Chapter Text
It was around the age of three that Leonardo started trying to make those around him happy no matter what. For as long as he could remember it had only been his mom and him. So she was the first he tried to make happy. Many fuzzy memories of her carrying him on her back were in his mind as walking was their most common form of travel.
Leonardo remembered her beginning to grunt when she picked him up, wincing the longer she walked, and tearing up when she put him down again. He wasn’t sure what was wrong but he knew he was the problem so he began refusing to be carried, insisting on walking by himself. Even when small wounds started appearing in multiple spots on his feet, he ignored the pain. He kept walking for his mom, never once complaining.
He also remembered being hidden behind places like dumpsters for hours at a time. The only direction given was for him to be still and quiet. He didn’t know what she did while she was gone. Only that she came back in pain and would sleep next to him for a few hours. After she woke up, she’d usually take him to an available bathroom and clean him as much as possible.
He was always talkative as she cleaned him, having been quiet for hours. She’d gently wash his hair in a sink and wipe down his body as she listened to him attentively. After she finished with him, she’d quickly clean herself too.
No matter how fast she went though Leonardo always saw when blood stained her pale skin. It scared him and those days he became quiet again in his fear. When his hair was dry enough, she’d braid back his long black waves in a single braid. She’d let him braid her dyed blond hair after too and encourage him to finish whatever he’d been speaking about before.
On good days she’d take him to the park after. Most of the equipment was broken but other kids were almost always there. Leonardo had a knack for making friends with anyone so he’d get to spend a few hours playing make believe with them. His mom would watch from the sidelines, smiling gently all the while. On great days she would play with him, acting as a scary monster or a brave knight depending on the day and the other children playing.
On bad days her ability to walk was always worse. Instead of leaving right away his mom let him try new hairstyles on her. He would spend a long time just brushing her hair at first. Gently getting the tangles out as she did for him. His mom would proudly wear her hair however he did it for the rest of the day, no matter how it looked. Just like he knew how to make her happy, his mom knew how to chase his fears away. Those times were some of the best times he remembered.
No matter the type of day his mom had they’d always end up at the shelter they spent the night at. There were always a lot of people there so his mom would have him close to her. They’d eat a small dinner and go to sleep pretty soon after. Leonardo always slept well tightly pulled against his mom with their blanket pulled up over his ears. He’d listen to her heartbeat and breathing and be asleep in no time.
Each day would be much the same. Leaving the shelter after breakfast, helping when she did odd jobs for people, then hiding in his designated place for the rest of the day until she came back from wherever she went. Rise, rinse and repeat. While some days varied, things usually stayed the same and Leonardo was content.
One day when he was four his mom came back with a happy expression. Leonardo thought they’d be going to a bathroom today as his hair was out of its braid and that usually meant a definite cleaning day. Instead, she picked him up for the first time in a long time. Leonardo was too surprised to protest. She began walking and simply told him a friend would be taking care of them and they would live at a real home now.
They walked far from where they were and not once did Leonardo see his mom in pain. Instead, she was smiling wider and wider the closer they got to their destination. The building they came to was tall and made of brick with steps leading up to a wood door with glass in the middle.
Inside it was warmly lit with white walls. A metal square was towards the back of the room. Four doors were spread out around the room too. His mom walked to the metal square and he noticed another door hidden away with a picture of stairs on it. He was startled when the metal square opened.
His mom laughed softly as she stepped into the new room. He became even more scared when strange noises started all around them and hid his face in her neck. He was comforted though when his mom rubbed his back and kissed the top of his head. When the noises stopped, the square opened and Leonardo peeked out to see another room similar to the first one.
His mom walked to the left and stood in front of one of the doors which had the number “403” on it. She set him down then and held his hand as she took a deep breath. She squeezed his hand before knocking on the door with her other hand.
Footsteps sounded from inside before the door was opened to a tall, thin elderly man in the doorway. The man stared at them for a few seconds then stepped aside, nodding them inside. Leonardo was too scared to look around. He just hid his face in his mom's legs and trusted her to guide them inside.
He was led to a couch which his mom sat in before pulling him up with her. Leonardo continued to hide his face only now in his mom's side. He peeked out to see the man sit in another chair next to where they were sitting. Then they were all quiet as they took each other in, at least that’s what Leonardo did.
