asscreedkinkmeme | Kink Meme - Assassin's Creed pt.2

1

Despite Leonardo’s worries, the weeks passed without incident, although they seemed to drag on almost endlessly. Ezio did not seek him out after-hours again and Leonardo tried hard not to be disappointed by this, even though he had said not to. Ezio even behaved himself during class and, despite the occasional heated look, he seemed to be handling the wait better than Leonardo. Now that he'd had Ezio once, it was all he could think about; that and the various different ways to have him. Thankfully, his students were too excited with thoughts of the approaching summer holiday to notice if their teacher was distracted.

Eventually graduation day arrived and Leonardo sat with the other department heads on the stage as the diplomas were handed out. He couldn’t make out one student from the many that filled the room, but he imagined he felt a certain pair of eyes on him the entire time. It was bad enough when Ezio’s name was finally called and he walked right past Leonardo. His eyes had slid over to meet his teacher’s, lips curved in an anticipatory grin, and Leonardo felt like dry kindling right as the spark hits. The gymnasium had been relatively cool until then but after that it was stiflingly hot, his masters' robe and hood almost suffocating with their weight.

He was grateful when the ceremony finally came to an end and the caps went soaring into the air. Once he and his fellow teachers had been led off the stage, he fled the building. Outside it was slightly warmer than the air-conditioned auditorium, but he was at least free from the thousands of staring students and could take a moment to collect himself. This torturous countdown was still only half-over; Ezio’s birthday wasn't for another two weeks.

Two weeks that will likely feel like an eternity, he thought wryly.

As the students began to file out, he joined the other teachers in milling about, congratulating those who’d finished with top honors or who had already heard back from the dream school they’d applied to. He kept an eye out for a particular face in the crowd, but knew at the same time it would be difficult to find one person in the sea of people still streaming through the doors. Of course, even as he thought that, he heard his name called in a familiar voice.

“Mr. da Vinci!”

Leonardo turned and saw Ezio waving him over, a white-robed figure against the immaculately-dressed backdrop of his family. Leonardo actually balked at the sight until he convinced himself there was no way they could know that only weeks earlier, he’d had their son panting his name as he fucked him into his desk. He took a deep breath and then smiled back, raising a hand as he walked over to where they stood.

He had met Giovanni Auditore before after one of the many times Ezio had gotten into trouble for fighting with a classmate, but Ezio still made introductions all around. Maria Auditore was a lovely woman with an air of steel underlying her gentle aura. She confessed to having collected some of Leonardo’s paintings from when he’d dabbled as an artist before becoming a teacher. She wasn’t gushing over them but her praise still made him blush.

“I’d nearly forgotten those were still out there up for bid,” he admitted.

“Have you considered taking it up again? Perhaps just the occasional commission?”

“I’ve thought about it...” He still painted when he had the time but recently he found he couldn’t focus on scenic views or a still life when thoughts of Ezio spread out on his bed filled his mind.

Federico stood opposite Ezio in the little circle they formed and he was scanning the crowd for familiar faces. Leonardo knew him from having taught him but he seemed to have matured over the last few years at college. What would he be now…21?

Still so young, Leonardo mused and then nearly choked on that thought. God, Ezio isn’t even eighteen yet.

Giovanni’s brother Mario was a formidable man with an impressive scar over one eye and an enthusiastic handshake that nearly broke Leonardo’s arm.

“We never thought our little Ezio would take such an interest in art,” the man said and laughed while the rest of the family chuckled. Leonardo tried to join in without sounding strained, the whole time aware that Ezio was watching him.

“Yes, well, it's always good to have some sort of creative outlet,” he remarked and was grateful when the conversation shifted topics.

Ezio’s little sister Claudia was missing from the group but Leonardo suspected she had probably found her friends whose older siblings were also graduating; she had been in his beginner’s class 2 years ago. Petruccio was the shy youngest child who he had not met because, as Maria explained, he was being home-schooled.

