𝚄𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝙾𝚋𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 - 𝓑𝓾𝓬𝓴𝔂 𝓑𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓼 [1]

25. {Dumb and Dumber}

The cabin is shrouded in darkness except for the soft glow from the moonlight casting gentle shadows over the bed. The cool sheets are draped over your intertwined bodies, offering a sense of comfort and intimacy as you lie together, catching your breath. Tucked under his arm, Bucky's hand is in yours, his fingers intertwining with yours as you trace the lines of his palm, grounding yourself in the quiet afterglow of your shared passion.

For a moment, the world outside the small sanctuary of the bunk feels distant and unreal. But the reality of your mission looms, refusing to be ignored for long.

Bucky's voice breaks the silence, low and contemplative. "We need to figure out what's going on here, Y/N. This key." His thumb gently strokes the back of your hand, a small, reassuring gesture even as his mind races with the complexities of your mission.

You nod, your thoughts slowly shifting back to the task at hand. "The key," you repeat in a murmur, a soft sigh escaping your lips, the unexpected obstacle in your mission. "It has to be more than just a physical key, right? Maybe it's a piece of something bigger."

Bucky's eyes darken with determination as he considers your words. "Whatever it is, we need to find it. There's a connection we're missing, something that ties all of this together. And we need to figure out why they reckon you have it."

You bite your lip, trying to piece together the puzzle. "It doesn't make sense. Why would they think I have it? We need to go through everything we know again, look for any details we might have missed."

Bucky nods, his grip on your hand tightening briefly. "Agreed. But staying here isn't going to help us. We need to get back to the main carriage and start investigating. There might be something there we overlooked."

You can't help but tease him, a playful glint in your eyes. "You know, we've broken protocol again, sleeping together while on a job. What would SHIELD say?"

A smirk tugs at the corner of his lips as he sits up, ready to grab his clothes to change. "Fuck SHIELD," he says with a little smugness.

You give him a look, raising an eyebrow. "You don't mean that."

He shrugs again, leaning over to place a gentle kiss on your forehead but remains silent, leaving your words unanswered. Rising to his feet, he reaches for the lower half of his attire, stepping into the pants with practiced ease and pulling them up to his waist. You lie still beneath the sheets, admiring the view as he changes.

You watch him intently as he grabs his belt, the muscles in his arm flexing as he threads it through the loops. He's halfway done when he pauses, noticing your stillness and the look on your face. Raising an eyebrow, he opens his mouth to speak, but you roll your eyes, sitting up with a mock exasperated sigh. "Yes, I know... take a picture, I get it, Barnes," you say sarcastically, shifting to the edge of the bed while keeping the sheets wrapped around you as you reach for your clothes. He laughs at your reaction and resumes looping his belt, but as he buckles it in place, a sudden knock on the cabin door freezes both of you.

Bucky hastily grabs the fresh shirt he had donned only moments earlier, before it was discarded in your moment of passion. He pulls it over his head and quickly moves to you, gently but firmly pushing you back into a lying position on the bed, pressing a finger to his lips to signal for silence. You nod, complying without argument. You barely manage to slip your shirt on before pulling the sheets over you, hiding in the bunk. You listen intently as Bucky, now fully dressed, approaches the door.

As Bucky cautiously cracks open the door, you manage to maintain a peephole in the sheet, observing two men on the other side clad in familiar grey suits reminiscent of the one worn by the stranger you eliminated. Bucky's countenance remains inscrutable, but you sense an air of intimidation emanating from him. He is met with the two men engaged in a hushed argument, one expressing doubts about their current course of action while the other mentions the dilemma of the boss's disappearance.