Chapter 4

It was another oddly spring like day, and Leonardo was being dragged around the city by an over energized, short, assassin, in the lovely orange dress, that he had grudgingly picked out for her not more then a day and a half ago.

"Oh, it is so good to be outside again!" he glanced at the assassin as she walked next to him, her right hand clutched around his left arm.

"You have been inside for four days,"

She grinned at the people walking past them. "And that is way too long, I almost forgot what sun light looked like,"

With a small smile Leonardo shook his head. "I am sure you did."

"Anyways we need what again?" she changed the subject as some market stands that sat next to one of the channels came in to view. Their destination.

"I need some paint, and Rosetta left this note with a list of food and herbs she wants us to get, also I need food, because all you two eat are apples and meat,"

She looked up bemused. "What is wrong with that?"

"Well I have gotten tired of apples and I do not eat meat," he explained.

"Oh... Wait! What?" she let go of his arm and forcibly turned him so they faced each other. "You don't eat meat?"

"No," the young artist did not understand what Lovino found so odd about his eating habits.

She raised an eye brow at him. "How are you not like, dead?" without waiting for his answer she turned back towards the market and walked off into the stands, careful that no one accidentally bumped her side.

With a sigh the artist hurried after her. This girl...

As he walked through the stands he spotted Lovino talking to a man selling flowers, as he approached he picked up on their conversation.

"Oh, I never really get flowers," Lovino was shaking her head.

The young man, running the stand, smiled. "A woman as beautiful as you deserves beautiful flowers,"

She blushed brightly. "I-I uh,"

"Here," smiling the man, took a white lily and held it out to Lovino, who with a nervous hand took it from him.

"Grazie," she gave him a small smile, her cheeks still red.

The flower man smiled flirtatiously. "Any time,"

silently chucking at Lovino, the tall artist walked up next to her. "Look at that, you are not a total annoyance to everyone you meet,"

Turning with a glare she snapped back. "Be quiet!"

The young man with the flowers laughed. "I think she is beautiful,"

Her eyes wide, she blushed again. "Goodbye," She turned her head and smiled at the man, before walking away, followed by Leonardo.

"See you, again?" he called after her.

She smiled and with out glancing back replied. "Maybe,"

When the rather odd pair had moved farther away from the stand Leonardo finally let out a laugh. "You are so awkward!"

"Quiet," she hissed at him, but the effect was ruined by her smiling happily at the lily in her hand. "Though he was sweet,"

Still chucking he changed the subject. "Come on we need to purchase things,"

She sighed. "Alright. You look for your paint and food, and I will get Rosetta's herbs,"

With a nod the artist moved off to find what he needed while the incognito assassin moved off in the opposite direction.

Sadly, Leonardo was unable to locate the paint he was looking for, but was very successful in procuring food that met his standards. Satisfied, he moved off to find his young companion. He eventually found her sitting on a stone bench outside the market. Her back was resting against the building behind, her dark eyes closed, and the lily now resting in her hair.

The artist smiled. He would have loved to paint her. The colour of the flower was so close to her pail skin, and was off set by her bright dress and dirty-blond hair, that seamed to glow copper in the sun. In that moment Leonardo happy to be an artist, able to grasp the beauty in such an everyday sight.

Seaming to sense his approach she opened her blue eyes and turned her head, smiling at him. "Finished?"

He nodded.

"Bene," she slowly stood up, a hand on her side. "Shall we head back then?" she asked, while adjusting the belt with bags that she wore around her waist. He assumed that was where she kept the herbs she had acquired for Rosetta.

"Sì,"

He put his arm out for her, and taking it they began to head back to his workshop through the crowded streets.

When they where about half way back, in a deserted street, Lovino stopped.

Worried about her injury Leonardo stopped next to her, ready to fuss over her wound. "Are you well?"

"Yes, Yes," she replied quietly, "It is just... I swear I saw something on the roof...?"

"The roof?" Leonardo turned his eyes up to the roof. "I see-" but his words where cut off as something, or rather someone landed with a somersault right in front of him. With a yelp he jumped back from the man.

Next to him Lovino threw her hands in the air and shouted. "Hallelujah! It's raining men," followed by an "Ow! Reminder do not throw hands in the air,"

Blinking, astounded Leonardo recognized the man who was now standing up with his back to them. "E-ezio?!"

At the sound of his name the assassin turned. Seeing his friend a smile graced his lips. "Leonardo!" With a step he wrapped his arms around his stunned friend.

Still confused Leonardo returned his embrace.

Moving back but keeping his hands on the blonds shoulders Ezio looked is friend over. "How are you?"

"I am fine... but what on earth where you doing? Where you trying to kill your self?!" the artist looked exasperated. "You nearly made me faint!"

The assassin laughed. "Do not worry yourself, I do that all the time!"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better," the two men smiled at each other.

"Uhem..." they both turned at the sound next to them, Ezio's arms falling from Leonardo's slightly higher shoulders.

