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The day was nearly gone when there was a soft knock on Leonardo’s door. He sighed to himself softly; likely nothing more than another commission, someone else who required his services. Of course, Leonardo thought nothing wrong of making others happy with his paintings. People loved his work (when he actually finished it) and it brought them joy. Leonardo loved pleasing people, and he loved making others happy…
… However, it never succeeded to fill the empty space in his own heart.
Men had come and gone – he kept things quiet, as was the way things worked for people like him – but no one stayed very long. He could never blame them. One accusation of sodomy was enough for him, and while he believed that people ought to be free to be who they wished and enjoy their lives without the judgment of others, his fear trumped his bravery, and he knew he would be left to be holed up in his studio for as long as he lived.
Realizing he’d been lost in thought for a few seconds, he hadn’t noticed that the person on the other side of the door had knocked again, louder than before, and Leonardo quickly moved to get it, stepping around his large table to get to the door. “Coming!” He called, adjusting his hat and his clothes as he paced across the room. Apparently, the visitor was not patient enough to wait. The door opened and Leonardo stopped, his face contorted first in confusion, then in shock.
Leonardo had not seen Ezio in years. He seemed taller, his clothes slightly different from when they’d been in Firenze and Leonardo was creating his first hidden blade… they were worn, but they fit him more closely. One didn’t need much imagination to see his physique beneath the outfit, with belts that held fast to his waist and hips and sheaths that held his many weapons. More than before, Leonardo noted. And that hood… that damn hood that, while it concealed Ezio’s identity, was only an obvious mark to Leonardo. Ezio pulled the hood back when he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, revealing the beginnings of a beard coming in, a slightly aged face, but the same brown eyes that Leonardo often thought fondly of.
Ezio smiled a little, a half smile that read both as a greeting and an apology. “Buongiorno, amico mio,” he said pleasantly, and Leonardo noticed again that his voice was a little lower. Was there anything that had not changed about him?
Still in a stunned silence, Leonardo reached out and gripped the edge of the table that was covered in his most recent sketches. Ezio was here… after how many years? How many seasons had passed without a word from his most dear friend? His friend who brought him the most fascinating requests, his friend who protected him from the guards who asked – or beat him – until they got their answers. Their small adventures in the past had surely brought them close over time… but apparently their friendship meant more to Leonardo than Ezio. A small rush of anger pulsed through Leonardo’s veins, and suddenly he wasn’t in such a good mood anymore. Not like he was to begin with; now it was just worse.
Ezio cocked his head slightly to one side (damn him, Leonardo thought as he felt his heart flutter for a brief moment) as he frowned. “Leonardo…?” He stepped forward, but Leonardo stepped back. His hand still held fast to the table.
“You… you’re here.” It was all he could fathom saying. It was so stupidly obvious, but it was all he could think of.
“Sì, I suppose I am… You’re here too, Leonardo,” he added with a small laugh. Leonardo’s expression didn’t change, so Ezio’s smile didn’t last.
“Where… where have you been?!” He suddenly demanded, and Ezio’s eyes widened a fraction.
“I have been all over. The stories I could tell you, Leonardo, about Italia and the world—”
“Save your stories, Ezio!” He snapped, and Ezio stopped cold.
“Something troubles you.” He stated it plainly, and whilst Leonardo knew it was a prompt for him to say why, he couldn’t help the underlying desire to say that of course he was troubled.
Leonardo’s hand tightened on the wood of the table. “How many years has it been, Ezio? I cannot write to you, because I do not know where you are. But I never move. I never leave. You are a busy man, but too busy to write a letter, a sentence, anything to at least ease my mind that you are still alive?!”
“You don’t understand—”
“I do, Ezio Auditore!” He shouted, his heart racing and his hands balled at his sides, his knuckles white. “I understand that a great Assassin like yourself needs to be unknown to the world! You can exchange letters with Antonio and Rosa and likely your family as well, but you cannot spare anything for me?”
Ezio paced forward, his arms open to Leonardo. “You must hear me ou—” But before Ezio could finish or Leonardo could think, a fist had collided with Ezio’s jaw, snapping his head to the right and leaving the studio in a heavy silence. The loose parts of Ezio’s hair shielded his face, and as soon as Leonardo withdrew his hand, he felt his heart tighten painfully as he pulled his hand back to his chest, his knuckles throbbing.
