Special thanks to BADAZZtoldya, Evil . lil . angel, ChunChan and Tristana (thanks for the chocolate as encouragement to write - ate every bit) for leaving me wonderful reviews!

They mean so much :)

And thanks once again to Evil . lil . angel for reading my sneaky peeks I sent you and for urging me to finish my writing! Especially with the last week I have had ^^

Thanks also to my favvers and alerters since the last chapter!

And now, on with the show!

oOoOoOoOo

6.

His eyes widened to the size of saucers.

He had nearly cut Malik's throat.

He nearly killed him.

"M-Malik…." He stuttered as he staggered back a few more paces.

His brain was bouncing inside his skull. What the hell had Antonio given him?

His blurred vision took in Malik still standing with his back against the wall.

He had yet to say a word to Altair. Part of him was slightly scared. He had no idea what effect drugs had on the other male and didn't want to push him into a blind rage. He had afterall heard from Rosa that when they were younger, Altair had a fearful temper. So much so that just because himself and Desmond had fallen out once, he put his fist through a heavy wooden door in his house without so much as flinching.

Malik didn't even so much as blink as he stared at Altair but watched as he stumbled over his words and his feet.

His eyes flickered to the knife that Altair had dropped in his panic, he moved his foot slightly to kick it away.

Altair didn't seem to notice as he dropped to his knees, arms clenched tightly around his stomach.

Malik knelt down and placed a hand on Altair's forehead.

He was burning under his touch.

"Malik." he whispered again, bumping his head against the others chest for support.

Malik could feel Altair shaking as he pressed his whole body weight against him. He felt so light. His shaking became worse as he kept muttering Malik's name under his breath, like he was the only thing anchoring him to reality.

Malik had thought Altair looked rough at the coffee shop almost a week ago. Now? Now, Altair looked beyond terrible. His hair was filthy, his skin sickly and clammy, greasy in texture. His clothes looked like they had been through the wars and all Malik could smell off him was stale smoke.

Just as he raised his arms to wrap them round Altair, a loud retching sound echoed in the quiet street followed by Altair throwing himself off of Malik just in time as he threw up at the side of the road.

Malik scooted over and started rubbing circles on Altair's back, ignoring the fact that he could feel his ribs below the two layers of clothes Altair had on.

"What have I done to you?" Malik whispered as Altair heaved guts up into the street.

He had known a bit about Altair's past when they got together. He always had an inkling that he had done much worse in his younger years than he said he did. He had thought Altair over his addiction but, his rational mind took over and reminded him that when someone has an addiction, even if they seem to be over it, are still called an addict.

"Come on Altair. Lets go home." Malik whispered into the younger males ear when he finally finished being sick.

Altair needed help and Malik was more than willing to do so.

Altair didn't protest as he was pulled to his feet. He said nothing when a strong arm wrapped round his waist and the other pulled his own arm round Malik's shoulders and clutch his hand tight.

Thankfully, both males were not far from their home and Malik managed to get them back within about twenty minutes. Altair's unsteady feet had only caused them to fall once luckily but Malik now had skinned knees to show for his effort.

Dragging Altair through the house and first of all into the bathroom, Malik gently lowered him into the floor and first of all stripped him of his hoodie, t-shirt and then wrestled with the uncooperative male to get his jeans and trainers off.

Malik gasped slightly at the state of Altair. His ribs were indeed sticking out, his hip bones too.

How could someone lose so much weight in just well, 9 weeks now that Malik thought about it.

Clearly Altair had barely been eating. Probably just enough to keep him functioning.

Seeing golden eyes crack open slightly, Malik attempted a few words with Altair.

"Altair? You know where you are?"

"Malik." He whispered out again, mouth sliding into a crooked smile.

Malik could see that further damage had been done to the large scar already present on his lip.

"Close enough. Ok, You have to try and bring everything up. Get everything out your system Altair. Think you can do that?"

Altair simply sat slumped on the floor, his eyes had slid shut again but, if Malik was correct, he seemed to be taking on a greener pallor.

"Can't believe I have to do this." Malik murmured as he pulled Altair onto his knees over toilet.

Taking a deep breath, Malik forced Altair's mouth open and shoved two fingers down his throat. He felt the other male retch again, immediately snapping awake.

Removing his fingers and slapping Altair's back hard, Malik cursed at himself for doing this to Altair. Even if they never got back together, he would do all he could to help Altair through this.

After 5 agonizing minutes, Altair had thrown up all he had to give and collapsed against Malik once again.

Malik noticed the bruising, scabs and holes on Altair's arms and felt tears creep to the surface. Clearly Altair had been injecting so he needed a test done.

"One thing at a time." Malik almost sobbed out as he pulled Altair to his feet and guided him into the guest bedroom which was more like a box with no windows and only a bed in it.

