A/N: OMFG. I was able to write a chapter! I'm using my friend's laptop and she's busy watching her boyfriend play Batman. XD So, NSNL it is! ^_^
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's Creed. .
Malik walked up the stairs to the school. He was actually happy to see this school, despite what had happened the first night he came to this very school. It's been a week since he got out of the hospital, but his mom still wanted him to rest, so she kept him home. No matter how much he bitched about wanting to go, she wouldn't let him.
Kadar would go to school and grab as much schoolwork that he could for Malik, but he knew he was still behind. Most of the work he couldn't do because he didn't have the notes and had no clue on how to do it. He just said "fuck it" and watched television instead.
Altair hasn't been coming over like he said he would and Malik doesn't know why. He was disappointed every day to find that Altair didn't come over. Finally, he's back at school and he's hoping to see Altair. He already remembered his which and where his classes were, so he just headed in the direction of his first class, AP English.
He walked in and searched Altair. He's excitement to see him dropped when Altair was nowhere to be found. He frowned, but just went to his seat and sat down. He didn't pay attention in class. He was looking at the door and the clock, hoping that Altair was just late and would walk in any second.
When the bell rang and there was still no Altair, his hope was nearly diminished. He got up and walked through the door. He continued with his classes. But despite the fact that Altair was pretty much a no-show, Malik still had a pinch of hope that Altair will walk around the corner. But, he never did.
Lunch couldn't come fast enough. Malik got his lunch and sat down with his friends. Although he was hungry, he didn't touch his lunch. Leonardo noticed this.
"Hey, you okay?" He said, taking a bite out of his PB&J.
"Yeah… Just fine." He said, turning his head away from him and rested his chin in his hand. Leonardo saw through his guise and pressed further.
"Bullshit," he moved so he was directly in front of Malik. "Tell little ol' Leo."
Malik sighed and looked into Leonardo's eyes. He debated whether he should talk to him or not. He weighed his options. Talk to no one and get no answers, talk to the other friends who despise Altair so much for little reasons or talk to Leonardo who, despite his hate for Altair, still has an attitude to listen to anyone and everyone about problems of any kind, even about someone he can't stand.
He chose the latter. "Well, it's about Altair…"
"Yes?" He knew he chose the right option.
"Well, I haven't seen or talked to him in forever…" He picked at his food, trying to bring his appetite back up from when he lost it a few minutes ago. "He wasn't in school today, either."
"Oh, yeah, I guess no one told you." He said, drinking some of his water. Malik raised his eyebrows and stilled his fork.
"Told me what?" Malik questioned, pushing his food away.
"Well, he went to school the day after he went to see you at the hospital last week and he was in lunch." He paused and took another bite of his sandwich. "He was sitting next to the same tree that you saw him at on your first day and suddenly, Robert came over to start some more stupid shit about nothing. And you know how Altair always plays it cool up until Robert throws the first punch?"
Malik nodded. Leonardo continued, "Well, Altair threw the first punch." Malik widened his eyes in surprise, but listened to him. "Apparently Altair was pissed at him for something, but no one knew what." He realized then that no one knows about who did the damage to him. But he decided to play along and waited for him to continue. "Altair just started to kick the shit out of Robert and even after the security guards came to stop him, Altair would not let go. It took up to five guards to get him off and after about six minutes of resistance, he finally let go. But not without giving one last kick to Robert's face which knocked him the fuck out." Leonardo said, laughing. "Last I heard, he walked away unscathed, but Robert had plenty of his bones broken. It looks like Robert will be out for quite some time."
Malik, trying to process all this information, just put his hands on the table. "Uh, well, what is his punishment?" He said.
"Altair's? Well, last I knew, he was just suspended. This happened about a week or so ago, so I don't remember for how long. Not that I really care." He finished and drank some of his water, twisting the cap back on after a few gulps. Malik just nodded his head in thanks for telling him about Altair.
