Disclaimer: Ch. 1
Author's Note(s): Any language besides English that I used, I learned is from Google Translate and the rest of the internet, so if I got anything wrong, my sincerest apologies.
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"Two Sides, Same Blade"
Leonardo had been rather curious about how the lovely Akira was fairing, and so when the sun began to sink below the horizon and school had long since let out, the turtle headed out to see if the brunette was working that night. However, as he set out, the blue banded terrapin would find that he wasn't the only one with that idea…
After the fight that the turtles and the Purple Dragons had had in their shop, and the fact that Akira's grandfather needed to be checked out in the hospital to make sure he was unharmed by the knockout gas Xever had used on him, the 24/7 had been closed for a few days to receive the necessary repairs.
This only served to make the ruthless ravenet even more agitated than he had been when losing to the turtles for a second time and being reprimanded by the Shredder, as if he were an insolent child instead of a master thief and fierce fighter.
Xever had wanted to make sure Akira was okay since he'd been unable to get to her after the fall knocked him unconscious. And then after having recovered, his boss kept him busy with menial tasks as punishment. The curious crook had hoped seeing the brunette would help to sooth his savage soul the way it usually did.
However, he wasn't a very patient man when he didn't want to be, and so having gotten sick of his own lack of cooking skills and crummy takeout, and having finished with the lame work he had for the day, the suave scoundrel went to seek means to acquire his meal and the company that went with it another way than waiting for the shop to reopen.
Being the smooth stalker that he was, he'd found out which school that Akira attended a while ago, among other things; though personally he preferred the term ardent admirer. Xever waited across the street in the shade of an alleyway as he watched for his foxy flower to come out.
When he didn't spot Akira take the direction that she usually took alongside that redheaded friend of hers, whose name escaped him (not that he really cared to remember), the ravenet frowned and waited a while longer.
But Akira still did not show. So, thinking he knew where she might be, Xever snuck into the school and went to the one place he'd seen Aki go on a few occasions before when he had come to see what the crafty teen was up to.
Carefully rounding the corner that led into the room that held the indoor pool which the swim team used, Xever smirked slyly as he heard the sound of splashing and peered out to see that his Bela was indeed having herself a bit of a swim.
Akira had been enjoying a nice dip in the pool after a boring day of academics, as though she had electric based mutant powers, the brunette felt drawn to the water and loved to swim.
She'd loved it ever since she was little and her mother was still alive to take the sly server swimming. Thankfully that was also before Aki had her powers, but was grateful that her powers didn't interfere with it either way.
One thing the young Murakami hadn't been expecting to see when she rose up for air, after finishing a lap and looking up at hearing the sound of leisurely clapping, was an unfortunately familiar raven haired rascal; who waved at her as if they were good friends or something.
"Olá, minha querida. (Hello, my dear.)" Xever greeted pleasantly; his mood improving already. But then again, how could it not when he got to see Akira dripping wet in a formfitting bathing suit?
The water made the fabric cling even more provocatively to that petite body, which could be clearly seen when her top half rose up out of the water as Akira pulled herself up by the ledge where Xever was standing; the sight giving him such tempting ideas…
Sure, it was a light jade green one piece, but it had cute white ruffles around that budding chest and a matching short skirt that the ravenet thought better accented the others sylphlike physique.
"Xe-Xever-san? What are you doing here?" Akira gasped in surprise as she tried to catch her breath from the lap she'd just taken and use her hand to brush the water from her face to see him better and to keep it from going up her nose.
Akira knew the wiry man was sly and that he seemed to have an interest in her, but in the beginning she didn't really think he would've given a hoot about where Aki went to school or anything like that, since she figured the frustrating flirt would've ended up chasing after someone else by now and simply wasn't the type.
But after catching a glimpse of the dark haired delinquent every now and then, and getting an occasional visit like this one when she was swimming, the brunette was starting to wonder. Was Xever… stalking her?
Akira sincerely hoped such was not the case and would've preferred his irritating ways didn't come to bother her outside of the noodle shop. But usually when he came by for a visit, he only ever stayed until the brunette left. Unless she was going to work; which meant Xever took it upon himself to escort her there.
"I was in the neighborhood when-" The ravenet began lying smoothly. "Iie (No). Try again." Akira interrupted bluntly; knowing it was a lie. Xever gave a slightly pouting frown; wondering how she was so good at doing that.
"Very well… I'm hungry." The wiry thief admitted as he crossed his arms over his lean chest where he stood; sounding a tad like a child. The brunette raised a curious eyebrow.
"So? Go get something to eat." It didn't seem a complicated thing to do. Why did he feel the need to seek out Akira? "Heh, what do you think I'm doing?" Xever smirked cheekily.
The psychotic server rolled her eyes. "The shop is closed for repairs, no thanks to you and those baka (idiot) goons of yours." Akira informed him as she drifted away to float on her back; hoping he'd leave her alone now. But no such luck.
"Ugh, don't remind me." The young man sighed; feeling agitated that those imbecis (imbeciles) had dared to disobey him like that. They were just lucky Akira hadn't gotten hurt in the process, or they wouldn't have lived passed that night; not that he still wasn't considering changing that…
Hearing his tone, Aki spared him a glance as she realized that hadn't been very fair to say in view of how upset she remembered Xever getting upset when he found out they had harassed her and her grandfather, and how he how in the criminals own way, he had defended both his and Akira's honor.
Even if he was the leader of those scumbags, and a lot of other things when he wanted to be, the brunette could see that Xever himself wasn't really so bad; even if he came off that way to most people. From what Akira could figure, he'd just been dealt a bad hand and handled it in his own way, just like everyone else.
