A/N- And, here's what all you've been waiting for, I'm sure. Considering I had at least a million angry comments saying "COME ON, just get to it already!!" I must say, though, I sort of expected that. And also, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy just a little... =)
Anyway, here you all go.
The morning sky was pretty dull this early on. The fireworks had already died down, but the sun had barely begun to brighten the horizon. Gray, transparent fog hung over the water, clinging to its whispering surface and dulling the bright colors of Venice. There were not many people in this part of the city, just the occasional guard who walked past, shivering from the cold. A group of them came through just recently, looking for the assassin that murdered the Doge of Venice in what I heard them describe as a "unique" method.
"Signora, are you in or out?" the man asked, leaning onto the railing beside me as he nodded down to the canal, at his gondola. I nodded, but did not move towards the boat. "It's leaving in ten minutes, you know."
I bobbed my head again. He sighed, but didn't push it. The man, despite his generally rough appearance and patronizing voice was fairly pleasant, and did not poke fun at me for wearing men's clothing or for wanting to travel alone. After a long moment, when the silence became uncomfortable, I asked, "Why aren't you at the celebrations, anyway?"
He snorted, "What haven't I seen there? Those puffed up peacocks? Besides, someone has to cart you ladies out of Venice."
"I'm not the first?"
"Not even close. Who is he, anyway?"
"Who is who?"
"The man that's got you running like this?"
I blinked at him, and he laughed with his nearly toothless mouth.
"Look, amore, I've been ferrying this thing for my entire life. I've seen 'em all. Runaway brides, escaping or scared girls running from their parents' houses, desperate couples...once, even a female mercenary running from the guards. Hid in the crates, the girl did…I don't ask questions if they're not wanted, see. So what are you, then? A thief? Nah," he snorted, giving me a speedy, calculating once-over. Normally, I would've snarled a rude retort and threatened to castrate him all at once. But he looked me over with genuine curiosity rather than lechery or threat. "Too many weapons on you for that," he continued, arching a brow and scratching his head, "Or perhaps…another mercenary? Running from a man, of course?"
I smiled with the corner of my mouth, realizing the poor idiocy of my situation, if not for the first time. "Yeah, something like that." He didn't reply, save a snort that I assumed translated to something along the lines of "I told you so."
I wasn't sure at what point I decided to grab my bag and leave - it was a purely spontaneous thought that appeared when I was passing by the docks and saw the man preparing his gondola. And after that...I barely forced myself to step up to where it bobbed at the dock. Yet after that, I couldn't even get on it.
He winked at my silence, watering blue eyes glittering with understanding. "Want some advice?"
"Why is everyone so eager to give me advice today?" I muttered, rolling my eyes.
He completely ignored me, continuing on, "Don't rush to leave. Not just yet, at least. Get yourself a drink somewhere, let it wash over you, and think it over. Or better yet, don't."
"That's what I've been doing for my entire life."
"And you're alive, aren't you?"
"I'd be really worried if I wasn't," I joked without humor, looking down into the waters and sighing. I brought my hand up, beginning to fiddle with the dog tags that I still wore around my neck. Within a few moments, I brought it out in front of my face.
Alex Grant
For the first time, reading the name did not make my heart clench. There was no fight to blink back any tears, no feeling of drowning as the air left my lungs, no clammy hands or pounding headache of remorse. Instead, I just felt a slight pang of sadness.
Why did I wear the reminder of him with me? A reminder of what? I barely even remembered it anymore…
~"Evening," the man nodded curtly. I leaned onto the door frame, one hand automatically falling onto the nearest weapon.
"Do I know you?" I asked without any sort of hint to a greeting - Larry's paranoia was easily contagious.
"Not personally. Alex talked about you, though." I didn't like his tone at all.
"Where is he? Is everything alright?"
"I'm afraid that…well...something's happened." He held them out for me, and two pieces of metal and a chain dropped into my hands. They had a streak of blood on them that I later washed off.
I barely even heard what he said after that. It felt as if though someone threw a bag of bricks at me, and then shards of glass suddenly pierced my already scarred heart. I slowly slid down the frame, my legs unable to support me, and a gasping sob escaped my lips.
