Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT or any of its characters.
Author's note: I was inspired to write this after watching April and Leo sparring together at the beginning of The Creeping Doom. It is a very short story but I hope everyone will like it all the same. There is also a very, very, very tiny reference to when Leo and April were training together at the beginning of Meet Mondo Gecko. Ever since the beginning of this last season it has seemed like April and Leo are getting closer to each other (at least as friends).
"You're skills are much improved, April," Splinter said in his deep voice.
April felt her heart swell with pride at her sensei's praise. Beside Splinter, April saw Leonardo nod his agreement, his smile stretching wider as he looked at her and April found herself struggling extra hard not to let her face split into a grin.
"Now, see if you can defend yourself against Leonardo," Splinter instructed.
"Hmm," Leonardo said, drawing his sword with a flourish and leveling it at April. "Don't think I'm going easy on you this time, April."
"That's fine by me," April said, drawing her tessen and dropping into a fighting stance. "Bring it on!"
"Hajime," Splinter shouted and the two teens sprang into battle.
Leo made the first move. Lunging forward he made a wide, overhead swing with his sword which April parried with ease. April ducked around Leo's side, using her tessen's small size to catch him in the back of the head. Leo grunted from the sharp blow but quickly found his feet and was chasing after April again.
The two teens squared off against each other, sizing each other up. April moved forward, stepping well inside the range of Leo's sword. Rather than attack, however, Leo pulled back, drawing his sword in closer to his body. April made a few tentative swipes at Leo's head, trying to bait him into attacking again. It worked and she had to parry several powerful swings, both of them grunting from the impacts.
Splinter continued to watch them for several minutes, nodding his approval at April's improved form and technique. All those extra hours she had spent training with Leo had really paid off.
Eventually, Splinter's attention was drawn to the other three turtles in the room when he saw Donatello miss an obvious opening with Raph, and he moved over to them instead. April watched Splinter go out of the corner of her eye and turned back to Leo with a smirk.
"I noticed you haven't tried to pin me like you normally do," April said as she and Leo circled each other.
Leo blushed and glanced nervously towards his brothers and father. "Shh," he said, pressing a finger to his lips. "Not so loud or they'll hear you."
"You've never worried about that before," April teased as she lunged in close to Leo. Leo parried several of her blows before April managed to twist inside his guard and plant a kiss right on his cheek.
Leo actually stumbled backwards, completely caught off guard by the sudden gesture of affection. Leo touched his cheek where April's lips had touched it, the skin there still burning hot. His cheeks were a deep shade of red as he looked at April in surprise.
April flipped her tessen open and fanned herself with it. "Looks like I'm the one who needs to go easy on you," she said.
Leo shook his head, trying to clear it. "Oh, yeah," he said a smile spreading itself across his face as he dropped into a fighting stance. "We'll just see about that!"
April and Leo sprang at each other again. Leo kept his sword close to his body, trying to counter the speed of April's tessen by shortening his swings. After several intense minutes of fighting Leo finally managed to deflect April's tessen to the side. Stepping inside April's guard, Leo performed a leg sweep, knocking April's feet right out from under her.
April let out a cry of surprise as she fell backwards. She pinched her eyes shut, bracing herself for impact with the hard floor…but it never came. Instead April felt a strong arm wrapping around her waist. Leo had caught her mere inches before she hit the ground.
Their faces were very close together as Leo held April in his arms. April's heart was thumping in her chest and her breath was coming in quick, shallow gasps. Her cheeks felt extremely hot as Leo dipped her even lower still. She could feel his breath on her face as his lips hovered only inches from her own.
April could not believe Leo would go as far as to kiss her on the lips in the middle of the dojo with his brothers and father right beside them. Leo stared deep into April's eyes, igniting a flame of desire that burned at her insides and made them boil. Leo was leaning in now, his lips inching closer and closer as he closed the distance between them.
Then, just as April's eyes were about to flutter shut from Leo's lips touching her own, Leo pulled back, leaving only the ghost of a kiss behind. Leo stood back up straight, setting April somewhat unsteadily back on her feet and taking a step back to give her some space while April tried to regain her composure.
April blinked at Leo, uncomprehending at first but then she saw the smirk on his face. He's teasing me, April thought, outraged. "So that's how it's going to be, is it," she said, eyeing him beadily.
"That's how it's going to be," he replied, gripping his sword with both hands and raising it between them.
"You'd better keep that sword up," April said threateningly as she raised her tessen once more and dropped into a stance to match Leo's own. "I won't be so forgiving of you this time!"
The smirk on Leo's face widened into a smile. There was nothing but affection and adoration behind his eyes as he looked at her and it made April feel giddy inside.