TB: broken memories

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Sara stood before the mirror. A memory crept into her mind. It was a rainy day, she remembered it perfectly. A rainy day, probably a Tuesday. She was sleeping in her bed, wearing only flannel pants and a white tank top when she heard a hard knock on the front door. Opening one eye, she glanced at the watch by her bedside and groaned loudly as it was only 3 in the morning. Unwilling to stand up and open the door, she put her pillow against her face and tried to ignore the knocks but they became more and more violent, thus forcing her to stand up and walk towards the front door. As Sara opened it, she didn't even have the time to blink because it opened violently, hitting her in the process and forcing her to take a couple of steps back. As she stroked her cheek, the young woman looked up at the intruder, Brett.

He was the young woman on-and-off boyfriend. He was a large and towering American supe with neck-lengthed hair, deep blue eyes, and an obsession with fame. She furrowed her brows and closed the door behind him as he paced towards the living room. They were in the middle of their break-up and she really didn't want to see his face in her flat but since he forced himself in, she decided to roll with it.  Brett was an asshole. She knew he was but thought that he could become better, just like at the start of their relationship. He had his moments, when she did what he wanted her to do. He wanted her to remain Unnamed Girl 24/7. She had to cover her freckles, take him to fancy restaurants, and dedicate her life to please him. There were days where he withdrew his affection from her and she had to comply.

She could have severed their linking and ended their relationship but she was in love with him. She just couldn't truly be apart from him for too long. He would lovebomb her, he would make her feel as if she was the most beautiful person in the world. She wasn't alone when he was there so she couldn't help herself but always took him back. Yet, there were moments where it was brutal, it was possessive.

« What are you doing around so late? » She groaned while scratching the top of her head. He patted his lap and invited her to sit on it but she shook her head. « No. We're on a break remember? I don't want to see your face, or your dick for a while. » She crossed her arms over her ample chest, furrowing her brows as he kept patting his lap.

« Then grab me a beer. » 

« You haven't answered. Why are you here, Brett? »

« I was in town, just decided to stop by. Come on, I need a beer. »

« Why did you come here? Don't you have your fuckbuddies you could have gone to? » -She complained but still  went to the kitchen.-

She furrowed her brows as she grabbed the bottle and put it on the counter. What was she doing? What was she doing in there, with him? It wasn't the first time he casually came to her place, in spite of her protests, and got away with it. He'd drink, eat, fuck her until he got enough of it and would leave early in the morning for his job. She didn't deserve this, she didn't deserve this lack of respect. Sara was a very nice lover. She was devoted to the people she loved and she did love Brett. Nobody believed she was resilient or even strong. She simply folded everytime Brett came back. She was fragile, yes, but she wasn't made of glass. She thought it was nothing. She thought she could handle it until he became better. While Sara was thinking, she felt strong brutal hands grab her waist, beneath her shirt, and run up until they reached below her breasts. She gasped and tried to turn around but he leaned into her, forcing her to bend forward over the counter.

« Fuck you! Get off me! I'm not in the mood! »

« C'mon! I know you want me! You've always wanted this dick before, why would you refuse now? »

« I don't want it, Brett. I was fucking sleeping before you crashed at my door! Get OFF ME! » She yelled at him, but he was heavily intoxicated already and she realized that if she didn't do anything, he wouldn't stop at all. Brett was this stubborn. She hated when they fucked while he was in such a state, because he didn't know how to stop, or he refused to do it until he reached his own climax. It always left her bruised and sore but this time, it was different and she could tell by the way he was breathing and the force he used to pin her against the counter. Her breathing quickened and she became as stiff as wood as she was already searching for a way to escape. Her black eyes locked onto the bottle of beer she had in her hand and she quickly smashed it against his face, eliciting a groan from him and giving her enough room to escape from his embrace.

« COME BACK HERE! » He growled but she didn't listen and kept running, but he was faster than her and grabbed her ankle, making her stumble but not fall. She had to straighten again but he slapped her face, hard enough to make her bleed from her mouth and cause her to fall onto the ground. She rolled on her side and tried to crawl to her room but he pulled her closer to him.  Brett started to remove his belt from his and chuckle darkly. « Ahaha.. you decided to play it rough tonight uh Sara? » She winced, her cheek still burning from the slap he gave her. « You were supposed to be nice to me. You cut me with that bottle, you're gonna pay! » Her body was shivering, mostly because of the aftermath of his blow and because she was scared of going through another shitstorm again with him. « Be nice to me, Sara. Be nice and I might be gentler. » He sneered while grabbing a fist of her hair and yanking it back, causing pain. at him with it. She flinched and closed her eyes.

He hit her with the belt, over and over again, turning her back red from the strikes. His blows became stronger and the more she screamed, the harder he struck her. The more she pleaded with him to stop, the more sadistic he became. He used his ice powers to freeze the belt and create ice spikes on it. She stopped resisting after a while, way too weak to protest. After a while, she simply took the beating he gave her and curled into a ball. What more could she do against him?  He worked up a sweat after a while and stopped moving when it became boring for him. He made a mess out of her, her blood had splattered on the floor and she had stopped making a sound. Sara was still breathing, he could see her chest heave up and down. He then threw the belt away and knelt next to her. "Now, babe. Are you going to be stubborn?" She unclenched her fists and her lips twitched a little bit. He saw the fresh tears and slowly cleaned them off of her face. "Now now...I will make it all better. I will make it all better. you just have to do as I say." -She was too exhausted to speak but she looked at him and held onto his arm. "Yeah? You'd like it? You'd like me caring for you? I'll run you a bath and I'll clean you up." He whispered, propping her up against his chest before he managed to stand up and lift her body up. 

"I'm sorry..." -She whispered-

"It's alright. Don't say it. Just act better."

"I won't...Thank you for caring for me."

"Always."

As the flashback stopped, Sara noticed she was crying again. How could she accept to be treated like this for as long as she did? Dotty had warned her, but Sara didn't know better back then. She was desperate for affection and she didn't thought that Brett truly loved her and expressed it in the most passionate way. She now knows that it's not true and she deserved better. Her single life had brought her comfort and her breakup with Brett was just a blessing in disguise. Homelander was different. He wasn't violent with her and unlike the others, he was genuine. He cared for her and she knew that he would do his best not to hurt her. She realized that she was still traumatized by her past relationships and it hurt her so deep that she fell on her knees and curled into a ball in her bathroom.