Demi: More Tumblr-collections~ :3 These are all worksafe prompts.

BATH

With a contented sigh, Vieri rested his aching back against the cool marble bath and slid down further into the hot water 'til it lapped across his shoulders. This was what he needed. After an entire day of horse-riding and the stresses of a cross-country race, he was completely exhausted and tender beyond belief and so a near-scalding bath, followed by a long night's sleep, was much appreciated.

The sudden appearance of Federico, however, was not.

"I'm trying to relax," Vieri muttered as he heard the window click shut. He kept his eyes shut, blocking out the Assassin.

"I can help."

"No you can't." He huffed when he felt fingers card through his hair, refusing to admit—even to himself—that it was nice. Slowly opening his eyes, he jerked back in surprise at seeing Federico's grinning face in front of his, albeit upside down, as the bastard leaned over him. "I'm tired. I don't have the energy for your shit."

Federico's grin softened to a smile and he leant forward to press their lips together. It was a little bit awkward and a very strange experience, yet Vieri found himself letting go and sinking into the kiss, dripping fingers leaving the water to weave through brown locks and trail across the stubble-dusted jaw.

The younger male pulled back. "Sit up."

"Why?" Vieri grouched with a scowl.

"Just trust me."

With a belly-deep sigh, Vieri did as told; he really didn't have the energy to argue or fight back against Federico. He didn't expect to hear Federico kneel behind him and to feel rough hands begin to knead and squeeze the space where neck and shoulders met, and so had to mentally catch himself before he sunk straight back into the water. Federico kept massaging his shoulders, hands sometimes skimming down his arms and thumbs digging into the soft flesh of his neck. Dear God that felt good, though a little painful, as tense muscles were pressed and pinched, however he couldn't complain about such pains, seeing as they were his own fault. And Vieri didn't object, either, as Federico bent over again, running his lips across Vieri's throat and then his chin as the elder male tipped his head back. Their lips joined once again and Federico's hands started to drift down Vieri's chest instead, fingers stroking skin gently soothingly. But when Federico's hands dipped lower—

A cut-off groan rumbled out of Vieri's throat. "What part of 'trying to relax' did you not understand?" he mumbled against Federico's lips.

"I am relaxing you," Federico whispered back. He pressed their lips together. "If you're not in the mood—"

"Right now, I'm in the mood for relaxing. If you want to stay here, you'd better make yourself useful: stoke the fire, tidy up my riding clothes, stay out of my way and read a book, whichever. The minute I get out of this bath, then, you can continue...rubbing."

A sly grin spread Federico's lips; Vieri shared the same look, yet with more mischief.

"But, until then—" Vieri waved Federico away with a flick of his wrist. "I'm in the bath, therefore I'm relaxing. Until I leave this bath...you're on your own."

"Vieri..."

BALANCE

He inhaled deeply, resisting the urge to open his eyes. No, opening his eyes was a bad idea. With his eyes closed, he could pretend that he was elsewhere, could forget that he wasn't standing on a rickety wooden ledge overlooking Florence. Hands were firmly placed on his hips, securing him in place, but the wind blew through his hair and the gaps in his clothes, attempting to upset his balance.

"Relax," Federico murmured in his ear.

"How can I relax, you piece of—?"

"Easy now, easy," the younger male continued, as if speaking to a young colt. "I'm here."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Vieri replied dryly.

Federico chuckled. "Just open your eyes and look. The whole point of being this high is the view."

"There is no point to being all the way up here," Vieri snapped. "How the hell did I let you bring me up here?"

"A moment of insanity?"

"I seem to be having them a lot around you."

"So it seems." Federico chuckled, wrapping one arm around his waist as he rubbed his other hand up and down Vieri's side. "I'm not going to let go of you, and you're not going to fall. Trust me?"

Vieri didn't say a thing.

"The key is balance—"

"Really? Never would have guessed!"

"Vieri," Federico huffed. "Please. I'm trying to guide you through a leap of faith."

"A leap...?" Brown eyes suddenly snapped open and he turned to face Federico. "No way in Hell are we leaping from here."

"Good thing we're not in Hell, then, isn't it?"

"You are not clever and you are not funny. Now, you are going to get me down from his building."

"That's what I'm trying to—"

"No, not that way! Another way. A safer way. The view is nice, I get that—"

He was cut off as Federico pressed their lips together, hands clenching in his tunic at his hips. His eyes slipped shut as their mouths shifted against each other, leaning further against Federico's taller frame. Pulling back, the Auditore smiled gently down at the other male.

"I promise that you'll be okay. Trust me? This leap will be the best jump you've ever taken, both in the literal and metaphorical sense. It's an amazing feeling, please just trust me."

Vieri paused.

"So... you said something about balance?" the Pazzi mumbled, turning in strong arms and earning a chuckle from the younger male.

"Si. Balance is... everything."

GONDOLA

Vieri huffed harshly, deep brown eyes scanning the expanse of water as his nose wrinkled from the stench.

"I don't like Venice."

"But they have boats here!"

Vieri sent him a levelled stare. "Federico, I am not four. I am not so amused by the concept of floating things in water like you are."

"You are when it comes to bodies."

