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taruchinator · 11 months

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🌹 Written for the Grab A Slice TMNT Bang!

Leonardo Hamato had a crush on Yuichi Usagi.

This was a fact the teenage turtle had struggled with admitting to himself for a while now, mostly due to both his underlying insecurities, as well as never being a fan of the cliché lovesick feelings that a crush brought with it.

Yet after many long and awkward conversations with April— the only person he knew wouldn't make fun of him since his brothers would definitely never let him live this down— about what the heck was one supposed to do when they felt these sort of things, Leonardo Hamato came to the grand resolution of confronting his feelings head on!

Hey guys, Alice here! Today I come bearing my first ever ROTTMNT fic and its made specifically for the Grab A Slice Bang on Twitter!

I've been looking for the opportunity to make something sweet and fluffy with my Leosagi headcanons and now here we are: the brainriot ACTUALLY paid off!

And most importantly, this fic features artwork but lovely artists who helped in bringing it to life. The first one being by @jordyn-jpeg and the second one by @dont-throw-sand! Please go give them a follow!

Leonardo Hamato had a crush on Yuichi Usagi.

He was a flirty guy, absolutely. But that was never meant to be taken seriously. It never meant to become real— To let him be vulnerable.

Meeting other Yokai such as himself and his brothers was always a treat for him, since it gave them a sense of belonging in an otherwise hostile world. But there was always something different about Usagi that set him apart from the rest of the inhabitants of the Hidden City.

Despite having a rocky start after meeting at Run Of The Mill Pizza— his brothers finding the bunny holding Señor Hueso with a katana to the throat as he interrogated on a matter that turned out to be a misunderstanding on Usagi's part, but still left some rather nasty first impressions of each other— the duo ended up finding common ground rather quickly.

Usagi was a farmer boy who wanted to become a samurai just like his ancestor, and as such his grandmother suggested he travel to train in the Hidden City. This very much matched Leo's own goals of becoming the strongest ninja just like Lou Jitsu. And even though Usagi was taught that ninjas weren't to be trusted, he was quick to open up to Leo and the others after realizing the kind of people they were.

There was also the fact that they shared a similar sense of humor. Whenever Leo told a joke and everyone groaned in annoyance, the rabbit would snort, and even retort with a cringy comeback of his own.

They both liked exploring what the human world had to offer.

They each cared deeply for their families, and would do whatever it took to protect them.

Heck, they even had the same goofy and reckless personality that had others wondering if they needed to be watched over.

Leo found all of this to be part of a great friendship, which was why the realization of his true feelings was like a bucket of ice cold water dumped over his head. Although technically he didn't come to this conclusion on his own.

One day in the lair, the turtle brothers were getting ready to start one of their infamous skateboarding tournaments, taking full advantage of their day off. But as soon as they were about to begin with wheels at the ready, the blue ninja got a text message. It was from Usagi, who promptly reminded him of their previous arrangement to go shopping for new training clothes, if he wasn't busy.

Mikey inquired if they could get back to the fun, only to have Donnie utter a sentence that would leave Leo's blood running cold.

“He can't. Leo has a date with his boyfriend, so we're going to have to make do with a player short.” His voice sounded nonchalant as he said this, which only angered the twin further as he felt heat creeping over his face.

“He's NOT my boyfriend! And you guys better wait for me or else everyone's getting a mustache in their sleep!” Despite trying to sound semi threatening, his voice gave way and the others merely looked at each other with smirks gracing their features. After stomping a few obstacle courses on his way out, Leo huffed in annoyance at the pink in his cheeks that just wouldn't go away.

He tried to brush it off as one of his brother's regular shenanigans to get under his skin, but it was almost as if a switch had been flipped in his brain and certain thoughts began to arise.

Like how he never noticed how darn cute his rabbit friend actually was. Everything from his little pink nose, to the softness of his fur, to the way his eyes would lit up in excitement at the mention of ancient ninja/samurai history.

Or how selfless and kind he was to everyone around him, no matter who they were or how they treated him— be it Yokai or Human alike.

Small details that Leo either took for granted or simply never took the time to pay attention to. And it all had his stomach doing backflips that left him breathless each and every time.

