Notes: So, these last couple chapters were mostly conversation, but there's going to some ass-kicking in the next one, I promise! Also, sorry if this is a bit off. I've never written anything with an OT3 before. So, it's kind of a learning experience.
Chapter 35: Compromise
Liam stared vacantly across the open sea before them. They were only a few days out of Boston, and he wondered if he should have found some excuse to stay behind. Shay's drama would be the death of him – if not the Assassins when they realized the extent of his betrayal. Irritably, he threw the half eaten apple he'd been holding over the ship's railing. Shay was nearby, singing drunkenly with a group of the Angela's crew, nursing a half empty bottle of whiskey. Haytham, Liam assumed, was probably sulking in his cabin. He seemed to be avoiding Shay; Liam really couldn't blame him. As much as he'd rather not admit it, he was actually starting to like the poncy British bastard. He wasn't as stuffy and proper as Liam had thought, but he was still so... British. ...And fucking Shay. No, no. He had to stop thinking of that. He didn't have any place being jealous – not anymore anyway.
"Where is Kenway?" He snapped at a passing deckhand.
"'Is majesty's in the galley." The man replied tartly.
Liam smirked and stifled a chuckle. The crew already hated Haytham, and he really needed to remember that these men didn't even answer to Shay, let alone him. Still, Haytham would have had a fit if he'd heard the comment, of that there was no doubt. Just as he'd been told, Haytham was seated at the large, worn dining table staring at a cup of tea as though it had offended him – which, to be fair, it probably had.
"What's the matter, is the tea not up to snuff?" Liam asked jokingly and took the seat across from him. Luckily they were alone, as far as he could tell.
Haytham shrugged and took a sip of the tea. "It is a bit bitter, but I don't particularly mind. I have more important things to care about than the price of my tea." He replied, somewhat sullenly. "I was just thinking about this whole mess."
"Shay, or the Assassins?" Liam inquired pointedly.
"Both. Mostly Shay." Haytham answered without looking up.
"Tell me, why did I even ask?" Liam said with a sigh. "Though, I suppose that helps, because we should really discuss that."
"Discuss what, exactly?" Haytham snapped. "How he is pining for you like a besotted woman, while he clings to me because second best is better than nothing?"
"Fuck's sake, Haytham." Liam growled. "Shay might not always use his brain, but he doesn't just think with his cock, either. You know that. That idiot loves you. If he didn't, he wouldn't have said anythin' to you about me."
"What makes you think he did say something?" Haytham said under his breath.
"Because you know about it. Shay's nothin' if not good at hidin' what he's feelin'." Liam retorted. "Don't be difficult."
"Fine. What do you want, exactly?" Haytham demanded.
Liam resisted the urge to kick him under the table, barely. Just because he now knew Haytham wasn't a complete bastard, didn't mean the man wasn't an insufferable arse. "I need some way to make him get over me. We can't be what we were. I'm not who he remembers, no matter what he tells himself."
"You do realize he is never going to accept that as an excuse, don't you?" Haytham replied sourly.
"Of course, I'd be eatin' my own nails if I thought talkin' my way out of it would work." Liam muttered.
"Here's the real question, though, do you really want him to give up on you? I tried to suggest he think of some means of compromise, but it went over his head entirely." Haytham commented, looking like he'd rather be drinking poison than tea. "Honestly, if it were up to me I would throw you off the ship to make it easier, but we both know that is not going to work. And, believe it or not, I do care about Shay's well-being. I would be willing to sacrifice more than you think to make him happy."
Liam chuckled quietly under his breath, and wondered how Shay and Haytham had wound up in a relationship at all. "Idiots. You're both fuckin' idiots. All you do is chase your tails." Liam whined. Seriously, the both them spent more time worrying about absolute garbage than the things that actually matter. ...Haytham, in that sense, really was quite like Shay - obsessed with tiny details and not seeing the whole picture. Well, in his personal life, anyway. Liam had to admit, the man definitely had his shite together when it came to running the Colonel Rite. ...And Shay knew when he had to stop trying to analyze a situation and take action – for better or worse.
"You didn't answer the question. So I will have to assume that, despite your tact in this situation, you still harbor feelings for Shay." Haytham said, blunt and to the point as usual.
"You really have no idea how to deal with emotional situations, do you?" Liam griped evasively.
"No, not really. If you actually want to talk about this, stop being so bloody defensive." Haytham hissed, and actually did kick him in the shin under the table.
Liam swore at him in a harsh whisper. "Just because I still have feelings for him don't mean I should act on them, or that it would be right to do so. I might have thrown my lot in with you, but it doesn't change what he did. He still killed everyone else I cared about."
"True, but you also weren't there when he needed you the most; he still thinks it was you that shot him at the homestead. I am not going to justify Shay's actions, but he forgave you. I think you need to bury the past and do the same, Liam." Haytham told him flatly. Yes, Haytham was every bit as brutal as the others had told him over the years. He wasn't heartless, though. Still, sodding brutal.
