Chapter 4: Nothing Good Comes from Snooping
Ardyn Rheys shouldn't have been there. The docks were off limits to trespassers. Bad things happened in places like this at night, especially to those looking for it. Ardyn had her fill of bad things, and really didn't want to be wandering by the chain-link fence in the dark. But, she was trying to be a supportive friend. Yes, even if that meant breaking the law and putting herself in danger.
"I still don't understand why you're looking for them," Ardyn muttered.
April sighed, "I have a hunch. They're active again, and I want to know why."
"So you hop the fence and take a look yourself?"
"Yep."
"You need a raise," Ardyn muttered.
"Tell me about it," April pulled the fence, frowning when it remained in place. "They fixed it. We're going to have to climb."
"There's razor wire up there," Ardyn gripped April's jacket to stop her. "I don't know if you've ever been caught on it, but I can assure you it's not a fun thing."
"Don't be such a wuss," April shook off her hand and began to climb. "So it's a little sharp, big deal."
"A little sharp?"
"Move your butt," April whispered from a few feet up.
Ardyn let a breath out through her lips, "You're buying coffee after this."
They climbed the fence, struggling over the razor wire. It sliced through the knees and calves of Ardyn's favorite jeans as she stepped over the top. She let herself drop to the ground, landing almost gracefully on the other side. April hissed in pain and fell to the concrete with a thud.
"Are you okay?" Ardyn rushed in to help her up.
"I'm fine," April assured, shrugging off Ardyn's hands and standing.
Ardyn could tell she was lying by the way she cradled one arm to her side. She'd caught her arm on the razor wire, and was too proud to admit it. Before Ardyn could counter, she was up and going again.
She led the way through the maze of shipping containers, staying as much in the darkness as possible. The distant sounds of the city and of the water beside them provided a decent cover for their shuffling feet, but anxiety still stirred. Ardyn followed, patting the pistol in the back of her jeans intermittently and praying her heartbeat wasn't as loud as she feared.
April stopped so suddenly, Ardyn nearly toppled them both. She put a finger to her lips, halting a profane exclamation from her accomplice, then pointed out into the clearing.
Soldiers peppered the space, shifting weapons and moving vehicles. Ardyn swallowed thickly, they were deep in enemy territory now. The chance of them walking out of here was growing more and more slim with every passing second. Her heart raced as April took photos on her phone, thankfully remembering to turn off the flash and shutter.
"Okay, you have your proof, let's go," Ardyn whispered, alarms going off in her mind.
"Shh!" April shrugged off her hand and leaned forward.
A semi-well known face appeared, shouting in Japanese. April set her jaw at the sight of her.
Ardyn took notice. She whispered as low as she could, "Familiar face?"
April just nodded, watching.
Karai was worked up about something, ordering soldiers around in a harsh tone and gesturing stiffly as she did so. The Foot Clan was certainly active, as April had said. They looked to be preparing for something, moving around weapons and vehicles with an urgency that made April's stomach knot.
"It looks like they're getting ready for something," April surmised. "Something big..."
"That can't be good," Ardyn returned.
April shook her head, "I just wish I could tell what."
Ardyn squinted, trying to decipher what the woman in charge was saying. Her lessons with Leo were paying off, but she was far from fluent. She caught a few words here and there, but the armored woman was speaking quickly and, in her rush, wasn't always enunciating the way Leo did in his teachings. The words she was catching, she didn't like.
"They're talking about Shredder," Ardyn translated loosely. "Something about driving, and a doctor."
April heard the name of the doctor, recognizing it immediately. "Stockman."
Ardyn turned, "You know them?"
"Not personally." April looked back to her, "But I know where to find him. He's not exactly a high-profile man."
"Good, then you can investigate him at an Starbucks or some shit," Ardyn hissed, tugging on her sleeve again. "You know, somewhere public. Where we won't be murdered and tossed into the water."
April scoffed, "For someone with a gun in your pants, you sure are a scaredy-cat."
"Did it ever occur to you that if I wasn't afraid, I wouldn't need the gun?" Ardyn snapped.