Malik went through the rest of the day in a daze, thinking about what happened to Altair. When will he see him again? When the bell rang for the end of school, he was thankful. He walked out of the building and headed to the parking lot to get in his car. His mom didn't work today, so she let him take the car to school and Kadar was sick with a cold. Federico was deeply saddened when he heard this and he walked around the school, moping. Malik had done the same, knowing about Altair.
When he reached his car, he unlocked it and got in, starting it up to turn the radio on. He closed the door and put his seatbelt on. He started reaching for some gum in the glove department when he got a text message. He opened it up and read the text.
"Hey. Can't really talk, but I want to see you. I'm sorry for not coming to see you as promised, so I hope you're not mad. Come meet me at the docks at 8 tonight. I hope you'll come." Malik softly smiled, but was still surprised to see Altair's text. He didn't waste any moment in texting back, saying he'll see. He'll come, no doubt, but he doesn't want Altair to get his hopes up. He wanted to fuck with him for not coming to see him like he promised.
He started the engine to the car and backed up. He pulled out of the parking lot and went to home. On his way, he started wondering about what Altair wanted. He knew to see him, but what else? And why did Altair want to see him so badly? Along the way, he couldn't hide his smile. He was excited to see him again and he just can't deny it. He seriously missed him.
He pulled into his driveway and shut the car off. He grabbed his backpack from the backseat and headed into the house. He kissed his mom's cheek who had greeted him at the door.
"Hey, mom. I need the car again tonight." Malik said, setting his backpack on the seat of the dining table. His mom looked him questioningly.
"What for?"
"Um… To go see Altair?" He couldn't lie to his mom. She started smiling and went back to the dishes.
"Hmm, well, okay." She said. Malik, confused at her fast approval, stared at her.
"Wait, seriously? Just like that?"
She turned back towards him and stared right back. "Uh, duh? This is Altair we're talking about." She went back to the dishes. "He did save you. I don't see what's so wrong with going to see a good person."
Malik blushed, but didn't say anything. "Okay, thanks, mom." He hugged her and took the stairs to go to his room. He sat on his bed and thought about tonight. He didn't know why, but he felt like this was a date. He blushed even harder. "No. This is not a date." He said, trying to tell himself otherwise. It was close to four and he still had some time to kill.
He weighed his options again. Do homework that he should do, considering he was behind? Or watch televisions because his favorite shows were coming on a little bit. He thought hard about this when he realized he left his backpack downstairs. He weighed his options again.
Go down to get my backpack and do that homework he really should do? Or be lazy and leave it down there and just watch television? It didn't take him long to decide to choose the latter. He laid down on his bed and grabbed the remote and turned on the television. He changed it to Cartoon Network and watched Adventure Time. They had a marathon playing, so he watched as much as he could so time will fly by and he could go see Altair.
Once 7:00 came around, he turned off the television and got up. He went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He got in and started to wash every part of his body. He wanted to feel clean for when he went to go see Altair.
He turned off the shower and got out. He dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist and crossed the hall to his bedroom. He went to his closet and thought about what he was going to where. "Fancy? Hell no. Dressy? Nah. Casual? Most likely." He said, rummaging through his t-shirts. He finally stopped on a tight designer t-shirt and went with dark skinny jeans that weren't too tight, but not too loose.
After he got dressed, he looked at the clock. 7:32. Not too bad, he thought. He'll leave now so he can get there on time, in case of traffic. He went downstairs and kissed his mom goodnight, considering he didn't know when he'll be back home. He went outside and got in the car. He pulled out of the driveway and headed in the direction of the docks and hoped to get there on time.
He got there five minutes early. He pulled into the parking lot and only saw a few cars parked a few spots away. He pulled out his phone to see a text message. He opened it and read it.
"Hey, I'm already here. I hope you came." He texted him back saying he just got there and was wondering where he was. In the middle of sending, another message popped up. Frustrated, he pulled it up. It was from Altair. "Never mind, I already see you. : - )" He looked up from the message to see Altair standing next to his window. He jumped.
"Dammit, Altair! You nearly gave me a fuckin' heart attack!" Altair laughed and apologized. Malik calmed down and got out of his car, nearly hitting Altair with the door. Altair glared at him, but Malik just smirked. "Well, what do you want?"
