Author's Note: I DID IIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTT! I knew it! I KNEW I was going to have such a great time writing this chapter that the words were just going to fly right out of my fingertips and basically write themselves. Oh, my gosh, readers, you have NO idea how much I'm in love with this chapter! x3 It has all the mushy, sickly-sweet gooyness between Sam and Leo that your head will burst into an explosion of lovey-dovey candy. Mmm, candy. Haha! XD
Now, before I go on to thanking all the wonderful readers who sent me such awesome reviews, I want to thank AlexHamato for the little scene between Sam and Leo when she tries to get him to dance. Way back when I first started this story, she introduced me to a little exercise that helps with character dialogue and we did a little roleplay with Leo and Sam, which resulted in part of the middle to this chapter. Thank you so much for helping me out, dude! You rock!
As for the other person I want to thank, I wanna give mad props to Lauren-adel story's for all the fantabulous ideas you've given me for the past couple of chapters! x3 I'm happy to see our minds working on the same level, chica! You continue to rock my socks! XD
Alright, now to thank all the reviewers who totally blew me away by how quickly you responded to my little request. It truly did make me finish this chapter faster and I give mad props to you all! ;D Thanks a bundle: Lunexa, adventuresstime, CrazyGeekyLove, CelicaChick (for reviewing for Chapter 5), Guest (I know that's probably not your name, but it's all I've got. Heheh), Lauren-adel story's, addcleric, and SleepingSeeker. Keep the reviews coming and enjoy your reward! A nice big helping of mooshy, romanticy goodness! I'll be looking forward to reading your thoughts and comments when I come back from vacation on Saturday! Enjoy, readers! ;D
Disclaimer: By now you should probably already know what I own and don't own. Heheh.
Enjoy the fic!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
"The Waiting Ones"
Chapter 8
Paradise
Tuesday: Late Afternoon
April raced down the halls in a worried pace, her head glancing back and forth trying to find Principal Hartmann's office. She never realized how big Sam's school was and she found herself making a few detours here and there before she finally stumbled across a directory. She was close. The principal's office should be around the corner on her left.
Her heart palpitated inside her chest with an apprehensive flare as she sprinted past two teenagers cuddling by their lockers. Sam was extremely lucky it was her day off and that Casey was in so much of a hurry to get to work today that he forgot his phone, leaving April the one to receive the frightening phone call that Sam was in the principal's office.
Automatically, a rush of thoughts raced through April's head, but when she had asked what were the circumstances of Sam being in the principal's office, Mr. Hartmann did nothing but state that Sam's parent or guardian had to come to the office so they could discuss the incident face-to-face, bringing April to her current location.
Swallowing a small lump in her throat when she finally reached the door that read 'Principal's Office', April reached for the knob, turning it ever so slowly before she poked her head inside. Her eyes immediately landed on Sam, who was sitting in a chair biting her thumbnail nervously, her Christmas green eyes awash with trepidation. The sound of the door opening caught Sam's attention and she quickly hopped out of her chair and raced toward April, embracing her in a tight hug.
"Oh, thank God it's you!" Sam cried, squeezing April with enough strength that caught the former reporter off guard. "When they said they had talked to my guardian, I was freaking out that Casey was coming down to talk to Principal Hartmann. Oh man, what a relief. I feel like I can breathe again."
April wriggled out of Sam's hug, placing a hand on her shoulder and looking her straight in the eyes. "Sam, what is all this about? Why were you sent to the principal's office?"
Sam held up her hands in a defensive manner, her words spilling out of her mouth like frantic word vomit. "Okay, before you jump to any conclusions, it wasn't my fault, I swear. Talyn and I were just minding our own business when this girl came up behind me and—"
"—Miss Jones, Principal Hartmann will see you now that your guardian is here," Mrs. Taylor spoke from behind her desk, cutting off Sam's explanation.
With a nervous wince, Sam looked up at April, who gave her a comforting smile as they walked around the desk and down the small hallway, entering Principal Hartmann's office. They were both greeted by a very broad, large bald man with bushy eyebrows and a mustache to match. Without saying much, he instructed for both April and Sam to sit and once he figured the two were comfortable, he rested his elbows on top of his desk with his big, meaty hands folded.
"Miss, O'Neil, was it?"
April nodded.
"Miss O'Neil, you're probably already aware that the school year has just reached its second day. Not even a week has gone by and Sam has already begun to show signs of disrespect and disorderly conduct."
"But Principal Hartmann—"
April placed a hand on Sam's shoulder to calm her down. "Let him finish, Sam." She spoke evenly.
"Thank you, Miss O'Neil." Mr. Hartmann cleared his throat, making his salt and pepper-flaked mustache twitch before he continued to speak. "Now, I will forgive Samantha for arriving late for a few of her classes, seeing as she is new to our campus. However, her little act in the cafeteria this afternoon will simply not be tolerated. I'll have you know there's no excuse to shove cake into a student's face, Miss Jones."
