Fighting Desire
part 7

Usagi and Leonardo stood before a low brick building that served as the city prison. They had just come from interrogating one of their prisoners; a process that had taken up most of the afternoon and into the early evening.

After four weeks of travel they were still unsure at times of whom Hebi's loyalists might be. The snake's allies had infiltrated deeply into many areas of Lord Noriyuki's holdings.

"Do you believe him?" Usagi asked.

Leo looked towards the small prison and shrugged. "Some of it, yes. The words felt right. Do I believe he told us everything? No."

"I too walked away with that assessment. He has confirmed much of what we already knew and given us little more. It seems he fears Hebi's reach more than ours," Usagi said.

"He's sitting in a holding cell receiving two meals a day," Leo said. "That is much more than Hebi would afford a prisoner."

Usagi cast a mild look at his friend. "These last weeks have hardened you, Leonardo-san."

Leo's mouth was set in a grim line. "We have seen the results of Hebi's rule. I have never looked upon such cruelty. Four weeks ago I struggled to deal with the concept of no mercy; now I understand why it is sometimes necessary."

Usagi glanced at the dusty road in front of them. "They do not stop coming, do they? The snake will continue to attack until it loses its head."

"We'll find him," Leo said with assurance. "All we need to do is to keep trimming away at his scales."

The last four weeks had been a whirlwind of adventure, danger, and chaos. Arriving in Famura in the dead of night, the pair had quickly discovered that Hebi's loyalists had a strong hold on the town. Most of the primary buildings had been converted into makeshift barracks for the reluctant 'recruits' and a stable on the edge of the town had been turned into a prison for those who refused to pledge themselves to Hebi's cause.

Usagi and Leo had presented themselves as mercenaries and their claims had been taken at face value because no one expected to see a samurai in company with a ninja. It was so unheard of that their masquerade as renegades was never questioned.

Both were careful to show only a fraction of their actual skills when put to the test; they could not afford to have their fighting styles recognized. Within a few days, they had been assigned the task of training the raw recruits.

It did not take them long to gain the respect of their charges. Unfortunately, the admiration that was shown Leonardo by the recruits was looked upon with extreme jealousy by one of their superiors in the chain of command. He was not only envious, he was suspicious as well; he did not trust the ninja.

As the man's insults grew more overt, so did the danger that he would draw unwanted attention to Leo. It had become necessary for Leo to face him directly and call him out for his aspersions.

With Usagi acting as his second, Leo met the man in a duel and was forced to kill him. The victory proved advantageous; the commanding officer in the town had watched the fight and was impressed by the kame's skill.

The commander, having no prejudices against ninjas, offered the slain man's job to Leo.

Leonardo accepted the position with the caveat that his trusted samurai colleague remain at his side. This demand was accepted with alacrity; the commander had discovered that while there were plentiful bodies in the surrounding area to draw upon as raw recruits, those with skill or intellect were scarce.

The new position placed Leo and Usagi high enough in the ranks so that they were privy to the plans that were being made. They were able to discover the command structure that Hebi had created and instituted from his place of concealment.

Beyond the town of Famura lay a larger city that sprawled across the borders of Lord Noriyuki's lands and those once in the possession of Hebi. Hebi's followers were deeply ensconced in the city and it was the primary source of funds being funneled into the smaller branches of Hebi's army, such as the one in Famura.

With the utmost caution, the pair of fighters handpicked a group of men and women who were deeply loyal to Lord Noriyuki and the Shogun. Plans were made and under cover of darkness one evening a small contingent overran the makeshift prison and released all who had been unjustly incarcerated.

The addition of those who were still in adequate shape to fight made for a force formidable enough to overthrow the towns invaders. Led by Usagi and Leo, none of Hebi's loyalists escaped, though the commander fought a losing battle against the samurai.

His second-in-command committed suicide before he could be questioned, but others holding lower ranking positions were apprehended and thrown into their own prison. Between what Leo and Usagi already knew, the information in documents recovered from the commander's quarters, and everything that could be gleaned from questioning the prisoners, the pair of fighters knew where they next had to travel.

Carrying papers that identified them as belonging within the ranks of Hebi's secondary command structure, Leo and Usagi infiltrated the city of Noda. With the assistance of a handful of fighters who had accompanied them from Famura, the pair wrested control of Noda from Hebi's warriors. Jailing those who were not killed outright in the ensuing battle, Leo and Usagi had spent several days attempting to discover Hebi's whereabouts by grilling their prisoners.

Although they had received valuable information about his base support and the names of other towns and cities that had been overtaken, the pair was no closer to Hebi himself.

Between them, Leo and Usagi installed a new government in Noda and gave over the charge of their prisoners to the new officials. Noda was a major supply line to Hebi's warriors and that was immediately cut-off. Usagi dispatched riders to apprise Lord Noriyuki of the situation and together with Leo they awaited the young Lord's orders.

Throughout those weeks and the hectic, often stressful whirlwind of his adventure, Leo thought often of his brothers. They each would have relished the fight against Hebi in their own way, and Leo spent sleepless hours imagining how they would have reacted to different situations.