A soldier came a little too close to them, hearing their voices. Ardyn's heart thudded so loudly, she was sure it would give them away. He shouted something in Japanese, calling the attention of some of the others. April and Ardyn froze, Ardyn's fingers digging into the material of April's jacket.
When he pointed in their direction, they didn't hesitate to scramble away.
The darkness made it difficult to find their way out, but Ardyn gripped April's hand for dear life as she sprinted through the dark alleys between the stacked shipping containers. Adrenaline coursed through their veins. Ardyn's feet were tingling with it as her sneakers slapped against the pavement. Soldiers were nearing them, she could hear them shouting. Her lungs burned as she pulled the salty air into them, but she refused to slow or risk a glance behind her.
April slowed a little, pulling on Ardyn's arm. She tried to send a distress signal to the guys, hoping they were nearby on patrol. The sprinting made it difficult to aim her fingers over the correct buttons. Ardyn yanked on her poor arm to get them back up to speed, "Come on!"
"Just one second!" she activated the watch.
"Don't tell me," Ardyn panted, "tell them."
While she was distracted, one of the soldiers threw a bolas. The thick black cords wound themselves around April's feet, trapping them together. She fell hard to the asphalt, her hand yanking from Ardyn's.
Ardyn skidded to a stop and whirled around to grab April's hand again. She laid eyes on her accomplice, legs bound and struggling. A wall of black armor was creeping in on them. Their lead was fading away faster than they had earned it. Her heart raced, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she ripped the knife from her belt and dove at the cords. The metal teeth weren't tearing the material, no matter how quickly Ardyn sawed. They were too durable. A small knife wouldn't cut through them in enough time. The soldiers drew nearer. Ardyn swore and shoved the knife's clip back over her belt.
"Put your arm around me!"
April obeyed, a mixture of shock and fear on her face as Ardyn hoisted her into the air and took off again. Her pace was much slower carrying April, but if she waited any longer, they'd be in range of more weapons. Ardyn wove through the containers, feeling her lungs burn and her heart throb in her chest. Her legs complained about the extra weight and the speed, but in her panic she could only keep going. April's fingers dug into her shoulders, holding on for dear life. They both knew they would never outrun trained ninjas like this. Ardyn doubted they could before April had been bound. Ardyn was only praying the delay would give the boys enough time to find them.
She was wrong.
Something flew out of the shadows between two of the containers she passed, leaving only enough time to see that it was coming. April cried out as it flung through the air, connecting solidly with the side of Ardyn's head. Her body spun with the force, throwing April from her grip and sending them both the the unforgiving ground. They rolled from the speed that was suddenly halted, bouncing along the rough ground as the soldiers drew nearer.
April's voice cried out, but the sound came through water to Ardyn's ears. A warm wetness trickled down her temple from the impact point at her hairline, and her head throbbed with her racing heart. Small pieces of gravel bit into her cheek as she laid there, trying to process what had happened. The world was heavy on her, pulling her limbs and holding them in place. She couldn't get up, couldn't focus. The world spun around her; a slow turning carousel of shouts and blood and fine gravel. A rough grasp wound itself around her arm and she felt herself yanked upward. Her feet refused to support her, throbbing from their efforts. A figure in black supported her weight none too gently as another patted her down. Her head lolled.
Her jacket was thrown open to search for weapons. They took the knife on her belt and both women's phones and wallets. She was too dazed to fight back, but her swimming head heard April's struggles somewhere close by.
They were bound, gagged, and dropped to their knees before Karai, weapons pointed at them. The pistol was yanked from Ardyn's waistband roughly and handed to Karai.
"Did you really think you wouldn't be caught?" Karai chastised, holstering the weapon in her belt.
Ardyn pulled at the rope that bound her wrists behind her back, trying to slither an arm free. She was ignoring the conversation Karai was having with the soldier that had disarmed the two of them. A small hand gripped her jaw and jerked her gaze upward, halting her efforts.
"Unbelievable," Karai looked from Ardyn's stolen wallet to her face. "Ardyn Rheys."
April shot her a glance. Ardyn blinked slowly, her eyes focusing.
"Master Shredder has been looking for you for a long time," Karai released Ardyn's face and chucked the wallet at her. Ardyn grunted as it hit her in the gut. "It wasn't very smart to move into his territory."
