One-Shot
Own Nothing
Well if you build it, they will come. And if you give a superhero a hobby, he'll tell his friends about it.
Darcy.
She smiled brightly as she unlocked the old house and pushed the door in to get inside. She walked into the old foyer with her Uncle who was a contractor. "It's going to need a lot of work Darce." He stated at he stared at the insides of the house grimly.
"Love. And a little bit of elbow grease." She replied. "Just like Dad taught me." She walked into the first room, the living room with linoleum floors, peeling wallpaper, boarded windows and the obvious smell of rodents. She looked over her shoulder at him. "We've never fixed a house that couldn't be fixed. And I can make this one mine."
He sighed and looked around and frowned. "If you're sure about this baby girl." He scratched his beard and walked into the next room. "I can give you discounts because we're family but it'll take a lot to get this beauty looking new again."
She shook her head and followed him into the dining room and ran her fingers over the mantel. "Not new." She smiled up at him. "I want to restore her to her original glory."
He sighed and shook his head with a smile. "Just like you're Dad, always wanting to restore things."
"I learned from the best." She whispered as she looked up at the ceiling to see a plaster molding surround the light fixture. It branched out like a giant flower and it made her smile. "Now how could I get rid of that beauty?" She pointed up it.
Clint.
He stood in the empty house in Brooklyn and looked around. "This place is a dump." He stated as he kicked a piece of rotting wood.
"The door is that way." Darcy pointed as she walked through the back door and glared at him. "I didn't invite you." She was covered in dust and dirt could feel the grime all over her. But they had just finished fixing everything with the foundation earlier that morning and now she was working on demoeing the back porch to put in the stilts for the new one to fit up to code.
"What are you doing here?" He asked her.
She glanced around the house, it was empty and hollow but she could still see the old life too it. It was a 1930's brownstone that needed a lot of love. "It's my house." She shrugged as she dusted off her gloves.
He arched a brow at her. "Your house?"
She nodded and stepped into the room and smiled brightly as she ran her gloved hand over the fire place mantel. "Yes, I bought it in an auction. With my parents gone and my Gram's recent passing, I inherited a pretty decent inheritance." She looked at him. "I'm no Tony Stark, but I'll be fine for the rest of my life."
"So you bought a fixer?" He asked her. "You planning on flipping it?" He looked around curiously at all the tools laying everywhere.
"I plan on living here. I don't expect to live in the Tower forever and when this is finish I'll move here." She picked up the hammer. "Wanna help?"
He looked around and smirked. "Need a roommate?"
"You help fix it, you can stay." She smiled as she picked up the other hammer and handed it to him.
He took the hammer. "Alrighty then."
Bruce.
Bruce was the next one to show up to help though she didn't know how word got out. She looked over from her staining the cabinets to see him walk in after Clint. "Clint said you could use some help?"
Darcy blinked and nodded slowly as she stared at Clint. "Sure." She replied unsure.
Bruce smiled and set down the coffee he brought her. "I used to help when I was in India, I rebuilt a few houses before."
She pick up the coffee and nodded, she smiled around her cup of coffee. "Well we're working on the kitchen today and maybe hitting the downstairs powder room. It's a restoration project so try to salvage what you can."
He nodded. "No problem." He walked into the small room off the side to grab gloves and start on the other cabinets.
"Too much work for you birdy?" She asked Clint with a smile.
"He looked ready to Hulk out on Tony earlier and when he calmed down, I asked if he wanted to come help." He shrugged as he grabbed the electric sander to finish the counters he started on the night before. "I also figured if we get the kitchen done, we can get the appliances in."
She nodded and reached over and turned on the radio to an old country station and laughed when he flipped her the bird.
Darcy and Clint.
They worked into most nights after Darcy was done with her job at the Tower. They worked three nights during the week and every weekend and had finished the Kitchen and Powder room with help of Bruce and her Uncle's men. Her Uncle's men came along when they could in between jobs because Darcy wanted to do most of it herself and only called when she needed help with bigger jobs. She was from a long line of contractors and builders, so she knew the ins and outs of fixing and restoring old houses.
She and Clint were working on the front foyer and hallway as a few of her Uncle's men worked on the roof, repairing it and making sure it was structurally sound. Darcy sighed and sat up from the kneeling position she was in for the last thirty minutes of stripping the glue off the floor. "So I never asked, why do you want to move in?"