April's eyes widened as she glanced over at Sam, who took a stab at trying to defend herself with a rushing explanation. "Principal Hartmann, you never gave me time to explain—"
"—I don't think your little childish act has room for explanation, Miss Jones," Mr. Hartmann barked, making the crinkles in his forehead stand out. "I will not tolerate this sort of behavior, so I suggest you shape up or else I'll have no choice but to—"
"—Hang on, hang on." April intervened, her emerald green eyes staring into Principal Hartmann's fire gold irises. "You mean you didn't even give Sam time to explain why she did what she did?"
Principal Hartmann adjusted his tie once again, looking down at April as if she were of lower class. "I assure you, Miss O'Neil that such immature antics don't need much explaining."
"Well that's just unreasonable." April barked, raising herself from her chair. "What if the other girl started this whole debacle? You're just going to go by what you saw and accuse the person who looked like they were at fault without even hearing both halves of the story? Or any of the story for that matter?"
"Miss O'Neil, I advise you to calm down and—"
"—Sam, lift up your sleeve." April ordered, cutting Principal Hartmann off while she looked down at her boyfriend's cousin.
Sam stared up at April, her evergreen eyes flicking back and forth from her to Principal Hartmann. When she didn't do what April had instructed, April repeated herself, but with more authority in her tone.
"Sam. Show Principal Hartmann your arm."
With a slow nod, Sam scooted herself at the edge of her seat and held out her arm for Principal Hartmann to see. She pulled her sleeve up gently so as not to brush too roughly against her wound and when Principal Hartmann saw the large, purplish-yellow bruise, his eyes widened with complete shock.
"That was from one of your student's," April spoke with an edge to her voice. An edge that made Principal Hartmann look up at her almost nervously. "Sam could most likely be a victim of bullying at your school and you would've turned a blind eye and seen right past it because you didn't get the full story on what happened in the cafeteria. Maybe Sam was taking a stand against her bully because she didn't want this problem progressing even further."
"Or maybe"—Principal Hartmann narrowed his eyes, retracting back to his seat—"Sam could be a victim of child abuse, Miss O'Neil."
April felt her fingers curl into tight fists, but she forced herself to remain calm and not raise her voice to a furious shout. Standing her ground, she looked Principal Hartmann dead in the eye and spoke with enough composed evenness it made Sam's breath catch in her throat.
"You want to send Child Protective Services to our house, be my guest, Principal Hartmann. I have nothing to hide and neither does my boyfriend. But before you even think about picking up that phone, remember this. I have the right to contact the Board of Education and tell them my story about how you failed to hear an explanation from a student and were even willing to punish her for something that may or may not have been her fault. I'm sure they won't take too kindly to that, Principal Hartmann, so I suggest you think long and hard about the consequences of your actions."
Sam felt her heart race inside her chest as she looked from April, to Principal Hartmann, to April again. The tension was so thick she could swear it was beginning to suffocate her, but what amazed Sam was that April didn't even bat an eye as she stood her ground with as much confidence and determination as an MMA fighter staring down at their bloody, exhausted opponent.
At first, Principal Hartmann didn't say anything as he adjusted his tie and cleared his throat, an eminent sneer tugging at his lips. After what felt like hours passed by, he finally rose from his chair, hooking his arms behind his back before nodding politely at both April and Sam.
"Forgive me for wasting your time, Miss O'Neil." He looked up at Sam. "Miss Jones, I greatly apologize for not hearing your side of the story. Be sure something like this never happens again. You both are free to go."
(-)
"Okay, you are officially on the top of my list of most badass ladies! I can't believe that just happened!" Sam exclaimed, her eyes shining with the excitement of a little kid on Christmas morning. "Seriously, April, I don't think even Beatrix from 'Kill Bill' could've done a better job than you did! You totally rock!"
April couldn't help but giggle, turning the wheel as she pulled up to the curb next to the apartment complex. Turning the ignition off, she pulled out her key and rested her arm on the steering wheel, giving Sam an incredulous look that made her smile falter into a worried frown.
"Sam, I understand something happened this afternoon in the cafeteria that made Principal Hartmann believe it was your fault," she spoke slowly, making Sam turn away to stare down at her shoes. April's shoulders sank slightly before she wet her lips and continued to speak. "I won't automatically judge you for your actions, but I want to hear the full story about what happened."
"…Her name's Renee." Her voice was just above a whisper. "She's the one who gave me the bruise on my arm. But you have to listen to me, April. This girl thinks I have it out for her and it's all just a misunderstanding. Because of my clumsy ass, she thinks I'm like out to get her or something."
"And why would she think that?" April asked curiously.
