Summary: Rebounding back to Brock isn't the best idea but Darcy's 42 weeks pregnant and SHIELD Academy has been trying to passive aggressively get her to drop out. Give her a break.
Pairing: Darcy Lewis/Brock Rumlow
Warning: This is a baby/pregnancy fic. I did my best to research anything related though I've never been pregnant so please excuse any incorrect info.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Obvi.
A/N: I'm alive! Alive and terrible at finishing my WIPs. But that's a given at this point. Still. My baby crazy plot bunnies have decided to continue in the Let's Tesselate 'verse.
A/N2:At first, I was gonna make this a post for the Lemon Fic event but didn't finish it in time. Then I was gonna post it for Halloween and well, obviously still not finished. I've been nervous to post this but I'm just gonna do it and hope you like it!
Have lots of angst! It's my Christmas present to you!
The first thing that Darcy felt when she woke up was pain in her left shoulder and hip. Second was a pair of strong arms surrounding her diligently, despite the pillow/blanket cocoon she'd created throughout the night. Third was the overwhelming desire to pee. Fourth and last was the almighty crush of regret, guilt and love.
Pushing away some of the blankets tangled in her arms and legs, Darcy grumbled about the injustice of the world and made a pitiful attempt to pull away from Brock but he only held her tighter. Turning her head and earning another twinge, Darcy looked to find Brock sleeping rather soundly and she couldn't help but feel jealous. Then came the shame. Life had not been kind to Darcy these past 5 months. Well, perhaps her life was not the worst and she really shouldn't complain that much but she was 42 weeks pregnant now, so she was allowed to be grumpy.
What had triggered these months of terrible was Brock's confession to her that he was actually a Hydra agent. Icing on the cake was also telling her that SHIELD was technically Hydra except for the few goody goodies that were blissfully ignorant.
It had been all terribly confusing. Not only because Darcy had been under the impression that all modern Nazis shaved their heads and tried to mansplain away the entirety of WWII. Life was a lot easier when she assumed all the evil in the world was easily recognizable and not sleeping next to her every night. What had made all this even more confusing was the 4 month old bun in her oven that had apparently been fathered because Brock was on some Hydra (née SHIELD) experimental super soldier steroid that countered the sterility shots he got biannually, that were also courtesy of SHIELDRA. She'd been petrified but easing into the idea of being a young mother, with Brock at her side, but all of that was napalmed the day that he claimed to have grown a conscience.
Of course, she had slowly been trying to get over it all when she got the 'amazing' idea of falling back into bed with Brock about a month ago. So far, Darcy had been able to stave off the guilt by telling herself that it was all purely physical. Also, since the length of her pregnancy was getting ridiculous, the sex was purely medical too because it was a well known fact that sex could help lead to contractions and thus labour. If Brock had put this child in her, he could at least have the curtesy of helping her get the kid out (something she had told him numerous times now).
None of this was dulling the shame now. While their arrangement this past month had been bewildering to say the least (she tried to blame the hormones most of the time), last night had been alarming and different and just a huge reminder of why Darcy should never have let Brock back in her life at all. Because last night during sex, she'd told him she loved him and of course he said it back. Everything had shifted once those words slipped out. Brock's touches were just that bit softer, tender and lingering. There had always been a quality to the sex that Darcy had chosen to ignore when they started back up. A sense that Brock was savoring each time she let him near, as if he wasn't sure if it would be the last. But after last night, Darcy knew she couldn't ignore the shift between them or her.
Brock had spent the entire night, which he'd never done before. He'd also been willing to prop up the pillows and blankets ridiculously over him so Darcy could lay down comfortably. Also, he undid and remade the cocoon every time Darcy woke up to pee, all the while sleepily kissing her shoulders and neck and making all sorts of feelings bubble back up.
The worst thing was that Darcy couldn't blame it on hormones or heat of the moment. She knew that she still loved Brock after all the betrayal and lies, but she couldn't stop it. Try as she might to rebuild a life without him all these months since learning the truth, there didn't seem to be a life for her if he wasn't there in some way. To be fair for him, Brock had been trying to right things. At least, that's what Natasha told her about Brock's secret meetings with her and Cap, revealing just how terrifyingly deep the Hydra conspiracy went.