Ardyn's jaw remained clamped shut, the muscles working beneath her chilled skin. April was looking between the two of them, biting the gag in fear of the repercussions if she voiced her distaste.
Karai shouted an order to a soldier behind the two hostages, and Ardyn felt herself yanked upward again. Karai stepped forward, drawing her blade and pressing the end under her chin.
"He'll be pleased to have that precious mutagen back in his possession," Karai purred. She pressed the blade harder, "Now all I need from you is the location of the others."
The soldier supporting her pulled the gag from her mouth.
Ardyn bared her teeth with both the pain and her contempt, "I don't know anything."
"I don't believe you." She pressed harder, "Tell me where they are, or I'll cut you to pieces in front of your nosy friend."
"I told you-" Ardyn grit her teeth against the blade. "I don't know where they are!"
"You're a terrible liar."
"Fuck you!"
Karai's mask of control dropped to an offended scowl. She pulled the blade from Ardyn's chin and drew it up.
Ardyn flinched, turning herself and squeezing her eyes shut as the blade came down. It's sharpness was deceiving; she didn't feel it slicing her flesh apart, but the pain and warm flow of blood into her clothing was evidence enough. It seeped into the denim on her hip, the blade having torn through her side when she turned away. The soldier that had yanked her to her feet was now supporting her almost entirely.
A cry of pain escaped her lips, and frost began to fall from her balled fists. April's eyes widened, but she was too scared to react otherwise.
The bloody sword returned to it's position beneath Ardyn's jaw, forcing her to look up. "That wasn't very nice of you."
Ardyn ground her teeth against the burn in her side, the groggy feeling in her head now subsiding to reveal all of her pain. The smell of blood filled her nostrils.
"I'll ask you once more," Karai bit out. "Where are the other two?"
"Two?" April blurted before she could stop herself.
Karai's dark eyes shot over to her, "O'Neil, isn't it? Should we be expecting your friends?"
April glared. A soldier grabbed a handful of her hair and jerked her head back.
An incomprehensible set of grunts from Ardyn drew her attention back. "What did you say?" she demanded, pressing the blade firmly into her flesh.
"I said turn around, you deaf bitch," Ardyn replied breathlessly.
Karai whipped around just in time to see a pair of blades coming down at her.
The unmistakable sound of crashing blades rang out into the night, deafeningly loud.
Leo's eyes burned, his katanas steadfast against Karai's. It ignited a flurry of action from the onlookers. It was as all-out brawl around them. Donnie dove directly into the concentration of soldiers and started swinging his bo staff faster than his opponents could deflect. Ardyn and April were dropped to the concrete, the soldiers supporting them throwing themselves into the brawl.
Raphael was swinging his sais expertly, taking out a soldier with every sing flick of his wrist. Their lack of defense against mutant strength was baffling. The turtles could fling them away as if they were no more than bugs. Raphael appeared thrilled by it.
Leonardo was focused on Karai. His brothers kept the soldiers off his back as he quarreled. Karai was skilled, for sure. But there was something in him that made him faster, stronger, and more determined than her.
And it wasn't the mutagen.
From Ardyn's position in her own puddle of blood on the concrete, she dazedly watched. Her foggy mind was incapable of processing the anxiety, numbed by pain and the remnants of adrenaline that were slowly flowing from her. Her eyes followed Leo's movements, the world around him blurred. He was beautiful to her like this. In much the same way man looks on a war machine and says it's beautiful. He was dangerous and precise in his movements, practiced and controlled. But there was a fire in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. They almost glowed. Was it rage? Wrath? A force close to absolute authority and power that she'd never witnessed before. It took her breath away.
Or, perhaps, that was the blood loss.
She was lifted from the ground, her arms falling limp. When had they been untied? Her head lolled against a rough chest plate and she was airborne.
"I got 'er, let's go!"
Raphael.
"Move out!"
...
"I had to follow a lead," April defended. "The Foot Clan is getting ready for something. They're working with Baxter Stockman, and I want to figure out why."
"And you thought walking into the middle of their nest was a good idea?" Leo chastised around Donnie as he shifted between her and an unconscious Ardyn, patching wounds.
"I didn't think there would be that many of them," April defended. "But the fact that there were only proves it!"