He looked up at her and shrugged. "I'm used to living on my own, or just with one or two people and I trust you. Sometimes it just feels crowded there. And I figured I could find a place to get away too."
She hummed in agreement. "I just figured that I might one day over stay my welcome in the Tower. I'm not a super hero, not even dating one." She smiled at him. "And Jane's not going to need me once I'm done training the new assistants. I'll probably be out of a job soon."
He frowned at her. "Hey that's not true. You'll always have a place with us."
She rolled her eyes. "I don't even have a finished degree and unless that job is making sure the science three gets their daily meals or something, I'm not qualified." She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe I can work in maintenance."
"Or we could go into flipping houses." Clint replied. "I think we do well together."
She pointed her scraper at him. "Hawkeye Restoration. I like it."
He laughed. "It could be both of our names."
"But it would get more recognition with yours." She replied with a thoughtful look on her face. "If we do this, I'll take your name." she replied as she got back to work.
He stared at her for a moment, realizing that she didn't catch what she said and smirked. "Good to know."
Sam.
They had finish most of the downstairs, the powder room, dining room, kitchen and started working on the living room. Darcy and Clint were working on getting the glue off from the linoleum that one of the previous owners put over the original hard wood floors. Darcy looked up to see Sam standing in the doorway and she suddenly felt like they needed a security system with the new electrical. "Hey there Mighty Falcon." Darcy greeted.
"I brought pizza." He held up a box. "And an extra pair of hands."
Clint stood up and took the box from his hands and headed to the kitchen. "Starving." He stated loudly.
Darcy smiled up at the former soldier. "Thanks, we've been eating on Chinese Takeout for the last few days."
"It's no problem, I needed an excuse to get out of the house, Steve and James are trying to figure things out and Tony wants to blow things up."
Darcy nodded in understanding as she stood up. "Sounds crazy." She replied as she led Sam to the kitchen. "Well if you want, you can hang here, it seems to be the happening spot."
"I know." He smiled down at her. "Bruce told me the other day when we meditated together."
"You meditate?" She asked as she pulled a couple of cokes from the 1930's fridge. She handed one to him and opened up hers.
"He feels relax and is more willing to talk if I do it with him." He shrugged as he grabbed a slice of pizza from Clint. "I can't hang out with the wonder twins all the time."
Clint nodded as he chowed down on a slice. Darcy shook her head and grabbed a slice before Clint could go in for a second one. "Well we have work to do." She bit off a piece. "After this, we should work on the outside. Most of the foundation it okay but it still need work, I have to wait and get a hold of an electrician before we start upstairs. My Uncle's guy is busy working other jobs and I don't know anyone else."
"Why not ask Tony?" Clint asked. "He could set up a security system and maybe some green solar power or something."
Darcy made a face. "I don't want to ask that of Tony and besides, I'm paying for this myself and I can't afford him." She shrugged.
Clint gave her a face. "You know he wouldn't charge you for it."
Darcy arched an eyebrow at him. "He'll want favors, and I don't know if I want to give him favors."
Clint rolled his eyes at her and gave Sam a look who just shrugged in return.
Tony
Darcy walked out from the kitchen and stared at her boss and frowned. "Whatcha doing here?" She crossed her arms. "Never mind. I'm going to kill Clint."
"I'm insulted Lewis." Tony gave her a pout. "Does everyone know about your pet project but me?"
She shrugged. "It isn't a secret, I just don't tell everyone. Clint is the one shouting it from the roof tops."
"I am not." Clint stated as he walked in through the front door. "Oh." He stopped and had the shame to look sheepish when Darcy glared at him. "I was hoping he would show up when you weren't here."
"It's the weekend." She replied. "I'm always here."
"Listen, your lover's quarrel is cute." Tony stated. "And props for making it through a Reno together but I'm here for a reason." He looked at some of the open walls and stared at the wiring. "You need an electrician and I happen to be one."
"I need a licensed one." Darcy replied.
He glared at her. "I am one and if you're not nice I won't help you." He gave her a wink. "I'll give you the works, modern and sleek security and lighting. It'll be wonderful."
"I don't want modern Tony." Darcy stormed over to him. "This is a 1930's restoration. I am mirroring everything to match the original fixtures. If you can get the electrical up to code and make the house safe and maybe do a small security system so I'll be safe here on my own."
"I'll be here." Clint stated.
