Chapter 7

Yelenas pov:
I walk in, taking in the sight of her. Somethings wrong. Shes deathly pale and a little sweaty, she looks in pain. That bastard hurt her again. “Is everything okay?” “Fine, how did you find where i live?” Shes distancing herself from her emotions. She is definitely not fine. “I had Tony tell me. He knows because peter works for him. I was worried about you after yesterday. Im sorry i made an assumption, but i still want to be your friend.” Im lying im not sorry i made an assumption because its true but i dont want to scare her off. “Its okay dont worry. Thats very nice of you but i dont think-” “you dont get a choice, i am your friend. Do you want to go to a bar and get totally shitfaced and forget about everything thats happened?” She considers it for a moment. I know its a stupid suggestion because her dads an alcoholic but she looks like she needs a drink. “I dont have enough money, sorry.” “Tony will pay. He gave me his bank card.” I see the panic in her face. “Why dont you tell peter to stay at the tower tonight too?” She smiles and i think it might be a genuine smile. She opens her phone and sends a message then looks at me. Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes. “Okay lets go” i feel my stomach doing cartwheels.

She grabs her keys and we walk towards the bar in a comfortable silence. 5 minutes later she speaks “Isnt it a little early to be drinking?” I accidentally snort but it makes her smile. “Im russian, theres no such thing as too early.” “Well what about your recent criminal behaviour?” She worries a lot but i guess when someone hits you all your life that becomes a constant state. “And what about your recent criminal behaviour?” She smiles and i feel my face heat up as she stares at me. “I was not at fault for that, remember?” She keeps wincing every now and then, i dont think its intentional because shes desperately trying to ‘protect’ her family. “Oh right yeah, what caused peter to do that?” I see her face drop, annoyance and betrayal etched on her face. “Is that the only reason you invited me out? To interrogate me?” Guilt overwhelms me. I didnt even want to bring that up but it just came out. “No im sorry, its just in my nature to ask people innapropriate questions apparently.” She hesitates but accepts my answer and continues to walk. “How much further is this place?” I see how pale her face is, shes good at hiding the pain but her body cant. I look around and smile “We’re here”

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Yn’s pov:
I take in my surroundings, its a cute little bar and its only us in here as she greets the bartender “Hey bernie! Two of the usuals” he smiles when he sees her “Ha theres my favourite customer! out of jail already?” How often does she come here? What is she trying to escape from? We sit down at a table and Bernie brings over 2 beers and 4 shots of vodka. He winks at yelena, “on the house.” I feel sick. Hes older than her but still young and honestly slightly charming. I hope he slips and hits his head. She looks at me and i lose my train of thought. I memorise every inch of her face, like she might get scared off any moment. “So what do you do…like generally?” I hold back a little laugh. “You mean for work?” “Sure that too” I shake my head as i smile. “I work as a bartender. Great job for when your father makes you buy alcohol whilst your broke.” She gives me a little mischievous grin. “You just cant stop committing felonies, can you?” Relief settles in my bones, glad she didnt ask too much about it. “Says you, atleast i didnt actually commit most of mine. What do you do…generally?” “Nothing. Tonys rich. I guess missions, but its not been anything big for a while” “Well what sort of things do you like?” She furrows her eyebrows and gives me a weird look. “What do you mean?” “I mean music, films, shows, hobbies, clothes” she keeps her eyebrows furrowed as she thinks carefully before responding. “I guess ive never really thought about it. Ive never seen or done anything really?” That gets my attention. How has she lived her life without watching films or listening to music? “I suppose i like the song american pie but i listened to that when i was six.” SIX?!  What has she been doing in her life? “How do you not listen to music for that long?” She flashes a sad look and im guessing i broached a sensitive topic. “Its uh personal.” “Okay well how long have you known bernie?” I decided a change of topic would be a good idea and since i cant stop thinking anout their interaction, i thought it would be best to put my mind at rest. She gives me a knowing grin and my face grows red, a little flustered. “A few months. Since i moved in with the avengers.” “What are they like?” I see the sad almost dissapointed look on her face. “It depends. To people on the team, they treat them as family. They play games, pull pranks, tell jokes. But to people they dont know…they can be a little cold, distant.” I know what she means, ive been an outsider all of my life, thanks to my father. “That sounds lonely.” She smiles at me to hide that shes sad. I know she is because i do the same thing. “Yeah well you cant have it all.” “You have me, im your friend.” Her eyes light up a little as i say the words. “Thank you, but you dont have to pity me.” “The only thing i pity you for is not knowing rock bands like nirvana or green day.” She laughs and i can tell its real by that dimple that occaisonally shows. “Believe it or not, im not the most successful in the field of having friends either, with a grand total of one.” “Well you have 2 now.” I look away as i speak, “i was counting you already.” Yelena is clearly taken aback by that. “Oh. How?” I rub my thumb up and down the nearly empty beer bottle. “People just dont seem to really like me.” “Well i really like you…” i look at her eyes, and i feel like im drowning in them. Theyre as green as the emerald city. The air grows tense as we stare at each other. She suddenly downs her other shot and grabs my hand, making me get butterflies. She leads us out of the door, waving a quick goodbye to bernie. “Lena where are we going?” I see her cheeks blush at the nickname. “You’ll see.”

