As of late, Leonardo noticed, his good friend Ezio Auditore had become very interested in fine arts. Now the two weren't best buds or any thing, but when Lorenzo de'Medici introduced him to the Auditore family, he knew one of them would be so dumb and so troublesome that they'd end up being one of his 'pals.' Well, that pal would be Ezio, greatest Assassin of the Renaissance, and the most wanted.

So, that being said, what would an Assassin want to do with art? As a fellow painter and sculptor, Leonardo supported his friend wholeheartedly in his new found appreciation for art, suspecting it'd be a phase. Somewhere inside he thought Maybe Ezio's just desperate to see his family again, and wishes to draw them. But Ezio was just as enthusiastic as his instructor, even asking "What media do you use?" at one point.

It's hard not to let your jaw hit the floor when a sexy, killing machine asks you what you do to draw. It seemed too...too kindhearted for Ezio - almost uncharacteristic. Leonardo smiled at the emotion, though, putting a hand on the other's back to usher him out of the work-shoppe and into the streets of Venice, sketchpad, pencil, and eraser in hand.

"What's wrong, mio amico?" Ezio was only hoping that the artist was leading him to an art-shoppe rather than what they seemed to be headed to – water. What's the fun in water? Despite temptation, Leonardo turned his head from the little paintbrushes and inventions in the shoppes, and kept Ezio away from water (so as not to push him in it). Instead, he climbed up the side of a building – and a tall one, at that – horrible ungracefully, slipping a few times and scattering cuts across his arms and legs – not to mention those precious hands. He collapsed on the top of the building, clattering roof shingles about. Ezio followed suit, with the exception of doing so terribly or being exhausted.

Landing on his feet with a thud, then picking himself up, Ezio looked around at the view. It was nice. "Why are we here?"

"..." Moments passed silently as the skilled artist worked to catch his long-lost breath, then stood up, leaning on Ezio's shoulder. Ezio brushed him off, trying to figure out what it was that Leonardo was looking at. Leonardo pointed to the oncoming sun, and Ezio's line of sight was geared to that way.

"What is it?" Ezio frowned.

"What are you looking at?"

"...Look, Leonardo, it's very pretty, but-"

"Yes, it is indeed gorgeous. Look at it again, Ezio, only this time," Leonardo set two fingers on Ezio's chin, pulling the young Assassin's face to meet his own so he could finish his sentence. "With an artistic eye." He smiled lightly, keeping his eyes on Ezio's brown ones. His head titled to the sunrise, then the sketchpad.

He let the younger Italian go when he was sure the other's face flushed a light pink colour. His own cheeks lit up, not going unnoticed.

"Mio Dio, Leonardo!" The rhyme mixed with the way the words rolled off his tongue made Leonardo smile, holding a fist up to his mouth in an attempt to stop the laughing. "What's got you flustered?" He asked jokingly, beginning to sketch the scenery as best as his untrained hands could.

By the time the sun had emerged from it's hiding spot behind the forever-going buildings and houses, Leonardo had fallen asleep on Ezio's shoulder, body going limp against him. Ezio's sketch was still incomplete, give or take the hour more it took to add finishing details. He nudged the sleeping friend.

"Leonardo? Leonardo!" his voice didn't go over a whisper, but was hoarse and shook his friend to consciousness.

"Hmm? Yes?" Only managing a monotonous ring, Leonardo blinked a few times to capture the panorama, still very tired and groggy. Ezio nearly slammed the picture in his face, and Leonardo had to reel his head back to get a good, proper look, taking the pad in two fingers.

"How does it look?"

"Why, Ezio, it's," a little disappointing perspective-wise, but Leonardo remembered a time when even he couldn't down perspectives, as it was a very hard thing to manage. He still screwed it up on occasions. "beautiful! Very nice work! Excellent use of shading, I see, lots of details, especially on the rooftops." Just to flatter Ezio... "And I am Leonardo da Vinci, so that should say something! I bet Michelangelo would be jealous." The words came out in a poisonous hiss. He hated Michelangelo with a passion. The bastard was such a cocky prick sometimes.

"Aw, Leonardo, you're just saying that now!" Ezio grinned from ear to ear, shoving the other in the arm with his elbow roughly. Never could the two be happier – Leonardo loved seeing Ezio smile and Ezio felt accomplished.

