#w2c one shot

[imaginaryhl]

The Attack

Sidemen X OC

WC: 5K

Warnings ⚠️ drunk, sexual harassment, attempted SA, blood, fighting, scars, body omagh, trauma (tell me if I missed anything.)

Summery: Alexandria is meeting the boys at a club, on her way there she gets attacked by a man.

Circa 2015

Another day another night out. Alexandria was dressed to impress in a short sparkly dress with spaghetti straps, a pair of high heels and a small clutch that fit her phone, ID, credit card and a few notes. She was itching for a night out and letting loose. She loved clubbing and having fun, the night life in general. She had spent the day at a friend’s house and got ready there, but the rest of the sidemen were all coming, she knew they weren’t all going to come at the same time. She knew her friends well enough to know that. Knowing that Ethen is the person to call and have him meet her there first, her best friend always had her back. Alexandria for one didn’t want to go in the club alone, especially with the rise of the group’s popularity. She wasn’t comfortable being in that kind of spotlight alone, it would probably trigger her anxiety. 

“Lovey, I just arrived, how far are you?” She asked Ethen on the phone, having parked the car a block away from the club, knowing there would be no spots close to the club at this time. 

“Just 5 minutes, I got JJ with me.” Ethen told her and she sighed, but got out of the car nonetheless, they got an Uber so they’d meet her at the entrance. “Are we meeting at the entrance or do you want us to meet you where you parked?”

“No I’m already out of the car, I’ll see you in a bit.” Hanging up she started making her way to the club. The street was empty however from past experiences she knew once she turned a corner she’s gonna be met with people who were heading in for the club. The air was a bit cold making her once again want to hit herself for forgetting her jacket at her friend’s house, she texted Vik to grab her one from the house on his way, so she had to suffer from the car to the club. Checking her phone for the group chat having texted them that she arrived, asking for an ETA for the rest of the group. Walking and looking at your phone isn't really the smartest thing to do while you're alone, at night, dressed like this.

At the last alleyway Alex passed before rounding the corner, she was suddenly pulled to the side of the pavement into an alleyway. Before she could let out more than a squeak a hand was placed on her mouth and she was being dragged further into the alleyway. It wasn’t even that suspicious of an alleyway in the middle of the day it would’ve had heavy traffic through it. Her phone and clutch drop as she moves her hands to the hand on her mouth, while an arm wraps around her waist to pull her even further. She digs her heels into the ground but her foot slides and she twists her right ankle.

“Stop fighting.” A rough and probably drunk voice demands in her ear, leaving Alex stunt for a moment, before she’s shoved into the wall and comes face to face with her attacker. The man looked to be in his thirties with dishevelled hair, and bags under his eyes, seeing him made it all so real. The crazy look in his eyes had her filled with fear, as a woman you knew what certain looks men gave you meant and this could easily turn into murder. Whimpering, she looks to the end of the alleyway looking for any kind of help. “No one is coming for you… I-I know you.” He said with a crazy tone to his voice, he’s clearly out of his mind. “I watch you all the time, I saw you at the- the club two weeks ago.”

“Please, please.” She tried to plead with him, but his arm was firm on her chest and mouth while his other arm was moving doing something she couldn’t see, but it wasn’t touching her, her voice was muffled coming out as gibberish.

“I’ve been coming here each day waiting for you.” He whispered and moved his head to the side of Alex’s head and the tears she was trying to hold in just started flowing, fuck, this is bad, really bad, she felt his stinky breath on her shoulder and neck, and he just licks at her neck making her sob and try to push him off her, he tried to go back to lick and bite but she’s moving too much for him to do what he wants. That makes him angry, his soft whispering voice is replaced with an angry grunt as he pulls her against him and then with a push slams her against the wall. Her head hitting the wall pretty hard, she loses vision for a long second leaving her disoriented, it takes her a moment to gather her senses, and she finds out what he was doing with his other arm, he’s holding a knife. “I- don’t move, or this will hurt, I dont want to hurt you, I just want you to listen, look, I can be good for you, I dont know who you’re fucking but I promise you I can be better, I-I can take care of you, you won’t have to worry about anything.”

“Please, just let me go, I won't tell anyone anything.” She whimpers once he uncovers her mouth to let her answer his question.

“NO! You’re- you’re not listening.” He gets so angry at this, and looks at her in shock as if thinking ‘how dare you refuse me, how dare you say no’ before he moves the knife to her neck, her heart drops as she prepares to die, with weak knees she tries once again to plead with him. 

