Kagome's fingers knotted together as she watched Paola circle her, her hands smoothing down her heavy skirts and avoiding the dark eyes of the Italian woman. 'I knew coming here was a bad idea…' she heaved a heavy sigh and lifted her head, there was no way she could slip out to the docks in Venice for a ship back to Japan without getting lost.

"Ezio mi ha detto che ho tagliato il mio lavoro per me, vediamo cosa possiamo fare," she brushed her index finger through a fallen strand of the priestess's hair, if Kagome didn't look so distinctly foreign she could almost pass for an Italian woman. "Come donna sarà importante che tu usi le tue risorse a tuo vantaggio," she looped her arm within Kagome's steering them forward.

Kagome's head turned to look at her fully, she wanted her to… was she implying she sleep with people? The thought made her face flush, she and Inuyasha had been intimate in that way once; realizing quickly things between them were changing and not for the best since that incident. "I can speak a little Italian, can you speak a little slower?"

Paola met her eyes and smirked, fingers lifting to delicately grip the girl's chin, "if trouble arises with men, a little teasing is alright."

"Oh… okay?"

Paola nodded and retracted her arms, "lets see how well you can do." She tugged the door open to their borrowed room in the Villa, beckoning Ezio in and pointing to the place she wanted him to stand. "Behave yourself now."

He chuckled and nodded, "sì." His hands folded nicely in front of him as he shifted, when Paola suggested this aspect of training he had been against it fervently until relenting as long as he was the one to help. The urge to call the young woman a new conquest gave him a thrill he hadn't felt in a long while, perhaps it was the fire she displayed with him, but he wondered if he would enjoy her company as much as he had been if they woke in the same bed.

"Now then," Paola sniffed and gestured to Ezio as she turned to look at Kagome's red face, she was going to have to overcome her embarrassment quickly if she was going to be training with the assassin's. "If you're having a difficult time with a target not lowering their guard, a gentle touch on a man can do wonders."

"Gentle touch, perfect." Kagome swallowed hard and stared just past the pair, if she prayed hard enough would the floor open and swallow her?

"Come here then, I know what I'm doing."

Kagome's eyes screwed shut and complied begrudgingly, this wasn't like walking away from him at the tower and at least she wasn't jumping to her death… Paola nodded curtly as Kagome lifted her hand tentatively, fingers curling back as she pulled back and cupped her hand to her chest, "I believe you that it works."

"You are going to get yourself killed," Paola pursed her lips with a glare, "or Ezio or anyone else for that matter."

"I don't bite Little Bird."

The chuckle made her glare, hand reaching out to press against his chest, she wanted nothing more in that moment then to wipe the smirk from his face. "Now what?"

Paola splayed her hand against the small of Kagome's back, gently pushing her into him, "press into him."

"I'm starting to feel like I'm 14 again and my friends and I were trying to figure out how to get a guy's attention," could her face get any more hot? Maybe it was the room… his hand on her hip wasn't helping things either. "Um… I don't have to kiss him do I?"

Ezio snorted at the question, stealing a glance at Paola's face and wondering if that's what she had been planning. She gave a half-hearted shrug and scrunched her face slightly, "that's entirely up to you."

Kagome cleared her throat and shoved him back, arms crossing and pushing her breasts higher against her neckline before opting to tug the garment up higher, she'd gladly jump off a tower to keep from standing here longer. "I think we're done…"

Paola looked ready to protest, snapping at the knock on the door and it cracked open, "mi dispiace interrompere, c'è un problema a La Rosa Colta."

"It's always something," she huffed and excused herself, door shutting harder than she intended. Ezio moved in front of Kagome as she turned for the door, his hand reaching for hers and brushing against the exposed tops of her breasts, "you have been under me for three months and yet you still hold me in contempt; tell me what I can do to get in your good graces."

Kagome tugged her hand free and stepped back with a frown, "stop flirting with me… stop shoving me into uncomfortable situations—"

"This whole thing is an uncomfortable situation, is it not?" he countered smoothly, "why not make the most of your time here?"

'Make the most of it?' her face scrunched in thought, eyes lifting to his slowly before easing forward and lifting her hand to his arm. "I assume you mean with yourself."

Ezio's head tilted as he regarded her silently, he wouldn't turn it down… "if that's what you want—"

Kagome's lips twitched upward, her other hand sliding up his arm to his shoulder, "what I want…" standing on her toes to press against him, she cupped the back of his neck and leaned her face closer as he obliged and bent under her grip. His cologne smelled good and she had to mentally shake herself from the thoughts that infiltrated her head, if he wanted her to train then she'd do it on her terms. "Is for you to stop flirting with me and I want to go home!"