Sam sighed, shaking her head in frustration. "I don't know what it is, but it's like I'm her bad luck charm or something. Every time she's around, I wind up accidentally bumping into her or hurting her in some unintentional way. At the skate park, I crashed into her because I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Yesterday during dodgeball, I was aiming for another girl but she managed to get out of the way and I ended up hitting Renee instead. And this afternoon at lunch, she bumped into me, making me spray my water all over mine and Talyn's lunch. She probably thought if she did something to me, it would give off the impression to back off and keep my distance from her."
"But you didn't take it that way, did you." A statement, not a question.
Sam winced, her hands moving with her words in a nervous gesture. "I was caught off guard and wasn't thinking about the consequences of my actions. Talyn warned me not to do anything stupid, but I had already apologized to this girl for the things I've done to her twice. I—I tried giving off the impression that I had absolutely no intentions to start a war with her … but she either didn't pick up on the signals or just completely ignored them. All the things I did to her—those were by accident, April. What she did to me was on purpose and it—it got under my skin."
"I see," said April, making Sam look up into her emerald green eyes in worry.
"You believe me, don't you…?"
"Of course I believe you, Sam." April smiled. "Sometimes, you can't help what life throws at you. You just gotta hold your head up high and go with the flow. But you also have to think before you act. Otherwise, it'll get you into a heap of trouble."
"You can say that again." She rested her head in the palm of her hand before glancing back at April. "Uhm, April, do you mind if we keep this little principal's office visit from Casey? He's probably worried enough as it is after the whole bruise thing last night. I don't wanna spring this on him too and have him go into another mother hen fit."
"Of course, Sam. My lips are sealed." April smiled, zipping her lips and throwing away an imaginary key.
Sam couldn't help but laugh before she stared back at the ground, her eyes flicking back and forth as if she were looking for something. "Uhm, can I ask you something else?"
"Go for it."
"Well…" She paused, trying to find the right words before she let them leave her mouth. "That girl I was telling you about—Renee. You see, I was offered to join the Jam Skating Squad by the team captain this morning before school—"
"—Jam Skating?" April repeated, raising a curious eyebrow.
Sam nodded, her lips tugging into an excited smile. "It's really neat. Talyn calls it roller disco with a b-boy twist."
"Sounds interesting."
"It is!" She exclaimed animatedly. However, her shoulders instantly sank when she continued to explain her dilemma. "The only problem is Renee's the co-captain and after what happened this afternoon, I-I'm pretty sure I killed my chances of making the team. Talyn says I should still tryout anyway, but … I don't know. I'm not sure I even have what it takes to make the team, you know? …What do you think, April? A-Am I just kidding myself and making matters worse by trying out for the team knowing one of the judges probably wants to shove her blades down my throat?"
"Sam, I'm going to give you a word of advice that someone very wise once told me." April smiled, thinking back to the wizened rat her and Casey have grown to know and love – just like the four butt-kicking ninja brothers that held a special place in their hearts. "'Instead of being afraid of the challenge and failure, be afraid of avoiding the challenge and doing nothing'. Do you understand?"
"Be afraid of avoiding the challenge," Sam repeated, her eyes flicking back and forth in concentration. "So basically, if I don't try out for the team, I'm gonna wind up hating myself for missing out on such an opportunity?"
April's lips tugged into a warm smile as she reached over and placed a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder. "I think you know what you need to do, kiddo."
"Yeah…" Sam smiled, her head tilted as she stared out of the window into the bright blue August sky. "…I think I do."
Tuesday Night
It was getting easier and easier for Leonardo to step out of the lair without having to come up with a different excuse every time he approached Master Splinter. Although he would never voice his confession out loud, Leo had to admit that it actually lifted a small level of stress off his shoulders, knowing that he didn't have to worry about lying in the face of his sensei. Then again, when he thought about it, Leonardo wasn't completely lying. Every night he would go out, he would inform Master Splinter that he was going to get some fresh air and clear his head. That is what he did every night so it wasn't like he was going against his word and treading off to do something else. No, Leonardo would never do something like that. It went completely against his honor. His title of being a loyal student to his master….
…But he wasn't a loyal student. No matter which perspective Leo tried to look at it, he couldn't mask the fact that he was going behind his father's back. After firmly instructing his brothers that they needed to keep their distance from Sam until Casey gave them the green light, the blue-banded turtle couldn't help but feel that Mikey was right. He was being a hypocrite. Because what he was doing – escaping into the night to go see Sam – was exactly what he had instructed everyone else not to do. He was going against his own word and for what? To relieve stress? To clear his mind? To forget about his title, his duties and responsibilities—even just a few moments…?
He felt the August rush kiss his face as Leo sprinted from rooftop to rooftop, all while admiring the glorious city lights and swarming crowds beneath him. Tonight marked the third night in a row he had journeyed off into the hours of darkness and without the presence of his brothers following behind him, Leo figured it was making everyone feel uneasy. Worried. Scared.
