Disclaimer: I do not own the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I just use various parts of it as prompts for fan fiction.

Soulmark AU Reminder: Everyone has a Soulmark, a tattoo of the first words their Soulmate will say to them. Showing someone else your Soulmark is like bearing your soul to them, so most people only show their Soulmate or very trusted friends.


There were some moments when Steve and Director Fury could see eye to eye. Occasionally, they agreed on a course of action. Sometimes, they could have a pleasant conversation.

And then there were the other times.

Steve was getting an earful. He stood at attention on one side of the table, while Fury leaned on the other, letting the Captain know exactly how he felt. Steve knew that he had to let Fury rant for a certain amount of time before it would be appropriate to break in and defend himself. He would never have done that during his days in the army, but S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't the army, and he would only tolerate a certain amount of shouting.

But then the conference room door crashed open, and a girl stumbled in.

"Well, this is awkward," she said, then pressed her lips together as though they wouldn't get another word out of her.

"Who are you and how the hell did you get in here?!" Fury demanded.

"Okay, you got me," she admitted without a hint of resistance. "I'm a lab assistant. Stark sent me up here to crash your party. He doesn't think anything that happened today was Cap's fault, and didn't want you to yell at him too much."

"What?!" the director seethed.

"Yeah, I told him it wouldn't work; hey, JARVIS, tell Tony I said 'I told you so.'"

"Already done, Miss Lewis," the AI replied.

"So anyway, I'm gonna go before you can start yelling at me," she told Fury, and with a wink at Steve, made her exit.

Steve turned his attention back to his superior officer.

With a sideways glare, Fury growled, "We'll finish this later," and stormed out of the door in the girl's wake.

Steve waited until he was out of earshot before agreeing: "Can't wait!" Then he retrieved his shield off of the table and stepped out into the hallway. "JARVIS? Which lab does Miss Lewis work in?"

"Miss Lewis works in Doctor Foster's lab on the twenty-first floor," the AI informed him, "But she is currently ascending the southeast stairwell in order to avoid sharing an elevator with Director Fury."

Steve smiled. "Smart girl."

She didn't seem excited about the idea of climbing eleven floors, and had only made it up about three when Steve reached her. It was easy for him to catch up, but he didn't do it quietly.

"Whoa! Slow down there, Captain Stairmaster. You trying to scare me to death?"

"Actually, I was trying to ask you out. For coffee, or maybe dinner, if you want." Her mouth fell open in surprise, so Steve kept talking. "Both because you just rescued me and because, well... I think you might be my Soulmate."

She emitted a squeak and nodded, extending her hand. Steve took it and shook, and she swallowed. "Darcy Lewis, Captain America's Soulmate; pleased to meet you."

Steve grinned. "Steve Rogers, Darcy Lewis' Soulmate. Glad to finally meet you."

Darcy was still nodding and still looking shocked. "Great. Soulmate. Captain America. Coffee. Steve. I was gonna go upstairs and make popcorn and watch a live feed of the lab while Fury yells at Stark. Wanna come with?"

"Sure."

"And then we can cuddle," Darcy continued, as they turned and climbed the last few steps to the door to the thirteenth floor. "I've been craving a cuddle and you look like you're good at it. Cuddling."

Steve put a hand over his mouth to cover a smile and tried not to start laughing, but decided to let her babble.

"I mean, you look like you're good at lots of stuff, like... being good looking, that's obvious. You're really good at that." She looked up at him as they reached the elevators. "Anything that comes into my mind is coming out of my mouth, isn't it? I think I'm entitled. I mean, I just met my Soulmate, and he's Captain America, so I think a broken brain to mouth filter is understandable. And telling our grandchildren the story of how our first conversation was about cuddling is going to be adorable."

They stepped into the elevator Steve hit the button for the twenty-first floor. "I think YOU are," he told her, then clarified: "Adorable."

"Yeah," she said with a grin, leaning against him and slipping her hand into his. "I got that."


Author's Note (March 27th, 2016): There is more of this fic on my blog, iwillwriteyourfic DOT blogspot DOT com. But since ffnet is a jerk and won't let me post a link, you'll have to search for the title once you get there. Or hit ao3; there's a link to it there.