TMNT Imagines // Leonardo x Reader

A Box of Books.

Imagine Leonardo finding a box of old books.

They were just sitting there, outside on the steps of an old building. The box had “For Free” written across it and the turtle decideds to have a closer look.

The books are worn, the covers bent, the spines broken, and the pages yellowed. But as he flips through the box, he finds a few he likes. A book of fairytales from Japan, a collection of Robert Frost’s poems.

Leo hesitates for a moment. The box does say for free, no one would mind if he took them…

So he does. He slips the books into his backpack and took off after his brothers, desperate to catch up. They didn’t ask where he had been and, a few weeks later, he pays another visit.

The box is still there, with some new books inside of it. He takes a couple more and adds them to his shelf. Over the next few months, he continues to visit the little box on the porch, always walking away with a new book.

He didn’t know who had left them but he was thankful.

Imagine your mom calling you one day, sobbing over the phone to tell you that your grandfather had died in his sleep.

She’s heartbroken and you are too but you’re the only ones he had. Mom has to plan a funeral. And you have to pack up his place.

On the drive into the city, you think about your grandfather.

You remember all the stories he had read you, all the books he had given you over the years. Your grandparents had loved books and even called thier apartment “the Library.” When your grandmother died, he had been heartbroken.

He decided to get rid of his books, only a few at a time. It hurt to hear the old man turn away from his precious books, but overtime…he changed.

He began to sound happier over the phone.

He told you about the little box on his pourch and “the nice young man who always visited”.

“He’s strange looking, sweetie, but you don’t have to be pretty to read, you know. He always looks so happy when he leaves. I think Martha would like him…”

You smiled, pulling up to his tiny apartment.

There it was, the little box. Still filled with books.

You work hard through the day, packing and sorting through everything.

Keep, donate, keep, donate. Then one day…you’re packing away his old clothes when you hear it. A loud clatter near the porch.

You look out the window and freeze.

There in the darkness, a large turtle is sorting through the box with a smile on his face. As you stare at him, you start to remember a few other things your grandfather had said.

“Bright blue eyes…rather tall though…a big fella, reminds me of my old buddy Arnold…looks so happy when he leaves.”

Was this him?

Was this the guy who had made your grandfather so happy in his last few months?

You wanted to ask him, but just like that, he was gone. You ran outside, looking down at the box. A few books were indeed missing.

Looking behind you, you noticed a box of books you had packed and reached into it, pulling out a few.

You replaced the books he had taken, wondering if he would come back.
And then you returned to work.