A.N. So for those of you who have not read the Assassin's Creed books I have done a quick summary for you. You don't need to have read the books to read this story.

For those of you that have read the books this is loosely based in Assassin's Creed Renaissance, but with no definite set time.

SPOILERS AHEAD, DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE RENAISSANCE BOOK RUINED FOR YOU!

Ezio is part of the Auditore family, who are descended from the line of Assassins. His father and two brothers are executed by the Templars who are the Creed's natural enemies. Ezio survives and saves his mother and sister, and from there takes on training to become part of the Creed and avenge his family, and keep his city of Florence safe.

Leonardo Da Vinci was friends with Ezio's mother who bought paintings from him, before his Father and brothers were killed Ezio met Leonardo only once, but after he asked Leonardo for his help and the artist did so without asking for repayment. Along the way the two of them became friends, and Leonardo is one of the few people that Ezio trusts.

Ezio travels around Italy chasing the Templars and their allies, looking to avenge his family and trying to stop their plots before they can hurt anyone else, but he returns to Florence whenever he can….in my story for a certain artist.

Leonardo yawned and stretched a little as he walked into his bedroom. It had been a long day and his back was a little sore from bending over his work table scribbling away and writing out all of the ideas that were rumbling about in his head.

He had finally had to admit defeat and call things quits though when he started nodding off for the 6th time in half an hour and nearly knocked over his bottle of ink all over his days work.

Stumbling a little over his feet he stepped into the room and nearly had a heart attack when the figure who had been stretched out on his bed asleep jerked upright and rolled to turn to face Leonardo.

"Ezio!" Leonardo choked clutching his chest as he blinked big blue eyes at his friend who he had not seen in a few months now. Ezio relaxed when he realised who it was and grinned lazily at Leonardo.

"Leo,"

"Do not Leo me! You can not just show up here, take over my bed and then act as though nothing has happened! You gave me a heart attack! Why are you in my bed?" Leonardo stomped forward.

"I was tired," Ezio shrugged dropping back into Leonardo's amazingly comfortable pillows watching amused while Leonardo spluttered indignantly.

"You were...you were...you broke into my home and took over my bed because you were tired?! Why did you not let me know you were here?"

"I did try but you were so wrapped up in your work I did not want to disturb you, you looked like you were in the middle of a great breakthrough," Ezio smiled at him fondly.

"I was," Leonardo dropped down onto his bed next to Ezio. "Are you well?" He asked concerned looking over his friend for any signs of wounds or new scars, desperately trying to ignore the fact that Ezio did not have a shirt on, and the way the covers were lying on his stomach he could not work out whether he had trousers on or not. But he was far more concerned with ensuring that Ezio had not been harmed in the time since he had last seen him.

"I am well, just tired from travelling here," Ezio smiled a little softer reassuring him.

"Do you have business in the city?" Leonardo asked curiously.

"No, I actually have some time off, a good couple of months hopefully,"

"Time off? My I did not know that you were allowed such a thing," Leonardo teased.

"Me either, but according to my uncle I have earned it, and more than that need it. Things are quiet for now, and he told me I had to take some time. Though obviously should something happen I will be called back," Ezio yawned and stretched a little, running his hand through his dark hair as grey eyes stayed trained on Leonardo. It felt as though he was peering through his very soul as ever.

"And what do you plan on doing with it?" Leonardo asked curiously.

"I came straight here," Ezio said in a riddle of an answer.

"So, you wish to spend time catching up with the city?" Leonardo asked.

"That would be nice as well, but I did rather hope that I could spend the time with you, it would be nice to spend proper time with you, rather than short bursts," Ezio shrugged.

"With me?" Leonardo blinked.

"Yes, I hope you do not mind," Ezio said in a manner that said he knew quite well that Leonardo would not.

"Of course I don't mind, but surely there are other things that you would rather do with your free time," Leonardo frowned.

"I can think of nothing else that I would rather do with my free time," The teasing was gone out of Ezio's voice and he looked at Leonardo with such an intensity that the older man found himself wriggling in place.

"Oh," Leonardo licked his lips and glanced cautiously at the assassin in his bed, aware that something was going on here, something different to their normal interactions, but not entirely sure what.

