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There had been many moments in Leo's life where he had been unprepared for the beauty of womanhood. His first time seeing them dance along the television screen, the disney princesses that Mikey would put on just to forget about. An innocent appreciation, sweet and gentle, where now that he's older, he laughs at himself for being so enamored.
In his early teenage years, where suddenly a girl who was pretty had much more weight to it than it used to. That quiet and wistful sighing he and his brothers would release at any glimpse of girlhood. Never verbalizing their wish to feel that around them, in their home that is masculine and loud, whether with anger amongst each other or the laughter that they sometimes worry could be heard from far underground. In his later teenage years, where unlike his younger brothers, who would have posters of pretty women, he would instead read and, in his own mind, curate that feminine energy into something shaped. She'd have no face, as much as he wished for one, but it had felt whatever features he'd give her, none could do it justice.
When April comes into their lives, he realizes that while he wishes for love, a sister is enough. Suddenly, but not drastically, the cement alcove that he and his family had resided in finally had that energy they had craved. Fairy lights in the dark corners, a throw blanket that doesn't fit over them, but holds so much warmth, a warm candle, a nice smelling bathroom. It had become their new way, embraced, and ecstatic for some concept of normal.
Over time, coming into adulthood, they gain new friends. Casey, who would be considered Raphael's soulmate (he had been pushed for saying that), Vern, who was not so much their friend as April’s…. And most recently, if a year can be considered recently, Y/n.
She had been something 10 fold to April's gentleness. A sweet scent follows her everywhere she goes. Cute shoes that clicked. Hair that flounces with every movement of her. He had never thought that innocent admiration would come back, but it had. Nestled deep within him, cracking from its shell and sprouting slowly.
Truly, he had seen her as yet another addition to this found family, nothing more, nothing less. The admiration would sit, subservient and watching, appreciating the presence of her and basking in that sweet smell that would follow. It really wasn't meant to be anything. He swears by it. That was until she had thrown her leg at him, a smile so big it could split her face. The heel of her foot props up on his leg, digging into the meat of his thigh to keep her balance, and Leo can't help but linger on the curve of her foot, the way her ankle isn't even as thick as his wrist. But quickly, he looks up at where she stands, smiling at him, and suddenly that admiration doesn't feel like it did from when he was a child.
She must notice his confusion and flourish her hand towards her leg. “Feel it, I just shaved, and I want someone to appreciate it!” And suddenly, he notices her hair is wet, a t-shirt hanging off her shoulder, and those cute gingham shorts that she had gotten herself as a little treat the day she got that job.
“...Feel?” He parrots back at her, so zoned in on her that he doesn't bother to look back when he hears Michelangelo giggle. She nods encouragingly, “Yeah, feel, Leo.”
He looks back down at that leg, following the curve of her thigh and the meat of her calf, seeing how the skin shines compared to the scales on his forearm. Had she done this earlier in the year when she was still new, he would've politely declined, found some decorum, and excuse himself. But now, as he looks at the leg resting upon his own, he can't help but swallow that lump in his throat.
“What's wrong with you fearless? It's not like her leg is gonna bite at you.” Raph jests, leaned back in the one recliner they had.
“If you don't feel, I will.” the second oldest muses, and suddenly Leo feels threatened, and puts a possessive hand around her ankle. It stays, frozen, and again, he looks up at her, and she looks down at him, and that admiring turns into exactly what he fears it would. A burning in his chest that drops down to his stomach as his big hand smoothly rubs up her shin, cupping her knee, and down her leg again, his thumb resting on the bone that juts from her ankle.
Leo had never known what true strength was, not until now, when he has to lift his hand from her leg and hold in that same wistful sigh like when he was a teenager and just nod. He doesn't even look at her leg, blue eyes boring into her face, a distraction from temptation.
“Yes, very nice.” He curtly affirms, and the sad pout on her face that follows makes that warmth in his stomach burn just a little hotter. “That's it? Just nice?” She asks dejectedly, taking her leg back and standing to her full height. “Not ‘amazing!’ Or ‘wow so smooth'?”
“Amazing, wow so smooth.” He spits out robotically and realizes he must've sounded stupid with how his two younger brothers laugh. Y/n huffs, obviously biting the inside of her cheek to stop from smiling. “Thank you” She murmers, and for a split second Leo wonders if that's shyness he hears, her cheeks pink. And as she walks off, his eyes follow, and that admiration for womanhood, femininity, turns into a deep want for just one. Where suddenly all the women from his books have her face. And she's got smooth legs and cute gingham shorts on.