I feel like I should say that I'm not entirely sure where this fic will lead me. For right now, however, I'll be following the timeline for Brotherhood the novel and the rating will stay at T. Enjoy! :D

21

I carefully open the shutters to my room at Caserma di Alviano. Thankfully, Pantasilea keeps them well oiled and unlocked. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that I secret myself into their home. Night has fallen in the hours since I fled from Ezio on that rooftop.

Carefully looking around, other than being cleaned, I don't see that anything has been disturbed since my last stay. I hop into the room and set the bag I made up, before leaving Tiber Island, on the foot of my bed. I shed my weapons, save for my hidden blade, and set them on my desk. Releasing a heartfelt sigh, I lie down on my bed, stretch out and gratefully close my eyes after a really exhausting day.

Soft foot falls wake me from my impromptu nap.

"If you're not here to kill me, then you'd better have at least brought liquor." I grumble into my pillow. Stifling a yawn, I rub my eyes and push myself up to sitting. I blink a few times before I look around and see someone sitting at my desk. Noting the ornate decoration on his assassin robes, I sigh and flop back down onto my bed. "What do you want, Ezio?" I ask softly, tiredly.

"I want to talk." He states simply.

"About?" I see no reason to make this conversation easy for him.

"Yesterday... did not go well." I snort mirthlessly at his words but refuse to move from where I lie.

"It was certainly unexpected, I'll give you that." I comment dryly.

"I thought you were interested." He retorts defensively. "I do not see you the way you described."

"What you did was much unexpected." I say quietly. "Rumours have a way of lasting and spreading much further than they're wanted. I won't lie: I've heard several." I hear him sigh and fabric rustles.

"So it would seem." He replies, his voice sounding unhappy. "Where does this leave us?" He inquires neutrally.

"I don't know." I shrug while staring at the ceiling. I hear him shift in his seat, again. "Probably going to be a few days of awkward and then, well, it's in the past, right?" I sit up, cross my legs and leave my hands resting in my lap. My lips crook into a tired smile and I focus on his face. "In all honesty, we're both mature adults. It happened, yes, but it won't affect our work. I still intend to fight for the Brotherhood. I really just need to focus on my training. Precious few people in my time are up to the standards that I need to achieve to be an Assassin. Besides, the future is in the future and who knows what it will bring, right?" I hope he catches my little olive branch.

"Coming from you, that last bit sounds weird." He grins lopsidedly.

I blink a couple times thinking about what I said. Huffing in exasperation, I pinch the bridge of my nose with my right hand; head bowed, eyes closed. "I'm not even awake. Why do you insist on pestering me in the dead of night?"

Now, he laughs lightly at my expense. I look up and shoot him a mild glare. "I shall leave you, now. You do have a mission in the morning. Matteo has the information. My apologies for disturbing you, again. Buonananotte, Daniela." Moving decisively, he agilely climbs out the window and disappears into the night.

I carelessly wave my hand at the window and flop back down onto my bed. "Men." I grumble into my pillow and try to go back to sleep.