Young Akira knew she might regret asking, but... "Xever-san… is something the matter?" The possibly too kind server inquired gently; knowing the smooth criminal sometimes popped up to see her because something was bugging him or he just wasn't feeling so smooth, so to speak.
The ravenet grumbled inaudibly and glanced away as his fingers tensed slightly on his arms where they were crossed; clearly not wanting to talk about it. "So why are you here, if the shop is closed?" Akira asked; wisely changing the subject since that topic was currently a dead end.
"I'm hungry." Xever repeated plainly and still somewhat childishly; as if that explained everything. But oddly, it sort of did. "The shop is closed." Akira iterated coolly. "You could come to my place to cook?" The flirtatious eel offered silkily as his lips curled upward into that charming smirk of his when the idea came to mind.
"I am NOT going to your place, Xever-san." Akira stated firmly; blue-green eyes narrowing warily up at the sly scoundrel, as she sunk down into the water up to her lips like an annoyed alligator and blew little bubbles while making sure not to get any water in her mouth.
"Aw, what's wrong, Bela? Don't you trust me?" The ravenet asked with his fingers pressed to his chest; feigning a look of hurt to match the tone. "Would you?" The brunette countered with a skeptically raised eyebrow as she rose up enough to answer. "Heh, point taken." Xever chuckled in amusement.
"Why can you not make something yourself?" The secret ninja thought to ask. But Xever merely waved the question off with a dismissive hand. In truth, the secret Foot henchman wasn't much of a cook, but he wasn't exactly ashamed of it either.
"I'm sick of sandwiches." The crooked crook edified flippantly. "Now may we go? I'm starving." He said impatiently. "Five more laps, and I shall make you something to eat." Akira negotiated coolly; having had to reason with the crazy romantic on more than one occasion since he wouldn't leave Aki alone until some compromise was made.
Xever considered and made a counter offer. "Two." He said stubbornly. "Six." Aki countered. The leader of the Purple Dragons frowned slightly. He really hated it when the other used this tactic. "Three."
"Ten." Ever the straight-faced little fox the brunette was. "Ten?! Where the hell did you get-" Xever began ranting incredulously, but then saw Akira slyly smirk a little and couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head as he got an idea.
It seemed that, over time, the two of them had developed some strange sort of relationship akin to a friendship and yet not quite. Neither could really describe it, but somehow it worked, and that was all either really cared about; Xever because he enjoyed Akira's company and Akira because it kept her grandfather safe.
"Sete (seven), but you have to sit and eat with me. Final offer." The ravenet stated as he held up seven fingers to make sure the other understood. Akira gave a thoughtful little hum before giving a nod. "Done."
Akira didn't really like the idea of eating with him, but she was getting two more laps than she thought she'd get, and would probably end up hungry anyway, since Xever would undoubtedly keep her until he was done eating or longer.
Now that their terms were out of the way, Xever went to sit on the bleachers to watch Akira swim her six laps and enjoy the view. Once she had finished and went to clean up in the girls locker room where the showers were, Akira went over to stand in front of where the ravenet sat with a slightly bored look on his face, to show that she was ready to leave.
Akira had her backpack slung over one shoulder as she watched him stand and slide his hands into the pockets of his jeans. They casually walked side by side together out of the school and to the market near the 24/7 after she asked Xever what he wanted to eat and he told her.
They did some shopping, which Xever always had fun doing since he got to do a bit of pickpocketing just because he felt like it, or because he got a bit of a kick out of getting caught by Akira, and watching how the brunette used her own skills to slip back whatever the sly Brazilian had taken.
But at some point during their little outing, the ravenet saw one of those little photo booths and got another idea. Though Akira told him it was silly, he argued that it wasn't every day that he was able to steal the foxy flower away from the restaurant like he had, and wanted to commemorate the occasion.
So he took the pretty petite by the hand and drug the stubborn sylph into the photo booth with him; relishing the confined space and how Aki gave a cute little squeak of protest at being pulled and made to sit on his lap. There was plenty of room for both of them, but Xever wanted an excuse to hold her.
Quickly ensnaring the ravishing little raposa (fox) of a teen by coiling an arm around that small waist to keep her from getting away, Xever reached out with the other hand and pushed a few buttons after popping in some money.
However, Akira's squirming ceased and she tensed up when having heard the tall man groan from the pleasurable feeling of the secret ninja unconsciously grinding against his lap as she tried to get away.
"Oh, please, don't stop on my account, minha doce flor. (my sweet flower.) It was just getting good." Xever purred in a mischievously wanton way into her ear, as he pulled his chocolate haired angel back flush against his chest, while he wrapped those long arms around her like a squid with its prey.
Akira scoffed blushingly and elbowed him in the ribs; earning a little "Oof!" from the Brazilian, who snickered and loosened his grip on her a little. "I was jooooooking, minha querida! (my dear!) Reeeeelax!" Xever assured; feigning innocence as he held up his hands in front of her to show he meant no harm, while using his arms to keep the brunette in place.
But Aki folded her arms over her chest right above where he was holding her, and gave him a deadpan look that showed she wasn't buying it, and the ravenet found he wasn't able to hold back the devious smirk that curled his lips as he reached out and held out a hand to push one of the buttons.
"Get ready to smile, Bela!" The devilish degenerate said before he pushed the button and posed for the picture. Once they were done, Akira exited the vile picture taking device with a rather foxlike smirk as Xever followed suit; holding a hand to his forehead where it looked like a bruise might be forming and pouting.
"Did you really have to do that?" The vivacious villain asked as he rubbed at the sore spot on his forehead. "Hai (Yes)." Was the short and curt answer that Xever received from the brunette; who also had a similar mark on her forehead. "Arrrh! I should punish you for that." He growled in annoyance at the pain as he leaned down toward her. But it was an idle threat and even Akira knew it.