I was scared. I was in pain. And I felt utterly alone. Like I have three other occasions in my life…
Enough to fuck anyone over.
The first person who asked me about Alex, I punched in the face, breaking his nose in a fit of what I later realized was madness. I killed my marks with more violence, blood lust singing in my ears and veins. I didn't talk to anyone for nearly two weeks, locking myself in my apartment for days on end, once, up until I ran out of food. My place looked like a tornado crashed through it, with flipped furniture, ripped pillows, broken plates, and cut up clothes. I was unstable, easily set off, trying my hardest to try and at least move a little bit of my pain to the things I destroyed.
Furniture. Clothes. People. Nothing was spared.
When I finally calmed down, weeks later, the tears began. For days, sometimes heavy and howling, other times terrified and trembling.
And then, I decided - no more. I couldn't handle it another time.~
"So, your ten minutes are up, amore. Are you in, or are you out?"
I wrapped the chain around my fingers, ripped it off, and flung it into the water. Alex was a good man, and I loved him. But we were never complete, not with the lies we told each other.
Ezio was different. Womanizer, playboy, flirt, charmer...yes. But also my best friend.
The only man that had not left me so far, not in the year since some strange providence had seen fit to hurl us towards each other. Yet, he never asked for anything in return, never demanded any sort of prize or sacrifice, never insisted I change a damn thing about myself. Ezio was the one to finally make the old nightmares go away. And he was the one I could not stand to leave now.
Sure, the man had an uncanny, natural talent for the blade. Not to mention, the strangely familiar strength and grace that allowed him to run, jump, and duck and dodge along the rooftops made him one of the best practitioners of our deadly little trade that I'd ever worked with. He could easily fend for himself against the odds. But what the hell was I thinking, leaving him alone? After all, I promised Maria and Claudia I'd look after him. And now, I was running, again, like a scared little girl from a cheap romance novel, too afraid to get hurt.
Ugh, what an ugly cliché.
I couldn't physically make myself get onto the stupid ferry and walk away from harm. I trusted him enough to give him a chance. At least...one.
"Out."
Ezio searched for Eden almost frantically, trying desperately to tune in to her, and yet somehow, failing. There was no sign of her on the bright and colorful streets of Venice. No golden string to pick up, no sense of the familiar, unique beat of her heart thrumming in his ears to guide him towards her. He all but ignored the guards, easily slipping past them on the streets. Sometimes, he even sniffed the air, as if hoping to catch her familiar scent. What terrified him the most, though, is how hollow it all seemed without even a hint at her presence.
He finally paused in the shadow of an alley, and not far from the Seta. Taking a deep breath and rubbing the bridge of his nose, he closed his eyes in frustration. The sun was beginning to rise, he noted – he'd been searching for nearly an hour now. Intuition failed him, due to the inability to focus properly. Mind spinning with all sorts of thoughts, it blocked his instinct, forcing him to think logically.
Which came back to the fact that Ezio had no idea whether or not she was actually mad or heartbroken. Mostly because he was out the door of the brothel and fled before the courtesan could properly explain what was going on. All he knew what that she was running. And if she was running, she'd be at...
Eden was far from an average woman, who would either begin to yell and throw slaps around, or simply go cry in a corner. Crying wasn't exactly Eden's usual move. Her thing would be to go into a pub somewhere, get roaringly drunk, and then pick a fight. Perhaps go and kill a few guards along the way. Hell hath no fury like that particular woman scorned, after all...
A tavern. Merda! There had to be at least a dozen in this district alone, though. But she'd be here, closer to home more likely than anywhere else. She certainly wouldn't go to a more reputable place, if only to avoid mingling with snotty nobles and people dumb enough to attempt to turn her in for the promise of a few florins.
Ezio finally looked around, trying to orientate as a he took a few deep breaths and cleared his head.
And then, out of nowhere, she tugged again, drawing his head in the direction that he remembered the "Dirty Knife" to be. He sighed with relief – he'd found her again.
