Chapter Text
Listen—if Leo could choose a life without his brothers, he would never, ever choose that life. Not in a million timelines. Not if you offered him peace and quiet, or a universe where he’s cooler, leaner, more awesome, and universally acknowledged as the greatest ninja who ever lived
No way. He loves them.
He would kill for them
He would die for them
He is the oldest, after all. That’s gotta mean something, right? They have to listen to him. They have to that’s how this works. He’s the leader the responsible one. The one who makes the plans and takes the hits and pretends he’s not scared when things start to go sideways
He tries not to think of when Raph cracked his ribs when they first got accepted into the human world or when…
Stop thinking about that. He says to himself
He will always protect them.
Always.
But if they make one more joke about Usagi acting all lovey-dovey toward him, Leo swears on everything holy he will personally throw each and every one of them through a wall with his bare hands.
Look—don’t get Leo wrong. It’s not that Usagi is a bad person. No. Far from it.
Usagi is probably the coolest person Leo knows. He’s insanely talented. Ridiculously skilled. And somehow, somehow-they share way too many interests for it to be coincidence.
Old movies? Check. Drawing? Check. Competitive debates about special interests? Obviously. Dramatic one-liners from there favourite shows or movies delivered mid-battle Absolutely.
They even like the same dumb snacks. The same quotes from comics.The same obscure show trivia that makes EVEN Donnie leave the room out of pure secondhand embarrassment.
It’s just—
It’s just annoying when his brothers point out the way Usagi looks at him.
Because Usagi looks at him normally.
Right?
Like how any best friend looks at their best friend.
Sure, maybe sometimes Leo catches him smiling randomly. Softly. Like Leo just said something profound when he absolutely did not (he has made sure by checking with his brothers) And maybe sometimes Usagi’s ears twitch when Leo laughs. And maybe sometimes—okay, fine—maybe sometimes Usagi stares a second too long. Like he’s memorizing something.
But that doesn’t mean anything.
He could be thinking about strategy. Or sword forms. Or, hell even taxes. Not Leo.
Definitely not Leo.
And Leo doesn’t like him like that anyway. Leo isn’t gay, okay? He likes women
Sure, sometimes when they watch movies he ends up staring at the male actors more than the female ones because they’re… objectively cuter. That’s just observational skill. Appreciating symmetry. It’s basically art critique. His brothers probably do that too.
Right?
Yeah of course.
And maybe just maybe when Usagi stands too close, Leo forgets what he was saying mid-sentence. And maybe when their shoulders brush, his brain short-circuits for half a second. And maybe he replays certain conversations at night when he’s supposed to be sleeping.Or when their watching a movie together and their bodies touch when they rest
But that’s just overthinking.
He’s a leader. Leaders overthink.
Speaking of movies and everything unholy
Leo drags his gaze back to the screen, where his brothers—those traitors that they are,have forced him to sit through the most aggressively romantic film he has ever witnessed.
Two forbidden lovers. Different worlds. Tragic backstories. One lives for his family and the world; the other lives only for him.
They’re currently fighting for their lives in the pouring rain, clutching each other like the universe itself is trying to rip them apart. There’s lightning. There’s swelling orchestral music. There’s at least one slow-motion scream of the other’s name.
The one who lives for his family is named..
Instead, Leo glances sideways, ignoring the movie entirely.
Raph is wrist-deep in the popcorn bowl like he’s mining for gold, grumbling every time he pulls out an unbuttered piece like the universe personally offended him. He shakes the bowl occasionally, as if that will magically redistribute the seasoning. Which very clearly doesn’t work, Mikey keeps slapping his hand away and stealing the good pieces with alarming speed, whispering commentary like he’s a professional romance critic hired specifically to make this worse.
“Ohhh, this is the part where they realize they were in love all along,” Mikey stage-whispers, far too loudly.
“They’ve known each other for ten years,” Raph mutters. “That’s not a realization. That’s just being slow.”
“Shhh!” Mikey hisses. “You’re ruining the tension!”
“There is no tension,” Raph says, shoving another handful of popcorn into his mouth. “They’re obviously gonna kiss.”
