Lea could barely suppress the smile attempting to beam across her expression as she led her houseguest up the stairs to her apartment. She couldn't help but glance at the looks people were giving her, ranging from curious to down right hostile. She had become more interested in the plight of the off worlders the last couple days, which she could readily admit was tied directly to her fascination in Leonardo. She had been appalled to discover the amount of hate groups and prejudice the new life forms were facing. It had made her so angry.
She was a great believer in equality for all and for judging people based on who they were inside. Leo was one of the most striking and beautiful men she had ever encountered. She had been drawn to him the first moment she had saw him and then after speaking to him had been even more invested in getting to know him better. She believed it was probably just a silly flight of fancy on her part, but Lea genuinely wished that she and Leonardo could be friends.
She shifted Dean's carrying case into the crook of her left arm and she fumbled to unlock her door. Leo was next her, his usual almost blank expression on his face as he looked around. He was a very difficult man to read, but Lea enjoyed a challenge. "It must be convenient to live right above your shop?" The steady rumbles of Leo's tone meet her ears as she finally jostled her door open.
"It has ups and downs; it also means I can never escape the problems." She laughed as she entered and was surprised when upon following her, Leo blinked for a moment before joining in on the laughter himself.
"Yes I actually understand that all to well." He stood a little awkwardly in her doorway as she went to put Dean down, his eyes once again roaming the area around him.
"You can come in Leo, I won't bite I promise." Lea grinned and paused staring at the Turtle across from her as for a moment she though she saw a slight flush grace his face.
"Oh, I didn't mean to, or think, or…" He faltered to a halt and just smiled at her. Lea felt her heart hurt suddenly, how could such a capable, serious man be so cute?
"How about that tea?" She rescued him from further stumbling and he jumped at her offer.
"That would be fantastic! Where would you like me to sit?" Leonardo glanced around himself as they both were in view of her living room and kitchen at the moment from where they stood. Lea noted there was so much precision to every single action Leonardo partook in. It wasn't simply a matter of him flopping down on her couch; he was carefully considering his options in all areas. She had to wonder to herself if it was a little maddening at times to over think every decision one made?
"How about the kitchen, then we can more easily talk why I prepare our drinks." She had been freeing Dean from his carrier and the small dog leapt out and barreled into the other rooms himself towards his food dish. She smiled up at Leo, reaching out and hooking her hand around his lower arm gently pulling him. His eyes drifted down to her hand before pulling back up to her face. She was probably mistaken but she almost thought she saw a flash of something there.
"That sounds perfect." The octave of Leo's tone, the solidness of his body; Lea felt her stomach flutter as she realized much to her surprise she felt a definite jolt of desire. She smiled up at the Turtle walking with her. Trying to push it aside, thinking how foolish she was being. She was certain Leo's world has filled with females of his race as beautiful, as lithe and as strong as he was. Lea knew she wasn't unattractive, but she was a fairly normal human female. She doubted Leonardo would see her in any other way.
"What kind of teas do you grow on your world?" While Leo sat himself at her kitchen table, Lea crossed to where she kept all of her tea preparation items and started collecting things.
"Excuse me?" Lea felt a smirk getting the impression Leo's mind had been elsewhere for a moment. She leaned back against her counter just considering him.
"Well I mean I guess it's possible a similar strain of plants to the one that exist here on Earth could have evolved on your planet, but I guess I was kind of hoping that maybe you could introduce me to something new." Involuntarily she felt her eyes drift over his frame as she said the last part. She felt herself cough suddenly, looking away realizing to her embarrassment what she had just implied to him.
"Well you see it's all a little bit more complicated then that." Her eyes flickered back to the Turtle across from her grateful he seemed to have completely missed her slip. Leo on the other hand looked very thoughtful.
"Complicated how?" Making there drinks was lost to Lea for a moment as she grew far more interested in what the man across from her had to say.
"I want to be honest with you Lea, it's vital to me to not lie to the people I deem important in my life." There was hesitation in his tone, but somehow all she could focus on the fact Leo had said she was important.
"I would prefer you to be straight with me also. If it's something you don't feel comfortable telling me you certainly don't have to. I mean I was just making conversation." Lea wondered if his hesitation was because, while he didn't want to lie to her Leonardo didn't trust her enough yet to be honest with her. She asked herself though if she could completely blame him. They barely knew one another.
Leo sighed. "For a long time it has been my responsibility to look after my family. Keep them safe; keep them on the right path. With everything happening with the Utroms so many doors have opened for us that we never would have considered possible. I guess it's all a little overwhelming." She had crossed to seat herself at the table next to him listening carefully to what Leo had to say. As he finished his small monologue he glanced up at her and there eyes locked. Silence passed between them and Lea got the distinct impression that Leonardo was reading more about her then she would care to know.
"I'm not an alien." His tone was matter-of-fact. He held her gaze awaiting her reaction to his confession. Lea paused her mind suddenly confused.
"I'm sorry I don't understand. You come from another world right?" Leonardo sighed again, looking down at the table as if he was suddenly fascinated by the construction of it.
"I'm from Earth the same as you are. I was born a regular pond turtle, but because of the Utroms was mutated. I know that probably makes me far less fascinating or foreign but it is who I really am." The doubt in his tone surprised her. From his reaction and his words it dawned on her suddenly. It wasn't just a trust issue. Leonardo seemed to think that if he lost this allure of being a creature from another place he was also going to lose her interest.