Akira stuck out two of her fingers and skipped them up from Xever's chest to his nose in a manner one does when making the little walking gesture. "You. Can. Try." The crafty teen emphasized each word easily with each skip; flicking the tall mans nose ever so lightly with the tip of her finger and making the criminal blush lightly.
Obviously not at all fazed by his threats; idle or otherwise, since Akira felt she could take the hot-tempered flirt. Xever snarled; trying to seem threatening as he tended to do every once in a while, and she stuck out her tongue and made a face to mock the mean one he was making.
Xever sighed and rolled his eyes; finding his inability to intimidate her admirable yet a tad bit trying at times, before plucking up the two sets of pictures to look at them. He'd made sure to get two so Akira could have a copy and handed one to her to see; whether the other accepted them or not, at least he offered.
But to his surprise, the psychotic server took them and glanced them over before slipping it into her backpack. Xever couldn't help smirking as he quickly forgot about the sore spot on his forehead; turning his attention back to the string of pictures in his hand and his grin only grew.
They were mostly of the secret henchman hugging Akira like a child who didn't play well with others would their favorite toy, while he made funny faces and the brunette blushed and she either glared at him or stuck her tongue out at the camera in hopes of messing up his pictures.
Then there was one where Xever was making a kissy face at the psychotic server; mostly to mess with his Bela, as Aki tried to push his face away while she leaned as far back from him as his embrace allowed. Before the next one was of her suddenly pulling him forward and head butting him.
The ones that followed, which were the last three; were of Akira looking rather pleased up at him as he clutched his forehead in pain, Xever shooting her a glare as he snarled at her and she stuck out her tongue at him, and finally of Aki with her hand to her mouth as she giggled and the ravenet pouted.
All in all, a perfect set of shots as far as Xever was concerned; and he wasn't just talking about the pictures. "Heh, you know, we are of a kind, you and I." The former street urchin mused in smooth amusement, as he tucked away the photos in an inside pocket of his leather vest.
"Meaning?" Akira asked; her smirk fading slightly as she regarded him with a curious slight tilt of her head. "Meaning…" Xever repeated the word; leaning down enough to drape his arm lazily around her shoulders with a rather pleased look on his face as they were now eye to eye.
"That you and I, are simply two sides of the same blade." The ravenet elaborated with an almost dark certainty; emphasizing his meaning by skillfully flicking out one of his knives and caressing the teens cheek with the cool, smooth edge.
Aki quirked a skeptical brow; trying to suppress a slight shiver at the sudden chill of metal against her skin and the velvety rumble of the others words as the wiry youths breath ghosted over her lips.
"I think your hunger is making you delirious, Xever-san." Akira quipped dryly; though her voice was quieter than she had intended, but still thankfully as managing not to quaver any.
Despite her words, a small part of the brunette felt the curious crook had a point. But the foxy leader tried to push such thoughts to the back of her mind and dismiss them as the flirty eels silly attempt to get under Aki's skin; among other things the thief was trying to get his spidery fingers under.
Xever blinked at the comment and then laughed as he gave the other a half hug; having felt the other tremble ever so slightly and delighting in how he had been the cause of it, as it was obviously not in fear. "I very much doubt that, Bela. Buuuuuut I think we've had enough fun here. Shall we go?" The smooth criminal smiled as he flipped the knife closed and put it away.
Akira gave a nod; still smirking some herself at her good work of bopping the smug eel one, and picked up the bag they'd set on the floor of the booth, before the two twisted terrors set back to collecting what Aki needed to make them a meal.
Though, when he noticed how a few people were ogling his foxy flor (flower), Xever had them pick up the pace; the brunette blushing a little and protesting a bit when the disgusted thief wrapped his arm around her possessively and steered her away without explanation.
They went to the 24/7 noodle shop, and Akira led him in through the back entrance to better tend to their groceries by washing what required it and so on, and to get what Aki needed from there to take out to the front; peeling off the arm Xever had draped around her shoulders so she could get things ready.
Since it was his meal, Akira had Xever help her clean and carry things out to the front. Not like the vivacious villain gave a damn though; even if he did pretend to grumble a little at how his Bela told him what to do. But the fact that he actually did it sorta gave the dark haired delinquent away.
Once at the front of the restaurant, Akira set to work cutting and cooking while Xever sat on a stool at the counter and watched her. It was quite mesmerizing the way the teen moved gracefully about and how adroitly Aki used a knife.
The ravenet tore his eyes away from the foxy teen and spared a glance around; assessing the damage of the place for the first time and noticing the marks and scuffs that were made by both sharp and blunt objects that were in the process of being covered, sanded and repainted.
There was some chairs and tables missing, which Xever suspected must've gotten too damaged to use. And so he surmised that some of the dishes probably needed replacing as well; which may have been the delay for the reopening as they would undoubtedly need to be ordered. Thankfully the stove area was still in working order.
He flipped out one of his butterfly knives and began playing with it; twirling and spinning it effortlessly in various ways as he waited for the meal to finish cooking. "So…Akira." Xever began a tad hesitantly as he regarded the brunette; not quite sure how to phrase what he was trying to ask.
Akira didn't bother glancing up from what she was doing, but the ravenet knew she was listening. "I see that you were not… harmed from our little game of 'catch the turtles'?" He asked carefully.
Xever had been wondering what had happened to his Bela after the turtles washed him off of the roof and he ended up unconscious for a while; only to wake up back at the infirmary at the headquarters of the Foot clan.
The teenager paused thoughtfully while she tried to think of how best to respond to that before she started moving again. "Hai (Yes). The kappas (turtles) saved me." She saw the ravenet frown slightly, before she told him what the word kappas meant, and thought it was a little comical at how Xever scowled jealously at that.
