This chapter/story has been removed or edited because it contains mature material.

You can find the story/full unedited chapter on my AO3 under the name Xazz.

It was early afternoon when Malik first heard the bells. He looked up and frowned, and saw Sawsan run into the inner room from the garden, startled by the noise. Altair had left early that morning with his feather after giving Sawsan her breakfast and once he'd gone Malik had opened his shop as usual. When he heard the bells he left the counter and locked the front door, no longer open for business.

From the corner of the room Sawsan mewed. Malik looked towards her but continued towards the garden, grabbing the long pole he used to close the lattice and slotted it into the fulcrum. The lattice closed with a snap and with a deft twist of his hand it locked. Until the bells stopped ringing he wouldn't open the lattice again, unless Altair was injured, but he'd never seen Altair so injured that he couldn't fight, let alone run and hide.

He tried not to worry, he knew he shouldn't, since Altair could handle himself, but he did because he couldn't help it. He was supposed to worry though he assumed, because Altair was a very good Assassin and to lose him…

Malik shook his head and tried to do something productive. In the end he went into the back-room and organized his medical supplies should something happen. All the while the bells continued.

They carried on long into the day and only around sunset did they finally cease and Malik went out to the garden and opened the lattice. He frowned up at the empty hole as if he could will Altair to appear, he didn't.

Malik returned to the inner room and fed Sawsan, or tried to, she wouldn't eat liver if he made it so he ended up just giving her more cream and then forced her mouth open to smear liver along her upper pallet. She protested, meowing and hissing and biting and struggling, but she ate the mashed up liver and Malik only got a few scratches for his troubles.

Malik was getting ready for bed when he heard the lattice creak from outside. He'd left it open against his normal routine, in case Altair came back before he slept. Sawsan's meow was all the proof he needed that Altair had returned and he hiked his pants back up under his sleeping gown before leaving the back room.

"Safety and peace Malik," Altair was leaning against the frame of the entrance of the inner room, covered in blood. Malik felt himself pale and scrambled over to him.

"Altair, what happened?" he demanded just before Altair collapsed, forcing Malik to catch him. Malik saw the end of an arrow sticking out of his shoulder, most of the shaft broken off.

"Sorry for causing so much trouble," Altair said in a slight slur and up close Malik realized how pale Altair was, his skin clammy. He had lost a lot of blood.

"The only trouble you cause is not coming sooner you idiot," Malik scolded and half carried, half dragged Altair into the back, past his own sleeping quarters to a set of cots in another room where Assassins could sleep for the night. Altair never used them, spending his nights in the garden instead. Now he dumped Altair onto them, and Altair groaned in pain.

With quick efficiency Malik shed Altair of his gear, piling his weapons to one side and his clothing to the other till he was just in his underclothes and Malik could assess the damage. He had a new, long, shallow, cut along his flank that would heal easily with only some bandages, as well as a short, deep gouge in his thigh that needed stitches and bleeding steadily. But the worst one was the arrow shaft imbedded in his shoulder, looking like it had just missed his collar bone. That was lucky since there was mostly muscle and not so many important blood vessels and had missed bone. The trouble would be taking it out.

He decided to deal with each wound in manner of importance and went to fetch needle and thread. When he came back Sawsan was scratching at the bed post and Malik didn't have the heart to keep her down on the floor. He picked her up and put her right by Altair's ear on his uninjured shoulder. She licked Altair's face before curling into a little ball and started to purr. Altair was a bit too gone to notice however. Malik cleaned the thigh wound, Altair twitching from the pain and sewed it shut quickly and wrapped it in bandages.

The long cut he wasn't concerned about, it was barely a scratch, it was just long. He cleaned it to see it wasn't anything he had to worry over and moved on to the arrow. "Altair," he leaned over Altair who was sweating a bit now, eyes half closed. "Altair," he gently patted the other man's face. He was warm. He made a noise in his throat, "I'm going to pull out the arrow. Try not to move," he said gravely and Altair managed to nod. Malik braced himself against Altair's damp chest and grabbed the arrow shaft that stuck out of his shoulder. He counted to three in his head and then in one motion ripped the arrow out. Altair cried out, but he didn't move, and then he lay there, gulping air. Malik cleaned the wound, stitching it closed, and wrapped it up. By the time he was done Altair had passed out, probably from blood loss, but he was breathing.

Malik sighed looking at the other man and saw he was flushed despite how pale he was. He touched Altair's forehead, it was warm, but perhaps not alarmingly so. He wiped the sweat from his face and chest and put a wet rag over his shaved head and covered him with a blanket before he decided that was all he could do for now. Sawsan hadn't moved from her place where he'd put her, in the curve of Altair's uninjured shoulder, head against his neck, purring.

He went back outside and properly closed and locked the lattice before returning to his room for bed. He forwent the sleeping gown, as it was covered in sweat and blood, and crawled into bed. Malik lay there for a while, listening for any upset sounds coming from the other room. He heard none except for Altair's slightly labored breathing. Content that the Assassin was in no immediate risk Malik finally allowed himself to sleep.

