Hey, hey! What's up my fan fiction followers? I have been having a really bad week so far, and I thought you guys deserved another chapter, and I thought it would cheer me up a little bit. I have had this chapter and chapter 5 written down for ages, I just haven't had time to type them up, I will post chapter 5 in about a month from now. I love you guys! Enjoy! ^_^

Niccolo P.O.V

I walk back into the guild to be greeted by murmurs and awkward stares, looks like I have a lot more explaining to do than I thought. I stand I front of them, everyone was standing and I has my hands behind my back.

"Niccolo what is going on?" Ezio asked, common sense told me that he would have the most questions, to be expected I suppose.

"What do you mean 'what is going on?'?" I ask, starting to get secretive.
"You all look like you have just seen a ghost!" I shouted, in defence.

"We are all confused Machiavelli," La Volpe stepped forward with a calm but serious face.
"It is rather hard to try and piece this together without coming to the conclusion that there is something that you are not telling us, care to explain?" he asked.

"Gladly," I replied. I walked closer to everyone.
"She is stressed," I lied, Ezio scoffed, something told me that he knew I was lying.
"It seems that the last madam of the brothel was lazier than I anticipated,"

"How does that explain the way she spoke to you?" Bartolommeo asked.

"She is so intoxicated with the stress her mind was everywhere and she realised too late that she had been inappropriate, when everyone was staring at her she has no clue how to explain her actions and she lost it and ran," I said, that honestly sounded more convincing in my head.

"Why did you chase her out?" Ezio shouted, is that seriously the part that concerned him?

"I was facing her, I saw her every reaction, she was red, wouldn't move a muscle but she knew that all eyes were on her, she then began to shake and heavy breathe, that's when she ran out I felt inclined to go and calm her down, my conscious wouldn't let me sit there and do nothing," I said, 'you're even starting to believe yourself' I thought.

Ezio squinted at me and then fast walked toward the exit.

"Where are you going?" I asked, my eyes followed him across the room.

"we all have our secrets!" he turned around to shout at me, those words came back to haunt me once more, who knew those five words would hold so many memories and meanings, a sickening feeling lurked onto me as those words spun around my head, memories that I am tired of thinking about.

"He's not going to see Claudia if that's what you are worried about," La Volpe said.

"How do you know that?" I asked, concerned.

"We all have our secrets," he said, with a grin.

I grabbed a book and threw it at him; it hit him in the stomach and winded him.

"Hey!" he gasped.

"I am not in the mood for this right now!" I barked with a scowl on my face. At that moment I walked out. I took an educated guess that what I did really didn't help the suspicions that they were having.

Claudia P.O.V

"No, mother, I can't do this right now," I said, looking at the huge pile of financial work that had to be done.

"Why not? We are pushing the boundaries as it is Claudia. This needs to be done," she said, with slight panic in her tone.

"This needs to be done all in one go, or I will get confused, I have to leave in roughly an hour," I explained.

"Why?"

"I am needed at the assassin's guild," I said, but hesitated in saying so. My mother raised an eyebrow

"Spending an awful lot of time with the assassins lately, are they messing with your head?" she asked jokingly.

"Something likes that..." I muttered, without moving my mouth, my mother pulled a confused face, but shook it off.

"Can you at least set the girls some assignments in the next hour? They can't take the boredom anymore,"

"Fine, I will do my best, but I can't do everything for them, they need to use their common sense a little more," I said getting frustrated.

"Maybe you should teach them that," my mother smiled.

"How to use common sense?" I asked, sarcastically.
"A bit of an impossible task," I continued.

"I'm sure that you will find a way, you are an intelligent young woman," she said with a smile, before walking away.

"Easier said than done," I muttered under my breath, hoping that she didn't hear me. I walked toward a group of my girls in attempt to start a conversation.

Niccolo P.O.V

I admit that I might have been immature by throwing a book at la Volpe. this whole thing has be stressed. Nothing is even going on between us, so why am I so worried? Sparks fly whenever I talk to her or ... touch her, my mind is telling me no... But I want it to happen so much, I feel like I am in a teenage crush... puppy love?

Everyone has left the guild now, it's just me sitting here not wanting to work or even move I don't even know how long I have until Claudia arrives... I don't know if I want to find out.

Claudia P.O.V

"I'm late," I said nonchalantly.

"So why are you standing here talking about it when you can just go?" she asked with a chuckle.

I don't move I only look to the floor.

"Claudia," she walks over to me and puts her hand on my back.
"I know that your brother doesn't understand why we have decided to stay in Roma, or he is upset because you went again his wishes with this brothel, but he loves you and I am sure that you two will put this behind you," her tone began to lift.
"You two are still fighting like you did in Firenze," she laughed, I smiled at her in response.

