Chapter Seven
It was still raining the next day, though it was only a soft drizzle. Leo's heart began to thump in anticipation; no matter what the weather was like, he was seeing Arella tonight. He hadn't seen her in over twenty-four hours now. The withdrawal was painful; he ached to hold her, to whisper how much he loved her.
He focused on his training that morning, and when his brothers went up to skateboard despite the dampness, he stayed put and did some tidying up around the den. He was just finishing when Splinter approached him. He wasn't frowning, but he wasn't really smiling, either.
"I am very pleased with your efforts the last few days," he began. Leo perked up immensely.
"I have decided to lighten your punishment a little," Splinter continued. "You may go out and patrol with your brothers each night, but you are not to venture out alone for now. After that we shall see."
Leo's spirits sank in a hurry. "Thank you, Master Splinter," he said absently.
His sensei didn't move to leave. His eyes continued to study him, and Leo didn't like the look in them. Splinter could tell that he was hiding something, and he wanted to know what. "One other thing," he said lowly. "Do not ever be dishonest with me like that again. Understood?"
Leo nodded. "I won't."
As Splinter turned and headed to his room, Leo only hoped that he would be able to keep that promise. If he told him about Arella he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. He would have to do it soon, but first he had to figure out how he was going to see her tonight.
The solution came to him while he went out to patrol that night. It was so simple it couldn't possibly fail, and the best part was he didn't have to lie about it.
"Have you guys gotten April and Casey a wedding gift yet?" he asked as he joined his brothers topside.
They had been in the middle of a discussion about something and stopped short to stare at him. "What the heck could we get them?" Raph wanted to know.
"Lingerie?" Mikey suggested.
Raph rolled his eyes. "Dufus. We need something they can both use, not..."
His eyes glazed over. "Wait, do you mean like...kinky black lace teddies and stuff?"
Mikey grinned wickedly. "The gift that keeps on giving, so to speak."
"Changed my mind. Let's go with the lingerie. In fact, I insist."
"I was thinking," Leo cut in loudly, while Don blushed and pretended he wasn't listening to this conversation, "about giving them a painting."
Raph and Mikey stopped discussing women's underwear and stared at him again. "What kind of painting?" Mikey wondered.
"I haven't decided yet," Leo said quickly. "And that's kind of the problem; I only have a brief chance to get one, but Splinter told me not to go out by myself..."
Okay, so that wasn't completely true; the wedding wasn't for months yet and Arella had plenty of time to paint. He was just anxious to see her.
"So, you want us to go picture shopping with you?" guessed Raph.
"No," Leo said impatiently. "I want you to cover for me while I go get one while you're out on patrol."
Splinter had told him not to be dishonest with him - directly. If his brothers said that he had patrolled with them when they got home, it didn't count.
"You've been patrolling without me for a while now anyway," he pointed out.
Raph shrugged. "It's still quiet out there. I'm sure we can handle it."
"And if Splinter asks," Mikey added, "we'll be sure to tell him that you, um, led an organized patrol. You know, since this is for a good cause and all."
Leo smiled in relief. "Thanks. I'll meet you back here."
He took off, heart soaring as he ran straight for Arella's. When he got there he found her sitting cross-legged on the floor, scrubbing at that stain again. The room was aglow with candlelight, and a half-finished painting of a mountain range was on the easel.
Arella stood and padded barefoot to the window when he knocked. Leo somersaulted through the window and held out his arms, and Arella rushed into them, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
When they parted again, he let his eyes drink her in, from her coppery curls to her cute little toes. She was wearing paint-splattered jeans and a snug, casual blue tank top, but he didn't care. She was still gorgeous.
"I'm almost a free turtle," said Leo, and explained the new arrangement. "My brothers are covering for me tonight," he went on as he took a seat in the chair by the window. "So could you do me a favor?"
He quickly told her about the picture he wanted for the wedding. "I could whip something up," Arella said confidently.
"In only a few days?"
"Naturally. But in return," she said, with a mischievous grin, "you need to do something for me."
Leo felt a warm smile touch his face as she took his hands into her own. "Just ask. I'll do anything for you."
