Leonardo smiled widely as the door opened to reveal one of his oldest friends.
“Ezio, my friend, it has been too long.” He threw his arms open wide, welcoming him into a warm embrace.
“Leonardo, I have been busy of late, but it is a wonder you should call me friend at all neglecting you for so long.”
“Come. I am sure you have been busy at your duties; I am only happy you could spare a moment for me.”
Leonardo cast about desperately, searching for a bare surface he could offer as a seat. Parchments and figurines littered every available surface. He blushed slightly, “You must excuse the mess, Ezio. I was not expecting company.”
Ezio did not answer immediately; he seemed to be looking for something, scanning the workshop carefully, glancing out the window.
“But where is Salai? I had thought he kept you company as you worked at least?”
If there was an edge to Ezio’s tone, Leonardo ignored it; Ezio had never seemed to care much for Salai and Leonardo had always done his best not to aggravate him.
“I am sure he is probably drinking or gambling, whatever else a young man may get up to in a city like this. I’m sure you can think of a few things, yes?”
Ezio closed the shutter firmly, “Yes.”
Leonardo’s bright smile faded, cautiously he stepped forward to lay a gentle hand on his friend’s shoulder. He could feel the muscles tense and release beneath his hand and wished- not for the first time- he could convince Ezio to stand in as a model for one of his sketches. So much for lost opportunities, the Master Assassin himself would never dabble in such affairs.
“Ezio, what is it? You seem troubled.”
“Not at all. I am more lighthearted now than I have been in some time.”
“You have received good news then?”
Leonardo stepped away slowly, there was something about Ezio today that had him ill at ease. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing straight up and he could feel a growing pit of fear in his gut.
Every movement seemed sharper, his eyes more shadowed than even those dark days following the death of his family. When he strode toward the door Leonardo gathered his courage and spoke once more, swallowing to wet his dry throat.
“You would not leave so soon?”
“No, Leonardo. I will not be leaving.” Ezio slammed the bar in place over the door with a stunning finality, resting his head against the sturdy oak of the lintel, shoulders heaving with his deep breaths.
“You are not ill?” His voice was unnaturally loud in the hush. Come to it, Ezio did seem fevered; his face had darkened with a hectic flush and his hands trembled so that Leonardo could see it when Ezio turned back to him.
“Ill. There is a word for it. Yes, I am ill.”
Ezio stepped toward him and Leonardo fell back, feeling a little too like a deer confronted by a wolf in its own peaceful home. He licked his lips and Ezio groaned softly.
“You have been at the Apple again, haven’t you? Ezio, that is the tool of madness; you are better to avoid it.”
“There is much to be learned from it.”
“In much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.”
Another step, a mocking laugh, arms thrown wide Ezio gestured to the room around them. “Then you must be a sorrowful man indeed, my friend.”
Leonardo cringed when the stool behind him clattered to the floor, scattering papers everywhere. Glancing nervously at Ezio, he knelt to gather them, piling them haphazardly in his arms. Somehow on his knees like this he felt too vulnerable, like at any moment-
Leonardo gasped as a rough hand twined in his golden hair, pulling his head back to bare his vulnerable throat, forcing him to look up into the eyes of his most trusted friend.
“Why do you shrink from me, Leonardo?” That soft voice caressed his name as though it were the most delicate porcelain, the tone sent a shiver of fear and arousal slithering up his spine. He felt his breath growing shallow and suddenly his head seemed too light for his body.
“You are not yourself, Ezio. I cannot name this mood that has taken you.”
“I am more myself than I have ever been. You think this is a mere caprice? No.”
Ezio swooped down, catching his lips in a brutal kiss. Leonardo tried to twist away, but Ezio’s fingers fisted in his hair to pull him closer, teeth scraping at his lower lip demandingly.
The Burden of Wisdom Part 1
“Ezio, my friend, it has been too long.” He threw his arms open wide, welcoming him into a warm embrace.
“Leonardo, I have been busy of late, but it is a wonder you should call me friend at all neglecting you for so long.”
“Come. I am sure you have been busy at your duties; I am only happy you could spare a moment for me.”
Leonardo cast about desperately, searching for a bare surface he could offer as a seat. Parchments and figurines littered every available surface. He blushed slightly, “You must excuse the mess, Ezio. I was not expecting company.”
Ezio did not answer immediately; he seemed to be looking for something, scanning the workshop carefully, glancing out the window.
“But where is Salai? I had thought he kept you company as you worked at least?”
If there was an edge to Ezio’s tone, Leonardo ignored it; Ezio had never seemed to care much for Salai and Leonardo had always done his best not to aggravate him.
“I am sure he is probably drinking or gambling, whatever else a young man may get up to in a city like this. I’m sure you can think of a few things, yes?”
Ezio closed the shutter firmly, “Yes.”
Leonardo’s bright smile faded, cautiously he stepped forward to lay a gentle hand on his friend’s shoulder. He could feel the muscles tense and release beneath his hand and wished- not for the first time- he could convince Ezio to stand in as a model for one of his sketches. So much for lost opportunities, the Master Assassin himself would never dabble in such affairs.
“Ezio, what is it? You seem troubled.”
“Not at all. I am more lighthearted now than I have been in some time.”
“You have received good news then?”
Leonardo stepped away slowly, there was something about Ezio today that had him ill at ease. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing straight up and he could feel a growing pit of fear in his gut.
Every movement seemed sharper, his eyes more shadowed than even those dark days following the death of his family. When he strode toward the door Leonardo gathered his courage and spoke once more, swallowing to wet his dry throat.
“You would not leave so soon?”
“No, Leonardo. I will not be leaving.” Ezio slammed the bar in place over the door with a stunning finality, resting his head against the sturdy oak of the lintel, shoulders heaving with his deep breaths.
“You are not ill?” His voice was unnaturally loud in the hush. Come to it, Ezio did seem fevered; his face had darkened with a hectic flush and his hands trembled so that Leonardo could see it when Ezio turned back to him.
“Ill. There is a word for it. Yes, I am ill.”
Ezio stepped toward him and Leonardo fell back, feeling a little too like a deer confronted by a wolf in its own peaceful home. He licked his lips and Ezio groaned softly.
“You have been at the Apple again, haven’t you? Ezio, that is the tool of madness; you are better to avoid it.”
“There is much to be learned from it.”
“In much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.”
Another step, a mocking laugh, arms thrown wide Ezio gestured to the room around them. “Then you must be a sorrowful man indeed, my friend.”
Leonardo cringed when the stool behind him clattered to the floor, scattering papers everywhere. Glancing nervously at Ezio, he knelt to gather them, piling them haphazardly in his arms. Somehow on his knees like this he felt too vulnerable, like at any moment-
Leonardo gasped as a rough hand twined in his golden hair, pulling his head back to bare his vulnerable throat, forcing him to look up into the eyes of his most trusted friend.
“Why do you shrink from me, Leonardo?” That soft voice caressed his name as though it were the most delicate porcelain, the tone sent a shiver of fear and arousal slithering up his spine. He felt his breath growing shallow and suddenly his head seemed too light for his body.
“You are not yourself, Ezio. I cannot name this mood that has taken you.”
“I am more myself than I have ever been. You think this is a mere caprice? No.”
Ezio swooped down, catching his lips in a brutal kiss. Leonardo tried to twist away, but Ezio’s fingers fisted in his hair to pull him closer, teeth scraping at his lower lip demandingly.