SLASH! You have been warned!

XxXxXx

Neither of them could explain it, this intoxicating lust that both felt for the other. It had been there for years, always pulsating under the surface. Even when it seemed that their friendship was over due to the fiasco in Solomon's Temple, it was still there, beating, if possible, even stronger. Now they were both different men, changed for the better, their views of the world new as well as their opinions of the people in it and of each other.

However, one thing that had not changed was that lust. It now boiled in their veins, threatening to burst if held back any longer. Neither Malik nor Altair could stand the near over-whelming urge in them…the only problem was that neither knew that the other felt the same. So they went about their lives, burning with lust and utterly oblivious.

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Some months later, things had settled down more or less within the brotherhood, life going back to normal. That is, Altair going back to his constant traveling and Malik back to the bureau in Jerusalem. Altair didn't mind the constant traveling, in all honesty. It took his mind off Malik, off the burn he couldn't cool, but at the same time it gave him plenty of opportunities to see him, to fuel the flames.

Altair was actually on a mission in Jerusalem when the ice finally, finally, broke.

XxXxXx

He knew he should have left as soon as he saw the man glance at him. It had been one tiny little glance, more a mere shift of his eyes, but he had seen the assassin, and that was all it took. He knew that long before he found himself fighting madly to get away from several rather frighteningly strong men who seemed rather eager to not just beat Altair to death but bodily rip him limb from limb.

Altair's speed and agility alone saved him, allowing him to slip away from the men while taking relatively few hits and scramble up a wall to the safety of the rooftops.

He leaped from building to building, not as frantically as before, assured as he was that safe up here, on the assassin's highway. None traveled this particular road nearly as fast or as stealthily as they did and Altair in particular was good at it. He had lost his pursuers the moment he had leaped from the first building.

Eventually, he found that his feet had taken him back to the bureau. Looking around quickly to ensure no one was watching, he dropped down through the "door", the sudden quiet of the bureau rather reassuring.

"That was quick." Malik said, not even bothering to look up. He knew who it was merely by the sound of his landing, "Unless, of course, you never really started."

"Knock it off, Malik." Altair said wearily, startled to find how thick his words were, "I'm just waiting for some rather over-excited fools to calm down."

And the longer I stay here, the more excited I'm going to become, Altair added silently to himself, hoping that Malik wouldn't hear how odd his voice sounded.

Unfortunately for him, Malik had exceptional hearing and noticed immediately that Altair's voice sounded different. Fortunately, however, Malik had found a different reason.

"I'm guessing that said fools were looking for a punching bag. One in white robes, am I correct?" He said, his eyes running up and down Altair's body, making a shiver run down Altair's spine.

"How did you guess?" Altair asked dryly, relieved, yet oddly disappointed for some strange reason.

"Hmmm, maybe it was your broken nose that gave it away." Malik pretended to think it over, "No, wait, it was the way you keep holding onto your ribs like someone got a good hit and maybe broke a rib or two? Am I getting warmer?"

Hotter by the second, Altair thought, out loud he said, "Your observation skills are astounding, Malik. Wherever did you learn them?"

Malik shook his head, "All right, you bastard, enough. Let's clean you up before you bleed all over my bureau."

Altair's heart sang while dropping like a stone at the same time. His blood began to rush through his veins and he knew that even the slightest touch from Malik would probably cause him to lose it completely. He couldn't let that happen.

"Ah, you know what, I'll be fine." He said quickly, nearly tripping over himself as he turned back to leave, "I think those guys have forgotten already…"

"You're bleeding all over the place, Altair." Malik pointed out incredulously, "People are going to notice, especially since you're wearing white. Whether that's before or after you pass out is hard to tell."

"So what? It's getting dark out, they'll think it's a shadow or something." Altair said unconvincingly as he began to back away but a throwing knife whistled through the air not even an inch from his ear to lodge, quivering, in the doorframe, stopping him rather effectively.

"What is with you?" Malik asked, a second knife already in his hand, face a mixture of concern and bewilderment.

"Let me leave, Malik." Altair practically pleaded.

"Why?" The other assassin asked, walking up to Altair, making him tense up, "You sure are jumpy all of the sudden."

Altair heard the suspicion in Malik's voice, knew that he had just a few seconds before Malik forced the answer rather painfully from him. But, try a he might, he just couldn't bring himself to say anything. He glanced up at the rooftop door, his way to freedom, calculating the distance and if he could make it before Malik threw his other knife.

