Fourth chapter (duh)! LeoFan PM'ed me begging for another chapter, with Mikey puppy eyes no less, so I snapped to and wrote a new chapter. This chapter was inspired by the Deviantart picture Leo's Confession To April by Fate4-X.
Karai does not exist in this fic, or else I wouldn't be able to write it.
Hope you like it.
April sat at the kitchen table and picked at her food, staring at the plate. She wasn't really hungry; her stomach was full of all the feelings Leo had instilled in her in that half hour or so that she was trying to digest. Her aunt glanced over at her, and her full plate. "All right, spit it out. What's bugging you?"
April looked up at her aunt. Only 30, her aunt had a habit of talking and acting younger than she was.
"Nothing, Aunt Kate."
Her aunt looked at her face, as if reading a book, then leaned back in her chair, looking satisfied. "So who's the guy?"
April blinked wide eyes and immediately began blushing. "What? He's no one - I mean, there's no guy."
"Honey, I may be way past my teenage years, but I still recognize boy trouble. So tell me, what's going on?"
"Aunt Kate, it's nothing." April laid stress on the last word.
Her aunt cocked her head and stared at her, saying without words that she didn't believe that for a second.
April sighed. "I don't know. He's a friend I met a couple of months ago, after Dad -" April swallowed a lump in her throat. "After Dad disappeared. He's been really nice to me and he and his brothers have helped me through all of this. But lately whenever I'm around him, I've been feeling . . . "
"Different?" Her aunt gave a knowing smile.
"Yeah. I feel a little dizzy, my heart feels like it's going to explode, my stomach gives this funny kind of leap, and I think about him at the most random times." April explained with a blush growing stronger with every other word.
"Sounds like you like him."
"I was afraid you'd say that." April said with a bittersweet smile, and shared a laugh with her aunt.
"You wanna talk about it?"
April shook her head. "No, not really. I'd rather sort through this tangled mess alone."
She abandoned the table and her aunt and start to head upstairs to her room before her aunt called up to her, "Will you at least tell me his name?"
April paused with one foot in the air, then backtracked enough to look at her aunt. "It's Leo. Well, actually Leonardo, but everyone calls him Leo."
Her aunt nodded. "Nice name. 'Strong As A Lion' or 'Lion Bold'. Appropriate?"
April smiled. "Very." She pounded up the stairs, flung open her door, and dove onto her bed, shutting the door behind her. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling, as if the answers to her questions would be written there.
There was no denying it now. April's aunt had confirmed the writing on the wall. She liked Leo. She sighed. 'Because my life needed yet another complication.' She thought.
What was she going to do? She saw the guys, and inadvertently Leo nearly every day. She couldn't ignore him, and she really didn't want to. She could confess, tell him. She didn't really didn't want to do that either. What if he just laughed in her face, or, more likely, become awkward and withdrawn around her? She didn't want that.
So what did she want? April sighed again. She wanted Leo to like her back, that's what she wanted. But what were the odds of that happening?
She couldn't confess and she couldn't ignore him. There was really only one option; act like nothing had happened, that she still saw Leo as only a friend. The ache in her stomach at this notation was more painful than she thought it would be.
She rolled over, grabbed her Ipod of her nighttable and plugged in her earbuds. She clicked Colbie Caillat and shuffle. The first song was Fallin' For You, and April felt tears behind her eyes as she let the words wash over her.
I am trying not to tell you
But I want to, but I'm scared of what you'll and so I'm hiding what I'm feeling
But I'm tired of holding this inside my head
I've been spending all my time just think 'bout you
I don't what to do
I think I'm falling for you . . .
Leo tossed in his bed one more time, hoping without much hope he would drift off. Unfortunately, his mind insisted on replaying his walk with April over and over again, analyzing every little thing, every little feeling. He didn't really mind the instant replays; he just wished he could sleep a little first.
Feeling that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon, Leo threw off his covers and sat up. He heaved a great sigh and looked around his room. While before he had been tired and just wanted to go to sleep, now he felt restless, his dilemma with April filling his mind. He stood up, went to the edge of his bed, and started pacing, his mind going into planning/organizing/strategy mode. Okay, what first?
One. He liked April a lot. Two. Donnie also liked April a lot. Three. April didn't like Donnie in that way. Four. April's feelings towards him were unknown. Five. Leo wouldn't know what to do next without finding out. If she didn't like him that way, then none of this would matter and he and Donnie could grieve together. If she did . . . well, he would cross that bridge if/when he came to it.
Conclusion? His course of action should be tell April how he felt, like Master Splinter suggested, and listen to her reply.