"I never get to spend as long with you as I wish that I could, I could do nothing else with my time but come here," Ezio smiled lazily.

"And take over my bed?" Leonardo grinned.

"And take over your bed," Ezio laughed and flopped back again, throwing his arms out and wiggling to make himself comfortable. "You have an incredibly comfortable bed, Leo," He sighed contently.

"From what I have heard you spend most of your time sleeping on stone floors, in caves or on rooftops, I could have a bed of hay and you would think it comfortable," Leonardo snorted amused. "As it stands I make enough money and spend enough time hunched over my works that this is a comfort that I allow myself,"

"I think I may never leave it," Ezio sighed contently.

"Oh and where exactly am I to sleep?" Leonardo asked, raising the question that had been a growing worry. He did not want Ezio to leave his bed, he really did not, aside from how hard the younger man's life was and the lack of comfort he allowed himself, Leonardo wanted to be selfish and have the scent of the other man all over his sheets. But he did not think that his friend would be happy sharing the bed with him.

Something that he quickly realised was not true as he found himself suddenly gripped, pulled forward and rolled underneath the covers and lying next to Ezio in such a quick fashion that even his brain could not compute what had just happened and he lay there blinking into amused grey eyes a little stunned.

"Well that seems to deal with that problem, what do you think?" Ezio asked. And even though it was teasing Leonardo knew that should he indicate otherwise Ezio would go and make himself comfortable somewhere else within the house with no grumbling.

"Problem solved," Leonardo nodded quickly, probably too quickly, before Ezio could move. Ezio smiled and lay back down, this time lying on his side to see Leonardo as he wriggled a little to get comfortable.

"Will you tell me of some of your works and what ideas you have come up with since last we saw each other?" Ezio asked.

"That is quite a list," Leonardo chuckled.

"I have time," Ezio shrugged his bare muscled shoulder and smiled softly at the inventor.

"Well.." Leonardo bit his lip slightly before launching into talking about his work, Ezio as ever listening with an amazing mixture of awe and interest, never once looking bored like so many people did when Leonardo started talking about his work in depth.

The bed was cold when Leonardo woke up, and he was alone. His heart sank and little and he mentally scolded himself as he threw his arm over his eyes with a huff. He had gotten his hopes up and become excited about the thought of having Ezio for a couple of months, and he had allowed himself to think up 101 things for them to do together, only about half of them probably something that the younger man would actually want to do with him - and only half again was romantic or sexual!

But he knew what Ezio's life was like and he accepted it. It was who the young man was, and that was the man that Leonardo had fallen in love with. He could ask him to be anything but what and who he was.

He had hoped to have a little quality time with Ezio though, to really get to spend time with him and enjoy his presence without the background worry of what he was doing in the city and what his mission was.

That was the life of an assassin though, and no doubt he had been called away, somehow, while they had been sleeping. And Leonardo had that horrible sinking feeling in his stomach because he had allowed himself to get swept away in the idea of having Ezio here with him.

'Fool,' He thought to himself a little bitterly. It was that part of him who had fallen in love with the assassin, that part of him who had placed his heart into the deadly hands of the man who could be so gentle and kind. The man who protected him no matter what.

He had seen so many sides of Ezio that it had been impossible for him not to love the man really, he would have worried about himself had he not.

He had known the young and innocent Ezio who had shown up with Maria, his mother, to collect the paintings that fateful day. He had seen the Ezio just after his father and brothers had been killed and the potential for the man he was to become.

He had seen Ezio in all the steps of his training until he became what he is today, an assassin, one of the best from what he could work out, if not the best, swift, silent and deadly, moving like a jaguar and just as fast, just as dangerous. Leonardo had seen what he had done to the man that had kidnapped him and tried to use him against Ezio.

He had seen what the younger man did to the people that threatened those he had left to care for. It hadn't been pretty and it had worried Leonardo a little if that was the right word, he could not say that he was frightened because he was certain that Ezio would cut off his own hand rather than hurt him, but knowing what exactly Ezio would do for him was scary.