Almost as if Altair would shatter before his eyes, Malik ever so gently lay him down on the bed before pulling the covers up over Altair's sweating body.

Brushing his sweat dampened hair from his forehead, Malik stooped and lightly brushed his lips across the path his hand had just taken before leaving to get a cold cloth for Altair's burning skin.

After running the cloth over his face, neck, chest and arms, Malik dropped the cloth onto the floor carelessly as the tears became unbearable.

His head dropped to Altair's chest as the words just spilled out, heedless over whether or not Altair was even listening to him.

"I love you so much and I never meant to hurt you. I hate myself for doing this to you. If only I had demanded that you came out with me that night. I'm going to help you through this Altair….I'm so sorry."

After a while, Malik dragged himself up and went to call Desmond. He had to know where Altair was.

Within half an hour, Altair's bike roared into the driveway swiftly followed by Desmond barging in the front door.

"Where the fuck is he?"

"In there." Malik uttered, pointing to the guest bedroom. "His shakes are getting worse and I cant mop up the sweat fast enough before it starts again.

"Yeah….I remember what he was like the last time he was like this."

Malik followed behind Desmond as he went into the room and just stared at the sorry sight his older twin made.

His body was shaking, the sheets below him were soaked with sweat. His eyes were wild and well, terrified almost. Every muscle in his body was pulled taught as he shook and thrashed in the bed.

"I don't know what to do." Malik finally brokenly sobbed out.

"Nothing you can do except give him water if he takes it and well….don't let him hurt himself."

"What? Hurt himself?"

Desmond nodded slowly. Last time Altair had came down like this, all those years ago, he did try to top himself. Thankfully, Desmond managed to wrestle the blade from Altair's hands before he could do any real damage. The blade did however slice into Desmond's face, creating the scar almost identical to his brothers.

"Are you going to stay here?" Malik almost shyly questioned.

Desmond stared at his twin again before nodding firmly once.

Malik and Desmond took it in turns to take up the chair now situated at Altair's bedside, pulling him from his screaming nightmares and trying to keep him hydrated.

On the second night, both males had drifted off to sleep when an ear piercing scream shook them from their slumber, Malik toppling off the chair with fright.

Altair was lying rigid on the bed staring right up at the ceiling, eyes burning yellow, fingers curled painfully into the bed sheets. His head rolled from side to side as his screaming continued. The veins in his neck stuck out as he forced his head from one side to the other, trying to bury himself under the covers. Sweat covered his body once again as his legs lashed out at nothing and the word, 'No!' erupted from his lips like gunfire.

Malik covered his ears and backed out the room.

Slumping down the wall, still covering his ears, Malik too let out a pained scream as tears flooded from his eyes.

"This is all my fucking fault!" He yelled over Altair's night terror.

After what felt like an eternity, Malik felt a light tapping on his shoulder followed my Desmond slouching down beside him.

"What is he seeing?"

"Who knows. Whatever it is, we cant help him. He clearly can't see us in there with him."

Malik wiped the tears from his face before continuing, "So, he's all alone in there?"

"Yes….hopefully he wont be like this for too much longer. I think he's sweated almost everything out….depending on the last thing he took though. His minds all over the place though and all it's ticking over is you."

Malik turned his head away from Desmond. He couldn't look into those eyes. Those eyes that were just like Altair's.

"I-I'm so sorry for what I have done to him and I want to make amends….I want to set things right. I just want him back Desmond. I hate to say it but I fucking miss him." Malik laughed through his tears.

"I heard all about that night from Lucy. She finally told me that she worked with you and that well, she was sorry. She saw briefly for herself the mess that Altair has made of himself. She told me it was her that made the first move."

"That doesn't make it right! I still slept with her."

"You think I don't know that? You think Altair has been totally innocent these past weeks? No! He has not! He blurted out drunkenly that he slept with Frederico just two weeks ago. He doesn't remember half of it but he remembered waking up drunk, naked and in bed with him!"

Malik felt sick. Sure he was the one that had fucked up the relationship….literally but he never thought Altair would….

"Who am I to judge him. It would be a classic case of pot calling the kettle black."

"He's a stubborn fucker Malik but, he never stopped talking about you. Where is he? What's he doing? Is he alright? He was too fucking concerned that you were alright to even think what he was doing when he was sticking himself with fucking needles!"

Malik and Desmond both fell silent once again, the only sound filling the house was their own steady breathing and Altair's painful wheezing gasps.

Malik called in sick for work for the rest of the week and possibly the week after. Desmond however, had to go back to his work as the manager was on holiday and he was the only one qualified to run the place.

