RAISON D'ÊTRE ( bucky barnes ) 一 under editing

FIFTEENTH

RAISON D'ÊTRE
FIFTEENTH

WHEN BUCKY HAD SUGGESTED TO her they get drinks, Rome had been a bit surprised at the offer. She supposed he wanted to drink his sorrows away, forget about the pain this sudden revelation brought about, but the problem was that because of the super soldier serum running in his veins, he couldn't get drunk. He disclosed the information to her not to long ago, just when the two had been absentmindedly talking (more like Rome had been telling him of her childhood and him listening). But still, maybe Bucky just wanted to drink 一 to spend his time doing something else rather than wallowing in his pain in their motel room. Or perhaps he wanted to get the chance to know Rome more; they'd known each other for years, but that night was the first time Rome had told him of her origins.

There were certain things, however, that he knew were to be definitively true beforehand. One: she had two younger cousins still alive, named Aline and Maggie respectively, and she hadn't seen them in a very long time. Two: Rome happened to be a witch, something he had always thought to be in fairy tales and children's stories, but seeing her magic close up had convinced him otherwise. Three: she's traveled plenty of times to all sorts of places, to cities and countries Bucky'd only been in for work, never pleasure. And four: she blames herself heavily for what had happened in the past. 

Rome had never felt the need to explain why she was what she was, and he never felt the need to ask. It'd been fine that he didn't know about her childhood or where she had once called home, but Bucky had a sudden longing to want to know it all. He wanted desperately to know all about her and the thoughts nearly drove him mad. 

The two entered the bar, walking so close their arms brushed against one another evert time they took a step. The bar was somewhat crowded and a few people's eyes wandered for a little too long, but none paid them any real attention. Rome had immediately strayed to the bar to grab them some drinks while Bucky had grabbed a table, somewhere in the back where they couldn't be seen by prying eyes. 

After returning to their table having escaped a rather drunken man terribly flirting with her, Rome handed Bucky his drink and grinned at him as he thanked her. "It's no problem, soldier," she said. She pulled out the chair and sat across from him, leaning on the table with her elbows. Rome held the glass in her hand, looking at her muddied reflection in the drink. She felt tired and she supposed she must look like it too.

Bucky took a slow sip from his beer. "Can I ask you something?" His voice sounded so small in the crowded bar, and she couldn't help but find his tiny voice adorable.

"Depending on your question, yes." Rome grinned cheekily at him.

"You don't have to answer it but... how old exactly are you?" He saw the way surprise etched on her features, and Bucky placed his glass back on the table. "It's just, you mentioned that you became... immortal." He'd remembered replaying her words in his head several times 一 she'd said she became an immortal being, just like her cousins. 

Rome chuckled softly and looked down at herself. "Isn't Etiquette 101 not to ask a woman her age nor her weight?" She laughed once again when she saw his face start to burn red, but she reached across the table. "Relax, soldier, I'm teasing. But to answer your question, I'm... perhaps a thousand now. It's been so long, I don't remember exactly how long it's been."

Instead of looking at her with what she assumed to be disgust, Bucky looked at her with curiosity. "A thousand years?"

Rome hummed in agreement, taking a sip of her beer. She'd never been the biggest fan of beer, but it was the quickest thing she could get. "And yes, sometimes it has felt as long as it sounds."