She was slamming into the body bag, one tight punch after another while her stomach roiled. They'd had ice cream night last night, much to her initial glee.
This morning was a different story.
"I told you not to finish that pint of Ben and Jerry's, doll," he smirked at her as he held the bag while she fought back another wave of nausea.
"Shut up," she grumbled, sweat pouring down her face as she doubled over onto her knees, trying and failing to keep her breakfast down.
Steve chimed in while James held her hair back as she puked into the bucket. "In fact, I believe we gave you a whole meal plan you could follow, and we told you a thousand times that ice cream is not an acceptable breakfast, especially after you also had it for dinner the previous day."
The sick amusement in Steve's voice made her throw up a middle finger as she threw up the rest of the ice cream, making the boys roll with laughter. Because that's exactly how they were acting this morning. Like boys.
As she sat back on her butt and wrapped her arms around her knees, James handed her a water bottle, lightly running his flesh hand through her hair. "C'mon, doll, drink some water. You need to rehydrate," his voice was soft, the amusement tempered a bit when he saw how pale she was becoming.
"Yeah, yeah. Like you care," she grumbled, grabbing the bottle roughly out of his hand and choking a few sips down.
Steve sighed, shaking his head. "Well, I've got a briefing with Stark in a few, so how about we call it a day?"
They'd been training since nine this morning, and it was almost two by now. She nodded with vigor, making James chuckle all over again. "Yes, please."
He leaned in close to her ear, voice rumbling with amusement and something she couldn't quite place in the haze of nausea. "Now now, doll. No need to beg."
She snorted at that, throwing the bottle at him and reaching her hand out. "Help me back to our room, jackass."
He stood with a smirk, pretending to hold his hands over his heart. "You wound me, doll."
"I'm gonna," she grumbled, wiping the sweat out of her eyes. "I'm gonna if you don't behave."
He smiled, leaning down to scoop her up bridal style as he strode purposefully towards the elevator. "What are you doing?!" She squeaked, wrapping her arms tight around his neck.
"What's it look like? Jarvis, please open the door, I've got my hands full."
"Certainly, sir. Yes, it appears that you do." Jarvis could be a real snark when he wanted, she thought.
"I can walk, you know," she said it quietly, secretly hoping he wouldn't put her down. Actually, part of her was hoping he'd never put her down ever again.
"I know. But you don't want to. I can feel that too, doll," he smiled lazily down at her, all flashing teeth and teasing dimple.
Her heart started to race as she blushed, ducking her head into his shoulder. "Sometimes this bond thing really sucks," she mumbled.
His chest rumbled with amusement as the doors open and he walked into their bathroom, dropping her to sit on the sink as he turned to start the shower for her. While he walked back out to go to his room, he called over his shoulder, never looking back. "I don't know about that. I'm finding it increasingly useful."
She rolled her eyes and smiled wide as she stripped down and jumped into the shower. Who knew he was such a freaking flirt.
A few hours later, after she'd slept off the rest of her ice cream hangover and devoured a bowl of tomato soup, Ella made her way down to the theater Tony had installed for movie nights. The sound of laughter greeted her ears as she walked into the room, strolling over to pick up a bottle of sprite and a bag of peanut butter M&Ms.
"Whose pick is it tonight?" Tony called, gesturing towards the wall-sized screen with the remote.
Steve looked over at the print of the board he'd taped up in the corner. He'd put several in all the common areas, that way if things were tried or they weren't sure what was next, there was a quick reference. After the first fistfight over whether it was Clint's turn or Tony's, it became quickly apparent this was necessary.
"Oh! It's my turn!" Nat smiled devilishly as she walked over to flop down between Bruce and Clint on the middle couch.
Ella heard Nat debate several chick flicks while she scanned the room, frowning when she didn't see James yet. As she started to turn back towards the door, a deep voice rumbled in her ear as a metal hand snaked out in front of her, reaching around to grab a water bottle. "What an interesting outfit you've chosen for this evening."
A wave of lust hit her as she turned, and she realized with a smirk it was his. She raised her eyebrows innocently. "Oh, this old thing?" She did a slow turn, smiling wide as she felt his arousal deepen further. "These are called yoga pants, and this is just a racerback tank. Casual, exercise clothes. I thought they'd be comfortable for the movie. Why… is something wrong?"
Her eyes twinkled up at him and she saw him smile dangerously as he leaned in close. "Mmm. No, nothing at all."
His hum had sent a shiver up her spine, and as he smirked she knew he'd felt it too. She narrowed her eyes, tossing her hips as she walked in front of him to slide into the back left loveseat. Two could play this game. As another wave of lust hit her, she threw a smirk over her shoulder. He was watching her ass.
