Chapter Text
Sun filtered through the window.
Rays highlighting the soft dust floating through the air and landing on Leo’s face.
He squinted-shuffling to the side and burying his face into his pillow with a groan.
“Ohayō hikōshiki”
(Goodmorning)
The pillow spoke with a gruff yet gentle morning voice, raising heat to the slider's face.
“Ah-“ he interrupts himself with a yawn, back bending as he stretches. “Miyamoto, Ohayō hikōshiki…”
Leo shuffles a bit, relaxing back into the pillows in what he hopes is a nonchalant manner-shoulder gently leaning into Usagi’s.
“…how’d you sleep?”
The yokai smiled gently, glancing off to the side and feigning obliviousness.
“I slept…good. I slept really good”
He leaned closer to the other, knowing Leo enjoyed the body heat.
the samurai glanced at the clock, enjoying the moment but knowing he should get up.
Usagi sighed and pushed himself out of bed, stopping to stretch for a moment before making his way to the small dresser across the room.
He called out behind his shoulder at Leonardo.
“How’d you sleep, kappa?”
In response the mutant pushed himself up, gazing at Miyamoto with a soft expression.
The more Leonardo hears Usagi's morning voice the more he thinks he could get used to this.
He has to shake the thought from his head-remembering why he was in Usagis bed in the first place.
“I slept well and uh I know I’ve already said this but y'know, sorry about the whole bed situation-“ he knew Usagi didn’t mind but still he felt bad he’d basically asked usagi to share his bed with him.
“-Y'know the resistance has been running low on beds as we get new members and as a leader, it was only right that mine was one of the first to go-and-I mean I would of asked someone else but I can’t imagine being able to share a bed with anyone else-“
His ramblings were cut short by a newly ready Usagi sitting next to him with a fake pout.
“And here I thought you just missed me.” He grinned playfully.
Leo snickered and gave the other a playful push before getting off the bed.
“Ugh finally!”
Usagi fell back with a dramatic sigh.
“I was afraid I’d have to drag your ass outta bed”
Leonardo shook his head jokingly as he tsked. “You forget, I have three brothers-i've mastered how to turn into deadweight so you can’t drag me off!”
The other rolled his eyes playfully, fixing his kimono’s sleeves as he made his way to the door.
Miyamoto leaned against the wall.
“They’ll be here in just around a week. Are you excited to finally see them again?”
The slider let out a deep sigh
“More than anything”
A comfortable silence filled the air for a moment. excitement and longing stuck in Leo’s chest, waiting to get out.
He looked up to usagi with a glint in his eyes, admiration on his face.
“They’re going to love you”
“You really think so?”
Leo chuckled
“How could anyone not?”
____________________________
Raph fixed the campfire, adding more wood as he saw fit.
He smiled fondly at Donnie and Mikey who were still catching up behind him on a log while April swung an ax, trying to collect more firewood.
It has been years-3?4? He wasn’t sure- since just the 4 of them were together! Some part of him mourned the time lost while the other part of him grinned with pride seeing the adults they’d become and how they were the same.
With how close their little tight knit family was, being apart for so long was difficult for all of them but they'd all be together again soon.
The 4 of them had coincidentally bumped into each other on the way to the resistance base.
It felt good to have some sense of family again-except it was incomplete. It was missing his little brother and his nerves wouldn't be put to rest until he saw Leo was doing well too.
He was interrupted from his thoughts by Mikey climbing on his shoulders.
“Jeez Raph! I didn’t think you could get any bigger-your built like a tank!”
Mikey teased Raph playfully, tying to keep the chasm out of his brothers forehead from thinking too hard.
Donnie rolled his eyes with a smile as his brothers wrestled playfully. April put the ax down, leaning over and checking his tech. According to the map they should be there by tomorrow-knock on wood.
The fire burned out as the night dragged on. That night they curled up into an incomplete turtle pile.
_______________________________
The morning was quickly proving to be busy.
Frustratingly so.
