Farnese. (Francesco Pazzi x Reader)

Chapter Five

"No, but that's war -- this is banking."

"Fair enough."

***

Y/N was drenched in sweat. She and Leo had been fighting with training swords (entirely made of wood), meaning they could actually hit one another. Y/N was exhausted from having to quickly dodge him, as well as hitting him. She was confident that the back of her white shirt was nearly transparent due to the wetness, as Leo's was. 

"If... if you hit me in the breast again..." Y/N warned in between heaving breaths, "I will castrate you."

Leo laughed, also out of breath, before stepping back and pouring himself a glass of water. Y/N leaned back on one of the marble columns of the Medici courtyard, breathing in deeply to catch up with her body's need for air. She and Leo had been going at it since early that morning, and it was nearly lunch -- but both were fiercely competitive. 

"Two more rounds, and we should stop. I wanted to go to the market this afternoon."

"To spy on your man's bank?"

"No! Maybe... mostly I am going to visit that boy I am sponsoring through school. I have a few things I would like to give him."

"Why have you taken such an interest in that child?"

"I don't know, but he is a sweet boy. Something about him made me feel like... like it was right."

Leo nodded, and rolled out his shoulders, "Okay. Round one?"

"Yes."

Y/N played the role of defensive, Leo coming to her already swinging. He had managed to hit her firmly in the arm, but she later got his hand -- forcing him to drop his sword and lose the round. 

"I need a minute," Y/N said, dropping to her knees, "Lord all mighty, Leo. You're on top of your game today. You beat me three out of seven, that's pretty good for a sissy!"

"Shut it, Leaf. I've been practicing with Guiliano -- hoping to protect my dignity from you."

"And yet," Y/N painstakingly stood, "I'm still winning, five to three. Soon, it will be six."

"You sure you can go another round? You seem pretty battered."

"I'm sure, Leo. Pick up your stick."

The two siblings picked their training swords up and got ready. Y/N, wanting to get it over with, quickly ran into her brother, shoving him over with her body (she wasn't heavy enough to fully knock her over, but she got him to trip back), and stabbed him in the back. 

"I win."' 

"You do," Leo said, sitting down and the ground and lying down. Y/N joined him, putting her head on his stomach and lying perpendicularly to him. 

"This was a good exercise," Y/N smiled, feeling her brother's stomach rise and fall under her head, "You are getting much better."

Her brother reached out a hand to brush small hairs out of her eyes, "Thank you, Leaf. It is because I have such a skilled counterpart."

"Yes, the Farnese family will soon be known for having the best swordsmanship in all of the Papal States," Y/N smiled, waiting for her body to stop hurting, "In the meantime, you need to work on strategizing. You're stronger than most men, so you want to get that at a downward position, or against a wall -- if you can push your opponent against something, you'll win."

"Really? It's that simple?"

"Unless they're somehow stronger than you, brother, but you're quite a mass. You can easily embarrass Lorenzo that way."