Blood in the Water | 18+

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘌𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵

𝘈𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘢

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

I have never given much thought to my wedding.

I never thought I would ever have a say in it if we're being completely honest. It was tradition to have Mamma make the decisions, I was just to show up and act like the perfect daughter, in the perfect family, who had a perfect life.

What a joke that would've been.

I was sitting on the counter in the bathroom, running my brush through my hair while Natasha went to pick up the dress I had ordered, Steve was downtown getting our rings and a suit pressed. Bucky was at the courthouse, making sure everything was squared away for the small ceremony, and I was at the apartment with Sam, who had thankfully left me alone. It wouldn't make sense to most people, but I was mourning what my wedding should have looked like. It didn't matter how badly my father fucked me over, I was still his daughter, and a part of me wished for him to be here, to tell me congratulations. I mourned for my Mamma who was missing out on her only daughter's wedding because she would never step out of my father's clutches, even if it was offered. It was easier for her to stay. But I was truly mourning my relationship with Enzo and Dante.

My whole life my brothers have raised me. They tucked me into bed every night until I turned sixteen, and my father demanded that I was too old to be treated like a child. His reasoning was if I was old enough to bear children safely, then I was too old to be treated like my brother's child. I worshiped the ground Dante and Enzo walked on until months ago. They were everything to me, they were my parents. And yet, now they were strangers, and it hurt. Because all I wanted was for Dante, who was the more nurturing one, to be in here, with his arms around my shoulders telling me that he was happy for me, for finding love. I wanted Enzo in here, pretending to be mad that I was grown up, but really he was sad I was leaving home, and they'd both sit on the edge of the tub, telling me that they loved me.

I had to set the brush down when a tear slipped down my cheek. Ridiculous. It was ridiculous to cry over them.

"Miss Coppola." Sam's voice was in the doorway and I gasped, quickly wiping my tears away and turning to face him, giving him a small smile.

"Please Sam," I watched him smile, "I told you to call me Aurora, we're friends are we not?"

"Of course Aurora," He walked over, tilting my head gently, and ran his thumb across my cheek, wiping away the tears that had still managed to slide down my face. "I know Steve's a pain, but you don't have to cry over it." And to my surprise, a bubbling laugh fell out of my mouth, the pain in my chest easing when he grinned at me.

I may have lost my blood family when I walked, more like ran, away from the Coppola family, but I gained a better one. Steve, Sam, Bucky, and Natasha cared for me, they loved me, and I loved them. They made the ache go away, Bucky and Sam had stepped into the shoes my brothers willingly left, and while I know I shouldn't replace Dante and Enzo, I did. I replaced them with people who have never hurt me, and who would never hurt me. "There's that smile," Sam chuckled, wiping my cheeks once more, "I came to tell you that Natasha is on her way with the dress, and Steve has already said fuck the tradition of not seeing you, he's on his way up."

"It's a good thing I've never been one for traditions then," I laughed, shaking my head, "It wouldn't have meant anything around here."

"Damn right it wouldn't," Steve spoke from the doorway and Sam stepped back, letting me get off the counter and run over to Steve, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Nothing's keeping me away from you bambina, you should know that by now," He laughed, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my head. "Sam, I brought lunch, go ahead and start eating, we'll be out in a minute."