The room erupted in noise then – accusations, Italian curses, cries of embarrassment and worry all left Leonardo unsure of where to start.
“Ehh, excuse me? Assassinos?”
The noise continued.
Leonardo tried again, a little louder, but was still drowned out by the yelling occurring around him. Yet when Leonardo caught sight of all four looking at him with shame and fear in their eyes he finally found his voice to silence them.
“Silencio! Boys, I said silencio!”
Four sets of eyes turned to him, their voices dulling a faint murmur. Satisfied he knows had their attention, Leonardo nodded to himself. His gaze softened upon seeing the looks of fear that were still in the eyes of the others in the room.
“Boys,” he began, his shy voice filling with warmth, “I would be most honored to be your Madre. And it would m-make me quite happy, I confess, to be wanted in such a way. You are all very polite, kind, and courageous. A mother could only dream of boys like you and i-if you see me as your – I mean, I would…”
The artist had to inhale deeply to continue, his next words leaving in ‘whoosh’ of an exhale. He felt his cheeks grow warm with a blush.
“I would be honored to be your Madre because I truly do care for you boys as though you were my sons. I’ve grown very fond of you this last week and you are dear to my heart now.”
The four boys gasped, their expressions changing rapidly from fear to hope.
“Truly?! We can call you our Mother!?” Vanze cried, his eyes alight.
“Si si, but,” Leonardo held up a paint-speckled finger, “I have one request.”
“Of course, anything! We will respect your wishes,” Rinaldo hurriedly soothed, earning nods of agreement from the younger boys.
Leonardo couldn’t help but smile again, his heart beating proudly against his ribcage and his chest expanding with warmth. He felt as though he could fly without the use of his flying machine in that moment.
“My request is that you call me Mamma,” the blond artist said. “For you to call ‘Mother’ is too formal. If we are to be a family of assassinos, I should think Mamma would be more fitting, no? You are my children now, after all.”
All four, young faces suddenly went slack, their eyes widening.
They held this expression and didn’t move. Leonardo felt uncertainty suddenly overtake him as he nervously flicked his blue eyes over them all.
Perhaps he had crossed a line? These boys had to have Mammas (real Mammas) somewhere out there and perhaps he had offended these women and their sons by asking this of them? Oh Mio Dios…
“If I speak too informally, mi dispache. You can call me Leonardo or anything else you wish! I meant no offense! I only that ‘Madre’ is too formal and I would like it, though you don’t have to if you wish!, for you to –”
“Call you Mamma?” Dasten said, still clutching the cold cloth to his forehead. Leonardo swallowed a lump and replied with a shaky nod.
“Thank you,” Dasten whispered quietly. His brown eyes were still wide and unguarded. “I’ve never had a Mamma.”
The four apprentices practically beamed at Leonardo then, and before the blond man could react, he had an armful of boys hugging him tightly around his waist.
“I never had one either. She dumped me in a trash bin when I was young –”
“I have always wanted a Mamma, and you’re perfect already!”
“Grazi, grazi!”
“We will do our best to not get injured so you need not worry about us, Mamma.”
“Si, si! We’ll complete every mission perfectly and bring you gifts if we go far way, so you will know that we missed you.”
They hugged him again multiple times, crying their thanks and praises at him before they left smiling. Once outside, the four walked in a happy silence until they reached the boundaries of the training ground again.
Their walking pace slowed and looks were exchanged between all four apprentices at that moment. Green and brown and blue eyes met for a few long moments as the apprentices read each others expressions. Four sets of eyes flickered to the room they had just left.
Re: FILL! Mamma, Mommy, Leonardo ~ Part 4
“Ehh, excuse me? Assassinos?”
The noise continued.
Leonardo tried again, a little louder, but was still drowned out by the yelling occurring around him. Yet when Leonardo caught sight of all four looking at him with shame and fear in their eyes he finally found his voice to silence them.
“Silencio! Boys, I said silencio!”
Four sets of eyes turned to him, their voices dulling a faint murmur. Satisfied he knows had their attention, Leonardo nodded to himself. His gaze softened upon seeing the looks of fear that were still in the eyes of the others in the room.
“Boys,” he began, his shy voice filling with warmth, “I would be most honored to be your Madre. And it would m-make me quite happy, I confess, to be wanted in such a way. You are all very polite, kind, and courageous. A mother could only dream of boys like you and i-if you see me as your – I mean, I would…”
The artist had to inhale deeply to continue, his next words leaving in ‘whoosh’ of an exhale. He felt his cheeks grow warm with a blush.
“I would be honored to be your Madre because I truly do care for you boys as though you were my sons. I’ve grown very fond of you this last week and you are dear to my heart now.”
The four boys gasped, their expressions changing rapidly from fear to hope.
“Truly?! We can call you our Mother!?” Vanze cried, his eyes alight.
“Si si, but,” Leonardo held up a paint-speckled finger, “I have one request.”
“Of course, anything! We will respect your wishes,” Rinaldo hurriedly soothed, earning nods of agreement from the younger boys.
Leonardo couldn’t help but smile again, his heart beating proudly against his ribcage and his chest expanding with warmth. He felt as though he could fly without the use of his flying machine in that moment.
“My request is that you call me Mamma,” the blond artist said. “For you to call ‘Mother’ is too formal. If we are to be a family of assassinos, I should think Mamma would be more fitting, no? You are my children now, after all.”
All four, young faces suddenly went slack, their eyes widening.
They held this expression and didn’t move. Leonardo felt uncertainty suddenly overtake him as he nervously flicked his blue eyes over them all.
Perhaps he had crossed a line? These boys had to have Mammas (real Mammas) somewhere out there and perhaps he had offended these women and their sons by asking this of them? Oh Mio Dios…
“If I speak too informally, mi dispache. You can call me Leonardo or anything else you wish! I meant no offense! I only that ‘Madre’ is too formal and I would like it, though you don’t have to if you wish!, for you to –”
“Call you Mamma?” Dasten said, still clutching the cold cloth to his forehead. Leonardo swallowed a lump and replied with a shaky nod.
“Thank you,” Dasten whispered quietly. His brown eyes were still wide and unguarded. “I’ve never had a Mamma.”
The four apprentices practically beamed at Leonardo then, and before the blond man could react, he had an armful of boys hugging him tightly around his waist.
“I never had one either. She dumped me in a trash bin when I was young –”
“I have always wanted a Mamma, and you’re perfect already!”
“Grazi, grazi!”
“We will do our best to not get injured so you need not worry about us, Mamma.”
“Si, si! We’ll complete every mission perfectly and bring you gifts if we go far way, so you will know that we missed you.”
They hugged him again multiple times, crying their thanks and praises at him before they left smiling. Once outside, the four walked in a happy silence until they reached the boundaries of the training ground again.
Their walking pace slowed and looks were exchanged between all four apprentices at that moment. Green and brown and blue eyes met for a few long moments as the apprentices read each others expressions. Four sets of eyes flickered to the room they had just left.
Then, they all grinned knowingly at one another.