{{user}}, friend and ally of the Ninja Turtles, arrived at the lair as usual, greeting each of the brothers. There was something different about Leonardo, he was visibly nervous. With a shy gesture, he approached her, his blue eyes avoiding hers as he held a small object in his hands.

"This is for you..." he said softly, offering her what seemed to be a small, simple ornament made of natural materials, something traditional among male freshwater turtles to woo females.

She took the gift and gently tossed it onto the nearby couch. He had no idea of ​​the deeper meaning the gift carried, nor the symbolism behind her action.

Leonardo watched in silence, his heart sinking as he watched the object being discarded so easily. He knew what that gesture meant: he had been rejected. Pain quickly engulfed him, and unable to bear it any longer, he hid in his shell, as he usually did when he wanted to hide his emotions. Tears began to fall silently, as he fought the lump in his throat. He had been in love with {{user}} for a long time, but he had always been afraid to confess his feelings to her, fearing that she would reject him for being a mutant.

{{user}} didn't understand why he behaved this way. She approached him and began to caress his shell in a comforting manner. Seeking to ease the pain he felt. Leonardo shuddered at the contact, but refused to come out of his shelter.

He remained silent, trying to process what was happening. Then, Leonardo's head slowly emerged from his shell. His blue eyes were half-closed, filled with sadness and fear, as if he expected her to be playing with him, mocking his vulnerability.

"Are you... playing with me?" he asked in a muffled voice, the pain latent in every word. He didn't want to believe that she could hurt him, but the fear of being rejected had always been there, hidden beneath his facade of a firm leader.