Author's Note: THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH SON OF COUL/DARCY STORIES. I've tirelessly tried to satiate my need for Coulson/Darcy fics, but alas, fanfiction (and the internet as a whole) seems to be deprived. I'm deprived. And now I'm here to help rectify the situation by posting my own oneshot. Hopefully it'll be up to par to some of the marvelous fics out there. Please enjoy reading it, because I enjoyed writing it. On another note, this story occurs between the juncture of Thor and the Avengers.
Disclaimer: Don't own!
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Summary:
In which one rendezvous to the roof becomes several. Puento Antiguo shall never be the same again. Oneshot.
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Darcy had to admit, she's managed to reach a new level of badassness.
Not everyone had the capabilities to sneak past some over qualified babysitters. Which is exactly what the SHIELD agents are, overcrowding the lab with their stiffness and their, "No ma'am"s and "Yes ma'am"s. Jeezus. She thought that with her rack she would never be called a "ma'am", but hey, she could be proven wrong every once in a while.
Ever since Jane received her equipment back, she's become a new woman. Tunnel Vision had nothing on her, and she wouldn't be deterred until she finds a way back to her Lightening God. Darcy can't particularly blame her, but the fact that Jane works herself ragged, and by default Darcy, is what annoys her. Especially since Erik left a few weeks afterwards with SHIELD, something about classified information that's above her pay grade, so now Darcy no longer had a buffer between her and Jane's erratic behavior.
But what was worse than Jane's stead fast determination and endless nights writing, rewriting, revising, and composing new formulas and notes were the SHIELD agents. For some reason or another, SHIELD believed that someone would steal Jane Foster and her super fly (Darcy's words) intern away from the world in order to exploit the amazingness (again, Darcy's words) that was the Einstein-Rosenburg Bridge.
Sure, their worries are warranted, I mean who wouldn't want an intergalactic form of traveling? One that didn't require Montgomery Scott to be on your every beck and call (if Darcy considered that a downside, she had yet to voice it). To Darcy's knowledge there were a total of five SHIELD agents on constant watch around the building. And she only knows of five because she's only seen five. For all she knew, Terry the new bartender at Lily's Corner could be an agent and she wouldn't be any wiser.
Two of the five agents were in the lab at all times, constantly on watch and never relaxing. Darcy developed a neck cramp just looking at them stand so stiff. Plus, they were the kind of agents that wore sunglasses inside. Talk about MIB status. Course they couldn't pull it off as well as Will Smith or Tommy Lee Jones, but they got points for trying.
If the sudden lack of privacy during her morning ritual (cereal while laughing at the tabloids) was bad, the fact that she couldn't leave the lab without an escort was the worst part. At first, she thought they were joking and had walked out the door on a Pop Tart run (Jane had the metabolism of a horse, but she was sure those sugary treats were going to give Jane diabetes in the long run). But to her surprise an agent remained at her six at all times. He never changed his pace to walk beside her or in front of her. It took the meaning of "creeper status" to a whole new level.
Exasperation was her new best friend. Especially when they put the restrictions.
Jane had protested at first, "You can't do this, the only place to get the type of cables we need is a town three hours north of here."
"No worries Ms. Foster," random SHIELD agent number one reassured, "tell us what you need and we'll be sure to get it."
That placated Jane immediately, but Darcy died on the inside. The only times Darcy was allowed to blow off steam and not get stir crazy in this small town were those three hour drives to the next town over. Now that the opportunity was denied to her, Darcy was beside herself. But she had her iPod, and a rather large sum of money in her newly created iTunes account (an apology from SHIELD) so she was consoled, if only for that moment.
That moment went by fast.
Darcy was naturally a very independent creature. Her inner feminist detested the thought of having to rely on anyone or anything (okay, her iPod was the only exception). So the sudden intrusion on her privacy, and the sudden dependency Jane and her had to SHIELD and the agents they were currently housing was making her more infuriated with each passing day.
Defiance and rebellion seemed to be the only natural step.
It started small, as most rebellions are. There was always the one agent in the room when Jane and Darcy were busy pouring over algorithms (when in all actuality it was really Jane doing the pouring and Darcy doing the skimming). When Jane would busy herself with the whiteboard, Darcy would go to the kitchen on a Pop Tart run. That usually ended up being no more than five minutes. One day, it became three hours. The agent, realizing that she wasn't back, found her in her room feeding her Neopets. A brief reprimand on the importance of work and safety and she was "properly chastised" and put back into the lab with Jane.
Then it was the grocery shopping, going out the back instead of the front door where the agent was patiently waiting to escort her out. Carefully backing out the truck without the agent realizing it until she was halfway down the street took extreme skill.
It was disappearing for varied amounts of time without anyone (besides Jane) realizing it. It was sneaking in a six-pack of beer into the lab, only having it taken away after her first two sips. It was watching Family Guy in the living room until five in the morning so that an agent had to stay with her until she retreated into the "safety" of her room.
