Army of One ★ Steve Rogers

20

The winter sun fell in warm rays on Jane's outline in the duvet as she woke. She took a deep breath after a good night's sleep and blinked into the light. Dog poked his head out from under the covers and let go a long, high whistled jawn.

She'd had no trouble falling or staying asleep.

She brushed her teeth, put on her gym gear and took Dog downstairs for a short walk before heading to the gym. It was 6:30 am when she walked in on Steve beating the punching bag out of shape. By the looks of it, he'd been there for a while.

She walked toward him, and he paused, hearing her approach.

"Good morning." He said, out of breath.

"What? No Sunshine?" She teased.

He gave her a small grin before tearing into the punching bag again.

Something was wrong. He was never this dismissive of her.

She touched his shoulder and he stopped, giving his brow a quick wipe with the back of his hand. "Hey," she said, "what's wrong?"

He still hadn't looked at her and was quiet for a moment before he spoke.

"I remembered."

She put herself between him and the punching bag. Placing her hand gently under his jaw, she lifted his chin until his eyes met hers.

He didn't know how, but he felt better now that she was here. Looking into her eyes anchored him.

"How do you feel about letting me punch you in the jaw?" She said softly as she smiled at him.

The corner of his mouth twitched. "If you put it like that..." he replied.

She was stronger again, faster. She knew where he was going to be at times and her arsenal of attacks and defences kept getting bigger.

"You're holding back." She breathed before she attacked again. "I know how formidable a warrior you are," the words broken between ducks and punches.

"If you know then there's no point in me showing you." He breathed back.

She stopped, dropping her shoulders, biting her cheek at him. She looked like she was deliberating something before she nodded to herself, adjusted her wraps and ran at him. She executed a series of movements that she must have adapted and switched up because she was really laying into him. She landed three blows in one sequence. He took a step back, frowning at her:

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's been holding back."

She gave him the promise of a grin, before coming at him again and in a blinding flash of blows and dodges, they were on the ground, her knee on his chest, looking down at him.

Holy moly, he thought, raising his hands in mock surrender. She sat down next to him, out of breath and saw Nat standing in the doorway.

"That has got to be the first time Steve Rogers has ever surrendered," she said with a huge smile on her face.