Hello!

A/N: Thank you so much for staying with this series, your support means a lot to me! :3 Sorry for the long wait, but here's another chapter either way :)

! Spoiler Alert ! Disclaimer: All characters (except Annora and Marie) belong to Ubisoft, as do the cover images.

Ann can't sleep, and there is only one man who can help...

Enjoy! ^^

XXIV

"We are all books containing thousands of pages, and within each of them lies an irreparable truth."

A few hours later…

"Julie! Julie wait up!" Ann shouted across the first floor hallway, the maid suddenly turning around and pressing her finger to her lips in a rush, her expression agitated and surprised at the same time.

"Miss Ann, please be quiet," she whispered as the woman walked up to her, "it is almost midnight, and mostly everyone is asleep."

"Of course, I apologise, I was… I was just looking for Haytham."

"Master Kenway asked me to make sure no one disturbs him."

"Julie, please, tell me where he is."

"Master is in his chamber."

"There are over ten bedrooms in this god-forsaken house, how am I supposed to figure out which one he's in?"

"You're not. I already told you Master asked to not be disturbed."

"Yes but that does not mean me specifically does it?"

"It means everyone, Miss."

"Please Julie, please, I beseech you, tell me," the girl gave the maid a pleading look, her eyes almost glazed with tears, her hands quickly reaching out to grab onto her arm. "I haven't been able to even get a wink of sleep, I need to see him urgently."

Julie sighed, rather heavily and looked away for a moment. She would've felt guilty had she not obeyed the Mistress' pleas. "Well… If you so desperately insist then I guess I'll have to take you to his chamber."

"I won't say a word, I won't tell him it was you."

"He'll know anyway Miss, he knows more than you can imagine."

"I can imagine actually," Ann replied and followed the quiet steps of the slightly older woman. They climbed the flight of stairs to the third floor and crossed through two hallways to finally reach a set of white double doors at the end of the last, unusually short and heavily decorated hallway. "This doesn't look like a guest bedroom," Ann murmured.

"It's one of the largest rooms in this Manor," Julie whispered back.

"I wish he told me such a major detail."

"Master didn't seem in the best of moods."

"It's kind of my fault, but I should leave that for another time. Thank you for letting me come here Julie, you should go get some rest."

The maid gave her a small smile and bowed, assuming she was being dismissed and disappeared into the badly lit corridor, her steps almost inaudible. Ann took a deep breath, persuading herself that what she was doing was part of Haytham's plan. That he would probably be waiting for her right outside the door with open arms. She didn't want to knock, he would've known and dismissed her, or pretended he didn't hear anything, so she just placed her cold palm on the golden handle and pressed down on it, opening the door very deliberately and peeking in like a petty thief. The room itself was very faintly lit by one or two lit candles, casting dark and foreboding shadows in all corners. There was an unlit fireplace on the right hand-side, a settee beside it and a desk and chair tucked in one of the darkened corners. Ann opened the door just a bit more, unable to see the man anywhere. She only had her featherweight cotton and silk nightgown on, as well as equally light shoes on her feet, ones which she felt were too big and kept on slipping off when she walked. Her hair was down, no longer powdered, just like her face which was bare, all of the make up she wore washed out like poison.

She was freezing, having taken a bath only an hour before, so she knew she was either going back to her own bed to continue freezing or slipping into the man's bed and hoping he wouldn't push her off. She couldn't make out the wonderful details of the panelled walls and the decorated ceiling because of the darkness, but she could make out the king size bed that rested against the wall, however unlike other beds in the Manor this one was without any banisters or fancy covers, it was fairly modest except the shiny lining of the pillows and quilts, which must have been satin.

She found Haytham all of a sudden, the man bare. Her eyes widened, considerably, for he was completely unclothed except for the light towel tied loosely around his hips. He was at the other end of the room, hiding in the darkness with his back to her, facing the open glass doors which led to a small balcony. His palm rested against the door frame, a glass of whiskey in his other hand, occasionally sipping at it. She silently closed the door as she stepped inside, admiring him from afar, the muscles of his back rippling as always with every move he made. He looked magnificent, a true Templar in both his stature and character, the man she always felt so unworthy of. She took a step forward, feeling the cold outside breeze quickly climb her skin. He didn't turn around, but she knew he heard her. So she took a few more silent steps until she stood breaths away from him.

"Haytham..," she whispered, "Haytham, I can't sleep."

He didn't reply, instead setting the glass down on a small oak table beside the open doors. He still didn't turn to her though, deciding to let her linger while his palms rested against the surface so that she could see the profile of his face, his well-trained arms stretching out. She stood there meekly, her hands clasped together against her robe, eyes almost half-lidded, tired. The tears that she so wanted to prevent already started building up, awaiting the moment when something he said or did would make her weep, whether openly or silently.

