Hello again! I've decided I'm posting every Thursday and Sunday.
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Chapter 2: Mio Fratello
Federico knows when he hears of a brawl in the streets, that Ezio is nearby. He can't help but smile as he dashes through the cobbled paths of Firenze towards what he assumes is quite a battle indeed if the shouts are as real as they sound. As he reaches the bridge, he's treated to Ezio and several other teenagers fighting. Vieri is there, and Federico needs no other explanation for how this came about. Instead, he runs forward and clocks one of the Pazzi who was standing behind Ezio.
"Federico?!" Ezio says in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see if baby brother learned to fight," Federico grins, to which Ezio responds blindingly. Federico notices a bit of blood on Ezio's lip, but the intent look in his brother's eyes commands his attention.
"And?" Ezio asks, maybe even demands. As his older brother, there's really nothing else that Federico can do besides turn back and clap him on the shoulder.
"You have style," Federico lectures, "But endurance is where it counts."
"I'll show you endurance!" Ezio declares, throwing himself at a group of them, fists wild and passionate like all Auditores. Federico smiles and finishes a few of the men off. Vieri calls a retreat, and before Ezio can follow and instigate another brawl, Federico grabs his arm.
"Your face," he says, grabbing his brother's chin to look closer at the gash that covers part of Ezio's lip. "Mother is not going to be happy."
"It's fine." Ezio bats Federico's hand away.
"Let the dottore decide that one, fratello."
"I'm lacking money, and besides I have no reason to visit the dottore."
"Do you want it to become a nasty scar? You'll ruin your pretty little face."
"Women find them attractive," Ezio counters.
"There is a limit to what women are willing to take. We're going to the dottore. As for money . . . well, seeing as these men are out of commission, I don't think they'll be needing their money, do you?"
An impish smile appears on Ezio's face, and Federico watches as his brother descends on the unconscious Pazzi members, raiding their pockets.
Federico exhales for a moment, taking in the lowering sun.
It's moments like these where he wonders how in the world anyone can call Ezio a girl. Women did not fight with the vigor of a bull, women did not dismiss injuries that would scar, and no woman Federico has ever met would filch money from unconscious men. Everything seems so obvious to Federico. Sure Ezio appears one way in body, but in mind and spirit, the two things that really matter, he is more masculine than many of the men Federico knows.
Father struggles with it, Federico knows. It's in the concerned glances and furrowed brow that tells Federico that he worries about Ezio's future. He understands where his father is coming from. Ezio prefers women to men, which considering his brother's masculinity seems to be quite appropriate. The problem is that Ezio will never provide a child. Marrying off daughters is a matter that requires a father's complete attention, and yet there is nothing he can do for Ezio. Their mother is much better. While Federico still catches the occasional wistful glance, he mostly finds understanding in her eyes. Aside from him, she seems to get it best. The two younger children are different. No one has explained to Petruccio what the situation is exactly, and Federico knows Ezio is unusually tentative about the matter. Federico has faith, however, that Petruccio will understand. Claudia is the one who struggles with it most, even more than father.
Claudia has never been able to reconcile the fact that Ezio is her brother, not sister. He imagines that she wished for an older sister to rely on for the little details of a woman's life, to gossip with about the various boys in town. What she gets instead is a brother who is more than willing to beat down any person who dares to make his sister cry. While it softens Claudia to him, and Federico knows that she loves him, Claudia has never accepted that Ezio is a man. Instead she waits, foot tapping, for Ezio to change— something Federico knows will never happen.
Maybe it's because Federico is older, and remembers better than nine-year-old Claudia at the time how Ezio was before he started dressing and behaving like a man. His brother was suffering. His brother was withering away. And Federico never knew it until the day Ezio came down stairs in leggings and a loose white shirt. Because the brightness in his eyes, and the smiles he doled out were filled with a light Federico never knew existed. He felt like he finally met his sibling for the first time— as though everything else had been a shadow of the truth. That's when their brotherhood began.
He blinks as his gaze catches something when Ezio is bent over a man. Federico hastily strides towards his brother, standing immediately in front of him.
"Ezio," he says, quickly, urgently, "Your bindings."
Ezio's eyes widen. His gaze darts down to where his bindings have indeed come lose from his vigorous fight, allowing a feminine swell to be seen through the shirt. Ezio's hands fly upwards, before dropping uselessly. Both of them know they can't fix it here, and trying to hide them with his arms would attract attention. His younger brother's eyes shoot towards the people still loitering around the area looking at the remnants of the fight, and Federico knows his little brother can sense all the women in the group gossiping. Their gazes remain on the unconscious men still, thankfully, and so Federico grabs his brother's hands and pulls him forward.