As such, after many long and awkward conversations with April— the only person he knew wouldn't make fun of him since his brothers would definitely never let him live this down— about what the heck was one supposed to do when they felt these sort of things, Leonardo Hamato came to the grand resolution of confronting his feelings head on.

Operation ‘Rabbit Conqueror’ was in full swing! What could possibly go wrong?

Leo's first attempt was something simple.

He wanted to get his feelings across in a subtle yet charming way, his specialty for sure.

As such, he decides to invite the bunny boy over for a night of Lou Jitsu binge watching and pizza galore, and makes special note of doing this when no one will be home. Splinter has gone out to discuss some important stuff regarding their mystic powers with Draxum, while his brothers go to April's for a sleepover, which they hadn't done in a long time.

Leo turns down the offer saying he already has plans with Usagi in the city, which April already knows about and actually offered herself to help in the blue ninja's plans by keeping the others at her apartment. Raph in particular finds it rather odd, but doesn't question it.

“Mikey just plugged in the console on the TV. They'll be here a while ;)” April's text quickly flashes across Leo's screen, leaving a small smile on his face. He'd have to properly thank her later.

“I still can't believe the others didn't wanna join us. You sure you don't wanna wait in case they can make it?” Usagi's voice brought Leo back to reality, which caused him to turn and look at the rabbit who was already getting comfortable in his seat on the couch, yet held a questioning look in his eyes.

Quickly pocketing his phone, the blue ninja chuckled as he approached his friend. “I already told you it's fine! They've already seen this one like, a gazillion times! Plus they'll take blowing up alien tech over staying at home any day.”

Leo told Usagi that his brothers were out testing new technology that Donnie had cooked up thanks to the weird advancements from the Krang invasion. Why wasn't Leo with them? Because he was tired after a week of non stop patrolling and he just wanted some time to chill with his favorite fur ball.

“So then, my good sir! Why don't we start the evening with a delicate cuisine from the finest restaurant in all of New York?” The turtle then proceeded to pull out a box of pizza from Señor Hueso's seemingly out of thin air, placing it gingerly on the plastic table in front of them. Usagi's expression quickly lit up, but the moment he reached to grab a slice, Leo's hand gently swatted him away. “Ah ah ah! Patience, my friend. We cannot have the ultimate pizza experience without soda! What kind of monster do you think I am?”

Rubbing his hand in fake annoyance, the bunny boy rolled his eyes with amusement. “Man you're obsessed with this stuff, I hope you're aware. Might even need medical attention. Just hurry up, I'm starving!”

With a wink, Leo quickly made his way to the kitchen where their bubbly beverages were waiting.

The plan was simple. Ahead of time, the blue ninja had written something on the inside of the pizza box's lid. He tried thinking really hard on a good pick up line that best showcased his abilities as a comedian as well as flirting, which ultimately led to something straight out of a bad romcom— ‘I know it's cheesy, but would you go out with me? <3’

The line made him giggle aloud as he was serving up the drinks. It was so perfect yet so stupid, all in the best way!

As soon as he gave Usagi his drink and let him open the box, the samurai would surely swoon and find himself a blushing mess in an instant. Or at least that was the plan, since the idea of those soft fluffy cheeks going pink in embarrassment brought a goofy smile to the blue ninja's face.

Yet that fantasy was shattered the moment he heard noises coming from the living room.

Not really knowing what to expect, he made his way over with the drinks in hand to see what the fuss was about, only to have his stomach drop in an instant.

“Yo, Leo! Why didn't you tell us you guys were watching Lou Jitsu without us? We would've come back sooner!” Raph spoke with a mouthful of pizza as he lounged on one side of the couch.

“Well I guess Leo didn't wanna interrupt your fun. I'm glad you could make it, though— the more the merrier!” Usagi, as clueless as ever, spoke with a smile on his face as he held a slice of pepperoni in his right hand. Confusing the blue ninja's disappointment with confusion, he responded. “They came in a few minutes ago. I'm surprised you didn't hear them!”

“Guess I was stuck in Usagi land…” Leo thought in despair. Trying not to let it show on his face however, he turned to Donnie, who sat cross-legged on the floor with cheese dribbling on his fingers. “I thought you guys were gonna stay at April's.”

