It was an unconventional love. No one could have seen it coming. But here they were, Darcy and Bucky, dancing alone on the dance floor. Both of them were swaying to the music, her head on his chest and his chin on the top of her head. Bucky leans down to whisper in her ear and she laughs. His lips curve into a smile. Steve sits to the side and wonders how the hell the two ended up together.
(LINE BREAK)
The day everyone in the Avengers Tower dreaded had come, it was Clint and Darcy's annual nerf gun war. Bruce, knowing the stress that would inevitably break from this, had left the Tower and gone to a nice and quiet park down the road. Jane had locked herself in the lab (the only restricted zone after last year's lab explosion). All seemed relatively quiet, what with all the plastic pellets being shot at one another.
It was the time of the day where Clint decided to take rest in the vents. Darcy's only safe place was under the sofa. The almost-silent footsteps caught Darcy's attention. There were only two people Darcy knew could walk that silently, Clint and Natasha. She prepared her gun and waiting for the legs to walk into her vision. Instead of the feminine and slender legs of Natasha, the legs were manly.
Darcy smirked and opened fire. "Eat it, Bird Brain!" she laughed as dozens of tiny 'bullets' were shot at her prey. The owner of the legs didn't react the way Clint would. Before Darcy knew it, her gun was taken from her and a hand had swooped under the sofa to grab her wrist. Darcy had tried her best to struggle, but her strength was nothing compared to her captor.
No longer under the sofa, she was face-to-face with Definitely Not Clint. He had long brown hair that obscured his eyes. His muscly frame and serious face was enough to intimidate any normal person. But Darcy wasn't normal.
"Well, hello there tall dark and handsome, it seems that you are not Clint," Darcy's only reply was a gruff. "Not the talkative type, huh? Yeah, me neither. Anyway, if you could so kindly free my arm so I may get back to kicking Clint's ass that would be great!" Darcy flashed Tall and Yummy her best smile. He dropped her wrist and walked away. Darcy scrunched her nose and bent to pick up her bullets and gun. "Geese Louise, talk about brooding." She muttered to herself. She stood and reloaded, when a snickering perked her ears.
"Shit!" She made a run to the hallways as little pellets were shot from the vents. The form of Tall, Yummy and Brooding could be seen.
"Hey! Get out the way!" she screamed while getting closer. The man turned around just in time to see her being chased the Hawkeye. "Crap, crap, crap, crap!" she was shouting to no one in particular.
She stopped at a halt when she caught up to Tall, Yummy and Brooding. "Dude, move it, I'm being chased by a mad man!" she sputters out. Except, he doesn't move, quite the opposite. Tall, Yummy and Brooding stand his ground and takes Darcy's gun. Before she can let out a protest, he fires a single bullet that lands splat bang in the middle of Clint's forehead and leaves him lying on the ground.
Darcy turned the man, a shining smile plastered on her face. She shoots her hand to him.
"Darcy Lewis: college graduate, Coulson's underling, scientist wrangler and your new best friend."
He takes her hand and shakes it.
"James Buchanan Barnes: former assassin."
A sly grin crosses his face as Darcy laughs. "Barnes, huh? Well, stick with me, old man, and you're gonna get into a lot of fun."
(LINE BREAK)
Bucky twirls her around, Darcy's cream dress swooping around her. She gets caught in it and nearly falls, but Bucky's there to steady her. He always is there to steady her. As unbelievable as it sounds, but in this relationship, it's Bucky that keeps her grounded. While she's off dreaming big and coming up with all these plans, it's Bucky that's there to make sure she doesn't take over the world. Lord knows she would be able to take over the world.
Tony's off to the side with a scowl on his face. He won't admit the two are cute together. He will never admit that his little protégé is cute with anyone. He takes his drink and gulps it down. He should have seen the signs so much early.
Bucky and Darcy finish their dance, and the crowd around them clamps in excitement. They await the upcoming Father-Daughter dance. But Darcy doesn't have a dad. He walked out when she was nine, and her mother died of breast cancer four years ago. So she stands with Bucky and waits. Waits for the DJ to play a dance song. Waits for the crowd to dissemble into groups and chat. Waits for the awkward silence to be done with. But up gets Tony and he saunters over and hold out his hand. Even though they aren't by blood related, in his eyes, Darcy is his baby girl. And he sure as hell is going to dance with her.
(LINE BREAK)
"Darcy, you're not paying attention to me," Tony pouted. Darcy was brought back to reality at the sight of the puppy-like Stark. She snorted and rolled her eyes.
"This is what Pepper has to put up with? Giving you her undivided attention all the time? Geese, no wonder why she hired me as your babysitter." Darcy hoped of the work bench she was on and wondered next to the unhappy Stark.
"Okay, I'm back on planet Earth, please continue with science." She assured. Tony smiled and patted Darcy to sit on the bench closest to him.
"Now, I've modified your tazer so it lasts longer and has produces more surges of electricity. Why, you may ask, well- hey you're doing it again!" Tony burst. He was right, Darcy's eyes had glazed over and a dreamy smile had taken over her lips. This time, Darcy was dream-like state was not shook at Tony's acknowledgement. Tony resorted to physical means to shake her out of it. Literally.
"What, -hey Tony! Hands off the merchandise,"
"Kid, just tell me what's on your mind," Darcy looked down to her fiddling hands and that same dreamy smile creeping back to her lips.