“Ah, is that Isabella? I’ve been meaning to speak with her. Would you excuse me?” Maria slipped away from the group, Petruccio trailing behind her, and moved towards a huddle of people that Leonardo didn’t recognize.

“Isabella Vespucci,” Federico supplied helpfully. He had a wicked glint in his eyes when Leonardo turned back to him. “Ezio was dating her daughter for a while last year but she dumped him.” He seemed oblivious to the looks Ezio was shooting him, or at least he pretended he was. “She said he was too distracted, probably with thoughts of someone else.”

“Federico,” Ezio growled, looking quite murderous as he stepped forward.

“Boys,” Giovanni murmured, though his attention was elsewhere. Leonardo glanced in the direction he was looking and saw Headmaster de’ Medici speaking with a student. Still, that one word broke up the fight that was brewing before it escalated any further, although Ezio continued to glare at his older brother. Giovanni turned back to Leonardo, apparently satisfied with whatever he’d seen. “Mr. da Vinci, we’re having a birthday celebration for Ezio later this month and we wanted to extend an invitation to you. As a thank you,” he added, when Leonardo just stared blankly. “Maria and I think it’s good that he’s had someone like you to be a good influence on him over the years.” Leonardo smiled weakly, trying not to think too hard about his influence on Ezio—or vice versa.

“Of course. It’s been a pleasure teaching Ezio.”

His mind quite helpfully supplied him with a few images of what he'd taught Ezio last month and he struggled not to let his expression show it. He couldn't look at Ezio, too afraid the same thing was going through his mind. Luckily, he was saved from any other unfortunately worded phrases.

“Excellent. Ezio can give you the address and time. Mario, come with me a moment.” The two men excused themselves and moved on and Leonardo suddenly realized Federico had disappeared as well. That left him alone—relatively—with Ezio. It was incredible how even surrounded by hundreds of fellow students and faculty, Leonardo felt as if a bubble had been dropped over them, sealing them in their own little world.

“I, uh, wrote everything down here,” Ezio said, holding out a folded piece of paper. As Leonardo took it, their fingers brushed and he felt something like a static shock. He realized they hadn’t touched at all since that afternoon after-school. He’d been trying so hard to be good that he must have been avoiding all contact, even accidental. Ezio looked reluctant to draw away but he did so, shifting from foot to foot uncertainly.

“The party is Friday night,” he went on, “but my birthday is actually Saturday. My parents thought I might want to go out with my friends that night.”

Leonardo nodded, glancing down at the note he was turning over and over in his hands. He’d had no shortage of ideas for the day Ezio finally became legal, but all of them now seemed too daunting to speak out loud. He hadn’t even considered Ezio might want to hang out with his friends.

“I was hoping maybe we could—“

“Ezio!”

Ezio was cut off by the shout and someone barreling into him from behind, nearly knocking him into his teacher. Three young men suddenly crowded around him, all talking excitedly. Leonardo took a step back, a little overwhelmed by the abrupt escalation in noise.

“It’s over, man! We are finally free!”

“We heard your brother's throwing you a party?”

“Sorry, Mr. da Vinci! Can we steal him for a minute?”

Ezio looked just as startled by the interruption and definitely nonplussed, especially when his friends began to lead him away towards another group that was waving and shouting for a group picture. He threw a glance over his shoulder, his expression somewhere between frustration and a plea for help, but Leonardo forced himself to smile back. To distract himself from the disappointment of having Ezio snatched away before they could really talk, he unfolded and looked at the note.

Scribbled in Ezio's handwriting was an address, date and time, and a phone number.

OMFG, I nearly fucking exploded when I realised you had continued this story.
Holy hell, anon, here... take all my internets. And allow me to have your e-children.
High school AU is so far outside of my realm of interest, and yet somehow I'm following this story like a crack addict needing a fix.
Bravo, anon. Or brava, depending.

Hehe, it's brava. :3 Glad you're enjoying it! I'm pretty hooked on this whole high school AU thing myself. I really want that AltMal writer!anon to come back so we can have a few more scenes from that part of the cast.