Seven pounds of discontented fetus pushing on her bladder brought Darcy out of her jumbled thoughts to the matter at hand. Out of need and some spite, Darcy began to shift a little more wildly in an attempt to wake up Brock. It eventually worked and Brock's eyes snapped open, body tensing as he took in the room and situation. Once he realized where he was, he relaxed and smiled at Darcy.
"Good morning'," Brock yawned, voice much more content than she'd wished he was.
"I have to pee. Also, I'm still pregnant, so this is definitely not a good morning," Darcy said curtly back, fighting the quickening of her heart when Brock left a lingering kiss on her neck. She wanted to hate him but she couldn't when she was near him. It was easy when she didn't see him and could dwell on all of the terrible things he did in the name of Hydra but not when she looked into his soft amber eyes that looked at her with nothing but affection. Eyes that always made butterflies flutter in her chest. Despite insects in her intestines, she still swore to his face she didn't want him involved with the baby. And yet, she practically demanded he have sex with her to help with inducing labour. God, Darcy was a hypocrite and only not as bad as Brock because at least she wasn't apart of a Nazi organization. Willingly that is.
"We can have sex again if it's still not working," suggested Brock lightly, smile still on his face and very close to becoming a smirk as he helped Darcy untangle herself then shift to the end of the bed. A bit of self-hate welled up in Darcy when the suggestion definitely perked her interest. As Brock helped Darcy stand up, she did a pretty good job of dodging the kiss to her neck that he attempted to place. To save some of his pride, he picked up her glasses from the bedside table and handed them to her.
"I had assumed that your Hydra sperm would have broken the dam by now," complained Darcy and she could practically feel the eye roll that Brock sent to her back as she waddled towards the bathroom. They'd had this conversation about a hundred times before and after the Hydra word bomb.
"The meds didn't affect my DNA," sighed Brock, picking up a water bottle on the bedside time and going into his practiced speech about how he wanted to better his performance as an agent. "It just enhanced-"
"Yeah, yeah, the 'roids restarted your sperm factory and you can bench a car and you're not a Nazi but wanted to defend humanity against itself," scoffed Darcy, waving a hand absentmindedly. She stopped her journey to the bathroom to watch Brock's jaw tighten and his eyes close briefly as he collected himself. It was a sore subject for both of them. Breathing out through his nose, Brock counted backwards to ten in his head like Darcy had taught him a few months into their relationship.
"Everything I have done in the past year has been for you. The both of you, especially, in the past nine months," Brock said evenly when he'd found his calm again. The statement prickled at Darcy and she frowned at the longing and pain that was oozing from her chest now. "Ask Romanoff or Rogers."
"Well, I didn't ask you over to talk about your suddenly blooming redeeming qualities. I asked you over to get this damn demon spawn out of me," Darcy snapped and Brock raised an eyebrow.
"Demon spawn? That's how you're gonna talk about our baby?"
"Fine, just regular spawn," huffed Darcy, not wanting to admit that she really did feel guilty about calling her baby a demon. It wasn't the kid's fault that her dad was a secret Hydra agent and her mother was making poor life choices. "Why am I still talking? I have to pee."
"Because your head's all baby crazy?" teased Brock, opening the water bottle in his hand and taking a long sip. As much as Darcy wanted to shout that she did not have crazy baby brain, she was coherent enough to know that it would only prove his point and he was also kind of right because the hormones were making her feel like a big, dumb, emotional ball. She wanted to get the last word though. Another idea popped into her head from one of the many websites she'd read regarding late pregnancies.
"You know, if this kid doesn't make any moves to leave in the next couple days, I'm gonna ask the doc about us and serious nipple play," Darcy said nonchalantly and as she expected, Brock inhaled his water. When he stopped coughing, she smiled innocently at him. "It's supposed to be a sure way to cause contractions but doctors advise against it because it may affect infant heart rate."
"Hey, if it's purely medical…" Brock shrugged, lowering his voice so it sent shivers down her spine. In an attempt to show he wasn't getting to her, Darcy held her head high and continued her walk to the bathroom. If feeling Brock's eyes on her back caused another swell of conflicting emotions, she refused to let it show. Fact of the matter was she was going to be a mother really soon and she had to figure out her life choices. One of them was what she was gonna do with Brock.
