Heart
"Then what happened?!"
Karai sighed, poked her fork into her untouched moon cakes, and leaned back in her chair.
"Nothing. We went home and he did not speak one word to me the whole way. I did not see him this morning."
"Well, all fathers disapprove of their daughters dating. I know mine does! Only reason he lets me is because Donnie is an honor student!"
Karai smiled softly at Sidney, knowing her own father's cold attitude was probably rooted deeper then said. Nevertheless, Karai did not point this out. Coral had been right for once. It was nice to talk to other girls.
She had been disrupted during her after-breakfast meditation by Coral, who called to announce that Karai was spending way to much time with martial-arts freaks and needed a good ol' girl-talk. Coral's other victims happened to be Sidney and Susie, the girls Karai had met during her first enjoyable lunch in forever. So, Karai decided to please her friend at least for a little while. "A little while" turned into hours before she realized the passing time and, sure enough, the topic ended up on boys. Naturally, Coral knew every detail of the previous evening.
"Please, Coral, stop that idiotic grinning. You look like the Cheshire Cat!"
Naturally, Coral didn't do as she was told and just smiled wider until she suddenly threw her arms up in the air and hissed out a "Yes!"
"Two years, dammit!"
Her arms landed again with a bang that made the china on the rickety table jump. The other people at the café turned to glare evilly at her explosive glee.
"It took you two whole years but you finally smooched the guy!"
The other girls snickered as Karai glared at her friend. No need to be so loud about it.
"Please, quiet down or we are going to be thrown out. There is little need to announce things like that."
"This is a big day, Karai my darling, I'm going to make it count!"
The loud girl finally decided that finishing her cake was a better occupation for her mouth, giving the other two a bit of air.
"Well," Sidney added. "As far as the choice between Leonardo and Donnie goes, I consider myself a winner. Leo is a looker and all that, but Don is such a perfect gentleman."
"And Leonardo is not? If anything, I find him the most well-mannered of the four."
"Suppose you're right. But you have to admit he's a bit stiff!"
"Not compared to myself. I believe his attitude comes more from his desire to be a role-model for the others than to be uppity."
"I still prefer Don, he's much sweeter."
"Should you two be comparing your boyfriends like that? They are brothers after all…"
The two shorthaired girls looked over at the ginger-headed one as she slurped her soda and looked at them with her big blue eyes. During the time they had talked, Susie was (ironically) the one who had been the most objective. It made one wonder what really dwelled beneath those red curls.
"Those four aren't brothers."
All three turned to Coral, but she made no move to continue her odd comment. In fact, she looked at them like she was surprised they didn't understand what she meant.
"Then what, dear Coral, are they?"
She swallowed her last bite of cake and answered with a straight face.
"They're soul mates. Haven't you guys noticed that?"
Karai closed her eyes for a second. Coral always managed to find one of her nerves to step on.
"We have not known them for as long as you. Please, think about that."
"Point taken. In that case I have a piece of advice for you two."
The mood would have been very tense as Coral pointed dramatically to Sidney and Karai had it not been for Susie slurping obsessively at her soda.
"Just remember that no matter how much those two love you, you'll always be second place!"
"Now what does that mean?!"
"To what are you implying?"
"I'm just sayin' that those four are thicker then thieves. Trust me, I know! The kind of love those four have between each other can't be compared to anything. They still love you two, God know it shows! But to them there ain't nothing more important than family. I've seen 'em take on all kinds of shit together, and sure as hell they didn't even blink as long as they knew their brothers were backin' em up."
"You have been watching "Jackie Brown" again."
Coral glared at her best friend, a bit disappointed that that was all the commentary she got.
"How'd ya know?"
"Your linguistic skills drop by forty percent every time you do so."
Sidney spun her fork around, taking in what she had just heard.
"Now that you mention it, for four so different brothers, they do stick together an awful lot…"
"Tha's wah I said."
"That is what I said," Karai corrected gently.
"Oh shut it. Leave my linguistic skills alone for once."
