Warnings: Swearing, violence, sexual harassment, mentions of death by natural causes, hardships due to immigration, Drama, ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!
If sexual assault is a sensitive or taboo subject for you to read feel free to skip that part. I will mark when it begins and ends with the usual AAAAAAAAAAA( for Avengers of course).
A/N: I am not an immigrant, so I'm going off of stories I've heard on the news. Also the warnings may seem a bit long, but I really don't want anyone going into a chapter unprepared for what they may read.
It was laundry day. Now usually there is nothing wrong with laundry day. I do it once a week. Only this time there was a slight problem. I had idiotically been putting off doing my laundry for two weeks now. So with a groan, I gathered all of my clothes and placed them in either the washing machine, or one of my multi-colored laundry baskets. It was easy as pie from there to get my load of laundry going.
That was when I realized that I was desperately low on clothing options for work. I had already taken my shower, brushed my hair and teeth, and put deodorant on. Now all that was left was getting dressed. Something any toddler could do. As long as they had clothing options.
My closet was bare in a depressing sort of way. I realize that I don't have many clothes. What I do have I usually end up wearing twice before washing anyway. In my opinion, food was more important to buy than the newest fashion trends, and I was living on a baristas salary. But looking into my closet, was just sad.
I found only one acceptable top to wear to work that would go with my blue jeans. It was a black tank top, and had white lace trimming all around the bottom. With a sigh, I pulled it out of my closet and carefully removed the price tag. I had never worn this top before, and that's because it wasn't really my style, and it was also gift. Usually I liked to wear something that was a bit more form fitting to show off my curves, and not as girly, but this would have to do today. I was a tom-boy through and through since childhood after all. With a somewhat forced smile on my face due to my lacey top, I finished getting ready, and headed downstairs to start my shift.
Breakfast didn't sound good to me that morning, so I simply grabbed a cup of tea, and fell into my usual routine. The only time that the monotony of my day was broken up, was when my cell phone went off. I knew that it wasn't Tony or Bruce replying to my "good morning," as they had already forewarned me that they would be out of touch for the foreseeable future. Thor, bless his Asgardian heart, could barely hold his phone let alone work it properly. So that left either Steve or Clint. I figured it wouldn't be Natasha, because even though she had to be back from her mission since my mates were back, she hadn't responded to my texts. That's ok though. I would wait for her to be ready for a friendship, or even a companionship if that's what she wanted.
To my absolute shock and delight, it was actually Natasha. This had to be a good sign right? I had been warned that she didn't open up to people, or trust easily. However here she was, texting me before I could text her. Granted it was a simple, "Have a good day." But still, maybe this was the start to her opening up or trusting me.
Shooting back a quick reply of, "You too," I got back to work before Leon could give me the stank eye. Technically phones weren't allowed on the work floor unless you were on your break, or off the clock.
The day had been going pretty well so far. There hadn't been any problem customers, my co-workers were actually pulling their weight for once, and people had actually been throwing their trash away like civilized human beings. That to me, spelled a good day.
At 2:30, Leon came out of his office with a huge grin. He then proceeded to make his way over to the register, where I was currently sanitizing everything. I couldn't stand having crumbs on the counter.
There was no one in the Cafe beside the dishwasher, him, and me, as everyone else's shifts had already ended. Not only that, but this was also the slowest part of the day. This was the time of day, where Leon would come up front, and tell me all about Julia and how they fell in love. We would share stories of our childhood, laugh, and sometimes even cry together. While my childhood had been filled with bullying and hate. Leon's had been filled with grief and hardship. The story of his life gave me hope, but it also made me want to punch things at times. No one should have had to go through what he went through. I know a lot of people in that kind of situation have it a lot harder than he did, but that didn't make me feel any better. In fact it made me feel worse.
Leon's whole family had immigrated here from Mexico when he was just five years old. The reason sounded like a perfectly acceptable one to me. It was to get away from the drug cartels, and spree killings, that were slowly but surely getting closer and closer to his little village every day. Apparently, his father was being targeted by them for some reason. In spite of coming here to America. Leon's father refused to explain to his children the reason why he was targeted to this very day.
Now, when I say "the whole family immigrated", I do mean his whole family. His mother, father, grandparents, and two older brothers, as well as himself, found sanctuary in America.
His grandparents were old, in their late seventies, when they found a ratty, run down, and cheap, two bedroom apartment to live in. The cramped space didn't do them any favors, and often made tempers run high. When the first blizzard of the year came through after they settled, they realized just how harsh the New York winters could be. It was a shock to all of them.
