Hello Everyone!
Sorry it's been so long for this chapter but my work at collage got intense and unfortunatly thats more important, nearing exam time '-_- sooo yeah... anyway...
Hope you all enjoy this chapter. i know its not much but i did hit a little block when writing it and im still figuring out how to continue it fluently, but it will come soon as my holidays just started ^_^ YAY.
I also wanted to thank All the lovely Reviews i have had! THANK YOU! You guys are what keeps me writing even when i can't ^_^ Love for you ALL!
Anyway dont want to keep droning on....
Enjoy!

Light drifted in through the window, casting warm, golden shadows across the room. Ezio stirred, the light disturbing his sleep. As he slowly began to open his eyes, scenes of last night's activities began to flood back into his mind. The feeling of skin against skin, soft lips against his own scarred ones, and a pair of the most beautiful, topaz eyes he had ever seen. He sighed and turned over in the dishevelled bed, hoping to see those eyes again, when he discovered he was alone. The Assassin sat up and looked around the room, his clothes where still discarded across the floor, but the red dress he had removed last night, in the rush of passion, was gone. He went to rub his eyes when his hands came into contact with the mask he had been wearing, had he slept the whole night with it on?

Removing the mask and placing it down, Ezio got out of bed and retrieved his pants, the sun cascading down his tanned skin, illuminating white lines scattered across his torso, tokens of previous fights and conquests. He then walked from the room and into the vast workspace of his friend Leonardo. Seeing the artist hunched over some sketches, he called out to him with a smile "Buon' giorno Leo, I hope your evening was well, I am sorry I did not meet with you, I was…engaged with another."

"That is quite alright amico mio, but next time you bring a woman home I would appreciate it if you would buy your own wine." The artist replies with mock annoyance.

Ezio laughed at his friends concerns "Mi dispiace, amico I will be more considerate next time and I did not mean to inconvenience you,"

"Well you did," replied Leonardo with a pout, "you have no idea what those supercilious and arrogant patrons are like! I don't understand why they ask me to those silly parties of theirs anyway, all I do is paint for them, and they parade me round like a prized horse"

"But you are the great Leonardo da Vinci! Brightest new mind of all of Italia, I am sure they wanted to flaunt to their 'friends' that they have you painting their larger heads filled with hot air and an ego big enough to match mine," said the Assassin laughing, and then clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"I suppose, and their ego really is no match for yours amico, but you now owe me a new bottle of Grappa." said the artist laughing with his friend.

"I will make it up to you, now do we have anything to eat, I am starving!"

The Assassin and the Artist sat at one of the painters many tables with some bread, cheese and ham, which Leonardo had prepared for them. They talked about their plans for the new day and their previous evenings. Ezio listened to Leonardo rant about a very large blob of a man who had tried to take his hat. His Red Hat! Ezio just chuckled and listened to his friends rambling, the artist was so easily wound up about the simplest things, like where he put his favourite piece of charcoal, even when Ezio said to just use another piece the painter would say no that was his favourite piece and he could not finish the sketch without it, or when he would buy some new art supply, which Ezio new nothing about how it worked, and the artist would place it somewhere, forget, then go out and by another, find the previous one and get really annoyed about his forgetfulness and of Corse when people tried to touch his red hat, no one could touch it. The Assassin sometimes envied his friend; his life was simpler, innocent and things that where of no importance to anyone else was all that really bothered the artist, while Ezio lived in a very different and complicated world, a world full of death and blood.

"So what did you do last night Ezio...Ezio?" the painter clicked his slender fingers in front of his friend's face, snapping him out of his daze.

"Mi dispiace, Leo I was somewhere else, what did you say?"

"I was just wondering what you did last night, who were you with?" said the artist with a warm smile.

"Oh, I spent the evening with the most amazing girl I have ever met, she was perfect, and her eyes fascinated me, so open, yet they hid many things, I was lost in them."

"Sounds wonderful, what was her name?" asked the painter, looking at his friend, he had never seen Ezio talk of a woman this way, he knew the Assassin to be a ladies man but not someone who fell in love easily.

"Bella, but that is all, I never learnt her family name." Ezio's face fell a little, he wanted to see her again, but wasn't sure how to find her. "She does not know my name obviously, but not knowing her connections makes it difficult for me to find her." stated the Assassin.

"Find her? You mean to say she isn't her with you," inquired the artist.

"No I awoke to an empty bed, a first for me I know but for some reason it bothers me more than it should and I don't understand why," replied Ezio, when he thought about Bella his heart began to beat a little faster and he found it difficult to steer his mind away again.

"It sounds to me my friend that you are falling in love with this mysterious Bella." said the artist with a warm smile, watching his friend's reaction.

"Love? But it cannot be I do not really know her" replied the Assassin, thinking his friend to be an optimist.

"Il colpo di fulmine é la cosa che fa guadagnare piu tempo amico. You never know when you fall in love or who with it just happens, there are no reasons for it, you may not know the person but you feel like you do. It is a beautiful thing."

"I do feel like that, when I was with her I felt at peace, ease and the most relaxed I have in a long while, like I could let my guard down around her. At first I thought it was just because she was not a threat to me in anyway but it felt different over time, and I found myself actually interested in what she had to say." Ezio mused, his mind revisiting the feelings of the previous evening as he recounted them to his close friend.