“Yeah, her mom ended up coming back from the hospital earlier than planned. So we had to reschedule. Angelo! Any more salami over there?” His twin spoke nonchalantly yet again and quickly changed the subject to more pizza as he turned to their youngest brother.

Mikey, who sat right in the middle of the couch and next to Usagi, replied with a hint of guilt as he sported a sheepish grin. “Sorry, Dee! Got the last one… Oh! Don't worry Leo! I saved you a slice!” As Mikey waved the aforementioned slice in the air for his brother to see, Leo's eyes immediately went to the discarded pizza box on the floor, stomped on and totally wrecked from the massacre.

A buzz in his pocket followed soon after, which he fetched only to find a single text from April looking back at him. ‘My mom didn't get called on overtime after all. I'm sorry :(’

Attempt #1 for Operation ‘Rabbit Conqueror’ was a bust.

Despite the obvious disappointment at his plans being fouled over, Leo didn't let it deter him in his quest. Second attempt!

There were so many different ways someone could confess their feelings to another. And the next one on his list was the wonderful art of gift giving.

There was always something about Usagi getting him small gifts that left Leo completely entranced. They were always simple things like charms or trinkets he'd find in the market that reminded him of the turtle, but it was clear from all of that that the bunny boy was someone who appreciated a good present.

Which was why this time, he ended up enlisting the help of his father for this particular task.

Usagi had commented how he'd been looking for a new training sword for a while, complaining that the one he currently owned was one he had since he was a child, and as such, had seen better days and didn't quite have the strength he was looking for. On the other hand, the ones he did find being sold in the Hidden City were either extremely out of his price range or simply not well made for a samurai.

Enter Hamato Yoshi, AKA Lou Jitsu, AKA his father, who may not be one of the most exemplary ninjas out there, but he was trained in the arts of one, and as such knew everything of basic skills such as that of forging a sword.

Which was why the blue ninja immediately begged Splinter to help him in crafting a basic sword to give to his beloved. The rat man found the request extremely odd and out of character for his son, but took it as an opportunity to bond with him, so he didn't question the need for a new sword when the ones he currently had worked perfectly fine.

With the shiny new sword now in his possession, Leo was quick to prep it all nicely with a bow. He'd give it to Usagi during their weekly training spar, ask him to be his boyfriend and live happily ever after. Simple!

“Come on, Usa! You can do better than that!” Leo easily evaded the rabbit's swing to his left, counter attacking with a swing of his own that quickly got blocked.

“You're one to talk! I know when you're going easy on me, Hamato. Afraid of showing what otherworldly powers you're hiding?” Usagi was a fun opponent, since he never backed down from a challenge and was quick to match Leo's taunting with his own. He arched his eyebrows with a sly smirk, which had no right in being as sexy as it was.

With a slight blush dusting his cheeks which he hoped came off as exertion, Leo chuckled as he lowered his weapon, panting and reaching for a bottle of water for himself and his partner. “Didn't think trying to be nice would be considered going easy on someone. Let's take five! I'm sure we both need it…”

He then tossed one bottle to the bunny boy, which he was able to catch easily. “Fine… But we're settling this today! No more ties!”

As Usagi started chugging down on his drink, Leo turned an eye to look at the new sword which was still hidden on the other side of the tunnel they were practicing on. It actually blended well and could come off as Mikey's graffiti if Usagi ended up locating it.

Everything was going according to plan! No one to distract him from his goal!

Or so he thought.

“Leonardo. I see you've brought company…”

A soft female voice echoed through the tunnel, quickly bringing both boys out of their resting and into battle positions with one back against the other. Both had raised their swords and started looking back and forth for the source, only to be met with a giggle.

“I apologize. I didn't mean to frighten you. Perhaps I should've made myself present earlier.” It was then that Leo really took a good look at his surroundings. A faint glowing green figure began to emerge before him, and the moment it started to take form, he immediately lowered his guard and couldn't believe the luck he had. “Gram Gram?!”

Oroku Karai stood before him, a warm smile plastered on her face as she nodded in greeting. “It is good to see that you're doing well.”

After the fight with Shredder, the turtles thought that they'd never get to see their beloved ancestor again. For months during their recovery they mourned her, yet one day she miraculously appeared before them as a spirit, which brought everyone in the family to tears.