"Ya know, I feel weird about only coming over when your mom's out of town," Brock mentioned lightly as he cooked scrambled eggs in the kitchen. Darcy sat at the kitchen table, watching him work shirtless around the kitchen. He looked kind of ridiculous, yet not out of place in between all the subtle, classy Halloween decorations her mother had placed around the kitchen since she began spending a few nights a week to help out. There were mini pumpkins and gourds artfully placed around the counters and table. Framed taxidermy moths and spiders were hung up and gothic candelabras filled the room, adding to the black and white color scheme. Mom was a interior designer and who'd been stress decorating in an attempt to help Darcy feel like she was in an adult home and not a single, hot mess 22-year old having a baby out of wedlock. Still, as Darcy watched Brock work in the kitchen, she decided there probably wasn't anyone that would argue against this. The morality of Darcy accepting his offer to make her breakfast in the first place was one that made her all the more discombobulated but at least she got a view. "It makes the age difference just that bit more creepy."
"Well, she'd probably try to kill you if she saw you, not to mention the aneurysm she'd have if she knew we were sleeping together again," Darcy rolled her eyes because of course out of all the things fucked up in their relationship at this point, he was still gonna focus on the age thing. Then again, her mom had said on multiple occasions that Darcy was better off with Brock out of her life. Her mother was not a woman to be taken lightly when it came threats.
"Afraid she'd take the house back?" teased Brock, looking over his shoulder and sending Darcy an irresistible grin. The unspoken offer still hung in the air, dampening his confidence but even if that hadn't been noticeable, she could see it in the sadness in his eyes. He'd only said it once but the offer that his place was obviously still open to her. She and Brock had fixed up the apartment they shared after they found out about the pregnancy and were in the middle of finishing the baby room design when she left him.
Of course, she'd moved back in with her parents until the surprise baby shower during month 7, where her stepdad's gift had been this townhouse in Arlington. Her stepdad planned to expand the properties he owned and rented out but this two floor, two bedroom townhouse he decided to save for her. Darcy had cried for a straight 45 minutes because never in her life would she be able to have afforded a place like this in such a good neighborhood that also happened to be in an awesome school district. All she had to do was pay utilities and help with upkeep. The only thing that was ruining this great life she'd seemed to built, was watching Brock move so naturally in the home that would have been perfect for them.
"I assume you…told her about what happened between us?" Brock cleared his throat, tension in his shoulders forming from Darcy's silence.
"Sort of," admitted Darcy, biting her bottom lip. Her tone made Brock turn towards her with a raised brow. "Well, it's not like I can tell her you're Hydra and that our relationship was built on lies."
"I never lied about how I felt about you," Brock ground out, clenching his teeth and stopping himself from starting an argument that never ended well. Taking a breath to calm down, Brock focused back on scooping the eggs onto separate plates that already had bacon and toast. The smells combined and wafted through the air. Darcy did her best to not moan over them. Throughout their relationship, Darcy had never been able to figure out how Brock made scrambled eggs taste so good and right now she was elated that whatever secret ingredients used weren't ones that triggered her preggo gag reflex. "What did you tell her?"
"I used a metaphor, of sorts," admitted Darcy lightly. Things were starting to get a little awkward. Darcy hoped breakfast would be so good that she could ignore the tension.
"Metaphor?" Brock pushed, raising his brow and his unamused anticipation caused a shiver to run down Darcy's spine and between her legs. Damn it. Seemed like breakfast would be awkward for other reasons.
"Yeah," Darcy winced and scrunched up her nose before continuing. "I told her you were cheating on me."
"Jackass knocking up her daughter then leaving her for another woman? Guess that explains the unbridled rage then," sighed Brock, placing a plate in front of Darcy and joining her at the table by taking the chair next to her. Thrilled loins were forgotten as she took a bite of the eggs and followed it quickly with a mouthful of bacon.
"Mmm," hummed Darcy, feeling like she was transported to heaven. She almost missed the warm smile Brock sent her. With mouth full of toast like a heathen, Darcy continued but was becoming a little unaware of the gravity of the story because food. "Well, she wasn't impressed with how you handled the initial baby news. So this wasn't much of a leap you cheated. Oh, 'cept it wasn't another woman."