It was playing Coheed & Cambria to "keep herself awake" as Jane took a power nap in her room. It was always asking agents personal questions whenever she could, "What color is your underwear? I see you as a leopard print kind of guy." If they intended on ruining her life one step at a time, she fully intended on taking them for a ride.
And finally, it was practicing her newest Taser she bought on Amazon. On an agent. Fun fun fun.
"I TOTALLY asked him if it was okay to test my new Taser. I took his silence as acquiescence!" Darcy said in her defense. She received a look from Jane for her troubles.
"Okay, first off, I'm pretty sure the agent didn't think you would practice on him. Second, how do you even know what 'acquiescence' means?" Jane asked in exasperation. She was kneeling next to the agent, checking for a pulse. Seeing as how he was still alive, just unconscious, Jane let herself relax.
"Hey, I'm a Poli Sci major man, there was a shit load of terms I had to study if I wanted at least a C in a lot of my classes." Darcy rebuked. Jane shot her the meanest glare she could muster, and when she was in her 'science mode' as Darcy called it, it was pretty damn mood.
"Ya'know what Darce? I'm getting really tired of all this." Jane said.
"Of all what?" Darcy questioned.
"This!," Jane yelled, gesturing towards the unconscious agent at her feet, "The sneaking out to buy Pop Tarts, playing screamo throughout the day, making smoothies at three in the morning, making that one agent curse-" "Hey I consider that an accomplishment." Darcy interjected.
"My point, Darcy, is that they're just doing their jobs." Jane finished with a fire in her eyes, "And maybe you should start doing yours."
Okay, so Darcy was a little (try a lot) hurt by that, but it wasn't like she didn't see this coming. Maybe making smoothies at three in the morning was pushing it a little too far (at least for Jane) but c'mon, how could Jane be so nonchalant about the lack of privacy? Oh, right, because all of this meant she could find her hubby sooner.
Fuck that.
So that ended the late night excursions to the kitchen, her South Park marathons, and her constant pestering of the help. It only took a week of being constantly followed and watched did she realize she really. Couldn't. Take it.
Knowing she wouldn't get any sympathy from Jane, she devised a brilliant plan. It involved duct tape, a sling shot, some strategically placed tape and mirrors, and some overpriced shoes. Needless to say, it didn't work the first time around, and she was caught not five minutes after leaving the lab. But the next time, she got smarter.
She waited patiently for thirty minutes, huddling against the dumpster next to Lily's Corner. But when it became apparent that no one had any indication that she had escaped, Darcy laughed herself giddy. And she knew exactly where to go from there.
The local library wasn't much of a library, more like a decrepit building that used to be the police station before the town was liberated by a Republican who believed that a newer police station was necessary. As such, the building that once was a police station but was now a library stood daunting near the end of town. Darcy made sure to keep to the darkness, avoiding streetlights and passing headlights. Sure, it made her look awfully suspicious to the occasional passerby, but hell, if it meant SHIELD wasn't going to find her, she'd do it again.
Finally reaching the library she went straight to the back entrance. She had no intention of actually going inside the library. Just on top of it. Unfortunately she couldn't claim the spot as her own; she was merely introduced to it by an amorous youngster who wanted to hit second base before he had to make his curfew. Needless to say, that didn't end well.
But for some reason or another, she had yet to meet anyone else at the top of the roof. Probably because that same youngster moved to Kentucky not too long ago, and the owner of the library, Mrs. Wolowitz, was the epitome of the librarian archetype. She was senile, strict, and wore bifocals that stared into the depths of your soul.
Darcy had only met her on a handful of occasions, and that was more than enough for her.
Next to the back entrance was a structural ladder welded onto the side of the building. The first few steps were missing, but Darcy had some upper body strength that a running jump got her up the ladder in no time.
Finally reaching her destination, she plopped her butt down on the ledge of the roof.
The brunette inhaled deeply, relishing the smell of the early morning. She didn't mind the bitter cold that assaulted her cheeks, tinting them a faint red. It was the fact that she could experience it completely and utterly alone that made her so happy.
And there she would stay, fully content with sitting in silence until the sun started to rise in the horizon. It was then that she decided to get up and make the long trek back, the return equally as stealthy and equally as arduous as her escape.
Darcy managed to keep her secret rendezvous successful for a week. And it would've stayed successful if it weren't for one man.
Phil fucking Coulson.
Darcy hadn't liked the man after the horrendous first impression. What person in their right mind would separate someone from their iPod? I mean, really? The fact that Darcy was able to function the few days after the theft had occurred was a miracle. But it was soon after meeting him that Darcy immediately associated him as the Harbinger of Bad News. Yes, capital letters were completely necessary.
She was doing her morning ritual of milk and Lucky Charms when he announced his presence.
"Good morning Ms. Lewis." A voice said behind her.
Darcy screamed to high heaven, still delirious from sleep, not fully comprehending who would be behind her. Flecks of marshmallowy goodness were flown about, landing on an immaculate suit and the kitchen floor.
