Quick question for OP: does OP want smut in this story, or just a confession? We're getting near the end, so writer would like to know in advance if possible! ^^
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It didn't take Ezio long to figure out that having Leonardo by his bedside was possibly the best and worst thing he could have asked for; the best because it meant he got to spend some more time with the man and learn about him, but the worst because contrary to popular belief, Ezio was only human and his body was reacting just as much as his mind was to having Leonardo sleeping in the room right next to his whenever he wasn't watching Ezio. The man was even running his shop from Ezio's bedroom!
In an effort to end the suffering, Ezio had demanded Claudia tell him what she was thinking. But she had merely curled her fingers over her lips and left the two together after delivering breakfast, a secretive smile on her face. His situation was made even more difficult after that, because it seemed like both Federico and Petruccio knew what he was up to - if the twin smirks they wore when delivering dinner in place of Claudia were anything to tell by.
"Where's Claudia?" Ezio asked, after Claudia failed to make an appearance at dinner for the sixth time in a row. Even Leonardo seemed concerned. "Is she well?"
Federico and Petruccio shared a look then, and Ezio swore he saw sparks jump between the two as something flipped. "She's fine; she's just out getting ready for--" Here Petruccio elbowed his brother, stopping the rest of the conversation with a grunt.
"Ready for what?" Ezio tried to get the rest of the sentence out of them, but they were stubborn.
"You'll find out in a little while brother. Just hold your horses until then, okay?"
It was frustrating! Ezio desperately wanted to do something, but he couldn't, not with his body still exhausted from the transformation. The idea that his siblings were scheming, knowing he couldn't spy on them made him want to go out and spy on them just to thwart their plans. Alas, such things were beyond him--
--for now.
If it helped any, Leonardo did a wonderful job keeping him company. Always having new ideas turned out to be useful here, and Ezio's ability to keep track of many different things at once helped the artist go through his older ideas and sort out which ones he needed to finish, and which ones were no longer of interest to him. In the first few days alone Leonardo was able to get most of his older paintings done and taken back home by Salai, who promised to make sure no harm came to them. Frankly Ezio didn't trust the boy as far as he could throw him (which was saying a bit, seeing how skinny the waif was)but didn't voice his complaints, content to sit in bed and give the boy the Evil Eye whenever he showed up.
On the second-to-last day in bed, Ezio dozed between meals, the knowledge that he would be up in two days keeping him content. The sound of charcoal and pencil scratching over paper woke him, although he didn't move. He knew the sounds meant Leonardo was sketching something, and he didn't want to risk the artist's ire by moving and potentially disturbing whatever he was drawing.
"No, no, that's not right. Agh, this is impossibile!"
Now Ezio was curious. He had never heard his friend so upset. What was he drawing that could cause such negativity in the artist? He debated lifting an eye, just to see if he was okay, but in the next instant Leonardo was moved close and was practically sharing his air, and Ezio let his body relax again, heart pounding in his chest.
"I hope you know how troublesome you are, Ezio. First you go and get yourself hurt without my consent, and then you refuse to be put on paper properly! Ah, truly you are a stubborn one."
Wait, Leonardo was drawing HIM? Why? He wasn't interesting! Well not to an artist of his caliber anyway. Besides, why would Leonardo want to draw a stubborn man like him if he was so difficult?
The sounds of charcoal and pencil filled the room again, Leonardo muttering to himself every so often, Ezio doing his best not to let his curiosity ruin the moment.
---
Ezio groaned as he stretched his muscles, Claudia circling him like a vulture as he did so, examining everything to make sure he wasn't hurt. Eyes, teeth, tongue, nails, all were examined before she stepped back and sighed contentedly. "Fine, you're free to go. But Ezio, so help me if you do this again--!"
"I assure you sister, I've no intentions of doing that ever again! Now, are you going to tell me what you've been plotting all week, or do I have to start listening to the gossip in the air to find out?"
"Plotting? I've been plotting nothing, Ezio? If Federico and Petruccio gave that impression--"
"What makes you think they gave me the impression?" Ezio attempted to catch Claudia in his trap, but she nimbly sidestepped it and smiled.
"Because our brothers enjoy stringing you along for whatever reason, and if you think that I'm plotting something they'll do everything in their power to make you paranoid about it. I assure you Ezio, I am not plotting. And as for what I've been absent for... well, you'll find out tonight."