The tavern was unusually lively, most likely due to the carnival celebrations. A lot of the thieves had come into big money over the last few weeks of robbing the nobles blind. So had the mercenaries, hired on for additional protection for nobles. Though strangely enough, they seemed to look the other way when it came to the thieves. Thankfully, the nobles were either too stupid, or too full of it to lower themselves to notice that the factions were all relatively in league with other. In essence, the thieves, mercenaries and courtesans refused to actively harm one group over another when it came to them versus the nobles.
What better way to wash away the newly gained riches than with liquor? Which meant that the whores were in business as well, to either bring comfort to the robbed, or celebrate with the thieves and mercenaries. Funnily, in the end, all that money came back to the merchants and nobles with deals, bribes and shopping. A simple, yet effective chain that kept the inner economy of Venice going strong.
But Ezio hardly cared for the money making processes, as his attention was drawn to the center of the large room, where a round table was surrounded by men with cards in their hands. They were laughing loudly, some hissing threats or simply cursing over lost money.
"What is going on?" the assassin asked the barkeep, who was looking at the table somewhat sourly.
"That girl barged in, and offered a game," the man shrugged. "When they protested, she put the money out. That shut 'em up..."
"Figures." Ezio made his way to them, where Eden was sitting with her legs thrown up onto the table, not minding the greedy eyes on her pockets one bit. She was no longer wearing a dress, but her regular clothes, consisting of a tunic, pants and boots. And of course, her swordbelt, though it had no sword. Those had to be turned into the barkeep, if only to avoid getting the sawdust covered floor of the tavern all bloodied up from the fights that inevitably broke out. Daggers were allowed though. Smaller, they could still kill, but again, they left less of a bloody mess.
It irritated Ezio slightly to catch a few unwelcoming glares as he approached, and even more so at the men that openly stared at the woman's legs. Once again, she didn't seem to care as she slapped another card down onto the table.
Two men groaned, slamming down their cards. While one of them pushed money towards her, the other stabbed his dagger into the table, the clang of it reverberating between them as he stared at her in challenge. While Ezio struggled to hold back a growl, seriously contemplating permanently rearranging the smirking man's haggard face, Eden just laughed. Easily yanking the knife out of the wood, she arched a brow of amusement before sliding it into one of her many sheaths.
That's when she noticed Ezio. To his surprise, she did not begin to shoot bolts of lightning from her eyes. Or cry. Or yell. Or even take off again at the sight of him. Instead, she smiled broadly, raising her tankard full of ale in salute.
"Ezio! What a pleasant surprise! I was…going to go look for you…later. Not now, though..."
"What are you doing?" he asked, for the lack of anything better. She stared down at the cards in her hands for a moment, as though seeing them for the first time.
"I'm actually not sure," she slurred with a haphazard shrug. "I think we're playing cards, though I still don't know the rules. They don't know that though," she hissed in loud whisper, and everyone at the table stared at her grimly.
He raised both of his eyebrows. A part of him wanted to laugh at her drunken confusion, but he reminded himself why he was here in the first place. "Looks like they know now. Can we talk?" As he practically heard ears perking up at that, he hurried to add, "Alone?"
"Um…no. I'm playing." She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but he couldn't miss the flash of panic in her dark eyes. Glancing at her tankard thoughtfully, as if it had the answer to his question, she shrugged again.
"Go away, bastardo!" someone from across the table hiccupped at him. He ignored it.
"Eden, we really should talk," he tried again, slightly more forceful.
She narrowed her eyes as if in thought, and puckered her lips in a pout. Then, she shook her head stubbornly, like a little child defying their parent. He sighed, and the next moment, he easily picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder. As the crowd hooted and hollered, catcalling them both, she spent the total of roughly one second staring at his backside in shock, only to begin struggling. .
"Let me go, you insane rapist!!" Not bothering to respond, he held her legs down so they wouldn't hit him in the face as he looked at the barkeep.
"Room?"
"She got one. Third door on the right, up the stairs," the bartender shrugged, not caring too much at the fact that he was physically dragging the woman away. There was also a collective groan at the table, though it probably had more to do with the fact that the woman wouldn't buy any more drinks for them.
"Traitor!" she hissed at barkeep, who only shrugged and wiped down the counter as Ezio carried her off.
