RAISON D'ÊTRE ( bucky barnes ) 一 under editing

SEVENTEENTH

RAISON D'ÊTRE
SEVENTEENTH

"I THINK WE NEED TO leave soon," Rome finally said after two days. They'd spent those two days either kept in their motel room or at the Smithsonian, hoping to find any more information they could about the man previously known as Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. With a slow nod to herself, Rome continued speaking. "We've been here for too long and it won't be long before they discover us here."

"I thought you used a cloaking spell," Bucky said, turning to look up at her. He sat cross-legged on the other side of the bed.

She nodded. "We are, but that is only if we're tracked using some other form of magic or technology. However, if we were to be spotted walking down the street, it won't take them long to figure out where we are." It still hadn't been very long since the fall of HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D., and the helicarriers felt in the Potomac. Agents and police officers were still searching the city all over for HYDRA operatives. "So we need to leave soon. Preferably now." Looking over her shoulder at the clock, she saw that it read one forty-six in the morning. She gently yawned. "Or in the next few hours."

Bucky nodded. Over the past few days, they'd been working and researching nonstop, getting little to no sleep. Of course, there was all sorts of mixed information and it was hard to trust all these sources when they came from unreliable sources. The information at the Smithsonian had stated all official information 一 birth and death dates, family, a small biography that informed them of the same information they'd come to know already. But other than that, there wasn't much other information released on who he was. Captain America, otherwise known as Steve, obviously hadn't been able to supply information until very recently, and the Howling Commandos, the group of fighters the two had been a part of, only spoke of who he was as a person. They hadn't known his childhood home or what his favorite book was or where he'd go to think in troubled times or even what his favorite color might have been. It nearly killed him to know that he'd been so easily forgotten by time, known only as a hero's best friend who died too early in life.

D.C. had nothing left to provide them with so it was time to leave.

"So... where to, soldier?" Rome asked. Bringing her knees to her chest, she leaned and pressed her cheek to the top of her knee. Given they were still alive, she was sure she had a few friends still alive to help out. Perhaps she could try and give them a call...

"Well..." He paused and started to think. "I did promise you a trip to New Orleans."

Slowly, she blinked. He'd... he had remembered. That moment had been so long ago, a simple question she asked in a moment of desperation. Rome had wanted so badly to be able to talk to someone, to have that basic human contact, and so she had asked the first questions that had come to mind. She ducked her head to hide her blushing face. "That would be nice."

∞  ∞  ∞

Forging documents and passports wasn't as difficult as she originally believed it to be, especially because she was working with both magic and the expertise of the ex-Winter Soldier. Security was especially tough because of Bucky's metal arm, and they were continuously worried someone who just happen to get a glance at his face, and the whole place would go into lockdown, but they made it through. Boarding the plane had been a little hard, however, seeing as how governments agents and officers were stationed nearly everywhere. But in the end, they'd booked their flight and boarded their one-way plane to the Louisianian city. What Bucky had not expected was him being uncomfortably seated next to a man who continued to use him as a pillow throughout the flight. Rome had giggled childishly as he squirmed in his seat.

As they flew, she'd noticed how tense he'd been and less than an hour into the flight, Rome's hand had found itself resting atop his. Bucky had been tightly gripping the armrest, ready to rip it off and crush it within his metallic fist. The Winter Soldier had no trouble flying, but it'd been Sergeant Barnes who had fallen to his death; no wonder he felt such discomfort at flying. When she placed her hand atop his, Bucky had looked at her and she smiled at him.

"Are you all right, soldier?" she asked in a gentle voice. Even though he couldn't feel her touch against his metal hand, Bucky grinned as she rubbed soothing circles atop his hand.

"I'll be better when we land."

When the plane had finally landed and they'd gotten their bags, Rome had never seen a man so relieved to be away from the heights, the sleeping man, and the crowd. 

They'd quickly gotten to their hotel, a lovely little place on Rampart Street. Before they had arrived, Rome had pointed out several things along the drive in their taxi. She'd leaned across his lap, eyes wide with excitement, and he thought she looked so pretty so happy. There was a different look in her eyes, a glow of admiration as her green eyes glazed over the buildings and people. 

Upon arriving at their hotel, booking a room for a few days, Rome had nearly sighed with relief and dropped her bag on the ground. "It's so much more beautiful than I remember," she smiled wistfully, shutting her eyes and spreading her arms around her. "Oh, we haven't even explored the city yet but we've so much already." She rambled on and on about how much life and joy she could sense in the city, the magic thrumming through her veins, and about how she just had to take him on a personal tour of the French Quarter and the Algiers Point. Bucky had watched with fascination as he shut the door behind them.

Rome's green eyes had lit up with excitement and her lips had been tugged high into a smile. He had liked seeing her get happy; he could remember the first time he had seen it.

Just a month short of two years ago, he'd returned late from a mission in Germany. Three days to be exact. His contact had been killed and so he had to make his way back to the base by himself, struggling to try and blend in. When he returned, he'd been debriefed for so long and the moment he stepped foot in his room, Rome had appeared not five minutes later. She'd nearly been in tears, hands shaking as she reached to grab his arms; she'd been so worried something happened to him, and Rome had been furious that Pierce hadn't allowed her to try and find him. But her tears had been silenced when she saw him reach into his bag, retrieving a small book. It looked old, scratches and faded patches in the leather cover, with the pages an ugly darkened yellow. The corner of the book looked scorched, as if it'd escaped a fire, but Rome had loved it all the same. After seeing her practice magic for so long, he'd learned to spot the difference between normal notebooks and grimoires. Rome had hugged him so tightly, thanking him for the gift then thanking him again for returning home safely to her.

"God, I love you." He nearly froze at his words, eyes bugging out of his skull. They had been quiet, but loud enough to where if anyone had been actually listening, they would have understood him. 

Did he... really say that? Of course he'd known that what he'd been feeling for Rome was no longer just how friends feel for each other, but he hadn't thought that he loved her. It sounded so odd, so foreign for someone like him to fall in love but he had. Bucky had fallen so deeply in love with Rome.

Rome turned to him, smiling. "What did you say?" she asked.

Good, good, she hadn't heard him. In all of her excitement about the city, she didn't hear what he had said. "I said, 'God, you're excited," Bucky lied smoothly and placed his bag beside hers on the floor. He wanted to slap himself silly; how could he say that? And yet how did he not say it louder and kiss her there and then? "Now, let's explore your city. I know you've been dying to see it."

A/N: they're so cute ahhhhh
p.s. happy halloween :)