Malik was sure he would create a hole in the floor. He could not stop pacing the room, as he could hear the pained screams from the hall. Those terrible sounds coming from his beloved Altair, and Malik could do nothing for it. He held his knuckle against his lips, squeezing his eyes shut and biting his bottom lip when he heard Altair's discomfort.
The guards posted outside of Altair's quarters watched him with sympathy. "Peace, brother," one of them said as Malik's pacing picked up.
"I cannot. My Altair is in pain and I can do nothing for him. What news, can you hear?"
One guard leaned closer to the door but backed away as soon as Altair started shrieking. He gave Malik a sympathetic glance. "He will be fine, brother. Liad is one of our finest nurses, she will see to it that he gives you a fine son."
The one-armed brother groaned, turning on his heel to face a window. "It will mean nothing to me if my Altair is not by my side. He is the mentor, the Brotherhood would fall apart without him." Of course that was an exaggeration, the Brotherhood would find the next suitable mentor, likely Malik himself. But of course Malik liked to think that his Altair was the one that held the Brotherhood together since the death of Al Mualim. The entire group had certainly improved since Altair's rise to power. Everyone seemed happier.
Malik knew he was. When he had stood by Altair's side at their wedding altar in the training yard of the Brotherhood fortress, he never thought he could be more proud. That was, until Altair revealed grand news to him.
By the mysterious power of the Apple and Ala, Malik's beloved had been granted a wondrous gift: a baby. An heir of their own that could one day be the next mentor of the Brotherhood.
Malik had all but boasted to anyone that would listen of his expected son. He had always wanted a son of his own, a "mini-me" so to speak. Or a small Altair, that would also be a great pleasure. Though hopefully the child would skip the phase of building his own golden pedestal that Altair had had the displeasure of going through.
Honestly Malik had been a little put off by the growing that Altair's body had to go through. Altair suspected that it was the work of the Apple, giving him the needed "equipment" to safely deliver their child. Malik was more than excited-in a way that almost scared Altair-to try out this new "equipment." It was like taking Altair as a virgin all over again; he was tight and wet and sensitive and just wow he loved Altair so much.
When the master Assassin had grown heavy with child, the Brotherhood took extra precautions to prevent him from straining himself, just as they knew he would try. A box that looked heavy would be pulled from his arms and into a more able-bodied recruit. Walking from the fortress to the gate on the edge of Masyaf would warrant a demand to sit and rest his feet. While Altair appreciated the concern from his brothers, he felt a little unnerved by all the doting. He still wanted to feel that he could handle himself. But admittedly he quite enjoyed the quiet time with Malik, when the man would kneel at a bench with him and talk to his belly, or when he would rub his feet when he would sit in a hay pile to rest his swelling feet.
The moments leading to the child's arrival had been wondrous. This moment, the actual arrival, was so stressful and painful. When Altair had told Malik he was beginning to feel contractions, Malik had nearly sprinted to the midwife in town. Altair, at the time, had been calm and had little pain. That had changed in a matter of hours-4 to be exact, Malik had counted.
It wasn't until the eighth hour that Altair's water had broken and he felt the urge to push, only to be told not to because he was not yet ready. Malik thought it would be one of the few times he'd ever seen Altair cry. It killed him to think that all Altair could do was sit and shriek in pain and all Malik could do was hold his hand and tell him to breathe through it.
Even that had eventually become too much for Malik to handle and that had led him to where he was now, outside in the hall way marching a hole in the floor.
One of the guards put a hand on his shoulder. "He wants you," he said quickly. Malik couldn't actually remember going into the room until he was kneeling beside his Altair, the poor man huffing and puffing with spread legs and pain written on every inch of him.
"Malik," he breathed out, leaning his head back on his pillow. A soft and exhausted smile graced his lips and Malik felt tears in his eyes and a smile on his mouth. "I'm here, Altair. How do you fair?"
"I have had better days," Altair forced out, practically sobbing at the end as the birth ripped through him quite literally. Liad sat at the end of the bed, holding open one of Altair's legs with one assistant holding the other. She had had the decency to save some dignity and cover him up but his torso was bare, his chest swelled slightly with milk and his belly swollen with baby.
"Al-Sayf, hold this leg for me, okay? I need both hands," Liad said, holding Altair's leg wider as Malik got a good grip under Altair's knee. Altair panted and groaned, rolling his shoulders to lean to one side. The other nurse stroked his hair and positioned his legs to level with Malik's own hold.