He sighed quietly to himself before scaling down the fire escape. It was a selfish act, but Leo knew telling his brothers where he escaped to in the late hours of the night was something they wouldn't understand. Hell, Leo didn't even understand why he kept up this routine—about venturing off to Casey and April's apartment just to see her. To talk to her. Listen to her voice when she spoke back to him….
He tried to ignore the sudden rush of his heart racing inside his chest, but Leo was beginning to find the feeling harder and harder to ignore as it grew stronger with each passing day. He didn't know why it happened at times or why he always seemed to feel this way whenever he thought of Sam. All he knew was that her presence made the foreign feeling go away and be replaced by a tranquil sense of serenity and contentment; something he almost never felt when he was at home. Now that didn't necessarily mean Leo hated the life he lived. It just seemed like there were only so many problems and responsibilities he could carry on his shoulders. After all, he wasn't Superman. Even he had weaknesses. Flaws. Limitations.
But he was the leader—the eldest son. To show weakness and faults was completely unacceptable in the way of the ninja. He couldn't just throw his responsibilities away and carry on with life like he had nothing to worry about—no one to look out for. No, there were people counting on him. People who had great expectations for him. The moment he let his guard down, Leo knew the world around him would completely collapse and his duty and honor to both his brothers and his sensei would crumble right before his very feet.
He couldn't afford to worry about himself. Not when there were so many others in front of him to look out for….
When he reached the building across from Casey and April's apartment, Leo could hear the faint sound of an upbeat tempo transmitting from most likely portable speakers, making him raise an eye ridge with heightened perplexity. As he shimmied down the fire escape, he looked down below him, catching a glimpse of midnight brown hair sway back and forth in a graceful flow of hypnotic movements, making Leo's breath almost hitch in his throat at the beautiful outlook he was witnessing to this moment.
While Leo was aware that Sam was once a figure skater, her movements and rhythm weren't something one would transfer on to ice skates. Then again, Sam wasn't on ice, nor was she donning ice skates. Instead, she was gliding back and forth while wearing a pair of electric blue rollerblades in a style that could only be classified as break dancing—but with a striking feminine elegance under toned in the way she seemed to drift across the concrete pavement.
At first, Leo said nothing and just sat back and watched Sam perform her practiced dance until the pulsating blare of the song slowly came to a close. She finished off her routine with a polished twirl, bowing in front of him to state that her presentation was finished. Although he was trying to be stealthy, Leo couldn't help but offer her a small round of applause, nodding in approval while still remaining in the shadows.
"That was beautiful. You really seem to have your center of gravity intact when you skate. You must've trained a lot to have exceeded at this level."
Sam straightened herself up and smiled, wiping the sweat the decorated her brow. "That's what seven years of figure skating will do to you. Although, transferring the technique on to blades isn't as easy as I thought it was going to be."
"You sure made it look easy."
Sam felt her cheeks stain pink at the compliment before she rubbed the back of her neck shyly. "Well, some of my moves are still a little jerky. I've been practicing since after dinner and I have to say, I think this is something I can really get into. Although it's way different from figure skating, it brings back the routines I was so familiar with back home, you know?"
Leonardo nodded. "Like a sense of nostalgia."
"Exactly!" She exclaimed before glancing down at her skates and then back up at Leo, his presence basked in the darkness so that she could only make out the dark gleam of his eyes. "Uhm, are you familiar with jam skating?"
"No, but I'm certain I will be in about two seconds." He grinned, feeling his heart flutter ever so lightly when Sam giggled at his response.
"It's like this trendy way of break dancing, only combined with skates to make it a little bit more difficult and really cool to watch. I'm guessing it originated from roller disco, what with the two holding similar techniques and all."
"I see." Leo nodded, his eyes travelling down to Sam's roller skates. "You seem to be very skilled in the technique and form for someone who claims to be new to the sport. Very impressive, Sam."
"Thanks, Leo." She smiled, making Leo shift almost diffidently at the sound of his name passing through her lips. "You know, that was a pretty clever hint you gave me last night. About the constellations. I figured it had something to do with the zodiac."
"You should count yourself lucky. I don't go off giving my name to everyone I come across. It's an act of privacy my father taught us ever since we were young."
"Us?"
Dammit. Leo ground his teeth, mentally chiding himself for accidentally bringing his family into this. Why did it seem like every time he was with Sam, the words just seemed to spill from his mouth, making him act before he thought—an action he rarely acted upon. It was tremendously reckless of him and he knew if Master Splinter could see him now, he'd be staring at him with disappointment eminent in his eyes.
She's going to know about our family anyway, Leo thought to himself, wetting his lips before he continued to speak.
"My brothers and myself. My father believes in keeping things very cloak and dagger about our lifestyle and has distilled the practice on us for many years. You and perhaps maybe a handful of others are the only ones that know of our existence. Well, my existence, I should say."
