Chapter Text
Usagi took a deep breath, gathering all his courage, and let it spill out:
“Leo, I have to tell you the truth. I’m a yokai.”
His heart thumped wildly in his chest, and he belatedly realized that Leo probably wouldn’t know what that meant.
“I-I mean! Leo, I’m… I’m not exactly human. I only appear human because I have this cloaking broach, and — kuso, he doesn’t know what that is, either.”
Usagi huffed, decided banging his head against concrete was a bad idea, and tried again:
“So! I have this broach, right? You’ve made fun of this pin before. It hides what I actually look like, because I don’t look human, because I’m not human. I’m actually a type of mystic being called a yokai.”
He let out a shaky breath, putting on a faux-confident smile. “Yeah, that should do.”
The vent he’d chosen to represent his boyfriend gave a hollow whistle. Usagi groaned.
Usually, he didn’t care that his cloaking broach was inherently deceitful. It was merely a means to an end. See, his aunt wanted him to get some education, but nowhere decent in the Hidden City would take him — he was “too troublesome,” apparently — so he went topside, faking enough documents to enroll himself in a nearby human school.
And it was a great decision, because that’s where he met Hamato Leonardo.
He’d been dating Leo for about four months. It was wonderful — Leo was wonderful — but the guilt of lying to his boyfriend at every interaction was eating him alive. He couldn’t continue their relationship when the very foundation of who he was remained secret.
So, he decided to change that.
…It was easier said than done.
Usagi took another deep breath. “Leo,” he tried again, “I need to—”
A distant voice cut him off, “If your promposal is on this random roof, I swear, Sagi…”
Usagi peered over the roof’s edge to see his actual boyfriend climbing up the fire escape.
Leo, unlike Usagi, was actually human, and he was beautiful. His skin was a dark brown with paler spots scattered throughout. Notably, and adorably, his vitiligo formed two crescents on his face, one over each eye. His braided hair — a fun mix of black, blonde, and blue — was tied back in a low ponytail that just graced his shoulders.
Leo also liked to boast his uncanny resemblance to this old action movie star named Lou Jitsu, but got strangely disgusted whenever Usagi agreed Lou Jitsu was hot.
Usagi chuckled, offering a hand to help Leo on the roof. He teased, “You’re MVP of our basketball team but get out of breath climbing up some fire escapes?”
Leo scoffed, making a big show of rejecting Usagi’s help. “Well, if you’re just going to insult me, I’ll go!” he pouted, theatrically swinging one leg down the ladder.
“Then you’ll have gotten winded for nothing.” Usagi grinned, wiggling his fingers. “C’mon.”
Leo made another show of “begrudgingly” grabbing Usagi’s hand, letting his boyfriend hoist him onto the rooftop. Usagi welcomed the flutter in his chest as their fingers intertwined.
Leo let out a low whistle, and Usagi followed his gaze to the New York skyline. Truly, the city never slept. It painted a chaotic mess of colors from changing screens and apartment lights, all blurring into the distance. A swarm of people bustled below, and the sound of their collective conversation echoed between the buildings.
On that little rooftop, Leo and Usagi were removed from the hurry of city life. It was only them, hand in hand above the horizon.
For now, Usagi’s mind supplied unhelpfully.
Leo turned to Usagi, giving a small smile. “This is a pretty sweet view.” He squeezed Usagi’s hand slightly. “But something tells me you didn’t invite me up here to sightsee.”
Dammit. He forgot Leo could read people like an open book. Usagi sighed, nodding.
“I just…”
He looked at the bustling city below, practically brimming with humans — real humans, unlike him. Whatever was left of his light-hearted mask slipped away, leaving a nasty knot of nerves in his stomach.
He didn’t have to do this now, he told himself. He could reverse course, say he just wanted to see his boyfriend and show him the skyline and leave it at that — no potentially-relationship-ruining revelations required. It could be a nice night.
But then the guilt would continue to fester, continue to haunt him, and he didn’t want that, either.
Most importantly, he thought, Leo deserves to know.
So he turned to his boyfriend.
“I need to tell you something,” Usagi said. He quickly lost his confidence and averted his gaze to the concrete roof beneath them. “And I… I’m scared it’ll change things between us.”
Leo, ever so gently, because he really was the best, cupped Usagi’s jaw in his hand, softly encouraging him to look up. “Hey, even if things do change, we’ll figure it out together, alright?”
If you stay, one part of Usagi’s mind whispered.
You deserve to know, repeated the other.
Usagi nodded all the same, putting his free hand over Leo’s.
“I…” he started, voice cracking. He closed his eyes. His heart raced. “I’m… not a human, Leo.”
There it was.
Leo paused, hands tensing just a touch. Then he asked, “Not a human?” He didn’t seem confused or concerned, oddly enough. Just inquisitive.
Usagi opened his mouth to continue his painfully-rehearsed explanation, but nothing came out. He swallowed. Again, he tried to speak, but yet again his vocal chords failed him. When he opened his eyes, Leo gave him a patient smile, which honestly made it all worse.
