TMWolf: Aaaaaaaaand update time, guys! This is going to be a FUN chapter-one I think you've been waiting for, cause it's all about Catzio-Catherine x Ezio, I mean, although it's not exactly romantic, ha ha. Still, it's fun, so get ready! It's also preeeeeeetty long, but it's worth it. ;)
As always, how the Auditores are written is my interpretation based off canon and such~
Right, so, for my lovely reviewers:
Dobby: I... am totally okay with you stalking my story :L I think you will be pleased with Ezio today ;) Yeah 'Cat has it tough right now, but it WILL get better... for a little while, hehehe You'll find I like making ups and downs for my characters :p Also: *happily take lollypop and proceeds to lick* Yum.
MissMooToYou: Awwww, thank-you so much! I'm so glad you love it! :)
Movie: The movie I speak of is Lineage-the "prequel" to AC II. It was a movie that follows Giovanni Auditore :3 I'm glad you're loving it, though!
And I think that was everyone. Right! So. This chapter is brought to you by Rob Thomas' - Little Wonders! I thought it fit pretty well for this chapter, hee hee. Whelp. I think that's all I have to say, so onto the chapter! :'D
OH! There IS some fouler language than usual used in this chapter, so if you dislike the f-bomb, but prepared. It happens more than once.
09 – Little Wonders
July 21, 1476
Florence, Italy
Catherine yawned lazily as she sat up, blinking. It was odd getting to do that—just sit there, staring at the far wall and then the closed window where the sunlight was seeping through. It was definitely well past her training or even normal breakfast time. Maybe. She wasn't sure. Ironically, her Clock wasn't much of a clock. In fact, it didn't even tell time. The hand never moved, and of course a clock had two hands anyways.
"Ugh, stay out of my head for at least five minutes before I get going," she groaned as she rubbed her face to sigh slowly and deeply, and then roll out of bed as lazily as she could. Thankfully, Giovanni was keeping his word. Annetta hadn't come to wake her at all, and she could hear no footsteps outside. She's been allowed to sleep in and now she could do whatever she wanted. Again, she wasn't really sure what she was going to do, but it was too soon after waking up to really think about it right now. No, she'd get all glum after she had something to eat.
So. Chamber pot. Done. Pants, white undershirt tucked into said pants, greenish tunic, gloves and boots on, haired brushed and pulled back into a make-shift bun, and a quick face check for stupid reasons. Check. Clock? Unfortunately, check. She shoved the stupid thing into her pocket where it belonged, looked into the mirror a second time with her hands on her hips, and sighed again. She missed seeing herself in normal clothes in her normal room behind her in the reflection. She missed seeing her dog lying on the bed, silently asking what she was doing and why wasn't she cuddling him instead? She missed a lot of things these days, but there was nothing to be done—not yet anyways.
'Well, time to have a day off,' she hummed as she adjusted her hat so it hid her hair a bit better. She still looked somewhat womanly up close, but from afar it had apparently been okay. That, or no one cared. She'd be on her own today, though, so there might be trouble. She supposed she should stick to the rooftops today to avoid any.
"First, food," she nodded firmly, and headed out into the Palazzo.
It was quiet, but she wasn't all that surprised. The family had probably all gone their separate ways after breaking their fast. Sure enough, she didn't find any of them as she got downstairs. The dining table was empty and clean of any morsels it might have had. However, Annetta was incredibly smart and kind; she'd saved some food for Catherine, and so the redhead didn't go hungry that morning.
"Giovanni said you would be waking up late," the maid smiled knowingly, and the redhead smiled back as she ate.
"Thanks. I appreciate it a lot. The food you cook is always good. Eggs are some of my favorite things to eat, too, although you should add milk and mix them—it really fluffs them up and can go farther," she replied, biting into her fruit next.
Annetta tilted her head, "Mix milk with the eggs?"
"Yeah. I would do it all the time back home. Just mix it up. You can add cheese, but cut it into thin strips and put it in as soon as you start cooking. You keep it going until you see some juice from the eggs start pooling—oh, you wanna do this on a skillet or something, because you have to stir it around a lot. I could show you one time, if you'd like."
"Wha—oh, no, no, my Lady. You should not be cooking, that is the servant's duty," the woman laughed lightly, but Catherine just grinned.
"I actually like to cook. How about this: when no one is looking you let me try?"
"My lady, you are too much. Please, enjoy your meal," the maid replied, just shaking her head with a chuckle before leaving the redhead alone in the kitchen. Catherine giggled as she scarfed down more of her food, glancing around the room. It was very different from her kitchen back home. It was way bigger and had a lot more tools and kitchen appliances and such. There were herbs and vegetables just hanging everywhere, too. It honestly did make her want to try cooking, but apparently nobles weren't supposed to do anything like that. Ah well.
'Thanks for the good food,' she silently told the maid as she put her plate near what she figured was the sink and headed back out into the main area. She paused by an open door, though, when she saw a familiar face. It was Petruccio, hard at work reading his books. Well, sort of. She could see his gaze turn towards the window after a few moments, and she couldn't help snickering. He spun towards her at once, and perked up with a wide grin. He waved ebulliently and she waved back, but then winced when she heard his tutor calling his name. She hadn't seen the man yet, and she suspected she wasn't meant to see the teacher, so she quickly mouthed a good bye, gave the little boy another wave, and scurried off before she was spotted.
Safely out of sight, the young woman hummed as she trotted along, pausing only once more when she entered the parlor and found Claudia doing some needlework. The woman glanced her way, but said nothing when she went back to her work. It wasn't much, but Catherine took it as a sign that she wasn't mad anymore—or at least not as mad as before. She waved even though the young woman wasn't looking and turned left back down the hall to continue toward the exit to the courtyard. She knew she wouldn't see anyone else—Maria was most likely still conducting her business and Giovanni and his sons would be working, so now was probably a good time to go find something to do outside the Palazzo. She knew she wouldn't find it here, and she couldn't help recalling Leonardo's suggestion.