The man that was introduced to him was his mom's old friend, Mr. Saki. He still towered over not only Leonardo but his mom as well, even while sitting. Mr. Saki’s back was poised straight and he sat on the edge of his seat while they had sunken into the couch. His hair was white like Leonardo's forelocks.
Unlike Leonardo and his mom’s hair which spilled messily down their back and in their face, Mr. Saki’s was in a tight bun. Mr. Saki’s eyes were the same angular brown as Leonardo’s though, just without Leonardo’s birthmarks. The old man’s eyes were instead surrounded by wrinkles. His face was set in a serious frown but his eyes were soft.
Mr. Saki observed him for a long time after his mom introduced Leonardo who couldn’t bring himself to speak. Even when his mom tried to encourage him, he just ended up burying his face back into her side. His mom's laugh seemed nervous as she apologized to Mr. Saki. Leonardo was too intimidated to look again and he just waited for either of them to speak again.
When Mr. Saki finally spoke his voice was soft and raspy, “He looks just like Yoshi did at that age, except the hair, does that come from your family?”
His mom stroked his hair as she spoke, “Yes, I tried my best to keep his hair healthy. I-I had the white too but I…couldn’t keep- “
“Please, you do not need to explain yourself. I understand. You had to sacrifice much for your son, I do not judge you for it. I am only glad I found you,” He paused and smiled slightly, “Now, I’ve provided all the necessities and we will get the rest in the following weeks. For now I will leave you to get settled.”
Then he left and it was just Leonardo and his mom again in their new home.
Things were better but strange. Most of the time it was overwhelming for Leonardo. He didn’t understand all the new things happening and struggled to adjust. He had his own bed now but it was soft and he felt too cold without his mom by him so he couldn’t sleep well. There was so much food now too and Leonardo often felt nauseated at all the new food his mom was making and giving him.
He often could only stomach toast and cheese and simple sandwiches. It worried his mom though so he started slowly trying the new things she offered him. Most of it made him sick but there were a few things he tolerated. It clearly made his mom happy. She would smile widely and encourage him, telling him how glad she was they had so much food now. So, he even ate the food he didn’t like and slowly came to like the new foods.
Leonardo still couldn’t sleep but his mom hadn’t noticed yet. After a week in their new home his mom took him to a toy store. She told him he could pick out anything he wanted. He wasn’t sure what to pick with all the options before him.
He wandered around for the longest time, afraid to touch anything. That is until his eyes landed on a big, blue, and round stuffed unicorn. He picked it up immediately. It was the only thing he got that day. He got more toys later, picked out by his mom. The unicorn was the best though as it began to help him sleep.
His mom worked at Mr. Saki’s business now where he was the boss. She told Leonardo she had to work hard to make money to pay back Mr. Saki. She said they owed him a great deal so Leonardo had to go to daycare since she worked long hours.
Daycare was a place which Leonardo quickly grew to hate. Some of the workers there were kind to him but most ignored him and looked at him funny. While Leonardo himself was rambunctious, he wasn’t used to the amount of people around him. This led to him being quiet most of the time.
He wasn’t used to the schedule and freedom that came with daycare either. Instead of hiding and being quiet for hours, there were toys and books and snack time. Everything was clean and so was he. The workers were always around to keep an eye on the kids too. Never being alone and surrounded by noise was grating on his senses.
He found himself often alone the first month. That didn’t change even when all he wanted to do was play with the other kids. It was obvious to him how much fun they all had. He remembered how much fun he had playing with the kids at the playground.
Anytime he tried to find the courage to join though it was like he was frozen. He spent his days looking through the picture books they had instead. In his little corner was another little boy with large glasses often dressed in an even bigger purple hoodie.
The boy always smiled at Leonardo when he settled in the beanbag next to the boy. As the days passed Leonardo found himself smiling back. Even though they never spoke, the boy made daycare more bearable.
One day Leonardo had made a vow to speak to the other boy but he wasn’t there that day. Or the next. The boy never came back to the daycare in fact. Leonardo was sad but decided he didn’t want to miss out on anything anymore.
So, he started playing with the other kids and it was fun. He spoke more and more and made friends with most of the other children. Even the little babies giggled at him and wanted him to play with them. One of the kinder workers often let him “help” as much as a four-year-old could. Everything got better over the next couple of weeks. Until the incident.
About two months after they left the streets Leonardo was attacked. It was at the daycare. One of the other kids wanted to play with him. It was a kid who was mean though. One of the ones he hadn’t made friends with.
