As I Was

Twenty Two

"Left, right, uppercut!" Bucky barked out instructions as he moved the cushions they were using as boxing pads from left to right, up to down "Duck!" he exclaimed, throwing his arm her way and watching as Harper ducked beneath it "Jump!" he continued, barely giving her a second to straighten up before swiping his foot beneath her.

"Not getting me with that one today," she answered breathlessly, quirking an eyebrow and smirking slightly as she set her stance again and raised her hands to cover her face.

"You have the research?" he asked, no longer warning her what was coming as she ducked, dived and punched.

"Elena wasn't...too happy I...used the printer..." Harper replied, ducking beneath Bucky's cushion clad fist "But yes," she continued as she dodged passed him and mimed an uppercut to his chin "Knockout punch," she smirked, gently pushing his head up with her knuckles.

"In your dreams," he said with a laugh, wrapping his fingers around her wrist and spinning her so her back was against his chest "You should make sure you're paying attention even after you think you've won," he teased, leaning down to whisper in her ear as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Harper rolled her eyes, hoping he couldn't feel just how much her heart was pounding. A couple of weeks had passed since they had begun their training sessions up on the roof, since she had found out who she really was and since they had kissed.

With their lessons - both in combat and social settings - ramping up they'd found themselves not discussing any of the elephants in the room. How she was coping, where they went from now, what was between the two of them...

"You know, you're right," she said quietly, her hands creeping up and mirroring his actions. Curling her fingers around his wrist she spun from his grasp, swiping his feet from beneath him and folding her arms over her chest with a smirk as she watched him land on his backside.

"Oh you're in for it now," he warned, scrambling to his feet as she took off with a loud laugh. His boots crunched on the stones beneath them as he chased after her, reaching her with ease and catching her around the waist.

"Ge'offff!" she protested, kicking her legs and leaning her head back against his shoulder, her laughter still alive on her face "Okay, okay, I give up," she exclaimed when it became obvious she wasn't going to get herself out of this one "Just you wait," she warned with narrowed eyes, pointing a finger in his direction when he finally let her go and she brushed her hands down rumpled clothes.

As he extended his arms into a shrug she allowed herself to take the time to appreciate him. He was wearing a white vest for the first time in a long time, showing off not only his muscular chest but scar ridden shoulder and metal arm. He was smiling, one which reached sparkling blue eyes, and looking right back to her with an ease to him that was definitely developing over time.

It helped him to be active, to channel all of his unwanted energy into training her, and it showed. He was sleeping through the night without an issue for starters, he didn't obsess over them being caught and, when they went out, his eyes stayed ahead instead of constantly checking over his shoulder.

"Come on you," he said holding his hand out to her and nodding toward the propped open door "We've got leftovers to be eating," he said, seeing them both together had resulted in the market vendors spoiling them so much with extras slipped in with their purchases they had found themselves with actual leftovers.

"We should eat up here," Harper said as she joined him, linking her arm through his. It had been nice the past few nights and the warm weather seemed to be hanging around even as the darkness crept in around them and she had wanted to take advantage of it for a while now.