Getting married
Karai had no idea how she got into this mess. Oh, wait…
Tangled in the sheets between Leo's legs, her back pressed against his hard chest with her hand still playing with his mahogany hair, her pink lips quivered up in a lazy smile. After a long battle that they somehow hadn't gotten harmed in, and all the aching limbs were caused by afterwards hours in bed together, all she could think about was the heat radiating through their bodies while Leo was pulling her even closer with his arm around her waist – he could still be so innocent sometimes even after everything they'd been through.
Abruptly the arm is gone and Karai shivers at the loss of warmth somehow feeling less secure even though they were home and he was still there. She could hear him go through a nightstand and she fought an urge to roll her eyes.
"Leo," she whined, fidgeting in bed.
"Don't turn around." His frustration was clear as the Moon on a cloudless night outside New York. She huffed but complied. "Finally," he murmured. His arm sneaked around her waist again, his palm formed into a tight fist. His lips left a tender kiss in the crook of her neck and she trembled under his touch, hating how sensitive he still made her. As his mouth wandered upwards to her ear his fist opened revealing a dark circle. Karai's ember eyes automatically widened.
"You got me a ri-"
"Marry me?" he whispered diffidently, his breath tickled her ear. Karai breathing had stopped for a second or two. She scanned the ring carefully; vividly admiral Kyanite combined with gold shaped as a katana, end of a kissaki reaching ha-ganne, creating a ring. Out of curiosity, Karai takes the ring out of Leo's palm to study it. On shongi in gold, there's written '恋' and Karai couldn't help but admire how beautiful it was, yet there was doubt clouding her view.
"You want to marry me," she stated mostly to herself, and then turned to her other side to face Leo and ask, "Why?" Her ember gaze found his cerulean and his eyes seemed to have as a bright smile as his lips had.
"Because I love," he said as if it was obvious, "And I want to spend the rest of my life like this with you," he added calmly – which Karai found quite surprising since he was usually a nerve-wrecked, anxious and flushed while he was unsure of her reaction and she said neither yes or no yet.
"I want you to rethink it because I'm not a marriage type."
"You can't possibly know that," he chuckled, "Not until you try."
"What makes you think I even want to try?"
"You haven't said no yet, have you?" Damn you, Leonardo. – She thought.
"Let me rephrase it – what makes you think I should try? The outcome can be disastrous." She had no idea who she was trying to convince more – him or herself?
"We've been good for five years now, and we already have the same last name, and we live together. The only thing that would change would be wearing two rings on your fingers, is it really that unimaginable?"
"Marriage is not only about jewelry, Leonardo," she told him, "We would also be family-"
"We already are," he interrupted, a smile never once faded from his face. He really wasn't getting her point.
"What about the future? When you want more… of the family? When you want kids? And before you say anything I know you want kids."
"So I do? Why, is that a problem? Don't you want to have kids?"
"I'm not too thrilled. I wouldn't make a good mother."
"And why not? You do a damn good job with kids at the dojo," Leo contradicted, raising himself up in his elbow.
"They're scared of me," Karai noticed.
"No, they aren't. You're just a strict teacher, so they do everything you order without a question, but that doesn't mean they're scared."
"They don't know the whole me."
"But I do and I'm not scared."
"You're not a kid."
"Mikey likes you," Leo snickered, "And he ain't scared, and I bet our kid would be less childish than him."
"So you already thought of our kid?"
"Maybe a little…" he admitted.
"So tell me."
"No, not until I know it won't be a waste of time. So what do you say?" Leo tore his eyes away from hers to glance at the ring in her opened palm.
"So we would live together, -"
"Like we already do."
"I would take your name-"
"Like you already have, actually I kinda took yours…"
"I'm supposed to have sex only with you?!"
"You've had sex with only me for last 5 years and until now you've never complained. Unless you want to confess something?" He raised his eyebrow questioningly.
"You make marriage sound so easy…"
"Because it is. It can be easy for us." He tried to convince her. "You can think about it if you want." Karai looked back and forth between Leo and the ring in her hand. It can be easy for us. – Replayed in her head over and over. Nothing would change. Eventually, she might become a mother of Leonardo's child – a man she truly loved - he believed in her, he didn't push, he always was there to help her when she asked and sometimes when she didn't.
"If it won't be easy I'll divorce you just like that." She snapped her fingers. "Now put it on me already." She smiled giving him back the ring only for him to place it on her finger. When it was done he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately and tenderly at the same time.
"恋してる" he mumbled against her lips.
"Well, you better."
This wedding was becoming more and more of a headache than she had ever thought it would. First, Shinigami made her try various flavours of wedding cakes as if it was the highlight of the upcoming day, then Mona drove her outside the city to show her few places where the ceremony could take place, and at the very end April took all of them to find Karai a perfect wedding dress, and that's where Karai lost it. She tried on at least fifty dresses and thirty pairs of white high-heels – all of them looking exactly the same.
She found nothing that she liked, every dress being too puffy, too sweet and too white for her taste. When it came to the food she decided to leave it up to Leo – she already felt as if she gained about ten pounds in one day. Places Mona showed her were nothing special and she would see just as much on a photo as in person.
She dropped her bag on the floor just after she closed the door behind her. She found no sight of Leo so she went straight for a couch to lie down. Footsteps were soon heard from the kitchen and Leo came into the living room seconds later.
"Hey, how was your day?" He kneeled in front of the couch and kissed Karai's head.
