**Hit play before you read**

The next few days you avoid Steve as much as possible. You don't want to give him the wrong impression. The other day was a much-needed release that had been building for a long time. But it could get messy very quickly with Steve's feelings for you. A part of you was still in love with Steve and what you had together 70 years ago. But it was exactly that "what was" not here and now.

You were in the kitchen and had just finished eating a snack after a good workout. You turn around from the sink to find Steve right behind you.

"You're avoiding me, aren't you?" He says with a tinge of hurt in his voice.

"Steve, I just...I can't..." Your words catch in your throat as he looks down at you. "You don't want me, not this me, anyway. You want a ghost that died a long time ago."

He's been silent the whole time, just staring at you. His hands come up, cupping your face. "Please don't regret what happened the other day. I don't." He brings his lips close to yours and whispers. "You're right, Jo; I do want you."

His lips press against yours, slow and warm. The mix of mint and his musk fills your senses. Instinctively, your hand slides up his chest, coming to rest just below his neck.

He pulls back a little and speaks against your lips while resting his forehead on yours. "Tell me you don't want this, that you don't want me? I'll give you time to think about it."

His hands gently slide down your neck to your shoulders as he lets out a deep sigh. Steve turns around and leaves you breathless and dazed in the kitchen.

You look down at the ground, shaking your head. "Steve, what are you doing?".

Steve gives you the promised time and keeps his distance except for work over the next few days. Fury has told the team to decide on a new target and start working on an attack plan.

You're standing in the mission room by yourself, looking over the targets. You've spread everything out to get a better view. When you hear footsteps come up to the door and enter the room.

You look up and see that it's Tony. "I have to ask, Lieutenant, do you ever sleep? Every time I walk past, you're in here going over things again."

"No, I won't rest until we finish Hydra once and for all. " you say, looking back at the satellite pictures.

"Everyone needs a break now and then. You should let me take you to dinner and have a few drinks. You could let loose for once."

He walks up beside you and leans against the table facing you. "What do you say?"

You look at him, giving you his best boyish grin. The more you've worked with him, the more you've come to see the charm and charisma he's so famous for.

"You're really pouring on the charm, aren't you, Stark? " you say as you reach past him for a picture, making sure your arm rubs against his.

He raises his eyebrow at you. " Is it working?"

You walk around him as you let your shoulder brush across his chest. You hear him take in a quick breath. You decide to play his game. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"God, you're killing me here. Come on. You, me, a quiet booth somewhere and your favorite bottle of whatever?" He says, turning sideways, his lips coming close to your ear.

"I'm not the kind for relationships, Stark." You say as you move around the table.

Tony follows you. "They say that about me too."

You start gathering things to put away. "I'm a cold bitch."

Tony moves the papers out of your reach. "I've been told I'm an egotistical asshole."

You lean closer. "I've killed people."

He turns to face you. "So have I."

You lean in and whisper in his ear. "I enjoyed it."

Tony closes his eyes as your mouth grazes his skin. "Is it wrong that that turns me on?"

You pull back, looking at him standing before you with only inches between your faces. You can feel that warmth growing in your lower stomach as you inhale his cologne. Tony leans in, his lips against yours. You glide your tongue across his lips as you take control. Tony moves closer as he places both hands on the table, pushing you back against it.

Suddenly, an image flashes behind your eyes of a guard pinning you against a bathroom sink as he forcefully kisses your neck, pulling at the towel wrapped around you. Your eyes fly open, and you quickly pull away from Tony. "I can't...I have to go."

Tony instantly steps aside, recognizing that trapped animal look in your eyes. You rush out of the room to the nearest balcony, looking for air.

Tony watches you leave, wondering what you could have recalled. It had to be something bad to spook someone as tough as you. He takes a deep sigh and says to himself. "What did they do to you?"

You make it out to the balcony and take deep breaths of the cool evening air. "God damn it!" You push against your head. "Go away. Just go away. Why can't you stay buried?"

You didn't mean to scare Tony; it wasn't his fault that he triggered that memory. You were enjoying his flirting; hell, you were encouraging it. You put your fingers up to your lips, remembering how he tasted.

"Stop it, Jo! Don't get attached to anyone. Relationships are a weakness you can't afford right now."

You slide down onto a chaise that's nearby. You let your head fall into your hands as you feel your heart slow down.

A couple of days later, the team decides on a target. Now you wait for the green light. You are still frustrated with what happened with Tony, and you can't get Steve's kiss out of your mind. You know the next mission is bigger and won't be as easy. You don't like it, but you, Bucky, and Steve need to work together like a well-oiled machine to pull this off. You tell Bucky, and he agrees. He's called Steve down to one of the training rooms so the three of you can train together and get to know each other's moves.

The three of you have been training together for over four hours now. Tony and Clint had come in early and started working out while the three of you sparred.

Steve walks over to his towel and water. "That's it, I'm tapping out for the day. I need a shower and food."

You push yourself off the mat. Bucky has just thrown you over his shoulder. "What? Where did Mr. I Can Do This All Day go?"

Bucky holds his hand out to you. You grab it as he pulls you up off the floor. "I'm kind of with Steve on this. I could really use a shower."

You raise your arms in defeat. "Fine, you two old men go soak in Epson salt or whatever dinosaurs do. I'm going to hang a little longer."

Steve throws a water bottle at you. "Hey, you were born the same year as me. May I remind you!"

You catch the bottle. "Yeah, but I still look better than you." You say sarcastically as you blow him a kiss.

You turn around and head for the punching bag. You continue to beat up the bag for another twenty minutes. Clint has left, and you and Tony are in the training room. You walk over and grab your bag.

You look over at Tony. "The room's all yours. Wanda's cooking tonight, so I guess I'll see you at dinner." You still feel bad for walking out on Tony like you did, but you can't bring yourself to tell him why.

You leave Tony to finish his workout and head for the showers. You enter the open communal shower and let the steaming hot water cascade over your skin. You stand there with your hands against the walls as the water soothes your sore muscles. You stare at the bruises on your knuckles—you definitely went a little too hard today. You grab the loofa and soap and start to lather yourself up.

Tony had finished his workout and started to step into the shower. He stopped when he sees you. He rests his shoulder on the wall as the soap cascades down your toned body. As he does, he sees cover-up washing away from your skin.

Underneath are deep scars from cuts. They are all in lesser visible areas when you are dressed. You have several on your lower back and thighs. There are more on the inner parts of your shoulder blades; there are even a couple along the sides of your rib cage. Tony holds his breath as he watches them all emerge on your skin. He could only imagine what could have caused those wounds on a super soldier.
"Do you always stare at women in the shower, Stark?" you ask without turning around.

"How did you...?" He stammers just a little.

"Super soldier assassin, remember? I heard you the minute you hit the doorway." Your face is still turned to the shower wall as you continue to rinse off.

Tony walks over and stands beside you. "Did Hydra do this to you?" He says, unable to look away from the scars and how they contrast against your beautiful skin.

"Yes." You answer.

"I thought you couldn't scar? I've never seen scars on Cap before." He says, finally looking up at you.

You turn and look him in the eyes. "They did most of these before the serum. Even with the serum, if you are cut deep enough in the same spot enough times, it scars. They would stab me and then leave the blade in long enough for it to start to heal around it. Then, they would pull it out, ripping the new skin with it. They like to play little games like that.

Tony can barely hold back tears as he can imagine the pain you endured getting those scars.

You approach Tony and reach behind his head, grabbing your towel off the hook. You lean and whisper in his ear.

"If you're going to stand and watch me shower, at least wash my back for me next time." You pull the towel down and smoothly wrap it around your body.

Tony's mouth drops open just a bit as you turn and sachet out of the showers.