Under the Ponte

One day, Ezio hoped, he would be able to walk the streets of Venezia freely.  How glorious it would be to not need the hood that shadowed his face.  He remembered his carefree days in Firenze, before he ever donned the concealing robes of the Assassin.  Back then, he had been so young, so unaware of the dangers that--

"Ezio!  They're ahead of us, too!"

Leonardo's frantic words brought him back to the present, to the current dangers that he faced.  Though they had gained some time running from the guards behind them, now as they approached the Ponte Rialto more were moving in.  Ezio thanked God that there wasn't anyone on the rooftops; they would have picked him off by now otherwise.

They couldn't stop moving.  If they did, the men behind them would catch up, and they'd be pinned.  Four guards came toward them from the left--a stroke of bad timing, that; these were fresh troops who just happened to be on patrol.  Added to the three at their backs and the other four drawing close from the other side of the bridge, Ezio decided he disliked those odds.  He'd have tossed down a smoke bomb and torn them apart, except that this time he had Leonardo to worry about.

Poor Leo, caught up completely by accident.  This would teach him to approach his innocent friend on the street when he wasn't completely sure they'd be unnoticed.  Now Leonardo ran alongside him, hanging on to his hat and clutching his bag of groceries for dear life.  If they had time to think, Ezio would have done something to uninvolve Leonardo, but it was too late once he heard the guard shout something about arresting the assassin's accomplice.  Next time he'd--

"Ezio, look out!"

This time, the cry was a warning.  Ezio could feel the breeze of an arrow as it passed, fletchings almost tickling his nose.  He had to think but being shot at made thinking difficult.  His eyes shifted into his second sight, calculating the chances he had in each direction.

There was nowhere he could go.

Up, he could escape, but Leonardo would be left behind.  Risk: unacceptable.

He could fight, but again, Leonardo would be caught in the fray.  Risk: also unacceptable.

There was only one other option, and he had to take it now or there wouldn't be another chance.  Risk: Acceptable. And necessary.

"Jump!" he shouted, though he didn't give Leonardo the choice.  He shouldered into Leonardo and toppled them both into the canal, just out of sight of their pursuers.  Confused shouts rang in the streets and then were muffled by water as he dove in.

He broke the surface and was instantly aware of thrashing beside him; Leonardo gasped and flailed, trying hard to stay afloat.  Ezio swam over to him and, without speaking, wound a strong arm around his chest and dragged Leo to the dubious shelter of the underside of the bridge.

Leonardo clung to him, terrified.  Somehow, he still retained his hat, but the satchel of food was nowhere to be seen.  "I--I don't know how to swim--Ezio..." he whispered, panicking.  He tried to kick his feet but succeeded only in making noise.

Noise was the last thing Ezio wanted.  He adjusted his hold so that his arms went about Leonardo's waist, hugging him.  "Shh, amico.  It's all right.  I have you."  He pitched his voice to soothe.  "I won't let you drown.  Let me swim for both of us.  You just need to hold onto me.  Va bene."

The other man's arms tightened about his neck, though little by little, Leonardo calmed, aided by the stone wall at his back and the sure presence of the Assassin buoying him up.  The water that lapped at them was cold except for the space between them, where it warmed from their reflected body heat.  Ezio felt his friend relax into the embrace at last, even as he heard the tramp of booted feet on the ponte and the angry calls of the guards.

"Where did he go?" Demanded one.  A captain, perhaps.  A chorus of 'I don't know' answered his question.  "Well, keep looking!  He can't have gone far."

The voices began to fade.  Soon, Ezio's second sight marked only one guard left in the area, perhaps to watch the juncture of three streets and to sound the alarm should he spot their quarry.

Leonardo was shivering against him.  Though he had definitely calmed, his form was still pressed to Ezio's, his face buried against Ezio's shoulder.  Ezio murmured in encouragement and received a squeeze about his neck in reply.  He smiled to himself.  Not long now; soon they would be able to get away.

Except that they might be discovered after all.  From the corner of his eye, Ezio could see the satchel of groceries, floating thanks to the apples Leonardo had bought earlier, bobbing on the faint current under the bridge.  It moved slowly past him and toward the uncovered water.

"Leo," he breathed, and he felt the other man start, a shifting warmth against him, "I need to move one of my hands."  When Leonardo pulled away just the slightest bit, Ezio jerked his head toward the bag.  "I need to get it.  Just hold on, all right?"

A hesitant nod.  A flush covered Leonardo's cheeks; Ezio hoped it was from the excitement of the chase and not from the cold.

"Va bene," he said again, with an encouraging smile, and Leonardo looked a little braver.  Ezio removed his hand from where it rested between Leonardo and the wall, and slowly...so slowly, for he could not risk making noise...reached out to grab the fluttering strap before it flowed out of range.  He cursed the light splash of his hand when he missed it at first, but then his fingertips caught it.  Still careful not to make a sound, he dragged it back under the bridge and into their hiding spot.

Not a moment too late, either, for the guard turned just as the bag's wake dissipated into the normal ripples on the surface of the canal.  Ezio, hidden by the bridge but able to see his enemy, was gratified to see the guard scan the area and then turn away.  A call from the captain sounded from down the street; they had more pressing things to tend to than chase the assassin who was likely gone already.  The guard took one last look around and then sprinted after his superior.

Ezio's sigh of relief was mirrored by Leonardo's, the two of them releasing a tension they had not noticed until then.  Leonardo slumped against him.  "N-n-n-never," he muttered, teeth chattering, "d-d-d-do that ag-g-g-gain."

His breath was hot on Ezio's neck, and without the danger to distract them, the moment was suddenly, strangely intimate.  He swallowed, not really sure what to think, and forced a note of confidence into his voice.  "It wasn't that bad, was it?"  He chuckled, then added more softly, "I would not have let you go."

The look Leonardo gave him was incredulous at first, but became unreadable at that last part.  "I know," he whispered after a moment, "But you still owe me."

Ezio told himself that the shiver that ran through him was from the cold and not from the image Leonardo's words brought to mind.  Instead, he changed the subject.  "Come on, amico.  Let's get you onto dry land."

With far less effort and fanfare than their jump in, they clambered from the canal, water streaming from their clothes and squelching in their boots with every step.  They ignored the stares of the townsfolk they passed, who watched them with wide eyes.

When they reached the workshop, Ezio made sure Leonardo was safely inside before he turned to go, tugging his damp hood over his hair once more.  But a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Where are you going?"  Leonardo frowned at him.  "You're soaking wet."

"I know.  I was going up to the rooftops to dry off under the sun."

"Don't be silly."  Leonardo sighed and pulled him back into the room.  "Come on, my fire is big enough for both of us.  You can sit with me," he said, and here he pushed the hood back from Ezio's face, "and maybe we can talk about how you can make this up to me."

"We should start with swimming lessons," Ezio grinned and dodged the smack aimed at his arm.

"Cretino," Sighed Leonardo fondly, as he led his handsome assassin, laughing, to the hearth.