Chapter Text
The night was cold and the air felt stale, and Nasir doesn't know what he was thinking leaving the bar like that. There had been plenty of men that had been interested in him, and Chadara had been nudging him the entire night towards the more attractive ones even as she flirted and eventually went home with a gruff man called Rhaskos.
Usually he would've been happy to take one of them up on their silent offers, met their eyes and grinned even as he led them back to his place. Things were different now, though, they were. He was tired- which was an odd thought considering he had only a few days ago been freed from the chains of higher education, in possession of a new degree and an aimless existence.
He had all the time in the world, and anything he would have filled it with before felt meaningless.
Sex was always reassuring, the simple pleasure of another man desiring him. The only thing that he really wanted after he got out his last relationship over a year ago- a five year long torture, an abuse he denied and even came to miss in the following weeks after it had been broken off.
Nasir had never been a romantic, but he was dedicated and loyal, something his friends always told him even though he thought it made him sound like a fucking dog. He needed no owner, and that's what a relationship was, being owned by someone else.
Except tonight he couldn't seem to shake the feeling of something being off. Jitters running down his spine until the man that had been chatting him up had inquired if he was alright, grinned and asked if he was shivering for his touch. And suddenly Nasir had to get out. Chadara was long gone and there was no one back at his apartment waiting for him.
He was restless, and even though the city wasn't exactly a safe place to be wandering at night, he had a knife and he wasn't afraid to use it, his short stature bellying his strength. Hard earned after the last year of martial arts training, a welcome release from feeling defenseless for as long as he could remember.
It was late, three in the morning at least, although he had no watch to tell the time, and the streets were empty. A cloudless night and a full moon provided an almost bright light, and the sounds of the overpass calmed him, letting him keep careful track of the street names even as he wandered aimlessly towards his apartment.
Finally the faint buzz of the two beers he had accepted earlier in the night faded and he felt clear headed enough to trek the last few blocks home.
Just as he began to turn down his street he heard a faint whimpering noise, stifled as if the person was trying to hide the noise, and then a faint thud of a fist finding skin- a sound he had become intimately familiar with in the last few years. For a moment he considered walking past the alley where the noise was coming from, after all he knew none of the story behind what was happening, and there was no real way to tell how many assailants there were.
He felt no shame in that reaction, but for some reason the sound drew him in, and it reminded him of the nights when it was him attempting and failing to hide the pained reactions his body couldn't help but betray. Before he even realized he was doing it, he was drawing his switchblade from his back pocket and springing the blade- five inches long, wickedly sharp, and decidedly illegal. But something about its presence made people think twice before moving forward, a sense of danger conveyed through the way Nasir easily handled it, keeping his elbow tucked in and the blade pointed out.
If he had been the one getting attacked, he would've hidden it and waited until they were almost upon him before moving forward and going for the neck or the abdomen, maybe the groin if he could chance it.
However his intent tonight was to threaten and not to damage if at all possible. It had already been a long day, and he didn't need to worry about legal repercussions in the meantime.
As he rounded the dumpster that had been blocking his view, he saw a large man in front of a fence who for a moment seemed to be standing even as punches and kicks rained down upon him. It only took a second to see that he was slumped forward, his feet inches above the ground, his arms spread out in a sick imitation of an anticipated embrace.
Even knowing exactly what he was seeing, Nasir almost couldn't comprehend it. They had fucking crucified him, leaving him up there for god knows how long, and they seemed to be doing their best to deprive him of the consciousness the man seemed to miraculously be holding onto.
There were three attackers, all large, although none quite as much so as the man they had strung up. They were still talking in joking tones when Nasir heard the distinct crack of a rib, and suddenly nothing could make him draw away, stupid as the following course of action may have been.
Without waiting to think about the consequences he walked forward into the dingy light that was cast from a nearby streetlamp, making sure to bring up his blade and alter his stance, quieting his momentary panic and attempting to look obviously trained and ready to fight if need be, pulling out his phone at the last minute and lighting the screen before leaving it dangling at his side.