Grin broadening, Arella leaned closer and brushed her lips across his cheek. "Come with me," she whispered into his ear.
Like he would have dreamed of saying no.
He met her out in the alley, where she paused to toss soiled rags into the Dumpster. She then took his hand and led him back to that special place behind the old fence. It wasn't raining anymore, but the grass was still slightly damp and fragrant with the smell of moist soil.
He didn't mind - he kind of liked the dampness, actually - and Arella seemed perfectly comfortable as she placed the board firmly against the hole before cuddling her way into his arms. Leo wrapped them around her and lay back, his eyes on the sky above them.
The clouds were starting to clear, the stars trying to shine around them. Arella nuzzled his face, making her curls tickle his cheek. He inhaled deeply. "I love the way you smell," he murmured. "I love you, Rey."
Arella giggled softly. "You're so sweet, Little Leo."
Oh, but he loved it when she called him that. She didn't say that she loved him, too; she didn't need to. He saw it shining in her eyes, which looked more vibrant than ever as she gazed at him.
She closed her eyes dreamily and kissed him, settling comfortably on top of him. Leo rested his hands on her back and closed his own eyes, letting himself get lost in the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, the taste of her lips. Moaning softly, Arella caressed the side of his throat and down his shoulder as she kissed all over his face. She drifted downward, her breath turning rapid as she kissed along his throat. Her lips pressed firmly against that sensitive spot where his pulse hummed; the stars seemed to swirl and blur in the sky above.
When the sky came into focus again, the stars were gone. The sky had turned dark and was full of murky clouds; thunder rumbled in the distance. Leo blinked in confusion for a moment. "What happened?" he asked weakly.
Arella was curled up on his plastron, her head tucked under his chin. She had one slender arm wrapped around him, tucked against the back of his shell, with the other stretched across him, her hand clutching his shoulder. Her bare arms felt warm - almost hot. Her creamy white cheeks bore a bright spot of color as she lifted her head to smile at him.
She giggled, her eyes glittering and bright. "You fell asleep," she said, her voice teasing.
Leo felt too lazy, too content to be embarrassed. "Oh."
He blinked again. "I had better go," he said, though he made no move to get up. His limbs felt heavy. His entire body was buzzing strangely. He almost felt giddy.
Arella sat up, and he immediately missed her warmth. He quickly reached to take her hand - or at least tried to. Instead he fumbled around clumsily for a moment before he successfully grasped it.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said. "If you're allowed out now, I'll meet you outside your place."
He wasn't supposed to go out alone, but he was pretty sure he could get away with being in the tunnels, as long as he didn't go far or up to the streets. "All right," he agreed.
Leo sat up; his head swam and his vision blurred. He gave himself a shake and stood. Arella gripped his arm to steady him; her hand felt warm and strong. "I'll see you soon, Little Leo," she whispered before they parted.
When Leo got back to the agreed spot, his brothers were waiting. "Took you long enough," Raph muttered.
Leo yawned and ignored him. He was too tired to get in a fight; all he wanted now was sleep. He went and dropped down into the den, stumbled to his bed and was dreaming in seconds.
In the morning he had a hard time waking up for some reason. His body felt heavy, devoid of energy. Like he had been awake for days. Outside the subway car he heard Mikey talking.
"It was his first time patrolling in a while," he was saying. "He covered a lot of ground, too; he's just beat."
Leo felt a twinge of guilt. Mikey had always had that naughty streak of his and would fib about something if he thought he could get away with it, but he had to feel uncomfortable with what he was saying.
He would make it up to him later. For now, Leo got up and did a few stretches before sitting down to breakfast. Only he discovered that he didn't have much of an appetite, and he still felt like he could sleep for another few hours. Make that days.
Most of the morning went by in a tired haze that he didn't remember later. Around noon or so it started to rain again; growing bored, Don decided to head up to skateboard for a while.
"I'll go with you," Leo said eagerly, hurrying to dig up a spare board.
Don watched him with a frown. "Are you sure? You're looking a little droopy there."
"I'm fine," Leo said testily.
"You've been saying that a lot lately," Mikey noted.
"Mind your own damn business," Leo snapped.
