Steve

Steve was sipping down a beer (for all the good it would do, but he enjoyed the taste), when he noticed Darcy's arrival. She was still wearing her jeans and tee shirt ensemble from earlier, he noticed appreciatively. Not that he didn't enjoy her other outfits, but he liked the way the jeans clung to the curve of her body.

Steve was still looking over Darcy, contemplating how to strike up a conversation, when Jane approached her. He watched as the two chatted, and noted Darcy looked edgy. He started towards them to see if she was okay, if she was still okay with her assignment. As he got closer, he was sure he heard his name. He immediately thought the worst, as Darcy cringed when she noticed him.

Jesus, Rogers she thinks you're staring. Great. She'll think you only chose her to come on this mission because you want in her pants. Steve admonished himself, turning away from the pair in embarrassment, heading towards the lone figure of Bruce, seated on the lounges away from the group. He sat down opposite Bruce, who was nursing a glass of scotch on ice, and nodded his greeting.

"So Darcy's agreed to help me infiltrate that Hydra facility." He offered as a conversation starter, and pulled a long sip of his beer.

Bruce nodded. "Yeah I heard, how did the meeting go? I told you she'd say yes.. How'd she take it? Was she surprised you chose her?"

"Sort of, I think. She seemed to be holding back on the questions though, which kinda works out better at the moment. I chose her because I know her potential, but I don't want her to think I'm all creepy-stalker about her. I sort of implied that Coulson had more final say. Didn't want her to think I chose her as a ploy to get in her pants." He explained, eyes scanning around the rooftop to make sure she wasn't in earshot. He spotted her at the bar with Nat and Jane, distracted. He decided he could speak more freely.

"Did you?" Bruce questioned, raising his eyebrows slightly. Steve had confided in Bruce of his feelings towards Darcy, but only Bruce. He didn't need the meddling the team was bound to do if anybody else knew. He didn't want that kind of embarrassment hanging over his head. He had a sneaking suspicion that Nat was onto him, though. She was scary that way, he swore she could tap in to everybody's thoughts like a telepath. That woman was a master of body language.

"Of course I didn't choose her for that. You know I'd never. It's not like that. I'd never manipulate her." He assured. He paused, taking another sip of his drink. "Am I attracted to her? Of course, but she really does fit the bill. Someone unrecognisable to Hydra, lab assistant experience, and she's good at politics. I've seen her training with Nat, she's good. How I feel for her is irrelevant." Steve said, and Bruce held his hands up in surrender, chuckling.

"Okay, okay. I meant no offence. I know you're not that kinda guy." He said, still smiling, knowing he'd hit a nerve.

"I know." Steve conceded, relaxing and finally smiling. He felt so tense lately at the prospect of getting Bucky back. The pressure of the mission coupled with his attraction for Darcy would probably drive him up the wall by the end of it all. He took a deep calming breath. She was just a dame.. Why couldn't he have inherited Bucky's skills with ladies? He was sure Bucky would have known all the right things to say. They would've been going steady by now. Shaking those thoughts out of his head, he decided to change the subject.

Darcy

Meanwhile, as Steve and Bruce continued their conversation, Darcy was having one of her own with Jane and Natasha, who'd joined them after Clint's keg-stand.

"I swear to God he heard me guys, what if he thinks I'm creepy and decides to choose somebody else to go with?" Darcy groaned, still glowing bright red from the embarrassment of being overhead. Natasha shook her head calmly with a smirk on her face.

"Darcy I guarantee that Steve would be blushing as red as you are right now if he'd heard. I wouldn't worry too much." Natasha said with a knowing look that Darcy decided to ignore. She knew that he was way out of her league, and so did he, judging by the way he avoided her like the plague. She appreciated Nat lying for the benefit of her feelings, but she wasn't stupid.

"Whatever, he heard. He'll avoid me even more now. Why can't the ground open up and swallow me whole every time I'm about to say something stupid in front of him?" She lamented, drinking straight Tequila from the bottle. She scrunched her face up at the taste and Jane cringed.

"How the hell can you drink that shit straight?" Jane said, slurring slightly. Darcy just shrugged and took another pull.

"Just you watch, soon she'll be calling body shots, and we'll see just how interested Steve is." Natasha predicted, eyeing Darcy's half-empty bottle. Jane nodded sagely, before standing up and walking over to Thor, whose turn it now was to do a keg-stand.

