meridian_rose

Title: Music To Charm Snakes By (Revised)
Fandom: Da Vinci's Demons
Pairing/Characters: Leo, Zo, Nico, Vanessa, Riario, Lorenzo briefly, Clarice mentioned; various pairings
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1483
Summary: Lorenzo got more than he bargained for when he hired Leonardo's band; his guest Riario, however, may get even more. (Band AU, not modern au, just crack, crack treated seriously.
Content Notes: No standard warnings apply. AU – Band, crack treated seriously, not a modern au, polyamory, all the pairings

An earlier version of this fic was posted here as a fill for the trope-bingo prompt "band AU" but not posted elsewhere.
This revised and significantly extended version has been crossposted to AO3

"Good evening, Florence," Leo yelled.

There was a stunned silence, followed by smattered applause. Lorenzo forced a smile and clapped, giving the audience leave to begin cheering enthusiastically. Leo bowed, hair flying into his face. He met Riario's gaze, the black-clad count not cheering at all.

Zo waved to the crowd. Vanessa leaned over and kissed Leo's cheek. Nico gave them an encouraging nod from the wings.

"We're here all week," Leo said, though this had been a one night only deal. He strummed his lute and headed offstage followed by the rest of the band.

#

"Did you see Lorenzo's face?" Zo chortled. He took a gulp of ale and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. "We were way more than he was expecting."

"I think Clarice was enjoying herself," Vanessa said. "She liked that ballad about the maid who cut off her cheating husband's well-I-never."

"What about the count?" Leo asked. "Girolamo Riario. He looked shocked, right? Don't get much of that sort of thing in the Vatican."

"You might be surprised, artista."

Leo spun, startled to find Riario right behind him. Riario gave a small smile.

"Oh, look, it's the snake guy," Zo snarked, alluding to Lorenzo's politely spoken but downright insulting introduction of his guest.

"I want a snake," Leo said. "A python or something. I think it would look sexy, draped around my shoulders."

Zo threw a towel at Leo's head. "No snakes."

"What do you want?" Nico asked, putting himself between Riario and Leo. Riario gave him a look of amusement.

"He's our manager," Leo said. "And accountant. And anything else we need."

Riario nodded. "I see. What I want is to acquire the music to the Vault of Heaven."

There was silence.

"You know that's a myth, right?" Zo said. "A piece of music that can bring about world peace? Bollocks."

Riario lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "All myths have some element of truth. In this case, I have half of a scroll I believe to contain that tune."

Leo studied him. "And you think I have the other half."

"I've heard it rumoured."

"I burnt it," Leo said, enjoying the flash of alarm on Riario's face. He tapped his head. "I keep it up here, where no-one can steal it from me."

Riario sighed. "I suppose there's no point in asking you to come back to Rome with me so we collaborate on playing the piece?"

Leo shook his head. "World peace could mean many things. It could mean no more wars. But what about the reason wars start? What if peace means no-one can defend themselves? What tyranny might we unleash upon the world? You might want everyone on their knees worshipping your idea of God in your way, but I don't."

Riario lowered his gaze. "I see. You fear what such power could do. I heard you were reckless but in this at least, you show judgement. I fear that power too. Until tonight I thought it best to secure the music for Rome, for the Pope."

"And now?" Vanessa asked.

He gave her a genuine smile. "And now I must reconsider."

Leo grinned. His music could do amazing things, Vault of Heaven or not. Even charm a snake.

"Tonight I heard something amazing," Riario continued. "The way you all played. Your voices — you were a nun, once, Vanessa and I hear something of choral training in you still. Leonardo, your voice is not so polished but you bring such depth of feeling, and the lyrics you have written…they truly touched me. The lute was fine but Zoroaster's fiddle playing is the beating heart of the music. Alone, any of you would be mediocre. Together, however, you are amazing."

Leo blinked. "Thank you, I think."

Zo frowned. "You know a lot about us. You're not one of those creepy people are you? The ones who follow us around and steal our undergarments?"

Riario gave him a look. "My interest in you was purely in relation to the Vault of Heaven."

Was, Leo noted, as in had been and maybe not any longer. "You read about us, talked to people about us, but hearing our music was different, wasn't it? You know something about music, I think."

