✰♡✰ Beautiful Boy ✰♡✰

🏮⛩️Chapter 13⛩️🏮

The Cultural Museum was huge, but unorganized and nearly abandoned. Usagi stared at it in awe and shook Leo by his shoulders. "THIS IS SO AWESOMEE!!!" Gen was there and turned to see them both. "Heyy, glad you guys finally came back, these creepy little things are everywhere!"

Leo craned his neck and saw the Tsukumogami bouncing all over the place. He made a disgusted face. "Eugh, these things are ugly."

Usagi crossed his arms. "Hey, they are not! They're cool!"

"Well since you like 'em so much, why don't you take the first shot at them?" The rabbit raised an eyebrow. "Fine, but only because you're too scared to do it yourself." Leo smirked. "Or maybe I just wanna watch you fight~" Usagi blushed and took out his sword, running to help Gen. Leo giggled and flipped his mask tails dramatically.

'I'm so good at this...'

Usagi's eyes lit up with excitement as he approached the Tsukumogami. He swung his sword at them wildly, getting caught up in the moment. "Ikuzooo!" Kitsune and Chizu made their way inside and looked at him with concern as he let out a childish laugh. Leo smiled and cheered him on. "Yeah, show 'em who's boss, rabbit!" Even though he was playing around, all Leo saw was his beauty, his singing limbs, the quickening of his feet.

Chizu rolled her eyes. "He's gonna tucker himself out..."

"Guy, settle down. Lord Kogane ordered us to get rid of these guys, not kill them!"

Leo walked around and took in the huge space. "So this is the Cultural Museum..." Kitsune sighed and nodded. "Yep, no one comes here though. It's a dump."
Gen had an absent minded smile on his face. "It used to be great! I mean, it's sad that the city has let it fall apart like this..."

Usagi joined the group seconds after. "That's why it's full of Yokai. These are Tsukumogami." Kitsune looked confused and tried to pronounce the word, but Gen stopped her. "Really? Tell us more, nerd."

Leo gasped silently and drew back. 'I'm just gonna let that one slide...' Yuichi noticed the face that Leo made and chuckled. "It's okay, Leo. I take it as a compliment!"

"Mhmmm..."

"Tsukumogami are Yokai. They inhabit objects that haven't been taken care of!" He said. Leo looked around. "Well, this place is full of things that nobody takes care of anymore..."

"Yeah, these Yokai don't even seem that dangerous. They're more annoying." Kitsune said, one of the Tsukumogami latching onto her leg. She made a face of disgust and tried to shake it off. "Stop that!"

Usagi grinned mischievously and raised his sword. "HYYAAAA-"

Leo chuckled and joined him, trying to keep the little creatures away from the jewels and artifacts. The turtle felt something climb up his back and squealed. "Gah, Usagi, get it off me!"
The rabbit gasped and grabbed onto it, tugging as best as he could. It came off with a pop and sent him flying back, landing on a couple more Tsukumogami. "Uhh I think I'm making them a bit mad."

Chizu stood there with concern written all over her face. "Uh yeah, you're kinda just making it worse in general..."

"Haha, I'm finally fighting Yokai!" He stood up and flapped his arms excitedly before striking a couple more. "Yes! Hyah!"

Leo turned around and came face to face with a Shoji screen. "Uhh was that always there..?" He tried to move it out of the way, but it scooted back. Leo gasped and punched it out of instinct. "GAH, IT MOVED-!!"

Usagi threw his sword at it immediately and speared it right in the middle of the screen. Something seeped out of it and floated up into the air as the Shoji screen fell back. It crackled and everyone took a step back. Leo turned around slowly as his jaw hung low. "THAT. WAS. AWESOME."

"What...What even is that?" Chizu asked, pointing to it. "Its the Yokai. Yokai are made of spiritual energy!" Usagi explained. "That's the spirit that was possessing the Shoji screen."

There was a low growl that came behind them. "Uh-oh. I uh, I think you made them mad..." They all slowly stepped back. "What should we...?" Usagi turned his head but Leo wasn't there. "DUCES!"

"Good answer as any. RUN-"

-TIME SKIP BECAUSE I'M LAZY-

They made it back to the Temple after Gen insisted that they take care of the rest of the little creatures, tired and worn out. Usagi sneaked off somewhere, and Leo looked around the Temple for him. "Hey, do you know where Usagi went?" Chizu pointed up to the ceiling. "He usually goes up to the roof on nights like this, when the sun goes down real late. Don't ask how I know that, the guy talks non-stop."

Leo smiled and was about to look for him when he stopped. "Hey...Chizu?" She turned around. "Yes?"

"Mmmmaybe ninjas aren't all that bad. Just saying, I know a couple of ninja that saved the world not too long ago." He said with a smirk. Chizu raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Oh yeah. Ever heard of the Kraang...?"

~

Usagi sat on the edge of the roof, childishly swinging his feet in the air. His ears were down, and the fur on them was loose and unruly. But he didn't seem to care. He liked the feeling of the evening air on them, the sun setting at a slow and steady pace. Yuichi looked down at his vest and sighed. He wished he hadn't lashed out at his Auntie like he did, but it felt too late to apologize. Just as he was about to lay back, a pair of hands wrapped around him and covered his eyes.

A warm breath of air blew on his ears, making him jump slightly. "Guess who...!"

Usagi giggled and poked at them. "Well if it isn't the coolest turtle in the world...Donnie." Leo gasped and took his hands away. "You take that back!" Usagi snickered. "Fineee, you are." The turtle smirked and sat down next to him. "So, you like watching sunsets?"

"Yeah, it kinda takes my mind off of things. Oh, and-" Usagi turned and gave his full attention to him. There was something about Leo that made the rabbit feel like he was lucky to be in his presence, most likely the fevered gleam of his eyes. There was not a line anywhere on his face, nothing creased or graying; all crisp. He was spring, golden and bright. Envious death would drink his blood, and grow young again.

"Thanks for being here with me. I know you could've just refused and you'd be home with your family, but...You didn't. Thank you."

Leo's eyes lit up and he gave him a small smile. Though his words touched him, he couldn't help but get distracted by the view in front of him. 'Couldn't say no to a face like that...' He thought.

Usagi's face was captured in a beautiful orange glow from the setting sun, his soft fur swaying in the breeze. His eyes were bright in the firelight, his face drawn sharply by the flickering shadows of passing birds and silhouette of clouds. "-eo? Leonardo? A-are you okay?"

Leo nodded slowly and took Usagi's hands in his. Yuichi's breath hitched and he panicked. "I-I uh, I'm sorry if that seemed kind of weird to say, it's just that you sacrificed so much! I wanted to let you know that I'm truly grateful for you-!"

"I know." Leo leaned closer to his face. "May I kiss you? Finally?"

Usagi gasped and nodded. Leo's eyes widened in surprise. "FOR REAL!?" The rabbit giggled and slung his arms around his neck. "For real...Leonardo."

Leo's heartbeat quickened and he pressed his lips against the rabbit's, both of them sighing with content. Their hearts melted and linked together. As they both reached for each other they thought of how many days and nights they had spent loving each other in silence.

They pulled away, it felt like they had only kissed for a few seconds, though their heavy breaths said otherwise. Usagi blushed madly and covered his smile, averting his eyes elsewhere. Leo managed to pull himself together and tilted his chin up to him. "You shouldn't cover your smile. I like it."

Yuichi dropped his hand and let his smile show, causing Leo to fall apart all over again. "Thank you again, Leo..."
He laughed nervously and kissed the rabbit's hand. "Anytime."