Darcy sat at the table and watched in amazement as Steve finished off his third plate of french toast. "I hope that does the trick, because you're out of bread."

He shrugged and ducked his head, "I'm always hungry, my metabolism is really fast."

"I wish I could eat like you and stay that fit." Her eyes drifted over his arms and chest. That t-shirt really did not do enough to cover his muscles. She had almost burnt the first batch because she couldn't pull her eyes away from him. After that, she banished him to the table to play with her iPod. Speaking of, how had no one introduced him to those yet?! After she had explained how to use it, he had settled down and flipped through her music, occasionally asking questions about songs or groups.

"It can get uncomfortable sometimes. This won't even hold me to lunch."

"Yikes! I think I saw some sausage in the freezer. Want me to fry some up for you?"

"You don't have to do that ma'am. I'll just stop somewhere in a few hours and get something."

"Call me ma'am again and we'll have an issue. It's Darcy or whatever variation you like. No ma'ams, no misses." She told him sternly.

"Yes ma'am." he replied with a grin.

She slid her glasses to the end of her nose and gave him her best disapproving librarian stare, "I am not amused, Captain. Aren't soldiers supposed to follow orders?"

"Only from commanding officers."

"Whatever," she waved her hand to dismiss his statement.

"Did someone tell you who I was?" he asked.

"Shield did let us know who our future neighbors were but I would have figured it out anyway."

"How?"

"My dad was in the army, I grew up watching your movies. Also, one of my poli-sci professors was way into you. He offered an entire class on world war II propaganda and guess who was the star?" She chuckled as he ducked his head. The whole shy thing was really cute. She started to gather up the dishes but he took them away from her.

"You cooked, I clean. It's only fair."

"Dude, you are unreal."

"Sorry?"

"Don't be." She brushed a strand of hair out of her face and looked up at him "It's hot when guys are domestic." He even blushed cute, too. "I'm gonna shower and get dressed. I'm supposed to meet Jane and Eric in lab three to get all the equipment set up. Would you mind giving me directions?"

"I can take you there. I'm going to head upstairs anyway. I need to find Stark."

"He'll be there. He's supposed to help Jane upgrade."

"Good, we can get things settled." The look on his face was grim, she did not envy Tony Stark.

On the elevator ride, they chatted about the music he had found on her iPod until the doors opened on her new place of employment. The room was filled with crates, some open and half unpacked. Eric was stuffing packing material into a trash bag and glaring at a man kneeling in front of another crate.

"Good God, this stuff is crap." She recognized the man involved in dumping packing paper on the floor and insulting her boss' handiwork as Tony Stark. She took a moment to appreciate the snug fit of his jeans. How did they expect her to focus around all these good-looking, famous guys? Steve motioned her into the lab and followed behind her.

"Don't let Jane hear you say that, she built most of it," she said as she went to stand next to Eric. He was sporting a look that he normally reserved for her on days she was being exceptionally trying. She was impressed. It typically took her most of a day to get that look and Eric could not have been awake for much more than an hour. "Off to a good start, huh?" she asked him. He just shook his head and savagely stuffed a roll of paper into the bag he was holding.

"Someone needs to tell her to stick to astrophysics and leave the engineering to people who can actually solder," the engineer replied.

"You're intent on angering everyone today, aren't you?" Steve asked.

"Steve!" Tony pulled his head out of the crate and smirked. "How are things going with your new roomie?"

"She can't stay with me."

"Darcy!" Eric turned his frown on her.

She was offended. Why did everyone assume she always did something wrong? "Hey, I was on my best behavior!" She pointed at Steve, "I even made you breakfast!"

"She was swell." He assured the older scientist, "she can't stay with me because people will talk."

Someone snorted and said, "I think her virtue is safe with Captain America." Her attention went to the man sitting at one of the desks along the wall with stacks of papers all around him. His salt and pepper curls were a little wild, giving him the look of an eccentric professor. He smiled and nodded at her when he noticed her gaze, then whet back to sorting papers.

"See. No one's worried you'll take advantage of her. Unless you are?" The grin on Stark's face was a little too wide and she started putting the picture together; a picture that was far too familiar. She was being used. Tendrils of ice began to twist through her gut.

"That's not the point and you know it, Stark." Steve moved to loom over the engineer and Tony stood, refusing the be intimidated.

"Putting aside any enjoyment I get out of making you uncomfortable, there really wasn't anywhere better to put her."

"Bullshit." She interrupted. She was not a child anymore, she could stand up for herself now. "I could have stayed on the couch in the suite with Jane and Eric. I offered to."

He looked irritated at her, like a child caught doing something wrong but refusing to be sorry about it. "I wasn't going to let you stay on a couch when there was a perfectly suitable bed available."

"No, you weren't going to let me stay on a couch when you could use me to be an ass hat," she replied hotly as she went back to the elevator and angrily pushed at the button. "Don't worry about it. I'll find somewhere else to stay. I'm sure there's a hotel within walking distance."

"Hold on, this is New York. Stuff is pricier here" Stark skirted around the Captain and came over to her. "I've seen what you get paid, the best you could find is a roach motel that charges by the hour."

"I'd rather deal with crack whores than be a pawn in your pissing contest." She told him as she blocked the door when he tried to follow her onto the elevator and smacked his hand away when he tried to stop the door from closing. "Fuck off, Stark."

This is a work of fanfiction. No profit is being made.

Darcy Lewis, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Eric Selvig, Bruce Banner (c) Marvel