“Can I talk to you?” Ezio asked. “Sure,” Malik said easily.
Finally Ezio seemed to at least show he knew Altair was there, his eyes flicking to him for an instant, “Alone?”
“Yeah, of course,” and he pulled his hand out of Altair’s, “I’ll see you upstairs,” he told Altair, who just nodded mutely. He was caught off guard when Altair kissed him suddenly, a swift thing that made his heart jump into his throat. Then it was gone, as quickly as it came, and Altair was walking up the stairs to the door. When he focused back on Ezio he saw the man glaring after his cousin. “Is everything all right?” he asked.
“You could say,” Ezio said, turning away and looking at Malik. He looked… hurt. Malik refused to feel bad though, just refused, since he’d been hurt plenty in his friendship with Ezio as well as dating him where he thought even his fantasies were betraying him. “Look Malik, I’m sorry,” he said, “What happened on Halloween-
Malik waved him away, “I wrote it off,” he said, frankly with Altair showing up that same night he’d sort of forgotten about their fight and the party. That night belonged to Altair and his stupid fucking gunshot wound.
“Oh,” Ezio frowned. There was a strange silence that Malik recognized as Ezio working up to whatever he really was here to say, and Malik was content to just wait him out. “So then you aren’t mad at me?”
“No,” Malik said and put his hand in his pocket, he was cold out here now that he wasn’t moving around. “Are you?”
“…No,” Ezio admitted, “But just… you rebounded pretty quick,” he said sadly. Malik was about to explain himself, he didn’t even know how he was going to do that, when Ezio spoke up again, “I wanted to know though, if you knew.”
“Knew?” Malik rose a brow at him.
“About what Altair does.”
“I do,” Malik said calmly.
Ezio seemed shocked by that, “He told you?” Malik nodded. “He told you, and you’re still with him?” now he seemed… maybe not disgusted, but grossly surprised.
“It’s no worse than what I’ve done,” Malik said.
“Malik, I don’t think you understand. Altair enjoys it,” Ezio said in practically a hiss and that actually stopped whatever Malik would have said there. “I bet he didn’t tell you that. I told you, way back in spring, my family is crazy. I meant it,” he said seriously. “Malik?” he asked when Malik didn’t answer or move for a long time, just stared at him.
Malik had just stopped at that comment. That Altair might actually enjoy his work, and from the way Ezio had said it, enjoyed it like enjoyed killing people. Malik wasn’t going to hold a lofty, peaceful, desire over Altair’s head since he couldn’t throw stones. He was ex-military, he’d shot people, he’d killed people, and animals. Hell he’d destroyed buildings and had seen entire villages go up in fire because an incompetent officer had called in a pair of zoomies to bomb it to kingdom come. He couldn’t and wouldn’t fault Altair for doing his job, because that’s what it was, a job, and if he was good at it so what? Malik had been good at his job too. But he idea that Altair could enjoy his blood work hadn’t even occurred to him.
He flinched when Ezio touched him and jerked away as though burned. “Malik?” Ezio asked again.
He didn’t want to believe what Ezio said, in fact, he had no reason to in the first place seeing as how Ezio was suddenly just throwing this in his face. “I don’t believe you,” he said.
Ezio had a sort of dark look on his face then, “Maybe you should ask him,” he suggested.
“I will, right now,” and he shoved right past Ezio. He wasn’t surprised to see Altair was sitting at the top of the first set of stairs. He honestly hadn’t expected him to leave with the weird air that had been between the two earlier.
“Everything all right?” Altair asked and pulled his hood down as Malik walked up a few steps so he was eye level with Altair sitting at the top.
“I don’t care if you kill people,” Malik told him, “Just please don’t tell me you like it.”
Altair blinked slowly at him, surprised, and maybe confused by what he’d said. “I do what I have to and that’s it,” he said and now that there was that little worm of doubt Malik wondered if he was telling the truth.
