The kitchen smelled like a bakery. Cookies, muffins, cupcakes, and brownies littered every available surface. Darcy felt no shame, though maybe a little embarrassment, as Steve and Sam followed her in.
Both men looked around with equal parts confusion and hunger. "You planning an Avenger's bake sale," Sam questioned uncertainly.
She laughed. "No. I've had a lot of time on my hands recently. Plus who doesn't like baked goods?" The statement was true, even if it wasn't quite all the truth. Baking was a stress-reliever for her, and the past few weeks had been nothing if not stressful. Thor and Jane were back, but Steve had been out of contact for a long time. Then Tony had done his "come and get me" stunt. It was enough to make her go a little crazy.
Jarivs, who over the last few months had been living up to his best friend title, felt the need to pipe in. "Indeed. Though Ms. Lewis' activities have necessitated ordering flour and sugar by the pallet."
Darcy rolled her eyes and took a long sip from her coffee. "You're hilarious," she finally said, completely dead-pan.
Truth was there had been many more than what was currently on display. She had been handing out her goodies to the building security teams, to the other science labs and research teams, to the daycare workers. Even the valets out front had benefited. Her original plan had been to donate them to a local charity but she had never made it out the front door. In the Tower she could have instant access to news on Steve. She hadn't been able to force herself too far away from that.
Jarvis had been with her every second. No judgment. No censure. He would place the orders for more ingredients when she requested. He managed the various timers when she was baking. He even helped compile the recipes she had in her head into a neat little cookbook that she could access on her laptop or with one of Tony's holographic monitors.
Sam broke her out of her thoughts. "So...I don't know about super solider over there but I'm starving. Any chance you have some blueberries muffins?"
With a wave she indicated a stack of plastic containers by the stove. Each one was labeled with a cute little tag in coordinating colors. There were lemon-poppy seed, apple, raisin, cinnamon, and of course blueberry. Sam fell on the box like a truly starving man. He ate two before he came up for air. "These are delicious. Try one, Rogers."
While Sam chewed, Steve had been hanging back. Darcy wasn't sure if it was because he was trying to discern her level of crazy, or if it was because he was feeling awkward with her after the way he had left. Or maybe it was due to the way she had mauled him when he arrived. (That had been real classy.)
As Sam picked up his third muffin he must have felt the rising tension for he paused to glance between them. "Hey Jarvis, this place got a bathroom," he asked as he took another large bite.
"Certainly, Wilson. If you would follow the lights."
Darcy caught the look he gave Steve as he exited, and she had to hide a smile behind her coffee cup. The only way it could have been clearer is if he'd written "deal with your shit" on his forehead.
Silence grew between them while she leaned back on the counter. Darcy hated silence, and it was obvious that if she let Steve set the pace of this conversation they'd still be standing in silence when Sam came back. Taking a fortifying breath, she spoke first. "If you don't want to talk about it, its cool with me. I mean I get it. Really. If you didn't want to be friends all you had to do was say so. I'm a big girl, I can take it. You don't always have to be 'apple pie and helping old ladies cross the street' just to avoid some unpleasantness. And I'm sorry about the hug earlier. Old habit. Won't happen again. Promise. Well maybe. I promise I won't be weird about it though. No crazy stalking your Facebook or anything. Not like you have a Facebook, but you do have fan sites and-Oh god I'm rambling. I -"
Steve had moved closer. She wasn't sure when exactly. But he was only inches from her now. He took the coffee from her nervous hands and set it on the counter behind her.
"I missed you too," he breathed on her lips. His eyes were burning as he looked down at her. She felt her legs tremble. Oh god, he was going to kiss her! She could see the intent on his face as hands rested themselves against her waist. She opened her mouth to say something. Anything.
"Please tell me we're staying," Sam's voice said from around the corner. Steve jumped back, the hungry expression that been in his eyes wiping away as if it had never been. By the time, Sam crossed the doorway Steve was on the other side of the room, his back to them both. "Because this is some pretty sweet set-up. And it comes with the best muffins," he said with a wink at her.
Trying to pull herself together she gave him a weak smile. She wasn't sure but there was probably a blush on her cheeks. She felt that mix of cold and hot that said her completion was showing something she'd rather keep to herself.
Sam's brow furrowed as he glanced between her and Steve's back. Thankfully he didn't comment or ask questions.
