...Okay, you all probably are very frustrated with me. I understand; I am frustrated with myself! I have been on two vacations in the past two weeks, making it hard to write or even get near a computer but I have finally finished this chapter. Be warned, this one pretttttyyyyyy much doesn't have much of a plot. Just EzioxAria action, lol. I figured that a good sized chapter with lots of Ezio is needed, considering in the next Aria will be in Venice and Ezio won't be there for another year, I think. So next few chapters, won't have Ezio. I know, I know, it makes me sad, too!

Thanks for bearing with me, even though I have horrible problems with updating soon.

This chapter has what I'm going to call a lemon lime. I haven't ever done a lemon before or anything so I hope it's not completely terrible. There will be a warning, so you won't have to read it if you don't want to. I understand if you don't! Again, thanks for all the support! You guys are so awesome! R&R 3

Thanks to everyone that reviewed (alerted and favorited - you guys rock my socks! lmao):

Anna Cahill
Nerdman3000 - *Your comment made me want to go back and rewrite everything and have that happen instead... Maybe one day they can be married ;)*
BeachVampire17
WolfAngel75
Hannah Brandon 1234321 - *lol, that would have been an interesting twist. Aria kills Borgia = THE END. :D*
Bertha Jorkins - *heheh, sorry! I do tend to leave off at the worst possible moment..*
rcmgamer218 - *I did consider this very much during this chapter. Aria will eventually have a child but it won't be with who you think it will ;)*
LOLness123 - *I LOVE THAT SONG! and now... it's stuck in my head...*
historygeek413 (x3) - *I'm glad you liked it enough to leave 3 reviews XD I'm super slow at updating sometimes so i'm sorry! I already have a basic outline of the story written out but I truly do appreciate each and every suggestion made but to include another OC of mine, she has to go to Venice by herself! I really did want her and Ezio to make it, though!*
amica - *bahaha, better than any of my jokes - they all suck. ALWAYS. lol, and AC fanfiction has taught me more Italian then the Italian Coursebook I have in front of me XD*
Commentaholic - *lol, I thought of that after I had posted and was like...maybe no one will notice... Honestly, I guess I don't give Borgia enough credit and I'm going to say that as an experienced assassin, I would hope that Aria would know to bind her breasts and add padding to her shoulders but really, I should have added that part in... I forget that you guys can't read my mind...*

If I Surrender

Chapter 12: Lovers

To say that I was stressed out about leaving was an understatement. The time seemed like it was growing shorter each and every day and eventually the days turned into months. I leaned against the side of the blacksmiths shop, waiting on my armor to be finished so I could finally pack it. I fidgeted in my spot, smoothing down my dress self consciously. Claudia had practically demanded that I begin wearing dresses, so it wouldn't look like I was seriously uncomfortable in them when I got to Venezia. I sighed, throwing a long ringlet over my shoulder; I'm pretty sure that I would feel uncomfortable in a dress no matter what.

I looked towards the villa, admiring the work that was done on it a month ago. It truly was beginning to look like a proper villa now and Ezio constantly brought things that would increase the value of it. Paintings, armor, weapons; pretty much whatever you could think of. The city was benefiting as well and I was happy that my home was doing so well. I would really miss Monteriggioni when I left.

I frowned as I contemplated Ezio. The last month had felt strained between us after Mario had announced that I would be leaving in a few months. I had wanted to speak with him but he was gone so often and whenever he was home, he avoided me like the plague. As if my feelings about him weren't complicated enough.

The blacksmith called me over and let me know that I could take it back now. I passed him a few more coins than was necessary but he had always done good work with my armor and he thanked me graciously as I walked back to the villa. As I was coming up the steps, I heard my fathers' voice ring out and I turned with a smile. Armando, who I had started to get to know a little better, took my armor and promised to take it to my room. Mario held out an arm for me to take and when I did we began to stroll around the villa.

"How goes the packing?" He said as he looked at some statues that Ezio had placed in the yard with his good eye.

"Fine, I suppose." I said flippantly and he grinned over at me.

"Bene." He stopped and looked around for a second. He looked like he was seeing if anyone was eavesdropping. I looked around, too, and it seemed to me that the grounds staff were the only ones outside. "Have you spoken to Ezio yet?" He asked and I stiffened involuntarily. I blinked and cleared the surprise off of my face and out of my mind.