A cheerful tune interrupted the small (and way to common) argument. Coral fired off one of her big grins.
"That's Raphy texting! Go on without me ladies!"
"She gives everyone their own theme?"
Karai nodded wearily at Susie's question and turned her attention to Sidney as she asked about the movie Karai had accused her friend of watching. Even when trying to explain the complex gangster movie (that she had only watched because Coral had forced her to) she noticed the perplexed look on Coral's face as she read the text. Bad news?
However, Coral then smiled again and looked up at them, a plan clearly forming in her petite brain.
"Well, Tarantino's movies are hard to explain," Sidney said. "But it sounds good. Do you recommend it?"
"Of course not! Karai doesn't like movies that don't involve samurais or the like, but I do!"
"I enjoy movies with essence, that is all. Also, the plural of 'samurai' is 'samurai'"
Karai was waved away, for the topic was a main source of arguments between the two associates, and Coral made her next announcement.
"Do you guys have plans for tonight?"
"Not really…?"
"I'm free… Dad's on a science-convention."
Karai only looked, confused, at her friend. What was she scheming? That grin really was a lot like the Cheshire Cat's.
"Feel like having dinner with me and a couple of boys I know?"
Raphael had half a mind not to let them in when he opened the door to see four girls on the steps with their arms filled with take-away boxes from the Golden Tortoise. If you asked him, the thought of having to spend the entire evening with a bunch of girls was not what he was hoping for. Women could be such a pain, after all. Then again, Coral was only half girl, he could tease both Leo and Don about having girlfriends, and the smell of chicken and curry made his stomach growl. Three against one.
"Welcome ladies! Shall I take your coats? Or perhaps all that food?"
"We're not wearing coats and if I give you the food it will be gone before I can say "Move it. You're blocking the way, dork!"
With that particularly snarky comment, the girls shoved him aside and made their way in, Karai pausing hesitantly at the door before she was yanked through by Coral. Sidney was the first to notice an odd pair of shoes in the hallway.
"I hope those don't belong to any of you guys! Pink is not a color I recommend for any of you!"
Raph just smiled with his arms crossed and replied almost nonchalantly.
"They belong to a friend who happened to drop by to announce a good piece of news."
"Who?"
"Oh, nobody special… Just April coming over to tell us that she's gotten engaged…!"
The next second he had to drop his cool act to save the plastic bags from crashing to the floor as a stunned Coral gaped at him, total shock all over her face.
"Casey ASKED HER?!"
"Go see her finger for yourself. She's with Don in the garage!"
The next second Coral was gone, and Karai recalled the older, redheaded girl that she had seen with the brothers the year before. She was fairly certain that that was April.
"Well, erm," Raph continued, rubbing the back of his neck. "Why don't the rest of you come into the kitchen and meet my dad. 'Cept you've met him before, right, Oroku?"
Karai looked up at him, wondering if he was using her first name because he was polite or because he didn't want to become familiar with her at all. She sincerely hoped that he didn't know how rude it was to call someone by their first name in her native country. Looking at Raph's teasing smirk as he relieved her from the bags of food that had been forcibly piled on her, Karai figured he just wanted to milk the fact that his brother was dating a semi-celebrity. He was probably going to rub it in Leonardo's face as soon as he saw them together. Karai bit her lip, ashamed.
The thought of seeing Leonardo again so soon struck her just a second before he showed up in the hallway. She could feel her cheeks heating up as he set his brown eyes on her. Then he smiled and walked over.
"Hi there. Long time no see."
She smiled back before she even noticed. Funny how he was the only person she didn't have to think about it with. Smiles just came by themselves at the sight of him.
"Your friend is engaged. Are we intruding?"
"Of course not! The more the merrier!"
With that he leaned over and brazenly kissed the corner of her mouth.
"I'm always glad to see you."
Karai couldn't help it; she turned bright red, jerking her head back involuntarily. Her face was probably lighting up the whole house. Leo smiled for a moment, but it disappeared when he turned to his snickering brother.
"And what is so funny, Raphael?"
