Let Me Be Your Wings
3 months of time, that's how long Leo was there, whether or not the time passed the same in his home dimension he couldn't be sure, but he knew it was 3 months in Talen's world; a little bit of info on our favorite blue-banded turtle, as if we needed anymore since we've known him for a very long time.
If you were to ask any of his brothers what Leo might think about love or falling in love, you'd get different reactions from each of his sibling turtles; Mikey would probably comment on Leo being too much of a prude to want to fall in love.
Raph would probably laugh his shell off at Leo being in love with anyone or anything else but training, Don would be a little more optimistic by saying anyone including his brother Leo would and can fall in love. Just Leo happen to also be leader of their team and clan, and as a traditionalist Leo would probably keep himself from falling or thinking about it because of his responsibilities as leader, which we know Leo would agree and confirm don was more reasonable and somewhat correct.
Splinter however if you were to ask would admit, if they were a traditional Ninja clan and Ninja family then yes, Donatello's words would ring true, accept that given their situation, if his sons had found love in anyone and in any form, he would encourage them to pursue the emotion.
He'd accepted the brothers being sexually active with one another since like any male creature in the world, there's a need for relief, and there's even youtube videos of normal male turtles humping shoes or dropping down and grinding the ground, all just to get the release.
In the Turtles' case, Splinter accepted it because prior to this incident, the four of them only had eachother, and it would honestly be awkward if any one of the four of them suddenly asked the only other females they met for a “favor” since it was jarring enough they were 5+ foot talking turtles and ninjas.
The point being made, is in the last three months, Leo and Talen had spent a lot of time together, more time than they might have expected from one another, certainly Leo wasn't expecting to fall this hard for her. She was a lot like him in that she was strong-hearted, responsible and an apparent leader of her people, but she was also like her brothers; She knew how to have fun and when to have fun spontaneously like Michaelangelo.
She knew when to present the answer to any problem like Donatello, and when you angered her or put her friends in danger, she answered the threat with a ferocity like Raphael. Leo couldn't deny it any longer, he was drawn to talen, by more than her strength and beauty, it was her grace, her heart, her warmth, everything about her, he wanted it all, he didn't want to leave it behind.
Over the past few weeks in the three months, Leo's been making it a habit of dropping in on Talen while she was looking up more info on that Atlantean mirror, purposefully interrupting her so he could prolong his stay. Talen had noticed but didn't say anything, until she spoke with her father tonight
“Papa, Leo's been disrupting my studies, normally I don't always mind since I do get a beak from it, but, it prevents me from getting closer to sending him home.” laced with a little concern, her father chuckles, “...........what's so funny?” Brune lifts Talen off her feet helping her perch on the sofa, being a griffon they think better perched
“My Tiger-lily, for being as intelligent as you are, the obvious seems to have slipped your observation” Talen blinks, “That young turtle has fallen in love with you” Talen blinks in shock, wow she didn't realize it, usually any male claiming to love her showers her with tokens and presents, Leo's just been respecting her space
“Leonardo is a turtle of honor as you saw when he first arrived here, which means he has a learned form of respect and decorum. Do you think he would be the type to shower you with petty presents and gifts that only hold so much of a promise?” Talen admitted to Leo not being a man like that, but wondered how she missed it, cuz she cared about him too.
Talen realized she loved Leo before he did, it was that moment when he stood up to Long that sparked it; he was so fearless, calm, collected, unwavering, like the wind beneath her wings. She climbs off her perch and goes to the window looking outward, thinking deeply about what this would mean; she loves him, but he wants to go home, and If he loved her, she couldn't let him want to stay away from his brothers just to be him, the other course would be to go with him to his home.
But she knew him well enough to know he wouldn't likely allow it, “My child, you have my blessing to go forward............and so does he” Talen's eyes widen and she looks at her father in awe, “you.....” Brune nods, “Whatever choice you make, it is your own choice, and I will support it with all my heart”
Talen smiled brightly and throws her arms around her father's neck hugging him, “Thank you so much papa~!!!” he hugged her back kissing the top of her head, she climbs to the sill of the window leaning halfway out and opens her wings wide taking flight. She lets off a loud roar, strong and dominating as she flew overhead going to look for Leo.
After learning more of the land in the time he's been there, Leo managed to find one place he thought would be perfect to tell Talen everything, it was a small Lake surrounded by what looked like large bonsai trees that resembled the one Splinter was growing.
The moon cast a perfect light on the water that made it look like it was glowing, as an opener, Leo had found a bunch of fruit he'd seen talen frequently snack on while studying, as well as having fixed a thermos of green tea the way he liked it.
So that he could show talen a little of what he had in his world of course, now all he had to do was let Talen find him, that wouldn't be too hard, He cuts the fruit open and opened his thermos so their scent would lift into the air, with her sense of smell, she was sure to find him.
