TYSM, Gg, (Gg_swag) for helping me with the storyline and some of the characters' backstories. I couldn't have done it without you! (:

I'm not Rick btw, and these characters belong to him, okay, carry on, Sredaer!

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Chapter One

L

E

O

Leo woke up to the acrid smell of smoke filling his nostirls, it burned his eyes, making them water. "Mamá?"

He looked around frantically, and started coughing. He stumbled out of bed and tried to find his way to the door through the smoke. He reached it and clutched at the doornob, only to recoil with a cry of pain when the hot metal burned him.

He started pounding on the door, tears streaking down his cheeks, coughs racking his small frame.

He sobbed, leaning his small head underneath the doornob and tapping "I love you" in Morse code while his tears dripped off of his chin.

"LEO!"

His head jerked up, "MAMÁ?!"

"Leo, Leo, honey, I need you to stand back from the door."

Leo scrambled back, and suddenly the door exploded open and Esperanza burst in. Leo stumbled forward and fell into her arms.

She kissed the crown of his hair as she picked him up, "Everything is alright."

He buried his face in her shoulder, not wanting to see the flames licking up the walls, devouring family photos and drawings Leo had made with marker through the years.

She carried him to the window. Fireman were just starting to pull up, sirens filled the night. Leo's mom clutched him to her chest, he held tightly to her. Everything would be alright, as long as he held on.

He shut everything out. He could faintly hear firemen yelling, and his mamá crying. Why was she crying? Everything was okay now, they were together.

Leo's mom set him on the dresser, "Leo," She smiled at him, her eyes wide with fright, Leo reached out and wiped a tear from her face, "Honey, I need you to trust me, okay?"

Leo nodded.

"Stay here, Sweetie, don't move."

Flames were beginning to rush across the room. Leo stared in fascination, he whipped his head around as a shattering sound came from the other direction. His mamá stood at the now broken window, a trophy in her hand. She threw it down and ran over to Leo to pick him up then rushed back over to the window. She stood, looking down to the firemen two stories below, her cheeks wet with tears.

She set him on the window sill, and pushed curly locks of hair out of his eyes. "Leo, be strong for me, okay? Never be afraid, I'll always be there for you, in here." She touched his chest, right above his heart, he did the same to her.

She hugged him tightly for the last time, letting out a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob, and then leaned out and yelled something to the firemen.

"I'm so sorry, Leo."

She dropped him, screaming, into the arms of the strange men below, and then the roof collapsed.

* * * * *

Five years later, thirteen-year-old Leo sat at the table of his foster home, gritting his teeth. Behind him, he could hear people whispering.

"What a freak."

"I heard his mom died in a fire."

"I heard he killed her."

"He probably did."

"Yeah, he's a psycho."

"We'd better lock our doors."

"He's too scrawny, he couldn't kill us if he tried."

The others snickered at that. Leo pushed around the food on his plate, if you could call it food. It looked like someone had eaten it and thrown it up onto his plate for him to have. He suddenly didn't feel so hungry.

"Hey, freak show." He heard behind him. Leo gulped and turned around.

"What do you want this time, Richard, or should I say Dick?"

This earned a few laughs, Leo smirked cockily, he hoped he looked more confident than he felt.

Richard narrowed his eyes, "Say it again, freak."

"D-I-C-K," Leo spelt slowly, "Dick."

The bully's jaw tightened and in a movement faster than he could follow, Richard grabbed Leo's collar and yanked him to his feet, holding him so their faces were barely an inch apart. He could smell the other boy's breath, it wasn't pleasant.

"I'm going to wipe that cocky grin right off your stupid face."

Leo lifted his chin confidently, even though his heart was slamming around in his rib cage. "Go ahead."

"Hey! Leave him alone." Richard turned around, standing there was a handsome guy with rugged blonde hair and a scar on the corner of his lip.

"Stay out of this, Grace.

"Why should I?"

"Because I said so, and if you don't, you're next."

Leo gave him a look that he hoped was 'Run, save yourself! I can handle him, it's cool.' But was probably more like a cry for help.

"You don't scare me, Richard, now let him go before I pound your face in."

"Oh, are you two dating?" He turned to his victim again, "I knew you were a faggot, but I'd never guess the same for you, Grace."

Leo sighed, "We already discussed this while I was hanging from the flag pole, a faggot is a bundle of sticks. Do I look like a stick to you? Actually. . . Don't answer that."

Richard rolled his eyes, still holding him by the shirt, "That doesn't answer my question, bones."

Suddenly, Richard was yanked backward, Leo fell back onto the bench. The blonde kid pinned Richard against the wall, a low chorus of Oooooohhhhh's went through the room.