"What do you want to hear?" She stuttered, "what do you want me to say?"

He still stayed silent.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry okay? I shouldn't have turned down your help like that… I just… I don't know what went through me, I was so afraid of someone seeing us, of your future ruined because of me," she spoke up, her words slightly stammered, her voice wavering as if she was about to break, "I didn't want to risk it, I didn't want to risk crying because then you would've comforted me and I would've felt weak again, I would've given in to you. God knows what we would have done then and there if things got out of hand…"

He lifted himself up from his position and looked towards her, his eyes a melancholy of feelings, his body and muscles tense. "Don't say all those things, don't feel that way, don't apologise to me," he whispered and approached her, so closely she had to look up to meet his eyes, feeling his ever so familiar heat wrap around her. She smiled softly, shaking her head in disagreement.

"But I am sorry, all I've been doing is complaining to you, to Julie, to myself. I've been so ungrateful it puts me to shame, I hate myself for it."

"No, Ann, don't..," he replied quickly before she got a chance to carry on and took a firm grasp of her intertwined hands, lifting them up to his lips so that she could feel his breath on her skin. "Please, please I beg of you, don't be like this, you know how it hurts me to hear those words," he confessed, his voice so loving and gentle, "you have a right to complain Ann. I've been leaving you here, all by yourself, I've never been there when you fell asleep, I've never had the chance to caress you as your eyes close, nor never had the chance to watch you wake up in the morning. That's all my fault, and that certainly doesn't make you ungracious, so the only person you have the right to hate is me."

"No," she quickly shook her head, "no I would never hate you, why would you say that?"

"I just want you to let me help you, no matter where we are. I want to be your lover Ann, and I want to comfort you, I want you to realise that I'm always with you and that you can tell me every little single thing and I will be right here for you."

"I- I know Haytham, I know you are, as I am for you. But… I miss you so much when you're away all day, I know it's selfish but I need you beside me, all the time, or else I feel so alone and so fragile, it's like you are my only strength."

He slipped his arms around her in an embrace, her eyes closing as she felt his chest press against her lips and the tip of her nose and the warm surface of her forehead. Her palms spread against his torso, caressing it with her fingertips as he rested his jaw on her hair, his hold strong yet careful. He was so warm, like the sun on a beautiful spring day. She heard his breath, felt his chest move against her hands in a constant rhythm. He was like a God to her, he was her everything, the air she breathed and the sun that soaked her skin in the summer, or the snow that fell from the sky in the winter. She wanted him, all of him, beyond words and actions, it was an ethereal feeling, a feeling she never imagined she would be capable of experiencing.

"You are stronger than you know Ann," he whispered and let her go, sending her a soft smile. "Anyone can see that."

"I never feel that way though."

"But I do, and once you accept your strength you'll feel it."

"I guess so," she replied reluctantly, unable to believe she could ever change.

"You must be tired, Ann… Come," he added, reaching his palm out for her to grasp, slowly leading her to the bed to the right hand side of the room. She felt the blush on her cheeks strengthen by the second and tiptoed after him. On his way he blew out the light of the candles, the room completely soaked in darkness, while the girl carefully climbed onto the thick quilts. She waited on the edge, stretching her legs out on the soft surface, awaiting him to join her. She looked ahead, he had his back turned to her like before and stood in front of what seemed to be a small wardrobe, it's door open. She got up on her knees and shuffled along to the other end of the bed, looking to see what he was up to.

"What are you..," her melodic voice died down as she noticed the towel slip from his hips, a sudden excitement overcoming her for a few seconds before she quickly turned herself away from the view, closing her eyes and resting her palm against her heavily breathing lips in what felt like embarrassment, but was something else, something she couldn't quite place her finger on. The mattress creaked under her quick and heavy movements the whole time, the man smirking as he heard her, having already guessed how surprised she must have been.

"You know people in the early middle-ages used to rest disrobed."

"And you are telling me this because?"

"I wanted to ask if you minded me doing the same, since this is my chamber."

"Have you no," she began, taken aback with the unusual question, "no nightgown?"

"I do, I have many, yet seeming as it is winter and you are so cold you must prefer me unclothed…"

"I never said that," she countered with a flustered expression on her face.

"But you thought it."

"How would you know?"

"You can't deny it."