She continued to wriggle the entire time up the stairs, smacking him in the back for good measure before she begin laughing, the sound high and childish as it escaped her mouth. Pushing the door of the room open, he set her down before quickly locking to door behind them. The room was fairly small, with the large bed taking up most of the space. Aside from that, there was only a small table and chair, set beneath the window, to the left of the bed. Her bag was already shoved carelessly under it, her dress hanging off one of the four posters of the bed.
"Well, that was fun! Let's do it again!" she clapped her hands, grin widening and cheeks flushed.
"Exactly how drunk are you?" he cautiously asked.
"I'm not sure. I-" She hiccupped before she could finish her thought, only to frown, "Not drunk…enough..." she perched on the bed, crossing her legs, and smiling at him.
"Wait. I thought you were leaving..."
She looked confused, furrowing her brow in bewilderment. "Leaving? W-what are you…talking about? Who told you that? Liar-!"
"The courtesan at Teodora's."
Eden thought for a long moment, and then realization dawned on her face. "Diana misunderstood!" she frantically shook her head in disagreement, "Honest mistake, you know? When I left…when I left, I told her I was going to go and drown myself. I…I don't think she understood the…humor."
"Really?" he sat down beside her, staring at her hopefully. She smiled, but then frowned, leaning onto his shoulder and closing her eyes.
"Well...Ezio, do you want the truth?"
"Why do I get the feeling I don't?" he slowly said, even as he threw an arm around her shoulder.
"Because you probably don't," she shrugged him off, withdrawing for a moment and squinting at him. He was disappointed as she did so, though that was soon amended as she leaned against him again. "But tough, I'm telling you."
Without warning, Eden's voice dropped, her slurring significantly less, though she still remained flush against him. And her hands were twisting along his robes at his waist, almost in strange sort of nervous habit. "She told me you'd most likely just leave in the morning after…and I actually did try to get out of Venice, but not because you'd leave, but because of my own issues, and-" She was babbling slightly, but he understood the words with a rising feeling of dread. "But…then I couldn't, and so I'm here, and you sort of tore me away from my meditations."
"I'm confused," Ezio stated simply, unsure how else to respond, or what she even meant. "Are you leaving, or are you staying. Or…what the hell are you doing? And a better question, why?!"
There was a silence. And then she suddenly began to laugh. At first, just stifling giggles. And then it speedily rose into hysterically shaking all over as she vainly tried to contain her laughter.
"I really don't see what's so funny." Ezio sniffed, actually a little offended by her reaction.
"I'm so sorry - it's just that - are you really that blind?" she asked finally, all hints of humor now gone. She groaned and slammed back into the bed. "It would have all been so much easier if you just knew."
"But I don't know, so could you please enlighten me?" he crossed his arms, not impressed with her attitude.
"You do realize I've been in love with you for the last three months? Actually, even longer than that?"
Moments passed, and his jaw did not return back up to the rest of his skull. He only continued to stare at me, as if wishing to understand exactly what I'd just said. I began move uncomfortably under his gaze, sobering further with the realization of exactly what I just confessed to him. I felt...slightly horrified, actually, but somehow a lot lighter with finally telling him the truth. Now, all I needed was for his pupils to start responding again...
"Please say something," I almost pleaded as I sat back up.
"I - don't understand..."
That...was not what I was expecting. If anything, I expected him to either faint, or get up and make an Ezio-shaped whole in the wall beside the door. Yes, I do realize I am not funny. And yes, I don't give a crap. Especially when I'm drunk.
"What don't you understand?"
"Why..."
"What do you mean, why?"
"Why were you leaving at the first sign that I was interested?" he blinked at me, and I swallowed hard. I folded my hands on my lap, and stared at the floor.
"Ezio, I'm going to tell you a secret that if you ever tell anyone else, I will not hesitate to smother you with a pillow."
"Va bene."
"I'm scared. There, I said it. Absolutely terrified. Laugh if you want," I whispered. Another moment passed. Finally...
"Scared of what?"
"Here's a little something you most likely didn't know about me. I'm completely insane."
"No, I knew that," he reminded me with a shrug, and I rolled my eyes.
"It's just that...I don't deal well with loss," I sighed, looking away from him. "Usually, I go berserk. I kill and hurt people, sometimes, even innocents, by accident. And it's just that...I'm a little afraid that one of these times will be one too many, and I'll lose my mind."