"I'm seeing this guy," she smiles, "and I really like him and I think he really likes me," Darcy bites her bottom lip and it makes Tony feel warm on the inside to see her so happy. However, that feeling is put to bay when he realizes what this means.
"Wait, you're seeing a guy?" Darcy nods, unaware at the increasing outrage being brought on by Tony.
"You're seeing a guy and you didn't tell me. How long have you been seeing him?"
"Nine months."
"Nine months! You've been my partner in crime for 13 months and you didn't tell me straight away! Please tell me you guys aren't having sex!" Tony cries. His cried grow louder as Darcy nods her head with a sly smile on her face.
"Every night, Tony." Tony groans into his hand and walks out of the room, only to re-enter moments later.
"Tell me who it is. Who is the guy that is deflowering my little girl?" Darcy rolls her eyes.
"Tony, I'm not your daughter." Tony raises an eyebrow that results in Darcy huffing.
"Bucky Barnes." Tony goes completely still. He is frozen in his place for quite sometime before he moves in a flash to his suit.
That night, Darcy and Bucky don't have sex. Mostly because Bucky is sore and bruised from being thrown against the wall by Tony.
(LINE BREAK)
Tony and Darcy dance around the room. In the corner of her eye, Darcy can see Bucky dancing with Pepper. And it seems fitting, Darcy dancing with her would-be father, and Bucky dancing with his kind-of mother-in-law. All seems right in the world.
Though, after a minute of dancing with Tony, he is interrupted by Thor.
"I would like to dance with the Lady Darcy, if I may, Tony." Tony only rolls his eyes but her allows Thor to take over.
"You look beautiful, my Midgardian sister." Darcy throws her head back and laughs.
"Thanks, big guy," Thor twirls her and brings her in for a hug. "If Barnes hurts you, I will not hesitate to show him the power of Mjolnir." Darcy can't contain the laughter that comes spilling out of her.
"Ah, good old Mew-Mew. If he ever does hurt me, you'll make sure I get front row seat to it, will you?" Thor smiles down fondly and nods. Someone clears their throat from behind Thor to see Erik standing uncomfortably in his suit. Behind him she sees a crowd gathering. All of them consisting of the men who fought for the right to walk her down the aisle. Standing there is Steve, Bruce, Clint, Coulson and Fury.
(LINE BREAK)
"Listen here Katniss, if you think you're walking her down the aisle, you're in for a shock," Tony yells over the shouting. Thor is blocking his ears and shaking his head, Clint has a pulse sticking out of his head, Steve shouting at Tony and Bruce is gripping his tea with killer force. While that commotion was going on, Coulson and Erik were on the other side of the room, both yelling at the others.
"Hey, hey ,hey, look here Stark, "I've known Darcy the longest, it's my duty!" Erik yelled.
"I'm friends with both Darcy and basically Bucky's brother, it should be me!" Steve piped in.
"Nah ah, Rogers, your Barnes' best man, you can't have both!" Clint complained.
"Well then, Phil and Thor can't walk her down the aisle, either, as both of you are groomsmen," Bruce hissed through clenched teeth.
"Listen here, I was the first out of us to know about the relationship!" Coulson cried.
Another outburst was brought on with all screaming and arguing with the other. None noticed Fury entering the room with Natasha following behind.
"What the hell are they all fighting about?" Fury asked to Natasha.
"Darcy's upcoming wedding. They all want to walk her down the aisle. It's amusing really, them thinking they'll be walking her down the aisle." Natasha smirk couldn't be contained.
"And why is that, Agent?" Fury asked.
"Isn't obvious? Jane is Darcy's Maid of Honour, so it wouldn't be her. The most likely candidate is Thor. He is basically her big, heavenly brother." Fury nodded slowly before he replied.
"Hell, I want to walk her down the aisle. Natasha scoffed before leaving the arguing men behind. As a bridesmaid, she had duties to fulfil. Like cake testing.
Later that day, while with Darcy and James at the cake store, they asked her something.
"Hey, Nat, I was wondering if I could ask you something," Darcy asked. Nat moved to face her, cake in hand and spoon in mouth. She nodded.
"Well, um, you see, you've been really cool to me. Like, immensely. When Jane first dragged me to the Tower, you were there and you helped me settle in. You're sort of like a sister to me. And to Bucky. So, I was wondering, if you'd want to walk me down the aisle?"
In a completely un-Black Widow/Natasha Romanov thing to do, her jaw (and cake in it) dropped.
"What?" she asked perplexed. "What about Thor?"
"Thor will also be doing it! Yeah he'll be on my left, so he can depart to Bucky's groomsmen, and you'll be on my right!" Darcy smiled. Nat still stood shocked.
"But why me? I mean, honestly Darcy, why not Tony, or Steve, or Bruce, or Clint? Literally anyone." Hey eyebrows furrowed and her jaw tight. Darcy walked closer and hugged the red head.
"Because they're all little shits and just presumed it would be them," Darcy whispered in Nat's ear. Nat cracked a smile and hugged Darcy back.
"Okay. That sounds perfect to me,"
(LINE BREAK)
The reception wasn't cleared until five in the morning. Darcy and Bucky lay in their bed at the Tower for what seemed like forever. They weren't having sex or kissing, or even talking. The newly wed just lay there holding hands. And everything was perfect.