Tainted Love: Chapter 3

Tainted Love
Chapter 3: Opening Up      
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Rating: M
Warnings: Light T-cest.  
Universe: AU - Angels and Demons.
Characters(Main): Demon Leonardo, Angel Michelangelo, Demon Usagi.
Pairing: Leonardo/Michelangelo.
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Very little was said between the two turtles. Neither one of them knew what to say or do. They shared small smiles and gestures, letting each other know that they were comfortable but still a little unsure. Leonardo wanted nothing more than to apologize for his actions last night, while Michelangelo thought of every question he wanted to ask Leo.

They hadn’t moved since Mikey woke up. Leo was still sitting on the bed next to Mikey, leaning back against the headboard of the bed, his legs stretched out in front of him in a relaxing manner. Mikey was also leaning up against the headboard, his lower half still hiding under the covers and Leo’s shirt wrapped around him, keeping him nice and warm.

Mikey’s eyes widened as he heard Leo inhale deeply, preparing himself to speak. Mikey looked up at him, offering an encouraging smile.

“Why were you out in the forest?” Leo asked, his voice swift and sharp. He didn’t mean to sound harsh, but it had been a long time since he had talked to anyone. Last night, when he met Mikey, was the most he had talked with anyone in years. “You said you were looking for a place to sleep, yes? And you also said you didn’t have a home anymore, why is that?” Mikey couldn’t help but giggled. Leo seemed to have just as many questions as Mikey.

“It was time for me to find my own way in this world and make something of myself. I was tired of my old life and I’m ready to start a new one,” Mikey explained.

“You were awfully excited about coming to the village,” Leo tilted his head as he watched Mikey happily tap his feet under the covers.

“Yes,” Mikey laughed, “I’m very excited to be here! I have never been to a village before!” Leo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Never been to a village before?” He repeated. Mikey simply nodded as he looked around the room. “Tell me more…” Leo whispered. Mikey turned back around and gave Leo a gentle smile.

“I guess you could say my older brother raised me, he watched over me and protected me. But he never believed in me. He never gave me a chance to prove myself. I suppose that is one reason I ran away, I want to prove him wrong and show him I can make it in this world.” Mikey’s tone was soft and subtle, it was soothing and calming to Leo. For the first time in a long time, Leo felt as if he could drop his guard.

“You knew my name,” Leo mumbled, “I have not heard someone call me by my real name in years, Mikey.”

“I have heard many stories about you, Leo. You are a hero to mort-…many. Hero to many!” Mikey quietly corrected himself. He could not risk Leo finding out he was an angel. Luckily Leo didn’t seem to notice Mikey’s mistake, he was too busy shaking his head and disagreeing with Mikey’s statement.

“I’m not a hero,” Leo flatly said, “that is not who I am.” Leonardo stood and walked over to the dresser, gathering his clothes. Mikey pushed the covers off of him and swung his legs over, sitting on the edge of the bed. He watched as Leo started to dress himself. Sighing, Mikey slipped off Leo’s shirt and jumped up, walking over to the large turtle.

“Then who are you?” Mikey asked as he held out the shirt to Leo. Leo hissed as he turned around, he stepped back slightly as he took the shirt from Mikey.

“No one,” Leo snorted, “Just another soulless creature on this damned world.”

“No, you’re not!”

“You don’t know anything about me!” Leo shouted, bowing his head to hide his black eyes, letting the anger die down. Mikey lowered his head as he turned and walked back over to the bed and pulled off the sheets. He wrapped the sheets around him so he was not standing in the nude. He waited silently, making sure to stay out of Leo’s way. The small turtle smiled as Leo finely turned back around to face him, now fully dressed from head to toe. Leo adjusted his hat so that his eyes were hardly visible. “I’ll be back shortly,” Leo said, “Why didn’t you wash up while I’m gone?” Mikey nodded, keeping an unsure smile on his face. “I’ll find you some clothes while I’m out,” Leo walked over to the door and opened it.

“Leo-” Mikey called before the door shut behind him. Leo paused, waiting to hear what Mikey had to say. Mikey sighed as he opened his mouth only to quickly close it again, deciding not to say what he wanted to. “Hurry back,” Mikey muttered, it was all he could say. Leo looked over his shoulder and nodded before shutting the door behind him.

Michelangelo had learned two things about Leo in the short time they had known each other; he had very unpredictable bursts of anger and he had a very short fuse. Leo obviously didn’t want to talk about himself or his past, Mikey could only guess that there were parts of his life he wanted to forget.