"Oh nuthin'… Just getting a bit hot in here don't you think?"
Leo glared at his brother, who was conspicuously pulling at the neckline of his red t-shirt, while he took the rest of the bags from the girls so they could remove their shoes.
"Just because you're jealous doesn't mean you can go around making smart remarks whenever you want."
"I'm not jealous. I just think it's cute that you finally got a girl!"
"Like you're one to talk! Don't act like you're so much more experienced than me!"
"Well, at least I'M not a virgin!"
Leo's turn to light up the house with bright red. He actually couldn't get the words out from embarrassment. Karai had no idea what to say, or do for that matter. From the look of the others, neither did they. Did the two of them fight on this level a lot?
"See! I might not be all Mister High and Mighty all the time, but truth be told, that's the one thing I beat you to, BIG brother!"
Luckily, Leonardo had regained his composure during his brother's little speech.
"Yeah, a one night stand during summer vacation, that's really something to brag about. Especially when you where dumped the day after! Joy was not a girlfriend: she was a one-night stand!"
"Counts for more then you, anyway!"
"Just shut up, will you! This is not a conversation we should be having right now ANYWAY!"
"Eh? Why not?"
Leo glared even more intensely and made a gesture to the semi-shocked girls in the hallway. Raph took one look at them, smiled, and walked passed his brother towards the kitchen.
"Naw, poor Leo… All embarrassed because I told your little girlfriend you're a virgin…!"
"That's it! You're going down!"
All the girls could do was watch, stunned, as the two disappeared into the kitchen, kicking at each other with the bags dangling in their hands. While they were still standing there, listening to the two brothers calling each other all kinds of foul names, Mikey came sliding down the rail, landing with his hands in his pockets.
"Leo and Raph are fighting again, huh?"
Karai sighed, the insecurity fading away. Susie gave Mikey a hug and Sidney just had to ask.
"They do that a lot?"
"Yeah. Almost every day. It's how they communicate! Me and Don usually just stay out of their way. They work things out on their own."
His smile was so big and sunny it was hard not to grin back. He assured them that his brothers would be fine and showed them into the living room, where the sofa and the chairs had been pushed back to give room for a big, low table.
"Heh! Coral said she'd bring company, and with April and Casey here to, there is no way we could all fit in the kitchen, so we took out the party-table!"
They smiled and sat down on the soft cushions that were spread out on the floor around the comfortably large table, and, just a second later, Don came in with the other guests. They were formally introduced and, sure enough, it was the girl that Karai had remembered. Her boyfriend, now fiancé, turned out to be that guy that Hun had punched on just as much as he had Raphael. The thought of Hun made Karai's stomach turn unpleasantly. She had done all the could on that point. There was nothing she could do just then so there was no point in worrying. Karai took a deep breath, pushing the thought aside and settling into her cushion.
It was hard to be negative around these people. Even Leo and Raph acted civilized towards each other during dinner (mostly because April had snapped at them for still bickering when they came back from the kitchen, and had made them sit at opposite end of the long table.) Karai could not for the world remember when she'd had a dinner like the ones the persons around her apparently had every day. It was so different from the strict meals she shared with her father or the cold food she ate by herself when he was too busy for her.
Karai realized how unlike herself she was acting. So sentimental. So… mushy.
What was it about Leonardo that made her so out of character? Whenever the image of him popped up in her mind, she would become so… so…girly! Totally contradictory to the person she used to be. Her mind went blank and the words just wouldn't flow as well as usual. Was this really love? Was this what it was like to fall head over heels for someone?
Still, there was that little fact that just sitting there beside him, being offered soy and salt and seconds, made her happy. True, it was a different happy than when she had first started getting used to Coral's pushy friendship. The feeling of someone caring was so unfamiliar to her. Her father didn't care much, as long as she got good grades and stayed out of trouble. He wasn't like Coral, who kept asking about every little detail of her feelings like a psychiatrist who needed some medication herself. Surely, Karai's father was nothing like Leonardo, who kept smiling those warm smiles even though she had done nothing for him. She had read about unconditional love. It was the theme in almost every movie, every song ever written. She had always thought that the concept was pure fantasy. Karai had never in her whole life thought that a person could be so kind to someone and expecting nothing in return.