"If it wasn't another woman then who did I cheat with?" asked Brock, avoiding any more mention of the disastrous 4 days after Darcy had told him she was pregnant. It had included him accusing her of cheating, drinking copiously with most of STRIKE, then him waking up on Sitwell's lawn and getting a suspension for a week without pay. Other than that though, his birthday had been nice.
"Sooo, when I told my mom, it was just before dinner and she was cutting up veggies. I'd been crying all weekend and was finally coherent enough to actually explain but I knew I couldn't say anything about Hydra because that was a whole 'nother can of worms," rambled Darcy, unable to stop the tears from welling and not entirely sure why she was getting emotional. It didn't help that Brock was now looking at her with painful remorse etched in the lines of his face. "And it slipped out. It was the best thing I could think of but she got so angry that she slammed the knife into the cutting board and I thought she was gonna go out and actually kill you with, like, mom powers or just sudden hulk strength. Also, she demanded to know who the 'hussy' was so she could teach her a lesson as well. She was going on and on about how whoever it was would never be able to show her face in DC society ever again."
"I'm surprised you didn't let her kill me," Brock said quietly. A lump formed in Darcy's throat. She sniffed but a few deep breaths later and the tears finally subsided.
"Not gonna lie, it was tempting. But I was so confused about everything. Still, understood that my mom killing a higher up Hydra goon would not end well for the family," said Darcy, going back to eating breakfast. She tried to ignore the slight cringe of Brock's face at the 'goon' term. "I guess also…a little bit of me still really loved you and didn't want to completely obliterate your reputation. Sort of like, defending you was still an innate reaction towards my parents maybe. Or something?"
"Still loved me, huh?" grinned Brock, any sign of regret gone as he looked upon her with so much affection that Darcy needed to just go outside and get some fresh air. Her body was floating but she desperately wanted to be back on the ground. The last thing she needed was fuel for some delusion that everything between them would magically be fine again. A kick from inside her stomach caught Darcy's attention. It was quickly followed by two more kicks. Each one felt like muscle twitches from her lower belly. Rubbing her stomach, Darcy willed the baby to stop because she really didn't care for the infant's opinion on this matter. "So, who's my lover?"
"Jack," answered Darcy, a little distracted. Rather quickly, the grin fell from Brock's face and Darcy felt one forming on hers. "Seemed like the best answer at the time. Told her you had been confused about your sexuality over Jack and you just couldn't keep up the charade anymore. Had to live your big, ol' gay life with Jack."
"Your parents think I'm gay? And that's why I 'abandoned' you?" Brock grumbled, finally digging into his breakfast with an aggressive fork spearing.
"Also, that Jack tried to buy my baby."
At that, Brock raised an eyebrow. "Overkill. I think I'd rather have them know the truth."
"Apparently my stepdad won a bet between my sister. Said he knew you were gay all along. Too many muscles compensating for something were his exact words," Darcy snorted at the perturbed look on Brock's face. "Baby buying was a surprise for him though."
"Really?" Brock said, entirely unimpressed. A giggle left Darcy's throat. "I'm sure Jack will love to hear that. I'll tell him when I pick up Kraken."
"How is Kraken?" Darcy asked eagerly. Longing welled in her chest. She missed that dog so much. If she was thinking clearer, she may have dognapped when she first left Brock but it hadn't occurred to her when she was trying to get the hell out of what used to be their apartment.
"Misses you," said Brock bluntly and a sharp guilt pierced her heart. There were obvious undertones in his voice suggesting the doberman wasn't the only thing that missed Darcy's constant presence. Quietly and gently, Brock continued. "Did you really cry so much that you couldn't explain to your parents what happened for a weekend?"
"I cried for 3 months," admitted Darcy before she could stop herself. Some of the blood drained from Brock's face.
"So, you stopped crying over me when we started…whatever this is supposed to be now?"
Swallowing past what always seemed to be the ever-present lump in her throat, Darcy tried to backtrack. He didn't need to know how she sobbed like a baby into her pillow every night for 2 months straight. Or how sometimes she still cried even harder when Brock was never there to hold her and help her through the stupid little things and the big things that cropped up from this pregnancy. "But like, don't take too much stock in it. I cry over everything. Last week I dropped a pickle slice on the ground during class and I started crying. All the professors and students just ignore me now when I start sobbing in the middle of a lecture."
