punkish furball – Salutations, all! o(*w*)o
Words to Ponder:
Hello, all! It's the first update of the New Year! I told myself I would not update anything else until I gave Leo the attention he needed. I hope you all enjoy it.
Thank you for reviewing from FF .net: Spastic Freak, Silversun XD, Orihime-San, GiggleboxGirlie, Sillvog, inuluvskags1, redangel2463, crazykenz, When I light the sky, Brittany Hall, fallingyuki, silverfoxkurama, tinabug, just a reader 09, chibi-Clar (2x), Star, breakingheart93, majishan, Myra the Dovahkiin, Kuroyuki no Ryu, mommasan, Nameless Angel 00, AveryDragonwolf, and Applejax XD! X3
Chapter 3
Kagome sighed as she shifted in her seat. She had to resort to doodling in the margins of her notebook to keep herself awake, and it was only second period. As the daughter of one of Hudson University's top researchers, she was eligible to attend the private laboratory school on campus, Hudson Academy. Kazuo was obviously more enthused about her enrollment than she was. Kagome was sure he even pulled some strings to enroll her in the school's accelerated math and science program despite her poor grades. Unfortunately, that didn't stop her teachers from being any less demanding.
All in all, American schooling was much different than what Kagome was used to, but there were still some comforts here. Her teachers and classmates were all friendly and helpful whenever she need the extra aid. The academy also had mandatory uniforms the surrounding public schools lacked. For girls, the required dress was a green and white plaid skirt with a white top and a black blazer with the school's emblem stitched on the top left pocket. Within a few days, Kagome started to wear a green school issued sweater vest in place of the black jacket.
"Miss Higurashi!"
Kagome snapped to attention wincing when she saw the disapproval on her teacher's face. He was a man called Joseph Walraven, a close, personal friend of her father's. He had taken to shadowing her on campus from day one, most likely reporting her progress to her father.
Of course, a guy like him would teach math, Kagome lamented.
"Yes, sir?" she answered.
"Please pay attention. The next exam is two weeks from this Friday, and I should expect you don't want to fail, correct?" Walraven asked, his tone saturated with acrimony.
Flustered by her classmates' snickers, Kagome nodded. "Yes, sir. I apologize."
Walraven nodded before going back to today's lesson without any more interruptions. Kagome tried to be as attentive as possible while her thoughts continued to wander.
He's going to show up again, she thought, determined, I'll be ready this time.
After Turtle Boy, the name Kagome gave him until she learned his real one, returned her umbrella four days ago, he disappeared. Kagome grinned despite her frustration. She would admit to giving him a little scare, but that didn't mean he had to stay away for so long. Or maybe Turtle Boy was still keeping tabs on her and got better at keeping himself hidden. Either way, waiting for him was maddening.
Against her first instinct, Kagome decided to stay put instead of looking for Turtle Boy herself. If she wandered too far or deviated from her normal routine, she could end up missing him altogether, a risk she wasn't willing to take. As it stood, Kagome accepted the next move was his. She only hoped he decided to make it sooner than later. Her curiosity was getting the better of her, but she wanted to know more about that ninja turtle and the inhuman beings he fought outside her father's lab.
I wonder what he does during the daytime, Kagome mused, once again succumbing to her thoughts. It had to be difficult for Turtle Boy to move freely during the daylight hours. He probably had a hideout to conceal himself until nightfall.
Could he have friends or a family to go home to? The possibility that he could be alone made Kagome's heart lurch.
If he is alone, he won't be for long after we meet again.
-O0o0O-
After days of intentionally ignoring the promising lead he found at the Hudson University lab, Leonardo admitted he was afraid of seeing that human girl again and even more that someone would find out. Lucky for him, the Kraang began moving in another part of the city, stealing equipment from private labs and torching what evidence they left behind. The distraction provided some sorely missed action but not much else. The Turtles were able to stop the Kraang before they did any sufficient damage, they didn't recover any clues about their latest plan. Broken test tubes and breakers didn't give them any evidence to follow, but living, breathing contacts did.