She scoffed and crossed her arms, "do what you want, since as you had said so yourself, this is your chamber." She wasn't irritated, it was rather all a big shenanigan to her, so she pretended to be cross with him and retreated to slip under the covers, wrapping them around her up to her chin, her skin shivering from the sudden chill of the satin. She heard his steps against the floorboards, then the sudden slam of the balcony doors, cutting off the winter breeze, snow threatening to fall from the unusually dark and cloudy sky. She suddenly felt a weight on the other edge of the bed and guessed he must have sat down. He turned to look at her and saw her figure covered in layers of quilts, her head comfortably resting on the full-bodied down pillows.

"You too should undress Ann," he suggested after a while, as if it was the most natural thing to do. He never voiced such requests before, so what in the heavens changed? She lifted herself up and leaned on the bed with her palm, raising her eyebrow at him in question. Then her eyes - out of sheer human curiosity - slowly glided down his chest, his stomach and his hips. Hips which were bare. He was completely disrobed. For the first time in her life she saw a man unclothed so openly, without any shame, but rather outright confidence. She stared at him, gaping, the darkness hiding nothing, rather allowing the faint light that came through the windows to highlight his features and muscles. She realised what she was doing so she quickly turned away, processing what she had just witnessed.

"Just what are you planning?" She asked, her voice awfully close to being playful.

"I'm planning to warm you up, you know - Share body heat. Since it's winter and you're always ever so icy." He made sure his tone sounded convincingly innocent.

"Are you sure that's your only motive?"

"No," he responded, "yet I don't plan on giving you any choice in the matter."

"What?" She asked, confused, and then suddenly saw him climbing under the covers towards her, his actions equal to that of a wild predator. "Haytham!" She exclaimed in surprise when she was suddenly pulled up towards him, his fingers quickly finding the lace that held her nightgown together. "Haytham, stop! What are you-."

"Hush woman!" He snapped, yet a devious smile played on his lips nevertheless, "are you planning to wake the whole Manor and have them know what we are doing?"

She pouted then but obeyed his argument. He pulled at the lace and the back of the gown came undone rather swiftly. She spun around, holding the dress up against her soon to be bare chest, but he didn't plan on stopping. He moved a bit closer until his breath touched the surface of the nape of her neck, his hand moving her hair out of the way. He pushed the gown apart, the skin of her back shivering at the sudden chill, quickly replaced by the hot touch of his palms as they swept across the flesh.

"Please, stop this, before I..," she couldn't find the courage to say those words that lingered on her tongue so desperately, but her voice gave it all away. He chuckled, sliding his hands down to her naked waist and leaned in to press his lips to her skin again without even slight hesitation, sending even more shivers down her spine.

"What are you afraid of? What are you so ashamed of... Your body is beautiful, and I desire to see it, " he spoke against her pale flesh.

"Haytham..."

"I've waited for so long, I won't let you go now."

She loved the warm glow of his touch against her and the slick fervour with which his teeth grazed along her shoulder. Her arms instinctively relaxed and fell to the sides, her robe escaping her once defensive grasp. He quickly reached to catch the garment with his hands, tugging it away from her body, leaving her as bare as he was. He took hold of her and suddenly pushed her down against the covered mattress, his palms resting beside her body on either sides, her form once again completely defenceless and unable to resist him. She craned her neck to the side, closing her eyes, feeling his heat enveloping her, feeling ashamed of her body for one reason or another, feeling so exposed to all of him.

Yet was it not what she had wanted all along? When she first saw him he too was exposed, in a way, completely unaware of her presence. She compared his magnificence to that of a painting, the ridges on his stomach to perfectly captured valleys in a surreal landscape. She turned her eyes back to him then, remembering, seeing it happen all over again. Her fingertips hesitantly reached out to feel those ridges again, caressing his skin just like she did that one fateful day that changed her life, changed her being, who she was, how she felt and how she lived. Everything tied in together, everything came back to Haytham. It was as if her very existence relied on him. To her that didn't even seem like an exaggeration. What was she getting so bashful about? She wanted to feel their bodies against each other since the first time she laid her eyes upon him, it took time - maybe not long but still time - for her to realise she loved him, but the attraction, the lust and the unexplainable desire was there since the beginning.

God, how she wished she knew what he was thinking in those moments when he hovered over her like that, staring into her eyes with such intensity, such veneration and such carnal thirst.

"Haytham..," she whispered and brushed her fingers along his torso until they reached his lips, lingering for a few moments and then sliding down again until they reached the scar on his neck, the one from what seemed like eternities before. The tips of her fingers were velvet soft, her hands small and slim, her nails slightly grazing his skin as they traced what was once a fresh wound, but was now only a reminder of the past.

