Why Hello again! This fic came from a promp on Kink meme... 5 times Malik saw Altair cry.

Warnings: Slash? fluff, nonsense and all.

Disclaimer: I effin' know that Altair, Malik, or any other character in AC universe belongs to Ubi. Bowden can go hunt fairies for all I care. Malik is alive for me an that's it.

Crybaby

By: Ellyzeller

"He's a crybaby" he remembered Maria told him once, with a warm smile adorning her lips and he turned his head a little and saw Altair scowling from behind her when Malik's midnight amused gaze met the piercing gold on Altair's own.

"I am not—" the assassin tried to retort, but a chaste kiss from his wife silenced him and Malik had to cast his eyes away at the lovely yet despised sight. He would bury himself before admitting he was jealous. Or worse, that he loved the Assassin.

"You might be right" he said with a teasing voice after a while, making sure to mask his displeasure. "He was awfully teary-eyed when he took that blade." And he made a gesture towards Altair's hand that was rewarded with a giggle from Maria and a silent curse from the other. "It was quite a show watching him sobbing for the week after."

"That's not considered crying," Altair muttered angrily "besides, you did…" and then Malik smirked at the flush on Altair's face, taking on Maria's curious expression and ensuing questions at his husbands sudden bashful silence. After some threats and failed blackmail was done, the Assassin shot him a deadly glare and proceeded to defend himself with an annoyed expression when Maria whined. "Just stop this nonsense. Besides, Malik has work to do."

And so he left with a knowing smirk, having kept form the woman that it was him who, that same day some years ago, gave a peck to the bandaged appendage and Altair –shocked, flushed face and all- stopped crying.

But that left him wondering about his Assassin, (yes, he was aware of the pronoun, after all he was possessive over things he cared for) and the moment he was ready to go to bed that night, he was assaulted by memories of his bright-blue childhood, the red-filled day he mourned, and his now calm life. Besides the day the novice lost a finger he could only remember just two other times he could say he saw the big, strong Altair crying.

These two being a not so long time ago, the first after he screamed and yelled and beat the crap out of the novice- as hard as he could with just one arm- a week after Solomon's temple incident. He'd lost it at the mention of Kadar's name coming out of a pair of scarred lips in almost a whisper and all but ordered him to give his precious little brother back.

He'd seen tears coming down Altair's sad eyes but for all he cared, the man could cut himself open and feed the crows his dead heart because Malik hated him.

And after that, it took a whole year and some months for the feeling to recede. After all, as the Dai in Jerusalem he was prone to face Altair every now and then. It took them several harsh words, harmful comments and some punches and struggles all over the Bureau's dirt floor to finally settle into an almost-friendly relationship, being almost the clue word. Then one day he was out for supplies he got the amazing fortune to be bullied into oblivion by a group of guards –he was a cripple for them, after all- and found himself regaining consciousness at his warm bed, with a hooded figure sleeping at his bedside and a head-splitting pain at his right temple.

"¿What happened?" he groaned, wincing at the sound of his voice when it came out hoarse and cracked.

In an instant the hooded figure bolted awake and Malik had to suppress a smile at Altair's scared and relieved face. However he wasn't expecting said man to crush him into an uncomfortable but warm embrace and gasped at the sudden reaction.

"Novice, I'm fine." He whispered in a sigh against the other's neck, aware of the slight tremors rocking the Assassin's body and something wet dripping down his neck from the side where Altair had his face buried in. "Are you crying novice?" he finally muttered, patting the brunette amicably on his back and wincing when the arms around his bruised torso tightened a little. "I'm sure you've noticed I'm hurt, and as… happy I am you found me I also feel the need to say you are hurting me a little more here" he added with a pained chuckle and refrained from fully laughing when the other backed away from him looking bewildered and muttering several apologies.

"It's ok, Altair" he reassured, lifting a hand to wipe away a tear that threatened to fell down from red, glassy eyes looking worried. "I'll live. Someone has to take care of this place and you."

That earned him a small smile he treasured until today.

But then again, that was years ago, and the day Malik found him on his quarters some months after he'd gained the title of Grand Master with a letter on his hands and any traces of his wife near him he had started to believe their lives wouldn't ever be the same.

"Novice?" He called and was surprised when the other just gave him a side glance.

"Don't you think you should call me by my name now, at least? I'm no more a novice, Malik." And his voice, so collected, so absent, so void of any emotion gave Malik chills and encouraged him to walk closer the other man.

"You will always be a novice for me," he called, putting his hand on Altair's shoulder and glancing at the letter on trembling hands. With little effort he recognized Maria's name at the bottom and before he could even start to read the paper he was surprised to hear a sigh from his side, and the paper crumbling from the tight grip of Altair's hands.