"What is there to speak about?" I asked, a little defensively and Mario raised a brow at me. I looked away, knowing that he could read me like a book if he truly wanted. He smiled and took my hand in his.

"Aria, do not think that I have not noticed the tenseness between the two of you." He said with a harder tone that made me feel like he was reprimanding me. I sighed and crossed the yard to sit heavily on a bench, Mario sat down soon after I did. "I only want your happiness and I know that you live for the brotherhood but… If you are not sure about this then we will call off the marriage." Mario was staring deep into my eyes and I sighed, thinking deeply about what I truly wanted. I wanted to help gather more information for the brotherhood and in all honestly, I would probably only be there for about a year or two before Ezio would come and we would take the assassinations.

"May I give you an answer tomorrow?" I replied slowly and Mario nodded, an understanding expression on his grizzled face. I knew that I had to speak with Ezio at least once before I chose what to do. Standing, I excused myself and made my way back into the villa.

I was walking up the stairs, intending on going to speak with Ezio when Maria stopped me in the hall. None of us had heard her speak anything but prayers so I was very surprised when she called out my name. I smiled at her, a little unsure of what to do and she motioned for me to follow her back to her room. I took a deep breath, not really sure why I was feeling nervous besides the fact that this was Ezios' mother.

She sat on the side of her bed, lightly and patted the spot next to her. I sat down, a little nervously as I wrung my hands in my lap. She put her hand on mine and I stilled the movement and looked up to her. "I know that your past has been difficult, Aria." I stayed silent, I had no idea how she knew. I had made it a point to keep that information from people. She seemed to read my mind as she spoke softly, "Mario told me."

"Oh…" I murmured as I broke the eye contact between us. I had no idea what to say. She touched my shoulder gently, causing me to look back at her.

"The same thing happened to me and I've been thinking so hard these past two years about why it happened to me and why this all happened to my family." The same thing happened to her? Did she mean? My mind was a little bit of everywhere as I looked at her. There were tears in her eyes as she spoke to me and her gaze seemed far off, like she was thinking of another time. "I spent a lot of time searching for reasons, for answers as to why but there wasn't any." She paused and took a breath. "Claudia and Ezio tried to break me out of my silence but I was so distraught. I couldn't understand why it all happened."

"I'm sorry, Maria." I said sincerely as I squeezed her head. She gave me a small, sad smile that I knew was forced before looking toward the small box sitting on her dresser. I didn't know what was in it but I often saw Ezio putting something in it.

"I am, too." She replied briskly. "Ezio and Claudia are all I have left. I want them to be happy." I nodded and she turned to me. "You and Ezio have been avoiding each other lately, haven't you?" She asked and I nodded. "I know my son; I know that he doesn't understand his feelings for you and I can tell that you don't really understand your feelings for him, either."

I groaned and reached up to rub my temples. "I just don't think I can handle being in a relationship. Not after what I remembered, not after what happened to me. If only things happened a little differently."

"You cannot go back in time, even if you pray for it every single day. Trust me, I know this from experience." I looked down, feeling even more confused than before. "I'm going to tell you something that helped me return to the woman I am now. Your past is just that, the past. Once you realize this, it will hold no power over you ever again."

There was sense in her words and they made me feel better the more I thought about it. I was a little girl that was taken from her home; there was nothing I could have done to stop what happened. It wasn't my fault any more than what happened to Maria was hers. I started crying but for the first time in a long time, it wasn't from sadness. I had never thought about it that way. All I ever wished for was for things to be different instead of moving on with my life; instead of trying to be happy. Maria wrapped an arm around me and rested her chin on the top of my head. She patted my back as I calmed down and I started to feel embarrassed that I had let my guard down like that. She kissed my cheek before speaking.

"Now, I know Ezio is up in his room. You should go speak with him."

"Claudia said that I shouldn't pursue any type of relationship with him." I said, hesitantly and Maria shook her head.

"Claudia is also very young. Love is a strange thing and you never know when it can all be ripped away. So, enjoy your last few moments together while you can." She turned away and I took that as a dismissal so I stood and made my way towards Ezios' room.