Splinter glanced at him sharply; Leo glanced at his feet. "Sorry," he mumbled, before hurrying out of the den before he wound up grounded from everything, including skateboards.
Don didn't say anything as they coasted up and down the tunnel for a while, but Leo could tell that he wanted to. He kept glancing at him, mouth open, but then he would look away and shut it again.
"What's with you, anyway?" Leo imagined him saying.
Leo half wished that he would. Then he could say that he felt weird about how close he and Mikey had become, and how Raph was cracking jokes and hardly ever mad anymore, and how he felt left out of these changes.
As he thought about it, Leo realized that he really wanted to have that conversation. It would probably lead to a few apologies, a few laughs, and then everything would be all right again.
And then Leo saw a shadow on the wall ahead of him, and the thought vanished from his mind, like a retreating mist. The shadow receded; Leo sped up and turned the corner. He caught sight of Arella, who paused before turning around another corner.
Leo continued on, moving in the opposite direction as Don and doubling back again. He abandoned the board and hurried to that secluded spot, where Arella was already waiting for him.
It seemed she had also noticed that the place could be more comfortable; she had brought blankets, which she had laid out on the boards, and a few pillows. She had also brought a small radio, which was playing a soft classical tune as he neared.
Leo wasted no time flopping down on the blanket and crawling into her arms. "I missed you," he said, after he'd kissed her soundly.
"I've been waiting to see you, too," she purred, face pressed to his throat.
In the distance, he could hear Donnie still skating around. He called Leo's name once or twice, but he didn't come any closer to them.
"I'm going to have you introduce you soon," he murmured. "Then we won't have to sneak around like this."
"You want to tell them about us?" Arella wondered.
Leo thought about it. He wanted everyone - the entire world - to know how in love he was, but...
"Not right away," he said finally. "We'll work up to it."
Arella nodded, looking like she had expected that. "I have the painting half-finished," she commented.
"So soon? You sure work quick."
"I've had a long time to practice."
Leo smiled a little and rested his head against hers. He frowned a moment later as the sound of water trickling picked up as the rainwater swelled the usual overflow. He sighed. "I'm sorry I can't give you better surroundings."
"I don't mind," Arella told him.
"Seriously, you deserve better."
"It's fine," she insisted, touching his face. "I'm here to see you, not the décor."
"Even though I live in a sewer?" he said pessimistically.
"Under it, technically."
"Technically," he muttered. He wished he had thought to wash up this morning. She probably thought he smelled funny - and she always smelled so good, no doubt due to all those candles and incense she burned. Today her hair smelled like a mixture of roses and cinnamon.
"Don't be so gloomy, Little Leo," said Arella sweetly, leaning to kiss him. "Hm. Not as exotic today."
Leo laughed softly. "I wasn't hungry."
He thought for a moment. "Are you? I think Mikey has a box of Twinkies stashed somewhere around here."
Arella pulled a face. "No thank you," she said quickly. "I never eat anything with that much preservatives in it."
"Ah - so you're one of those all-natural types," said Leo, eager to learn more about the girl he loved so much.
She smiled, cheeks dimpling. "Basically. Humans put too much chemicals into their bodies. It's gotten particularly bad in the last decade or so - everything seems to have chemicals and toxins in it, from shampoo to hand lotion. All that stuff gets into the bloodstream - it's really unhealthy."
She shuddered. "And that's not even going into all the alcohol and controlled substances out there," she continued grimly. "Humans are packed with so many impurities these days."
"Does that make me pure?" wondered Leo.
He ate a lot of junk food, but he didn't have to worry about things like shampoo and lotion...though Casey had coaxed him into sampling a mouthful of beer once. He'd spit it out when no one was looking.
Arella's smile was warm, her gaze glowing as she looked into his eyes. "As pure as the driven snow - to coin a phrase."
Leo grinned and leaned to kiss her. And that was when he heard footsteps approaching, slapping wetly on the concrete floor of the tunnel.
Arella rose first, though she didn't look startled or worried. Leo bolted up after her, feeling faint. A second later Mikey rounded the corner.
"There you are," he exclaimed. "We've been..."
He trailed off, eyes widening and jaw dropping. "Who," Mikey asked slowly, "is this?"