Author's NOTE: This chapter was censored by me to abide by the rules of this site. If you want to read the uncensored version, please visit my DeviantArt account (same nickname).
Leonardo reached the door to Donatello's room. He approached his hand to it, but he knew that knocking wasn't going to be necessary. Leonardo had sent his servant to ask Donatello to shield the room of the meeting for him, so the turtle was surely scrying on Leonardo right now.
"Come in," said a voice from within, confirming Leonardo's thoughts. He entered and closed the door.
Donatello was seated on a cushion in the center of the room. He wore a formal purple kimono, like he always did, with black decorations and the symbols of the Seven Ki and the Hamato Clan respectively on the right and left sleeve. In front of him there was an unrolled scroll. Donatello had probably been reading when he had received Leonardo's message. This wasn't surprising. Donatello spent most of his time alone in his room, studying different subjects. He wasn't a very social turtle. His room attested his wide range of interests: two of the walls were full of books about history, literature, astrology, ninjutsu, and much more.
"Are you shielding this room?" Leonardo said.
There was no need to ask, actually. Donatello had been Leonardo's scryer for years now. He knew when his services were required. But Leonardo never felt safe until he heard it from Donatello's mouth.
"Yes," Donatello said.
Every important person in the Empire needed to have a trusted scryer in their service or they wouldn't last long in the political world. Scryers, as ninja with an affinity to purple ki were commonly called, had the ability to see and hear what happened in a given location from any distance. Only another scryer could block such intrusions by shieldind that place.
Since Donatello was Leonardo's scryer and the keeper of his secrets, trust between them was paramount. And Leonardo trusted Donatello completely.
"You saw what happened," Leonardo said, clenching his fists and leaning one arm against the wall.
Donatello was gazing at Leonardo tenderly. He patted a spot on the floor next to him. "Come here, Leo."
Leonardo sat there and laid his head on the other turtle's shoulder. Donatello put an arm on Leonardo's shell and started drawing circles on it with his finger. Leonardo closed his eyes, relaxing.
They stayed like this for minutes, lulled by the sound of the rain outside. Little by little, Leonardo's anger and anxiety abandoned him.
After a while, Leonardo felt Donatello's other hand fiddle with the belt of his kimono and he let out a sigh of raised his head, allowing Donatello to undress him. After his kimono had fallen on the floor, Donatello gently pulled Leonardo's head closer to kiss him.
While their tongues were caressing, Leonardo tentatively stretched one of his arms and touched the other turtle's belt. Donatello delicately grabbed Leonardo's wrist and pushed his hand away.
Leonardo let out another sigh, but this time it was melancholy. Donatello always refused to undress in front of anyone, even Leonardo. The wounds of the past were slow to heal, and maybe they would have never healed. Even if Leonardo made an attempt to break this taboo of his now and then, Donatello was adamant and Leonardo knew he couldn't force him.
"Close your eyes, Leo," Donatello whispered.
Leonardo complied without hesitation. He heard Donatello stand up and then a dress rustle. Leonardo guessed Donatello had opened his kimono. He never removed it, even when they had sex. He only opened it.
Leonardo let himself be guided by Donatello during the sex. When they finished, he was flat on his shell, worn out but happy.
Leonardo straightened up and stretched. Donatello leaned forward and kissed him. After the kiss, Leonardo closed Donatello's kimono and tied his belt. Since he couldn't enjoy the pleasure of undressing his partner, Leonardo wanted at least to be the one who dressed him. It was also his way of saying that it didn't matter, he was fine with his partner's fear.
"Thanks," Donatello said, dropping his gaze.
Leonardo glanced at his own kimono, there in the corner, but decided he'd rather stay naked. He grabbed Donatello's shoulders and pulled him down beside him. The two turtles stayed on the floor like this for a while, cuddling and staring at the ceiling.
"Don-kun," Leonardo finally spoke, "What do you think of my meeting with Usagi-san and Michelangelo-san?"
Donatello pondered his answer. "I know you're angry with Michelangelo-san right now," Donatello said, "but I think he was honest with you. If he's worried, you should be careful. However, you know politics isn't really my forte. Both you and Michelangelo-san know better than me, so whatever you decide, I'll support you in any way I can. Unfortunately, there isn't much I can do."
