[A/N: I guess the good thing about multiple near identical prompts is that even if the earlier ones get tagged, the later ones can get filled in good conscience… but that being said, the archive notes 107 unfilled to 47 filled and 5 filling… ;o looks like far more serial requesters than serial writers. Though admittedly, I note that some fills are posted offsite O_o; on y-gallery and 4chan. it’s all anon! Just post here! :D]
I.
At the sharp rap on the door, Leonardo carefully set down the miniature suspension bridge he had been building with straw and sticks on a pair of bricks, and hurried towards the door. This late in the night, it could only be one of a handful of callers, all of them welcome: either a patient, unable to find a doctor in this hour, or the city guard with a corpse for his dissections, or-
Federico Auditore let himself in the moment the door cracked open, not bothering to wait for an invitation. He swept the workshop with a glance, grinned when he noted it empty, closed the door behind him and curled Leonardo up tightly against him, all in one fluid movement of practiced grace.
Laughing, Leonardo pushed halfheartedly at his lover’s arm, and froze when Federico flinched. Frowning, the artist studied the taller, younger man carefully, and then he sighed. “Fighting again?”
“Rescuing my brother,” Federico admitted, allowing Leonardo to ease out of his grasp and lead him onto a chair next to the lantern at his work desk. Federico stared curiously at the model of the bridge, and then up at the skeleton of the bat frame, making no move whatsoever to help Leonardo with his clothes. “He purposefully ran afoul of a group of Pazzi. You should have seen what they did to his face.”
At Leonardo’s look of horror, Federico added hastily, with a reassuring grin, “No, no, a rock hit his mouth, is all. He will have a nice scar for the ladies.”
“Your father allows you both to run too wild,” Leonardo said disapprovingly, as he finally managed to strip shirt and vest from Federico’s back, studying the fresh bruises that mottled bared skin. As he walked over to the cupboards to retrieve some salve, Federico chuckled.
“You say that each time.”
“Your presence here instead of at your home illustrates my point.” Leonardo set the jar on the table, dipping fingers into it and massaging soothing ointment over the purpling bruise on Federico’s right shoulder, hiding a smile as the younger man all but purred and arched. “Where is your brother?”
“With that girl, Cristina. The one I told you about.”
“The one you said might last?” Ambidextrous, Leonardo used his free right hand to knead out a kink in knotted muscle near Federico’s spine, and felt rather than heard the low moan of contentment. For such a tall man, verging on being heavily built, Federico was surprisingly tactile, sensitive, something that Leonardo often used to his advantage.
“Mm… yes, that one. I suppose… it would not hurt if he settles down, though if he is not home before day breaks father will be most displeased.”
“And you?” Leonardo asked slyly, stroking salve over the bruise on Federico’s upper arm, this one likely suffered in defense, then across, to a one high on his abdomen.
“I am very good at returning on time,” Federico curled long, roughened fingers up behind him to pull Leonardo down for a lazy kiss, his eyes dancing with mischief, the poor angle turning the kiss lopsided and sloppy, though he grinned invitingly yet as they parted. “Even if the temptation is you, caro mio.”
Leonardo pressed a little harder on the last bruise, against Federico’s flank, causing the other man to hiss and flinch. “Honeyed words will not forgive foolishness. You spend your days running about the rooftops on errands, risking your neck; and then your free time exchanging blows with thugs…”
Deflections [1/2]
I.
At the sharp rap on the door, Leonardo carefully set down the miniature suspension bridge he had been building with straw and sticks on a pair of bricks, and hurried towards the door. This late in the night, it could only be one of a handful of callers, all of them welcome: either a patient, unable to find a doctor in this hour, or the city guard with a corpse for his dissections, or-
Federico Auditore let himself in the moment the door cracked open, not bothering to wait for an invitation. He swept the workshop with a glance, grinned when he noted it empty, closed the door behind him and curled Leonardo up tightly against him, all in one fluid movement of practiced grace.
Laughing, Leonardo pushed halfheartedly at his lover’s arm, and froze when Federico flinched. Frowning, the artist studied the taller, younger man carefully, and then he sighed. “Fighting again?”
“Rescuing my brother,” Federico admitted, allowing Leonardo to ease out of his grasp and lead him onto a chair next to the lantern at his work desk. Federico stared curiously at the model of the bridge, and then up at the skeleton of the bat frame, making no move whatsoever to help Leonardo with his clothes. “He purposefully ran afoul of a group of Pazzi. You should have seen what they did to his face.”
At Leonardo’s look of horror, Federico added hastily, with a reassuring grin, “No, no, a rock hit his mouth, is all. He will have a nice scar for the ladies.”
“Your father allows you both to run too wild,” Leonardo said disapprovingly, as he finally managed to strip shirt and vest from Federico’s back, studying the fresh bruises that mottled bared skin. As he walked over to the cupboards to retrieve some salve, Federico chuckled.
“You say that each time.”
“Your presence here instead of at your home illustrates my point.” Leonardo set the jar on the table, dipping fingers into it and massaging soothing ointment over the purpling bruise on Federico’s right shoulder, hiding a smile as the younger man all but purred and arched. “Where is your brother?”
“With that girl, Cristina. The one I told you about.”
“The one you said might last?” Ambidextrous, Leonardo used his free right hand to knead out a kink in knotted muscle near Federico’s spine, and felt rather than heard the low moan of contentment. For such a tall man, verging on being heavily built, Federico was surprisingly tactile, sensitive, something that Leonardo often used to his advantage.
“Mm… yes, that one. I suppose… it would not hurt if he settles down, though if he is not home before day breaks father will be most displeased.”
“And you?” Leonardo asked slyly, stroking salve over the bruise on Federico’s upper arm, this one likely suffered in defense, then across, to a one high on his abdomen.
“I am very good at returning on time,” Federico curled long, roughened fingers up behind him to pull Leonardo down for a lazy kiss, his eyes dancing with mischief, the poor angle turning the kiss lopsided and sloppy, though he grinned invitingly yet as they parted. “Even if the temptation is you, caro mio.”
Leonardo pressed a little harder on the last bruise, against Federico’s flank, causing the other man to hiss and flinch. “Honeyed words will not forgive foolishness. You spend your days running about the rooftops on errands, risking your neck; and then your free time exchanging blows with thugs…”