It was through that first year that they lived here, when his grandparents discovered that their bodies couldn't handle the drastic change in climate, and temperature. They soon passed away quietly in their sleep, one mid winters night. Leon was the one to go and try to wake them the following morning. It was there, where he found them both gone. Holding hands and looking at peace.
I could only imagine how traumatizing that would have been for a five year old boy. I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried for him. He simply smiled at me gently, and wrapped one of his aging arms around me as I cried for the little boy of his childhood. Apparently only his wife had been the other person to cry for him, which I could barely believe! How cruel was the world that it wouldn't be upset for a child who found his grandparents dead? Did the world not realize how life changing that could be for a young boy? For anyone of any age? I cried even harder when he told me that, and I wrapped him in a hug. He shouldn't have had to face the worlds cruelness that young. No one should.
But ,"That was just the beginning of his story." He told me. Life in the Big City, was no walk in the park, and I agreed with him on that. His mother and father both had to work two jobs to make ends meet. Therefore, it fell to his older brothers to make sure that he got off to Kindergarten, and home safely everyday. That's a lot of responsibility to put on a ten year olds shoulders. Especially when they had to rush to school afterwards.
Manuel and Raul were both twins. With striking emerald green eyes and black hair. Leon told me once, "that all you had to do was look into their eyes, and you would tell your deepest and darkest secrets". As time passed and they grew up, the twins started spending less and less time at home with their family, and more time hanging out with friends. This wouldn't be a problem or unusual, except for the fact that their friends were known gang members. Soon they stopped coming home entirely, and it was just Leon and his parents in that small two bedroom apartment. "I have no clue where they are now. Probably thugs somewhere or in jail." Leon told me after he was done telling me his story.
His parents were now in an assisted living home that he paid the bills for. Instead of a small two room apartment, he and his wife lived happily in a large apartment in upstate New York. No matter how bad his childhood may have been, he had risen above it, and was living happily and contentedly with his wife who was expecting their first born.
After a good cry for him, and him comforting me as a friend while Julia watched on with a sad smile on her face. A friendship was born. One of the first that I had ever had in my whole life. He may have been my landlord and boss, but after all of that, he was a friend as well. So to see him now, running towards me with a blinding smile on his face, I had no choice but to stop what I was doing and turn to him. What I wasn't expecting, was the hug that was so tight it actually cracked my back as he picked me up off the ground.
"Twins!!! Mi esposa es having twins!!" He laughed in pure delight, and I couldn't help the huge smile that took over my face as I heard the news.
"That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you both!" I hugged him back just a tightly, before we released each other and took a few steps back. "I thought you were going to wait and be surprised?" I asked him. Originally Julia was going to be the only one who knew everything. She wanted Leon to be surprised by EVERYTHING, no matter how silly it may have seemed. So to hear that they were having twins from him, was a surprise to me.
"We were, but I couldn't take it any longer! I'm taking mi amor out to dinner tonight to celebrate. Would you mind watching the place while I run to the bank? I know, I usually wait until we close, but I want to head straight home after closing."
Well I was astonished. I had only been working here for about a month now, and he wanted me to watch the place while he ran to the bank? Granted the dishwasher, Jack, was still in the back and he had worked here for eight years. But I was still uncertain. Truthfully I was kind of uncomfortable with the idea, but I knew I wasn't fully alone. Plus, how could I say no when my boss had just received such wonderful news?
"No problem. You do what you have to do, and I will be here when you come back." I replied. The relief on his face was palpable.
"Thank you Stella. I know this is sudden and you aren't trained for it, but I really appreciate it. I will give you a small bonus as a thank you." He told me as he walked back to his office to get things ready for the bank.
"No you don't have to. That's not why I'm . . . " but I was cut off.
"Too late, already done." He said just as his office door closed.
I heard the door to the backroom close a few minutes later, and knew that I was all alone up front. The distant sounds of Jack doing the dishes, and the hum of the coffee machine, were the only noises in the whole place. Usually I didn't mind it when the front was quiet. But knowing that you're the only one there besides the cameras, gives you a whole different kind of feeling. My stomach was in knots, so I sipped some ice water trying to calm it down. Every little noise was making me jump. I know I was just being paranoid, but I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I debated calling Clint or Steve, before deciding that was taking my paranoia a bit too far. So I pushed that thought out of my mind, and went back to wiping down the counters.
The door to the kitchen swung open suddenly, and I grabbed my chest as my heart started racing a million miles an hour. Distantly I heard the bell ring signaling a customer had just come in, along with the chatter of voices, but I was focused on Jack.
