Published: 7/9/23
Content: angst, fluff
Warning: mean words
O/C name - Lilah
Imagine: the avengers meeting a nightmare boyfriend
I SAT ON THE COMMON ROOM COUCH WITH THE TV PLAYING in the background that I wasn't paying attention too. I was too worried
My boyfriend was meeting the avengers today, one of the (not so good) perks of being on the team
But we're like a family and they want to know these things, like my likes and if i'm dating anyone
I had been an avenger for almost 3 years and started dating Max 7 months ago. I wish i could say I absolutely adored him at the start, but that's not exactly how it went
I've been in love with bucky barnes since the moment be came to join the avengers which was only a few months after me
It was like a schoolgirl crush that I couldn't stop and I couldn't do anything either when it became more
But I knew Bucky well enough to know that me and him would never be a thing and although Wanda and Nat tried to convince me otherwise I always knew he wouldn't
But one time I slipped up. My gaze met his for too long when we was in the kitchen at 1am and I leaned in. I kissed Bucky. And he kissed me back.
My happiness became short lived as I realised what I had done so I ran off to bed without another word. Neither of us ever spoke about it again
We were back to friends. I waited, hoping he would bring it up in a conversation but he never did. A week turned into months and when Max asked me out I thought it would be a great way to get rid of my feelings for Bucky
So I said yes. We dated for a while and then he asked me to be his girlfriend. I agreed. Maybe it took some time for me to be over Bucky. So I continued to date Max
I could see he was bad for me, that the things he said to me and the way he acted was not normal but I couldn't bring myself to leave. because I didn't want look like a coward. because how does an avenger become so weak they can't defend themselves? it was embarrassing
And now we're here.. Where I am to sat nervously waiting for Max get here, hoping that he doesn't slip up in front of my friends
"Well be nice, don't worry" stark said winking at me. I nodded but not for what he was saying, more so to try and make myself feel better
"You look like you could throw up any moment" clint laughed from beside me and I rolled my eyes
"Mr Adams is in the elevator, currently on the way"
I tensed at the sound of jarvis
"I-uh. I'm gonna get him" I muttered once I realised they had all turned to me
"And be nice" they all either nodded or rolled their eyes and I made my way to the elevator, taking a quick deep breath before It opened in front of me
"Hi max" I smiled seeing his standing there. He smiled and leaned down to kiss my cheek before I lead him inside and to where the avengers were
"Guys, this is max" they each went around shaking hands with max before we all sat down on the couches
"So how did you guys meet?" Steve asked as I felt Max's hand slip into mine
"We went to the same university, we lost touch after though but ran into each other and caught up again"
"I'm gonna check on the food" wanda said standing up and going to the kitchen with vision right behind her as they both were on dinner duty tonight
"So tell us more about yourself Max"
"Uh- well, i'm a marketing manager so-" max was cut off by Sam
"You are?" He asked finding what max did intresting. Max let off a laugh and nodded turning to me
"Have you told them anything about me?" Max asks in a teasing tone but I was the only one that caught onto the anger behind it
"I did" I tried to smile but max just brushed it off and turned back to the conversation, but I knew it would come up later, especially since his hand is gripping my hand extra tight right now
I tuned out the rest of the conversation for the remainder until we were all called to the dining table for dinner
-
THIRD PERSON POV
They all took a sest at the table, all conversing with one another, questions to and from, the main subject being max
But there was two people who weren't speaking. Lilah and Bucky. Bucky hadn't even wanted to be here today, but Steve had forced him to. And now all he could see was how unhappy lilah looked. And it was all his fault
He knew that. Because if he had just spoke to her after their kiss, told her he wanted them to be together she wouldn't have started to date this pathetic excuse of a man
The signs were all there, how Bucky couldn't see it before was another question cause now he's looking back it was so obvious
She had been tense the past week about dinner today, her outings with the group were limeted from as soon as her phone rang, which was obviously max. She tensed whenever someone would get close to her and even when theres no missions she still seems to have some sort of bruise
