Different universe, same personality

*****

In our universe, the days of Shaun Hastings and Desmond Miles were spent with Desmond in the Animus and Shaun helping him with solving the Truth left by Subject 16, as well as helping Desmond out by providing him with historic facts on his targets, the places he went to and generally anything that would help them recover the Apple of Eden, as well as any other Piece of Eden they could get their hands on.
Barely what could be described as comrades, for friends they were not, they worked together with Lucy Stillman and Rebecca Crane
Being cooped up in a small apartment, before having to move to Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni their last safehouse - with no contact with the outside world apart from the occasional grocery-run or maybe an email from another Assassin-team, did not work that well, and it certainly did not make it easy on any of them.
What made it worse still, was the utter hostility between Shaun and Desmond; mostly by the former, as the latter actually tried to make friends. But Shaun Hastings was a judgmental person, especially when it came to dealing with dim-witted, annoying, carefree American wankers, which is what he thought of Desmond.
In Shaun's eyes, the best people were his own kind; hard-working, tea-drinking, Queen-loving, polo-playing Brits.
If the historian hadn't been so stuck up and cut down on his prejudice, he and Desmond might have actually got to know each other; they might even have become friends.

In another universe, one pararell to ours, different in some ways, alike in others, there were no such things as Assassins and Templars.
In that universe, Shaun was still a historian, and Desmond still a bartender. Perhaps the biggest difference in that universe - apart from the Assassin/Templar-stuff - was the fact that Shaun and Desmond were living together by choice. They were not even just friends, they were lovers; they were boyfriends.
The Brit had overcome his prejudice for the American, and it did not take long before they were dating. A few months after, Shaun had moved in with him, in the apartment over the bar Desmond owned.

In the beginning it had been a bit hard for Shaun to concentrate on his wok, as he often sat up late grading papers and generally just working, for he was a professor in history at the local university. And if he did not have to stay up late due to work, he ended up staying up researching after all, because he loved it.
But he got used to it after a short while, so used to it in fact, that he found it hard to concentrate without the noise. And the best thing was that if he wanted to see his boyfriend, he could just go down the stairs, and there he was.
They stayed like that for four months, until Shaun got an offer from his work; a two week trip to Italy with his class to look at and learn of the Renaissance there, mainly Roma, Firenze and Venezia.

When he got home from work that day, he went straight into the bar, where Desmond was preparing to open for the night. Sneaking his arm around his waist, he kissed his neck before murmuring against the skin there.
"Guess what my job offered me today"
Desmond just closed his eyes and leaned back into Shaun's embrace, humming.
"Come on you twat, it's not fun if you don't guess"
"Hmm… Well, seeing as you're so happy about it, it can't be something that will require us to move, seeing as you love it here, so it must be a trip, right?"
"You're right," Shaun kissed his neck again. "Now, guess where"
"Shaun, do you honestly expect me to guess where? Knowing you, there are so many places you'd love to go, so how can I guess correct?"
"Touché love," he chuckled. "I guess I demand too much of you," he continued in a teasing manner.
"Haha, very funny you."
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. It's a fourteen days long trip to Italy to look at the influence of the Renaissance! The best part is that we're going in February, so we get to go to il Carnivale di Venezia, before heading off to Florence and Rome!" The excitement in Shaun's voice was unlike anything Desmond had ever heard; he was almost as exited for this as when he decided that he'd move in with him.
"Shaun, that's amazing!" Desmond spun around to face his lover, before pulling him into a hug. "So, who's going?"
"Isn't it? Well, it's me and the class obviously. And… you"
"Me?" Desmond couldn't believe what he was hearing
"Yes you idiot. Unless you'd rather have me deal with them all alone… I know I can't make you leave your job, but I thought it would be better if you could join. I asked the school board, and they are okay with it, they'll even cover your expanses too."
"Shaun, I really.. I don't know what to say…"
"No need to say anything love. I understand if you'd rather stay here, I won't try to convince you otherwise…"
"No Shaun, you don't understand. It's actually perfect! I've been thinking about planning a trip for us, to get away for a while, and this couldn't have come at a better moment! Now I don't have to drag you away from work, and we don't even have to pay! Now, go call your job, and tell them I'm tagging along as well. I'll call Lucy and Rebecca and ask if they can take over here while I'm gone."

At that, Shaun threw his arms around Desmond's neck and kissed him, filling the kiss with all the happiness and love he felt at that moment. Desmond lost himself in Shaun in that kiss, and with the promise of an exciting journey in front of them, he felt his love for the other man grow even stronger, and he felt again why it had been love at first sight.
When they had to pull apart for air, Shaun was red-faced, his lips s bit swollen and his glasses askew; the sight made Desmond want to pick him up and carry him upstairs to have his way with him, never mind the bar.
Shaun saw the lust and hunger in the bartender's eyes, and pecked at his check before whispering "later" in his ear, before gathering his things and heading upstairs to call his work and start planning for the trip.
And later that night, when Desmond closed his bar, Shaun proved to Desmond that he was a man of his word.