Coulson barely batted an eye, merely brushing off a marshmallow on his shoulder, "I trust you slept well."
"The fuck dude. You don't do that to a person who's half asleep. If I had a gun, I would've shot you. And cleaning blood off the linoleum is totally not something I would've been looking forward to today." Darcy bit out, hand still clenched around the cereal box. She put it down on the counter and turned her back to the agent, too miffed and too hungry to care.
"Fortunately for me, you were only brandishing a cereal box. And the only things you'll be cleaning off the linoleum are Lucky Charms." Phil said sardonically. Or, what Darcy assumed was supposed to be sardonic. Phil had an excellent façade that not many could replicate and would put many poker players to shame.
"Ha-ha, you're so funny." Darcy mumbled, adding milk to her cereal bowl. Filled to her approval she didn't bother to put the breakfast stuff back. There was a brief uncomfortable silence as she put a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.
"Ms. Lewis, I was hoping you would fill me in on what's been accomplished between you and Ms. Foster." Well, that's something she's never heard before.
"What?" she made an attractive face with her cereal filled cheeks.
"I understand that while you may just be her assistant you still have a tentative grasp on what's been happening. And that you can give me a simple 'yes' or 'no' on whether or not Ms. Foster is any closer to opening and finding the Einstein-Rosenburg Bridge." Well that was certainly a mouthful. No pun intended.
Darcy swallowed, "Look buddy, I don't know who's been informing you, but I'm nowhere near that capable. I just get the Pop Tarts and make the coffee. I usually transcribe notes if Jane's too tired, but I usually keep myself away from the big scary numbers."
Coulson gave a tight smile, "Ms. Lewis you don't give yourself too much credit."
"Dude, I barely have enough credits as is. Don't you know? The only reason I'm here is so I can get my six credits to graduate." And she sounds so droll about it. But she knows that the only reason she's in the middle of Hot Ass Fuck, New Mexico is because she really needed those credits and she was so desperate she signed up for an internship that wasn't even related to her major.
"College issues aside," Darcy's face contorts, about to protest, but Coulson brings up a hand to halt her, "it's actually my job to make sure that I get to know everything about this facility and all who are affiliated with it."
"Can't you get that off your minions?" she gestures to Random SHIELD Agent number three who's standing not twenty feet away.
"If they don't give me a satisfactory enough answer I go to the source." That tight lipped smile widened.
"That source would be Jane." Darcy rectifies.
"I've all ready spoken to Ms. Foster." Coulson then says. Darcy raises an eyebrow, unwilling to ask what it was exactly he wanted.
He sighed, "Ms. Lewis I'm here to talk specifically to you."
She rolled her eyes heavenward, "I'm just the intern I doubt you'll find anything interesting with me."
"That might not be the case. To my knowledge you're also the intern who incapacitated one of my men with a knock off Taser from Amazon." Coulson says with mirth.
"Hey! I'll have you know it was a legitimate knock off Taser from Amazon." Darcy says, miffed. She had spent a good amount of money on her new baby.
"My apologies. I did not know things can be legitimate knock offs." Is he mocking her?
"You don't even know. Prada bags are just the tip of the iceberg man. If you want a good knock off it's best to go to anywhere Chinese." She advised.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, in case SHIELD ever needs a knock off of anything." Oh yeah, he's definitely mocking her.
She waves her hand, "One day, you'll find out that sometimes having a knock off is better than buying something just for the sake of the brand. I should know. Chinatown in San Francisco is a wonderful, joyous thing."
"You realize that's also illegal?" Coulson questions and Darcy gives him a level stare.
"Okay dude, I may not be a genius like Jane, but I know that ya'll really don't care about that when it comes down to it. My iPod was filled with nothing but ripped songs off YouTube and yet you willingly gave it back to me." And Coulson doesn't bother to hide his amusement.
"That's why we made an iTunes account for you. Plus, when someone threatens to decapitate you, you tend to listen." And Darcy has to blink because, yeah, she did actually threaten to decapitate him should she not get her iPod back. But Phil easily looks like the person who doesn't give two shits about threats, especially if they're coming from a 5'3" mouthy intern. And it doesn't help that she totally knows he's a ninja. He's as stealthy as a mofo and lives to prove it to her every single time he visits. One case in point would be the Lucky Charms that are littered all over the floor.
And now it all kind of makes sense, because she had to question, why an iTunes account of all things?
"I know that you've all ready eaten but I had to catch a flight directly from Calcutta and I'm craving some bacon. Care to join me?" And it goes completely over her head that he's asking her to breakfast, just the two of them, by themselves, because no way in hell was he going to allow his minions to follow. But bacon sounds downright good and Jane can run on Pop Tarts till the apocalypse.
"Sure, ninja man, but I demand no less than three slices of bacon as payment." And she breezes past him to go change.
"You drive a hard bargain, but I think I can sacrifice three slices." And the smile he sends her makes her suddenly re-evaluate the invitation of breakfast. It doesn't necessarily look all that flirty, but Darcy wasn't all that good at reading body language. And it was at that moment that she kind of realizes he doesn't look all that bad, especially with that smile. But hell, it's bacon, so she goes to room to change. For bacon.
