The Bravery in his Eyes - A TMNT Leo X Reader Story

Chapter 34 - Saving Him From His Mind

A/N - I know last chapter was really sad, but now you get to help Leo through this.

Your POV

I never knew that community college could be so beautiful.

As I walked the campus at the end of my first day, I marveled at the perfectly cut grass and the trimmed trees that lined the sidewalk. It had been such a great day. All of my classes were much more doable than I realized, and I managed to find my way around without any problems. It was honestly like a dream come true.

Strangely enough, Leo hadn't called or texted while I was in class. I figured that he was trying to respect that I was busy and leave me alone, but there was always a text from him while we were apart. I scrolled through my phone to make sure that I hadn't missed anything, but there were no new text messages from him. Weird.

After checking one last time, I sent him a text telling him I was coming home and made my way to the alleyway he left me at. It was difficult sliding the manhole cover out of the way, especially with the shadows getting smaller around me, but I managed to slip into the sewers undetected and put the cover back. I walked the tunnels, searching for Leo, and ended up finding my way to the lair on my own. Something wasn't right. He was always there when I was walking to the lair.

I hopped over the turnstiles, only to find the living area empty. No one on the couches, the TV was turned off, and I could hear a pin drop from the extreme quiet. "Guys? Leo?"

There was no answer. I traveled down the hallway to put my stuff down in my room when I heard sniffling in another room. Is there seriously no one around to help? Who's crying?

I dropped my bag on the floor and ran to Leo's door, pressing my ear against the wood. It was him! I tried to turn the knob, but he had locked it from the inside. My fist pounded against the door. "Leo! Leo, are you okay?"

More muffled crying came from the bedroom. I kept pounding, hoping to loosen the door some, but it was to no avail. The stupid lock was too strong.

I turned around to the rest of the empty hall. "Guys! Raph? Donnie? Anyone?"

Finally, Raph came running. "What? What's the problem?"

"I need to open his door." I was silent for a moment to let Raph hear the crying. When he did, his eyes widened and rage flickered in them.

He pushed me to the side and kicked the door down in a single movement. I didn't have time to stand in awe; I sprinted inside and found Leo curled into a ball on his bed, the sheets messy underneath him.

"Leo? What's wrong?" I tried to keep my emotions in check as I stroked his cheek. Panic pulsed through me, but I did my best to not let it show. "Please don't cry," I murmured. I wiped away his falling tears from his face and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

He shuddered underneath my touch and whimpered, "I can't do this anymore."

I scooted into bed next to him and lay my head on his chest, feeling the quick beating of his heart. "What can't you do?" I whispered.

Leo pulled me really close and sobbed into my hair. I could feel the distress emanating from his tight grip and lightly stroked the back of his neck and shell. He didn't move away, so I kept going.

"There's too many decisions to make!" His voice was strained. "I don't know what to do."

"Shh." I reached up to run my fingers down his cheek. "It's okay. I'm right here."

Once those words left my lips, he somehow pulled my closer against him and took a few shallow breaths.

My heart was breaking for him. I'd never seen him so vulnerable before. He was always showing courage for his family and for the world. He was the hero everyone needed. But in that moment, I realized that he didn't have anyone to help save him from himself.

Slowly, I felt his breathing start to slow down a little. I kissed his cheek. "That's it, Leo. Just relax. I'm not going anywhere."

"Please don't leave." Those three words broke me even more, and I shook my head.

"Never."

Leo's POV

Holding Y/N close helped me start to recenter myself from my panic. It had been a while since I was at my breaking point, and it was hard to remember how to protect myself from the mental damage.

She kept tenderly kissing me and running her fingers down my neck and across my shell. My skin warmed every place she touched, and I started to feel grounded again, little by little. "I'm not leaving, okay?"

"Okay," I whispered as I released her from my tight hold. "sorry."

Y/N's brows furrowed. "Why are you sorry?"

I swallowed and wiped away any remaining streaks of tears from my face. "It's just...I didn't mean to be a burden to you. This was my fault and I had to fix this on my own."

"Fix this?" She sat up on my bed and pulled me so I sat up too. "Leo, you're overwhelmed! That happens, and it's okay! You needed time to work through it and let it out. I may not be able to fully get rid of your anxiety, but I'll always support you through it. Never be sorry for feeling scared."

It was so easy to feel safe around Y/N. She always knew what I needed and was there for me through anything. Her determination to stay, even through my embarrassing anxiety issues, made me realize that she was a really special girl.

"Thank you, Angel." I kissed her forehead and got up from the bed, stretching my weak muscles and picking up my mask from the ground. My hands had stopped trembling, but they felt numb as I untied the mask to put it back over my eyes.

Y/N gently took my mask and motioned for me to crouch down to her level. I obliged, and her tender fingers carefully tied the fabric around my head and secured it. "There. Now you're a little stronger than before, right?"

I took her hands in mine and brought one up to my lips, leaving a small kiss on her knuckles just the way she likes. The tint of red that appeared on her cheeks made me smile for the first time in two days. "You know," I started, "you helped me realize that I need to slow down. Take in every little detail of every moment."

"Why's that?" she asked, her eyes meeting mine.

My breathing was finally returning to normal. "I'm so worked up over the future that I forgot about the present. I do have a lot of stuff to plan, and I have to protect my family."

Y/N shone those e/c eyes that I loved so much. "Leo, you need to relax. We should meditate together more often or something, just to help you clear your head." She caressed my cheek with her gentle fingers. "Just promise me that you'll take it easy for a while."

"Uh, yeah, about that..."