2Promises Lost and Found
After many hours of running in the warm Florentine sun, Ezio arrived at the rendezvous point, La Palazzo Senatorio. The night before, Leonardo had sent a message to meet him there in 24 hours, leaving the reason for the meeting unknown.
Night has quickly fallen, painting the dark night with twinkles of light across it. Perched atop the ledge of one the many buildings surrounding the square, a slight grin grew on his lips as he remembered the countless hours he had spent in his childhood in this part of Firenze. How he used to play hide and seek with his older brother, Frederico, and also oogle at the various courtesans that usually lingered around the square. He sighed deeply as even now he remembered the faint aromatic perfumes from the courtesans that wafted through the square during the day. And best of all, how he and his best friend Leonardo, would lie down and stare at the night sky, with Ezio staring in awe while Leonardo recited the names of all the stars in the night sky.
Those were the good times. The fun times. Before death and revenge came into his life.
Shaking himself out of his reverie, Ezio looked around to see if his associate had arrived. As he scans the outskirts and dark alleyways, he spots a lone figure standing off to the side in an alleyway, shrouded by the growing night and darkness. It must be him, Ezio thought to himself.
Nimbly leaping off the side of the building, Ezio clambers downward and quickly reaches street level. He silently walks over to the figure and slowly, the mysterious darkness gave way to a familiar face.
"It's good to you, Leonardo." Ezio smiled warmly, greeting his old friend.
"It's nice to see you too…Ezio…" Leonardo whispered weakly, barely audible to the young assassin. Something seemed to be troubling Leonardo.
"So, is there any reason why you ca-"
He was silenced by warm lips as Leonardo closed the gap between the two men. Reaching around the man's waist, Leonardo embraced him, caressing every dip and curve of his thick, but solid, body. Ezio was too shocked to resist, as Leonardo probed his tongue deeper and deeper, exploring where no woman has ever dared. He felt every movement, every touch, burned with a passion that Ezio never knew Leonardo had.
All the while, a million questions pounded into Ezio's mind. The initial cold chill down his spine from surprise was quickly replaced with the fiery passion that Leonardo passed from his lips. Nothing, not even his beloved Cristina, could replicate the feelings that he felt now for Leonardo, a mix of curiosity and complete obsession burned into every place Leonardo's hands reached, leaving a blazing trail of sensation trickling down his spine. And at that moment, Ezio remembered something in his childhood, something almost long forgotten…
A warm summer night greeted a young Ezio as he bursted out of the front door of his home, reveling in the beautiful musk of the night air. His long-time friend, Leonardo, had requested that they meet each other in the Palazzo to watch the stars.
Ambling with all the joy a young boy could have, Ezio arrived at the Palazzo, glancing around for his friend. He was not hard find, as the young artist already displayed an aura of genius unlike other children. The two embraced in a friendly hug as young children normally do.
"I have a special place I want to show you." Leonardo exclaimed excitedly.
Taking Ezio's hand, Leonardo dragged Ezio along at a frenzied pace, much to the dismay of the young boy. Wherever Leonardo was taking him, Ezio wondered, it must be a very wonderful place.
Leaving the city walls, Leonardo led Ezio to a hill that bulged out of the Tuscan countryside. With the two of them lying down on top of the hill (holding hands of course 3), they looked up together to view the wonders of the sky.
The night sky that they previously viewed at the Palazzo was nothing compared to the luminosity and splendor that the night sky under the quiet Tuscan countryside. Each star now seemed to have a life of its own, pulsing and beating against the pitch black backdrop of the sky. If he were to die right now, Ezio thought to himself, at least he would die under such a marvelous sky.
After a long silence, Leonard tilted his head to Ezio, eyeing the young boy nervously.
"Hey, Ezio, can I ask you something?" There was a falter in his voice.
"What is it?"
"Do you think of me as more than friend?"
Immediately, Ezio felt like he was punched in the face as the blood instantly to his head, causing him to blush like a ripe cherry. So many questions flooded his head as he tried to figure out how to respond…
"I…I…I…I don't know..." Ezio as if the world was watching him, hanging on to every syllable.
"Oh… well then promise me something…" replied Leonardo, somewhat disheartened, but still there was a hardness in his voice that showed he meant every word.
"Yeah..sure…"
"Promise me that you can give me an answer."
And with that, Leonardo leaned toward Ezio, planting a small kiss on his cheek, causing both of the boys to blush deeper than a bouquet of red roses. Before Ezio could even respond, Leonardo bounded off, leaving Ezio in a sea of emotions….
Waking himself from this vision, Ezio finally understood as he pulled Leonardo closer to him, returning the favor of what Leonardo had started. His fingers started dancing around the back of Leonardo's neck, pulling him closer. He took in everything Leonardo had to offer, his wonderous scent, his dirty blonde hair, everything that Ezio had ever wanted in a lover. With a final push, Ezio pulled away, uttering the two words that have been hanging on the tip of his tongue ever since that night under the stars.
"I promise."