Apologizes for the long wait. My last few weeks consisted of waking up at 11 everyday only to then laze about reading Hetalia fan fiction, drawing Hetalia fan art, or making a Hetalia cosplay. As you can tell I'm not that into Hetalia. Apologizes again. Enjoy this long chapter -Author

Chapter 6

Leonardo awoke to find himself still holding onto Ezio. The cum and sweat on their skin had long dried and he felt dirty. He looked down at Ezio, still as beautiful as ever, lightly snoring as he slept on Leonardo's chest. The drug he had taken before was powerful enough to keep Ezio knocked out for a few hours at least. 'Wait…how long have I been sitting here? Oh No! The Party! I need to get ready, I need to bathe, I-I have to do something!'

Leonardo began to get panicky, his mind rushing to organize his next steps. He needed to do something about Ezio, he needed to get cleaned up and he needed to get to that party. He began by gently pushing Ezio off of his still naked form and leaning him up against the wall, careful not the wake the sleeping assassin. Since Ezio had been in the tub beforehand he was already pretty clean save for the white stain on his stomach and hand. Leonardo took a wash cloth and rubbed his down, mopping up the areas he knew there would be dried sweat also. He then quickly washed himself off and wrapped the previously discarded towel around his waist.

Now that he was cleaned, he needed to take care of Ezio; he couldn't just leave him in the bathroom to sleep. Rising out of the tub and draining the water on the way, he went to pick up Ezio, the intention to bring him to his own bed and let him sleep there. He had forgotten about all the water that Ezio had managed to splash on the tile flooring. Slipping immediately, Leonardo grabbed for the air, hoping he would grasp something. Fortunately he caught his balance on the sink, surprised he didn't succumb to his clumsiness like usual.

Ezio continued to sleep soundly.

Ezio surely had a bigger build then Leonardo but that didn't mean the artist was a complete weakling. He pulled Ezio up and slung one arm over his shoulders and began to haul him towards the stairs. After many huffs and puffs later, Leonardo had Ezio safely tucked away in his bed. He really needed to work out more.

Leonardo swiftly turned his head after the clock tower nearby began to gong out 5 o'clock. He had half an hour. He needed to hurry. Quickly dressing himself in formal attire and donning his favourite hat, Leonardo turned to head down to the workshop, but stole one more glace of the snoozing Ezio in all his beauty.

"You can't get away with all that teasing forever Ezio…" Quietly he left the room, smiling to himself at the memories of earlier.

Wasting no time, Leonardo threw a covering over the portrait and scurried out the door, off to the party.

It wasn't long before he arrived getting there with enough time to spare to catch his breath and a snack. This man really knew how to throw around his money. It seemed like half the city had been invited. Impressive amounts of only the best culinary creations lined the walls and servants dipped in an out of the crowd offering drinks to whoever happened to pass by without a glass in their hand. Music was playing in the background and a small area had been set aside for dancing. At the top of the grand hall where the party was being held, sat the girl in question that Leonardo had painted, beside her sat her father, beaming and trying desperately to encourage his daughter to dance.

Leonardo tried to avoid looking in that general direction for fear his eyes would meet the girl who had given him all the trouble couple of days.

A servant, presumably of higher standing over the others, surprised Leonardo from behind.

"Signore Da Vinci? Thank you for bringing the portrait the master has requested. You're right on time for the ceremony." At this point he took the painting from Leonardo, with no protests coming from the artist. "Please stay and enjoy yourself."

"Ah, thank you but I really must be going…" Leonardo never planned to stay, and now with a snoozing Ezio awaiting him at home, he was eager to return and sketch. He turned to leave but the servant caught him by the shoulder, a firm grip clamping down on his clothing. A calm and gentle smile stared back at him.

"The master requests your presence. You will stay won't you?" Denying the request would do the same thing to Leonardo as if he had never finished the painting. His social standing could not be jeopardized.

"Ahaha…I suppose staying for a little while won't be too bad." The servant nodded, the eerie smile still plastered on his face.

Leonardo sighed and took to blending in with the back of the room, near the door. Hopefully after a while he could just slip out and no one would notice. But since he was here, and he hadn't eaten for a while, Leonardo didn't stop himself from sampling some of the tasty party treats.

It wasn't long before a booming voice called out. All the guests turned their attention to the front of the room, the banker beginning his speech.