"Keep close," he murmurs. Federico thinks he senses Ezio's nod but doesn't dare look back. Ezio's feet are nearly clipping his heels with every step as Federico navigates through the crowd. He leads Ezio towards one of the open air buildings that dot the city. The place is crumbling from age, but benches and flowers have been added in to create a pleasant sitting area. Thankfully, in this transitory, near sun-down part of the day, the small area is empty. He shoves his brother in and casually leans against the entryway, mechanically tracking the figures of women as they pass by, playing the part of the helpless reprobate people in town love him for.
Everything he figures is going well until he hears a small gasp. He can't help but tilt his head a little. Ezio is standing stiff as a board, arm awkwardly extended towards his collarbone, and it trembles before dropping back to his side. His brother has his back towards Federico, but he still sees it. Apparently Ezio damaged more than just his face in the skirmish if the swelling of his shoulder is anything to go by.
"Ezio," he utters. His brother flinches. "Can I—"
"I— I can't do it on my own," he manages, trembling, and Federico doesn't say a word. Instead he just approaches his brother from behind, with fingers mentally crossed that no one will come in.
With the bindings loose as they are, Federico can see exactly how slender his brother is without the three or four layers he wears around his midsection to belie the hour-glass figure. As he guessed, Ezio's shoulder is actually quite swollen, and he's surprised Ezio managed to raise his hand above his shoulder at all. Federico has always been taller than Ezio, and inadvertently he has a view straight over his brother's shoulder to his chest. Ezio must know this too because his breathing is sharper, more pained. Then again, that might just be the strain of moving his arm so much. The bandages are completely off now, and unknotted so they can start fresh.
"Tell me what to do," Federico says, training his eyes on the back of his brother's head where his dark hair is pulled into its usual ponytail.
"Just help me wrap it around. Hold it to my side and I'll pass it back to you."
Federico grabs the end of the bandages and presses it to his brother's ribcage before passing it across Ezio's stomach to his brother's expecting hand and then receiving it again.
It's more complicated than Federico thought it would be, and it's then that he realizes that he's never seen Ezio do this. The next thing he realizes is that Ezio does this every day.
The two carry on for some time, and Federico is focused so intently on his work that he doesn't realize how much Ezio is shaking until he hears a soft sob. Federico's hands freeze where they are. He can't see his brother's face fully, but the water glistens brightly enough for him to see it on Ezio's cheek.
"I hate this," Ezio says, "I hate this so fucking much. I fucking hate this. So much. Figlio d'un cane!"
Federico can't understand it, not really, and so he keeps quite as they finish bandaging his chest. Ezio pulls back on his layers and Federico dutifully looks to the side while his brother swipes the tears away. When everything is said and done, Ezio looks normal— maybe his eyes are a little more red than usual, but otherwise he's put together. Federico smiles, which Ezio does not return, but the older man remains undeterred. He slings an arm over his brother's uninjured shoulder and steers him out of the small building.
He makes sure to keep his pace leisurely and the expression on his face as relaxed as he can make it. He's worried about Ezio, but he has a feeling that his brother wouldn't respond kindly to the concern, (that he would surely interpret as pity). Federico wonders if Ezio will say something about it, or if this entire happening will be tucked away in the vaults to prevent the pain from sneaking up on Ezio. It's understandable if his brother doesn't want to—
"Thank you," Ezio mumbles. Federico turns to eye his brother, whose gaze is trained at the street. Federico looks at his brother's face, and he finds the words he needs on the edge of his tongue.
"Of course. What are older brothers for? We're all here just to protect out little baby brothers."
Ezio's eyes widen before relaxing all at once. Confidence and warmth fill his gaze. Federico rubs his brother's uninjured shoulder once before finally letting his brother go so they can walk more comfortably side my side.
"Come now, fratello, we must get to the dottore to see if he can salvage anything of your lip. Your pretty face is your only asset!"
"Fuck you!" Ezio shouts, earning a few startled and offended looks.
"I bet Christina would agree with me," Federico says as they walk to the doctor.
"I'll make sure to ask her tonight."
"Oh, let Christina sleep," Federico protests.
"There will be time for that— later." Ezio grins.
Federico just wonders how the hell he found Christina. With Ezio's overly complicated situation, navigating the world is already challenging enough without adding love on top of it— somehow though, he finds what is likely one of the few women in all of Italia who understands Ezio and accepts him. It blows Federico away. It's good though, for Ezio. It gives him more confidence— which he needs when he's facing the adversity of a world that does not understand . . .
But Federico has faith in his baby brother. Ezio is strong enough to survive.
Besides, Federico will be with him every step of the way.
.
.
.
Ah, I love Federico.
Anyways, let me know what you think!
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