“Ple-“ 

“SHUT UP!” Sucking in a breath she knows there’s no talking him out of this, she tries to push his hand away to run away, giving it a last try. She won’t let him kill her. She won’t die without fighting. She manages to push his arm up and she turn but he’s stronger, even while drunk, he’s stronger. She feels a sting that turns into a burn and a dark liquid runs down her face and covers her right eye. It takes her a moment to register what happened. He cuts her across the face, the adrenaline stops her body from feeling the full extent of the pain, but she feels it burn. “Look what you made me do, you daft bitch.”

He pushes her to ground and gets on top of her, at this point panic just sets in and tries to push him off her, with one eye closed from blood, and the feeling light headed crashes against her, she screams, she doesn’t know where she gained the strength but she doesn’t know how much longer she’s going to be awake for and she won’t just let him do anything he wants. 

She screams as he tries to shut her up but he’s also trying to get off her dress, with her trashing and moving and screaming, he punches her a couple times, before just getting his knife and cuts down her dress in the middle, the asshole doesn’t just cut her dress the knife went deep and cut her skin.

Alexandria started calling for Ethen, her friends are supposed to be here, he said he was close. She screams as the man tries to take off her clothes no longer caring about her screaming. She feels herself getting weaker, but she just screams and screams, calling for help, for her friends, for anyone.

Suddenly the man’s weight is off of her, but she continues screaming, as she pulls herself up, a hand tries to touch her but she screams more, as she pushes herself back still on her butt with blood just covering her face, and chest. 

“Alexandria, love it's me, it’s Ethen, it's okay we got you.” She hears Ethan’s voice and she tries to calm down to look at the person in front of her, she looks to the side to see JJ on top of the man just punching him. Ethan moves to block her view of the man, he takes off his jacket and covers her with it while he pushes at her chest where he sees blood still oozing out.

Ethan tries not to panic which is hard, she’s his best friend, his friend from school, he doesn’t know life without her in it. And here she is, sitting in a pool of her own blood looking like she’s going to drop dead at any moment. He looks at her face and the wound isn't bleeding as much, but her face was covered in blood, he still pushes at a part of the cut that had blood coming from it. 

“The police are coming, someone called them, okay? I need you to focus on me, okay. Just look at me.” Ethan tries to get her to focus on him, to not lose consciousness until the ambulance arrives. He tries not to get affected but her blood is everywhere, her is dress hanging on by a thread and Josh and Vik who just got here are trying to pull JJ from the now unconscious man. It doesn’t take long before the police sirens fill the street, a small crowded has formed at the entrance of the alleyway. A woman standing closer, she’s the one that first called for help, having seen Alex’s belongings at the start of the alleyway and heard the ruckus she ran to the Club and called for help, screaming for help. Ethan took one look at the clutch and phone in her hand before he ran to where the woman was pointing, JJ quickly running after him.

Once the police arrive they rush to the scene, the guys had already managed to get JJ of the man. Normally he’s a very kind man, but JJ saw red once he saw the man on top of Alex, he didn't even get a good look at her before he was on top of the man. That’s his friend, his sister, and she was screaming and calling for help with a man on top of her. It doesn’t take the police long before they assess the situation and see what happened, the ambulance arrives not a minute later and two of the EMTs rush to Alex’s side while one goes to look at the man. The police pick up the bloody knife with a bag and take it in as evidence. 

Alexandria was almost out of it, her hearing coming and going along with her sight, the blood loss, the trauma, she was coming off the adrenaline rush and her head took a few hits. She just closed her eyes hoping she wouldn't die, not like this, not because of a man.

Ethan panics once she closes her eyes and doesn't open them, he’s pushed to the side as the paramedics take his place, Josh pulls him away, but he too can’t take his eyes off her, bloody and bruised. Looking so helpless, something she never looked before. Their thick skinned confident friend looks… dead.

She’s quickly placed on a stretcher and into the back of the ambulance with Ethan in the back with her. Simon, Harry and Tobi all hear what happened once they arrived, looking at JJ’s bloody fist while he talked with the police and a now conscious man being pushed into the back of the police car they try to understand what happened from Josh, who put what happened together from just looking at you. Once the police got JJ’s information and Alex’s they let him go, with a promise to go to the hospital to see her. The woman who called for help also tells her statement and hands over Alex’s things too. Alexandria’s friends’, rush to the hospital once JJ is let go and not arrested. 

***

Once the group makes it to the hospital coming in frantic, having called Ethan and were told Alex rushed into surgery. They looked frantic and chaotic speaking over each other and asking left and right for their friend.