On-screen, the two leads are inches apart, rain pouring down in dramatic sheets. One of them is delivering a speech about destiny. About how no matter how many lifetimes they live, they would always find each other.
Leo does not listen
Leo refuses to acknowledge any dialogue containing the words “always” or “find you in every lifetime”
Instead, he looks at Donnie
Because Donnie, unlike the other two, is not watching the screen
He keeps glancing at Leo
Not casually
Not even subtly
Just quick little side-eyes. Then back to the screen. Then back to Leo. Like he’s waiting for something
Like he’s conducting a social experiment
Leo narrows his eyes slightly
Donnie’s expression is carefully neutral, which is exactly the problem. His face is too blank. Too composed. His fingers tap lightly against his knee in a steady rhythm, analytical and patient.
Not even shifting constantly or adjusting his glasses or commenting every five seconds about the movie, he’s just completely neutral
Leo shifts in his part of the couch
On-screen, the music swells
Donnie glances again
Leo leans a fraction closer. “What?” he whispers, keeping his voice low so Raph and Mikey won’t blame them for ruining the “moment” and use it as a opportunity to speak when Leo gets to choose a movie saying ‘it’s not fair!’
Donnie doesn’t look at him this time. “Nothing”
“You keep looking at me.” Leo hissed once more
“I am not”
“You literally just did” Donnie was lying through his teeth and Leo can obviously see it
Another glance
Leo’s eye twitches. “There. Again”
Donnie exhales slowly through his nose, like Leo is the unreasonable one here. “I am simply observing”
“Observing what?”
Donnie finally turns his head fully, blinking at him with exaggerated innocence. “The movie”
“You’re not even facing the screen”
“I have peripheral vision”
Leo stares at him curse his little brother curse him.
On-screen, one of the lovers grabs the other’s face with trembling hands the soundtrack explodes into violins
Raph groans. “Just kiss already”
Donnie glances at Leo again
Leo’s jaw tightens. “If you don’t stop doing that—”
“Doing what?”
“That.”
Donnie stares at him “It’s a character study on emotional repression,” Donnie says mildly
Raph snorts. “It’s two idiots in love”
“Same thing,” Donnie replies shrugging
Mikey gasps. “Oh my gosh, this is it. This is the kiss scene. Everyone be quiet”
The room falls into ‘exaggerated silence’ as Mikey would call it (they seriously need to put Mikey on break with his theatre classes for Leo’s and others sanity)
The rain on-screen slows. The music softens. The two characters breathe the same air.
Donnie doesn’t look at the screen
He looks at Leo
The characters on-screen finally close the distance
They kiss
It’s slow “emotional” and triumphant the kind of kiss that lingers just a second too long
Raph pretends to gag but doesn’t look away
Donnie’s gaze is still on Leo
Leo refuses to react he schools his expression into something bored. Unimpressed. Completely unaffected by cinematic romance (look Leo just doesn’t get romantic movies?! Like why would you fall in love with him and never tell him? It’s not that hard!)
After a long moment, Donnie hums softly
“Interesting,” he murmurs
Leo turns sharply. “What is?”
Donnie finally looks back at the screen. “Nothing,” he says again
But the tiny, knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth says otherwise
And Leo suddenly has the horrible, sinking feeling that whatever experiment Donnie was running
He just got his results
The characters on screen begain to talk about timelines once more, as the movie starts to come into a end
Leo very aggressively does not think about timelines.
He very aggressively does not think about how he said earlier that he wouldn’t choose a life without his brothers. Not in a million timelines
He absolutely does not think about how, if asked the same question about Usagi—
Nope
Not happening
Than the screen FINALLY fades to black
Then the credits roll
Silence settles over the room
Leo exhales slowly, pretending he was bored the entire time
Leo blinks, thinking. Usually, his brothers pick action movies the ones with explosions sword fights horror films that make Mikey scream dramatically. But romance?
They only watch romance if Dad is there. And Dad ISN’T here
So why-
Leo narrows his eyes. Did aliens replace his brothers? If so, what would they even be called? Fangs? No. That’s stupid. Something dumber. Something like—
Krangs.
Leo shakes his head. Okay, yeah, no. That’s ridiculous. What is this, a TV show?
