Disclaimer: I don't own a single aspect of Assassin's Creed.
The fic, in its entirety, is being posted on my deviantArt page.
Salve: Hello
L'amato: Loved one (courtesy of Lady Northstar)
Buon giorno: Good morning
Aquila: Eagle
Come sta: How are you
Rosabella: Accurate term for 'beautiful rose'. Feminine, but I'm in the fluff business, so it's used as a pet name.
Cosa c'e': What's wrong
Tesoro: Accurate term for 'treasure'.
Mandare tutto al diavolo: Accurate phrase for 'damn it all', courtesy of the regal Lady Northstar.
Siete la mia aria: You are my air
Non piangere: Do not cry
Per favore non piangere, il mio: please don't cry, my darling
Sei la ragione per cui vivo, per cui ogni giorno sorrido: you are my reason for living, why I smile everyday
Ages unfolded in the arms of hours, but time was a serene force.
Life was a kaleidoscope, shining with not with the shades of pain, but with daybreak's radiance. The colors of midnight, lush rivers and dawn mingled with the touch of gentle rain. The world was enshrouded in the mists of war, but peace was a cleansing force. And touched by that same warm, enriching force, hearts were able to breathe. Hearts were able to live, love and dream freely.
One particular heart savored freedom's every breath. Even as diamonds fell from the silvery, vast ether, sunshine encased every second of his life. He cared not for time's measurement, for it was kind enough to permit breathing. It might have been a childish wish, but he wished time would forever remain still. To be lodged in his dream would be to live in emerald green tranquility.
Regardless of whether or not his dream would live forever, though, it would forever be cherished.
The focal point of his dream surpassed even the borealis. Ezio wasn't the promiscuous, restless fireball he had been, treating his flower as though he had been sent by the angels themselves. The eagle had truly lost his zest for extravagantly dressed charmers. Adoration for one, and only one soul was nourished, watered just as Heaven's diamonds nurtured fields of flowers. It was difficult not to feel triumphant over the assassin's old courtesan list. The dark-haired assassin, clearly the most beautiful human to walk the earth, loved only one heartbeat. Kind, chivalrous and gentle, he loved only one smile.
Much to Leonardo's displeasure, Ezio couldn't remain by his side all of the time. They could hardly share the morning together, even as daybreak barely crept out of its covers. The inventor hovered between discomfort and love, knowing why the assassin never progressed beyond the sensual art of kissing. However, there weren't any complaints against that particular predicament, as Leonardo cherished his position. To be trapped between the most savage displeasure and rapture awakened the indescribable. There weren't any numbers or words to measure how he felt, but the flames were there-and they were beautiful.
The Master Assassin's disappearing acts were easily explained. Leonardo's assigned guardians kept the inventor in high spirits, letting him know how their lord had gone off to perform simple errands. And as a result of Ezio's absences, an old zest for life was revived. Leonardo was initially pleased with merely observing the Brotherhood, but then, true to form, he wanted to tinker with things. Things were waiting to be discovered, and he needed to bring them to life!
Creating a makeshift workshop wasn't difficult. The fawn's guardians were more than willing to create a working space for him. Ezio's comrades hovered between worship and fear, not wanting to anger their lord by unfulfilling any of Leonardo's wishes. Adoration stemmed from jealousy, as the inventor was quite a catch in the Brotherhood's eyes. And so, even without his beloved eagle, the artist was treated with tender love and care. Fear dominated adoration at one point, as Leonardo expressed jubilant wishes to visit the town, but not a single assassin left his side.
Fear was not the result of weakness. Ezio just demanded respect-and those demands were not meant to be taken lightly. The soldiers behind the Borgia weren't meant to be brushed aside, either, but there were dreams to be had. Dreams were growing in the space of peace, and all were treasured by a hopeful spirit.
Tucked away in those dreams, one rejuvenated soul felt like singing.
Immeasurable time passed, blanketed in a whirlwind of silvery delight. Time's swift flow found Leonardo inside of newly acquired workshop (aka second sanctuary), tinkering away at life's humble joys. Not too long ago, his assassin had gone out on another errand run. So it was shocking to see Ezio make an appearance. The eagle threw open the inventor's door, alarming the poor creature.