"Ladies and Gentleman, thank you for joining us this evening for my darling Rebecca's 18th birthday." This was all Leonardo paid attention to. Afterword the banker's voice began to drown out and he went on and on, less about his daughter and more about himself. When he finally finished, the painting was revealed and the crowd gasped. A mix of Ooo's and Aaa's filled the air and applause broke out from somewhere, soon spreading across the entire room. Leonardo thought that with the distraction he could make his escape, yet the banker soon brought everyone's attention to artist of the portrait, currently trying to leave the party at the back of the hall. Leonardo managed to save himself in time, bowing to the crowd and trying to look humble. When the crowd finally turned away, Leonardo decided it was time for him to politely leave, no more sneaking around. Unfortunately, one person thought differently.

"Leonardo Da Vinci! Thank you for your work. I will send the payment your way tomorrow eh? But first my daughter has requested you dance with her. Come now don't be shy." The banker didn't give Leonardo the time to get a word in. He was being dragged to the other side of the room, where the dance floor, and that girl, was located. She was standing in front of her seat now, a stoic expression seemingly the only emotion she could express. Leonardo wanted to run but didn't dare. Endure. Endure. Remember your social standing. When Leonardo was but a few feet from her, she bent low, pulling the edges of her dress with her and held out her hand. Leonardo regrettably took it and led her to the dance floor. He thought to himself that there was no hell worse than this.

Leonardo knew how to dance, so there was no trouble there. Yet his body wanted to reject holding this girls hand at all costs, yet he forced himself to go on. The music picked up and all the other couples left the dance floor, giving the spot light to Leonardo and the guest of honour. Fantastico. Now everyone will be watching. Leonardo had to put on a show, for his social standing of course.

"My name is Rebecca. It is a pleasure." Rebecca's head was pointed down as Leonardo swept her up in the dance. Her eyes wouldn't make contact with his and he was grateful for that. The crowd began its hushed whispers about the couple whirling around in front of them. He caught tidbits and nothing seemed harmful. But some of it was disturbing to think about for too long.

"Aren't they cute together?"

"What good dancers."

"I wish I had a man like that."

"She is of marrying age now…perhaps those too…"

Enough! Don't listen to them Leonardo. Just finish the dance and you can go home. Leonardo had been looking in just about every direction except at Rebecca and from a normal person's point of view, it would have appeared odd. Yet the crowd, drunk on the liquid the servants thrust into their hands and the euphoric atmosphere, disregarded his strange gestures and began milling about. Other couples slowly made their way onto the dance floor to join Leonardo and Rebecca. The inventor breathed a sigh of relief when he was no longer the main attraction.

"I do admire you work." Rebecca spoke up. It was quiet but he heard her clearly enough. Her voice, it was so, indescribable. It wasn't sensual or husky or gentle or anything. It resembled her expression, cold and stoic yet there was something else lingering underneath. Leonardo couldn't place it. He hated it when he couldn't understand something. And suddenly, the reason for his general hatred of this woman became clear. All of her aspects, everything about her was different and new and left Leonardo with the sense that he wasn't prepared, that he lacked any information about her. All the girls in Venezia had a pattern, a type. They were easily readable and he could all tell what they wanted and what they were thinking with one look. The few that he couldn't read he had become somewhat acquaintances with, Sister Teodora being one of his good friends. And yet this girl, he could grasp nothing from her. Not a single emotion creep past her except that cold stare with much more then he could ever fathom.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you to say." Leonardo wanted to be away from her. Far away, back in his workshop, where he understood things, where Ezio was, where he was comfortable and king.

The end of the song was nearing, he could feel it. Soon he could be rid of this impossible girl. However Fortune was not on Leonardo's side.

"I wish to admire your other works. I will come to your workshop tomorrow at noon. You have no choice but to obey my wishes if you do not wish for the city to turn on you again." Rebecca looked up at him for the first time during their dance and stared deep into his soul. She had read Leonardo like an open book, using her parental influence against him. He couldn't deny her. Flashing a fake smile he twirled her around and dipped her.

"It would be my pleasure, Rebecca." How he wished he could have dropped her to the stone cold floor.

After a cool night walk from that party back home, Leonardo was drained. He had originally wanted to come home and sketch the assassin asleep in his bed but that idea was soon dashed. Now it was late. Rebecca and her father had kept Leonardo at the party for much longer then he intended. It was almost midnight. Surely Ezio had woken up and left his house already, most likely back at the Palazzo Della Seta doing god knows whatever with anyone but him. He threw the ideas out of his head. Now was a time for calm thinking and sleep. He reminded himself of the event of the afternoon and he shivered from a wave of remembrance pleasure. Smiling to himself, he arrived home quickly, passing the bathroom where the intimate moment had occurred, and up the stairs he had carried Ezio's naked body.

