31} Old Wounds

I'm trying to update every weekend/Friday so bear with me and I'll try to be consistent with that schedule, love you all 😍

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Ezio's pov

The guards start dropping like flies and I'm suddenly glad of the thieves' presences on the roofs. Pretty soon it's only me and two brutes on the ground, squaring off.

Not a moment after committing myself to an attack on the first of the guards, he freezes and a pained groan escapes him. Falling forward he reveals a shivering, dripping figure baring two daggers behind his once tall silhouette.

Their clothes are soaked and there's a barely noticeable quiver in their shoulders. What strikes me as more interesting is their familiar gear and (f/c) cloak. She made it out without me...? Not sure if I'm happy or embarrassed.

She hurls on the other brute and slashes away with both daggers, each hit merely bouncing off his thick armour. She goes in for a strike and the brute takes a swing at her with his sword.

I swear the smile on that girls face is noticeable to even the thieves on the roofs. Without any hesitation, she counters the sword and throws it upwards with all her strength. Darting forwards she sidesteps the man and comes to a rest behind him, leaping up to match his height and thrusting both blades into the unfortunate man's underarms. With a cry and a slight gurgle, he falls to his knees. She ruthlessly drags her blade across his throat, cutting through his jugular and windpipe.

She walks toward me and lifts both blades to put them back in her belt, also lifting her drenched hood.

"Sorry, I got the party started without you." (Y/n) wobbles on her feet a little but stays afoot. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."

I open my mouth to retort but soon close it again for a lack of words. I settle for pulling her in and wrapping my arms around her cold body. She stiffens and a small gasp escapes her mouth as her body starts to go limp.

"(Y/n)!?" I gently assist her to the ground and notice a big red stain on the left shoulder of her top. She grimaces as a pull one of her arms out the baggy shirt and move it down just far enough to see her wound.

"It's deep, maybe all the way through." A calm voice says from behind. "She needs help, and quickly"

"Antonio, if I carry her back to your hideout can you fix her up?" I'm pretty sure the desperation is evident in my eyes and my voice but I couldn't care less.

"You have a job to do Ezio, don't let this distract you from your goal. You heard so yourself, Emilio knows your in Venice now so this job will only get harder." I know he's right but I don't want to admit it.

"This job can wait, (y/n) living is more important than that man dying!" I hiss, trying to stay calm.

"Don't be an idiot. This is why I didn't want to work with you," she grunts and tried to stand, heavily reliant on my supporting arm around her waist. "Your emotions get in the way too much! It's just a scratch and I can handle myself."

Antonio notices how unstable she is and pulls out a long piece of cloth, tying it around her arm and shoulder to form a sling.

"That should take most the weight off of it," his eyebrows furrow with concern at her shaking and stumbling "but are you sure you're going to be able to walk? It's no trouble for-"

"I'm fine!" She yells as she starts striding away. "Which way to hideout?"

Antonio pulls out a syringe much like my hallucinogenic darts and flicks it check for air in the yellow liquid. He sneaks up behind her and delicately holds her as he emptied the content into her good arm. She yelps and violently staggers backwards, her heel catching on a raised cobblestone and tripping her up. Before she can hit the ground I catch her with both arms and hold her by her waist, steadily sinking to the ground from the awkward hold.

"Antonio! What did you do?" I shout, worry and another strange feeling bubbling up inside me. It feels a lot like my heart is being squeezed...but it doesn't feel like a bad thing to me.

"Don't worry my friend, just a strong medicine. They use it on the battlefield a lot, it makes you a little drowsy." Antonio shrugs and signals for two of his men to come over, "take this woman and put her in one of our boats, make sure you're careful with her. Or you'll have to answer to Ezio here."

I hear the faint chuckles but I ignore them completely. She's so peaceful when she's like this, not a care in her head. I wish she was always this calm, not like her usual fiery, temperamental state. I trail my fingers along her soft, (s/t) cheek and gently brush a few loose strands of (h/c) hair out of her face.

"Please just hold on, I'll be back soon (y/n). I promise."

The two thieves step forwards and I gently rest her fully on the ground before standing to let them get to her. They take care not to touch her shoulder and appear to be very wary of my vicious gaze.

"Give me 15minutes Antonio. I'll make this one quick." -----

(Y/n)'s POV

I remember the stinging slap of water and a following rush of excruciating pain- I must've reopened some stitches.

After that I can vaguely remember a fight and... Ezio. Ezio was there. He hugged me I think. He knocked my shoulder and I can only recall being in so much pain it made my body shake and all I wanted was to throw up and cry. That's about it, I can't tell you anything that's happened since then.

Glancing around the strange room I notice that I'm lying on a table and I'm not alone. Sitting on a chair with his torso slumped over my bed is Ezio. His breathing is heavy and his eyes are gently closed. The dark circles under his eyes are visible from here.

"He tried to stay awake until you woke up but I guess you were out too long for him to last." A woman clad in a thief's outfit is leaning against the door with her arms folded, a pitying look adorning her harsh features.

"How long was I asleep for?" I ask, a big yawn escaping me in the process.

"It's been close to a month now since Antonio brought you back. He's been keeping you on heavy pain relief since then. He stopped giving it to you a few days ago so we were all surprised you took this long to wake up." Her uninterested demeanour and monotonous tone must have exhausted me because I can feel another yawn coming on.

"Mmm, well thank you...?" I realise she didn't even give me he name or an introduction.

"Rosa" she interjects a little too spitefully for my liking.

"Thank you Rosa for updating me, but I would really like to speak to that man I saw last night. The one who's in charge of this...group." I remember Ezio saying his name more than once but I can't be sure what his name actually was.

"Antonio? He's busy. Unlike someone," she directs a pointed scowl towards Ezio and I feel a strange spike of anger, "we can't all just drop whatever we're doing for a whole month waiting for some stranger to wake up."

"Well then you obviously haven't met someone worth waiting for. I'd do the same for him."  I find myself smiling against my will at the sight of Ezio yawning in his sleep and stirring slightly, causing his dark hair to fall over his darkened eyes. I reach out and gently brush them to the side, surprised at how soft his hair feels. Wait...what?!?!

What the hell am I doing?

I retract my hand quickly and stand, taking the blanket off the bed and draping it over Ezio. Raising my usual tough façade once again, I whirl on Rosa and notice I'm wearing just a baggy shirt.

"Give me my gear and Antonio's location. A map of the city would also be nice." I roll my shoulder, revelling in the fact that there's minimal pain.

"And what makes you think you can demand these things?" Rosa raises her chin in defiance.

"Because I'm going to be the one to liberate Venice. Now do as I say...before I have to make you." She hesitates but in the end just tuts and walks away, returning minutes later with a box of my stuff.

"Here. Antonio should be in his office but he won't be free to talk until this evening. If you get bored the. Come see me; maybe you could actually be useful to us." With that she turns and storms out, not quite slamming the door.

"Hmmm..." I scour the map for anything of interest but find nothing of value, "well then. I think I might go pay a dear friend a visit." --------

I know it's towards the end of the weekend but it's on the weekend nonetheless! It took a while to write so I hope it's amazing and I also hope you're having an eventful Mother's Day.

On a different ,more suicidal, note...

Can somebody please just kill me?!?!? I'm trying to write an English essay about Mercutio and I just really can't english!!!!! If you have any tips on essay writing then I'm all ears but thanks for reading

Love you all

EzioCharisma Xxx