☼ Capturing Inspiration ☼ | 2012 TMNT Leo x Reader [part 1]
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Synopsis: you're an artist, struggling to come up with an idea for the prompt you've been given. Leonardo calls you and suggests you come hang out on a rooftop with the others - maybe inspiration will strike.
Tags: aged up characters (young adult) / artist reader / fluff / mutual pining / established friendships / 2012 TMNT Leo x Reader
Note: thank you so much to everyone that liked and or reposted my first one-shot of Leonardo. I'm so thrilled you guys' enjoyed it. Here's another one-shot, I hope you guys like this one. Any comments and feedback, would be greatly appreciated. This is a long one I apologise.
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You tapped the pencil in your dominant hand, against the blank page in your bound sketchbook. Leaning your head on your other hand, as you stared down at the page.
Next to your sketchbook was a document from the curator of a local gallery, explaining what you needed for an upcoming exhibition you were part of. Sighing you glanced at the document reading the theme of the exhibition: My New York.
You leaned against your desk chair you sat in, throwing your head back and sighing in frustration. The prompt seemed simple enough, or so you had thought.
“What's with me today?” You muttered to yourself. You were your own worst critic when it came to your art. No one judged you as badly as you did, because you wanted to always create pieces of art that mattered and that resonated with others. That weren't 'pretty pictures' but had impact, depth and held messages and stories. You had always wanted your art to be impactful and intentional.
On top of that you hadn't been living in New York for long. You hadn't checked out all the places and things that made New York what it is today.
Suddenly the sound of your mobile phone rang, breaking you from your thoughts. Reaching your arm out, you checked the caller I.D, your eyes widening in surprise.
"Leo! Long time no hear," you greeted, a wide grin falling across your face.
"[Y/N]! It's so good to hear from you!" he replied happily. Leonardo was one of your closes friends, and someone who meant a lot to you. You hadn't seen him in a couple of years, him busy fighting villians that sounded like they came from the pages of those webtoons you read. "What have you been up too? It's been to long!"
"Oh, just uni kicking my ass," you explained with a groan. "I've been trying to stay on top of my uni work and have a healthy study system. Though I still find myself up late, hunched over my desk trying to make sense of everything," you chuckled imitating the hunched over position for a moment before sitting normally. "On top of that, work has been a nightmare! When they say the customer is always right, they're not. Sometimes the customer is rude and doesn't deserve my kindness." You ranted, thinking about the past few weeks and how busy you were lately. It had been some time since you last saw Leo or his brothers, or even two of your other friends' Casey and April.
Leo laughed as he listened to you rant.
"Oof, sounds like it's been a bit of an exhausting time," he said.
"You have no idea," you chuckled. "Now I'm trying to figure out this prompt for an upcoming exhibition I'm in, but the universe decided to bless me with artist block," you stared at the blank page of your sketchbook, before closing the thing in frustration.
"Oh that sucks [Y/N]. What's the prompt?" Leo intrigued. He had always been interested in you and your hobbies. He loved listening to you talk about famous artists from different periods of time or even the artists' you'd come across on social media. There were times where he would watch you sketching, so lost in the way you concentrated and brought things to life right before his eyes on a page or canvas.
"The prompt is 'My New York'. We have to create 2-3 pieces of work that reflect the prompt, but I don't want to just paint a popular place here in the city, you know and I don't wanna.."
"Create something for the hell of it? You want to create something that not only will resonate with the audience, but something you can resonate and connect with." He interrupted.
You're silent for a moment, taking in what Leo said. A small smile forming on your face, because even though so much time had come between you two - he still remembered things about you.
A tightness formed in your chest. "Uh, yeah. Exactly!" You rise from your desk chair, stretching before heading towards your bedroom door.
"Have you gone outside today? That might do you some good. Fresh air, interacting with humans?" He suggested, as you left your bedroom and entered out into the main living space of your apartment, heading towards the kitchen.
"Leonardo, are you implying I don't socialise with other kids my age?" you asked mock offended. On the other end you can hear Leo's laugh.
"Well, I never! But yes, if you must know, I went outside....to the grocery store, but I still went outside." you quickly said laughing to yourself.
"I'm proud of you, you took those first steps with confidence. Next, we'll get you to talk to more people and strike up conversations where you're not asking for milk, bread and butter." he teased. You scoffed, still smiling and shook your head at his words. It was nice to be able to speak to Leo like this. It was nice to know that nothing had changed between you both and you were able to still banter like you had when you were younger.
