A/N: warning - mentioned character death, grieving.
Connor walked over to where his father was resting, a gentle smile appearing on his face. He hummed a little as he left a small bouquet of flowers next to where the other was resting. After a moment he spoke "I am sorry for not visiting sooner, rake:ni. Things have gotten very hectic lately. I am training a dozen new recruits. It's going well, actually, but after… After certain things happened, I had to deal with some of the patriot leaders again. The British are harassing trade ships and stealing sailors… I… I miss you dearly. I still love you."
Haytham continued to rest and not say a word. Not that Connor had expected anything else. "You asked me more than once what rake:ni meant… But I was a little to shy to tell you… Especially as I… I called you that when we were being…Close." A blush appeared on his face as he remembered a couple of those times:
They were camped out in the frontier, far from any other living person. The two of them had been fighting for dominance for a little while… But Haytham had managed to pin Connor to the floor of their tent. There was a wicked smirk had appeared on the Templar's face as he slid inside of Connor, who moaned "Rake:ni!" lovingly.
A biting kiss to his neck that would be almost impossible to hide. Connor looked down at his father, whose bright blue eyes glittered with satisfaction as he had moaned "Rake:ni~!" At the thoroughly enjoyable mark. The sway of The Aquila around them only added to the experience.
"It means father in Mohawk…. I should have told you when you asked… You likely would have teased me without mercy… But perhaps you might have enjoyed it. A-and Konnorónhkwa means I love you. I just… I didn't know how to tell you before. I-I should have. Perhaps… Perhaps then this… It might not have happened." Connor murmured as a massive, miserable sigh left him. The young man set down the small vase of flowers down next to where his father was resting.
Haytham continued to sleep, unperturbed by the other's words. Connor's heart throbbed in grief and pain and he let a few tears fall. He couldn't let himself grieve for his father around his fellow Assassins as they wouldn't understand why he would do such a thing… and the Homesteaders would fuss over him in ways that while they meant the best… Would only be distressing, really. "We've left what remains of the Templar Order here be. So long as they don't do anything to disruptive in the wrong ways, I see no reason to kill the rest of them."
Connor sighed and huffed a little "I can hear the way you would scold me for doing that. "If you are going to defeat an enemy, do so properly, Connor." But… I have found out some things about the previous colonial brotherhood… The one you destroyed… It… They had free reign in the colonies… Well, the united states of America, as they are calling themselves now… and they were doing some really terrible things… As much as our two orders seem to be fated to fight against one another, one without the other seems to get out of hand… Balance needs to be maintained… I just wish that there was a way for our two orders to do that peacefully."
Connor stood up and paced around the area that his father was resting in for a little while, trying to settle his emotions enough continue to talk to Haytham. It was incredibly difficult for Connor to do so each time that the young mentor came to visit his father… Due in no small part to the fact that the guilt and pain of being responsible for Haytham's death weighed heavily on his heart and in his soul… But it was also just a little bit freeing as well… As he was able to speak to his father and with no one else around to hear him… He could air his grievances and worries without upsetting anyone else… And being able to grieve for the person who had managed to so thoroughly capture his hear that even in death, whenever Connor left this place, his heart was still where his father had been buried.
"I… I wish there had been another way to get through our… Our last encounter without one of us dying. If… If I had tried to talk to you before then… Or… Or if I told you why I had hated Lee so much and wanted him dead…" Connor mumbled, frustrated and miserable "… I know what you'd probably say about that too. What has happened, happened. Obsessing about it will do you no good. I buried the pendant you always wore. Someplace safe, where no one else will get to it. I miss you every day."
Connor stayed silent for a time, sitting down next to where his father was resting and just… Watched the day pass, rather enjoying spending time with the other quietly with Haytham as he had in the past on occasion… Usually when they were traveling from one city to another. After a time, he gently sat a dark blue tri-corned hat on Haytham's headstone. Connor also sat an eagle feather on the other's grave, net to the small vase of flowers. He pressed a kiss to one both of his hands and pressed his fingertips to where his father's name had been carved into the stone.
"I have to leave soon. It's nearly dusk and my Brothers and Sisters will worry if I am gone too long. I promise to visit you again soon, father. I love you, and I hope that wherever your spirit is, I hope that you are resting well and happily." With that, the young mentor carefully got up and left the graveyard. He was hastily rubbing his eyes as more treacherous tears threatened to spill from them and he needed to project an air of calm confidence as he knew that one or more of his students would find him soon.