Pastel-smearing anon is SO HAPPY. I love your writing so much. It's got a lovely flow to it and I'm just completely enthralled.

Can't wait to read more :D

Awww, pastel-smearing anon, you make me blush! I do a lot of re-reading and editing prior to posting, so I tend to lose touch with parts I felt were well-written and just think it's all a mess. Glad to hear that is not the case!

This is all your fault, you know, for thinking of those pastels in the first place. XD

Oh man, the guilt is just gnawing at me ;D

I'm just so pleased my offhanded comment helped inspire you. This is an absolute joy to read.

I literally bounced in my chair when I saw you'd posted this. Yes, PLEASE. Such tension! :D

That's right, as a great man once said, "IT HAS BEGUN!" Let the tension reign supreme! There will certainly be lots of it before we are done.

Can we have more? Pleaaase? /bounces around

Hopefully tomorrow! It's been a crazy week for this writer!anon.

2

The phone number presented an interesting conundrum that Leonardo was still puzzling over the next day. Was it a home phone? If so, he ran the risk of getting someone other than Ezio and would then have to explain why he had phoned the house. He had never been good with lying and with the school year over, it seemed unlikely for a teacher to be calling. That meant it was probably a cell number but that did nothing to ease his nerves. Even though Ezio was not technically his student anymore, Leonardo was still hounded by the fear of being caught with an underage young man. There was no evidence of their one time together but certainly having his cell number would raise a few eyebrows.

“This is ridiculous,” he muttered aloud. “Clearly he wanted me to call or he wouldn't have given a number, and he wouldn't have given out one that just anyone would answer, right? Right.” He punched the digits into his phone and hit “send” before his resolve faltered.

By the third ring, he had completed a mental one-eighty and was convinced he'd dialed the main house. He was paralyzed by the thought that any minute Maria or Giovanni or perhaps even Claudia would pick up and ask who was calling. Hanging up hardly seemed an option either, when most phones these days had caller id. When the possibility of having to leave a message struck him, he nearly dropped the phone. Then the ringing abruptly ended as someone—or something—picked up and Leonardo braced himself.

“Hello?”

He released a silent sigh of relief at the familiar voice on the other end, although it came over the line as a low mumble and barely sounded coherent. Leonardo glanced at his clock, wondering if he'd picked a bad time, but saw it was nearly 10.

“Um, Ezio? It's...Leonardo.”

“Oh. Hey.” It was amazing how much his voice could change over just two words. He sounded surprised at first and then his voice dropped into a softer tone that made a stupid smile break out on Leonardo's face and something flutter in his chest.

“Hey,” the teacher echoed, instinctively adopting the same tone. “Did I wake you?” There was a rustling sound and Leonardo tried hard not to think of Ezio in bed, Ezio moving around under the sheets, Ezio probably wearing very little under the sheets...

“Yeah but I don't mind.” He was beginning to sound a little more awake now. “We had a ton of people come over last night; Federico wanted to throw one last party for me. I drank so much soda I don't think I stopped vibrating from the caffeine until close to 4.” He chuckled and Leonardo couldn't help shaking his head, even though he knew Ezio couldn't see it. “So...what's up?”

“I was calling about your birthday.”

“Yeah?” There was a slightly breathless quality to Ezio’s voice that made Leonardo's pulse leap.

“Yes.” Leonardo licked his lips nervously and struggled on. “I was thinking if you don’t have any plans—with your friends, I mean—I would like to take you out to dinner.” The words felt so awkward, they were nearly painful.

“Yeah, sure! I, uh, I was hoping you’d want to do something.” It was a little gratifying to hear Ezio also stumbling over his words, his blush practically audible through the phone. “And then after dinner…?”

“We’ll talk about that at dinner,” Leonardo said firmly. He'd given this whole situation plenty of thought and vowed that if they were going to do this, they would do it right, like adults. Especially if there was more to the tension between them than just carnal desires.

