𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗢 ✧ y! leonardo hamato

𝟎𝟏𝟏 . 𝗳𝗼𝘅 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱

The sterile bandage embraced Leo's arm, finding comfort in the delicate texture. His muscles tensed off as soon as you finished patching him up. "There. Is it not too much?" you asked, scanning for the last time for potential aches.

"I'm fine," he assured. Then he tried to lift his injured arm to only a grimace to betray his discomfort. "Uh, okay, that's ouch-y."

"You're already hurt, and here you go, trying to move your arm! What were you thinking, huh?" she mockingly admonished as she crossed her arms. "You're supposed to let it rest, man." You chuckled.

"I know. I only wanna flex my muscles for you, though." He smirked, masking the ticklish wound underneath the bandage, while you were cocking an eyebrow at this questionable, oddly funny comment for you. "I mean, can you look at that? These muscles nearly beat the fox; more likely, he's a basura. And! These muscles protect you from..." and he went on and on as what he was saying became blurry to your ears.

"And he keeps on making fun of it," you muttered to yourself while absorbing his rants.

"Oh, hush. I know you're talking to yourself right now about how effective and impressive my muscles are, and it's my pleasure!" he exclaimed as his grin only widened, gazing high at his ego.

In response to his consistently unbelievable answers, you couldn't help but let out a soft snicker, shaking your head in amusement. This had become a familiar pattern over the past few months, and rather than feeling exasperated, you found yourself inwardly giggling at his astonishing remarks.

As you prepared to respond to his comment, a faint rustling of hushed whispers outside your window captured both of your attention, causing both of you to instinctively perk up and listen to the sound. Even the silhouettes were faintly reflected against the windowpane in the dim evening light.

"Sigh, what a typical Nardo when he's around her," Donnie murmured under his breath while he tinkered with the settings on his tech gauntlet, the faint chatter between the two of you emanating from its speaker.

"Typical Leo? I think he's like that to us, too!" Raph asserted in a hushed tone.

"Hmm, a tad different," Donnie replied with a huff. "Is it only me who thinks this is already irritating? It feels as though she's constantly treated as if she were a rare and precious uranium," he added as he rolled his eyes.

"I think everyone is precious! It's one of our duties to cherish people like her," Mikey chimed in with the same soft tone, and Donnie pursed his lips tightly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Donnie spoke, gritting his teeth. "But it seems she is putting drugs inside your dumb-dumb brain-"

"Yes?" As the conversation unfolded, the sudden creak of the window interrupted the flow, causing the brothers to startle in surprise, their bodies jerking instinctively at the unexpected sound.

"My! You didn't hear anything, did you?" Mikey exclaimed, regaining his breath, which jumped off for a moment.

"Oh? Are y'all saying something behind my back?" you inquired, prompting an exchange of glances between the brothers, their gazes ultimately converging on Donnie, who responded by arching an eyebrow in curiosity at their silent communication. "What?" Donnie blurted out.

"Donnie only, uh, likes you a lot. He talks a lot about you to us," Raph stammered, getting back at you.

Then, Leo swiftly emerged from the window; a particular word had sparked a jolt in his mind. "Who likes her again?" Leo narrowed his eyes.

"Leo, you're safe!" Raph beamed as he reached out to his brother, enveloping him tight in a warm and affectionate hug. "Uh, hold on, Raph. That―that hurts. My arm!" Leo exclaimed as his eyes twitched, and Raph quickly got him back to where he was standing. "Oh, I'm really sorry. I didn't see that," he mumbled, gently patting now his shoulders.

"It's okay," Leo replied as he waved his hand, taking deep breaths, then hesitated breathing when a question he asked earlier came back to his ponders. "Who likes her?" Leo echoed the words once more, but rather than providing an answer to the question, Mikey shifted to stand directly in front of him.

"It doesn't matter who it is! Did you get rid of Foxy?" Mikey flipped through the agenda, and Leo fixed him with a stern gaze, silently conceding defeat as he let the inquiry slide, exhaling a resigned sigh. "He escaped. Again," Leo responded, reminiscing about the opportunity he once had to swiftly rise from the unforgiving ground. It was a moment he had longed for, but the fox seeking vengeance proved too cowardly to join in at that time.

"Guys," you called out, making their heads turn to you. "Is his name really Foxy or something else?" you continued.

"It's only what we call him 'cause he's a fox. It sounds adorable to me, though; he's a menace," Mikey replied, and this was followed by a scoff coming from Leo. "She's finding other names for him. I told you, we could call him basura instead," Leo rebuked Mikey.

"Okay, okay. We don't know him. We only know he wants to get April." Raph interjected himself between his two bickering brothers, while Donnie leaped off the balcony rails, his fingers dancing across the screen of his mystic tech gauntlet. "Thus far, these are the data I've compiled from his interactions." Then, a purple holographic projection materialized in the air, illuminating the surroundings with its ethereal glow as it showcased images of the nogitsune. "Given the subject's elusive identity here, allow me to elucidate my approach," Donnie continued, scrolling to the next widget.

They were anticipated to uncover the tactics employed against this enigmatic nogitsune. It seemed like the missing answer to fill the blank space of the fox's identity. Yet, when the name finally emerged, a bolt struck their faces with its revelation.

"Really? Ensho Kitsune?" Leo glided his fingers under his chin, contemplating this name.

"It's not that bad at all! Is it his real name?" Mikey inquired.

"Indeed, it is. Through meticulous research on the residents of the Hidden City, I have found his name listed among them," Donnie answered, and the cackles of Leo echoing in the air joined in the brothers' chatter. "D, you should really just name him basura. It sounds better. Right, guys?" he suggested with a grin as he scanned each of them to see a glimpse of agreement, but it was only filled with silence and exchanged glances.

"You've been harping on about that for months, Leo-"

"Yeah, this bonding is such a killjoy," Leo scoffed.