"How is Shay deciding to steal a precursor artifact, and dive off of a blasted cliff my fault?" Liam ranted, gripping the edge of the table so hard his knuckles turned white. Had he really abandoned Shay? He didn't think so. He'd tried to talk sense into him, sure, but he could understand how Shay saw it that way. He knew now that Shay was right then, but at the time he... He'd turned his back on him. He'd blamed Shay's inexperience for the tragedy at Lisbon, and thought him childish when he refused to continue following Achilles' lead.
"It does not matter. It is over, and done with, and you need to let go so you can move on with your life. Maybe it isn't Shay you need to forgive. Stop tormenting yourself over the past. It is not going to change. You can either accept that, or wallow in misery. I don't care either way, but playing the victim is not doing you any favors." Haytham continued, mercilessly ripping Liam's fragile logic to shreds. For someone who really didn't seem to understand the more delicate human emotions, Haytham certainly had him backed in a corner. ...And there it was, Liam knew, that was how Haytham handled Shay and his issues. Once he figured out the root of the problem, he metaphorically shoved Shay's face in it and made him deal with it – subtly, of course. It really was the only way to get through to Shay sometimes. Though, Haytham had another thing coming if he thought he could use the same tactics on him.
"You don't know anythin' about it." Liam snapped and stormed away. That could have gone better, he thought to himself as he wrenched open the galley doors, desperate to escape. Mostly because he didn't like being cornered, but he hated being wrong even more.
"Liam, get your arse back over here." Haytham demanded, obviously out of patience.
"Why? We're done talkin'. " Liam responded, but stayed where he was.
"I loved Connor's mother more than anything. Ziio is gone, but if she reappeared in my life, I don't know how I would handle that. Would I try to get her back, even though that would never happen because Charles - that absolute horse's arse - ruined my last chance to keep her, or would I choose Shay? I doubt I would be able to make that choice, and it would drive me insane." Haytham explained. "I can, at least a little a bit, understand what he is going through. Maybe having to choose isn't the right answer."
"Oh? And you wouldn't be jealous at all, of course." Liam said, rolling his eyes.
"Neither would you, naturally." Haytham retorted, his voice dripping with a lethal combination of sarcasm and venom. "We need to work something out, so unless you have any suggestions...?"
"We'll have to set some ground rules, obviously." Liam said, at a loss. Was he really agreeing with this? Was he out of his bloody mind? He must be, he was a fucking Templar now, after all.
"Obviously." Haytham repeated in a mocking tone. "Go make your amends, or whatever you need to do. We can cross that bridge when get to it."
What Shay saw in Haytham, Liam would never know. The man was utterly obnoxious, and knew just which buttons to press to make Liam want to shove a hidden blade up his arse sideways. Wait, that wasn't right. He needed to stop thinking about Haytham's arse. ...Even if it was so - no. Liam took a deep breath and tried to think of something - anything - else. He needed air, maybe, he tried to convince himself and found his way back to the upper deck. Shay, thank mercy, was nowhere in sight. Liam leaned against the ship's railing and looked up at the stars, now visible as the sun was nearly set. On warm nights like this, he and Shay used to camp out on the homestead. They'd lay for hours, doing nothing but watching the stars. Maybe Haytham was right, maybe the reason they weren't doing just that tonight was because Liam had failed Shay when he needed him the most. He hadn't even tried to understand Shay's choice, instead having merely chocked it up to Shay not wanting to take responsibility for his actions. He should have known better, he probably did all along but was too busy being the victim to see it that way. Damn Haytham! ...And his shapely arse!
Liam found Shay sitting cross-legged on top of a pile of crates near the Angela's bow, looking up at the stars and fiddling with a small object in his hands. It was the bit of stone from the precursor ruin that he'd found in the gunsmith's shop. Silently, Liam leaned against the pile of crates without looking up at him. "I was the one who shot you at the homestead." He said quietly. "It wasn't Chevalier."
"I know." Shay replied tartly. "You missed the important bits, but it left quite a scar."
"It was all I could think of to stop you from jumpin'. I'm sorry I couldn't do better." Liam explained, picking at the hem of his sleeve.
"I forgave you a long time ago. You did what you thought was right, as did I. We made mistakes, but can't let them keep draggin' us down. What's done is done. I started over; you can too." Shay told him. "...What brought this on?"
"I, uh, had a talk with Haytham." Liam supplied, knowing damn well that Shay would see through any lie he told him.
"Oh?"
"Leave it be." Liam snapped. "I wanted to apologize."
"For shootin' me?" Shay asked, laughing.
"No, you bloody nigit, for... For not believin' you, for... Not bein' there when you needed me. If it weren't for me and pride, maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way they did." Liam said, every word utter agony to give voice to. "We can't be what we were, but can be start over – be somethin' else, somethin' better."
"Liam?"
"Shay?"
"What the hell did Haytham do to you?"