"You should've called us first," Donnie interjected over his shoulder.
"Why, so you could tell me not to go?"
Leo sighed, crossing his arms.
"Look," April began, "maybe I didn't do this completely right, but even you have to admit that this is a small slip in the grand scheme of things."
"Karai could've killed you," Leo countered.
"That's for me to worry about."
"And Ardyn?" Leo pinched his brows. "Did she know what you two were getting into?"
April deflated, looking down into her lap. She rubbed her face and let out a breath. "Karai wasn't going to kill her."
"The slice in her side is reassuring," Raphael retorted.
"It's deep," Donnie added, pulling the stitch tight. "She's lost a lot of blood."
Leo's jaw worked, his eyes on her still form.
"Leo, Shredder knows her."
His gaze snapped up to April. Donnie's hands faltered momentarily.
"Karai said he was looking for her," April continued. "She kept asking where the others were. Evidently there were two. I thought she meant you guys until she said that. She mentioned a mutagen." Her voice lowered to a whisper, "I saw smoke. It was coming from Ardyn's hands."
Leo's fingers gripped his arm tightly. April had seen. Ardyn's secret wasn't going to be kept any longer now that she'd had a whiff of it. A journalist like her wasn't overly fond of 'letting things go'.
"How's the patch-job, Donnie?" Raphael was hovering over her.
Mikey came back with a water bottle for April. She smiled and thanked him.
"Just covering the stitches," Donnie answered, turning to grab some gauze and medical tape.
"How's the arm, angelcakes?" Mikey leaned against the table by April, his usual smile a little forced.
"It stings like hell," she answered. "Razor wire is nasty stuff."
"...told you so."
Five pairs of eyes darted to the other makeshift exam table.
Ardyn laid in the same position she was placed in, but she'd rolled her head to the other side to face them. Her lids were heavy, but her eyes were open.
"Maybe next time, you'll listen when I tell you..." she swallowed, "that something isn't a good idea."
"Probably not," April smiled, hopping off the table and walking over to take her hand. "I'm glad you're awake."
"I'd rather be sleeping," Ardyn rolled her head back to facing the ceiling. "Everything hurts."
"Do you have any nausea?" Donnie asked.
"No," Ardyn answered. "Just a migraine from hell."
"They threw a crowbar at you, I'm just glad you don't have a dent," April brushed the hair away from the bruising as gently as she could manage.
"You sure I don't?"
April smiled again. "You saved my life again."
Ardyn pinched her brows over closed eyes, "I did?"
April nodded, an affirmative hum following it.
"You're exaggerating," Ardyn grumbled.
"They threw this cord thing at me," April explained to the four pairs of eyes on her. "Ardyn couldn't cut through it, so she carried me."
"Who'da thought those chicken wings had some muscle on 'em?" Raphael joked, resting a large hand on Ardyn's shin.
"That's when they threw the crowbar," April finished.
"When did she get the gash?" Mikey asked.
"When Shredder's girlscout didn't like my language," Ardyn answered.
Raphael and Mikey let out chuckles.
"Her name is Karai," Leo said, moving to stand near her head but keeping his arms crossed. He didn't trust them to stay at his sides otherwise. "She's the Shredder's Second-in-Command."
"Figures. She's too mean to be lower on the totem pole," Ardyn muttered.
"What were they doing out there in those numbers?" Donnie asked, turning to April.
"They had weapons," April answered, turning to face him but not releasing Ardyn's hand, "Vehicles, and guns unlike anything I've ever seen. But they were all speaking Japanese."
"Karai said something about working with a doctor," Ardyn filled in, turning her head to look at Leo.
"Stockman," April interjected.
"She said they needed him when Shredder gets in the car?" Ardyn pinched her brows, trying to remember. She sat up, putting a hand to her head, "Or goes driving? I'm not sure."
"Where's he going?" Mikey asked.
Ardyn shrugged, her eyes going to him. "She talked too fast. My Japanese isn't that great."
"You did well," Leo assured, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Just don't make a habit of this kinda stuff," Raphael added teasingly, looking between the two of them. "Ditching a Knicks game to carry you guys back to the lair ain't exactly a good time."