"Of course they did." The dark haired delinquent grumbled as his grip tightened on the handle of his knife. "If they did not, I could have been hurt." Akira reasoned curtly. "Nonsense! That rope was the-" The smooth criminal began to argue.
"The rope snapped when the roof flooded." The brunette cut in coolly yet firmly. "Oh…" Xever frowned; rather stumped and taken aback by that. 'Droga (Damn) turtles!' The secret henchman of the Shredder cursed in his head; mad at them for having taken so long to give up their stupid bluff.
If they had, he wouldn't have cut through the rope so much, and then Akira wouldn't have been put in danger like that! It was funny how the minds of people worked; most particularly those of unstable romantics like Xever or just crazies in general.
"They were very… polite, and did not do anything inappropriate, if that is why you are making that face." Akira assured him easily when she looked up to see the slender man glaring hard enough to burn a hole through her obaa-san's best wok.
Xever blinked as his train of thought was interrupted. He'd been thinking about how he planned to make the turtles suffer for pretty much every reason his twisted mind could come up with, but was at least relieved to hear his foxy flor (flower) had gone unmolested.
"Good. It's too bad they weren't considerate enough to let me fillet them instead." The ravenet replied in a bit of a sinister hiss; still rather irked whenever he thought about those idiota turtles, and disliking how they even dared to touch Akira; even if it was to save her.
"Perhaps next time you should ask nicely." The brunette played lightly as she set two plates of food in front of him, before going to fetch her "customer" his usual beer from the refrigerator in the back and a can of fruit juice for herself.
In the meantime, Leonardo arrived at the 24/7 noodle shop to see that the sign read that it was temporarily closed for repairs. The blue banded turtle found this seemed odd, as the lights were on inside, and the sound of voices could be heard.
Hoping it wasn't Xever and his men skulking around to cause more problems for the lovely brunette and Murakami-san, Leo chose to investigate. He managed to catch a glimpse inside through a slit in the curtains; those alluring blue eyes widening to see that Akira was inside… and with Xever!
Oh no! Was Akira in trouble?! Was that lowlife fiend there to hurt her? Was he holding Akira-san against her will? All sorts of heinous ponderings flew threw the sweet turtles mind as he tried to figure out what was going on.
By the calm yet slightly irritated look on the dark haired teenagers face, it didn't seem Akira was afraid. But maybe she was just trying to be strong and mask it? 'Wow… she's so brave…' Leo thought dreamily.
He gave himself a mental shake. This wasn't the time to be daydreaming. He needed to get Akira away from Xever! And so, when he saw Akira head to the back of the shop, the heroic terrapin quickly followed and tried to pick the lock to get in.
Apart from the laughter that ensued when she left the demented delinquent to go to the back, Aki heard an odd scratching sound when she reached the backroom, the psychotic server opened the door and was taken aback to see Leo staring up in equal surprise as he tried to pick the lock.
"Uh…" Was all Leo could manage. "Leonardo-san?! What are you doing here?" Akira asked in a hushed whisper; worried for the turtles safety rather than her own. The turtle hastily stood and tried to put on a heroic pose with his hands on his hips. "I'm here to save you." He whispered back with what he hoped was a charming smile.
But instead of looking relieved or even swooning like Leo had hoped, Akira just looked further alarmed. "Iie (No), Leonardo-san! You should not be here! You could get hurt." This just made the turtles smile widen; finding it sweet how the brunette was concerned about him instead of herself.
"I can handle Xever. I beat him yesterday, didn't I?" Leonardo asked a tad arrogantly. Akira crossed her arms and gave him an impatient look. "With the help of your brothers, yes. But you needn't worry. He is not here to harm me." She tried to assure; casting a quick and worried glance to the door to the front room.
This had the turtle quite flummoxed. "Wait… he isn't?" Akira shook her head. "Then… why IS Xever here?" The human sighed softly and shook her head. "He… seems to have taken a liking to me some time ago."
"H-he WHAT?!" Leo hissed incredulously; feeling a sudden mixture of anger, hate and jealousy swell within his chest that threw him for almost as much of a loop as finding out one of his enemies wasn't there to hurt anyone. Akira solemnly nodded. "Hai (Yes)… but I do not have time to explain it all to you now. You must go, my friend. Please!"
But her pleading only seemed to spur on the turtles desire to get her away from Xever. Although, now that he knew the criminal fancied the brunette, Leo had quite a few selfish reasons as well as selfless for wanting to get Akira as far from the creep as possible.
"No. I won't leave you here! Not with him!" The blue banded turtle told the human steadfastly; those brilliant blues narrowing a tad more darkly then they probably should've at the word "him". The secret ninja felt like sighing again at the kappas stubbornness, when a plan came to mind.
"Very well… But I promised him earlier that I would dine with him, so you-" Akira began, but the turtle gawked at her in disbelief. "How-?!" Leo began a tad too loudly; causing the human to clamp a hand over his mouth and shoot him a disapproving frown that made him sweat drop and smile apologetically.
When she pulled the hand away, the turtle took a steadying moment and began whispering again. "How the heck did he get you to do that?" The teen shook her head; finding the kappas desire to see her safe endearing yet a bit irksome in how Leo went about it; like she couldn't take care of herself.
"Later. If you really wish me to leave, then so be it. All you need to do is wait outside until I fulfill my part of the bargain. Then, I shall try to make an excuse to leave." Akira told him just as firmly; trying to make a compromise in the difficult situation.
But when Leonardo opened up his mouth to protest, he found himself blushing lightly as Akira pressed a finger to his lips and gave him a warning look that the ninja turtle found dangerously attractive…
"I will argue no further. Now go, Leonardo-san. Please." Aki thought to add the please at the end and soften her expression into a small smile; hardly ever one to forget how persuasive good manners were.