He was listening to me intently, his eyes almost painfully understanding. "Why are you so assured that I'd leave you?"
"Because they all do?"
I stood up swiftly, my mood changing with the speed of lightning. I really didn't want to get mad at him now, but I couldn't help it. "Everyone! Mom and dad, Eve, Alex. Everyone I ever actually loved has just left, one way or another. Ezio, I…I…I'm tired." I spun back around to him, pausing in my pacing. "It's exhausting, you know, feeling like I'm losing my mind? And then you go and make me fall in love with you...Do you have any idea how jealous I got whenever I saw you flutter off with some new girl? You've been driving me more and more insane!"
"Oh, you think you haven't been doing the same?!" To my surprise, he snapped at me, and stood up. "Do you seriously think you were the only one that was affected here?"
"I never said that," I crossed my arms.
"Your strange behavior, your smell, your voice, the general lack of personal space-"
"I blame that on you," I pointed out, biting back a snarl. But he ignored me.
"And then the fact that you've completely rejected any sort of attempt I made to carry things on," he declared, rolling his eyes, "It drives me absolutely mad, the way you let me come so close, just to pull away at the last second! You're a bloody enigma, you know that?! Like one of those damned codex pages that needs to be deciphered by some genius-"
"And there I thought men liked a challenge-"
"-never, once, did I push you into anything you didn't want to happen!" he barreled on. "You do realize that I rejected the company of courtesans just so I can talk to you about what the hell is going on?!"
...He did? "And, now, why would you do something for mad old me? Maybe you should just go right out of the door, and get back to them!"
"Maybe I should!"
"Then get out!" I nearly screeched, wrenching the door open and waiting for him to make his dramatic, grand exit. He glared, and marched out. The moment he did, I slammed it behind him.
... and then I bit my lip against the treacherous tears that hurt my eyes, refusing to allow them to spill. How everything went down so fast, I really had no idea. I wanted to blame the slight degree of alcohol, but I'd already sobered up at one point or another during…that.
There was a knock on the door.
I opened it.
"Va bene!" he snapped with a furious wave of his hands, "I forgot...Ah, to hell with it-"
Then his lips were on mine again.
And then, everything just...sort of happened.
It was like a dam broke between us, actually. Locked together tightly, we nearly tore each other's armor and clothes off. Our hands seemed to be everywhere at once, though it would have been so much faster and easier to do that our own. But that would mean separating even for a moment, something I refused to contemplate, even under the threat of suffocating. The need for him overrode the need for air, as each kiss felt nearly desperate. I felt like I was losing my mind, my shaking hands moving through the unfamiliar buckles and fabric.
To hell with it...Well said...
He said something at one point or another, and for some reason I heard it in Italian. But I was pretty sure I knew what he meant. It made me pull away from him, stare into the impossibly familiar eyes, and then grin. And then he smiled back, almost childishly happy with my response.
I could be dramatic and say that my world was suddenly illuminated by the shiny sun at that moment. Or that I felt like I've found something I was searching for all my life. Or that everything just suddenly seemed okay. Actually, better than okay; everything was absolutely wonderful, and all of my existence was singing and soaring. I could also say that there really is a God above if he let me have this. And how it felt like right now, nothing could possibly go wrong.
"Ti amo..."
Hell. I'll be dramatic and say it anyway.
I quietly got up from the bed, careful not to wake Ezio up as I slipped out of his arms. Picking up his white tunic from the floor and pulling it over my head, I then opened the window. Letting the cool air in, I suddenly froze there, thinking.
The only thought that came to mind at that moment was What have I done?
I licked my lips, running a hand through my tussled hair. Then looked out the window. Then back to the sleeping man. And my eyes stayed there, tracing over his face.
He was smiling softly through his sleep, his hair spilled all over the pillow, messy and undone. I couldn't hold back a smile as I sat back down onto the bed and reached over to him, brushing some strands out of his face carefully. He hummed, leaning his cheek into the warmth, and I felt a pleasant emotion swell up in me.
Well, at least it was a joint effort.