Re: Altered Flight Pattern (82/?)
“Sure,” Malik said easily.
Finally Ezio seemed to at least show he knew Altair was there, his eyes flicking to him for an instant, “Alone?”
“Yeah, of course,” and he pulled his hand out of Altair’s, “I’ll see you upstairs,” he told Altair, who just nodded mutely. He was caught off guard when Altair kissed him suddenly, a swift thing that made his heart jump into his throat. Then it was gone, as quickly as it came, and Altair was walking up the stairs to the door. When he focused back on Ezio he saw the man glaring after his cousin. “Is everything all right?” he asked.
“You could say,” Ezio said, turning away and looking at Malik. He looked… hurt. Malik refused to feel bad though, just refused, since he’d been hurt plenty in his friendship with Ezio as well as dating him where he thought even his fantasies were betraying him. “Look Malik, I’m sorry,” he said, “What happened on Halloween-
Malik waved him away, “I wrote it off,” he said, frankly with Altair showing up that same night he’d sort of forgotten about their fight and the party. That night belonged to Altair and his stupid fucking gunshot wound.
“Oh,” Ezio frowned. There was a strange silence that Malik recognized as Ezio working up to whatever he really was here to say, and Malik was content to just wait him out. “So then you aren’t mad at me?”
“No,” Malik said and put his hand in his pocket, he was cold out here now that he wasn’t moving around. “Are you?”
“…No,” Ezio admitted, “But just… you rebounded pretty quick,” he said sadly. Malik was about to explain himself, he didn’t even know how he was going to do that, when Ezio spoke up again, “I wanted to know though, if you knew.”
“Knew?” Malik rose a brow at him.
“About what Altair does.”
“I do,” Malik said calmly.
Ezio seemed shocked by that, “He told you?” Malik nodded. “He told you, and you’re still with him?” now he seemed… maybe not disgusted, but grossly surprised.
“It’s no worse than what I’ve done,” Malik said.
“Malik, I don’t think you understand. Altair enjoys it,” Ezio said in practically a hiss and that actually stopped whatever Malik would have said there. “I bet he didn’t tell you that. I told you, way back in spring, my family is crazy. I meant it,” he said seriously. “Malik?” he asked when Malik didn’t answer or move for a long time, just stared at him.
Malik had just stopped at that comment. That Altair might actually enjoy his work, and from the way Ezio had said it, enjoyed it like enjoyed killing people. Malik wasn’t going to hold a lofty, peaceful, desire over Altair’s head since he couldn’t throw stones. He was ex-military, he’d shot people, he’d killed people, and animals. Hell he’d destroyed buildings and had seen entire villages go up in fire because an incompetent officer had called in a pair of zoomies to bomb it to kingdom come. He couldn’t and wouldn’t fault Altair for doing his job, because that’s what it was, a job, and if he was good at it so what? Malik had been good at his job too. But he idea that Altair could enjoy his blood work hadn’t even occurred to him.
He flinched when Ezio touched him and jerked away as though burned. “Malik?” Ezio asked again.
He didn’t want to believe what Ezio said, in fact, he had no reason to in the first place seeing as how Ezio was suddenly just throwing this in his face. “I don’t believe you,” he said.
Ezio had a sort of dark look on his face then, “Maybe you should ask him,” he suggested.
“I will, right now,” and he shoved right past Ezio. He wasn’t surprised to see Altair was sitting at the top of the first set of stairs. He honestly hadn’t expected him to leave with the weird air that had been between the two earlier.
“Everything all right?” Altair asked and pulled his hood down as Malik walked up a few steps so he was eye level with Altair sitting at the top.
“I don’t care if you kill people,” Malik told him, “Just please don’t tell me you like it.”
Altair blinked slowly at him, surprised, and maybe confused by what he’d said. “I do what I have to and that’s it,” he said and now that there was that little worm of doubt Malik wondered if he was telling the truth.