Thinking of his brothers in this fashion brought back the deep longing he had for all three of them. It was much more than a physical thing; Leo was coming to understand how much a part of him his brothers actually were. Every breath he drew, every movement he made, and every new discovery recalled them to his mind and he began to realize that his desires were far, far beyond simple sexual needs.

"Come my friend, it is growing late. We both require a good meal and solid rest," Usagi said, almost hearing Leo's mental sigh.

The pair walked down the darkening street towards their lodgings in silence. Business establishments were closing for the night; merchants did not yet feel safe enough to keep their shops open, fearful that the return to normalcy would not last.

Usagi watched them douse their lights and lock their doors, feeling a bit of regret for what these people had been forced to endure under Hebi's rule. It made him more determined than ever to find the snake's nest and destroy him once and for all.

As the pair turned a corner to proceed down a side street, a petite and scantily clad figure detached itself from the shadows and called to them.

"If you strong men are seeking an evening of enjoyment, I can assist you, either singly or as a pair," the female offered.

"Thank you no," Usagi said quickly, hoping his summary dismissal would dissuade her from continuing her solicitations.

"How about you kame?" the female asked, launching herself at Leo and grasping him by one arm. "Your face is full of stress; allow me to unburden you for one night."

Leo stopped walking and carefully extracted his arm from her grip. He had seen hooker's proposition men in New York City, but had no experience with it himself. As enticing as the female attempted to sound, her proposal was unwelcome and so was having anyone attach themselves to either of his sword arms.

Usagi sensed his friend's discomfiture and remembered that Leo's experience with this type of physical encounter was nonexistent.

"My friend and I have no need for the company of a female," Usagi told her, his expression rigid.

"Oh, well excuse me," she replied saucily, looking them both over from head to toe before flouncing back into her shadowed corner.

Leo had begun walking towards their inn while Usagi watched the female slide back into hiding. Moving quickly to catch up to his friend, Usagi saw that though Leo held his head high, the color on his cheeks had changed very slightly.

Usagi had seen his friend embarrassed before and understood the flush that suffused his face and neck. While he felt acutely the predicament that Leo had faced, Usagi could not help but think how enticing the hint of naiveté actually was.

Entering the inn, Usagi caught the eye of the owner and was waved to their preferred table in a dark corner away from the main influx of customers. Leo slid onto the wooden bench and sent his eyes around the room, his face now a normal hue and his expression once more cautious.

"My apologies, Leonardo-san," Usagi said in the softest of voices.

Leo glanced at him quickly; then returned to his perusal of the other patrons. "Why do you feel the need to apologize?" he asked.

Usagi paused as the inn keeper placed two mugs of pale ale in front of the pair.

"A plate of something hot?" the inn keeper asked.

"And filling," Usagi requested, watching as the inn keeper nodded and strode away from their table.

Taking a sip of his drink, Usagi said, "For removing that annoying female by making allusions to your sexual orientation. It was an inappropriate remark."

Leo's lip twitched into a light smile. "It also got rid of her quickly which made it an acceptable trade-off. Besides, I really don't care what she believes about me."

"I could tell that you were bothered by the encounter," Usagi told him, keeping his voice low.

Leo shrugged before drinking some of his ale. "I've never experienced anything like that personally," he admitted. "I've seen it often enough on Earth, I've just never had occasion for it to happen to me."

"In your world you cannot walk freely out in the open," Usagi said, both as a statement and a reminder.

"I suppose I can put that down as another of the adventures I came here to have," Leo said.

"Turning her down does not qualify as adventure; accepting her offer would have," Usagi announced in a more blunt fashion than was normal for him.

Leo hid his reaction behind an implacable façade. "Maybe I would have if she'd evoked any interest, but she didn't. Mostly I found her offer to be . . . off putting."

"I too could not garner much excitement from her overtures," Usagi said carefully.

The innkeeper approached just then with two nearly overflowing plates of food. Setting them down in front of his guests, he signaled to his son to refill their drinks, and then left Usagi and Leo alone to eat.

As Usagi took a bite of food, Leo placed his mug to his lips and eyed his friend over its edge. Travelling in near constant company for four weeks, the pair had discussed almost everything imaginable. However, one topic they had both avoided was that of physical intimacy.

After Usagi had warned Leonardo of the dangers of becoming a captive, they had neither of them touched the subject again. Leo had admitted his inexperience, but Usagi had never mentioned anything about himself in that regard. Tonight's encounter made Leo curious.

Usagi noticed that Leo wasn't eating and frowned as he looked up at his friend.

"Is something wrong?" Usagi asked, leaning forward to speak in a softer tone. Their table was in a more secluded area of the inn, but they never took the chance they might be overheard.

"No," Leo set his mug on the table and toyed with his chopsticks. "May I ask you a question?"

Surprised at Leo's obvious unease, Usagi answered, "Of course, Leonardo-san. I have no secrets from you."

Clearing his throat self-consciously, Leo said, "Since the subject of sex has already been broached by that meeting on the street, I was wondering about your experience. You know I haven't any, but you didn't seem as disconcerted by that female's approach as I obviously was."