Stripping off his formal attire and retrieving the dried out night gown Rosa had stolen the other day, Leonardo prepared for bed in the darkness, not bothering to light a candle. He knew his way around. The lump in his bed begged to differ when he sat upon it though.

"Mmhhh…just a little longer Leonardo…" Ezio had been roused awake, still mumbling thoughts from a lingering dream. Leonardo blushed furiously. How was it that Ezio had managed to sleep for so long? What he wouldn't find out until later was that Rosa had added a little something extra to that caffè from before. A little drowsy powder perhaps.

Leonardo stood up quickly, almost losing his balance. Now some light seemed like a good idea, so he quickly lit the candle on the bedside table and gently rocked Ezio awake.

"Come now. Is this any way for an assassin to behave? Sleeping all afternoon? Really now…" Leonardo chuckled to himself, noting how out of character it was for Ezio to act so defenceless. Then again, it might have been the fact that Leonardo rarely ever say the assassin still asleep while he was awake the rare few times Ezio had spent the night in his workshop.

Ezio awoke suddenly, recognizing the voice and seeing a flood of memories of before he passed out come rushing back into his skull.

"Scusi Leonardo. I-I have to go." As fast as he had woken up, Ezio bolted out of bed and went straight for the open window, driving down and safely landing in a cart of hay. After tumbling out, he sprinted off, lost to the darkness.

Leonardo was left alone again. All he could hope for was to crawl into his bed and feel the warmth that was still imprinted on the sheets from Ezio's body. Which he did. He wrapped himself up tight, trying to imagine that the heavy covering tight around him were Ezio's arms, holding him as he drifted off to sleep.

Leonardo awoke to the morning doves chirping on the window sill that was left open all night. Realising his mistake, he rose quickly; make a run around the workshop to check for stolen items. He did not need another training lesson from Rosa.

The clock tower began to gong. Eleven cries from an unseen bell and Leonardo began to get worried. Rebecca would be coming at noon and from her personality, Leonardo could only guess that she would have impeccable timing.

For the next hour, Leonardo changed, bathed, and cleaned. He didn't care for his soon to be guest but he still had his pride to keep a clean workshop. With the corpses stored away in the cold storage room and his previous art piece out for display, he was ready. When the clock tower struck the twelfth gong, exactly three knocks sounded out from behind the workshop door.

"On my way!" Leonardo called out. He gave himself a pep talk on the way there. Alright now Leonardo, big smile, endure, friendly demeanour, endure and above all do not let her know you hate her. Just show her what you've done, give her a sketch of some scenery and send her on her way.

"Benvenuto Signorina Rebecca! Thank you for coming to my humble workshop." Leonardo forced so much energy into that greeting, trying to sound truly genuine, yet it fell on false ears as who he met at the door was not Rebecca but that creepy servant from the night before. His smile seemed to radiate calm and evil at the same time. Rebecca stepped out from behind him.

"Grazie Gino, you may wait outside." Gino bowed and turned to stand erect by the door, silent and still smiling.

Rebecca walked in, not saying a word to Leonardo. She took it upon herself to glide around the workshop, seemingly admiring the paintings Leonardo had set up for her. She would stare at each for a good 10 minutes, taking in everything it was. After the first half hour Leonardo asked if she wanted something to drink.

"No."

After the sixth painting, the clock tower gonged out one in the afternoon. Leonardo had taken a seat at his sketching table, watching her judge all his best work. He asked her what she thought of the one she was currently looking at.

"It's…interesting".

The pause unsettled him and made his fists shake momentarily with rage. He couldn't tell what she was thinking. Sure he could take criticism but since it rarely ever happened for someone not to praise his work it pissed him off that she could say something like that. It gave him no information. He was no closer to cracking the secret of Rebecca's mind.

"I will be leaving now." She turned to him and somehow brought the artists eyes to hers; her cold dark brown eyes. "Gino, please bring Leonardo his payment."

The servant appeared behind Leonardo, silently and smiling. "Right away miss." He handed Leonardo a heavy cream envelope. "The master was very please with your work, there may be more for you yet."

Rebecca was already at the door. "Come, Gino." She didn't turn to look back. The servant quickly turned to follow after and closed the door on his way out.

Leonardo winced at the loud bang as the door slammed shut. He sighed and looked at the envelope in his hand. Opening it and checking inside, he gasped, than a greedy smile spread across his face.

