RAISON D'ÊTRE ( bucky barnes ) 一 under editing

THIRD

RAISON D'ÊTRE
THIRD

TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS HAD passed since Rome had first been assigned to determine the truth behind the Winter Soldier's "problems", and twenty-eight days had passed without an answer. Of course, she hadn't voiced her thoughts or concerns to anyone, not even the soldier himself, because she thought (more like she knew) that there wouldn't and couldn't be a magical cure to this. Whatever the issue was, the cause was because of that stupid machine they used, the one that twisted and warped his brain so much it was like it wasn't working properly. That machine was almost frying his head, making him scream and cry as they burned away at something in his brain. It wasn't his mental state that was the problem, it was the physical brain. Like Rome had always believed, magic and science do not go well together. But she couldn't tell Pierce this, not yet. For one, if she did tell Pierce, he'd just blame it on the fact that she wasn't trying hard enough; second, she liked spending time with the Winter Soldier.

Sure, he remained silent nearly one hundred percent of the time, but he always managed to relax her and calm her down. In the hours she spent with him everyday since, Rome has managed to find something comforting in these twisted and echoing halls. However, there were times where the silence made her feel like she was going insane. She had expected to at least have gotten some words out of him within the first week, but as the days went by, her hopes of him speaking slowly started to diminish. Most days, she'd ask him questions 一 no matter how ridiculous or childish they may seem, she asked. The witch wanted to know things about him, and it wasn't exactly fair that he'd seen some of her most private and intimate memories.

"You wouldn't happen to have a favorite color, would you?" Rome asked. She sat on the bed, her back pressed against the wall and a knee brought to her chest. Her grimoire remained by her side, unopened and bookmarked at a page with an intricate drawing of an herb. She watched the Winter Soldier as he sat on the other side of the bed, legs crossed and hands in his lap. He almost looked like the perfect little china doll.

It made her positively sick that they had brainwashed him into their weapon, but it's not like the same thing hadn't happened to her. HYDRA had conditioned her over and over again, torturing her until the deed was done.

"What about a favorite animal?" she asked. His response: nothing. "A favorite city, perhaps?" Rome ran a hand through her hair, a tad upset about how long it was getting. Hopefully they'd allow her scissors and let her cut it soon. Her free hand started to play with the necklace around her throat; it'd been a gift from when she was a child. Her cousins Aline and Maggie had ones as well, near identicals except for its color. While Aline had a green one and Maggie a blue one, Rome's crystal was colored red, deep and dark like wine.

She was starting to become much more desperate now, asking questions that started to get more and more stupid as the seconds ticked past. "Soldier," she started slowly, "I understand that I'm not the best company to have around, but I am your only company and vice versa. I do think it'll benefit us both if we decide to learn more about one another, wouldn't you agree?"

The silence was really getting on her nerves now, and she chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Well, my favorite color is orange, the one that comes with the transition of seasons and leaves changing colors. Autumn is absolutely beautiful when you stop and see the crisp greens of summer undergoing that change to orange." She absolutely adored that season; it was a beautiful time and it often reminded her of the harvest moons of her childhood. That time that, while not technically sacred to all witches, felt so sacred to her. She smiled fondly at the memories, the ones of her as a child and dancing around fires, and the festivals and feasts they held. "But not the neon orange; it's a rather ghastly shade. Just a nice shade of orange, like the kind you see in sunsets and dying seasons.

"As for favorite animals," she continued, playfully tapping her chin as she noticed him start to look at her, "I've never really sat and thought of what it could be. There's so many to choose from, but I'd have to narrow it down to foxes or owls. Foxes are admirable; they're sly and wily and able to worm their way out of most problems. And owls are wise creatures. I'm also a sucker of Harry Potter, or books in general, despite that series being not at all an accurate representation of witchcraft." Rome could have sworn she saw a glimpse of a smile, but it disappeared as quickly as she saw it. But he couldn't take that away from her 一 she'd seen him smile. 

Once again, she continued. "And cities... well, I have been all over the globe. From Agadir to Shanghai to Lima, I've been to them all." Being alive for so long meant plenty of time to discover and explore and travel, and Rome had loved every second of it. She loved seeing the different cultures and customs, and, God, the food! It was to die for. "But I love New Orleans. I've only been there once, and it was so beautiful. The city was as lively as ever, with people dancing in the street and jazz coming out of every corner of every building. It was like a party that never ended..." Rome smiled wistfully and looked down at her lap, like she was remembering the distant city. She hadn't been there in years, decades even, back in a time where she still had Aline Ashford at her side. "I'd truly like to go there again, one day. Maybe stay longer and see what it's like in this new day and age. Maybe if HYDRA would ever permit me from doing so, but I doubt it." Gently, she squeezed her eyes shut.

"I'll take you there someday."

Immediately, she was taken aback by the new voice. It was quiet, just barely audible, but she had heard it. It almost made her question if there was a third person in the room, but when she looked up, she realized that it hadn't come from someone new. It had been from him, the Winter Soldier. Her eyes widened with shock, lips parted in surprise. "What did you..." she started, trailing off in surprise and disbelief. He didn't respond, however, but that didn't stop from Rome biting her lip and smiling even wider. "Well, I'll be looking forward to our trip to the Crescent City then." She leaned forward. "Oh, and Soldier?"

He looked up at her, those steel blue eyes making contact with her green ones. 

Rome's voice grew quiet. "I'm hoping to hear more of that lovely voice of yours in the future."

A/N: shoutout to the people
who got that the originals
reference!!!