Summary: Ezio wakes up after a horrible nightmare and it's up to Leonardo to do his best to comfort his dearest friend.

An ocean of people.
Drowning.
Three silhouettes falling with ropes around their neck.
Screams and cries from one mouth alone.

Why... why wasn't I quick enough.

Falling. Falling through the ground.
Is this Monteriggioni?
My family.
Standing there almost towering, looking down at me.
Disappointed. Sad. Angry.

"Why could you not save them, Ezio?"

Ezio quickly opened his eyes and sat up in the sweaty bed, gasping after air. He looked into the thin air, trying to comprehend what just had happened, still with the question ringing in his head with the sad voice of his mother. I-It was just a nightmare. Ezio told himself while he looked at his shaking hands, trying to control himself, before just hiding his face in them. He sat like that for some time, before looking up from his hands and around to take in the surroundings. Right... he was at Leonardo's place.

Ezio slowly stood up from the bed, still sweaty and shaking. He was used to these kinds of nightmares, but... this was the worst one he had ever had. A relieved sigh escaped his lips when he opened the shutters from the window and fresh night air caressed his overheated body. It was still night. Leonardo could impossibly still be awake then.

After closing the shutters and pulling on his trousers, he went downstairs to get something to drink, when he stopped at the sound of someone pottering around. He pulled out a dagger from his belt in reflex and continued moving downstairs without a sound, only to surprised find the familiar figure of his blonde haired friend who sat at his atelier, painting.

"Leonardo... What a time to be up at, do you not think, amico mio?"

The sudden voice startled Leonardo, but luckily he wasn't moving his brush on the canvas.

"Cazzo! Ezio! Please do not startle me like that when I'm painting! Have I not told you that before?" Leonardo said with a big sigh escaping his lips, before looking back at his friend who stood merely a meter from him, only wearing trousers and with his muscular arms crossed over his chest and hair hanging loosely over his shoulders with a troubled pair of nut-brown eyes looking at him. Leonardo looked at his painting again, shaking his head a bit, both because of Ezio's reckless behaviour and to try to shake off the sleepiness hiding behind his eyes.

"Mi dispiace, Leonardo." Ezio smiled faintly and pulled out a stool from under a table.

Silence fell upon the candlelit room and both men sat in their own thoughts, not saying anything.

Leonardo slowly put down his brush after some time, with a worried glance. Ezio wasn't normally this quiet, which made the painter worried.

"...A nightmare?" Leonardo simply asked. It had happened before, but Ezio usually didn't behave like that. Not that depressed.

Ezio quickly looked up from his thoughts, watching his friend just sitting and glancing at his unfinished painting.

Seconds flew by.

"... Sì."

The word almost came like a whisper from Ezio's dry lips.

Finally did Leonardo turn around to face his beloved friend properly with a trying smile.

"You usually do not take those dreams that harsh, amico mio. What was it about, if I may ask?" Leonardo asked.

Ezio moved a bit uncomfortably in his seat and looked down, trying to form an answer in his head.

"The usual... and more" He gulped and let his fingers curl around the wood of the stool.

Leonardo tilted his head a bit to the answer. "Oh... please tell me about it."

Ezio narrowed his eyes, not sure whether he wanted to remember the nightmare or not. He rather not, but Leonardo had said before that it helped to speak with someone with things like that, which unfortunately was true.

"The hanging... And that the rest of my family judged me for not saving them in time. But this time they were more judging than usual, there were more emotions and eyes staring than I could handle, Leonardo. I-I... I feel awful..." The last sentence just came as a faint, desperate whisper and Ezio hid his face in his hands.

Leonardo frowned and pulled away Ezio's hands from his face, before letting his own hands rest on the other man's cheeks.

"Ezio... No one do or ever will blame you for what happened. It was not your fault. Capisce?" Leonardo asked specific with a serious gaze.

Ezio's looked away from the older man's gaze. "Still, Leonardo. I feel so guilty. If I just had arrived one minute earlier, I could have saved them." He whispered and closed his eyes, pushing Leonardo's hands away.

A small sigh escaped Leonardo's lips again.

"It was not your fault, amico mio. For how long have you been thinking that? It is five years since the incident happened, so please do not tell me that you have been walking around with those foolish thoughts for that long. You could not have known that Uberto was a betrayer." Leonardo's blue eyes were hard like ice. Determined and angry that Ezio thought so low about himself. The teenager he had known merely weeks before the execution was suddenly forced to grow up.

When Ezio didn't answer after a minute, did Leonardo stand up from the old stool he sat on and walked towards the little kitchen. Maybe he got a bit happier if he served him his favourite wine? He could certainly need the alcohol to relax.

Leonardo came back with a glass of wine in his hand, which he reached towards Ezio.

"Here. You need it." Leonardo's smile was faint but warm.

Finally did Ezio look up from his hands when the curiosity overpowered him. His glance landed on the glass in front of his face, filled with a bordeaux coloured liquid inside, before he frowned.

"Is that…?"

"Your favourite wine..? Sì. Drink up. Your head needs it." Leonardo smiled and sat down in front of his friend again, when Ezio slowly took the glass out of his hand.

Ezio held the glass with both hands, starring down at the liquid for some time without saying a word. Yes, he normally was strong and good at hiding his feelings. He had to. He couldn't show himself as a weak man, when he was an assassino. But he had suppressed these feelings for far too long, which was also probably why he couldn't stop the tears overflowing his eye ducts.

He hadn't cried for real in years. Not even after the execution he did, since he had to be strong for his mother and sister. He liked the thought of them having shed so many tears to count for all of them.

His shoulders shook a bit because of the subtle sobs. He didn't cry because of the death of the half of his family.

No...

He cried because after all these years, Leonardo was still so caring, always helping with the codex pages, not doubting to sacrifice himself and his life for Ezio and his goal, he had kept all his darkest and deepest secrets and most importantly did Leonardo listen.

He felt like Leonardo was the only one he could really come to if he felt bad and if he needed to open his heart to someone. Of course he could tell his family but he hadn't done that in years, for the reason of not wanting to worry them more than he did already.

Leonardo was always there to listen, his eyes and smile always kind and an embrace always so welcoming.

Now Ezio knew.

He only felt truly like home by Leonardo's side.

Only now did Ezio realize he wasn't holding the glass of wine anymore and he felt the well-known warm, but strong arms around his frame and the familiar scent of paint. He really couldn't stop the tears. After all these years of pain he could finally get them out of his mind. Ezio slowly hid his face against his friend's shoulder in hope that it would silence his sobs and carefully embraced Leonardo.

"Tutto andrà bene, il mio più caro amico." Leonardo whispered softly.

He couldn't bear to watch Ezio like that.

It was the first, and hopefully also the last time, he will ever see his oldest friend cry.

Yet an oneshot from me! Why are all my fanfics always so depressing? Oh well, I hope you liked it!
My English is pretty rusty after not having been in school for almost a month hah, so there is probably some grammatical errors.
Please review!

Tutto andrà bene, il mio più caro amico. = Everything will be okay, my dearest friend.
(I don't know Italian, so please correct me if I'm wrong)