Din had sustained wounds to both his calf and his shoulder, along with a savage beating from a group of bandits while out fetching supplies with the child. The child was safe, but Din had had to comm him from an alley where he had collapsed behind a dumpster, the child in his quivering arms.
The sight of two heavily armored Mandolorian, one heavily injured in the other's arms made quite the spectacle. But Paz kept to the public spaces, knowing such cowards would not attempt another attack with the armored peacekeepers posted around the city close by.
Paz said nothing, but he frowned. Anger filling his bones as he felt that Din was shaking in his arms. Probably from the pain. The child was trying to reach out to Din's left shoulder but shaking gloved hands grasped the small green one gently, gripping tighter to the bundle.
Din seemed to pass out then, weather from blood loss or exhaustion or pain Paz didn't know. It had been a brutal beating. Paz lay his mate on their pallet, cleaning the wounds with a wet cloth and wrapping them in bacta tightly, which staunched the bleeding.
Din had slept for three days, during which time ugly black bruises wound around his sides, and around his neck. Paz seethed with anger, pacing, wishing that Din had not expressly made him promise to keep the child apart from him if he was injured so as not to harm the child when he tried and failed to heal such injuries.
Paz had fed his lover water with a cotton bud, stroking the strong throat till Din swallowed. He had dissolved sugar in the water along with a protein to keep Din strong.
Din looked smaller without the helmet, less unflappable, face open vulnerable, and it reminded Paz of when they were kids and had not donned the helmet yet. Din had been so small. But even then fiercely brave. Paz's fingers fluttered along the bruises scattered around his lover's shoulder, and circling his throat.
Without warning Din's eyes flew open and he gripped the gentle fingers tightly, his grip iron. His nostrils flared and he scrambled back on the bed, brown eyes wide and fearful. No… surely not-
"Don't touch me!"
Din screamed. Raising his arms up to shield himself, curling in on himself to make himself even smaller. Paz gulped. Taking a deep breath and biting down on the anger that was broiling in his belly.
"Din. Din. Listen to me. You are on board the Razor Crest. The child is safe, It's just me, Paz"
The last part was whispered, as weary brown eyes peeked out from behind his tanned arms. Din lowered his arms slowly, uncurling his battered body and letting out a hiss at the movement.
He sat stock still, legs listed to one side and a hand on his face. "I…
Paz's breath hitched.
"I don't know how to tell you this Paz… they weren't after the child"
Ice doused the fire in his belly. His fears confirmed.
"There where six of them… they had cattle prods." Paz's eyes flickered around his lover's naked body, noticing ugly black welts on his chest and abdomen,
"I managed to bite the guy who kissed me, knee him in the groin. They lost interest after that… started kicking me"
"Oh Din" Paz said. Eyes brimming with tears. He enveloped Din in a warm hug. Pulling the smaller mandalorian into his lap and cradling him. Din started sobbing. But not for the reason Paz thought.
"I would have stopped fighting but… the child. He was watching the whole thing" Paz felt silent answering tears slip down his own cheeks. After some time Din had stopped shaking, slipping into a fitful sleep. Paz arranged his lover's heavy limbs so he was comfortable under the blankets, kissing Din's forehead and sweeping back the dark hair.
Silently, he retrieved the child from his bed and placed him on Din's muscular chest. The child made a small noise of confusion, touching the salty tears that were drying on Din's cheeks and looking at Paz for answers.
"What are you confused about little one?" Asked Paz softly.
"He took quite the beating."
The child made a sad sound, curling around Din and closing it's big dark eyes. When Paz returned after checking their course on the navigator Din's tears were dry and the child was fast asleep clinging to his neck. Soft snores escaping the green childs lips.
Paz took off his clothes and climbed into bed, curling around his lover gently and gathering his pliant limbs to his chest. The child let out a small indigent chirp but fell back to sleep quickly. The two warm bodies he was pressed between, along with their steady comforting heartbeats lulling him to sleep.