Work Text:
“He’s there! On him!”
“Cazzo…!”
Where the hell had that archer come from?! The Venetian sunlight beat down on Ezio’s hood as he ran across the rooftops, attempting to dodge the arrows flying at him.
“Fottutamente rotinculo!” he growled beneath his breath. No more careless running… it would cost him dearly next time, he was sure. However, today was not a day he wanted to spend fighting off the guards. He needed to hurry…
So, he ran.
He attempted to zig-zag, but a red hot pain erupted in his rear end.
“A-Agh!”
He staggered, tried to correct himself, and after a moment of flailing became very close friends with the pavement below. He cursed loudly.
“D-Dio, that hurts!”
He could still hear the guards shouting above him, and it only took one arrow nearly making a hole in his hood to send him limping off. He felt like his nose was running, and when he swiped his tongue across his upper lip, he tasted a metallic copper.
“Merda! Got to find cover…”
Footsteps caught his attention, and he looked up in time for an arrow to embed itself in his shoulder, drawing another curse from him. He returned the arrow with a throwing knife and ran again, ripping the shaft from his flesh. He smirked in satisfaction as he heard the thunk of the corpse hitting the pavement. He could feel blood soaking the back of his breeches from the arrow. Each movement was like a lance in his backside.
Fortuna smiled upon him as he saw a hay wagon and he tumbled into it, hardly breathing though his wounds screamed in pain. He couldn’t move the arm with the injured shoulder, but his other arm was poised, ready to strike should a guard discover him. For a few long minutes, all he heard was his own stifled breathing and the crowd around him. Soon, the voices of searching guards faded and Ezio managed to crawl from the wagon, favoring the wounded side of his rear.
“A-Agh, goddammit… fucking archers!”
Thankfully, his destination was near…
---
A heavy thud against his door startled Leonardo from staring blankly at his canvas. He waited, curious if it was the guards, but when no rude demands to enter were made, he became suspicious. Then, a light knocking followed. His door creaked open, and in limped Ezio Auditore. A few drops of blood leaked from around his boots, oozing from the somewhat hidden wound on his butt.
“Ezio! What can I—Il mio dio, Ezio! What has happened to you?!”
He hurried to his friend’s side, hands raised as if to touch him, but nervous to do so.
“It’s nothing… I just didn’t think I could limp my sorry self all the way to a doctor… Besides, you are knowledgeable, yes? I trust you more than I trust any sanitario.” He kept himself leaned against the wall, still favoring the wounded side. His eyes showed great pain from having to walk on it, yet they looked questioningly, hopefully at Leonardo. He almost reminded him of a puppy with a thorn in its paw.
If he hadn’t been worried, Leonardo would have laughed. After all, it’s not every day that the oh-so-skilled Assassin gets shot in the rear by an arrow, or gives you puppy eyes.
“Yes, yes, come in, I’ll get some spirits…”
He pulled Ezio inside and hurried further inside his workshop, cursing when he tripped over clutter, and returning shortly with a bottle of wine, a small basin of water, a cloth and a handful of bandages.
Ezio eyed the bottle hopefully, “Bene, something to dull the pain…”
“Sorry, no, I need this for your wounds, mi amico,” when Ezio’s face fell, Leonardo tried to comfort him with a smile, “Don’t fret! We’ll have a better one when we’re done here. Now, show me your wounds.”
Ezio stiffly removed what clothing he could from the shoulder wound and shook back his hood, revealing the bloody nose. He tensed as Leonardo dabbed the dried blood away from his shoulder, hissing between his teeth. The tensed muscles drew the genius’ attention, and he watched from the corner of his eye as they moved with each touch of the cloth. His mouth ended up going a bit dry.
Leonardo grasped the bottle’s cork between his teeth and gave it a good tug, popping it free. Ezio could tell from the smell it was a cheaper wine, but when Leonardo poured it over his wound he no longer cared.
“Figlio d’un cane--!!”
His shoulder burned and screamed, going numb after a few seconds. Leonardo carefully dabbed the excess wine away and wrapped it in bandages, tying it tightly.
“There, that wasn’t so bad. Now show me the other one.”
Ezio stared at him in disbelief, “Are you insane?! That hurt like hell! I’m tempted to take my chances with a doctor!”
A scowl crossed the artist’s face, “You may as well let me finish since you’re already here! Don’t be such a child!”
Scolded, Ezio turned, face flushing. The arrow shaft was lodged into Ezio right cheek at an angle, the feathers looking almost like those from a bird in the right light. Leo couldn’t hold back a snicker.
“What? What’s so funny?” Ezio growled crossly.
“You look like you have tail feathers.”
Ezio growled again, unamused. With a final chuckle, Leonardo grasped the arrow shaft.
“Pronti? Su tre.”
Again Ezio tensed, bracing against a worktable.
“Uno.”
He pulled the arrow from Ezio’s flesh, earning a startled yelp from the assassin and a fresh gush of blood.
“Lei bastardo, lei ha detto tre!!”
“Mi dispiace, Ezio. It was the easiest way…” he slipped the pants down the cursing assassin’s hips, ignoring the way his face flushed as he did. Ezio’s body was beautiful, and having it mostly exposed was getting to Leonardo… he couldn’t resist a small caress along Ezio’s uninjured side while he was distracted.
“Hurry up, Leonardo! Cazzo…”
“Ah, of course!”
He cleaned the blood and picked up the bottle once more. Again the wine flowed over a wound, and Ezio cursed even louder, the stinging in that tender area being a bit more intense than he was expecting. Though he had stopped pouring, Leonardo was fascinated with the trails the wine was leaving over Ezio’s pale skin.
He was so tempted to just lean forward and…
No. No, he couldn’t. Ezio was a dear friend, and that was all. Nothing more.
The bandages he wrapped around Ezio’s buttocks was a bit awkward and brought him near contact with Ezio’s private bits, but he managed to keep his hands to himself, despite how easy it would’ve been to take advantage of the younger one at this moment. But, he’d never do that to Ezio.
As Ezio readjusted his clothing, Leonardo cleaned out the rag and leaned up to clean off the area around his nose.
“There, all done. Now, what else have you come to see me for?”
Ezio gave him a lopsided smile and handed him a codex page.
“Ah, you’ve found another! How exciting!”