Darcy gave him a stare before looking back at Tony with a sigh. "Please, sometimes something old can be just as beautiful as something new."
He gave her a stare before glancing at Clint and then back to her with a smile. "For you Kid, anything." He patted her head and walked out. "It'll be ready to install tomorrow!" He shouted on his way out of the house.
Darcy took a deep breath and let it out before turning to glare at Clint. "What the hell?"
"I live here too Darcy." He replied. "My name isn't on the lease but I sure as hell think that Tony can help make this place safe and secure."
Darcy closed her eyes and pinched her nose before looking at him. "Fine, but you're buying me dinner. Like a real, sit down and look nice dinner. No take out."
He smiled at her and nodded. "Say when."
Steve and Bucky.
Darcy walked up to her house and stopped to see two soldiers sitting on her stoop. "Hello?"
"Miss Lewis." Steve greeted her. "I hope you don't mind but we had to get out of the tower."
"You know, I'm starting to think the Clint sends people over to check up on me when he isn't here to do it himself." She replied as she squeezed past them to unlock the door. "Well, come on in. There's a mess everywhere, but we're still working on some things."
"This is nice Doll." Bucky stated as he walked through the foyer into the living room. "Reminds me of the old days."
She smiled. "Thanks, I like restoring old houses, I used to do them with my Dad all the time."
"So you and Clint work on this during the week?" Steve asked as he looked around.
"Weekends too." She replied. "We're almost done. We just have most the crown molding and base boards to do and the upstairs bathroom needs to be demoed." She scrunched her nose. "I try to save what I can, but I can't save that bathroom. Previous owners replaced most of it with fixtures in the seventies. The tub and sink is porcelain so just some elbow grease and they can be restored."
"We'd like to help." Bucky stated.
Darcy smiled. "Sure. I'd love it, we're in the home stretch right here."
Steve smiled at her. "Let's get to work."
Darcy sighed and sat at her desk and looked over Jane's notes for the day. She looked up when she smelt the familiar cologne that she had grown used to. "Hey." She smiled at him. "What's up?"
"I think we should take a break on the house tonight." He stated. "And relax."
She frowned and thought about it. "Sure, there isn't much more to do. Just painting and we can do that over the long weekend."
He nodded in agreement. "So I was thinking about that dinner I owe you."
She arched an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" She turned to face him fully. "The one where you take me out and wine and dine me?"
He smirked. "That one yeah."
"It's a great idea." She smiled at him.
"I'm thinking tonight." He replied. "In about three hours."
"That's quite a time table you got there buddy." She gave him a look. "Are you planning something?"
"A nice dinner, maybe a movie." He shrugged.
"This is sounding like a date." Darcy stated.
"You know what, it is." Clint gave her a smile. "I'll pick you up at your room in a few hours. Be ready."
"I will." She answered as she watch him stand up and turn to leave.
Jane and Thor.
"You guys really don't have to help me." Darcy stated as she led them to the backyard where she was setting up a garden. "It's just yard work."
"It'll be nice to get out of the lab." Jane stated and Darcy faked being shocked. "I know I don't say that often but this is your first house. I want to make if feel like home."
Darcy smiled at her best friend and hugged her. "Thanks, it means a lot. And Clint isn't here so he didn't want me picking out paint colors by myself. So I'm gardening instead."
"Brother Hawkeye is a good man and I see the man he is with you Lady Darcy." Thor stated.
"What way?" Darcy asked. "We're just friends."
"Didn't you two just go on a date the other day?" Jane asked. "And you're always together working on this house."
Darcy shrugged as she pulled out a plough to get down to the soil. "Alright Thor, here how this works." Darcy showed him how to start the machine and told him what to do for the garden before she stepped back and let him work. "Yeah, but he wants to move in when it's finished. That's why he's so involved. He wants a second home."
Jane gave her a look. "Darcy that man has been spending every free moment with you and even when he's on missions, Thor says he talks about you and this house."
Darcy gave her a look and frowned. "I think you are reading way too much into this Jane." She handed her friend some gloves and pulled some on herself. "Now let's get the mulch ready."
Natasha and Pepper.
"Hey Darcy I'm heading down to the deli to get lunch." Clint stated as he walked into the room she was painting. "Like the color."
She snorted and rolled her eyes. "It's just white Clint." She gave him a look.
"Well it goes well with the exposed brick." He nodded to the opposite wall.