"I told you to leave him alone." He said in a low voice. "Bother him again and I'll do a lot worse."

He shoved him back into the bricks again before stepping back and storming away. Leo mock-saluted Richard with his middle finger and ran after him.

He closed in on him and caught the other boy by the arm, Mr. Hero started slightly and turned around.

"Thanks." Leo said.

He shrugged, "No problem, that guy's a real jerk."

"No kidding." Leo said. "Why didn't you tell him the truth? Everyone's gonna think we're dating now."

"I don't care what they think, and neither should you."

Leo grinned, "Thanks, man. I'm Leo," He held out his hand for him to shake, "And just for the record, I'm bi."

He laughed and shook Leo's hand, "Nice to meet you, Leo, I'm Jason."

* * * * *

"Time for another move?" Jason asked as he walked into the room to find his best friend stuffing his belongings into his backpack.

The Latino nodded, Jason noticed his cheeks were streaked with tears. He knew not to ask, if Leo wanted to talk about it, he'd tell him.

Jason started packing his things without hesitation. "Where to this time?"

Leo didn't look up, "I'm not sure yet, we'll figure it out once we're far away from here."

Jason nodded and they finished their work in silence. Together they slung their packs over their shoulders and set out to find a new home. Maybe this one would be different than the others. They could always hope.

* * * * *

Leo was now 16, Jason was 15, they'd been on the run for three years.

Leo felt like it was his fault. He knew it was. Jason always fit in, no matter where they went, but Leo just didn't. He was the one who dragged Jason away from every other friend he'd ever made since that day at Saint Juliet's.

They'd always run away from one foster home and live on the streets for a while, pickpocketing or finding work wherever they could. Then, somehow, someone would find out they were on their own, and they'd get sent to another one.

Once they were there, something would happen; he'd say something, do something, they'd find out he was bisexual, or make fun of his elfish ears or skin-and-bones build. It didn't matter what was the cause, Leo was always the target. He was like the sponsored punching bag for all of the world's douche bags. Eventually, when Leo couldn't take it anymore, they'd run again.

A few times, he'd tried to leave without Jason, but he always found out somehow and came with him. Nothing Leo did kept him from following and protecting him wherever he went.

He sat on the ledge outside their temporary bedroom, staring out at the city lights below. He didn't want to run anymore. He wanted to belong somewhere. He pulled his knees into his chest and rested his chin on them.

The only problem with that was no one but Jason cared about him in the least. Leo's heart ached, he squeezed his eyes shut.

Never be afraid, I'll always be there for you, in here.

"Where are you now?" Leo whispered into the wind, he looked down at the picture fluttering in his grasp. His mom held him out at arms length as he reached towards her face, they were both covered in oil and grease. They both looked happy.

Jason poked his head out the window, "You alright?"

Leo nodded without looking at him, and Jason climbed out to sit next to him. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to run anymore. I want to stay somewhere. I was to belong. I want people to like me for once. I want to stop hiding from problems and start facing them. I want to do something about it, Jason. There's an entire world out there. . . There has to be somewhere where I fit in. . . Right? I-I can't be alone. . ."

"Hey, Leo, you're not alone, okay? I'm your best friend, and I'll never let you be alone. Until the day you tell me to get lost, I'll be at your side."

"Jason. . . You're the only friend I've ever had. . . You and my mom. . . And she's dead." And that was my fault too.Leo finally turned his head to look at him.

"Then we'll find somewhere where you fit in. And if we can't find one, we'll make one."

An idea started forming in the back of his mind. Make one. He couldn't be the only outcast right? There had to be other people who felt just as alone as he did, had as many problems. At least he had Jason, other people didn't have anyone, or anything.

"THAT'S IT!"

He climbed over Jason and tumbled into the room, where he proceeded to fumble his way over to his desk and plop down in the chair. Leo began to vigorously draw on a large white paper, to anyone that wasn't looking at it over his shoulder, it probably looked like he was aimlessly scribbling all over it.

Jason stood across the room behind him, with a look on his face that was something between deep confusion, amusement, and concern for Leo's mental stability. He leaped sideways just in time to avoid the rolling chair, which flew backwards and slammed into the wall where he'd been, when Leo stood up.

The Latino whipped around and shoved the paper in Jason's face, "We'll make one. We'll make a place for kids like me. Like us. A home for runaways."

Jason stared down at the blueprint, it looked like the hull of a boat. "Leo. . . LEO YOU'RE A GENIUS!"

Leo grinned, "I know, it just comes naturally."

They burst out laughing together. Life was finally looking up for a change.

*wiggles eyebrows* What do ya think so far?

Btw, I have another Solangelo/Caleo Fanfiction that's a continuation of BoO :3

Anyways, carry on, sredaer!

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