I didn't know what to do, or what he would do in the morning. There was a snide little voice in me that told me that he'd just leave, and that I should get out before he had the chance to get the drop on me. But it was a very small voice. Nor did I want to leave. Maybe he didn't either...after all, he told me he loved me. Thinking back, he meant the words, and the kiss, as I tasted absolutely no wine or lies on him.
And he was my best friend. And he patiently chased me all over Venice; I doubt he would do that for just another "conquest". And as for my issues with loss...the chance of him dying was a very, very small one, even with being an assassin and putting his life in danger every day.
So maybe this wasn't really a difficult choice, then...
I laid back down beside him, cuddling back into the perfect position I was in before I left the bed.
Leonardo trudged into the workshop, Adel following him inside. Moving a lot more slowly than her usual bouncing-off-the-walls step, she yawned nearly every ten seconds. Since Eden still did not manage to take her off his hands, the artist took her back to his house until she did. It was already morning, and the city has died down quite a bit, with the murder of the Doge and all. Of course, no one dared to interrupt the celebrations, as it even went against the late Marco's own last words. So for now, everyone was simply taking a break until things started back up again in the afternoon.
"Do you want something to eat?" he asked tiredly, really not feeling like doing anything other than sleeping. But he was still hungry.
She seemed to think about it, and nodded. He sighed, starting to search through his cupboards for something edible. Pushing away the questionable bread and cheese and the bottles of paint that he accidentally put in there, he sniffed the milk, only to grimace and toss it out before finally settling on the fruits he bought only a night ago. When he came back to the table, Adel was curiously looking up at the flying machine that he spent the time and money on getting out of the canal where it dropped beside the Ducale. Nearly got caught, too, but thankfully Eden and her friend Luca helped divert the guards' attention.
"What is that?" she asked, voice lilting with curiosity and her slight French accent.
"It's a flying machine," Leonardo grinned. He was immensely thrilled of the fact that it'd actually worked. Once the heat over the previous Doge's death died down, he looked forward to allowing Ezio to test it out some more so he could tweak some of the engineering.
"Does it work?"
"You should ask Ezio that. He was the one to test it," he smiled discretely. Her eyes widened with childish admiration.
"What else do you make?"
"Lot's of things. Art, statues, inventions..." he said, modestly blushing.
"Can I see?"
"S-sure, just promise me you won't touch anything?"
She nodded enthusiastically. So he showed her, keeping away from the sometimes fragile sketches and notes, and sticking to the actual projects. Unlike Eden, who was fascinated with his inventions, machines and notes above all else, Adel loved the paintings. She didn't touch them, keeping her hands behind her back, though coming in so close her nose almost touched the canvas. He didn't lecture her on anything, only answering questions when she had them.
Surprisingly enough, when occupied, she was an intelligent and educated girl, most likely brought up by nobles. Which made Leonardo wonder once again - where were her parents? And why was Eden taking care of her? It was, of course, none of his business. But still…with the work that the pair did, it was most likely hard to raise a child at the same time. Unless they were training the girl...
After an hour of looking through his started and sometimes even finished projects, she began to doze off, sleep finally taking over the bouncy girl. Adel slept right there, at the table, her head resting on her arms peacefully. Leonardo yawned, rubbing his eyes. Glancing around the studio, he draped a big piece of cloth over the paintings once again, for protection from dust and wandering eyes. Gently picking her up, he walked over the one spare bedroom that was above the workshop, laying her down on the large bed and covering her with a few blankets.
He decided that when asleep, she was a lot more manageable than when fully awake and running all over the place. He could probably even paint her, which would be just as well; the girl had an angel's face, round and innocent and prone to blushing when she was happy or excited. Her hair looked as if though it was spun from pure gold, curling in delicate tangles. For some reason, it was cut short, though, as if it was ruined past the length. And there were what looked like burn scars on her skin. He suddenly remembered that there was a fire in the district only about a month previous.
He looked the girl over again, and shook his head to himself, going to his own room. Adel was an innocent child - he doubted that either Eden or Ezio would actually make her into an assassin.
Speaking of Eden and Ezio... where are they? he wondered sleepily.