"I don't know what's going on here, but I called the police five minutes ago and they just assured me that they're almost here. So if you don't want to get arrested for battery and whatever fucking cruelty you've inflicted on that man tonight, I suggest you leave. Now."
He had obviously shocked them, although one of the stupider looking men made an aborted attempt towards Nasir. But the apparent ringleader who had been standing to the side for most of the assault that Nasir had witnessed flicked his eyes from the phone to the knife and back again before grabbing the man's forearm and hauling him back.
"Forget it, this little shit isn't going to talk, and we've sent the message."
The other man growled, frowning as he jerked his arm out of reach.
"But Ashur what about-"
"Shut the fuck up idiot, no names. Jesus fucking Christ. Let's go, we're done here."
Ashur turned around unconcernedly, towing his companions behind him, but not before he looked back and sent a smirk towards Nasir.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave this piece of shit to hang, and if a word of this gets out to the police or anyone else, we'll find you, my friend, and you won't like what we'll do."
Then they turned the corner and were gone. Nasir waited ten seconds, ten seconds to make sure they weren't coming back, and to take a shaken breath as he tried to calm his racing heart. Then he was moving forward quickly, stepping in front of the bloodied and bruised man who was still trying to struggle.
"Hey, hey, they're gone okay? I have to get you down, I can't carry you on my own and we need to get you to the hospital."
The struggles ceased as the man made a jolting movement, and Nasir thought he might be trying to shake his head, but he couldn't manage more than a weak jerk, rattling the chain-link fence.
"No- no hospitals."
Nasir frowned, wondering just what had garnered this specific and intense of a beating. But no matter what it was, he wasn't exactly inclined to trust Ashur and whoever the man worked for, and the state he was in, it wasn't like the guy could overpower him.
With a sigh he moved forward, dictating his actions so that the man wouldn't react in surprise and injure himself further.
"Alright. You pass out on me though and I'm taking you to one no matter what you say. Just let me get you down- my place is close by and I'll clean you up the best I can."
What the ever living fuck had made him say that, he didn't know, but he couldn't find it in him to take it back. For better or for worse he was in this situation, and besides, if the man was dangerous, he'd be less likely to do anything to Nasir if he owed him a favor.
So with careful hands he curved his blade under the zip-ties that were drawn taut around the man's wrists, hissing as they came away bloody and the man slumped down, stumbling into Nasir as his feet finally touched the ground. God he was heavy, and Nasir couldn't help but be thankful for the remaining restraint that had prevented him from knocking Nasir over.
"Fuck, lean against the fence, I'm going to get the other one, try not to fall over."
He saw the man struggling to comply and gently nudged his shoulders back as he hooked a faltering ankle with his own, pulling it forward and using the momentum to make him rest his weight on the fence.
Turning his mind back to task, he cut the remaining plastic away, grabbing hold the man's arm and shouldering after he pocketed his knife. He was a bit wary still, but it had been a few minutes and if the men weren't back by now they probably weren't going to be return to continue delivering their message. Plus he could feel the chill of the skin against his own and he knew circulation had been cut off in the man's limbs for a dangerous amount of time. It was only pure luck that this shit had gone down right by his apartment, because given his size he didn't think he could cart the tall man around for very long.
"Try to hold up as much of your weight as possible, I can only carry so much and if you fall and hurt yourself more I won't be able to pick you back up."
A rusty laugh came from his companion as they shuffled forward at an achingly slow pace towards the entrance of the alley.
"Large words for such a little man."
"Not so little that I couldn't save your ass. And the name's Nasir- call me little man again and you'll find I'm not so welcoming."
It was quiet for a moment, long enough that Nasir might have thought that he had been passed out on if not for the feet keeping in time with his deliberate steps.
"Nasir. Interesting name, it suits you."
"And what are you called then? After all, I should know the name of the man who's going to be bleeding all over my couch."
