Scumbling- Leonardo Da Vinci x Reader (Fluff)

Summary: When you express to Leonardo that you’re not a huge fan of your stretch marks, he shares his perspective on the matter.

“What’s the pout for, belleza?” Leonardo quirked an eyebrow as you examined yourself in the mirror, having recently taken a dip in La Thermae. You sheepishly hugged your towel tighter around yourself, shaking your head.

“Nothing, really. Just thinking.” Your eyes didn’t leave the mirror, like you were making eye contact with a girl who was equally unconvinced by ‘nothing’ as Leonardo was.

“You wanna tell me what you’re thinking now or do I have to get it out of you myself?” He dropped the book he was leafing through and sat forward.

“…Leonardo, I’m going to ask you something, and please be honest with me.” You turned back to face him as his face took on a serious expression.

“I’m listening.” His voice was low and you paused, before slightly lifting the towel to show the stretch marks that adorned your skin on your hips.

“These…I don’t like them at all. They make me feel…ugly. Leonardo, do you thi-” Big strong arms enveloped your frame as he appeared behind you in the mirror.

“Don’t even ask me if I think they’re ugly, cara mia.” Leonardo wrapped an arm around your waist and with his free hand took hold of the towel where your hand was.

“But I just-”

“You like paintings don’t you? And all the pretty techniques involved?” You nodded, now looking at his reflection before you instead of your own.

“Mhm. Have you ever heard of Scumbling? It’s a technique that’s been used for a while now. The strokes are layered in such a way that the colours of the painting look broken or speckled, like these…” His fingers traced lightly over your skin as you dropped your gaze.

“Someone up there spent a lot of time on my beautiful cara mia. Be it Venus or Apollo, someone seems to have perfected their scumbling to make these precious little strokes, hmm?” Not taking his eyes off of you, he cupped his hand over your hip and gave it a loving squeeze.

“I’m and old man, Y/N. I’ve been around for a long long time. I’ve seen more works of art than you can imagine, enough paintings to fill the Louvre a thousand times over. Do you want to know something, micetta?” His chin rested on your shoulder and he nudged your face forwards again.

“Of all of those artworks whipped up by geniuses and the like, I’ve never been more in love with any of them than the one I see in front of me. You see a flaw, I see details. And all of these details make up the only thing that’s ever truly taken my breath away.” Leonardo’s golden eyes were still piercing you with that knowing gaze. Not able to resist the smile that overcame you, you laid your head against his and finally glanced back up.

Your cheeks were warm by now as you let your hand rest on top of his, interlocking your fingers with his own.

“I never looked at it that way. When did you get so wise, huh?” You grinned at him as he gave you a squeeze.

“I’m not all that wise, but I know masterpiece when I see one. But don’t worry, I’m not going to let anyone stick you up on a wall in some stuffy old museum.” Leonardo chuckled.

“Well I appreciate that a lot, and I appreciate what you said. You know, about the…”

“Scumbling? Yeah, just don’t go showing these off to anyone else. If they see how beautiful this painting is they might try to steal it right from under my nose. Everything under this towel is mine alone, cara mia.” Your eyes widened as your cheeks grew hot again, his hand squeezing your hip. Leonardo shot you a wink in the mirror and you nodded quickly, earning you a kiss on the shoulder before he released you.

“Good girl. Now, let’s get something pretty on you and we’ll go get dinner, okay?” Your hand remained on your side for a moment even though his own was gone. Put it down to experience from his 'long long’ life, but Leonardo Da Vinci always found a way to change your perspective, to nurture the seeds of doubt in your mind into beautiful blooms. It might take a little while, but you were on your way to loving your scumbling as much as he did.

Cara Mia

My cara mia hasn’t changed a bit in all this time. On the inside, that is. She doesn’t look the same as she used to, but she still looks like herself, see? Still beautiful. She walks a lot slower now, but I don’t mind at all. She grips my hand with all the might she has left, and I stay by her side. Her mind isn’t quite as sharp as it once was, memories coming to her with difficulty, and it kills me, but I smile like it doesn’t. I know my cara mia doesn’t have much time left but I promised her a lifetime of smiles and what precious life she has will be overflowing with my fulfillment of that promise.

What do I do when she’s gone? When I can’t smell her perfume or hear her voice? When I wake up to her side of the bed and find it empty and cold? Questions I don’t want the answers to, but the answers will catch up to me. We’ve been through a lot together, my beautiful cara mia and I, lotta adventures. Even as the days passed and her hair grew white, wrinkles appearing around those dazzling eyes of hers, she never stopped being herself. Grinning all the time and getting herself into trouble. There isn’t a woman like her on this Earth and there never will be again, eternity will be lonely without her but an old timer like me couldn’t love again. On the day I lay my beautiful lover to rest, I’ll be burying my heart with her. I know she’ll guard it for the rest of time, she’s a good woman like that. Keep my heart warm for me will you, dolcezza?