Steve was doing his morning run but this morning it just wasn't cutting it. He definitely was going to have to hit the boxing gym later and punch out his frustrations. He was just finishing his last lap when felt a vibration in his pocket. Grabbing out his phone he was surprised to see it was a message from Sam.
I'm in town, wanna grab some lunch?
Steve text back and quickly they decided on a time and place. Looking down at his watch Steve figured he'd get to do at least 2 hours of boxing before needing to get ready. And box he did. He set a new record for broken bags, 7 in 2 hours. After breaking the last one and cleaning up the mess, Steve realized he was now running late.
Taking a quick shower he rushed over to the bistro where he was meeting Sam. At first he didn't see him anywhere until a man dressed in neat dark blue suit turned his head. Sam spotted him him and waved him over.
"Looking sharp, Sam. Part of the reason you're in town I assume?"
"Yeah, some official business about those wings we "borrowed". Turns out I might not get into any trouble over it, all things considered." Sam explained.
"Good to hear. So that's the only thing you're in town for?" Steve asked.
"Might not be at liberty to say more." Sam took a good look at Steve and grinned before continuing. "Enough about me though. What have you been up to since getting back?"
"Nothing much. Running, hitting the gym, but besides that it's been pretty quiet." Steve answered.
"Haven't had any visitors or friends?" Sam persisted
"No, not really." Steve evaded.
"Not even that fine and sassy spy friend of yours?"
"Natasha? Oh yeah, she came by Monday and we got some Thai food."
"And is she the only lady you've seen recently?" Sam continued.
"What is this, Sam? She's normally the one who picks on me about me about my love life." Steve prostested.
"Oh I'm not hasseling. Just curious about who it is that gave you that hickey."
"Hickey? What Hickey?" Steve asked.
"That big ol' red mark on your neck that you only get when you're having a good time with good company." Sam pointed out.
"There isn't ... I don't." Steve sputtered.
"Don't hold out on me, man. Was it that fine friend of yours? Maybe that cute blonde agent that was your neighbor?" Sam pleaded.
"It's nothing, Sam." Steve insisted, pulling up the collar of his shirt as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger.
"A mark like that isn't nothing, but I forgot you aren't the kind to ... uh... kiss and tell."
"Can we eat? Please?"
Sam dropped it and they enjoyed their lunch, talking about sports, movies and recounting adventures. Once they paid Sam stopped Steve.
"I was going to ask you to have a drink with later tonight and maybe catch a game but you might be busy."
"Sam." Steve warned him.
"Well text me if you get the time. I'll be seeing you."
At 5pm exactly there was a knock on Steve's door. Natasha had barely finished her knock when the door was opened by an irate looking Steve.
"Natasha, we need to talk." He growled, pulling her inside quickly.
"Jeez, Cap. What has got you all worked up?" Natasha complained, pulling out of his tight grip.
"Look at this! Natasha how could you do this to me?" Steve cried, pointing to his neck.
"Well I'd say I'd start by putting my lips on your neck."
"You know damn well that isn't what I mean!"
"Relax, Cap. I don't remember you complaining about it when I gave it to you. Besides its not like anyone would see it." She answered dryly.
"I had lunch with Sam."
Natasha's cool composure cracked momentarily and she hissed. "What did you tell him?"
"Nothing. But he isn't going to let it go, Natasha." Steve seethed.
"Then tell him the whole truth or tell him nothing. Your choice." She answered coldly.
"I think you should leave Natasha. I won't enjoy any lesson you'd have to teach me tonight." Steve declared, opening the door again, refusing to look at her.
"Lucky for you I'm not the one teaching tonight." Natasha snapped.
Steve turned his head at stared at her noticing for the first time she was holding a gym bag. Natasha reached into the bag grabbed something and tossed it to him.
"Put that on, you'll need it. I'll be down at my car and if you're not down in ten minutes I'm leaving without you." She informed him coolly.
Natasha pulled the door shut roughly as she left. Steve looked down at what she had thrown him. In his hands was a long sleeved, high necked shirt made out of slippery material.
What the heck could we be doing that needs a shirt like this? Steve thought.
Curiosity piqued, Steve quickly changed shirts and grabbed his gym bag which still had his wallet and keys inside it and rushed downstairs. Natasha was parked out the front.
"I didn't think you'd show."
Steve said nothing and slid into the passenger seat tossing his bag into the back seat. For the first time he took a good look at Natasha and realized she was covered head to toe in the same slinky, slippery material and her hair was tied back for once.
"Natasha, where are we going?"
Her voice was cold as she replied "To work on your problem."
They drove. Each was determinedly silent. Steve was mad at Natasha and she was mad at him for being mad at her. At long last they pulled into a small car park. Natasha got out of the car and grabbed her bag from the back seat.
"Here?" Steve asked getting out of the car with his bag.
"Here. I'll be inside."