He had been furious and shown the man no mercy, and he had come out of it with barely a mark on him. But then the moment he was done and Leonardo was safe he had been so gentle and sweet, his touch careful as he untied Leonardo and took in the damage the men had done to him. And then Leonardo had watched completely baffled as once Ezio made sure that he was ok, he had gone around the men that he had just killed closing their eyes and muttering a prayer for their souls over them.

When it came down to it Ezio was a protector, it was who he was deep down to his very bones, and perhaps because of and not despite his profession, he was a good man. He did the hard things in life and made the hard choices, he got his hands dirty to protect humanity and the people he cared about. He made hard choices that risked the damnation of his own soul, but then forgave those who would have killed him and granted them the rite of prayer to try and save their souls.

Yes, if he had not fallen in love with the man, Leonardo would truly have worried for himself.

He was startled from his thoughts when someone dropped heavily onto the bed. The yelp that he let out was a little embarrassing and he yanked his arm away from his eyes to see Ezio sitting on the side of the bed dressed in simple clothes, his hooded cloak flung over the end of the bed, grinning amusedly at him.

"You were in deep thought!" He teased the artist who lay panting a little in shock glaring at him.

"I thought you had left!" Leonardo said before he could stop himself.

"I told you, barring the end of the world, I am here for at least a couple of months," Ezio tilted his head and his teasing smile become softer. "I went out hunting for breakfast,"

It was then that Leonardo's nose caught onto the smell of something sweet and delicious. Sitting up and resting against the headboard he noticed the plate in Ezio's hand holding his favourite pastries.

"I am not even going to ask how you knew what my favourites were," Leonardo huffed.

"Assassin's trick," Ezio laughed, kicking off his boots and made himself comfortable on the bed next to Leonardo, placing the plate onto his lap before stealing one of the pastries for himself. "We slept in quite late, I thought breakfast in bed might be a nice surprise, especially considering you are putting me up for a while,"

"This is indeed nice payment. I can not think of the last time I slept in late, never mind had breakfast in bed," Leonardo sighed contently before biting into one of his favourites.

"Me either, this is nice," Ezio agreed tugging his black hair out of its ponytail and allowing it to tumble around his face, making himself comfortable again on the bed. He sighed contently and Leonardo could not help but watch him, it was so nice and yet unusual to see him relaxed.

"What are your plans for today then?" Leonardo asked once he had finished a few of the pastries and settled back happily on the bed, feeling lazy and content.

"Mm? Nothing much, I was just going to stay here with you, help you with anything that you need," Ezio yawned widely.

"There is nothing else that you want to do?" Leonardo frowned.

"Nothing that I can think of that I would rather do," Ezio shrugged and cracked one eye open to see a bright red blush covering Leonardo'scheeks. He smiled softly to himself and watched as Leonardo pushed himself to his feet and started fussing around getting himself ready for the day.

It was ridiculous, Leonardo was completely aware of Ezio in his space even though the assassin was barely moving around and disturbing him, but at the same time the other man's presence was immensely comforting and relaxing, he found himself working away with much more of a clearer mind than he had had for a long time.

Eventually he turned around to say something to Ezio when the younger man had been quiet for a little while. He smiled to himself when he found the other fast asleep on the sofa, sprawled out a little and breathing softly as he slept.

Leonardo crossed his arms and leant back against his worktable, taking his chance to look at Ezio while the other was not aware of it.

He was so different from the man that Leonardo had first met, if you had put the two men next to each other you would say that perhaps they were distantly related, but not that they were the same person with only a short amount of years between them.

This Ezio was crafted and shaped from hard work and sorrow, from necessity and determination, he had been chiselled from blood, sweat and tears, but under it all was a need to try and stop others suffering the way that he had, to stop them from experiencing the loss and sorrow that his family had felt.

Every time Leonardo thought of Maria and what she was now compared to the bright, vivacious and proud woman who had so many years left in her, he wished that he could do the same thing, and he completely understood what pushed Ezio. Why he worked so hard.

No doubt the image of watching his father and brothers being hanged were burned into his brain and pushed him as he raced along the rooftops and pushed himself to the point of death sometimes to try and prevent someone else from losing those that they cared about, especially at the hands of the Templars.