So why not go see the city? Oh, sure she'd run through it for weeks now and knew it well enough, but she hadn't seen nearly enough of it. So why not today?
"Ah—you are awake! Finally!"
Evidently that was why.
Ezio Auditore, dressed in his usual dark vests, pats, and boots, with only a white undershirt to suggest he knew that other colors existed. She frowned and raised a brow at first, trying to figure out why he was here, but then groaned as she remembered.
She had said she'd go with him today.
"I can't believe you're actually here," she grumbled, rubbing her brow.
He grinned, "I said I would, and you agreed to it! Look, I promise I'll behave. I mean it."
"And I said if you made one flirt I was going to leave you," she replied, folding her arms over her chest.
"And you can… but you will not need to. I will behave," he urged again, giving her that puppy dog look. She rolled her eyes, giving him her look back—the one that said he was full of shit. He still silently pleaded, though, and she knew he wouldn't give up. He was too damn stubborn for that, and once he found something he wanted he went for it. Why else would he still flirt with her every chance he got even after she'd made it clear for weeks she wasn't interested? Unfortunately, if she tried to tell him no, she knew he would just follow and pester her until she did finally agree. That, and she vaguely recalled Giovanni asking her to have one of the boys with her if she wanted to go out far. Federico wasn't around, however. Ezio was.
She just knew this wasn't going to end well.
Sighing with exasperation, she threw her hands up, "Alright, alright. Fine. But—no nonsense. Also, I was hoping to travel further around the city. Think you can fit that into your little antics?"
"That is perfect, actually. I planned to just have us run around."
"Wait—seriously? You—you want to just… run around? That's it?"
"Yes?" he mused and he was the one to fold his arms over his chest this time. "Just what do you take me for, kitty-Cat?"
She smacked his arm, making him flinch to her delight, "Don't call me that. And I take you for a terrible flirt who does everything he can to get between a woman's legs, and you're somehow successful. Evidently God gave you some good compensation."
"Would you care to-," he began, that lecherous grin coming back, but one "ah-ha" glance made him shut his mouth. Instead, he pouted. "That was cruel trying to trick me. And I am not as bad as you say! I admit I like to 'play' around, but I am not so terrible. Please, let me show you. There is much of the city you have not seen and you and I have nothing else to do today. So let's just go see the sights. And if you want to do something else, then let me know and we will do it, alright?"
"And what if I want to be alone?" she inquired, causing him to hum thoughtfully.
"Well, I will have to follow you from afar then—father did not want you to get lost, but if you truly want me to leave you in peace, I will let you have it. I merely wish to help."
Catherine watched him for a few good seconds before huffing a little, "Alright. Yeah. Alright. Let's do this then. I want to see the city, so you probably know good places to go I guess. I'm counting on you, though—I want to have a good time on my day off. I don't want to spend it fending off your terrible flirting."
"You won't. Now, come on. Or, well, actually—do you want to take the roofs or the streets? Either will do."
"Hmm… roof. We can get around better, and I can push you off if you annoy me," she smirked, and he finally got to roll his eyes back at her as he made for the wall of the Palazzo.
"You know you do not have to be that mean to me," he hummed as he climbed, to which she just snickered as she followed him all the way up. She found him looking into the distance, pointing south-westward. "How about that way? You have not been towards that side before."
"What's the big building?"
"It is the Basilica. It is very beautiful. You will enjoy it. It is not too far, and we can have some fun along the way. We can visit the market as well if you would like. You need more art supplies, yes?"
"Ah, yeah, actually, I do. We can get it on the way back—it'd be better not to carry it around all day. Anyways, uh, lead the way then. You know the city better," she replied, motioning for him to get going.
"Try to keep up," he grinned with a wink and started off at a trot. She shook her head, but was smiling, and easily kept up with him.
Oddly enough, he did behave, which was a new thing for her. Maybe it was because Federico wasn't there and he didn't feel like he had to compete or impress her. Maybe it was because he was actually trying to keep his promise. Maybe it was because he was just trying to be good. She didn't know, but it made things nice. Unusually nice. She liked it. It was easier to see the sights or look at the people roaming about below. She even got to say hello to a few guards—right before they threatened to shoot or arrest them for being on the roofs. Of course, they would never be able to keep up, or they just didn't bother to, which was fine by them. In fact, they both got amusement out of it when Ezio made some cheeky insult that she swore turned the man on duty red in the face. She didn't know the young man could be so funny and cheeky at the same time, and as such she was left laughing at his antics.
Maybe today would be good after all.
She certainly hoped so. She also hoped Ezio could be more like this—the young man who was fun and not a pill. The young man who she didn't mind being around and actually liked to be around—a little. Just a little. Oh, she knew it was a silly hope and wouldn't last; the young Auditore could never be rid of his "charms", but it was fun to think maybe he could.
"Let's head down here," he mused as they neared the area. She thought the building had seemed large from the Palazzo, but up close it was massive. She could scarcely believe it had been built in this era, and imagined it had taken an age to finish it. It was beautiful, though, and reminded her of why she loved the Renaissance era's art. It was just so detailed and intricate, and like nothing was put to waste; if it could be used or made greater, it was. And that was just the building.
"I see some good foot holds here," she motioned over the side of the building that led down to an alleyway. Ezio nodded, and they were soon on to the ground, out of sight of any curious eyes. Sometimes the boys didn't care all that much and even did it to show off, but other times they kept it on the down low, which she preferred.
"The Basilica is just this way. You will love it. You are all 'artsy' and all," the young man snickered, and she shoved his arm lightly.
"What's that supposed to mean? But, yes, I am 'artsy', thank-you very much."
