Chapter 17 Part 1: Departure → The Preparations
The morning after at the lair
After the couple both woke up, Leo and Yuichi did indeed need to take a shower the next morning!
Afterwards, when they did their morning routines, they went to the others inside the lair. Yuichi wanted to tell everyone what he was planning to do. Splinter, April, the turtles, they all got together… and Yuichi started to talk.
“I… need to tell you all something,” Yuichi began, ears lowering as he fiddled with his hands.
Everyone listened attentively, knowing that something was up. They hoped it wasn’t something bad and immediately looked at Leo, who had a serious face, but was also very calm. Leo let the team know that nothing terrible was happening.
Still, it wasn’t news anybody would be super thrilled about.
“I’m planning on going to Japan for a short while. Three weeks, maybe a little more. I need to find out the truth about… my power… where I come from.” Leo was tense beside him, but stayed quiet, letting Yuichi have the space to explain. Donnie nodded knowingly, since he already knew. April was here, too. She was sitting next to Yuichi.
Mikey was the first to react, jumping up, not with his usual calm flair.
“THREE WEEKS?! Dude, that’s like… twenty-one whole days without the nicest rabbit I know! Who’s gonna splash Leo in the pool with me?!” He pouted.
Yuichi reacted by slightly giggling at Mikey’s remark. He always knew Mikey was the most playful one of the bunch, secretly, and he felt flattered that he was so wanted in this family. Then… he looked down again.
“So you are going with Leo, right?” Raph asked. But as his question came out, he immediately saw April and Leo looking down at the ground… Raph and Mikey did not know what was going on. For a moment… they assumed the worst. Luckily, though, Yuichi immediately started explaining the situation.
“I wanted Leo to come with me more than anything… but in Japan, in the hidden cities, it’s different. Ninjas are hated, interspecies couples aren’t welcome, and… two men being together, the way we are, would put a target on your brother’s back the second we arrive. I can take that risk for myself, but I can’t drag Leo into it again. Not after everything we’ve already survived.”
Raph went quiet for a moment. He then proceeded to be angered by this whole situation and started to almost yell. “You can’t even go on vacation to find yourself with your lover because of some insane people who can’t think for themselves?”
Mikey just looked at the ground, even clenching his fists violently. He seemed super upset, but not at Yuichi. No… at the world. How could they still think so ‘backwards’?
Splinter just looked at April and Leo, who were both sad as well, looking at the ground. He was going to say something that would make the situation a bit better.
“You carry a heavy burden, Leonardo and Yuichi.”
Leo and Yuichi both looked up at the rat, who then proceeded to say what they needed to hear, especially the couple. He looked both of them in the eye and simply smiled.
“Protecting Leonardo is a noble choice, but remember, love is not a weakness, nor is it a chain. It is a strength. You go on this journey for yourself, but you do not shut out those who care for you. We will wait for your return, and when you come back, you will not face your truth alone. Even if you are apart, you still love each other. And despite all the people in the world who do not recognize your love for one another, we do! And that is all that matters.”
Yuichi’s ears trembled, his chest tightening at Splinter’s words. He didn’t know what to say, not without breaking down completely. Before he could even try, Leo moved first, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around their father. Yuichi followed, pressing into the embrace on the other side.
Splinter’s arms came around them both, warm and steady, holding them as though he could carry their burdens for just a moment. No words were needed. In that hug, Leo and Yuichi knew they weren’t alone.
Mikey then started to talk, also smiling at the couple. Then he spoke to Yuichi again.
“Nah, but seriously, I am proud of you. You’re looking out for Leo, and I really appreciate that. It must have been very hard to make this decision, since you and Leo care about each other so much… “
While hugging, Leo and Yuichi just smiled at Mikey. They were happy that he was supportive of this decision.
Donnie chimed in, only saying the practical stuff that would be very useful in communication. Everyone knew he meant well, as he had shown that he really started caring for the rabbit.
“You can call each other with my tech lovebirds. And besides, I even made a hologram communication. Just… don’t do… ‘couple things’ with it… please. The code on my computer… it explains what happens.”
Yuichi and Leo came out of the hug with Splinter, and everyone immediately laughed at what Donnie was saying. It was embarrassing, but it was also a moment of humor, as they would certainly miss doing that.
Afterwards, Raph leaned back in his chair, expression serious again. For a moment, Yuichi braced himself for pushback. But instead, Raph smirked.
“Three weeks ain’t bad. You’re not ditchin’ us forever, you’re just… takin’ care of your business. And you’re right to keep Leo safe.” He gave Yuichi a pointed look. “Our dumb little brother has a habit of wanting to jump head-first into danger, so… good on you for thinking ahead.”
Leo groaned. “I’m right here, you know.”
“Exactly.” Raph chuckled, then softened his voice. “Look, Yuichi, you do what you gotta do. We’ll hold things down here till you’re back. Just don’t make us wait longer than three weeks, got it?”
Yuichi felt warmth spread through him, looking at both brothers. Mikey saluted him dramatically, and Raph nodded firmly. For once, everyone was on the same page.
Leo squeezed Yuichi’s hand, whispering just for him while Yuichi glanced with a slight smile at his lover.
“See?” They get it. And so do I.”
April didn’t say much of anything to be honest, but she wasn’t in a bad mood. She was just looking to step in if the situation got out of control, being afraid that Yuichi would be completely ostracized for his decision because of the way he acted a year ago. When everything ended, she was just insanely happy that things went well, because this was something that could really upset the turtles towards Yuichi. And the turtles were obviously upset, but only because of the old, bigoted ways of the hidden cities of Japan, not because Yuichi had to go on his journey to find himself.
However… April and Yuichi had an outing planned, as Yuichi wanted to show April something.
