Malik rubbed his face with both hands and looked up the ceiling, sighing again. “You need to explain this. What they did to you, how that thing works you were in.”
It made Altair somehow angry. The way how Malik acted, the way how he chose his words with such accuracy as if he'd never had this modern life. He swallowed it all down. No good would come out of it if he would follow down that path. Altair sat down on a nearby chair and he did tell him, told him everything he knew and told him everything about how he ended up at Abstergo's the first place. His hair was almost dry when he stopped and he looked up at Malik who had hardly moved, just standing there and listening to his words.
“And what were those memories they'd watched?”
“The ones before I left for France-”, and at this Malik took a sharp inhale of air, “- and the ones when I was there.”
“Why? What happened there that they would be interested in them?”
“It's none of your business”, Altair simply told him. He could tell Malik was hiding something so he didn't see the point in telling him anyway.
“None of my business?” Malik scoffed while Altair walked over to his wet clothes, picking them up and put them over the heater, turning it on so they could dry. “I think it's very well my business. Come on now, novice. Spill it.”
Altair fell back into the chair and shook his head. “You don't need to know...” Besides – the less he knew the safer he actually was.
Malik groaned and he walked up and down the small room like a trapped animal. “You are so frustrating Altair. Stubborn as ever.” Malik stopped in front of him and glared down on him. “What else is it you're keeping to yourself?” His eyes narrowed at him and they grew dark and cold, distant maybe.
“I assure you it's nothing, Brother-”
“Nothing?” Malik snorted again. “Yes, of course it is.”
It was the moment Altair finally lost his patience and he stood, stepping in front of Malik and glaring at him. “It's nothing”, he hissed and closed the gap between them, his chest touching Malik's. He could see his own reflection in Malik's eyes and he thought he saw his history whirling inside of them, showing him the long forgotten key to his past and it made him overcome with his own emotions. He leaned in closer, his hand coming up to rest on Malik's hip and-
“Altair, don't. Stop it.”
“Why?”, he muttered but did pull away, licking over his lips. “Why can't we just-”
“Because we can't!” Malik glared at him breathless with his fingers clenched to a fist. “Look at you, you're pathetic”, he practically spat the last word. “What about Maria? Did you even think about her?”
Altair's eyes narrowed and he held his breath for a whole of two seconds. “Is this how you think about me?”, he asked Malik quietly and his voice was trembling with unleashed anger. “You think I haven't thought about her? You think it's just that easy for me? You think ever since I woke up I haven't thought about my family, about my sons?” Altair snorted but his eyes grew softer and then he sighed.
“All of this- all of this is just a reminder of how much I've failed. How I failed the Order, my sons, my wife – you. I thought I did the right thing back then, I didn't. I've watched my wife die right in front of my eyes, dying through the blade which was meant for me.” Altair laughed bitterly, empty and shallow. “What, you think I'm betraying her? That I betray the woman who died centuries ago? I'm not.” He looked up, meeting Malik's eyes. “She knew.”
“She knew? About what?”
“About me.”
Malik seemed confused, puzzled. “Explain.”
“What's there to explain Malik? Nothing is true. And everything is permitted. Isn't that right?” He smiled bitterly sweet at him. He released a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'm not going to talk about this with you. You didn't want to listen back then, I doubt you're going to listen now.”
When he looked up again he saw something change behind Malik's eyes and for a moment he thought he remembered, he thought Malik knew, would maybe understand.
But maybe his mind was playing tricks on him because Altair watched how Malik turned around wordlessly and closed the door behind as he nearly fled into the bathroom.
He sighed as he heard the water running just a few seconds later.
Re: Down The Rabbit Hole And Back Again Part 15b/?
Malik rubbed his face with both hands and looked up the ceiling, sighing again. “You need to explain this. What they did to you, how that thing works you were in.”
It made Altair somehow angry. The way how Malik acted, the way how he chose his words with such accuracy as if he'd never had this modern life. He swallowed it all down. No good would come out of it if he would follow down that path. Altair sat down on a nearby chair and he did tell him, told him everything he knew and told him everything about how he ended up at Abstergo's the first place. His hair was almost dry when he stopped and he looked up at Malik who had hardly moved, just standing there and listening to his words.
“And what were those memories they'd watched?”
“The ones before I left for France-”, and at this Malik took a sharp inhale of air, “- and the ones when I was there.”
“Why? What happened there that they would be interested in them?”
“It's none of your business”, Altair simply told him. He could tell Malik was hiding something so he didn't see the point in telling him anyway.
“None of my business?” Malik scoffed while Altair walked over to his wet clothes, picking them up and put them over the heater, turning it on so they could dry. “I think it's very well my business. Come on now, novice. Spill it.”
Altair fell back into the chair and shook his head. “You don't need to know...” Besides – the less he knew the safer he actually was.
Malik groaned and he walked up and down the small room like a trapped animal. “You are so frustrating Altair. Stubborn as ever.” Malik stopped in front of him and glared down on him. “What else is it you're keeping to yourself?” His eyes narrowed at him and they grew dark and cold, distant maybe.
“I assure you it's nothing, Brother-”
“Nothing?” Malik snorted again. “Yes, of course it is.”
It was the moment Altair finally lost his patience and he stood, stepping in front of Malik and glaring at him. “It's nothing”, he hissed and closed the gap between them, his chest touching Malik's. He could see his own reflection in Malik's eyes and he thought he saw his history whirling inside of them, showing him the long forgotten key to his past and it made him overcome with his own emotions. He leaned in closer, his hand coming up to rest on Malik's hip and-
“Altair, don't. Stop it.”
“Why?”, he muttered but did pull away, licking over his lips. “Why can't we just-”
“Because we can't!” Malik glared at him breathless with his fingers clenched to a fist. “Look at you, you're pathetic”, he practically spat the last word. “What about Maria? Did you even think about her?”
Altair's eyes narrowed and he held his breath for a whole of two seconds. “Is this how you think about me?”, he asked Malik quietly and his voice was trembling with unleashed anger. “You think I haven't thought about her? You think it's just that easy for me? You think ever since I woke up I haven't thought about my family, about my sons?” Altair snorted but his eyes grew softer and then he sighed.
“All of this- all of this is just a reminder of how much I've failed. How I failed the Order, my sons, my wife – you. I thought I did the right thing back then, I didn't. I've watched my wife die right in front of my eyes, dying through the blade which was meant for me.” Altair laughed bitterly, empty and shallow. “What, you think I'm betraying her? That I betray the woman who died centuries ago? I'm not.” He looked up, meeting Malik's eyes. “She knew.”
“She knew? About what?”
“About me.”
Malik seemed confused, puzzled. “Explain.”
“What's there to explain Malik? Nothing is true. And everything is permitted. Isn't that right?” He smiled bitterly sweet at him. He released a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'm not going to talk about this with you. You didn't want to listen back then, I doubt you're going to listen now.”
When he looked up again he saw something change behind Malik's eyes and for a moment he thought he remembered, he thought Malik knew, would maybe understand.
But maybe his mind was playing tricks on him because Altair watched how Malik turned around wordlessly and closed the door behind as he nearly fled into the bathroom.
He sighed as he heard the water running just a few seconds later.