When she looked up from those heavy thoughts, a pair of eyes met hers. Splinter was seated on her other side. Even though he didn't say anything, or move, she knew somehow that he knew what she was thinking, and that he somehow understood. He understood that feeling. The confusion over why people chose to waste their time on people like Splinter and herself. Then she remembered.
"I owed them my life, my very existence. Before I met them, I was no more than a rat, stealing and wandering from place to place."
Yes. He knew the strange feeling that happened when people suddenly took an interest in your existence. He knew, and he was happier for it. Maybe, these feelings inside her chest, slowly starting to grow under the sun of so much attention, were a good thing.
She smiled back at him and leaned slightly against Leonardo's side. He didn't even look at her, but merely raised his arm and put it around her waist, drawing her even closer to rest her cheek against his shoulder. It was a natural gesture; gesture that Hun would have completed with an ass-grab and a nasty comment. Any guy was easier to love than that meat-head, but Leonardo just happened to be the best.
Leonardo waved her off from the stairs again, as Karai reluctantly left in the company of Coral and Susie. Sidney had gone the other way, and Leo refused to let her go home alone. Leo had considered walking Karai home as well. New York at night, yeah, that's a place you want a girl to wander around all alone, even if she had been trained from birth in seventeen different martial arts styles and had been beyond black belts in all of those disciplines by the age of ten. However, he admitted that there wasn't a sane guy in town that would jump Coral, not with her nut-cracker reputation, so he just kissed Karai in his gentle way and stood there and looked after them until they rounded the corner and disappeared.
"You know, you'll catch a cold standing out here without even a sock on. I know it's May and all, but geez, it's still cold at night, bro!"
Leo turned to look at his brother, who was hanging in the doorframe with his ever so bad-boy look. He was still angry with Raph so he just shrugged and turned away.
"They're long gone, bro. Coral just texted; the princess is safe at home now."
"Raph…?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you miss her? Joy, I mean…"
Leonardo turned around. He didn't know why he had asked, and he honestly didn't care so much. He had been a bit worried when Raph hadn't talked to any of them for three days after he was dumped, but he knew Raph had gotten over it. He wasn't the person to dwell on the past.
"No, not really… I'm not saying, it's not like I don't ever want to see her again, I mean she was fun to hang out with and we had some good times, but I don't really want her back, ya know. We were just too much alike, we'd start fighting over nothing. Not like you and I fight, that's different. We work shit out. But Joy and I… Nah! It just didn't work in the long run. Guess she just figured that out before I did."
Leo just looked at his brother. Was that really Raphael talking?
"Wow. When did you become so mature?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, if I had asked you that question six months ago, you would have hit me in the face and stormed off."
The longhaired boy thought a bit about it, then smirked his usual cocky smirk.
"Guess I'm becoming a man, huh?!"
"Not yet you're not, Peter Pan… You have a long way to go!"
Leo softened at the annoyed face of his sibling.
"But I guess, you got one step closer just now."
Raph smiled roughly at him, and Leo realized that he wasn't angry with him anymore. He sat up on the thick stone rail and scratched his neck. Might as well clear the rest of the air as long as Raphael was in a good mood. God knows how quick THAT wore off!
"So… Are you really okay with this? With me seeing her?"
Raph just sighed, crossed his arms and leaned against the other rail, and kicked the door shut.
"Look, Leo. I know I said some pretty darn shitty stuff last night, and even though I don't take back a word I said about that bastard, I take back what I said about Karai, Okay? You were right. She had nothing to do with it. She wasn't even an Oroku when it happened, and even if she had been, well, it's not like an infant could have stopped him. And dude…!"
"What?"
Raphael scratched his chin, a bit of red starting to show.
"It's not like you would listen anyway. You're so head over heels for her I'm surprised you remembered your underwear this morning!"