“Wanna go Yuichi? I think it’s time you and I have some quality time together!” April said, smiling at the rabbit.
“Oh yeah, I wanted to show you something, and I need some advice!” Yuichi said, starting to sound happier again. He couldn’t wait to have some one-on-one time with April, the one who was always there for him.
“Now I am curious!” Leo said, winking at his boyfriend. The others just started doing their own thing, as the serious talk was now over. Mikey was playing with his chains, while Raph was playing with his mystic arm, practicing it. Yuichi stuck out his tongue to his lover, and Leo just grinned back at him, crossing his arms. Yuichi and April then left for…
April and Yuichi at the jewelry store
“A jewel store!” What is going on? These things are expensive!” April almost yelled, not yet understanding what Yuichi’s plan was. The jewelry store wasn’t in the hidden city, but in New York, where they had more beautiful rings and jewelry in Yuichi’s eyes. The hidden city was a bit poorer in general anyway.
“I know,” Yuichi winked, and he took April inside with him. They looked all around the store in complete awe. It was beautiful. Everywhere, light danced, jewels throwing tiny rainbows. The floors shone, almost like stepping into a hall of light.
“What are you planning?” April said, crossing her arms while smiling. She knew Yuichi was planning something. She just didn’t know what he was… yet.
“Hey, how can I help you two?” an attendant asked. She had a smile on her face and was wearing a dark suit. She then looked closer at Yuichi… and realised he was the one who saved New York.
“O M G,” She said, her eyes wide and mouth open. “YOU SAVED NEW YORK.” Everyone looked at the three people. April immediately tried calming the woman down, hoping the stir would decrease.
“Please be calm, we love the attention, but not so loud,” but it was no use. April immediately tried calming the woman down, hoping the stir would decrease.
While this happened, another zombie-like yokai walked in, who just looked at the situation.
Yuichi and April really had to cringe from this interaction. The woman immediately yelled for her boss to come and see. Her boss, though… wasn’t happy with his employee. He immediately berated her for making “our heroes” uncomfortable and told her she should take a break. The woman immediately realized that what she did wasn’t the best and apologized profusely, bowing down a bit and heading to a separate room.
The boss was going to take over and started to guide the two through the jewelry shop.
“So… how can I help?”
“I would like a ring…” Yuichi said. Even though Yuichi was mostly calm, he seemed a bit more shy than usual this time around.
“A ring? Why not a cool brooch?” But as April said this, she realised it…
It wasn’t just a ring…
“No way.” Now, April had just as hard a time concealing her excitement. Just like the woman before, she was holding her hands before her mouth and almost going through her knees. April was ecstatic to say the least! The boss noticed what was going on and immediately knew what to do. With a smile, the boss immediately signaled to the two where to go.
“Right this way,”
After walking a bit, the boss asked something again. It was a bit uncomfortable, but it needed to be asked.
“By the way…I have to ask, and I am sorry. I assume you are with the turtle… correct? Do you know how his finger measures for the ring… since he is a yokai?
April blinked, caught off guard, and then gave a small, awkward smile. “Uh… well, yeah, I guess you could say that,” she said, glancing at Yuichi, hoping he would know the answer.
Yuichi’s ears flushed slightly, and he scratched the back of his neck, trying to hide his embarrassment.
“We… we’ve talked about it, but I haven’t actually measured it yet,” he admitted, shrugging sheepishly. “I wanted it to be a surprise anyway.”
April’s grin widened. “A surprise, huh? That’s… bold. Brave, even.” She nudged Yuichi gently, teasing. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”
Yuichi was relieved she was taking it lightly and managed a small, grateful smile. Then he got an idea, he had pictures of them holding each other’s hands of high quality. He could show them zooming in on his phone.
When he did, the man immediately had more of an idea of how big the ring would be. He then proceeded to grab his most beautiful ring. The ring gleamed with a flawless, pale emerald at its center, cradled by delicate platinum filigree that sparkled in the light.
“How do you like this one? And do you think he will too?”
April was just looking at Yuichi, who was staring in awe at the jewel in front of him. She was very happy he liked it, as it was a beautiful ring that really fit, not just Leo, but Yuichi as well.
“It’s… perfect…” And as Yuichi was about to say more about it, excited to talk about it, something unexpected happened.
“Okay, then it’s yours.”
“WHAT?” April almost screamed, with Yuichi trying to protest, but the boss didn’t hesitate to interrupt them both.
“My son was too stubborn to evacuate. But, you saved my son’s life when you fired all your flames at his debris from all the rocks… I owe you so much.”
Yuichi swallowed, looking at the man. “I… I don’t know how to thank you. I just did what I…”
The boss held up a hand, smiling gently but firmly and interrupting them again. “You don’t need to thank me. I just want you to have it. You saved my son. That’s more than enough.”
April glanced at Yuichi, whispering, “It’s okay… he means it. Just accept it.”
Yuichi nodded. Still a little flustered, he managed a small, heartfelt smile. “I… I’ll take it. Thank you. Truly.”
The man nodded, satisfied, then stepped back. He shook both their hands and let them have a moment together with the ring. As they walked out of the store, he had a small tear in his eye.
April and Yuichi went looking for more things. Most of them consisted of clothes for long hikes in Japan, and also gear. Even though April was a journalist, she used to go on a lot of hiking vacations when she was a kid. She was very knowledgeable about the subject.
Now… the preparations were all complete, there was only one thing left to do, and that was to enjoy everything for half a year until Yuichi’s departure. They all hung out so much together, really bonding over everything. Yuichi was no longer just close with April (and Leo, of course), but also with the other brothers.
Everyone really loved that rabbit. Yuichi was their bunny boy.