"Nothing, nothing! Just that you like… artsy things? All that frilly, boring stuff."
She scoffed, "All that frilly, boring stuff is why your clothes aren't rags, why your house is as elegant as it is, and why your city is beautiful, so don't be talking shit about artsy stuff."
"Alright, alright! Calm down—I was only kidding," he grinned, and then gave her a look. "You know, you talk very strangely sometimes. Not very lady like, either."
"I told you I'm no lady, and hey—you don't talk proper all the time, either, so don't talk to me about how to talk."
"Ah, what can I say? I fraternize with the lower classes too much and I think I may be around you too much as well—no doubt I obtained such bad speaking manners from you."
"Oh, no, no, don't you blame me. And—oh. Oh my God. Pffft, you know what? I bet you're making fun of art because I drew you with a big nose. You're still butt hurt about it!"
"I'm what?" Ezio laughed with an incredulous look.
"It's a saying—it means you're still upset and acting like a turd or a jerk about it."
"'Butt hurt'? I will have to remember that," he snickered, but promptly waved off her snort. "And, no, I am not still upset about that, although I did not appreciate it! My nose is not that big, and it was hardly fair! You drew Federico, Petruccio, and even Claudia properly!"
She smirked, "You are still butt hurt! Ha! I knew it!"
"I am not! Ah, enough! You are insufferable!" he rasped, throwing up his hands and storming off. Catherine followed after him, giggling impishly until she finally grabbed at his shirt. He turned to face her, frowning in that pouty way of his. It was adorable. She somehow stifled her laughter and held up her hands for peace.
"Look, if it'll make you feel better… I'll draw a proper portrait of you. We'll sit down and you can pose how you like, and I'll draw you—nose proper and everything. Promise."
It was his turn to watch her for a while before sniffing, "My nose better not be too big."
"It won't. Now, come on—you wanted to show me the Basilica, right?" she grinned back, and his finally returned the expression. He held his arm for her to take, but she just waggled her finger at him, much to his amusement. He shrugged it off and led her out of the alley's opening to the wider street beside the grand structure.
Ezio was right. She did love it. She got to get up close and personal to the wall, feeling the smooth, but slightly weathered stone. The colors were so pretty, too, and if she craned her head back and shaded her eyes she could see more details higher up like the orange tiles of the dome and the pillars on the flat section. Her companion suggested a closer look—as in, climbing up, but she quickly refused that. She could climb the side of normal buildings, but there was no way she could climb this thing. She was bound to slip and fall and kill herself, and where would that leave her? Besides, she could make out the reds, greens, white, and golds just fine from the ground. She also got to see the entry to its main courtyard, though it was blocked from entry, much to her disappointment. However, she had a perfect view of the giant, open courtyard, with its large statue and fountain, grand greenery and beautiful tiles. To finish it off were the surrounding buildings of the city, some of them shops, others homes.
It was amazing, and Catherine was happy to stare at it from the bench they'd settled down on. She let her legs just splay out, leaning back against the fountain, and smiling so much her cheeks almost hurt. She watched the various groups of people go by—friends or what look like families just walking around. She saw a mother and her child, a father and his sons, a loving couple, and a group of rowdy boys no doubt going to cause some trouble. It was amazing, and though she'd been here for a few weeks now, she felt like she still hadn't really gotten to see it. She certainly never got to witness these kinds of interaction back home. Unfortunately, the difference did make her think of it, and her lips soon fell as she recalled her hometown. Generally she just stayed at the house, but she would see faces on her jogging path. However, it wasn't anything as grand as the scene before her, yet she missed it still.
Sighing softly, Catherine pulled the Clock from her pocket and let it lie on her hand and against her thigh, rubbing at the surface. As always she wished it would do something—give her some kind of hint. She knew it had power, and yet it seemed so empty now. She almost began to think it had all been a dream, but it couldn't be. She was from the future. That was not an illusion. She knew who she was and where she was from, and she wished it could just be over.
"I did not know you had a watch," Ezio spoke up suddenly and she looked over quickly in surprise. Well, shit. She hadn't meant for anyone else to see it.
"Ah, yeah. I've, uh, had it for a while," she explained, showing it to him before pushing it back towards her pocket. He leaned over her, though, forcing her to move her arm away, far beyond his reach. He gave her a pout.
"I just want to see it."
"You just did—I showed it to you."
"I want to look at it properly."
"And I'm saying 'no'."
He raised a brow smirking, "Just what are you hiding, Catherine?"
"Nothing. I'm holding something out of your reach."
"Catherine, come on, I just want to look at it!" he laughed as he reached more, but she stood up suddenly. The movement almost made him fall over, but he caught himself and made another grab. She knew he was just messing around, but he was the last person she needed finding out about the Piece of Eden. His father had insisted he not know anything about it or the Assassins, and so she didn't need him to start asking any questions.
"It's none of your business!" she snapped back, but she couldn't help smiling a little as she played keep away; ducking and dancing out of is reach. He laughed at her antics and kept at it, both of them enjoying it despite the "argument" they were having. She continued to stay out of his reach for a little longer, before spinning, and stepping away much further, much to his disappointment. He slumped some, his pout back, to which she just smirked. She rolled it a bit in her palm, showing of the prize. "I told you don't get to see it."
Ezio made an "uh-huh" look, apparently finally about to give up. Relieved, she made to put it back into her pocket, but ended up stumbling forward when a heavy force knocked into her. She flailed to regain her balance, and with Ezio's catching her, she was able to steady her legs. She realized instantly that the Clock was no longer in her hands, and frantically looked for it. It only took a moment to see it on the ground, but then a man picked it up. He looked like a poor sod with how tattered his clothes were and the wraps on his arms and legs—essentially someone up to no good, and he wasn't. With a smirk flashed at her, the man suddenly took off at a sprint.
