PURE AND TAINTED ( wanda maximoff )

fifty → it smelt like cabbage

PURE AND TAINTED
CHAPTER FIFTY
( it smelt like cabbage )

AFTER MAKING SURE SAM WOULD be okay, she sent him off to find Rome while she ventured out to hunt down Steve and Bucky. Aline knew there was no way she'd be able to face Rome yet; she had no preparation! Luckily, she didn't have to search far for both the super soldiers were floating in the river and she helped drag them ashore. With Steve's help, she managed to find an abandoned warehouse for them to hide out in, then sent a message to Sam to meet with them, which sent Aline through a small panic.

The tribrid was already on edge with their current situation 一 by not signing the Accords, they were technically criminals in the eyes of the United Nations, especially since they were aiding and abetting a known criminal. Who knows, maybe Ross would send Tony to hunt them down. But now, she was going to see Rome, a woman she hadn't been in contact with in five decades. How exactly was she supposed to react to this situation? She will admit that most of the reason why she had left was because of Aline, but her soulmate had been murdered and Rome had left right in the middle of her grieving period. The time she needed her most, she vanished without a trace. 

She's tried to see Rome's side of things and she did get it. Aline had done a lot of bad things in order to get revenge on Madelaine's murderers, it had been horrific and bloody and gotten the attention of several newspapers and the government. But Rome was no saint 一 she'd done just as much bad as she, her cousin couldn't call herself the better person. If it had been Rome's soulmate who'd been lost, perhaps it would have been chaotic and deadly. A part of her has always wondered if Rome had been jealous of her relationship with Madelaine. Not because she found love, but because she had a soulmate. In this world, soulmates were such a rare thing to find, and Aline had been one of the few they've ever seen or met to have one. Even her Avenger friends had been surprised that she had a soulmate.

When she heard two people enter the building, she balled her fists before she forced herself out of the room. They had to meet sooner or later, and it was best to just get it out of the way now before something else happened. Aline's movements were slow as she spotted the familiar blonde besides Sam. It felt like ice filled her veins. 

Rome hardly looked any different. Her blonde hair was just a little longer, if anything, and there was little to no makeup on her face; there was, however, some smudged mascara underneath her eyelids, but Aline had only noticed it because of her enhanced eyesight. A black coat covered her body, but revealed her jean-clad legs. A necklace sat around her neck, tucked beneath her clothes. A ring of red surrounded her throat, one that she was positive would eventually bruise, and for a moment, a part of her had grown furious that someone even dared lay a hand on her. Even after all these years, she was still protective of Rome. A thin cut was on her temple, with dried blood against the wound.

Her cousin froze when she saw Aline, green eyes going wide. Their eyes met but Rome was the first to speak. "Aline," she whispered, but the tribrid could hear it clear as day. Honestly, she could hear the thundering heartbeat within the witch's chest just as loudly.

"Rome," she greeted, shoving a hand in her pocket. What the hell was she supposed to say? Instead of saying anymore, she nodded her head to the side then looked away to hide her reddening cheeks. "Bucky's in there if you want to see him."

She bit her lip, but nonetheless Rome nodded and started to walk to the side room. They passed by one another, tension so thick you could see it, and Aline watched as she disappeared into the other room with Sam following behind. The moment she was out of eyesight, she let out a loud breath and blinked rapidly. No, she was not going to cry! But she couldn't help the overwhelming feeling growing rapidly in her chest, and she shoved her other hand in her pocket so no one would see them shake.