#morrigays

“You seem to be rather pensive, Shay. Is something bothering you?” Chris asked, a concerned frown appearing on the blonde’s face as he shifted loser to his husband, pressing gentle kiss to one of the other’s cheeks.

Shay, who had been staring out of a window, lost in thought as his hands had been making part of dinner, shook his head and kiss Gist on the lips. He was tempted to pull the other into his arms and hug him, but as his fingers were still buried in the meatloaf that he’d been making... That probably wouldn’t go over well, in addition to being very unsanitary. He’d put the potatoes he planned to make into mashed potatoes in a pot with water earlier and the water was heating up well ... I was just thinking about stuff an’ things, is all.”

Shay packed the meatloaf into a tin and popped it into the already hot oven. He caught the concerned frown on his lover’s face and added “Nothing bad, I promise. It’s just... If someone told me when I was younger that I would have married a templar, I would have laughed myself silly. I’m glad that things turned out the way they did, though.”

“I know what you mean. If someone had told me that I would end up falling in love with a former Assassin I’d have thought they were messing with me. I’ll never forget the day we first met, my gallant hero.” Gist murmured, teasing his Shay a little “And how wary you were of Monro.”

“Oh hush you! They’d have killed you, if I hadn’t stepped in! I was wary of him as I didn’t trust that the devious Templar had in mind for me. Not that I would have tried to leave for the brotherhood then. Especially then, when their betrayal and utter disregard so fresh in my mind. Not that I’m eager to join them now, mind.” Shay sulked, sticking out his bottom lip a little in a subtle pout. He huffed a little as he washed his hands and dragged his husband in close, resting his chin on one of Gist’s shoulders.

“Hey, your hands are still wet!” The blonde playfully protested, shifting a little in the younger man’s arms. Despite his words, Chris wasn’t trying all that hard to escape.

“Muahahaha! Vengeance is mine!” Shay cackled, a mischievous grin appearing on his face.

“Oh dear what a terrible turn of events! I guess that I should -” Whatever the blonde was about to say was interrupted by a loud hissing sound that startled the both of them.

It stopped just as suddenly as it had started but Shay tugged open a kitchen cabinet, using the door as a shield as he pulled gist downwards with him, covering the blonde with his body as they both frantically looked for the source of the sound. The hissing sound came again before dying out and Shay realized what it was. A bush appearing on his face "... The potatoes are boiling over a little. I’ll go grab the lid so that the water cools off a little.”

"... Ah... You’re right of course. All of a sudden, I am understanding why Haytham pushed us to come this small town for a couple of years, anyways.” Gist remarked lightly, looking as sheepish as Shay felt.

"It’s his way o’ making sure that we stop jumping at our own shadows as we’ve been on quite a few... Intense missions in the last few years, I think. And the paperwork that he has us work on helps me at least feel useful during the week.” Shay remarked as he grabbed the lid and checked how cooked the potatoes were. They still needed quite a bit of time still.

“I agree, but given how harsh Birch’s tutelage was... It’s a bit surprising that Haytham pushed us to relax. He used to be rather a stern task master when we were all younger.” Chris murmured as he got up from where Shay had half-hidden him.

“If by that you mean an ornery bastard who was going to work everyone including himself to an early grave, aye. But Connor’s done him a lot of good.” Shay snarked back, watching the water boil and internally deciding on whether or not to adjust the heat a little or not.

“Shay, how could you say that?! He’s our grandmaster and to say... Okay, while that was true it’s rude to say it out loud.” Gist faux admonished, affecting a scandalized tone of voice and expression.

“An’ who’s here to tell on me? Just you.” Shay pointed out, dark brown eyes still shining with playfulness.

“That’s true... And you’re right about Connor being good for Haytham. I’ve never seen our grandmaster so content for so long, once Connor settled into his apartment permanently. Although I’m not sure what all those two get up to...” Gist responded, frowning little bit as he thought about the slightly...Odd relationship the father and son duo had.

“As long as they are happy, and no one is getting hurt it’s none of our business. We were really worried for a while that Connor might leave again, like he had when he was younger. Haytham and Connor were fighting something awful for a while, there.” Shay grumbled. He knew a bit more than most about the nature of the pair of Kenway’s relationship, but the two of them were consenting adults, and Shay wasn’t one to judge right from wrong in regards to such things.

"That’s true... I didn’t know that they had been fighting for a time... But I suppose that happened while I was off on that months-long undercover mission?” Gist responded, sighing quietly “And given how stubborn the pair of them are, I’m not surprised. I am glad that I missed that as our dear Grand Master would have been in a really bad mood and I am glad to have avoided being ordered “Not to smile like an idiot all of the time.” Or something like that. No one has yet told me what happened to Charles when I went on that week-long mission to help our French counterparts update the security on the shroud last year... And he was just gone. No one seems to want to talk much about either.” The blonde gently prodded.

“I hadn’t realized you weren’t there for that mess... ‘Course you mighta helped talk him out of trying to do something so stupid as he actually respected you.” Shay grumbled, rubbing his face a little before letting out a long sigh “Connor had finally finished moving back to New York all the way and had settled in. They’d also managed to finish settling whatever arguments that they had been fighting over for the past few years.” Shay paused for a couple of moments to make sure he was phrasing things in a neutral way, as he really didn’t like Lee and never had. "An’ Connor, bless his heart, came up to Haytham’s office that Monday morning, as his father had forgotten to grab anything for lunch and the grandmaster didn’t have a lunch meeting to go to.” 