Her panic soared, "No!"
"Catherine!"
The redhead ignored Ezio's calls as she tore after the man. God, how could she be so careless!? She should have just kept the stupid thing in her pocket and now it was stolen. Her one ticket home was gone. Some petty thief had taken it was and was going to pawn it off for some gold and she was never going to get it back and she was never going to go home! Curses spewed from her mouth as she tried to keep up, but the bastard was fast and he'd had some distance between them starting out. He was just too quick, and it seemed like he was just getting farther and farther away. She was going to lose him, and everything was going to hell!
"No, nonononno-!" she cried as the thief rounded the corner, out of her sight. She took a tight turn around it, almost tripping and falling, but somehow kept her balance. Despite her efforts, though, the thief wasn't there. She couldn't see him. He was gone. Her fingers went through her hair, her throat and chest constricting. This couldn't be happening. God, it just couldn't. How could it!?
"Excuse me," a voice called out and a hand gently touched her shoulder. She jumped at once, turning to find an older man standing there, grinning slightly as he held out something in his hand—her Clock. She gasped and snatched it back at once. He chuckled lightly, "I take it the trinket is yours?"
She nodded as she looked at him. At first glance he might seem a little unusual—fishy even. He wore a brown hood with a cape attached, which not many people did unless it was raining or hiding their face. He layered it over garbs of orange and yellow, including fairly tight pants with slightly tattered boots. He was an older man, too; there were wrinkles in his features, but he carried himself so lightly he could pull off being much younger. His eyes were unusually light for an Italian, as was his skin, and though she felt a bit uneasy, his voice was rather enthralling—charming, even. That, and he had returned her Clock, so it would have been rude of her to suspect him.
"Ah—yes. Thank-you—thank-you so much!" she replied at last, flushing a bit as she bowed her head. "How did you…?"
"I know a thief running away with his prize when I see one, and I simply could not allow him to get away with. I am glad I accosted him—it would have been a terrible thing for a lovely lady to lose her prized possession… although perhaps you should keep a better hold of it, my dear," he chuckled as he bowed his head as well. "I must take my leave now. It was wonderful to meet you."
"Uh, yeah, you, too, uh—."
"Catherine!"
The redhead turned sharply as she heard Ezio's and saw him jogging towards her. She showed her Clock with a relieved smile and turned back to bid her savior good-bye, but he had vanished. She blinked, surprised, and looked around for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. She still mumbled a quiet "thank-you" before Ezio reached her, grasping her shoulders.
"What happened? Are you alright. Shit, I'm sorry, Catherine—if I had not been trying to grab it… I did not realize it was so important to you—I'm sorry."
She shook her head, her smile a bit smaller, "It's okay. I have it back, and it's not your fault. I should have been more careful, and it's like you said—you didn't know."
"Still, I am sorry," he frowned, but she waved him off as she made sure to put the Clock into her pocket. He glanced around as she did so, and his expression became puzzled. "How did you get it back, anyways?"
"As it so happens, a Good Samaritan caught the thief and gave it back. He left before you got here. Geez that was way to close. Remind me to never take it out my pocket again," she sighed, shaking her head.
Ezio managed to grin just a little, "I am glad he was able to help… why is it so important to you, anyways? I have never seen you use it to actually check the time."
"Well, that's because it's actually broken," she stated, kicking her foot at the ground. "It's a gift from my father, though, so it means a lot. I don't know where he got it, but he said he had it when he was a boy, given to him by his father. And, well, I'm not a boy, but I am his only child sooo…"
"A memento, then—I have much the same. This pendant," the young man replied before reaching beneath his vest and pulling out a necklace with a golden, circular ornament. The front was decorated with an "A" surrounded by intricate metal-work and a large, ruby gem on the front. When it turned slightly, she could see the cross shape on the back. He let her hold it, turning it this way and that. "It is my family's crest. My father received it from his father and so forth as well. Luckily I have not lost it, although I imagine it is because it is a necklace… perhaps you should get a loop for your Clock?"
"I would, but there's no place to put the loop through. I may just have Annetta fix my pocket some so it can't ever fall out. Your crest is beautiful, by the way."
"Thank-you," he chuckled as he put it away, safe beneath his vest. He glanced up at the sky briefly before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "If… well, if I have not ruined the day for you, there is still much of the city to see. I will be happy to continue showing you around, but I understand if you wish to go back now. I admit I am surprised you don't want to hit me yet."
"I only hit you when you try you flirt badly or you're being a turd, remember? And I told you—it wasn't your fault. So, go on. Lead the way. Show me something else fun," she grinned, folding her arms over her chest expectantly. He gave her what she supposed was a surprised look, but then laughed and told her to follow him.
They stuck to the streets this time, and she didn't mind. It was nice to get to see the sights from ground level rather than above, and once again Ezio behaved. Well, mostly. He couldn't help getting back into his ways, but it was more reigned in—rather than constantly moseying up to her and trying to throw himself onto her, he made small, cheeky comments. Just small teases or playful jabs and messing around. Of course, if he did try to go a little too far, she would promptly give that light smack of hers and he would back off like a naughty child. She never told him she'd had enough, though, and she honestly hadn't. No, it was a lot of fun to walk the streets and view the sighs with him, and she was extra glad for it. It kept the worry about what would happen if she did really lose her Clock out of her mind. All led to terrible, awful things, and so she did her best to focus on what silly thing Ezio was doing.
Thankfully, that wasn't all that hard to do. Despite her first impressions, the young man was actually kind of charming—when he wasn't trying to get into her pants, anyways. Oh, she knew he could be fun already, but this was different. She didn't have Federico to talk with either, so it was just them, and yet she couldn't help laughing and smiling a lot. His expressions were just funny and it was adorable how he really was like a puppy. It was even better when they got into little "fights", and they ended up saying something so stupid that they could only laugh even more at the sheer ridiculousness of it. That was something she'd been missing for a long time now.
