Right Here Waiting

"Leo! Leo!" Heavy emerald steps echoed throughout the main metal expanse of the ship.

"He's not out here, Raph. He's in there again." A disappointed olive thumb jerked in the direction of the simulation room.

"Again?!" green eyes bulged. "What's that? Like the sixth time this week?"

Chestnut glanced in his direction, taking a momentary break from the plethora of diagrams spread before him. "Fifth - to be accurate."

Raphael let out a derisive snort, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Whatever. It ain't healthy, all this playin' pretend."

"Normally I'd support a coping mechanism, but the frequency does merit concern. I'm worried he'll get to the point where the lines of reality and fantasy blur, and then he'll be unable to distinguish between the two."

"So, let's yank him out." The red banded turtle readied himself to stomp toward the holo-room.

Donatello held out his arm to stop his brother. "While I agree with you, I think it's best for us to converse with him when he's not currently vested within the program. "Yanking" him out now could be detrimental to his state of being."

Angry arms crossed in front of him. "Then we should talk to Mikey about staging an intervention."

"You know that won't go over well. Mikey has a soft heart and will stick up for Leo. I'm frankly surprised he doesn't accompany him on these Splinter visits."

"So we just sit and do nothing?!"

"I'm afraid so." Pink tongue peeked out of the side of his mouth, frowning in concentration. He squinted at the foreign symbols, trying to make sense of the words as he shuffled through the papers. "But, I do hope he finishes soon. I need to consult with the Professor on the best route to Magdomar."

In this context, the privacy of the make-believe dojo, rigid roles could be dropped; neither party had to uphold to pretentions. Leonardo temporarily did not have the pressure of being leader, brother, son, friend. Thoughts could be spoken freely, without real life ramifications. No punishments for imperfection would be doled out. However, the blue banded turtle couldn't relax completely.

Oversized hands rubbed nervously against thick jade thighs. Steel blue eyes focused on the maroon rug he was kneeling on. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth as he tried to form coherent words. "I - I've missed you."

Upon hearing no reply, he knew his companion was waiting for him to continue. Clearing his throat, he resumed, "I hope I'm making you proud. I've been maintaining my honor on this voyage."

As he felt dubious amber eyes bore into him, a blush tinged his complexion. Unable to meet the unrelenting glare, he stumbled, "Well ... there was this one time ... I did sort of flirt with an alien ... but, it meant nothing and her boyfriend nearly squashed me, if that makes you feel any better." His heart pounded against his chest, bracing for the disappointment compromising his honor had caused.

Fingertips ground into his legs as the response was a small, disbelieving grunt. A squeaky sound escaped his mouth before he sucked his lower lip in. "I may have gotten caught up in the moment of actually being Captain Ryan," he admitted sheepishly, "but every thing else has been done with the highest code of honor in mind." He lifted his eyes, pride replacing traces of shame. "I saved the Queen of Varuna and earned her trust."

Releasing his vice-like grip with an exasperated sigh, the jade terrapin began pacing the room, soft steps padding across the dojo. "I know my brothers don't like me coming in here. They think I have an unhealthy obsession with this ... machine." He choked on the word, having trouble with the harsh reality of it. "But, I need to see you. I need to talk to you." The smoke curling from the familiar sandalwood incense burned his nostrils, coating his throat with a flavorful film. It strangled his senses, eyes watering from the intensity.

Leonardo paused at the shelf, tracing a finger along the edge of the wooden picture frame that housed Hamato Yoshi, Tang Shen, and baby Miwa. His touch lingered on the young child, sadness clouding the steel blue. However, he would not allow himself to cry. Tears were a weakness, a vulnerability; something that as leader, he did not have the luxury to show. "Why won't you talk to me?"

Turning to face the still kneeling figure, he extended a large, firm hand. "Does this place make you feel too awkward? Perhaps you'd rather go somewhere you're more comfortable with?"

Leonardo squeezed his eyes shut, relying on the psychic abilities of the holo-room to connect to his desired location. After a few minutes, he felt the soft rug morph into bumpy pebbles. A gentle breeze licked at his mask tails as cool night air induced a chill to prickle his skin. Blinking eyes slowly brought the new scene into focus. Gravel crunched beneath his feet as he made his way toward the edge of the building, carefully lowering himself on the gray stone.

"The Byerly Building, Leonardo?" Crimson lips quirked into a half smile. "How predictable."

"You don't like it? I can imagine us someplace else." Her impish tone elicited a smirk of his own.

She gave a non-committal slight shrug with her right shoulder. "Here is fine. It seems fitting somehow for us to be here."

"So why won't you talk to me, Karai?"

Amber eyes stared ahead, aimlessly into the city night sky. "You abandoned me, Leo."

"I - I didn't - "

"Why did you leave me behind when you went into space?"

He thought he could sense a tinge of purple along her exposed neck and a flash of emerald in those orbs in between blinking lashes. He wanted to grasp her hands within his own and plead forgiveness for something he had no say over in the first place. Unsure of how she would react to touch, he tentatively placed a hand in between them, close enough to where he could feel the heat radiating from her body.

"I'm so sorry, Karai. I didn't mean to. It happened so fast. I didn't really have a choice." He silently begged for her to look at him. "But know that before the Triceratons came, we were working relentlessly to find you. And Donnie was probably days away from a cure." Boldly, he cupped her chin and tilted her face to meet his solemn glare. "I've thought about you every day we've been up here, worried if you're alright."

Her head pulled back from his gentle grip. "Thought about me every day, hmmm? Even when you were flirting with a spitch?"

"I .. I'm sorry." Downcast defeated steel blue eyes fell onto his lap, shame brewing.

The cunning kunoichi playfully shoved his muscular shoulder. He met her gaze with a shy smile. "So you won over the Queen of Varuna?"

Leonardo straightened, puffing his chest out with pride. "I sure did. She even entrusted me with the second piece of the Black Hole Generator."

"I see ... and did you accomplish this task through flirtation as well?"

"Karai ..." a stern voice warned.

Slender fingers squeezed his bulging bicep. She could no longer maintain her stern façade with Splinter's oldest son. "I'm teasing. I'm glad you brought me here so we could spend some time together."

His mouth erupted into a wide grin, nervous butterflies percolating in his stomach. "Me, too."

"So, what else did you want to talk about, Captain?" she prodded, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Yo, Fugitoid! Are ya almost done here? Donnie needs ya for some 'space speak'."

Orange and yellow lights reflected off his platinum body, simulating the glow of a jack-o-lantern. "Almost, Raphael. Master Leonardo requires a few more minutes. Please inform Donatello that his map is upside down and I will assist him shortly."

Raphael dismissed himself with a wave, eager to point out his genius brother's flaw. Meanwhile, Fugitoid smiled as he adjusted the knobs to set several more stars in the night sky.

Author's Note: For our Friendversary, TheWinterMe and I decided to take a similar plot and write a story for each other with it. Go read her story as well - Breathe - in her Leorai novel - Gold and Platinum Among the Stars. Happy Friendversary, TWM - Hope you enjoyed the story! :)