Leo paused, then nodded hesitantly and left the way he'd come. Akira sighed and shook her head as she went to fetch Xever and herself something to drink. This day was proving to be far more complicated as it went on, the brunette thought as she sighed softly.
Akira could hear the master thief still having a good, lighthearted laugh from what she had said earlier, all the way from the backroom until she returned to the front and handed Xever his drink. The ravenet had moved to the table with both plates and was waiting for her as his laughter subsided.
"Ah, obrigado (thanks), Bela. I needed that." Xever thanked as he wiped at his eye; having had himself a rather good laugh and feeling much better. "Doo itashimashite (You're welcome), Xever-san." Akira replied in kind.
"What took you so long?" He asked nonchalantly while relaxing back against his seat, before taking a swig of his beer; having known the psychotic server to be quite light on her feet. "A friend of mine contacted me, requesting my assistance with some matter of import to them." Well, it wasn't technically a lie at least.
"Oh? And precisely what would this matter be?" Xever lazily swirled the amber bottle around between his fingers; disliking anyone who would dare spoil his time with his Bela.
"I asked, but they did not say. I suspect it was too personal to say over the phone, and did not wish to be rude by prying further." The curious criminal gave a small, displeased hum at the others slick and even response.
"So I take it, you will be leaving here to go and help your friend?" The amount of poison at the word "friend" almost made Akira feel bad. Almost anyway… More like a little disconcerted. "Hai (Yes). I told them I would when I was done, as I was currently engaged in dining with someone."
Akira's answer did manage to bolster the secret henchman's spirits some, as the teen hadn't called him a "friend" or something like that. Of course the "someone" was a bit ambiguous, but it was better than being lobbed in as a "friend".
The idea of being thought of as simply another friend wasn't something that sat well with the passionate Brazilian. And so, he said no more on the subject; hoping perhaps that while they dined or afterwards, that he might find a way to convince his flor bela (beautiful flower) to remain in his company instead.
The brunette pressed her hands together and said a brief "Ittadakimasu (Let's eat)."; snapping her chopsticks apart and proceeding to eat in that delicate and well-mannered way as she had been taught.
The ravenet indulged in the others culture and copied her; smiling when he saw it earned him a small smirk and a raised eyebrow. Xever closed his eyes and hummed as he took a bite of the dish Akira had prepared specially for him, before telling her how much he liked it.
The polite petite thanked him and listened as Xever began to chatter cheerfully, as he tended to do quite often when he was with his quiet querida (darling). Xever quite enjoyed talking, to the point that Akira was sure the man liked the sound of his own voice.
But as the psychotic server was more the quiet and listener type, the smooth criminal appreciated and took advantage of such an opportunity whenever he could, and would prattle on about anything and everything he felt like; whether he thought Akira was listening or not.
Though he did like it best when Akira was, since no one really liked to be ignored. But the brunette was bafflingly well-mannered and amiable so long as Xever didn't do or say anything to make her otherwise, and so Aki indulged him. Besides, it didn't physically cause her harm and it kept him from hassling her grandfather.
It's not like Xever would ever like the turtles, as Akira figured that since the ravenet would probably see the turtles as his enemies no matter what, that it was wise not to try and make him or else he might become the young Murakami's enemy as well. Which just didn't bode well when one was trying to keep a low profile.
They ate their meal together without much incident. The only minor one being when Xever kept trying to feed her some of his food, even though they were eating the same thing, because he thought it might be more romantic, and Akira threatened to lobotomize the curious crook with one of her chopsticks.
But those lovely little threats amused Xever, for he liked it when his Bela got all violently warped and feisty; whether Aki was threatening him, or like the other day when she tried to bite his finger when the ravenet had poked at her cheek.
Akira did her best to speed things along, but Xever was enjoying himself, and the teen knew that if she tried to rush things it might offend the other and cause unwanted hostility.
And if there's one thing she knew, it wouldn't bode well to make Xever angry with her right now. If she did, then the kappa might try to jump in to save her, regardless of the fact she could handle the ravenet.
And well, explaining why one of the mutant turtles was hanging around ready to defend her might prove to be more trouble than it was worth, of that the brunette was certain. So, she did her best to hope that Leonardo-san wouldn't become impatient and barge in to complicate things further.
It wasn't really all that easy for the noble ninja turtle to wait the way he had to. But even Leo understood it would only get Akira into further trouble if he just popped up while she was with Xever.
If the blue banded turtles enemies thought that he was friends with the brunette and her grandfather, there was no telling what sort of unsavory actions they might taken upon the foxy angel and her family. And Leo didn't want to be the cause of it.
After they ate, and he finished his second beer, tall, dark and demented offered to see Akira safely home when they exited the noodle shop; slinking his arm around the teens shoulders as soon as the brunette locked up the 24/7, and making Leonardo glare heatedly when he saw it from his perch on the rooftop across from the shop.
"Apologies, Xever-san. But I told you earlier, I agreed to meet my friend once we finished dining." Akira chided ever so lightly as she slipped out from underneath of the ravenets arm. "And you of all people should know I keep my word."
Xever scowled and scoffed as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Why did his querida raposa (dear fox) have to be so… so reliable? He sighed inwardly; knowing it was one of the admirable qualities that drew him to the brunette, but disliking it for the time being as it meant they had to part ways.
"Are you certain you have to go, minha flor bela (my beautiful flower)?" Xever swiftly stepped up to the other and reached out to take each of her smaller hands in larger ones covered with black fingerless gloves; those long, dexterous fingers curling effortlessly and somewhat possessively around the others hands.
The overly familiar action made Leo glower as his grip on the roof ledge tightened. That creep needed to get his hands off of Akira, and soon. Leo was sure the sweet and innocent teen disliked the eels persistent advances by the way she tried to politely outmaneuver them. At least, he hoped that was the case.