I stood in front of that ladder for a good ten minutes, thinking about what all I had to tell Ezio. I climbed the ladder and I noticed that Ezio wasn't in the room and I frowned until I saw an open window to the roof. I could see him sitting on the edge, looking over the town as I clambered out of the window, trying to keep from tripping over my long dress. He looked over at me and away with an a facial expression that I couldn't read.

"May I join you?" I asked once I had made it to his side. He gave a stiff but brief nod and I sat down and we stayed silent as we looked over the town. I could see my father down at the training ring, trying to teach a new recruit how to fight properly.

His voice floated through the wind to us as he teased the new recruit. "You're about as useful as a one-legged man in an arse kicking contest!" Ezio chuckled and I smiled slightly as tears filled my eyes. I was going to miss this place so much. I would miss my father, the villa, the town, the mercenaries, Claudia, Maria and especially Ezio. I looked over to him and he looked so beautiful. It felt a little strange using that word for a male but sitting beside him, watching the light reflect off of his honey comb eyes and the wind blow his deep brown hair; that was exactly what he was.

I cleared my throat and he looked over at me; I found myself speechless for a moment before I looked back towards the town and said, "Would you like to hear a story, Ezio?"

"Sure, why not." He put his hands behind him, palms down and leaned back and waited for me to begin. I was distracted again, thinking of how beautiful was an understatement for this man. He raised a brow when I didn't speak and just stared at him. I blushed and smiled awkwardly.

"You've heard the story of how I was kidnapped from my home as a child?" I asked after clearing my throat awkwardly and he nodded. "Well, it was my ninth birthday and Borso held a party in my honor. My mother and her friends all doted on me as my father acted strange and nervous all that night. When the meal was ready to be eaten, I sat next to my dearest friend, Dante and we laughed and had a great time. It had been such a lovely night for a party, after all…

"I noticed that there was a strange man that I had seen lurking about our home a few times at the table with us all. He always made me nervous and my mother knew that so I had no idea why he was here. When I looked towards him, I noticed that he was already staring at me with the strangest and most evil expression on his face. I looked away to Dante, who had seen the whole thing and was glaring murderously at the man.

"One of my mothers friends asked Borso if he was leaving for a trip that night. His eyes darted to that same man, who only smiled more widely before he answered that he was. After the party ended, I remember standing up in my room, looking down at my fathers carriage and watched as he started to climb in. He looked up towards my window and saw me watching so I waved. He just turned away and left."

Ezio was sitting up straighter now and his eyes were wide. I bit back a sob as I continued, "My mother ran into the room and dragged me out, saying that we had to hide. I could hear the men running after us down the halls. I was so confused, so lost on what was happening. My mother flew into a room, locking the door behind us and practically thrust my necklace," I picked it up off of my neck and held it up. "Into my hands before shoving me into a small hole in the wall."

I dropped the necklace and looked down to my lap. "They killed her right in front of me and the man from the dinner dragged me out of that hole by my hair and took me away from the only place I had ever known."

"Your father knew this was going to happen and he just left you?" Ezio sounded enraged and I put a hand on his shoulder. I nodded.

"I'm not done, yet." I said with a slightly annoyed edge to my voice. He could be so impatient sometimes.

"Mi scusi. Go ahead." Ezio looked genuinely apologetic so I let the tenseness slide from my shoulders and continued with my story.

"The man dragged me all the way to Tuscany and they whipped my back every time I failed to keep up with their pace." I lifted my shirt a little and leaned forward for Ezio to see my back. The long scars nearly covered all of my lower back and he brushed his fingers over them softly. I looked at him and he looked horrified, which made me feel oddly ashamed. "The leader told them not to scar me up too bad or else I wouldn't sell for a good price."

"A slaver!" Ezio said between gritted teeth as I lowered my shirt again.

I nodded. "Yes. We were a few days into the trip and we had stopped for the night; I recall being so glad because my feet had sores from all the walking. I remember that I could see Monteriggioni in the distance and I was trying to think of a way to escape and go there. The men had been drinking and the leader came over to me because I had started to cry. He lifted my chin towards him and asked what was wrong; I had to look away and cough because his breath had been so strong and he jerked my head back to him, telling me to never look from him when he was speaking to me.

