Hello! If you are wondering how this story came to be well...let's just say I made a bet I intend to win. Hope you guys enjoy the story!

I don't know how it happened, but it happened.

And I cannot bring myself to regret any of the events that followed after.

There was a slight chill in the air the day I met you; I remember it well...

Chapter 1:

It had been a habit of his since he arrived in Jerusalem, he would arise at some ungodly hour in the early mornings and would greet the sun from the rooftop of the Assassin's Bureau.

He knew why he awoke each morning with an early start, he just wished he could forget.

I could never forget you. Malik thought as he remembered his brother's smiling face.

Kadar...

Malik sat idly on the edge of the buildings roof, admiring the early morning colors of the sky, while basking in the warmth of childhood memories from long ago.

You were brash and foolish, he thought of his younger brother as he trained to be an Assassin, but you learned.

You were also determined, bright, hopeful, and loyal to the very end...

His eyes began to sting; a warning that the well concealing his tears would break soon.

You were also brave, brother.

The sharp pain from the memory was just too much to bear, and he allowed his tears to fall.

The peacefulness of the early morning air was interrupted by a slight chill that put Malik's sharpened instincts on edge. He wasn't sure why, but he had the strange feeling that he was being watched.

His intuition was rarely misleading.

He sat casually, trying to act as naturally as he could muster, it was not that common for people to be awake this early hour up on the city's rooftops. Keeping his head lowered he used his peripheral vision to scan the areas left and right of him; he spotted some sort of figure to his left, and he slowly turned his head as to not raise suspicion, to catch a better glimpse of the unknown presence. He felt knots tightened in his chest when his eyes fell upon a young woman sitting on the rooftop next to his location, and gazing at him with curious lapis eyes.

She was a foreigner, that was for certain. If her eyes were not a dead give away, then her golden hair, and ivory skin were indicators that she was not a native of the region.

She looked at him, and he looked her, all the while wondering why she kept looking at him.

Why is she staring? But...

The longer he stared at the more he noticed of her; she was quite lovely to look at he was man enough to admit it, but the feeling she gave him was quite strange to him and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

Why am I staring?

"H-hello." Malik greeted with a small wave, wondering if she knew the language of the land.

She smiled, and returned the greeting, "Bon jour."

I suppose you don't know the language. But, I don't know yours either.

She extended one of her long delicate fingers and Malik watched with curiosity as she wiped the areas below her eyes.

"Est-ce que tu vas bien?"

Eh?

Malik looked at her with confusion, he had no idea as to what she just said.

"Est-ce que tu vas bein?" she said again, still gesturing underneath her eyes.

What?

He felt a drop of moisture roll down the side of his cheek, and he understood what she was asking him.

Shit!" He swore as he quickly wiped away his tears with the back of his coat sleeve.

"I'm fine." he said quickly, avoiding her crystal gaze.

It was only after he wiped the last of the tears away that he felt brave enough to look her in the eyes. His heart skipped a beat, when he looked over at her. She had the same look she had in her eyes Kadar would often have when he looked at Malik.

Concern.

Why are you looking at me like that? You don't know me, but I don't know you either.

He would admit that it was a ridiculous notion to care about the feelings of someone you just met, but for reasons beyond him, Malik cared.

And he didn't want her to worry about him.

"I'm fine." he said again, this time with a reassuring smile and a calm demeanor.

She looked at him as though she didn't fully believe the tone and conviction he put on in his voice, but she smiled at him none the less.

What a way to begin the day.

The first yellow rays of sunshine stretched across the streets of Jerusalem. He was beginning to enjoy the strange woman's peaceful company, which is why disappointment filled him as he cleared his throat to speak.

"Well," Malik began with a sigh, "I hate to leave, but I'm afraid I have work to do."

He could tell by the look on her face that she did not understand a single word that came from his mouth. Malik knew it was a pointless effort to try and communicate with her, but he didn't want to leave her without a word.

"I hope we meet again." He said giving her a smile that reached his hazel eyes. "Good bye." he departed with a wave.

Malik walked back over the the bureau's rooftop entrance, just before he descended down the ladder he heard her voice call out.

"Au revoir!"

He turned and saw her smiling and waving at him.

Her smile brightened his, and he gave her one last good bye wave.

"Au revoir." he whispered as he descended down the ladder that lead back to the confines of the bureau.