If that wasn't a dismissal, nothing was. So Ezio got redressed and stepped outside where Leonardo was waiting for him, almost bouncing on his heels like a small child. Ezio couldn't help the chuckle that came up. "Who's been feeding you sugar before breakfast?"
Leonardo blushed and stopped bouncing, clearing his throat. "Ah, no one. It's just... I have heard a rumor of the goings-on tonight, and I am... rather happy, because it means I can finally meet someone I've been wanting to for a very long time."
"Ah." The notion that there was someone Leonardo had been pining over sent a boulder-sized weight into his stomach. Suddenly he didn't feel so eager to run around. "Well, I hope they are as happy to see you as you will be to see them."
Leonardo nodded before turning and heading down the streets leading back to his studio, Ezio taking to the rooftops to keep track of him. He tried to tell himself not to be disappointed - after all, he'd said in the beginning that there was a chance Leonardo would not return his feelings, so really why was he upset? The words worked marginally; he slipped into Leonardo's studio feeling a mite better. Leonardo was waiting for him, a tray full of supplies already out and an easel set up. To Ezio's surprise, his friend pointed him to the spot in the middle of the room, the one usually set out for--
"You want to draw me? Why?"
Leonardo didn't answer right away, waiting until Ezio reluctantly seated himself in a decent manner before speaking. "I have drawn many things over the course of my life, yet I have never managed to successfully capture you on paper. I swore I would do it at least once, and I mean to keep by my word."
"Yes, but why me? I'm hardly an interesting subject."
Ezio jumped when Leonardo suddenly made a noise that sounded very much like a growl and grabbed his chin, lifting his face to meet his gaze. There was a smouldering fire in Leonardo's eyes, and Ezio felt his knees go slightly wobbly - even though he was sitting down. "You are interesting to me, Ezio. Because I can see what everyone else cannot, and that makes you a hundred times more alluring than any flawless model can ever hope to achieve." He let go of Ezio's chin and moved back to the paper, smiling in reassurance when Ezio's shocked expression didn't change. "You forgot, I've been with you a number of years. If I didn't know you as well as I do now, then I wouldn't be able to call yourself my friend."
Ezio sat still after that, part of his mind still whirling from Leonardo's confession, while the rest of him tried not to tremble at the thought that Leonardo had sounded far more authoritative than he ever had in life.
FILL: Our Paradise 11/?
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It didn't take Ezio long to figure out that having Leonardo by his bedside was possibly the best and worst thing he could have asked for; the best because it meant he got to spend some more time with the man and learn about him, but the worst because contrary to popular belief, Ezio was only human and his body was reacting just as much as his mind was to having Leonardo sleeping in the room right next to his whenever he wasn't watching Ezio. The man was even running his shop from Ezio's bedroom!
In an effort to end the suffering, Ezio had demanded Claudia tell him what she was thinking. But she had merely curled her fingers over her lips and left the two together after delivering breakfast, a secretive smile on her face. His situation was made even more difficult after that, because it seemed like both Federico and Petruccio knew what he was up to - if the twin smirks they wore when delivering dinner in place of Claudia were anything to tell by.
"Where's Claudia?" Ezio asked, after Claudia failed to make an appearance at dinner for the sixth time in a row. Even Leonardo seemed concerned. "Is she well?"
Federico and Petruccio shared a look then, and Ezio swore he saw sparks jump between the two as something flipped. "She's fine; she's just out getting ready for--" Here Petruccio elbowed his brother, stopping the rest of the conversation with a grunt.
"Ready for what?" Ezio tried to get the rest of the sentence out of them, but they were stubborn.
"You'll find out in a little while brother. Just hold your horses until then, okay?"
It was frustrating! Ezio desperately wanted to do something, but he couldn't, not with his body still exhausted from the transformation. The idea that his siblings were scheming, knowing he couldn't spy on them made him want to go out and spy on them just to thwart their plans. Alas, such things were beyond him--
--for now.
If it helped any, Leonardo did a wonderful job keeping him company. Always having new ideas turned out to be useful here, and Ezio's ability to keep track of many different things at once helped the artist go through his older ideas and sort out which ones he needed to finish, and which ones were no longer of interest to him. In the first few days alone Leonardo was able to get most of his older paintings done and taken back home by Salai, who promised to make sure no harm came to them. Frankly Ezio didn't trust the boy as far as he could throw him (which was saying a bit, seeing how skinny the waif was)but didn't voice his complaints, content to sit in bed and give the boy the Evil Eye whenever he showed up.