"I, um, I have to take care of something real quick. Jarvis can you fill them in on Tony for me?" She was rushing out before the question was even finished but she heard Jarvis respond in the affirmative.
Once in the elevator, she collapsed against the wall. This was too much. Did he want her? He certainly didn't act like it when anyone could see. But the way he had looked at her...
She didn't have the patience for this kind of game. She knew what she wanted, but she was realistic enough to know that it was never going to happen. And while she had no problem with casual sex, she didn't think that a one night stand would end in anything but heartache for her. So that was out. She wanted to scream.
"Jarvis?"
"Yes, Darcy."
"When the hell is Stark getting back?" She may not have been able to figure out Steve, but she understood Tony. The two of them were friends though Tony would deny it resolutely. She would also be able to take out all her frustration and mixed emotions on him when she felt like she couldn't do the same to Rogers.
"He should be returning within the week. Mrs. Potts will be accompanying him."
One week. No problem. She could vent her frustration in another way until she was able to go word for word in a sarcasm battle with Stark.
Jarvis' words proved true. Tony reappeared six days later, with one grim looking Pepper Potts in tow. Darcy had only met her twice before and one of those had been via a video conference, but she seemed different. Not physically maybe, but something was off.
Upon hearing of the couples return, all the Avengers in residence as well as Jane, Darcy, and Sam, met them on the common floor. There were introductions all around for Sam, then Tony took center stage with his usual charm. "All right, all right. Listen up. I'm assuming Jarvis has been keeping you all updated about the Mandarin."
"Yeah cause you can't answer phone calls," Darcy muttered.
Tony rolled his eyes but continued without a sarcastic rejoinder. "The Malibu property's been destroyed, which means I'll be in New York full time. Owing to that fact, Pepper will be moving here as well."
Pepper smiled when their eyes turned to her. "Tony asked me to marry him."
"Aww come on Pepper. I wanted to tell them," Tony whined.
"Ring or it didn't happen," Darcy demanded as she pushed past Thor to see Pepper's hand. Pepper held up the ring that was tasteful and brilliant like Pepper herself. Darcy was surprised. She had expected something more in line with Tony's over-the-top tastes. She reached forward but froze when Pepper snatched her hand back. The panicked movement seemed of place from Pepper's usual personality. Darcy waved it off. It was probably left over from Pepper's recent kidnapping.
"In other news," Tony said, pulling attention away from Pepper. "I'm no longer a dying man."
"No need to be so dramatic," Pepper chided. "The shrapnel in his chest was removed this past week. He's no longer in danger of it puncturing his heart."
"That's assuming he still has a heart," Darcy teased. Tony jumped right in with a witty retort. While they continued their banter, the rest congratulated Pepper about both pieces of happy news. There was an impromptu celebration that followed, during which Tony was allowed solely non-alcoholic drinks, due to the pain medication he was on.
Eventually the conversation turned to Steve and what he had been up to after SHEILD fell. Darcy knew that she wouldn't be able to hide her interest in this particular topic. Thankfully, everyone seemed as concerned as she had been. Steve's voice was quiet when he spoke about Bucky. Darcy's heart wept for the pain on his face when he said he was out of options for finding his friend.
"There are always more ways to fight," Thor imparted laying on hand on his shoulder. "I shall assist in any way I can."
"Me too," Tony broke in. "Come on Capsicle. You know we're all behind you."
It had been nearly three months since Pepper had moved into the Tower. During that time there had been some adjustments as their always were when new people joined a household. Overall, everyone was getting along splendidly. At least everyone else was, Darcy bemoaned, as she thought of Steve.
Steve and Sam were still looking for Bucky but now they had the force of the Stark name behind them. Even then it was slow going. Thor was assisting where he could between trips to the nine realms. Tony had gone into seclusion for a while, when he had finally emerged Pepper had seemed relieved. More her confident self. Stark had also been on a bender about upgrading the Tower's security (like the thing wasn't already a fortress).
Darcy was doing her usual business. She kept the scientists fed and watered. She baked, in more manageable quantities. She cooked dinner too, and included the full team when she measured for portions. She still assisted Jane, though Bruce had started asking for her help as well. With Pepper in house, she didn't have to keep such a close eye on Tony. When the red head went out of town though, she had her hands full with the billionaire. In her kinder moments, Darcy thought he annoyed her because he was lonely and she was the one least likely to take offense with his antics. When he did things to piss her off, like replacing all of the music on her iPod with 80's glam rock, she didn't feel quite as charitable.
