White Wolf Fan Fiction Presents:

~Leaving Haunted Melodies~

An Assassin's Creed Story

Title: Leaving Haunted Melodies

Words: 1,538

Warnings: Yaoi (Boy Love), fluff, minor angst, hurt/comfort, mentioned canon character death

Pairings: Jacob Frye/Nigel Bumble; Pseudo-Past Maxwell Roth/Jacob Frye

Disclaimer: Like the previous ones, I don't own anything but my game files. *chuckles*

Summary: Jacob had looked up to Maxwell when he'd met the man- admired him and the likes- but all of that was crushed when he learned how cruel of a man he really was. But after Jacob had killed him, driving the blade into the man's chest, just inches from his heart… it somehow came of no surprise to him when Maxwell kissed him. And distraught and more than upset, Jacob goes to the one person he knows that can fix it all- fix… him.

A/N: I've almost completed the game by this point… not sure what's going to happen now, but… let me tell you, I'm not looking forward to the end of it all.

A/N 2: Technically this is my second of this pairing, but my first story is unfinished as of yet and is a fic of where Nigel and Jacob get together, called 'Hummingbird or Bumblebee?'. But I'm unsure how to continue it yet. So, anyway, let me paste A/N 3 here, that was technically supposed to go for the first story when it was completed:

A/N 3: 'So… I've seen that there is only one fic in the entirety of the Syndicate fandom for Jacob and Nigel, and that's on Archive of Our Own. Now, on Fanfiction, this will be the first fanfiction for these two nerds and unfortunately, I see Nigel isn't even on the character list. Pity… he deserves a spot, as adorable as he is~'

-0-

Jacob clutched tightly at his chest as he ran, in the shadows, far from the theater and far from the bitter memories that encircled the man he had just assassinated. Maxwell Roth was not the man he'd thought he knew, but Jacob couldn't help feeling disheartened at his death- whether or not by his own hands was a point he couldn't care less about. What mattered was that he was dead and Jacob was…

Well, he would say free, but he didn't feel like he was. Far from it, if the ache in his chest was anything to note.

Stumbling his way through a dark alleyway, Jacob cursed, loudly, and listened bitterly as it echoed into the night.

Roth kissed him.

Roth kissed him.

Roth… kissed him.

And he'd almost kissed back.

"Fuck!" Jacob shouted, throwing out his fist and he barely cringed when it connected with the brick wall next to him, his skin broken and blood flowing freely. But at least now, the ache in his hands far outweighed the one in his chest.

Letting out a sharp, but shaky breath, Jacob laid his palm flat against the brick wall, ever mindful of the now stinging pain, and he looked up at the night sky, frowning. He had no idea what to do now, since he couldn't face his sister- she would just make the situation worse, he knew. So what now?

Swallowing hard, Jacob turned his attention then, to a Rook, that landed on a crate a few feet away from him and he barely choked on his breath, remembering the poor bird- whose neck had been snapped clean by Roth's own hands- he'd been delivered as an invitation. "Damn him…" he choked out, taking a few careful steps forward so as not to startle the beautiful bird. "I… I'm so sorry…" he fell to his knees beside the bird and it ruffled its wings, tilting its head as it looked at him with soulful black eyes.

When Jacob reached for it, the bird crowed softly and nuzzled his hand before suddenly taking off, flapping its wings hard and it flew down the alleyway. Hurt, Jacob sat where he was until he saw the bird land again on another crate, crowing again, but louder this time.

"What…?" Jacob frowned before finally realizing that the Rook wanted him to follow. Sighing softly, Jacob got up, and he nodded, "Okay…" he murmured before repeating the word louder, with a small smile. "Okay. You lead, I follow."

Satisfied, the bird ruffled its wings again and took off, secure in the knowledge that Jacob would follow it.

Keeping up with the Rook, Jacob huffed and puffed, speaking only after the bird kept him following it for several long minutes, "Where," he began, climbing up the side of a building to keep better track of the bird, after going through alley after alley, "are you taking me?" he asked and the bird crowed again, taking off from its perch on the chimney and it flew off in the general direction of Whitechapel. "Why do I even bother asking?"

The bird didn't answer, of course, but Jacob didn't expect it to.

Eventually, they came to a stop on one of the old buildings in Whitechapel, near the train station, but far enough from it that he saw no one around. No one except for a single sixteen year old in the alley yard below him and Jacob's breath caught in his throat when he watched the Rook fly down below, landing on a crate in front of the boy, who smiled and reached out to pet the bird in answer.