"You know I never meant to hurt you," Brock said eagerly, dropping his fork and pinning Darcy with such longing that she had no hope to even try and stop the tears now streaming down her face. Standing up, Brock walked over and kneeled in front of Darcy, waiting for her to turn in her chair so that her knees and ginormous stomach were facing him. He took her hands in his. "I was in so deep before I knew where I was. With Hydra and then when I fell in love with you. But you're the only thing I care about, Darcy. I want to make things right. That's why I told you. That's why I'm still working with Romanoff and Rogers."
"Brock, you don't have to-" begged Darcy through sniffling and pouring tears that she couldn't even wipe because she didn't want to rip her hands out of Brock's warm grip. All the feelings she had worked hard to try and suppress flooded up. Every little doubt that had plagued and needled at her when Brock had first admitted to being in Hydra began to dance in her mind.
"All I want back is our life together."
"Then why don't you fight?" shouted Darcy, unable to stop the anger and pain mixing sickeningly in her stomach. Pulling her hands from his, Darcy struggled to stand up and shrug off Brock when he tried to help. "You just told me and let me scream and shout and then walk out the door. But you never tried to convince me to come back. Not really. You never fought for me. For us."
"Because I needed to make it right. I needed to make sure that you weren't gonna be a target. They're still watching me, still doubting my loyalty after when I said we were through. You know they don't trust me when I'm with you. Too many unknown factors and they can't trust I'll make the calls they want."
"All because I'm pregnant?"
"All because I love you more than anything I've ever cared about in my life."
"Can you…can you just stop? Stop reminding me why I miss you and want you and can't have you," sobbed Darcy. Shaking off the arms that tried to hold and comfort her.
"It's the truth, Darcy. I can't change that."
"I think you should leave."
"Yeah, maybe I should," conceded Brock softly. He turned to leave but stopped and Darcy gritted her teeth, waiting for whatever he would say that was sure to make her cry even more. "Just please, consider telling me when you go into labour. I…want to help however I can. Even if it's pacing outside in the lobby. I know you don't want me involved but it's my kid whether you like it or not. I respect the distance you want but I deserve to know her."
"I don't know," whimpered Darcy, shaking her head and wishing she could get back all the anger that had dissipated all these months after learning the truth about Brock. He'd appeared to be moving on in a number of ways. Why couldn't she seem to?
"We can, I don't know, figure something out?" begged Brock. His eyes were desperate and shoulders slumped. Standing in front of her in nothing but a pair of boxers, he ran his hands across his face and her heart sank. "Some way to make sure she's safe despite me being there? That's what you're worried about, right? I'm sure Romanoff can chaperone when I'm around. If that makes you feel better. All because I can't be with you…please, please don't make it so I can't be near our daughter."
At first, Darcy had the urge to shout at him. To curse and scream that he could be with her but it was him that was preventing them. Biting back the impulse, Darcy simply wiped her tears and stayed silent. A small, rational part of her mind that nowadays felt nonexistent, broke through the self-righteous hormones. Maybe she was just as guilty as Brock in letting this relationship drag through mud and gravel. She still refused to listen to his reasoning for staying in Hydra for so long. It was only through Natasha that Darcy had actually been aware of how much Brock was trying to do as a double agent when there was only so much he could do without being caught.
And all of it was to try and win Darcy back, but could she even trust him? His loyalty was only guaranteed because of Darcy. Where would it be if he got tired of waiting or even got angry over it? Natasha convinced Darcy to talk to Brock a month ago but the ex-Russian spy probably hadn't anticipated Darcy falling so fast into bed after a few gentle questions over doctor appointments and requests of ultrasound pictures. Sex hadn't even been on Darcy's mind at the time, what with her feeling so unbalanced and constipated and bigger than the Hindenburg. But Brock just had this way of making her feel so wonderfully coy and sexy despite all that and in some ways because of it. Or maybe Natasha expected all of this and Darcy was just as much of a pawn in it all as Brock was now.
"Look, you don't have to answer me now. But think about it. Please?" Brock asked one final time, turning around and walking out of the kitchen. Without a word, Darcy watched the muscles in his back and shoulders stiffen as he left. He'd said his peace and that was it. Darcy hoped by this point she would have been able to actually answer him.
