Artista || Da Vinci's Demons fanfic

Chapter 2 - Long Night

With an arm around her shoulders, which she agreed upon only after he promised it was a friendly touch, Leonardo walked her out into the chilly night. They talked some small talk, mainly about the structure of Florence, how some of these buildings have been here since the last Golden Age of Florence. Taking in their surroundings and retelling it's history, he looked proud of the city he lived in, a city of art and freedom, he mentioned.

He showed her the way to his study, an enormous apartment like complex where he kept his creative chaos. She chuckled at all the papers and sketches he had laying around his desk, standing proud at the centre of the lower section if the room.

"You like it?"

Pulled from her thoughts she nodded her head and returned to marvel at the small models of what looked like an aircraft hanging off the wooden beams.

"Did you design this?"

"The aircraft?" He looked her way with a smile "Oh, yes, a few weeks ago, I'm building a prototype at the moment"

"I would like to see that when it's done"

"You'll be able to fly with it" Leonardo replied, placing his hands on Stella's shoulders "Very soon, signora, I-I just... I just need a little bit more time"

"I have all the time in the world" she reassured him before giving his hands a sharp glare.

When Leonardo's eyes followed her gaze he realised he had been staring at the girl again. Quickly clearing his throat, he walked back to his desk, studying his notes and scribbles among the piles he had rumagged through the night before. She was unbothered by the sudden absence though, instead she studdied him now. His long, oval face perfectly framed with thick dark hair and slight stubble. She smiled once her eyes reached his perky cheekbones. Was there anything on this man that didn't scream "arrogance" right into your face?

"Uhm, if you don't mind me asking, signorina." Leo started carefully "What is your business here?"

"I came to study art. I was a musician as a child, in Padua, but I've always wanted to paint" she chuckled at a memory of her first portrait of her mother "Unfortunately, I was never very good at it"

"Why did you come to me then?"

"To see how you work, how you... See the world, signor. To see your world" she looked to the ground and then back to his designs hanging from the ceiling "How did you get those up there?"

"You avoid embarrassement easily, signorina. But why are you so timid?" he walked over to her "I will not teach a mouse how to be a lion"

"You didn't answer my question" she growled when he put his hands on her back, his breath playing with her hair.

"I was just getting to it"

Leonardo whispered as he positioned her right underneath his wooden construction with leather stretched over the triangular frame.

"See that? Those are the wings I made just a few days ago." he then pointed at a rope tied to the wings, all the way down to the shelves "When I get more sunlight and lighter winds, I shall test them"

He left her side in one swift motion and took a hold of the rope to steady himself, leaning against the shelf with a grin plastered on his face.

"Does this answer your question?"

Raising her eyebrow she nodded "I never took you for a person who beats around the bush"

"Oh, you amuse me, Stella" he chuckled "I look forward to seeing you try to draw me"

"Do we start now? But, signor, it's nighttime"

"Of course not, you cannot sketch or paint in this hour"

"Tomorrow morning then?"

"At first light, signorina" Leonardo teased as he fumbled with his papers again.

Soon enough though, the pair had been seated at the giant oakwood desk. Diagonally across from eachother the both of them had scribbled things onto papers. Stella had started writing down poems about the day she met the maestro. And on the other side of his desk, Da Vinci had started writing down with his right hand and scribbled a design on a canvas on his left sife. The full moon illuminated his studies in perfect silver lighting, static and soft shadows paved on the walls. At least a dozen candles lit around him as well, sharp contours playing over his features under the flickering light. Stella was looking out the ceiling windows, admiring the moon. She had always found it beautiful and this was the first time in a while that she had seen it so clearly.

"Nyctophile?"

Leonardo's now tired, husky voice interupted her gazing.

"Excuse me?"

"A lover of night" he repeated

Shaking her head she answered "I know what it means, I just, I missed your words"

She continued "I am, yes, a nyctophile. It wasn't like I had so many candles with me at all times like you do"

"On the farm or..?"

"No, I prefer the moonlight when I'm home. I meant my time at university. I studied ancient Greece. That's how I started poetry actually. I had some friends there"

Leonardo watched her every move, the silent reminiscing and the fumble of her words when she mentioned poetry.

"You know, that's the thing. That one thing I was never good at."

"What thing?"

"Poetry." Leonardo continued "I have studied mathematics, physics, well fuck, even music when I was a boy. But never poetry. I guess, I, just was never quite myself in it."

Leonardo motioned with both his hands, quills between his nimble fingers "I couldn't master it for the life of me"

He seemed defeated by his confession, hanging his shoulders and back low so Stella offered a partnership.

"Why don't you teach me your skills and I teach you mine?"

Leonardo was reluctant, at first, to accept guidance from someone younger, but he was seduced by the knowledge she might give. With a soft smile he gazed at her.

"I would love that"

His eyes flicked towards his papers again, avoiding contact at all costs now. He knew he was troublesome and this couldn't end well for her. But there was something exciting about this girl. They had agreed, almost instantaneously, and spent the rest of the night talking about their studying experiences and sets of skills they acquired along the way. Stella was amazed by his curiosity and his passion for knowledge. She couldn't deny his voice was soothing when she was too tired to fight off sleep. Her eyes closed as Leonardo talked about a new invention he had on his mind.

Leonardo had been talking about his designs to Stella all night, hand waving and speech slurring. He was too tired to even notice he was talking to himself for a decent amount of time until he heard a mumble come out of the girl beside him. He looked insulted at the sound at first before his face softened. He tried to shake her softly to get her to wake up but she groaned lowly and adjusted her sleeping pose, her head now alightly more to the left. With a laugh, he picked her up and brought her to his bed before returning to his position at his desk.