Mikey wanted to fight back, he was going to as Leo left but he didn’t have the heart to call Leo out on his faults. The last thing Mikey wanted was to drive Leo away from him. Mikey had risked everything, even his life, to be on earth with Leo and he couldn’t just give up just because of Leo’s stubbornness.

Mikey grinned as he walked across the room and into the washroom. He had gotten a lot further with Leo in just one night then he ever dreamed of. Although he played it off as a joke, Leo was kind enough to let Mikey sleep in his bed and give him shelter.

Mikey could tell that Leo wanted someone to trust and open up to, but it seemed hard for him to do. Mikey knew nothing about Leo’s past, but he wanted to. He wanted to understand and help Leo cope with his problems. Mikey knew there was a side to Leo that scared him, he saw it last night and a little this morning. His anger controlled him and he had grown so use to the hatred inside of him that he no longer noticed it. It would be a long and bumpy road to find the real Leonardo, but each painful step would be worth it.

--

Leonardo kept his head low as he walked through the market. He ignored the mortals as they respectively bowed to him. Normally he would have at least nodded to them or waved them off, but he was in no mood to deal with them. He was still angry.

Once again he had stepped over the line and made Mikey feel threatened and unsure. He didn’t mean to jump on Mikey but he hated being thought of as a hero when he knew he wasn’t. He had gone so long without anything triggering his demonic side. But now, Mikey had all his senses on high alert. Leonardo could already tell a difference in his persona as he walked through the marketplace. Usually there were a couple of mortals that caught Leo’s eye and he would have no problem flirting and pursuing them. But now every time he looked at potential prey, he thought of Mikey and he felt guilty. A sickening feeling of worry also surrounded Leo. He didn’t like having Mikey out of his sight and he couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing the small turtle again. If anyone tried to harm or steal Mikey away from him, Leo would have no problem hunting them down and ripping their throats out.

“May I help you, honorable samurai?” A young flamingo asked. Leo cleared his throat as the flamingo happily smiled up at him from behind her small booth in the market. Leo looked at the colorful ropes and kimono that laid on the tables in front of him. “Looking for something for someone special?” She asked. Leo merely shrugged and walked around the table, looking at each size and color. The flamingo sighed, she knew she could not get him to talk. No one in any village had heard him speak. Leo picked up a small kimono and smiled under the shadow on his hat, Mikey would look wonderful. It was an light blue and black kimono with long sleeves and a pretty black obi. Leo liked that the back of the kimono had a train that would drag the ground when Mikey wore it. Leo turned to the flamingo and held up the kimono. “Is that all?” She smiled. Leo shook his head as he walked over a picked up a pair of sandals. “Please, take those as a gift, samurai. The kimono is far too small to fit anyone in this village and so are the shoes.” Leo smiled as he bowed his head and turned to walk away. He knew the kimono would fit Mikey perfectly.

As Leonardo walked back through the marketplace, he felt someone approaching him. He quickly looked to his right to see an old demon he once knew walking toward him. Like Leonardo, the demon was in mortal form.

“Usagi,” Leo smiled as the rabbit came to stand with him. Usagi smiled as he shook Leo’s hand. Usagi was one of Leo’s closest friends while he served the Shredder. Usagi was very loyal to Leo. After Leo was outcasted and the truth about Karai’s death reached him, Usagi left the land of the demons and kept a close eye on the Shredder. Usagi and Leo were the first to ever deny Shredder's orders and revolt against him, but they were not the last. Usagi made it his job to protect the demons that ran from the Shredder and find them places to live without the fear of being killed by the unruly king.

“Leonardo, it has been a long time. I hate that our reunion is not under better circumstances,” Usagi said, his smile fading.

“What do you mean?” Leo questioned. Usagi sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Leo, I have much to tell you. Please, join me for a mug of sake so that we may talk,” Usagi sighed. Leo simply nodded his head and followed Usagi down the street to a small tavern. Usagi didn’t say a word until they were seated and their drinks were ordered.

“Leonardo, I do hope you realize how your personal game is putting the demons I’m trying to protect in harm’s way,” Usagi muttered as he leaned back in his chair.

“My personal game?” Leo questioned.

“Slaughtering demons in every village you visit,” Usagi raised an eyes ridge as he watched his friend shifted his weight in his chair. “Not only are you attracting the Shredder’s attention but also the Angels. They have been looking into the demons being slain. Some of the demon under my protection are in those villages and cannot afford being found by either side. You are one of those demons, Leonardo. At this point, if either side found you, you'd be killed on sight.”

