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1.
“What do you want from me?” Leo asks, voice barely heard over the din of his katanas clashing with the stranger’s.
The rabbit aims another strike, and it almost passes under Leo’s defenses before he parries it, pushing his opponent a few steps back. This guy is really, really good.
“I only wish to know what strange place this is, and why you were harming those men.” The guy has an accent similar to Master Splinter’s— a tint of Japanese peeking through his English. However, the content of his declaration is what Leo has a problem with. Why is this guy defending the Foot Clan?
"I did no such thing." Leo lunges forward, throwing his weight into the strike, but careful to keep his balance, because losing balance in a sword fight is a good way to end up dead. "They attacked me first, and they're only unconscious anyway."
The rabbit darts out of the way of Leo's blades in the nick of time. He seems to process what Leo said to him, and then he takes three steps back and sheathes his own katana. Then he bows the way Sensei taught Leo to when he's apologizing or showing respect to someone. Leo, following his lead, sheathes his own swords.
"I apologize for assuming things without considering finding the full story or learning your perspective, and also for purposefully antagonizing you and nearly killing you." He sounds sincere. This is unusual.
Also, now that he's stopped moving so fast, Leo can actually take in what the guy looks like. The rabbit is just a little taller than Leo, and his long ears are tied back in an imitation of a ponytail. His fur looks like untouched snow. He's wearing traditional Japanese garb, similar to a kimono, but not a style that Leo can identify on sight. It's blue, almost identical to Leo's mask. Against the New York City skyline, he looks… jarring.
"I accept your apology. I would have likely jumped to the same conclusion were I in your place." At Leo's words, the rabbit straightens from his bow.
"Now, seriously, where am I?"
2.
"What do you want from me?"
Leo's voice is tired, and he doesn't look up from his writing to properly greet whichever one of his brothers has entered his room.
"A proper greeting would be nice," Usagi says, bemused, from the doorway.
Leo carefully puts away his ink set, so as to not spill anything, and then stands and bows to his friend. "It is good to see you, Usagi-san. I did not realize you were coming to visit."
Between their impromptu meeting and fight on that rooftop, the ensuing adventure to get him back to his dimension, and the permanent hole they ripped in the space-time continuum in order to keep in touch, the two warriors had become close friends, and remained so through letters between the gaps in reality.
Usagi smiles and shrugs. "I did not expect it either, Leonardo-san. But your Master insisted that I was not intruding. Do you wish to see me go?"
Leo rolls his eyes. Obviously he would offer to leave at Leo's slightest sign of discomfort. Too-caring samurai.
He offers to show his guest the dojo, to which Usagi eagerly accepts. They spend the rest of the afternoon exchanging blows with extra bō staffs that Donnie has lying around in case his breaks (again).
It's the best afternoon Leo's had in a while, a break from the long string of nonsense and catastrophes that seem to follow the Hamato brothers like an overeager puppy.
He finds he's happy, in the little world of clashing strikes he and Usagi spin for themselves.
3.
"What do you want from me?"
Leo is in the throes of a panic attack, one of the especially bad ones. It is completely fair that he freaks out a little when he sees an unfamiliar figure standing over him.
"I want to help you, Leonardo-san," the figure says in a familiar, comforting voice. It's warm and gentle and kind, but also not any of his brothers. Leo flinches away from it, curling in on himself.
A soft paw— white fur, soft like snow, warm like sunshine on his scales— presses against his hand.
"I need you to breathe, Leonardo-san." The voice returns, infinitely patient.
The voice breathes with him, in for three, hold for three, out for three, until Leo's head is cleared enough to recognize Usagi sitting in his room, having seemingly appeared from nowhere.
"...Usagi?" He asks, and the samurai nods.
"You need not worry, my friend. I am here now."
The samurai moves in closer, cradling Leo by wrapping his paw around his shell.
They sit like that, on Leo's futon and curled together, until Leo has completely recovered from his attack and then some. He likes that position because he feels strangely safe. They only move when Splinter comes looking at them because supper is getting cold.
Usagi squeezes him to his chest, just quickly, and it stuns him to the point that he has to sit on his futon a few minutes more to figure out what's happening.
Fortunately, his scales conceal most of the coloring making its way onto his face.
4.
"What do you want from me?" Leo asks.
"I wish to talk to you, Leonardo-san."
Usagi steps out of the shadows. He's been lingering there more since their previous few meetings. It's obvious that hanging around 'dishonorable ninja' so much is affecting him somewhat.
"To talk?" Leo echoes. It is unlikely that Usagi would come all this way just to exchange a few words, when they can do that easier through their letters anyway.
