"...baka no kame!" - murmured Usagi under his breath.
Leonardo licked his lips, braking into a satisfactory self-involved little grin. Sliding his fingers along the length of soft fluffy ears, appreciating their warmth and feeling their lightsome gracefulness, their unique structure, the turtle sighed prolongedly unable to wipe the smile off the face. Even after all those years they've known each other, and all that they've been through together and apart, Usagi unquestionably remained the eternal teacher and Leonardo - the student. Fearless was unable to resist the snowy fluff of the intoxicating enigma which was so appealing to him, losing himself in the infinite greatness of that radiant whiteness again and again. Like the inexperienced teenager he was many years ago when he first met the honorable rabbit, his mind levitated somewhere between heaven and earth, and his body dictated a specific pattern, yearning, longing, irrepressibly willing... No matter the amount of skill or excellency he achieved through scrupulous training and immeasurable practical experience, nothing could disrupt the naturally acquired hierarchy between them, like an inevitable instinct. Not that Leo ever wanted it to change. He would always and forever look up to Usagi, adore him, do whatever it takes, struggle to make him feel satisfied and happy.
Fine, white, woolly softness completely absorbed the contrasting roughness of Leo's body, surrounding and embracing, enveloping and separating the turtle from the world outside the rabbit's unbelievable radiance. In a continuous motion, as if in a trance, Leo's fingers kept stroking the beautiful fur on his snowy white nape, as the furry long-eared head rested upon hard chest-plates. Usagi's eyes were shut, but from time to time he'd squint in the direction of blue shiny lovesick stare, like a pampered cat enjoying caressing hands, knowing perfectly well who was in charge. Quintessentially, nothing existed for Leonardo at these rare moments of blinded ecstatic happiness. Every time he was lucky enough to find himself around the brave rabbit, everything else around him would simply lose color. Enclosed in his lover's radiance, he was not the leader, nor the brother, nor the prodigy student... not anything… there was absolutely nothing in this entire universe except the long-eared, honorable ronin and his soft inviting furriness. And all Leo could see, all he could understand and comprehend... all he could essentially accept, would indisputably become dependent on their intimate closeness, that quiet unique wordless understanding he shared with his handsome snow-white soul-mate.
"I knew it would sound haughty to you..." Leonardo's voice sounded pacified beyond recognition.
Usagi smirked, raising his head slightly to steal another look at Leo's face: "Well, I did promise... I gave you my word, kame!" His voice was full of pride, but also sounded a bit saucy.
Leo blinked, disregarding the specific choice of tone in his mate's voice, his heart swelling at the way Usagi would call him "kame" (turtle in Japanese). Then locking his eyes on the pair of dark mysterious wells of mischief in the rabbit's pupils, he lovingly trailed his palm along the soft white spine and said: "You've certainly kept it… several times..."
The rabbit smirked again, playfully tracing the bridges between Leo's chest-plates with his clawed finger, the fluffy lump of his tail wagging back and forth in exciting suspense of the turtle's next move, new strategy. Leonardo didn't fail to notice that, gently taking a hold of this lovely fluffy part of Usagi's body and intently caressing it with his fingers, recollecting how much time it took the ronin to feel comfortable enough around him to allow such latitude (- it's considered an absolute insolence in Usagi's world to even think about touching the tail of an honorable samurai).
The rabbit reacted to Leonardo's jaunty playful handling of his most sacred body part, in a semi-audible short moan. Stretching along their love-nest, he reached for Leo's face, and barely touching green lips, he twirled his whiskers, teasingly titillating the turtle: "Nonetheless... I see you are not satisfied yet, kame!?"
Leo cupped Usagi's face with his spare hand, softly fingering the remains of the old scar above his left eye, then brushing his lips along it, nuzzling and inhaling his lover's scent, he pronounced dreamily: "I will never have quite enough of you!"
"In that case, I suggest you at least try to achieve your goal! Or, are you ready to give up..?" Usagi used his teasing tone again, "Are you not fit enough? Do you even possess the required strength, kame? The ability to satis..." He couldn't finish, arching his back, the unsaid words caught up in his throat, unable to hold in the groan of sudden deep arousal. Leonardo's half-shut eyes focused on the rabbit's immediate change of expression, as his hand was hard at work at the lower part of the furry white back.
"Skillfully put, kame..." Whispered the rabbit before their lips met in a lustful kiss.