"Holy mother of pearl Jack. You scared the crap out of me!" I said as I caught my breath and turned to look at him. Jack was a sweet old man in his late 50's, but he had a terrible smoking habit. The only reason he worked here and wasn't enjoying retired life, was because his wife needed a break from the constant smell of fresh cigarette smoke. Knowing his habits, I had a pretty good idea about what he was going to say to me.
"Sorry Stella. I'm going to head out back and take a smoke break. Will you be alright in here?" He was looking over my head, but I hadn't glanced at my new customers just yet, so I didn't know what he was seeing.
"I'll be fine, just keep the back door open so you can hear me if I call for you okay?"
"You got it." He was already walking away by the time I agreed, so I doubted he heard my part about the door. Not even two seconds later I heard the door open, and then slam shut. Yup, he didn't hear a word after cigarettes.
With a shake of my head and a sigh, I smiled and turned around to greet my customers. The minute I did, I wished that I had asked Jack to wait a few minutes for his smoke break.
Standing in front of me were five men. The leader was leaning on the counter and leering at me in a way that clearly portrayed his thoughts. He might have been handsome, what with his brown hair, brown eyes, and slim build, but the way he presented himself screamed egotistical pack leader. This guy knew he was attractive, and he used that to his advantage. Being in his mid 30's and dressed in all black, I guessed also helped with his whole alpha male image.
The man standing next to him was giving me a grin that sent shivers down my spine, and not the good kind. He looked slightly younger than the leader, but I couldn't be sure around the dark eye liner he was wearing. He had black hair and eyes that were almost as black as the clothes he wore. All together, he gave off a very intimidating vibe. His muscles were bulging out against his shirt in a "look at me way." The others could have been triplets for all I knew. With blonde hair, eyes that were almost white, and clothes just as black as the rest of them, they were whispering to each other as they stared at me intently.
I could do this. These men were huge, and I may have been alone, but my mates were Superheros. I could handle my fear and uncertainty. I had been doing it my whole life. Handling this professionally was going to be a challenge, but like anyone, I could do anything if I set my mind to it. With a deep breath in, I pulled myself together and turned on my "give 'em hell attitude" switch.
"Hello. How can I help you guys today?" I asked them with a smile on my face. It was like I hadn't said a word, as the leader leaned in a little closer to me. His eyes roamed my figure shamelessly, and I inwardly cringed. Oh what a horrible day to wear a low-cut fancy tank top.
"Stella. That's a pretty name." The leaders buddy said to me, as he leaned on the counter opposite his friend and roamed my figure with his eyes. These guys were going to be trouble I just knew it. The way they were looking at me was giving me chills. Talk about being a creeper.
With a sterner voice that was still polite, I repeated my question, only without the pleasantries this time. "How can I help you guys today?" The leader chuckled, and the other three guys came up to the counter crowding it, and I got incensed. I don't know who these guys thought they were, but I was not a pushover. The only time I would ever willing be led, was by my mates.
"Well to start with, how about you get me a black coffee sweetheart. Then afterwards you and me can sit down and we'll talk about what's for desert yeah?" The leader voiced with obvious innuendo in his tone. It was no shock to me when his goons laughed, but inwardly I was disgusted. Just who did he think he was?
With a stiff nod, and my smile still firmly in place, I rung him up and told him his total. "I can't seem to find my wallet here hot stuff. Maybe you can come around that counter and help me find it? I swore I left it in one of my front pockets." He obscenely jerked his hips towards me and his friends laughed.
I ignored him and simply repeated his total back to him, and one of the three musketeers chirped up. "Add another coffee sweetheart, and I'll pay." With a muttered "of course," I told him the new total and he handed me a twenty. "Keep the change sweetheart. Consider it a tip for giving us a fantastic view." He said as he attempted to look down my top. Oh these dicks were going to get it. I don't know how. I don't know when. But Karma is a bitch, and I know she had these bastards on her list.
By this point, I was sick of all the leering, the innuendos, and the all around harassment these guys seemed so eager to give to me. Honestly, I didn't give any thought to turning around and making their coffee. I just wanted to ignore them and pretend they didn't exist for a few minutes. Big mistake. I hadn't heard the back door open again, so I figured Jack must have been taking advantage of Leon's absence, and was doing some good ol' fashion chain smoking. At this point the coffee machine was whirring, making it's usual noise. So I didn't hear the soft thud behind me.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"Your body is made to be fucked, you know that hot stuff." A rough voice whispered in my ear, as my hips were grabbed roughly and I was pulled back into a hard body.
