A game, or real life? (Ezio x reader)

There cannot be happiness without grief

That month of January, with our permission and with Leandro's green card, Yusuf took Aurora and their young little Mariana on a long voyage, where they'd stay with the Ottoman brotherhood in Constantinopoli for a few months, perhaps even a year, before finally returning to Roma. It was weird to see them leave, especially little Mariana who bore such an uncanny resemblance to her father through her light blue eyes and black curly hair, but I knew we had to let them go. Hell, they were adults. They could take care of themselves, and that was something Ezio and I needed to accept, no matter how much it pained us to do.

Regardless, when April arrived, we received a letter from our beloved friend Leonardo, sent to us from his house in Amboise, in the Kingdom of France. And when we got it, we didn't even hesitate to pack up and leave. We knew what that letter meant. We were all old, after all. It was only a matter of time before we received the grim news of Leonardo's passing, and now, he was about to as his health was deteriorating quickly. Amboise was very far away. It would take us weeks to get there. But honestly, we couldn't care less. Even though we had Ezio's coughing fits to worry about, we pushed through with the knowledge that Machiavelli would be joining us alongside Leandro, while Diana stayed behind in Roma, tending to Flavio. From what I was told, Leandro wouldn't take no for an answer even though he knew he had the Brotherhood to worry about. But I could understand him. Leonardo was like an uncle to him. Of course he'd want to be there.

It was a sunny day when we got there, as the vast plains surrounding his house were decorated with wildflowers of all colors. It was about lunch time when we got there, as the soft smell of vegetable soup came teasing our noses as we stood outside the property. We left our horses to rest by the stables just as a small idea came to mind. And so, it was with smirks painting our lips that we used our Assassin skills to carefully sneak into his house, and up towards his room. By the time we snuck in, we could see someone standing by Leonardo's bed. Leonardo looked completely different. He had always had long hair, but this time, age had gotten to it too as he now had longer, snow white hair, along with a long beard that would make even Al Mualim jealous. There were heavy bags beneath his eyes, and his gaze was but of a shadow of what it was. They no longer glimmered with excitement, with endless curiosity. They were the tired eyes of a dying man. And it hurt to see him that way.

"Please, maestro, you have to eat!" the person, a young man, urged as he handed the hot plate of soup to him, but Leonardo shook his head. This had to have been going on for a while, since the person let out an exasperated sigh.

"I have eaten enough, Etienne." Leonardo shook his head. "Give it to some poor soul outside. I have had enough."

The man, Etienne, let out a soft sigh as he placed the plate back down onto a tray filled with all sorts of fruits. "Oui (Yes), maestro..." and with the closing of the door, we decided to pop out from the shadows. And immediately, as soon as he saw us, that very same glimmer I mentioned above returned to his eyes. "Death, is that you...?" he softly asked, his lips curling into a smirk.

"It's Ezio." My beloved husband replied, letting out a soft chuckle.

"Same difference." it was all Leonardo could say before the two men embraced, like two brothers reuniting after years of being separated. And technically, that's what happened. "Ahh, it is so good to see you, fratello mio (my brother)!" Leonardo exclaimed. I proceeded to sit my old bones on the edge of the bed as the two men talked, smiling tenderly at the sight.