Raph stands to refill the popcorn. Leo takes the opportunity to escape
“I’m going to the bathroom. Pick another movie. He doesn’t wait for a response and bolts on out there
After the bathroom, he slips into their room, grabs his phone, and sees a notification
Cotton Tail 🐰
Broo I am SUPER DUPER bored rn. SAVE ME LEO!!
Leo smiles, it’s from Usagi !
Me
Bro my BROTHERS are forcing me to watch a ROMANTIC MOVIE RN. do not talk
Usagi replied instantly as always
Cotton Tail 🐰 BAAHA LOL IMAGINEE 😭😭
Incoming call from Cotton Tail 🐰.
Leo answers before he can even think about it
“Hi, Leo!!” Usagi’s glitchy, slightly distorted voice bursts through the speaker. He seriously needs a new phone.
can Usagi even get money?? Leo thinks
“Hi, Usagi. Why’d you call?” Leo asks, trying to sound neutral
He hates phone calls from anyone else obviously
But with Usagi? He loves them, loves hearing his voice from miles away. Loves the way Usagi always sounds like he’s smiling
That’s normal
Best-friend normal..he thinks..
“Can you pretty please come over?” Usagi begs. “I’m so bored and there’s nothing to doooo”
Leo laughs, picturing him flopped dramatically across his bed.fake crying, or at least trying to find something to do and maybe hurting himself in the process
That’s great! If you were a toddler of course not a teenage samurai that can do cool tricks
“And plus you’re getting forced to watch romantic movies. That’s like..so not your thing!”
Leo pauses, how did he know that bothered him?That’s… kind of sweet..?
“Please, Leo. I’ll let you pick what we do. Pleaseee”
Usagi drags out the last word, and Leo’s chest does something stupid. Like it was doing a skateboarding trick, Leo felt sick.. but in a good way?
“Isn’t your aunty home? Or Hana?” Leo asks, sitting on his bed. Usagi’s family was really nice and as Usagi said once ‘they like you more than the like me!’ Leo remembers the fake angry face Usagi made
“Aunty went out somewhere and won’t be back until next week? I think? And Hana’s at a friend’s house.” He sounded offended, like someone just offered him a carrot offended (do not ask Leo why he knows that, he totally and never has offered a carrot to Usagi just for being a bunny)
Leo muffles a laugh, why? You may ask? And the answer is Leo doesn’t know?! Usagi just always makes him laugh even for the dumbest reason even for his dumb dumb voice
“But I’m serious. If I’m alone one more minute, I will start crying. Leo, please” Usagi begs
“I wish I could,” Leo sighs. “My brothers want to watch more movies”
An exaggerated groan crackles through the phone
“Fine text me if you change your mind.”
“Yeah. Okay. Bye Usagi”
The call ends. And Leo stares at his screen, why does he feel so..disappointed?
When he opens the bedroom door, he hears a loud thud and frantic whispering
He walks into the living room and sees the most weirdest thing he’s even seen in his 15 years of living, his brothers are standing in a tight circle (triangle??)
Whispering, Gossiping?
Mikey spots him first and shushes the others
Okay. Extremely weird. Let’s just ignore that..
“So… did you guys pick a movie?” Leo asks slowly, like his talking to a rapid group of animals (not that his brothers are any different though)
“Actually,” Donnie says, voice cracking slightly, “we decided we don’t want to watch a movie”
Dead silence.
Leo blankly stares at them.
“Why?”
“Because,” Donnie starts and then freezes.He looks at Mikey then Raph panic flashes across his face
“Because Raph wants to go to his friend’s house!” Mikey blurts out, clapping Raph’s shoulder smiling
“Oh yeah,” Raph stiffly replied his shoulders instantly going up trying to push mikeys hand off “Totally, yup” Raph popped the p on the yup
Leo blinks.
Okay… Suspicious. But oh so convenient for him!
“Oh. Cool. I guess Uh have fun, but please tell Dad I’m going to Usagi’s.”
The way all three of them perk up is immediate.
Leo squints. Weird.
Very weird. And unnatural
But he shrugs it off and walks towards their room again just to grab a long-sleeve shirt and sweatpants.
It can’t be that cold outside.right..?
