A/N: I was uber bored, and had been wanting to come up with something that included Leonardo, Ezio's lover, betraying him. But I couldn't let Leonardo be a cold jack-ass… Sorry if that's what you wanted…

"Cazzo!" A loud scratching sound, mixed with sloshing, followed with a splash into a puddle. The assassin wasn't normally this clumsy, but on days like this, the rain falling steadily and deafeningly, his senses were dulled. He had lost his footing on a handrail as he ran down a set of stone steps, falling into a puddle face first. He pushed himself up and wiped the mud off his face with his bare left hand. He slung the mud onto the ground, ignoring the few stares he was receiving. He stood up and scaled the building in front of him. He searched the rooftops, the thick rain limiting his vision to at least two roofs in front of him. The sun was obscured by the thick rain clouds, hiding the evening light. The assassin's Eagle Vision activated, allowing him to see farther despite the rain. He ran, jumping from roof top to roof top, until he recognized the portal he was looking for. He jumped to a horizontal flag pole, swinging himself to the ground. He walked up to the door and opened it. He saw the artist inside the workshop bent over a sketch, his left hand quickly moving, seeming to possess a mind of its own. The assassin walked up to the artist and watched over his shoulder as an eagle quickly took form. He noted other sketches of images that Altair had drawn on codex pages the artist had decoded. The Assassin's symbol, the hidden blade, the poison blade, and even a few assassination techniques the assassin had learned. The assassin smiled, looking at the artist again. He wanted to embrace the artist, but didn't want to startle him. He shrugged and took his chances, pulling the artist to his chest.

The artist yelped, dropping the piece of charcoal from his hand. The charcoal bounced and shattered on the ground. "Oh, it's you, Ezio. You startled me."

Ezio Auditore da Firenze smiled. "Mi dispiace, amore mio. I did not mean to startle you."

The artist smiled, his back still firmly against the assassin's chest. He felt an odd cold against his back, roiled his brows, and then realized what it was as he stared at the window. "Ezio, are you wet?"

"Yep. Pretty much." Ezio hugged the artist tighter. "And, Leonardo, I think you should know I'm dirty too."

"Well, you've already established that…" Leonardo da Vinci blushed.

"No… I'm muddy."

"And why are you hugging me to your filth?" Leonardo's blush faded as he squirmed in the assassin's loving embrace.

"Because I wanted to share it with you. Like I share everything else."

Leonardo winced as Ezio's head rested on top of his red hat.

"Including my secrets…" Ezio muttered, his head raising and lowering due to his jaw pushing on Leonardo's head.

"Please don't get any mud on my hat…"

Ezio smirked and lifted his head, looking at the hat. He blinked, seeing it was soaked in mud and rainwater. "Um… oops…"

"Ezio…" Leonardo sighed.

"Si?" Ezio asked innocently.

"You're doing laundry."

"But you have an aide, don't you?"

"That's your punishment for getting me all muddy."

"Aw…" Ezio pouted, still hugging Leonardo.

"Can you turn loose of me now?"

"Never." Ezio turned Leonardo around and messily kissed the artist's lips.

Leonardo started to protest, but was overtaken by the sudden shift of blood in his body.

"And I'm sorry for getting you muddy…" Ezio muttered.

"I don't care now…"

Ezio smiled. "Success…" He muttered before the artist pushed him into his sleeping quarters onto the bed. The artist began to remove the assassin's armor as their tongues wrestled in each other's mouths.

"Ezio… Wait." Leonardo rose up a bit.

"What is it?" Ezio asked as he tried to pull Leonardo to his chest again.

"Wait." Leonardo seemed panicked as he tried to pull away.

"What's going on with you?" Ezio asked as Leonardo rose over him. He felt something hit his face, something metal, like a pendant. He opened his eyes after the reflex and saw Leonardo quickly putting the necklace back into his shirt. "What was that?"

"N-nothing." Leonardo stood up and walked out of the room.

"Leonardo!" Ezio jumped up and ran to the artist. "What is it you're hiding?"

"Nothing." Leonardo took off the necklace.

Ezio grabbed Leonardo's left arm, staring at the hand clenching tightly around the pendant. "What is it?"

"Ezio, turn loose of me! You're hurting my arm."

"Show me what that is. It's not like you to be hiding…" Ezio trailed off as he forced Leonardo's left hand open, revealing the Templar symbol as a pendant. His jaw dropped as he stared at Leonardo.

"Ezio… please… let me explain!"

Ezio shoved Leonardo away, knocking the necklace to the ground. "What is this?" He pointed to the necklace. "You're a Templar?"

Leonardo stuttered. "Amore mio, please!"

"Don't you ever call me amore again!" Ezio glared at Leonardo. "I can't believe I trusted you!"

"I'm so sorry…" Leonardo muttered quietly. He walked up to Ezio.

"Get away from me, stronzo!" Ezio attempted to push Leonardo away again. Leonardo hugged Ezio, seeming to sob. Ezio relaxed unwillingly. He pulled away when he heard Leonardo whistle, a call he recognized among the Templar. He pulled away and saw five guards storm into the workshop. One of them walked up to Ezio and hit him on the side of his head with a mace. Ezio's head slung to the right, blood seeping down the side of his head and out of his mouth. He fell to the ground, feeling light-headed; unable to stand. He stared at Leonardo. "I trusted you… And… you…"

The guards encircled Ezio.