Riario moistened his lips. "I play the lute, a little," he said. "If I had not been raised to champion the Church, I would have liked to be a minstrel, I think."

Zo laughed but Leo saw the honesty in Riario's eyes.

"It's never too late," Leo said. "I learn things all the time. I try new things all the time. And like you said, Nessa was a nun before she joined us. In fact it was our music that won her over too."

Riario's gaze flicked to her. She nodded.

"I don't see why a captain-general can't become a musician," Leo said.

"What part of no snakes in the band did you miss?" Zo demanded.

"Play something for us," Leo said, and he gestured at Nico until he handed Leo's lute to Riario.

Riaro hesitated, strummed the strings. "I haven't played much of late."

"Don't try too hard. Just play from the heart," Leo said.

Riario tried a tune or two before he settled on a folk song, full of melancholy. His voice was somewhat coarse, unused to singing, but the music smoothed over the roughness. Vanessa blinked away tears before he finished.

"Play something else," Leo said.

Emboldened by this encouragement, Riario launched into a fast paced ballad, and Leo clapped along. Nico and Vanessa danced, laughing as they whirled about the cramped room. Even Zo looked impressed.

"All right, he can definitely play," Zo said, when Riario finished and everyone else was slightly breathless for varying reasons. "And his voice needs some work, but he's not bad. But there's one more thing."

Leo nodded. Riario grew uncomfortable as everyone stared at him.

"The band that plays together, stays together," Leo said. "But the band that sleeps together, keeps together."

Riario blinked a few times. "I don't know what that means."

Leo took the lute, handing it off to Zo.

"This," Leo said, and kissed Riario full on the lips.

There was a moment of silence. Riario stared at Leo. Zo rolled his eyes, Vanessa and Nico were smiling, and Leo folded his arms and gave Riario an encouraging nod.

"I see," Riario said at last.

Zo stepped forward and grabbed Leo, kissing him hard. "I don't think you do," he said to Riario. He smirked. "Nessa."

Vanessa moved to kiss Leo. Then she stood in front of Zo, who wrapped his arms around her. One hand sat at her waist, the other squeezed at one breast. Nico, undeterred by Zo's height, stood on a nearby chair and stuck out his tongue, licking a path down Zo's face.

"All of you?" Riario raised an eyebrow.

"Various combinations," Leo said. "Not me and Nico directly but sometimes we do a bit of heavy petting – though I'm not clear on the difference between heavy and light petting to be honest. Vanessa and Zo are more petting than shagging too. Me and Zo though and me and Vanessa. Vanessa and Nico. Nico and Zo. And threesomes and foursomes sometimes, depending on who's in the mood for what and which orifices they want. Also the occasional supporter, if we like them."

Riario moistened his lips. "And where would I slot in?"

"Where would you like to?" Leo asked.

#

Later, Leo spooned Riario. Zo spooned Leo. Vanessa had her back pressed against Zo's, with Nico cuddled up against her breasts.

"And I said, that's no lady, that's Lucrezia Donati," Leo crowed.

"Jesus, Leo, shut up," Nico moaned. "That joke wasn’t funny the first time."

"Riario hasn't heard all my stories," Leo retorted. "Have you, count?"

"Mmm," Riario said non-committedly.

"Can't you kiss him, keep his lips occupied?" Vanessa mumbled.

"I'm facing the wrong way and I'm too exhausted to move," Riario said.

"Ha," Leo said. "Do you remember when we were going to go to Naples and –"

He broke off.

"Got it," Zo said. "Hush, Leo, or I'll tug rather than rub."

"We're all going to hell," Riario said, breaking the momentary silence.

"If you're going to spout religious crap, try harping on about how we all just went to heaven," Zo said. "You were certainly praising God when I showed you what I learnt in Milan."

Leo pressed a kiss to Riario's shoulder and squeezed him tighter.

"So, are you joining the band?" he asked, panting slightly.

"I thought I already had," Riario said. "If that was my audition I think I passed with honours."

Vanessa laughed. "Great honours."

Nico giggled. Leo tipped his head back into Zo's shoulder, moaned.

A short while later all was silent save the gentle sounds of sleep, the occasional snore, and the crackle of the fire in the stone fireplace.