Leonardo kissed the other turtle on the cheek. "Just be there for me, Don-kun. That's all the support I need from you."
"So what are you going to do?" Donatello said, "Can you explain to me what the things Michelangelo-san told you really mean?"
"Well, they mean that what could have been an easy victory for me will likely turn into a tight fight. But I won't back down. The Assembly of the Clans will be summoned in about a month. During this month I will have to pay visits or send representatives to every Conservative, Diplomatist, or unaligned clan, to make sure I get all the votes I can."
Donatello turned around and clung to one of Leonardo's arms. "Explain better."
Leonardo smiled and used his free arm to stroke Donatello's head. After his upsetting and humiliating conversation with Michelangelo, it felt so good to have Donatello ask him to explain the politics of the clans.
"It's pretty simple actually. If Michelangelo-san is wrong and the Miyamoto clan don't present their own candidate, the clans will be split in three big factions, like last time. The Warmonger clans will vote for the Oroku candidate, Raphael-san. But unlike ten years ago, he won't get any vote from the unaligned clans. Moreover, some Warmonger clans have passed to our side during the war. For example, I've been told that Masaru-san will probably be the next Ishikawa clan leader."
"Masaru-san? Isn't he Yuki-san's father?"
Ishikawa Yuki was a very young samurai and a very promising young leader who had died during the war, only because Oroku Saki had ordered an attack to a Triceraton stronghold instead of waiting for the siege to force the Triceratons to surrender. His meaningless death had touched the whole Empire and had been used as a argument by the Diplomatist clans against the war.
"Exactly," Leonardo said. "Masaru-san has been firmly opposed to the war ever since his son's death, so if the Ishikawa clan choose him as their clan leader, that's a sure sign that they intend to forsake the Warmonger faction. Then there are the Progressist clans. I'm not sure who their candidate is going to be, but he will surely pass the first round."
"And then," Leonardo continued, "there are the Conservative and Diplomatist clans. Here's the point. If the Miyamoto clan don't present their own candidate, every clan in our faction, or against the war, will vote for me and my victory is guaranteed. But if Usagi-san runs for shogun, we will have to split the votes from our faction among us. There will be no guarantee I will pass the first round."
"So the Progressists have an actual chance to win?" Donatello said. "Why would the Miyamoto clan risk having a Progressist shogun instead of supporting you?"
"That's not really going to be a problem, Don-kun. Anyone of us that passes the first round, be it me or Usagi-san, is bound to win and become shogun. During the second round our faction will reunite again and vote for the remaining one of us. So the Progressist candidate has no hope to win, even in the event he receives more votes during the first round."
"I see," Donatello said, "So all you have to worry about is to get more votes than Usagi-san."
Leonardo smiled. "That's my little genius."
"That is what Michelangelo-san meant," Donatello continued, "when he said you should worry about the Miyamoto clan instead of Raphaeli-san/i or the Progressists."
"Raphael-san never worried me in the first place. If I remember correctly, he's a red ki user."
Donatello raised his eyebrows. "So?"
"Red ki users are hotheads," Leonardo said confidently. "They're dangerous on the battlefield, but not very crafty."
"Leo, you do know there is no scientific evidence that the affinity to a ki color is linked in any way to personality traits, don't you?"
Leonardo shrugged: "I don't care if it's proven or not. I know it is true."
"Oroku Saki is a purple ki user," Donatello insisted. "Are you implying we are similar?"
Leonardo looked at Donatello and smirked. "Yes, you are. You are both dangerously cunning."
Donatello rolled his eyes. "Very funny."
The two turtles didn't speak for a while after that.
"Are you tired?" Donatello asked out of the blue. "Do you want to take a nap?"
"Do you mind?" Leonardo said.
That was one of Leonardo's biggest regrets. He and Donatello could never sleep in the same bed. Donatello always had to stay awake and shield the room while they were together. So Leonardo slept, while Donatello simply lay next to him.
"Of course not," Donatello said. "Don't worry, I'm not tired."
Leonardo clung to Donatello and closed his eyes. The warmth of Donatello's body, the sound of the rain outside, everything was so soothing.
Leonardo silently prayed the gods to let him dream about waking up and finding Donatello asleep next to him.
