It was awkward for Ezio to settle in that first night; after having spent so many nights in the company of eager novices or under threat of constant danger, he drifted in an out of a nervous, dreamless sleep that finally ended early in the morning, when he grew tired of tossing and turning and decided to go for a run. Sadly that plan was cut short by the arrival of Claudia, still dressed in her day clothes.
"Got a minute?" When Ezio nodded and moved over, patting the bed beside him, she walked over and settled down. He wondered for a moment if she had a problem she needed help with, but she merely smiled mysteriously and curved a finger against her lips - her sign that what they were fixing to discuss would be private. He nodded.
"You're in love with Leonardo, are you not?" She asked coolly. Ezio nearly slammed his head back into the wall in his urgency to get away from her. How had she known? What had given him away? He had always been so careful about his feelings towards the artist, always so careful--!
Claudia waved aside his fear however. "Our brothers do not know the man that lurks behind the cloak. I have known you forever; I know when you are enamored with something. Leonardo is a good friend, so I'm also aware of why you wouldn't have chosen to pursue him in life."
Gingerly Ezio began to relax. She did understand, it seemed. Then again, this was Claudia, the same woman that had taken an oath of the Brotherhood and made a successful Leap of Faith off the tower. She was capable of holding her own and giving sound advice - advice that he admitted he needed. He hadn't been thinking about it in lieu of what had been going on, but now that he knew his family would accept him again, his mind turned back to the artist.
"I'm not sure what to do, Claudia. He haunts my thoughts, even when I don't know it. I don't want to scare him off, but I don't think I can make myself suffer in silence anymore," Ezio confessed, bowing his head over his knees and locking his fingers. Some part of him was mortified he was going to his sister of all people about this, but he needed to get this off his chest. Claudia had kept many of his secrets before, she would keep this one as well.
His sister nodded patiently, listening as he confessed the raw emotions Leonardo created within him just by being in close proximity. He wanted to do things - say things that brought a flush to his cheeks just with the thought. He knew his way around women and men in bed, but he had never stayed, never held out his heart to any one person before. To let someone so close was too dangerous to do, even for an ally. And so Ezio had forced himself to be content with his one-night flings and trips to the brothels.
When he was finished, they sat in silence; Ezio nervous and Claudia thoughtful. She knew of Leonardo's sodomy trial, as well as his comment of 'women provide little distraction'. Ezio hadn't understood it at the time, but now he did and wondered if it meant something. Had Leonardo been hinting at certain emotions between them? Or just a preference in general? It gave him hope - fragile, delicate hope.
His sister made a noise between her teeth, as she was want to do when frustrated. "Leonardo is a hard one to read. He acts very cheerful, carefree almost. But I think there is a layer beneath all that, one he allows very few to see. It is possible that he holds his secrets close, closer than even I can get. It's difficult for me to say, since I pride myself on my ability to keep good relations, but I think you may be the only one capable of getting to Leonardo's true self. Of talking to him and finding his secrets."
"I don't want all his secrets; I just want to know if..." He couldn't say it. But he needed to. "...I just want to know if he can accept my feelings for him. Even if he doesn't, I still want us to be friends."
"I don't think that will be a problem," Claudia smiled at him. "Leonardo is not one to toss away friends over emotions. He may be distant from you for a while, but I think he will still accept your friendship."
His fists clenched. "But still. How do I approach him? How do I ask this without sounding..." he sought for the word, "like I'm using him? I don't want him thinking I want him only for his body!"
"It will take hard work, dedication. You must be steadfast in your efforts. Do you think Papa won Mama over with a single confession? No! He pursued her until she saw that his love was true. You must do the same with Leonardo. If you want him to see the truth, then you must be willing and prepared to prove yourself by any means necessary." She sat back. "Of course, assuming he is as attracted to you as you are to him. It's hard to tell without the addition of the love-struck gaze."
Ezio reeled back, cheeks pink. "I'm not love-struck! And I don't look at him in such a way!"
Claudia rolled her eyes. "Oh please! Every time you look at him, you melt. You may not know it brother, but I've seen it, heard it with my ears. Your tone softens when you are with him, and you're much more polite and flexible. You are patient. Rarely do you do for others what you would do for him, even with the promise of the Brotherhood on your shoulders. Face it. You are head over heels for him."
Was he truly so obvious? All that time he'd been thinking, believing that he had been holding his emotions back, keeping himself from showing the truth, had Leonardo been noticing? Had he already seen the desire in Ezio's eyes? If so, then had he already been rejected?
He cried out as Claudia suddenly flicked his forehead, breaking him from his thoughts. "You're over-thinking it. Relax. Follow my advice and you'll be fine."