Ezio woke up slowly, as though after a very good dream. Unwilling to open his eyes, even though the light was shining brightly at his face, he vainly tried to go back to sleep, if only to recapture his blissful reverie. Muttering some nonsense, he reached over the bed...
...only to find nothing but empty air and cooling sheets. The effect was that of freezing water dumped on his head, making him sit up sharply.
Was it just a dream, then? He looked around the room, and breathed with relief once he realized that Eden was standing in the window frame. Wearing his own white tunic, her face was lifted to the sun, a soft smile on her face.
He stood up quietly, bringing the sheets with him as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her frame. "Ciao."
"Amazing," she laughed softly, "The only thing you can come up with after a night like that is 'Hey?' Really, Ezio, I thought you'd begin a love ballad or something. I'm almost disappointed."
"Basta! You make absolutely no sense," he playfully nipped at her ear, not offended by the remark.
"I know," she squeezed his hand where it rested at her waist. "Fine then, I'll settle for 'Good morning,'" she replied, turning her face slightly to him to give him a smile, "It's a beautiful day."
"Not as beautiful as you."
She laughed, and elbowed him lightly in the ribs. "Flattery will get you nowhere. At least, nowhere new." She suddenly sighed, casting her eyes down, "Ezio?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm almost afraid to ask this, but...what happens now?"
"Now? Are you still afraid I'm going to run off?" he asked. In the back of his mind, he realized that he should probably get angry at it, but he could see where she was coming from. He didn't exactly have the best record with these sorts of things, and her own history wasn't very supportive, either. "Mia cara, I think we've come a little too far together for me to up and leave." He kissed her hair gently, and she turned in his arms to face him, her grin in serious competition with the sun as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"So, no more fighting?" She pulled his head down so that she could lean her forehead on his.
"If it yields results like this, then I think we should fight more often, actually," he smirked, "And besides, you started it."
"Dummy," Eden laughed, and kissed him. Feeling the warmth grow in his chest, he pulled her closer, returning her efforts with practiced ease.
"Am I forgiven, then?" he asked when she finally took a step away from him.
"I'm thinking about it," she narrowed her eyes playfully as she began to search for her bag under the bed. "I think a little begging and chocolate will help my thought process, though. Just a hint."
"Chocolate?" he arched a brow.
"Sorry, wrong era," she shrugged with a grin, "Though it should start popping up soon, I guess. It's dark, like coffee. And it's usually sweet, like honey, but different….anyway, you owe me lots of it!"
"You are cruel," he muttered as she pulled on some pants, much to his disappointment. She laughed in reply.
"Well, what did you expect? That I'd forgive you that easily after that performance?" she teased him. He gave a lowgrowl, nearly pouncing on her, and tackling her onto the bed. She continued to laugh, struggling to get out of his grip.
"Take it back!" he whined, to which she rewarded him with more laughter.
"Never!"
With a twist of her hips, she hooked her legs around his. Using his superior weight against him, she shimmied out beneath him, once again rolling them over so she was now sitting on top. In the struggle for control, the collar of his tunic, which was too large for her, fell off her shoulder. He then suddenly realized two things that he didn't before, as he was a bit...preoccupied. The chain she wore around her neck at all times for as long as he knew her was no longer there. And a red mark of his teeth could be seen on the skin of her neck, followed by another one along her collarbone.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, suddenly serious as he reached up and gently traced the mark. She looked confused for a moment.
"Oh! That?" she reached up, brushing his hand aside before she shrugged, "Don't worry about it. You're little better…if not worse," she smirked, fingers moving along his neck as well.
He realized what she was talking about after a moment; there were slightly tender spots on his neck, shoulders and his own collarbone and back. They were not exactly gentle the first time around, their movements frenzied and urgent. She turned out to be a somewhat violent lover when frustrated, which did not surprise him that much.
He'd be lying if he said he did not enjoy it.
"Stop looking at me like that," she continued to smile, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Like what?"
"Like you want to eat me or something. If you're hungry, then let's find some food or go out. Which is just as well, considering the food here very, very questionable."
"Hm?"
"Just check for poison any time you order here. You know, just in case," she chuckled, and got off him, continuing to shuffle through her bag in search of her own clothes. Finally, she tugged his shirt off, throwing it back to him, and pulled on one of her own tunics, fastening her belt around her waist. He remembered something suddenly.