On the second-to-last day in bed, Ezio dozed between meals, the knowledge that he would be up in two days keeping him content. The sound of charcoal and pencil scratching over paper woke him, although he didn't move. He knew the sounds meant Leonardo was sketching something, and he didn't want to risk the artist's ire by moving and potentially disturbing whatever he was drawing.
"No, no, that's not right. Agh, this is impossibile!"
Now Ezio was curious. He had never heard his friend so upset. What was he drawing that could cause such negativity in the artist? He debated lifting an eye, just to see if he was okay, but in the next instant Leonardo was moved close and was practically sharing his air, and Ezio let his body relax again, heart pounding in his chest.
"I hope you know how troublesome you are, Ezio. First you go and get yourself hurt without my consent, and then you refuse to be put on paper properly! Ah, truly you are a stubborn one."
Wait, Leonardo was drawing HIM? Why? He wasn't interesting! Well not to an artist of his caliber anyway. Besides, why would Leonardo want to draw a stubborn man like him if he was so difficult?
The sounds of charcoal and pencil filled the room again, Leonardo muttering to himself every so often, Ezio doing his best not to let his curiosity ruin the moment.
---
Ezio groaned as he stretched his muscles, Claudia circling him like a vulture as he did so, examining everything to make sure he wasn't hurt. Eyes, teeth, tongue, nails, all were examined before she stepped back and sighed contentedly. "Fine, you're free to go. But Ezio, so help me if you do this again--!"
"I assure you sister, I've no intentions of doing that ever again! Now, are you going to tell me what you've been plotting all week, or do I have to start listening to the gossip in the air to find out?"
"Plotting? I've been plotting nothing, Ezio? If Federico and Petruccio gave that impression--"
"What makes you think they gave me the impression?" Ezio attempted to catch Claudia in his trap, but she nimbly sidestepped it and smiled.
"Because our brothers enjoy stringing you along for whatever reason, and if you think that I'm plotting something they'll do everything in their power to make you paranoid about it. I assure you Ezio, I am not plotting. And as for what I've been absent for... well, you'll find out tonight."
If that wasn't a dismissal, nothing was. So Ezio got redressed and stepped outside where Leonardo was waiting for him, almost bouncing on his heels like a small child. Ezio couldn't help the chuckle that came up. "Who's been feeding you sugar before breakfast?"
Leonardo blushed and stopped bouncing, clearing his throat. "Ah, no one. It's just... I have heard a rumor of the goings-on tonight, and I am... rather happy, because it means I can finally meet someone I've been wanting to for a very long time."
"Ah." The notion that there was someone Leonardo had been pining over sent a boulder-sized weight into his stomach. Suddenly he didn't feel so eager to run around. "Well, I hope they are as happy to see you as you will be to see them."
Leonardo nodded before turning and heading down the streets leading back to his studio, Ezio taking to the rooftops to keep track of him. He tried to tell himself not to be disappointed - after all, he'd said in the beginning that there was a chance Leonardo would not return his feelings, so really why was he upset? The words worked marginally; he slipped into Leonardo's studio feeling a mite better. Leonardo was waiting for him, a tray full of supplies already out and an easel set up. To Ezio's surprise, his friend pointed him to the spot in the middle of the room, the one usually set out for--
"You want to draw me? Why?"
Leonardo didn't answer right away, waiting until Ezio reluctantly seated himself in a decent manner before speaking. "I have drawn many things over the course of my life, yet I have never managed to successfully capture you on paper. I swore I would do it at least once, and I mean to keep by my word."
"Yes, but why me? I'm hardly an interesting subject."
Ezio jumped when Leonardo suddenly made a noise that sounded very much like a growl and grabbed his chin, lifting his face to meet his gaze. There was a smouldering fire in Leonardo's eyes, and Ezio felt his knees go slightly wobbly - even though he was sitting down. "You are interesting to me, Ezio. Because I can see what everyone else cannot, and that makes you a hundred times more alluring than any flawless model can ever hope to achieve." He let go of Ezio's chin and moved back to the paper, smiling in reassurance when Ezio's shocked expression didn't change. "You forgot, I've been with you a number of years. If I didn't know you as well as I do now, then I wouldn't be able to call yourself my friend."
Ezio sat still after that, part of his mind still whirling from Leonardo's confession, while the rest of him tried not to tremble at the thought that Leonardo had sounded far more authoritative than he ever had in life.
Not that that was a bad thing, of course.