Darcy had found herself in the country of Wakanda initially under close observation- Thor had been on Midgard on some quest to figure out… something... He was very light on the details when he'd stolen a few minutes to check on Darcy. Apparently he'd been unsatisfied with her accommodations, so one uncomfortably long hammer ride (NOT a euphemism) later, she'd found herself rather unceremoniously dumped practically on Captain America's fugitive feet with the Asgardian asking him to please keep her safe.

The Captain had just nodded, and off Thor went. Darcy didn't get to collect any of her belongings, though thankfully she had her phone with her.

Of course, then the Wakandans subjected Darcy to a perhaps even more rigorous search and background check than she'd ever experienced before. Even at the hands of SHIELD/HYDRA.

Apparently the Wakandans were touchy about who they allowed to see their country, and she couldn't really blame them. The place was fucking AWESOME.

Well, at least what little of Wakanda she had managed to see was.

In the beginning, she'd been in an actual containment area and observed until the Wakandans decided she really wasn't a threat to them. And maybe she ran her mouth a bit too much about exactly what she thought of the way they were treating her. Because even once they decided she wasn't up to anything nefarious and really had no idea why Thor had brought her, they still didn't really trust her to keep her lips sealed about their actual prosperity that had been kept secret from the world.

So she'd been foisted off on Captain America once more, but how was that her fault?

And it was. so. boring.

The man was grumpy and just didn't talk… like ever.

And sure, Darcy had heard snippets here and there of what had happened to the Avengers. Even if Jane and Thor were no longer an item, and Darcy and Jane were no longer friends, strictly speaking (or not speaking, as it were). Thor usually dropped by to check in on Darcy every once in awhile and she got at least a couple snippets of gossip out of him.

Of course, she wasn't convinced it was worth it anymore if she was going to be stuck inside all the time with hardly any opportunities to socialize. Okay, that was taking it a bit far. Thor was awesome, and she was glad she had him as her friend. And she was pretty sure she would get along well with Captain America if she could just get him to open up and actually TALK to her. After all, Darcy's falling out with Jane had been largely based on Darcy's complete and utter hatred for the Sokovia Accords butting up against Jane's failure to see the issue with it. But that was a whole different, longer story.

Thank Frigga (may she rest in peace) for Netflix.

Without the wonderful distraction of binging almost anything she could possibly want to watch, Darcy surely would have died of boredom.

When some dude who looked a lot like the Captain's BFF from the history books, James Buchanan Barnes, had suddenly showed up and started sharing the spacious house Darcy and the Captain were coexisting in, she'd hoped that she could finally count on some conversation again. Or at least hear the two of them talking.

From what little she'd seen though, their relationship was, in a word, strained. She could put two and two together well enough to guess what the metal arm and some files she'd seen from when SHIELD came crashing down meant in terms of how Barnes had spent the time since the 40s.

That's right, even Darcy could figure out that Barnes was the brainwashed asset known as The Winter Soldier she'd read about, and Darcy thought she remembered hearing something about with regards to the UN after she got back from that last trip to Norway with Jane.

And she felt for Barnes, she really did. If she was right, then he'd been forced into being an assassin for HYDRA and that had to really screw with a person's head.

He carried a sorrow around with him all the time that somehow managed to add to the weight she'd already observed was permanently fixed to the top of the Captain's shoulders. Just one time she'd overheard a snippet of an argument between them about how "you shoulda' just left me, Stevie," and it broke her heart. Then they'd obviously realized she was within hearing distance, and they'd shut back up.

Not that the whole of the Sokovia Accords and break up of the Avengers that she had read of before Thor showed up hadn't already broken her heart, but Barnes managed to pulverize it even more.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't really draw either man out of his shell and into conversation or activities, so she'd given up. She'd gone back to her TV, usually watched on a tablet with headphones so that she didn't have to HEAR the constant silence around her.

At mealtimes she fed herself, and she usually left a bunch of extra food out on the counters that always disappeared, dishes washed and put away before the next time she set foot in the kitchen. One day she decided to live on the wild side and experimentally left all the dishes out instead of cleaning them herself. Those had been washed and put away, too, so she'd used that method from then on. She figured it was only fair since she was cooking.

