Universes Apart || Rise Leonardo x Reader

⚅Twelve⚅

Leo liked me. Sure he'd admitted it while chemistry was in the air, but he actually liked me! I'd never gotten to the dating stage with anyone, and I felt like I'd finally accomplished something. I couldn't be happier.

Leo chose to stay on his bed when I finally got up to go check on the others (and make sure they didn't hear anything). I stopped when I spotted his katanas on the floor, and I reached down to pick one up. I swished it in the air and sparks flew like they had the first time I'd tried. I didn't see Leo sit up behind me, watching with wide eyes, before I cut through the air and created a blue portal.

We both gasped, and I moved to touch it before it closed on its own. I'd just made a portal! "You can use my katanas?" The turtle in blue stood up and walked over, looking down at the sword like he expected it to be somebody else's.

"Well last time I tried I only ever got sparks, but now I can actually make portals!" My gleeful gaze switched from the blade to him, who was still staring at the katana.

"You can make portals! That's amazing!" He threw his arms around me and I hugged him back just as tightly. The sheer adoration in his eyes—my official boyfriend as of 20 minutes ago—made my heart swell, and I quickly took the blade to make another portal. It was weird having someone I wanted to impress so badly, but then I'd never been loved like this before.

It took a couple tries, but I was able to make one. He stuck his head inside then popped back out to grin at me. "Okay, try focusing on where you want it to end up. I like to make a mental picture in my mind so it's the only thing I'm focusing on, that way it opens where I want it to." I followed his instructions, closing my eyes to imagine the kitchen. I cut the air then opened my eyes, sticking my head inside the blue vortex. My head came out of the ceiling and I sighed as I looked down at me and Leo before pulling back. "Not bad, chica. It takes some time, but soon you'll master it." His confidence gave me confidence, and I smiled brightly.

"Then I'll be able to go home!" My words weren't somber when I said them, but we both realized what they meant at the same time. The mood fell down the gutter and my arms dropped so the katana was pointed at the floor.

"No, that's good, we need you to go home so our worlds don't end." But his forced optimism didn't lighten the mood. "Look, it's not like we could keep up a relationship from different universes, so let's just put that on pause right now. We really need to get you home so we should be focusing on that." The blade clattered to the floor.

"Wait, you're saying..." Even when faced with the truth I tried to stay in denial.

"We have to get you home-"

"You don't actually want to be together?" I felt tears burn my eyes as I looked up at him, and his face turned to panic.

"I never said that!" he protested, rubbing his head. "I just know we can't be together, I mean, there's so many reasons..." He didn't even sound like he was convincing himself. Tears fell down my cheeks as I felt my heart try to harden despite the cracks forming over it. Donnie told me the feelings were fake, and yet I let myself believe there was something there when I was just imagining it. I shouldn't have gotten attached, even if I knew how hopeless I was at such a task. His expression fell even further as cold reality rushed in around me, the rose tinted glasses finally slipping off my face so I could see what I'd been ignoring for so long.

"I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have fallen for you." My hand tightened into a fist, and my gaze dropped to the floor. "We've been having problems left and right and yet I still thought this would work out. You told me not to, Donnie told me not to, even I told myself not to." I scoffed at my own naivety. "I should've known: relationships never work for me." And yet for a second there I let myself foolishly believe.