"I want to kiss you, Ann, I want you," he said softly, leaning in until their lips were inches apart, her breasts pressed against his chest in a tepid and comforting embrace. Her hand moved around to take hold of the nape of his neck, tangling the short hairs around her fingers, the rest of his hair neatly combed back into a ponytail like always. She felt her legs tie around his own, entangling their heated and already slick bodies together, her other hand firmly grasping at his shoulder, pulling him in.

"I want you too, so much I can't contain myself anymore. Yet I want to know what you're thinking, I want to hear it..."

"There is no time for words."

"There is always time."

"Everything has already been said, all I can do now is show you."

With those words his lips softly pressed down upon her own and kissed her plump bottom lip. She knew what he wanted to say even if he couldn't find the right words. Their kiss became deeper and deeper by the second, her heart beating in rhythm with the movement of their lips as they worked against his own, eagerly responding to his unrivalled passion. She felt his hand suddenly around her thigh, spreading it apart from her other leg, caressing her skin in the process, her scent sultry and her breath intoxicating as he dipped his tongue to glide against her own. She felt the tip of his fingers delicately drift across the most sensitive part of her body, one which no one ever caressed before, which was so pure and untouched she could have sworn it was a delicacy to Haytham, a man who so wanted the unspoiled forbidden fruit. He wanted to take her chastity away, and she felt so certain she wanted him to have it along with her heart, mind and body. She felt his lips leave hers, suddenly both of them gasping for breath. Haytham lifted himself up slightly and looked into her eyes, his pupils were so dilated they seemed to be burning right through her. He appeared so raw, so out of character, no longer a composed gentleman who was afraid of every little social act he committed. No… He became a feral beast, a magnificent one at that, like a wolf in the night, committed to attaining what he truly wanted, satisfying his never-ending hunger. His breath felt like it was soaking into her skin, his touch equally satiating. Over the thunder-like beat of their hearts, and over the loud breaths they both huffed out like smoke, she heard him speak up in a breathy and husky voice, the man was already at the point of no return, however was waiting for her to either stop him or let him fulfil his desire of finally consuming her in his lust.

"Ann, are you sure you want me? Do you want this beast of a man? For I will hurt you and love you and never forsake you even for life itself…"

She tied her arms around his neck and pulled him into another quick and silky kiss, letting his lips linger afterwards so he could feel her words as well as hear them. "Yes, I long for you, I yearned for this moment since I can remember…"

"It will hurt you and you will lose this precious God-like purity of yours, you will be a woman… My woman, and this act I will repeat until you hate me."

"I will never hate you," she said, her fingertips feathering across his cheek, her eyes watching his with somewhat of a curiosity and surprise at his words, because those were all the things she ever longed to hear from him, it was the confirmation she needed, the force that completely convinced her to let him do with her as he desired.

"This is my last wish Ann…"

"I love you Haytham, please, don't ever leave me, not when I become yours."

"I swear on my life I will be with you even after death claims me."

"I know… I want you," her voice faded, "I want all of you."

"I will give you everything you desire, and more," he replied and let his palm caress her side, kneading the flesh while he leaned down to kiss her again, this time his kisses quickly leaving her lips and travelling down her jaw, her neck and her shoulders. She quietly moaned his name, her fingers curling as she felt the familiar knot tie in her stomach. Her heart beat was so loud he could hear it crashing against her rib cage, matching his own rapid rhythm. Other than their heavy breaths and heartbeats, silence surrounded them and they no longer felt the passing of time, it was as if they were in a completely different place altogether. He moved back, both of his hands against each of her thighs all of a sudden, his lips tasting the skin in between her breasts and then around her navel, reaching her hips. He rose up then, stretching his statue-like body and then parting her legs enough for him to position himself in-between her. He waited for a second or so, his eyes softening as he admired her, watching as her eyes closed, awaiting the final moment when her purity would be taken away. He whispered her name and she let out a loud scream, suddenly feeling as he plunged into her, breaking her completely, filling her with himself until she no longer felt like she controlled her own body. He leaned down and whispered apologies and sweet nothings into her ear, loving every inch of her, her scent stronger whilst he lived out the moment for as long as he could, loving how well she fit around him, as if they were created for each other.