And really that was the most exciting thing that had happened in her life since arriving in months. Getting a super soldier (or two, she wasn't sure because she'd never seen either in the act) to clean her dishes for her.

Until The Day.

Capitalize the T and the D because it ended up being the most surreal, embarrassing, and momentous day of her life all rolled into one.

After all, it was the day The Winter Soldier finally spoke to her for the first time.

Darcy had a song that was flat out STUCK in her head. It had been for days, and the worst part was that she couldn't remember where she had heard it in the first place. And for that matter, she didn't really remember the words. She new one word for sure, and she thought maybe she could remember another two that came after? Or at least they were right there on the cusp of her memory.

As she set about making lunch, she figured she really was just going to have to break down and Google it, which she hated doing. She felt like it was a blow to her pop-culture knowledge pride when she had to cheat to remember the words to a song.

She bopped around, pulling the finishing touches on a salad to go with the sandwiches she'd made, thinking the whole time that she was along.

There were no two ways about it- she screamed bloody fucking murder when the gravelly voice spoke from behind her.

"You don't have to keep singing that; I know what I am."

She spun around, eyes wide and hand over her heart trying to breathe over the sound of the blood whooshing in her ears post adrenaline spike.

"I already told Steve when you started the other day," Barnes added. "He's trying to get T'Challa to let you live somewhere else. Maybe loosen up the reins a little."

And with that, the man disappeared from right in front of her eyes before she'd even managed to mentally play back any of the words and actually register what he had said. She blinked a couple of times and thought she saw a shadow in the hallway of Captain America looking more disappointed in her than he would if she stole Betsy Ross's needle and thread and lit them on fire. Then he too disappeared.

"Fuck." Darcy mumbled to herself.

The dishes still disappeared that day, but she couldn't shake the horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that she had done something terribly wrong and just didn't fully realize it.

That night as she laid awake in bed, replaying everything once more in her mind, she shot bolt upright. "You don't have to keep singing that…" She'd had THAT song stuck in her head- still did, in fact- and she must have been singing or humming it to herself while she cooked. Darcy knew she did that sometimes without realizing it. It had driven Jane bonkers, and she'd complained about it frequently.

That feeling in her stomach turned to thick, greasy dread as she suddenly began to remember more and more words that had evaded her throughout the week.

"No no no no no no no," she repeated on loop to herself as she grasped for her phone on the bedside table and as her fingers flew over the screen. She let out a small wail of disbelief when she saw the lyrics pop up.

I can't seem to face up to the facts

I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax

I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire

Don't touch me I'm a real live wire

Psycho Killer

Qu'est-ce que c'est

Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-far better

Run run run run run run run away oh oh

Psycho Killer

Qu'est-ce que c'est

Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-far better

Run, run, run, run, run, run, run, away oh oh oh

Yeah yeah yeah yeah!

"Fuuuuuuuucccccckkkkkkk. Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity FUCK!" she yelled out the last one as she flew out of the bed and down the hall.

It was pitch black and Darcy obviously wasn't thinking clearly due to complete mortification because she would have realized that probably wasn't anything even approaching a good idea at the middle of the night living with two super soldiers.

When the lights flipped on at the same time as she ran into a wall, she stopped in shock. Blinking through tears, she realized her wall wasn't a wall, but was in fact the former assassin in question and words just started pouring out of her mouth too rapidly for anyone to follow.

"DARCY!" Captain America finally yelled in a tone that made her instantly stop crying and her spine snap straight.

Barnes couldn't help the laugh that escaped him at her reaction, and Darcy was so dumbfounded that when the Captain asked her what was wrong, she opened her mouth and accidentally said to Barnes, "you know you're really pretty when you laugh but a haircut wouldn't hurt anything."

Both men just started at her flabbergasted as Darcy's brain caught up to her mouth. Turning beet red, she put her face in her hands and just moaned.

Two hands landed on her shoulder- one distinctly firmer and heavier than the other, and she couldn't bring herself to look up when she heard Barnes say, "can you tell us all that again? Because all I could make out was 'mindhunter' and I don't know what that is."