-x-
"Ya'know, when you said you had a craving for bacon, I didn't think it'd be that massive." Darcy's gesturing to the plate filled with nothing but bacon. Her eyes had bugged out when he had ordered an extra plate of fried pig meat but their waitress didn't even falter.
"What can I say? I'm hoping my arteries get clogged on me some time in the near future." And he gives her a small self-deprecating smile that makes her heart tug.
"Dude, I'm pretty sure your arteries are as clean as Sheldon Cooper's nose, so you're fine." If he catches the Big Bang Theory reference, then points for him.
He shrugs, "I was in India for about a month and not everyone there partook in my enjoyment of slaughtered pigs. Or meat, for that matter." He manages to say this through a slice of bacon. The fact that he spoke through a mouthful of food kind of shows that he's not a robot. Imperfections galore.
"Yeah, Hindus and Muslims tend to be vegetarian." She says but she knows that he knows.
"I know." And again, it's through a mouthful of bacon.
Daintily, she reaches for three slices of bacon, hoping not to get caught in the crossfire between his fork and mouth. He doesn't watch her like a hawk, like she was expecting, but continues with his meal. He polishes off two more slices and half of his hash brown.
"There's something different about you." His sudden admission suddenly has her looking at him in the eyes. She doesn't know what shocks her more, that he admits to have noticed a change in her, or that he's looking directly at her.
"Different? I might have a few bald spots at the back of my head from a few experiments that went awry, but other than that, I haven't changed." Darcy is looking at anything but his eyes, actually she's looking at his forehead, and she's shocked to find that it's not marred with worry lines.
"You seem tired." His observation makes her laugh.
"That's rich coming from you. Aren't you like the babysitter for all that is SHIELD? If all goes to shit, they turn to you?" she says with sarcasm, and a tad bit of denial, but if he picks up on it he doesn't say anything.
"I may or may not be the one pulling the strings on certain missions, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm a babysitter. If anything I'm more of a nanny." She chokes on her bacon.
"A nanny? Aren't babysitter and nanny synonymous?" she asks. But the look he gives her makes her feel small and elated at the same time.
"No, actually. A babysitter can be anyone. They could be your fifteen-year-old neighbor from across the street or your great aunt Ellie. Nanny's however tend to be more qualified. They wash, feed, and overall maintain the welfare of a child, or in my case, children. They do it on a day-to-day basis on a short level income. Their patience is tested time and time again and while a child can kick and scream all they want, it's a nanny's job to make sure they do right by that child." His eyes are locked with hers through that entire thing, and for some reason she doesn't feel uncomfortable. If some of the things he's divulged on her are parallels of his actual life, she won't comment on it. But she does make a thoughtful noise at the back of her throat.
"What?" He asks. Not in confusion, but more as an automatic response.
"You should quit." She says bluntly.
But he just smiles that tight lipped smile that doesn't reach his eyes.
"Tell me about the Bridge." With that she knows that the small door she's been given access to has been slammed shut. She doesn't complain, because really, who is she to demand more of the man that's been watching over them, but still. Something inside her stirs at the thought of how unhappy he might just be.
-x-
After breakfast, and after a brief but detailed summation of what's been happening at the lab, Darcy and Phil returned to find a slightly peeved Jane Foster.
"Where have two you been? I need these notes transcribed Darce. And white boards. I think I need more white boards." But before Darcy can squeal with glee at the prospect of going to another town (the only place to get good white boards was at an Office Depot two hours away) Coulson takes out his phone.
"Is that all you'll be needing Ms. Foster?" Phil asks Jane. The astrophysicist gives him a thoughtful expression before listing off even more gadgetry. Phil recites each and every one dutifully into his phone, and Darcy deflates.
Realizing that she's not going to be able to leave the Middle of Nowhere, New Mexico she dutifully grabs the notes and retreats to her workspace. Her workspace consists of a decrepit wooden desk that's missing a leg and restructured by a metal pole. While it certainly looked out of place in the high tech lab, Darcy thought it had character.
Phil and Jane struck up a conversation, more formal and polite than necessary, so Darcy tuned them out.
-x-
Typing was almost therapeutic for Darcy. It didn't require much thought, and it was just her and her beloved laptop that she lovingly named Alberta after a debacle in Canada with some cousins. It also helped that she would put on her headphones and just tune out the world. So when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, she felt her heart suddenly leap into her throat. Pulling off a headphone she looked up to see Phil's concerned face.
"Are you all right Ms. Lewis?" and while his concern was touching, she was still kind of pissed.
"For once, can you not be a ninja? Can't you just approach people like a normal human being?" Darcy grumbled. Coulson gave his usual smile, and nodded.
"Of course. I'll just neglect years worth of my training so I won't get sprayed by Lucky Charms." Whoa, was that snark or sarcasm?