"Salve, l'amato," the dark-haired angel said, as though he had pranced straight into a noisy bar. His inventor blushed as a result, amused and mesmerized by the other's behavior. Ezio's bedraggled appearance added icing to the strange yet luscious cake of life.
"Buon giorno. Come sta, aquila?"
"Fantastic," the chiseled beauty said, brown eyes exuding a world of tenderness. He scanned the little workshop, recovering his zest for the other's creations. Leonardo inwardly grimaced, suddenly realizing just how much he had missed having Ezio for an audience.
"I see you've been busy, Don't you ever stop, Leonardo?"
"I did stop," the artist said innocently, giving the other a shrug. "I stopped for the longest time, but now? Now I am free to do as I please."
They rediscovered one another, experiencing each other's wonders for the first time. Ezio's soft eyes treated Leonardo as a miracle, a treasure worthy of being cherished for ages on end. With folded arms and a peaceful smile, the eagle saw his inventor spread his wings. And in his little workshop, a rejuvenated Leonardo rediscovered all aspects of his life-and of his heart. His observations of Ezio were simultaneous with reports on odd contraptions, all flowing from zeal and delight.
Minutes strolled by, and into Leonardo's hands a model airplane went. "See this?" he asked, voice laden with excitement. A lush, emerald green world unfolded right before Ezio's eyes, but he knew Heaven's forest wasn't the answer to Leonardo's question.
"I'm afraid I do. Looks like the contraption you stuck me in."
"Ah ha," a rather exhilarated inventor said, setting up the miniature contraption. "but watch this! I'm working on a new and improved version!"
Either unimpressed or suppressing the desire to laugh, Ezio watched the little aircraft take flight. Leonardo was his polar opposite, watching the gadget as if he were witnessing the miracle of life.
The plane took off-but only for a few seconds. The makeshift aircraft crashed to the ground, instantly crumbling into pitiful ashes. Inventor and assassin painted a comical picture, bearing two sets of adorable expressions. Leonardo was trapped between horror and embarrassment, while Ezio appeared to be deathly bored.
"If that had happened to me, fiore, you would not have heard the end of it."
"Just a few minor setbacks," the artist said, after giving Ezio a punch to the shoulder. The eagle gathered the plane's broken wings, staring at them as if they were meager scraps of meat.
"That's funny. That's exactly what I would have said, if I had been riding this thing!"
If cuteness had been a lethal poison, Ezio would've been set to die in mere minutes. "Now you're just being mean," Leonardo said defensively, halfway between a pout and jubilant laughter. Quickly he scooped his plane's remnants into his hand, then vanished into the thick of his workshop.
The eagle listened to the sun's chimes and bells, all coming from Leonardo's steps. As the light-haired fawn went on about the planets, tides and stars, the assassin toyed with a propeller. It was attached to an invention that hadn't met a sour fate (yet). It appeared to be some sort of sailboat, meant for the open seas and open skies. Leonardo returned to find Ezio playing with the same propeller, initially unaware of the other's mood. However, it only took several seconds for horror to creep over him. His eagle had fallen strangely silent, aimlessly prodding at the same propeller.
"Rosabella?"
The eagle said nothing, head bowed and fingers still poking at the propeller. Setting down a pile of sketches, the inventor sadly acknowledged a grave turn of events. He rushed to steal Ezio's hand away from the little boat, then escorted his assassin away from the table of self-made gadgets. "Cosa c'e'?" the light-haired artist asked, his voice softer than a feather.
Ezio's rain soaked appearance had become painful to acknowledge, as it only highlighted the downfall of his spirit. The eagle's bowed head must've stabbed Leonardo's heart at least a million times. Ezio's inaudible words piled on a few more daggers.
"What was that, tesoro?"
"Mandare tutto al diavolo! I should have seen this earlier! I should have known!"
Ezio's sharp-edged voice caused Leonardo to jump back, but the artist quickly took him by the arm. "It couldn't be helped, mi amore," the artist cooed, smiling while stroking the other's arm. The smile instantly crumbled at the assassin's response.
"I wasted so much time in the company of others, but you were always with me! You were always there!"
Giovanni's last son had difficulty in recovering from past travesties. He couldn't dismiss the guard's assault against Leonardo, nor could he dismiss his past dismissal of Leonardo's company. The fawn's heart wilted for what seemed like the thousandth time, witnessing the downfall of sublime happiness. Even in the presence of his beloved rescuer, how could he possibly smile, knowing his eagle was in such dire straits?
