Stolen

Leonardo was going to kill him if he found out. That much was a complete certainty. Did it stop him from going through with his plan? Of course not. The threat of death spurred Ezio on, knowing that if he made a mistake it would surely end with him on one of the tables in the back of Leonardo's workshop with the rest of the corpses just made it that much more exciting. Which was why the assassin was currently standing just out of the light in the main room of Leonardo's workshop, watching the painter work relentlessly on his current project while having absolutely no idea he had company. His goal was simple enough, to steal Leonardo's hat, the problem, however, was that the painter was still wearing it. In fact, despite Ezio's numerous spontaneous visits at all times of the night and day, he had never caught Leonardo without the little red hat perched jauntily upon his head, almost as if it were teasing him. It was baffling to say the least, surely at one point or another Leonardo would go without that one piece of cloth, but through the few years they had been acquaintances Ezio could never recall a time when he had seen the blonde without the hat. So now he was determined to remedy that, and while he could probably wait for Leonardo to fall asleep and take it then, it just wouldn't be as exciting as taking it while the artist was still awake. But that didn't mean he was foolhardy enough to try it during daylight either, not even Leonardo could become that absorbed in his work that he wouldn't notice an assassin standing in the room in behind him. Instead, Ezio was patiently waiting for the right time as he watched from the shadows, a look of concentration on his face as he watched the painter work.

Still, he was getting bored, and needed to figure out a way to get the elusive hat and then out of the workshop with out being assaulted by a very angry Leonardo, the last part of that plan being the most troublesome to figure out. No doubt Leonardo would notice something suddenly disappearing from the top of his head. Brown eyes roved over the workshop looking for anything to help him, and a slow smile appeared on the assassin's face as he started working together how to accomplish his goal. He'd have to be quick and silent so that Leonardo would have no questions if he was alone or not, but as an assassin those were two skills that he had long perfected, and by now he was too excited to turn down this challenge.

Stepping forward silently, Ezio moved behind one of the many easels surrounding Leonardo, keeping in the shadows as he did so. Luckily his friend had only been concerned with keeping the candles and lanterns that were close to his work area lit, so most of the workshop was covered in shadows. It was so easy to get close enough, it was almost as if Leonardo was just asking Ezio to come in and take his beloved hat, though he doubt the painter would see it the same way once this was all over with. After he was successfully hidden behind one of the large easels he waited, watching as Leonardo mixed a few paints together, whistling to himself as he did so. Deciding that now would be as good of time as any, Ezio reached out around the blank canvas, face set as he slowly inched his hand closer to his target. But just when his fingers were about to close on the edge of the clothe, Leonardo suddenly stepped out of reach to begin applying paint to the canvas before him, causing Ezio to reach just too far off balance. In his surprise, Ezio grabbed onto the easel in front of him, almost taking both it and him down on top of the unsuspecting painter in his fight for balance. But at the last moment he pulled himself back, steadying the canvas that was about to fall, barely getting it set correctly before he had to hide behind it when Leonardo turned around.

Ezio didn't even dare to breath as the painter looked around curiously, obviously having heard something during Ezio's amateur flailing about. He cursed himself mentally for making such a silly mistake, waiting patiently as Leonardo turned back around and resumed his whistling. Even then Ezio didn't move, making sure several more minutes had passed and Leonardo was once again fully absorbed in his work before he dared to start breathing normally once again. Looking back around the canvas showed him Leonardo reaching up to paint just above his head, and Ezio saw his chance once again. With his head canted back the painter was much more inclined to think the hat fell off his head instead of simply disappearing into thin air, which would give Ezio a much better chance of making off with the small article of clothing with out suspicion.