"Hey, I might just accidently Tase you." She bit back.
He smiled as an act of consolation, "Unlikely, I'll probably dodge it."
Oh he was totally admitting that he was a ninja. He practically said so himself!
"So what, you're like Batman? Secretly trained by Ra's Al Ghul in his League of Shadows? But when realizing that the path of darkness wasn't for you, you left? Forever retaining the secrets and awesome kung fu skills that you learned?" Darcy knew she sounded like a child, but the prospect was too good to pass up.
"No." was his blunt answer.
She faltered, "No?"
"No. But if by Ra's Al Ghul you mean my personal trainer, and instead of League of Shadows you mean 24 Hour Fitness, then yes. But no, Ms. Lewis, I was not trained by a man bent on ruling Gotham and nor was I a part of his sect." Phil is just humoring her, but she can't help but smile.
"Call me Darcy, Son of Coul." And if the edge of his lips twitch at the hint of a better smile, she doesn't say anything.
"I'll be leaving now Ms. Lewis. If you need anything be sure to call." He says as a way of goodbye. And she knows she'll probably see him again soon, so she just gives him a mock salute.
"Aye-Aye Captain." She says while smiling, "I'll be sure to treat you to bacon the next time you drop by."
And he smiles, and leaves.
-x-
The day goes by slowly, and Darcy finds herself getting prepped for another escape. Anxiously waiting for the sun to set, she makes herself a light dinner of salad and tea. Jane looks at her questionably but Darcy doesn't acknowledge it.
When the sun finally sets Darcy is ready, and she finally manages to plan an escape once more. She knows the routine the SHIELD agents usually go through, and knows that there's a brief window between 12:00 to 12:05 that there will be no one looking at her bedroom window. And it's by some luck that she finally sneaks off into the night, not even leaving a trace of her departure.
In no time at all she manages to get to the library, eagerly climbing the ladder to the roof. Although it's starting to get cold as hell, she's prepared. She's packed a blanket, a beanie, and an extra pair of gloves in a backpack. With a resolute sigh she sits on the ledge more than content with the solitude.
But it's not five minutes later she hears someone clearing their throat behind her.
In shock she whirls around so quickly she loses grip on the ledge she's sitting on. For a split second she knew she was going to tumble off the roof and land in a heap not two stories down. But with a speed she didn't know he had, Coulson grabs her upper arm and pulls her back.
She's pulled into a rather firm chest.
And she's too shocked to move after that, and Phil doesn't seem too set on letting her go either. But slowly, ever so slowly, he backs off, after assuring himself that she wasn't about to fall.
"Those were some awesome reflexes Tex." Darcy says, wide eyed. Because, yeah she almost just fell off of the ledge and cracked her head open. Darcy, whole, not scrambled.
"I'm from New Jersey, actually." He deadpans. And while she still looks star struck he just smiles.
"Damn, what 24 Hour Fitness do you go to and who's your instructor?" She jokes. Phil seems to hesitate for a moment, internally debating something, before he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his wallet. He then pulls out a business card and hands it to her.
"Talk to Lori." Darcy gives him a suspicious look, because seriously, she knows he got his training from SHIELD, not a PT at a gym.
"Don't give me that look. Lori trains me on my spare time and she's as good, if not better, than SHIELD trainers." Oh, well, in that case.
"Well thanks dude. At least now I can rest easy at night, knowing if I ever have to kick someone's ass for stealing my kid, it can be done." She shoots him a smile, waving the card between her thumb and pointer finger. Idly she wonders if he does watch spy movies and fact check them. She used to do that with any book made movie. Especially Harry Potter.
"If you're referring to Liam Nesson's grandeur attempts to save his daughter, I applaud you." There was that little smile again.
"Okay, give it to me straight, do spies watch spy movies and totally just critique them to shreds?" She questions.
"You mean do we account if someone can legitimately jump out of a plane without a parachute, latch onto someone else with a parachute, and successfully land with no injuries?" he shrugs, "Debatable."
Which totally means they do.
And then he manages to shock her again by sitting next to her on the ledge.
"Isn't this usually the part where you force me to go back to the lab? For the safety of all that is good and what not?" she asks cautiously. He looks at her from the corner of his eye, and while he's not too obtuse about it, she can still feel a shiver go down her spine.
"Usually. But then again I highly doubt you'll be kidnapped. Not on my watch." And if that sends delightful tingles down her body she doesn't say anything.
"So is being kidnapped the least of my worries?" Her voice holds a note of jest.
"Not the least." And he turns his head towards her just the slightest, "But it's definitely on there."
Darcy might be going a little crazy (hey she's only getting about three hours of sleep due to her nightly excursions) but maybe Son of Coul was flirting with her.
Without another word she digs our her iPod in her pocket and holds out a headphone to Phil. He looks a tad apprehensive before taking it and slipping it into his ear. She then gets the blanket and without any preamble slips it around the both of them. It just wouldn't be right to leave her protector freezing. Phil gives her a look, but takes it in stride, even moving the blanket to a more comfortable position around his shoulders.