And the turtle couldn't help admiring how the brunette was able to maintain herself, despite how it must be so scary to be dealing with a ruthless cutthroat like Xever and having him trying to paw at her like that. "Ahh… what a girl…" Leo sighed quietly to himself; wishing he could swoop in and rescue her.
"Hai (Yes), Xever-san. But you needn't worry. I am sure the shop will be open soon." Akira assured curtly, as she took a step back and slid her hands from the others grasp to bid him goodbye in the usual way, and then turned to leave after Xever replied in kind.
"Adeus, minha doce flor! (Goodbye, my sweet flower!)" The smooth criminal called cheekily yet sweetly after Akira; chuckling some at how the teen quickened her pace and having a good inkling that he probably made her blush. However, Xever gave a pouting frown as he watched the slender silhouette of the psychotic server vanish from sight around a corner.
Feeling something poking at his chest, Xever curiously reached into the inside pocket of his vest; his fingers touching the photos from the photo booth earlier. He smirked impishly as he recalled how much fun he'd ended up having despite their departure for the day.
And as Xever turned and made his way down the opposite way with his mood brightened once more because of Akira, he slid his hands into his pants pockets and strolled off toward his own place while humming some smooth, upbeat tune that popped into his head.
As the ravenet continued down the street, he spared a glance over his shoulder at the where Akira had disappeared, before he smirked and continued on his way; thinking that even though the Shredder wasn't very pleased with him, that for Xever, things were beginning to look up…
Meanwhile, Leonardo melted out of the shadows of an alleyway once he was sure Akira wasn't being followed by that creepy eel; causing the brunette to blink in slight surprise, as she was wondering where the turtle had gotten to.
"Sorry… Didn't mean to frighten you, Akira-san." Leo rubbed his forearm as he sweat dropped a little and smiled sheepishly. "Do not worry. You merely surprised me is all." The foxy human replied with a small, assuring smile.
The turtle visibly brightened and straightened up. "So, um… shall I escort you home then?" The blue banded terrapin wasn't quite sure what to do now that he had Akira away from that slimy scumbag; not having thought that far ahead.
The secret Guardian in training considered. It would be late in the evening soon, but there was still some time left to have a little bit of fun if they hurried. "I think we could make a detour, if you are up for it, Leonardo-san?" The teen asked in a lightly playful way that made the turtle feel all tingly and excited.
"I don't know… I should probably get you home." He replied a tad hesitantly; wanting to oblige the other and spend more time with the human, but wanting to make sure Aki was seen home safe and sound where that Xever creep couldn't bother her.
"It will not take long." And without waiting to argue the matter further, Akira scaled up onto a trash can and grabbed ahold of the fire escape to the rooftop. Leonardo was a bit at a loss how to react, but chose to follow the human; telling himself it was only to see her securely to wherever it was Akira was going like the hero he was.
As they traveled by rooftop, Leo was quick to note the other kept up surprisingly well, much like their mutual friend Jenny. "Okay, so I know Jenny comes from an athletic family and all, but how come you're so good at this?" Leo found himself inquiring out loud.
"My obaa-san (grandfather) may run a noodle shop, Leonardo-san, but the rest of my family that reside here have a dojo, and have run dojos in both Korean and Japan for many generations." Akira elaborated eloquently. "Oh… wow! Really!?" Leo couldn't help but take an instant interest.
No wonder Akira was such a good fighter, he reasoned. It must be where Jenny picked up what she knew too; seeing as the two teens had grown up together and all. "So, have you ever been to Japan or is your accent just something you picked up from your folks?"
Leo was finding it a little easier to be around the teen now that they had some conversation to distract him from how cute the other was. Plus, having to focus on where they were going also helped. "A bit of both I think… We moved here when I was very young, so I do not remember very much of it."
"Oh, okay." Leo replied. "How about you? You speak the language rather well. Do you hail from Japan too, Leonardo-san?" The turtle felt his breath hitch a little; finding the gentle, breathy way Akira said his name to be rather charmingly exotic.
"No, I grew up here. But my sensei is, er, was from Japan. He taught me and my brothers." Catching the note of somberness to the "was" part and how the turtle frowned so sadly at the memory of the pain his sensei had gone through, Akira took the hint it probably wasn't a cheery topic. "I see… So, I see you favor a pair of katana to simply the one?"
"Oh, um, yeah. I can fight with one, but-" He began, but was surprised to find the other agreeing with him. "But two is better." Akira more stated than asked, and Leo gave her a curious look.
"I was able to catch some of the fight. It was easy to see you proved that statement true." The teen elaborated, and Leonardo smiled and blushed. Heh, if he kept getting praise like that, Leo felt rather tempted to start showing off his awesome sword skills. Wait, no. That might make him seem like he was trying too hard like Donnie or maybe like an arrogant jerk like Xever and his stupid knives…
Leo quickly shook the notion off, and had been about to try and come up with something else to ask, when Akira announced they had arrived. Very carefully, Aki led the kind kappa to the roof of a curious looking building that had a huge skylight that encompassed most of the roof.
Upon looking down where she smilingly pointed, did Leo see that it was because they were at an aquarium; or more precisely above one. And below them was an array of all manner of sea life in large tanks which could be viewed from whichever angle they moved to.
"Whoa…!" Leonardo gasped in awe. The fish and creatures were all so colorful! "Agreed…" Aki replied in much the same tone; catching the turtles attention. He was surprised to see how the sight seemed to light the human up.
The shimmering illuminated water below reflecting in those deep blue-green eyes and making Leo think that must be how the sea looked, and thinking he'd rather gaze at those eyes instead of some silly body of water if he had the option.