"We weren't at the- ow!" Mikey rubbed his arm where Raphael elbowed him.
"Mikey dropped pizza on the court, so we had to bail," Donnie shook his head.
Ardyn and April laughed.
"What a waste of a good pizza," April nudged him.
"You're tellin' me!" Mikey threw his arms up, then crossed them in a pout.
Raphael gave him a little shove.
"You two should go home and get some rest," Donnie interrupted, handing April her jacket. "You both've been through enough for one night."
"We better get you two home before the sun comes up," Leo agreed, offering a hand to help Ardyn down.
She took it, stiffly sliding off the table, "Sleep sounds pretty damn good."
"Let's go, Angelcakes," Mikey hoisted April up and skipped out of the lab, the sound of her laughter echoing.
"Can ya walk?" Raphael asked Ardyn.
"Yeah," she answered. "Like a ninety-year-old with a humpback, but yeah."
"Here," Leo put an arm around her back, "grab onto me."
Ardyn threw an arm over the back of his shoulders and he scooped her into his arms. She didn't miss the tension as he walked past Raphael, even though she was trying to control the burning of her cheeks.
"Donnie, see if you can find anything out about Shredder. Maybe there's a way he's getting information to his followers," Leo instructed as he walked out of the lab.
"I'm on it," Donnie answered.
"Thanks, Donnie," Ardyn called over Leo's shoulder.
...
The way to her apartment was quiet. Leo didn't say much, but Ardyn was perfectly fine with it. She tucked her face into the crook of his neck when he started jumping buildings. Every time his movements made her pull against the stitching, she would grunt and he would apologize. Beyond that, he remained composed.
When he landed on the roof of her apartment building, he hesitated. As odd as it was, he wasn't ready to let her go. She had scared him tonight. Sure, April had gotten into some tough situations before, but they never resulted in more than a small bruise or skinned knee. April was lucky, having only endured a few cuts from razor wire and a few bruises from her falls. She was grateful to Ardyn for taking the brunt of the Foot Clan and Karai's aggression, but Leo had felt a snap somewhere in himself at the sight of Ardyn with a knife under her chin.
He didn't consider himself one to let his emotion get the better of him, but if Karai hadn't turned around when she did, he would've been content to slice her directly in half. Honor be damned, no one was to touch this woman if she didn't want it.
"Leo?"
He hummed, turning so his chin was against her forehead.
"If you're trying to figure out how to get down the fire escape, I think I can manage a few flights," her half-asleep voice was raspy and worn, and she didn't lift her head.
A smile pulled at the side of his mouth, "I think you should just be a little patient."
"I don't do patience," she countered quietly. "But if you insist on standing here holding me until the sun comes up, that's your choice."
"You're not as heavy as you think," he teased.
Her cheek pressed against his chest as she smiled, "What a relief, I was worried that halfa bagel was gonna do me in."
He let out a laugh, finally deciding to move his feet.
He landed a little roughly on the metal platform outside her window. The arm under her legs set her on his lap while he reached back for his blade. Ardyn tried not to let her mind wander into the gutter, but the sudden memory of a very vivid dream came rushing back to her.
She traced the lines of his chest plate with her finger, following the warm trails of water that came from her faucet. His hands roamed from her thighs up over her hips, gripping them tightly and pulling her flush against him...
The window jimmied open with minimal effort, jarring her from her steamy recollection. Leo sheathed the katana and slipped his arm back under her legs. He was as gentle as possible in lifting her as he stepped inside.
"Do you want to shower?" he asked.
She tensed, "What?"
He patiently spoke again, "Do you want to clean yourself up?"
Her face burned.
"From the blood. You could ruin your sheets..." he set her down.
"Oh! Yeah, I- that's a good idea," she turned away from him too quickly and tried to strip off her jacket. She moved her arm and froze, "Sonofa-"
She gripped her side and hunched over, Leo hovering with his hands around but not touching her. "Are you okay?"
"Yep," she grunted. "Good, thanks."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Just-" she hesitated.
"What?" he leaned around to look in her eyes. "What do you need me to do?"
She was red from her little pointed nose to the tips of her pierced ears. "I... I can't get my jacket off."