She sat down in the corner of the loveseat and smiled innocently as he sprawled out on the other side beside her. He pulled her legs up to hang into his lip, and the smirk died on her lips when she saw him spread an enormous microfleece blanket over both of them, covering them completely as the lights went out and the movie came on.
Oh dear. She might be in trouble.
The opening scene of The Notebook came on, and Ella giggled at the collective groans from the male members of their movie night. "Great choice, Nat!" She cheered, giggling as James started to tickle her feet.
"Oh, you think so, do you?" He whispered, eyes dancing over to hers.
She bit back a smile, nodding her head towards the screen. "Watch the movie, James. This is a classic."
An hour in Ella didn't think she'd actually paid any attention to what was on the screen for more than thirty seconds at a time. His eyes had never left the screen, and he'd laughed in all the right places, but his hands… Oh, his hands… They were innocent enough, if you looked over and could see. But the way they were gliding over her legs, stroking her calves, grazing her feet, teasing with strokes that were more of a whisper than a press.
She was flushed, breathing heavy nearly to the point of panting, and she had long since soaked through her underwear. And as much as she tried to hide it, tried to force it out of her mind, she knew he could feel it. He could feel how badly she wanted him.
She wasn't quite sure when it happened, really, this attraction between them. It may have began for him when he'd first entered that room and she'd smirked and licked her lips. For her, she's pretty sure it started when they danced in the cabin, collapsing together as he whispered for her to say his name again while he drifted off to sleep.
But here she was, wetter than she'd ever been in her life, dying a little inside with each casual flick of his fingers against her skin, and he'd barely even touched her. Hell, he hadn't even kissed her yet.
But she wanted him. Wanted him more than she'd ever wanted anyone in her entire life. And, if she was honest with herself, she was pretty sure it was a whole lot more than just wanting to take him to bed. She, Ella Potts, was honest to goodness falling for him.
She snorted with amusement at herself, and then blushed brightly as he turned to look at her like she was deranged. She was laughing while Finn died in the snow on the screen. What a freaking idiot.
But he smiled, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, and she knew he knew she hadn't really watched any of the movie at all.
His metal hand came out from under the blanket, reaching over to brush her wrist before pulling her gently towards him. "Come here, doll," he whispered huskily into her ear, turning her so she was pressed into his side, her head resting on his chest while his metal arm wrapped around her, holding her close by her waist.
She inhaled deeply, the scent of his cologne and just of him filling her senses and making her head spin. "Watch the movie, Ella," he whispered with a chuckle, metal thumb grazing her hip.
So she tried. She really tried to pay attention, to ignore the hard muscles pressing into her side and her cheek, to ignore the metal fingers dancing along her side, to ignore the scent of the man next to her. And as the credits started to roll a little while later, she realized she'd failed miserably.
With a chuckle, he sat up and pulled her with him up to stand, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm as he led her out of the room and towards the elevator. Damn. She hadn't even eaten her M&Ms.
As the doors opened to their room, he led her silently up to her door before turning her to face him in front of it. He had a triumphant smile as he held up a crinkly orange package in front of him. "Thought you might want these?" He said teasingly, eyes taunting as she flushed for like the thousandth time that day.
She snatched the M&Ms out of his hand and held them behind her back. "Why yes, as a matter of fact I do," she said sassily, trying and failing to hold back a smile.
His metal hand came up to stroke her cheek, and his eyes sparkled as he smiled down softly at her. "Goodnight, Ella."
She swallowed down her disappointment and turned away from his touch, turning towards her door to hide her eyes. "Goodnight, James," she said, sounding more hurt than she'd meant to.
The clearing of a throat behind her made her turn back to him, and the look in his eyes sent a fresh wave of desire down to curl her toes. "Aren't you forgetting something, doll?"
She bit her lip, tilting her head in confusion as his hands came up to cup her face. His arousal rolled through her, and she nearly withered on the spot as his lips came down to slowly, oh so slowly, press into hers. He kissed her like he had years to explore her, like he wanted to learn every inch, lips sliding slowly to pull and push and tease until she pulled back panting, head spinning. "I don't know about Bucky, but James wants a kiss goodnight from his girl every night he can get one," he practically growled at her, voice rough like sandpaper as he pressed another kiss to the tip of her nose before releasing her and disappearing into his room. The shiver that rolled through her made her press her eyes shut at the force of it, and on shaky legs she made it into her room to collapse onto her bed.
She smiled like a fool up at her ceiling as she burrowed into the covers and played back his words in her head. His girl.