Leonardo's fists clenched; his knuckles turning white as he bit his lip. He stared at the guards, then lunged at one of them, strangling them. The four other guards looked at Leonardo, surprised. Ezio took it as his chance to use his hidden blade, cutting the tendon of one of the Sweeper's leg, his halberd clattering to the ground as his leg collapsed. Ezio slashed two other guards tendons with both of his blades, still laying on the ground. The fourth guard hit Ezio with his mace again, Ezio blacking out.

"Are you okay?"

Ezio winced, his head throbbing.

"Ezio, c'mon, come to now."

"Release me! I saved him!"

"You called for the guards, you two-face liar!"

Ezio recognized the three voices. He opened his eyes, his vision producing a blurry male with long dark hair.

"Ah, Ezio. You've come to. How do you feel?" Antonio asked.

"My head feels like it's crushed." Ezio muttered.

"Two blows to the head will do that. I'm surprised you're not dead." Bartholomew grunted.

"Release me!" Leonardo struggled in Bartholomew's grasp.

"Here, drink this." Antonio put a cup to Ezio's lips.

Ezio obeyed, drinking the liquid. It tasted like wine, but stronger. He sat up after a minute, his head clearing. "Damn… that's good stuff…"

"Si. It's liquor, helps with pain." Antonio nodded, taking a drink of the liquid himself.

Ezio realized Leonardo was bound, and he jumped up and ran over to the artist. "You stronzo! You lied to me!" His hidden blade was against Leonardo's throat.

"Ezio! I had no choice! Borgia knew I knew you, and he threatened to kill me if I didn't join the ranks of the Templar."

"I don't believe you." Ezio pressed the blade more against Leonardo's throat, seeing blood running down.

"Please… believe me…"

He considered, withdrawing the blade. "Release him."

Bartholomew obeyed, relinquishing Leonardo.

Ezio grabbed Leonardo's right arm. "I have him. You two can go now."

Antonio nodded, following Bartholomew out the door, shutting it behind him.

"Ezio…"

"Shut up. You don't speak until I tell you to."

"But, Ezio, please…"

"Shut it!" Ezio slapped Leonardo. He glared at Leonardo, throwing him to the ground. "Why did you call for the guards?"

"They had followed you here…"

"Why?"

"Borgia ordered them to. They were then under my command…" Leonardo's lip bled.

Ezio continued to stare at Leonardo.

"I didn't want them to hurt you… That's why I attacked one of them." Leonardo licked his bloodied lip.

"Then you shouldn't have called them." Ezio glared, his lips curling in anger.

"Ezio, I had no choice!" Leonardo sobbed. "J-just… kill me now… Borgia will be all over me if I don't turn you in to him."

Ezio shook his head. "You're a weak, pathetic lion, you know that?"

"Kill me already Ezio! I ruined your trust… I broke your heart… I don't deserve to live."

Ezio sighed and paced around, Leonardo sitting up from laying on the floor. "Leonardo… you could say I escaped, I was the one who killed the guards."

Leonardo roiled his brows.

"I assume Borgia trusts you?"

"Si…" Leonardo reluctantly said.

"How many of my secrets have you relayed to him? About the codex pages?"

"None. I swear."

"And that's how you knew where to strike, helping me with some of my assassinations…" Ezio tried to find any hope in the gloomy situation. The rain outside did nothing to lighten it. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I didn't want to tell you at all… honestly…"

"Why?" Ezio's blood raced again as he stalked over to Leonardo. "So you could eventually turn your back against me? Like Uberto?"

Leonardo winced, knowing how much pain Uberto had brought to Ezio. "No..."

"Then why? Templar!" Ezio growled.

"Please, Ezio, trust me."

"I did trust you. But I've learned you're a Templar! You're part of the group who killed my father and my family!" Ezio nearly spat on Leonardo.

"I'm sorry…"

Ezio lunged down onto Leonardo, his hidden blade cutting the artist's throat again.

Leonardo stiffened as he felt the blood run down his neck again.

"You're horrible Leonardo." Ezio sighed. "What is it that Borgia wants?"

"He wanted you out of the way so he could become Pope without interference from you. He claims to be the prophet, and says that becoming the Pope will allow him to get closer to the Vault."

Ezio took out the Apple he had been holding. "The Vault! If I was dead, then he'd get the Apple, and the Staff, then he'd be able to get to the Vault. Leonardo…" Ezio retracted his hidden blade. "I'm sorry… I should've known you weren't meaning any harm to me because you hadn't stolen the Apple from me."

"I'm sorry too, Ezio."

Ezio helped Leonardo up. "Thanks for the intel." He smiled, kissing Leonardo.

Leonardo flinched.

Ezio sighed. "Va bene. I'll go alert the others of Borgia's plan." Ezio stole another kiss before escaping the workshop.

Leonardo collapsed on the ground, ashamed he was still alive after hurting his lover so much. He sighed and calmed down. "I suppose everything's going to be alright…"