I wonder what she's up to, he thought as he recreated Kagome's image in his head. It wasn't hard to do considering what a cute girl she was and that little wink she gave him the last time.
Leonardo abruptly shook his head. Argh. I did not just think that.
The last—and, coincidentally, the first—time he tried to enlist the help of a girl who he also happened to find very attractive, he failed miserably in every aspect of that deal and no one let him live it down. Even so, Leo admitted Karai was very different from Kagome in some very important ways. While the kunoichi had ulterior motives, Kagome seemed to sincerely want to meet without any hidden agenda.
At least, not one that's too obvious, he considered, I gotta pull myself together. The longer I wait, the more time the Kraang have to go through with their plans. Kagome could be in danger.
Leonardo stood and carefully left the lair before anyone could discover him. It was unusually easy, but he wasn't going to complain or ask any questions. He traveled until he reached the rooftop of a building across the street from Kagome's home, the same one he was perched upon several days ago. From what he could see, Kagome's bedroom was dark and empty.
She must not have gotten home yet, he deduced, assuming Kagome was still at school. He didn't know much about going to school, but April sometimes arrived at the lair well after dusk even though her school day officially ended at 3:00 PM.
There she is! Leonardo sat at attention as he watched Kagome walk down the sidewalk with another person.
Who is that? he wondered, his eyes narrowing at the young man at Kagome's side. He was visibly older than her and walking much closer than he needed to. Kagome seemed familiar with him, but she kept shying away from him discreetly. Girls were another subject Leonardo didn't know much about, but he liked to think Kagome's body language implied she wasn't interested in her companion.
Stop that, he mentally scolded himself and tried to continue his surveillance.
Kagome and her escort soon stopped at the front door of her home. She skipped ahead of him up the stoop and slipped one of her backpack straps off her shoulder. She swung the bag in front of her and reached inside to search for her keys. The young man simply watched her as he leaned against the stone railing. When Kagome opened the door, he straightened up and said something Leonardo couldn't hear. With an awkward, strained smile, Kagome shook her head before she replied. He nodded once then descended the short staircase and stepped onto the sidewalk. He began walking back the way he and Kagome came pausing long enough to wave at Kagome as she closed the door.
Leonardo kept watching until Kagome disappeared from his sight then reappeared as she entered her bedroom. She then stretched her arms high above her head before leaving his field of vision again. She popped back in it seconds later with a small duffle bag over one shoulder and continued out of her bedroom door, turning off the light as she entered the hallway. Leonardo waited until she stepped outside her home and began jogging across the street due east. He followed her across the rooftops. Despite the heavy foot traffic below, Kagome was easy to spot. Leonardo wasn't sure if Kagome knew he was following her or not but kept himself hidden.
After twenty minutes, Kagome arrived at her destination and stepped inside.
A gym? he thought, confused.
Leonardo sighed and made himself comfortable on the building across from the street. He was certain he was in for a long wait.
-O0o0O-
Who does he think he's fooling? Kagome thought with a giggle as she finished another lap around the track. Since she had company waiting outside, she shortened her normal workout routine to a simple stretch and run. Kagome hit the showers for a quick wash-up as soon as she finished and left the building only stopping to buy two sports drinks from the vending machine in the lobby.
Once Kagome was outside, she paused to look around and saw the sky was overcast and darker than normal. It appeared like it would start to rain soon just as it had for the past several days. That meant the streets would be relatively clear.
Perfect for a meeting with my Turtle Boy, she decided and began walking to a nearby park. Fortunately, Kagome was more than prepared for the inclement weather with her pink umbrella tucked away in her bag.
When Kagome reached the park, it began to drizzle and more and more people were fleeing for dryer ground. She continued walking through the entrance and began walking down an unpaved path away from the main walkway. She made sure she walked slowly and was easy to follow. After several minutes, Kagome ended up in a small clearing surrounded by unkempt flora barely big enough for two people. Judging by the empty beer cans and discarded wrappers she disturbed on her way, Kagome supposed either the cleaning staff overlooked this place or it was a popular hookup spot.