Usagi was all kinds of overstimulated.
When he wore the broach, sensations from his yokai body were magically pushed to the back of his mind — it’s how he could move five fingers while only really having four, after all. But as he stood, so vulnerable and exposed by his own words, he could feel his ears lay flat on his head, his nose twitching from the wind on his whiskers, his legs trembling as he resisted the urge to thump, thump, thump out of nerves. It was too cold, and it was too hot. He couldn’t breathe.
Less than gracefully, he detached himself from Leo, his heart beating entirely too loudly. (Spirits, could Leo hear it?) Once more, he tried to speak, but his voice died in his throat.
Leo, who probably thought he was crazy by now, just stared, concerned.
Well. It was out there. Usagi might as well just show him, right?
Once more, Usagi squeezed his eyes shut, if only to stop tears from falling, and reached for the pin on his coat. His hands shook, breaths becoming labored.
With a pinch, he unclipped his cloaking broach and slipped it off.
He could feel the rush of his human disguise dissipating, just as he could feel his ears bounce back on his head and his now-visible fur sway lightly in the wind. He felt exposed, othered. Like a monster where a person once stood.
He heard Leo gasp. Usagi expected him to rush back down the fire escape, or even shout at him angrily, shout at him frightened.
Please don’t be mad please don’t be scared please don’t go please don’t go please don’t go.
But Leo didn’t move, and he didn’t shout.
Instead, he spoke softly, voice full of extraordinary reverence:
“You’re beautiful.”
Usagi’s heart skipped a beat. Did he really just…?
The rabbit forced his eyes open, just in time to watch Leo’s face grow from lovingly awestruck to positively giddy, a faint blush dusting his dark cheeks.
Leo excitedly grabbed Usagi’s shoulders, and the rabbit tensed on instinct, but Leo didn’t shove him — just gave the biggest, cheesiest smile.
“Oh my god, look at you!” Leo exclaimed. He started bouncing around to get a better look at his boyfriend. “Your buck teeth are even more adorable now! And your little nose! And your ears! Oh my god, I can’t believe you were keeping these away from me. They’re the cutest!”
…
What?
Adorable? Cute?!
…Not a monster?
Usagi heaved a couple more shaky breaths. Relieved tears escaped before he could help it. Somehow, he managed to find the kindest, most understanding human in all of New York City.
Leo must have heard his heavy breathing, because he suddenly stopped his overzealous analysis. They locked eyes, and Leo looked oh so concerned.
With that one look, the rest of Usagi’s anxious adrenaline wore off, and he started to sob. Leo immediately moved to embrace him.
They stayed like that for a while, the human holding the rabbit as Usagi let out all his pent up nerves and guilt into Leo’s chest. Leo rubbed his back, whispering soft reassurances.
As his emotions ran their course, Usagi just thought about how wonderful his boyfriend was.
When Usagi finally pulled away, he gave Leo a wobbly smile in thanks.
“See? It’s okay. You’re okay,” Leo soothed, wiping Usagi’s tears into his soft fur.
“I’m sorry,” Usagi rasped, rubbing his eyes. “I was just… I was so scared. I’m not human, Leo. I lied…”
Leo gave a soft chuckle. “It’s not lying, Sagi. You weren’t ready. That’s different. I’m not gonna blame you for that. I’m actually really glad you trust me enough to tell me this.” He grabbed Usagi’s hands. “And for the record, I don’t care what shape you come in. You’re you. That’s what matters to me.”
Usagi smiled, sniffling a bit. Leo continued to talk, swinging Usagi’s arms around slightly.
“This is all making so much sense now,” he said. “No wonder we never go to your house! It’s probably in the Hidden City, right?”
Usagi froze, grip tightening on Leo’s hands.
Leo didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he grinned sheepishly, eyes darting back behind Usagi’s head. “Sorry, I’m still not over the ears.”
Usagi’s brain lagged, not quite processing that Leo, his human boyfriend of all people, mentioned the Hidden City, but Leo didn’t bring it up again, barrelling on about how cute Usagi’s ears were.
“Hold on hold on hold on,” Usagi interrupted, “you know what the Hidden City is?”
“Oh yeah! I go there all the time,” Leo brushed off, like that explained anything, before exclaiming, “Omigosh, your little tail!”
Usagi flushed, thumping his foot in annoyance. This boy was going to give him emotional whiplash.
Stubbornly, he grabbed Leo’s face, forcing the human to look at him, though Leo seemed far more interested in Usagi’s fur-covered hands cupping his cheeks.
“How have you been to the Hidden City? It’s literally hidden!” he asked, shaking Leo’s face slightly. He blinked, cogs turning in his head, before a spark of hope bloomed in his chest. “Are... are you also a yokai?”
Leo donned his signature shit-eating grin. “Close,” he said. “Imma mutant.”
Somehow, that made less sense. Usagi’s eyes narrowed. “...Are you fucking with me?”
“When have I ever?”
“Leo.”