And so they stayed there, listening to Bob Dylan and Al Green until the sun started to rise. Of course there were no words shared, there was no need for any. Darcy was honestly okay with the 'do-not-disturb-the-peace' vibe that was going on between them. And the more she thought about it, the more she had to wonder, when does Phil ever actually get a moment to rest?
When she starts to nod off to Paul McCartney he knows that it's time to put the lab assistant to bed. As he stuffs the blanket back into the backpack, all Darcy remembers is being lifted into a nice smelling chest with the song Dance Tonight being played in her ear.
-x-
She wakes up in her bed, tucked in nice and neat, her shoes off, and her glasses on her nightstand. She's never been tucked in this nicely, not even by her mother, so she's internally debating if that means something. Darcy changes into new clothes and wanders into the kitchen, where, to her shock, is Jane, cooking eggs.
"Uh…boss lady, should you really be handling the stove?" Because if that thing goes boom, all of the other equipment would go boom too.
"I know what I'm doing." And it looks like she actually does, as she puts a mountain of scrambled eggs into a plate. Jane starts to move all the used kitchen utensils to the sink but Darcy can't help but think she's missing something. But hey, if there's a home cooked breakfast involved, she can't really complain.
She sinks into a kitchen chair and starts shoveling eggs onto her plate. Jane does the same with more restrained movements. However, it's when Darcy has a mouthful of deliciousness in her mouth Jane finally asks, "Did you sleep with Phil last night?"
That's all it takes for Darcy to start choking.
"Darcy? Darcy breathe, Darcy!"
-x-
"I can't believe-why would you ask me that?" once her throat was cleared of eggy goodness Darcy could only splutter.
"Well, he carried you back here, in his arms. I was going out to get groceries when I saw him bring you inside." Jane's eyes were bearing down on her, and with Jane's big doe eyes, it only made Darcy feel horrible.
Two things were wrong with that. One, Jane doesn't get groceries, Darcy gets groceries. Second, Coulson carried her all the way from the fucking library?
"He really is a ninja." Darcy mumbled.
"Darcy, I'm serious. Did you sleep with him?" Jane reiterated.
"Why? Does it matter? It's my life Jane, and frankly, if I wanted to bang a suit, I can't go wrong with Phil." Darcy snaps back, and due to her lack of a brain-to-mouth filter it takes more than a moment for her to realize what she said.
Bang a suit? Phil? Can't go wrong? Well…
Immediately Jane looks guilty, "I…I know Darcy. But, I'm just looking out for you. I don't want you to get hurt. He's SHEILD, Darce. They're on call 24/7 and I don't want you getting hurt if he suddenly disappears the next morning."
"Wait," this makes her think, "is he still here?"
"He said he would be back before lunch," but Jane shoots her a look, "Darcy, I know what it's like, waiting for someone. Believe me, it sucks. And I don't want you to be in my position."
Oh yeah, if there's anyone who has had experience with waiting, it's Jane.
"Well…wow, thanks Jane, for caring." Darcy sputters out.
"Look, Darcy, I know you're my intern, but with everything that's happened, I think we've been through enough to warrant a friendship." Jane's tentative smile is what does it for Darcy.
"Oh c'mere," Darcy pulls Jane into a hug and they kind of just stand there, absorbed in the warmth that is friendship. That's how Phil finds them, hugging and giggling.
-x-
The next time she has a rendezvous to the roof, he brings hot chocolate.
"Dude, I don't understand. How do you climb the ladder with shit in your hands?" she struggled with a backpack on, so she marvels at his ability to scale the ladder with a thermos.
But then he tugs at the strap on the thermos, and she rolls her eyes.
"Fine, whatever, don't tell me."
He just smiles his smile and pours her a cup of steaming hot coco. She takes the cup tentatively as he pours his own. The plastic cup is blissfully warm to her cold fingers and she breathes in the smell of coco in delight. Coulson is more subdued.
"So, Son of Coul-"
"Call me Phil." He interjects.
And she's so shocked that she just looks at him for a brief minute. She doesn't know of anyone else that has possibly called Coulson Phil and had lived to tell the tale. Aside from Jane, and she did it when he wasn't even in the room, Darcy has yet to actually witness such a thing happening. She idly wonders if she's about to enter unknown territory, only ever traveled by his parents and his great aunt Winona.
"All right…Phil," yes the emphasis was necessary, "I thought you were leaving for a great big SHIELD thing? Isn't that what you said yesterday?"
"Apparently the issue was resolved before I even reached the tarmac. As I was driving back I happened to spot you climbing the side of the library." He doesn't look at her as he says this, but she can't help but feel like there's something else he's not telling her.
"Uh-huh. Well don't tell Jane about our secret hiding spot. I don't want her worrying about me more than necessary. Girl needs her sleep." Darcy takes a tentative sip of the coco and is happy when it doesn't scald her tongue.
Phil tilts his head to look at her, "Our secret hiding spot?"