Ezio over the years had gained more muscle and refined his body into what Leonardo knew was a deadly weapon in its own right. Due to the nature of his work, his need to run and the weapons that he prefered being lighter and designed for speed and manoeuvrability rather than power while muscled he was also lithe and wiry. Leonardo knew from the times he had patched the assassin up however that those muscles were well defined and sculpted finer than anything Leonardo himself could come up with in stone. He was incredibly powerful as well, a strength that had admittedly awed and scared Leonardo the first time he had seen the true display of it, watching as the assassin had thrown a man clean across a room when he had been about to attack the artist.

His face had completely grown out of the puppy, young look it had once held and was now a man's face. Deeply tanned from his travelling the golden olive skin suited him and made his grey eyes look even more startling and unusual. Those eyes could be cold and hard or warm and friendly in one blink, and it did not matter whether you were enemy or friend, when those eyes were on you you felt as though you had all of the other's attention and that he was taking in everything about you.

His black hair had a natural wave to it, and though he normally had it tied back into a ponytail for functionality, he had left it down today, and Leonardo could admire the soft waves of coal-black hair falling around his face, again contrasting beautifully with his golden skin.

It fell down to his broad, strong shoulders and brushed the tops of them, though one piece had fallen a little over his face at the moment and the lock moved just a little with Ezio's breathing.

Before he could stop himself Leonardo was reaching for a blank piece of paper and charcoal and started sketching away as quickly as he could while still trying to get in every single detail of the image in front of him before his friend woke.

"You have been staring at me for a long time, have you finished your drawing?" Ezio muttered who knew how long later, opening his eyes slowly.

"I found something else to draw," Leonardo muttered still sketching away, relieved when Ezio didn't move. "I have even thought of a name for it,"

"Oh? And what is that?" The assassin sounded amused as his lips turned up into a smile.

"Assassin at my mercy," Leonardo muttered still scribbling furiously.

"Hmm, and what would you do with me considering you have me at your mercy?" Ezio raised his eyebrow when Leonardo peeked over his drawing realising the innuendo that had just been thrown at him, and having no clue how to respond.

He was far from an innocent virgin, however at the same time he was hardly experienced. His preferred gender for sex meant that he could not just wander around the streets and find anyone that he wanted, he had to be discrete given his standing within the city, and he could not risk just having a quick tumble with just anyone.

But Ezio he had been sure was interested only in the fairer sex and not in men, he had been able to control his poor heart with that knowledge and not let himself fall too far in love with other. Ezio he was sure had had many partners, he travelled from city to city and lived a lonely life, the artist could not begrudge him find comfort in the arms and body of a woman, even when he wished that it could be his arms and body that the other found his comfort in.

But should Ezio be offering...no, he could not, once he had a taste of the other, once he knew how he felt against his body, and once he knew the taste of his mouth, he would fall those last few inches that he had been holding himself up, and he would be lost. His poor heart would be shattered knowing that Ezio was out there somewhere, finding comfort in someone else, while he, the romantic fool that he was, stayed here and waited for him to return, not finding comfort of his own, desiring only one man. Fool that he was that was what he had already been doing to a point, turning down an offer from one of his models because he was thinking of Ezio at the time.

"Leo," Ezio was suddenly in front of him, towering over him, and tilted his head up with a strong finger under his chin. It was his left hand he used, the one that bore the deep scar left from that war axe, the one that had had Leonardo working day and night to create the brazier for the assassin to make sure that it did not happen again.

"I…"

"Come! It has been a long time since our breakfast, let us go and get some supper," Ezio announced, gently taking the drawing and charcoal from his friend's hand, and leading him to the door, pausing only to throw Leonardo's coat to him with a chuckle before he urged the other out the front door and closed and locked it behind them.

"Hang on I…"

"Need to eat, you do not take enough care of yourself,"

"But!"

"It is on me, I know a lovely place nearby that you will enjoy," Ezio assured him.

"One day and you are already bossing me around," Leonardo narrowed his eyes and simply received an unrepentant smile back as he was led through the streets.

"Ezio! It has been too long," A young woman hurried toward them when they stepped into the restaurant that said man had led them to. And Leo felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as she smiled brightly and more than clearly flirtatiously at the assassin.

"It has, a table for me and my dear friend here please," grey eyes were bright and dangerously warm as they looked down into Leonardo's sea-blue eyes.