Natasha activated the lock and walked into the building, fast. Steve hurried after her. Inside the building there was the sound of much physical activity and through a glass door off to the side Steve glimpsed people dressed like him sitting on the floor.
"Welcome to our next lesson." Natasha said, the angry edge in her voice softening.
"Natasha, what is this?" Steve asked, turning towards her.
"Brazilian Jiujitsu. Ground fighting."
"Why? What does this have to do with my ... other lessons?"
Natasha moved close to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and whispered into his ear. "Quite a lot actually."
Steve almost jumped out of his skin as his muscles tensed from her touch and a shiver ran down his spine from the feeling of her breath on his ear. Natasha caught his reactions and raised an eyebrow.
"I ... see your point."
"It will help and besides it will make you a better fighter. Wait here."
Natasha walked over to the reception desk. The receptionist greeted her warmly and after a minute of talking gave her a clipboard. Natasha walked over to Steve and handed it to him.
"Here. You need to fill in this questionnaire. There are some seats over there."
Steve walked over the chairs to fill in his form while Natasha walked back to the receptionist. She had a few questions to ask.
"Hi Rachael. Anyone else here for the first time tonight?"
The phone started to ring as she answered. "Just him tonight. One second, I've got to get this."
Rachael picked up the phone. "Hel.. Yes, one. What?... Oh no! Are you sure? ... Well Natasha is here. I'll ask."
She turned towards Natasha, covering the mouthpiece of the phone.
"Natasha, Alec is caught with a flat tire and he won't make it in time for the intro class. Would you be able to take your friend through the basics?"
"What? Me? Can't the other instructors Marco and Tony do it?"
"Marco is taking the advanced class and Tony is out of town with the tournament team. Please can't you do it Natasha?" Rachael pleaded.
Sighing Natasha agreed. "Fine. I was going to do some training anyway."
Steve came up to the desk with his completed form, unaware of what was going on.
"OK, finished. "
"Great. The regular is unavailable tonight but we have found a replacement." She explained.
"So who is my teacher going to be?" Steve asked Rachael.
"Me. Got a problem with that?" Natasha challenged.
"No Ma'am."
"Alright, let's go."
Natasha lead Steve to a smaller training room with mirrors and a padded floor. She removed her shoes, placing them on the rack near the door and bowed as she stepped onto the floor. Steve copied her gestures.
"Alright Rogers. Let's warm up."
They did some jogging, push ups and sit ups, almost competing with each other. After a few minutes Natasha called a halt.
"You ready for your lesson now?"
Steve nodded.
"Good. Now get on your back." Natasha instructed.
"Excuse me?" Steve questioned.
"Rogers you are here to learn Brazilian Jiujitsu. The art of ground fighting, submissions, chokes, locks and holds. We only have another twenty five minutes I am going to teach you the basics. Now on your back."
"Fine." Steve relented.
"Good. Now bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor. It will make the next part easier. "
Steve complied. Natasha knelt between his legs and reached her left hand down to placed it on his ankle.
"Now I want you to wrap your legs around my waist and lock your ankles together." Natasha explained.
"Why?" Steve asked.
In reply Natasha shot her right arm out pressed it into Steve's neck. Her left arm pushed down on his chest. Steve tried to push her hands off while moving back to sit up. However Natasha's left arm was pushing down on Steve's center of balance causing him to sprawl back and engage in a useless hand to hand fight.
"Natasha! What the heck are you doing?" Steve cried out.
"Lock your legs around my waist and push up with your hips." Natasha almost shouted.
Steve obeyed and Natasha was pushed back, her hands moving out of range to do any damage. Natasha stopped trying to choke Steve the instant he pushed his hips up and she couldn't move as she was contained in Steve's legs.
"Better. Now pull me in. I promise I won't do anything Cap."
Steve brought his knees towards his chest and pulled Natasha closer.
"Good. Now push me out and then release me."
Steve slowly, carefully extended his legs and unlocked his ankles, freeing Natasha. She, however, stayed where she was.
"This is called a guard position, Rogers. Also known as full guard or closed guard. It is a strong position for the bottom person. With your legs wrapped around me you can control my distance from you and prevent me from standing or attacking you."
"OK. Guard. I got it."
"Next position, mount."
And before Steve knew how Natasha had moved over his legs and was now straddling his chest, her knees pushed into his armpits. She looked straight down into his eyes and he looked back, surprised but also amused.
"Mount is a strong position for the person on top. You do not want to be where you are right now Rogers. From here I'm pressing down on your center or gravity meaning you can't sit up. Your legs are essentially useless and when it comes to hand techniques gravity and positioning are on my side. Understand?"
"Yes Ma'am. So... how do I get out of here?"
"Try to throw me off."
Steve pushed, wriggled and bucked against her but Natasha kept using her hands to stop herself over balancing whenever Steve tried to move her.
"See the problem?" She asked.
"Yeah, I see it."
"So to overcome it you need to secure one of my hands to your chest."