Leo groaned. Easier said than done. And what if she rejected him? What if she liked him back? Both options were difficult, to say the least. If she rejected him, his heart would be broken. If she liked him back, Donnie would be devastated and feel betrayed. But April had made it clear she didn't like him that way, so why shouldn't Leo have a chance to win her?
But all of this was pointless if he didn't know how she felt. A surge of courage flowed through him. He needed to ask her, but he knew he couldn't wait. He needed to ask her now. Before he lost his bravery.
He slipped his mask, belts, and pads back on and tucked his swords into their sheath. applying his ninja stealth, he slowly crept out of his room and, before he could think twice about what he was doing, left the Lair on a course for April's apartment.
Leo stared at the yellow-tinted windows. He took a deep breath. Then another. Then another. You know, she's probably asleep. Maybe I should just wait untill tomorrow. NO! If I don't do it now, I'll just keep putting it off.
Leo took one final deep breath and raised his hand, softly knocking on the glass.
"April? April? Are - are you awake?"
April drifted out of her slumber. For a moment, she couldn't tell what had woken her up. But then it happened again. A soft knock at her window, and a whispered "April?"
She trudged out of her nice warm bed and stumbled to the window, pushing it open. To her surprise, Leo stood on her balcony, blushing slightly.
"Leo?" She yawned. "What is it?"
"Hey. Um, I - I need to tell you something."
"Can it wait 'til morning?" April rubbed one eye, still half asleep.
"No, it - it has to be now." He took a deep breath and before he could lose his nerve, he confessed. "April, I - I like you. I like you a lot and I - I just wanted you to know that."
April's eyes went wide, suddenly wide awake. "R-really?"
"Um, yeah." Leo's blush became more pronounced.
"No way, this has to be a dream. There's no way that the night I figure out how I feel, you come and say you like me."
"Ya-ya-you like me?" Leo stammered. "April, this isn't a dream." To prove his point, Leo lightly squeezed her arm.
April blushed, realizing that he was right and this WASN'T a dream and she had basically told Leo she liked him.
"Um, well, uh . . ." she sighed. Come on April, just suck it up and tell him. How hard should it be, especially when he just said he liked you?
"Yeah, I like you too Leo." she blurted out, her face the same color as her hair.
"Really?" Leo echoed April.
"Yeah." April smiled hesitantly yet strongly. Leo returned it.
There was a long silence then -
"What now?" Leo asked.
April laughed. "Well, usually the guy asks the girl on a date."
Leo thought for a second, then smiled. "April O'Neil, would you do me the honor of going out on a date with me? Tomorrow night at Murakami's?"
April smiled too, a silly grin. "I would love to, Leonardo Hamato. Um, 9:00 okay?"
"Perfect, just like you."
"Leo!" April blushed.
"I cannot tell a lie, as my brothers repeatedly inform me."
"You know, that's a good thing. I like it."
"Thank you." He gave her one more smile. "I should let you get some sleep. Goodnight April."
"Goodnight Leo."
Leo stared at her for a second, then leaned in quickly and kissed her cheek. He smiled, blushing slightly, then slipped off into the night.
April gazed out her window for a few more seconds, then sighed a happy, giddy sigh and went back to bed. She knew it would be close to impossible to sleep now, so she grabbed her Ipod once more, this time selecting a sing by Taylor Swift. She set it on repeat, and very slowly drifted off with the lyrics spinning round and round in her head, reminding her of Leo.
And I don't know how it gets better than this
You take my hand and drag me head first,
Fearless.
Leo crept back into his home, feeling like he was floating on Cloud Nine. He had a date with April! And she liked him back! Yes! Happy as he was, he ended up missing the figure hiding in the shadows until it stepped forward and cleared its throat. Leo froze, then turned around and sheepishly looked up at his Sensei.
"Where were you, Leonardo?" He asked.
"I was following your advice Sensei. I had just found the courage to act upon it."
Master Splinter's ears perked up, interested. "And how did it go?"
Leo flashed a tooth-filled grin. "Amazing! I've got a date tomorrow night. She likes me too Sensei!" Leo said in a rush, almost exploding with happiness.
"Then you had better get some rest."
"Hai, Sensei!" Leo smiled even wider and rushed off to his room. Splinter smiled fondly at Leo's retreating back. His sons were growing up on him, and he couldn't be prouder.
I only have one thing to say . . .
Review! Pwity Pwease? *Mikey puppy eyes that make your heart melt. If they don't then you're a soulless monster. How can you resist his puppy eyes?!*