Wow I'm so sorry this took so long! I'm just generally displeased with my writing. Please accept this derp!fill! (It's... probably not as fluffy as you would like, OP. :<)
~~~ There were few deep sleepers in Masyaf. Years of training broke them of the habit, teaching them to use all of their senses even while resting. Malik, too, had learned the art of sleeping with one eye open, one ear tuned to every sound. Above the whisper of cloth against his skin, the occasional humming of bugs outside his window, and the faint sound of his own breathing, the creaking of his chamber door rose like a thunderclap, and jerked him from his sleep.
Malik waited in silence as the door closed. He curled his hand around a knife under his pallet, but after a few moments of listening, he relaxed. The steps were nearly imperceptible, but their cadence was unmatched. Malik sat up slowly and faced the intruder.
“What brings you here at such an hour Altair?”
“… How do you always know it is me?”
Malik snorts, choosing not to mention how he has the beat of Altair’s steps committed to memory, or how the smell of leather, grass, desert, and blood preceded his every motion. Instead, he shrugs meeting Altair’s gaze steadily.
“Do you need me for something,” Malik asked. It was amusing watching Altair’s expressions twist to form confusion, then embarrassment. He coughed slightly, directing his gaze to the ground.
“Maria… wanted to sleep alone tonight.”
“What did you do?” Altair looked only slightly affronted; the rest of his expression suggested he’d tried to figure out the exact same question.
“I have done nothing! It is just… the pregnancy is hard on her, and sometimes she wishes to be alone.”
“Hm,” Malik hummed, fixing Altair with an expectant look. Altair huffed and crossed his arms.
“And perhaps she did not want to lie with me this evening… she made it clear that my attentions were unwelcome. Pleased, Malik?” Malik could not help the snort of laughter that escaped him, much to Altair’s dissatisfaction.
“Then what is it you want from me? Do not think I will go and talk to Maria. I think I would enjoy grappling a wolf more than to turn the wrath of a woman with child upon myself. Unlike you, I do have some sense of self-preservation,” Malik joked. Altair quickly held up his hands, shaking his heads.
“No, no brother… I think she needs some time alone. It is just a very cold night and sleeping on my desk does not appeal to me. May I stay in here with you?” Malik blinked slowly, but before he could respond Altair was already across the room and burrowing into his bed. Malik hissed as the other man’s cold feet brushed against his legs, and quickly he was forced to allow Altair enough room on the bed.
“Altair, stop squirming! My blanket is not large enough for the both of us, and I do not wish to freeze either,” Malik grumbled, gripping the blanket and pulling it towards him. Altair came with it, surging forward so fast that Malik flinched, and wrapped his arms around Malik.
“We can if we sleep like this.” There was a moment’s pause before Malik’s own arm came up to return the embrace.
“… Your nose is cold. Keep it off of my neck.”
“Mmhm,” Altair agreed absentmindedly, too busy enjoying the hug to care. Malik sighed.
“Will Maria care?”
“She hasn’t cared before when I have come to you. I think she might expect it, maybe even preferred it to my bothering her this night.”
“… She is as strange as ever.”
“By strange I will assume you mean perfect. After all, I care for you both- why would I let either of you go for the other?”
Blanket [1/2]
~~~
There were few deep sleepers in Masyaf. Years of training broke them of the habit, teaching them to use all of their senses even while resting. Malik, too, had learned the art of sleeping with one eye open, one ear tuned to every sound. Above the whisper of cloth against his skin, the occasional humming of bugs outside his window, and the faint sound of his own breathing, the creaking of his chamber door rose like a thunderclap, and jerked him from his sleep.
Malik waited in silence as the door closed. He curled his hand around a knife under his pallet, but after a few moments of listening, he relaxed. The steps were nearly imperceptible, but their cadence was unmatched. Malik sat up slowly and faced the intruder.
“What brings you here at such an hour Altair?”
“… How do you always know it is me?”
Malik snorts, choosing not to mention how he has the beat of Altair’s steps committed to memory, or how the smell of leather, grass, desert, and blood preceded his every motion. Instead, he shrugs meeting Altair’s gaze steadily.
“Do you need me for something,” Malik asked. It was amusing watching Altair’s expressions twist to form confusion, then embarrassment. He coughed slightly, directing his gaze to the ground.
“Maria… wanted to sleep alone tonight.”
“What did you do?” Altair looked only slightly affronted; the rest of his expression suggested he’d tried to figure out the exact same question.
“I have done nothing! It is just… the pregnancy is hard on her, and sometimes she wishes to be alone.”
“Hm,” Malik hummed, fixing Altair with an expectant look. Altair huffed and crossed his arms.
“And perhaps she did not want to lie with me this evening… she made it clear that my attentions were unwelcome. Pleased, Malik?” Malik could not help the snort of laughter that escaped him, much to Altair’s dissatisfaction.
“Then what is it you want from me? Do not think I will go and talk to Maria. I think I would enjoy grappling a wolf more than to turn the wrath of a woman with child upon myself. Unlike you, I do have some sense of self-preservation,” Malik joked. Altair quickly held up his hands, shaking his heads.
“No, no brother… I think she needs some time alone. It is just a very cold night and sleeping on my desk does not appeal to me. May I stay in here with you?” Malik blinked slowly, but before he could respond Altair was already across the room and burrowing into his bed. Malik hissed as the other man’s cold feet brushed against his legs, and quickly he was forced to allow Altair enough room on the bed.
“Altair, stop squirming! My blanket is not large enough for the both of us, and I do not wish to freeze either,” Malik grumbled, gripping the blanket and pulling it towards him. Altair came with it, surging forward so fast that Malik flinched, and wrapped his arms around Malik.
“We can if we sleep like this.” There was a moment’s pause before Malik’s own arm came up to return the embrace.
“… Your nose is cold. Keep it off of my neck.”
“Mmhm,” Altair agreed absentmindedly, too busy enjoying the hug to care. Malik sighed.
“Will Maria care?”
“She hasn’t cared before when I have come to you. I think she might expect it, maybe even preferred it to my bothering her this night.”
“… She is as strange as ever.”
“By strange I will assume you mean perfect. After all, I care for you both- why would I let either of you go for the other?”