He looked from her face to her ruined jacket. "Oh."
"Grab my sleeve," she said. "Carefully."
He obeyed, pinching the hem of the sleeve between a finger and thumb.
She slipped her other arm out, "Okay, pull."
He did, painstakingly slipping the stiff fabric over her arm. The grey tee beneath it was ruined as well, sliced from nearly her armpit to an inch above the front's hem. The fresh gauze was already showing signs of bleeding through.
He nervously rolled the jacket once her arm was free. Her face was still red as she ran her fingers over the sliced edge of the fabric. "I-"
"The shirt, too?" he asked.
She nodded, not making eye contact. "Just, uh... t-turn around."
He almost asked how he would be able to help if he couldn't see, but locked his jaw shut and obeyed.
He heard the slow shift of fabric, a frustrated sigh, and more shifting of fabric. "Fuck's sake,"she breathed. A defeated sigh came from her lips. "I can't- it hurts too much."
"What do you want to do, then?" he asked, eyes boring into the floor near his feet.
"I think it's safe to say this shirt's ruined," she answered.
"Most likely," he agreed.
The sound of fabric stretching filled his ears, a pained grunt, and another defeated sigh.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to rip the damn thing off," she growled, "but it hurts to twist that way."
"Do you want my help?"
He could almost feel the dirty look she gave him, "No, I think I'll just grow old and die in this thing."
He tried not to let the smirk break through on his face, "Alright, I'm turning back around."
She remained rooted in place, red as the skin of a tomato and glaring at the floor.
Leo reached out for the stretched tear in her shirt, then hesitated.
She turned and shifted her arm out of his way, "Just hurry."
He gripped the fabric with both hands, careful not to brush against the bandage. It tore open easily until it got to the hems. Ardyn tilted her head away so he could grip the one around the neck hole. He made quick work of it, ignoring the fire he felt creeping into his face. He looked anywhere but at her black bra as he hurried to get the bottom hem torn. As soon as it was, Ardyn slipped one arm from the sleeve and returned it close to her side.
"Grab my sleeve again, please," she turned.
He obeyed, his fingers brushing the chilled skin of her shoulder. The sleeves were tighter, and it wasn't possible to not touch her this time. The heat in his face spread to his stomach.
Ardyn's hand pulled free of the shirt and she took it from him, immediately tossing it in the garbage.
Leo was looking anywhere but at her, "Are you going to be alright?"
"Mhm," she hummed nervously, shuffling through drawers for sleep clothes she could put on and take off herself. "Got it. Thank you." She grabbed a washcloth as well.
"Ardyn."
She met his gaze. It was earnest in worry, the intensity of the blue liquefying her stubbornness and pride.
"Do you need my help?"
She deflated. Everything hurt. She wanted nothing more than to sit. The thought of mopping herself clean with cold sink water and an old washcloth was exhausting enough in itself. She swallowed and looked to the floor.
"Yes."
He nodded, taking the washcloth from her and leading her into the bathroom. The redness of her face was spreading down her neck as she pushed open the door to the tiny bathroom. Leo motioned for her to sit on the toilet and turned on the water in the sink. He stuck a large green digit under it.
"What are you doing that for?"
He looked at her, "Don't you want warm water?"
"Oh," she looked down at her lap.
Her jeans were bloodstained and ruined. She'd need to take them off and clean her legs and hip, but the idea of stripping down to her underwear in front of Leo only worsened the blush that was creeping across the rest of her body.
As if Leo could hear her thoughts, he rang out the washcloth and knelt beside her. "Your jeans are soaked through, too."
She glared at the bath rug as if it had offended her morally, "I know."
"Can you get them off on your own?"
Damn him for being so calm about taking a woman's pants off.
"I think so," she bit out as he gently wiped the dried blood from her hip.
He didn't buy it, "Really?"
She let out a sigh as he stood and rinsed the washcloth.
"I'll step out for a second, if you want," he squeezed out the water. "You can wrap in a towel if that would make you more comfortable."
Damnit, woman, pull yourself together. "Sure."
He nodded, laying the washcloth over the edge of the sink and stepping out.