This time the pause was more cautious than considering, and Nasir almost regretted asking until the man spoke again, spine pulling back a bit straighter as they rounded the corner and came up to the stoop of Nasir's old brownstone that was clean but had seen better days.
"Agron. My name is Agron."
Nasir hummed, awkwardly leaning Agron's weight onto the wall as he fumbled for his keys.
"Agron then, I'd say nice to meet you but it would be a lie."
Again another laugh fell from split lips, and Agron looked surprised at himself, his eyes catching the light as they stared curiously at Nasir.
Green. They were green and somehow warm even as the man that bore them returned to a stoic expression.
Nasir silently congratulated himself on managing to finally get the door open, and distracted himself with grateful thoughts that they had finally fixed the elevator. He lived on the fifth floor, and even though he took the stairs every time, there was no way he would've been able to cart Agron up them by himself. The man had at least half a foot on him, and muscles that had felt sturdy against his shoulder. The strength that he had appeared to regain with the recitation of his name was already fading fast, and Nasir felt his weight more than ever as he stumbled into the elevator, not letting go of Agron as he closed the doors and programmed their stop. He could sense that when he let go, he wasn't going to be able to pull the man back up.
He tried to breathe shallowly and ignore the sickly smell of blood and sweat as he tugged Agron's arm more firmly over his shoulder. They were almost there, the elevator shuddering to a stop on his level.
He had chosen the small studio apartment on the top floor even though the stairs were the only means of access at the time, and there were larger apartments that he could afford downstairs, simply because of the privacy. As far as he knew he had neighbors, but he had never actually seen them, and they seemed to keep opposite hours from him. Sound was muffled the higher up they were located, and it was almost like he was separate from the rest of the world when he locked his door behind him. A relief after the swell of the city pressing down upon him.
He was doubly thankful now as he took more of Agron’s weight, grunting as they moved agonizingly towards his door- he had no idea what he looked like at the moment, but Agron most definitely was a sight that would send someone to the police, even with the easy indifference that most people seemed to feel towards anyone other than themselves nowadays.
Glancing to the side and taking in Agron's strained face he cursed, hurrying to open the door and get them inside before the man passed out.
Luckily the size of his apartment was in his favor, and the couch was no more than a few feet away, a soft leather that he'd be able to wipe the blood off of later.
He didn't bother to shut the door behind them, focused on bracing Agron's gradual descent, tugging up his legs and gentling a hand on the back the man's head and lowering it to the arm of the couch.
After he was settled he wasted no time in going back and locking the door, double checking the deadlock and making sure the chain was secure before he turned back around.
The sight of the unconscious man came as no surprise and now that he wasn't in an immediate rush he took a moment to lean against the door and just breathe. He had to take stock of the situation.
He had a severely beaten man on his couch who probably had other wounds he wasn't aware of, one who he didn't know, and for some reason seemed to trust even though he had no reason to. Pretty eyes were no cause to let someone into your home, let alone someone who appeared to be in trouble with the wrong people.
But he couldn't deny that for the first time in months he actually felt something stirring in his chest. He couldn't quite name it, but he wasn't sure he wanted to just yet.
For now he contented himself with focusing on the immediate problems- he had a pretty extensive first-aid kit in the bathroom, one left over from his days with Dom, which he now kept fully stocked for when he took a hit that required more than simple icing from the gym. He didn't think he would manage to get Agron out of his clothes, and given his previous reaction to a passing stare from the man, it probably wouldn't be wise regardless.
By taking the man into his apartment, he'd already guaranteed that he couldn't call the authorities- too many questions, and it was clearly against Agron's wishes, if his refusal to go to the hospital was any indication, and for some reason unknown to him, what Agron wanted was important to Nasir.
It all seemed incredibly stupid, there could be any number of internal injuries or serious damage that his limited knowledge wouldn't detect, but even those thoughts couldn't stop him from going through the motions, a familiar routine of carefully cleaning the wounds and inspecting the injuries.
