The next two days passed much like the first. Two more preliminary rounds eliminated their competition but left them both unsatisfied, forcing them to work off their pent up energy in more enjoyable ways. On the third day, however, after a match that lasted less than ten seconds, Usagi noticed that Leonardo's nerves were wearing thin, and he had to admit his own frustration as well.

"This will be a good lesson for the Daimyo and his Gyoji," Usagi said, watching the candle light flicker on the wall. "Perhaps next year they will institute more stringent entry requirements."

Leaning against the window sill, Leonardo watched the Gyoji's light flicker along the main street, gathering contestants and returning the winners so fast that he resembled a fat blue firefly. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Why are there so many contestants this year? Is it our fault?"

"Why do you ask if it's our fault?"

Leaving the window open so the breeze would cool the room, Leonardo sat back down beside Usagi. "Everywhere we go, we seem to...I don't know, really change things. My brothers and I have affected intergalactic wars, and then after you and I came through here--I wouldn't be surprised if something we did attracted more attention here."

Usagi laughed once. "Then set your mind at ease. You and I did affect the Nexus, but I think our efforts actually helped deter some combatants."

"Really?"

"Indeed. We burned most of the hotels down."

Leonardo laughed despite himself, but there was little humor in it. Usagi went back to watching the candle. The endless waiting and laughable fights were wearing his lover down. He doubted that the ninja would do anything drastic to vent his frustration, but already his carefully polite shell was beginning to crack. If they didn't do something soon, he knew his lover's eagerness for combat would soon turn to resentment.

Lover. He smiled. Such a heady sensation to feel that word in all its meanings. His mind made up in an instant, he stood and extended his hand to his ninja.

"Come on, we're going out."

Without any enthusiasm, Leonardo took the offered hand. "But we already ate. If we keep this up, we're gonna start gaining weight."

"We won't," Usagi promised. "I have a surprise for you."

The devious smile on the bunny's face put Leonardo on guard. "What kind of surprise?"

"You'll see." Usagi put on his cloak and tossed the other to his companion. "I promise you will like it. We just have to make sure your master does not find out. And we've already fought tonight, so I'm sure the Gyoji will not bother us."

"You're not gonna get us disqualified, are you? Because if we fought those morons for three days for nothing--"

"Don't worry so much."

But despite the assurance, Leonardo felt uneasy when Usagi took him much deeper into the street taverns, bypassing the quieter establishments in favor of rowdy crowds and bars with barely enough candles to keep the night at bay. He followed close at Usagi's shoulder as the samurai led him through a doorway into a cramped building with gaps in the wooden walls that let the wind blow through. The smell of alcohol filled the small room and Leonardo could tell that most of the people inside were already in a stupor.

Usagi found the only seats left in the back and took the two bottles of sake that the waitress offered, pouring a liberal amount for both of them. He would've laughed at Leonardo's wary look at his share if he hadn't known that it would embarrass him.

"It is not a snake," he said, hiding his amusement. "It will not bite."

"I've seen Raphael blasted too often to believe that," Leonardo replied, but he took the sake despite his look.

"Your master permits that?" Usagi frowned. Drinking to relax was one thing, but to go too far was undisciplined and foolish when weaponry was involved.

"Not really, but it's either let him do it at home or out in the city where he's not safe."

From the sound of Leonardo's voice, Usagi figured that it was an old thorn in his side. In fact, the ninja's voice often turned weary and resigned when he spoke about his brothers. The weight of responsibility was obvious, but he guessed something else added to the strain. He doubted Leonardo had any of the authority over his siblings that Splinter did, and without that authority, his feeling of being responsible for their safety was doubly hard.

"And you never let yourself indulge?" he asked. "You need not go to the extremes that your brother does."

"Too risky," Leonardo answered, taking another sip. "I couldn't afford to lower my guard. And I have no idea what kind of a tolerance I have for this stuff."

Usagi smiled. "You survived on it pretty well in my world."

"Only a couple of cups."

"One bottle will not render you blind," Usagi said with a friendly roll of his eyes. "Trust me."

Leonardo smiled softly. "I do."

Of course he did. How often did he leave his family and wander into strange bars, risking his safety and even his honor if he were to lose control?

Perhaps I truly am the bad influence in this relationship, Usagi thought.

"Do you know what kind of authority the Daimyo has here?" Leonardo asked as he finished his first cup. "With so many people in and out, this could be a great neutral place for business negotiations."

Business negotiations? Usagi wondered what kind of business a ninja would have in a place like this and did not come to any pleasant answers. His friend was so circumspect about his life that sometimes Usagi forgot that he was a ninja. Theft, espionage, and assassination were simply the terms in which he thought.

No, he decided. I'm definitely not the bad influence here.