Ardyn blew out a puff of air when the door shut. She needed to get herself under control. If no man could make her this much of a mess, then she wasn't going to let a mutant turtle- who had zero romantic interest in her, by the way- reduce her to a ball of nerves and damned hormones. No, sir. She was a strong woman. She could do this.
She splashed cold water on her face and dried off, giving herself a good stare down in the mirror. It didn't work. She only managed to attempt to fix her hair and give herself an annoyed look.
The jeans were another fight. She managed the belt and button, and slid them down to her thighs, but bending to remove them further was agony. She swore a little louder than she intended, and flinched when she heard heavy footsteps approach the door.
"Everything okay in there?" he spoke gently through the door.
"Yep, great," she answered too quickly, sitting on the toilet again and cursing skinny jeans with every ounce of her being.
"Almost done?"
"Just another minute," she answered, trying to push the hem down with her foot. She swore again. "Bring me my knife."
"What?"
"My knife," she repeated through her teeth. "I'm gonna shred these leg-prisons."
There was a pause, and a barely audible snicker. "Ardyn, you're not going to cut those off."
"You're not the boss of me," she bit back.
"Do you have them off your hips?"
"Yes, I just need to cut my legs free," she snapped.
"Wrap yourself in a towel and let me in."
"Bring me my knife," she repeated.
"You have ten seconds before I open this door," he warned.
"I'm not letting you take off my pants, that's humiliating."
Well, in this circumstance...
"Six seconds."
"Leo I-"
"Five, four, three..."
"Wait! Fine!"
She scrambled into a towel, pulling the worn material wider to cover more of her chest and butt.
"Decent?"
"Not remotely," she spat. "But I'm in a towel."
"Alright, I'm coming in."
She glared as hard as she could under the redness of her face as he entered. She felt ridiculous, trapped in a pair of bloodied and shredded skinny jeans at half-mast and a worn grey bath towel. He didn't even crack a smile when he appraised her situation, but the glint in his eyes told her he was doing his damn best to keep it that way.
"If you even smirk," she pointed to him, "I will end you."
He put his hands up in surrender, "I'm not laughing, Ardyn. You asked for my help, that's what I'm giving you."
Somehow that answer only made her more angry. How the hell could he stay so composed when she was seconds from exploding with embarrassment? How could he not laugh at her? She was in a position of total vulnerability, and he was being genuinely nice. What the hell was his deal?
"Sit down, I bet I can pull them from your feet," he instructed.
She dropped to the toilet seat cover and kicked a foot out, "Be my guest."
He easily pulled her leg free and dropped the material. She lifted the other leg and he repeated the motion.
"See, that was easy," he reached for the washcloth and began cleaning the dried blood from the outside of her knee.
Ardyn's fingers dug into the towel as he worked his way up her leg. His touch was warm and gentle, brushing the skin clean with one hand and pushing up the hem on her hip with the other. Her lower belly was on fire, along with her face. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she thanked every deity she could think of that she had shaved her legs that day.
His intense gaze was as gentle as his touch when he met her stare. He was inches from her, much closer that when they were standing. Even in a kneel, he was massive. Ardyn held her breath and refused to move. She didn't trust that she wouldn't do something stupid. Her eyes betrayed her, flickering for a second to his mouth. He was wetting his lips, much to her misfortune. Images of her biting them filled her mind, and she locked her jaw shut and forced her eyes upward.
She didn't miss the flicker of his eyes back to hers.
"All done," he stood abruptly, breaking the trance.
Ardyn nearly flinched. She let out the breath she had held, tugging the towel down over her leg again.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
She sat still, legs tingling.
"Your clothes are right here," he patted them, still not looking at her.
"Yep."
"I'll step out."
She stood and dressed quickly, swearing intermittently when she twisted wrong. She was warm in all the wrong places. A splash of cold water to the face didn't help anymore.
"Are you going to be okay?" he called from the living room.
"Yep, peachy." She gripped the sink and sunk her teeth into her lip.
"Alright, well, I'm gonna go," he sounded tense now. "Call if you need anything."
"Yep," she bit out, face still aflame. "Cool. Good stuff. Night."
"Goodnight," he called. The window clicked, telling her he was gone.
Ardyn let out a shaky breath and dropped her forehead to the wall. "Jesus."