(fic) Method of Inquiry part 1 AC2

[squirrellysemantics]

Title: Method of Inquiry
Chapter 1 of who knows
Fandom: Assassin's Creed 2
Pairing: Ezio/Leonardo
Rating: Pretty PG for this chapter but full NC17 eventually
Preemptive warning that there will be exploration of bondage and D/s for this pairing, just not yet.
I do not own AC2 or any of its characters.

Way to start another multi parter when I've got a bunch else left to do.  I've been replaying the game in Italian with English subtitles to prepare for my upcoming trip to Italy and I've fallen in love with young Ezio and young Leonardo.  Comments are greatly appreciated but please don't crosspost to fb/twitter.  Thanks!

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Leonardo tossed the bag of supplies from his back and heaved himself out onto overheated red tile, sweat trickling down the small of his back.  The Tuscan sun had done its best to bake the denizens of Firenze and the warmth of the day still radiated from the rooftops.  He divested himself of his doublet and sighed at the relief brought by a breeze of early evening.  It was rare that he had the chance to look over the city from a perspective such as this and he berated himself for not taking more opportunity to do so.  The commissions from Madonna Maria kept him busy and for that he was grateful, but it left him little time to indulge small pleasures such as these.

The seclusion of being flagged by two taller buildings made the spot everything that he’d hoped for. Guards rarely came this far north which only heightened his satisfaction. Rolling up his sleeves, he set himself to work, extricating with care the bulky clock that he had so gingerly carried up ladder after ladder to his current vantage point.  Even if he found its size ponderous, the clock had been the smallest he’d yet been able to produce.  He eased upright, the lack of wind pleasing him greatly.  This night had been planned out in great detail.  Rustling through the bag, he pulled out a rock and walked to the roof’s precipitous edge and let it fall from his hand.  

Ticking off with the clock: one, two- ah!  The satisfying clatter of the rock hitting the empty road below put a small grin on his face.  With a few more adjustments, the clock would be precise enough for him to study the motion of falling objects but for now it was enough.  He reached back into his back and pulled out a broad piece of linen- painstakingly stitched and seams gummed closed- that formed a shape of a pyramid.  Picking out a stone that had been equal in weight to the first, he settled the rock into the basket specially created for it that created a tether to the linen.  Back along the edge, he held the pyramid and its passenger at its peak and let… it… go.

One, two, three, four, five- He cautiously peered over the side to watch the cloth balloon out, the air underneath it slowing its descent to the earth below.  His mind was already awhirl; triumphant for the barest of an instant before calculating just what dimensions he would need to scale his creation to deliver a man could safely to the earth below.  It so consumed him that the clatter of footsteps nearby took some time to sink in.  Leonardo looked up from his hiding spot just as a sleek silhouette flew overhead.

There was huffing and puffing of someone in not so quick pursuit. “Get back here, stronzo!” 

A guard gasping as if he would draw his last breath there and then balked at the treacherous jump between buildings, halting at the overlook just above Leonardo to force the artist back into the shadows.  Clutching at his side, the guard doubled over to catch what air he could – much to Leonardo’s misfortune.

“You -“ The man was red faced as he panted, furious to find another transgressor so soon and one witness to his failure no less. “Should not be up here!”  Finding the energy to unsheathe his dagger, the guard jumped to Leonardo’s level more than content to go after easier prey.

 “Please!”  Leonardo tried to back up more but there was little room remaining.  “I… I am just here to appreciate the view! Really… no harm done!  If you could just see fit to let me go-“

“No! No more -chasing!” The guard spoke in grunts, rage contorting his face.  “Make- a lesson- of you!”

Leonardo felt his heart climb into his throat, all his focus tunneling on the blade reflecting the pale moon’s glow. Spirito Santo. 

A shadow fell across them both from above and a flurry of violence as another body appeared from nowhere.  It was all fists and blows and at the end of it all the guard was a bloodied, groaning mess atop what was left of the precious clock.  The last thing Leonardo expected to see was the handsome face of his patron’s son blossoming into a smile of recognition.

“Messer da Vinci!”

They both looked up as more footsteps rang out on clay tile, growing louder and louder as they approached.   A myriad of voices echoed off of walls. “He must be around here somewhere!  Find him!”

The young man bashfully scratched at the back of his neck, looking quite apologetic.  “I think it may be best if we were to leave.” 

Scrambling up the heights and they were off, sprinting along the rooftops like madmen. 

“My apologies for dropping you into this guard business!” the young man – Ezio, his name was Ezio- called out as he ran.  He continued to lead the way, not a bit out of breath.  “I don’t usually bump into others out here.”

Doing his best to keep up,  Leonardo was amazed at how effortless the man made it seem.  “’Usually?’  Do this often, do you?”

The rakish grin Ezio shot over his shoulder almost made the artist falter.  “Quite often!”  Without missing a beat, he launched himself between buildings to land in a nimble roll before reaching his feet again.  The man turned, waiting for the other man to follow.

Leonardo paused at the gap, but the guards were still in pursuit.  With a hesitant start, he made the jump but barely- Ezio grabbing his hand to help steady him.

The young man regarded the artist with that grin still settled on his face. “You have me intrigued, Messer da Vinci.”

“Please.  Leonardo.”

The grin grew broader.  “You have me intrigued, Leonardo.”  Ezio took a quick glance back at their pursuers closing in and was off again.  “What brings you to the rooftops so late at night?”

Running was not precisely the artist’s strong suit.  “An experiment,” he gasped.  “Testing a new design of mine from concept to reality.”

“So you meant what you said about wanting to change the world?”

“Of course!”  It was all he manage as they continued to race.

“And what was this experiment?”

“A simple one.”  Leonardo gulped another lungful of air.  “Understanding how we can affect the descent of falling objects.”

Ezio barked out a laugh as he scaled a wall of a close tower.  “Perhaps I could help you with that.  I have some passing familiarity with the concept.”

It was with difficulty that Leonardo followed.  He clambered over the tiled overlay just in time to see a group of pigeons at Ezio’s feet take to the air, startled by the presence of man. 

Leonardo felt his stomach flutter as he joined the young man at the tower’s far corner.  He cautiously peeked over the edge. They had climbed quite high, higher than expected, tiny hay cart looking impossibly far away.  No outlet except the way that they had come and the guards were still hot on their heels.  “We’re trapped.”

He could feel Ezio’s breath warm his ear.  “Have a little faith, Leonardo.”

An arm wrapped around his waist and suddenly they were falling, falling.

Loose shirt sleeves flapping as the wind raced past.

 All of time frozen and racing by all at once. 

It was- exhilarating.

And then… Oof!  The hay cart should never have been able to cushion them both but it did, coarse stems digging into Leonardo’s shoulder.

“As I was saying,” Ezio whispered as if hiding in a cart of hay were the most normal thing in all the world. “You could consider me sort of an expert in falling.”

Leonardo tried to contain his laughter.  “I suppose I could find some use for you.”  

“Perfecto!” the man said softly, his smile still visible in what little light filtered through. “My mother just mentioned that I need new outlets.”

Comments

[yumearashi.livejournal.com]

*squee!* That was good! I look forward to more ^_^

[alexb49.livejournal.com]

thanks so much! glad you liked it

[cloud-x-nine.livejournal.com]

That last line had me laughing like a maniac. I can't wait to see more of this, I've re-read your past fics more times than would be considered healthy.

[alexb49.livejournal.com]

Ha! Thanks! I'll be in Italy for a few days plotting like a fiend!