"I'm serious, Darcy. Steve doesn't hate you, he just doesn't know how to talk to women." Natasha assured, though Darcy felt no better.

As predicted, the night led to Darcy co-coordinating body shots with the tequila, lemon and salt. She rounded up the group with Nat's help - no one wanted to say no to Natasha, she knew everybody's secrets. With Natasha on-side, they even rounded up Steve, who was looking uncomfortable and reluctant at the prospect of participating.

"So, who first?" Darcy questioned, looking around the group for a volunteer. Clint stepped forward, shrugging and grinning.

"Me!" He said, and hopped up on the bar with surprising agility for someone so drunk. Darcy grinned, Clint was always up for a good laugh. It was a shame she didn't have the crush on him. He was like her spirit animal, her partner in crime. As Clint pulled his shirt up, she noticed Steve looking disapproving and decided to put on a show. Stupid uptight bastard wasn't going to wreck her night or shame her for having fun. She was a grown-ass woman.

Natasha a line of salt down the center of Clint's abs, and splashed some Tequila in his bellybutton. She finished with a wedge of lemon in his mouth, and Darcy set to work, licking up the salt as she traveled down to the alcohol pooling on his belly. She swirled her tongue like a pro, 'enjoy that, Captain uptight', and finally met her mouth with his, stealing the lemon wedge with her teeth. Clint sat up laughing a midst the rowdy cheers of the group, Tony's the loudest. He gave her a high five, pulling his shirt back down and surprising everyone by choosing Tony as his victim for the next shot.

As Darcy stumbled away from the bar to rejoin the group, she caught Steve's glare.

"See Darce, told you he's into you. Totally jealous." Natasha said, nodding in Steve's direction. "Hey Cap!" She shouted, catching Steve's attention. "You should do Darcy next!"

Steve froze for a second, before surprising everyone and agreeing. Darcy turned to Nat and whispered "What the fuck was that?"

Natasha just laughed and pushed her towards the bar. "Trust me, you'll thank me."

-
Steve

When Darcy rounded everyone up to do body shots, Steve cringed. He didn't understand the fascination with such an intimate act in front of all their friends. In private he would be more than willing, but he was too worried about being the laughing stock in front of everybody. One of Steve's crosses to bear was that the super soldier serum equated to super amounts of sex hormones running through his veins. He was hyper-sensitive to getting excited at the drop of a hat, and he could never look anybody in the eye if they noticed such a reaction to a silly drinking game.

All that being counted though, he'd hoped Darcy would pick him, and was decidedly jealous when Clint volunteered. He caught Nat's eye, and a pointed look from her, and a nod from him later and he was suddenly being propositioned. He looked at Darcy, who seemed more than willing and decided to go for it. He shrugged off the cheers of surprise from the guys and took hold of Darcy, lifting her by the hips until she rested on the bar. She started to lay back, and promptly passed out. He moved to catch her, simultaneously thanking and cursing the gods above for that missed opportunity.

When Jane offered to let Darcy sleep in her room, Steve volunteered to carry her downstairs, being the only sober one. He made sure she was comfortable, and left her with a glass of water before disappearing to his apartment for what would be a very cold shower. He decided it was for the best though, she didn't need him falling over himself and behaving like a love-struck moron. It was shaping up to be awkward already without any more sexual tension in the midst.

Darcy

Darcy woke up the next day on Jane's couch with a raging hangover. The last thing she remembered was walking towards the bar, then it went fuzzy. She sat up, finding Thor at the small dining table. He grinned at her widely, munching on a pop tart.

"What the hell happened last night?" She groaned, sitting up and holding her head. Shit, did she really get a body shot from Steve?

"You organised body shots then passed out as soon as Steve helped you up on the bar, Darce." Jane said, poking her head out of the kitchenette. She set a coffee down in front of Darcy, and handed her some aspirin, which she gladly accepted.

"How did I end up here?" Darcy questioned.

"Steve carried you down here. Thor would have but he was pretty drunk." Jane answered, and Thor nodded happily like "yep, that's me, I was trashed." At least she wasn't the only drunk one, then.

"Of course I did. Just my luck." She quipped, sipping down some coffee. "So did I really make out with Clint's bellybutton?"

Jane just nodded, looking amused and slightly too smug for Darcy's liking. "Steve was very jealous."

"Oh shut up." Darcy just grumbled, putting her head on the crook of her elbow and contemplating just how much money she'd need to run away to Mexico. She was decidedly NOT thanking Nat right now.