I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong.
-Hallelujah
"You look tired." With a thin hand, Leonardo rubs at his sleep-deprived eyes, grabbing the warm mug of coffee with his other hand.
Antonio sighs as he sits across from the slightly younger male, sipping at his own coffee while glancing about the small, crowded shop. Leonardo rests his head on his hand, lowering his lids over his dull blue-green eyes. "I had a...long night."
The darker haired male glowers down in his cup, fingers winding tighter around the chipped clay. "You know Rosa and I will help-"
"Amico mio, grazie but I can't..." Antonio's eyes flicker over Leonardo's shoulder, brows furrowing while a displeased frown works over his face.
The blond male jumps slightly when a throat is cleared behind him; he turns, opening his mouth to greet whomever it was interrupting Antonio and his conversation, but shuts his lips as his eyes fall to rest on Ezio.
Antonio stands, plastering a small fake smile on his face, throwing money down onto the table to cover both his and Leonardo's coffee. He places a hand none too gently on the other dark haired male, giving it a 'friendly' squeeze. "Ezio, glad to see you again." The older man turns waving a hand over his shoulder to Leonardo. "I'll see you later, amico mio."
An awkward silence falls on the two remaining men; Ezio sucks in a short breath before sitting down opposite of the blond man. Dark eyes try to capture blue-green, but the latter remain firmly glued to the table top. "Leonardo," Ezio begins, sighing while a hand goes to grab the blond man's. It's snatched away, and rests on Leonardo's lap. "I'm...sorry about just dropping by your...work like that yesterday."
Leonardo remains silent, shame heating his cheeks while his fingers fiddled with a small rip on his pants. Ezio looks away, teeth worrying at the scar situated at the corner of his mouth. The blond man glances up, glaring at the gold wedding band resting neatly around his former friend's ring finger. He feels jealousy well in his gut, but Leonardo swallows the bitter tasting feeling and lets out a wavering sigh. "It's fine." He lies, and the blond man knows Ezio can tell.
Dark eyes flicker to meet his own blue-green; a frown flirts with the scarred corner of the younger man's mouth, and he turns to fully face the former painter. "How did that happen?"
Leonardo leans back in his chair, gnawing roughly at his bottom lip, cringing when he tastes copper on his tongue. "I lost my job at the University with Verrocchino."
"Why?"
The blond man scowls, running a thin hand down his face. He takes a long swig of his coffee, sighing into the cup while Ezio impatiently waits for an answer. "There was an accusation that I had a...sexual relationship with one of my students." Dark eyes blink in shock; Leonardo bitterly sets the mug on the table, grabbing a napkin to crumple. "It wasn't...false, but apparently he grew tired of me."
A silence grows once more between the two of them; Ezio fiddles with his ring, twisting the metal around his finger with each passing moment. "Couldn't you find a job somewhere else though?"
Leonardo doesn't answer right away, instead he shrinks down in his seat, eyelids closing tiredly. He yawns loudly, frowning and runs a hand again over his eyes. "I can't."
"Why not?"
Blue-green eyes glance from right to left, knowing that Cesare could have soldatos watching him at this very moment. He leans closer, clenching his napkin between his fingers. "I...owe money to Cesare Borgia-"
"WHAT?" Several people turn at the younger man's shot; Leonardo gives him a short look, mentally telling the young man to sit.
Ezio growls and leans closer, a look of anger crossing over his face at the former-painter's foolishness. "Why would you do something as stupid as that?" He hisses, hands tightening to fists on the table. "He's the Borgia family's Capo Bastone, don't you know that?"
"I was stupid okay?" Leonardo throws the napkin onto the table, voice wavering with frustrated anger. He swallows down an angered sob, and fixes a glare on his once-friend. "H-he told me that he would help me get a job and a house after Lorenzo died..." The blond man covers his face with his hands, breathing deeply to keep his tired tears at bay.
"...and you believed him." Ezio's voice is flat, and Leonardo can hear the barely contained anger under the emotionless mask. He nods behind his hands, not wanting to see the younger man's face. A long sigh leaves Ezio's mouth; he runs a hand through his long hair, glancing over at a table of men sitting across the room. "...have you slept with anyone?"
Leonardo feels his face heat again; he snatches his hands away from his face, giving the younger man an outraged glare, but drops his eyes to his hands after a moment. "No...but Cesare is pushing for me to. 'It's good for business' apparently."
Ezio drags his eyes away from the men and turns to his once friend; he studies Leonardo's thin face, taking note of the hollowed cheeks and almost dead eyes. His mouth thins to a line, and he grabs the blond's hands. "Let me help you, amico mio."
Leonardo frowns again, trying to tug his hands from the younger man's cluches. "I'm not going to accept your money, Ezio."
The darker haired male's grip tightens, watching as Leonardo lets out a small gasp of pain. "If not money then let me do something. Let me get you out of that place, Leo; come stay with Caterina and I-"
Finally Leonardo frees his hands, standing from his seat. Fists at his side, tears obscure his gaze; Leonardo gulps, not caring if he makes a scene or not. "You think that you can come back into my life after two years of me waiting and expect for you to be my hero? Please, Ezio...I can't invade on your happiness with Caterina, it would kill me."
The man turns, scrubbing away his tears with the sleeve of his jacket. People watch, whispering amongst themselves while the group of men stare at the skinny blond.
Leonardo looks over his shoulder, arms going limp and falling to his sides. "Ti amo, Ezio."
Ffffff I don't know if this is going to turn into a multi-chaptered thing, but I have ideas for this universe...
Posted this on dA, but I liked the idea so much that I'm posting it here. :D