"It's a fucking TV show on fucking Netflix, man!" Darcy finally said, wincing when it sounded more like a wail than she wanted to admit. In a rush, the rest came tumbling out all at once "They used that stupid song in their trailer and then I think in at least one of the episodes. And I swear to Frigga that I didn't even know the words until I just looked them up because of what you said earlier. And, look, I know that you both hate me and you two have some really heavy shit going on right now, but I just didn't want you thinking that I thought that of you because because because… whatever happened to you… I don't think it was your fault… Captain America wouldn't have you here with him otherwise."

She kinda just ran out of steam because she didn't even really know what she was saying and she was suddenly aware of the fact that she was in her pajamas.

"Steve," the Captain said, drawing her attention to him, standing by the light switch, relaxing out of a fighting stance as he realized there was no immediate threat.

"What?" Darcy asked dumbly.

"You can call me Steve, that's my name." He was wearing a tank top, and she had to admit that clearly sleep tousled he didn't look nearly as intimidating as he always had since she'd met him all those weeks ago. The look on his face turned to pure confusion as he said, "why do you think we hate you? We don't know you."

"Uh. Because you never talk to me or stay in the same room as me for more than two seconds. Because Thor dumped me at your feet, literally, and didn't give you a choice but to watch over me. And you're you, so obviously you'd have better things to do than hang out with some random girl."

"You seemed busy, so I didn't want to bother you," Cap- no, Steve- told her, gesturing vaguely at her ears and pantomiming putting in earbuds.

"Oh," Darcy said quietly, realizing that she must have seemed like she was cutting him out. Especially since so much of the world was angry at him right now; he probably figured SHE didn't want to talk to HIM but didn't want to put that on her now when she was upset. "I just didn't want to…"

When Darcy trailed off, Bucky filled in, "be a bother?"

She spun on her heel to face him once more and saw a wry smile on his lips.

"Yeah," And okay, her voice did NOT sound breathless at that.

"And me?" Barnes asked.

Darcy shrugged her shoulders and said, "I hardly ever SAW you, so I figured that was on purpose. And if you wanted space, I thought I should give it to you. If the little bits of information I have about you are even partially true, I think you should have whatever you want for like the rest of your life, Dude."

The smile on his face turned almost predatory as Bucky reached a hand up to push a lock of hair behind her ear and ask, "anything?"

"Seems about right," Steve mumbled before turning with a chuckle and leaving the two together.

"Yes?" Darcy asked, voice a little shaky.

"You scared of me, Doll? Worried I'm going to kill you?" Barnes pushed.

"Look, Barnes-" Darcy started.

"Bucky," he interjected.

"Bucky," Darcy licked her lips as if trying to taste the name on her lips and gave a small nod. "Really, truly, I meant nothing by the humming or singing or whatever I was doing. I didn't even know the words."

"So you said," Bucky murmured in agreement. "You didn't answer the question."

"I'm not scared of you," Darcy straightened herself up as tall as she could get, which was still almost a foot shorter than Bucky. "I just don't know you, and I assumed you wanted to keep it that way."

"And if I don't?" Bucky asked eagerly.

"Then stop lurking in the shadows," she challenged. "Actually talk to me. Maybe say hi while I'm cooking if you aren't too busy lurking."

"Okay." He readily agreed.

"Okay?" She asked surprised it was so easy.

"Yeah," he nodded his head resolutely. "But maybe in the morning. It's the middle of the night now, you should try to get some more sleep."

"And what about you?" Darcy asked. "No sleep for retired super heroes."

"Wasn't a hero, Doll," he told her with a laugh. Then more quietly and solemnly added, "I had a nightmare earlier… I've had enough sleep for the night."

"Say, how'd you even know that song anyway?" Darcy asked heading toward the kitchen instead of toward her rooms, correctly guessing that Bucky would follow her.

"Let me tell you," Bucky started, casually draping an arm over her shoulder as they meandered lazily. "While I was… out of commission as far as backing him up was concerned, that punk best friend of mine needed some help. And he decided the best person to help him out was this asshole named Sam Wilson…"

Darcy ducked out from under his arm once they reached the kitchen and started warming up some milk to make some hot chocolate. She was glad for the first time since she arrived that she didn't have work or anything else to do in the morning, as she listened half in shock as this man, who had spoken maybe 5 words to her before the day before just kept talking.

Maybe things in Wakanda wouldn't be so dreary after all. It seemed her housemates might be able to hold a conversation after all, and one in particular could be very interesting to get to know.