“Boys!” Ethan called for his friends, having followed their voices, the poor nurses looked flustered. It’s the early hours of the morning and the hospital is otherwise calm, it’s the middle of the week. Looking at Ethan he had blood on his clothes, his hands now cleaner, but the blood stained his skin a little, he looked like he'd been awake for days. As a group they moved closer to him, but it was Josh who pulled Ethan for a hug. Ethan and Alexandria have known each other since they were kids, they grew up together, seeing someone you considered family in that state is hard, it could shake you to your core. Ethan is very protective of Alex, to the point she sometimes finds it overbearing. “They- they’re almost done.”

“Did they say anything?” Harry asked fiddling a little.

“Yeah, thankfully the wounds were not deep enough to cut any major arteries or hit any organs, but she’ll probably have scars, also they took her for a scan so see if she has anything wrong with her head. That fucker hit her head badly.” Ethan told them his emotions all over the place, he was scared for her but he’s so angry that it made his blood boil. He wants to get the sad excuse of a human being and beat the shit out of him.

“The police got him, they’ll come around to take Alexandria’s statement as well.” JJ told Ethan, before they all shuffled to the waiting space Ethan was waiting in. 

“Should we call her family?” Vik asked Tobi and Josh who were sitting on either side of him, the waiting room chairs were split into threes. 

“I think we should wait.” Tobi said and Josh agreed with him. “Just to make sure everything is okay, try not to scare them.”

***

Simon was pacing by the time the doctor came into the waiting room for them, it was a sight to see, when seven men surrounded him waiting for news.

“Uh, are any of you a family member?” The doctor asked the group.

“I’m one of her emergency contacts.” Ethan told the doctor, once they moved to London Alex made sure to add him to the top of her emergency contacts.

“Alright, we’ve stitched the cuts up, they’ll need to be covered for a while as they start to heal, we’re waiting for her to wake up to know if she has a concussion or not, she has bruises, her skull almost cracked but thankfully she only sustained a few small cuts on her head, her right eye is swollen shut and she has bruises to her back… I know it’s a lot but everything will heal up and besides the scars she’ll physically recover.”

“Physically.” Ethan muttered under his breath. 

“Can we see her?” Josh asked the bruning question. 

“Yes, try not to overwhelm her, she’s also on painkillers, so be aware of that.”

The group was led to her room, walking in Alexandria looked to be still sleeping. The bruises seemed to have set in, the left side of her face bandaged up, and no doubt her torso was also wrapped up, the right side of her face was all shades of black blue and purple, her lips looked to be busted.

“Fuck, I wanna kill that fucker.” Harry muttered and looked at the sleeping girl, the Sidemen looked out for each other, especially their only female, she’s been through enough in her life and being the only female got her a ton of hate, this is just unfair. How come men can just use their strength over women when they’re meant to protect them and look out for them, it doesn't make sense in his head.

“Me and you both, mate.” Ethan agreed followed by the rest, there weren't many places to sit in the room so they just sat around on chairs and the floor. Josh went out and called Freya and told her what happened, telling her he’ll need her to get some clothes for Alex when she wakes up. Ethan also made a call to his mum told her what happened, and told her to tell Alex’s parents, knowing that them going next door and telling them face to face would be better than him telling them over the phone. 

In 30 minutes Alexandria started to wake up, she groaned, gaining everyone’s attention, they wanted to gather around the bed but the doctor told them not to overwhelm her. Ethan and JJ being the closest stood around the bed while the others looked on from their spots. 

“Fuck.” Alex muttered, she felt the bandage around her torso, it felt uncomfortable, opening her eyes was hard, or impossible, she could barely see anything. Her right eye bandaged for the stitches covering the right side of her face and her left swollen so bad she could barely open them, blood vessels have also popped in her eyes making the whites of her eye a map of red. She started to panic and moved her hands to her head.

“Hey, hey, don’t do that.” Ethan and JJ had a had stopped her hands from reaching her head. “Calm down Lovey, you’re in the hospital.”

Hearing Ethan’s voice calmed her down, and like that the events that happened not long ago rushed to the forefront of her memory, she could barely see anything and that made tears rush into her eyes, she couldn't feel anything due to the painkillers but that also made her panic.

“Why can’t I see?” She asked her voice filled with fear and panic, Ethan choked up looking at her, he lowered his head unable to look at her.