"So why the sense of secrecy?" Sam asked curiously, making Leo fumble with his hands to keep occupied.
"Let's just say my father is very … overprotective."
"I know how that feels." Sam rolled her eyes. "My dad can be pretty overprotective with me. Can you believe he won't let me date until I'm eighteen? And even then I have to be chaperoned. How embarrassing, right?"
"I'm sure he has his reasons," Leo explained. "A caring father is a loving father. He just doesn't want to endure the horror of seeing his child hurt or saddened. And besides, guys can be real creeps at times. One can never be too careful."
Sam giggled softly. "You're starting to sound just like him. 'Boys are nothing but filthy horn dogs, Samantha. All they ever think about is sex and women'."
Leo's shoulders shook as he chuckled. "Well, not all guys are like that."
"You're not like that." She smiled kindly, making Leo's cheeks darken in a light blush. With a tilt of her head, she immediately changed the subject and asked her guardian angel, "Are you Italian?"
"What?" He was caught off guard by the question before Sam repeated it as if she were asking how the weather was.
"Are you Italian? The name Leonardo derives from Italy, doesn't it?"
"Well, yes, it does. But no, my father was just very interested in the Renaissance arts and named my brothers and I after famous painters of that era."
"Ah, okay." Sam nodded. "So what nationality are you guys? I-If you don't mind my asking, that is."
Leo pondered the thought, his heart racing at giving away so much information about his lifestyle and family without the blessing of his sensei. It was so very unlike him, but the blue-banded turtle found it very difficult to keep things hidden when Sam was staring up at him with her soft, evergreen eyes, making his heart thrum almost hypnotically inside his chest.
"Well, my father was raised on Japanese customs and passed them down to my brothers and myself. He taught us everything from the culture, to the history—even the language. I think I'm the only one out of my brothers though that actually shows as much interest in Japanese traditions as my father does. I think given the choice, they would probably rather stay here in America rather than visit the principled country."
"Meh, there loss." Sam shrugged her shoulders. "I would totally jump at the opportunity to visit another country – especially one like Japan. From what I've seen in pictures and books, the cherry blossoms look stunning beautiful in the spring."
"I agree." Leo nodded, his mind drifting to the thought of basking under the aforementioned sakura trees in their full bloom, enjoying both the view and the look of astonishment on Sam's face as they observed the scenery together.
Shaking his head to snap himself out of his thoughts, Leo cleared his throat, immediately changing the subject. "S-So, any particular reason why you're dancing in the middle of an alleyway at this time of night?"
"I'm gonna be trying out for the Jam Skating Squad tomorrow at my school, so I'm trying to get as much practice time as I can."
"S-Should I come back another night? I don't want to distract you from your practice." He spoke with a nervous glint in his tone.
"No, you're fine. In fact…" She skated back toward her iPod Home, grabbing her music player before flipping through her library, searching for another upbeat song she hadn't practiced with yet. When her eyes locked on an old classic she hadn't heard in a while, she grinned almost impishly before she pressed play, glancing back at her guardian angel. "You can critique me on this routine. Let me know if I make any mistakes or if something doesn't look right. Okay?"
"O-Okay." He agreed, watching as Sam loosened her limbs while the sound of a haunting, loud bell rang from her speakers, making the blue-banded turtle wonder exactly what song she had picked.
The ringing reverberated for a few more seconds before the sound of creaking followed suit. As Leo stood there, racking his brain trying to figure out the almost familiar opening of the song, his eyes widened in sudden realization when the pulsing beats started to come into play.
"Michael Jackson?" He raised an almost perplexed eyebrow.
Sam smiled, nodding her head with an excited glint in her eyes. "My cousin was really into MJ back when he was in high school, so I blame him for getting me hooked on some of his songs at such a young age."
"You don't say." Leo grinned, mentally doubling over at the sight of a teenage Casey Jones prancing around in his room to the tune of the King of Pop himself. He had to remember to bring it up next time he saw the tough vigilante, but until then, he focused on the here and now, watching as Sam tapped her foot to the beat of the song, bopping her shoulders at the end of every fourth beat.
The flare of the bass guitar emulated with the pulsing tempo and Sam began to shift her body in a flow of movements that surged with the melody of 'Beat It'. As he stood there, watching her step into her own little world as Michael Jackson's singing voice began to blare through the speakers, Leo couldn't help but wish he was right there with her, joining in on the ride of self-freedom and escape he could never allow himself to enter with the weight of his duties and responsibilities holding him down. Sam truly was one of the luckier ones – holding so much sovereignty and liberation that Leo could've sworn he felt a pang of … what? Unhappiness? Resentment?
Both…?
