After a break due to the demands of work, here is W. I appreciate the fact that it isn't advent anymore, but I'm determined to get to the end of the alphabet with these fics. So here's W, a Darcy/Bucky fic, and I really hope you all like it.
Thanks so much for reading and as always, I don't own anything to do with Marvel.
W: Waiting All Night - Rudimental
Waiting All Night
Darcy was pissed off and annoyed.
She had thought there was something building between her and Bucky. Well, not building exactly, but something that had the potential to be building, and she had taken it as a good sign when he had asked her if she was attending 'Stark Junior's shin-dig' for New Year's with the others. Stupidly, she had convinced herself that that meant that he wanted to see her there and possibly spend a little time with her getting to know her better.
So she had gone out and spent a month's wages on a dress that made her feel gorgeous and sexy without flashing her flesh everywhere, had her hair and nails done and borrowed a pair of shiny, gold heels from Jane that she had acquired on Asgard from Thor and carefully applied her make up.
She looked good and she was hoping that Bucky would notice that too and be overwhelmed by her beauty… Well, be reasonably impressed at how well she had scrubbed up and maybe ask her to dance.
She had to be realistic in her expectations.
Instead, she had rocked up with Jane and Thor, only to find that Bucky wasn't there yet.
So she was forced instead to blend into the background as crowds of the rich and beautiful surrounding her best friend and Thor, chatting noisily about the Avengers and science and Stark Tower and Asgard. Thor, in particular, was absolutely swamped by people. Most of them would never have the chance to meet royalty, so meeting a prince – and an alien prince at that – was something that would light up the eyes of even the most jaded of Stark's guests.
All the other Avengers were in high demand too, even poor Bruce who looked like he was trying to disappear into the wall behind him as he was cornered by a strange mix of fellow scientists and Avenger-groupies.
Waiting for someone to arrive was boring. Waiting for someone to arrive when you were all by yourself at a party was excruciating.
Latching onto Jane in a quiet moment, she circulated the room with his while Thor was still attending to his fans but the lack of notice she received soon began to grate. Sure, she wasn't the most important person in the room, just s member of supporting staff, but it would have been nice if people didn't dismiss her straight off the bat just because she wasn't a superhero or a world-renowned… something.
A loud commotion came from the other side of the penthouse by the entrance and she turned, craning her neck to see what was going on.
A flash of blond caught her eye. Captain America had obviously arrived.
His shadow was nowhere in sight though. Darcy felt acute disappointment hit her and she slumped down slightly, mentally making plans to retreat back to her room and kick her stupid foot-crippling heels off.
Her glimpse of Steve was a quick one as her view was quickly covered up by a swath of people who began to crowd towards him – ready to fawn over a new superhero guest. To her surprise, Steve ignored the clamouring people and looked over their heads, searching the room until his eyes lit on hers.
Pushing past his fans with dogged determination, Steve made a beeline for her. She wouldn't have minded but she had suddenly gone from invisible to having every eye in the room on her. Over to one side of the penthouse, she could see Stark laughing at everyone's reaction.
Steve finally reached her, but turned to Jane first, bending down and placing a kiss on her cheek. "Doctor Foster."
It was only up close that Darcy could see how rough he looked.
Hair still wet from what must have been a hasty shower, he had a bruise on his right temple and a deep scratch running from just in front of his ear down the back of his neck where it disappeared beneath his slightly rumpled tux. Clearly he had been on a mission, which was why he was late, and his suit was probably hiding a lot more injuries than the ones she could see.
She didn't know why he'd bothered to come tonight. If she had just been beaten up, she would be curled up in best resting, not putting on her best clothes and partying hard. Still, she wasn't a super soldier. Only God knew how their brains worked.
Leaning down, Steve placed a friendly kiss against her cheek, mimicking the action he took with Jane, except instead of pulling back straight away, he leaned closer to her ear.
"If you go to the upper level, he's waiting for you up there."
Darcy jerked back in shock at his words and Steve gave her a small smile.
"It's the crowds, you see," he murmured quietly. "He's already jacked up from the fight and all the people…" He trailed off, but Darcy got the message.
Pulling back from Steve, she reached out and squeezed his hand before spinning and making her way to the hidden staircase behind the bar. She didn't think she was really supposed to know it was there, but Clint had got really drunk with her and Natasha one time on Russian vodka and had shown her the way in case the tower was ever attacked.
Slipping away from the crowded room, she took a deep breath and then made her way up the stairs. When she got to the top, she stepped out onto the walkway and saw Bucky there, watching the party through the glass wall. He turned his head and offered her a small grimace before his attention was drawn back to the party again. She wasn't offended. She knew that he took a while to decompress when he came back from missions.
Clint stepped out of the shadows at the back of the walkway and nodded at her. As he slipped past to go downstairs, Darcy caught his hand and squeezed it in thanks. She was rewarded with a grin before he left her alone.
When the door finally closed, she spun back to Bucky and tripped over to where he was sitting, kicking off her heels as she did. Trying to sit down awkwardly in her dress, she was relieved when Bucky raised a helping hand to give her balance.
"Thanks." She smiled at him and kept a hold of his hand casually in her own.
She wouldn't risk getting any closer or any more touchy-feely with him while he was still more Soldier than Bucky, but she still felt that he needed touch to ground him. So often when he was like this, everyone avoided him, too afraid of provoking him to normalise the experience. Hand-holding was platonic and relatively safe, therefore Darcy felt it was acceptable contact given the circumstances.
Bucky seemed to stop breathing for a moment, his body taking on that unnatural stillness that marked him out as a sniper, before he relaxed.
With every exhale, he became more of himself and less of the assassin.
Inching slowly closer, she leaned sideways until she was resting against him, her head leaning on his shoulder. Bucky laughed softly and lifted his arm to wrap around her.
They watched quietly while the people below began to fuss and gather as the clock crept nearer to midnight.
Bucky finally spoke. "You got anyone waiting down there to kiss you at midnight, doll?"
Darcy blushed. "Not really. I didn't come with anyone. At least…"
She trailed off, unsure what to say. Throwing caution to the wind, she lifted her head up so their faces were level.
Bucky's eyes narrowed perceptively as he searched her face and Darcy fought the urge to press her hands against her hot cheeks.
"I was waiting for you," she admitted quietly and then ducked her head, unable to maintain eye contact. "I was hoping you would show."
There was silence and Darcy risked a glance upwards to see Bucky staring at her in amazement. She giggled and he immediately twisted his expression into a confident smile.
"Well, doll," he drawled, "Now I'm here, what are you going to do with me?"
"Oh, I don't know." Darcy smirked. "I thought maybe I could keep you company then find a mystery man to go home with for the New Year." She paused and offered him a wicked smile. "Think Sam's got anyone to smooch at midnight?"
Her laugh was cut off by his lips pressing swiftly against hers and she gasped in surprise before sinking into the kiss, one hand sliding up to wrap around his neck, holding him to her.
It was hot, it was passionate, it was everything she'd hope for.
Below them the crowd started to chant the countdown to the New Year.
They broke apart, both of them panting to regain the breath they had stolen, their foreheads resting together.
Bucky was the first to regain his composure. "Been waiting for you too, doll. For a long long time, even if I didn't know it."
She didn't know what to do with that declaration apart from kiss him again, marvelling at the strength in his arms as he lifted her up and onto his lap without breaking apart.
And around them the New Year burst into cheers.