Life was good for Giovanni Auditore and his wife Maria. He was still a young man, but already he was a more-than-moderately successful banker, who lived in a more-than-modest villa in a good part of Firenze. They had a beautiful healthy son, and another one on the way.
And for the last three nights, he had been plagued by nightmares.

Tonight, after dinner, he had excused himself from his family and climbed up to the roof of their villa. He sat there for a long time, watching the sun set, and the stars come out. Firenze never properly went to sleep, but most of the sounds from the city below faded off into the darkness.

Maria finally made her way to the trap door in the attic roof. She carefully climbed the ladder and pushed the door open, "Giovanni?"

He jumped at the sound of her voice. Regaining his composure before he fell off the roof, he rose to his feet and went over to her. She smiled up at him, admiring how the moonlight framed his dark hair in a halo of silver. "Come to bed."

"I'm sorry my love," he made his way down the ladder, "I did not realize it was so late."

She rested her hand lightly on her stomach as she watched him descend. "Just what do you think about when you're up there?"

"You," he said simply.

"And you can only think about me on the roof?" she teased lightly taking his hand and leading him out of the attic.

"Of course not," he smiled warmly.

They made their way into their bedroom, and Giovanni turned and shut the door behind them. He flinched slightly as he moved wrong. He tried not to make a sound, but it was impossible to hide anything from his wife. Before he could say anything, she helped him out of his jacket. He sat down on the bed as she removed his shirt, business like.
The wound on the back of his shoulder had not broken open this time, but it still had not healed. Maria quietly removed the bandage and cleaned the cut. He closed his eyes. While receiving the injury had not been on his list of top pleasurable things, having his wife tend to him was quite enjoyable.

"You know Giovanni," she said conversationally as she re-bandaged his shoulder, "This would probably heal much faster if you spent more time resting and less time on the roof."

"I know," he said softly, gazing down at his hands, "I just..."

She rubbed his shoulder gently, resting her head against him. "I know," she said, "I know."

He turned slightly to face her, "I love you," he whispered.

"And I love you," she replied, "But I worry about you sometimes."

He lowered his gaze to his hands. A heavy ring covered the brand burned into his ring finger. The mark wasn't visible, but they both knew it was there. Maria followed his gaze, and then lifted his head up, kissing him gently. Giovanni closed his eyes, enjoying this moment with her. Not worried, not thinking, just being. Just breathing. Taking in her warmth, her presence.

Finally he broke the silence, "Sometimes I wish I really was just a banker."

"You are who you are," Maria said gently, "do not wish for anything else." She smiled and brushed his dark hair back, "And as I recall, I fell in love with a banker and an assassin."

Giovanni watched his wife rise (carefully) to her feet, putting the bandages away. "Have I told you today that you are amazing?"

"I do not believe you have," she replied, amused.

"You are amazing."

"Flatterer," she held back a smile.

Giovanni grinned and spread his hands in a shrug, "Just honest to a fault."

His wife turned the blankets down and climbed into bed, "With all the secrets in this house, someone has to be."

He crawled in next to her, adjusting her pillows and making sure she was comfortable. "I just worry."

"There is a time and place for such thoughts," she agreed.

"The roof is a good place," he teased her.

"Yes," she acquiesced, "But not in bed."

A grin spread across his face, "I can think of many more things that are appropriate to think about in bed." In his younger days, he had been a shameless flirt, and more. His wife often benefited from the old habits he had learned.

"Oh really?" she smiled at him in mock-innocence, "Name one thing"

In response, Giovanni kissed her, for a very long time.

All was quiet in the predawn darkness. Maria slept soundly next to her husband, but Giovanni was shifting uneasily in his sleep.
Suddenly he sat bolt upright, clenching his left hand into a fist and flicking his wrist reflexively. He stared out into the darkness, breathing hard. It took him a moment to register that he was in his own bedroom, not in a darkened alley in the middle of the city.

"Giovanni?" Maria mumbled, "What is it?" As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she took in her husband's tense form... and how he still held his left hand.

He relaxed at her voice, rubbing his face and eyes. "I'm sorry to have woken you."

"Don't be," she sat up, and put her arms around him (despite her large belly). She kissed his neck gently, holding him as he slowly calmed down. Giovanni let out a ragged breath, shaking off the last shards of the night mare.
"What was it?" she whispered.

"They found me..." he replied in a whisper.

"It's alright now," she assured him, holding him close, "It was just a dream, mio tesoro."

He gave himself over to her attention, listening to her soothing voice, and focusing in on her arms, tightly around him. They sat in the darkness until she felt him stop shaking, felt his tense muscles relax. Giovanni didn't resist as she pushed him back down on the bed, cuddling next to him.

"Rest now," she murmured.

"I'll try," he agreed.

Maria continued to soothe him, rubbing his arm and speaking softly until she fell asleep, back into the deep sleep of an expectant mother.
He did not go back to sleep that night. Instead he watched her sleep. Almost everything in the world that mattered to him, sound asleep in his arms. He would do anything to keep her safe. Anything.