The best explanation that Splinter could come up with was now that Oroku Saki no longer existed in any plane, Karai had been freed from her curse and tie to the Hamato clan, which turned her sacrifice null and allowed her spirit to remain in the teapot that was once connected to Shredder's soul.

And despite being able to move on and go to the spirit world, the fierce warrior confessed that she yearned to be with the family she never got to meet, hence being able to stay with the living.

Leo was ecstatic about this fact, and his Gram Gram was someone he loved talking to whenever his brothers annoyed him or April wasn't available.

He loved her, and yet her timing couldn't have been any worse.

“Wait! Y-You-re… Oroku Karai! Daughter of the Shredder! And Leo's great great grandmother!” Usagi's nerd instincts kicked into high gear, as he looked at the woman in awe with his weapon discarded on the ground. “My grandmother told stories about you along with those of Miyamoto Usagi! You're a legend and staple of ninja history!”

Karai looked over at the bunny boy in surprise, but then allowed herself to laugh at his words. “I would not consider myself a legend, but thank you for your kind words. As for Miyamoto Usagi, he was indeed a powerful ally and a wonderful friend…”

“You.. You knew him?” Usagi asked with sparkles in his eyes.

Karai nodded with a smile. “We fought together a handful of times, yet his heart always showed to be pure. If you'd like, I would be more than happy to share some stories.”

“That would be great! Thank you so much! I should probably get more water though, we've been training all this time so we're kinda dehydrated- Anyway this is a huge honor!” Without even sparing Leo a glance, Usagi bowed and quickly left to the kitchen to bring more drinks.

Gram Gram walked over to Leo and smirked, a knowing twinkle in her eye that indicated she had secrets to share, yet would never tell. “He seems like a nice boy. I hope you remain good friends.”

Leo groaned in frustration and embarrassment as he covered his blushing face.

Attempt #2 for Operation ‘Rabbit Conqueror’ went down the drain.

This time, the blue ninja was not holding back.

His third attempt would be the biggest and most extraordinary display of affection that even the Yokai down the street would know of his affections for the rabbit samurai.

All of his previous failures had two things in common. They were at his home where distractions could occur at any time and were trying to remain subtle. But this time he wouldn't be home, and he'd be anything but subtle.

With lots of begging and promises to Señor Hueso of washing the restaurant's dishes for a month, Leo was able to get himself and Usagi a fancy table at Run Of The Mill Pizza. Candles were placed, lights were dimmed, and even music was provided to make the atmosphere as romantic as possible. Señor really knew how to make an impression.

With a romantic dinner at his side, Leo was going in guns blazing. He would go in, have a wonderful time with his crush, and confess at the end of the evening after buttering him up throughout the whole date. And yes, this was meant to be a date.

And Leo was sure to make that point very clear.

“Since when do you like having pizza on dinner tables? I thought you said grease tasted better on booths.” Usagi was trying his best to be as casual and carefree as the duo usually was when they came to Señor Hueso's, but it was clear that all the fancy stuff around him was getting a little distracting.

When Leo had told him he wanted to have dinner that night, Usagi had assumed the usual— either chaotic dinner with his family or the usual pizza palooza they enjoyed at Run Of The Mill. And well, he was partially right.

Leo placed a hand against his chin, leaning with a smirk gracing his features as he looked at his companion in a way Usagi had never seen before. “Oh, well you know how it is! You go big or go home when you're taking someone lovely out for dinner. Can't have none of that basic stuff when you're on a date.”

Pink quickly dusted over the bunny's cheeks, and Leo had to hold back his squeal over how adorable he looked. Just as adorable as he'd imagined, which meant things were going according to plan. Usagi forced a chuckle as he started fiddling with his thumbs. “Right… a date. Good one, Leo! S-So! We having the usual or…?”

The blue ninja was taken aback by the change of subject, but tried to regain his footing as he grabbed the couple's menu that Señor had provided for them. “You know, I'm not really in the mood for pizza. What do you say we go for the Italian pasta bowl? It says here it's perfect for two~”

Usagi only then noticed his own menu, and proceeded to look for the dish his friend was suggesting. He raised his eyebrows in confusion, but didn't seem to protest. “I mean… I'm not the biggest fan of spaghetti, but… you never know unless you try, right?”

