“C’mon Tony, we both know you can’t beat me!” I taunted from directly behind my friend.

He wheeled around and stared right through me. I inched off to his side and giggled audibly, taunting him. I ducked when he made a wild swing in my direction and quickly swept his feet out from under him with my powerful legs. As I stood up and held him down with my booted foot, I allowed myself to become visible again.

“Told ya.” I smirked, peering down at him victoriously.

“You cheated!” Tony accused as I hefted him up off of the matted floor of the training room. “You used that damn voodoo shit you’ve got going on.” He grumbled, tugging on his ruffled black t-shirt.

“I simply used my abilities to my advantage.” I shrugged, pretending to brush a speck of dust from the shoulder of my blue S.H.E.I.L.D. uniform. “Any more takers?” I called to the audience Tony and I had attracted.

The onlookers all muttered excuses and took a step back. I rolled my eyes up towards the rafters, this always happened. It was getting harder and harder to find training partners.

“I’ll have a go.”

Steve stepped forward from the back of the group with a confident grin on his face and I smiled evily, cracking my neck.

“Oh, this is going to be fun.” I speculated as he rolled his massive shoulders under his t-shirt.

He took his stance, hands halfway raised, feet planted apart. We studied each other for a long, silent moment. I smirked when I found his weak spot.

I rushed forward and feinted to the left and when he made to grab me, I ducked back low to the right and slid down onto the matted floor between his wide spread feet and grabbed his ankles, pulling him flat onto his back.

As I was rising to my feet, I was surprised to feel his strong arms around my calves. I looked at him over my shoulder, he had turned onto his stomach and grabbed me before I could get up. He shot me a triumphant smirk and I scowled. That move usually left my opponent struggling to catch their breath long enough for me to get back on my feet.

I let out a small growl of frustration and heard him chuckle from behind me. After a few seconds of struggling, I finally kicked free and kicked his ample hands away from my legs before rolling back to my feet at the same time he did.

Steve lunged for me and I easily dodged it and threw myself onto his toned back. My plan was to sling all of my weight around his neck and throw him to the mat, but he grabbed my legs before they got halfway around his frame and made to throw me to the floor. I desperately reached for something to hold myself onto him but the large expanse of his back and shoulders left me with no hand holds and the only thing I came up with was his white t-shirt. As he swung me to the mat, there was a loud rip and his shirt followed me, fluttering to the blue matted floor.

The crowd let out a simultaneous chuckle at the shirt ripping but I didn’t let it distract me. No way was this soldier gonna beat me. I jumped lithely to my feet before he could get the upper hand on me. Despite my strength and speed, if he was allowed one chance at an advantage, I didn’t stand a chance. I ran full tilt towards him and jumped. I perched, crouched, for half a second on top of his shoulders before pulling his large form to the floor. We landed with a thud and I straddled his stomach. I leaned closer to his face with a wicked grin on my face.

“Dead.” I whispered in his ear, holding a hand to his throat as if I had a knife.

He looked up at me, surprise in his blue eyes. We were both panting and sweaty. And I was suddenly aware of just how muscled he was. His pecs were large, unyielding planes beneath my hands and I could feel myself rising and falling with the rhythm of his breathing. Somehow during our fall, his ample hands had found their way to my hips.

“Good fight, soldier.” I amended, pushing myself off of him and walking away, leaving him breathless on the floor.

“So about that-“ Tony began as we walked down the hall together.

“Don’t.” I warned.

“I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on here. I thought you hated that guy?”

“I never… hated him.” I muttered.

“Fine, greatly disliked then.” Tony corrected himself, smirking at me.

“Look, I don’t know, alright?” I admitted, stopping to face him in front of the door to my room. “He’s just not as bad as I thought he was.” I continued, glancing down at my boots.

“Boyfriend material?” Tony prompted.

“You know I don’t date anymore.” I smiled somewhat sadly as I entered my room.

“We’ll see.” He chuckled.

I closed my door in his face and rolled my eyes at my friend’s antics. He was having way too much fun with this.

--Steve’s POV-

I watched Amanda disappear from the training room with Tony at her side, as always. I stared after her for a long time, even after she was gone and the audience had dispersed. I pursed my lips thoughtfully as I bent down to retrieve my ruined shirt.

She reminded me a lot of Peggy, the way she didn’t take shit from anyone, man or woman. Her honest bravery amazed me. She was almost killed protecting her brother and I.

I sighed and dragged my hand down my face. As I started to my room I was scolding myself. Even though Peggy was long gone, I still felt disloyal to her for having any sort of feelings for another woman. And I was definitely feeling something for Amanda Barton.

“Oh Captain, my Captain!”

I turned to see Tony leaving Amanda’s room, closing her door behind himself. He approached me with a mischievious grin on his face.

“Walk with me, grandpa.” He said, reaching up to pat my shoulder.

I was slightly confused as I followed him back the way we came.

“She’s a great girl, isn’t she?” Tony voiced, leaning against the rail of the viewing area of the training room.

“Who?” I demanded, a bit confused.

“Amanda, of course. Who else would I be talking about?” He prompted.

“Oh. Uh… No one.”

Of course he wouldn’t know about Penny. No one here would.

“Why? Is there someone else?”

I hesitated, not quite sure how to answer his question.

“Not anymore.” I sighed, slinging my arms over the metal railing and hanging my head.

“Then go for it. With Amanda, I mean.” Tony suggested. “You’re a little old for her, but she-“

“Stark, Cap. A word please.” Fury said from behind us.

We both turned, a bit surprised. For a man of such stature, he could easily sneak up on people.

We followed our director to his office, where Amanda was already seated. Fury motioned to the remaining wooden chairs and Tony and I took a seat on either side of our petite comrade.
Amanda flashed a quick smile to both of us and I felt my cheeks heat the slightest bit. Of course Tony noticed and shot me a smirk. As Fury settled himself behind his desk, I couldn’t help but wonder what Tony had been about to say before we were interrupted.

Before I could dwell on it for too long though, Fury’s gruff voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“How soon can the three of you be prepared to leave?”