Da Vinci's Demons fic: Leo's Living Room
Mar. 26th, 2019 12:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseFlash fiction modern au for a ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
gameofcards writing challenge, prompt paintbrushes, empty bottles, curtains.
At AO3 and below the cut.
Leo's living room, he's been told, is always a sight to behold. The curtains are always either fully closed when he's painting by lamplight or fully open to make the best use of the sunlight, nothing in-between.
The sofa is usually piled high with papers, books, clean laundry, and, if Vanessa hasn't been around for a while, not so clean laundry and pizza boxes. One chair at least tends to be empty, the one Leo sits in while he stares at the easel which dominates the living space, lost in thought.
There's always paintbrushes and pencils and jars of water on the coffee table amongst scribbled notes that seem illegible along with half-finished sketches. Mugs too, some half-filled with cold tea or coffee or paint water. You have to be careful when you put down a mug on the table to ensure you pick your drink up back.
Despite all this the gang often gathers at Leo's place. There's more space than in the tiny flat Zo's most recently moved into and more suitable than the house-proud Riario's apartment (never a flat, he's too posh for that.) It's closer than Vanessa and Giuliano's place - and while Giuliano doesn't mind visiting them all occasionally he finds the noise and mess a bit much when they gather in his house, even if he's less neat than Riario. Nico's student digs aren't up to much and Lucrezia's been living in hotels the last year or so as she jets back and forth across the globe developing her fashion business.
So Vanessa tries to arrive early and tidy up the worst of the rubbish and move newspapers, soda cans, and empty bottles to the recycling bin. Zo stocks the fridge with beer and loads the dishwasher, removing all of the mugs and any glasses that he finds on the table or stashed around the room. Nico brings snacks, Riario wine and dessert. Giuliano usually pays for half of the rest of the food once the arguments about what to order are done; Leo pays what he can afford and everyone chips in, unless Lucrezia's there in which case she pays for the other half of the meals.
It works, this disparate group of people from different backgrounds, works in a way Leo's scattered approach to art and science works. Not from the outset and not always smoothly but for the most part resulting in something wonderful.
These days even Riario barely bothers to complain when he sits on a paintbrush that got missed in the brief cleaning blitz that precedes their gatherings. Zo's taunts and teasing of Riario have softened which is nothing short of a miracle. Leo's forgiven Lucrezia's betrayal and while they're no longer lovers they're close friends.
With the evening in full flow, Zo on his second beer, Riario pouring more wine for Lucezia, Nico telling everyone a funny story about his economics class (finance is more interesting when Nico talks about it) and Vanessa sitting on Guiliano's lap nibbling at the pizza crusts he's left, Leo looks around at his living room and is content.
gameofcards writing challenge, prompt paintbrushes, empty bottles, curtains.At AO3 and below the cut.
Leo's living room, he's been told, is always a sight to behold. The curtains are always either fully closed when he's painting by lamplight or fully open to make the best use of the sunlight, nothing in-between.
The sofa is usually piled high with papers, books, clean laundry, and, if Vanessa hasn't been around for a while, not so clean laundry and pizza boxes. One chair at least tends to be empty, the one Leo sits in while he stares at the easel which dominates the living space, lost in thought.
There's always paintbrushes and pencils and jars of water on the coffee table amongst scribbled notes that seem illegible along with half-finished sketches. Mugs too, some half-filled with cold tea or coffee or paint water. You have to be careful when you put down a mug on the table to ensure you pick your drink up back.
Despite all this the gang often gathers at Leo's place. There's more space than in the tiny flat Zo's most recently moved into and more suitable than the house-proud Riario's apartment (never a flat, he's too posh for that.) It's closer than Vanessa and Giuliano's place - and while Giuliano doesn't mind visiting them all occasionally he finds the noise and mess a bit much when they gather in his house, even if he's less neat than Riario. Nico's student digs aren't up to much and Lucrezia's been living in hotels the last year or so as she jets back and forth across the globe developing her fashion business.
So Vanessa tries to arrive early and tidy up the worst of the rubbish and move newspapers, soda cans, and empty bottles to the recycling bin. Zo stocks the fridge with beer and loads the dishwasher, removing all of the mugs and any glasses that he finds on the table or stashed around the room. Nico brings snacks, Riario wine and dessert. Giuliano usually pays for half of the rest of the food once the arguments about what to order are done; Leo pays what he can afford and everyone chips in, unless Lucrezia's there in which case she pays for the other half of the meals.
It works, this disparate group of people from different backgrounds, works in a way Leo's scattered approach to art and science works. Not from the outset and not always smoothly but for the most part resulting in something wonderful.
These days even Riario barely bothers to complain when he sits on a paintbrush that got missed in the brief cleaning blitz that precedes their gatherings. Zo's taunts and teasing of Riario have softened which is nothing short of a miracle. Leo's forgiven Lucrezia's betrayal and while they're no longer lovers they're close friends.
With the evening in full flow, Zo on his second beer, Riario pouring more wine for Lucezia, Nico telling everyone a funny story about his economics class (finance is more interesting when Nico talks about it) and Vanessa sitting on Guiliano's lap nibbling at the pizza crusts he's left, Leo looks around at his living room and is content.
no subject
Date: 2019-04-04 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-04-15 01:32 pm (UTC)