Maybe it's a combination of both, Kagome mused. She set her bag on the ground and reclined against a small tree to make herself comfortable for her wait.
Kagome stood in wait until the rainfall increased its intensity, and the temperature dropped. The branches above her provided sufficient cover, but Kagome had to rub her arms to fight off the goosebumps.
She called out, frustrated, "Hey, Turtle Boy. It's getting cold here, ya know. Do you think we could speed this up a bit?"
Kagome didn't delay too long before she reached down to pick up her bag and set it back on her shoulder.
Why do I even bother?
Kagome grumbled as she started to leave but bumped into something unexpected on the path. With a loud, surprised speak, she lost her footing and tumbled backward. Before she hit the ground, two strong arms encircled her waist and snatched her up before she fell. She groaned and looked up to see a smooth green face with sapphire blue, almond-shaped eyes, Turtle Boy's face. He wore a blue mask over his eyes, but, despite the covering he wore, Kagome reached up and placed her hand against his cheek. His skin was smooth and supple under her fingertips like fine leather but warm and inviting. Just before she pulled her hand away, Kagome noticed his skin darken to a ruddy brown.
Turtle Boy's blushing, she thought, So cute!
"Hi," she said, smiling sweetly.
"Hi," he replied then abruptly let Kagome go, dropping her in the mud.
-O0o0O-
I blew it!
Leonardo had a direct link to a lab working with TCRI literally in the palm of his hands and let her fall flat on her butt.
"Sorry!" he blurted and reached down to help Kagome back on her feet. She gratefully took his hand as he pulled her up. Considering the small size of the clearing, they had to stand close together.
"I am so sorry!" he iterated, "Really, really sorry!"
"It's okay," she said and reached behind her to wipe the mud from her behind. She grimaced at the cool, watery texture and pulled her hand away, cleaning her fingers on the front of her shorts.
"This is just an old workout outfit anyway," she added, trying to be helpful
"Oh," Leonardo replied, still frowning. That was the only thing he could think to say, and it made him feel like a complete idiot. Instead of the highly trained shinobi he was, Leo was acting like a skittish teenager chest to chest with a girl who remained cool, calm, and collected in front of a giant mutant. Any plans he had were completely obliterated from his mind.
Leonardo jolted when Kagome sighed and looked away from him with a frustrated look on her face.
"So tell me, Turtle Boy, do you think this rain will ever stop?" she asked.
"What?" he uttered.
Kagome said, awkwardly bowing her head, "I'm just trying to lighten the mood. I didn't mean to make everything weird earlier."
Leonardo nearly chuckled. Despite her cool demeanor, Kagome was just as uncomfortable in this situation as he was. Maybe there was a chance he could salvage this meeting.
"It's fine. Let's start over," Leonardo suggested.
Kagome grinned. "Sounds like a good idea to me." She stepped away from him and held out her hand.
"Hi. I'm Kagome," she greeted him, "Pleased to meet you."
Leo smirked and gently took her tiny hand in his.
"Leonardo," he replied, "Nice to meet you too."
When they released each other's hand, Leonardo sheepishly stated, "You're wondering why I've been following you, right?"
"It crossed my mind once or twice," Kagome answered, "I have a feeling it has something to do with the visitors the research lab's been having lately."
Leonardo cringed. "It's actually a long story. A very long story."
"In that case, we should head to my place," Kagome offered.
"Your place!" he repeated, trying to maintain his composure. At the sound of his tone, Kagome blushed.
"I'm not trying to be forward or anything!" she insisted, "It's just a better place than this for conversations best had in private." Kagome paused and moved closer to Leonardo when the wind picked up.
"And staying dry," she added.
"Right. Let's go."
Kagome nodded. "Okay. Just give me a sec."