"Okay, okay, so I have to know," she began as she finished the last of the bread they'd just bought. The young man raised a brow, encouraging her to go on as he chewed on his. "Where the hell has this Ezio been?"
"Whaf do you mehn?" he inquired back, about to put on his mock-hurt face.
"Y'know—acting like this. Actually fun and not a turd. Honestly, if I'd known you could be fun I would have wanted to have a day off with you sooner."
He finally swallowed and huffed, "I am always this fun! I told you I was! You simply refused to believe me."
"Dude, Ezio—you've spent most the time around me trying to flirt your way into a bed with me. That's hardly fun."
"Tell that to all the other ladies of Firenze—ow!" he laughed when she back-hand smacked his chest. "Jeez, what is with you and smacking?"
"Justice," she sang. "For all the ladies of Firenze that you've fooled. Oh, don't give me that look. I don't know how, but you've somehow managed to get a lot of women to sleep with you."
"Is it really so hard to believe that I might have charms?"
"Then why haven't I fallen for them, hmm?"
He leaned close to grasp her jaw gently with a wink, "How do I know you haven't and are just playing hard to get?"
"Because I have a foot and it's ready to kick you in the groin," she snorted, pulling her chin free. "Don't ruin the moment, Ezio. You're way better when you're not being lousy."
"Ah, I just can't figure you out sometimes, Catherine. Most women would at least chuckle at my attempts to woo them, but you only rebuff them, but when I act normal, you like it? You are very confusing! It makes it hard to get you to like me," he laughed lightly.
"Who says I want to like you?" she scoffed. "But if you must know, it's because I'd want to be with a guy who I can have fun with. If I'm going to live him with the rest of my life, I better be able to have fun—and not just with sex, mind you."
"You are a very strange woman. Perhaps I will have to give up on wooing you," Ezio snickered, scarfing down the final bite of his bread.
"Good."
"What? You don't want to fall in love with a handsome young man like me?"
"Please. Falling in love is dangerous. Not to mention I'm not even going to be here that long, and I don't do long distance relationships. I know you can't, either—you'd go find some woman to mess around with behind my back while I'm in England," she huffed, lifting her nose at him.
He winced sheepishly "Do you really think so poorly of me? I assure you I would be loyal to the woman I fell in love with. And what do you mean it's dangerous? Falling in love is wonderful!"
"Have you ever been in love, Ezio?" Catherine asked, looking him dead in the eye. He met her gaze, holding it for a while, but ultimately replied he hadn't—not really. She just nodded to herself and looked away, but he kept watching her for a bit longer. He said nothing, though, and she ended up sighing a moment later. "Like I said—even if you did somehow charm me, I'm not going to be here much longer, I figure."
"Your father will be back soon?"
She paused, "Well… maybe. He… um… hasn't written or anything—he never wrote much while on business anyways… but it shouldn't be much longer. I don't think."
"Father may know. Yours is a banker like him, no?"
"Yeah. I guess I'll have to ask," she shrugged.
"You miss him?"
"Yeah. Feels like it's been forever since I saw him," she chuckled, and didn't dare show the sinking feeling in her gut. She couldn't quite place it really. It was a mix of guilt and sadness, but mostly guilt, she figured. Thankfully, if there was one thing she was good at it, it was brushing off those darker feelings. "Anyways, I still plan to make the most out of my time here. With any luck, I'll have an extra week or two."
"Oh? What is this—not so eager to leave after all? Can't stand to be away from a certain, handsome young man?" he snickered, and she shoved him away playfully.
"Yeah, no. More like I just really think it's pretty here and I like touring the city with a certain obnoxious young man's extremely handsome older brother who has infinitely better charm and wit."
"Ah-ha! That explains it—you are in love with my brother! Damn. How is it he is always better at getting women?" Ezio grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.
Catherine slapped a hand to her face, "For the love of—please tell me you're joking. I'm hardly in love with Federico. Yeah, he has way better charm and he's a gentleman, but I'm not falling for him. I'm not falling for anybody here, alright? Now stop asking about it, jeez. You're worse than a gossiping woman!"
"Alright, alright. I'll stop—for now," he smirked and laughed some more when the redhead groaned aloud. He paused, though, as he saw a familiar face. He tapped Catherine's arm lightly, pointing at them. "Look—it is Vieri."
"Huh? Really? Should we run?" she inquired, peering through the crowd. Sure enough, the weasel was walking with two others, and, as usual, he had that arrogant scowl on his face. He also happened to look their way and notice them. She glanced to her companion. "Ezio?"
He just waved off her concern as he stood, "No… no, he's only got two men with him. We will be fine. Just play along."
Catherine thought he was crazy. He probably was, but what the hell? If he thought it was okay, then maybe it was. They could just run if they needed to, right? At least Vieri didn't look as overconfident as before, and he also didn't have a knife. He was pissed, though, which was kind of funny.
"Well, well, finally come out of your hole, dog?" Vieri sneered and looked over at the redhead. "I see you have brought along your whore again. She must fuck well."
"Oh yeah, definitely—let me just fuck up your face real good again, asshole," she snapped back, and the man snarled an obscenity her way before Ezio stepped forward, grinning impishly.
"Come now, Vieri, that is not a very nice thing to say to a lady. You will never get one if that is how you court. Of course, once they see what you have to offer… well, it is no wonder they come running to me," he winked. Behind him, Catherine rolled her eyes, but let the young man have his thing while she held her hands on her hips. She kept watch of the two goons, but they seemed content to stay back. She didn't recognize them, but they probably remembered what their boss's face had looked like after she'd punched it. She hoped that would be enough to keep them at bay. She also kind of hoped she could do it again even if it had hurt her knuckles.