"Do not trouble yourself so. I would have waited forever, and you would've been worth the wait."
Not the best choice of words. Before the inventor could release another syllable, the assassin was in his arms. Hands gripped the fawn's chest violently, as if a soul was fearful of falling into the darkest abyss. Leonardo opened his mouth to speak, heart burdened by a thousand leagues of sorrow, but Ezio's elevated embrace rendered him speechless. The assassin tightened his grip around the other, eyes and soul burdened by grief.
Right then and there, the artist realized something. Giovanni's one and only son must've gone through his own darkness, enshrouded in an assassin's struggles. And if he managed to forget a little wooden man, surely he had forgotten to breathe. Surely he had failed to give himself grieving space, unwittingly dismissing the untimely deaths of his beloved family.
He wasn't sure if Ezio wished to burst into sobs or scream. The Master Assassin's frame was trembling, almost convulsive-just as he had been, for so many ages on end. "I wish I had known," the Auditore said, his voice halfway between a whimper and a whisper. Suppressing his own desire to break down, Leonardo began to caress the other's back.
"I wish I had known something. Anything. You were the only stable part of my life. You are still the anchor that keeps me from madness. I have lost so much, yet you are still here."
"And I always will be," the artist promised, his voice dripping dew upon a calm lake. Ignoring his wish to burst into tears was insufferably difficult, as he could barely cope with the other's pain. Ezio plunged his head into the other's chest, tightening his grip on Leonardo's body.
"My uncle Mario, my father…brothers and sisters…I've lost so much, yet you are still here."
The inventor believed pain couldn't rise to a higher level. Hearing about the loss of Ezio's uncle was akin to having cattle prods buried in one's ears. Ezio had spoken so fondly about Uncle Mario.
And he hadn't been there to comfort Ezio over his grave loss.
"Siete la mia aria. Please do not cry, for I cannot breathe through your tears."
The eagle gave ephemeral, wide-eyed confusion to the inventor, just as lost as an abandoned child. He then returned his head to Leonardo's chest, surrendering to a storm without end. Mourning the days he had lost, walking an assassin's path. Mourning the loss of precious family, as if all had just been stolen from him. Silently shedding his own tears, Leonardo held him close. "Non piangere, tesoro," he repeated, rocking the other back and forth. Emitting the deepest warmth, despite his burning desire to release an ocean of rain.
"Per favore non piangere, il mio."
Their foreheads brushed one another. Ezio's tearful, fearful eyes met Leonardo's gentle ones, begging for an eternal continuation of peace. Neither of them spoke for a moment, transfixed by the mere glimpses of moonlit grandeur. Through each other's eyes, they discovered yet another world-a realm inhabited the gentlest of fireflies, and the brightest of stars. The eagle's sobs were silenced by the awakening of senses, stunned by the taste and textures of his new sanctuary. "Why?" he asked, his voice no stronger than a whisper.
"Why do you love me?"
Leonardo was temporarily lost, unable to answer such a weighty inquiry. The immeasurable anguish on Ezio's face unearthed the perfect response. "You are my midnight sun, the wind that breathes life into my very heart," the inventor replied, as though he were explaining another one of his creations. "You are the valor that leads me through the night. The strength that encourages me…when I can barely lift an arm. Sei la ragione per cui vivo, per cui ogni giorno sorrido."
"Thank you," said a liberated soul, eyes brimming with joy's dew. He ached to say more but couldn't, forced to issue his response through actions. Foreheads met as a kiss was initiated, accompanied by the synchronized rhythm of two hearts. Not another word was spoken as they submerged themselves in kisses, determined to hold one another even if Hell threatened to break them-or if Heaven wished to bring them home.
Bodies caressed one another, floating upon a moon-strewn lake. Both were ravenous, parched souls, questing for life's true elixir. Hands untied clothing as gasps were made, all in the pursuit of oxygen. The inventor soon found his back against the wall, desperately in need of air but surrendering his existence. Ezio kept him in a tight grip, ready to slit the Devil's throat if he wished to intervene.
Innocent eyes met hungry eyes, searching for the same paradise. Fierce kisses were given to a silken neck, while hands untangled thread. Eyes met, smiles blossomed through crystalline sky-
And Ezio missed the Brotherhood's afternoon conference.