"Planning on opening up shop?" he asked.

"Just curious," Leonardo said. "I've found it's always better to know if there are any big players in a city. Helps to avoid fights."

Usagi shook his head. "My master once told me that the Daimyo used to keep a firm hand on all the trade in and out of the Nexus, but with his advancing age, he cannot control the city the way he once did. But until lately I have never seen anything beyond minor fights here."

"Told you my family has a way of upsetting things," Leonardo murmured.

"You've certainly turned my world around," Usagi said.

He tilted his head in amusement as he noticed that alcohol made the ninja's shy smile even more unguarded than usual. As their bottles slowly emptied, he found that he enjoyed watching the layers of stress vanish from his friend. Leonardo's voice never rose or leaned toward anger or laughter, but he did breathe easier and speak more freely about himself. Usagi finally learned that he was seventeen, almost eighteen now, not too young for a samurai of twenty-four. Especially since he acted much older, too old for a teenager to have to act.

What most interested him was when the small group of men at the next table stood to leave. For the first time, Usagi saw Leonardo truly startled. So caught up in their conversation and with his senses dulled by drink, Leonardo breathed in and leaned away a few inches, his hand half-raised as if to ward them off. To his relief, the men didn't notice, far more drunk than they were.

"It's all right," Usagi said, putting his hand on Leonardo's. "Relax."

"I think I might have relaxed too much," Leonardo said. "I wouldn't want to get us in trouble, after all."

"'Trouble'?"

Leonardo gestured at the strap over his shoulder that kept his swords in place. "Throwing stars."

Usagi blinked. Leonardo's hand had no been raised in defense. He'd been reaching for shuriken. He shook his head and finished the last of his sake.

"Are all ninja so high-strung?" he asked. "You're like nervous cats, ready to jump at the smallest thing."

"Not always," Leonardo said, not taking offense. "I'm just not used to being around so many people."

Setting the empty bottles aside, Usagi stood and offered his hand. "Then perhaps we should go back. It's late and we should be in bed."

"Can't argue with that." Taking the offered hand, Leonardo stood up and stole a kiss in one motion.

Before Usagi could react, Leonardo had stepped back and was leading the way out. Usagi shook off his surprise. The bar was dark and no one had seen, but he didn't know if it was dark enough to hide his blush. He hurried to follow the ninja out. True, there weren't many years between them, but he hadn't thought Leonardo would get the drop on him so well.

Damn ninja reflexes! Exasperating creatures, all of them.

The streets had filled while they drank, and now small groups huddled around games of dice while the sounds of small fights came out of a few other taverns. Concealed by their cloaks again, Usagi caught up and walked beside him, looking for any signs of unbalance in his friend. Alcohol could work subtle effects and while he doubted that Leonardo was fall down drunk, he didn't--

His thoughts were interrupted by a body flying out of one of the taverns up ahead, followed by a blue man as tall as he was wide. He stood in the doorway for a moment, baring his teeth at the smaller bear-like creature that wore an apron showing that he was a waiter. Usagi paused, wondering if the fight was over, but Leonardo simply kept walking.

"You call this sake?" the larger man growled. "I've tasted water that was stronger!"

He flung a bottle down by the waiter's head where it smashed and followed after it, seemingly intent on tossing the waiter around a bit more. Instead he pulled up short as Leonardo passed in front of him, head down as if he wasn't paying attention to where he was going.

"Hey! Out of my waaaah!"

Usagi winced. One moment it looked like Leonardo was going to be crushed, the next moment the blue man was flying through the air to land beside the waiter. Unfortunately his heavier bulk meant a harder impact and he groaned as he landed wrong. If he hadn't been watching, Usagi doubted he would have noticed. Even the waiter seemed surprised to see the man on the ground.

"Come on," Usagi said, taking Leonardo's hand and pulling him into a dark alley. "We need to get out of here."

"Why?" Leonardo followed obediently but couldn't help looking over his shoulder. "It wasn't even a real fight. Heck, I don't think anyone else noticed."

"Exactly," Usagi said. "You're not drunk, but you've definitely lost some of your inhibitions. We're going back to the inn before we hurt anyone."

Leonardo gave a low laugh but he didn't argue. He squeezed Usagi's hand reassuringly and leaned against his shoulder, more interested in watching the stars than paying attention to where they were, trusting his samurai to lead him back.

Usagi sighed and let his lover lean on him. In truth, he wasn't too worried about the ninja cutting loose, but he was starting to understand what kind of a hold Leonardo kept on himself. Beneath that proper behavior lay a cocky and eager youth.

He smiled. Not safe to be let out on the street, certainly, but he wondered what that cocky eagerness would be like in bed.

TBC...