"You Auditore's are always all talk. When it gets tough you always go running with your tail between your legs!"
"You mean like you did last time, right?" Catherine snorted, and she was given an icy glare.
"What is this? You let your whores do all the talking for you?" he laughed haughtily. Again, the redhead had to roll her eyes. What was with men?
"What can I say? I like to hear the sounds a woman makes. You should have heard your sister last night!" the young man smirked right on back, and even before Vieri's face changed to a furious snarl, Ezio had grabbed Catherine's arm and turned away.
"You bastard! I will kill you!"
Except they were already running, the young Auditore holding her arm tight to make sure she kept up until they dove into an alley. He climbed up and once, and she didn't hesitate—not with the Vieri boy hot on their heels. Federico hadn't been lying about his men not being able to climb, though. They were not followed as they scaled the building. They were assaulted by rocks and sticks and whatever the assholes could pick up, however. She heard Ezio curse as something hit him, and she let out an annoyed "ow" when she felt some hard object smack into her back. Once over the edge, though, they were free of the throwing as they ran away. They didn't go too far—just enough to no longer hear or see Vieri and his men. Only then did they stop, and both laughed. Ezio was the loudest, though; quite pleased with himself.
"I better not have a bruise on my back, or I'm going to add to the one you got climbing," she grumbled after she realized her did feel a bit sore now. She rubbed at the middle gently, and wished she'd gotten to throw something back at the goons.
"Sorry!" the young man snickered. "But you have to admit that was fun."
"Pfffft…. Okay, yeah, yeah, it was fun. Vieri is fun to insult and make mad, but next time let's run further away so they can't throw stupid crap at us."
He winked, "As you wish, my lady."
"Don't call me that. Anyways. So. Think it's safe to walk around or do we have to watch out for that little shit?"
"Hmm… we should be alright, and we can always climb back up again. He never follows for too long—not over a tiny thing like that. We'll head down for now. I think I saw a way…ah! Here we are."
Catherine frowned, "Really? I swore there weren't any goo—oh my God! Ezio!"
The redhead had looked to see what he was doing just in time to watch the young man jump—as in fucking swan dive—off the roof. She sprinted over at once, thinking he was insane and trying to kill himself, but then stared in disbelief when he popped up out of a haystack, grinning like a fool. Thankfully no one was around to see his stunt or the face she gave him when he started laughing and gestured for her to do the same.
"Hurry up! Just jump right in!"
"Are you fucking insane?" she asked back calmly, and he rolled his eyes.
"It's perfectly normal! Just jump up and then flip in mid-air so that you land in the haystack on your back—it's very simple and you will not be hurt!"
"Oh, hmm, yes, it just sounds so easy. Yeah. No. There is no way in hell I am doing that."
"Catherine—."
"Nope. Nope. No. No way. Nuh-uh. I don't know how you lived just now, but I am not that amazing when it comes to jumping. Sooo I think I'm going to take up that promise where if I don't like what you're doing I do my own thing…"
"Wha—oh, come on, Catherine, wait! Wait, wait, wait! I am coming back up! Calm down," the young man sighed with exasperation and was back with her on the roof in a matter of seconds. He held out his arms. "Better?"
"Yes," she huffed haughtily before looking over the edge at the cart. The hay was all pushed around now, and some was even out on the side. "Jesus, how the hell did you even do that? I mean, wouldn't that hur—"
She never got to finish her sentence as, once again, a heavy force knocked into her. Only, this time she lost more than just her balance. Rather, she lost her footing entirely and fell off a roof. She wasn't alone, of course; no, a pair of arms were wrapped tight around her waist, keeping her close to a chest that belonged to someone who she was going to kill. Assuming she survived, which her cursing might make one think she wouldn't.
However, by some miracle, they hit they haystack, which didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. Hay was evidently magical, although it was very pointy and scratchy, but that was hardly her biggest concern as she quickly scrambled out of the haystack. She promptly turned to face the cart from which a loud, vile laughter was coming from. Ezio, of course, found it hilarious, and was all too proud of his work as he sat there in the hay, the straw all stuffed into his vest and hair now.
"See? That wasn't so bad."
Catherine just shoved him right back in none-too-kindly, but he kept laughing anyways, and quickly followed after her since she had stormed off.
"I swear if I didn't think your father would kill me I would throttle you right now!" she snapped, charging forward so he had to trot to keep up.
"It was just a bit of fun—and I told you it would be alright! You know I would not do something that would bring harm to you!"
"You don't just tackle people off a roof into a haystack!" she exclaimed, jabbing a finger into his chest.
"Come on—don't tell me that was not even a little bit of fun. You got a thrill, no?" he smirked right back, so sure of himself.
She folded her arms, scowling, "No. It wasn't."
He folded his arms right back, "Oh?"
"It wasn't. Could have died, you jerk."
"I would not have let you hurt yourself, Catherine, but if you really are mad—I am sorry. Feel free to do what you like. Hit me, throttle me; I am yours to deal with as you please."
"And I will—later," she replied swiftly, and he had to pause.
"Wait—you are… not going to do it right now?"
"Nope. You're going to just have to wait and watch out because it'll come when you least expect it, so you better be on your toes, buster."
"Why must you be so cruel?" he chuckled, starting to work some of the straw from his clothes and hair.
"You tackled me off a roof. Now shut up and let's head back to the market. I want to get those supplies. You're paying by the way."
"Aren't I already going to pay for my stunt?" he inquired, brow raised. She finally slowed down to let him keep up better. She considered giving him another one of her "looks", but refrained and just looked ahead.
"You're still going to pay. You owe me for all the terrible flirting."
"That is hardly a reason, but, alright. I would not be much of a man if I let a lady pay."
She just smirked, "Good boy. Now what's the best way back to the market from here?"