Grin once again in place, Ezio reached out once more, one hand extended while his body remained tense, ready to leap back and hide the second Leonardo showed any signs of moving. But besides occasionally returning his brush to the palette in his hand for more paint, his friend did not deviate from his position. Emboldened, Ezio reached the final few inches that separated him from the hat, fingers just catching the edge and with one quick tug, pulling it off the painter's head and into his own hands. The split second he had his target, Ezio turned and disappeared behind another easel and canvas that was closer to the steps leading upstairs to Leonardo's bedroom and more importantly, the balcony that was attached to the outside of the painter's home. Only now was the most difficult part of his mission, for correct timing was the key getting out of this room without Leonardo knowing he was there. Moving too quickly would alert the other during his initial scan for the missing item, but waiting too long would mean getting caught while Leonardo did a more thorough search, which meant standing with statue stillness before making a sudden break for the stairway the second his friend turned away. As soon as he had successfully made a break for the steps and was high enough on the steps that he could no longer be easily seen, Ezio slowed his pace, still mindful of staying as quiet as possible while he ascended the stairs.

He stayed stoic during his trip through Leonardo's room, not celebrating the success of his mission till he was on the balcony, and even then only allowing himself a triumphant chuckle as he glanced at the bright red garment in his hand. A quick climb to the top of the roof and then the assassin took off for his current sleeping quarters at the new thieves' home. He had decided during earlier that he would return the hat to it's owner in the morning, so that maybe Leonardo would just think he had looked over it in his search. And so that he had sufficient time to show off to Rosa, proving to the little thief that he could successfully steal something and leave everyone involved still alive and completely oblivious by the end. But that line of thought was cut off when he realized something was off with his recent acquisition, it was heavy, much heavier than it should be for such a small article of cloth. Too curious to wait until he got back to his room, Ezio stepped into the shadow of one of the buildings, hiding himself from the patrolling guards as he examined the hat. It didn't take long to figure out what was causing the extra weight; he could feel something flat and rectangular inside and upon further investigation found the way inside. Instead of one solid piece of cloth on the inside of that hat, there were two pieces overlapping to create a small hidden pocket, which in this case held a small journal wrapped in a thin string of leather, barely larger than the size of Ezio's palm.

The assassin knew he shouldn't look at it, that obviously his friend had it hidden in such a way so that no one would be able to easily find it, but his curiosity was just too much to ignore, desperate to know what the easygoing painter would go to such lengths to hide. So with a quick glance around to ensure he was still safely tucked away from any of the guard's gazes, Ezio opened the journals but his friend's writing was unreadable in the small amount of moonlight. With a curse he closed the journal, tucking it and Leonardo's hat into a small pouch on his belt before running along again towards his quarters. Not wanting to deal with any of the other thieves, especially not the prying questions of Rosa or Antonio, he climbed in through the window, landing soundlessly in his small, private room. After lighting the one lamp in the corner of the room, he sat as his desk and retrieved the small journal from his bag. After pondering over the artist's small hand writing for several minutes, he realized that Leonardo hard wrote the entire thing in his odd, backwards type, and the assassin rolled his eyes and fished a small mirror out of his desk, something he had learned to keep near after he found about the painter's desire to code everything.

From the looks of the journal was actually a type of diary, though the entries were small, barely a paragraph to each of them. His eyebrows shot up though when he took the time to read the entries and realized they were all about him. Each one in some way showing concern over the assassin, whether it be the current mission he was working on, his newest set of wounds, that it had been several weeks or even months since the artist had seen him, or if Ezio was even still alive. But it wasn't just the concern written in the journals, there were other things too, writings showing more than just friendly feelings from the painter, much more. He flipped through the journal, skimming through a few more entries before he finally had to shut it, the feeling growing in his chest too much to continue reading.