"I know, I'm so happy that the fire place was intact." She replied as she set the paintbrush down. "Steve is going to be here later today to paint a mural he said. He asked and I said he could. Looked so happy." She smiled as she walked over to Clint. "So lunch?"
"Yeah." He stared down at her and gave her a smile. "You got paint on your nose." He brushed his finger against her nose to wipe it off. "Still there."
She smiled and shrugged. "Bathroom upstairs works now, I'll scrub it off later."
"I can help." He stated quickly before blushing. "I mean."
She bit her lip and blushed and looked away. "I'll think about it." She felt her cheek get warmer at his stare. "Lunch?" She coughed.
"Yeah lunch." He whispered as he stepped away. "I'll be back in ten minutes."
She looked up at him and smiled. "Hurry up." She watched as he turned and sprinted out of the house and into the cool air of September.
She shook her head and went to grab a bottle of water from the fridge and heard knocking on the door. She walked to the front as she opened up the bottle to see Pepper and Natasha standing there. "Hey come in. What brings you here?" She asked as she led them into the house.
"I wanted to see the house." Pepper smiled. "Tony calls it yours and Clint's love nest."
Darcy blushed and rolled her eyes. "I don't get where everyone is getting that."
Natasha gave her a knowing stare and glanced around. "It looks almost done."
"Yes we are finishing up the painting, now we just have to clean up and go furniture shopping. I have some things that my Uncle has found and it's in storage until we're done, so really only the kitchen is fully done." She stated as she lead the other women on a tour. "Here's my bedroom." She showed them the master.
"Does Clint share with you?" Natasha asked.
"No, he has the room down the hall. Only one bathroom though." She shrugged as she showed them Clint's smaller room with a street view. "How does everyone know he's planning on staying here? It isn't like he's fully leaving the tower."
"Are you?" Pepper asked her. "Leaving?"
"Well, I don't want to over stay my welcome." Darcy shrugged as she took a sip of her water. "I'm no one special, so why should I stay there longer?"
Pepper and Natasha gave each other a look the confused Darcy. "Because you're part of us." Pepper stated.
"I'm maybe support staff." Darcy tilted her hand side to side in a maybe manner. "Not much else."
"You're important to Clint." Natasha stated.
"We're friends, maybe more. I don't." Darcy sighed. "We talk about flipping houses together and what dinners we plan on making and rather or not if we should do a Christmas party here for the team instead of the Tower. But's it's not really secure."
"That isn't true." Pepper frowned. "Tony has JARVIS wired into every inch of the house, he's just in watch mode, and he can become active whenever you want too. Clint had Tony put him in to make sure you're safe when he isn't here."
Darcy blushed and looked away. "That man."
Natasha arched an eyebrow at her young friend. "He cares more than you think."
"Who does?" Clint asked as he walked into the room they were standing in. "Hey guys."
Darcy sighed as she sat down on the new couch, the house done, completely finished and moved into. Pepper had found the perfect furniture and had it brought in and set up and refused for Darcy to pay for any of it. She relaxed into the couch with a glass of wine and watched a TNT movie on the new TV that Tony insisted they have. She took a sip of her wine and sighed. Maybe she'll take a long hot bath later, she had the house to herself after all. Clint was on another mission overseas and wasn't supposed to be back until late tomorrow.
At the commercial break, she stood up and stretch as she felt the wine rush through her veins and gave her a buzz. She shook her head and walked to the kitchen and set her glass into the sink to wash later. She placed the wine bottle back on the wine rack and walked back to the front to lock the door and set the alarm. "Night JARVIS."
"Good night Ms. Lewis."
Darcy smiled as she walked up stairs to the bathroom and started a hot bath. She plugged the tub and went to her room to change out of her clothes and put on her robe before walking back into the bathroom. She sat down on the toilet and waited for the water to fill up the tub. She played with the small radio on the window seal and set it to a county station and smiled as she thought of Clint. When the water was full enough she turned it off and slipped out of her robe and stepped in. She let the water relax her muscles and let the music take over with a sigh.
The next morning she woke up feeling extra warm. She shifted in bed and noticed that she wasn't alone. She glanced over her shoulder to see Clint lying against her. "You know you have your own bed?" She asked him. His grip tightened over her waist as he snuggled closer to her and continued to sleep. "Fine but you're making breakfast when we get up." She laid her head back down on the pillow and relaxed, she was back asleep within minutes.