She reached out laying her hand on top of his, his dark eyes lifted to hers once more at her touch. "Leo I don't care if you're from Europe, Asia, Canada, Romulas, Cardassia or Vulcan." It was Lea's turn to take a deep breath. She was going to have to expose a bit more of her feelings then she generally felt comfortable with, knowing Leo for such a short time. Yet somehow to put his mind at ease her small discomfort seemed worth it. "You are the most incredible man I have ever met and every new piece of you that I see just draws me to you even more. I would be honored if you would consider me as a possible friend."
Her voice grew soft at the end of her entreaty and she felt color rise in her cheeks. Lea was generally very self confident, very in tuned with herself as an individual; but Leo brought out this ridiculous feeling of hero worship that she though she had abandoned in her teens. Most of the time other people's opinions didn't factor into Lea's thoughts that much, currently she found she was nearly on the edge of her seat to see what the Turtle across from her was about to say next.
Leo for his part, blinked at Lea a few times. She could see his mind processing everything she had just said, trying to categorize it into what Leo deemed his way to function everyday. "I'm not even certain what to say..." Leo stumbled over words, shifting in his seat. "The fact a woman as amazing as you takes any interest in me at all, is a detail I can barely wrap my mind around. Then you ask me, if I would consider you being my friend?" He paused again slowly a smile spread across his face.
"Yes, I think getting to know you would be good for me and I can only hope I could in some small way help shape your life in return." A peaceful confidence seemed to elude from Leo as he made his decision. Lea could tell knowing where they both stood at this moment was something that put him at far more ease then he had been, since she had first seen him that day. He felt in control she thought, which Lea quickly realized was very important to Leonardo as a person.
She stood, an exhilarated feeling sweeping across her. Before a coherent idea could even form in her mind she felt herself lean forward and softly plant a light kiss on Leonardo's cheek. She pulled away swallowing, surprised by her sudden boldness. Her head swimming with the smell of musk and leather that radiated off the Turtles form.
"I'll go make the tea." She felt awkward, but good. Her stomach once again flip flopping around. She pushed back her hair, busy getting out a tea pot and different flavors of the drink, all the while biting her lower lip and judging the action she had just taken. Behind her Leonardo was silent and she was afraid to look in his direction for fear she would be judged with disapproval for what she had just done.
He was so quiet she didn't even realize he had moved until she felt his hand on her arm. "Can I help you?" His expression was earnest, nothing critical about it. Lea felt herself relax knowing she hadn't just messed up whatever was happening between them before it could even stand in its wobbly legs.
"I think I can manage thank you." She smiled, and suddenly struck with an idea reached across the counter to a box and handed it to him. "There are plates in the cupboard right up there." She gestured to her right. "If you want to pick out a scone for both of us that would be a big help."
Leonardo set about following her instructions. There was a momentary pause in conversation broken again by the Turtle across the room. "You know this is the first time I have had tea alone with someone outside my family." Then he chuckled. "No wait that's a lie I have with my friend Usagi, but that's actually it." Lea felt like he was trying to spell something out for her, but she wasn't certain just what he was trying to say. She started the water.
"You haven't had much other human contact?" She looked at him sideways from her stove a little surprised by this new information.
"We have a few allies. Casey and April, who I think you know? She was the one who told me about your shop anyway." Having finished his task Leonardo crossed the room again and placed the box back where Lea had gotten it from. Lea was listening and working, on tip toe now straining up to reach some of her more formal Japanese tea cups from a cupboard above. She felt Leonardo's hand on the small of her back as he reached over her and retrieved two of the cups and placed them before her. Lea flushed feeling the now getting to be familiar tingle at the contact.
"Thank you, and yes I mean I don't know April well, but she stops in enough that she is a regular. She's such a considerate person I have always liked her." Leo leaned back against the counter, watching her as Lea spoke. "Are Casey and April everyone?" She knew she shouldn't sound quiet so shocked but it tugged at her heart a little to think of a life where one wasn't even free to walk down the street when they wanted to.
"Pretty much, I mean there is their daughter Shadow and few other random people we don't see that often. Most people react to us with even more hostility then that woman did my first time in your shop." Leonardo said all of this matter-of-factly. It was his life and Lea realized he was used to it which just made her more upset.
"Well that's those idiots lost then and my gain." She flashed him a cheeky grin as she poured the tea. She watched Leonardo's eye ridges bunch together for a moment before he let out a little laugh.
"Well that's one way to look at it I suppose." Lea liked the fact that sometimes she felt like when she said things Leo wasn't certain how to respond to her and she found that cute. She handed him his tea cup and picked up hers and the pot with the rest of the drink to take to the table.
"It's the only correct way to look at things." She bit her lip. She was so obviously flirting now and she just couldn't stop herself. They both returned to the sits they had been in earlier. Lea couldn't help but notice Leo was watching her closely. "If it's alright with you, do you mind telling me a bit about your family?" Lea was fascinated to know more but didn't want to press.
"I don't think my brothers would mind too much if I told you a little about them. Where to start?" Was it her imagination or was Leonardo flirting back? Lea just drank her tea quietly and listened as he started to tell her about his life.