RESURRECTION OVERTURE ▹ barnes-romanoff

seventeen.

"I wish everything was quieter and softer and less often."

Two large hands stay gently placed over Svetlana's still slightly sore ears. The fifteen year old is not sure why, but she makes certain to keep her sky blue eyes closed as she carefully steps along the grassy ground. She supposes it must have to do with the fact that they promised to take her somewhere special for this, and, really, she wants her first sense of the place to not be her eyes. Tall weeds smack against her bare shins and the dew of the still morning hours seeps through her toes, leaving small crystals upon her skin. Svet keeps her small hands stretched out in front of her, grasping onto the hands that carefully guide her along further.

Svetlana has a huge grin spread across her face, her single dimple revealing itself and her cheeks curving back to accommodate such a smile. Her heart is pounding in her chest and, if it were any day before today, it would hurt to feel this much excitement. But it's not just any other day. No, today Svetlana is able to laugh and she is able to run and she is able to breathe. Because, for the first time in five years, the girl does not have to wear something to ensure she survives.

Svetlana Barnes is free.

The hands holding onto Svet's hands suddenly release to grab onto her shoulders, kindly making her come to a stop. The girl catches her breath and, as her hands fall back to her sides, they start to shake a little from the excitement. She bites down on her bottom lip and squeezes her eyes even tighter closed, preparing herself for what she knows is coming next.

And, just like that, the two large hands carefully pull away from her ears.

And it's like the world floods into her senses.

First she hears a shrill chirping noise with a strange and somehow even rhythm.

Something soft and cool quietly scrapes across the top of something loose and stuck to the earth.

Something ripples and gurgles before growing louder and louder into a powerful roar.

Another strange little chirping comes in, different from before, much higher and uncertain.

Still there's something else that buzzes close and then far and then close all over again, making the noise swirl around Svet's ears.

As her barefeet move just slightly, something makes a tinge of a whining sound before it crunches and shifts.

Her wide smile slowly fades and takes in a sharp breath, her red brows furrowing in.

"Svetti?" A deep voice says her new nickname, startling her ever so slightly, "You can open your eyes now."

Svetlana's slowly complies to the voice that she doesn't know who to place to just yet. The fifteen year old's dark lashes flutter apart to reveal her big blue eyes. She slowly looks around, looking at the two men who stand around her. Steve is beside her with raised and crinkled blonde brows, looking at her with worry wrought in his expression. Sam stands across from her with squinted eyes and pursed lips, waiting just as Steve is to see her reaction.

They're worried that this isn't all what she expected to be.

They can't imagine what it must be like, to have gone her whole life without ever hearing a single thing and then to finally hear something and yet to be... disappointed.

"You okay, Slugger?" Sam carefully takes her shoulder, slightly leaning down to get a better look into her eyes.

Svetlana lets out a quiet breath and she gives a small nod down to the ground, taking a moment to answer. Sam and Steve glance at each other with concerned expressions, both of them uncomfortably shifting in their positions near the girl. They've only been looking out for her for two months at best and she's already emotionally withdrawn. Steve promised Buck he would take care of his daughter and he's already failed both of them.