“Exactly!” Leo closed his menu and ushered one of the waiters in their table's direction. “One Italian pasta bowl, please! Make it ‘Lady and the Tramp’ style, for me and my date here.”

The waiter nodded and left, leaving a confused Usagi and a smirking Leo at the table. “You're the Lady, by the way. And I, am but a mere humble Tramp…”

“Leo!” Usagi spoke up a bit louder than intended, but it was effective in getting the blue ninja to snap out of whatever he was doing. With a deep inhale, the bunny scratched at the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry, I didn't mean to yell… Look, I appreciate all of this, I really do! Going out of your way to plan something like this for us must have taken a long time. But… I prefer when we get to sit in our booth and just laugh at whatever lame joke we come up with.”

“W-We can still do that! I thought I was cracking jokes, you know?” Leo tried to play it off, but Usagi's stern look quickly deflated his efforts. “I mean… I just wanted tonight to be special.”

“But why?” The rabbit samurai scooted a little closer and placed one hand on top of Leo's. The softness of his fur was enough to get the turtle's skin to tingle. “You've been acting weird for a while. I didn't think much of it at first because well, you're you. But after this… I can't help but wonder if something's going on. Is everything okay?”

As Leo looked into the other boy's eyes, he found nothing but genuine concern for him, and it only squeezed his heart in a painful way.

This was it.

He had to tell him, or else he'd keep worrying about him.

Taking a deep breath, he held Usagi's hand between his own and felt his face heating up. “The truth is… Usa- Yuichi. The thing is… I-”

And almost as if the universe was mocking him at this point, the door to the restaurant was forcefully shoved open, causing other customers to stare in confusion.

Hypno stood in all his ugly hippopotamus glory along with Warren, the little worm creature perched atop the other villain's shoulder as he waved a paper bag in the air in what could only be compared to a child's tantrum. “You forgot my guava sauce, Hueso! I order the same thing every Tuesday night!”

“If my roomie doesn't get the respect he deserves, then perhaps you need a bit of a reminder on who you're dealing with!” Hypno used his raw strength to pick up a nearby table and started throwing it around to cause commotion.

“Give me a frickin break…” Leo couldn't help but mumble under his breath. Letting go of his date's hand, he went to reach for his katanas. Usagi wasn't far behind, bringing out his odachi and taking a stance.

As the duo began their fight, Leo was aware of the looks Usagi kept glancing his way, and there really wasn't a way for him to stop and say anything in return.

The third attempt was most definitely the worst.

It had been about three weeks since Leo's last attempt at Run Of The Mill Pizza.

Usagi didn't pry again, but Leo knew that he was still worried about him. Regardless, the blue ninja decided the best course of action at this point was to just ignore. He pretended like the past couple of months didn't happen, and did his best to go back to his goofy and prankster self, while also treating the bunny boy the same as usual.

Or at least, he tried to.

There was no denying that he treated Usagi differently now, and may even be avoiding him on an unconscious level.

But could anyone really blame him?

He'd pretty much made a fool out of himself in front of the boy he liked and now even had doubts he never considered before. Like what if Usagi didn't like him back? What would happen if Leo confessed and it ruined their friendship? What if he lost him forever, all because he couldn't get over a stupid little crush.

So that's what he was planning to do. Try and get over it.

So far it wasn't working.

He and Usagi had been assigned a specific part of the city for their monthly patrol. The other turtles were somewhere else, trying to cover more ground for any crimes that could be occurring. But of course, it was the one night New York decided to be peaceful and not have anything going on.

Silence hung between the two Yokai, and honestly Leo preferred it that way. Well, more like he preferred the silence to having the bunny boy be interrogating him. He'd much rather the two of them be talking like normal. Listening to the other laugh. Knowing that he was the one who caused that.

After rounding the same corner for the fifth time, Leo thought it would be a good idea to call it a day.

But before he could even utter a sentence, he turned to look at his companion. He stood awkwardly in place, fidgeting and turning from one place to the other. Almost as if he was… nervous?