"I think I can afford to spoil myself today."

Ezio was back in the Palazzo Della Seta, in his own room, in a chair facing the wall. He had been sitting there for hours, possibly since he had come back after midnight. He had lost his concept of time in the process.

"Leonardo…" The name rolled off his lips. The assassin felt nothing but shame.

How can I keep doing these things to Leonardo? I take everything he has to offer and more, and now I've even taken his body. What if he had a lover already? What has he even done to deserve all the suffering I push on him? I can't stand to hurt him anymore but I always keep coming back to him. And then the other day…the scene in the bathroom…I-I couldn't control myself. Part of me knew it was wrong but the other wouldn't let go. There was no doubt I would not have able to do that without whatever was in the caffè. Then when I wake up Leonardo had been kind enough to bring me to his own bed to rest. Why? Why do I keep taking from him…?

"Leonardo…mi dispiace…I don't know what's come over me…"

With all the money he had been paid with from Rebecca's father, Leonardo decided it was time to go on a shopping spree. Of course he made sure to stop at the bank to put some away before he spent it all. After a quick stop at the teller, who was obviously flirting with him (which he ignored), he went to his favourite doctor who set up shop not far from his house.

"Good Morning Nicolo. Do we have anything fresh today?" He of course was talking about bodies.

"Ahh yes, I just got in a wonderful corpse, died of a terrible lung disease and coincidently swallowed a few interesting things as well. I myself was itching to cut this one up but I was saving it just for my favourite customer." Nicole lifted off his big beaked mask to give the artist a wink and talk face to face. He was a young man, intelligent for his age and certainly had been on Leonardo's radar at one point but unfortunately was already married. He wouldn't interfere with that.

"Ahahaha let me guess it's going to cost me right?" Leonardo knew how to play Nicolo's game. He had been shopping here for years.

"You got it!" He gave Leonardo a wink and his heart fluttered a little when he thought how sexy it would be if Ezio did the same. "But for a limited time only I will give you the special discount. 1000 florins, only for you mio amico. What do you say?" Nicolo always gave him the 'special discount' every time he came. He never changed Leonardo too much and he was always happy with the service. 1000 florins was easy with his recently gained pay from the backer.

"Not a problem Nicolo, I'll take it!" Leonardo was excited, it had been a while since he had a nice fresh body to cut open and poke around in. "Oh and has my new dissection set come in yet?" Leonardo had ordered a new kit after hearing about it from Nicolo 'cut up tales' as he called them. He had been anxiously waiting for about a week. With his new set and a fresh new corpse, he was going to have a grand old time.

"That's great Nicolo! Can you put the body in storage for me? I've got a few more errands to run and then I will be back to pick him up." There was a few more places Leonardo wanted to visit before he went back home for the day. He paid Nicolo and took his leave.

"Not problem Leonardo. Come back soon." He waved good bye, placing the mask back over his face and reassuming his silent and scary appearance.

A little farther from Nicolo's stand was the tailor. Summer was coming quickly and this usual long sleeve outfit was beginning to get hot and bothersome. Since he was already treating himself with a dead body, why not a new summer outfit?

He commissioned a shorter sleeved top made from a thinner material that would breathe better in the warmer months. This same material would be used to make the pants. Of course he needed a matching cap to go with it all so he added it onto the list. His measurements were taken and a color scheme was picked out.

"Come back in a few days." Leonardo was waved off, though he didn't mind. He still had more to do.

After a trip to the market for some groceries, a stop at the book shop to check out the latest manuscripts and a leisurely stroll around the area, Leonardo made his way back to Nicolo's stand, picking up his dissection kit and body. With all he was carrying, a normal man would have buckled from the sheer weight, but Leonardo was used to carrying heavy lifeless sacks of flesh so a few added bags of produce wouldn't hurt the load.

Back in the workshop, Leonardo put away his purchases and set out to begin on the body right away. The sooner he cut it open the better the chance that the juices were still fresh inside. He might even need a mask for this one. His heart beat with all the excitement of what he would soon be able to discover.

Ezio, still sulking in his room, had turned away from the wall and now faced the wide open balcony, watching over the city from his chair. He had cheered himself up a little with the change in scenery, but he still felt terrible about the situation with Leonardo.

"I must make it up to him somehow…"

Again, I am deeply sorry for the wait. I'm planning something juicy for the next chapter (and I'm not talking about the corpse), but long reviews make it go from juicy to lemony. In other words, long reviews make certain inventors and assassin's strip. - Author