Ezio's eyes closed as her nose brushed against his cheek, holding her upper arms to keep her close and peeling his eyes open; clearly she already knew how to use her body. "You will return if you stop fighting, the longer you take to complete this the longer you'll be here."

Her head fell back with a groan, she had hoped the more difficult she became he'd grow tired of it and send her back, not keep her longer. 'Guess that was part of Sesshoumaru's negotiations,' the demon lord didn't seem the type to take her back in the same condition he sent her away with.

"If you perform a Leap of Faith I'll stop my flirtations with you."

Kagome snapped her head forward so hard, she almost could feel the whiplash against her cheeks, "serious?"

He nodded once, his fingers skimming her arms as they lowered. Kagome's eyes narrowed with a frown, "and if I don't do it?"

"You spend the night in my bed."

"Find me a tower," she grinned broadly and yanked her skirts up; marching from the room with a confidence she hadn't possessed before.

Three Days Later

"How's your arm?"

Ezio winced as he struggled to remove his cape, glancing over his shoulder at the priestess perched nervously on the edge of her bed. The siege Cesare had laid to Monteriggioni had shaken them and left them beaten, although she looked no worse for wear then when they were escaping through the tunnels, "it hurts, even after the doctor's pain medicines I cannot afford to be laid up longer than necessary."

Kagome nodded knowingly and rubbed her hands together before clenching them between her thighs, her dress long discarded and replaced with white assassin robes curtesy of Niccolò Machiavelli when he delivered Ezio's robes the previous day. "I'm sorry about your uncle; he was a good man."

"Sì," he agreed and sat carefully beside her on the single bed in the room they had rented at the inn to re-group from the attack, his eyes holding a faraway look before dropping his gaze to the floor, "I have lost more family to the Borgia's than I care to have…"

"The Borgia's are… they're not a family I ever thought I'd run into," her mouth twisted in thought, the history books hadn't done that family justice so far just from the brief meeting with Cesare. "It's going to get worse…"

"You know the Borgias?"

Kagome shook her head quickly and delivered a look from the awe on his face, "just from the books I've read; murderous, adulterous, incestuous and a bunch of thieves."

Ezio's head tilted as he regarded her carefully, it appeared she had finally shown to him just why she would be useful to his cause. "You did not jump."

"No," she agreed quickly, a blush springing to her cheeks, "Cesare's appearance with his army kind of ruined that…" she refused to meet his eyes as she stood, fingers fumbling with her belt under his gaze. "How do you—"

Ezio grunted and climbed to his feet, towering over her as his way to silence her and replacing her hands with his. "Relax Little Bird," he tightened the leather around her waist and lifted a hand under her chin, "I'm in no condition to take you to bed right now and give you the pleasure you deserve."

He bent down and pressed his lips to hers, pulling back and caressing her cheek with his thumb, "come. Let's go and see what information Roma holds."

Present

Kagome slammed her open palm on the table beside her computer, curses streaming from her mouth as she stared at the page in front of her. Doctor Thomas Elliot, a well known sociopath with a stint in Arkham to boot; she had dealt with her fair share of craziness in her life but this guy seemed on a different level.

Her nails tapped the back of her phone, pulling it closer and finding the number she thought was his, pressing the number and sitting back.

"Finished already?"

"I want a month and I'll take 2 million in cash now with the other 2 million when I'm finished."

Elliot laughed heartily at her proposal, chuckles creeping through the line as he cleared his throat, "we're done negotiating."

"I know we are," she bit the inside of her cheek as her right hand curled into itself, nails biting into her palm, "those are my terms. You want me to kill Wayne or Batman or whoever that's what I want in return."

"Very well, I'll give you your money and if you go one second over your month you're brother's as good as dead."

Kagome tossed the phone beside her computer and tilted her chair back, staring at her ceiling and biting her lip. 'Look what you did…' dragging her hands over her face and tilting forward, the chair legs crashing to the ground as she shot to her feet and paced the small kitchen. Glancing at the time on the microwave, she nibbled her bottom lip and turned for her phone, she needed her real phone…

"Fuck me…" she grumbled, snatching her phone into her hand from the nightstand beside her bed. Scrolling through her contacts, her thumb hovered over the newest addition before pressing it and bringing the device to her ear. She hoped Jason wouldn't answer, she could play it off as a misdial and—

"I was just thinking about you."

Kagome snorted and shook her head, fighting off the smile as she moved around her bedroom, "I doubt that."

"Hold on."

