Natasha had training with Bucky again later that week. She went to the training room, but no one was there. She was just reaching for a knife, when someone came up behind her and put a hand on her back. She reacted instinctively, yanking the person's arm forward and flipping them over her shoulder. They landed on the floor with a thud, her boot on their throat.

"Nice to see you too" Bucky said. His hair was slightly messy, falling in his face, and his gray-blue eyes were fixed on her. She blushed, removed her foot from his neck, and stepped back. He got to his feet and went over to a rack of weapons. He returned with a beautiful maple colored bow, and a quiver of arrows. She silently took the quiver and slung it over her back. He handed her the bow once she finished putting on the leather arm guards.

"Shoot that target". He pointed to the far end of the room. She pulled out an arrow, fitted it against the string, and drew it back.

" You do it like this". Bucky came up behind her, and reached around to help her fire it in the correct way. Natasha tried to ignore the fact that her heart was pounding from him being so close. The first shot went wide since her hands were shaking slightly. The second hit the very edge of the target. The next few landed somewhat in the center circle. Once she proved that she could hit a target at any distance, he started throwing clay balls into the air for her to shoot. They finally took a break when she missed a ball, and nearly hit Bucky instead.

They worked on agility and flexibility next, which meant gymnastics. She started off by doing flips from a thick wooden beam raised several feet in the air. She ran along the beam and threw herself off the end in a forward flip. She landed hard on her left foot and cried out in pain.

Bucky was at her side instantly. "Natasha, are you okay?" She clutched at her ankle with both hands, and tried not to throw up or faint. "I think it might be broken" She said. He put his arms around her and picked her up. The movement made her ankle flare with pain, and her vision went white. She closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and buried her face in his chest.

When she opened her eyes, they were in the infirmary. The room was rather small, with cupboards lining one wall, and big stained glass windows along another. A row of cots marched across the room, sheets yellowed from age and disuse.

Bucky laid her down on the nearest cot, sending up a cloud of dust. Natasha watched him rummage through the cupboards, and return with a roll of bandages. He sat on the edge of the bed, pulled off her boot, and began wrapping her ankle.

She propped herself up on her elbows. "You don't have to do this" She said.

He looked at her for a moment. "I want to" was all he said. He finished wrapping her foot and tucked the end in tightly. "How's it feel?"

"It feels fine" She lied. She thought he sounded worried about her, which was crazy. She couldn't help herself, she leaned forward at the same time he did. Their lips touched, his much softer than she'd imagined. Not that she'd thought about it a lot of course.

She slid an arm around his neck, and buried the other in his hair. He put a hand on her back, pulling her closer, and kissed her harder. Her foot bumped the edge of the cot, making her wince and pull away.

Bucky instantly stood up. His face was slightly red, and he looked hurt. "I'll just leave now" He said. He turned and headed for the door.

"James, wait" Natasha called. But he'd already left.