༻𖦹𓆉𖦹༺
He is dead (probably how he is going to be) wrong. It is absolutely freezing.
New York—the city that never sleeps apparently now also the city that never warms up
Leo’s teeth chatter as he trudges through snow. He should’ve been at Usagi’s ten minutes ago, but being cold-blooded means the cold hits him harder. His limbs feel slower and heavier. Curse the god or gods for making him a turtle
He glares at the snow like it personally offended him (which it did very much so)
He pulls out his ice-cold phone and calls Usagi
“Hey, Leo! How far away are you?” This is all Usagi’s fault.. Leo thinks
“Two minutes. Also, I hate you. You should’ve come to my house”
Usagi laughs
FUCKING LAUGHS
Leo can hear him gasping for air through the phone
Leo is going to fight him, maybe chop of his ears.. okay no too dark, there could be someone reading his thoughts right now let’s not let them see how much Leo hates Usagi
“Oh? Why, what happened?” And than more laughter and gasping
Leo hangs up he’ll deal with him in person
Finally, he turns into the alleyway that leads to Usagi’s place. Trash bags, graffiti-covered walls, and a ladder leading up to the connected building (which is an amazing café) his aunty owns
He bangs on the door, waits a couple of seconds and than there crashes coming inside
the door swings open and there stands Usagi. He’s wearing the Superman shirt the one that Leo got for him. Dark blue sweatpants. White fur messy. And brown eyes bright as the deep autumn
“Hi! Leo! WOAHZA it is freezing—get in here!”
Usagi’s fingers hook around Leo’s hand before Leo can even finish pretending he isn’t shivering. The door swings open wider, and Leo stumbles across the threshold, dragged by warmth and momentum alike.
The door slams shut behind them with a hollow thud.
Warmth hits him instantly.
Not just the kind from the heater rattling loudly in the corner, blowing out dry, determined air. Not just the insulated apartment air that smells faintly like cinnamon and laundry detergent and something sweet Leo can’t place
It’s the warmth from Usagi’s hand. Still holding his.
“Whoa. You’re freezing!” Usagi blurts, tightening his grip reflexively. His thumb brushes across Leo’s knuckles like he’s checking for frostbite. “Are you okay? Do you need a blanket? Tea? Something?”
Leo doesn’t answer
Because Usagi is still holding his hand
And he doesn’t seem to want to let go any time soon.
Leo’s brain, normally loud and sharp and always running a mile a minute, short-circuits completely. Static fills his head. He’s aware of the heater humming, the faint tick of a wall clock, the way Usagi’s fur falls into his eye but that all feels very distant
All he can really focus on is the warmth pressed into his palm
Usagi’s hand is bigger than his. Softer. Warm in a way that seeps in slowly and steadily, like sinking into a heated bath. Leo hadn’t realized just how numb his three fingers were until that warmth started bringing them back to life
He feels his face getting hotter than the heater blasting in the corner of the room
“Leo?”
The sound of his name pulls him back like a hook tugging through fog
He blinks.He realizes he’s been staring.Not at Usagi’s face.At their hands.
Usagi follows his gaze
There’s a split second where neither of them breathe
Then Usagi lets go the absence is immediate
Cold creeps back into Leo’s skin, even though the room is still warm. It’s not physical—it’s something else something hollow that settles in his chest
Something inside Leo mourns for the heat Usagi carried and Usagi’s hands in the process
Usagi clears his throat and shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “So, uh, um…” His hands retreat to the safety of his sweatpants pocket. “What do you wanna do?”
He stares shyly at Leo. Leo swallows.
This is ridiculous. He’s faced down way worse than an awkward pause in a warm apartment. But something about this feels more dangerous
“Anything’s fine,” Leo manages. His voice sounds steadier than he feels. “I just wanted to get out of the wind before I turned into an icicle”
Usagi laughs softly. It’s nervous, but genuine. “Yeah, you looked like one. Your beak is still dark green.”
Leo instinctively touches it “It is not”
“It is,” Usagi insists, smiling “You look like you lost a fight with winter”
“I won,” Leo mutters “I made it here.”
That earns him another laugh. Warmer this time. Less nervous
The tension thins, just slightly.
Usagi steps backward further into the apartment. “Okay, okay. Sit. I’m making tea. Non-negotiable.”
