Fleeting

Nazeera gave a relieved sigh when she was certain her little sister was asleep among the pillows of the bureau, Malik’s coat was still strewn haphazardly around her and Altaïr seemed content to watch the girl from across the room. “Well…I will leave her with you then.” She said, her voice slightly clipped as she attempted to be civil. The Assassin said nothing; he didn’t even watch her move to the other room silently. Nazeera leaned against the desk quietly as Malik worked on a map of some sort, why he bothered was a mystery to her, Jerusalem changed shape all the time, he’d be old and grey by the time it stopped expanding. “She’s asleep at last, I didn’t think anyone could get excited about this dump.”

“This dump. As you so kindly refer it, holds its purpose! It does not need decorating…and stop throwing in garish pink pillows through the roof when you find them.” He covered the top of the inkpot, making sure it was sealed before putting it on the shelf behind him, “the others are beginning to get a comfortable night's sleep and there is nothing worse than pampered Assassins.” She smiled innocently, what was wrong with a woman’s touch in the bureau? Malik ignored her smile and reflected on Azurelle’s amazed eyes when she’d dropped in through the roof “Can you blame her for her enthusiasm? This is the first time she has been in here…you know, as it is supposed to be a closely guarded secret.”

“I suppose so.” Walking around the desk slowly, Nazeera wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest, “I haven’t thanked you yet.” She murmured while placing small kisses to his neck, “for saving me or for finding Azurelle.”

“I do not need thanking for either,” he stated, he hadn’t really thought about being thanked or rewarded for either of the acts, he was protecting the people he loved and if that meant killing soldiers and being cried on, so be it. “I still think I should have gutted the bastards alive.” Especially the one who’d left a bruise on Nazeera’s face; he looked over the mark, barely visible in the dim light of the candles and brushed his fingers over it carefully. She lent into his touch, it didn’t hurt so much that he needed to ghost over her skin.

“Kiss me.” How could he refuse such a sweetly made request? Malik leaned down, covering her lips with his gently, planning on taking his time with her tonight. He took her hand and led her to a barely visible door besides the shelves of books, a perk of being in charge of the bureau was that he had his own room; he shut the door with his foot and sat Nazeera on top of his bed. “Now here is a room that needs some attention.” Malik laughed, here he was about to make love to the woman and she was interested in decorating his bedroom. She gave him a sheepish look as he knelt down between her legs and began pulling the yellow silk off her shoulder so he could kiss the dark skin beneath. He slowly kissed, licked and nibbled his way up the side of her throat, her lips were waiting for his, her hands rested on his shoulders and massaged them as he licked her bottom lip asking for entrance. She opened them for him and moaned in appreciation as his tongue plundered her mouth relentlessly, Nazeera reached for the buttons on the front of her choli and undid them slowly, Malik’s fingers found their way inside the silk just as she undid the last button.

His mouth closed over her left nipple while his right hand massaged her other breast. She pulled his head closer to her chest and gripped his dark hair in her fingers, “Malik!” he bit her gently before letting go and pushing her down onto her back.

“How do I get this thing off?” Nazeera blinked owlishly up at him and suppressed a giggle, she wriggled her hips a little until Malik realised the skirt was formed by wrapping the material around itself many times and he went to work immediately on undressing her. Once the yellow silk was in a heap on the floor, Malik took a moment to stare at her body, it had been a while since he’d simply been able to take his time and admire the smooth skin. She fidgeted awkwardly when he did nothing but look, what was he doing? Sitting up, Nazeera began pulling on the fastenings of his own clothing, her attempts were thwarted when the Dai ducked his head and pressed his lips to a faint scar along her ribs just below her left breast. He did nothing more than that to the small mark, Nazeera sighed when she realised his mood, he wanted to love her and there was no hope in rushing him.

