*not edited*

Nataliya- Then

I froze, staring up at him.

My father's face loomed over me, his dark brown eyes glaring down at his own creation.

"Out of my way." He pushed me to side, my back slamming hard against the side of the door. I flinched, watching him carefully, but not meeting his gaze.

My father is just like Jackson, except two times stronger, three times older and six times the drinker. So everything he did or said hurt. I could ignore Jackson sometimes, though it wasn't easy, he wasn't family he was just an asshole that wanted to pick on someone. My dad was a different story, though.

He dumped his briefcase on the table and then sitting on the worn out couch, holes sticking out ever so often.

Alex's mother may have been an alcoholic and sex-craved woman, but she still had a stable job that earned her a pretty well off pay so she had enough money to drink and keep up a good household.

You couldn't say the same about 'dad' here, though. The man barely gave me enough money for groceries itself.

"What the hell are you staring at! Go get my dinner!" He snapped, reaching out for the Television remote, ready to turn it on.

I stared at him, my mouth moving like a fish, "There is no more food in the house, I- I couldn't find the grocery money."

"THAT'S BECAUSE THERE IS NO GROCERY MONEY!" He roared standing up from the couch, a beer bottle now in his hands. 

I flinched.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THE POINT OF YOU IF YOU CAN'T EVEN HELP AROUND THE HOUSE!" He glared, down the bottle in one gulp then throwing down, hard on the floor, it smashed into little pieces, glass scattering everywhere.

My hands fisted.

He went over to the refrigerator and grabbed another two bottles before making his way to the door and slamming it shut.

I breathed deeply, slowly. Almost as if he would come barging back and demand me to go sell myself for money. Fuck. I ran a hand through my hair, pushing the strands back behind my ear. I was lucky, it could have been much worse. I sighed, making my way to the back of the kitchen to find the broom.

Something sharp bit into my foot, I cried out as the same stinging pain went through the foot. The glass. The alcohol soaked glass was stuck in my foot. Careful to walk on my heels I dodged the other piles of glass as I felt the wet stickiness of the blood drip down my foot. Flinching, I turned away, biting my lip against the pain .

The next second, the front door slammed open and I locked eyes with dusty golden ones. 

"Alex?" My voice came out in a hoarse cry.

"Fuck, Liya." He muttered, his pace hastening towards, his shoes stepping on the glass to cut through towards me. "I heard noises."

I raised my head to meet his gaze a weak smile dancing on my lips.

He looked down and his brows furrowed in confusion when he saw my feet, I flicked my heel up and they immediately turned into a gaze of worry and concern. 

In one movement he lifted me up, placing my on the counter so my feet were off the ground.

"Fuck, Liya. What happened?" He asked, examining the pieces of glass lodged in my foot.

I looked down. "He came home. Found out there was no food in the fridge and then threw a hissy fit, throwing the bottle on the floor." I motioned to the pieces of glass scattered across, "I was in the process of cleaning it before you showed up."

He raised his brow, "Didn't look like it."

I glared at him, watching him as he made his way to the kitchen cupboards, pulling out the first-aid kit.

"What are you doing?" I watched him watch me.

He ignored me, lifting my foot up, the tweezers in his hands. 

"Alex...." 

Once again, he ignored me, only saying, "This might hurt."

Using the tweezers he pulled out each piece of glass, applying alcohol immediately after, pressing the wound down and bandaging it. His jaw was tight, ticking as he cleaned my feet up, putting the kit away.

"Alex." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I'm fine."

He at me. "I don't like that man."

I laughed, smiling, he always knew how to make me smile even after the worst had come to pass. "Neither do I."

A smile graced his lips, as he lifted me up again.

"Alex! What are you doing?!"

I had an answer when he started tickling me, just below my ribs, I laughed, going into a fit of uncontrollable giggles as he made his way upstairs to my room, throwing me onto the bed, continuously tickling me. 

I laughed harder, "ALEX!"

He grinned, finally stopping. 

Tracing my face with his fingers, he smiled. "Rest, Liya. You need it."

And with that I fell into the comforting darkness of sleep, curling into the blankets and pillows

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I'm thinking of changing Liya's past completely. So she has only a mom. But a mom that doesn't care, pretty well off but always expects something from Liya, that she can't give, like pressurising, she thinks that Liya is a waste of space and wishes for a better daughter? I can play around with that idea, just tell me what you think.

I'm a Libra, so I'm very indecisive. ;)

- Treetop_s