"Sounds wonderful my friend,"

"Have you ever felt like that Leonardo?" asked Ezio turning to look at his friend.

Leonardo's gaze dropped from his friend's face, his eyes softening while he thought over his answer. Leonardo had felt love before, but a long time ago and it had ended in heartbreak, the only other love he felt was lost to him, as that person would never return that love and adoration he felt for them. Their heart was elsewhere, lost in the pool of topaz eyes. Leonardo tried to avoid the fantasies and dreams of Ezio as much as he could, he knew he was only a friend to the Assassin but occasionally his mind would wander to worlds where his love was reciprocated. He told himself that if he could only be a friend it wouldn't matter as long as he was in the other mans life somehow and could see Ezio happy, he would be happy, but the knowledge that he could never be the one to bring a certain look into the Assassin's eye pained him greatly. He sighed and returned his gaze to the frosty grey eyes of his friend, it always amazed Leonardo that the cold colour of Ezio's eyes could look so warm sometimes.
"I have. Once a long time ago and it ended in pain and heartache but I am over it now." He answered trying to cover his grief with a smile. Leonardo knew the Assassin was too sharp to fall for his act but Ezio chose not to pry for details.

He simply said "I am sorry to hear that amico mio, maybe one day things will work out and you will be happy again."

"Thank you." the artist replied, a genuine smile across his lips. "Now onto happier thought, how do you plan to find her?"

Rich red and gold waves covered the sky as the sun drifted down from the sky, ridding the city of Venice of its bright light and warmth. Atop a tall tower, surveying the scene before him, Ezio stood next to the large brass bell. His latest mission from Lorenzo de' Medici, was simple but Ezio had and unsettled feeling, making the hairs on his arm raise and his muscles tense. A local merchant was planning to smuggle poison into the hands of a templar, and this could not be allowed to happen, Ezio was to infiltrate the transaction and steal the poison, and dispose of it before killing the templar waiting to receive it. He knew where the transaction would take place, the San Marco district docks, and when, sunset, which is why he waited. Ezio also knew that the templar would be waiting in the San Marco square to receive the poison, his next stop.

His eyes scanned across the ground below, waiting for any sign of his target. Soon he was in luck, a flash of gold crossed his keen eagle vision and he was ready to strike. He strode out across the narrow beam jutting out from the building and leaped into the open air. He flew down; wind whistling in his ears as he gracefully fell. Ezio aimed with precise skill and landed in a cart of hay. Then he waited for a group of passing guards to walk on before he silently made his way closer to his prey. Keeping to the shadows, the skilled Assassin crept closer like a hungry tiger ready to pounce. The unsuspecting merchant took the poison from a clocked dealer, the handed over the large bag of Venetian silver then turned to head to the square. Ezio shadowed the man until the perfect time to strike. Taking a shortcut through a narrow side street, all other life seemed to vanish. Ezio caught the man's attention by allowing his footsteps to grow loud enough for him to hear.

"Excuse me Signore, but I believe you have lost something," Ezio stated with a too friendly smile, his white hood covering his cold stare as he watched the man in front of him.

"I think you are mistaken friend, but I have somewhere I must go," he replied about to turn.

"So you did not loose this?" said the Assassin politely, holding up the small bottle of poison, he had pick pocketed from the merchant.

"How did you…" he said staring at Ezio in confusion and alarm.

"You should not have something like this upon you person, as if you try to assassinate someone expect them to send someone to assassinate you," Ezio stated, his polite smile vanishing, leaving behind a cold expression and a sneer streaked across his scarred lips. Before the merchant had time to fully understand the situation Ezio had sprang at him with blinding speed, springing the trigger on his hidden blade and plunging the cutting edge into his throat. "Requiescat in Pace" his whispered, removing the red stained blade and retreating up the nearest building before and guard arrived. Once atop and out of sight, Ezio scanned the horizon scattered with tall buildings in search of his next destination, San Marco square. Finally he found the land mark he had been searching for and set off. Running across the rooftops was a thrill not many people experienced but it was something Ezio enjoyed the most. It reminded him of simpler times with his older brother Federico, when they would race across rooftops, for fun, not out of necessity to keep undetected. Ezio pushed the memories from his mind, even though they where happy ones it hurt to know he could never do that again. Focusing on his goal he continued to run.

Well... what did you all think? was it ok? and i know i left it at sort of a clif hangers. Ezio hasn't finished his mission yet =O and what happened to Bella?!!? all will become clear soon... Promise lol.
And i couldn't resist putting a little Leo/Ezio in i know Ezio doesn't love Leonardo back but i think that is how their relationship would be if he wasnt with him... Leonardo loves him but Ezio only sees him as a friend *snifs* hugs for Leonardo *hugs*... anyway........
Hope you all liked it!
Reviews are always lovely as they help me keep this going as i know you all want more ^_^ and again THANK YOU! to everyone who Reviewed so far, you guys are the smartest and prettiest people around =P lol.
Till next time...
Caio

Oh and to clear up what that large bit of italian ment (i dont know italian and found this online so i dont know if its accurate) but here it is...

Il colpo di fulmine e la cosa fa guadagnare piu tempo - love at first sight is something that lets you waste no time.

just so you guyes know ^_^