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TMNT – Crossing the Line – Chapter 7 – Content
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Sorry it's taken me so long to write this!
Hope you like it :)
Please let me know what you think in the comments!
And, as always, thanks for reading!
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Leo's face twitched.
Something soft was tickling his cheek…
What is that…? A cobweb? Thread? Hang on, I know…it's Mikey trying to get me to slap myself awake by dragging a piece of string over my face. …No, wait; can't be. It's too soft.
Leo blinked slowly. His eyelids were unusually heavy; he tried to remember what made him so tired that it felt nearly impossible to wake up from such deep slumber.
The theater. The fight. Karai…the stage. April's apartment. Couch. Kiss. Kissing Karai…
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I KISSED KARAI.
His eyes shot open, then downward. Strands of short, silky, black hair were clinging to his face and throat. Karai's head was tucked comfortably under Leo's chin. Her head lay upon his right bicep; her tranquil form, still fast asleep, was pressed back against his front. Still in shock, he perused with joyful disbelief every beautiful inch of her as she slept; the graceful curve of her cheekbone; the dark eyelashes that contrasted sharply with her ivory skin; the fresh, pink color of her lips, now kissed clean of lipstick; the strong, yet delicate lines of her arms, tucked against her chest; the womanly curves of her hips and the contours of her long, firm legs. Leo held his breath. Can this be real…?
His mind, still a bit foggy, ran back to the last thing he could remember before falling asleep. Kissing Karai… His breath hitched. He remembered his head spinning as he tasted her lips for the first time. Karai kissing him back, and even pulling him closer. Her arms wrapped around his neck. Kissing her deeply until he was delirious, and they were both so exhausted from the fight, and the wounds, and the kiss that he had pulled her weary body, sapped of all strength, up onto the couch with him, where they both promptly fell over and passed out, side-by-side.
Leo could hardly breathe, being too scared of waking her to move a muscle. He still wasn't entirely sure this wasn't some unbelievable dream; it seemed impossible that this could be real. If I am still dreaming…I hope I NEVER wake up from this. He yawned. The rich, golden light of late evening was flooding the room through the curtains, bathing everything, including Karai, in liquid gold. He let out a sigh of deep contentment as his eyelids slowly closed.
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Karai was running through a jungle.
Ducking under branches, dodging around brush, leaping over giant roots and fallen trees…she felt as agile, sleek, and dark as a panther. Her black bodysuit blended beautifully with the gloom of the shaded jungle floor. She felt exhilarated, alive…alone.
Glancing over her shoulder, she suddenly sensed a…presence. She ran faster. Whatever was following her, she felt that she'd rather be alone than come face-to-face with it. Karai took to the trees, springing from limb to limb, climbing higher and higher. Her amber eyes began to dart wildly from shadow to shadow on the ground below. Something IS there… I can feel it.
Her feet padded softly along the top of a huge, twisted branch that jutted out from an enormous trunk. I can get away. I can do this. A thick, long vine hung several yards away from the end of the branch. Her eyes narrowed with determination. I can reach it. A glint of silver in the shadows caught her eye. What was that…? She was tempted to stop and search for the light's source, but resisted warily and ran on.
Karai was nearing the end of the branch; she prepared to leap. This time, the glint became a blinding flash, the direct reflection of a bright, full moonbeam bouncing off of polished metal and into her eyes. She stumbled and cried out as her feet left the branch, reaching as far as she could for the tendril dangling from the treetop before her. I can make it. I can make it…!
Karai let out a cry of excruciating pain and sheer terror: a hand, merciless in its grip, had caught her by the ankle, and was viciously squeezing, yanking, and scratching at her as it pulled her down into the blackness. She looked down, and screamed. The hand was covered in armor and blades, and dripping with crimson streams of her own blood. "NO! PLEASE, NO!" She begged for her release, but the cruel hand continued relentlessly in its savage purpose. The sound of metal scraping metal grew louder with every inch of her descent – knives, being sharpened for the slaughter. Her own screams couldn't drown it out.
In a last effort to find some means of escape, Karai looked up into the ceiling of leaves. Moonlight was streaming through them, causing them to glow a beautiful shade of translucent blue-green. Despite her pain and fear, the color calmed her. Silver moonbeams pierced through the holes in the canopy like steel blades gripped between green fingers. The sight seemed familiar, somehow…
Karai gasped. Her golden irises darted to and fro, taking in her surroundings with panicked urgency. Ceiling…lamp…curtains…window…moonbeams making patterns on the rug. She blinked. Where am I…?
She tried to sit up, but found she was restrained. Panic began to well up in her again, the memory of that cruel hand still far too fresh in her mind, until she glanced down and saw what was imprisoning her: arms that were thick, muscular, remarkably strong, and…green.
Leo.
Immediately her breathing slowed, and the fear gripping her heart let go. Karai took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Leo. As if she had said his name out loud, his arms tightened around her even more protectively, gripping her to his hard plastron. With eyes still closed, he tucked his face into the nape of her neck and inhaled deeply, nuzzling her skin in his sleep, and exhaling with an elated sigh. Karai relaxed somewhat, closing her eyes and resting her head back upon his bicep. A peaceful smile spread across her lips. Leo doesn't even have to be awake to protect me…cherish me. He holds me like a treasure he's afraid he could lose if he lets it out of his sight. She smirked. Can't say I blame him for wanting to make sure he knows where I am, even in his sleep; I can be so…elusive…
The moon was now angled perfectly to shine unto the couch where they lay. Karai thoughtfully watched the beams filter through the curtains as she remembered her nightmare – what had ended it – and what had come before they fell asleep. She bit her bottom lip and shivered. They had kissed each other with everything they had, until they had no strength left. She murmured happily at the memory. She had never dared to imagine she'd find a love so strong, so deep, and so pure.
Until I met him. Hamato Leonardo.
Karai reached up to his arms and pulled them around her even tighter. Don't let me go, Leo. Even if I fight against you, push you away…NEVER let me go. Your arms are the only place I feel safe. I know I'm dangerous, and a pain, and I don't deserve you, but…you'll never know just how much I need you. Don't ever leave me… A tear cascaded down her cheek and dripped onto his emerald-green skin. Leo murmured in his sleep: "Mmm…Karai. …Love you…"
Karai grinned, and whispered, "I love you, Leo," as she closed her eyes.
And for the first time in a long time, Karai slept without fear.
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(Author's Note: Thanks for reading! I have NO idea where the story is going to go from here, lol. I guess we'll all have to wait and see, eh? Let me know what you think! Thanks again!)