze her back, feeling a surge of warmth in my chest at the feel of her embrace.
She pulls away after a few more seconds, and when we look at each other we realize how close we are, sitting on the floor with one another like this. Y/n bit her lip before moving her hands off my shoulders, and I pull my hands from around her waist. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the touch... but I didn't have to miss it for too long when she held my right hand in both of hers, looking down at it.
"How is your hand?" She asks, now noticing my wrap up job on it. I smile a little, remembering again how selfless she is, to be worried about something as frivolous as my hand right now.
"I'm okay. It doesn't hurt too bad... But I'm more worried about how your head is feeling."
"It'll be fine. Just aching but... I'm okay."
I nod slowly, feeling guilty all over again, and knowing it'll probably bruise over.
But before I can apologize again, I remember something else.
"I completely forgot to pick you up from school..." I mumble aloud, the guilt doubling when I remember another mess up.
Y/n tilts her head, looking surprised I brought it up. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault."
"No, it's not. I'm supposed to make sure you get home safe."
"Leo, it's okay." She shakes her head and smiles. "Everything went fine."
"I... I'm sorry," I uttered, feeling like it wasn't enough. "Geez, I guess I wasn't much help to anyone today."
"Stop it, Leo. You were preoccupied, it was an emergency. Plus, today was actually our last day, so you won't have to pick me up so late anymore."
"Wait, really? That's too bad... I kinda enjoyed our alone time."
"Our... alone time?" She repeats.
I freeze and blush, realizing what I just said. "I-I mean... I enjoyed the time together– well not together, but... ya know, when it's just you and me it's..." Y/n giggles at my flustering. "It's always fun..."
She grins and leans closer. "I enjoyed it, too. But even though you can't walk me back anymore, now I can spend more time at the lair after school."
I grin widely, feeling happier at the thought of her being around more. And trying to ignore the embarrassing pink tints growing on my face.
Play it cool, Leo. Don't act like a dork...
I cleared my throat casually, then notice the paper bag behind her in the bed. I immediately remembered one of the most important things I couldn't forget. "And I uh, I saw the gift you got me."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah... You didn't have to do that." I smile at her warmly, just realizing how sweet of her it was to do this for me.
"I wanted to."
"I'm surprised you even remembered which one I was missing. It was so long ago when I told you."
She shrugs and smiles softly. "I remember everything you told me."
I grin. "Well, thank you. A lot. It was sweet of you... I can't wait to start reading it! I can finally find out what happens to Captain Ryan and his crew after that demon space gremlins incident."
She laughs softly, grabbing the pack and getting up. "I don't really know what it is you just said... but, I think I'm ready to go back now. I really am getting depressed from being here."
"Wait..." I get up and grab her hand to pause. This whole time I've been wanting to hold her and reassure and kiss her without being able to act on it... and now...
"Hm?" She stops and looks at me. I pull her closer and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her towards me. She blushes, accidentally dropping the ice pack as her hands find their way to rest on my shoulders. "What are you doing?"
"I just... really want to make sure you know how much I like you."
She smiles timidly, waiting for the next move. And before I can back out of it, I take the chance and lean down, softly pressing my lips against hers. Her breath catches and I feel her tense up a bit. But soon after a couple seconds, kissing her as gently as I can, she slowly relaxes into my arms and kisses me back. My heart soars, and her arms stretch out to wrap around my neck.
I hold her closer as all of our suppressed feelings surface and pour out between us into this amazing kiss that felt way overdue. She hugs me in the embrace and I do the same until we finally break away.
Y/n was grinning widely, red still coloring her cheeks. "I-I like you, too," she says softly, and my heart leaps in response to hearing her admit it.
"Say it again," I mumble, slipping a hand into her hair and kissing her more.
"I really like you."
"More."
"I like you a lot, Leo," she giggles this time.
"Just– say it a million times."
She laughs softly, her face getting redder. After a couple more short but sweet minutes of soft kisses, we pull away again, happily hugging and holding each other.
It felt so right. Standing here with her like this. Even in the midst of all the debris in her old room and the lingering worry of Mikey injured down in the lair, it's like the pieces of the puzzle were locked into all the right places. Like all the pieces were fitting back together, better than before.
"You two done yet?" We both jump when a third voice breaking through the silence, and look to see Raph crouching in the window. Y/n's face somehow turns even redder than before.
And mine probably would be too, if I weren't more annoyed and disappointed with him than I was embarrassed. And at the same time, I realized how I hadn't even sensed Raph's presence, and how it only confirms the way she can capture my attention.
Raph just smirks when we don't say anything. "It's about time."
I raise an eye ridge, but restrain myself from saying what I'd really like to say to him while Y/n is here. "You cool now?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm cool. A little less after seein' you two makin' out like that." I give him a look. His smirk widens and he raises his hands up innocently, backing off. "Let's go." He jumps from her window and I look down at her, laughing at her crimson dusted cheeks.
She looks up at as I open my mouth. "Not a word."
I smirk at her in silent obedience. Instead I grab the gift bag so we can leave. But when a strip of paper slips out of it and flitters to the floor, I pick it back up. There's someone's phone number scribbled on it.
"Whose number is this?"
She looks at me confusedly then to the piece of paper. And her eyebrows raise in what looks to be realization. "Did he...?" She mumbles, trailing off.
"What?" I ask.
She looks at me, then chuckles awkwardly and shakes her head. "Uh, nothing... Don't worry about it." She takes the paper and lets it fall to the floor to join the rest of her old broken stuff.
My head tilts curiously, but I nod and take her word for it, as those big e/c eyes beam up at me. Y/n and I walk out of the apartment, following Raph hand in hand.
If this had to be the worst day ever, at least I have my silver lining.