"Raph!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Below the belt and all that! So, whatever… Just…"
"Just? What? Come on, Raph."
He was a bit taken back by the intense look in his brother's deep brown eyes. Splinter used to say that he had no idea where their eyes or hair came from, both Shen and Yoshi had been dark haired and black eyed. He guessed, since none of them had known their parents, that they'd had some mixed blood in them. Still, Raphael's eyes were the ones that where darkest.
"Just don't get hurt, bro. Just don't go get yourself hurt."
Leo had to smile to this. It was so rare for Raph to be emotional, but seeing his brother falling in love must be triggering something in him, pushing him to actually say some of the stuff that was on his mind.
"Even if I am hurt, you guys will be there to catch me right? You'll have my back, won't you?"
He sounded like a two-year-old. Wonderful
Raph smiled back.
"Always. You know that."
Leo smiled and stood up straight again. Raph had been right, it was cold outside.
"But that don't count if you go looking for trouble! In that case you're on your own!"
Leo opened the door and gave him a skeptical look. Raph caved in seconds.
"Okay, even if you do go looking for trouble I'll come save your sorry ass… But that's just so I'll get the pleasure of kicking it for being so darn stupid!"
"Deal!"
With that they went inside, all hostility forgotten.
At least, until they noticed that there was only one towel left. First come, first served, after all. What's a few bruises between brothers, anyway?
"You know, I'd actually forgotten all about you. Ain't that funny?"
"Well, then. I guess this is a rude awakening!"
Leo just sighed, his back pressed up against the locker, Huns big hand in a fist holding his shirt in a tight grip. Figures he'd be mad. He placed his hand on Huns wrist. A small warning-bell went of in Hun's brain, but it was put out when he figured not even Leo could throw him over his shoulder with the wall of lockers behind him.
"Seems like you forgot something as well…"
"What?"
"I'm not Raphael."
With that, Leo held Hun's hand down as he brought his own fist up to crack Huns elbow out of place. The giant senior let out a pain-filled shout and released him, backing off, cradling his arm. Leo slid back down on the ground and moved a bit to the side, leaving himself some room. No way Hun would stay down from something small like that. A crowd had started to form the second Hun had slammed him into the locker with his line about Leo stealing his girl. Now the corridor was clogged like a diseased artery. Leo could only pray a teacher (or better, several) would get annoyed and break them up soon.
Just as predicted, Hun was ready to go after just a few seconds. With a grunt he twisted his arm back into the right position, cracked his neck and knuckles, started to move for Leo again. Leo sank down in Mantis and waited. He had beaten Hun before. Okay, it had been almost a year, but the big lug hadn't changed his style at all. It wasn't going to be easy, but then again all he had to do was to make sure that he (or anyone else) wasn't hit by that huge fist that was on a crash-course for his face.
"You little piece of shit! I'll teach you to steal my girl!"
"Why? Because you're afraid that Karai would kick your ass if you told her that yourself?"
Leo just moved his head a few inches, no need to waste energy on this guy. He then placed one hand on the side of Huns ribs, palm out, and hit the massive boy's other elbow with his other hand. Last time they had fought, Leo had noticed that Hun preferred punching people over kicking. Unfortunately, that was something that even had begun to show in his physique, his arm-muscles swelling a lot during these last few months. Better to weaken his punches right away.
The oldest Hamato son ducked and got around the giant's other side and assumed the Tiger. Going for the shoulders this time. Needed a bit of leverage, though, Hun was a big guy, and this time the blow had to hit from above. Easy fix.
When Hun turned, almost blind with rage, Leo simply front-thrust kicked the inside of his knee. As the brute bent his leg to regain his balance, Leo stepped up on his thigh, brought both his half-fisted hands down on the left trapezius muscle, and topped it of with a back flip off of Hun's massive chest. Hun fell in a manner that made Leo want to shout "Timber" but he held back that urge. He himself landed on both feet, straightened out his shirt and bowed humbly at the applauding audience.
