“So what would you suggest, Maestro?” Leonardo put a few more brushstrokes on the panel and then trailed behind Ezio, accepting his friend's gentle teasing with grace. “I am finished with that section. So tell me, what would you have me paint?”
Salai, hearing Leonardo's words, sat up and stretched unselfconsciously, the slight muscle in his shoulders and back shifting as he lifted his arms over his head. The cloth wound around him truly did not cover much, and Ezio's eyes traveling up his body did not escape his notice.
“Yes, Maestro Assassino, what would you have him paint?” The spark in Salai's eye was full of mischief as he held Ezio's appraising stare.
“It is all a matter of imagination, of course.” Ezio crossed his arms and tilted his head, considering.
“Imagination?” Leonardo seemed amused at Ezio's interest in his painting, which, though Ezio was always supportive of his work, he had never held a pointed interest in before.
“Sí! If you have the boy stretched out like that, barely clothed... it leaves nothing for your viewers to imagine.” Ezio took a few steps towards Salai, who watched his movement suspiciously.
“Hm... I suppose I see your point.” Leonardo followed Ezio, his expression half-way between serious and laughing.
“It would be much better if you were to change it, like... “ Ezio started to gesture at Salai's body, then turned to catch Leonardo's gaze. “May I?”
“Of course.”
“I should think you should ask me as well, Messere!” Salai glared indignantly at Ezio as the assassin picked up the end of the fabric barely covering his chest and began to shift it around.
“You are only the assistant. You are here to serve your maestro's wishes, or am I wrong?” Ezio grinned, and Salai flipped his hair, adjusting to sit up straighter on the couch but saying nothing in rebuttal.
“Bene.” Ezio grabbed one of Salai's arms at the wrist and pulled it up, setting it over the back of the couch. Pulling the cloth over, Ezio wrapped it twice around his arm, not paying any attention to Salai's scandalized expression.
“What are you even doing, Assassino? The drape is much too tight there—Ah! Messer Ezio, this is highly—unusual!” Salai squawked at the rough treatment.
“No, no, I think it is much better this way.” Ezio smirked and laughed to himself at the model's flustered reaction. He shifted behind the couch, and holding Salai's shoulders, Ezio lifted him bodily to sit more upright. Salai squirmed at the manhandling, trying to pry off Ezio's grip.
“I am not a rag-doll! Please, Leonardo, call off this...”
Salai's petulant voice trailed off. Ezio looked up, wondering what had caused the interruption.
Even from where he was standing, Ezio could clearly see what Salai had noticed—the flush on Leonardo's face. Moreover, he could see from the way the artist was standing that Leonardo was uncomfortable about something... oh. Ezio smirked when he realized that for Leonardo, seeing the two people in his life closest to him, two people that he had a strong affection for, playfully wrestling with one another, one nearly naked... well, it was obvious what the problem was.
“Leonardo.” Ezio voice dropped to a low purr, snapping the artist out of whatever thoughts he may have been having.
“S-sí?” The flush that colored Leonardo's cheeks made his blue eyes stand out even more, and Ezio could see the embarrassment in his expression.
Hard Lessons 2/?
“So what would you suggest, Maestro?” Leonardo put a few more brushstrokes on the panel and then trailed behind Ezio, accepting his friend's gentle teasing with grace. “I am finished with that section. So tell me, what would you have me paint?”
Salai, hearing Leonardo's words, sat up and stretched unselfconsciously, the slight muscle in his shoulders and back shifting as he lifted his arms over his head. The cloth wound around him truly did not cover much, and Ezio's eyes traveling up his body did not escape his notice.
“Yes, Maestro Assassino, what would you have him paint?” The spark in Salai's eye was full of mischief as he held Ezio's appraising stare.
“It is all a matter of imagination, of course.” Ezio crossed his arms and tilted his head, considering.
“Imagination?” Leonardo seemed amused at Ezio's interest in his painting, which, though Ezio was always supportive of his work, he had never held a pointed interest in before.
“Sí! If you have the boy stretched out like that, barely clothed... it leaves nothing for your viewers to imagine.” Ezio took a few steps towards Salai, who watched his movement suspiciously.
“Hm... I suppose I see your point.” Leonardo followed Ezio, his expression half-way between serious and laughing.
“It would be much better if you were to change it, like... “ Ezio started to gesture at Salai's body, then turned to catch Leonardo's gaze. “May I?”
“Of course.”
“I should think you should ask me as well, Messere!” Salai glared indignantly at Ezio as the assassin picked up the end of the fabric barely covering his chest and began to shift it around.
“You are only the assistant. You are here to serve your maestro's wishes, or am I wrong?” Ezio grinned, and Salai flipped his hair, adjusting to sit up straighter on the couch but saying nothing in rebuttal.
“Bene.” Ezio grabbed one of Salai's arms at the wrist and pulled it up, setting it over the back of the couch. Pulling the cloth over, Ezio wrapped it twice around his arm, not paying any attention to Salai's scandalized expression.
“What are you even doing, Assassino? The drape is much too tight there—Ah! Messer Ezio, this is highly—unusual!” Salai squawked at the rough treatment.
“No, no, I think it is much better this way.” Ezio smirked and laughed to himself at the model's flustered reaction. He shifted behind the couch, and holding Salai's shoulders, Ezio lifted him bodily to sit more upright. Salai squirmed at the manhandling, trying to pry off Ezio's grip.
“I am not a rag-doll! Please, Leonardo, call off this...”
Salai's petulant voice trailed off. Ezio looked up, wondering what had caused the interruption.
Even from where he was standing, Ezio could clearly see what Salai had noticed—the flush on Leonardo's face. Moreover, he could see from the way the artist was standing that Leonardo was uncomfortable about something... oh. Ezio smirked when he realized that for Leonardo, seeing the two people in his life closest to him, two people that he had a strong affection for, playfully wrestling with one another, one nearly naked... well, it was obvious what the problem was.
“Leonardo.” Ezio voice dropped to a low purr, snapping the artist out of whatever thoughts he may have been having.
“S-sí?” The flush that colored Leonardo's cheeks made his blue eyes stand out even more, and Ezio could see the embarrassment in his expression.