"Hi! Sorry to bother you; I know you probably get asked this a lot, but do you ever struggle with your faith because of your sexuality? - Anon."
Malik Ishtar is a Muslim journalism student who works for a freelance newspaper, and he lives in San Fra...
Hey, guys! Here's the new update! Sorry if I update at weird times for the next few weeks. I'm abroad and there's a six hour time difference so for a good few people, this will probably be updated on Fridays - but it's Saturday here. Anyway, hope you enjoy. I'll upload the next chapter tomorrow and then it'll have updates at the same time as the other sites I'm on.
CW: Transphobic attack, wounds and blood.
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Mehi's face burned and pulsed as she walked in the door, dropping her keys on the counter. She adjusted her hijab to try and pull it over the bruise as she slipped her trainers off. Maybe they wouldn't notice.
"I'm back," she called, making an immediate path towards the bathroom.
"Hey." Ryou looked up and frowned. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah of course." She winced. Talking hurt.
Her voice must have been off, or he must have seen her flinch, because Ryou stood up and walked over to her, the sound of his padding feet lost underneath the pounding of her head. "Are you sure?" She nodded. "Why don't you take off your hijab?"
"I don't really want to today." It was unusual but not unheard of for her to leave it on after Friday prayer, but usually she switched it for her shayla if she wanted to keep her hair covered.
Bakura looked up from his bowl of chicken wings, frowning. Ryou looked worried too. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she insisted, a little more forceful as she made her way down the hall. "I just don't want to take it off."
"Mehi," Bakura called, "why don't you look at us?"
She froze, shoulders tensing. Ryou reached out and took her hand. "Please?"
She let out a long breath, slowly turning. Maybe they wouldn't see it.
"Oh God..." Ryou reached up to her cheek.
She winced as his fingers brushed the wound. "It's nothing."
Bakura made his way over. "Ryou, will you grab the medical kit?"
Ryou swallowed and nodded, scurrying into the kitchen. Mehi looked away from Bakura. "I really don't want to talk about it. It's nothing big."
"Take off your hijab."
She sighed but lowered it, revealing the rest of the bruise stretching past her eye and the cut by her ear.
Bakura reached up, taking her chin in his hand to tilt her head so he could see it properly. His lips pursed. "Who did it?"
"Some asshole near the mosque. Bakura, it's nothing. I've gotten worse from training."
"Yeah, well in training, they go after you so you can get stronger," Bakura growled. "This was an attack, Mehi."
"Stop." Mehi pulled away from him. "I'm fine."
"You're still bleeding."
She touched her lip and checked her finger. Sure enough, blood dotted her skin. "It's fine."