While Leo's fingers masterfully pulled and teased, stroking the core of Usagi's tail, the rabbit, unwilling to remain indebted, counterattacked, stroking around and about Leo's thighs. And shortly Leonardo involuntarily clutched his teeth at the sudden sensation around his own tail. He immediately let it out, unable to restrain himself. Sinking both hands into the fur on his lover's lower back, grabbing and pulling, he pinned their bodies together, groaning open-heartedly as the ronin energetically worked on the newly inspired and fully exposed length of his turtlehood.
Ending the kiss and permitting a breath of air, Usagi admiringly watched Leo's arousal: his mouth slightly open and a concentrated expression on his flushed face. Overlooking his triumph over the turtle, he let go. Leonardo was absolutely defeated, brought to a point of no return. Again... The rabbit observed his prey unmistakably enjoying the sight, like a victorious conqueror overlooking his worshiping subjects and newly obtained lands. But turned out to be blinded by his own possessions, because in the heist of it all he forgot about his own tail still completely being in turtle's disposal. Coming to his senses and realizing that little glitch, Leonardo went for the win, and attacked again with no mercy. So suddenly stricken, the rabbit gulped for air, as his erection came to meet and greet that rebellious green hold. Totally vanquished, he needed to secure the remaining territories, therefore he leaned in, biting chunks of green neck and rubbing against the rigid chest, furry fingers stubbornly getting a hold of both their pulsing organs.
Quickly obtaining a mutual pace, both warriors fell completely lost into the sensations of harmonious response of their bodies, ecstatic blue fire meeting voluptuous dark gaze, succumbing to particularly pleasurable handiwork of the experienced swordsman...
"Hamato Leonardo…"
"Uh oh, full name? What did I do?" Leo's sarcastic smile faded away when he looked into Usagi's eyes, "What's wrong?"
"My love…" Usagi took possession of Leo's hands, massaging them softly and lovingly, "My dear Leonardo..." He paused acquiring the right words: "There is no easy way to say this…" He hesitated again, but figured there was no reason to beat around the bush, "The reason for my present visit is... is to say goodbye, my love…"
Almost unseen, a nervous tiny vein popped out and pulsed in Leo's neck as his heart sank. He tried to keep a tranquil calm face, but the enormous fright projected inside his eyes betrayed him completely in the struggle to make sense of Usagi's horrifying statement: didn't the ronin love him anymore? Perhaps he hurt him in some way, dishonored or disrespected..?! How could Usagi say something like that in such a relaxed and natural way?! And what did he mean exactly?"
Usagi watched the turtle's inner struggle for several moments, then unable to take it anymore he sighed desperately and lowered his face towards their joined hands (Leo's were trembling almost imperceptibly). The rabbit pressed his lips onto the green skin, clinging to it and inhaling its familiar scent, "It was not my intention to cause you any pain... nor startle you in any way, my love! I am sorry if I did..." He spoke softly and without raising his head, remaining in his current position - bent down in a solemn bow, holding their hands together.
Leonardo didn't utter a word. Slowly his mind cleared from the sudden confusion, obtaining an unbearable burden instead. He knew this day may come...
It was well known that Usagi had been an honored samurai before he lost his master and became the ronin he is today. That said, the Japanese warrior code of Bushido (the way of the warrior) required the samurai to follow his master in death and commit Seppuku (a ritual suicide). Finding himself in a difficult situation, Usagi had to make a quick decision: whether to go on defending his master's body at the midst of a bloody battle, or to honor him by committing the required suicide. During this historic bloody battle, he chose the former, respecting his Daimiyo's venerable memory and thus leaving a certain stain upon his own honor as a ronin who did not follow his master in death... Leonardo knew all of that perfectly well, even though they never particularly spoke about it, still he always feared that it was only a matter of time before...
Oh, shell... Is that what Usagi meant by 'goodbye'? Is that what he was trying to tell him? Leonardo was beginning to realize the delicate situation he'd put himself in when he chose to tie his own fate with that of the brave rabbit...
"Usagi!" Leo's voice throbbed as he raised his hands to bring his lover's face up to his own, gazing deep into his eyes: "No!"
The rabbit flusteredly stared into the pair of darkening blue wells of doom, absorbing his every move and every breath. He felt as if he was drowning, the huge tsunami awakened in Leonardo's pained eyes threatening to take him into the deep waters of his soul and be buried there forever. This must be the hardest thing he ever needed to do – saying farewell to Leonardo. What cruel fate has brought him this incredibly amazing gift of love to such an unbelievably beautiful, venerable and noble being as Leonardo!? He (Usagi) must be cursed! How could anyone say goodbye to this face, to these eyes, hands, lips... Usagi wished he could simply dive in and be swept away by the storm occurring in his lover's eyes, imagining how he'd have his last breath and would forever become a part of Leonardo. He pulled up, settling in his lover's lap, facing him, caressing green bulky shoulders.