"Thank you mother," I said, before giving her a hug.

"Go, you don't want to keep everyone waiting," she said, I smiled at her cluelessness.

I really wanted to tell her because she wouldn't have judged me, she would have just told me that she wants me to be happy, but I couldn't, because she can't keep a secret. I will tell her eventually, but the time isn't right at the moment. I don't want to give Ezio anymore reasons to have his hands around Niccolo's throat, it's not that I don't trust her, I do! I would gladly put my life in her hands, but if you have a secret and don't want anyone else to know, she is not the person to talk to. For whatever reason, it always 'just slips out' I know that she means well, I would never hold it against her, I love her and the fact she would circle the world for me.

"Va bene, I will be leaving then," I said, not wanting to leave, as I had prediction to what Niccolo would do the minute that I walk in...

No! Even he is not that demanding, so why did he want to see me now? Maybe he wants to see me just as much as I want to see him? That would be kind of awkward wouldn't it? I just got a mental image of us staring at one another for half an hour.

Niccolo P.O.V

I really want to help her; I can tell what she means when she said she was sick of standing in her brother's shadow. He looks down on her and the worst thing is: she doesn't do anything about it.

Now I know what I must do...

Claudia P.O.V

I walked up to the entrance to the guild.

'Here we go,' I thought while standing at the door.

I really didn't want to go in... But I really did. Two sides were pulling me in completely opposite directions. Every time I see him or get close to him this painful, sexual frustration just builds up to the point where I think I'm going to be sick, but when he touches me or looks me in the eye, my heart melts into a pile of goo and the lust builds up inside of me before I have to physically wrench myself from him to stop myself from launching myself at him. The annoying and frightening fact is I know I can't contain myself for much longer; I don't have the will power...

I walked in, not letting the thoughts get to me for a moment longer; I walked deeper into the guild not even attempting to keep quiet. Niccolo is by the bookshelf, I wasn't sure what to say to him, but I know that he knows that I am here.

He turned around and threw a sword to me for me to catch; I only just caught it because I hesitated. I wasn't sure why he was throwing a sword at me, he grinned slightly when I almost didn't catch it.

After I returned eye contact with him, he quickly and forcefully swung the sword he had in his hand toward me; as a reaction I yelped and dodged the swing very narrowly.

"Bene! (Good!)" Niccolo squeaked with a smile.

"Are you sick in the head? What the hell is wrong with you?" I screamed at him, feeling like my life had flashed before my eyes.

Niccolo just giggled, and loosened his grip and his sword.

"You were sick of standing in your brother's shadow so I'm going to teach you the ways of an assassin." He explained, not losing the smile on his face. He walked toward me.
"It seems that you have some skills already, where did you learn to dodge like that?" he asked.

"I didn't, it was just a reaction," I said with a death glare.

"It took me quite a lot of training to learn to dodge like that," he replied with a shocked face, I started to feel a little more confident with myself.

"Let's see if I can match up to anymore skills," I said and not even a second later I swung my sword in his direction with just as much force a he gave me.

"Wow!" he yelled, deflecting the blow, he let out a chuckle as I continuously attempted to hit him.

"Basta! (Enough!)" He laughed.

I stopped catching my breath a smiling.

"You can swing a sword with confidence, but can you counter your opponent's blows?" he asked, still smiling.

"Hmmm?" I hummed, not sure what he was saying.

"Here, I will show you," he said, I was getting a bit edgy I was not sure how he was going to demonstrate.

"Try to hit me with your sword," he demanded.

"Why?" I asked, not wanting to do as I was told just because of the fact that he tends not to be careful with him actions, our first kiss is a fine example.

"Trust me," he said smiling.

Just by saying those words he had my full attention ad my heart rate was getting faster the more I looked at him within this moment, I swung my sword at him once more, I almost disliked the fact that he had that effect on me, like I was under his influence.

My sword hit his and he quickly pushed his sword into the air when it was still touching mine which wrenched my sword out of my hand and across the room he then put his hand on my shoulder and pressed the blade of his sword against my neck.

Niccolo P.O.V

I had her in the cut throat position and I think I impressed her with the counter position that I demonstrated.

"Ow, Niccolo could you loosen your grip on my neck, just a little bit?" she squawked.

The smile dropped from my face, I let her go and she bent over slightly and clenched her neck and screwed up her face.

"Claudia I am so sorry, I didn't want to hurt you," I said, I was absolutely mortified with the fact that I was so busy showing off that I never thought I might actually hurt her.

