Leo and Casey spent most of the morning hiking up to Talbot Point, the same place where they had fought that Chimera mutant about a year ago. The others had refused to accompany Leonardo when he told them his intentions last night groaning about the hour he planned on heading out but Casey had surprisingly seemed very excited about going. Well, he wasn't that surprised.
He had been spending more and more time with the human teen recently as he'd volunteer to tag along with him even on the most boring errands. He was glad. Even checking the perimeter alarms for Donnie had turned into an awesome time out. Casey had a way of doing that.
Once at the top, feeling sweaty and tired but very accomplished, they rested and looked out to the horizon. Casey made a jab about Leo having to drag a blind April up here last time and his answering laugh echoed around them.
"Echo!" Leo called into the valley and his voice boomed around them along with Casey's cackling.
"Goongala!" Casey cried out and soon after they were both calling out increasingly ridiculous things into the void.
"I ate Raph's last slice of pizza and blamed Mikey!" Leonardo confessed with his hands cupped around his mouth.
Casey guffawed, waited for the noise to die down before his turn, "I found Raph's porn stash and snuck a clown porn mag in the pile!"
"Clown porn?!" Leonardo started laughing hysterically, falling back on his carapace and rolling side to side as he hugged his abdomen, tears streaking down his face.
Casey watched him with a huge smile on his face. He decided then that Leonardo's laughter echoing around him was the best sound ever. Watching him as he slowly recovered, trying to catch his breath. His cheeks were still pleasantly flushed when Casey filled himself with courage and took a deep breath to yell out again.
"I'm in love with you!" Beside him Leonardo went silent and he could feel him sitting up to watch him. He closed his eyes and held his breath, his courage had left him with his voice and he didn't dare turn around to look at the turtle. He fisted his hands on his thighs. He had to, he had to see this through and whatever happened he'd know he'd tried his best to convey his feelings.
When he turned around he was met with a red-cheeked Leonardo looking at him with a bit of confusion and fear. "Me?" He asked in what sounded like the smallest voice in the world.
Casey nodded. "Are you sure?" Leo asked again, replied with another nod. "Not Raph or April?" Casey shook his head as his voice was still nowhere to be found and when he saw the glimmer of hope in the turtle's eyes he pulled him forward by the leather strap across his plastron and pressed his lips to Leo's smiling mouth.