Liam groaned and covered his face with his hands, wishing he could literally die to not hear Shay trying, and failing, to cover up his laughter. "...That same shite I always did to you when you could've used a boot up your arse instead. I'm just wonderin' how he got to me."
"Liam, don't pretend you didn't let him get to you." Shay commented, smiling like an idiot. Liam finally looked up and met his eyes that sparkled with mirth. He'd been through hell and back, but he was still Shay. Still the same, well-meaning idiot that he knew he'd always love – no matter what. He didn't move an inch as Shay hopped down from the pile of crates and brushed a bit of dust from his coat. Nor did he resist when Shay softly cupped his face in hands and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. It was funny how familiar it felt, like they'd never been apart – at least for that moment.
"No, someone'll see us." Liam said regretfully, and lightly shoved Shay off of him.
"Aye, sorry." Shay said awkwardly.
"Good night, Shay." Liam said with a smile, and absolutely did not touch his fingers to his lips where he could still feel the tingle of Shay's kiss.
The days that followed were relatively uneventful. Haytham seemed to be keeping a watchful eye on Liam, which he entirely ignored, but kept any comments to himself. If anything was actually bothering him, Liam would have to admit that he was bored. He'd never been bored at sea before, but he'd also never been the guest of someone else's crew. There had always been work to do on board the Morrigan. Here he had to resort to pacing the deck and mindlessly watching the endless waves of the Atlantic as they rolled by. Shay seemed indifferent, joining in with the crews' shanties and playing cards with them well into the night. Haytham kept to himself. Sometimes Liam would find him hidden in a corner somewhere reading a book, or writing in his journal. He wished he had something to read, it might pass the time. Instead, he settled on the deck boards leaned up against a tobacco crate and had nearly drifted off when he realized that Haytham was standing at the railing next to him.
"Need somethin'?" Liam asked blearily.
"No, not really." Haytham replied. "Have you ever been across the pond?"
"Yes, but to Spain a few years back, not London." Liam replied. "You don't want to go, do you?"
"Not in the slightest." Haytham answered. "At first I was furious when the Order sent me to the New World, but looking back London is full of nothing but bitter memories for me. What is worse, is that we will have to visit my sister. I doubt she will help us, but I don't dare ask the Templars there for information. There is no way they have not figured out by now that I am partly responsible for the death of the previous Grand Master. Suffice to say, I am dreading this entire affair."
"Hold on, you have a sister? And you killed a Grand Master?" Liam asked in shock.
"Yes, Jennifer. Technically speaking, Jenny killed Birch, but I helped. He killed my father, sold my sister into slavery, used me as his personal plaything for years until I discovered the truth, and then expected me to simply accept it because it was all for my own good. Jenny just got in the way, I suppose. She was set to marry that bastard, too. I only regret trusting him as blindly as I did." Haytham explained dryly.
"Why did you stay loyal to the Templars after all that?" Liam inquired, wondering why Haytham was even telling him this. It was the first time he could really recall him saying anything about his past, other than vaguely mentioning his father's murder while they were searching the remains of the Brown family's farm.
"Because I believe in their cause. Birch was obsessed with precursor artifacts to the point that he stopped caring about anything else. It was that obsession that killed my father. All for a damned journal. Just as Achilles is a poor example of what an Assassin should be, Birch was hardly a model Templar. Well, in my rather unpopular opinion, at least." Haytham told him bitterly.
"Right. Why're we havin' this conversation?" Liam asked.
Haytham chuckled under his breath and shook his head. "I am bored. Besides, talking with Shay will only result in ill-advised sex."
Liam laughed, thinking maybe Haytham wasn't a complete arse. "Ill-advised, why? Sex tends to be a good remedy for boredom."
"True, but Shay is not exactly quiet and I do not need the whole crew knowing what is happening in my cabin." Haytham complained.
"This is goin' to be a long trip." Liam whined. Haytham made a small sound of agreement, and they fell silent for a while, just watching the waves roll by – at least until Shay appeared behind them.
"It's so nice seein' you two gettin' along!" He commented and gave Haytham the most obnoxious smirk. Both he and Liam rolled their eyes and muttered mutinously under their breath. Liam wasn't sure which was more terrifying, the fact that Shay was right, or that he and Haytham reacted in exactly the same fashion.
"Yes, well... Did you need something Shay?" Haytham nearly stuttered, obviously also a bit out of sorts. Liam decided this ship had to be heading straight to hell.
"No; I'm bored." He stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh, splendid! We can just have an orgy to sort that out then, shall we?" Haytham groused with an unreasonable amount of sarcasm.
"That doesn't sound like a bad call." Shay said, a little too hopefully for comfort.
"No, Shay." Haytham and Liam groaned in unison. That's it, Liam thought to himself, God can stop fucking with me whenever he feels like it.
Eating your nails - doing something pointless
Up to Snuff – Up to standard, decent quality
Nigit - Idiot