Leo placed his shaking hands around Usagi, pressing and pinning the fluffy body onto his chest-plates, inevitably crushing the snowy fur: "NO!" - he solemnly repeated, "Usagi, I can't let you do this!"
Unseen by Leonardo, the ronin's expression showed reticence mixed with enormous pain: "I am sorry, Leonardo! But my decision cannot be altered... You must understand..."
"But…" Leo simply couldn't grasp the reality in which Usagi was no more: "Be reasonable!" His voice quivered, betraying his usually relentless tone.
White furry fingers caressed the side of green face, rabbit's voice soft and tranquil: "That is precisely what I am doing!"
"No… no!" Leonardo's expression lost its pretentious provisional peacefulness: "NO! Usagi! What can I do to change your mind? Tell me!" Leo clung to the white soft fur like it was the last thing he'd ever do, his muscular arms holding the rabbit in place: "I am never letting you go!" He pronounced each word separately, taking his time in between every single syllable: "If you go... I come with you!"
His broken voice and pleading gaze scattered the remaining peaces of Usagi's heart to myriad tiny smithereens, but collecting him self the best he could, the rabbit said: "It is not your fight, my love! Nor your fault! It is not about you... " He carefully removed Leo's embracing hands, slowly standing up.
Leonardo was crushed! This was everything he was afraid of - Usagi rejecting their perfectly nurtured seemingly unbreakable piece of happiness. His heart and soul were in total turmoil. The pain was worse than he'd ever had to bear, the ground disintegrating under his feet like sand through widely spread fingers.
"I love you! I can't just let you go, Usagi! Do you understand?!"
Usagi's wide open eyes stared into the distance, somewhere far away. He was silent for longer than Leo could bear, but suddenly his long ears twitched when he absently pronounced: "I have a son!"
Turtle's expression of doom turned into immediate mixture of surprise and unquestionable astonishment: "A... a son..?" He paused to take his time and digest the sudden uncalled-for statement, "What..? When?" Leo struggled to push his personal tragedy aside, ready to take anything the rabbit would find in his heart to unleash upon him.
Usagi smiled reservedly, appreciating his lover's strong spirit and fearless nature he's always admired so much: "His name is Jotaro..." Maybe this would be enough to take his mind... "I myself did not know of Jotaro's existence for years!" - continued the rabbit, "His mother..." He shrugged awkwardly and his pink nose quivered a little: "She was my first love…The timing was all wrong, as I just took a position to serve my lord!" Even though this might make things even more confusing for Leonardo, he kept going anyway: "... he does not know I am his father!" Usagi let out a long heavy sigh and pulling himself together, came over to the completely astonished turtle: "The reason I'm telling you about him now, Leonardo is... I want Jotaro to study under you! He has so much potential!" Leo couldn't suppress a miserable smile unwillingly creeping onto his face as he saw Usagi's suddenly proud gaze, "He is strong and determined, he has what it takes to become great... really great warrior, just like you, my love!" Usagi placed both hands on each of Leo's shoulders, glancing at his face from above, as Leo was still sitting unable to move in the same position as before, "You are the only one I can entrust my son to! Because I believe in you with all my heart!"
Leo held back the tears that threatened to roll down his face at any minute, struggling to locate his inner zen practiced for so many years but now seemingly lost forever... Usagi cupped his face between his furry palms and smiled at him, his eyes filled with love and pain. Leonardo blinked away the tears and embracing the rabbit's legs, pulled him closer, gluing his face into the rabbit's lower stomach, clinging to him as if his life depended on it. And it did! At least that's what it felt like...
"But... don't you want your son to become a respectful samurai?" - squeezed the poor turtle, struggling to gain some sort of control over the horrible mess of feelings, "I am a ninja! A ninja will always be a foe of the samurai..."
Usagi gently pulled, cutting Leo short and enticing him to look into his eyes again. He lowered his head and softly kissed the turtle's lips, silently petting his bald green head. The turtle didn't oppose the touch and the caress, but his body gave away his inner state, "You're shaking?" – Usagi whispered, as his own heart threatened to explode. He pulled Leo closer into a tight embrace, whispering into his ear words of short-lived pacification: "I'm here! I'm still here… not going yet… It's alright, my love..."