"It looks so much smaller…and did it always smell this bad?" Altaïr pulled a rusted throwing knife out of the wall and grinned at it fondly, he had wondered where it had gone, "Remember you used this to secure the ropes around my wrists; I had splinters in my chest for weeks after that…worth everyone." He glanced back at Malik who was tracing the small gouges in the main support beam, "Still there?"

"Barely…little novice fingers imprinted forever – well…until tomorrow." The Dai sighed sadly and moved to the little trunk that they used to hide blankets and oil in, maybe a little food if they were between training sessions. The hole in the ceiling is bigger, the haystack has rotted and this support beam is on its way out." He caressed the prints again, this time Altaïr's hand covering his and wrapping his free hand around the man's middle, "I know we can fuck anywhere but this place was special." He leant back into the younger man and leaned his head to the side to allow a rough jaw to rub against it.

Altaïr kissed his neck sweetly, "Are you getting sentimental in your old age?" Malik slapped the back of Altaïr's hood and escaped his hold; he opened up the trunk in the corner and threw a large blanket at the man. "Ugh…this hasn't been washed in…five years – I think we grew some sort of life on it."

"Wonderful, we fathered mould," he pulled out a sealed jar and placed it on one of the gates of the pen, "The haystack is not useable, that wall is about to collapse and I am not lying on this floor." He informed Altaïr as he hung his black coat up on a hook and proceeded to undo his white robes with practiced ease, whilst trying to find a suitable place to screw in the old stable. He remembered it as something much grander, a place he could hide in and lay beside Altaïr for hours talking about nothing – where they were not assassins and where they could love each other without judgement. The light used to dapple across the floor like stars and now it was dim and dusty and…forgotten. A hand rested on his cheek gently and shocked him out of his reverie. Altaïr was looking at him with slight confusion, even without the sun his eyes shone like golden coins; he leaned in and pressed their mouths together in a chaste kiss.

The man had watched Altaïr for a long while, his dark fingers had been toying with the final tie and his mouth was set in a frown as his eyes were downcast. Surely he was not that upset about an old stable that was likely to collapse in the next rains. He went through his mind in an effort to think what would make the other sad, nothing bad had happened lately, they had new recruits and after a year of hard work they had wheedled out all of Al Mualim's evil…no one had died. "Malik!" he shut his mouth quickly, he had not meant to let out the shocked sound as his mind finally latched onto something – Kadar had died one year ago tomorrow. No wonder he was being particularly clingy to his memories. "I wish you would trust me with more of yourself…this has nothing to do with this stupid old stable."

Malik shrugged weakly, "I trust you, Altaïr. Perhaps I dragged us out here in hopes of getting the strength to screw you until you were too sore to bother me for at least a few days – there is nothing worse than you being horny and distant."

"…That is so flattering. 'I can not be bothered to bang you right now so let us go to a smelly old building – maybe I will be inclined then.'" Altaïr pressed him up against the support beam and kissed his mouth again, "we can be close and not have sex…and…just because something can not be seen does not mean it is gone forever – it is just like any old building."

"And Kadar was just any old person!" Malik covered his mouth with his palm, eyes shutting in an effort to hide himself from the other, "I am sorry…I just miss him." he felt himself being pulled into Altaïr and rested his head on his shoulder, "I just want to grab everything that means something to me and not let it go." As if to illustrate his point he wrapped the material of Altaïr's sleeve in his hand and held on tightly when the Assassin dared to take a step back.

Altaïr undid the belt and sash around Malik's middle and continued untying the robes, "I miss him too…" he mumbled, he spread the clothing apart and smirked as dark skin was revealed to him, "I do not miss your top though." Altaïr dragged his tongue across a dusky nipple before continuing down the man's navel, occasionally nipping the skin as he dropped to his knees. "Let me make you forget just for a little while…will you let me?" Malik let go of the sleeve caught awkwardly in his grip and nodded; how could he refuse such a sincere offer from the eternal pain in his side? Altaïr smirked in victory, internally apologising to Kadar for shoving his memory aside in favour of his cock, he undid the trousers before his eyes and his smirk grew when he realised Malik was already becoming hard. Wrapping his hand around his partner Altaïr gave a bold swipe to the head and went to work on making Malik squirm.

The Dai let out a little mewl, his fingers digging into the beam behind him as Altaïr wasted no time in trying to swallow him whole – he briefly wondered if Altaïr was just naturally talented at swallowing large objects or if it was a result of him always trying to force himself into the back of the other's throat when they were younger. He didn't care either way as long as he kept humming like that! "Al – Altaïr…teeth." Altaïr pulled off quickly, purposely grazing his teeth over the head and looking up innocently – before a devilish smirk broke the act and the man began licking up and down his manhood like a child with candy. He groaned longingly as Altaïr refused to stop staring up at him and varied between long, hard lick and just swallowing down his entire length. Malik's head fell back with a thump against the wood, "Enough…" he gasped, "I want you – now."