Leo considers arguing purely on principle
(He doesn’t)
The apartment is small but cozy—soft lights instead of harsh overheads, a thick rug that looks like it was chosen for comfort rather than style, a couch that’s been broken in just enough to promise comfort without collapse.anytime Leo has entered Usagi’s house it always smells like ginger, honey and lavender. This has now effected Usagi, anytime Usagi stays over at Leo’s house to hang out he makes Leo’s room smell like ginger honey and lavender which Leo doesn’t mind
Leo sits at the edge of the couch, still hyperaware of everything
Especially Usagi
In the kitchen area, Usagi fills a kettle, movements quick but fidgety. He glances over his shoulder twice in under ten seconds, like he’s checking to make sure Leo didn’t vanish
“You sure you’re okay?” Usagi asks again, softer this time
Leo leans back slightly. “I’m fine”
A beat, like the world is holding its breath
“Thanks for… you know.” He gestures vaguely toward the door. “The dramatic rescue”
Usagi grins. “Anytime!”
The kettle clicks on. Loudly.. leo thinks
Silence settles, but it’s not suffocating anymore. It’s fragile. Like thin ice that might hold if neither of them moves too fast
Usagi hands him the cup of tea sitting next to him not right next to him, but enough to leave space
“So uh.. you didn’t answer me..” Usagi begins
Leo snaps his neck up from staring at the tea, his mind felt like it was buzzing, from excitement..? No from something else..
“About what..?” Leo timidly asked staring at the rabbit
Usagi chuckled slightly easing the tension that they had “about what you wanna do remember I told you, that your aloud to choose because you came over?”
Leo raises his non existent eyebrow “but I did answer you didn’t I?” Usagi stares at him quickly thinking with an answer
“Well yeah but it wasn’t a proper answer! Saying ‘anything is fine’ Usagi mimicked his voice “isn’t a good enough answer le-o-nar-do.” Usagi said his name in a rhythmic tune that made Leo laugh a tiny bit
Leo grinning at Usagi “oh shut up dude it was a good enough answer” he hit Usagi’s shoulder laughing to himself
The tension now gone Leo and Usagi fell back into their normal rhythm of talking, somehow Usagi convinced Leo to watch a movie with him
“Nothing romantic I promise” Leo rolled his eyes at that placing his now gone tea onto the table, Usagi turned off nearly all the lights leaving the one in the kitchen on ‘just in case’ Usagi mentioned, they choose a action one where there were a group of kids trying to find a artefact to save the world
“Kinda reminds me of when you saved everyone from.. what’s that dudes name again? Flysuper?”
“Superfly” Leo interrupts him,
“Yeah him, that reminds me of the villain in the movie”
Leo stared at the screen while the villain was talking about “heroricis” and “keeping the city safe” and he started to laugh, violently.
Usagi stared at him before having the pause the movie because Leo was missing out on the most ‘interesting’ and ‘important’ according to Usagi after, Though he has nothing to say beacuse he joined in quickly laughing after
After they finished laughing they finished the movie and this time choose on a more relaxing movie
Though Leo should have said ‘no absolutely not!’
Leo blames himself for shifting towards Usagi and blaming himself for drinking that warm very warm tea
If Leo knew what he was doing at that moment he would have stabbed himself in the head
Leo’s head made contact with Usagi’s shoulder before closing his eye and coming into slumber
Curse Leo and his horrible sleep schedule forcing him to fall asleep
༻𖦹𓆉𖦹༺
The first thing that Leo felt was soft, nice fur It was warm, so wonderfully warm compared to his ice-cold scales. It was steady. Constant. It surrounded him in a way that felt almost protective. Beneath his cheek, the fur rose and fell in a slow, rhythmic pattern, and there was a faint thumping sound that took his sleepy mind a moment to recognize as a heartbeat. It was calm strong comforting
If Leo was honest, it was nice… really nice
It felt like Leo had a heater pressed against him twenty-four seven, except better than any heater this warmth wasn’t artificial or distant. It didn’t just exist near him
It held him. The second thing he noticed was the familiar smell
Ginger, honey, and lavender
It wrapped around him just as thoroughly as the warmth did, subtle but unmistakable it reminded Leo of the tea his dad sometimes made on colder evenings, steam curling into the air while rain tapped softly against the windows it reminded him of wandering through nature after rain, when the world felt washed clean and safe. And most of all, it reminded him of…
Usagi.