"Hmm," he rumbled, glancing about, and focused on the river-side street not far away. He gestured towards it. "Along the river will do. It is a good view as well."
"I haven't been to the river much. Yeah, that sounds good," she smiled with a nod. Ezio smiled back, no doubt thinking he'd appeased her some. Please. There was no way in hell she'd be placated so easily. Oh, no. No, she did not forget, and she already had a plan forming. Thankfully she was more than able to keep her more sinister expression under control—at least until it was time.
"You do know I would not have done that if I thought you would be hurt, right?" the young man asked after they started to walk, strolling by the edge of the bricks. She was on the inside, so she just had to glance up to see he actually was a little sorry about his actions.
"Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean I'm okay with it… but I know you wouldn't. I know you're actually an okay guy," she chuckled softly.
"Well, I am glad you think so. I would not like a beautiful lady thinking poorly me."
"Aaaaand you ruined it. Why must you always ruin it, Ezio?" she sighed, shaking her head.
"How is does calling you beautiful ruin it? Most women take that as a compliment you know."
She brushed some stray straw off her arms, "Most women don't know you've been with about a hundred other women before them."
"I have not been with that many," he mused by wryly, but she was hardly soothed. "Alright, alright—but can you not just take a compliment for once?"
"Maybe when you're sincere about it," she hummed back.
"But I am always sincere about it," he pouted.
She just shook her head, chuckling, "Uh-huh."
The redhead didn't get far before a hand grasped her arm, stopping her, and turned her towards him. He was looking at her a bit differently than he usually did, but she ignored that in favor of the fact they were near an open ledge—one right over water. It looked deep enough by the fact there was a small gondola tight there, so it should be alright. She looked back the young man, waiting for him to speak.
"Why is it so hard to believe I mean it?" he huffed, folding his arms.
"It's not necessarily you—okay, it is kind of you… but I tend to not trust compliments from people who are overly flirtatious. Kind of a little rule I have."
"You are making this difficult, you know," Ezio sighed as his shoulders slumped, albeit with a grin.
"You wouldn't have much as much fun if I didn't right?" she snorted, and he chuckled right back.
"No I suppose not. Well, know I do not give up so easily—I will get you to like me yet," he winked, and she just rolled her eyes.
"And I'm going to laugh when you give up or finally get board of it."
He waggled an eyebrow, "We will see later. For now… shall we move on?"
"Yeah, sure," Catherine hummed, and then suddenly smirked. She briefly caught glimpse of Ezio catching on—the widening of his eyes—but it was too lately. Assured of her victory, she shoved him as hard as she could, and was ready to cheer victoriously when she saw him falling over the edge. However, her plans subsequently faltered when his hands latch onto her sleeve. There was no way she could hold him up along with herself and so her scheme only worked so far in that she did get to shove him into the river as payback. She wasn't supposed to go with him, though, and she certainly wasn't supposed to splash down into the dark water and come up with a gasp, treading it.
"That was your pay back!?" Ezio exclaimed, but he was laughing anyways.
"Well, I wasn't supposed to fall in, too. You kind of messed that up," she mused and looked beyond him to where a wooden platform had been built. "Well, I have my payback so let's get going."
"Wait—that's it?" he asked as he swam back with her.
"I mean, yeah? You tackled me off the roof into a haystack. I shoved you off the ledge into the river."
"You are a very strange woman."
"You've said that already," she snickered as she reached the pier and hauled herself up. She groaned at how heavy she felt now; her clothes soaked and every other part of her dripping. She also smelled a bit now. He did, too, which only made it worse. She frowned. "Your mother is probably going to be mad."
"Ah… yes… yes she is…"
She glanced at him, "Should we still head back?"
"I would say no, but… we probably should."
"Do you think we could sneak in without her noticing and change?"
He winced, "No, most likely not."
"Figures. Well… let's go face the fire then shall we?" she hummed, and Ezio reluctantly agreed.
-O-
The second born Auditore had been right—they weren't able to slip by Maria Auditore. She saw them almost the moment they'd gotten back, still soaking and smelling like the river. She hadn't said anything, though. Rather, when her son tried to speak she held up her hand, stopping him. She remained silent as she gave him a serious look, and then left. Catherine dreaded for their safety when they exchanged a glance, agreed they needed to bathe, change before dinner, and to be on their best behavior, and then went their separate ways.
She was all too happy to do just that—especially when she smelled a lot better after and was back in dry clothes. Her Clock had thankfully been undamaged in their antics, and she wasn't scraped up besides the small bruise on her back. Of course, that was nothing compared to the mental anguish the two of them suffered through dinner. Though, Maria retained her silence throughout the whole thing, they knew they were in trouble. Deep, deep trouble. At least the others didn't seem to mind, or they just knew better than to ask. She imagined they would later, but they were left alone to eat and also during their time in the parlor. She was glad for it—she wasn't sure how explaining what happened would go telling them they'd been messing around a lot more than usual and such. Well, Petruccio and Federico would probably get a hoot out of it, but everyone else? Not so much.
She was just so glad to head back upstairs to bed, even if did mean spending countless hours awake trying to fall asleep. Admittedly, she was tired, but her stupid anxieties always came pouring back about now. At least she could mull on how she actually had a good day. That she couldn't deny, and so when she headed out to start reading she wasn't so surprised or put off by Ezio being there. She even gave him a smile and wave as she reached the bookshelf. She was surprised, however, when he popped up beside her, grinning cheekily as he usually did.
"If you're not too tired, there is one more part to your day off I had planned."
She raised a brow, "There's more?"
"Yes, come on," he snickered and led her to a window. A quick push and it was open, revealing the night time cityscape. However, he didn't stop there; he hopped onto the sill and then pulled himself onto the room. There he lay flat and held his hand out for her. She raised a brow, but took it anyways and then they were sitting on the roof, legs dangling over the edge.