With Desmond away, Malik was left alone with Altair. Most of that time he spent sitting on the edge of the bed, running his fingers lightly over Altair's pale, sickly face and just talking to him.

Finally, after 4 horrible days, Altair finally stopped the clockwork terrors and started sleeping soundly.

Malik breathed a sigh of relief as another hour ticked by and Altair hadn't terrified himself awake and crawled out the bed, all the while looking for more, looking for what he needed.

The first time Malik heard Altair thump to the floor, he thought he was seeing a ghost. All of Altair's limbs seemed disjointed, none connecting with his brain at the same time as the others. He stepped away from Altair as he half crawled, half dragged himself over the floor, grasping for Malik's ankles. It had taken Malik almost an hour to calm Altair down and get him back into bed.

Malik would be damned to hell before he ever let another drug pass into his lovers body.

He managed to change the bed sheets around Altair and jostle him enough to put fresh boxers on him before settling down beside him on the bed again, fingers carding through his still filthy hair.

"You need a bath." He whispered to the sleeping Altair.

Malik closed his eyes over and leaned back against the headboard. His fingers never stopping their slow rhythm through Altair's hair. He lightly started humming, a tune he remembered from his childhood. Before long, the words formed and were out of his mouth before he could even fathom what he was doing.

Altair could just make out warm fingers stroking his hair. It had to have been the nicest thing he had felt in weeks. The fingers were accompanied by a voice singing lightly to him. He remembered that song. He had heard it once before when he had a bad flu and was hallucinating through his fever.

Only one man had such a lovely voice but….that wasn't right. Why would he be with Malik? Altair didn't want to see him again after what he done to their relationship….right?

Very slowly, Altair regained enough of his senses to open his eyes slightly.

Sure enough, there was Malik, sitting over him, fingers indeed stroking his head. His eyes were closed as he sang but….tears? Malik was crying? He had hardly ever seen Malik cry. The saddest movie in the universe could be on and Malik would sit stone faced through it while he was the one that sobbed like a baby.

He was about to try and slap Malik's hand away when his mind cast him back a few days, "I love you so much and I never meant to hurt you. I hate myself for doing this to you. If only I had demanded that you came out with me that night. I'm going to help you through this Altair….I'm so sorry." Malik could have just left him in the street after he had tried to attack him. Could have left him to rot but he didn't. He brought him back. Looked after him.

Despite the cotton wool feeling inside his head, Altair remembered that he too had slept with someone else. He could remember the gory details but he remembered waking up aching and sore lying in bed beside Frederico.

He shivered slightly at the memory which had obviously startled Malik slightly as the hand vanished from his forehead just as the covers which had been around his waist were pulled up to his chest.

Altair's eyes closed back over as warm lips pressed against his forehead once again as Malik whispered, 'I love you.'

Altair opened his eyes as Malik turned to leave the room.

He forced his arm to move. It seemed to shoot out from under the blankets and latch onto Malik's wrist like a vice.

"Altair?" Malik nearly shouted, clearly not expecting him to be awake.

"Mal." Came the scratchy reply.

Malik quickly untangled his hand from Altair's and made to give him some of the water that had been sitting on the tiny bedside table.

Altair could only take a few sips before he fell back onto the pillows, body utterly drained. He felt like he hadn't used it in weeks.

"How are you feeling Altair?"

Swallowing a few times to wet his still dry throat, Altair finally managed to croak out, "Shit."

"Why did you so this to yourself? Wait….stupid question. This is all my fault Altair."

"I could have said no to the boys."

"Shut the fuck up a second….this is all my fault and I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I have to say it until you believe me but, until you are satisfied, I will not stop."

Altair knew this was a massive blow to Malik's over inflated pride. He never apologised for anything….even if that anything was his fault.

"Mal….I….you, well, I don't want to hear you apologise again. I fucked up too. Look what's happened to me."

Malik closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly. Should he bring up that he knows about Altair sleeping with Frederico?

"I had sex someone else too….just the once but, I did it too."

Altair let his eyes slip shut once again.

He was just deflating into the pillows when a strong arm looped over his stomach as the bed dipped from under him.

Malik shimmied closer to Altair, pulling himself right up beside him on the bed. His arm found it's way round Altair's stomach. On hearing no protest, Malik lay down beside Altair while running his fingers in circles over his all too thin belly.

"We have lots to discuss Altair….I don't know if you are ready to think about this but….you were injecting right?"

A small nod was all the reaction Malik received.

"Well, when your better….you need….we need…."

"I know what I need Malik and I know we can't even think about us until we have all this sorted. Fuck Malik, I don't want to do what I did….I never did but, it just happens. It could happen again….I don't know if or when. One bad mood or slip up and I could go crashing back. I still want it Malik. I still want that feeling. It's wonderful at the time but, it could kill me."