"Leonardo," Ezio grinned at Lovino, who was looking at the two, an unreadable look on her face. "You have neglected to introduce this lovely young lady,"

"Oh, yes!" the artist could not believe how rude he had been, Ezio's unexpected appearance had driven everything except the younger man from his mind. "This is Lovino Incendio,"

With a smile Ezio took one of her small hands, leaned over and kissed it. "It is lovely to meet you... Lovino... that is a boys name,"

With a glare she snatched her hand back. "I am well aware of that fact, and actually Ezio Auditore, we have met before,"

"Surely I would remember a lady as beautiful as you," he smiled.

With a glance at Leonardo she replied. "Stop flirting with me. But yes we have met, it was about five or six years ago, when I was twelve. I came with my father on his business trip. He met with your father and the two of them foolishly thought that their young children would get along. Just after being introduced to me, you called me a boy and I punched you in the face," she grinned.

"That was you!" Ezio let out a laugh.

She shook her head. "And I would punch you again if I was not injured at the moment."

With a worried look Leonardo interrupted. "Please, no violence,"

"How would a young girl, such as you, become injured," the cocky assassin smirked.

"I am an assassin," she smirked back, then pointed at the poster that happened to be on the wall, a few feet from where they where. "That's a poster for me, apparently I have been quite the nascence to the guards of the city,"

"Oh," the brunet turned to look at the poster, "I thought those might be for me, but with a very inaccurate description of what I looked like. Good to know they do not actually think I am a short blond," turning back to Leonardo and Lovino, made an oh sound and pulled out a rolled up paper from on of the small bags on his belt and handed it to Leonardo.

"You found another one," the artists eyes lit up at seeing the paper. "How exciting,"

"I was coming to give it to you," Ezio explained.

"Grazie!" Leonardo smiled happily at Ezio with a small blush.

Noticing this Lovino smiled, a plan was forming in her mind. A very brilliant plan,. It would be a lie to call Lovino an idiot, though she often acted as such, but she was quite intelligent, and totally capable of forming an interesting idea for how she might be able to make events play out.

With the young assassins mind occupied the two men where content to have a conversation of their own, oblivious to the schemes the young woman next to them was planning out.

Entering the square that Leonardo's workshop was located in the trio was surprised to see Rosetta leaning against the ouside of the brick workshop.

She smiled as they approved and shifted so she was standing, instead of resting against the wall.

"Ciao," she greeted them with a smile. "I see you have picked up a friend,"

"Yes, this is Ezio Auditore, an assassin like you," Leonardo introduced the assassins. "and this is Rosetta Verde,"

A he had done with Lovino, Ezio took Rosetta's hand and kissed it, making the girl blush. "It is a pleasure to meet you, bella donna,"

"Well," Lovino moved past them and into the doorway of the work shop. "I am going to sit down. Leonardo, would you please open the door?"

"Yes, of course," moving away from Ezio and Rosetta he pulled out a key and unlocked the heavy oak door, allowing the exhausted Lovino to rush inside and plop herself down on one of the work benches.

Wanting to make sure she was alright the others followed her inside.

"Are you alright, perhaps that was too much for you," Rosetta quickly walked to her friend and started checking her over.

"I am fine..." the shorter girl sighed, "Just very tired,"

"Alright, but you tell me if anything is wrong,"

Lovino rolled her eyes as she was fussed over. "Yes, mother,"

Rosetta glared at her. "If you were not already hurt..."

Sensing that the two woman where about to start a brawl, injured or not, Ezio decided to detract them. "Ladies, stop your teasing," he smiled flirtatiously at Rosetta. "I would like to hear about what you two are doing in Venezia,"

"Oh," The brunette girl moved away from the scowling Lovino, and closer to Ezio. "Well we are here on a reconnaissance, mission, we are supposed to see what the templars are up to and what the assassins are doing to stop them... it is not all that interesting really,"

"It is very interesting to me," Ezio took a stray piece of her long brown hair and tucked it behind her ear.

Observing this action Lovino turned her eyes to the blond artist next to her, not so surprised to see him looking very upset before he turned away from the couple in front of him and bruised himself with cleaning the up the brushes and paint on the worktable.

"In fact it is so interesting, it think you should tell me everything," Ezio smiled at the blushing assassin. "But perhaps it is just that I love the sound of your voice,"

"Oh," Rosetta blinked slowly, trying to stop blushing. "T-thank you,"

"Get a room you two!" Lovino shouted, in hopes of making the sickeningly sweet words stop, both for her benefit and for the upset man next to her.

"LOVINO!" Rosetta turned to her smirking friend, her face even more red. "She shook her head. "I am sorry Ezio, Lovino is not very polite,"

The man laughed. "I know," he then sighed. "I need to go, there is much I need to do." he walked over to Leonardo and placed a hand on his shoulder, making the bearded blond turn around. "I will be back later for that codex page,"

"Of course!" the artist smiled and then hugged Ezio. "Please be safe,"

He returned the embrace. "Aren't I always?"

Leonardo let out a chuckle.

Letting go of his friend Ezio turned back to Rosetta and Lovino. "It was lovely to meet both of you," he turned his eyes to Rosetta. "And I hope to see you again soon,"

"Yes, I hope so too," Replied Rosetta. Followed by a "Bye bye!" From Lovino.

In a whirl of white robes he was gone.