Leonardo had to raise his head to look Ezio in the eye. “What?”
“They have asked you before.” Ezio shrugged nonchalantly, but Leonardo knew him better than that.
“You went through my mail.”
Ezio cringed, and Leonardo turned to put his feet on the floor. Ezio was not the type of man to fidget, but Leonardo did see him shift uncomfortably before he cracked.
“I like the little samples you get.”
-I must not laugh, I must not.- But Ezio’s affronted expression did make it so hard.
“If you want me to buy you something, there is no need-“ Ezio cut him off with a lazy gesture.
“No, no, I just like to think that they are sent to me.”
-Now I must not cry, I mustn’t.- Leonardo was a fair actor when he had to be, but Ezio was a master at reading intentions. With a sharp shake of his head, he cleared his throat and waved a finger under Leonardo’s nose. “That is not the point!”
“Sorry.” Contrition now and a talk about his mail later. “But teaching, Ezio? How could I even go about applying for such a job? It is the same problem as the classes.”
Ezio smirked. “It is not. Tomorrow, you will go down to the grounds and visit with some of your old colleagues. If anyone asks what you have been doing, you tell them that you got a huge job offer, but you are hesitant to take it. If the first person you talk to does not say you are welcome there, I will eat your hat.”
Now it was Ezio’s turn to be faced with Leonardo’s finger. “Do not threaten my hat.” Ezio backed down immediately, knowing how Leonardo loved the old thing.
“I apologize. Then you tell Rikkin that you cannot work for him because you have a prior obligation; you are giving back to the community that gave you so much. He already thinks you too sentimental for a man of science.”
Quiet ensued as Leonardo leaned his elbows on his knees, hands clasped and brow furrowed. He could feel Ezio’s eyes on him as he considered.
“It might work.” He sighed at last.
“I know it will work.” Ezio pulled Leonardo back against his armoured pauldron, but that wasn’t comfortable for either of them and it took them several moments to rearrange themselves to both their likings.
“So you say.” Leonardo said while his resituated himself leaning against Ezio’s chest. -I’m getting too big for this.- “But what classes could I possibly teach? Where would they put me?”
“Let the University worry about that. They have people there for just such things.” Ezio hand-waved, wrapping his right arm around Leonardo’s back to hold him in place.
Leonardo shifted his weight and turned to look awkwardly up at Ezio. “You don’t think they’ll be suspicious? It’s quite a coincidence, my taking a job there after refusing for years.”
Ezio sniffed. “You were young back then. Besides, it doesn’t matter. They will be too ecstatic at having such a genius in their midst to question it.” The squeeze to Leonardo’s ribs was bracing and affectionate.
“Flatterer. It is not a bad plan.”
“You would have come up with it yourself if you were not so fixated on being shot.”
“Thank you Ezio. Now I am thinking of it again.”
Ezio gave a groan, and a tender kiss was pressed into Leonardo’s hair. “Apologies. It seems I still need to learn to keep my mouth shut.”
“Who, you?” Leonardo snickered, and then yelped as a knuckle was ground into his head right where the kiss had been.
Childhood Fantasies, Part 11
Leonardo had to raise his head to look Ezio in the eye. “What?”
“They have asked you before.” Ezio shrugged nonchalantly, but Leonardo knew him better than that.
“You went through my mail.”
Ezio cringed, and Leonardo turned to put his feet on the floor. Ezio was not the type of man to fidget, but Leonardo did see him shift uncomfortably before he cracked.
“I like the little samples you get.”
-I must not laugh, I must not.- But Ezio’s affronted expression did make it so hard.
“If you want me to buy you something, there is no need-“ Ezio cut him off with a lazy gesture.
“No, no, I just like to think that they are sent to me.”
-Now I must not cry, I mustn’t.- Leonardo was a fair actor when he had to be, but Ezio was a master at reading intentions. With a sharp shake of his head, he cleared his throat and waved a finger under Leonardo’s nose. “That is not the point!”
“Sorry.” Contrition now and a talk about his mail later. “But teaching, Ezio? How could I even go about applying for such a job? It is the same problem as the classes.”
Ezio smirked. “It is not. Tomorrow, you will go down to the grounds and visit with some of your old colleagues. If anyone asks what you have been doing, you tell them that you got a huge job offer, but you are hesitant to take it. If the first person you talk to does not say you are welcome there, I will eat your hat.”
Now it was Ezio’s turn to be faced with Leonardo’s finger. “Do not threaten my hat.” Ezio backed down immediately, knowing how Leonardo loved the old thing.
“I apologize. Then you tell Rikkin that you cannot work for him because you have a prior obligation; you are giving back to the community that gave you so much. He already thinks you too sentimental for a man of science.”
Quiet ensued as Leonardo leaned his elbows on his knees, hands clasped and brow furrowed. He could feel Ezio’s eyes on him as he considered.
“It might work.” He sighed at last.
“I know it will work.” Ezio pulled Leonardo back against his armoured pauldron, but that wasn’t comfortable for either of them and it took them several moments to rearrange themselves to both their likings.
“So you say.” Leonardo said while his resituated himself leaning against Ezio’s chest. -I’m getting too big for this.- “But what classes could I possibly teach? Where would they put me?”
“Let the University worry about that. They have people there for just such things.” Ezio hand-waved, wrapping his right arm around Leonardo’s back to hold him in place.
Leonardo shifted his weight and turned to look awkwardly up at Ezio. “You don’t think they’ll be suspicious? It’s quite a coincidence, my taking a job there after refusing for years.”
Ezio sniffed. “You were young back then. Besides, it doesn’t matter. They will be too ecstatic at having such a genius in their midst to question it.” The squeeze to Leonardo’s ribs was bracing and affectionate.
“Flatterer. It is not a bad plan.”
“You would have come up with it yourself if you were not so fixated on being shot.”
“Thank you Ezio. Now I am thinking of it again.”
Ezio gave a groan, and a tender kiss was pressed into Leonardo’s hair. “Apologies. It seems I still need to learn to keep my mouth shut.”
“Who, you?” Leonardo snickered, and then yelped as a knuckle was ground into his head right where the kiss had been.