Somewhere at the back of the crowd a teacher made an attempt to break up the wall of people. The noise started to die down. Time to go. Just as he turned around Karai broke through the barrier of bodies with a worried look all over her face. She rushed forward to grab him by the arms, much to everyone's attention, and even the ones leaving decided to stay for a few more seconds to see what one of the very average Hamatos was doing with the Oroku-princess.
"You and Hun fought. Are you unharmed?"
He smiled at her. It was a bit flattering that she had rushed here just for that. He pointed at Hun, who was grunting trying to get up again.
"I'm fine. He's nothing compared to Splinter. You just gotta know how to do it."
She looked at her ex as Hun noticed who Leonardo was talking to. His massive face almost imploded from anger.
"You backstabbing bitch! I'm gonna…!"
"What, Hun? You thought picking fights with Leonardo would help you? That I would take you back if you beat him? What are you, a Neanderthal? Do not waste your time! Like I told you, it is you who is no good! There is not a girl in the world who would put up with you! Now get out of my sight before I come over there and remove you from my presence."
With that, she took a firmer grip on Leo's arm and dragged him off just as the bell rang. He let her lead the way, bending down to grab his bag in passing. By the sound of the whispers behind them, every soul in school would know every detail, and then some, about what had happened by the end of the day. He smiled and took her hand, slowing her down. They were far from Hun now, no need to hurry. They were going to be late anyway. They and half the school. Might as well make use of the time.
She turned to look at him, anger blazing in her eyes. He almost ran away before he realized it was still aimed for Hun. Not caring about who might see or what they might think, he cupped her gaunt face in his hands and kissed her forehead.
"Calm down. I'm fine. I knew he'd pull something like that. Please, calm down now."
She sighed and relaxed her shoulders, falling forward some.
"I am sorry. I come with so many problems, I may not be worth the bother."
He put his arms around her, squeezing her tightly and kissing her cheek just under her almost opalescent eye.
"I'd gladly walk through hell and back for you. Whatever problems you come with, you're worth it."
She snickered a bit at the corny comment, but she knew he meant every word. If she was worth walking through hell for, he was worth the sky and earth, sun and moon. She should have done this years ago.
He promised to watch his back, and to see her during lunch, and with one last kiss they parted, way late but totally unable to care. Sure enough, by the end of the day their relationship was the talk of the school.
The week went by, Hun and Raph clashing every day. Hun had apparently realized that Leo was not the way to go if he wanted Karai back, and in lack of other ideas he took it out the same way he always did. Raph on the other hand, was only to happy to oblige, still mad about the fact that he had been the last to know about Hun's little assault on his brother.
That weekend, Karai came over again, asking if anyone was interested in a sparring match. Leo happily agreed, but the others declined the invitation. Splinter left to go to a neighborhood meeting with the other shop-keepers on the street, Don and Raph headed for April and Casey's place to make the most of the time before they went back to college that Sunday, and Mikey just grinned and took off on his skateboard, destination unknown even to him.
Even so, it wasn't until they had been in the dojo for hours, first just dancing around each other, trying the other out, getting more and more intense the longer they went on, and finally calling it a day, that Leo realized that they were all alone. Karai was on his bed, drying her hair, still damp from the shower and wearing only a dark red top and dark grey sweatpants. His heart skipped a beat, and before he could stop himself, he had walked over and kissed her, pulling away the towel in her hands and letting it fall to the floor. He could feel her hesitating before she put her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her level. He followed obediently, slowly laying her down on the blue cotton sheets.
It had been a good week.
[Huur huur huur! XB more cliffhangs!! Got to keep you on the edge of your seats now! ;) I still suck at romance, I might suck WORSE at fighting-scenes, but I hope that you'll forgive me and that you'll stay tuned for the next chapter, where PLOT BEGINS TO TAKE ACTION!! 8D and not just your average teen-drama, but some ninja-drama to! and rating went up cause well, whats bad in this chapter, becomes worse in the next! All reviews, good and bad, are welcome!]