"Haytham…," she stuttered his name slightly, unable to hold back her loud sighs and moans as he started to move, at first slowly so she could get used to the new sensations, but then with increasing speed as his fingers dug into her skin, his lips searching for her own, embracing in a passionate fight for dominance when he finally found her tongue. They kissed as he kept a quick and extremely satisfying pace, the knot in her stomach tighter with every pleasurable thrust. She spread her legs even more, loving how loudly they breathed into each others mouths, struggling to survive the immense pleasure. It didn't take all that long for her to finally let out a scream of once unimaginable bliss, her vision white as she felt the knot break into a million pieces, her body shuddering against his own, unable to contain the indulgence she experienced. He continued, watching her first ever moment of unbearable gratification, until he himself groaned her name, thrusting one last time and feeling something which he had never felt in his life. It was a sensation which was one he could only ever experience with her, for he was making love to the woman he was ready to die for, making love to the woman he cared for with everything he had, the woman who satisfied every aspect of his being. No thoughts raced through his mind, except the thought of the woman that he just filled with his own being. The woman who was his everything. The woman that finally belonged to him, her chastity belonged to him, and no one else. He knew he would never again in his life experience such honour. So he stayed still for a second, embracing that moment and then gazed down at her, her eyes peacefully watching him with a small, satisfied, smile playing on the corners of her lips. He leaned down again, but propped himself up on his palm over her, allowing him to keep on admiring her body.

"Do you wish to rest now?" He asked very quietly, his eyes wide awake and with not even a fraction of tiredness in them as if it was morning and not midnight.

"It's been a tiring day," she replied, "and I want to dream in your arms now."

"I understand..," he murmured.

"Haytham," she whispered and his orbs darted to hers again, "now I assume we are free to make love every night if you wish."

"Yes, our lovemaking will be the excuse for my early return home," he said, letting out a low chuckle, which was music to her ears and the rhythm to the beat of her heart. "I've learnt my lesson though, I won't abandon you like that… Ever again."

"I know. I know you won't, you never did Haytham, I over-reacted. I didn't even give you time to settle in and sort everything out, but you were always there by my side, you'd never leave me, after all you did swear to protect me… That day."

"I did, and I never intend to break the promise, no matter what I do or how much of a bastard I am."

She smiled and lifted her palm to caress his cheek, running her fingertips across the soft skin under his loving eyes. "Lay with me, please…"

"Of course my love," his voice was ever so calm, his beautiful body hovering over her like a masterfully crafted statue, or a guardian angel who was to never leave her side. He slowly moved to rest beside her, prompting her to turn to her right side in order to gaze at him once more. The pillows were as soft as the richest velvet but even that didn't compare to the softness of his skin when she finally laid her cheek against his chest, letting her palm tiredly caress the relaxed muscles of his stomach. He had his arm around her as he leaned in to press his temple against hers, her lips turning up into a smile.

"I never told you this Haytham… But I saw you many times before Charles brought you."

"What?"

"Whenever I was in Boston, or New York, you were there. I didn't know your name, or who you really were, but I followed you nonetheless… I must have found it amusing, I must have craved something which I was unaware of. I followed you through the alleys and paths until I could go after you no more. You never really noticed, and it took me a while to remember, but it was you whom I admired from the distance."

"I don't know what to say Ann, I admit I always felt a presence, but always thought it was just my imagination."

"I just wanted to tell you… You don't have to worry about it now. It was just on my mind."

"It's alright Ann, you know you can tell me anything," he whispered as his fingertips traced the chapped and abused surface of her lips, for his kisses were always uncontrollable and without mercy.

"I admired you from the start Haytham, even though we never exchanged any words, even though you were completely unaware of my existence, I was aware of yours. I lived a lonely life, for such a long time. I couldn't even remember the last time someone embraced me, and when I followed you like that, I felt like I wasn't as alone, it sounds irrational-."

"It's not though," he countered, brushing away a stray lock of hair from her cheek, "I wish I opened my eyes and let you into my world."

"Yes, I wish you did, but I'm in your world now, aren't I?"

"You are my world," his voice was quiet and comforting, stressing each word. She moved slightly closer so that they embraced even more tightly than before. She adored his warmth, and never felt anything as satisfying as the touch of his body against hers.

"Goodnight Haytham," her voice was dying down with every syllable, her exhausted eyes closing in relief as he pulled the quilts over their bodies, making sure his arms held her close enough for him to feel every inch of her against himself. He ran his fingers through her hair, watching as her breathing slowed considerably, her lips parted but her eyes tightly shut, already in the process of falling into a deep slumber. He smiled fondly however his eyes furrowed in anguish, he had plans he was thinking over for the past months, plans concerning her future, their future. Yet with their lives depending on the Templar Order, those plans seemed to be the wrong way to go. Christmas was approaching, the perfect chance to tell her - tell her that he wanted to spend eternity with her, that he wanted her to be recognised as his other half, so there would be no more fear about status or money or public gossip. So she wouldn't have to face the trials that London seemed to set out for her. He was the one afraid though, afraid that the Templars would not approve of them. That would ruin her life, and that was his biggest fear, the one that kept him up at night. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her temple, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight Ann. My love."

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Till next time!

AssassinSuzy