Altaïr pulled off with an obscene pop that had the Dai shivering in anticipation. He pulled off his own belt and sash hastily, his robe was dropped carelessly on the filthy stone, followed by his under shirt and Malik's boots and trousers. "Where do you want me?" he asked as he sucked along the man's jaw and pulled on his lobe with his teeth. The muffled answer reached his ears and Altaïr paused in favour of staring at Malik's face, "What?" he asked with slightly wide eyes.

"I want you inside me, it has been so long since you last had me…do not be so surprised." He leaned further against the beam and seemed satisfied with its sturdiness, "Against this beam." Altaïr nodded slowly, he was not usually the one to do the taking and if he was honest he was happier when he had the other buried inside him but he wouldn't deny him anything. The honey eyed Assassin snatched up the jar Malik had found earlier and opened it, surprised to find it completely untouched – he could have sworn they had used all their jars by the time he was eighteen. He then went back to Malik, nuzzling his neck sweetly and enjoying the hand running through his hair; he had not expected sharp teeth to clamp the spot between neck and shoulder as Altaïr shoved him up against the beam and lifted him from the floor. Malik wrapped his legs around his waist and glared at him smug look, "What was that for?"

"Making sure you are awake and with me this time." Malik rolled his eyes before pulling the Assassin forward and kissing him properly for the first time that day, no more of the sweet presses of lips on his, just tongues, teeth and needy moans. Altaïr concentrated on pulling the Dai's tongue back into his own mouth and sucking on it suggestively, it was mostly something to distract Malik from his nervous fingers clumsily trying to find his entrance. Malik would laugh at him if he knew why he was never eager to take the man, how being with Malik that way made him feel as if he were burning up, wanting to take him hard and fast but at the same time wanting to worship every inch f him. A hand found his and guided the first finger in with a little impatience.

Moaning at the foreign sensation, Malik looked at Altaïr through his dark lashes, "I will not break…another, Altaïr…please." His body jolted at the sensation of another finger entering him, he sounded breathless as he was carefully prepared, his back arching ever so slightly every time his prostate was nearly touched. He was tempted to yell at the other for his teasing but he knew Altaïr was useless at preparation to begin with; instead of yelling he pushed down on the searching digits and nailed that spot that made him moan loudly. Altaïr swallowed his own sound as he watched the muscles of Malik's body roll like a wave under his skin when he arched further, "Another!" he demanded, his hand left the Assassin and snaked up the beam to grab a, conveniently placed, bracket so that he could lift himself and have more control of the movement. Now that Altaïr had found that spot inside him he was exploiting it relentlessly just to watch the bunching and clenching of his lover's muscles as he squirmed needily.

It didn't take long until Malik was demanding that Altaïr take him, his moaning was becoming a near continuous and his thrashing was enough to literally rock the beam behind him. stroking his member until he was certain it was slick enough not to hurt him, Altaïr sought out Malik's mouth again and nearly had his knees buckle when Malik's stomach and chest rolled up against his as he pushed in. "And you called me a whore?" the other man clenched around him in answer and smashed their lips together with a loud chink as their teeth met. For Malik it felt as if a wildfire was raging inside him, even if it ached uncomfortably, he lifted his body and groaned when gravity slid him back down on Altaïr. They made a quick a rhythm together, the slight cracking sound of the beam they were rutting on fell on deaf ears as Malik pleaded for Altaïr to go faster, to push harder against that spot deep inside that was making his eyes go blind and his mind blank. They both gasped when the bracket Malik had been holding onto broke from the wood causing the man to drop heavily onto Altaïr's throbbing length.

From then on Altaïr seemed to forget that he was no longer trying to be careful, he felt as if he could not go deep enough and crushed Malik against the beam, hands sliding from his arse, up his thighs and resting under Malik's knees. The Dai yelled the Assassin's name as his legs were parted further and the pressure on his prostate seemed constant, his neglected cock felt as if it would burst soon and Malik took it in a desperate grip and stroked himself until he came – it felt as if a bolt of lightning shot through his body. It blinded him and made everything tense painfully, the blood that pumped in his ears covered Altaïr's languid moan as he filled his lover to near overflowing with white hot come. And then the tension left him; made him boneless and limp that he could have sworn the world was falling down around him.

Altaïr's chest vibrating against his made Malik frowned and come back to his senses, he was on his back, Altaïr trying to breathe through his exhaustion and what seemed to be a fit of giggles. Malik then noticed that the sun was bright in his eyes and there was thatching covering Altaïr's back – looking around he realised that the stable had collapsed around them, the support beam laying a few feet from them. "…you broke it."

000

Well…it saves on knocking it down with hammers! And now the poor novices won't have to miss swimming lessons to tear down a stable.