A long pause followed his words and Leonardo wondered if Ezio was going to say something that would prove him wrong, something to the effect of wanting only sex and not the trappings of a relationship. The silence stretched on and then he heard that rustling sound again. Ezio’s voice returned, low and throaty and sounding as if he had the phone pressed right up against his lips.

“I can't stop thinking about you.”

The words were like liquid sin, pouring into his ear and dripping down through him, leaving a tingling warmth in their wake. Leonardo found himself clutching his phone in a white-knuckle grip and tried to relax.

“Ezio—”

“I did what you said but it’s not the same.” Ezio’s voice hitched on the last word and Leonardo could suddenly—and quite clearly—picture what was going on at the other end of the line. “I want your hands on me.” The emphasis on the word came out as a frustrated growl and Leonardo squeezed his eyes shut, praying for control. His own arousal tented the front of his slacks and he pressed a hand there, trying to will his erection away unsuccessfully.

It would be so easy to let things take their natural course, to coax Ezio along with murmured instructions until he was gasping Leonardo's name. He had certainly missed that sound these last two weeks with only memory to serve him. It was so tempting and yet it went completely against his decision to treat Ezio like an adult and not just give in to the demands of his lust-addled mind.

He didn’t realize how long he’d been silent, while his conscience waged war with the demands of his dick, until he heard the sheets rustling again.

“Leonardo?” The uncertainty in Ezio's voice is what finally brought him back down to earth.

“Yes. Yes, I’m here,” he said, releasing a shaky breath. “Ezio, you are going to be the death of me.” Though I doubt I will mind. “I'm trying to go about this properly but you make it very hard.” He thought he heard a muffled snicker, probably at his choice of words, and couldn't help smiling. “I have enough trouble trying not to think about you all the time without you adding fuel to the fire.” He tried to keep his tone light, hoping to stamp out the fuse that had been burning down to a yet another breaking point. He heard more shifting under the sheets.

“You know what I'm going to do once we hang up,” Ezio said, his voice a little more steady but with a touch of challenge in his words. Leonardo chuckled.

“Of course, but if I'm going to listen to you, I want to be able to see you as well. And touch you and taste you.” Leonardo's voice had grown hoarse again, his thoughts once more heading into dangerous territory, so he cleared his throat and tried again. “I think I'd rather wait and have all of that then just a quickie over the phone, hm?”

The silence spoke volumes, Ezio no doubt blushing in embarrassment at his desperation only moments earlier.

“Good point,” he mumbled sheepishly and Leonardo smiled.

“I will see you at your birthday party then,” he said and then hesitated as he thought of something. “Was there anything you wanted? As a present?”

“You.”

There was a trace of heat in that one word but also a touch of hope and that soft, unspoken emotion that had warmed his tone at the beginning of their conversation. Leonardo felt heat in his cheeks as his heart did a fluttery dance in his chest again.

“I will see you soon,” he said, hating the inadequacy of his words.

“Bye.”

Reluctantly, Leonardo hit “end” and stared at the blinking call time without really seeing it. Eventually, he shook free of his thoughts and realized his erection from before had not completely diminished. Tossing the phone on his couch with a frustrated sigh, he headed for the bathroom. No doubt Ezio would be resuming what he'd started on the phone and that would give him plenty to think about as he took care of his own problem.

I am LIVING for this fic, lovely writer. <3 LIVING.

I should have more in the morning! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! :D

WANT MOAR.

Also, Leo's 7 years older than Ezio, anon. ♥

Moar soon! ;3

I know that's the age difference in the games, but for this AU I had started writing it with the idea that Leonardo had been at the school long enough to teach Federico before Ezio. Since I forgot Federico is 3 years older than Ezio, that would mean Leonardo had started teaching at the school when he was 18, which seemed unlikely. So I kind of had to stretch the age gap a little until it made more sense, though I'm still assuming Leonardo started teaching at 24 which is awfully young for a teacher but not impossible, I suppose.

tl;dr = I put waaaay too much thought into this. XD

AC2's bio on Federico has him four years older than Ezio.