Taking her advice Steve held her left hand down with both of his pressing it firmly into his well developed pecs. He tried to move her sideways by pushing diagonally with his hips and legs but Natasha's body still pressed against him, left leg keeping her balanced.
"Nice bridge Cap."
"Bridge?" He queried.
"Its the term for when you lift your hips like that. You did it in guard as well."
"Well it's not working."
"Not yet. You need to get your right leg on the outside of my left one. Use your right hand to push my leg back down toward your leg. "
Steve placed his hand on Natasha's knee and pushed on it, easing it along his body until it was near his hip.
"Good. Secure my leg to your body and then I want you to bridge and roll to your right."
Steve tried it, wrapping his leg over hers, pushing and rolling. Now Natasha was on her back with Steve between her legs, his face leaning close to her chest. He was close to her, very close. And it was now he realized he had been very close to her and rolling around on the floor and wasn't having his usual tense and nervous reactions.
I suppose it helps that we are locked in combat instead of by our lips. He mused.
"Very good,Cap. That was a bridge and roll escape to an open guard." Natasha complimented.
"Open Guard?"
"Yes. You are in my guard position but my legs aren't locked. I'm going to teach you how to get out of a closed guard into a mount and then we can put it all together. On your back, please."
He obliged. Natasha got back between his legs. She wrapped them around her waist and Steve locked them tightly around her.
"Now the easiest was to get out is to stand up, but you can't stand straight up because of where your legs are. So You need to move your legs out. Watch my hips, Rogers."
Steve watched as Natasha got one knee up and turned towards it, moving her hips to that side. It was loosening the grip of his legs and slightly lifting his hips off the ground.
"Now I swing my other leg around, bring my hips back to the middle, push back a little and I'm out. I'll move around to the side of you, keeping my weight low on you, slide my leg over your body like this and here I am in mount."
Natasha sat on his chest and smiled down at him, feeling satisfied after their argument to have him in such a submissive position. Natasha climbed off Steve and laid on the floor next to him. She turned her head to him and smiled "Now its your turn."
Steve got up and knelt between her legs. Instantly she wrapped and locked them around him, her hips lifted off the ground.
"You're in my guard. Get out of it."
Copying the movements she had shown him, Steve broke free from the tight hold of her legs and quickly moved around into a mount position. Natasha yanked on Steve's hand and locking up his leg she thrust her hips up and rolled him off to the side ending up in his guard between his legs.
The repeated the pattern a few times. Each time was a little faster, a little smoother and more competitive. At last Natasha called a stop as they were out of time. They were both out of breath, sweating and feeling a lot better.
"I'm impressed, Cap. You're a very quick learner."
"Well I've got a fantastic teacher."
"Well this teacher is assigning homework. Your homework is to do a class a week."
"Really?"
"Really. It will make you a better fighter and.. " Natasha paused as she ran her hand down Steve's shoulder to his wrist. Steve smiled but didn't tense up like he normally did.
"I think it is doing you some good. Go sign up at the front with Rachael while I get changed.
Steve went to the reception and Rachael signed him up to the club while Natasha, after changing into jeans and a jacket, waited quietly and watched the more advanced class practice holds and locks. Finishing Steve walked up behind her and watched the class too.
"Wow. That looks pretty.. how can they get an arm like that?" Steve commented.
"Oh you'll learn. Come on, I'll take you home."
They drove back to Steve's apartment, tired, silent but not mad or awkward. Wrestling on the mat had worked out most of the anger and tension between them. The pulled up at the front and Natasha parked but didn't turn off the engine.
"Well this is you. Did you enjoy tonight's lesson?" She asked cautiously.
"I did. It wasn't at all what I expected though."
"I like to keep you on your toes."
"I though you preferred me on my back." Steve bantered back
The two of them shared an easy smile and Steve looked deep into Natasha's eyes. She looked away.
"So... I'd better get going."
"Oh. OK."
Steve started to open the door when Natasha reached out and softly squeezed his arm. Steve turned his head back towards her and found her leaning close to him.
"I'm sorry about this." She apologized pressing her lips to the hickey on his neck. pulling her head back and kissing him lightly on the cheek she asked "Forgive me?"
"I forgive you. I'm sorry too." He whispered into her ear.
Pulling his face back they were close, lips almost touching. Steve leaned in to kiss but at the last moment Natasha turned her head so he kissed her cheek.
"I'm just your teacher, Rogers."
"Your more than that, Natasha. You're also my friend."
Natasha was silent as he climbed out of the car. As soon as the door closed she pulled out and drove away, watching in her rear view mirror as he waved goodbye to her. Confusion and unease her driving companions this time.
Authors Note
Hello Dear Readers,
I am letting you know that the chapters will be updating slower as I am not back at work.
Chapters are planned and plotted, I just need to write them.
Check back Sundays/Tuesdays as those are my days off and days I can write and update.
Love Pepper