Author's Note: I finally got this drabble done, thank goodness! Not much happens here, just some bonding between Leonardo and Andromeda as she gets accustomed to Earth. Expect some dorky, awkward Leo and a trip to the store. Read and review!
Drabble 21: Say Yes to the Dress
"…and that's how we saved everyone from the Kraang invasion."
Leonardo finished recounting the time he and his brothers saved the people of New York from Dimension X to the silent Andromeda. To his disappointment, she didn't show any awe…actually, she didn't show anything. The 'mechanical maiden', as Mikey dubbed her, simply stared in observance at the turtle in blue as he told her tales of their exploits. All to teach her about Earth, just as Fugitoid wanted. Besides learning since she became a permanent resident at the lair, Andromeda also underwent studies by Donatello on what made her qualify to be more cyborg than robot. That was a work in progress.
In all that time, she never cracked a smile.
Leo tried everything, even resorting to pulling a Mikey, but her lips never twitched. Donnie said her human design should allow for her to feel emotions, so why wasn't she expressing it? Maybe he was boring her with his stories or his Space Heroes talk. Maybe he had to try a different approach…
"But enough about me!" Leo rubbed the back of his neck and asked, "Is there anything YOU want to talk about?"
Andromeda stared at him for a moment, and Leo believed she just ignored his question or had nothing to talk about. When the blue-masked turtle started to sigh, she finally decided to speak up.
"According to your stories, you often have a habit of putting your life at risk for your family." Andromeda held up a metallic finger when she made her analysis so Leo wouldn't interrupt. Her eyes shifted and went upon Miwa entering the dojo, adding, "You also risked your life to show Miwa how 'cool' you are, even when it caused extensive bodily harm to you or others."
Leo immediately shrunk back and tapped his fingers together as a sheepish grin appeared. "…Not any of my best moments."
There was a flash of something in the robotic girl's eyes once Miwa was out of view; to Leo, she almost looked like she'd been studying her the entire time. It disappeared as quickly as it came once her eyes went back to him.
"Do you still love Miwa?" She asked carefully.
Leo immediately blinked. Did Andromeda mean if he still had feelings for Miwa? Was she asking him this because she felt…jealous? It bothered him that Andromeda was possibly jealous, especially when they only knew each other for maybe two months and he never considered THAT possibility. Regardless, there was no need for any jealousy to take root, and Leo came to terms with his feelings being nothing more than a crush.
"Of course I love her." Leo answered confidently. "She's my sister, after all. We love each other as a family, just as you love your father because he's your family." The turtle noticed that she seemed unreactive concerning her father, but summed it up to her having a hard time expressing emotions. "You…do love your father, don't you?"
"…Yes." She answered, despite a moment of hesitation. Suddenly, she looked down, and almost seemed unsure of what to say now. "There was one other person I loved…but she is not here anymore."
Leo's features slackened. "And…who was this person?"
Andromeda didn't know why, but she didn't want to answer that question yet. Perhaps it was unnecessary…perhaps it was too painful to answer. Instead, she stared at the entryway of the lair, then back at herself, and back to the entryway. "Leonardo, may I make a request?"
"Uh…sure." The blue-masked turtle replied slowly. "What do you want?"
She picked up a magazine featuring an ad from a local retail store, pointing at one of the pictures in question. "I would like to visit this store and purchase new clothes. Would you accompany me there?"
Leo almost jumped back in shock. "Go with you inside the store? No offense, Andromeda, but a mutant like me can't exactly walk inside a store filled with humans. May I add humans that're still wary of mutants after the whole anti-mutant movement?"
Andromeda apparently didn't lose any of her determination. "There are trench coats and large clothes in the storage closet. I am sure you will be stealthy enough in them." Suddenly, she averted her eyes and confessed, "I would ask April O'Neil or Hamato Miwa to come with me, but I prefer your company. After all, Father designated YOU to teach me about Earth, correct?"
Well, that was true. For some unexplained reason, Fugitoid deemed him the one to help Andromeda live comfortably on Earth. Not Donnie. Not April. Not even Mikey or Raph or Splinter. Him. What they found worthy in him, he didn't know, but he wasn't going to disappoint Fugitoid or Andromeda. He would make sure her experience on Earth would be the best experience in her life. Sure, she probably traveled to space and saw planets greater than Earth, but she would like it here…right?
"…I'll suit up."
Leo ignored the awkward stares from the other store-goers and pulled his scarf further up his snout. Though it was night, it was a warm summer night, and the blue-masked turtle could feel sweat soaking into his trench coat. Unfortunately, he couldn't exactly shed his garb and expose himself to the still mutant-wary public. He decided to endure the heat from the summer and broken air conditioning to stand guard next to the fitting room. When Andromeda wanted to pick out clothes, he figured she'd try on maybe one or two outfits that were to her liking.
No…she was going to try on TEN different sets of clothes.
He could never imagine Miwa doing this; she'd just pick what she wanted and go. But to be fair, Andromeda never wore Earth clothes before, and had to be overwhelmed by everything here. So if she wanted to have fun trying on clothes, he'd give her that…within a reasonable time-frame, that is.
"Andromeda, are you almost done?"
"I am on my eighth blouse and skirt. I am attempting to fight the correct pieces to create a suitable uniform for Earth culture."
