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The one with German desserts and minimal amount of violence
By Kristina K
She likes how confident Bobbi is. No, she doesn't like it. She loves it. It makes her smile to herself, a kind of a smug, but private smile. The kind of smile Trip once commented on and called it "checking out other people's candy stash and planning on eating all of it" type of smile. She would never admit it, of course, but that was, if she was being honest, quite accurate. She did catch herself looking at Bobbi a few times as if she was a delicious piece of Schwartzwäld cherry cake with extra whipped cream on the side. Or an ice cold bowl of Schnee nocklern on a hot summer day. Or any other kind of German dessert, really, because Germans made such delicious desserts, damn them.
And Bobbi, well, she knew exactly what she was doing to her. The raise of the eyebrow, the side glance, the exact same smug smile… She had Jemma right where she wanted her and she found her fumbling demeanor quite endearing.
It starts with visits to the gym when she knows Bobbi is training. Poor Trip never stood a chance in the ring with her. She once saw Natasha Romanoff do the exact same spectacular move on her sparring partner in a training video that went viral all throughout the S.H.I.E.L.D. academy several years ago, and it looked so much less painful than in does right in front of her eyes when Trip makes an uncharacteristically squeaky noise just before he thuds loudly against the mat as heavy and as tall as he is.
Bobbi's laugh rings out over Trip's groan and she gives him a minute to catch his breath before she offers him her hand to help him up.
"You should give a guy fair warning when you plan on showing off." He grumbles quietly and she gives him an innocent face. He nods his head over her shoulder, "'Cause I know you know she's here."
She smiles at him knowingly and concedes with a shrug.
They clap their hands and draw each other in a friendly pat on a back before Trip gathers his stuff and heads out for a shower. Bobbi tightens up her pony tail, takes a gulp of water and then turns towards the opposite side of the gym with sitting stands masked by darkness.
"You wanna give it a shot?" She yells out and for a moment she thinks that maybe Jemma already left, but then she hears a squeak of footsteps and a shuffle. Jemma looks guilty, all bashful and awkward, like she's been caught with her hand in a cookie jar. The smile on Bobbi's face grows wide and is soon mirrored on Jemma's as well.
"I don't think that would be a very good idea, seeing how you almost broke Agent Triplett in half."
"Nah. Boys." She smiles. "They are so fragile."
"Lab rat." Jemma points at herself. "Avoided physical activity since 1987."
"Two PhDs., S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, undercover at HYDRA." Bobbi counters, "That's pretty bad ass if you ask me."
She makes Jemma blush wildly. She does it so effortlessly it's even more embarrassing than it usually is because, this time, she's been caught spying on her training and, instead of being a normal human being, coming into the gym, greeting everybody, sitting by the ring, in plain sight, she hid in a dark corner like a creep and Bobbi knows it.
"Come on," Bobbi waves her over. "I'll teach you a few moves."
Jemma accepts Bobbi's hand and gets pulled up on the mat, almost falling over the ropes in the process, but Bobbi steadies her and Jemma feels her embarrassment just stacking up, one thing on top of the other and she starts to feel all of her confidence – if she ever had any – dissipate.
"Take off your shoes, and your jacket." Bobbi instructs.
Jemma watches her as she shrugs her jacket off and then toes off her shoes. Bobbi's all buzzing with energy, bright eyes and wide smile. Her skin glows with a sheen of sweat under the light and Jemma swallows. This is a bad idea, indeed.
The mat is cold under her bare feet and it shifts in an unusual way when she moves around it. She'll just fall flat on her face without Bobbi ever touching her, she's sure of it.
"Come on. Arms up. Feet wide." Bobbi moves around Jemma, posing her up like a mannequin. She pulls on her shoulders to make her stand up straight, kicks her feet a bit wider to ground her better, places her fisted hands in front of her face for a better guard. "You're too stiff."
"I'm just waiting for you to realize how futile this task is. Everything I ever learned at the Academy was how to punch a guy in the throat and then run as fast as I can. Until I get winded. Which is easily ten seconds in."
"I remember you stood your ground quite well."
"If by stood my ground you mean cowering behind the corner while you singlehandedly knocked out half a dozen HYDRA soldiers, then yes, I'm a champ."
Bobbi looks at her with a smile and so much warmth Jemma starts to feel her palms becoming sweaty. "You're adorable." She says.
"Like a puppy?" Jemma attempts at a joke, but Bobbi shakes her head. "Not like a puppy?"
Bobbi steps closer once, twice until Jemma's back is against the ropes. "Like a girl I'd like to take out on a date."
"Oh."
"If you're interested, of course."Bobbi shrugs nonchalantly, but there's still that spark in her eyes that lights Jemma's fire and a smile that makes it roar. "We should be in Cologne tomorrow around noon and I thought, later, I could take you to this pastry shop where they make the most divine apfelstrudel."
"That. That would be a much better idea, yes." Jemma stammers because Bobbi is so close, she's towering, the muscles on her arms glistening and it all makes her feel dizzy.
"Then it's a date."
"A date. Yes."
"Now let me see those hands." Bobbi orders. She brings her own hands up, showing Jemma how to stand. "I get sleepy on a full stomach." She says. "And I'm prone to eating too many apple strudels so I tend to lower my guard. I need someone to defend me if things become dodgy."
"Oh god, we're gonna die." Jemma sighs gloomily but copies Bobbi's stance.
Before Bobbi can make another instruction, Jemma lunges forward and punches her in the throat. Bobbi stumbles back a step and then plops down on the mat. Jemma is mortified until she realizes Bobbi is not actually choking but trying to stifle a laugh. She looks up at Jemma and the hand she's holding out to help her get up.
Bobbi clears her throat with a smile. "I think I'm in fairly safe hands."
The End