Altair frowned from the sudden tone. "Um, I wanted to see you and all."
"And?" He inquired.
"And… I don't know? Wanna go somewhere? Or something?" Altair said, looking away. Malik couldn't hold it any longer. He smiled.
"How about… We just enjoy the view?" He said, gesturing to the lake. It glistened in the moonlight and the waves were settled in a quiet rhythm. Altair smiled and nodded. They walked over to one of the docks and sat down, letting their legs fall over the edge. They were inches from the water, but they weren't close enough to have the water touch their shoes. They just enjoyed each other's companies, letting the silence fall upon them.
Malik turned to Altair and he suddenly remembered the conversation he had with Leonardo today. He looked back at the water and tried to think of a way to talk to him about this. "Well, Leonardo and I talked today…"
Altair didn't turn to him, but responded, "About what?"
Malik gulped. "About you and Robert." Altair visibly stiffened. He lowered his gaze to stare at his feet.
"Well… We did get into a fight." Malik nodded.
"Yeah, Leonardo said that. How long were you suspended?"
"Just two weeks." Malik nodded again, pleased that it wasn't that long. A week already went by so he just had to wait a few more days.
"Now… Why?" Altair looked at him like he had two heads.
"Really, Malik? You don't know why?" Malik shook his head, but he did have a pretty good idea as to why he did do what he did. Altair turned away. "I was pissed. I didn't like the fact that he did that… I never said I was going to get revenge, but I never said I wasn't, either. But I told myself not to." He leaned back on his hands. He looked at the stars that seemed to burn brighter that night. "When I saw him in lunch… All hell broke loose. My mind went blank. I turned into a bull and Robert was a piece of red cloth. All I could see was him and all I felt was the need to punch his face in. So… I did." He turned to look Malik in the eyes.
"He deserved it, Malik. He absolutely deserved it." Malik just nodded.
"How come you didn't get that long of a suspension?" He asked.
"Well, I told the principal why I did it. He didn't care, but this story got out to the Board of Ed. and the principal was told that if he didn't split the suspension to the both of us, he was going to get fired. So," he smiled. "No one really gave a shit that Robert was the son of the principal. But…" He frowned and looked away again. "He should've got worse punishment other than a week suspension…" Malik raised his eyebrows.
"What?! He only got a fuckin' week?!" He yelled. Altair nodded distastefully. "What the fuck?!" Malik said, turning away.
"I know, I know. I wish he got longer. But the Board of Ed. is just happy that he got a suspension at all. And while he's in the hospital, his suspension is ticking away. I heard he was already doing better. He should be back tomorrow or the next day." Malik just sat there, seething. There was nothing he could do, so he just sat there, soaking in the information.
Altair was about to say something when Malik suddenly got up. He turned away without a sound and started walking back to the parking lot. Altair didn't look back, knowing that Malik wanted to be alone. He closed his eyes and just relished the feel of the cool wind. He leaned his head into his hands.
Footsteps could be heard behind him and they were coming fast. He snapped his head up and turned around to see Malik running. He was wearing nothing but his boxers and Altair blushed. "What the hell…?" Once Malik got closer he realized that Malik wasn't going to stop. Altair stood up and got out of the way.
Malik took a running leap and did a cannonball in the water. He surfaced and spit out some of the water, grinning like an idiot. Altair just stared at him in astonishment. He finally found his voice and he ran his hand through his hair. "What the flying fuck, Malik?"
Malik swam closer to Altair and he leaned in closer to try to bring Malik up. He made a huge mistake when Malik suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him in, clothes and all. He yelped and slammed into the water head first. Malik helped him resurface. "Hey." He said, smiling. Altair started coughing and he was cursing at Malik. "Calm down, calm down."
"I can't fuckin' calm down! I can't swim, you idiot!" Altair held onto Malik's shoulders, trying to keep himself above water. He raised his eyebrows at him, but started laughing. "It's not funny!" He shivered. "And it's fuckin' freezing in here!"