Leonardo watched Kagome reach into her bag and pull out a thin windbreaker. She tied it around her waist to cover her mud splattered backside. He winced, remorseful. There had to be a way for me to make up for that mishap. With that in mind, Leonardo waited until Kagome straightened her clothes and spoke to him again.
"Well, I'm all set," Kagome announced, "I'll leave first and wait for you by the fire escape outside my bedroom window to let you in."
"Sure, but I know a quicker way if you feel like trusting me," Leonardo suggested, hoping she'd consider hearing his offer.
Kagome eyes him warily before she finally nodded.
"Okay, Leonardo," she said, "Let's do it!"
"Alright," he replied and glanced at the walkway beyond the flora concealing his and Kagome's meeting spot. Thankfully, it was clear. The wind was still strong, but the rain remained at a light drizzle. There was no telling how long it would stay that way so they had to leave quickly.
Okay. You can do this, Leo thought, psyching himself up, Be cool. Impress her.
After taking a deep breath, Leonardo scooped Kagome into his arms and pulled her to his chest in a princess hold. She squeaked and automatically wrapped her arms around his neck to stabilize herself. Leonardo held off his laughter and took off, quickly leaving their secluded spot and scaling the fire escapes of the closest building to land on the rooftop. It was more difficult to travel holding a girl instead of an umbrella, but Kagome was very light and soft.
Leo couldn't stop himself from snickering when Kagome tightened her grip around his neck with her face completely hidden after he cleared a particularly high jump. Umbrellas weren't so clingy either, but, once again, he didn't mind.
"We'll be at your place in a sec," he told her, "By the way, it's safe for you to look up whenever you want."
Kagome mumbled "jerk" under her breath and pinched the turtle's forearm as tight as she could. On his next jump, he intentionally faltered on the landing to make her cling to him tighter.
When he reached Kagome's home, Leonardo landed on the brownstone's roof a few feet away from the roof access hatch. He gently lowered Kagome to her feet, standing close enough to provide her with sufficient support.
"Do you always travel like that?" Kagome said, her voice shaky, as she reached into her bag for her keys. She was the only one in the house who regularly visited the roof, but Rachel developed the habit of checking behind her to make sure the hatch was always locked whether Kagome was inside or not. After being locked out several times, she added a copy of the hatch key to her house set.
"Pretty much," Leonardo answered, "Enjoy the ride?"
Kagome snorted as she grabbed her key and crouched down to unlock the door.
"Well, I can see why turtles aren't known for their grace," she quipped, "And, in spite of that, no one seems to have spotted any green mutants running around the city. I guess you really are good at it."
"New Yorkers never notice anything," Leonardo retorted, "And that is a hurtful stereotype."
"I'm sorry," Kagome said although her dry tone and deadpanned expression let him know she wasn't remorseful at all.
Kagome lifted the hatch and stepped onto the staircase. She looked back at Leonardo and said, "Wait here until I come back for you. I gotta make sure the coast is clear before I let you in."
"No problem," he responded with a nod. He remained still and waited until Kagome was out of sight before fist pumping the air.
Nailed it! There is no way she doesn't think I'm cool!
The turtle jumped slightly when he heard the hatch open behind him. Kagome giggled as she peeked her head through the opening.
"Come on, Turtle Boy," she said with a grin, "The coast is clear."
"Right," he replied and waited for Kagome to step down into the hallway before doing the same, closing the hatch door behind him. Once he was downstairs, Leonardo noticed Kagome cleaned off the mud then changed into some baggy lounging pants and a T-shirt. She led Leo to her bedroom and directed him to walk inside before closing the door behind her and locking it.
"You can sit down if you want," Kagome offered as she plopped down on her bed. Leonardo followed her lead and sat in her desk chair on the opposite wall facing her.
"Well, Leonardo, I believe you owe me a story," Kagome began, looking at him expectantly.