Shunning away his thoughts and storing them in a mental box to ponder at later, Leo watched as Sam started to mouth the words to the song, her legs crisscrossing at an impressive speed, making his eyes widen in a galvanized manner. She snapped her fingers to the beat of the music, waving her arms as she dipped, spun, and even jumped before twirling around to smile up at Leo, the song only halfway finished. However, before Leo could comment on this, Sam began to speak with a flare of animation that reminded Leo of a little kid.
"So what'd you think so far? Not too sexy, right? I don't want this to turn into a scene from 'Dirty Dancing'." She giggled, taking a stab at being a little humorous.
"No, it was…" Leo paused, his normally solemn face rising into a soft smile. "It was very lady-like. I enjoyed it."
"Thank you." Sam nodded, clapping her hands and gliding toward Leo. "Alright, now it's your turn."
"My—w-what? Oh, no, I'm fine. R-Really. Besides, angels don't dance." Leo grinned almost nervously, taking a large step back with every little step Sam took toward him.
"Nice try, but you're not getting out of it that easily." Sam grinned, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared into Leo's dark brown eyes with the stern essence of a grade school teacher. "C'mon, I saw that little twinkle in your eyes while you were watching me dance. I know somewhere inside of you there's a dancing queen just waiting to bust a move."
"You're not going to break out into ABBA now, are you?" Leo smiled crookedly, flinching with intimidation when Sam took another step toward him. "Sam, I-I—this isn't something I should be doing. My sen—I mean my father … I shouldn't even be here. I-I'm sorry."
"Hey, Leo, wait." She reached out her hand, feeling as though something was sinking inside her chest when she saw the silhouette of his body begin to turn around and leave. "I-I'm sorry. I just—I thought it would be fun for us to dance together, seeing that little glint in your eyes while I practiced in front of you. I … I didn't mean to try to pull you out of your comfort zone. I apologize."
"I-It's alright, Sam," Leo spoke, his voice just above a whisper as he stared down at the saddened look on Sam's face and his heart sank. He turned back around so that he was facing her, instinctively reaching out a hand to tilt her chin up so that she was looking into his dark brown eyes. However, he managed to stop himself halfway, retracting back before pursing his lips into an audacious frown. "Perhaps we can work our way around this. Do you maybe have any clothes I could borrow so that I shall remain hidden?"
Sam shook her head slowly, staring up at Leo with melancholy eyes. "No, Leo. I don't want to force you into anything that is going to make you uncomfortable. You don't have to dance if you don't want to."
"But I do want to, Sam." He smiled warmly at her, looking down at his fumbling hands before wetting his lips. "I want to experience that sense of freedom I saw you emulate in your dancing. I want to step into your world, Sam. Even just for a few moments."
"Are you sure?" She asked carefully, her heart fluttering with excitement when she saw Leo nod his head.
"More sure than I've ever been about anything."
(-)
Leo was tremendously lucky he and Casey shared almost the same size in clothing, his pants being a tad bit snug around the thigh area, but it was nothing Leo could easily ignore. As he finished wrapping around the wool scarf to cover the lower part of his face – all while adjusting the old fedora Sam stated she only ever saw Casey wear once – he spread his arms out almost shyly, waiting for Sam's two cents on the choice of attire.
"Not bad," she replied, surveying Leo up and down as she took in his presence. "Good thing we're in late August or else you'd be sweating bullets with all those layers of clothes."
"Yeah. Good thing," Leo spoke with a hint of nervousness, unbeknownst to Sam that although he wasn't warm underneath all the clothes he donned, he was still sweating bullets out of pure anxiety, being unfamiliar with having another human lay eyes on him – even if he was hidden underneath half of Casey's wardrobe. What in the world was he thinking? How the heck did he get himself into this sort of situation? If only Master Splinter could see him now. Oh, the lecture he would be given if he ever found out about the actions his eldest son was partaking in….
Leo's thoughts instantly ceased to race through his head as Sam grabbed on to his own mitten-covered hand and pulled him out of the shadows. Trying to ignore the rapid pounding in his chest, he began to notice that the weather must've risen a few degrees in temperature as he felt a warm heat graze against his cheeks. Sam seemed completely unfazed as she bent down to retrieve her iPod and started the song 'Beat It' back to the beginning.
"Alright, just loosen your limbs and clear your head," she instructed, taking a small step away from Leo to give him his space. "The thing about dancing is that it comes from you – something that you create through sheer imagination and originality. There's no rules behind it or laws or limitations. Just you and whatever movements feel right with your body. That's what makes it so exciting, Leo. Nobody can judge you on your creativity or what feels right to you. It's like, against the law." She laughed, glancing over at her guardian to make sure he was easing the tension out of his limbs. "Are you relaxed?"
"I-I think so. Yes." He nodded, letting out a slow breath as he shook the apprehension from his limbs.
"Good. Now, listen to the music. Let the beats and tempo carry you away into your own little sanctuary of freedom and self-expression. Just let all your worries drift away … and dance."