The scar was old, six years ago Nazeera had been stabbed during one of the man’s missions. He’d asked her to distract his target while he got rid of the people guarding the man – the target caught wise and nearly killed her before Malik could get to them. He’d felt so guilty for dragging her into his way of life, for nearly costing her her own life, he’d actually asked her to be his wife then. Nazeera refused, even after she’d recovered and he’d loved her sweetly and she still refused every time he asked – whenever her life encountered some sort of trouble, like today’s incident with the soldiers, Malik would be gentle and sweet and then he’d ask her to marry him. Nazeera moaned loudly when she felt his tongue stroke along the inside of her thigh, she quickly reminded herself not to drift off when in this man’s company, he moved fast! She spread her legs for him and obeyed when he pushed on her stomach, telling her to lie back down, Malik pulled her hips forward closer to the edge of the bed. His fingers spread her apart and he leant forward, flicking his tongue against her wet folds, she cried out loudly as he continued with firm strokes of his tongue, when it delved inside her she was forced to bite down on her fingers to stop her scream of pleasure.

“Malik! S-stop! They will hear us!” she could think of nothing more embarrassing than Altaïr and Azurelle hearing her moan and keen as Malik fucked her with his tongue. He pulled his mouth away but replaced it with a quick finger that pierced her and continued to stroke her heated entrance, their eyes met and he licked his lips slowly; her face heated up beautifully for him.

“Be my wife.”

“No.” he added a second finger inside and curled them upwards, making her arch her back slightly, he asked her again, “No! I refuse!” Malik smirked, she didn’t sound so confident, he added a third finger and she began pushing herself onto the unrelenting digits. Again, he asked, “…no, no, I won’t…please Malik!” she begged as her breaths turned to short gasps and her eyes shut tightly, “don’t ask again!” Malik dove forward and caught her clit between his teeth, rubbing the tip of his tongue over the tiny pearl before sucking firmly, never once stopping his fingers. Nazeera muffled her cries into her arm, hiding her face from him as she clenched around his fingers and came.

00

Azurelle opened her eyes slowly, it was hopeless trying to sleep after hearing her older sister’s muffled scream; she wondered briefly if she’d ever been so loud or sounded so fulfilled – who had she subjected to her cries when Altaïr had her on the roofs? She sat up slowly, moving some of the pillows behind her back as she leant against the cold stone; the only thing she could hear now was the trickling of the fountain across from her. “How do you feel?”

“Tired…anxious.” She glanced at the figure of Altaïr; he looked odd without all of his weapons adorning the white robe and without his hood. She’d seen him many times without it before but usually the rest of him was bare as well. “What happens now?” Altaïr looked at her with a hint of surprise; she was being awfully calm considering how she had been earlier, and for someone who was frightened she was handling herself well. “This,” she motioned to her stomach, “it changes nothing between us…I won’t marry you, I’m not going to force you to be there for the baby and I’m not killing it either.”

Altaïr straightened, “I would not let you harm the child!” he said it more harshly than he’d meant to, he regretted it as he watched her hands tighten on Malik’s coat, “I am sorry…” he said quickly before continuing, “I do not want you to get rid of it. I will, however, be apart of my son’s life.”

“Or daughter.”

“Or daughter, either way I would not abandon you or my so – child.” She smiled a little as he corrected himself, did he want a boy? Azurelle was relieved that he was not angry at her and even more so that he seemed so protective of her baby’s well being. “I thought that since Malik plans on bringing Nazeera to Masyaf, which will be in about two month’s time, you would come also…either living in your own home or with your sister. You’d have everything you need, both you and the child.”

“…Once Gyani finds out about this I’ll have no place with the Troupe, no where to live and no means of supporting myself – let alone another.” She sounded defeated; this wasn’t in her plans, to be some poor girl who got pregnant and sponged off the father for the rest of her life. “I seem to have very few options here.”

“Well, it is Masyaf or I steal him in the night and hope you never come looking – but spending the rest of my life peering over my shoulder for Templers and angry acrobats is not my idea of fun…not to mention Malik may make good on his promise to throw me in the sea.”

