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meridian_roseTitle: The Steadfast Snake and the Dubious Dog
Fandom: Da Vinci's Demons
Pairing/Characters: Leo, Riario, Zo
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 696
Prompt: For the![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
trope_bingo prompt "role reversal"
Summary: AU in which Riario is Leo's friend and Zo is the sly newcomer with the second key.
Content Notes: No standard warnings apply.
Also at AO3
"Give it back," Leo said.
The man grinned, opened one brown hand to reveal the key in his palm. "Can't blame a man for trying."
Leo snatched the key back. "Zoroaster de Peretola," he said. "Thief, blasphemer, purveyor of false relics, known sodomite –"
"You have heard of me," Zo said impressed. "But come on. Aren't you guilty of most of those things yourself? Besides, artista, I have something you want."
He leaned in close, Leo's posture stiffening. "What could I want from you?"
"The other key," Zo said, his breath tickling Leo's cheek.
Leo's eyes widened. "I'm listening."
Zo stepped back and dangled a key in front of Leo. Leo opened his hand to check he still had the first key.
"If you want it, we'll have to work together," Zo said.
"You're in league with the false Pope," Leo said.
Zo scoffed. "So's your Papal lapdog."
"Girolamo…" Leo shook his head. "Fine. Meet me tomorrow and I'll show you my canon."
"Is that a euphemism?" Zo laughed at Leo's stony expression. "Tomorrow, artista."
-
"You can't trust him!" Riario paced the room.
Leo sighed. "Girolamo, sit. He has the other key, that's all. Once I have it, he's disposable. Once we have both keys it will be you, me, and Nico on a quest."
Riario stared at him. "I have risked everything for you," he said hoarsely.
Leo stood and put a comforting hand on Riario's shoulder. "What is this about?"
"He's a mongrel," Riario said, "a rogue. Not to be trusted."
"And?"
Riario's gaze faltered. "They say he's handsome," he said at last. "Bedded men and women by the dozen all across Italy."
Leo began to laugh, turned it into a cough. "Oh, Girolamo. Are you jealous?"
Riario shrugged Leo's hand from his shoulder and turned away.
"Don't sulk," Leo said. "You're my dearest friend. I'm not going to have my head turned by some guy with a beard and a shirt that barely does up more than my own!"
Riario glanced at him.
"It's all right," Leo soothed. "I'm not going to let him worm his way into our team or my affections."
-
"This is not the sort of gift I thought you meant," Leo said, shocked. Riario was so pleased with himself though that Leo couldn't muster up any anger.
"I know you're into all sorts of things," Zo said, from where he was standing, tied to a tree, "but I didn't know this one was so kinky."
Riario scowled. "Put the gag back in," he begged.
Leo sighed and took the key from around Zo's neck. He slackened off one of the knots, just a little. "There," he said. "A rogue like you should be able to work your way free."
"You're leaving?" Zo called as Leo and Riario headed off. "We could have so much fun. You and me, Leo. We'd be a great pair. The serpent can join in if he'd like, I'm not fussy!"
Riario shot Leo a mortified glance.
"I know, I should have put the gag back in," Leo sighed.
-
"Well, well," Zo said. "Isn't this nice. All of us back together."
"You threw me overboard," Riario yelled and Leo had to hold him back.
"I've heard you're a good swimmer. Wait that's a lie. But you've got the build for it," Zo said. "And it's not as if I tied your hands together. I'm not a monster."
Leo sighed. "He's part of this quest now, Girolamo. And see, he took care of Nico."
"Someone should," Nico groused. "I'm fine by the way."
Riario glared at Zo. "You had better sleep with one eye open, cur."
Zo winked at him. "Keep flirting like that and I'll stay awake just for you."
"Enough," Leo said before Riario could retort. "Can we all work together, just until we get the Book of Leaves and get out of here?"
Zo settled down on the floor of the cave. "As you wish, artista."
Riario gave a sullen nod. Nico rolled his eyes.