She could see a great deal of the city from here, and it was beautiful at night. Torches lit the streets and candles the inside of houses, making it seem as though tiny little lights decorated the entire place. It was almost like a reflection of the sky. The moon was full tonight, and it was an essentially cloudless sky. Stars dotted the dark canvas, and there were so many more than she could remember seeing ever. She had a decent view back home even with light pollution, but this was something much more amazing.
"So. The roof," she mused, looking over at the Ezio, who was smiling—pleased with himself. She had to admit he should be.
"Indeed. I used to come up here a great deal as a child when I wanted to get away from things. I thought you could use the same," he replied, and she looked back out at the city. Well, that confirmed he had been worried about her own night time endeavors then. She wasn't sure what to make of it, and so didn't look at him as he continued. "I know it is not my place to ask, but… are you alright? I thought perhaps you did just stay up late, but…"
"Actually, I don't. I just… reasons. I can't seem to sleep," she laughed lightly, but it was forced, and she knew he knew it.
"If you do not want to say so, it is alright. I mostly came up here to think and watch the city, so I thought it might help you" he explained. She couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt. She knew he was only trying to be nice. She supposed she owed him a little.
Sighing, she pulled her knees up to her chest, "I think… I think I'm just home sick… and… um… I don't know. Just… overwhelmed."
"That is nothing to be ashamed of. I would miss Firenze and my family very dearly if I was sent away suddenly. And new places are always overwhelming… Unless… that is not it?"
'No, no it's not… not by a long shot, but you don't need to know that,' Catherine mused before letting out another, smaller sigh. "Let's just say it's tough trying to live up to people's expectations. I really want to, but it can be tough. I get stuck, and I don't know how to get un-stuck."
Ezio hummed softly, lounging back on his arms, "Well… perhaps you should stop trying to?"
"Oh, I would love to do that, but I can't really—not right now," she chuckled pitifully. She glanced over and noticed his confusion. "Sorry, I can't really say much else on it. I would if I could, but…"
"It is alright. I admit, I am a little disappointed, but what is a woman without her secrets?" he chuckled back, and she finally managed to smile. "Again, it is alright if you do not wish to tell me, and if it helps… you do not need to live up to any expectations with me—not here. Will that help?"
"Maybe. A little. I'll be back at it tomorrow, though."
He shifted to face her better, "Then come out here tomorrow. You can be alone if you want, or you can speak with me if you wish."
"You know… that might not be a bad idea… which is weird—usually your ideas aren't so good. I almost feel like you're trying to trick me," she hummed, giving him a look. He just grinned back.
"I assure you—no tricks," he replied, bowing his head. "In fact… what was your life like back home? What kind of place did you live in?"
"You honestly want to know? Really?"
"Well, then what would you like to talk about?"
"Do you know how stubborn you are?" she inquired, but let her legs fall over the side of the roof again and leaned back like how he was. She smiled once more as she looked out at the city and then up at the sky. Ezio kept quiet as he waited, and for the second time that day she wondered where this Ezio had been; this nice, caring, non-flirtatious guy. He was actually charming now. In fact, she realized she kind of wanted to talk to him—so she did. "If you must know… it was a good house—two stories, plenty of rooms. I had them pretty much all to myself except for, uh… the servants. They lived in another house, though. I did have my dogs. Three until one died about a year ago—she was really old. One of the other ones is old, too, but my dog—Bandit, he's young and playful."
"Huh. I did not figure you for a dog person, 'kitty-Cat'," he snickered, and she rolled her eyes at him.
"Want me to push you off this roof?" she snapped playfully, and he held up his hands in defense. "Uh-huh. Thought so. Anyways, I was mostly alone with the servants, so they were my friends, too. Got to be as boyish as I wanted. Drew and read and all that a lot. Pretty boring, actually. Not much to say."
"Now that I know is a lie. No woman who acts like you has a boring upbringing."
She snorted, "You're being too obvious about buttering me up. But alright, alright… I guess I can tell you about how I accidentally made my dad fall of his horse—not entirely my fault. Don't give me that look. It was partially the horse's…"
Catherine kept on talking then, reminiscing about her life back home, and though it made her wish she was there, it actually felt good to talk about it. Of course, she had to be a little careful about what she said, but it wasn't hard to work with it. She was creative enough, and she had a feeling Ezio didn't really care all that much about what she said—he was just letting her talk so she would feel better, and she was grateful for that. She was also grateful for how it made her feel more and more tired the longer she talked. Certainly, yawn after yawn came not long after she started talking and sharing jokes or pushing him playfully. Her eyes would droop or even close every once in a while. It was a little weird, but it was nice, too. For once, she didn't think she'd be staying up so late.
Sure enough, she never even realized when she fell asleep.
09 - End
TMWolf: And, yes, Ezio DID carry her back to her room like a gentleman :) He is a good boy...
SO! Hope you guys enjoyed this lovely little chapter. And, yes, this was totally a chapter to get them closer and more friendly, and you know it worked tee hee. Also, it's a big step for Catherine, who really needed this. Oh, and now you guys know what all those night chats with Ezio have led up to ;) He's not always thinking about sex, the naughty boy hehehehe. But yeah, so a lot of fun time for 'Cat today, but it'l be back to business tomorrow... and for the rest of the week. Yup! We got about a week time skip coming up and some crazy shit WILL be going down. Also, Act I is just about complete-I write a few chapters ahead and it's just about done. Then we start getting into the game and worse crap goes down, ha haha.
Also, cue hints this chapter about Cat's past lol I'm just terrible aren't I, revealing not much of anything about her, huh? :L *scuttles away*
Anyways... I think that's about it. Any questions/comments/critique/errors, feel free to review and let me know! :D
P.S. If you caught on to who the mystery cameo was, kudos to you! xD