The Witch He Loved

Chapter 16

"Get your head out of the clouds Kathy and concentrate!" 

Nat's scowl from across the mat had me sighing, It was the third time she had put me on my back now but I couldn't bring myself to care. Leaning up on my elbows I met her glare with a smirk.

"You know I only do hand to hand combat to help you practise right?" 

Everyone in the room froze at my dig, the flame in her eyes burned impossibly brighter before turning predatory. 

"Come on then Kitten, Show me" She lifts her hands up and signals for me to come at her. 

Picking myself up from the floor you dust yourself off, glancing at the boys who have stopped their own training to watch us both. 

"Looks like we have an audience" I chuckle. 

"How about we make it interesting? If I win I get to set you up on a date" She positions herself into an offensive stance. 

I snort but incline my head while positioning yourself, I know it wont happen. "And if I win?" 

"I'll replace the Ice cream of yours that Buck ate." 

I turn to face the culprit. "You ate my Ice cream?"

His mouth opens but he's interrupted as Nat's arms come around my neck. I shoot daggers at him as I wrap my leg quickly against hers and pull it from her under her, both of us falling down. 

I twist in Nat's embrace making her fall on to her arm, rolling out of her reach I stand but just as she gets to a knee I kick back her shoulder with enough force to make her body twist away from me. I crouch quickly and put my arms around her neck.

"Snap" A pause before her sigh says she's done, I let go and she frowns at at from over her shoulder. "Don't be disappointed, I've got hundreds of years on you." 

I drop an arm out towards her and she takes it, pulling herself back up. 

"You need to work on anticipating everything, that's the reason I won that so quickly" 

"Yeah, I know. It'd help if you actually practised with me more often instead of daydreaming though" I just wave a hand at her as she walks away from the mats. 

Slapping your hands together once so the boys all focus on me again. 

"So, who wants to help me practise with magic? Bucky has already nominated himself because of eating my ice-cream but I'll be generous and let someone help him." 

Tony and Steve take a step back while Loki and Thor look at each other as if arguing about it. 

Bucky steps onto the mat stretching out his human arm, his cocky attitude very much on show. "I'm sure I can give a dame a helping hand by myself." 

He winks as you laugh at him. 

Tony clears his throat to get your attention "Do you think you could put a shield up? I don't feel like rebuilding the training room"

I shrug at him and put a hand up, a dome of misty purple slowly surrounds the area you'll be using blocking out the vision of the others. 

"You really can't help yourself can you?" I look from your shield to Bucky with a raised brow but he's not looking at me. 

A small turn of my head shows Loki stood there, arms crossed. 

"Looks like this just got more interesting" I mutter to myself. 

"I'm not here to fight, merely to observe, see if you've gotten stronger." 

I look back to Bucky who's frowning. "Maybe I should start charging for this, I'd make a killing." 

The corner of his lips quirk up but settles again quickly. He taps his head with a finger once before widening his stance. 

"Concentrate" 

Taking a deep breath I bridge into his mind, running invisible fingers against his consciousness. A ghost of a smile on his face being the only way I know he feels it. 

"You really want to play that way?" 

I smile innocently at him while running that mental hand against his mind again "I told you I had to practise my magic" 

A small huff leaves him but he fixes on my gaze. Looking into his mind I try to implant a false set of moves, from running at him and engaging hand to hand the illusion suddenly changes, he gains the upper hand, kicking me feet out from under me, I flip in the air and land on my back.

He stands before me and I kick out, trying to gain some ground but he grabs my foot and pushes it back until my knee touches my chest. He quickly gets in between my legs, pinning my arms down against the floor. 

"I thought you wanted to practise?"

I huff at his cocky smile, trying to pull my arms back up with no luck. He looks down me and I follow his gaze, noticing the compromising position he's put me in. He looks back at my face and I notice his eyes have darkened before he leans forward slightly, his face coming closer to mine. 

I abandon the illusion in his mind, jumping back in to my own mind. A thin layer of sweat has started to coat my forehead but I frown at his glassy eyes, that illusion wasn't entirely mine and it shouldn't have been changed that easily but that's not what I'm mad about.

"What the hell was that?" 

His eyes clear as I speak, the illusion fading quickly. 

"I'm not really sure, I just wanted to see if I could change it because I knew it wasn't real." He looks over me, noticing the sweat and my frown. His head cocks slightly and that cocky smirk comes back. "Looks like it had an effect though" 

Anger floods into me and I let my power flow. His body stiffens and his feet skid across the mat as I pull him toward me. I let go at the last second and push my foot out, tripping him so he falls onto the mat face first. I turn and crouch down, putting a finger on his back to still him. 

"Let us not forget just how easy it is for me to gain the upper hand." I growl at him. 

I stand up and take a step back as he picks himself up. He glances at me as I continue frowning. 

A snicker draws my attention and I look over at Loki who is smiling to himself.

"What?" 

"Nothing Love, just a memory. You've improved greatly." He tries to hide his smile and puts his hands behind his back. 

My head cocks at him, knowing there is something he isn't saying. I look between them, Bucky is frowning at Loki but Loki is just keeping his eyes on me. 

I don't understand how this has become so messy. 

I let the shield down, pulling the magic back into myself, I walk toward the exit. 

"Glad you enjoyed the show Loki" I say as I walk past him. 

I don't stop until I get back to my room. Going straight for the shower to try and unwind some of this tension. 

I don't understand where this is all coming from with Bucky, it's not like I've led him on.