"So… um… how come you wanted to come here, Akira-san?" The turtle asked after realizing he'd been staring at the other for a few minutes. "Aquatic life are very… calming and beautiful. Do you not agree?" Aki kept on watching the fish swimming around below; her smile widening at seeing a little family of sea turtles communing together. "Yeah… definitely." Leo breathed somewhat dreamily.
Upon the curious look the human gave him, Leo started and cleared his throat as he tried not to blush. "I mean, yes, I agree." Akira held her hand up to her lips as she giggled, and the turtle felt the mood lighten. And so the two just moved about looking at all the variety of sea creatures after that.
Akira would point out certain ones and tell Leonardo about it, which in turn, had him asking about ones he spotted, so that the brunette would edify him. Though, in truth, he mostly just asked because he loved to hear the sweet server speaking and also because he liked the fact that Aki was speaking to him in general.
All in all, they both had a rather lovely time, before Akira saw what time it was and said she had better head home before her family worried about her. Leo was rather disappointed, but perked right up when Aki asked if perhaps they could do this again some time, which the heroic turtle was more than happy to agree to if it meant getting to spend more time with Akira-san.
On the way to the apartment building where Akira lived, the two of them spoke a bit about the fight with the Purple Dragons at the 24/7 the other night, and Aki explained why the shop was temporarily closed, which led to them talking about martial arts and swords, and things like that.
They even got on the subject of "Space Heroes", when Akira recognized a line the noble ninja turtle was quoting. The two had an adorable little moment where they fanned about it, before each having to clear their throats and compose themselves. But that still didn't mean they didn't even up laughing and talking about it anyway.
Leonardo couldn't help feeling they had a lot in common by the time they were a couple blocks from where Aki lived. "Wow! We're a lot like, huh, Akira-san?" Oh man, he really loved saying her name.
'Akira-san, Akira-san, Akiraaaaa-saaaaan!' The turtle repeated in a gushingly singsong sort of way in his head. "It would seem so, yes." The brunette agreed coolly; being a tad reminded of what Xever had said earlier, and finding it a little curious.
"Heh, yeah! I mean, we both love martial arts, and swords, and "Space Heroes", and Japanese food, and um… OH! And fish! Er-I mean, the ones in the aquarium, not the ones you eat. Although, I guess those are good too." Leonardo rambled; his feelings trying to run away with his mouth but not really knowing which way to go.
Geez, no wonder Donnie could get carried away when it came to April. He'd have to make a note to himself to try not to tease his younger brother so much for it in the future. Well, at least try to anyway.
Akira quirked an eyebrow. "We get along like two sides of the same blade, is that what you are saying, Leonardo-san?" Yeah, it was a little disturbing how this topic had come up again in the psychotic servers opinion.
"Exactly! Er-that is to say… That's a pretty cool way to put it." Leo finished a tad lamely; not wanting to seem overexcited as he knew how weird that looked when Donnie did it. And he did NOT want Akira thinking he was a creepy geek.
Akira sighed softly. "Um… did I say something wrong?" The turtle asked; feeling his stomach twist uncomfortably at the slightly irritated way that sigh had sounded. "Iie (No)… I know you meant well. It just reminded me of something Xever-san had told me earlier today." She answered while glancing over to the side.
Well that certainly didn't sit well with the blue banded turtle, but it did make him recall something that had been sort of bugging him all evening. At least, ever since the incident at the 24/7.
"Hey, Akira-san… I know it's none of my business, but… why was Xever alone at Murakami-san's restaurant with you? You never did explain." Leo felt rather nosy for asking, and ended up doing so a bit timidly, but he couldn't help himself. He didn't like the idea of the brunette being alone with a cad like that creep.
Akira frowned slightly; not really sure she should say why. "I was swimming in the pool after school, when Xever-san found me and-" But her explanation was cut short by the shocked turtles outburst. "He knows where you go to school?!"
"Hai (Yes)… Unfortunately. I do not know how or for what purpose he does, besides perhaps knowing it irks me. It seems to be a favorite past time of his to try and irritate me." The brunette replied in a slightly irked and musing manner.
"Ugh… That's so… creepy!" The turtle made a face; being reminded of how creepy Donatello's flowchart had been and then feeling that level of creep factor being multiplied by a few hundred.
'Poor Akira-san… she's so brave to be able to put up with that dirt bag. I wish she didn't have to though.' The noble turtle thought sympathetically, as Aki continued speaking.
"As I was saying, I had been swimming when he showed up to bug me with his whining about being hungry and how he wanted me to make him something. I wanted to swim, and the only way I could get him to leave me alone was to make a deal that I get a few more laps if I dined with him."
"Ooooh… so that's what you meant. Why didn't you just tell him to buzz off?" Akira sighed knowingly and shook her head slightly. "That… does not work, I'm afraid. Not with someone like him. You either make a deal, or he becomes violent, starts threatening my grandfather, or both. I do not have much choice in the matter, you see." The teen told him rather solemnly.
Leonardo stared; not having realized just what kind of messed up situation the sweet server was in with that knife wielding psychopath. But he was beginning to glean just what kind of twisted sicko Xever really was, and he didn't like it.
"I'm sorry… I didn't know, Akira-san." The turtle replied in gentle apology. "Do not apologize, my friend. How could you know?" Aki assured kindly. "It is a rather delicate situation, but I have handled it so far, and for the sake of my grandfather, shall continue to do so until another solution can be found." The teen told the turtle in a firm and confident manner.
Leonardo was impressed by the others steadfast attitude to say the least, and couldn't help returning the smile the brunette shone his way. Akira changed the subject to something non-Xever related, which the turtle didn't mind at all, and continued to do so until they reached about a block from where the secret ninja lived.
"This is where we must part ways. My home is not far from here." Akira told the turtle affably. "A-are you sure? I don't mind going further." Leo countered; determined to see the foxy youth all the way there.