Usagi sat for a moment simply looking at his friend. Leonardo's fascinating eyes met his steadily despite the faint return of the flush that colored his neck. This was the Leonardo that his brother Raphael insisted upon calling 'Fearless' and Usagi understood why. It wasn't just his approach to a fight, an altercation, or a challenge; it was the determination that pushed him when faced with anything.

Swallowing a mouthful of ale to wet his throat, Usagi said, "I am not without experience, Leonardo, though it has been a while since I've felt the touch of another. You are of course familiar with samurai apprenticeship?"

"Yes," Leo answered. He was fully versed in the tradition of the seasoned samurai taking an apprentice to mentor and train.

Leo was also familiar with the practice of shudo, but he had never given any thought to Usagi in that manner. He realized he'd never actually known about how Usagi had come to be a samurai.

"As a wakashu I began training under a most powerful samurai warrior," Usagi began to explain. "He was quite gifted and extremely patient with me. I forged a deep bond with him; one of respect, admiration, and love. We enjoyed each other's company in every way, Leonardo-san. My Master was my life."

"I . . . understand," Leo murmured, sensing the depth of Usagi's devotion from the tone of his voice. "Something happened to separate you?"

"He was killed," Usagi said; his pain evident from the expression on his face. "Ambushed by dishonorable ninja and overwhelmed by their numbers, he went down fighting and took many of them with him. I had been sent on an errand by my Master and did not return in time to save him."

Pausing, the anguish of that memory gripped Usagi's heart and he closed his eyes in an attempt to master himself. He had never talked to anyone about that day, nor about the guilt he'd felt in not having been there to save his beloved Master.

"Usagi, I am so sorry," Leo said; his voice low and filled with sympathy.

"Do not be, my friend," Usagi said as he opened his eyes. "I avenged his death by destroying those who had killed him and those who had paid to have it done. Since I had already come of age, I was considered a samurai in my own right. Once the vendetta was fulfilled, I began to serve Lord Noriyuki's family, and then the young Lord himself."

"Was your Master married?" Leo asked, knowing the customs of the samurai.

Usagi smiled. "He was and had been preparing to choose a suitable mate for me as well. We never had the opportunity to complete the search and I was much too focused on destroying those who had killed him to do anything further about it."

"And afterwards?" Leo asked. His friend had obviously chosen a solitary life and now Leo wondered if perhaps his intense devotion to his slain Master was the reason.

"Though it has been expected of me to marry, I cannot bring myself to do so," Usagi said. "Having found and experienced love, I have chosen not to settle for less than that."

Leo picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of his cooling food, giving Usagi a few private moments to compose himself. It was quite a revelation to discover that his best friend had not only had a lover, but that it had been the older male he was apprenticed to.

"Maybe when all of this is finished and you've destroyed Hebi, you'll have the opportunity to find someone special," Leo finally offered.

"I do not know, Leonardo-san," Usagi said softly. "To be honest, I do not find the thought of feminine companionship to be appealing. I have thought that I would like to honor my Master by following in his footsteps and taking on a young apprentice. It would be more to my taste to share myself with someone who has a mind-set similar to my own."

The look on Usagi's face was unreadable as he studied Leo's reaction. For his part, Leo understood that Usagi had just admitted his preference for men; hence his apology for alluding to the hooker that they were together.

"I believe that someday you'll get what you desire most," Leo said, his voice warm. "You deserve to have the best of everything Usagi."

"Thank you my friend," Usagi said. "I want the same for you."

Finishing their meal, the pair retired to their room for the night. They could have had separate lodgings, but felt it was more prudent to stay as close to each other as possible. They were gathering enemies as quickly as allies, and it was less easy for an assassin to pick one of them off in his sleep if they were both in the same room.

With the candles out, Leo lay on his bed and contemplated the dark ceiling. His mind and body were both tired and he could hear Usagi's steady breathing from across the room telling him that his friend was fast asleep.

Leo thought of what he had learned about Usagi at dinner and felt a pang of sorrow for his friend. Losing someone that he cared for deeply was Leo's greatest fear and one of the reasons he worked so hard to be the best warrior and leader possible for his brothers.

What Usagi had said about wanting someone who completely understood him resonated with Leonardo on many tiers. He couldn't imagine trying to explain his life experiences and his code of honor to just anyone. How could he possibly forge a lasting bond with anyone who didn't and couldn't understand him on such a deeply spiritual level?

Possibly that explained part of his attraction to his own brothers; they already knew him more intimately than anyone else ever would. That 'brotherhood contract' in Japanese culture was very much a part of Leo's ability to empathize with Usagi and it was also his frame of reference when imagining his brothers as lovers.

Leo sighed and shut his eyes, trying to clear his mind so that he could sleep. Four weeks here and he was no closer to solving his personal dilemma. All he had done so far was find reasons to justify his desires and nothing to quash them.

Drifting off to sleep with his subconscious occupied by thoughts of his brothers, Leo did not hear the soft footfalls in the hallway outside of their room.

He and Usagi were both deeply asleep when the doorknob began to turn slowly and carefully.

TBC…..