“Your left eye is swollen and the right is under a bandage.” JJ told her softly, the tears just left her eyes, wetting the bandage and her barely open eye, thinking about what happened she could still feel his hands on her body around her mouth. Sobs wracked her body hard as they left her in waves.

Her sobs wouldn’t leave their minds for a long time, if ever. Ethan knew that her screaming for help, for him, wouldn’t ever leave him. Unable to stop himself JJ pulled her into his chest, Alexandria clutched his shirt in her fist as if it was her lifeline. No one could tell her it’s okay, the traumatic event will live with her for life, now everytime she looked into the mirror she’d remember that night.

 ***

Tobi left to get the doctor, telling them that she woke up. She calmed down enough. The doctor asked them to leave so they’d do a quick test to just be sure everything was okay, after making sure she was okay and with instructions to call anyone once she started to feel pain the doctor left. She’s been given the run down of the extent of her injuries.

Ethan, Vik and Simon walked back while the others went in search of the cafeteria for a much needed caffeine dose and food.

Over her stay in the hospital the boys took turns staying with her. Alexandria called her father, she told him she’s okay and that they didn't have to come, she honestly didn't want them to see her like that, and gave them instructions to tell her brothers to not come as well. In the morning Freya came with a change of clothes and a box of Alex’s favourite chocolate. Alex had to take a few doses of painkillers. 

She was relieved when the doctor told her she can leave by that night if she doesn't have any complications, which was not expected but just to be sure. The police came by and took her statement, it’s and open and shut case, as there was a CCTV in the alleyway, one of the shops had a door in the alleyway and they had a camera sat there that the police got their hands on, they took photos of her face and torso for evidence.

***

By night time on the day she was set to be let out, only Harry, Ethan, Josh and Freya stayed the rest left, the room was crowded and the small sofa in the room wasn't the best to nap on. It’s been days since anyone got a good night’s sleep. Alexandria slept with the newer doses of painkillers.

Leaving the hospital with pills, and a long list of instructions how to clean the wound, when it’s okay to cover the stitches when it’s not okay, instructions to come back for a check up in a week. But Alex wasn't fully relieved, she re lived that night in her dreams when she slept, and it wasn't just her physical pain she was thinking about, everytime she thinks about that man she wants to cry, curl in a ball and disappear. She didn't try to look at herself in the mirror when she went into the bathroom and she doesn't want to.

The ride back home was almost silent, everyone lost in their own thoughts, Alexandria needed help getting to and from the car with her eyes out of commission. Freya was the one assigned for that, the guys thought that maybe a female touch would be better at the moment. The rest of the boys were waiting at home, having ordered food for everyone, Alex’s favourite. However the female just asked Freya to help her to her room, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed and do nothing but cry herself to sleep.

***

The day after Alex found herself in her room, the puffiness in her eye has gone down, and she sat in front of the full length mirror in her room but she couldn’t make herself look up at herself. Come on Alexandria you can do it, you have to, you have to see what that bastard has done to you. Taking a deep breath she looked up, her lip quivered as she saw the state she’s in, she bit at the inside of her bottom lip slightly, feeling a little pain from the cut there. The right side of her face is just blotches of colours, her eye looked scary, the bright blue of her eye is jarring against the red that has become of her eye whites, her eye still a little swollen. Her figure was hunched, her shoulders coming in on themselves, she’s never looked smaller in her eyes. Whipping away the tear that managed to escape, Alex started taking the bandage of her face, seeing the stitches across her face from her temple to her cheek level with the bottom of her nose almost. It was an angry cut, so many stitches. Standing up she took off her shirt, she won’t be able to wear a bra until she heals.

The scar ran from between her breasts to just two or three centimetres above her belly button. This cut looked worse than the one on her face, this one had deeper and shallower parts and it wasn’t that straight, since the one on her face was done in one sweep it was cleaner in a sense. 

Touching her angry skin with the tip of her fingers, the tears she tried to stop just flowed. Pressing her hand to her mouth to stop the tears as she sobbed. It’s real, she was almost raped, she’s been beat and cut up, not three days ago, this isn’t a nightmare she’ll wake up from. Tears kept welling in her eyes and racing down her cheeks. Why me? Why did it have to be me?  She couldn't look away, her eyes taking her body in through blurry vision and shaking shoulders. Not being able to stand anymore she sat down, the hunch in her shoulders left her stitches irritated, the pain, another reminder of what happened. 

Alex placed her hands on the floor and leaned over, unable to take the pain any more, not the physical pain, not the pain that ran like lava through her veins, but the pain that left her broken, shattered. She wanted to get out of her body, she wanted to not be her. She wished she could be someone else, turn back time, and decide not to go out.