“You okay, Usa?” Leo asked suddenly, which caused the samurai to jolt in response, but quickly forced a smile as he chuckled lightly. “Y-Yeah! Never been better! Why you ask?”

This time Leo was the one who gave him a stern look, and all Usagi could do was sigh in response. “It's just… I wanted to ask you something. B-But I don't wanna upset you!”

“Here it comes…” Leo braced himself for the interrogation that was long overdue. He'd just tell him he had the flu or something and that was the reason why he'd been acting so weird for the past few months. Trying to give him a reassuring smile, the blue ninja replied. “Come on, Usagi. It's me! Whatever it is, it can't be that bad. You won't upset me. Promise!”

Studying his face for a moment, Usagi must have found what he was looking for, since he took a deep breath and started fidgeting under the other teen's gaze once more. “Alright… here it goes.”

“I've been… thinking about this for a while. Like, a really long time actually.” The samurai chuckled to himself at that. “But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. And after everything that's happened, I think… I think it's time for me to take a chance.”

Leo simply stared at his friend in confusion. He really didn't know where he was going with this.

“Leonardo Hamato.” Usagi looked at the turtle in front of him with conviction as he uttered his full name, making the other blush with intensity. In a matter of seconds, the samurai pulled something from his pocket and placed it between them, bowing his head with red covering his entire features. “Doyouwannagooutwithme?!”

It took Leo about ten seconds to realize what Usagi was holding— a red rose.

It took him another ten seconds to process what the other had said.

Until his face finally erupted in flames after a total of thirty seconds. “W-What?!”

“I-I said… Do you-?” Usagi was about to ask again, only to have Leo interrupt him with slight annoyance in his voice. “No, I heard what you said! But that's not fair!”

Usagi's ears quickly flattened at the side of his head, and Leo immediately made sure to correct himself. “I've been trying to ask you out for months now in the best possible way, and then you come in and just outright say it? I-It's just not fair!”

After processing what the other said, the bunny boy smiled widely. “So I was right!”

“Right about what?”

“About you liking me! I hoped that you did, maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, but it wasn't! Like the pizza thing, the new sword and then the restaurant!” Usagi blurted in a single breath which made it difficult to keep up, but Leo somehow did. “Wait. You… You knew about all of that?”

Sheepishly looking at the ground, he nodded. “I mean, not at first. I saw the message in the pizza box after it was in the trash but thought maybe they gave us the wrong one. Then your father told me you made that sword for me, but I figured you were just being nice. And the restaurant… well I didn't know what to think of it. Maybe you were playing games with me? I dunno…”

At that last statement, Leo quickly grabbed the other by the shoulders and stared into his hazelnut eyes. “Yuichi, I would never play about something like that…”

The use of his first name brought more pink to the bunny's cheeks. Leo only used it when he was serious. With a smile slowly lifting in his corner, he quickly leaned in, and stole a nuzzle against the turtle's face, before pulling away just as fast. “Yes…”

Trying to accept the fact that his crush pretty much kissed him, Leo felt the world around him spinning, and the butterflies in his stomach multiplied in an instant. “H-Huh?”

“Yes, I will go out with you. That's what you wanted to ask, right?” Usagi kept his smile, pink never leaving his face.

Leo started laughing, red going from one cheek to the other. “And I would love to go out with you too…”

At that moment, the blue ninja couldn't be any happier. Everything he'd done over the past few months hadn't been for nothing, and it was actually totally worth it in the end. He'd make sure that Usagi didn't regret this decision, and based on the look the rabbit gave him, he was thinking the same thing.

Holding each other's hands under the beautiful midnight sky couldn't be anything more than cliché, yet he didn't care.

Life really was good after all.

“Oh, would you look at that? The gays have finally come out of their shell! Get it? Shell? Anyways gentleman, I believe you owe me money.”

“Aw Leo! Why didn't you tell us you were into Usagi? We could've totally hooked you up sooner!”

“Yeah bro! Dr. Feelings could've given you a free consultation!”

As he heard the snickers and snaps of pictures being taken from the rooftop, Leo sighed once more.

Well, he'd been planning stuff for months already.

What was one more scheme to help him become an only child?

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#my stories #tmnt #rottmnt #leosagi #leonardo x usagi #leonardo hamato #yuichi usagi

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