Now all he had to do was wait, a lot of the time he would meditate to pass the time, but he found himself too jittery to even try to focus his mind, so instead he decided to do the one thing he'd never let his brothers in on. One of his other favorite pastimes besides Fan-boying on Star Trek and training of course
He pulls out his tPod and a mini-dock for it and plugs it in searching through Movie soundtrack songs set in Karaoke style. He had everything from Disney songs, to don bluth, to dreamworks, even just soundtracks featuring album songs by regular bands.
The biggest reason he never let his brothers in on this was because he knew for a fact that they would likely pick on him for it, Leo was a little insecure enough in having a collection of old Space Heroes comics, Star Trek animated VHS tapes, and he gets picked on for being leader and having a jab at cracking a joke now and then just from his status alone.
So yeah, he wasn't about to add fuel to the smart-ass fire that are all three of his brothers, he stops on one song in particular, he wouldn't be able to tell you why since it was kind of flipped in position given he and Talen were different species, but what the hell.
He plays up the music setting his dock on a log so the sound would carry best and waits for the song to cue up as he breaths warming up his lungs and diaphragm …...........for singing.
Talen flies around the woods, knowing Leo walked them a lot just to learn the lay of the land, which isn't a bad thing really, but she wouldn't know where to begin looking. That is until she caught the scent of something sweet and subtle, Green tea with Rose hips and her favorite fruit.
Which Leo once dubbed as Dragon Berries because they looked like Dragon-fruit on the inside, but resembled Strawberries outside. She adjusts her gait and glides lower, as she approached the ground she discovered that there was music playing, she rears back using a slow flap to slow her descent as she listened carefully.
Was she hearing Leo singing? She lands on the ground as one song had just stopped, she hears breathing like a relaxing breath, as another song cues up, Talen finally pulls the brush aside and sees Leo is the only one there with what looked like a turtle-shell shaped iPod on a mini-dock.
When the song starts, Leo takes one final breath before he starts singing;
“Let me be your wings.....let me be your only Love. Let me take you Far beyond the stars.......Let me be your wings.....let me lift you High above, everything we're dreaming of will soon be ours.....
Anything that you desire Anything at all.....everyday I'll take you higher and I'll never let you fall.....let me be your wings......leave behind the world you know......for another world of wondrous things.....
We'll see the Universe and Dance on Saturn's rings.....fly with me, and I will be your wings.....”
Talen was speechless, she swore her heart stopped the moment she heard his voice, it was so beautiful, if there was one thing no other male in her life ever knew, she loved music, and for Leo to sing like this, it moved her soul.
“Anything that you desire.....anything at all....”
Talen walks through the brush, “Anything at all....”
Leo didn't even stop when he saw her and heard her, like a spell had come over them, they continued, “Everyday I'll take you higher, and I'll never let you Fall...
Talen approached Leo with her arms outstretched, Leo singing his Lyrics alongside hers, “you will be my wings” “Let me be our wings” “......you will be my only Love......” “Get ready for another world of Wondrous things......” Leo takes her hands as they started waltzing, and Talen continues with him, “Wondrous things are sure to happen” Both enter the crescendo, ” we'll see the Universe and dance on Saturn's rings.....” Leo holds Talen's waist as she circled her arms around his neck.
“Heaven isn't too far” …... “Heaven is where you Are” “Stay with me and I'll Let you/me be My/your Wings......~!!!!” Leo lifts talen off the ground holding her up as they belted the final note, the tPod shutting off at the end of Leo's song-list.
As Leo slowly lowers Talen down, she slips her arms back around his neck, pulling her closer, holding her like she was the most precious thing on the planet, they stared into eachother's eyes for what felt like an eternity, and before he knew it, Talen had descended her lips to his, sharing their first gentle and loving Kiss.
Leo returns it by pulling her closer cupping the back of her neck deepening it, they separate and look at eachother again, “I love you Talen......more than anything in the world....” Talen smiles at him resting her forehead against his, “I know Leo.....you're more than my wings, you're also the wind beneath my wings.....and you and I will be together forever”
Leo pulls back looking at her asking with his eyes, “My father gave you his blessing, and me as well.....when you go back, I'm coming with you” Leo brushed some of her fringe from her eyes holding her cheek, “Talen I couldn't take you from here....your family...”
Talen holds his cheeks too, “will be fine.....I have many relatives that they can look to for help, as for the Lapine? They've been dealing with that hatred for years it's only the sapients that give them the most trouble, and don't even mention Long or Drako, My father would just as soon as devour them if they tried anything”
Leo chuckles at that last statement, then pulls her into another kiss before finally saying, “If you're sure.....then I would be more than happy to bring you home, you can meet my father and brothers...” Talen pulls him into an embrace, telling him nothing would mean more to her, than to meet his family.