Ezio was not sure how long he sat at the desk, staring at the far wall as he deliberated fiercely with himself on what his next move should be. Though one thing was for certain, he had to return the hat and the journal inside it tonight, it would not feel right to keep either item any longer, not knowing how much it would undoubtedly worry Leonardo if the painter was unable to find them. The question was whether or not he wanted to confront the other about the contents of the journal or pretend he never saw it. But even if he truly wanted to, Ezio doubted he could, not in front of Leonardo, and then his friend would undoubtedly worry that something was wrong. Which would mean lying to the painter repeatedly and he wouldn't do that, he would not cheapen their friendship with lies. So with a heavy sigh he replaced the journal and tucked the hat into the outer layer of his shirt, much more careful with it now that he knew what it contained, before climbing back out his window to head to the painter's home.

It did not take long to arrive back outside the workshop; the route between the thieves' home and Leonardo's was one Ezio was very familiar with. Having already decided to face this head on, he strode up to the front door and knocked lightly, knowing that Leonardo was still awake by the flickering lights in the windows. There was a muffled invitation in return, and with slight trepidation, Ezio slid the door open. The sight he was greeted with was a half turned over workshop; the easels that had been set up in a circle were now in completely different positions, some not even standing anymore, and the tables that had been littered with sketches, scrolls and supplies were now somehow even more messed. He cast a wary eye around the room, finally spotting the artist sitting at a small desk, an almost empty glass of red wine in his hand with an open bottle sitting before him, looking miserable.

Quickly striding forward, Ezio attempted to placate the artist, "Mi dispiace, Leonardo, I wouldn't usually come so late, but-"

Leonardo held out an empty hand, cutting the assassin off, "My hat, Ezio."

Looking slightly embarrassed, Ezio took both the hat and journal out from their resting place and handed it to his friend, "You knew?"

A small smile graced the painter's face, "You should keep all sounds of triumph to yourself until you are much farther away from your targets, my friend."

"Ah, of course, I was onl-"

"Did you see inside?" Leonardo interrupted him again, and Ezio floundered before finally answering quietly, "... Sí."

"So, now all that remains is to determine your amount of disgust is, and act accordingly, correct?"

"Disgust, Leonardo, I am not disgusted-"

"Ah, then we shall pretend this never happened, and continue on as friends." Leonardo said with a tone of certainty to his voice as he stood.

"That is not... Are you drunk?" Ezio asked, watching as the painter had to use the table to remain steady.

"Perhaps, but that is not of concern right now," Leonardo replied tersely, waving him off when Ezio stepped forward to help him, "Now, are we in agreement that we shall forget you ever found my journal, and things will continue on has they have?"

Ezio shook his head, frowning at the painter's reluctance, "No, Leonardo, I cannot just act like nothing has happened."

Leonardo seemed to lose some of his determination, and Ezio could see a flicker of depression on his face as he looked down at the wine glass on the table, "Then if you prefer we shall limit our interactions to just when you needed a codex page translated-"

"No! That is not what I want."

"Then what do you want, Ezio? Please let me know because I refuse to hope or think or…" Leonardo sighed, and seemed to struggle to regain his composure before he looked at Ezio with a desperate expression, "Please, my friend, tell me what we are now."

"Leonardo, I…" Ezio trailed off, still not sure what he wanted to come of this confrontation.

Sensing this, the painter immediately bristled, the desperate look replaced by anger, "I am going to bed, Ezio, when you decide what I should feel, please let me know."

Ezio was not sure what came over him as he watched his friend turn away, that sad look on his face once more as he began to head for the stairs, but suddenly he was suddenly reaching out, grabbing Leonardo's arm and turning him back around. He could see the confused look on the other's face but did not give Leonardo chance to question his actions, pushing his lips against the artist's in a soft but insistent kiss. He could feel Leonardo tense against him, raising his hands to push lightly against Ezio's chest, but the assassin was determined, somehow knowing that if he didn't get this right, that if Leonardo didn't understand how he felt now, then nothing would ever happen between the two of them. After several tense seconds Leonardo finally relaxed, making a small sound in the back of his throat and no longer pushing at Ezio's chest. Instead he had moved his arms up to encircle the assassin's neck, brushing his tongue against Ezio's mouth in a quest for entry. Surprised slightly at Leonardo's sudden forwardness, Ezio hesitated briefly before reciprocating, noticing at once the strong taste of alcohol on the painter's tongue, and wondering once again just how much Leonardo had drank. When they separated several minutes later, both men were breathing heavily, and Ezio wasn't too sure if the faint redness on Leonardo's face was from alcohol or arousal. He'd like to think it was from the latter.

