Leo was already waiting. We agreed to meet up in the alleyway a few blocks away from my place. There was something about the way he spoke over the phone. He sounded unlike his confident self. I thought something was wrong at first and when he hesitated to tell me, I began to worry.
But then he was standing there waiting, fine. Not a scratch on his body but there was still something off.
"Leo? Do you have any idea what time it is?"
I sat up in the darkness, rubbing my eyes and squinting at the alarm clock on the nightstand. A stressed sigh was on the other line.
"Leo?"
"Yeah, yeah... I'm okay. Did I wake you? I'm sorry, (y/n), I didn't even look at the time before I called-"
"Leo. What's wrong?"
I was wide awake now. If he needed help, I'd be there to help him. We'd grown close in the short time we've known each other. He learned quickly that he could trust me and I was thankful for that. I wished I could tell him the truth about me as he could tell me. It was a harsh subject and I didn't want to bring it up myself.
He realized how many times I changed subjects. He noticed how I covered my arms and crossed them over my body when I got nervous about something. He noticed the tapping of my foot against the air unit. He noticed everything and he knew better than to push.
He learned the safe zone to my boundaries and that was okay.
"Leo?"
"(Y/n)."
"Are you okay?" I walked closer.
He looked at my eyes for a minute before he looked away. He blew out a puff of air and leaned against the brick wall behind him.
"Yeah. Say, (y/n)? Could I..." he stopped and slowly glanced up. "Could I ask you a question?"
I saw the way his foot drug against the ground. It was almost as if he were a different turtle and I had to double check that it was my confident friend in blue. I smiled and nodded, looking eager though my nerves told me it was something bad.
"You know you can. What's on your mind?"
I joined him against the wall and looked away to make him more comfortable. He sighed but looked up, at the wall ahead of us. We both watched it as if it were about to grow legs and move if we looked away.
"Are we...y'know, friends?"
"That's what you wanted to ask?" I look over at him, brows brought together. "Leo, it's the middle of the night. You could have asked over the phone how come...oh." I stopped when he moved from the wall. He looked dejected in a way which made my heart hurt. His blue eyes downcast, head bowed, shoulders slumped. It wasn't just about reassurance. He was a turtle, a mutant... he probably never really got chances to make new friends.
Not loyal ones.
"Leo. We are definitely friends. Why do you ask?" I put a hand on his arm and he turned to face me. He smiled now.
"I wanted to know... if we were friends, could I introduce you to Space Heros? It's one of my favorites, I mean, could we hang out and everything? I uh, I don't get out much and I'd like to be better friends with you and all that..."
"Sure. Should I expect you on my rooftop tomorrow night at sundown?" I gave him a bright and tired smile and he nods.
"Yeah. I'll see you then."