"Oh no you don't." Malik said, seeing Altair glance at the door and quickly stepped in front of him, blocking him, "You are not leaving until you tell me what the hell is going on."

Oh yes I am, Altair thought, shifting his weight slightly in preparation. Big mistake. He forgot how perceptive Malik was.

Malik's hand snapped out, grabbing Altair's hand, and spun him around, kicking him in the back of the knees and sending him crashing to the floor face-first, falling with him and pinning his arm to his back, effectively keeping him still.

"There is no way you are leaving here, so you might as well tell me what is with you." Malik said softly in Altair's ear, rather calmly considering the fact that his blood was probably heating faster than Altair's.

Altair was sure that Malik could feel the shudder than ran through him as his warm breath tickled his ear. He struggled to resist the urge to moan as excited shivers ran through his body, his nerves on fire. He could barely get his vocal cords to work. When he did, all that came out was a strangled whine.

Then Malik finally understood, finally realized the effect he was having on Altair. He smiled, excitement and lust showing clearly in his eyes.

Shifting slightly so that his knee slid up between Altair's legs, he leaned down even closer next to Altair's ear, "Is that all you're going to give me? That pitiful noise? Well, we can't have that, now, can we?"

Altair, practically dizzy on lust, hadn't fully processed that unexpected statement when Malik dragged him up and pulled him in his room, shutting the door with a snap that made something click in Altair's mind in a way that made his heart start pounding in expectation.

And Malik didn't disappoint him. The door had barely closed before Altair once again found himself pinned underneath Malik, but this time he barely noticed, occupied as he was with the heated passionate kiss that sent his mind reeling, blood pounding to another region of his body.

He had been waiting, rather impatiently, for this for a long time now, so when Malik's tongue grazed his lips, he didn't hesitate, eagerly opening his mouth, his own tongue probing, experiencing the feel and taste of him. Air was forgotten, labeled unimportant as their tongues fought for supremacy, Malik winning but for once in his life, Altair didn't really care.

"Still no noise from you?" Malik asked, breathlessly, finally breaking apart, "Come on, give me something to work with. Louder, Altair, louder."

Altair suddenly realized that his clothes were gone. Somehow, Malik had managed to relieve them both of clothing, without Altair ever realizing it. That was fine by him, however…clothes would only get in the way.

His mind was suddenly jerked away from that thought by the shock of sparks that suddenly flared in his vision as Malik began to trail his tongue down the assassin's body, his hand trailing lower, teasing him in a way that made him go wild.

Malik suddenly hit a sensitive spot, one just above the hallow of his left hip, eliciting a load groan from Altair.

"Finally, but didn't I say louder?" Malik teased, then he roughly shoved Altair onto his stomach, meeting absolutely no resistance from the normally resistive assassin.

The feel of Malik's probing fingers set Altair's world on fire all over again, this time even more intensely if that was even possible. There was pain, yes there was pain, but it was deliciously mixed in with the pleasure, making him beg for more when Malik pulled his fingers out.

Once again Malik didn't disappoint him. The sudden intrusion of Malik's hard length inside of him made him cry out as pain and arousal collided in him. Then the younger assassin began to move, each thrust so painful yet so utterly addictive that Altair began to move with him, begging him to go faster, to go harder, crying out with pained ecstasy with each erratic thrust.

A painful heat built up between his legs, making his muscles contract and his back arch. His breath caught in his throat as the heat built up, his teeth grinding together and fists clenched, blood pounding. He was dimly aware of Malik encouraging him, urging him to let it go. He did, with a scream that made Malik shudder, his body twitching spasmodically as he came on hard.

Afterwards he lay there, panting, shaking and lathered in sweat, as Malik licked his body clean, exhausted yet still glowing from the aftermath of pleasure and pain. Malik finally pulled him close, surrounding him with warmth that began to lull him to sleep.

Malik smiled as he felt Altair's muscles began to go lax as his eyes drifted shut. There was no place he would rather be than right here, their bodies intertwined with each other. Altair's breathing deepened and evened out as he finally fell asleep against Malik's chest, making Malik snuggle him closer before falling asleep himself.

XxXxXx End XxXxXx

A/N: You know, after writing something like this and then playing AC, I'm half expecting for a scene like this to suddenly break out while in the Jerusalem bureau. Whew! Makes me shiver thinking about that XD!!

Reviews, hugs, kisses, assassins up for adoption? I love them all and will give them good homes!!

Love and kisses!

-AIB