“Oh, Ezio… Ezio, I…” He tentatively reached out, but he pulled his hands back and took a half step back, mortified. Had he really just punched him like that? Had he lost his composure to the point that blind fury had made him harm his dearest friend?
But to his surprise, Ezio was chuckling.
“My, Leonardo… have you had some training of your own while I was away?” He held a hand tenderly to his jaw and his lip was split right at the corner, but he was grinning like the damn fool he was.
“I… how are you finding this amusing?!” Leonardo clutched at his own doublet over his chest, then winced momentarily at the pain in his hand that shot down his arm. He needed to find something to ease Ezio’s pain. “Mi dispiace, I never… Ezio, I never intended to harm you, dio mio, I don’t know what came over me. Please, sit, I must find something…” He finally ducked his head and turned to hurry away to whatever medicine he could find, but a hand had shot out and caught his wrist. Leonardo stopped, still holding his wounded hand to his chest, but his eyes were fixed on his captured one that connected him to the Assassin.
“There is nothing you must do for me. After everything, I am the one who is in your debt.”
Leonardo shook his head. “Nonsense, please. Sit down, I have to… there’s medicine you may use, I always kept some in case you…” his sentence trailed off and Ezio sighed softly, his grip on his wrist somehow becoming gentler. Perhaps it was the way that Ezio no longer held him to keep him from running away, but instead let his fingers rest over the inside of his wrist where his pulse raced.
“Have you waited for me, all this time?” Ezio asked softly, tugging Leonardo closer, his expression concerned.
Leonardo didn’t know how to answer, so he didn’t. His eyes were drawn elsewhere, the hand over his chest picking idly at the delicate threads that embroidered his clothing.
“Leonardo,” he said softly, chiding him. “I never… I will always return to you, mi amico. You must know that.”
Again, he wasn’t sure how to answer. He opened his mouth, but only a sigh escaped. It took him a minute to find the words, but even then they were still sloppy. “Ezio, you… I understand that you work hard to remain anonymous. You cannot be discovered, and I think upon second thoughts that I would be utterly inconsolable with the knowledge that a letter to me was the reason you were discovered. It is selfish and inconsiderate to demand this from you. I suppose I thought… I thought that I would hear from you, just once.” Leonardo let out a small laugh through his nose, then shrugged. “It’s greedy, isn’t it?”
“No, Leonardo… you are not wrong to think that way. I suppose that my fear for your safety brought too much worry to send you anything. Anyone could have infiltrated a letter I’d sent you and found my location. But they could also have tracked you down and hurt you, or worse… So I would have been the inconsolable one if I had dragged you into matters with which you had no involvement – again. I’ve done it many times already…”
“Quiet, Ezio. I knew what I was getting myself into when you came with the blade designs. I knew that men would be after you, and in turn, possibly me. However it still baffles me, since I hold almost no threat at all…”
“That’s not true.” And as soon as Ezio said it, he wished the thought had stayed in his mind.
Leonardo looked up at him questioningly. “Oh?”
“I, uh…” Ezio looked away, feeling his face heat up. He was never one to be embarrassed. He still couldn’t muster the courage to say it; he could kill a hundred men and jump from the highest buildings and live a life of pure stealth, always on the run, but he could never get the words out. You are my biggest threat; you are my most devastating weakness, Leonardo.
Leonardo wanted to know, desperately, but he shook his head. A warm smile would dispel whatever nerves had taken hold of Ezio right then. “I will no pry, Ezio. The fact is, you are here now. Here you come, likely expecting a warm welcome, and I… ah, the medicine!” His face appeared aghast. “Why didn’t you say something?!” And before Ezio could say anything, Leonardo had turned, pulled his hand from Ezio’s, and had gone to his back room, rummaging through the likely messy cabinets to find the medicine he was looking for.
Smiling to himself once more, Ezio watched as Leonardo fished through the drawers and pulled out small vials of medicine he could use. It would ease the pain, but for Ezio, the brilliant smile and the melodic laugh Leonardo had would take away any pain he had. It had done so in the past over and over, and that would certainly never change.
“Ah, here it is.” Leonardo held the vial up, grinning now, and walked back over to Ezio and taking his arm in a gentle grasp. “Now I must insist, you need to sit down.”