An hour later Alex sat her back to the wall, her shirt back on, she was staring at nothing, looking at nothing a tear leaving her eyes every now and then, so lost in her own mind that she didn’t hear the knock on the door, or someone coming in, not until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn't jump, just moved her head and locked eyes with Ethan. Seeing her like this made his heart clench with pain.

Ethan kneeled beside her and held her face in his hands softly, careful not to touch her too much and cause her any more pain. Whipping her tears with his thump, trying to stop his own tears. 

“You’re strong, Lovey, so strong.” Ethan’s voice was full of emotion, full of love, full of worry, full of anger and anguish. Shaking her head left and right Alexandria’s tears picked up pace. “You are, you’re the strongest person I know, always have been, and you’re going to be okay, we're all here for you and we’ll help you.”

“I don’t think I can get through this.” She muttered, unable to get her voice any stronger. 

“Yes you can, you have to, you can’t let him win, you’ll have us to help you every step of the way, you’ll have me, and we’re going to show him that what he did didn’t break you, we’ll get you the best help we can. And if there’s one thing I'm sure about is that you’re going to be okay and that you’re going to be stronger, Lovey, we’re in this together.” Pulling her in to kiss her forehead, Alex leaned on his chest as he softly held her. They sat there for a bit before they pulled apart, Ethan stood up and helped Alex stand up taking her hands in his. “Come on, we need to get some food in you.”

Walking into the kitchen Vik and Harry were getting food out of delivery bags. 

“Just in time.” Vik said with a smile, he did everything in himself not to flinch seeing Alex’s red eye and the cut on her face. 

“What did you get?” Alex asked, sitting on one of the chairs looking through the food. 

“Your favourite things from Nandos.” Harry said and placed her food in front of her, he took the seat beside her, rubbing her back softly for a moment. He stayed over just for her. Alex gave him a brief and a little fake smile, but he took it, they’d all take it. As a group of friends they have a long way ahead of all of them, and they’re all willing to take it. They’ll stay by her side until she’s back to normal and stronger than before. They’re a family after all.

***

Alex was out of all Sidemen videos for over a month, she hasn’t done a video on her channel or been in any of her friend’s channels’ as well. She’s been MIA from all her social media accounts. Rumours went around that she was kicked out of the Sidemen, those who never approved of her were happy, those who loved her were worried. 

The time away was needed, Alex’s journey was far from over, but in the time she spent just working on herself was what she needed. Her bruises all faded away, no trace of them left and her stitches were out and replaced by a scar it’s supposed to take from 8 to 16 weeks to be completely healed, the one on her face would be a line of light skin when it finishes healing, supposedly. The one on her torso on the other hand would have some raised parts and the scar was bigger and wider. 

There was a moment when Alexandria was sitting with her friends, the troops, her girlfriends and just everyone who mean a lot to her in London were over, they were told what happened and everyone was there for her, Freya had spent a lot of her free time with Alexandria the last few weeks, something that Alex will hold close to her for as long as she lived, while sitting there her friends acting like they always did Alexandria decided that she’s had enough of living through the pain of what happened, the flashback and nightmares were still there everyday but it’s been getting easier to deal with them.

“How are you?” Came from Alex’s side a small smile made its way to her face, Harry had a drink in his hand, he sat next to Alex on the sofa as everyone was kind of doing their own thing at the moment, people were drinking, talking and what not, everyone was just chilling.

“I’m okay, I’m doing… better.” And that’s the truth.

“Ethan said you want to do a video about what happened.” Harry’s voice was a bit lower that before, he didnt know who she wanted to know.

“Yeah, I've been thinking about it. I already had a few things filmed on my phone but I think I should film this- this journey- sort of, I’m on, I’ve been on a lot of pages and subreddits and forums and things like that, for women who went through similar stuff, and I don't know… either way I’ll have to talk about it at some point. My therapist said that it’s okay, so there’s that.” Alex explained and leaned slightly towards Harry, her shoulder touching him for a moment. “You know, you and the guys really helped me alot.”

“It-it was all you, Lexy.” Harry shrugged.

“Not true, you’ve been over more than ever before, I know you lot have a chat without me in it, and we’ve eaten all my favourite food more than ever. One of you is always with me when I go to the doctor’s and that’s just scratching the surface.” Alex couldn't count on one hand the amount of things the boys have done for her.

“I’m proud of you either way.” Harry stated and pulled her for a side hug.