"Of course Ezio, are you going to be here for long?" The girl tried.

"A little while," Ezio answered uncaringly, turning to look at her a little bored.

"Dio! Hurry and clear that table and leave the poor boy alone. Ezio it is good to see you, this way please," An older woman swept over and waved off who had to be her daughter.

"Yes please Betta, it is good to see you," The charming young man leant down and kissed her cheek causing her to giggle.

"Oh you, I am sorry about Lucia, she can not help herself, and who is this charming young man?" Betta asked as she led them over to their table.

"This is Leonardo,"

"The artist!?" Betta gasped spinning around.

"The one and only," Ezio said proudly, bringing as much of a blush to Leonardo's cheeks as the excitement coming from Betta.

"In my restaurant! Well I never! My, Oh, take a seat, take a seat, this is wonderful. Though how you managed to be with this one I do not know, he is terrible with art!" Betta teased as they took their seats.

"Hey I am not that bad! I know what is good and what is bad," Ezio protested.

"He is rather terrible at art," Leonardo agreed to Betta's clear delight.

"I know that your art is spectacular and the best in the city, in the country, what else do I need to know," Ezio shrugged leaning back in his chair.

"You charmer you, I will go and fetch your usual wine," Betta smacked his shoulder.

"Do you mind if I order for you? The...what?"

"What are we doing here Ezio?" Leonardo asked softly, confusedly.

"We're here to eat so that I can treat you to a meal and make sure that you actually eat, and we're just going to relax and enjoy our time together. Stop overthinking Leo," Ezio reached out and gently tapped the artists freckled nose.

"Here we go!" Betta popped their wine and glasses down onto the table and when Ezio simply nodded at her grinned and bustled off.

"So, have I told you about my visit to.." And suddenly the rest of the meal was easy. Leonardo laughed at the funnier stories that Ezio told him about his adventures since they had last seen each other, the other parts were clearly being left out. Leonardo also shared some of the funnier stories of their time apart, including some of the pieces that people had tried to commission from him.

"No!" Ezio snorted laughing, shaking his head as Leonardo nodded through his own laughter.

"Honestly, he wanted me to do a double size sculpture of her...delicate parts," Leonardo snickered looking around the restaurant.

"Oh gods, you must have been…"

"I was horrified! Thank god that I can choose what I do and don't do," Leonardo shuddered.

"Did you used to have to do things like that?" Ezio covered his mouth.

"All I will say is that in the past I have done works that I shall never ever ever wish to see again," Leonardo snorted.

"I shall have to try and hunt them out," Ezio smirked. "Shall we?" He offered before Leonardo could respond.

"Yes, that was absolutely lovely," Leonardo sighed contently patting his full stomach.

"You need to look after yourself more Leo, make sure that you actually eat regularly," Ezio scolded gently, reaching out before the artist could move and pulled his chair out for him. Leonardo cursed his skin as he felt a blush settling over his cheeks at the action.

"I look after myself just fine, whenever I forget Agniolo or Innocentio bring me food," Leo huffed, he frowned a little when Ezio dropped a handful of Florin's down onto the table.

"I told you that it was my treat," Ezio shook his head and started herding the artist to the door, waving cheerfully at Betta before they left. "And do you actually eat the food that they bring you?"

"That is…" Leonardo spluttered at the knowing look in Ezio's eyes.

"The truth. I worry about you when I am away,"

"You think of me when you are away?" Leonardo found himself saying and then cursed himself for having that extra glass of wine, he had not meant to say that!

"Of course I do, every day," Ezio said softly, all traces of teasing gone as his grey eyes looked down at the artist with something in them that caused a spark in Leonardo's stomach, but also warmth in his heart. His poor heart.

"You need not worry about me, I am just fine, I can look after myself," Leonardo laughed a little breathlessly.

"I know you can, but you mean a lot to me and are one of the few people that I care for. Allow me the indulgence of caring for you," Ezio's words seemed to say something other than how they sounded.

"Ok," He could say nothing else, he thought to himself that he could not seem to say anything else to this man, and had not been able to for a very long time. No, he would do anything for Ezio, and he knew in his heart of hearts why, he just did not allow himself to dwell on it.

That way led to a broken heart.