befour

nine

"it's okay," javier's comforting hands wrap around his frame. zayn is shaking and whimpering from the events that just occurred. "he's gone, he can't hurt you anymore."

his words are comforting but zayn is still scared out of his mind. he can't even stand straight, his body hurts from where the man had attacked him but it's nothing compared to the state of his mind.

javier moves him to lay on the couch.

"are you hurt?" javier asks. zayn doesn't answer. "take off your shirt."

zayn does as he's said, javier helps him remove the shirt completely. he winces when his side is accidentally brushed.

javier examines the wound, touching around it making zayn flinch. "i'll get you some ice."

he stands up, heading to the kitchen but zayn pulls him back.

"don't leave me," zayn pleads.

"i'm just going to get ice for your bruise," javier  responds.

"please," zayn insists.

javier nods. "alright. i'll call zayaad."

javier brings out his phone and dials his brother's number. zayaad answers after a few rings.

"what?" he says on the other line.

"you need to get here. your brother's been attacked," javier responds. zayn can imagine the panicked look that would be on zayaad's face at this instant.

"fuck," zayaad replies. "is he okay? can he talk?"

"he can, but he's traumatized from what happened," javier responds. he hands zayn the phone.

"z-zayaad," zayn says. "i'm scared."

"i know baby. i'm so fucking sorry i left you, i'm almost home," zayaad says.

in less than ten minutes after the call ends, zayaad comes barging into the apartment with louis behind him.

he instantly rushes to zayn's side, noticing his state and his bruise from his shirtless body.

"who did this to him?" zayaad demands, looking angrier than zayn had ever seen him look before.

"i don't know," javier replies. "he had a mask on."

"did you kill him?" zayaad asks.

"no," javier shakes his head.

zayaad glares at him. "he attacked my brother and you let him get away alive?"

"zaad," zayn calls his attention. "if javier wasn't here, i don't know what would have happened to me. he saved me."

zayaad manages to calm down after hearing that. "tell me what happened."

"he heard a knock on the door and he thought it was you. i called him back but it was too late, a guy in a mask walked in and attacked him. he didn't see me, so i hid and quickly went to find the gun," javier starts. "i shot him on his leg and chest. he was wearing a vest so the only thing he got away with was a shot to the leg."

"what did he want?" louis asks.

"he didn't say. he just walked in and went for zayn," javier replies. "he didn't speak to me. i think... i think he recognized me."

"what?" zayaad says.

"he didn't speak to me at all, but he spoke to zayn. that could only mean one thing, he didn't want me to recognize his voice," javier says. "this is someone we know. they knew your apartment, they came here for a reason. they had an escape plan."