"She's gone." He raised his eyes and locked them with the gold ones asking for an explanation, because he was patient but this calm stance on Altair wasn't helping him at all to keep calm. "She… said she's not needed anymore now that I have someone else" and then there was a low chuckle and he saw him cover his face with his hands "I don't even know what does she—"

His voice broke and a sob found its way out from those scarred lips Malik spent hours observing and then there was this urgency in him to hold that man in between his arms and protect him and he shouldn't be even entertaining the idea that Maria knew about him liking the Assassin, and Altair wasn't like him, he never thought of another man like this, he loved Maria—

Altair was crying and perhaps he'd hate Malik after he'd done what he was about to do, but all consideration be damned, the Dai took Altair's wrist and pulled him against himself, circling the other's frame with an arm alone and just holding him for dear life.

"Malik?"

When those confused eyes stared at him with uncertainty and a shaky breath ghosted over his face he sent caution to the deepest corner of his mind and closed the distance between them, kissing Altair with all the tenderness he could gather on him.

He was sure he was about to faint when the Assassin's lips moved with almost sinful shyness against his, and a warm –still trembling- hand curled on the back of his neck.

His Altair was kissing him back, and it tasted like life, like desert and salt.

They separated and not giving Altair the chance to retreat further he grabbed his face by the chin and kissed the tears still falling from those entrancing, deep golden eyes.

"How long ago?" was the quiet murmur he heard almost to his ear, not bothering to stop and kissing the closed eyelids and following a slow trail back to his lips. When he didn't answer Altair –almost weakly so- pushed him away a little and repeated the question with a low voice.

"Almost immediately after that day you saved me." He replied calmly, taking one of Altair's hands on his own. "I don't' know how… but I discovered I started to care about you… more than what I like to admit." And then he laughed a little at the light blush on Altair's cheeks, and fell in love again with his smile.

That was the fourth time he saw him cry.

After that day he was requested at the Grand Master's quarters almost every day and his relationship with Altair got even more… close. They still kept arguing and mock-fighting at something trivial–unless Altair mentioned something about how the Dai mewled and moaned for more last night, then he'd have to kill him slowly- but all in all, they were happy.

That is why today, when he walked down the corridors and heard from a bunch of novices whispering about some strange light coming out of the Grand Master's room, Malik felt the bad feeling he got since he woke up increasing tenfold.

"He's using that damned device again." He reprimanded the novices and sent them back to train, his face set on a perennial scowl and walking to Altair's quarters, worried because every time his lover used the Apple, he ended up tired and stressed. He'd seen him obsessing over it too much lately, and actually confronted him once, when after threatening the other with- unbelievable, Malik- no sex, he got Altair to leave the thing for some days.

"STOP!" He was a few feet away from the door when the loud scream started him and at recognition of the owner of the voice he darted forwards, breaking through the door and stopping dead at the sight of a kneeled Altair, face buried in his hands and body wrecked by sobs and broken cries.

"Altair" he called, and immediately the other whipped his head up, looking torn between terror and relief, tears flowing down his unfocused eyes and shoulders shaking violently.

"I'm sorry" muttered Altair, and hearing his voice so weak made Malik bit his lip to avoid crying himself. "Please… I didn't… Malik!" And then he bowed again and hid his face from said man, who felt tears prickling at the corner of his eyes, rushing to his lover and holding him against himself.

"Altair" he called again and it only seemed to worsen the situation because a pained sob left the other and he cried harder, muttering his name brokenly. "I'm here Altair" he whispered against the other's hair, feeling himself miserable, cursing and calling him with a strained voice.

He was at a loss of what to do.

Because this wasn't like the other times. And he was terrified and downright scared because he didn't know how to stop this heart-wrenching scene in front of him.

The Grand Master was crying. Altair was crying.

His Altair.

And it was a soul-wrecking sight and Malik felt useless and frustrated and angry because nothing he said would calm the man.

"He will die. It is written."

Altair cried harder and Malik turned his eyes up, looking for the foreign voice around and then his eyes settled on Altair's desk and something clicked.

"What the—?"

There, on the desk, the Apple was humming and still glowing.

"He'll die. It is only a matter of time."

"No! Please…" Altair's voice broke in sobs and Malik glared at the object, now aware of what it was doing to his lover. "Please… I love him…stop."

Malik's eyes widened at his words and for a second the air around them seemed warmer and he felt something tugging at his mind.

The apple shone so brightly that Malik curled over both him and Altair and then…

Darkness.

"M-Malik?" Altair's quivering voice made him snap his eyes open and then two arms were choking him and this Assassin was crying and muttering unintelligible things against his chest and all he could do was hug him back and cry in gratitude it had ended.

After a good time in which Altair made sure to grope him the necessary to satisfy himself that Malik was real, the Dai kissed him on the forehead, surprised when Altair pulled him down and smashed their lips in a slow but intense kiss that soon had Malik panting and gasping for air.

"Malik…" Altair breathed and leaned against him again, not daring to release him from his hug. "Malik... I—"

"I know" he smiled and hugged him back, ignoring the coldness of the hard floor, ignoring the fact that anybody could enter the room at any moment. "You will never, ever touch that thing again without me supervising, got it?" he chided almost laughing at a laughing Altair, who nodded fervently against him. "I'll be here for you…"

And if someone dared to say otherwise, he would face hell and all to make said person eat those words.

Reviews people, or Malik will run out of tissues to give to Altair D: