A couple days later, Bucky decided to test his theory on whether you were attracted to him, and whether you were an actual Brat, or just being bratty.

He waited until it was after 10pm, then texted you that he was taking you to the gym. The gym would be empty by then, and as he knew you hated structured exercise, it was the perfect set up. As he expected, you refused, but he turned up at the lab anyway.

"What part of 'no' don't you understand?" You snapped at him as he stood on the other side of the door to the lab. "I'm not going."

"Yes you are. Because you need to exert some energy on something other than me."

"I waste very little energy on you actually, it just comes out naturally."

"Well then you need to exert your other pent up energy from the last 4 years, don't you?" He teased, making your face fall. "Unless you also direct that to me?" He smiled, his eyes looking like they know something you don't.

"As if." You said, taking the gloves he was holding out for you and following him to the gym, incredibly unwillingly. He was right, you did need to get rid of this energy somehow, especially because he seemed to be the one that riled you up, but you weren't going to tell him he was right. Not now, not ever.

Bucky watched you exit the lab and stalk down the hall. He stared at your retreating figure for a second, then followed you.

Once you got to the gym, you'd strapped the gloves on and stopped in the doorway, looking around.

"It's empty." You stated.

"Well done." He laughed. "Thought you wouldn't want loads of people around, you know, cos you're not meant to be seen by anyone." He explained as he led you over to the boxing ring.

"You think I'm getting in that?" You said, your eyebrows raised so high they were almost in your hairline.

"Yeah, I do." He grinned, grabbing the ropes. "Because it means you get a chance to punch me."

You watched him pull himself up into the ring, and hold the ropes apart for you, his hand out to pull you up as well. You know, he wasn't exactly wrong. You did have a very frequent urge to punch him. Maybe it would help with your...current inner turmoil.

You took his hand, and let him pull you up. You took your hand away as quickly as possible, and stood opposite him in the square.

"Now, how many times have you punched someone?" He asked as he started bouncing on his feet.

"Intentionally or...?"

He stopped bouncing and stared at you.

"Are...are those answers different?" He questioned suspiciously. You nodded. "In total I guess."

"Umm...a few times. Not a pro. Not a rookie." You shrugged as he continued his feet bouncing. "When do I get to punch you?"

"Soon. Gotta warm up." He laughed, quickly grabbing the punch pads off the side and holding them up. "Right, get punching."

"This is a poor substitute for your face." You muttered as you held your fists up.

"Yeah yeah, we'll get to my face. Hit the pads first."

You spent the next 15 minutes hitting the pads. It was boring. You didn't say anything though. Hitting the pads meant you could then try and hit Bucky, which you were very excited for. After you'd punch the pads an adequate number of times for his liking, he finally threw them to the side and held his fists up.

"Right, let's go then." He said, a smirk hidden behind his fists. You glared at him.

And swang.

He grabbed your fist, used it to turn you around, and wrapped his arms around you from behind. You couldn't move. You tried.

"Get off." You growled.

"Maybe if you use your nice words." He whispered in your ear, his arms not letting go of you.

"Fuck off."

"Mind your language." He snapped, his voice getting a slight edge to it that made you think...stuff.

"I said, fuck off."

He finally released you, and you quickly moved back to your spot before turning around to face him. He was just smiling, as if nothing had happened. You circled each other, fists raised. He was clearly waiting for you to try again.

A few seconds later, you did. You tried to feign to punch him with your right hand, then when he caught that, you tried to punch his stomach with your left. He just caught that too. As he held your hands, he smirked, then his leg swung out, catching yours, and sending you crashing back to the floor.

You groaned in pain as your back hit the hard floor, his hands still clutching yours as he pinned them down, kneeling over you. You opened your eyes to see his smirk had turned into a full blown grin.

"You definitely seem like a rookie."

"Well when you're kept prisoner for years you don't get much practice in. It wasn't like your HYDRA prison." You spat in annoyance. His face flickered with anger, and a stony expression took over.

"What's your name?"

"What? You're still asking my name? Fuck off." You struggled against his hold, but he just beared down further, his body now pressed completely on top of yours. You froze at the contact. You felt that weird throb again. He tilted his head as he stared at you.

"What's wrong? Your heart rate has sped up."

Oh fuck off. No no no. That was exactly the line from your dream.

"I'm out of breath from being slammed to the fucking floor!" You yelled in his face, not caring that you were only inches away, and that you probably damaged his hearing.

"Your breathing is fine. Your heart rate isn't. I can hear it from here." He said, his voice dropping low and to be honest, it was making your body react to it. "Tell me your name."

"No."

He smiled, and leant down to your ear.

"Then I'll have to punish you." He whispered. You definitely felt a throb then. Deep in your abdomen. All the air rushed out of your lungs at the same time. You hoped he didn't hear. "Are you going to tell me?"

"There's ...a lot of power in a word." You replied, shakily. You couldn't comprehend why your body was betraying you like this, but you were trying desperately not to let it show. He pulled his head back a little, but only to look down at your lips. Then he got off you, and stood up.

It took you a few seconds to process what just happened, before you had the sense to stand up as well. You stared at him, not sure what he was going to do next, when he put his fists back up.

"Again." He said simply. You swallowed, then put your own fists up.

You spent a few minutes throwing punches, missing him, trying to dodge his punches as well. You were getting hot and sweaty. From the punching. Only, from the punching.

He caught yet another one of your flying fists, turning you around again just like he had at the start. This time though, he walked you up to the corner of the ring, and pushed you against the post, his arms still around you.

"Given up yet?" He said into your ear, and you hoped to god he didn't see you shiver. Because that was only from the cold. Definitely not from all this physical contact and ear whispering that was going on.

"No." You gritted.

You felt him push against your back harder, pushing you against the post, his entire chest, arms and hips pressing against you. You clenched your teeth and screwed your eyes shut. You could feel him hard against your ass, and you almost caved in to pushing back against him.

"Why are you so hell bent on pushing my buttons princess?" He growled. His voice in your ear was seriously messing with your head.

"Stop calling me princess."

"Then tell me your name." He bartered, and you suddenly felt his lips brushing the skin just under your ear. It stopped when you unwillingly made a small noise. "One word. Then I'll let you punch me for real."

Before you knew what was happening, he had spun you around, pressed you back against the post, his body on yours to hold you there. He was looking down at you, crowding you, his pupils blown wide as his hands went to the ropes either side of you. He licked his bottom lip, and you couldn't stop your eyes from tracking the movement.

You snapped your eyes back up to his, hoping he didn't notice.

His smirk told you that he did.

"Your face is flushed." He commented.

"Well...exercise." You said, shrugging, trying to dampen down what felt like a whirlwind of overwhelming feelings.

"Is that all?" He queried. "Because some might think it means something else."

"Oh yeah? What's that then smartass?"

"Maybe you're turned on." He grinned wickedly, making your face drop.

You couldn't stop yourself. You went to punch him.

He caught your hand at the last second, his head snapping to the side so that he missed it. Then he slowly turned his head to you. His eyes were narrowed as he looked at you.

"You don't get to do that until you give me what I want first." He said slowly.

"Well you don't get to tell me what to do."

"We'll see about that." He smirked. "I think you rather like being told what to do, just so that you can refuse."

You fought your eyes widening, instead trying to glare at him instead. You pulled your fist out of his hand.

"Well yeah, I like telling people they can suck it." You said, folding your arms across your chest.

"Especially me."

"Yes, especially you."

"Because you're a Brat." He stated. Your stomach dropped.

So he did know what you meant the other day. Or he'd gone and found out. Either way, you were now fucked. He knew that you liked this dynamic. He probably thought that you liked it with him. And, with all your dreams, and your body betraying you today, the evidence was probably piled up against you. You decided to do the second thing you knew to do when you were scared - lie.

"Not with you I'm not." You retorted, relatively pleased that your voice didn't come out shaky. It didn't seem like he cared though, because he smiled and leant in even closer.

"Tell me your name."

"No."

His hand went to your hair, his fingers threading through, and he tugged. Not hard. Not particularly light either. The feeling went straight through your body, and you almost sagged.

"Are you sure you want to say no to me?" He said as he came so close to you that his nose was brushing over yours, and his lips were almost touching you. You couldn't help your mouth panting open. "Princess?"

"Stop calling me-"

You were silenced when he kissed you.