Leonardo gulped as he felt his earlier nerves return tenfold. Not that he was in Kagome's room with her attention solely on him, he felt his confidence fade. Being with a pretty girl alone in her bedroom was not something Master Splinter covered during his training so the only viable option he had was to keep playing by ear. Luckily for him, Kagome wasn't hard to read. All he had to do was to pick up on her signals and cues while he kept playing it cool.
"Do you remember those droids you saw on the night we first met?" he asked
Kagome snorted a laugh. "How could I forget? That wasn't the first time I saw them or the gooey pink blobs inside. So you were tracking them that night, weren't you?"
"I was," he answered, "They're called the Kraang, an alien race that uses a company called TCRI as a cover in New York City and possibly in other major cities all over the world. I found out after that night that TCRI footed the bill for some ongoing research at that lab."
Kagome nodded slowly. "There's a lot of Hudson U faculty working with them, but my father and his research team just accepted a large sum of money from TCRI. Those guys always gave me a bad vibe when I saw them, but I thought it was because they were all sleazy corporate types and boring dressers."
"Trust me. There's much more to them than that."
"So what are they up to?" Kagome asked, "Why did they seek out my father?"
Leonardo grimaced and said, "That's something we don't quite know yet, but everything the Kraang does revolves around something from their world called Mutagen. So far they've abducted scientists from all over New York, broken into labs to steal everything from equipment to experimental data, and even tried to use the entire city as test subjects for their experiments to study how the Mutagen works and somehow make it do what they want." For once, Leo was glad he actually paid attention to Donatello's technical jargon.
He paused and watched Kagome, giving her some time to consider what he just said. She was taking it all much better than he expected, bearing in mind everything he just told her. On the other hand, any girl who didn't run and scream at the sight of a big green mutant was truly one of a kind, and Leo's intuition told him there was more to Kagome than just that. She was the one who approached him without fear and even waited for him to show up again. He was even certain, if he took to see her again, Kagome would have eventually sought him out on her own.
"Do you know anything about what your father's working on right now?" he questioned, "Anything at all?"
"I don't know. Probably plants or something. That's all I know about his field. Other than that, he never speaks to me about his research, and I never ask him any questions," Kagome replied, frustrated that she didn't know more.
"I don't notice anything odd at his lab whenever I go there, but I'm only around for five or ten minutes at the most. And I'm not allowed to go anywhere other than the lobby or my father's office in the back. On top of that, all the doors are always closed and probably locked. She paused, nervously chewing her lip in thought.
"Do you really think my father is working for the Kraang?"
"It sounds like it, but I don't think he's doing it by choice," Leonardo insisted, "Or, at least, he doesn't know what the Kraang are really up to. They will do whatever they deem necessary to get what they want. They'll lie and manipulate others even threaten them to get them to comply. It's happened before, and I'm sure it's happening again with your dad."
The incident with Dr. Tyler Rockwell and his supposed friend, Victor Falco, was something he wouldn't forget. This promising lead had the potential to end badly for everyone involved. He would do anything to prevent that from happening.
As far as I'm concerned, Kagome's given me the confirmation I need to tell the others so we can move in and search the lab. There's no need to get her dad and anyone else involved. Especially Kagome.
Before Leonardo could speak, Kagome abruptly stood to her feet, slamming her fist into her opened palm.
"It's all settled then!" Kagome exclaimed with a wide grin, "Just leave it to me, okay?"
"Huh?" he uttered, "Leave what to you exactly?"
"You need to get in that lab, and I can help you do that. Let me be your eyes and ears on the inside and bring you anything I find," she explained, "It's not completely foolproof, but, between the two of us, we can make it work."
"No way! It's too dangerous for you to get involved."
Taken aback by his outburst, Kagome quirked an eyebrow. "What are you saying? We're talking about my father and his research. I'm already involved and would have been whether you want me to be or not."
"I know," Leonardo countered, "but…it's just too complicated!"