Ezio gave a small grunt but surrendered all the same. He sat down in one of Leonardo’s chairs that was shockingly clear of any papers or schematics. Making himself comfortable, Leonardo set the vial of medicine on the arm of the chair and moved Ezio’s hair back behind his ear, taking a hold of his chin and tilting it to the best angle where the light would shine on it the best. Ezio didn’t protest, simply let Leonardo work. He had leaned in rather close, his eyes fixed right on his jaw where the bruise had begun to bloom and mar his complexion. Ezio’s gaze was focused on Leonardo’s, his bright blue eyes knowledgeable and intrigued and calculating, knowing just what to do. Lost In his gaze a little too long, he didn’t notice that Leonardo was applying the medicine until he felt a suddenly cool finger against his skin. He jumped a little and Leonardo tsk’ed him beneath his breath, chiding him for jerking away. With a muttered apology, he sat still once more, letting Leonardo work.
His eyes eventually fell to the hand that was still held close to his side, now having fallen from his chest. Ezio observed Leonardo’s reddened knuckles and reached out slowly, letting his fingers brush over Leonardo’s hopefully without distracting him too much. Leonardo hesitated only for a moment, his eyes flickering towards Ezio’s briefly before he continued his work. Ezio did it again, and this time Leonardo couldn’t act like it hadn’t happened.
“Be sure to save some of that medicine for yourself, amico mio,” Ezio said lowly, his hand now taking hold of Leonardo’s. “My jaw seems to have fought back against your hand.”
“It will be fine, just sore for a little while.”
A feeling of guilt suddenly settled in his stomach when he made a sudden realization. “This is your dominant hand, Leonardo. I’ll be setting you back in your work for days.”
Leonardo made a derisive sound, rolling his eyes. “It’s not like I was getting anything done. Perhaps I can put my mind to other uses, give my hands a break.” He smirked to himself, his finger adding some medicine to his lip where the cut was slowly healing. “Besides, knowing that I punched the great Ezio Auditore da Firenze… I’ll have bragging rights for a little while, including the proof to show I did it.”
Ezio rolled his eyes and grinned, not caring about the small pain where the cut stretched. “Of course that would be your priority.”
“But of course! Not many people can say they took on the great Assassin and live to tell the tale.”
“That is very true,” Ezio said with a nod, enjoying the playful conversation between them. A more comfortable silence fell over them, and it took Ezio another few moments to notice that their hands were still joined, now holding one another’s more comfortably. Ezio didn’t complain of course; he didn’t dare to.
“There,” Leonardo said softly, pulling back a little. Ezio already missed their proximity and held fast to his hand, not wishing to lose that connection again. “You will be good as new in a matter of days.”
“Bene,” Ezio nodded, smiling softly his eyes unsure whether to look into Leonardo’s again or back at their hands. It amazed him in that moment how Ezio could have almost any woman he wanted, could make his intentions so clear, but as soon as Leonardo so much as smiled or spoke a single endearing word, Ezio’s heart was racing and his stomach tied itself in knots. He was like a young teen again, unable to figure out what to say or what to do.
Leonardo turned to pull away, and out of instinct – or perhaps fear – Ezio grasped his hand a little tighter to prevent him from going. But of course, forgetting his friend’s pain, Leonardo hissed and stopped immediately, withdrawing his hand with Ezio’s still holding on. He cursed and loosened his hold, apologizing. “Cazzo, I forgot…” He felt his face heat up and a flush rise up the back of his neck. Idiota! “I only… I didn’t mean to…”
“No, of course, I understand.” Leonardo’s expression still appeared wounded however.
Ezio was silent before he realized that he ought to say something. “I… y-your hand…”
“Ezio, I must insist, it is nothing—”
“Not to me.” Thinking better from his last mistake, he shifted his hand over Leonardo’s wrist and sat up straighter, fetching the medicine from him. He looked up at Leonardo for a brief moment right when he opened the bottle with his teeth, and he could have sworn he saw a blush creep over his cheeks right then. He returned his attention to Leonardo’s hand quickly then. He shook his head to himself; it had to have been his imagination, ever hopeful. Applying the medicine to his knuckles, he felt the tension release a little, making his mind ease at being the inadvertent cause of his pain. He would heal sooner this way.
As soon as he finished, he put the cap over the vial and handed it back to Leonardo, who was still for a moment before nodding. “I’ll just put this away,” he said absently, turning and walking over to his cabinet. He spared a look at Ezio over his shoulder once, but thought better of it and busied himself with storing the vial away once more. He was back by Ezio’s side in less than a minute, giving him space as he stood and touched a hand to his jaw experimentally. He winced a little, but smiled all the same.
