A low whine was filtering through the many layers of cloth, and Leonardo gently lay his hand on the mound the tail led into. The lump twitched, and the dark swaying tail froze. Leonardo began carefully pulling the blankets up and off, an oversized pillow the last layer hiding Ezio from view. Two hands gripped the pillow tightly, and the distressed whine once again reached Leonardo’s ears. The pillow was gently tugged on, but Ezio refused to relinquish his grip on it.
“What’s the matter, Ezio?” Leonardo asked, hoping his voice would coax the assassin out from hiding. He carefully tugged on the pillow again and could hear something strangled out from Ezio, a strange muffled noise against cloth. “Ezio, please, let me see you. Did you hurt yourself? Is that it?”
“Hnnn...”
“Ezio,” Leonardo nearly bit out, frustration at the entire situation winding his nerves even tighter. He let out an explosive sigh, and could feel the small body twitch. The brief tug of war had scooted Ezio further up in his “nest,” dark head peeping out from under the pillow, ears twitching and swiveling briefly before pressing down flat against his head. Golden eyes peeked out at Leonardo, and the irritation bled right out of him. Those eyes were puffy and red – Ezio had been crying. The assassin twitched, breath hitching and hiccuping as he obviously tried to calm down.
“Why have you been crying, my friend?” Leonardo kept his voice low, hoping to help calm Ezio down. While the boy still didn’t seem to understand him, Leonardo had found that the sound of his voice was usually enough to do the trick. He reached out to lay his hand between those dark ears, but Ezio jerked back. The child-assassin scooted further into the corner and buried his face back into the pillow, trembling. Leonardo froze like that for a brief moment before settling his hand on Ezio’s head, carefully petting the ears and smoothing the tangled hair back.
“It’s alright. Shh...shhhh....”
“....ssrr’y...”
It was such a quiet sound that at first Leonardo thought it to be nothing more than whimpers. But as the sound grew in volume, Leonardo couldn’t help but stare at Ezio as the boy rocked back and forth.
“...sr’y—srry! So—rrryyy, soory!”
“Ezio--”
“Sorry, sorry-sorry-sorry--!”
Over and over, Ezio was apologizing and Leonardo quickly picked him up, pillow and all. He hugged his friend as the mantra of “sorry” spilled from Ezio’s lips. Leonardo slowly rocked the bundle in his arms, pressing his face into the top of that dark head, murmuring comforting words into the hair, hoping the motions would help soothe whatever had caused the panicked reaction.
Finally Ezio calmed, and Leonardo pulled back, carefully coaxing the small form to look up at him. Those gold eyes were even more swollen and red, and Ezio blinked dazedly at him. The small body was twitching with every hitched breath, and Leonardo could see the exhaustion from the panic and crying begin to catch up with the boy.
“Ezio, do you understand me?” He had to ask, had to know if finally, finally his friend was recovering. Perhaps the effects of the Apple would simply wear off on their own? Leonardo could only hope that this would be the case.
“Ez–ez...zio?” Ezio mumbled, eyes drooping even further down. The questioning lilt to the name made Leonardo tighten his hold, but he nodded anyway.
“That’s right. Ezio. That’s your name.”
“Ez-io. Im’m Ezio.” The dark head sagged down even further. “S-sorry...’eo. Lrn-do...”
The ache that settled in his chest was a familiar one, but unlike the last several days, hope was also blooming there. Leonardo settled back into the corner he’d picked Ezio up out of, content to simply sit there while Ezio fell asleep. Things finally were beginning to turn towards the better.
Adopted 15c/??
“What’s the matter, Ezio?” Leonardo asked, hoping his voice would coax the assassin out from hiding. He carefully tugged on the pillow again and could hear something strangled out from Ezio, a strange muffled noise against cloth. “Ezio, please, let me see you. Did you hurt yourself? Is that it?”
“Hnnn...”
“Ezio,” Leonardo nearly bit out, frustration at the entire situation winding his nerves even tighter. He let out an explosive sigh, and could feel the small body twitch. The brief tug of war had scooted Ezio further up in his “nest,” dark head peeping out from under the pillow, ears twitching and swiveling briefly before pressing down flat against his head. Golden eyes peeked out at Leonardo, and the irritation bled right out of him. Those eyes were puffy and red – Ezio had been crying. The assassin twitched, breath hitching and hiccuping as he obviously tried to calm down.
“Why have you been crying, my friend?” Leonardo kept his voice low, hoping to help calm Ezio down. While the boy still didn’t seem to understand him, Leonardo had found that the sound of his voice was usually enough to do the trick. He reached out to lay his hand between those dark ears, but Ezio jerked back. The child-assassin scooted further into the corner and buried his face back into the pillow, trembling. Leonardo froze like that for a brief moment before settling his hand on Ezio’s head, carefully petting the ears and smoothing the tangled hair back.
“It’s alright. Shh...shhhh....”
“....ssrr’y...”
It was such a quiet sound that at first Leonardo thought it to be nothing more than whimpers. But as the sound grew in volume, Leonardo couldn’t help but stare at Ezio as the boy rocked back and forth.
“...sr’y—srry! So—rrryyy, soory!”
“Ezio--”
“Sorry, sorry-sorry-sorry--!”
Over and over, Ezio was apologizing and Leonardo quickly picked him up, pillow and all. He hugged his friend as the mantra of “sorry” spilled from Ezio’s lips. Leonardo slowly rocked the bundle in his arms, pressing his face into the top of that dark head, murmuring comforting words into the hair, hoping the motions would help soothe whatever had caused the panicked reaction.
Finally Ezio calmed, and Leonardo pulled back, carefully coaxing the small form to look up at him. Those gold eyes were even more swollen and red, and Ezio blinked dazedly at him. The small body was twitching with every hitched breath, and Leonardo could see the exhaustion from the panic and crying begin to catch up with the boy.
“Ezio, do you understand me?” He had to ask, had to know if finally, finally his friend was recovering. Perhaps the effects of the Apple would simply wear off on their own? Leonardo could only hope that this would be the case.
“Ez–ez...zio?” Ezio mumbled, eyes drooping even further down. The questioning lilt to the name made Leonardo tighten his hold, but he nodded anyway.
“That’s right. Ezio. That’s your name.”
“Ez-io. Im’m Ezio.” The dark head sagged down even further. “S-sorry...’eo. Lrn-do...”
The ache that settled in his chest was a familiar one, but unlike the last several days, hope was also blooming there. Leonardo settled back into the corner he’d picked Ezio up out of, content to simply sit there while Ezio fell asleep. Things finally were beginning to turn towards the better.