"There you are, Lucite," he cooed and the bird crowed softly; Jacob could have sworn it- she, by the name- was purring at the attention. "It's not safe to fly off on your own, you know? Especially when it's almost time for the train to depart." the boy added in a soft scolding tone and Jacob chose that moment to drop down, silently, onto the ground, the ache in his chest gone now- though he couldn't say the same for the pain in his hand.

"Nigel…" he breathed out, smiling when he saw the boy jump, before turning around, eyes wide when he saw him.

"Jacob!" he exclaimed and the bird crowed in return, seemingly pleased. "You're hurt!" Immediately the delight was replaced by anger and worry and concern and Jacob cringed, as Nigel rushed forward and then pulled Jacob over to a barrel, making him sit on top of it while he went over to the nearby well and retrieved a bucket of water and a clean cloth to clean him up with. "What happened?"

"Nothing, Nigel, I-" Jacob frowned then when Nigel noticed, then, the blood and torn skin on his knuckles and he sighed, "I punched a wall…"

"What? Why?" Nigel frowned in return, running the cloth over the blood and Jacob hissed in answer, turning his head down and away as his hand clenched with the pain. "Jacob…? What… what happened…?" Nigel pleaded with him to answer the question and Jacob sighed, deflating a little as he raised his free hand to the ache that returned, in his chest, rubbing slightly at the cloth covering his skin.

"Something… something happened tonight… love." Jacob whispered and Nigel took in a deep breath at the term of endearment. Jacob never used them unless they were intimate, he was teasing Nigel, or something was really wrong. "I… Roth… I killed him…"

"Oh…" Nigel sighed and went back to taking care of Jacob's wounds, waiting patiently for Jacob to continue. He knew that if he did stay silent, the older man would talk eventually about what troubled him.

"He invited me to the theater tonight, to witness his show," Jacob started, sighing softly himself, and he moved his hand from his chest to his head, running it through his hair. He was vaguely aware of Lucite, the bird, ruffling her feathers from her perch on the crate she still sat on. "He was mad, Roth. He sent my invitation…" he choked on his words here, and shook his head, refusing to say, as the disgust welled up inside him, making him want to vomit, but he refrained from doing so.

Nigel hummed and nodded, understanding, though he didn't. Not really. He wasn't an assassin, and he wouldn't be able to comprehend most of what Jacob or Evie went through on a daily basis.

"I went… and… and I killed him. Only after he lit the building on fire, of course," Jacob snorted softly at that and shook his head before going quiet again, his body trembling and his hands clenching. "I… I'm so sorry…" he choked out the words once more and Nigel frowned, looking up from Jacob's hand to the man's face, only realizing how distraught he looked.

"Jacob…?" Nigel questioned, soft and unsure, questioning what was wrong as well as why he was apologizing.

"I-I'm so… so sorry… Nigel…" Jacob repeated, slumping forward, "I-I didn't know he was… h-he… Roth he…"

"It's okay, Jacob…" Nigel tried to calm the man down, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around his waist and he felt Jacob clench tightly at the cloth at the back of his shirt.

"N-no, it's not… Nigel… he kissed me. Roth fucking kissed me… a-and I almost kissed back…" his words started sharp and harsh, before finishing in a heartbreaking whisper and Nigel sucked in a sharp in return, his own hands clenching tightly to the coat that Jacob wore. "I-I'm sorry… I'm so s-sorry…" Jacob said, again and again and Nigel deflated, sighing softly as he tightened his hold around the man.

"It's okay… I forgive you," he said, because even though there was nothing to forgive, Jacob needed to hear the words. "Jacob," he added, pulling back a little, and he forced Jacob to meet his gaze, "I love you. And it's okay. I know it hurts, but it's okay." he whispered and Jacob frowned at him, opening his mouth to protest, but Nigel only kissed him to quiet any of his protests.

"Nigel…" Jacob hummed, relaxing for the first time that night and he let a small smile flit across his lips. "What did I do to ever deserve you…?" he asked and Nigel blushed, ducking his head with a shy smile of his own. "My love," Jacob added with a brighter smile, teasing a little now and Nigel chuckled in return, looking back up at Jacob and he took Jacob's hands in his own.

"Come on, the train's departing soon, and we've got to get you cleaned up," he then turned to Lucite, and smiled at her, "and I've got to give you a bath. You've been out all day and who knows what you got into."

Jacob laughed and let Nigel pull him up before he swooped down, holding Nigel tight in his arms and he claimed a gentle, but passionate kiss from the boy. "I love you, Nigel Bumble," he cooed and heard Lucite crow happily from behind them as he watched Nigel blush and smile at his words.

"I know," Nigel said and smiled a little wider, "love you too."