Hey, it's a (hot, smexy) AU, who cares. XD

Re: Fill - Take-home Credit 5/?

(Anonymous) - 2011-02-13 15:01 (UTC) - Expand

Anon:
I just made some valentines cookies. I would be willing to (virtually) share them with you if you continue this story. They're chocolate chip with little heart shaped thingies on top. Sprinkle thingies.

This anon wants you to know that you are a fabulous writer, and your Ezio is so cute, I can't hardly stand myself. I squealed, anon. Squealed. While reading.

Omg those sound adorable and delicious! I will absolutely be continuing, RL is just not giving me the time I'd hoped to have for this. I'm glad you're enjoying it! :D Hopefully you didn't get any strange looks for the squealing?

3

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.

Maria glanced between him and the picture, smiling enigmatically.

“It's a lovely portrait. Did you mean to leave it unfinished?” she asked.

Leonardo blushed, both at the question and at himself for staring at his own work like an idiot. He moved into the room to lean his gift against the wall, next to the table where a small pile of presents lay waiting.

“I had intended to go back and add a little more detail,” he explained, “but when I took this teaching job, it got put in a box and I never could find it again. Now I see it must have been mixed in with the finished works I eventually gave my agent to sell.” He glanced at Maria somewhat sheepishly. “I hope you didn't have to pay full price for something half-done.”

“Nonsense,” she replied, dismissing his comment with a wave of her hand. “I think it's beautiful as it is so don't worry about what I paid for it.” She hooked her arm with his and led him out into the hall again.

They found the rest of the family in the spacious den and Leonardo was relieved to see he wasn't the only non-relative there. He was a little surprised to see Headmaster de' Medici, considering Ezio's track record with the school's authority, but judging by the way he was speaking with Giovanni, they apparently knew each other outside of Ezio's visits to the office. Aside from the headmaster and himself, there weren't any others from the school but there were several faces he didn't recognize.

He had told himself not to but almost immediately after entering the room with Maria, his eyes sought out Ezio. The young man was standing with Federico off to the side, his back to the door, but his brother must have said something because shortly after Leonardo spotted him, Ezio spun around. When he saw Leonardo, his face brightened and Leonardo felt the now-familiar squeeze around his heart. Thankfully, he did not come rushing over but Maria apparently noticed the exchange and, with her arm still linked with Leonardo's, they drifted over.

“Hey, uh, Mr. da Vinci,” Ezio said and Leonardo wondered if the others noticed his slight hesitation. Apparently neither one of them was good at subterfuge.

“Happy birthday, Ezio,” Leonardo replied. “A day early, that is.” Ezio looked good, dressed in a short-sleeved, white dress shirt and black slacks, quite different from his usual school attire of a t-shirt and jeans.

Behave yourself, his conscience reminded him.

“Ezio said you were taking him to dinner tomorrow,” Maria spoke up, her tone casual, and Leonardo's heart stopped. He tried not to let any of the sudden panic he felt show in his expression; he was impressed that he saw nothing in Ezio's eyes. Finally, he managed a smile and a chuckle he felt probably looked normal.

“Ah, yes, if that's all right?” Maria's smile was warm and genuine, not a trace of distrust or suspicion in her eyes as she replied.

“Of course. I'm sure Giovanni said this after the graduation ceremony, but we're very grateful Ezio has had a teacher like you to help him stay grounded in his studies. We all know he's had problems 'acting out'.”

“Mother,” Ezio huffed but Maria just chuckled and unwound her arm from Leonardo's, patting her son on the cheek.

“I'm going to make sure your father isn't discussing another of his crazy business proposals with Lorenzo.” She turned to Leonardo. “Please make yourself at home. There are drinks and hors d'oeuvres in the kitchen; Ezio can show you where.”

Leonardo was desperate to ask exactly how Ezio had gone about telling his parents about their date, but with Federico around he had to maintain his appearance as just a teacher.

