“Do you have anything to read ?”

Yassine was surprised by Kafele’s sudden question. After watching him viciously attack a tree and then him, he had trouble picturing the man as someone who would enjoy reading. Perhaps he had only just realized that he was stuck here for the time being, at least until the Chief woke up from his nap. He probably assumed there wasn't much to do around here aside from cutting wood except perhaps reading books. He wasn't entirely wrong.

Yassine owned a big collection of books and he loved spending entire days reading about someone else's life just so that it would be easier for him to forget his own. Although he had an entire shelf filled with books in his bedroom, he hesitated. He wasn’t being selfish rather a bit embarrassed.

“I… I do have some books but it’s… Well let’s say it’s not great literature but it... it relaxes me.” His fear of seeing his unstable guest fall prey to another violent outburst encouraged him to get over the secrecy. But he quickly regretted his decision and added. “Or y’know I have… I think I have a guidebook of Iceland somewhere around here…”

A faint smile appeared on Kafele’s lips but it didn't look mocking, in fact he looked rather nostalgic. “I only owned a single book.” he said softly, almost tenderly. “I read it so many times that I know it by heart. Nothing can replace it.”

“Oh really? What kind of book was it?” Yassine was curious to discover another more sensible side to him.

“The kind you don’t really talk about.” Kafele said. He did not seem as embarrassed as Yassine had been. Yet... “Silent Passion.” he named. “I found it in the apartment that was assigned to me when I came back to the Temple of Ra.”

“Silent Passion?” Yassine repeated incredulously. His eyes widened with surprise. He did not stop to think about how queer this coincidence was and immediatly rushed to his bedroom. He quickly came back carrying three books that he handed to Kafele.

“These are um… The sequels.”

Kafele stared at what was in his hands in silence as if he was holding something sacred. He seemed not to know how to react but Yassine could see a faint sparkle of excitement behind his black eyes. His lips stretched in a discreet smile as he spoke softly. “I didn’t know there were sequels… Are they good ?”

“They’re… Yeah. I… I like them.” Yassine answered. Even though Kafele seemed to share his enthusiasm for this unique genre of literature, he felt his cheeks grow slightly hotter. It wasn't really the kind of book you would read in public.

Kafele took the first book on the pile -the second of the series- and started to blush as he read it’s back cover in silence. Yassine looked away and contained a smile. As odd and embarrassing as this situation was, he was glad Kafele shared his interest for erotic fiction.

“Thank you.” Kafele said once he had finished reading. “I thought I was the only one to know it existed.”

“Well…” Yassine scratched the back of his neck to chase away the last bit of embarrassment and give into the excitement of sharing a common interest. It also made him realize that Kafele and him probably had much more in common than they thought. “The book you found… In the apartment they gave you at the Temple? It was probably mine.” He still had a hard time piecing together how Kafele, who had been his enemy on the battlefield, had somehow ended up in the Temple of Ra, but he was pretty certain that no one else had owned that kind of book. “It was one of my favourites.”

“I took good care of it.” Kafele assured him. He didn’t seem more surprised to learn his apartment had been Yassine’s. “But I didn’t have time to take it when we got attacked.”

He wanted to tell him not to worry about it. It was just a book after all. He didn't have time either to take it with him when he had fled Egypt, otherwise Kafele wouldn't have found it years later. He later bought the rest of the series but the only reason he hadn’t bought Silent Passion again to complete his collection was because he didn’t want to be reminded of the times when he had read theses pages.

But the moment Kafele mentioned “the attack”, Yassine's lips sealed shut in an odd fixed grin. Hearing this word was enough to make to bring back violent flashes of the war. He felt his blood pressure skyrocket.

“Read them as much as you like. I have others like them you might also enjoy, if you want to.” The distance between the two men had made it back even though Yassine tried to keep a friendly face. Kafele seemed to notice it but said nothing. Instead, he nodded and started to read.