I froze. The coffee cup fell from my hands onto the counter spilling everywhere, and splattering me with hot liquid. It was the feel of something hard poking into my bottom, and the humping motion that came along with it, that snapped me out of my fog. I grabbed both of the hands that were on my hips, and gave a rough shove. On the bright side, I was no longer in his grasp. Instead I was falling. My cheek hit the ground with a hard thump that I knew was going to bruise later, and my head hurt from hitting the linoleum tiling on the floor. Through the pain, I scrambled to my feet and backed away from the leader, who I noticed was now behind the counter with me.
"Only employees can be behind the counter." It was stupid, but it was the first thing that popped into my mind. I said it firmly and strongly, even though on the inside, I was shaking with fear.
"You're a tough cookie aren't ya?" This was said from behind me, but before I could turn around, a hand was wrapped up in my hair. The hand was gripping my locks so tightly, that I let out a cry of pain and immediately reached up with both hands to try and twist away from his grip.
"I got you." The voice mocked in a sing song voice. Then he pulled my head back so far that my back began to bow from the pain. Once I saw the face of who it was, I wasn't surprised. Of course it was the buddy. If the leader was in front of me, and he was behind me. . . where were the other three?
As if he could read my mind, the leader grabbed my chin and yanked it so that I was facing him. I cried out in pain as his fingernails broke my skin, and I could feel the blood dripping down my face. "Don't worry sweetheart. The others just like to watch." With those words, he claimed my lips with his so roughly that I could feel them begin to bruise.
His buddy still had his painful grip on my hair, while his other hand had reached around me, and was now resting right on top of my vee. My panic started to grow, and tears slid down my face, as a tongue slid into my mouth. I hadn't lost my fight though, so I bit down on the tongue hard until I tasted the bitter tang of blood. As soon as the leader backed away, I spit it out onto the floor in disgust.
The leader looked back at me in pain and anger, right before he claimed my lips again. I cried out in even more pain, as the hand on my hip squeezed so hard, that I knew I would have bruises later. Another hand found it's way to my breasts, and squeezed, and pulled until I was sobbing.
"Stop!!!!!" I begged, but it was muffled by the lips that were on top of mine. "Steve!!!!!! Clint!!!!!!!!!!! Tony!!!!!!!!!!! Help!!!!!!" I screamed in my mind, praying one of them would feel that something was wrong through our bond.
Giving it one last try, I bit down harshly on the leaders tongue again. Once again, my mouth filled up with blood, and I'm sure I looked like something out of a horror movie, but I didn't care. Anything to get these guys off of me.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I was suddenly yanked away from the leader. All of the hands dropped from my body so quickly that I felt a bolt of pride slide up my spine. With disgust written all over my face, I spit out my second mouthful of blood. My victory was short lived. It all came crashing down, when the back of a hand slammed into my cheek so hard, that I tasted my own blood, and fell to the floor. In my own defense, I curled my body up as much as I could to make myself a smaller target.
"Please help me!" I screamed into my mind, and I swore I felt a shot of panic and then reassurance go through my soul mark.
As much as my eyes wanted to close, I didn't let them. Instead, I watched the leader approach my prone form. His boots came towards me almost in slow motion, as my vision swam. All I could focus on as he crouched down in front of me, was the hand that smacked me. I felt my own blood running down the side of my face in multiple spots. But none so much as the middle of my cheek, where I'm sure his weird ring had hit me.
My ears were ringing, and I couldn't make out what anyone was saying. So I decided to memorize the ring on his hand to give me something to focus on. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. Unlike a silver or gold band, this one was black, and it had an octopus etched into it in silver. Only this octopus didn't have eight tentacles. It had six.
Another backhand to my face, accompanied by a kick to my back, had me snapping back to reality. "I hope we didn't break you yet hot stuff. We have big plans for you." The leader grinned down at me evilly.
I don't know what these guys fascination with my hair was, but I was being hauled up by my hair not two seconds later. "Get the fuck off me." I screamed. Usually when someone fights you back, or sasses you back, you get mad. Not these guys. They seemed to get a kick out of it.
"I think it's cute how she's still fighting." One of the three musketeers said.
"Yeah I agree. You gonna keep fighting me sweetheart? Why hasn't one of your soulmates come to save you yet huh?" He asked as he rubbed my cheek in mock affection. I jerked my head away from him, and snarled. How did these guys know I had more than one soulmate? My brain had stopped on the fact that these guys knew something that was supposed to be a secret, so I didn't hear the bell above the door go off.
"I'm right here assholes."
Thanks to everyone who is voting on my story and adding it to their reading lists!!!!!
As always you are the muses that inspire me!!!!!!!
Mi esposa es. My wife is
Mi amor. My love