“How is college going?” he asked the elder brother, who shrugged.

“Good. I've been trying to convince Ezio to join me but he says he's not interested in business school.” Federico chuckled as Ezio frowned, arms crossed in a distinctly defensive posture.

“I just said I haven't decided yet, that's all.” Leonardo made a mental note to try pursuing that topic the following evening over dinner. Ezio's plans for the future—and how it affected them—had been on his mind since that afternoon in the classroom, but he knew they could talk more openly once they were alone.

Re: Ezio's education...I was JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS THIS MORNING. I love how poor Leo is trying to handle this like an adult AND make sure Ezio doesn't screw up his life, but he still really wants it.

I also love how jumpy he is. Poor guy. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next installment(s)!! <333

They managed to make conversation until Ezio finally asked if Leonardo wanted something to drink and led him to the kitchen. Like the other rooms he'd seen, this one was just as spacious with a counter that served as a divider separating the room into the dining and cooking areas. The chairs had been removed but there was a long table with quite a spread of food laid out on fancy serving dishes. Ezio went to stand behind the counter where various bottles of wine, beer, soda and a large bowl of punch sat.

“Punch is fine, thank you,” Leonardo said when Ezio gestured to the drinks. Now that they were alone, Leonardo felt some of his anxiety fade, no longer having to wonder if someone was watching him watch Ezio. “So, you mentioned the dinner?”

Ezio glanced at him almost guiltily, pausing with the punch ladle halfway to the glass, then looked down at what he was doing.

“Yeah. I thought, um, if you were going to pick me up...” He trailed off as he walked over to hand Leonardo the drink.

“It's fine,” Leonardo said with a reassuring smile. He reached out to touch Ezio's arm, his fingers brushing against skin briefly before he forced himself to draw away. “I actually prefer not having to sneak around it.”

“Oh, well...I didn't mention that it was a...a date,” Ezio said, glancing down again, his cheeks pink. Leonardo wanted to kiss him suddenly, to take away that hesitancy and replace it with the eager hunger he'd witnessed before.

“That's fine, too,” he said instead, gripping the glass like it was a lifeline. “Let's see how it goes and then you can decide how to approach them about it.” Ezio nodded and this time when he looked up, he was smiling. Leonardo swallowed, feeling again the urge to kiss him. “We should probably go back to the party.”

“Yeah,” Ezio said but neither of them were willing to make the first move. Finally, with clear reluctance, Ezio turned and led the way back to the den, Leonardo trailing after him.

As they re-entered the room, Maria approached, saying she had someone she wanted to introduce Leonardo to. Apparently she felt the need to ensure Leonardo did not get stuck talking only to his student for the evening. As much as he wouldn't mind that, he still smiled and let himself be led over to a couple he had previously noted as other non-relatives.

The man looked to be about Leonardo's age, perhaps a little older, and carried himself with the stiff air of someone who had spent time in the military. He seemed restless, sometimes resting his hands on his hips and then dropping them to his sides after a moment. The woman at his side was almost dainty in comparison, her head just coming to the man's shoulders and her arms folded modestly in front of her. Surprisingly, she looked considerably younger that the man, like she could be closer to Federico's age. Both looked up with interest as Leonardo was brought over.

“Leonardo, this is Bartolomeo d'Alviano and his wife, Pantasilea. Bartolomeo is an instructor at the military academy just outside of town and Pantasilea is taking courses at Federico's school,” Maria explained. “Leonardo is the head of the art department at the high school.”

Bartolomeo stuck his hand out to shake Leonardo's, his grip nearly as crushing as Mario's had been; Pantasilea's, thankfully, was only politely firm.

Maria left him to check on her other guests, ever the considerate hostess, and Leonardo was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't difficult to make conversation with this pair. Bartolomeo had a gruff voice and talked a little louder than was necessary, perhaps, but whenever his voice would rise in volume, his wife laid a hand on his arm and he immediately would pause and start again, this time in tones more conducive to speaking indoors.

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