"I was a bit of a spitfire as a child so I told him: vaffanculo." Ezio smiled and I shook my head and the smile faded. "It was a bad idea. He slapped me and grabbed me by the neck and started dragging me to his tent while murmuring that he teach me some manners yet, puttana." If I thought Ezio looked horrified before then I was wrong; now he was horrified and his mouth was hanging open in surprise.

"He violated and beat me until he thought I was dead." I said, my voice thick from trying to keep from crying. My fists were clenched in my lap so tightly that my fingers were turning white. "I woke up a good deal later but I couldn't remember where I was or who I was. I could only remember my first name, Aria. I saw the city in the distance so I assumed that was where I was from. Mario found me wondering the streets and I was wary of him, at first, but he grew on me in those few seconds. He took me in and well, you know the rest from there."

I looked to Ezio to see what he would think about the story I've been dreading to tell him. His watched me for a second before pulling me into a hug. I hesitated but I wrapped my arms around him, too. He squeezed me before leaning back to look at me.

"Grazie for trusting me with this story. It means a lot to me." His hands went to mine and he held them, rubbing his fingers over my own sweetly. "Is that why you pushed me away so much?"

I frowned and thought about it. "I pushed you away because I knew that if I didn't, I would never want to leave you. You are the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me." Ezio smiled and lifted my hand, kissing it lightly. "But also the one thing that complicates me to no end." He brushed a ringlet of hair out of my eyes as I continued, "I thought I could do it; that I could grow emotionless and heartless. I have done it before." Ezio looked down and I moved closer to him, causing him to look up right as I captured his lips in a kiss. He moved a hand up to my head and ran his fingers through my hair as he put the other hand on my lower back to pull me closer to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he laid me back against the roof; kissing me more passionately than he ever had before. He lifted away but kept his hands anchored to the roof, hovering inches above me. I lifted my hand, hesitating for a moment before I laid it on Ezios' face; he smiled and leaned into my touch. "I was wrong. Every smile, every tease and every touch only drew me closer to you."

His smile grew wider and I realized how completely perfect this moment was.

"You truly are a wonder, mia cara." He leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips before pulling away again. He kissed along my jaw and neck; I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation. He paused and whispered, "I do not want you to leave."

I opened my eyes and blinked away the tears that his statement had brought to my eyes. "I have to leave." He leaned up and looked at me sadly before he nodded.

"Mi mancherai." His voice was so tender that I had to choke back a sob. Was this truly happening right now? Or am I just dreaming it all?

"Mi mancherai troppo." My voice sounded broken, even to my own ears and I pulled him down to me and hugged him tightly. My mouth grew dry as I thought about the favor I was about to ask of him. I let him go and we both sat up; I noticed that he hadn't let go of my hands. It made me feel a little braver than before, but only a little. "I have a favor to ask, Ezio."

"Si?" He questioned, still looking over the city. My stomach fluttered as I fought to get the words out. I took a deep breath, steeling myself so my words wouldn't come out as shyly as I felt.

"I want you to make love to me." His head whirled towards me so fast that I thought it would keep going and his eyes were wide in disbelief. His grip on my hands grew a little bit tighter than before and I fought back a smirk. I squeezed his fingers back, harder and he loosened his grip as I spoke, "I don't want my real first time to be with a Templar boy. I want it to be with you."

"Are you sure?" He sounded surprised but his voice had dropped to a huskier tone. His honey colored eyes looked like they had went to a deeper amber color and I was lost in the depth and passion in them. I nodded and he leaned forward, kissing me softly as he scooped me up into his arms. I started to protest but he silenced me as he pressed his lips to mine again. He stepped through his window, much more quietly than I had when I came through before taking me over to his desk and sitting me on the side of it.

I expected him to start kissing me again but he walked to the other side of the desk and opened a drawer. He pulled out two wine glasses and an aged bottle of wine. I grinned at him as he poured us some.

"You seriously keep wine in your bedroom?" I couldn't help but tease him. Ezio took it in stride, smirking at me as he passed me a glass.

"Si, bella! One never knows when they might need a good glass of wine." He finished pouring his own and held up his glass to me in a silent toast. His amber eyes gleamed at me in the candlelight and I couldn't hold back the blush I had been suppressing.