That thought tugged at the edge of his half-asleep mind
Leo shifted slightly, still hovering between dreaming and waking. His body felt heavy but comfortable in a way that made him want to burrow closer instead of move away, his limbs felt tangled in something solid and reassuring the surface beneath him was softer than any couch cushion he remembered
But the realization was creeping in now, slow and unavoidable
This wasn’t a dream
Leo forced himself to open his eyes
A soft yellow light greeted him first, light from the kitchen spilling gently across the room it painted everything in warm gold, soft shadows stretching along the couch, dust particles floating lazily in the air like tiny drifting stars the world looked quiet untouched suspended in early-morning stillness
For a moment, Leo just blinked at it, his brain struggling to catch up with his senses
Then he saw it
Or rather, him.
Leo was lying on top of Usagi.
Not beside him.
on. top. of. him.
His head was resting against Usagi’s furred left shoulder, and from the way the fur was flattened and slightly ruffled, Leo could tell he’d been there for a while. One of his arms was wrapped tightly around Usagi’s arm, gripping it like it might run away if given the chance his fingers were curled firmly into the fabric near Usagi’s wrist, holding on with unconscious determination
Like he had been afraid of letting go
Leo froze
Every muscle in his body locked up at once
Usagi’s ears, usually tied neatly back, were completely undone and splayed loosely across the couch cushions. One ear had fallen over the armrest, the other draped behind Leo’s shoulder, the tips brushing faintly against his shell whenever Usagi breathed. Without their usual restraint, they looked softer, more vulnerable. A little messy in a way that made Leo’s stomach flip unexpectedly
He had never seen them like this before
Usagi’s arms were wrapped around Leo’s waist
Not loosely
Not awkwardly
Comfortably
Like it was the most natural thing in the world for two best friends to be tangled together like this. Like they did it all the time. His hand rested securely on Leo’s shell, fingers relaxed but firm enough to keep him close
No restraining, he wasn’t even hesitant
He was being protective.
Leo could feel the steady rise and fall of Usagi’s chest beneath him, could hear the quiet, even breaths that brushed softly against his scales each exhale ghosted warm air along the edge of his jaw. It made his pulse stumble
And Usagi’s face..His face was completely relaxed no tension no teasing grin no guarded expression Just peace. His eyes were closed, Now that Leo was close closer than he’d probably ever been he could see the little freckles scattered lightly across Usagi’s cheeks and nose
Leo tried to look at something else
He failed, horribly might he add
That detail was stored in Leo’s mind forever
Usagi’s mouth was slightly parted in sleep, his breathing slow and deep there was something almost unfair about how calm he looked, like the world couldn’t possibly touch him here. Like nothing could reach him as long as he stayed wrapped around Leo
Leo’s heart began to race
It pounded loud enough that he was convinced Usagi would feel it through his shell
Carefully oh so carefully he lifted his head just enough to take in the full picture. They were on the couch. Blankets that Usagi had handed him right before he fell asleep were half-slid to the floor, tangled around their legs. One pillow had been shoved aside at some point, likely sacrificed in favor of… this, whatever it is.
At some point during the night, they must have shifted closer and closer until distance simply didn’t exist anymore until boundaries blurred
Leo swallowed.
His grip tightened instinctively before he could stop himself
The thought of pulling away felt wrong
The warmth would disappear the scent would fade the steady heartbeat beneath his cheek would no longer be within reach
Usagi stirred slightly at the movement, one ear twitching
Leo immediately went still for one brief, terrifying second, he thought Usagi might wake up and realize the position they were in. Realize how tightly Leo was holding him. Realize how Leo clearly hadn’t been the one trying to create space
Realize how Leo didn’t want to move
But Usagi only shifted closer
His hold around Leo’s waist tightened just a fraction, and he let out a small, content exhale the softest sound, nuzzling unconsciously into Leo’s shoulder
Leo’s face burned
Ice-cold scales or not, he was certain he felt warmer than usual
Heat pooled low in his chest, unfamiliar and dizzying. It wasn’t just embarrassment. It wasn’t just shock
It was something softer, something dangerous
He should move
That was the first coherent thought that surfaced through the haze of warmth and sleep. He should move this wasn’t okay he should untangle himself now, before either of them fully woke up, before this became a conversation neither of them were ready to have
Because best friends didn’t wake up like this
Best friends didn’t cling to each other like lifelines in the middle of the night. They didn’t fit together so easily, like the space between them had been measured and made to close. They didn’t wake to the steady rhythm of another person’s heartbeat and think, distantly, that they could stay there forever.