"Exhausting," she sighed, "I think you should be in charge, 'cause it's unlike I'm gonna get everything done in time," she confessed, shutting her eyes. The marriage didn't seem so scary anymore but the wedding was whole other story.
"Take a nap, you'll tell me about everything later. Oh, my bros and I got few restaurants to send us some food to try-"
"No! No more food!" she complained.
"Karai… baby, wake up." She felt someone shake her. When she opened her eyes room was lightly lit by warm yellow light, making Leo look so much more mature than he was.
"I told you not to call me that." She stretched. "What is it?" She glanced abruptly at a clock on one of the walls and was colored shocked when it was just nine p.m.
"I thought you'd like a hot bath." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. Leo liked to do those little things and over the years Karai learned to appreciate them. "C'mon." He led her to the bathroom where they also already was a tray with a mug filled with her favorite green tea.
She smiled warmly at him and pecked him on the lips – she was yet not used to thanking people, besides she found the gesture more illustrative.
"Take your time," he told her, "I can massage you later," he offered.
"Mm," she sighed, "I might be in the mood for that," she teased.
Babbles, peony smell, and candles were not exactly Karai's taste but she enjoyed her relaxation nonetheless. She didn't bother to put anything on – not that Leo brought her a pajama. She went straight to the living room where by the table Leo was working on some papers with his nerdy glasses on.
"Ready to give me that massage?" Leo smiled before looking up. His jaw never failed to drop when he saw her like this.
"Um…" he checked her out shamelessly. "Are… Are you?" he stammered. Instead of answering Karai turned on her heels and went straight to their bedroom.
A massage routine was always the same, ending with bodies pressed tightly against one another tangled in messy sheets.
"Okay, I'm either that bad or there's something on your mind." He noticed her distress. He always had.
"We should postpone the wedding," she confessed, turning to face him.
"What?!" His voice was squeaky while his eyes shone with hurt.
"It's not like that," she calmed him; "I just need more time to organize everything."
"I thought girls were helping you with that…" he trailed off doubtfully.
"Oh don't get me started on them! They might be the reason I won't be ready on time," she sighed.
"Tell me." So she did. She told him how she would not swallow another bite of anything in at least a week. She told him she would not get inside a car for the rest of the lifetime to travel anywhere. She told him how her feet ached from various heels she had to try on.
"And the wedding dress?" She stayed silent. How could she tell him she hated every single one? How could she tell him the most important thing in the wedding for a woman was the one she found hardest to find? "Hey…"
"Leo…" What could she say? "I hate them as much as Anakin hates sand." A storm of laughter erupted from his swollen mouth, filling the room with warmth.
She was never a huge fan of science fiction, but she knew how much Leo loved them - she mentally high-fived herself for making the best of the situation. When he calmed down, though, he sat up, taking her palms in his with a soft smile.
"You don't need a wedding dress. Not unless you want one."
"What would I wear then?" She raised her eyebrow questioningly.
"I don't care," he chuckled lightly, "You can wear whatever the hell you want. Shit, come naked if you please!"
"Might make wedding kinda awkward for everyone else that is, if they even let me into the church." But she laughed with him and suddenly all her inhibitions were gone.
"Don't postpone the wedding. I can deal with everything! Place, food, music! We can even order pizza gyoza for everyone and dance at the old lair. I don't care as long as you get to be mine-" She interrupted him with a kiss. It was tender and slow but filled with passion nonetheless. She was still not good at thanking people, but she was good at showing gratitude. She put everything she could into that kiss as her lips slowly moved against his; her uvula parting his lips as he welcomed her warmth.
"I wouldn't dare," she told him after they parted and his eyes shone brighter than the sun.
She called in sick – alright she wasn't hired by O'Neil or Mona, or Shinigami. But she nicely told them to leave her be for a day as she drove to the only place she had yet hope for.
Not a second after she walked in had she noticed it – yes it was unbelievably expensive and not worth it for just one night but she wanted to see Leo lose his mind over it.
"Ma'am, would you like to try it on?" Hell yes.
And he did – lose his mind over it I mean. Karai hadn't shown the dress to anyone before the wedding day and when girls saw it on her after helping her put it on they were speechless.
"God, Karai you look-" Shinigami was never meant to finish as her father walked in.
"Beautiful," he said with watery eyes.
"But it's not really a wedding dress," April complained and Karai swore if it wasn't her wedding day she would choke her – but since it was she didn't want to get her hands dirty.
"Well, it is my wedding dress," she smirked.
Splinter glared at the girls and they took it like a sign to leave, "Leonardo better take care of you."
"You shouldn't be worried about that. Honestly, I expected to get a lecture on how well I should treat him. We both know how fragile he is," they laughed and he sobbed some more before offering his arm,
"Shall we?"
"Yes."
"I'm proud of you." She didn't expect to hear it. "After everything you've been through, I'm proud of the woman you've become. Your mother would be, too," he added and Karai had to scold him,
"If you wanted me to tear up you should have done so before I put my make up on."
"I thought a big girl like you wouldn't cry," he mocked her as she fell into his trap.
They walked inside the church as the violins began to play. And as her heels hit the floor Leo turned to her. His eyes were wide opened in a second and his lips quickly curved into a broad, proud smile.
Her dress was a mix of a traditional kimono and modern wedding dress, but there was an exception to both – color. The dress was ombre-blue from top to toe with a delicate mix of an orange, pink and purple wrap. It was tight, hugging her every curve and loose on the bottom half, changing from a dark, almost black blue to so bright, almost white one.
"You look stunning," he whispered, taking her hand.
"What can I say? Marriage suits me."