Blood in the Water | 18+

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘪𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯

𝘈𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘢

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The stars were twinkling as I stepped outside.

I couldn't sleep, I faked falling asleep because I knew Steve wouldn't sleep if I wasn't. And I wanted some time alone. I knew I was foolish to believe that maybe I could change Steve's mind, that maybe he could fall in love with me. And honestly, realizing that Steve didn't have a heart wasn't that painful, because I knew deep down he did. It was the fact he told me I couldn't have my feelings, without actually telling me that. All he did was make me doubt myself, and I've spent my entire life doing that. I've spent my entire life not knowing what feelings were mine, or everyone else's in my life telling me what I should feel.

The grass was wet against my bare feet as I stepped into the manor's garden, using the moonlight to guide me down winding paths lined with roses. It was the one place that seemed untouched by violence, everywhere else there were remnants of Steve's world, my world, the only world I've ever known. There was comfort in the bloodshed, it was all I knew, but when the world was deathly silent, just like now, with only the leaves rustling in the distance from the soft breeze, I felt like I could tear down all the walls I've had in place, I was allowed to just be Aurora, not the mafia princess, not the girl men are killing over, I'm just a broken girl, and I welcomed the sharp pain that brought me because it felt normal. For just a moment I was normal, not a target, not a threat.

Just, absolutely, average.

I approached the massive fountain in the center of the garden, the moon shining on the statue of Hades and Persephone in the water. It was humourous, how much Steve loved this myth. Because Hades was the only one who truly seemed to love his wife in those stories, no matter how accurate, how fictional, how true, Hades loved her in his own way. The god of the underworld, in love with the goddess of spring, they were almost a perfect mirror of me and Steve, except Hades admitted that his heart belonged to Persephone, I was told not to share the emotions that were my own. But as I sunk to my knees in front of the stone fountain, folding my arms on the ledge, I rested my cheek against my forearm, my eyes never leaving the statue. I found, as I sat there, I related to Persephone, she was light and air, and all the beautiful parts of spring, the soft breeze, the blooming flowers, but she also held darkness. There was a part of her that loved the malice that Hades held, much like how I loved the darkness inside of Steve.

"If only you were real people," I whispered, running my fingertips through the water, "I'd have so many questions on how to break through to Steve. Or if it was even worth it."

The back door slammed shut, and I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the reprimand that I was going to get from Steve, he hated not knowing where I was. And even though I was on the property, he was always out of bed before me, I figure it probably terrified him to wake up and see me gone. Or not. He doesn't love me, or claims he doesn't with his words, but his actions say something different. "I figured I'd find you out here Mia Cara," I looked over my shoulder to see Bucky, leaning against the stone archway that framed the courtyard.

"I don't need a lecture," I sighed, running my hand through the water again, "I was going to head inside after a few minutes, I just needed fresh air."

I heard Bucky's footsteps before he sat down next to me, his back leaned against the stone fountain. I turned my head to look at him, and I could see why Natasha had fallen in love with him, even if they're relationship is confusing sometimes. Bucky was all sharp angles, but they had a friendly warmth to them, and his eyes, those blue eyes that looked like they were the same color as the depths of the sea, held kindness that I rarely saw in this world. "You know," Bucky turned his head to look at me, "He wasn't always like this."