HOME | DD

Description
Ezio remembered when he was a child, so carefree and alive without a care in the world. How there was such innocence that, everyone knew but the children, would be tainted in a matter of years. Be it that they get beaten for no reason, abused in many ways, used...

He wished he hadn't grown up to see how ugly the world had truly been, hadn't opened his eyes and kept them shut. Away from the cruel truth.

That didn't matter anymore, he was a soldier now. Enlisted right when he'd just graduated high school. Not exactly a surprise, it happened all the time to those who were brats when they were younger and still as they grew older. Kids who needed discipline, to be scolded harshly back into line. He wasn't alone in this though, Federico had signed up a few years previous and was still enlisted.

He closed his eyes, hands becoming a make-shift pillow under his head as he turned to lay on his side.

The young man exhaled heavily, brows furrowing as he pursed his lips.

It wasn't like he blamed his parents for their decision. They'd warned him time and again, especially when they heard about his escapades with the principal's daughter. Oh, that had been fun to try and weasel his way out of. Cristina was a beautiful girl and he treated her with respect. Hadn't touched her inappropriately, hadn't called her nasty things like Vieri had - bastard, Ezio would be glad to punch his face in a thousand times over. He hadn't forced himself onto her, either.

The brunet rolled onto his other side, back facing the broken window. He and his brother, along with the other men in their group, had vacated the building since they'd been ordered to hold down the area until back-up arrived. Yeah...where the hell was it? It had been a few weeks now since the promised additional men. If they had been gunned down by their enemy then he supposed they'd be plucking up dog tags when they're ordered back to base.

Ezio bit the inside of his cheek, gnawing lightly.

A cry of a bird caught his attention a few minutes later, whipping around with his eyes open and raising a brow at the sight of a raven. Said creature looked at him, standing on the worn oak desk before cocking its head and turning its attention over to the half eaten loaf of bread sitting near the edge. Hopping over, the black bird tilted its head from side to side. As if thinking over if it really wanted a nibble.

Chocolate eyes stayed on the scene, his expression a mix of surprise and confusion.

What the hell was up with this bird? Did it not think the bread was good enough or something? Was it a picky eater?

The soldier slowly sat up, his sights still on the raven as it leaned its head in, beak parted and reaching for a bite. Now standing, Ezio moved forth with a frown. Okay, so, yeah, he had wondered why this thing had been so picky in taking a bite but he did not want his meal to get infested with bird germs! It seemed as if the raven had noticed his advance, veering over to him and glaring with a shrill squawk.

As if warning him to back off, that this was now its.

He sent a glare right back, scowling as he watched it take a chunk off. Once it had, the bird took off out the window, deciding that it was then time to leave with its prize.

Ezio felt his nose twitch from the frustration that rose from that little action. Little bastard.
-end preview