Right. Follow the advice. Prove his love for Leonardo. He could do that. After all, he'd courted women (and men) before. Surely he could do it again. Right?
/But Leonardo isn't like them./
Then again, this might be harder than it seemed...
FILL: Our Paradise 5/?
"Got a minute?" When Ezio nodded and moved over, patting the bed beside him, she walked over and settled down. He wondered for a moment if she had a problem she needed help with, but she merely smiled mysteriously and curved a finger against her lips - her sign that what they were fixing to discuss would be private. He nodded.
"You're in love with Leonardo, are you not?" She asked coolly. Ezio nearly slammed his head back into the wall in his urgency to get away from her. How had she known? What had given him away? He had always been so careful about his feelings towards the artist, always so careful--!
Claudia waved aside his fear however. "Our brothers do not know the man that lurks behind the cloak. I have known you forever; I know when you are enamored with something. Leonardo is a good friend, so I'm also aware of why you wouldn't have chosen to pursue him in life."
Gingerly Ezio began to relax. She did understand, it seemed. Then again, this was Claudia, the same woman that had taken an oath of the Brotherhood and made a successful Leap of Faith off the tower. She was capable of holding her own and giving sound advice - advice that he admitted he needed. He hadn't been thinking about it in lieu of what had been going on, but now that he knew his family would accept him again, his mind turned back to the artist.
"I'm not sure what to do, Claudia. He haunts my thoughts, even when I don't know it. I don't want to scare him off, but I don't think I can make myself suffer in silence anymore," Ezio confessed, bowing his head over his knees and locking his fingers. Some part of him was mortified he was going to his sister of all people about this, but he needed to get this off his chest. Claudia had kept many of his secrets before, she would keep this one as well.
His sister nodded patiently, listening as he confessed the raw emotions Leonardo created within him just by being in close proximity. He wanted to do things - say things that brought a flush to his cheeks just with the thought. He knew his way around women and men in bed, but he had never stayed, never held out his heart to any one person before. To let someone so close was too dangerous to do, even for an ally. And so Ezio had forced himself to be content with his one-night flings and trips to the brothels.
When he was finished, they sat in silence; Ezio nervous and Claudia thoughtful. She knew of Leonardo's sodomy trial, as well as his comment of 'women provide little distraction'. Ezio hadn't understood it at the time, but now he did and wondered if it meant something. Had Leonardo been hinting at certain emotions between them? Or just a preference in general? It gave him hope - fragile, delicate hope.
His sister made a noise between her teeth, as she was want to do when frustrated. "Leonardo is a hard one to read. He acts very cheerful, carefree almost. But I think there is a layer beneath all that, one he allows very few to see. It is possible that he holds his secrets close, closer than even I can get. It's difficult for me to say, since I pride myself on my ability to keep good relations, but I think you may be the only one capable of getting to Leonardo's true self. Of talking to him and finding his secrets."
"I don't want all his secrets; I just want to know if..." He couldn't say it. But he needed to. "...I just want to know if he can accept my feelings for him. Even if he doesn't, I still want us to be friends."
"I don't think that will be a problem," Claudia smiled at him. "Leonardo is not one to toss away friends over emotions. He may be distant from you for a while, but I think he will still accept your friendship."
His fists clenched. "But still. How do I approach him? How do I ask this without sounding..." he sought for the word, "like I'm using him? I don't want him thinking I want him only for his body!"
"It will take hard work, dedication. You must be steadfast in your efforts. Do you think Papa won Mama over with a single confession? No! He pursued her until she saw that his love was true. You must do the same with Leonardo. If you want him to see the truth, then you must be willing and prepared to prove yourself by any means necessary." She sat back. "Of course, assuming he is as attracted to you as you are to him. It's hard to tell without the addition of the love-struck gaze."
Ezio reeled back, cheeks pink. "I'm not love-struck! And I don't look at him in such a way!"
Claudia rolled her eyes. "Oh please! Every time you look at him, you melt. You may not know it brother, but I've seen it, heard it with my ears. Your tone softens when you are with him, and you're much more polite and flexible. You are patient. Rarely do you do for others what you would do for him, even with the promise of the Brotherhood on your shoulders. Face it. You are head over heels for him."
Was he truly so obvious? All that time he'd been thinking, believing that he had been holding his emotions back, keeping himself from showing the truth, had Leonardo been noticing? Had he already seen the desire in Ezio's eyes? If so, then had he already been rejected?
He cried out as Claudia suddenly flicked his forehead, breaking him from his thoughts. "You're over-thinking it. Relax. Follow my advice and you'll be fine."
Right. Follow the advice. Prove his love for Leonardo. He could do that. After all, he'd courted women (and men) before. Surely he could do it again. Right?
/But Leonardo isn't like them./
Then again, this might be harder than it seemed...