"Are you ok?" I asked, feeling like a complete culo. (ass.)

Seconds after I let my guard down Claudia grabbed my sword handle kicked me in the shin so that I was down in pain, I tried to grab her skirt to stop her but she span around and yanked my sword right out of my hand and within seconds she was stood over me with the sword blade against the side of my neck, I was so confused as to what had happened, but I was very, VERY impressed.

I was on the floor for quite a while with a shocked face.

"What?" she asked realising that I was staring.

"I didn't say anything," I grinned while getting up and then attempted to get my sword from her, she resisted but not for long.
"That was not fair you cheated!" I said. She pulled an annoyed face.

"Try starting that argument with a templar Niccolo, I'm sure that you will make a difference in your conflict," she said sarcastically.
"Among other things," she muttered, I smirked at her.

"Your strengths and weaknesses," I said trying to get back on track.

"What about them? She asked.

I went over to my desk to take a sip of water that I poured a while ago.

"I have determined them," I chuckled while walking back toward her; she had one hand on her hip.

"You can't have determined all of them in such a short training period," she said cynically.

"No," I agreed.
"Just the outstanding ones," I continued.

"Ah, bene, (good)" she said, seeming to focus her thoughts on the fact that she has outstanding weaknesses rather than weaknesses AND strengths.

"How about we start with your strengths," I said with a chuckle.

Claudia smiled at me and nodded in agreement she suddenly became shy around me.

"You already know the basic defences and showed me that you are far above the expectations that I put upon you," I smiled, this is probably the first time I haven't been stressed I weeks. "You have amazing confidence with your moves and it seems to be doing well for you."

Claudia showed a shy smile which showed her dimples that I just wanted to kiss and caress.

"Now your weaknesses," I said attempting to annoy her, she just turned her head and continued to smile suggestively.
"You need more strategy, you only got me because my guard was down which won't happen in open conflict," I explained.

"How's this for strength stronzo! (asshole!)" with those words being said she stuck me on the shoulder, I didn't feel hurt at all but I was smiling while waiting for her reaction to the fact that I was wearing shoulder pads, her mouth opened and she turned away clenching her hand; I let out a laugh and she laughed the pain away. I walked toward her and put my hands on her shoulders, she jumped and turned around to face me as I was still walked toward her.

We were against each other, I was looking in her eyes and she was looking in mine.

Claudia P.O.V

I couldn't stop staring into his eyes, I was lost but I was breathing really heavily because of the lust building up inside of me... again.

"Stop it," Niccolo said, taking a step back; I felt a bit of regret.

"Stop what?" I asked.

"Acting like I am going to force you," he said. Not getting any closer he put his hand on my cheek.
"I'll kiss you when you are ready," he said smiling.

"You are making this difficult Niccolo," I said putting my hand on top of his.

"Making what difficult?" he asked.

"Niccolo, I want to kiss you, so much and every time an opportunity like this comes and goes my heart sinks," I explained.

"You want to kiss me?" he smiled holding my hands.

"I- … umm," I hesitated but nodded while looking down, he then lifted my chin to face him.

"Tell me what you want and I will gladly give it," he said quietly and pressing his forehead against mine, my heart was beating so fast but I wasn't scared.

"Kiss me," I said pleadingly and looking him in the eye and our foreheads still together. He showed a small grin before leaning closer slowly.

I tilted my head with him, I could feel his arms wrapping themselves around my waist, we were breathing each other's air but we didn't care. We both hesitated for a while but we kept going; we were both caught up in something that we both wanted. He brushed his lips on mine and then pulled me closer so that I closed the remaining distance and kissed me, we both closed our eyes the second our lips were sealed. It started as just a peck but Niccolo was not going to let it end like that so he quickly took control and landed soft and careful pecks on my lips one after another, he then stopped and opened his eyes, no chance! He was not getting away that easily.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and stole another he then took control again and lent me back slightly. I placed one of my hands on the back of his head and the other on his neck; we were now open mouth kissing and the sparks were flying around my head; he was getting into it just as much as I was, he was now rubbing my back with his hands instead of resting them on my hips I was rubbing my fingers along the back of his head.

We stole a couple more hot passionate and longing kisses from each other before he pulled me up and parted from me, he has one hand on my hip and the other on my back of my head, and I had both of mine on his chest.

He lent in and placed his forehead on mine not moving the position of his hands.

"That should have been our first kiss," he said quietly against my lips.

I smiled, my lips were tingling. I felt relief from the lust and yet I craved more, but right now, in this moment I was satisfied, I was living in the moment and this is one moment that I could live in forever.