“Alright, alright! I’m being serious, though. I am a mutant.”
Usagi was back to being confused. He vaguely knew what mutants were, but he’d never seen one. For the roughly two years mutants apparently existed, they tended to stay topside.
…Well, with the exception of four.
Four turtles with color-coordinated masks — who weren’t kappa, the purple one always emphasized — frequented the Hidden City. They were well-known, if only for their propensity for trouble, and apparently they had some sort of connection to notable criminals? Well, at least that’s what Usagi’s aunt told him. She said to steer clear if he ever saw them.
That changed after the invasion.
Usagi wasn’t topside for it, still bouncing between schools in the Hidden City, but everyone could feel the havoc the invasion caused. The city shook for days. Yokai who had taken to life on the surface rushed home, warning everyone of the alien creatures that were taking over New York, how they may well find their way below. It was a frightening time for Usagi as he rushed to make sure his family was safe.
A few days later, the news broke. The threat from hell itself was gone. Four mutants, the very ones with loud personalities and strange connections, were Earth’s saviors, both above and below ground.
Cautiously, Usagi said, “Don’t tell me you’re one of those turtles that everyone talks about.”
It was meant to be more of a joke than anything, but Leo’s mischievous grin just grew wider. “Oh, you’re so not gonna like when I take off this cloaking broach.”
Usagi’s eyes bugged out of his head. “You’re joking!”
Smugly, Leo took a few steps back. He removed the purple scrunchie holding back his hair, and suddenly, his human form disappeared in a swarm of pixels.
Sure enough, one of those turtles stood in his place.
Even still, Usagi could recognize Leo in a heartbeat. His eyes, for one, barely changed, still that golden brown and still holding a hint of playfulness. His face shape remained the same too, despite the green scales that now covered it. (If Lou Jitsu were a turtle, he would definitely look like Leo.) The vitiligo crescents over his eyes shifted into red markings, and his other vitiligo turned into yellow markings over his arms and legs… arms and legs that were somehow more muscular than his human form.
Wow, Usagi suddenly felt very warm.
“You’re…”
Beautiful, gorgeous, hot, courageous, amazing, wonderful, the best just kiss me right now, Usagi wanted to say, but he became focused on the blue mask over Leo’s eyes.
A ninja mask. Leo was a ninja. Briefly, Usagi considered apologizing to his noble samurai ancestors, but then found that silly, because his boyfriend was obviously not a petty for-hire thief. He was so, so much more.
Usagi grabbed Leo’s hands, smiling a bit at how different they were without the cloaking broach.
“Leo,” Usagi breathed, “you’re a hero! You saved the world! Not just topside, but the Hidden City, too. I can’t thank you enough for keeping me and my family safe.”
Leo… did not react how Usagi thought he would. The turtle faltered slightly, swallowing a lump in his throat, but was quick to cover it up with a nonchalant smile and snicker.
“Why do you think me and my brothers even have these?” he asked, skirting Usagi’s praise altogether. He held up his scrunchie. “We needed a little break from saving the world.”
Usagi raised an eyebrow. “School was your break?”
“Way less stressful than fighting aliens.”
Usagi hummed.
Even though he was actually a world-saving, ass-kicking mutant turtle in a ninja mask (with katanas — Usagi had to ask about those later), Leo was still his boyfriend, and Usagi knew his boyfriend. It was obvious Leo didn’t want to talk about the whole invasion situation, so Usagi didn’t force him.
Instead, with his own impish grin, he said, “You’re also very beautiful, just by the way.”
Leo’s smile softened into something more genuine, and a faint blush colored his cheeks. He chuckled and asked, “Even though I’m bald?”
Usagi nodded sagely. “Even though you’re bald.”
Without warning, Leo enveloped Usagi in a hug. No braids brushed his cheek, but the tails of Leo’s mask did. Usagi hugged back, smoothing his hands over Leo’s shell. He carefully avoided the sheath for Leo’s swords, gently tracing several scarred cracks and chipped divets on his carapace. Maybe Usagi would hear their stories someday.
Leo melted under the comforting attention, exhaling into Usagi’s neck. To Usagi’s surprise, a strange trill escaped the turtle’s chest. It sounded like a bird chirping. Usagi briefly wondered how he could make Leo make that sound again.
The rabbit pulled away, letting his hands drop to the sides of Leo’s plastron.
“Thank you,” he said.
Leo grinned again. “For what, being totally handsome? Shattering all your expectations?”
This dork. Usagi couldn’t help it. He leaned in for a kiss.
It was different, muzzle on beak instead of lips on lips, but Usagi couldn’t say he was complaining. Quite the opposite. His heart raced, in a good way this time, electricity shooting through his veins like the first time they ever kissed.
There was a certain novelty to it — it was like they’d just met, exploring each other for the first time, and it was like they’d grown closer, crossing a line of vulnerability only they could know.
But it also felt the same, because at the end of the day, it was just Leo being Leo, and Usagi being Usagi.
Usagi smiled, whispering between rooftop kisses, “Thank you for being you.”