Malik listened quietly as Altair spilled his guts about the drugs, what he done and how scared he was of doing it again.

"I think Altair, that with the proper help, you will be fine."

"I don't want help. I just want you."

"No Altair, you will have the help….but you will have me there, right beside you."

"If you think that's best Mal."

Malik said nothing as he sat back up and lightly kissed Altair's forehead once again before getting up off the bed.

He had a few calls to make.

After making the horrible call to the local doctor for Altair to have his blood tested and to arrange for counselling sessions for his younger lover, then calling Rosa with an update, Malik collapsed onto the couch, the last few days catching up with him.

He heard shuffling from the other room so he crept back over so as to not disturb the sleeping Altair.

Malik smiled slightly at the sight. Altair had rolled over and buried most of his body from view. Tufts of his hair were the only thing to be seen above the covers. Malik was about to turn away when the sleeping male started, very quietly at first snoring, which soon turned into an all out crescendo of wheezing, steam train like snores.

Quietly clicking the door shut, Malik was about to lie down on the couch for an hour or so when the door went.

Desmond had been given Altair's keys for the time being so who was it?

Quickly checking to make sure Altair hadn't wakened, the blasted door went again. Growling through clenched teeth, Malik stormed over to the front door and swung it open, ready to throw a verbal volley of abuse at whoever had disturbed him.

His eyes narrowed, jaw tensed and his back straightened.

"What the hell are you doing here? You've done enough!" Malik all but screamed at the brothers.

He took in the sight of the two of them standing there without a care in the world. The eldest, Frederico leaning casually, arrogantly against the doorframe.

Oh yes, Malik knew who they were. Who in the town didn't?

"Chill out. We're just here to collect." Ezio drawled out in an attempt to flirt with Malik.

Malik eyeballed the intruders suspiciously before hissing out, "Collect what?"

"What? He never told you? He fucking owes us."

Malik looked away from Ezio, he was all bark and very little bite. Frederico on the other hand? His silence said it all. Mess with him and find yourself either without teeth or with a new asshole torn.

"How much?" Malik questioned, never taking his eyes of Frederico.

"Five hundred." Ezio all too quickly rushed out.

"What? Not a chance in hell. How can he owe that much?"

"Altair destroyed two of my phones, not to mention the doctors bill for beating the shit out of me and cutting my face to bits. Also, the stuff he….borrowed from us."

Malik sighed in irritation. How he would love to mop the floor with these two. The stuff obviously referred to the drugs he had freewheeled off of the brothers when he had run out of his own money.

"Three and not a penny more. Three then stay the fuck away from him."

Ezio looked like he was about to blow his top but Frederico's hand on his shoulder quickly calmed the younger brother down.

"Fine, three it is Malik." Frederico finally said.

Malik closed the door on the two while he rummaged through the drawer in the living room for his cheque book. No bloody way was he producing his wallet infront of them. Not that he had the cash in it anyway. Quickly scribbling out the amount and signing it, Malik threw the door open again and thrust the cheque into Frederico's hand.

"Not get the fuck off my property and stay the hell away from Altair."

Slamming the door in their faces, Malik turned and leaned against it, slowly sinking onto the floor.

"Why did you do that Malik?" Came a tired voice from the guest bedroom.

Malik glanced up to see Altair standing in the doorway with the covers wrapped around his body.

"I didn't like to think what they would do if you didn't pay them what you owed."

"You think I'm scared of them? I already beat Ezio into the ground once before."

"Yes and from what Desmond told me, he broke your nose as easily as that. My guess is that they would break a lot more if they didn't get their money."

"I can get myself out of trouble Malik."

"Really? What with? You no longer have a job and incase you have not noticed, your bank account has run dry!"

Malik had afterall seen the statements as they came and had received a very angry call from Altair's manager telling him he was 'fucking fired'.

Altair growled at Malik before stomping over to the couch and flopping onto it, blankets and all.

"No way Altair. We have lots to sort out and discuss and I will not have you lay idle on my couch."

"What do you suggest I do then?"

Malik shuffled over and sank onto the couch beside Altair, nudging him out of the way slightly in the process.

"If you stop being so stubborn, I think a bath is the first port of call."

Altair sat up and ran a hand through his filthy hair.

"I agree. Feels like I could cook a full fried breakfast on the top of my head."

Altair watched as Malik got to his feet and held his hand out. He hesitated slightly. Could they ever get their relationship back? Would it ever be the same? Would they even work anymore given that the two of them had sex with other people?

"Stop thinking Altair. Your thoughts are too loud. Lets just take this one day at a time shall we?"

"Ok." He whispered as he slowly reached for Malik's hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

oOoOoOoOo

Looks like things are settling down ^^