For a moment silence fell over you too. Leo lost in thought, thinking about how he could help you as you rummaged through your cupboards for a glass.
"If you're not busy this afternoon, why not come hang with us at the usual rooftop spot?" He proposed after a moment. You took a sip from your glass of water, contemplating his words "Get out of the house for a bit, catch up with everyone. Casey and April will be there, along with Donnie, Mikey and Raph. We haven't seen you in some time, and I know Mikey has been missing you!" he added.
You laughed at the mention of Mikey, remembering his onslaught of text messages the other day. "He's been messaging me about all the pizza experiments he's been making. Trying to figure out what ingredients go with each other, although the ingredients have been....questionable."
"Yeah, don't remind me." Leo grimaced at the memory of one of Mikey's pizza creations. "It might do you some good to get outside for longer than 10 mins. Who knows inspiration might strike!"
"True," you replied thinking about it for a moment, staring at your rather untidy apartment. Tubes of paint, filled out sketchbooks and other art supplies strewn about. You didn't have anything on for the rest of the aternoon and you hadn't seen the Turtle gang in some time. Texts were sent here and there, but that was it.
"You know what Leo, you're right. I'll come see you all." Moving from the kitchen, you headed towards your bedroom.
"Really?" he replied excited. "You're doing to come hang?"
"Yeah, it won't do me any good staring at a blank piece of paper, wishing inspiration comes to me." you answered, grabbing things to bring with you.
"We'll be at our usual rooftop stop." Leo added. Excitement filling his body at the thought of seeing you. "I'll see you soon."
Collecting your ipad and Apple pen from your bed and shoving them into your favourite satchel you replied. "Sweet, see you soon Leo!"
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Their usual rooftop spot was actually multiple abandoned office buildings, that Leo and his brother's Mikey, Donnie and Raph, had turned into a space to practise and train. Occasionally Casey and April would join to practise, but you sat and watched sometimes. You were always amazed at how everyone moved so swiftly, using their main weapons or practising fighting in close proximity. They trained hard every session, improving and growing
Especially Leo, Mikey, Donnie and Raph. Those four had saved New York City and possibly the entire world, more times than you could count. It made you immensely proud, but there was always a slither of worry. What if they didn't make it home this time?
They had been protecting the city they loved from when they were teenagers to now. Such a big responsibility they had placed upon them, and yet they never got the accolades they deserved.
"Hey, look who finally showed up!"
You had made it to what you called the 'rooftop jungle gym'. Casey and April were stood next to each other, dressed in their training attire, waving at you. You smiled, happy to see your old friends.
"Hey you guys!" you skipped over, before wrapping an arm each around their shoulders in a tight embrace. "Gosh, it's been too long!"
"Fancy seeing you here stranger!" April chuckled pulling back from the hug and staring at you. She looked well, a little more older but still looked the same. "I'm so happy to see you."
April hugged you individually, rocking you both from side to side, not wanting to let go. "What have you been up too?" she asked you.
"Oh you know, uni. Work. Art. Pretty boring routine. What about you both?" you asked.
"Work, saving the City from possible distruction, sleep." Casey answered with a shrug and smirk.
"Pretty much. It's been a bit quiet lately though so fingers crossed we have some reprieve from dangerous ninjas or world destroying space aliens." April chuckled.
Off in the distance you noticed four more figures approach you three, recognising them as Donnie, Leo, Raph and a rather excited Mikey as he ran towards you.
"[Y/N], you're here!" he called wrapping his arms around your waist and lifting you up. You laughed, stablising yourself by placing your hands on his broad shoulders, as he twirled you both around.
"Okay, okay I missed you too! You can put me down," Mikey placed you down, hugging you before pulling back and letting his older brothers greet you. "How've you guys been? Hope you've been good and keeping out of trouble,"
"Thankfully, things seem a bit calmer," Donnie echoed April's words from a moment ago. He walked forward and gave you a hug. "Let's just hope...it stays like that." he added. Raph is next, giving you a big hug.
"Good to see you [Y/N]," greeted Raph as he stepped back to take you in. "You're looking well, Mona will be glad to hear."
"You still speak to Mona?" you asked him, eyes widening in a bit of shock.
