A/N: Edited 2/28/2012

Chapter 6

Malik's life carried a similar tune to Abegail's tragic story. It wasn't hard to conceive what had happened to her given her circumstances and the careful inspection of her words.

The raven-haired assassin leans into her, laying his head upon hers. His breath travels over her ear, hushing her. Abegail continues to sob freely into his tunic. No cry, wail, or moan was considered to be too pathetic and so, none of her sorrows went unspoken.

Abegail honestly thought she was a stronger woman. One who could let go of her past. Altair had burned through her ice cap of logic in a magnificent and incendiary display of ignorance. Ignorance was brutal, discriminate, and impetuous. She remembered how those flames felt against her body; how it destroyed what little wealth she had in life. Old scars felt raw and anew.

Looking back, she supposed she had wanted to die; if only to prove what terrible control faith and belief had over a man's mind. She could have fell tonight in a bitter dispute of blood and religion and instead the three of them were huddled around one another as friends.

Abegail was easily lost to guise of warmth the two assassin s provided. She remembered the hard pillow of her father's shoulder against her ear and how easy it had been to fall asleep cradled in his lap, the steady crackling of wood warming them on through the night. She missed him, she missed him so badly!

Malik felt the girl in his arms becoming subdued and gave her a shallow pet on top of her blond hair.

"Feeling better," he asks her with a hopeful smile.

She inhales sharply and wipes her soaked face.

"Yes, I am sorry, I am not usually like this. I must look stupid."

"You do," Altair smirks.

Malik wanted to smack him; mostly because it was customary and partially because it was a stress relief. He decided against it. Humor was it s own kind of medicine.

"Ignore him, snarks Malik, "He's only mad because his type of stupidity is permanent."

The girl giggled softly and eased away from their collective arms.

"Thank you. A girl s tears don t seem to hold much value anymore," she mutters, forcing a smile. "Oh, I've ruined your clothes," she sniffs, brushing her palm against Malik's clothes, trying to wipe away the result of her tears. Both men made no move to stop her fidgeting, knowing her embarrassment.

"Ah, let me get you some fresh clothes," she sputters, rising to her feet quickly to pick up the clothes she left on the rocking chair some time ago.

"We'll be fine," Malik says, but the girl is clearly too absorbed in her own thoughts to hear him.

Malik rises to his feet shortly after the girl does. Altair, feeling neglected, tugs on the train of Malik s robes;waiting for the man to help him up. The raven sighs indignantly and offers his hand. Altair demands he be revered and makes a point of shifting his entire weight onto Malik s arm, hoping to receive the same kind of nurturing treatment Abegail had. Malik grits his teeth when he feels the added weight and Altair uses the leverage to yank the other down to his level.

"Altair," Malik hisses scornfully. The fall was unpleasant, and the floor wasn't so forgiving on his knees.

Abegail turns when she hears the thud of two men falling on top of each other and freezes.

"Oh, um you know why don t you use my bath? You must be freezing in those clothes. The tub is in the spare room and you can use the fire to boil the water. I am going to go out for a walk to help clear my head," she says, placing the clothes back where they were, I leaves these here. She continues to dart around the room, grabbing her cloak and her pack before heading for the back door.

Malik fought with the hands tying him to the other assassin. He manages to escape and meets the girl before she leaves.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

-It s nearly nightfall and you'll be alone.-

She wiped at her eyes just in case there were some tears that were causing him to worry.

"No I'll be fine." She smiles. "I'll be back in a few hours. I'll try not to wake you."

And with that, she pushed herself out the door.

Even with the crickets filling the cooling evening air and the sound of Abegail's steps parting the grass outside the room is unbearably quiet. Malik realizes he s staring at door. He closes his dark eyes feeling guilty and defeated.

-This was the poor girl's home and yet we made her feel that she had to leave.-

The desire to scream his distaste was building, but it was against his better judgement to turn tonight s events into a lecture. Turning, Malik is surprised to see the novice has somehow stood miraculously on his own. Immediately, Malik knows something grave is brewing inside ibn la ahad's mind. Malik can see it in the way the light eclipses Altair's form; giving the man the appearance of an angel standing over a grave stone. Malik can t muster up the energy to understand what it means.

