A/N: Ashley is just an OC... That's all you need to know. We don't own Marvel...
Pietro slammed the bottle of Captain Morgan on the table. A splash of alcohol flew out of the open top from the force. "Ashley," he said, walking over to his girlfriend of six years.
She sat there, stony faced. She knew it was coming. It always started like this. Pietro would get drunk as she sat there and watched. She wanted to stop him. She couldn't stop him. She found that out the hard way the first time she tried.
Flashback
"Pietro, please put that bottle down," Ashley pleaded. She had never seen him this way. If he was ever drinking, it was only maybe a couple of beers, tops. Tonight, he chugged a bottle of vodka. Lance's death was really getting to him for the worse.
"Don't fucking tell me what to do, whore," Pietro said, brushing aside her comment. He stumbled over to the liquor cabinet and pulled out another bottle of vodka, nearly dropping it on the kitchen floor.
Ashley stood up from her seated position and walked over to Pietro. She tried to take the bottle away from him, but he replied to her caring attempt by backhanding her straight across the face.
She fell to the floor, shocked. Never, ever had he ever done anything like this before in their five-year relationship. She looked up at Pietro, too shocked and scared for words. She wanted to cry, but the tears just simply wouldn't come. "Pietro..." she whispered just loud enough for him to hear her.
"Get the fuck up," he demanded. She did as she was told. "I don't want to see you right now. Go away."
Ashley left the room and went upstairs to their bedroom. She finally allowed the tears to fall from her eyes. She cried herself to sleep. The next morning, she found Pietro passed out. He was sprawled out on his stomach on the kitchen table. His left hand was dangling over the edge of the table. In his right hand, he was still holding the half-empty bottle of vodka.
I'm not sober all the time
You bring me down, at least you try
Until we see this eye to eye
I don't want you
Ashley sat, frozen to the chair she was sitting on. He was coming closer, yet she had nowhere to run. If she ran, would the punishment be worse than if she stayed?
"What, you don't fucking answer me anymore?" Pietro asked. She could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"I don't know what you want me to say," she replied, looking down at her knees. She didn't want to look him in the eyes. She was afraid of what she would see.
"Why don't you fucking look at me when I'm talking to you!" he yelled, and he slapped her across the face.
This time, she couldn't keep her tears in. They fell faster and harder than the rain during a hurricane.
"Drink this," he demanded, thrusting the bottle of Captain Morgan in her hands.
"I don't want to," she argued back. That earned her another sharp slap in the face.
"Fucking drink that, now! I know you won't fuck me if you're sober, so just fucking drink that shit before I make you!"
I must be running out of luck
'Cause you're just not drunk enough to fuck
And now I've had it up to here
I don't, I don't want you
"Pietro, I won't," Ashley whispered. She looked up, expecting to see a raised hand quickly coming down in the direction of her face. Instead, the hand that she expected to be striking her was limp by his side. He had just dropped the bottle, and it shattered on the floor. The alcohol spilled and spread all over the kitchen.
"Then get out."
"What?"
"Get the fuck out!" Pietro screamed, pointing to the door.
"Pietro, I don't want to leave you," Ashley told him. He was too drunk to even notice. She tried to calm him down, but it didn't work.
"Then don't leave. Just get out of my fucking sight!"
She ran upstairs before he could hurt her again. She ran into their bedroom and locked the door behind her.
It took too long to see
You walked away from me
When I need you
The next morning, Ashley was woken up by a loud pounding at the door. "Baby, open the door." Pietro was calling out to her.
She didn't answer him.
"Ashley, baby. Please, I'm so sorry," Pietro sobbed. He was crying. "I promise...I promise it will never happen again. I love you, baby. Please, just come out here and talk to me."
She still didn't answer him.
He started pounding on the door, begging for entry. She finally decided to call out to him. Ashley said, "Pietro, do you know how many times you've promised that it would never happen again? It keeps happening. I can't take it anymore, Pietro, I really can't."
She rolled out of bed and packed her important things in a bag. "I realize that you're still not over Lance's death, but you can't take it out on me, Pietro. I'm finally standing up for myself. I love you, Pietro, I really do, but I think we just need some time apart so we can both clear our heads." Ashley opened the door and gave Pietro one last kiss.
Wake up, I'm pounding on the door
I'm not the man I was before
Where the hell are you
When I need you
Wake up, I'm pounding on the door
I won't hurt you anymore
Where the hell are you
When I need you
He called her everyday. He called her multiple times everyday. She never picked up when she saw his name on the caller ID on her cell phone. She listened to all of his messages seconds after he left them. All of them basically said the same thing, he was sorry and all he wanted was for her to come home.
I'm not angry all the time
You push me down, at least you try
Until we see this eye to eye
I don't want you
Wake up, I'm pounding on the door
I'm not the man I was before
Where the hell are you
When I need you
Wake up, I'm pounding on the door
I won't hurt you anymore
Where the hell are you
When I need you
A month after she left, she finally answered his phone call.
"Hello?"
"Ashley..."
"I've missed you, Pietro."
"I've missed you, too, baby."
"No, Pietro. You misunderstood me. I've missed you, not that drunk you've become."
"I haven't touched alcohol since you left. Even ask Todd and Fred."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, baby. I swear."
It took too long to see
You walked away from me
When I need you
"Can I see you?" Pietro hopefully asked. "There's something I need to ask you in person."
"I suppose that can be arranged. Just promise me there will be no drinking."
"I promise, baby."
Wake up, I'm pounding on the door
I'm not the man I was before
Where the hell are you
When I need you
Wake up, I'm pounding on the door
I won't hurt you anymore
Where the hell are you
When I need you