Azurelle laughed, “You wouldn’t dare! An Assassin who strikes with one hand while feeding a baby with the other doesn’t instil fear, Altaïr.” She beckoned him to come sit beside her, a great weight lifted from him as he sat and she leaned against him. “Why would being thrown into the sea be a problem?”

“Never you mind.” He said and then quickly changed the subject, his ego would not take the blow of her laughing at his fear of water, “you will come willingly then?”

Azurelle gave a small snort, “of course not.” Altaïr looked at her with a frown, “you want me to go to some place I haven’t been to for years! I’m going to be the topic of gossip, ‘oh look, it’s the girl with no husband,’ or ‘and he believes he’s the father? What a fool.’” Her voice was the perfect imitation of a couple of women who spent their days in the market talking about people behind their backs. “We were going to India in a few months; Gyani has a home there and has customers already! You really want me to give that chance up?”

“Are you going to take away my chance to know my child? What if Gyani refuses to take you?!” he snapped suddenly angry.

Azurelle sat up angrily and turned her back to him, “I’ll figure that out when I tell him after next week’s festival!”

“You cannot still be thinking of performing! What if you fall?! No! I will not allow it!” was she a fool, was she not thinking of his child’s safety at all?! The brunette got up suddenly and glared furiously down at him, her lips pulled into a straight line as her brows furrowed. She looked ridiculous wearing Malik’s coat, it was too big for her and it softened her angry stature.

“You do not tell me what I can and can’t do! You don’t own me, Altaïr!”

Altaïr stood also, he was now the one glaring down at her, “I am not going to let you risk my child’s life, Azurelle and I will do what I must to stop you from being so reckless!”

“It’s hardly reckless! I’ve been training my entire life! I don’t understand why you suddenly don’t trust my skills!”

“I do not expect a child to understand!”

The sound of her palm striking across his cheek echoed in the tiny room. The Assassin stood still as a statue, his fists clenched painfully hard as he forced himself not to react, mostly he wanted to shake her until she saw sense or lock her away until she realised he was right. He turned his gaze to the short girl and she shrank back, her hand dropping as she realised she’d slapped him for his remark. She wouldn’t apologise though, he didn’t deserve one and she was too stubborn to ask his forgiveness. “If I’m a child, explain to me just what you are! Are you some dirty old man who likes young girls on the end of himself? What were you thinking when you tore me open six months ago?” Altaïr winced at the memory, ‘good’, she thought, ‘let him feel bad!’ “Does a child patch you up when you’re bleeding and beaten? Do you allow children to become distractions for dangerous men? Do you make a habit of making children pregnant?!” Azurelle scrubbed at her eyes when she felt angry tears begin to fall, the Assassin had no right to treat her like this, he’d never shown her such disrespect before and she wasn’t going to allow him to now!

He reached for her retreating form, suddenly concerned with how pale she looked in the moonlight, she laughed at his audacity, at least Altaïr had thought she’d laughed but found she was gasping for air, “Azurelle?” she slapped his hand away and tried to glare at him venomously but her grey eyes rolled up into her head and she slumped forward into the Assassin’s waiting arms. Altaïr lifted her into his gently and set her back down on the rug she’d been sleeping on earlier, she was in a dead faint and he knew all he could do was wait for her to come around. He stroked her face gently, trying to erase the angry lines he found there.

It took a few minutes but she finally came to with a gasp and confusion shining in her eyes, “What…”

“You fainted.”

“No, I – ”

“You did.” He snapped, was she going to fight him on everything?! He heard her breathing hitch again and told her to take some slow, deep breaths until she had calmed herself. Altaïr swallowed his ego, “Forgive me…this is not easy for either of us.” She said nothing to him and he sighed. At least some of the pallor in her cheeks was vanishing, “you need to eat something, I will ask Malik where he hides the food, do not move…please.” He added before she could retort. Another loud moan sounded from the room beyond and the two shared an awkward silence, “I guess I am finding the food without his help then.” He began stalking away when Azurelle called for his attention.

“Altaïr, I am not sharing a house with that noise.”

000

Chapter 5!! Ah, hormones…they don’t mix well with bossy Assassins!