Thus, Love

Part 8

Are you

Leo's fingers hovered over the letters. Deleted them. Sighed, leaned back, body aching from the training today. He'd added extra katas to punish himself for slacking in leadership duties.

"You've been starting at your phone for ten minutes now." Raph growled, tossing a ball up into the air and catching it.

Over and over and over.

Leo felt himself stiffen, overly sensitive on this topic.

"I dunno what to say." He admitted through a clenched jaw.

"Just ask if she's okay." Donnie hollered, intertwining with Mikey's gimme hands.

"I'll text her something real sweet."

Leo recoiled from the mutant in orange. "No." He sighed at the pouty face. "Thank you though."

Everything healing alright? Leo cringed at it. Deleted again. Sighed.

You holding up okay? He shrugged. Impersonal enough. Hit send.

Stared at the screen, willing it to light up.

"Leo." Raph leaned over. "You aren't telepathic."

He let out a growl of a breath, standing, agitated. "I know." He snapped, feeling sticky from old sweat. "I'm gunna-"

Phone buzzed. As though entranced Leo migrated to his bedroom, opening the texts.

I'm better . A smiley face. Slow but steady. A second text bubble. Leo felt himself inflate. You'd messaged him twice. In a row. With no prompting.

How's your day going, Hero?

Everything was buzzing, from his head to his fingers to his toes. Elation and vindication in five text words.

He hovered over his phone. Just finished katas. Pressed send, rewarded with an immediate response.

A picture of immunizations piled high. Some poor kid needs to catch up.

And another. What's a kata?

Leonardo sat, phone pressed tightly between his fingers. Looking at his phone. And began typing. It wasn't much between the two of you, Leo knew that.

But what had been intended as a way to make up for his lapse in judgment had somehow evolved into genuine banter, communication. 

There wasn't a day that passed where the two of you didn't communicate, and Leo was riding on that high. So spurred on he gathered the courage to call you.

Waiting out each ring with baited breath, heart pounding.

It had almost been a relief when your voicemail picked up.

Until you called him back. Rubbing sweaty palms on his pants he answered.

"Hey." Leo scrunched his nose. Smooth, real fuckin smooth.

But you'd responded in kind and he felt his heart leap. Like maybe he had a chance, like maybe… maybe everything he knew wasn't the absolute truth and the hope that had been budding in him grew.

"What happened to the kids dad?" It'd been the question he'd meant to ask all along. But Leo's courage had failed him to ask without a buffer question. Without making sure you weren't completely repelled by him. Them.

By their… mutantness.

Your scoff on the other end made Leo stop and reconsider. "He bailed."

And Leo couldn't believe it. "What an idiot." It was out of his mouth before he realized.