Her lips pursed as Jason's end grew silent, pulling her phone back to stare at the screen and replacing it to her ear. Her eyes drifted to where she draped her assassin robes over the foot over her bed, gaze softening and holding the phone to her head with her elbow as she began to fold the garments, 'you have to go away for a while now.'

"Sorry about that, work's a little crazy tonight."

"It's okay, I have to get ready for my shift but… what are you doing tomorrow?"

She could hear him taking a drag of his cigarette, listening to him blow the smoke from his mouth and grunting as he mulled over her question.

"Are you asking me out?" he sounded slightly surprised at his own question to her, tongue clicking in thought.

Kagome shrugged and moved into the bathroom, fingers running through her hair as she regarded her reflection, "maybe; I was just thinking about going to the zoo and really didn't want to go alone."

"I would never make you go by yourself, swing by around 12 and I'll swipe a car."

"Sounds great," she jerked at the sound of gunfire through the call before he ended it and glanced down at her phone. What was it he said he did again? 'Swipe a car from where?' she glanced up at her reflection and heaved a sigh, one month… she could do this. "Yeah, I really do need to get ready for work now."


"Since when do you need more than one training session in a day?" Bruce glanced down at his son as they moved through the halls, the boy's sword hadn't moved far from his side in the last few days since Tim's encounter with the Assassin. The rest of the Bat-family had eased into the idea that the woman had moved on with her lack of appearances since poisoning Red Robin but Damian was downright adamant that she was going to be back.

"You know why I'm doing it, father." He glared up with a scowl as his fist clenched tighter around the hilt, "one of us has to be prepared."

Bruce slowed to a halt, staring at the back of Damian's head with a frown; he could understand his son's anticipation on the Assassin's return, but they weren't going to hunt her down until she came out of hiding. Jason's dead ends the last few nights had been enough to realize she had no connections in the city to help. "We are prepared."

"Not enough," Damian glanced over his shoulder to meet his eyes, "she's just waiting."

Bruce held his hands up to drop the subject, he still needed to work with him about his extended paranoia. "We'll get her then—"

"Bruce!"

"Jason…"

"Watch it there Gremlin," Jason tapped Damian's sword in passing, blowing smoke through his nose as he struggled to pull his jacket on. Bruce tilted his head and reached for the collar of the jacket, when was the last time he had seen him so flustered? "Going out?"

Jason flicked the collar straight and lowered his cigarette with a nonchalant shrug, "can I borrow $50… not borrow, lets call it my cut for not killing anyone last night."

"Selling yourself short Todd, you're worth at least $75."

"Can it runt," Jason snapped over his shoulder, holding his hand out palm up as he turned back, "make it an even $100… because you're nice like that."

Bruce reached for his wallet as his eyes narrowed, was Tim right and this Kagome really was his girlfriend? "Where are you going?"

"Out."

Bruce pulled the bill back, his face easing into slight happiness at the thought of Jason getting out and attempting to get back to normal again, "with who?"

"No one—"

"Liar; stay away from Higurashi, she's bad news." Damian shouldered his blade and braced his shoulder against the wall, "very bad."

"Coming from you, makes me want to see her more." Jason huffed and stepped closer to Bruce, the bill taut between their hands, "let go."

Bruce smiled and shook his head, was that look in his eyes from nerves? "Can I meet her?"

Jason's eyes widened as he shook his head quickly, god forbid him to be able to go out with a girl and not have the whole family on his ass. 'Can't even have one thing to myself,' his brows furrowed at the thought, all the more reason to get his own place sooner rather than later. "No."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have made plans last night, Oracle hacked your comms after you switched frequencies."

"Damian, leave him alone." Bruce glanced past Jason to where Damian stood, so much for pretending like he didn't know what was going on. Releasing his hold on the bill in his hand he dug another one free and held it out, "so you can take her out after the zoo."

Jason snatched it quickly and tugged his wallet free to place the money inside, "don't wait up." He turned for the stairs, a pep in his step as he moved down the first three, 'money, wallet, phone.' "Shit," he slipped as he spun and skipped the stairs back up to the top floor, jogging down the hall to his room.

"What a mess," Damian sneered. He scoffed and rolled his eyes as Jason returned, patting his pockets a second time to run through his mental checklist.

"Don't forget your shoes," Bruce pointed at his feet with a sigh, poor kid was so scatterbrained right now, you'd think he'd never gone on a date.

"Fuck me," Jason grumbled as he shot back up the stairs and ran for his room, "who moved my shoes?"

"If I ever get like that Father, end me." Damian shoved off the wall and moved in time with Bruce for the stairs, hefting his sword higher on his shoulder. The familiar voice of the woman that had Jason so on edge reached his ears, snapping his head to the front door and watching as Tim let her in with a smile.

