Chapter Text
Leo was really lucky to have his job—they usually didn’t hire anyone his age, but since he was legally emancipated, and a college student, and passed their self-defense assessment with flying colors, they made an exception.
His immediate supervisor was ex-Navy, built like a tank and as solid as a brick wall, and he was one of the kindest men Leo had ever met. He was born in the states, but most of his family still lived overseas, and he had pictures of all his nieces and nephews in his wallet.
He thought sensei really would have liked him.
“What kinda training do you have, anyway?” Usagi Miyamoto asked, still laughing, while a red-faced Leo bowed over the report he was scribbling out and did his best not to make eye-contact. “I have never seen someone use a broom like that before—like it was a sword.”
“Well, he—he startled me,” Leo said defensively. “He was drunk, and upsetting the patrons, I didn’t expect him to—”
“Always expect them to,” the man said, smile fading just a little into something more serious. “I don’t want to have to make the call to your parents the day you end up in the hospital when some mook with a pocket knife gets the better of you because you didn’t expect him to. That’s what those two weeks of training were for, Leonardo.”
Leo felt himself go a little stiff, heart aching at the accidental jab, but he squared his shoulders and nodded. “You’re right, I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”
He didn’t see it when Usagi’s eyes softened, and whatever the man started to say was interrupted by their coworker on the intercom.
“Hey boys, are you free?”
“Sure, Ame, the kid and I are on break. Gen has the floor. What do you need?”
“Leo’s got some visitors.”
Leo’s head snapped up at that, and he stood from the desk, report forgotten. “How many of them?”
“Only two,” Ame said with a knowing lilt to her voice. Leo could picture her smiling into the phone. “They’re on their way back already, I just thought I’d give you the heads up.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie. And if I don’t see you before I leave, Merry Christmas!”
The door rattled open about two seconds after the line disconnected, and then Leo had an armful of little brother.
“Hi, Leo!”
“Hi, Mikey.” He couldn’t help but smile, even as he added, “You know you’re not supposed to come see me at work. What if I was busy?”
“You weren’t though,” came the unrepentant reply. “And besides, it’s Christmas Eve—I brought you cookies!”
“Sorry, Leo,” Donnie said from the door, not sounding very sorry at all. “He bribed me.”
“I’ll bet he did,” Leo said dryly. All it took from Mikey was a well-placed please? and a blink of those big baby blues, and his brothers were as good as putty in his hands. “Usagi, these are two of my little brothers. Donatello and Michelangelo. Guys, this is my supervisor, Usagi Miyamoto.”
“Well look at that, there’s a whole clan,” Usagi said, grinning kindly at them. “How many of you are there?”
“Four,” Donnie said. “The only one you haven’t met now is Raphael.”
“All the good ones end in “o”,” Mikey said smartly, and Donnie snorted a laugh. “Anyway, Leo, these are for you, since you won’t be home tomorrow. And I wanted to bring your presents, too, but Raph said you’d probably rather open them when you had time off.”
That was unexpectedly understanding of their more volatile counterpart; Leo blinked in surprise, even as he rubbed a hand through Mikey’s hair. The plastic container Donnie handed over was bright red and decorated with snowflakes and reindeer, and—pretty heavy. Looks like someone got overzealous with their baking again.
But it was that time of year. Leo could overlook it.
“Thanks a bunch, Mikey. Is it okay if I share with everyone here?”
“Sure! We already gave the lady out front a few, she was real nice. She said she’s going home for the holidays.” His beam faded a little, bit by bit, and by the time he opened his mouth, Leo knew exactly what was coming. “Leo, do you really have to—”
“Yes, Mikey,” he said, not unkindly. “We’ve talked about this. You’re gonna have a good time at the O'Neils’ tomorrow, okay?”
And there was the pout. Leo bit back a sigh. Mikey wasn’t trying to be difficult, he was just upset—the four of them had never spent a Christmas apart until now, and even with having talked about it before, the youngest Hamato had never really warmed to the idea of Leo missing out on festivities.
“But Raph was able to get the day off.”
“That’s because the garage is closed on Christmas,” Leo said patiently. “But the company I work for is contracted by a lot of different businesses, and they need people here on the holidays.”
The conversation was going nowhere. If anything, Mikey only looked decidedly more mulish. “Every time you get a shift off here, you have a shift at your other job. You work too much.”
Leo glanced over his head at Donnie, for help, maybe—but his brown-eyed brother was watching quietly, hands in his pockets. He shrugged one shoulder when Leo glanced at him, clearly an “you’re on your own, buddy” if Leo ever saw one. And next to him, Usagi’s easy-going smile was fading slowly, a frown line forming between his eyes. Leo swallowed, and crouched in front of Mikey, and did his best to look firm.