Darcy inwardly muses, because yeah she did say that. And it's far too late to refute anything now.
"Yeah, our secret hiding spot. I mean c'mon, you all ready know about it, what can I do? Plus you're proving to be excellent company. Who brings hot chocolate to these kinds of things anyway?" and she sips some more.
"Thank you, by the way, for the hot coco. It's awfully thoughtful and shit." He looks confused at her vulgarity for a few seconds before nodding.
"You're welcome. Consider it a thank you for sharing the blanket." Speaking of, Darcy is reminded, and she brings out said blanket and wraps it around the two of them.
"Truth be told I haven't been on a rooftop with someone of the opposite sex since freshmen year of high school." Coulson admits. Darcy practically snaps her head towards him, because he's totally just telling her things about his past blatantly. She doesn't know how to react and for the love of Thor she doesn't want to make this awkward, so she decides that for the remainder of the night and morning she's going to desperately forget that he's the Harbinger of Bad News and instead focus on that he's just a guy, sitting next to her, on the roof of a library, sharing a blanket with her while drinking hot coco.
Which, now that she thinks about it, all sound like excellent precursors for some romancing.
"Was she hot?" she sends him a saucy smile over her cup of coco.
"Her name was Betsy Popurt. And yes, she was hot." The way he says "hot" makes it sound as if he's just realizing his freshmen self managed to snag a hot girl.
Darcy laughs, "Go little freshmen you. Don't tell me, she was the girl who introduced you to the woes of woman."
And the side of his mouth twitches, almost like he's about to laugh, but instead it turns into this marvelous smile.
"No, actually. Miranda Humphrey, seventh grade. She stole my first kiss." Darcy raises her eyebrows.
"Damn, younger you was quite the player." Phil takes a sip before answering.
"Girls were the ones who approached me. I usually just nodded whenever they asked me out on a date." Darcy can picture that, a little Phil Coulson holding his textbooks, braces on his teeth, shaking at the knees while a stunning blond girl in his math class asks him out to milkshakes.
"You must've been pretty cute. Having girls steal your first kiss and getting to second base freshmen year on a rooftop with Betsy Popurt." The brunette says in amusement.
Coulson just shrugs, "It was to third base actually."
Silence.
"HOLY SHIT! Phil has game!" she practically screams, and she laughs into his shoulder. With the way his shoulders were shaking, she knew he was laughing too.
-x-
This continues for two whole weeks. Darcy would leave around her usual time, and on occasion she would be the first one to arrive on the rooftop, but sometimes he'd be there first. Usually with hot coco, and she didn't think it was fair that only he brought the drinks, so she buys white chocolate popcorn. He marvels at it because he's never had it before, but the entire tin that it comes in is empty by the time they leave. They talk about everything and nothing. Mythology was brought up, having both seen Thor with their own eyes.
"Okay, if there was one mythological creature you wish were real, what would it be and why?" Darcy asks through her grilled cheese sandwich. Coulson idly nibbled on his before answering.
"A phoenix." He says solemnly.
She looks at him, "A phoenix? Why a phoenix?"
"Because when they die, they're reborn in their ashes. It's a poetic death. And a sure way to live forever." He answers with the same solemn tone. Darcy knows there's something he's not telling her, something that's inherently inside him that he isn't ready to say just yet, but she's sure he'll tell her when the time comes. Right?
"Do you want to live forever?" There, a relatively safe topic.
"…if the option was presented to me, I can honestly say I just might consider it." Now that's something Darcy wanted to know more about.
"Really? Ya'know, I've always thought you were more of the, 'my work here is done, let me return to my people' kind of guy." Darcy states as she looks up at him through her glasses. There's no immediate reaction from her companion, but after several seconds he makes an admission that damn near breaks her heart.
"I don't think I'm happy with my life. Happy with what I've done. With what I've accomplished." The fact that he's staring off into the distance as his voice gets progressively quieter doesn't help matters either.
Before Darcy could say anything however Phil laughs, a big whopping laugh that practically shakes the entire ledge.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this, Darcy. I'm sorry." But Darcy is okay with it, really, she is, because she knew that after so many nights with him, when she learned all those things about him, that she actually began to…dare she say it, care.
It especially did her in when she found out that he watched, owns, and worships Firefly. It was soon after that fact that she stopped seeing Phil as a suit, but more as a person who loves Woody Allen, Big Bang Theory, reads Stephen King in his spare time, listened to The Eagles more than was necessary, and can recite almost every line in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. She didn't know how he felt about her, but at this very moment, sitting in the cold, wrapped in a blanket, sharing hot coco underneath the stars, she didn't care.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
"Don't be sorry, I'm not." And when he gives her a look she shoots one back, "We've spent how many nights out here? By ourselves? Unsupervised? Not that we need to be unsupervised that is, and not that we've doing anything that would require supervision, but I'm just saying. I have to admit that I like what we've got going here. And since what we've got going includes you telling me some things you haven't told anyone else since the seventh grade I'm actually pretty honored. So don't be sorry, because I'm not."