Leo sighed and ducked his head lower. "Did Fugitoid give you enough money? Before you ask, no, I'm not going to ask Sensei for his emergency credit card."
"I assure you, Leonardo, my father gave me enough Earth credits to purchase simple clothes." Andromeda spoke from behind the dressing room door.
'What'd he do, leave her an entire bank account?' Leo ignored the snide thought in his head and still debated whether or not Fugitoid actually left her usable money. He chastised himself a moment later for thinking such a thing. For one, Andromeda was just like him and his brothers when they first came to the surface world: she was still learning how to adapt. Fugitoid wouldn't just leave her to the wolves, either. So if he had a way to ensure his daughter could survive, Leo had to believe it was possible.
"I am finished, Leonardo."
Leo turned his head the moment the door opened. When he saw Andromeda, his cheeks immediately darkened and he blinked his eyes several times to ensure they worked correctly. She came out wearing a mint-green turtleneck sweater and a long, black skirt with a green floral pattern stitched into it. When he looked at her hands, he took notice of the mint-green opera gloves to hide away their mechanical properties. Leo's mouth formed into an 'o' shape as he took in her attire, barely visible from behind his scarf.
"Are you all right, Leonardo?" She asked, a hint of worry in her tone. "Your heart rate is elevated."
Leo shook his head and laughed nervously. "N-No, no, it's just…it's just kind of hot in here!" He pretended to tug at his trench coat and hoped she would be fooled. "But…Andromeda, you look…y-you look…"
Andromeda tilted her head to the side. "Look what?"
Struggling to find the right words, the blue-masked turtle blurted out, "You look beautiful!"
The other women in the store suddenly looked away from the clothes racks and onto the suddenly-embarrassed turtle. They all stayed silent, but an older woman suddenly started cooing over 'young love', a group of teenage girls giggled giddily, and one woman complained that she wished her husband was that honest. That made Leo's embarrassment grow, and he buried his snout back into his scarf and prayed Andromeda wouldn't grow angry at the compliment. However…
"Thank you, Leonardo."
When Leo looked up to meet Andromeda's gaze, he found himself perplexed, amazed even. She was smiling. The previously-devoid-of-emotion Andromeda was smiling at him. It was a small, gentle smile, yes, but it was a smile all the same. The leader in blue felt a sense of pride in getting her to show an emotion, and her truly feeling it was even better. His cheeks darkened ever further as he started understanding what it was like for Donnie and Raph. Wait, was he…
Then he noticed Andromeda's strawberry-blonde bangs in her eyes, and he glanced over to an accessory stand. "Oh, hold on, Andromeda." Leo rushed forward and picked up a black head band, matching one April recently bought, and gently placed it on her head. He turned her towards a near mirror and asked, "How does that look?"
Andromeda stared at her image wearing the head band, taking her fingers and touching the accessory. The smile she had a moment ago returned after taking in the image. "It is lovely, Leonardo. I believe this outfit will be satisfactory."
Leo blinked in surprise. "But…what about all those other outfits you tried on?"
"Those are unnecessary. I have noticed the spike in your body temperature due to the poor air conditioning, and my 'piddling around' would have worsened it." With the outfit on, Andromeda walked to the cash register and allowed the clerk to scan the tags, adding, "I also do not wish to further break your father's rule of being in public for too long. For that, I apologize, Leonardo."
Leo honestly felt touched that Andromeda would do that for him. He didn't mind accompanying her on this shopping trip, but for her to know that the heat bothered him and offer to choose just one outfit took him aback. Perhaps that meant she would ask April or Miwa or Cheyloe to accompany her from now on. But if she ever asked him to take her somewhere around town that didn't involve stores, he'd gladly accept. He was still the host…and now, he could feel confident enough to call himself her friend.
"Leonardo, may I make another request?"
After watching her pay the total and following her out of the store, he responded to her question, "What is it?"
"You have a nickname, and you and your brothers give each other nicknames, since many find your full names complicated. Even Cheyloe Doggett has a nickname, and you call April O'Neil 'Ape'." Fiddling with the tags on her newly-purchased clothes, she asked, "May I also request a nickname to feel belonging in your group?"
"What…Andromeda, you've belonged with us the day you came here!" Leo contested. "But if you want a nickname, I'll be happy to give you one." He thought about a possible nickname that could compliment Andromeda. He and his brothers had nicknames that were just their names shortened, since very few kids these days were named after Renaissance artists. Why not just shorten her name, too? "Hmm…how about we call you Andie?"
Andromeda blinked and registered the information. With a confident nod, she replied, "Andie is a fitting nickname. From now on, you may refer to me as Andie, and I will cherish this nickname…Leo."
Leo smiled brightly and took off his hat and scarf once they were out of view. "Really? T-That's great! Well then, let's go to one of my favorite places and enjoy the view! What do you say, Andie?"
Andie saw Leo extend his hand to her, and gingerly reached out to take it. "As you wish."
You may be wondering who the person is Andie lost, but that'll be revealed later once she's comfortable revealing it. Next up will be the one you've all been waiting for...a visit from the 1987 Turtles! There will be dimensional crossovers, a chase by an overzealous police officer, and Donnie having to give some advice to his 1987 counterpart. Until then, stay tuned!