Sighing, the older assassin moves towards the spare bedroom. It would be wise to distract Altair from his brooding.

Altair finds refuge in his own solitude of darkness; away from the small cottage by the sea. Altair shows his confliction to aged floor boards, feeling much like the grains of sand caught between the cracks beneath his feet. Just as those grains would never again feel the motions of the sea, he would never again set his eyes on Masyaf. He can t explain why his mind and body choose this moment to fully realize their shared exile, but the sadness grips him inexorably. Altair's fingers trace the torn sockets of his gauntlet, missing the presence of the hidden blade. He accepts that he no longer possesses the right to carry such a divine weapon and that he is damned by his people. Even his white robes seem like nothing more than a costume. They were ordinary men now, two grains of sand from the same hourglass that were lost through a crack, drifting in their own dimension of time.

Altair wouldn't dare share any of these thoughts with the other man occupying the room. Malik was the only evidence Altair had of his prestige in the assassin brotherhood and he didn't to loose any more of those memories.

"Altair," Malik calls, beckoning him from across the room.

Altair doesn't know whether to curse Malik's perceptiveness or praise it. A smile appears of it's own volition as he slowly crosses the room, the creak of the floor signaling each step. He kneels between his friend s feet. Once again, Malik s voice has guided him out of the darkness and Altair has overwhelming urge to let the man know what that means to him.

"Malik thank you."

- I would have gone crazy if you weren't here with me.-

Malik blinks, jolted by Altair's words. "For what," the raven asks. The scholarly assassin was expecting a cold and brash Altair, not this supple creature beneath him.

"I heard your voice back then," Altair explains, taking Malik's warm hands inside his chilled ones. Altair catches himself wondering about Malik, love and heat. The dark fingers are pliable at first, simple bendable joints, but then Malik s brain catches up with the sensation and those hands open and take him in. Altair is smiling again even though the other man can't see it.

Malik can do nothing but stare. With effort, he works up enough muscle function to give a nervous nod. His heart is beating much too loudly for his liking, his body too. This moment is crucial for them, but Malik is not so confident that his tongue will form the right words. He opens his mouth in an attempt to speak, but dammit he looks the wrong way and he catches sight of those bewitching golden eyes. He tries to blink the spell away, altering his gaze between the far wall and Altair.

"You're ... you're welcome."

Altair smiles brightly, amber eyes glowing brightly in the darkening colors of days end. The brunette leans up for a kiss, pausing every inch until lips meet lips.

Altair is pleased to find Malik's mouth is attentive, folding over his own in smooth transitions. The young assassin wants to push for more and take everything Malik has to offer in the next moment, to burn away his disfigured reality with the power of sensation. Altair reaches one hand around Malik's neck, pulls him closer so their kiss becomes deeper, rougher, urgent. Malik grunts and Altair knows he's crossed a boundary, but the assassin decides he won't stop pressing until he's crossed each one. Another hand trails slowly down Malik's chest, slipping under the white tunic to learn the true shape of him. Malik gasps into the other man's mouth, breaking their tongues apart in offense of Altair's wandering curiosity.

"Stop now, get off me," the wise owl pants, willfully yet weakly shoving at the other man.

Malik admits to himself that he s terrified. He has no idea what he's agreeing to or what it means if they become lovers, even for the night. No, one night wouldn't be enough. Malik had his hands full keeping Altair out of his mind. He could only Imagine the torture of knowing Altair's flesh and be denied of it s pleasures. It may very well drive him insane.

Malik likes to think he is hateful for a reason. He believes it keeps Altair at the perfect distance. Now that distance is thinning and their invisible barrier is being stripped away. If only Altair knew how the Raven felt all these years.

"Why don t I believe you," Altair pants, just as breathless as his partner as he dangles his lips just beyond the other's reach. The impact of those words have Malik nearly jumping out of Altair s hold. Foresight prevents them from splitting apart. The man is easy to predict. Altair restrains his friend by taking a bite of his neck, sucking on the veins like a common leech. Altair is impressed by how loudly Malik moans. It's interesting how the very body that has scorned his very existence is shuddering and bucking against him in surrender.