"Here and there." Raph replied but doesn't say anymore than that and you don't push. Your eyes are drawn away from Raph's face to the figure standing off to the side behind him. He looks a bit taller now, shoulders a little more broad but nothing like Raph who is a lot more broader and bigger than any of his brother's.
Grinning you turn to Leo and are embraced in another big hug. This one felt more, intimate. Leo's arms go around your body, bringing you closer to him. A sigh leaving his lips and his eyes closing as he feels the warmth radiate from your body and the familar scent of your perfume filling his nose.
"I'm so glad you're here." he whispered, nuzzling his face into your shoulder. "It's been too long."
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The group of you were huddled in a circle, sitting on old blankets courtesy of April. In the middle of the group were four large pizzas, almost completely gone. You were sat between Leo and Mikey, your eyes flitting over to Leo here and there.
"Thanks for inviting me out," smiling at him as you leaned back on arms. "I needed this. To see you all." you added motioning to everyone else. In your lap was your ipad, a drawing app on the screen with a few rough sketches of figures in dynamic poses and a few rough sketches of candid moments between the group.
"No worries....I'm just glad you came. I really did miss having you around." He admitted looking into your eyes.
"I really missed you too." For a moment you sat in comfortable silence with Leo, before the intensity of his gaze made you break the eye-contact. You stared at the rest of your friends, watching as they all rose to their feet. April wanted to train whilst they were up there on the roof. Raph agreed, standing beside her with a spark in his eyes. The group split off into small groups, not you though. You sat off to the side, back leaned against the parapet of the roof, watching your friends engage each other. Leo was sat beside you, having decided that he wanted to catch up one on one.
Behind your friends was the skyline of New York City, beautiful and breathtaking as the sun began to set. It created a gradient of baby blue, pink, purple, orange and yellow. The sun was glowing behind the buildings in the distance, the warmth from the rays could still be felt against your skin. But it was the silhouette of your friends that caught your attention, a blur of movement as they moved together and the cogs in your mind began to turn.
Leo was now watching you intently, noticing something on your expression change as you sat straighter, your phone in your hand raised as you took multiple photos of the group and of the sunset.
"I think I have an idea for the artwork," you whispered to yourself.
"What did you say?" Leo asked as he continued to stare at you. You forgot for a moment he was even there, turning to him with the widest grin adorning your face.
"I have my idea for the prompt! I know what I want to paint now for the exhibition!" You exclaimed loudly as you stood. Leo followed your movement, before you grab his hand and drag him over to the others.
"Guys, guys!" You called out, waving to get everyone else's attention. They turn to face you and Leo. You let go of Leo's hand much to his dismay. "Can you guys move around, like fight each other or take on the obstacle course? Please! I wanna capture it because I have an idea for an art piece!" you asked them. Your friends glanced between each other, before readily aggreeing.
"Hell yeah!" Mikey exclaimed, twirling his nunchucks around. "We'll help you out, right guys?"
"For sure," replied everyone. You grinned at your friends, thanking them in the process as they moved to get into position, before long they moved like ninja's across the rooftop buildings. You directed them as well at times, wanting to photograph a specific position to see what that would look like visually. You took photos of everyone standing still on the parapet, one of the four brothers standing and looking down at the streets below, another of Casey on the parapet crouched down face to face with April who was leaning against it, arms folded across her chest and staring back at him.
Soon the sun had finally set, the sky becoming a blanket of darkness, and everyone had reached a level of exhaustion. But no one really wanted to end today's catch-up.
"Wow, these turned out so well." complimented April as she flicked through the photos on your phone. You had captured so many photos, even just candid one's when you all had sat huddled in a circle and were catching up or when everyone was taking a small break. You caught candid moments of your friends, moments that you would remember forever.
April continued to flick through the photos smiling at one of Casey and Donnie laughing, another of Raph smiling at an animated Mikey. She laughed at a photo of her and Leo grimacing at something someone had said, probably Mikey about a weird food concotion or an injury Casey aquired from his time on the ice as a hocket player.
Finished looking at the photos, April raised her eyes to see you and Leo off in your own world, leaned in close to each other and lost in your own conversation. She raised your phone with the camera on and as you laughed, she took your favourite photo from that whole day.
Just you and Leo together.
Laughing like nothing else mattered in the world.
And for just a moment, nothing else did matter.
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Note: Going to do a part 02, because I'm going to draw what Reader had in mind for their artwork.
Anyway, any feedback or comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading.
