Author's Note – yeah, still not mine.

"Three!" Darcy snarled at the SHIELD suit who was trying yet again to get them to push Bucky away. "Since he got us loose and brought us back, there have been three more attempts to snatch us off the street or out of the lab. Where were you? SHIELD arrived in time to cart off the unconscious bodies. Bucky is the one who has kept us safe and you want us to kick him out?"

"How do you know he's not the one arranging them?" the suit demanded.

"Oh, please," she rolled her eyes. "That's the lamest thing you've said yet. Considering how weak of a response you keep having? Maybe I should start to question you. You should have upped security when we arrived with Bucky. You didn't." Her hand came up to signal stop as he tried to start talking. "Don't. Really, don't. You just didn't. You also didn't do anything to make changes after the first, second, or third attempts either. You know? The ones Bucky stopped?" She folded her arms over her chest and forced herself to repress a growl as his eyes slipped down.

Bucky wasn't quite so restrained. The practically wordless growl brought the suit's eyes snapping up over her shoulder. She didn't look back, but whatever it was he read in Bucky's eyes, the suit started backing up. "Let me call headquarters."

"You do that," Darcy agreed, her voice syrupy sweet but laced with arsenic sarcasm. She slammed the door behind him. Turning she found Jane giving Bucky an approving look as he just shook his head. Darcy shrugged. "He's not the first, won't be the last."

"It's stupid," Jane muttered as she wandered back towards her whiteboard. Bucky intercepted her and steered her towards the table. Now she frowned at him. "I need-"

"To have dinner," he finished smoothly as he pulled out a chair for her.

Darcy grinned as she dropped into her chair. "A few more weeks and I could take a vacation," she teased Jane. "Bucky's better at shifting you than I am."

"Not so," Bucky disagreed as he sat down between them. "She was already up and in motion. I merely changed her course."

"Technical details," Darcy waved it away. "Jane is like a force of nature when Science! is on her brain. Color me impressed."

"I am not that bad!" Jane huffed. She paused however as both of her companions turned amused gazes on her. With a sigh she lifted her hands in a shrug. "Okay, fine, I am that bad, but-"

"But it's why we adore you," Darcy interrupted. "Don't worry about it, boss lady. You keep rearranging the laws of physics and we'll keep making sure you get what you need to do that."

The two women laughed and even Bucky managed a smile. Darcy felt something fluttering inside at the sight of that crooked, fleeting grin, but she shoved it down. She might be reckless and occasionally flighty, but she wasn't stupid. Bucky was still an unknown…granted, he was a sexy, hero-ish type unknown, but he was also broody and broken.

Do I really want to get deeper with that?

Jane's eyes suddenly sparkled and she started to get up, dry erase marker in hand. Darcy watched as Bucky reached over and put a hand on her shoulder, holding her in place without looking away from his own dinner. Jane grumbled and groused, but took a few more bites. His eyes slid over to Jane's plate and he let her go. She hopped up and rushed to her board, scribbling madly as soon as she reached it. His lips twitched as he turned his gaze back to Darcy. An impish half-smirk crossed his face. "Well, she ate half of it."

Oh, hell, yes…

Darcy repressed a giggle, trying not to give away the sudden tumble into crushing she had just taken. "See?" she pointed out instead. "I told you. I'll have to print you up a certificate or something for the successful completion of the 'Managing Mad Scientists' course."

He gave a soft snort. "She's not trying to take over the world is she? I'm pretty sure the last mad scientist I knew was trying to take over the world."

"When was that?" Darcy asked casually as she speared another bite of pasta. She had learned he sometimes remembered more if it was a spur of the moment thing rather than forced.

"A war," he replied distantly. "During a war…he was…it…" A look of pain flashed across his face.

She reached out and touched his hand. "Don't," she told him softly. "Don't force it."

His eyes focused on their hands. Her pale skin stood out against the dark metallic gleam of his. "Why doesn't it bother you?" he demanded, automatically keeping his voice low as Jane muttered in the background. "You don't flinch from me."

"Neither does Jane," she pointed out honestly.

"No," he agreed, "but I get Jane. She's easily distracted unless her head is in the stars."

"True," Darcy nodded. "We could probably come to work dressed as clowns and she wouldn't notice unless it interrupted her train of thought."

"Why?" he repeated.

She shrugged. "Because it doesn't? It's not like we knew you and then suddenly you popped up with a metal hand. It threw me for a minute when we first met, but…I don't know. Now it's just part of you." She waved a hand to try and encompass him personally as well as the idea of him. "It's like Jane's Jekyll and Hyde tendencies or inability to remember the necessities of daily life without help. It's like my glasses or snarky behavior."

"So…it doesn't bother you?" he asked quietly.

"Nope," she replied, almost popping her 'p'. "Really, the only thing that bothers me is that you don't remember anything about it." She stood up and gathered the dishes. "And that only bothers me because it seems to hurt you." Walking over to the sink, she dumped the dishes in and turned on the water. "I don't like it when my friends are hurting."

"Am I your friend then?"

Darcy jumped as his voice came right behind her. She turned and found him almost looming over her, eyes intent on her face. Her breath sped up as he watched her. One corner of his mouth twitched up and he lifted his metallic hand to touch her hair, tucking a lock behind her ear. His gaze never left hers.

"I'd…" She had to clear her throat. "I'd like to be your friend."

"You're a good friend, Darcy Lewis," he told her, voice low and rumbling. She nervously licked her lips and his eyes focused on the movement. The air seemed to thicken, stealing out of her lungs. Something dark, predatory, and yet enticing crossed his face as his fingers trailed down to her chin. This chill of the metal seemed to almost burn against her flushing skin. He moved a bit closer.

"Darcy!"

Jane's excited shout caused them both to start. Bucky released her chin and stepped back, his face returning to its most stoic while his eyes still held a shadow of temptation. Darcy could not move for a long moment. Finally he gave her a half-smile and inclined his head. "I'll take care of the dishes. Better go find out what she needs before she tears something up."

"Right," she agreed, almost breathlessly. Giving herself a shake, she began moving towards the excited mumblings and murmurings of Jane.

"Darcy?" Bucky's voice stopped her and she glanced over her shoulder to see a small but real smile hovering on his lips. "We'll finish that discussion later." He turned back to the sink.

She stood there for a long moment, blinking at his back. Did he just…? Was he saying…?

"Darcy!" Jane hollered impatiently.

"Coming!"