The kid always bossed the other children around and laughed when others got hurt. Just that morning the kid had pushed one of the younger girls down the slide and caused the girl to get a cut on her head. Even worse she was able to make it look like an accident so she didn’t get in trouble.
Leonardo decided to just ignore the bully and continued to flip through the book he had. It seemed like he would be left alone at first. Then something sticky was shoved into his hair before a hand started yanking.
He didn’t remember much after that. There was only screaming and crying and buzzing in his ears before he became aware of being in someone’s arms. Tears were still running down his face so when he looked up the person's face was blurry but he realized quickly it was Mr. Saki.
He had a deeply angry expression that scared Leonardo. He was too exhausted to try and get away though. So, he just laid his head on Mr. Saki’s shoulder. He fell asleep before they even made it to the car they were walking towards.
When he woke up, hands were gently massaging through his hair. His unicorn that was in his arms was the first thing he saw. The next was an upside-down Mr. Saki Leonardo saw staring intently down at his hair when he opened his eyes. Mr. Saki hadn’t noticed him so Leonardo took the time to observe the man.
His face was concentrated on the task at hand. He looked a little funny from Leonardo’s perspective and for the first time he didn’t feel scared of Mr. Saki. His eyes flicked up to Leonardo’s face when he let out a little giggle. Almost like Mr. Saki couldn’t help himself, he smiled back slowly.
They spent the rest of the time working the gum out of Leonardo’s hair. He didn’t know how Mr. Saki knew how important his hair was to him but he obviously did as he never brought up cutting it. Even the most tangled parts were just gently untangled.
After Leonardo took a bath, Mr. Saki made them tea. He’d never had tea before but found he loved it. It was soothing and warm. It was the first thing that he had that he didn’t have to force himself to keep trying until he liked or tolerated it. He found himself happier than he’d been since his mom first brought him here as he sat talking to Mr. Saki about all sorts of things.
He was kind and talked back to Leonardo, never seeming bored or annoyed like most adults did. They talked and talked, well mostly Leonardo did, until his mom came rushing in with a cry of his name. She hugged him tight when he ran up to her and he began to excitedly tell her about his time with Mr. Saki.
His mom just sat them at the table where he was before and listened to him with shiny eyes. He didn’t even think about the reason for Mr. Saki being there in the first place. He just felt happy to have a new friend.
Life continued on much the same for the next four months. Mr. Saki came over at least once a week for dinner and his mom had a healthy glow about her. She had stopped dying her hair. Ginger roots were starting to show and the blond was fading from her own white forelock. Leonardo always knew he was smaller than most kids his age but even he was getting softer and less gaunt, as his mom liked to point out when she squeezed him in a hug.
They had a routine and stability. He usually woke before his mom and was the one to wake her. One thing he learned about his mom was that when she felt safe she slept like the dead. She would grab him and tickle him before they settled down to watch the morning cartoons.
After breakfast he would go to daycare and his mom would go to work. Around 6 P.M. she would pick him and they would walk home discussing their day. They would spend time playing and reading and watching TV before dinner. Bath time was his favorite part of the day. They would do each other's hair as they’d always done. Only now there was no blood and no fear. Leonardo never knew he could feel this happy.
It was around six months of living in their new home when his mom disappeared. Leonardo didn’t know when or why. It had been a normal day. Mr. Saki ate dinner with them before telling them he’d be going on a trip for the next month. Leonardo asked why but wasn’t given an answer, he was just shooed out of the room. His mom and Mr. Saki spoke in hushed voices but he paid it no mind and instead went to play in his room.
He felt a little worried about what could be going on but he trusted the adults. Still, when his eyes landed on the stuffed blue unicorn, he knew what he wanted to do. When his mom called out for him to say goodbye to Mr. Saki he ran out with the unicorn. Leonardo shoved it into his arms quickly before hugging Mr. Saki around the knees and backing away.
“I wan’ you to have dis, Mr. Saki. So you ‘member to come home,” Leonardo with a wide grin, showing off his missing front tooth. Mr. Saki tried to protest but Leonardo was stubborn. The unicorn went with him in the end.
His mom put him to bed after as it had gotten late. He fell asleep fast but ended up waking up a few hours later. He tried to go back to sleep but became thirsty and decided to get some water.
He padded through the living room and into the entryway to the kitchen. Coming back through the archway to the entryway he noticed his mom's missing shoes in the shoe basket. She wasn’t in her room when he went to look. He wasn’t sure what to do so he climbed into her bed and waited. At some point he fell into a fitful sleep. When he woke again it was 8 A.M. and she was still gone.
