The idea for a gift came to Leonardo a few days later, as he was preparing his students' final grades to send in for their report cards. It had sent him running all over town looking for a store that sold the proper materials for what he wanted to do, and then he ended up doing most of the work at the school, since his studio apartment had little space. That would have been fine, since the place should have been deserted for the summer, but apparently not everyone was gone for the holiday. The janitor had lurked just around the corner from where he was spraying fixative, his violet eyes both intrigued and smugly all-knowing. Leonardo shot him an exasperated look and retreated to his classroom to finish once the canvas was dry.
By the time the day of the party rolled around, the present sat patiently by his apartment door, a 24x15 inch rectangle wrapped carefully in heavy brown paper and tied with twine. He had debated trying to wrap it again in more celebratory paper but decided that would just be overkill. He was already starting to have second thoughts about his choice but told himself after all the work put into wrapping it, he had no choice but to give it to Ezio.
After at least an hour of debating an outfit that would be “appropriate” for the evening—and reminding himself he'd be going through this again tomorrow—Leonardo hurried out the door, the directions in his pocket and the present held carefully by two corners. In the end, he'd chosen khakis and a light blue dress shirt, figuring that something he would wear to school should be okay for a family get-together. He buckled the gift in the backseat and then spent the drive over constantly checking his rear-view mirror to make sure it was still seated snugly back there.
Ezio's family lived in the richer part of town, which was unsurprising considering his father owned a bank with several locations. The house itself was practically a mansion—at least three stories high—though the outside was conservative when compared to some of the others he'd driven past.
The anxiety from graduation day returned as Leonardo parked and climbed out of his car, though it was mixed with some irritation now. At some point, he was going to have to get over his terror at talking with Ezio's family, especially if he wanted things to last beyond their first date, but he kept telling himself they could address those issues once they were past Ezio's birthday. For now, he was still seventeen and Leonardo did not fancy trying to tell either of Ezio's parents of his intentions.
God forbid his uncle finds out, he thought wearily. Retrieving the present from his backseat, he made his way up the front steps and rang the doorbell.
Maria was the first to greet him and she smiled warmly as she held the door open for him.
“Mr. da Vinci, I'm so glad you could make it.”
“Thank you for inviting me. And please, call me Leonardo.”
She inclined her head to acknowledge this as she shut the door. Her eyes flickered briefly to the package in his arms, but though he saw curiosity in her expression, she didn't ask about it.
“Let me show you where you can set that. It looks a little cumbersome.”
“A bit,” he agreed, and couldn't help looking around with a touch of wonder as he was led through the house.
While not as reserved as the outside, the interior décor was still far from gaudy. There was a refined elegance that spoke of owners who had wealth but preferred not to flaunt it. When they at last came to a room and Maria gestured for him to enter, Leonardo froze in the doorway, staring at a painting that hung opposite the entrance.
It was of a woman's head, her face tilted down as if looking at something in her arms or her lap. Her hair fell in waves around her but the curls were hazy, like they had been left unfinished, and there was only the bare outline of her neck and shoulders. Her face held the most detail, revealing the gentle look of love and tenderness that was undiminished by her downward gaze. The lines of the drawing were done in a warm sienna and Leonardo remembered how frustrating it had been to get exactly the right hue he had wanted for that piece.
Fill - Take-home Credit 6/?
The idea for a gift came to Leonardo a few days later, as he was preparing his students' final grades to send in for their report cards. It had sent him running all over town looking for a store that sold the proper materials for what he wanted to do, and then he ended up doing most of the work at the school, since his studio apartment had little space. That would have been fine, since the place should have been deserted for the summer, but apparently not everyone was gone for the holiday. The janitor had lurked just around the corner from where he was spraying fixative, his violet eyes both intrigued and smugly all-knowing. Leonardo shot him an exasperated look and retreated to his classroom to finish once the canvas was dry.
By the time the day of the party rolled around, the present sat patiently by his apartment door, a 24x15 inch rectangle wrapped carefully in heavy brown paper and tied with twine. He had debated trying to wrap it again in more celebratory paper but decided that would just be overkill. He was already starting to have second thoughts about his choice but told himself after all the work put into wrapping it, he had no choice but to give it to Ezio.
After at least an hour of debating an outfit that would be “appropriate” for the evening—and reminding himself he'd be going through this again tomorrow—Leonardo hurried out the door, the directions in his pocket and the present held carefully by two corners. In the end, he'd chosen khakis and a light blue dress shirt, figuring that something he would wear to school should be okay for a family get-together. He buckled the gift in the backseat and then spent the drive over constantly checking his rear-view mirror to make sure it was still seated snugly back there.
Ezio's family lived in the richer part of town, which was unsurprising considering his father owned a bank with several locations. The house itself was practically a mansion—at least three stories high—though the outside was conservative when compared to some of the others he'd driven past.
The anxiety from graduation day returned as Leonardo parked and climbed out of his car, though it was mixed with some irritation now. At some point, he was going to have to get over his terror at talking with Ezio's family, especially if he wanted things to last beyond their first date, but he kept telling himself they could address those issues once they were past Ezio's birthday. For now, he was still seventeen and Leonardo did not fancy trying to tell either of Ezio's parents of his intentions.
God forbid his uncle finds out, he thought wearily. Retrieving the present from his backseat, he made his way up the front steps and rang the doorbell.
Maria was the first to greet him and she smiled warmly as she held the door open for him.
“Mr. da Vinci, I'm so glad you could make it.”
“Thank you for inviting me. And please, call me Leonardo.”
She inclined her head to acknowledge this as she shut the door. Her eyes flickered briefly to the package in his arms, but though he saw curiosity in her expression, she didn't ask about it.
“Let me show you where you can set that. It looks a little cumbersome.”
“A bit,” he agreed, and couldn't help looking around with a touch of wonder as he was led through the house.
While not as reserved as the outside, the interior décor was still far from gaudy. There was a refined elegance that spoke of owners who had wealth but preferred not to flaunt it. When they at last came to a room and Maria gestured for him to enter, Leonardo froze in the doorway, staring at a painting that hung opposite the entrance.
It was of a woman's head, her face tilted down as if looking at something in her arms or her lap. Her hair fell in waves around her but the curls were hazy, like they had been left unfinished, and there was only the bare outline of her neck and shoulders. Her face held the most detail, revealing the gentle look of love and tenderness that was undiminished by her downward gaze. The lines of the drawing were done in a warm sienna and Leonardo remembered how frustrating it had been to get exactly the right hue he had wanted for that piece.