Assassin's Creed Modern One Shots

Piracy and Pity

"Oh, come on!" You piped up, hinting at Arno. "Admit it, you like me in your hoodie~" you purred, running your fingers through your hair, teasing him for a laugh. Altaïr threw you golden daggers from across the room, that look couldn't be more clear.

"I'm only glad that Ezio didn't break my toes when he dropped the bowling ball." Altaïr's monotone voice cut through, wedging his opinion in the mix. To one side, you heard Ezio crack up, a little too loud to your taste. He apologised hastily in Italian, while doubling over in laughter, thinking of the event.

"If you think Ezio's idea was better than yours Con', you got another thing coming. What did you have planned?" Without a second of delay, Connor blatantly answered you,

"It was not planned." That's when every head turned, staring expectantly at Connor, who had turned the situation on its head. "Father said he'd got a call last night unexpectedly." Your breath hitched and Desmond asked what everyone was thinking simultaneously.

"And?"

"And," Connor carried on, "it was my grandfather, announcing that he would drive down to stay with us for some time. I was hoping to avoid them this weekend because grandfather offered to take me out on his yacht to spend time with him. Please ____, can you choose Ezio's idea? I do not want to socialise with a man I barely know." The boy went back to nibbling on his sandwich, that same look of alarm wouldn't leave his features. At that moment, it felt like the room was empty, no one moved a muscle or even breathed. It wasn't like Connor to mention anyone outside of his household, namely his extended family, so this was out-of-the-blue. Connor's house was your second home and Haytham and Ziio weren't that bad, so why was Connor so highly-strung? You wanted to believe it was just the nerves of meeting a long-lost family member, but something nagging at the back of your mind wanted to say it was something else.

Ignoring your conscience, you hugged Connor side on. Instead of receiving a comforted response, he sat there rigid. You had a tendency to forget Connor wasn't overly keen on physical touch.

"How bad could it be? We'll go with you this weekend and if it's really as awful as you think it is, I promise I won't enjoy any of it. Deal?" Both reluctant and apprehensive, Connor nodded to accept your proposal.

"Same goes for me," Desmond added, raising his arm at a right angle. He supported his claim with an encouraging grin, letting Connor know that he had another player on his team. The words:

"Me too!" from Aveline was all that was needed.

"Same here," Arno and Ezio chimed in perfect unison, leaving a second before making eye contact, both boys a little freaked out. In your peripheral vision, you targeted Altaïr who had his head in his phone. Getting out of your seat, you acted quickly to snatch the device off him to tear his focus back to the original subject. The tactic failed immediately, his fingers glued to the brick. Your eyes were trying to drive home the signal that he was meant to give feedback like everyone else. He averted his gaze, murmuring under his breath,

"I — I am busy this weekend. Sorry." The glare you shot his way was irreplaceable and relentless. Releasing Altaïr's phone, you returned to your seat, surrendering as you reached an impasse in your mind. You wanted proof, but didn't ask for it. You would get the excuse soon enough, even if it took you weeks to do so. Altaïr had a track record of being avoidant of group activities. Not just for a certain period of time, it was a recurring thing and a little tiring having to give him an encouraging nudge to emerge from his hovel for a few hours.

"Well, that settles it then." You forced a light tone of voice, though slightly bothered by Altaïr's behaviour. "Saturday, is it?" You aimed that at Connor, who again responded with a bow of his head. "We'll be there." Making the confirmation, the date was cemented. The only thing you had to tend to now was the weather for the day ahead and easing your best friend's conscience.