"You don't say." I replied, dryly, trying to cover up my embarrassment and he chuckled as he leaned against the desk. I sipped on my wine as Ezio downed his in a single gulp. He laid his glass down and ran a finger down my spine, causing me to arch my back at the sensation and suck in a deep breath. I saw him smirking but his eyes were smoldering so I laid my glass down on the desk. As soon as it touched the surface, Ezio was in between my legs with one hand on the back of my neck and the other on my lower back and his mouth was pressed against mine. I felt his tongue graze my lips and I opened my mouth to allow him entrance.

lemon lime timeeeeee:

As Ezio kissed me, I could feel his hands running up my sides slowly and I couldn't help but smile against his mouth. I felt his hands reach around behind me and start to untie the long strings that held my dress on my body and I pushed my body against his a little harder in an attempt to make the process easier for him. He chuckled as he slid the dress down my arms and down my waist, lifting my butt off of the desk and then setting me down gently as he continued to slid the dress off until it was laying in a heap at our feet.

I felt exposed, in only a corset and long underclothes and blushed as Ezio eyed my body in a breathtaking way. Feeling braver, I leaned back on the desk with pushed my groin against his own, feeling his erection with vivid clarity and he stifled a small groan. I smirked at him, feeling a sudden rush of feminine power as it became clear that I was driving him completely crazy. His eyes left my body and met my own and when I saw the depths of passion, I realized that I was playing with fire and this was a game that I would lose. I may have the upper hand when it comes to being an assassin but as a lover, Ezio surpassed me ten-fold.

His fingers ghosted over the strings along the back of my corset and I felt like growling in impatience; a strange, but good sensation was flooding through my lower abdomen and I resisted the urge to push him over to the bed. He clucked his tongue at my obvious impatience and continued to take his sweet time untying the strings. As he pulled the last string free and began to pull the corset off of me, he kissed along my neck, moving to my collarbone in a sensual way. I sighed contentedly, letting my head hang back as I enjoyed the attention being given to my body. When his tongue brushed over my nipple, I gasped and moved away in surprise. Ezio ignored this and moved with me, putting his hand on my back to keep me in place and his ran his tongue along the swells of my breasts and down my taut abdomen. His tongue ran across my lower belly, right above the hem of my underclothes and I could feel a blush flood throughout my entire body, turning it a lovely shade of pink.

Ezio hooked his fingers on the hem of my underclothes, pausing to look up at me with hesitation in his eyes. "Are you sure?" He said lowly in the sexiest voice I had ever heard him use and I nodded, feeling shyer now that my lower half was coming into play. He tugged the underclothes off slowly; taking his time, he kissed along my thighs, getting painfully close to my most private area and I couldn't help but move my hips forward towards him and his warm breath. As he kissed along my inner thighs, I ran my foot along his own thighs and he stood abruptly, almost making me fall off his desk in the process. I opened my mouth to ask if I had done something wrong but he had already lifted me from the desk and was throwing me onto the bed before I could get the words out of my mouth.

I laid on his bed as I watched him practically rip his shirt off. I admired his smooth muscles of his torso and he began to undo his pants. I tensed up, memories of the pain I had to endure flashing through my mind at an alarming speed and Ezio paused in his movements, looking down at me in worry. I shook my head and smiled at him, running my foot up his thigh again, trying to be sexy (but probably failing, considering how inexperienced I am). As his pants hit the ground, I knew he was looking at my eyes but I couldn't bring myself to look away from his body. So perfect and beautiful; he stood before me with a confidence that I had never witnessed from him before. His erection was… larger than I had originally imagined, surpassing my childhood rapist by far and I grew nervous, wondering if it would hurt me like his had.

Ezio leaned over me, our two naked bodies touching briefly, causing me to gasp. He froze and began to move away but I stopped him, wrapping my legs around his waist and holding him to me to signify that the gasp hadn't been in fear. He smiled and kissed me, his tongue exploring my mouth as he rubbed against my entrance and finally, I let my insecurities and fears wash away as he pushed into me.

end lemon lime.

I woke up some time later, tangled in the sheets of Ezios' bed. I reach over to feel for him but it seemed that he had already gotten up. I sat up, wrapping the sheets around my torso and looked for him; he was sitting in the windowsill, his leg propped up; a sketchbook balanced on his leg. He held black kohl in his right hand and was diligently working on something. I looked over his body to see he had just pulled on some pants and threw on a tunic without even bothering to tie it back up. I stood, dragging the sheets of the bed and walked over to him quietly. I wondered how easy it would be to sneak up on him now. He smirked and turned to me suddenly, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me towards him. I laughed softly as I laid my hands on his chest.

"Bene, you are getting better." I could feel his chuckle reverberate through his body but he did not make any comment. I smiled and laid my chin on his chest, near my hands and looked up to him. His amber eyes flitted towards me for a moment, leaving me breathless and then looked back to his drawing book. "Can I see?" I asked but Ezio looked towards me and shook his head.

"Not yet, cara." I blushed at the name; it felt like it was more intimate then before. He grinned, obviously pleased with his ability to still make me blush and kissed my cheek before standing from the windowsill. I looked up to him; looked over his strong jaw that was covered in a soft stubble and I resisted the urge to blush more at the memory of the way that same stubble had felt against my skin. Coughing awkwardly, I stepped away not missing the slight disappointment in Ezios' eyes. "I was wondering something." He spoke casually as he crossed the room to his bed before he sat on the side of it; he looked at his hands before glancing up at me.

"What?" I asked, curiously, wondering what he had in mind. I could feel the white hot need pierce me suddenly and I found myself hoping that he was thinking the same thing as me.

"How exactly were you able to get engaged to a Templar?"

"Oh." I deflated a little and looked out over Monteriggioni from Ezios' window. "The people that are pretending to be my parents are… How to say; acquainted with the Assassin's of Venezia. They owe us a favor or two." Ezio nodded and opened his mouth as if he was going to say something else. He hesitated and looked like he was struggling.

"Just say whatever is on your mind, Ezio; I'm not a fragile little girl." I said in mild irritation that washed away the instant his eyes met mine.

"I don't wish to anger you, Aria," I rose a brow when he hesitated and he continued, "But how did you get engaged? You have so many scars, your finger is missing and you aren't a virgin; I just don't understand."

I smiled and crossed the room before sitting down next to him. I laid my hand on his arm, squeezing gently. "The family is very important in the political world. It would be considered an honor to be bound to that family; especially for a lowly merchant family like Barbarigo." Ezio still looked confused. "The official story is that I went out once when I was younger and was captured by slavers who raped and tortured me. After finding me in such a state, my 'parents' vowed to never let me out of the house until I was married, if I even could be. The Assassin's in Venezia spread the rumors that my parents were looking to marry me off and Barbarigo approached them some time later with the offer of marriage with his younger son and it was exactly what the Assassin's wanted. And so, I am going to be married to Templar and living in Venezia."

Ezio nodded but still looked troubled and I frowned, not understanding what I could do to make it better. I rubbed his back in small circles, trying to make him feel better. He sighed and turned towards me, "Are you falling in love with me, Aria?"

I flailed in my mind; how to reply to such a statement? I cared for Ezio more than I ever had about anyone but was that love? It was too soon to tell but we didn't have that much time left together. "No." I lied and Ezio nodded but I couldn't tell if he believed my words or not. A small part of me hoped not.

"I wouldn't be a good enough man for such a wonderful woman." He said forcefully, as if it took a lot to say that.

I froze, scrunching up my nose at the sudden declaration. "I know." I suddenly felt very awkward and fidgeted before I stood suddenly. I could feel the softer, caring side of me dissipating and being replaced with the usual emotionless Assassin. "Thanks for this; I really appreciate it." I was gathering up my clothes that had somehow got thrown to various spots in the room when I felt Ezio grab my hand. I looked up at him and he licked his lips, nervously.

"Listen, I don't really understand all of this right now and I don't know if anything will ever happen between us, again." I pressed a finger to his lips and didn't even attempt to veil my tears. His eyes seemed sad as he reach up and stroked the tears from my cheeks.

"I don't want to know if it will not, capice?" He nodded and we both leaned toward the other and met in a gentle, tender kiss.

Thanks for reading and again, I apologize for the tardiness of this chapter!

Mi mancherai - I'll miss you.

Mi mancherai troppo - I'll miss you, too.

(not much Italian in this one...gonna have to fix that in the next :D)