"Exactly. Unless the Doge has redesigned the gondolas and had them remade from corpses, I am not interested in the boats and therefore—I still hate Venice." He paused. "Besides, those tiny boats are so fragile and rickety. There is no way in Hell that I'm going in one of them. You could look at one of them and it would sink."

"You don't like water, do you?"

"It's about not liking water. I would just prefer not to get wet or die."

"But you don't mind getting wet, though," Federico purred in his ear.

"You're an ass."

"And you have a nice one."

"Get out of my face."

FIRE

Vieri was a cold person by nature; he wasn't particularly noted as the warmest of people. Scathing remarks, prickly sarcasm and sharp insults ghosted over his lips with what seemed like every breath he took and gave. The Pazzi family—if one could call it thus—was not a nurturing clan; members were born, quickly grew up, bred (if they lived enough) and died, simple as.

He also didn't like the heat. Living in Italia, one found it hard to escape the warmth, but Vieri sought shade like a saviour; he preferred the coolness, particularly that of night, when it was tepid with a cool breeze that drifted over him in gentle waves. His aversion to the heat of day made his skin the colour unlike those around him, particularly that of Federico; he appeared to have come from more northern lands when his skin was compared to the other man's.

There was one heat, however, that Vieri didn't mind. Of course, the fire of arousal was more than welcomed—in decent circumstances—but the real heat, the real fire was in Federico's touch.

From the teasing brushes of fingertips across his arms, to the firm grips on his hips, or the swipe of a palm across his back, they all set his body alight with sensation. No one had ever made him feel this way, not a single soul. And yet, Federico came along and with mere innocent touches—with not so innocent intentions—his body buzzed alive with fire and fervour. Damn him.

FIRE (2)

The night was a calm one, with little breeze and no clouds to cover the starry sky. What breeze there was brushed against the curtains, making them flutter and sway as if they were under water; it also trailed across the bare skin of the two males lying entwined on the bed, dancing lazily and caressing in a ghostly touch. Fingers seemed to trace the paths of the breeze, barely touching the broad canvas of skin covering the smaller male's back before dipping into ink-black hair, combing through the jet locks, which were slightly damp from a recent bath. The fingers scratched scalp and a low hum of contentment broke the silence; it was followed by a quiet chuckle and the rustle of sheets as the other arm shifted to pull them even closer together.

Vieri couldn't remember being held like this. Ever.

There was no fire of arousal, no afterglow. Neither was there a reason to be held like this—Federico, as far as he knew, was not leaving Florence any time soon, nor was he embarking on some kind of mission for his Brotherhood, and Vieri was just the same. Yet, here they were, merely lying together, basking in warmth.

His mind was nearly blank, for once. Surely, one would think, with the level of silence and lack of movement, that his mind would be a blur of musings, deliberation, and reflection, but all that flowed through his mind was how nice Federico's touch was, and that if the bastard even thought of stopping...

But then he did. One warm palm pressed flat against his spine as the other rested against the small of his back, and Vieri found himself lying just as still as before. Despite the fact that the soothing touches had stopped, and that all he was doing was lying in Federico's embrace, wide-awake; he was content. And he knew Federico was just as content, as not only was his breathing regular and deep, but merely down to the fact that he wasn't moving. Federico was always moving—always in motion, fidgeting, constantly distracted by the tiniest thing, especially if it was far away; even in slumber, he rarely lay still. Damn restless sleeper.

However, as comfortable as he was at that point in time, lying in a half-dosing state in his lover's arms, he could feel an uneasiness waxing. Federico was radiating heat like a blacksmith's forge; the younger male was not just hot-blooded in nature, it seemed. Vieri had always felt that Federico's touch was like fire, but he thought that it was him over-reacting. Why had he never noticed? Oh right, that was because he never simply lay with Federico, unless it was after sex, and Vieri had always put the heat down to the exertion and actual physicality of it all. No, Federico was just a hot man, it seemed.

In the literal sense, of course.

Cursing, Vieri wriggled out of Federico's grip, and rolled over. Federico made a sound in the back of his throat that was half whimper, half groan, and grabbed hold of him again, pulling their bodies together again. Vieri, again, writhed away, sighing as he settled in a cool patch of sheets and as the breeze grazed across his skin; yet, again, Federico and his damn heat reappeared, but Vieri slapped his hands away.

"No, you're like a furnace," Vieri grouched.

He could feel the pouty stare that Federico was sending his way; he didn't even need to roll back over and look. Federico shifted forward to hug him again, but Vieri moved even further away, huffing and cursing the younger male under his breath. Silence filled the room quickly, and Vieri thought Federico had finally given up, when-

"Can I at least hold your hand?"

Vieri paused and, after a moment or two deliberating, rolled over and slipped his hand into Federico's, their fingers lacing together.

Federico smiled brightly. "I just want to be near you."

Vieri was about to argue. He was about to point out that they were near, if being on the same bed could be classed as near, but the peaceful yet bright expression on Federico's face made his snarky remarks die in his throat. Instead, he settled for rolling his eyes, before closing them and huffing. Even though his palm was starting to sweat, he guessed he could allow Federico this. And himself.

But the Assassin wouldn't know that.