Usually Usagi and him would meet at the cafe and brew some tea but Leo had already been pulled into a meeting that was starting to feel never ending.
it just went down from there.
From going over mission plans to training resistance members and settling disputes his patience was being pulled thin.
Since he and his siblings had to part ways he’s been unofficially “leading” parts of the rebellion.
He’d never really thought of himself as a leader-it had always been Raphs job!
but he quickly seemed to naturally fall into the role.
Despite the ache in his shell and the bags under his eyes the turtle sighed contently.
It felt nice to be needed.
Even now when his back cracked as he slumped down in a chair.
A creek from the floorboards brought Leonardo’s attention up.
Usagi leaned in the doorway with his eyebrows raised.
He had that look on his face,
The look he wore when Leo did something stupid.
“Someone doesn’t know his limit”
The samurai rolled his eyes as he reprimanded him teasingly, making his way to the other.
“Well, yeah but everyone needed help-and i just can't be everywhere at once-but there's so much to plan and nothing can goes wrong i just-”
Leonardo let out a deep sigh and slumped in his chair, hiding his face in his arms
“There's just so much happening with so little brain cells upstairs”
The slider pointed lazily to his head.
Usagi leaned behind the chair, watching the slider pout, his shoulders tense.
Miyimoto leaned his weight on the back of the chair, slumping over it and letting out a fond sigh.
“That’s always been one of my favorite things about you”
He hesitantly began to rub the stress from Leo’s shoulders, gaining more confidence when the mutant leaned into his touch.
Leo could feel his face heat up, nuzzling his snout further into his arms and hoping his red stripes hid the blood rushing to his cheeks.
“Mmmmm what? My ability to bite off more than I can chew?” He joked.
The yokai let out a small chortle. His voice was soft and sure as he spoke, hands kneading at the others shoulders.
“How selfless you are, always willing to do what it takes to help people.”
He churred lowly, feeling Usagi firmly rub the tension out of his shoulders; nails scratching his shell.
“I hate how you push yourself but I always end up remembering how it comes from one of your best qualities”
Usagi sighed “I’ve always admired that about you”
Leo’s face felt warm.
He felt like a teenager again-getting shy over compliments, yet there was a familiar comfort and he could feel the weight pressing down on his eyelids like a blanket.
He didn’t know how to respond so simply enjoyed the warm comfort that floated through the air. Perhaps he’s been a little bit touch starved he’ll admit but something about the other makes him feel at peace. It makes him feel like he’s home, even in the apocalypse.
Usagi wrapped his arms around Leo and gently guided him out of the chair.
“Cmon kappa, let’s get you a nap”
Leo had half a mind to resist and let himself get dragged back to Usagi's room.
He sighed as his shell hit the bed and he melted into the soft pillow.
Thick covers draped over the slider, the pressure soothing companied with the smell of Usagi in the sheets.
“Oyasumi Leonardo”(goodnight)
He pulled the blanket high over the others shoulders and practically tucked him in.
Leo let out a sigh and nuzzled his face into the pillow he was spooning.
“Mmm g’night Miyamoto”
He grumbled as the other moved towards the door to leave, to which Usagi rolled his eyes fondly.
His voice was soft as he spoke, determined to not startle the sleepiness out of the turtle.
“I know, I know, I wanna stay too but I’ve got a few more things to finish up.”
The blinds were pulled shut by the samurai, leaving the room dark and quiet, impossible to not surrender to sleep.
Leo whined under his breath.
“Uggghhhh I hate you”
“Sleep tight stripes”
With that the yokai closed the door, quietly heading off to finish his work and rejoin Leonardo in bed.
_______________________________
The yokai in front of them looked deep in thought, downturned brows creasing his face as he cleaned his katana.
“Mmm I dunno, let’s see if we can ask someone else”
April nudged Raphs arm,
“Oh cmon, I’m sure he’s nice”
She began to make her way over.
“He probably just has resting bitch face-like Donnie!”
The soft shell looked up from his tech and rolled his eyes, making his way to the rabbit yokai with the others.
“Now let’s find out where Leo is”