Malik' s resolve is dwindling, overshadowed by the white lights of passion flashing across his vision. His body, so accustomed to the pain of living, became ravenous in the hands of pleasure.

"I won't ask you to do anything," Altair whispers, already pulling at his partner s clothes and exposing a smooth, tanned chest. Sweet, meaningful kisses and nibbles are dotted over his friend s heart, on his collarbone, and on his neck. Altair glances up from the edible flesh to see that Malik is already under his control. The eagle finishes his accent with a lingering kiss on his friend s mouth. One hand moves up to curl over Malik s ear to brush through thick ebony locks, while the other hand curls warmly around his waist.

"Malik please. I need you."

Those words jolt Malik out of his haze of endorphins to stare unfocused eyes on the man that wants to eat him whole.

With determination in his narrowed eyes, the brunette wraps his arms tighter around Malik form to quiet it. Malik relaxes a measure and he too reaches out, touching the brunette's prickly cheek. Tanned fingers twitch and pull back before Altair can feel their heat.

Anger reflects in Altair's eyes and his brow wrinkles. He tries to keep the emotion from his voice and fails. The words come out gruff and indignantly.

"Why are you so afraid of touching me? Am I unworthy of you?"

There, he said it. The evil thought has been infesting his mind for longer than he can remember.

Malik looks down and says nothing. Altair's anger gets the better of him and he forces Malik to meet his eyes.

"Look at me!"

The man does as he's told, his expression as cool as a snake and his eyes sharply lidded.

"No, that's not why."

"Then tell me why," Altair orders, his tone coming out harsher then he intended.

Malik closes his eyes and locks his jaw. His blunt nails dig into his friend s hand as the painful words clatter from his tongue.

"Because everything I know will change. I can t live through another change Altair. I am without an arm, a brother, and a home."

Malik won't let Altair lead him off his course so when he sees the brunette about to interject he raises his voice a few octaves higher.

"And I accept that!"

Altair s demeanor melts into perplextion. He s become a tamed beast and listens to every word pouring out of Malik s mouth in fascination.

"Altair .. you have been the only constant in my life. And I wonder if this will cost me the one certainty I have left. Please, tell me you understand."

Malik's eyes are swollen when the confession is done. Altair can feel the momentum of his friend s plea reach into his soul.

"I understand."

Altair plays with the strands of hair framing Maliks face, loving the forlorn expression captured before him. He smiles when he thinks of the words he's about to say.

"I made a promise to you; to stay by your side until the very end."

"When did-"

"You were asleep."

Malik laughs slightly, "Of course you would say it while I was unconscious. How can I be sure it's true?"

Altair finds Malik's hand and squeezes it gently with one of his own. His gaze doesn't waver from his friends emerald irises.

"I won't leave you."

"I ll swear I ll hunt you down and kill you, if you do."

"I would enjoy that," Altair taunts and Malik takes the bait. Before the older assassin can spout an insult, Altair pacifies him. "Be proud you're the only man who can send Altair ibn la ahad to his knees."

While Malik takes on the impossible task of erasing those words from his memory, Altair takes a taste of his partner's pink lips. Slipping out of his own damp tunic, the brunette presses his chest against the hard contours of his lover. Both men sigh in satisfaction as their skins meet. Altair s hands are about to discreetly slide Malik's belt and pants down, when the raven stops him again.

"I...I...don t, Malik stutters, clearly not used to speaking under such heady conditions.

"What now," Altair grouses. He begrudgingly gives the other a few inches of space.

"I am I am going to be terrible at this," Malik confesses.

Altair wants to admire the amount of courage it took for Malik to share that sentence, but Altair wasn't interested. He rolls his eyes instead.

"Don t you want a partner that knows what they're doing?"

"No," Altair replys bluntly. The master assassin points to himself and says, "Altair ..." Then, he points to Malik and says, "... wants Malik."

Malik chuckles and Altair wants to drown in that smile.

Thank you for reading!

Comments and Questions Welcome

Chapter Completed: January 8, 2011 5:00 am