Not long after Darcy was able to stop her tears (or simply let them run their course), Brock was fully dressed in his tactical gear, one hand holding a nondescript black gym bag he used to carry a change of clothes in case he got called out last night. Not wanting to be a terrible host (which was ridiculous but the manners were ingrained in her by this point with all hosting of superheroes, study sessions and life catch up parties with Jane), Darcy followed Brock to the front door. She opened it for him but neither made any other move, even though the cold October air blew it. For a moment, they stood together awkwardly, trying to look at everything but each other. The silence was interrupted with Brock clearing his throat. Looking up, Darcy found him shifting his weight between feet and with an almost bashful look on his face. She couldn't remember him ever looking like that as he dug into his bag and brought out a small stuffed animal that had seen better days.
"This is…uh. This was mine when I was a kid. It's one of the few things I have left from my parents," Brock explained tightly, handing the stuffed animal over to Darcy. Now she could tell it was a dog. Taking it into her hands, she ran a finger over the brown floppy ears and smiling doggie face. The fur was still soft despite it's age and the obvious worn it had gotten over years of childhood. When Brock was 6, he lost both parents within a year and while she knew about the backstory, he never mentioned more information other than the facts.
"I didn't know you still had things from back then," Darcy wondered softly but Brock simply shrugged.
"Not much. That, a few photos, my dad's watch, my mother's engagement ring," listed Brock, letting the last one weigh down on Darcy. They'd talked about marriage- soon after Darcy found out she was pregnant and Brock had stopped freaking out. Rather quickly it had been decided they weren't ready quite yet, despite everyone's expectations.
"Does it have a name?" Darcy couldn't help but ask, a teasing smile on her lips despite the ache in her heart. She held the dog to her chest protectively.
"Bandit," said Brock warmly as long, almost lost memories flashed before him. "I thought she might appreciate it someday. Until then, she can drool on it as much as she wants."
"She'll love it," Darcy sighed, love and sadness mixing together and bubbling up until it almost spilled from her throat. Unable to stop herself, Darcy stood on her tiptoes and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. The slight change in altitude caused her to lose her balance and she fell forward but only for a moment. Strong hands grabbed her upper arms and steadied her as Brock's bag fell with a thump at their feet. With the extra help, Darcy hopped up as much as she could and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, enjoying the rub of stubble against her lips. Hope shone in Brock's eyes as he looked down on her. "I love it. And now I'm even more confused."
"What can I do to change that?" asked Brock, voice lowering so that it sent shivers down Darcy's spine. His hands rested on her waist, thumbs rubbing lightly on the bump. When she rolled her eyes at his suggestion, he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.
"Probably not that," Darcy sighed, melting into him, moving slightly to the side so she could lean against him easily. Despite her weak attempt at a rebuff, she more than willingly let Brock bend down and kiss her again, this time more deeply. As she opened her mouth to let out a soft moan, Darcy felt one of his arms wrap around her shoulders to pull her even closer. It was welcome support as her knees started to weaken. When they broke apart, Darcy's lips tried to follow Brock's and she buried her head in his chest from embarrassment once she realized what she was letting him do. As much as she wanted to blame the hormones for all of this, she knew it was only partially responsible. "We need to stop doing this."
"Do we really, though? You seem to enjoy it as much as me," said Brock smugly. At that moment, the baby kicked in Brock's direction and he felt it against his stomach where Darcy was pressed against him. It made him smirk. "I think the baby agrees with me."
"The baby has no opinion," insisted Darcy and there were two more kicks in quick succession. Darcy did her best to not pout and held the stuffed dog that was still in her hand just a little tighter. Moving the hand on her waist, Brock began to rub up and down her back. Darcy sighed contently at the touch.
"Knock, knock. Am I interrupting anything?" asked a voice and softly knocking on the open door. Both Darcy and Brock straightened up as they turned to find Sam Wilson leaning through doorway and looking between the couple with a raised eyebrow. Sam was a new friend of Steve's. They had met jogging one day and Darcy got the impression that both men were smitten with each other, even if they hadn't admitted it quite yet. Personally, Darcy thought that Sam was the sweetest yet, still snarkiest person she'd met and he'd been so supportive and helpful with Brock not around or if her mother couldn't help out. He would patiently listen as Darcy raged or cried about Brock and because Steve had accepted him into the fold, she'd even been able to give him a few extra details about Hydra. In fact, he was here to take Darcy to an OBGYN appointment which she had completely forgotten about (damn baby brain).