Leo’s fingers flexed slightly where they rested against Usagi’s shirt. He could feel the warmth of him even through the fabric. Solid. Real. Close.
Too close.
Usagi isn’t gay.
Leo’s sure about it that..maybe..
Leo isn’t gay though
…Right?
The thought felt less certain than it should have
Okay, sure — maybe he looks at Usagi sometimes. Maybe his gaze lingers a little longer than necessary, but that’s normal people look at their best friends you notice things about them. It’s just observation appreciation totally harmless.
And obviously it’s perfectly normal to want to kiss him when he says the dumbest shit ever and then grins like he’s just delivered the punchline of the century
Right?
The memory flashes Usagi laughing, eyes crinkling, leaning in too close and Leo’s stomach swoops in a way that has absolutely nothing to do with friendship.
Oh.
Oh dear.
The worst part the most terrifying part is how natural it all feels. There’s no jolt of wrongness. No internal alarm screaming that this is a mistake if anything, it feels like something clicking into place
Like this isn’t new at all
Like it’s been building quietly beneath the surface for weeks, maybe months, threading itself through every shared glance and inside joke, Like in the way his stomach flipped at soft smiles meant just for him
In the way warmth pooled low and dangerous whenever their hands brushed and neither of them pulled away immediately
Like it’s been waiting patiently for him to catch up.
He can’t pinpoint the exact moment it changed. There wasn’t a dramatic shift. No single touch or word dividing before and after just a slow, inevitable slide from something safe into something deeper. Something softer.
Far more dangerous because caring about Usagi as a friend was safe.Wanting him like this was not
Now every interaction feels charged. Every laugh lingers too long in his chest. Every goodbye feels heavier than it should. Leo has caught himself memorising the curve of Usagi’s mouth, the warmth of his voice when he says his name, the way his hand fits so easily in Leo’s like it was always meant to be there.
That isn’t very best-friend-like.
That’s something else entirely
And beneath it all, steady and undeniable, is the truth pulsing through his veins
He doesn’t just like Usagi. He wants him.
The thought should send him scrambling off the couch. It should make him pull away, create distance, build walls before this turns into something neither of them can undo
Instead though
Leo lets out a slow breath
And just for a minute longer, he lets his head settle back against Usagi’s shoulder
He told himself it was practical. That moving abruptly might wake him that it would be cruel to disturb such peaceful sleep that it was too early. That the room was still dim. That no one else was awake to witness it
Excuses stacked neatly in his mind though the truth was simpler
He didn’t want to leave
The warmth seeped into him again, steady and reassuring. The scent of ginger, honey, and lavender filled his lungs as he closed his eyes briefly, pretending he wasn’t fully awake yet
Usagi’s fingers shifted slightly against his shell, absentmindedly tracing the edge of one scute before going still again.
Leo’s breath hitched. Maybe, he told himself, it was still early enough that this could be a dream
Maybe if he stayed perfectly still, time wouldn’t move forward
Maybe if he didn’t acknowledge it, it wouldn’t change anything
But the heartbeat beneath him was real, the warmth was real.
The way Usagi held him, like he belonged there was real.
Leo wasn’t gonna move
And slowly, as the quiet hum of very early morning wrapped around them and the world outside remained blissfully unaware, Leo let himself sink back into the softness. Into the warmth into the steady rhythm that made his thoughts blur at the edges
His grip loosened just slightly not letting go, just resting
He hoped, with all his might, that Usagi would never mention this again
But a quieter, more treacherous part of him hoped…
that maybe, just next time, it wouldn’t be an accident.