The Twin Flame: Grumpy x Sunshine

Death By A Thousand Cuts

"I look through the windows of this love even though we boarded them up. Chandelier's still flickering here 'cause I can't pretend it's ok when it's not. It's death by a thousand cuts..."

"Torres," Sam curtly greets, walking up the ramp to the utility plane.

Joaquin winces as Sam coldly breezes past him up the ramp. He quickly follows him, desperately reassuring him, hoping to appease some of Sam's anger, "If it makes you feel any better, she really did try to keep out of trouble."

"It doesn't," Sam grimaces, pulling out his phone to call Bucky. As he's about to dial, he hears Bucky's heavy footsteps echo up the ramp. And even though Bucky has no idea what's going on, he can feel the tension between Joaquin and Sam. He knows there's about a handful of people in Sam's life that would get him this worked up in worry: Sarah, his nephews, and you. He finds himself unsettled with worry as Sam hisses at Joaquin, "You should've called me."

"Er... What happened?" Bucky hesitantly questions, placing his bag down on the seat.

"I work with reckless idiots," Sam grumbles.

"And that's why you're pissed with Torres?" Bucky urges.

"That would be Reckless Idiot #2," Sam angrily tells him.

Bucky frowns, "Oh."

"It doesn't matter," Sam curtly states, signaling to Bucky that he doesn't want to rehash whatever argument Bucky stumbled onto. "The other reckless idiot should be back in Louisiana with Sarah by now."

"You really think she shouldn't know?" Bucky exhales, taking a seat as the plane takes off.

It was one thing ignoring you, but lying to you was entirely different. And as much as he hated to admit it, knowing that he was doing just that felt like a knot was twisting itself into the pit of Bucky's stomach.

"I don't know," Sam admits, his bag haphazardly seated in his lap. "Doesn't matter, we need more answers before I drag her into this mess."

"I hate to admit it, but we're over our heads with this," Bucky cautions. "This is literally centered around her."

Sam shakes his head, standing when he feels the plane steadily moving through the air.

He takes his duffle bag in hand, moving to place his bag on the small tarp where some of his other gear lay beneath. "We need to figure out where this serum's even coming from. And how they're making them in the first place."

"Yeah," Bucky reluctantly concedes.

Sam haphazardly drops his duffle bag on top of the tarp. His eyes widen when from beneath the tarp, he hears a muffled, "Ow."

"What the-" Sam gasps. Bucky's head snaps up at the sound that came from underneath the dark tarp. Sam's jaw almost drops as he quickly reaches down and rips the tarp off of his gear. He bellows, "Oh my God!"

You wince, curling further into yourself as your hiding spot is given away.

"What are you- Why are you- How did you-" Sam sputters, not able to finish a single question.

He's not even sure whether to be impressed by your tenacity, mad at your stubbornness, laughing that you actually stowed away. His mind races and he can't bring himself to settle on a single emotion.

"Right back at you!" you accuse, hopping up from your hiding place amongst some tactical gear. You point to Joaquin who's emerged from the front of the plane at the sound of the commotion, "You asked Reckless Idiot #2 for help? " Then you point to Bucky, who's settled on an amused expression as he settles into his seat to watch you two fight it out. "And Bucky!? But you didn't bother to tell me anything?"