—

A great crash woke Malik from a dead sleep. He jolted awake and grabbed the knife under his pillow, swinging blindly in front of him before he had time to actually think. He sat there, panting and heard more noise, coming from the other room: Altair. He scrambled out of bed and went to the other room where Altair was attempting to push himself up to a standing position after having fell off the cot. Malik sighed, idiot.

"Altair what are you doing?" he demanded stalking over and jerked Altair upwards. Altair's were glassy, his face red and sweaty, even just touching his arm burned Malik's hand like a sun roasted brick. He had a fever. Altair's mouth moved but no sound came out and he tried to focus on Malik. He hauled Altair up to his feet before pushing him down onto he cot, Altair could barely stand as it was. "You idiot, you're going to open your wounds," he scolded.

"I'm sorry," Altair said. "I just… I just… I need to go," his voice was slurry and ragged.

"No, you aren't going anywhere you great idiot," Malik pushed him down into the bed. "You're hurt and feverish."

"The Master is expecting me," Altair managed.

"That can wait. Tonight you will sleep," and Malik had to hold him down so he didn't try to sit up.

Altair's eyes rolled around in their sockets and took several seconds to focus. "I have to-

"You have to nothing," Malik said sternly. "As your superior I'm telling you to stay here and sleep." Altair opened his mouth to reply. "If you do not do as I say I will take Sawsan away," and he glanced at the kitten who was standing at the very edge of the bed, up against the wall and as far from them as she could get.

Instantly Altair stilled, his eyes going wide and wild. "No!" he cried. Malik was shocked by what came out of his mouth next, "Please don't take her away. I'm sorry I disobeyed Master but please don't. Can't I just keep her I promise it won't interfere with my missions. Please. Please don't-

"Altair," Malik couldn't listen to him continue begging. "Altair," he grabbed the man's chin and made him look at him, "The Master isn't here Altair," he said firmly. But the words kept coming, repeated in a cadence of 'please don't' that made Malik feel like he'd done something awful and he didn't know how to fix it. Malik was rather good at fixing things, he could patch someone up no problem, could fix and repair clothes and armor and sharpen blades and restore books and decode letters. But he didn't know how to fix this, he didn't know what to do.

He knew someone who did though.

They were all the way back in Masyaf though. He frowned at the thought. Still, they'd know what to do, because he always knew what to do. Malik could fix things, but they could fix people.

Altair however was feverous and delirious and didn't know what was going on. Perhaps he could mimic them and make him calm down, It was worth a shot at least, "Altair, brother, you need to calm down," his voice developed a different tone and cadence, one it wasn't used to, but was instantly familiar. Of all their brothers Rauf was perhaps the kindest, at least on the outside though he could be just as cruel and cunning as the rest. He however had more patience than anyone Malik had ever met and dealt with hotheaded, hormonal, cock sure, teenage boys. They respected him and looked up to him and did whatever he asked at his word because he was exactly what they all needed, what they all wanted more than anything; a father.

He was surprised when Altair calmed, mouth closing. Malik was thankful for that, he didn't know if he could take more begging. "No one will take Sawsan away," Malik couldn't even think of doing it now, not after he saw what even mentioning it made Altair into a mess. He continued in the same voice and tone, "Now I need you to stay here and rest."

"I have to… the Master is expecting me."

"You're hurt, brother, he'll forgive you the chance to heal enough to ride home," he patted Altair's shoulder, like Rauf would have. It was strange seeing such an effect on Altair done by a man who wasn't even really here, though he assumed that in Altair's mind the man was there.

Altair nodded, in a fever filled daze. "Rauf," he croaked and Malik stilled. "Where is Sawsan?"

"She's here brother, you scared her earlier when you tried to get out of bed. You scared all of us. Don't do it again," Altair nodded slowly. "Now just sleep," he pulled the blanket up over Altair's body again after swiftly checking his wounds. He stood and as he was taking a step back Altair suddenly grabbed him.

"Brother," Altair never called him that, so he assumed Altair still thought he was Rauf, "I'm sorry," that confused him, "No," he shook his head as if there was something in front of him. "Not you. I-I wanted to tell Malik I was sorry."

"You can tell him when you see him, brother," Malik said even as he felt his pulse speed up a little.

Altair shook his head, "He'll never believe me," his voice was still slurred, Malik wanted him to desperately shut up and go to sleep now. "Tell him for me, please, tell him I'm sorry."

Malik swallowed and almost lost his composure, "I will brother, now go to sleep," and Altair let him go. Malik stood there and waited for Altair to finally sleep. His breathing never totally evened because of the fever, but at least he slept. Malik waited longer still though and not until Sawsan carefully made her way over to Altair's prone figure and curled up by his head did he return to his own bed.

He didn't sleep.

This chapter has been HEAVILY cut because of a rape scene. You can continue here with that knowledge, or go read the full chapter at AO3