Kagome haughtily crossed her arms over her chest. "Then un-complicate it for me, Turtle Boy. I am still waiting for the rest of the story you promised me."
Leonardo sighed and tried to gather his thoughts under Kagome's pointed stare. Everything seemed much easier a few seconds ago.
"It's just that…I don't—I don't want you to get hurt!" he blurted. Though embarrassed by his exclamation, Leo relaxed when he saw Kagome's gaze soften and her entire posture relax as her arms fell back to her side. He hoped that meant it would be easier for him to convince Kagome his decision was the best option for her well-being.
"You may be safe now," he continued, "but, if the Kraang ever connects you to us, they could—"
Both teens stilled when the door knob twisted and rattled as though someone tried to open it from the other side.
"Kagome?" a woman called out, still trying to open the door to her bedroom, "Kagome, are you in there?"
"Yes, Ms. Rachel!" Kagome answered, noticeably rattled, "I'll just be a minute! I'm changing!"
She turned to Leonardo, both trying to keep from panicking.
"What are we going to do? She can't find you here!" Kagome whispered urgently.
"I could leave out the window," Leo suggested but hoped it didn't come to that. There was no telling when they'd be able to meet again.
"Kagome!"
"I'm almost done!" Kagome replied, her eyes darting around her room for some sort of solution. They widened when she spotted the perfect way out.
"In the closet!" she quietly exclaimed, already pushing the over-sized turtle toward the two open bi-fold doors. He complied without hesitation and stepped inside.
It was a tight fit, but Leonardo managed to remain still after Kagome closed the doors. They were crafted with built-in blinds so Leo could still see and hear inside Kagome's room. Outside, he watched Kagome back away from the closet still facing it. Once satisfied with what she saw or didn't see, Kagome took a deep breath, approached the bedroom door, and opened it. A petite brunette in her early to mid-thirties, presumably Ms. Rachel, entered the room. Her eyes made a quick sweep of the room before they settled on Kagome.
"Why was the door locked?" she asked, clearly suspicious.
"I told you I was changing clothes," Kagome answered, "I washed up after I came home from the gym."
"I didn't hear you come in."
"I went straight to the bathroom then to my room. You weren't here when I came home from school, so I assumed you were either still gone or busy," Kagome said with an unconcerned shrug, "Sorry if I was rude."
Rachel waited for several seconds before she finally nodded, accepting her reasoning.
"It's alright," she stated, "I came to tell you I'm leaving to meet your father and won't be back until late. Dinner is in the fridge when you get hungry, and don't stay up too long."
Kagome replied with a respectful "yes, ma'am" and went to her desk, retrieving her backpack from her bed and starting to remove her books and notes from the bag. Rachel promptly left the room, but Kagome waited several minutes before she stood and walked to the closet to let Leonardo out.
He awkwardly stepped outside and said, "That went well."
"Yeah, she didn't believe me at all," Kagome replied with a frustrated huff, "At least she doesn't think I'm hoarding a mutant turtle in my bedroom."
"Still, I didn't mean to get you in trouble with anyone. Is she your mom?" Leonardo asked even though he doubted it. Kagome addressed her too formally, and it was easy to tell the two women did not look alike at all.
"No, she's my father's girlfriend," Kagome clarified, "They're getting married next year in the fall. My mom lives at our family shrine in Tokyo with my little brother and grandfather."
"Oh," Leo murmured. He never saw or experienced a situation like that, so he didn't know what else to say.
"Enough about me," Kagome said with a quick shake of her head, "We have unfinished business to discuss, Turtle Boy."
"Kagome," Leonardo drawled, still searching for the right words to make her understand.
"Leonardo, do you trust me?" Kagome suddenly inquired.
"What?"
"You have to trust me a little to reach out to me," she rationalized. She waited until Leo nodded to step closer to him and take his large hand in both of hers.
"Then trust me a little more," she beseeched, "If the Kraang is as bad as you say, defeating them can't be done by just one person. Let's do it together."