"Why are you inside?"

"Damian," Bruce snapped at the rudeness of his son's tone, already striding for the surprised woman. From her name alone he had gathered her to be of Asian descent, his hand outstretched with a warm and welcoming smile, "please excuse my son, he's not normally so rude to our guests; it's so nice to finally meet you, I'm Bruce Wayne."

"It's okay really, I have a brother so I completely understand the um… attitude." Kagome rushed forward to claim his hand and bowed over the clasped appendages, holding the cup tray with two coffees away from her body and smiling. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you sir, I'm so sorry for coming into your home multiple times without introducing myself."

"It's no problem, there have been a few hiccups in our introduction's. Jason's upstairs finishing getting ready."

"There's no rush," she smiled in response and dropped her hand. Tim sidled around her back and squinted at the labels on the coffees, shooting his eyes up with a tight smile as the woman turned to him in question, "he's excited."

"Oh good," Kagome tossed her hair out of her face and smiled. She hadn't missed the way he stared at the drinks, plucking hers from the carrier free and holding it out, "I can always get another one."

"If it doesn't work out with Jason, I'm available." Tim cradled the cup to his chest with a grateful smile, inhaling the aroma of the drink and clutching it tighter. Bruce nudged him against the shoulder and shot a look at him, a silent warning to stop before shoving his hands in his pockets. Kagome giggled and arched a brow, he was older than her brother for sure, but if getting in his good graces meant bringing him coffee she could deal with that.

Damian rolled his eyes and made his way forward, thrusting his sword towards his father and crossing his arms, "mind if I tag along?"

"Damian, this isn't a field trip." Tim placed his hand on his head and ruffled it, knowing how much the youth hated getting treated like the kid he was and bringing the drink to his lips. That wasn't to say he hadn't already put the word out that he happened to be going to the zoo today himself and he wouldn't mind some company.

"Stop swarming her, bunch of vultures."

Kagome laughed as Jason shoved his way through the small crowd with a glare, holding up the coffee she had gotten him with a smile. "I don't mind."

"Thanks, I told you you didn't have to…" he took it with a sigh, eyes locking on the cup in Tim's hand as the teen turned and walked away. He'd just stop for another one then, "ready?"

"Nice to meet you all," Kagome delivered a wider smile to Damian before waving. She relinquished her hold on the empty tray to Bruce as he took it from her hands with a nod, "have a good time you two."

Jason stepped behind her as a barrier and ushered her from the mansion, the tension leaving his shoulders as the door shut behind him. "Cars are over here," he pointed to the large garage beside the main portion of the house and lessened his stride to keep with hers, "sorry about them; they act like they've never been around people and uh… Tim's slightly addicted to caffeine so I'll buy you another coffee."

"Don't apologize, my family used to be the same way," Kagome waved him off, eyes widening at the number of cars under the large garage. "As for the… coffee…" she trailed after slowly, some of these were clearly worth a fortune, "consider it payback for dinner the other night."

Jason grunted and lifted his middle finger at the camera in the corner that followed his movements, clicking the key fob in his hand and resting the coffee on the roof. It didn't escape his notice that she used past tense to talk about her family, considering heavily asking when she leaned against the passenger door with a smile, "is this our car?"

"Yeah," he pulled the door open and tucked into the vehicle, his coffee placed nicely in the cupholder before sliding his seat back to accommodate his larger frame. The engine purred as he turned the key, eyes sliding to Kagome as her eyes lit up in excitement, he'd be catching hell later for taking Bruce's favorite car but so far it was worth it.

"Shouldn't I drive since I asked you?"

Jason snorted and peeled out of the driveway, grinning slightly at the squeal of delight from the woman in the passenger seat, "is your heart set on the zoo?" he really wanted her to say no, he knew the rest of the clan well enough to know they'd be lurking around and watching eagerly.

"No," her head lolled to the side, placing her hand on his thigh with a shy smile, "I'm up for a surprise."

He relaxed into the chair and glanced down at her hand, lifting his eyes back to the road and clenching his jaw. "Alright," he drawled out as he glanced to her legs clad in shorts, he had a surprise in mind but he didn't think it was what she meant. "I'll surprise you."


Ezio mi ha detto che ho tagliato il mio lavoro per me, vediamo cosa possiamo fare—Ezio has told me I have my work cut out for me, lets see what we can do.

Come donna sarà importante che tu usi le tue risorse a tuo vantaggio—As a woman it's going to be important for you to use your assets to your advantage

Mi dispiace interrompere, c'è un problema a La Rosa Colta—Sorry to inturupt, there's a problem at The Cultured Rose