"Bucky" wanda whispered snapping buckys attention from lilah who was staring down at her plate. He looked to wanda with raised hands but then followed his gaze to his hands. Which was currently tightly gripping onto a now crumpled fork
He released his hold on it with a sigh and took the spare one wanda held out with him
Now wanda was angry too. Wanting to know what's got buckys anger levels spiked she entered the front of his mind and just like with Bucky, all the pieces fit
"Hey lilah, remember we've got to go through a few bases tomorrow" Mr stark said as he took a bute of his trimmed beans
"Tomorrow?" Max questioned turning to lilah
"I thought we had plans tomorrow" her face went from confused to shocked in the space of a second
"Shit max. I completely forgot. Can we take a rain check?" Her voice came out quiet as she awaited his answer but intead of a slap like she was expecting he just pressed his lips to the top of her head
"Of course babe" she nodded and turned back to her food
-
That night when max offered for lilah to stay over she agreed, not wanting to do anything to aggravate her boyfriend more. But she didn't realise just how mad he was until they were back inside his apartment
One second the door was shutting behind them and the next lilah was picked up by her hoodie and slammed against the wall
A rush of pain spread across her back as she cried out, her eyes opening enough to see the anger on Max's face
"How dare you?" He sneered pulling her away just to slam her back on the wall
"How dare you embarras me?"
"I-I didn't mean to"
"You didn't mean to?" he scoffed
"You make me fucking sick" he threw her onto the floor before kneeling beside her and sending a hard blow to her face
"Max!" She screeched, reaching up to clasp the side of her face. But another blow stopped her
"Get up bitch" he pulled her up by her arms and dragged her up the stairs despite her protests but from the amount she was protesting he stopped at the hallway on the second floor
Usually she doesn't, but this time she was too hurt. He had only hit her 2 days ago and it was too soon, her body was still hurting from the last beating and she couldn't handle it again
"No no" she pleaded pulling out of his tight hold, but one look at Max she knew she shouldn't have done that
He immediately reached his hand forward before she could react and grabbed her by the neck, pulling her face so it was inches from his
"You need to learn my love" he whispered trailing his fingertips up her jaw before he lifted up his leg and kneed her in the stomach
She let out a cry as he allowed her to drop to the floor and the next thing she knew she was sheilding her head with her arms as he sent her relentless blows
It went over for a few minutes and suddenly the pain subsides, so cautiously, she looked up through a gap in her arms
Max was staring down at her, and nasty look on his face but he wasn't hurting her anymore
He turned on his heel and made his way for their bedroom. She knew what he was doing, and she didn't even need to think about it as she bit her lip to hide her cries
She followed him to the room without him realising and shut the door with him inside. She herd him running to the door but her hand was over the handle, using her ice powers to freeze it
He rattled and tried to open the door but it wouldn't move
"Lilah- open the door! Lilah!" With a deep breath she turned around and went down the steps trying to hurry before making my way to the phone
I quickly typed in the first number I could remember which was the one for the tower and I waited for it to ring
"Lilah!" I heard a shout followed by the sound of the door breaking down
"Lilah?" I heard on the phone by my ear and I let off a sob of relief
"Tony" I cried
"You fucking bitch!" he was slamming his feet down the stairs
"Lilah, what's wrong?"
"Tony help me- he- he's" I was cut off by a sob
"Get Bucky get-" his hand wrapped around the back off my neck and He turned me to face him, slapping the phone out of my hand and onto the floor
"You stupid bitch!" His hand reached up to grab my hair whilst he swung the other one at my face
—
As soon as lilah and Max left the building Bucky had stormed out, earning sympathetic and confused looks from everyone. They knew that there was something going on between Bucky and Lilah (or lack of) and they also knew that something had happened that they neither of them ever brought up
But when Steve went to go to comfort his friend he was stopped by wanda who went to follow him, flinching when she heard a bang
She walked inside seeing Bucky with his head in his hands, a hole in the walk beside where he's standing
"Bucky.."
"We have to tell them. We can't less this go on- fuck" he groaned
"Why didn't she tell me?"