"Nah, I love it! ...Can I keep it? It's really, very good." A warm smile replaced the devious smirk that had been there upon his lips, but washed away into a confused, tilted, quirky grin as Ezio's arms wrapped around his neck over his shoulder, holding him close; tightly but delicately as if the artist was a walking porcelain doll.

"Of course, mio amo."

Amo?

Love?

Leonardo pushed away on Ezio's chest, his face becoming awful red, as he was blushing a considerable amount by now. He looked down, eyes tightly shut.

"E-Ezioooo, don't you know I'm not a girl?" He smiled down at his lap, feeling happy that the words were said, but depressive in that his friend probably didn't mean them, saying it purely in the ecstasy of the moment. It was true – Leonardo was not a girl and, thank God, never would be. Ezio wouldn't love him. The poor boy must've been feeling sick after slaying so many people.

"But I do know! At least...I think you have a -"

"I do!"

"Okay, so what's the problem, then?" Ezio crossed his arms, hurt that his friend would refuse his love.

"Oh, uh..." 'Oh nothing, really, in fact, I'm gay! Hahaha, good times, huh?' Yeah right. "I-I..." You'll never get a chance. Just lie and keep the friendship strong. "I prefer women." He said quickly, biting his lip to keep from saying 'Only not really, I was joking,' or something of the sort.

Ezio busted into laughter, causing a greater deal of bewilderment on the poor artist.

"What? Why are you laughing? There's nothing to laugh at."

"Leonardo, my friend," Ezio swung an arm around the shorter man's neck, pulling him close enough so he could whisper. "I'm sorry, but you swing for women about as much as my little brother was healthy."

"Must have been a healthy young boy..."

"He was bound to his bed!" A laughter followed.

"Oh..." Leonardo retreated his gaze to his hands sheepishly.

"You're gay!"

"SHHH!" Leonardo's body jerked up, and he slapped a hand forcefully over his friend's mouth. A muffled "Why?" was whined back.

"I was accused of it once and almost killed. Besides, I'm not gay, I just...don't think the woman's reproductive organ is pretty or seductive at all." he let Ezio go, who immediately retorted.

"And you think cock is better?"

"Ezio!"

"Well? And any ways, I don't think it's pretty either."

"...Are you implying you're gay too?"

"Are you implying you were gay in the first place?"

"Are you implying I'd do anything with a man?"

"Are you implying you want to?"

"Are you implying you'd also like to?"

"Are you implying I'd want to with you?"

"What kind of flirting is this?"

"Ours." Ezio and Leonardo simultaneously grabbed each other's head some where, any where, pushing their lips together fiercely, roughly, newly for Ezio, but not inexperienced. He was quick to open his mouth just the slightest and lick at Leonardo's lips. Leonardo got the move and let the other's tongue in, ravishingly imploring for a response from one another.

With one last moan, Leonardo broke the kiss, inhaling deeply.

"A-Accidenti, Ezi-"

"Shh," Ezio hushed him with a grin, cupping his thumb and index finger around Leonardo's chin. "Let's go back to your place, mm?"

The older man could only nod.

"Okay. See you there, mio amo!" He plunged down through the air suddenly, from the frightfully high tower, Leonardo watching him just to be safe. Any suspicions of death were eliminated as the Assassin poked out his head then hopped out from within the stack and went barreling down a street, making civilians jump. He turned his head for one critical second, smiling to reassure the painter.

With a flourish, Leonardo came down, very similarly to the way he came up. As his feet hit the ground, he sighed, brushing off any dirt that might've resided in his clothing, holding the sketchpad to his chest and falling back into the hay, now only having his legs be visible to the public.

"Mio Dio, Ezio," He muttered. "You've get me flustered." He whispered, kissing the drawing.

Okay I actually went through and edited this one before posting it. :V I wrote this for DeeNuke down at deviantART because she has very long days at work and needs some EzioLeo to brighten the day up! XD

I don't like this pairing so much... I like to imagine Ezio as a womanizer. XD It's kinda cute for the flufffluff aspect, though. :D But I'm pretty sure Leonardo had a secret relationship...:(

Any ways, enjoy! This is chapter 1 of 3. :D