Disclaimer: I do not own anything remotely related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I do think that doing research before shooting an episode of Agents of SHIELD wouldn't be a bad idea. There aren't any mountains north of Sterling Colorado, ABC. It's like a hilly prairie up there.
I also don't own Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran, nor have I danced to it in ridiculously high heels.

Soulmark AU: Everyone has a Soulmark, the first words that their Soulmate will say to them, tattooed on their body.

Darcy tugged at the hem of her dress.

She wished Jane were here, so that she could be her usual third wheel and stand behind Thor and Jane all night, people watching. There were plenty of people to see at this party: heroes, world famous scientists, and really really attractive people. Darcy stood next to the bar, wondering if those were the prerequisites to make it into a party like this.

She looked down at her feet, which were (she felt) awkwardly perched in a pair of the highest heels she'd ever worn, and could not understand how she had come to be in that spot at that moment. Hero? No. Scientist? Yeah, right. ...Attractive? She didn't notice anyone looking at her, but... in this group, the possibility that she could be in the third column was more than a little flattering.

Still, with Jane on the other side of the world chasing wormholes, the only person she really knew at the party was Thor, and she couldn't follow him around all night. People would start to think she was with him with him (and, embarrassingly, a few people already had). She knew Tony, but it wasn't like he had thrown the party just to hang out with her. And though she'd been introduced once to Bruce Banner during a tour of the labs, they weren't yet at the "sit next to one another awkwardly all night at a party" stage.

The bartender glanced her direction. She considered the bottom of her second mojito, and nodded for another, deciding that she would go join the group who were listening to Colonel Rhodes' tank story.

She was halfway up the stairs when she encountered Tony and a rather bashful looking Captain America.

"Dancing is mandatory at this party, Lewis," he commanded, and took the drink out of her hand as he shoved Steve at her.

"I don't need your help, Tony," Steve blurted.

Darcy glanced between the two of them, not sure she had a grasp on the situation. Did Captain America want to dance with her?

The idea made her blush. Maybe she was in that third column?

Tony laughed. "I'm tired of watching you gaze at her from across the room." He waved a hand. "Just dance."

He sauntered away, and Steve managed to look just as awkward as Darcy felt. She smiled at him to let him know he wasn't alone. He shrugged, smiled back, and held out a hand.

No one else was on the dance floor, but the DJ, on a cue from the host, started up a slow song. Steve put his hand around Darcy's waist, pulled her closer, and led her in a soft sway in time to the beat. As Ed Sheeran belted out sweet lyrics, a few other couples joined them, but Darcy still felt like the whole room was watching the two of them. A glance across the room showed her that Tony was, so she looked away.

Her partner still hadn't said anything. She wondered if he was too shy or if she was in a genuine Pride and Prejudice situation and they'd end up talking about why they weren't talking.

She tried to stop focusing on the weirdness of her situation, and grasped at anything else to pay attention to. The song... wasn't helping. It was describing a much longer, more established relationship than the one she and Steve had. They hadn't ever actually been introduced. She knew who he was, of course, but as far as she knew, he didn't even know her name.

She wondered if he was listening to the words, too.

He squirmed a little, and she moved her hand from his arm up to his shoulder. They were closer now, but she didn't mind.

Time to say something.

"This is, uh, a little intense for a first dance, huh?"

He looked down at her.

"The song. It's kind of..." She glared across the room at Tony, who was now grinning. "...romantic?"

When she looked back, Steve was watching her as though he couldn't quite decide how to reply. When he didn't say anything, Darcy started to feel like she'd made a fool of herself.

The song was suggesting that she should put her head on his chest, so she followed instructions. His arm tightened around her, and he pulled her closer still. She could feel his heart beating.

"I don't know," he said quietly during a pause in the lyrics, "I think it's a perfect song to meet your Soulmate to."

Darcy drew back and stared at him in amazement. When she could speak, she said, "I... think you're right."

The music wound down, and Steve spun her. As he pulled her back into his loving arms, Darcy realized something.

"Oh no," she gasped. "We're going to have to thank Tony for this, aren't we?"

Author's Note (February 12th, 2016): Thanks for reading! Go read the rest in this awesome series, Silly Words for the Silly Soul(mark fic), on AO3! You can also check out other stories by me (complete with behind the scenes babbling) at my fic blog, iwillwriteyourfic DOT blogspot DOT com.