“You know why I do.”
Mikey only met his eyes for a second, then his head dipped low and he nodded, once. Leo was past wishing he didn’t have to play this role—past wishing he could spoil them with whatever they wanted, that there was a parent around to scold and fuss and delegate instead—but he still really hated moments like these.
“Hey, Mikey, c'mon.” Donnie put an arm around Mikey’s shoulders, giving him a playful nudge. “We still have a lot of stops to make with your Christmas cookies. And Mr. Murakami knows when you’re glum from a mile away, so shape up.”
Mikey rubbed his face with his sleeve, then tilted a smile up at Donnie. “Yeah, sure.”
He didn’t quite look at Leo even as he hugged him hard around the middle again, then turned quickly on his heel and waved a cheerful goodbye at Usagi as he tugged Donnie towards the door.
“Nice meeting you,” Donnie told Usagi, in that calm, quiet voice of his. “See you, Leo. Be safe, okay?”
And they were gone. Leo could hear them chattering as they headed down the hall—Donnie was always more lively when it was just him and Mikey, his slight lisp a little more pronounced—and by the time their voices had faded, Leo was behind his desk again, picking up his report where he’d left off and doing his best not to look in Usagi’s direction.
“Hey,” the man said after a minute. “What was all that about?”
Leo shrugged, eyes glued to the paperwork. “What it sounded like. Mikey, my little brother, doesn’t want me to work tomorrow.”
“And why are you working tomorrow?” Usagi’s voice was level and a little edged. He reached over and slid the report away, and Leo’s inkpen dragged a crooked trail across the margins. “Gen offered to take the shift, he doesn’t have any family around here.”
“'Cause—holiday pay is time and a half,” Leo said dumbly. It sounded almost like he was in trouble, but he hadn’t done anything—
“And why does a kid like you need to worry about that?” Usagi asked sharply. Leo blinked at him. “Good god, Leo. Until five minutes ago, I didn’t even know you had siblings. Now all of a sudden, I find out you’ve got three of ‘em, and you’re working two jobs, and one of your kid brothers is working, too?”
“It’s… it’s not work-related, I don’t have to—”
“Leo.” Usagi’s frowning at him, and his eyes are narrowed—but it’s not anger, it’s something closer to concern, which doesn’t make any sense. “Your brother was just here looking ready to throw a fit. Talk to me.”
And then, at that—because of what it must have looked like, and what Usagi might have been thinking—Leo found his voice. “It’s not his fault. He’s a really good kid. It’s just that our—” He tripped, verbally, and hated himself for it. Clearing his throat, and putting all his hurt and sorrow on a shelf in the back of his mind where it couldn’t get in the way, he continued evenly, “Our father passed away last year, and this is our first Christmas without him. Mikey just… wants us all to be together. But I can’t, I have to work.”
He wished he could give them everything they wanted, but he had to worry about what they needed first. And they needed a roof over their heads, and food, and warm clothes. Yoshi was gone, and the universe wouldn’t send them another blessing of his caliber. They were lucky enough to have had him for as long as they did—one kind stranger, one life-sized miracle, was all they would get. It was up to Leo now.
Usagi didn’t say anything after that, just looking at him with an expression Leo couldn’t read. So Leo put out his hands for his paperwork, hoping that was the end of the conversation, and Usagi—
Tossed the report onto his own desk. What?
“Get outta here,” his boss said. “Gen will take your shifts for the next few days. I can swing you some paid vacation days.”
“What? No, that's—I couldn't—”
“Yeah, you don’t have a choice, kid.” Leo just sat there, staring at him. Usagi’s stern demeanor didn’t change, but his eyes were soft as he leaned over to put a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me all your secrets, and I won’t pry anymore. But there’s gonna be a day when you’d do anything for a few extra hours with your family—when you’d give all the money in the world for one more Christmas at home. Trust me. Don’t miss out when you don’t have to.” He gave Leo a light jostle. “So get your stuff and clock out. Leave the cookies, though, I can smell ‘em from here.”
“Usagi,” Leo said, embarrassed that his voice was so close to breaking—but god, he was so tired, all the time, and just the idea of the luxury of a few days off—days off with pay—and his brothers would all be home from school for winter break, and Mikey would be so happy—
He stood, blinking wetly, and said, “Thank you. Thanks so much.”
“Take care of yourself, Leo,” Usagi said, with that serious half-smile from before. “For their sake, but for yours, too.”
“Yeah, I—of course, I will. Thank you.”
Leo ran most of the way through the building, imagining the expression on his baby brothers’ faces when he caught up with them—and thinking the whole time about how lucky he was to know all the kind people that he knew.