"I don't know. Who are you?" asked Brock, rough voice edged with paranoid concern.
"Uh, Sam Wilson. I'm a friend of Steve. Steve Rogers. Captain America," Sam said, letting a bit of his giddiness over Steve shine through since the man in question wasn't here. He offered his hand and after a moment's contemplation, Brock shook it briefly. Although Darcy tried to slip from Brock's grasp, he held on tighter and refused to let her go.
"He's here to drive my to my OBGYN appointment," Darcy explained and felt Brock's hold tighten even more. The look on his face was blank but Darcy knew that normally meant he was really angry or upset.
"I can drive you," said Brock sharply, daring Sam to challenge him. Sam simply looked to Darcy with wider eyes, unsure of how he needed to step in. Quite frankly, Darcy wasn't sure how he could help, if at all. Sam was supposed to help Darcy with a presentation she had for the Academy. Not only was it supposed to be a major part of her grade while she was away on maternity leave, it was also an important piece in trying to silently take down Hydra. Some important high ranking Agents were coming in for a series of presentations and Darcy was one of the fortunate few to have a time slot.
On average, graduating from the SHIELD Academy of Communications took 2 to 3 years. Pending on grades and ambition, there were people who could get it done in a year and a half. Darcy was aiming for a year and a half but the pregnancy was putting a slight halt to things, given that maternity leave would put her out for almost three months. Darcy had to prove that she was worth keeping. Trying to help bring down Hydra was just an added pressure. So, Darcy somehow managed to get a slot to appear in front of a panel that only the most brilliant and driven students presented to. Normally, it would mean that she was guaranteed the pick of jobs upon graduation. In Darcy's case, it meant she could stay to finish off her last few months after maternity leave was over.
Much of it was orchestrated by Natasha and Darcy really didn't want to be the one to let down the Black Widow. This presentation focused on a new computer program Darcy created to help on Project Insight, which was still in it's infancy. Her computer program assisted with data analysis, sorting information and security. There was more to it, though. Stark had created his own program hidden within Darcy's, that would block the Zola supercomputer from properly utilizing the collected information and even skew the computer's ability to process without it being aware.
So, it was really important that the Agents decide to use the program and there were already enough things that were not in Darcy's favour. In addition to being preggers (super big no-no for the Academy) and about to take maternity leave 2 months into the new semester, she almost suspiciously friendly with all the Avengers at this point. Add to the mix that she was terrible at public speaking. Fortunately, Sam excelled at this because he was charismatic as hell when needed and Darcy honestly could use just even an ounce of his natural talent. This morning was the only time Sam was free before her presentation tomorrow. The presentation itself continued to be delayed and Darcy was pretty sure they were simply hoping she'd just go into labour so it didn't happen and she failed.
"You need to pick up Kraken," Darcy tried to gently nudge Brock in the right direction without completely offending him. While he knew of the importance of the program, she didn't think he knew that Stark had been working with her on it or even the extent of what it did.
"That can wait. This is more important."
"It's probably better if you're not seen with me," pointed out Darcy and Brock's jaw tensed. "Sitwell won't be happy if you're late to work again because of me. Especially when we're not together anymore. Work wife might think you're cheating."
"You know this isn't how I wanted things to be," Brock said in frustration, lowering his voice because he was acutely aware of Sam awkwardly rocking back on his heels, hands in pockets and looking around pretending not to eavesdrop when he so obviously was.
"But that's how it is," Darcy shrugged out of Brock's grip and he let her go, without fighting anymore. He looked defeated with his shoulders slumped and his face tight. Tears began to swell in Darcy's eyes and she wasn't entirely sure why.
"Fine," Brock simply said, picking up his bag and nodding towards Sam with thinly veiled rage. For a moment, Darcy thought that he would fight for her. For them. As he walked away, he didn't look back and Darcy's heart broke. When Brock was out of sight, the tears finally came.
"Hey there, lil' mama," Sam cooed, pulling Darcy into his arms. The grip was comforting but nowhere near as comforting as Brock's and that made her cry even harder.