"As much as would like to continue this my friend, I don't think I could in good conscious, not with how inebriated you are right now." Ezio said this with a small smile, noticing the sudden frown taking over the other's face.

"I have not had that much-" Leonardo started to protest, but Ezio had already reached around him to grab the open bottle, shaking it slightly so that the sloshing liquid could easily be heard in the quiet room.

"Wasn't this a gift you received from a patron not too long ago? And I believe it was full when I visited this morning…" Ezio trailed off, flashing a smirk at the painter's embarrassed look.

Frowning now, Leonardo mumbled, "I believe one's allowed to become intoxicated when they're faced with losing the one they love."

"It's amazing that your speech is so clear, even though you are drunk yet speak better than most do sober, if it wasn't for the almost empty bottle and the alcohol on your breath one would never know you are intoxicated." Ezio said this with a tone of awe, not noticing the sour look on the artist's face at the comment as the assassin replaced the bottle on the desk.

"And you are amazing as well, only concerned with the quality of my speech and not that I just said I love you." Leonardo said with a sigh, obviously peeved.

Quickly realizing his mistake, Ezio turned back towards Leonardo and kissed him soundly, earning another soft noise from the other male before he pulled away, "I apologize, amore mio, I did not mean to upset you."

Leonardo became flustered, seemingly at a lost for what to say before finally mumbling, "I-it's getting late, would you like to stay…"

But the assassin quickly cut in, "I told you I do not plan on doing anything with you tonight, it would not feel right when you are not sober."

His friend looked at him with exasperation as he pulled away from Ezio and headed for the stairs, "There are other things one can do in a bed besides have sex, Ezio. Sleeping comes to mind."

"But sex is so much more fun." Ezio replied with a grin, as he followed the painter upstairs, adding in a sultry tone, "Especially when it's with me."

"As I am sure the majority of women living in Italia could attest to." Leonardo replied sardonically, getting to the top of the steps before suddenly stopping to turn back towards the younger male, his face barely discernible in the darkness. "One thing, Ezio."

Confused by the sudden seriousness of the painter, Ezio questioned, "What is it, Leonardo?"

There was a pause as if the painter was considering what to say before he finally began, "If you decide to take my hat again, I am afraid I must remind you that I still have room for one more corpse to study downstairs, and I have always been interested in examining a very fit male, understood?"

The warning caused for Ezio's brow to lift in surprise, suddenly wary of what he thought was his harmless friend, "S-sí, Leonardo."

A bright smile suddenly appeared on the artist's face, completely offsetting after such a dark threat, turning back around with a small stumble to continue into the room. "Bene! Let us get some rest then? You look like you could use some, amore mio."

"Rest would be good." Ezio mumbled, still watching his friend cautiously as he entered the room, vowing silently that he would never take anything of the artist's again without explicit approval, nor do anything else that could anger the older male. Going so far as to keeping his collection of throwing knives close to the bed after he had stripped down to his under clothes, just in case.

______________________________________

This is another story based off a picture of Doubleleaf's on Deviantart: http://doubleleaf.deviantart.com/art/Mission-Take-Leo-s-Hat-156130351

Once again you can comment on it on Y!Gallery: http://yaoi.y-gallery.net/view/661940/

Forgot to mention on the other story that because it's an explicit story, when you try to view it without being logged in it appears as a broken link instead, this one should show up whether your logged or not. Don't know why they don't have it where you can at least have a page asking you to please log in to view the page but oh well.