She never came back. He was alone for the first time in his short life.
Leonardo barely remembered that week. After three days he asked the neighbor for help but they didn’t help. On day four he decided to leave and try to find his mom on his own. He first searched the now familiar area where they lived. She was nowhere to be found though. He thought about trying to find where his mom worked with Mr. Saki but he’d never been there before.
He decided to try to find his way back to the shelter they frequented. While he got lost several times he eventually found his way back. Not before having to spend the two nights wedged behind different dumpsters first.
The shelter workers recognized him, no doubt his now dirty appearance helped. He looked just like he used to, except for his now matted hair. They called for help. When the police came he told them his mom was missing. That’s when one of the workers revealed his mom had been at the shelter two days before. She told the worker Leonardo was dead and she was leaving the state. Leonardo didn’t remember what happened after that at all.
Seven days after his mom left he was in a room with three other kids in a building full of even more kids. On day eight a woman tried to cut his hair but didn’t succeed in anything other than gaining a bite on her arm. On day nine he realized it was July 25th, he’d been five for a week now. The next day the same woman who tried to cut his hair tried again.
This time she had two other men with her and Leonardo knew they’d be successful this time. He still tried to fight though. He was screaming wordlessly when a new man entered the room and stopped them. He hid under a couch as the new man loudly scolded them. Leonardo realized three other boys were in the room, having entered behind the man. They stood to the side as the man shooed the others out.
When the man turned Leonardo finally got a good look at him. The first thing he noticed was the eyes, which were the same as his, just like Mr. Saki’s were. The man bent down and when he smiled Leonardo was again reminded of Mr. Saki. It made him sad as he had a feeling he’d never see Mr. Saki again, just like his mom.
“Hello, little one. My name is Hamato Yoshi. Some people call me Splinter, you could call me that too,” Leonardo didn’t respond, he just scooted even further back.
“Please do not worry, child. I will not allow them to harm you again,” Splinter’s eyes were earnest. Leonardo didn’t know why but he felt like he could trust the man.
So, when Splinter held out his hand to Leonardo, he slowly came out to take it. They sat on their knees facing each other now. Leonardo couldn’t bring himself to look up at the Splinter and instead stared down at the man’s knees. Splinter gestured for the boys to come closer and they sat next to Splinter.
“These are my sons. Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo,” Splinter gestured to each of them as he spoke. They all had black hair and the same eyes like Leonardo but were otherwise different. Raphael’s hair was to his warm brown shoulders and quite spiky. There was a sharp snaggle tooth Leonardo could see when Raphael smiled shyly at him. Michelangelo was the smallest with rich black skin and fluffy curls surrounding his head. He hid behind Raphael who was the biggest. Donatello’s hair was short and wild around his head. He looked a lot like Leonardo strangely; the only difference Leonardo noticed other than his light beige skin was that Donatello didn't have white forelocks or birthmarks under his eyes. The big glasses on his face seemed quite familiar.
Unbeknown to Leonardo, Splinter was watching him with a pained expression. When Leonardo looked back at him he quickly smiled again. He continued speaking, “The social workers told me you haven’t spoken so they aren’t sure what happened. You do not have to tell me though, you will never, ever have to talk to me if you do not wish to.”
Splinter took a deep breath before continuing somewhat nervously, “You see, Leonardo, the workers were able to find that I am your… father,” Leonardo’s eyes widened, “I will care for you in every way possible, Leonardo, so please let me help you.”
Leonardo wasn’t sure what to say or what to even think. It’d only been him and his mom for forever. He always thought he just never had a dad. He was exhausted though. He felt like he didn’t understand anything anymore.
Leonardo stood. He was now almost eye level with Splinter and he stared into the eyes of the man who was apparently his father. Without conscious thought he shuffled forward until he collapsed in his father’s arms.
He buried his face in Splinter’s neck and gripped the collar of his shirt tightly. Splinter wrapped his arms around Leonardo’s small body in a tight hold. Tears slipped from his eyes but he didn’t make a sound unlike Splinter whose breaths were stuttering as he tried not to sob. His own tears running down his cheeks. Leonardo felt the other boys, his brothers he realized, gather around them to join the embrace as well.
Leonardo fell asleep just minutes after.
When he woke up, he had a whole new life.