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Yelenas pov:
I dont know what im doing. I impulsively lead her back to her apartment and she gets us drinks as i rifle through her draws. “You know ordinarily people would find you routing through their things as rude.” I keep checking before i come across something “Whats this?” I point to some dvds and books and she shuts the draw. “Nothing.” Well thats suspicious. “Come on im trying to become more modern and watch some good films.” She looks away from me and folds her arms ashamed. “They’re the percy jackson series. Its something that i absolutely cherish.” Confusion overwhelms me. “Why are you embarrassed about this?” “Theyre books for young teens.” “So? I still like to watch scooby doo. But i dont get why we havent found ways for dogs to speak.” She chuckles and sits close to me on the floor, reaching across to grab the dvds. “Percy jackson it is then.” We watch the first film and she goes to the kitchen to make hot chocolates. I sit at the counter across from her. “Okay films arent that bad i suppose.” She nearly chokes on her drink “Not that bad?! The percy jackson films are the best kids film ever!” I walk around the other side of the counter and look through her cupboards. “Damn starting out by setting my expectations too high, how cruel!” She looks at me bewildered. “By all means make yourself at home, take my bed why dont you?” “Its a bit soon to be talking about me ending up in your bed dont you think?” She shakes her head “Your such a wind up.” I find no marshmallows. “Do you not have marshmallows?” “Believe it or not, not everyone can afford luxuries.” That shocks me to my very core. I knew they werent well off but not to have marshmallows is a crime. “What about whipped cream?” “Nope.” “Criminal.” She laughs loudly and i unknowingly lean closer to her. I try to break the silence with a random question. “What are you thinking right now?” She takes a deep breath as she realises how close we are, her leaning back against the counter and me pretty much right infront of her. “Im thinking it might not have been a good idea to bring you back here.” “Why?” She gives me a knowing smile and i instantly catch on to what she means. She returns my question, “What are you thinking right now?” I dont think, i just feel consumed by her. Next thing i know, im kissing her. My lips on hers. What an idiot. Friends is what nat said to be. She kisses me back and suddenly she starts to pull my top off. I quickly take it off and go back to kissing her and i start to pull her top up. Thats when she breaks away from the kiss and takes my hands off of her, whispering, “im sorry” i decide to put my top back on and talk to her. “Its okay, whats wrong?” I touch her back and she tenses so i pull away. “Its nothing i just cant take my top off.” The bruises. WHAT AN IDIOT. “You dont want me to see what….someone might have done to you.” She cant look me in the eye and guilt floods through me. I shouldve thought about it, but something about this girl makes me unable to think at all. “Can i see?” She looks back at me worried, so i try to reassure her. “I dont know who did it to you, but i want to make sure you’re okay.” She starts nervously biting her lip and i slowly put my hand on her arm, this time she doesnt tense. “Its okay, im your friend, friends look out for each other and make sure they’re okay.” “If you tell anyone, ill never forgive you.” She slowly pulls up her top as she looks away. My stomach drops. Bruises is an understatement. Her whole torso is purple and black. She has a large bruise on her back that looks like she was hit with something pole shaped. “Yn…how have you even gotten out of bed?” Her eyes fill with tears that quickly disappear when the doorknob turns. She frantically pulls her top down and a disgusting man makes his way inside, looking at how close we are to each other. He looks at us, anger twisting his features, “You two better not be homos. I dont accept fags in this house!” He doesnt know shes gay. He stumbles in slightly, his face still damaged. “Imagine what someone might do to ya if you were a dyke.” Dick.