It would, Leo supposed, have to be enough.
Fandom: Da Vinci's Demons
Pairing/Characters: Leo, Riario, Zo
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 696
Prompt: For the
trope_bingo prompt "role reversal"Summary: AU in which Riario is Leo's friend and Zo is the sly newcomer with the second key.
Content Notes: No standard warnings apply.
Also at AO3
"Give it back," Leo said.
The man grinned, opened one brown hand to reveal the key in his palm. "Can't blame a man for trying."
Leo snatched the key back. "Zoroaster de Peretola," he said. "Thief, blasphemer, purveyor of false relics, known sodomite –"
"You have heard of me," Zo said impressed. "But come on. Aren't you guilty of most of those things yourself? Besides, artista, I have something you want."
He leaned in close, Leo's posture stiffening. "What could I want from you?"
"The other key," Zo said, his breath tickling Leo's cheek.
Leo's eyes widened. "I'm listening."
Zo stepped back and dangled a key in front of Leo. Leo opened his hand to check he still had the first key.
"If you want it, we'll have to work together," Zo said.
"You're in league with the false Pope," Leo said.
Zo scoffed. "So's your Papal lapdog."
"Girolamo…" Leo shook his head. "Fine. Meet me tomorrow and I'll show you my canon."
"Is that a euphemism?" Zo laughed at Leo's stony expression. "Tomorrow, artista."
"You can't trust him!" Riario paced the room.
Leo sighed. "Girolamo, sit. He has the other key, that's all. Once I have it, he's disposable. Once we have both keys it will be you, me, and Nico on a quest."
Riario stared at him. "I have risked everything for you," he said hoarsely.
Leo stood and put a comforting hand on Riario's shoulder. "What is this about?"
"He's a mongrel," Riario said, "a rogue. Not to be trusted."
"And?"
Riario's gaze faltered. "They say he's handsome," he said at last. "Bedded men and women by the dozen all across Italy."
Leo began to laugh, turned it into a cough. "Oh, Girolamo. Are you jealous?"
Riario shrugged Leo's hand from his shoulder and turned away.
"Don't sulk," Leo said. "You're my dearest friend. I'm not going to have my head turned by some guy with a beard and a shirt that barely does up more than my own!"
Riario glanced at him.
"It's all right," Leo soothed. "I'm not going to let him worm his way into our team or my affections."
"This is not the sort of gift I thought you meant," Leo said, shocked. Riario was so pleased with himself though that Leo couldn't muster up any anger.
"I know you're into all sorts of things," Zo said, from where he was standing, tied to a tree, "but I didn't know this one was so kinky."
Riario scowled. "Put the gag back in," he begged.
Leo sighed and took the key from around Zo's neck. He slackened off one of the knots, just a little. "There," he said. "A rogue like you should be able to work your way free."
"You're leaving?" Zo called as Leo and Riario headed off. "We could have so much fun. You and me, Leo. We'd be a great pair. The serpent can join in if he'd like, I'm not fussy!"
Riario shot Leo a mortified glance.
"I know, I should have put the gag back in," Leo sighed.
"Well, well," Zo said. "Isn't this nice. All of us back together."
"You threw me overboard," Riario yelled and Leo had to hold him back.
"I've heard you're a good swimmer. Wait that's a lie. But you've got the build for it," Zo said. "And it's not as if I tied your hands together. I'm not a monster."
Leo sighed. "He's part of this quest now, Girolamo. And see, he took care of Nico."
"Someone should," Nico groused. "I'm fine by the way."
Riario glared at Zo. "You had better sleep with one eye open, cur."
Zo winked at him. "Keep flirting like that and I'll stay awake just for you."
"Enough," Leo said before Riario could retort. "Can we all work together, just until we get the Book of Leaves and get out of here?"
Zo settled down on the floor of the cave. "As you wish, artista."
Riario gave a sullen nod. Nico rolled his eyes.
It would, Leo supposed, have to be enough.
