Hidden in the Shadows(Ezio Auditore )

Beyond time

   As soon as Stefano pulled me onto the floor he had immediately began dancing, spinning me quickly, before he pulled my body close to his- so close we were practically pressed together. I could feel Leonardo's worried eyes on me as I danced, he had never know just how close and personal I had to get with the men I hunted sometimes. Stefano's eyes roamed over every inch of my body as the lust in his eyes had now been very evident.

     "I'm surprised Leonardo hasn't asked you to dance yet considering the amount of time you've been here" Stefano said as we walked in a circle, hands pressed together before we switched directions. Already I could feel the crowd drawing towards us to watch.

     "He isn't as much of a dancer as I am" I lied smoothly. Stefano only nodded as he bought the lie.

    "Still, with a bella donna such as yourself at his side he should have at least offered to"

   "I respect his boundaries" I said quickly as I looked up at Stefano, warning him to back off "Just as he respects mine. We do not do anything that makes each other uncomfortable"

    "Really?" Stefano asked interestingly, a glint in his eye. Of course, he wouldn't know about boundaries at all.

     "Yes. He doesn't treat me as some object as most of the men in this society do. With him I can be myself because he accepts who I am. He doesn't ask me to change because he or society doesn't like it"

     "That is very interesting" He admitted as he spun me out again before pulling me in as my back was pressed against his chest before I spun myself out. Raising our hands we moved in a circle before stopping and switching, skipping a bit as we did. The music picked up just a bit as everything seemed to get a bit faster "He keeps looking at me"

     "Given who you are I don't blame him. Besides I've had eyes on me since I walked into this party, he is worried about me" I answered. Stefano gave me a quizzical look as he tilted his head to the side just a bit.

     "Who I am?"

     " A casanova" I said simply "I recognized what you were from the moment I saw you. I almost fell for one myself until Leonardo stepped in and saved me. You are all the same"

     "And how are we the same bella?"

     "You all sweet talk," I started, remembering all of what Ezio did "You will give a girl the attention she craves, buy her gifts, make her feel special. You sweet talk so much to the point where you've convinced her that you will only be hers. Once you get into her skirt you leave her for another woman all the while you left her broken wondering why you broke your promise to her. wondering if she did something wrong or she was good enough. You don't realize the damage you've done to her as you repeat the cycle over again. None of you change"

    "We would change"

     "How long would it take for you to cheat on your wife? You would get bored with the same woman each night"

    "For the right woman, we would change for them" Stefano said seriously, the most serious look on his face I had seen that entire night. For a brief moment I had seen Ezio's face, not his, and my heart nearly stopped "we would fight for them, and show in whatever way we can that we want them. It would be hard for us as well, to prove we only want them, with the reputation we have. Whoever hurt you was blind to do that to someone like you. You seem different, and if I were him I would have never done those things to hurt you. This man didn't.."

    "No, he didn't" I lied as I fought back tears. I did not need to cry in front of this man "Like I said, Leonardo saved me. He is the only man who will have it. Don't I think I will fall for your games"