“Thank you for your concern, old friend. But I can handle myself,” Leo half growled. Usagi rolled his eyes. A badger brought out their drinks and sat them on the table, Usagi paid the badger and thanked him.

“It’s not you I’m worried about, Leonardo. I ask you as my closest friend to please stop battling other demon and to lay low for a while.” Usagi leaned forward, placing his hand on Leo’s arm as the larger demon lifted his mug to his mouth. Leo paused and looked over at the rabbit, who gave him a halfhearted smile.

“Fine,” Leo huffed, “I’ll be good and stay out of trouble, but only for a little while. I know you have eyes and ears everywhere, so I really have no choice.”

“Don’t act so down about it, my friend. From the looks of it, you found a reason to stay around a little longer,” Usagi laughed as he picked up his own mug and drink, pointing to the kimono and sandals lying next to Leo on the table with his free hand. Leonardo tried to ignore him, gulped down his entire drink in one heavy swig. “Who is that for, Leonardo?” Usagi asked.

“Someone,” Leo shrugged, “that’s all you need to know. That’s beside the point. Usagi, just because I promised to be on my best behavior, doesn’t mean I plan on staying in this village. I have places to go.”

“I see,” Usagi lowered his mug to the table, a frown slowly taking over his face. “Still on the run after all these years. That’s all you know how to do is run.” Leo’s eyes narrowed as he slammed his mug down on the table.

“What does that supposed to mean?” Leo snarled. Usagi bared his fangs, not backing down from Leo.

“We both know that you could overthrow the Shredder easily. You use to tell me you wanted nothing more than to sit on the throne. What happened to that dream? At least if you were king, you’d set everything right! No more hiding for demons like you and me!” Leo’s sat back in his chair, his breathing becoming rapid and shallow. He crossed his arms for his chest and looked away.

“I can’t go back,” Leo whispered, “I won’t go back.” Usagi’s ears dropped, sadness taking over both demons.

“You are not to blame for Karai’s death,” Usagi said.

“I still feel guilty,” Leo closed his eyes and shook his head. “There were so many things I could have done besides kill her.”

“Although your time away from the land of the demons has made you physically and mentally stronger, it has also weakened you. There was a time when you would have killed anyone and never think twice about it. You would have probably killed me if the Shredder ordered it.”

“Is it a bad thing that I have turned soft?” Leo asked, raising an eye ridge as he looked up at Usagi. The rabbit chucked as he stood from his chair and patted Leo on the shoulder.

“No,” he grinned, “Not at all. In a way, it makes you stronger.”

“Usagi, that doesn’t make-” Leo stopped when he looked up and found himself alone, Usagi was gone.

Leonardo sighed as he quickly grabbed Mikey’s clothes and left the tavern, heading back to the boarding house. He knew Mikey was eagerly waiting on him to return with his new clothes. He carried a small smile on his face as he walked through the crowd, and he felt his heart skip a beat he reached the boarding house. He happily jumped through the front door and down the hall.

“Mikey!” He called as he came in and slammed the door shut behind him. Mikey peeked through the washroom door, not sure if Leo was angry or not. Leonardo gave him a soft smile as he walked over the the bed and sat down, facing the washroom. “Come here,” Leo waved his hand toward Mikey. Mikey opened the door and slowly walked out into the room. he held a small towel around his body. Leo could smell the clean, flower scented soap on Mikey skin. The tiny turtle was all washed and cleaned. Leo flashed Mikey a toothy grin as he handed Mikey his clothes.

“Thank you,” Mikey smiled as he took the clothes and looked at them, “It’s really pretty, I hope it fits.”

“It will,” Leo laughed, “If anything, it may be too big. You are very small, Mikey.” Mikey giggled as looked up from his clothes, locking eyes with Leo.

“You seem happy,” Mikey cheered, “that’s wonderful!” Leo reached forward and took ahold of Mikey by the shoulders. Mikey looked down at Leo as the large turtle took a deep breath.

“Listen, Mikey, I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier. I was foolish to speak to you like that. I promise I will work on my anger. You must understand that my life has not been easy, I have done many things that I’m not proud of,” Leo tried to explain. Mikey stepped forward and placed a small kiss on his forehead.

“It’s okay, Leo. We all have our demons,” Mikey smiled, “you don’t have to face them alone.”