Malik put his hands on Altair's waist. He blushed and tried to say something when Malik came closer, whispering in his ear. "Let me help you, then." He wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer. Altair gasped from the sudden intrusion, but shut up when he realized that his lips were an inch away from Malik's. His breathing seemed to come slower. His heart beat slowed when he realized he wasn't in any immediate danger.
When he felt like he was going to sink under again, he yelped and wrapped his arms around Malik's neck. He buried his face right under his ear and his breath came out hot against Malik's skin. Malik gasped and tried to pull away, but Altair wasn't letting go, in fear of sinking and then drowning.
Malik tried again. "Altair, I can't stay afloat like this. You need to back up some." And to prove his point, their bodies started going under the water. Altair pushed away when he realized this and tried to keep arm's length. Enough for Malik to swim, but just enough to keep himself afloat. He smiled.
"Okay, okay, this is working." Altair said, happily.
"Yep. Now, doesn't this water feel refreshing?" Altair glared at him.
"I'm mad at you for pulling me in." He said, sticking his tongue out, childishly.
"Well, this is payback for not coming to see me."
"Hey! I was suspended!" Altair said, offended.
Malik rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know that, but were you placed under house arrest? I doubt that. You know, you could've come see me at my house…" He said. Altair just stared at him.
"I'm sorry… I didn't even think about that…" Malik just softly smiled.
"Hey, don't worry about it. I lived." Altair glared at him.
"Well, if you're okay with it, don't bitch." It was Malik's turn to be childish. He stuck his tongue out. Altair smiled, then. He took the chance to slide his hand up to Malik's face and he wiped away some wet bangs that stuck to his forehead. He rested his hand on the back of Malik's head and slowly pulled him in closer.
He waited to see if Malik will reject him, but when he didn't get a bad reaction, he continued. They closed their eyes and their lips touched in a small peck. Malik felt sparks run up his spine. He never kissed anyone before and he's happy to know that Altair, a man he just met, was his first.
He was about to deepen the kiss when Altair jerked back and smacked into the supporting column of the dock. Malik stared at him in confusion as he watched Altair panicking, searching the water for something. "What's wrong?" He asked. Altair continued to look, but answered him anyways.
"T-there's something in the water!" He stuttered.
"Um, fish, maybe?" He said, swimming closer to Altair. His response didn't comfort the scared man, so he just chuckled. "Hey, let's get out, okay? It's starting to get cold anyways." Altair didn't hesitate as he turned around and grabbed onto the ledge of the dock and pull himself up with the help of Malik. He turned around and grabbed Malik's hand, helping him up.
Once they were on the dock, they started walking to the parking lot. Altair was shivering along the way and his teeth were chattering. Malik glanced at him, but didn't say anything until they got to his car. Altair was about to go to his when Malik grabbed his wrist, pulling him over to the passenger side of the car. Confused, Altair spoke, "W-what?"
"I'm taking you to my house so you can get a shower and get warm." Malik said, opening the door for him to get in.
Altair shook his head. "No, I'm good. One, I can do that when I get to my house. And two, I don't want to get your car wet." Malik just placed his hand on his hip.
"Listen, Altair. I'm wet, too, you know. And another thing, you'll die of a cold before you get home. So, I'm taking you home. Got it?" He said, pushing Altair in the car without listening to another protest. He went around the car and got in his seat. "We'll come back after you're dry and warm to pick up your car." Altair just smiled and nodded, losing the urge to continue with his stubbornness, considering Malik's seem beat him in that department.
Malik start driving away and he glanced over at Altair. He was staring out the window and was smiling. He continued to shiver, but he seemed to be controlling it. Malik turned back to the road.
We… Kissed.
A/N: Was this chapter amazing? XD It's my longest one. =3 I'm so happy I was able to update at least one chapter~! ^_^ I'm having a great time down in Maryland. It's so much fun! Well, I don't really have much to say other than thanks for for reviews~! As always, they are amazing to read. ^_^ Chapter 12 will hopefully done soon! Thanks, lovelies!