Leo closed his eyes gradually as he listened to the familiar rhythm of 'Beat It', allowing his foot to tap at the pulsating beats. Before Michael Jackson began to sing the first part of the song, Leo shifted his body in a stiff set of movements, his lips pursed in almost a frustrated line before he allowed himself to wind down; the routine reminding him of the movements of a well-practiced kata. He could hear Sam giggle next to him and at first he thought his dancing looked ridiculous. But when he saw that illustrious glint in her evergreen eyes, Leo couldn't help but smile as he glided across the concrete pavements in a series of spins and dips.
The two flowed together as the music seemed to carry them both into a sea of their own elation. They snapped their fingers, waved their arms, and as Leo started to become more familiar with the chorus, he jubilantly sang along with Sam, making her lips curl into a big of smile as her face could allow.
"Not bad, Twinkle Toes!" Sam laughed, swaying her body back and forth as the electric guitar began to break in. "Didn't know you had such a big bag of dance moves hidden within you."
"Neither did I!" Leo laughed, feeling a sense of overwhelming jubilation take over his body as he threw in a few of his martial arts moves into the mix, making Sam's eyes widen impressively as the song began to draw into a close.
With their hearts pounding and their chests heaving as they filled their lungs with air, soft green irises met heavy brown eyes as both Sam and Leo did nothing but stare at each other, both with matching grins on their faces.
As he wiped the sweat from his brow, Leo was the first to speak, his voice raising a couple of octaves as he tried to contain the flow of excitement that mixed in with his words. "That was incredible. I—" He laughed, placing his hand on his forehead in a blown away gesture. "—I've never felt such a rush of … of freedom. It was all so overwhelming that I thought I was going to just … float away."
Sam giggled, mimicking Leo's gesture of wiping the sweat that decorated her forehead as she smiled. "I'm glad I could help you loosen up. Now you see why I love dancing so much. It's like—art for the body."
"It truly is." Leo agreed, his smile never faltering from his face. "Thank you so much for allowing me to experience this realm with you, Sam. I—I don't believe I've ever felt this … free in years."
"You're welcome, Leonardo." Sam smiled, her attention perked when she heard the soft melody of a Coldplay song emanating from her speakers, causing her to glance over her shoulder until she felt a warm, gloved hand drape over it.
She turned around only to stare up into Leo's midnight brown eyes, a glimmer of tepid gentleness flickering in his irises as he held out his hand, bowing before her in a gentlemanly manner. "May I have this dance?"
Sam felt her cheeks stain pink as she giggled softly to herself before resting her palm atop of Leo's. Giving him a polite curtsey, she took him up on his offer and pressed her body as close to his own as she could, allowing Leo to wrap his arm around her slender waist while he used his other hand to hold on to hers.
Doing what they had done before with the first song, both Sam and Leo accepted the harmonious tempo of 'Paradise' to carry them off into a world where only they were the occupants, their feet gliding across the pavement beneath them as they swayed gracefully together. The few luminescent lights that twinkled above them cascaded a warm glow upon the two, making Sam stare into Leo's hypnotizing eyes, the thoughts of today drifting off into nothingness. Right now, it was just her and her guardian. Her protector that made her feel like nothing could break her down as long as she stayed within in the confines of his strong, powerful arms.
She turned away with a bright blush splayed across her cheeks, making Leo tilt his head with perplexed concern. "Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." She stuttered, forcing herself to look back up into her guardian's eyes with a smile. "This is … nice. It's very … i-it's almost like—like…"
"Paradise?" Leo grinned, making Sam laugh amusingly.
"For lack of a better word, yes, it is." She paused, wetting her lips before she spoke with a nervous undertone to her voice. "Y-You're a really fine dancer, Leo."
"I had a great instructor." Her guardian flushed, separating his body from hers to let her body twirl in an elegant spiral, her hair flowing with the wind until it curtained over her shoulders.
For what seemed like hours, the two lost themselves in each other, migrating with the cadence of chiming instruments that made up the song as they performed a harmonious routine of steps, twirls, and spins. As the melody began to crawl into a leisurely end, Leo gulped down his final bit of worries and leaned his body forward, ending the dance with a graceful dip as he stared into Sam's spellbinding pools of evergreen.
The soft glow of the full moon seemed to bathe the two in luminescent warmth as Sam stared back into Leo's dark brown irises, the shadows of her cousin's fedora blanketing the features of the rest of his face. However, that didn't seem to faze her, for all she cared to marvel at was the entrancing glimmer in her guardian's eyes, making Sam feel as though time had slowed to a dangerous halt.
But she didn't mind. She didn't mind one bit….
Feeling her cheeks warm at the intensity of the dance, both Sam and Leo broke the little stare down they were having with each other with nervous gesticulations as they straightened themselves up and cleared their throats. Sam was the first to speak this time as she glanced over at Leo, who seemed to be rubbing the back of his neck frantically while staring at the ground.