"All right, Altair, just stay open as much as you can, okay? Relax...that's right, yes. Breathe, good. I think you're ready to try again, just push when I tell you. Ready?" Liad encouraged, both of her hands disappearing and Malik decided it was better he didn't know where they went.
Altair shook his head, "No, oh God have mercy!" Even with his words he positioned himself to push again. This had been going on for a few hours and judging by what Malik could see, there had been little progress.
Liad looked down to Altair's opening and helped him relax. "All right, Altair, breathe and...push!"
Malik hoped he would never have to hear his Altair scream in such agony again. It was blood curdling. "Good, Altair, a little more-and break! Breathe, breathe, you're doing great. All right get ready and-push! There you go!" Malik could feel the force of the push in his hand as Altair squeezed it, but he could also feel how Altair didn't squeeze as hard as he knew he could. Malik leaned over and squeezed back when Altair let the push go. "Squeeze as hard as you like, my dear, I'll give you both arms if you so wish." He pressed a kiss to Altair's cheek and felt a sense of falling in love again when he felt Altair press back.
"Altair, the baby is crowning, I want you to give me a really big push, okay?" Liad instructed, yelling for a push which Altair gave loudly.
It was nearly half an hour later when the baby's head was actually nearly out, and the widest part was just killing Altair. He was crying now, openly sobbing and begging someone to just kill him. "Altair, you need to breathe, okay? The head is almost out and you're almost done, I promise!" Liad said. He pushed again and the scream echoed on the walls. But the head was finally, finally out. Now for the shoulders and Malik hoped that it would be easier from there. The shoulders were wider than the head, evidently, but the baby was so curled up that Altair seemed to hardly even notice-to him, it all hurt.
He pushed hard until the baby's chest was out, and from there Liad slid the baby out with a final push. Altair jerked as the baby came out, letting out a sob upon separation. He let out a breath of relief, falling back onto his blankets and pillows as the babe cried out and was set on his thighs. Malik cried, he wasn't ashamed to admit. He looked from his son-yes, a son-to Altair. "My love," he said with a kiss, "my darling," another kiss, "the most precious treasure of my life," he pressed his forehead to Altair's, "you've given me a beautiful son."
Altair panted and with half lidded eyes and an exhausted smile, he let the darkness of slumber consume him. Liad cleaned Altair up down below while the other nurse cleaned the baby, immediately setting the baby beside Altair as she gently shook him awake to deliver the afterbirth. "This is my son," he said proudly, stroking his son's head. He looked to Altair, smiled a slow and tired smile, and walked to the hall, where the scholars, guards, Assassins, and recruits alike had gathered on the main floor just below his and Altair's quarters. He looked at the Brotherhood then back to the door he had just exited and back again. They all seemed to be waiting for the news, having heard the nearing end of Altair's ordeal.
He took in a deep breath and sighed out a smile, then the sigh turned into a laugh. "A boy," he said, "I have a son!" His glowing pride would put the sun to shame.
Altair didn't see the light of day for nearly three days. He was bedridden after the delivery, having been torn a bit and lost a lot of blood. After a few days though he was able to walk and travel outside with little pain. Malik would help him, of course, as Altair would occasionally need help going up or down steps, or sitting down and getting back up.
The village couldn't get enough of their new son-Kadar, Altair had decided. The name nearly made Malik cry on the spot.
The boy was quiet, sleeping a lot and gripping Altair's fingers for comfort. He was very attached to both his parents, finding the most comfort when they would both cuddle him. Malik suspected he would be very much a momma's-boy (Altair would kill him if he heard that term, though) but take after his father. Malik saw himself in the boy already. The only thing the boy seemed to have that proved his link to Altair was his light skin, having the blood of Europe in his veins.
Eagles circled Masyaf for days when Altair had finally left the confines of the fortress. Almost as though they were watching over him; Malik wouldn't think past it, Altair was the Eagle of Masyaf and he had always believed the man had some guardian watching over him. If he hadn't then it was a miracle the oaf had made it through half of the situations he had gotten himself into.
Malik wondered what would watch over his son; him and Altair of course, but what would Ala send to guide the boy when his parents came time to pass on?
He gazed at his Kadar-and his beloved husband-and was amazed by them. The utter beauty that the two of them radiated, and how Malik could bathe in the warmth like sunlight.
Altair turned to him and chuckled, "Staring with smile makes me think you're up to something."
Malik laughed and sat beside him. "No, I'm just admiring," he said.
Altair looked down at the baby in his arms as Malik wrapped his arm over his shoulders. "A boy all our own." Malik pressed his face into Altair's neck.
"A family all my own."
I dunno what this even is someone send help.