"Yes, my friend. I have not received any correspondence from you in the past three months, despite my sending four total letters to you. I needed to know whether my letters have reached you and whether or not you are alright.
In the face of genuine concern from someone he loves cares about, Leo's strong leader facade crumbles. He breaks near immediately and tells Usagi the whole story— Shredder, Karai, everything.
Usagi sits with him through it all, letting him talk and holding him through tears. Leo finds himself mostly unembarrassed in his sorrow, reasoning that Usagi has seen him in worse states.
When he's finished, Usagi stares at him with an emotion he can't recognize.
"You are as brave as you are forgiving, my friend. Have you told your brothers about how these events are affecting you?"
"I haven't had time," Leo mutters, feeling almost like he's being chastised.
"You must know that they wish to help you, but cannot if you do not let them know there is a problem. The point of a team is to share burdens, yes?" The rabbit looks at him kindly. And he makes a valid point.
Leo finds it strange how his heart begins to quicken, considering the distinct lack of danger he's in.
Usagi stays by his side that afternoon as he and his brothers share a genuine conversation about how to move forward while figuring out how to properly heal.
He pretends he doesn't silently mourn the loss when Usagi silently slips his paw out of Leo's hand after the conversation ends.
5.
"What do you want from me?" Leo asks. It's become their custom, almost. Nearly every time the rabbit warrior shows up, Leo seems to find a way to ask what he wants.
But this time around, Usagi looks… off. His fur is a tad off of its usual hue and the thicker fur around the base of his ears looks rumpled, like he's been running his paw through it.
If Leo didn't know his friend better, he'd think he's nervous.
"I- " the Ronin cuts himself off in an unusual display of shyness.
Leo takes a step toward him, suddenly concerned. "Promise I won't find it stupid. Are you okay?"
"I would like to speak to you in private, my friend."
Leo, finding this strange and uncharacteristic of the samurai he's come to cherish, nevertheless obliges and leads him to his room.
"What did you want to talk about?" He asks, gesturing for Usagi to sit on his futon (he doesn't, because the Ronin is far too considerate of Leo's things).
"I- " again with the cutting off. Leo is starting to get seriously worried about him, and considers checking for a fever.
"I would court you, if you'll have me," Usagi blurts suddenly, turning a bright red uncharacteristic of him.
It takes Leo a moment to process, but he quickly turns a similar ruddy shade.
Usagi… with him?
Leo has, of course, thought of asking Usagi for the same thing. He honestly might love him. But there has always been doubt in his mind over whether anyone might love him like that. He never asked for fear of losing Usagi's precious friendship. But now…
Leo closes the distance between them and presses his lips to Usagi's. He's warm against Leo's cold scales, and when he wraps his paws around the curvature of Leo's shell, he's never felt safer.
"You had better believe that I'd have you," Leo says when they finally pull away.
Usagi lights up in a way that makes Leo's heart palpitate wildly. He wants to make him this happy every day.
They kiss again, and Leo lets the noise in his head fade to the background.
He's sure he loves him, there's nothing else this can be.
1.
"What do you want from me?" Leo asks, voice catching in a sound right between a giggle and his usual laugh.
He's lying on his shell on a checked blanket, looking not at the stars, as was intended for this little meet-up, but at the rabbit sitting next to him. They're on a hillside in Usagi's world, as far as they can get from New York light pollution. As always, Leo is awed by the stars.
…It's just that this time, there's something (someone) else to be awed by as well.
Usagi is laughing too, and the ribbon holding his ears together is notably absent. They fall around his face and look distinctly silver in the moonlight.
They've been together for nearly six years, and it still feels new— Leo can't contain his smiles around the rabbit and constantly feels like he's floating around him. Usagi makes Leo happy.
It's kind of amazing, honestly.
Leo's so busy marveling at how beautiful his partner looks in the moonlight that he almost misses the answer to his question.
He'd figured that Usagi would refrain from giving an actual answer, like he always has in the past, but this time the Ronin starts to talk in earnest.
"Everything, Leonardo."
He makes eye contact with Leo in the way he does when he needs Leo to know that he's being completely honest and genuine, and probably baring his soul a little. For a moment, Leo falters in confusion. And then Usagi continues.
"I would have everything of you, my love. All that you are willing to give me. And in turn, I would ask you let me give all of myself to you." He pauses, takes a breath, continues. "I would love you until my dying day, if you would have me."
Leo feels he knows where this is going, but he's dreaming, has to be dreaming. There's no way he's actually going to ask…
"Leonardo," Usagi says, taking Leo's hand, "will you marry me?"
Leo tackles him in a hug.
"Of course I will," he whispers in the samurai's ear. "but you get to explain to Splinter."
Usagi doesn't answer, just pulls him close like he never plans to let go.