Titanium ~A Bucky Barnes Love Story~

Chapter Thirteen

Caden and Rogers sparred.

And she pinned him.

He never would say if he let her win, though Caden was sure he had. But the most important thing was, her right arm was in absolutely zero pain, and her left had not failed her. Rogers wore the mark of her perfect, maybe too perfect, left hook on his jaw for a solid week. Of course, she hadn't meant to hit him that hard, but he did tell her to go for it, so it was kind of his fault. So of course he wasn't angry, impressed rather, but she still felt bad.

Well, maybe not too bad. Even if Rogers had let her win, she still hooked him a good one, and who had the bragging rights to say they bruised the national symbol that was Captain America's face?

'Not many,' she smiled to herself as her memory came to an end. She sat down, taking off her pink gloves -- she had never bought another color besides pink -- and wiped the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead. She was just taking a much desired drink of water when Rogers walked in. She smirked at him through her bottle of water when she saw he was in gym clothes and carrying his own personal punching bag.

"I see Tony told you to get your own bags after you kept breaking his?" She asked, winking at Rogers.

Rogers laughed shortly, easily lifting the heavy bag up and hooking it into place. "What are you doing here, Cade?" He asked, sitting down beside her. "I haven't seen you in here for a while."

Caden shrugged. "Just working some issues out," she said.

Rogers nodded, slipping on his boxing gloves. "Tony again?" He asked.

"Actually, no," Caden laughed slightly. "He's the one that has always told me to hit something when I am angry, something, not someone, mind you. No, my cousin isn't my problem. It's Bruce."

"Dr. Banner?" Rogers asked as he started to take a few easy jabs into the bag. "He's never seemed like a guy that would get on anyone's nerves. Then again, that is just my opinion."

"He's such a pushy thing when it comes to his work," Caden groaned, standing back up and lightly punching at her bag.

"Now, that I have noticed."

"It's just," Caden grunted, throwing a blow at her inanimate opponent. "He doesn't think I'm making enough progress with Bucky."

Rogers stopped punching momentarily. "Are you?" He asked.

"For what terrible condition the poor guy was in when I got to him, we've made a hell of a lot of progress. I'm getting full sentences, he's getting his memories back. Slowly, only one or two a day, but he's still remembering."

"I trust what you're doing, Cade," Rogers said sincerely. "Don't worry about what Banner says about it. You're the expert here."

"I know it's just..." She trailed off, not wanting Rogers to know more than he absolutely should.

She couldn't tell him about the project, he had always disapproved of her project with helping PTSD veterans back on their feeet and preparing them to to go back into the fire again. Caden had tried reasoning with him, saying they were given a choice, and they were; most of them chose to go back. Maybe it was because he was a veteran himself, she didn't know.

Besides, he still believed the project had been terminated after D.C. And it had been.

It's just that it had been resurrected when Bucky came to them, and they hadn't found the right time to tell Rogers that piece of information.

No, she shook her head. Rogers couldn't know about it. At least, not yet. Not until Bucky was ready.

"It's just what?" Rogers asked.

"Nothing." Caden shook off the thought.

"If it's one thing I have learned about you, Cade, it's that it's never nothing. C'mon, what's up?"

Caden shrugged. "It's really nothing, I swear. Hey, Rogers?" She asked, successfully changing the subject before Rogers could inquire more. "Want to spar?"

He looked at her quizzically, before nodding, a grin on his face. "Just like old times?" He asked, taking off his gloves.

"Just like old times," Caden confirmed. "Even though it's only been a few months since we last sparred."

"Just don't bruise my jaw again," he laughed, running his hand along his right jaw where the bruise once lay.

"Oh, I won't," Caden said with a smirk. "But I am going to beat you. For real this time. Just, take it easy on this sore wrist of mine, okay darling?"

"You always say that," Rogers pointed out, laughing. "And I always take it easy on you."

Caden balked, hands on her waist. "Is that the truth? Well, this time I am going to beat for sure."

"You always say that, too."

"Shut up, Rogers," Caden laughed, stepping onto the sparring mat, "Put your fists where your mouth is and get ready," she said, getting into fighting stance.

"Always am," Rogers said. "Good luck."

"Thanks, you're gonna need it," Caden said as she came at him with her signature left hook.