"I am sure. Arigato gozaimasu (Thank you very much), for seeing me home like this. It was very kind of you to do." Leonardo felt his heart swell at the compliment and he ended up turning on his heroic voice without thinking. "Think nothing of it, Akira-san. I was happy to be of service."
Akira giggled again; wondering why the turtle spoke like some kind of cartoon hero but finding it rather endearing. "Well, I am certainly lucky to have met you then." The human told him with all sincerity. Leo blinked and beamed. "Really?" He blurted in hopeful disbelief.
Akira stepped in front of him, and took one of those large green hands in-between her two smaller ones, and held it appreciatively like Leo had seen fair maidens do in comic books and in movies; his face flaring up at the very thought and only growing darker with the feel of Akira's soft, warm hands against his slightly rough ones where the wrapping did not cover them.
"Hai (Yes), Leonardo-san, for you are my friend and have thus far been a most dear one." The foxy teen replied in that sweet and gentle tone of hers. She took a small step closer, and the terrapin felt his breath hitch.
Akira couldn't help feeling rather appreciative for the turtles kindness and feeling bad she'd helped Xever. Leonardo-san's sweet and trusting nature was such a rare and delicate thing, and yet here he was trying to look out for the secret ninja… It was, oddly touching and she didn't want to ruin it as she was enjoying their budding friendship.
"Though I am little more than a stranger, you have saved me and looked out for my wellbeing; all when you did not have to. For that, I will always be grateful and will work hard to show you the same consideration." Akira told him; a determined edge to her tone as she gave his hand a tender squeeze as if to help emphasis that she meant it.
"Akira-san…" The heroic turtle breathed quietly as he began to ever so slowly lean in; incredibly taken aback by such a heartwarming show of sincerity that he felt rather overwhelmed by it as she stared deeply up into his eyes.
But then, Leo's shyness got the better of him and he abruptly pulled back and burst out into a small fit of nervous laughter; taking the brunette by surprise and hurting her feelings a little as she wondered why the kappa had behaved so strangely.
Realizing his error, Leonardo tried to make up for it by removing the hand Aki had been holding and reaching up to give the other a pat on the head for some unknown reason; feeling like he was messing up the more he forced himself to act against what he really felt like doing and wondering why he wasn't.
"Hahahah, oh c'mon now. There's so reason to be so serious. Helping people's what I do!" Leo tried to say in a bright and heroic way as he gestured to himself with a thumb; totally self-sabotaging the touching and possibly almost romantic moment they'd been having and inwardly berating himself for it.
'Ah sewer apples! I'm such a shell brain! Why couldn't I have just kept my mouth shut and played the more humble hero instead of the one with the goofy laugh?! GAH! Stupid! STUPID!' The blue banded basket case thought while mentally smacking his head against an imaginary wall and wishing it were a real one at the puzzled look the cute human was giving him.
"I… better get home. Goodnight, Akira-san." Leo told her quickly; his face more red than green at this point as he tried to melt back into the shadows to hide it as fast as he could, before vanishing from sight.
The foxy teen stood there; a little taken aback by the others erratic behavior before she giggled. "Goodnight, Leonardo-san." Akira bayed gently to the night air, though she doubted the turtle stayed long enough to hear her. Aki stood there a moment and then turned to head for home.
Today had been quite an eventful one indeed, the brunette thought amusedly, while feeding the pet Betta fish she had in a small tank on the desk in her room after having gotten home without incident. It was a type of Siamese fighting fish, and so beautiful in coloration.
It was a male with red and purple coloration and hints of blue, with a veil tail that looked so pretty as it swam about. Akira stuck her hand into the tank and let the fish curl up there in the warmth it offered for a short while; smiling at how the feathery fins tickled her hand.
Due to her love of swimming and how her marine biologist of a mother used to take her to the ocean or an aquarium and the like whenever they had the chance so many years ago, Akira developed a liking for aquatic life. Whether it was fish or turtles, she thought they were adorable.
And after she got ready for bed, she took the strip of pictures Xever had given her and put it into the draw of her desk and lying down on her mattress. The young Murakami couldn't help smiling fondly as she replayed the earlier events of the evening between her and a certain kind kappa; her thoughts trailing off on a pleasant note as sleep befell the foxy teen.
Leonardo had been hiding in the shadows trying to resist the urge to smack himself in the forehead, when he heard the others melodious giggle and bay of goodnight. While it did cheer him up a little, Leo was seriously hoping Aki hadn't thought he was a total nerd with the way he had behaved.
After making sure to stealthily make sure the sweet server got home okay and taking a few minutes to watch her play with the little fish, Leonardo did a quick sweep around the area to make sure Xever wasn't anywhere around, before heading back to the lair in a rather pleased mood that not even Raph could spoil.
To be continued...
So the title was based upon a similar title of one of my "Supernatural" fics, and also inspired by something Xever actually says on the cartoon about "being of a kind", so I rolled with it and ended up with this chapter. LoL
I'm familiar with how various types of psychos and socios mindsets work, as I've seen and read about various kinds, and I've yet to see one that genuinely takes responsibility for anything, and therefore neither do characters like Xever, Shredder or Bradford. And like ninjas, they're natural stalkers. I mean, REAL ninjas from history never followed any code of honor, it was just who they were working for/getting paid by who wasn't the emperor. Ninjas stalk/follow/hunt, murder/kill/assassinate, steal, and pretty much all sorts of fun things like that which they only show the bad guys doing (to an extent). LoL So yeah. When I write ninjas, I try to keep it real, while at the same time keeping the turtles cute while I let my OC's behave more like real ninjas or as close as I can get within the realm of this adorable and awesome cartoon. ^_^
Also Happy 2015 everyone! LoL