One by one, he removed his gloves and dropped them to the floor and pressed his palms to Ezio's temples. "I stood on those gallows ten years ago with my two beloved boys, my eldest and my youngest, my two innocents…and I saw my eagle, my assassin in the crowd, fighting to reach us. And I wanted to tell you no. 'No! Don't come near us.' I knew you would be slaughtered in a heartbeat…and that it would be my fault. But I could not see, the death was too swift. And I woke on with my two boys, my brother smiling in my face and holding what we thought had been lost forever. And I had to ask where you were. But you were gone. You had killed already. And I knew you would not stop." He brushed the hair away from the assassin's forehead and kissed him, like he had so many years ago when the boy had first leapt, had proven himself worthy of his ancestry.
"I know what it is to die, Ezio," he breathed. "And it is no different than sleep. It is my fault you live like this, my fault that I have turned you into this beast made to kill. I do not want to have to live like you have, alone and without my family, without hope. Please believe us," he added with a gentle smile, "we are not dreams. We will not leave."
Ezio dropped to his knees with a wail of grief that shook to the very bone. Giovanni fell to close his son in his arms, and was finally met with the same embrace and hysterical sobs of, "Papa, Papa…."
Leonardo slid down the wall, sobbing quietly into his hands, overwhelmed at the sight. Frederico was slow to approach, suspecting that as much as he wanted nothing more than to throw his father aside and crush his brother in a hug, Ezio may not be as partial to that - their previous faux-enemy competitiveness may have carried over. He was wrong however, when Ezio seized his wrist and yanked him into his arms. He'd never felt his brother tremble so, and rubbed his back in comfort - he didn't dare look at his father. He couldn't bear the thought of him crying, could hardly bear it when he cried himself.
Ezio pulled back, his eyes bloodshot and wet, his face an utter mess. "Where's Petruccio?" he gasped. "Is he not-"
"He's in Monteriggioni," Frederico said, giving his brother a playful slap on the arm. "Weak constitution, remember? He wouldn't have made it in one piece. Anyway," he added, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "He might still be afraid he's the only one to age anymore."
"He's…mío dio, he must be almost-"
"He's just right," Giovanni said firmly. "Looks younger than Frederico, thankfully. Hoping he stays that way." He gestured to Leonardo, who blushed, still sitting against the wall. "'Fraid we gave him a fright."
Re: E Ritorno [4/4]
"I know what it is to die, Ezio," he breathed. "And it is no different than sleep. It is my fault you live like this, my fault that I have turned you into this beast made to kill. I do not want to have to live like you have, alone and without my family, without hope. Please believe us," he added with a gentle smile, "we are not dreams. We will not leave."
Ezio dropped to his knees with a wail of grief that shook to the very bone. Giovanni fell to close his son in his arms, and was finally met with the same embrace and hysterical sobs of, "Papa, Papa…."
Leonardo slid down the wall, sobbing quietly into his hands, overwhelmed at the sight. Frederico was slow to approach, suspecting that as much as he wanted nothing more than to throw his father aside and crush his brother in a hug, Ezio may not be as partial to that - their previous faux-enemy competitiveness may have carried over. He was wrong however, when Ezio seized his wrist and yanked him into his arms. He'd never felt his brother tremble so, and rubbed his back in comfort - he didn't dare look at his father. He couldn't bear the thought of him crying, could hardly bear it when he cried himself.
Ezio pulled back, his eyes bloodshot and wet, his face an utter mess. "Where's Petruccio?" he gasped. "Is he not-"
"He's in Monteriggioni," Frederico said, giving his brother a playful slap on the arm. "Weak constitution, remember? He wouldn't have made it in one piece. Anyway," he added, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "He might still be afraid he's the only one to age anymore."
"He's…mío dio, he must be almost-"
"He's just right," Giovanni said firmly. "Looks younger than Frederico, thankfully. Hoping he stays that way." He gestured to Leonardo, who blushed, still sitting against the wall. "'Fraid we gave him a fright."