And his smile, that specific, no nonsense, usually hidden away from the world, smile is back on his face and she's breathless.
"Then I'll admit Darcy, I like what we've got going too."
-x-
After that night, certain developments started to occur. Yes, Darcy's calling them developments because she's almost scared to call them anything else. If she admits that they're anything more than developments, she personally doesn't know what her heart might do. Maybe recite a list of reasons why she wants this to happen, so, so bad.
Oh wait, it's all ready done that.
Well, damn.
But ever since that night, things between the two of them have become progressively more…intimate. Yes, intimate is a good word she can use.
After That Night (yes the capital letters were totally necessary) things have gotten more intimate. There was the look he would suddenly get after laughing too hard, or when Darcy caught herself looking at his lips far too often. The lingering touches Coulson would place on her person and the implied promises Darcy made every time she brushed his shoulder. Secretive smiles and dancing eyes were always present whenever they were around mixed company. Jane picked up on it quite easily though, seeing as how she was the one who realized it from the get go. The astrophysicist would just smile at them over her morning cup of coffee before immersing herself in her work. The other agents on the premises didn't say much, or if they did it wasn't when Phil was in the immediate vicinity (no one had a death wish). With no disapproval to be found, it wasn't at all surprising where this all ended up going.
Darcy, a little tired of white chocolate popcorn, decided to bring tacos. Homemade tacos since there wasn't a decent Mexican place in Puento Antiguo (who knew right?). Phil had no complaints over the different choice in snack, merely picked up a taco and shoved it in his mouth. Darcy followed suite, taking a crunchy bite of the tasty hard shell taco. It was when she was done with her taco and on the verge of getting another one Phil interjected.
"You have something…" he didn't really finish, as he instead just lifted his hand and wiped off the sour cream on the side of her mouth. Then he proceeded to suck the sour cream off his thumb. It was an oddly sensual thing for him to do, and damnit, Darcy was immediately turned on. Phil must've realized it too, because he was looking at her with an expression that must have mirrored her own because the next thing she knew his lips were slanted over hers and all she could think about was that they were incredibly warm.
It was sweet, chaste, and definitely all of the things her heart was hoping for.
But when he pulled back, there was a hint of doubt on his face, and it practically broke her. So, she did good to quell that doubt.
"Okay, before I make things awkward, and you know that whenever I open my mouth things tend to immediately go awkward I'll make this quick. I like you, a lot. I like you so much Phil, I can't even comprehend how to do this. I mean, this means a lot to me, what we've got going, and I like it, and I don't want to change it, and I know that maybe you'll have to leave in the middle of the night to go and do your job, but I would really, really like for this to work." Darcy's breathless by the end of it, and with Phil just looking at her like that she's self conscious.
"Well? Phil? Anything? Anything at all?" she questions, because he's the one who initiated the kiss, so obviously he must feel the same way. Right?
"Since you gave me the privilege of being honest, I'll do the same for you." Phil says slowly. Darcy puts her guard up, because this can't end well.
"I can't give you everything Darcy. As much as I'd like to, as much as I'd love to, I can't give you everything you would want. You're right; I might have to leave in a moment's notice. I probably wouldn't even be able to contact you afterwards. And in the event of my death, you wouldn't be contacted." Now there was something that made her choke a little, because yeah, she's contemplated on that a few times offhandedly, but the fact that he's actually saying it is what makes all the difference.
"But I can promise you one thing Darcy." And there it is, that smile, and she smiles back because she knows that if there's anything she can trust Phil with (aside with her life) it's with her trust.
"I can promise you that I'll come back to you." Darcy refuses to cry, finding it utterly cliché at this precise moment, but a tear escape anyway. Dutifully, Phil wipes it away.
"I promise to wait for you." Darcy whispers, moments before he leans in for another kiss. If things escalate on that very roof, Darcy isn't willing to tell.
-x-
The next morning, she wakes up to a picture of Sheldon Cooper looking at her with furrowed eyebrows. Curious, she finds it to be a card, opened slightly so that it's standing on its own. Picking it up from her bedside dresser she opens it. Immediately Penny's rendition to "Soft Kitty" plays softly in the quiet of her room. Inside is a message hastily scrawled,
Something came up. And before you say anything, heart ache is a type of sick.
-Phil
She holds the card to her chest, willing her heart to stop beating so furiously, as she sinks deeper into her bed. Letting out an uneasy breath Darcy closes her eyes. She knows Phil will keep his promise and come back to her. So she can only do as she promised, and wait.
-x-
AND WE'RE DONE FOLKS!
Thank you so much for reading. I'm honestly debating on doing a "post-Avengers movie" sequel. I never liked stories that occurred mid-movie, because in all honesty, if you're in the fandom you all ready know what the movie will entail backwards, forwards, and sideways. So it'd have to happen post-Avengers, and for all of you that of course know what that means, don't worry. That's all I'll say for the meantime. Thank you again for reading!
RiStark