"She didn't tell any of us Bucky. But you can't blame yourself"
"I can't" he scoffed running a hand through his hair
"If I wasn't such of corward- if- if I just went to her the next day, told her how I felt she wouldn't be with him. This wouldn't be happening to her"
"we can't change the past. But we can help her. So we need to tell the others, okay?"
"Okay" wanda walked out first and made her way back to the common room with Bucky trailing behind her and when they both walked in the rooms attention turned to them
"What's up?"
"Look. Tonight at dinner, I found out a few things. I don't usually look through peoples heads but Bucky seemed so angry and his emotions were so strong I was just pulled in" wanda took a deep breath to stop herself from rambling
"And what was in his head made sense so I.. I had to check. And he was right"
"What? What made sense?"
"Max beats Lilah" it was quiet for a minute before everyone broke out into angry conversations and wanda couldn't understand a single thing anyone was saying
So she quickly walked over to the closest person, which was Natasha and placed her hands on her head
Everyone went quiet as Natashas eyes turned red before back to normal
"We need to get her" she whispered
"What? What did you see?" Wanda held her hand out to Tony doing the same thing and one by one everyone had saw most of what wanda had in lilahs head
"This is what men in this realm are like?" Thor said with his eyebrows furrowed, mjornir in a death grip. The others seemed stunned to silence, angry, hurt and devastated that this was happening to one of their members. And why she felt she couldn't tell them
"Well what the fuck are we still doing here?" Bucky growled breaking the silence
"I-" he was cut off by the sound of jarvis
"Mr stark, lilah rose is calling" the room shared confused looks
"Okay. Answer it jarvis" it was quiet for a moment
"Lilah?" they caught onto be a sound of a sob coming from the line
"Tony" they head Lilahs cry but before anyone could speak another quieter voice came through the line
"You fucking bitch!"
"Lilah, whats wrong?" Tony asked, being the only person who could actually get something out
"Tony help me- he- he's" she was cut off by a sob
"Get Bucky get- sorry" her voice was gone but they could still hear some background noises
"You stupid bitch!" Max's voice screamed through the line followed by a loud beep. The phone had been hung up
"Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh" wanda whispered
"We need to get there now"
"Okay" Tony mumbled trying to think but his mind was going to quick
"Guys" Steve said coming up with plan
"we need to get there as soon as possible. Flyers. you're going. Vision take Nat, Thor take clint, Sam take me, Tony take Bucky. Bruce, you take a jet for the way back with doctors on standby. Okay?" They all nodded
—
When the avengers finally arrived at the door they didn't bother knocking, Tony blast down the door with one of his beams and they all filed in, heading to the shouting
Bucky was running through the halls first and once he got to the living room and saw Max standing over lilah he didn't stop and threw him into the glass back door
Wanda and nat were immediately beside lilah who was crying and Bucky didn't stop. He went through the now broken glass and picked up max by his shirt before continuously punching him in the face with his metal arm
"Bucky. That's enough" Steve said trying to get his friend off now that Max was way passed unconscious
"Bucky- Bucky enough" Steve struggled to pull his friend away so Thor stepped in successfully dragging Bucky off him
And then his attention finally turned to lilah
Her body was almost as bloody as Max's as she cried into Natasha's shoulder and just as he went to go over to her he watched as her eyes shut and she went limp in natashas arms
—
She woke up to the sound of beeping in her ear followed by a blinding white light but once her eyes adjusted she finally caught sight of Bucky sitting beside her, his hand in hers as he used his other to try and work his phone
"Bucky" she breathed out in relief and his eyes snapped to hers
"Y-you're awake" he said moving his phone away before he stood up
"Gosh lilah. You scared the shit out of me, seeing you like that. How did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want anybody to know I coudlnt defend myself at home I-" her eyes welled up with tears and Bucky leaned forward placing a hand on her cheek
"I'm sorry"
"Theres nothing to be sorry for. I'm sorry. If I had just told you how I felt I-" he scoffed
"I was too late. By the time I had the courage you had max and I missed my chance"
"It's not your fault Bucky"
"Then why does it feel like it is?" I lifted my arms up and wrapped them around buckys neck in a hug
"You saved me Bucky. You're not to blame"