Chris smiled a little at that. It fit the young Veterinarian’s personality to do so, and as Connor worked a couple of buildings over in the veterinary clinic that was subsidized and run by Abstergo, the young man had the chance to do so. “That’s very sweet and sounds like Connor, but what does that have to do with Lee’s absence?” The clinic was partially running to engender good will from the public at large as all including the most difficult and expensive treatments were priced only a little above at-cost for the clinic. The clinic offered free spaying and neutering services as well as the option to put an RFID chip inside one’s pet in case the animal got lost or was stolen. The clinic had been very successful so far and Haytham was looking into opening a couple more.

“I was getting to that Chris, be patient, love.” Shay chastised a little, pouting bit at the interruption “See, Charlie had been hoping to capitalize on Haytham’s lunch time to weasel his way into a sneaky possible lunch date... But Connor showed up and prevented Lee from being able to ask - Especially since Connor made those really delicious meat pies for lunch in addition to his devastatingly effective puppy-dog face. So Connor and Haytham went to the rooftop garden for a little picnic... Lee was really annoyed about that “As you know as well as I do how covetous he was of the grandmaster and Haytham’s time. So when he found out where they were he went storming up to the gardens in a towering temper. Half an hour later, Lee comes back angrier than ever, but with a plotting look on his face too.” Shay continued, pausing for a moment – both for dramatic effect and for another breath.

“I’m guessing that whatever plan Lee had cooked up backfired badly on him?” The blonde asked, wincing slightly.

“Yep. He tried to blackmail Connor into doing god knows what. Lad didn’t take that well and promptly told his father... And Haytham ordered the entire building to clear out for several hours but that they’d be paid in full for the time off. I got a text an hour into it and helped to clean up the blood. Lee had accused Connor of being an Assassin sent to seduce Haytham and to do something in exchange for Lee’s silence Haytham didn’t say and wasn’t gonna ask and I am happy not knowing.” Shay finished.

“Connor. An Assassin?” Gist sputtered.

“So Lee claimed.” Shay responded with a shrug and a grin. It was one of the most ridiculous things he’d ever heard too.

“The same young man who still cries after work when he has to put an animal to sleep? Who can’t lie his way out of a wet paper bag?” the blond muttered in utter disbelief.

"The very same." Shay remarked lightly, amused that his beloved seemed to be just as surprised and disbelieving of the claim as he had been. "Ziio had a couple of friends who were loosely connected to the Brotherhood, and taken together with Connor's stubborn nature and less than Templar leanings, Charlie thought it was a great idea to accuse the boy of being an Assassin. I don't know what he asked Connor in exchange for his silence, but Lee didn't expect that Connor would tell his dad about it, as he's not one and was very confused as to what an Assassin was and who these Templars were and why that was so important?"

"Ah. I am guessing that part of Haytham's displeasure was that he had to explain to Connor what the Brotherhood and the Templar Order were, putting him further in danger than before. Is Connor a member of the Order, or is he simply allied with us?" Gist responded "... Well, I suppose part of that entirely depends on Haytham's willingness to want Connor in on this darker aspect of life."

"He's in training, though he's not going to be a fighter. It's not in his nature, though he's got quite the talent for code-breaking and putting together all the little bits and hints of information out field agents gather to reveal the grander scheme that the Assassins in one area or another are planning before it's executed so that we can head them off." Shay responded, a small smile appearing on his face as he reflected on how far the young man had come in the year that he had been made aware of the shadow war that had been raging for over a thousand years. Connor was very determined to help them in any way they could, happy to finally understand what it was that his father had been hiding from him. "Did you know that Connor did have a couple of suspicions that something odd was going on?"

"It wouldn't surprise me. Connor is highly intelligent and can be very observant when it comes to everything but when someone is romantically interested in him." The blond remarked lightly.

"Actually, about half the time he's being flirted with, Connor does realize. He's told me...But he feels uncomfortable  about trying to tell whoever it is that he's uninterested, so he pretends he doesn't notice while hoping that they will go away and find someone more receptive." The Enforcer corrected "He told me about it after I rescued him from a particularly... Focused person who was trying to get in close with out beloved Grand master and felt the best way to do that was to date his sweet, oblivious son... As for what he thought was going on, Connor thought that Haytham and the rest of us were LARPing - given the funny clothes we were wearing. And LARPing is Live Action Role Playing - like Dungeons and Dragons, only you dress up with a bunch of friends and actually act out the battle scenes and stuff."

Chris laughed at that, his bright eyes shining with mirth "I can understand where Connor might get that false assumption - and if Haytham were into such a thing, I have no doubt that he would try to hide it, rather embarrassed as he might be with such a nerdy side to himself... and the battle scenes might be a good way to train our recruits. I'll be sure to mention it to Haytham in passing, to see what he thinks of it."

"Haytham was made aware of the impression Connor was under and sighed for a while. If you do that, he'll know that I probably told you and then the both of us will be in trouble for teasing him like that... But it would be a good way for those who have neutral family members to explain why they have such things, if they're discovered... So if you want to endure growling about teasing him, be my guest, love." Shay responded, leaning in close and pressing a kiss to the other's lips before checking their dinner, finding that the potatoes were ready and began to mash them. Homemade mashed potatoes always tasted so much better than the dry, tasteless flakes.

"I will." Gist responded, a small smile appearing on his face after he happily responded to his husband's kiss. "Need a hand with that, or do you want me to cut up the veggies for the salad that we're having alongside the rest of this?" While some might think that being able to speak with your partner about such things was a boring and mundane task, the fact that they were able to be so domestic was a gift that the blond would always treasure.