"I-I should probably head back inside now." She frowned, noticing the slight sink in his shoulders.
"Y-Yeah. It's getting pretty late, isn't it?" He stuttered.
"Do you … do you want to come inside? We could maybe watch a movie together in my room. O-Or just, I don't know, talk. I-If you'd like." She blushed frantically, mentally cursing herself for acting like such a nervous schoolgirl.
Leonardo felt his lips tug into a privileged smile, feeling a sense of disappointment as he shook his head. "As lovely as that sounds, Sam, I really should be getting home myself. It is a school night after all and I don't want to come between you and your rest."
"Oh. R-Right." She kicked at an imaginary rock, her head tilted downward so that her guardian wouldn't be able to see the discontent eminent on her face.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, Leo reached over and tapped the bottom of Sam's chin with his finger, flashing her a warm smile that made her heart flutter inside her chest. "Thank you for letting me step into your world, Sam. You have no idea how much this has helped me."
"Anytime." Sam smiled, her eyes widening as she glanced over her shoulder quickly. "Hold on, don't go anywhere. I'll be right back!"
Raising a curious eye ridge, Leo stood his ground, waiting patiently for Sam to return back outside. After a few minutes passed by, she raced toward him, holding out a plain, folded blue blanket.
"It's only going to get colder the later it gets, so I want you to take this. It'll keep you warm until you get back home."
Leo looked down at the blanket, feeling a sense of warm seep through his chest as he stared back at Sam. "Sam, I—won't you need it to keep warm at night?"
Sam shook her head, practically shoving the blanket into Leo's hands. "I've got like four more. And don't worry about bringing it back. I want you to have it."
"T-Thank you, Sam. That was very thoughtful of you."
Sam shrugged in a modest gesture as Leo stepped back into the shadows, stripping himself of Casey's clothes before cloaking himself in the long, toasty blanket. After folding the clothes into a neat little stack, he walked back toward Sam, handing her everything before offering her a polite bow.
"I had a wonderful time tonight."
"Me too." She blushed as Leo straightened himself back up. "Will you stop by again tomorrow night?"
"Definitely." He offered her a lopsided smile. "Maybe I'll take you up on that movie offer."
"Deal." Sam giggled, noticing that she was beginning to fumble with her hands. "Well, good night."
"Good night. Yoi yume o. That means sweet dreams."
Sam giggled, offering Leo a nod before she spoke. "Yoi yume o. Make it home safely, Leo."
"I will, Sam." He smiled warmly, stopping in his tracks when Sam lunged for him and wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him in a tight hug. At first, Leo felt his body stiffen, but when he realized Sam wasn't pulling away, he slowly began to wrap his arms around her, hugging her back just as tightly.
He could smell the intoxicating aroma of her scent as he nuzzled his chin on top of her head, feeling as though he were drifting off into a trance that filled his body with warmth and contentment. Sam found herself doing the same as she breathed in Leo's musky scent mixed with the smell of her blanket, feeling her heart palpitate wildly inside her chest before she finally let go, staring deep into her guardians eyes before he turned around, making sure to glance over his shoulder to get one last look at Sam. "Bye."
"Bye." She waved, letting out a breathy sigh as she watched her guardian disappear into the night….
Ahhh, the fluff. Oh all the fluffy romance in this chapter! x3 Like I said before, I REALLY enjoyed writing Leo and Sam's interactions with each other in this chapter. I can't wait for these two to progress further into their relationship! x3 It's coming up quickly, readers! I'd say about ... two more chapters until Sam and Leo meet face-to-face. As in, she gets to see him in all his turtle glory. No, not naked! That's not gonna happen for a while. Ack! Spoilers! XD Then again, what would you expect from a story that's rated M? I'm definitely not gonna end it with those two hugging. Hell no! You came here to see some action and that's exactly what I'm gonna give ya! Eventually... Heheh. But until then, I think all this fluffiness will suffice. :3
Speaking of romance, I wanna comment on SleepingSeekers review from my last chapter. Yes, we are in fact gonna see the rest of the turtles find themselves girls of their own. :3 There is a reason I'm introducing so many OCs to my story because a few of them will be playing important roles later down the road. Now you just have to figure out who's gonna be paired up with who. ;D I ain't tellin'!
By the way, I keep forgetting to inform all you readers that I posted up pictures of Sam, Talyn, Renee, Sam's dad, and a couple of my other OCs on my wall a few days ago. If you'd like to check out what I envision everyone looking like, give it a little looksy. Until then, I'll catch you guys later! I'm gonna go curl up on the couch and enjoy my week with my family. :D Don't forget to send lots and lots of reviews and remember to...
DFTBA!
(Don't Forget To Be Awesome!)