"By the way, do you want to stop at a doctor?"
"Why?" she asked in confusion, running a hand through her hair.
He coughed, glancing around for a bit before his gaze finally met hers. "Well, just in case there are complications we'll regret nine months later."
"Oh! No, that's alright," she shook her head, an adorable blush spreading on her cheeks. But she looked sad all of a sudden. "Besides, isn't…uh…doing that," she wiped at her stomach to get her point across, "A sin or something? Can girls even do that now?"
"I'm just saying," he steadily breathed, "You hardly need that sort of…thing right now."
"Ezio," she sighed, coming back to him, "I can't. If I do, I'll be wondering for the rest of my life if I killed the only chance I could get. I'm sorry, but I just can't. Besides, it's very unlikely, so don't worry your pretty little head over it."
"It's not me I'm worried about," he stood up, and pulled her into a hug. "I understand, though."
"You'd better. And anyway, think of my...situation as an easy contraception method."
"Are we going to need it?"
Eden smirked, "Oh, I think we still haven't made up for all the lost time we were messing with each others' heads. And for your information, if you ask me to make you a sandwich, or tell me to get back in the kitchen, I will kick your ass."
"What? Che cosa?"
"Modern humor. Basically, treat me like a weak female, and I will show you a very pissed off one."
"I wouldn't do that," he reminded her, and she smiled.
"Just a warning."
"...wait, so no sandwiches?" he pouted.
She just cracked her knuckles demonstratively.
I crossed my arms, leaning back onto the chimney as I observed the street down below. It was almost fascinating to watch the life boiling in the city, trying to guess what people were talking about, or where they were going. Even the gray clouds didn't stop the people from cheerfully greeting the day. No one was panicking over the Doge's death, and I could have sworn that a few of them even praised the assassin that freed them of the unfair tyrant. Now his brother, Agostino, was likely to be elected.
Thankfully, we'd gotten it right this time, as Agostino was rumored to be a much more pleasant man that Marco. And he'd refused to be bought out by the Templars. Sadly, the taxes did not drop yet, as the late Doge managed to almost completely deplete the city's resources with the celebrations and fireworks from China, not to mention the many guards that he'd paid to keep him safe. Nonetheless, the law was a bit more forgiving now, giving the merchants some breathing room once again.
I was absently eating an apple, waiting for Ezio to show up. He left early, much to my disappointment, and told me he'd find me later on in the day. I was actually happy with the new arrangements we made. The tension was finally gone, much to both of our relief. The days we now spent together were easy, cheerful despite the occasional raining and the beginning of floods, where sometimes the water rose up a few inches above the ground. The main squares flooded once it a while, I quickly found that Venice had yet to get its drainage system under control. Ezio told me it could get even worse, so we spent most of our times on the roofs.
The good part about this season, though, was that Templars were unlikely to make a move, since it was nearly impossible for soldiers to travel the streets. I suspected that after the subtle methods failed, they would most likely go on the offensive. But it also meant we had up to maybe a month or so of freedom, something I was really looking forward to.
"Hey," I smiled at the voice as Ezio sat down beside me. He kissed my cheek, and laid something on my lap. I looked down, noting with surprise a bouquet of yellow and white daffodils.
"You remembered...?" I looked up at him, unable to hold my grin. He laughed.
"Of course! I'm sorry there aren't any sunflowers in Italy," he apologized, and I shook my head.
"You do know what they mean, right?"
"Hm. Yes. The nice lady told me that they mean adoration and 'the sun shines when I'm with you.' Which, I have to say, is exactly right for you." He freed one of the flowers from the ribbon, and tucked it behind my ear. I was getting used to the now more frequent displays of affection. I mean, we weren't exactly five feet away before, but it was different in a lot of ways now.
I chuckled, and then hugged him tightly. "Thank you." After a moment, I added slyly, "But if you think that this will get you out of practice today, you're sadly mistaken."
He groaned dramatically, smacking himself on the forehead. "Che cazzo! You've seen through my ruse! Fine, you difficult woman, let's get back to practice." I just laughed, gesturing for him to start.
Life was... amazingly good.