There were bruises mostly, and he knew there was at least one cracked rib in there, although he couldn't wrap it until Agron was able to sit up and help, and beyond that there wasn't anything he could do about it. There were some cuts, only three of them being wide enough to require the butterfly bandages he applied with careful fingers. His wrists were the worst of it, raw and bloodied and painful looking enough to have Nasir wincing in sympathy.
All of his clothes were dirty, but Nasir saw blood seeping through the collar of the open neck shirt, and he exhaled sharply as he pulled it back and saw a barely healed rope of a scar on Agron's chest, red and irritated and just barely opened along the center.
It had obviously happened several weeks ago, maybe even months, if he hadn't been treating it properly, which Nasir thought likely. A few of the hits must have landed on it and tore at the fragile scar tissue that hadn't had time to harden yet.
He didn't think it required bandaging, and it was probably best to let it breathe and hopefully scab over.
With a considering glance at the ruined t-shirt and mangled sweatshirt, he went up and got a pair of shearing scissors that he used to cut his hair, grabbing a few towels and dampening them along the way.
When he got to the couch he pulled the coffee table forward, taking a seat and leaning over the unconscious man, keeping cautious watch over Agron's face just in case the man gave any signs of returning to awareness and possibly injuring himself further upon the blades.
Not seeing anything other than the faint flickering of his eyelids moving in slumber, Nasir began to slowly and efficiently cut through the shirt and hoodie, down his chest and then along his arms until he was able to pull the material away, not bothering with tugging the backs of the items out from underneath Agron’s body.
Luckily none of the blood had stuck to the fabric yet and he could begin cleaning Agron's torso in light sweeps of a soft hand-towel.
Part of him wondered if this was too invasive, and a larger part was hoping that Agron would wake up and answer some of the questions that had been clamoring for attention in his mind ever since the quiet of the apartment had settled upon him.
However the man continued to sleep in what Nasir hoped was a healing rest, and he got up with a groan, stretching an aching back in order to throw the towels in the hamper and the scraps of material into the garbage. He didn't bother to put away the kit, knowing that when Agron woke up he'd have to clean himself up and then the wounds would need to be tended to again.
After a considering stare he pulled an old blanket out of the linen cabinet and moved to place it over the resting man before returning to the bathroom and shutting himself in, turning the shower on hot and stripping himself out of his ruined clothes.
He'd done all he could at the moment, and it was almost worrying how unworried he was about sleeping in the same room as Agron, his bed mere feet away from the couch in plain view. Yet something in the man inspired trust in him, something he couldn't remember feeling for anyone but Chadara in the longest time.
And even though he'd yet to do anything to inspire such trust, Nasir had the feeling that if he let him try, the man wouldn't disappoint.
So when he eventually dragged himself from the warmth of the water hitting his skin, cursing as he realized he had forgotten his clothes in the other room as was his habit, he chanced venturing into the main room with a towel wrapped around his waist, noticing Agron's eyes were still closed as he turned around to drop the towel and reach for a pair of sweatpants and a soft t-shirt.
They weren't closed when he turned back around, startling when he noticed curiously bright eyes staring up at him.
Agron wasn't making any move to speak or do anything though, and despite his earlier thoughts towards getting answers as soon as the man regained consciousness, Nasir was reluctant to speak of anything other than sleep at the moment- content to reach towards the sole light that remained on, casting a soft shadow over the walls, and turning it off even as he spoke.
"We'll talk in the morning- if you need help with anything just ask."
And as climbed into bed, pulling the covers over his body, shivering in something that wasn't cold but might just be promise, he saw the now familiar glint of Agron's eyes tracking his movements, somehow comforting instead of disconcerting as it should be. Closing his eyes to the sight of the man cloaked in the dark of his apartment, his soft steady breathing providing a soothing rhythm for Nasir to relax to, he spoke once last time for the night, his voice graveled and barely audible in the almost complete silence his walls provided from the clamor of the city.
"Rest, Agron."