“Grazie, Leonardo.” He reached a hand to rest on Leonardo’s shoulder, squeezing gently. Leonardo smiled, shaking his head.
“Di niente,” He said with a smile, bowing his head briefly. “I do it because I want to. There is no debt to be paid here. After all, I was the one who did this in the first place…” His smile turned bashful, and Ezio grinned again.
“A fact you will never let me live down.” He finally let his hand drop, regretfully.
“Never.” He paused for a moment, and Ezio noticed how he looked down at his injured hand, still smiling. He could only imagine what his friend could possibly be thinking. “Now, Ezio,” he said, snapping Ezio from his thoughts. “Did you have anything you needed from me? Codex pages, a repair, anything?”
Ezio opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He really had no real purpose to be here. He had only wanted to see Leonardo again, in person… after the amount of time that had passed, he had thought of nothing else the moment he’d stepped foot in Venezia.
“I suppose,” he started, a little awkwardly, “I only wished to see you, for myself.”
As simple as they were, the words shocked Leonardo. “… Really?”
He smiled this time. “I wanted to see my best friend. Is that so bad?”
Leonardo bit his lip, then smiled, trying to contain his grin. “Of course not.” He opened his arms to Ezio, and Ezio needed no prompt to step forward and accept his hug. His hand clapped his shoulder and his arms wrapped tightly around Leonardo, holding him close against himself. Leonardo was just barely taller than he was, but it was no challenge to turn his head towards his friend and breathe in his familiar scent: oils and paints and canvas, along with other scents. It was welcoming and oh so familiar, and it was all Ezio could want. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment, sure that Leonardo would be the first to pull away. After all, Ezio had no intention of letting go.
Leonardo, however, wasn’t letting go either.
Ezio swallowed thickly after a moment, wondering if he ought to pull back. But he wasn’t protesting, and neither was Leonardo… why should he? It seemed to be against both of their wills, but they slowly pulled apart, Leonardo’s hands slowly sliding from his back and over his shoulders – Ezio should not have found as much pleasure frovem that feeling as he did – and rested on his armor, gripping it in a sure hold. “Promise me something, Ezio.” His voice was no more than a whisper, low and serious.
Ezio’s hands had come around to Leonardo’s shoulders as well, but they were slipping more towards his waist than they ought to. “Anything.”
Leonardo swallowed, his eyes searching Ezio’s. “Do not remove yourself from my life for as long as you did. I could not possibly bear that again.”
Without even thinking, Ezio nodded. “I won’t do it again. You have my word.”
Leonardo took a slow, somewhat shaky breath, nodding, his eyes looking down for a moment… at his lips? He couldn’t tell, it was hard to focus; he could have sworn he’d pulled him closer, or maybe he’d stepped towards him. They were closer, it was all Ezio knew. Leonardo licked his lips and his eyes were alight with something, thoughtful and contemplating. Meanwhile Ezio he felt dizzy and eager and his hands slid lower still now residing just over his waist.
And just like that, Leonardo smiled that sweet smile and stepped back. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he turned away nervously and went back to his desk, hands clasped over his own stomach and eyes searching for something. Within a minute he was chattering about a design he’d thought up that would serve the assassin’s well, but all Ezio could think about was the feeling of Leonardo’s waist beneath his. He sighed softly, feeling like he’d lost an honest opportunity. But to do what, he wasn’t entirely sure. Maybe it was best that nothing happened…
At Leonardo’s beckoning call, Ezio took his place beside him with slow steps. He placed both hands on the desk, refusing the urge to let one arm loop around behind Leonardo’s waist. Perhaps another time. Maybe then he would have the courage to say something, to act upon his desires… for now though, he would let Leonardo remain without another burden on his shoulders. Even if something happened… Ezio couldn’t stay in Venezia for long. He would be gone by tomorrow morning, if not sooner, back to complete more assassinations to further his cause. There were so many things to do, too many risks to getting Leonardo even more involved. Standing beside Leonardo, his mind wandered to imagining a different life; a life where he settled, where he retired from his position as an Assassin and let Antonio take over, or Mario upkeep Monteriggioni and finish its repairs. But he couldn’t. He still had to finish his father’s work. He had responsibilities to the Assassins. He couldn’t just walk away.
He tried to figure out just how many years it would take to finish what he had to do. He wondered if Leonardo would be willing to wait for him.
He could only pray that Leonardo wanted him at all to begin with.