Pardon

Chapter 4: Motel

When you wake up again, it's already pitch black dark outside. Bucky notices the change in your breathing immediately but stays quiet for a few moments, keeping his eyes steady on the road.

"You doing okay?", he asks calmly, looking over at you.

"How long have I been out?", your voice still sounds groggy.

"Few hours. I drove the whole time, but don't worry. You missed nothing."

Although he has been up for almost two days straight, his eyes keep an extra sharp watch over everything. You sit back up and put your jacket on.

"You should have woken me earlier. You must be exhausted, too."

"I'm used to this. Don't worry about me", he shrugs your concerns off.

You climb back into the passenger seat and look at him for a moment before you're gaze wanders out and you try to catch how far you've already traveled.

"Do you want me to take over and keep driving or do you think we could find a motel and rest there?", you ask.

He doesn't want to admit it but you could see the tiredness in his eyes. For your safety and his own, he realizes that it would be safer to find a motel rather sooner than later.

"We probably should try to find a motel. I can see the exhaustion getting the best of both of us. I say we find a motel and get some rest."

You nod your head. You take the next exit off the highway and pull over at the first motel you find along the way.

Once Bucky has pulled into a parking lot, he shuts the engine off and gets out of the car. He starts to walk around a little to get a better overview of his surroundings. There is no doubt about it: He needs some sleep and he needs it soon.

"I'm gonna check us in and ask for a computer. Are you gonna keep an eye out and see if anyone was following? I'll come get you once I got the keys."

Bucky looks at you and nods his head.

"Sounds good. I'll stay here and make sure no one followed."

His eyes are already scanning every little nook and corner of the motel area. Nothing seems out of place. But he is not taking any chances.

You enter the motel. The receptionist greets you politely and checks you both in to a small room without any problems. When you ask her for a computer, she offers you to rent a laptop for the duration of the stay. You accept the offer, check you both in under random European sounding names, pay by cash, grab the laptop and go outside to get Bucky and your stuff as quickly as possible.

When you walk out of the motel, he smiles a little and seems relieved.

"Everything alright?", he asks.

"We're good to go", you answer while you get your stuff out the back of the car.

You then walk into the hotel to lead Bucky to your room.

You open the door to your room. It's a small room with an en suit bathroom, a small bed and a window with a front view, just as you requested. At the sight of the small bed, you sigh a little.

"I guess this is where we're going to be resting our heads after today, huh?"

Bucky looks at the small bed. It definitely is a little bit of a downer after todays events but at least you have a place to sleep. Although at this point, Bucky is already so tired, he probably would have been happy just leaning against a wall.