Once again, Leonardo found himself in a situation he was completely unfamiliar with. Kagome acting completely and truly sincere made it hard to deny her even though he wanted to keep her out of directly confronting the Kraang. There was also the matter of telling the others about her, but he pushed that thought away for now.
A girl like her will do whatever she wants whether I'm around to watch out for her or not, he reasoned, Kagome will be much safer with me than on her own. I might be able to make this work.
Before he answered, Leonardo took note of the bright smile Kagome wore and the warmth of her slender fingers wrapped around his hand. He decided he would do everything he could to make this work.
-O0o0O-
Kagome grinned as she waited for Leo to answer. She was sure her new turtle friend would agree and made no effort to hide her enthusiasm. Her earlier heartbreak seemed further and further away from her than ever before.
I move to another country to get away from the bizarre and the supernatural, and, the second I encounter it again, I jump at the chance to get involved, she thought, grinning widely.
"Alright," Leonardo finally responded, "We'll do this together, but that means you can't go off on your own. Don't make a move without telling me, got it?"
Kagome rolled her eyes but agreed. Working alone was never fun, and, if agreeing to Leonardo's condition kept him coming around, she would abide by it for now.
That doesn't mean I can't have a little fun, Kagome thought, Leonardo's so damn easy to tease and pretty cute when he blushes.
"Since we're a team that means no secrets, right?" she asked, slowly releasing his hand.
"Yeah, I guess so," he replied.
"So are there any other members of our team I should know about?"
Kagome fought giggles when Leo stiffened. She certainly didn't miss it when he said "we" and "us" earlier. That meant he wasn't as alone as she thought he was.
"About that. It's—"
"—complicated?" Kagome interjected, "I understand if you don't want to tell me because you have someone you want to protect. This is the first time we've ever spoken to each other, and I do have some secrets of my own. I just want to say that since you trust me, I'll trust you too."
Leonardo relaxed and smiled. "I'm glad, and I will tell you about eventually. Just not right now."
She nodded. "Okay. You better get out of here before my father and Ms. Rachel come back and start looking for cute boys hiding under my bed."
Leonardo's smile turned devious. "Are you saying I'm cute?"
Kagome rolled her eyes and opened the window behind her desk.
"Get going, Turtle Boy, or you'll get caught in the rain again," she ordered without answering.
Leonardo chuckled and stepped outside on the fire escape. He turned back to her and asked, "So when do you want to meet again?"
"Tomorrow around 9 is good," Kagome suggested, "It should be dark enough by then. We can meet on the roof unless you know a better place."
"That'll work," he replied, "I'll have more to show you then."
"Right. Goodnight, Leonardo," she said. She then sheepishly looked down feeling very shy all of a sudden.
"I'm really glad I was able to meet you."
Kagome looked when Leonardo softly placed his three-fingered hand on her head, stroking her hair. His face was flustered, but the smile he wore was brilliant.
"I am too. Night, Kagome."
Leonardo pulled away from her and set off into the night. Kagome stayed by the opened window and watched him until she couldn't see him anymore. She then closed and locked the window then made a beeline for the bathroom. Now that her guest was gone, she planned on taking a very thorough, very hot bath before anyone came home to catch her.
As even they'd even care, Kagome mused. Kazuo tried to speak with her on a regular basis, but she and Rachel only spoke if there was no avoiding it. Her taking the time to come to her bedroom to speak to her like before was rare even if she was going to be gone for the rest night. She just wouldn't do something like that.
She had a reason for coming to see me. I just don't know what it is.
Kagome shook her head and stepped into the bathtub as it filled with water. American styled bathrooms were something she had to become accustomed to after the big move, but she managed. Whatever Rachel or her father wanted, Kagome couldn't worry about it now. There was a new enemy for her to worry about that just got a name and a motive.
Along with my new partner.
-O0o0O-
punkish furball – That's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed this update, and they'll be more to come.
Until next time, TCB! \(^o^)/
(edited 01.28.2016)