She forgave him though. Especially since he upgraded her tazer with some Stark tracking tech that made it impossible for her to miss. He had also made the casing a lovely shade of violet. Darcy had purchased a handbag to match.
The other new addition in Darcy's life was Sam. After only a couple weeks living in the Tower he had approached her, offering to give her a break from the science crew. He had been smooth and kind and made her laugh. His company was easy. A slow spinning Ferris wheel. From day one it had been like that. Unfortunately that was all it was. After that first date and a chaste kiss, they had both agreed that it wasn't going to go any further than light flirting and friendship, but he kept taking her out. He said it was because they had to stick together as the two most normal people in the Tower. She couldn't really deny that claim when she compared them to the Norse god, the super soldier, the two geniuses, the fortune 500 CEO, or the alter-ego of an experiment gone haywire.
The strange part of these casual dates was that every time they went out, Steve seemed to catch them on the way home. The first time, he had been in the garage when Sam had pulled back in from driving her to dinner. Rogers had immediately pulled Wilson into a conversation about Bucky and dragged him away. Darcy had thought it odd, but hadn't commented. She was not going to interfere with anything having to do with Steve's search for his friend. The second time, Steve had been in the building lobby and had invited them to watch a movie with him as they had returned from a long stroll in Central Park. When they'd agreed, Darcy had not expected him to sit between them the entire time.
If it had been anyone else, Darcy might have thought Rogers was jealous.
The third time, Sam had been planning on taking her dancing. As she waited for the elevator to take her to the common level to meet Sam, she adjusted the knee-length skirt that hugged her hips. She usually didn't dress up. It was more convenient to wear jeans. However, Darcy loved to dance and dancing required dressing up. It was a rule. One of the Lewis life rules, along with always wear cute underwear in case you got injured and met a hot paramedic.
When the elevators opened, Steve had been standing stiffly against the back wall. He didn't say a word. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest and glowered down at the floor, never meeting her eyes. Unsure of her welcome, she got on the car. The button for the common level was already lit. It was a strained ride, and thankfully short. As soon as the doors opened Darcy hurried off. Sam was waiting with a grin. "Hey good-lookin'," he called.
She felt Steve step off behind her. He was a pillar of disapproval. Sam looked at the good Captain over her shoulder and his grin only grew. "Ready to hit the dance floor," he asked her.
"Hell yeah," she said with her usual candor.
They had left arm in arm, Steve glaring at them until the elevator doors closed. "What was that about," she asked Sam.
He smirked and shrugged. "Might be I finally found something I can do faster than the Captain."
Darcy wasn't sure what that meant but she let it drop. Men were complicated.
The dates continued. So did Steve's scowling.
One day, Darcy was going over the meal plan for the next week while she lounged in Jane's lab when Sam popped in. Technically it was after hours. Of course, Dr. Foster never followed a typical 9-5 schedule.
"Hey, good-lookin'." He had been calling her that since that third date.
"Hey, Goose." It was appropriate nick-name for him even if stolen from Top Gun. She had started using the term after she found out about Sam's wings. Tony had been working on a replacement for the pair he had lost during the battle at the Triskelion. There had been several prototypes thus far but Sam had turned them all down due to Tony's unnecessary additions to the original design.
"Wanted to let you know I'm heading out for a while. Have to visit some of the family. They've been getting a bit concerned about me, and I was told if I don't put in an appearance they are all going to come up to visit. To spare you all the horror of that, I'm going to spend a couple weeks with everybody. Stark's even letting me borrow the jet." He paused and seemed to debate internally before he leaned down and gave her a whisper of a kiss on her forehead. "Don't let Cap get to you while I'm gone, okay?"
She ducked her head but hummed in the affirmative. Sam was a counselor and good at reading people. He knew she was interested in Steve, though he never offered unsolicited advice, which she appreciated. But he saw that she was hurt more than she let on by the way Steve had been acting around her.
He left quickly after that, and Darcy pushed his words out of her head. She was pretty good at burying things. Call it her ostrich defense. Letting herself get absorbed in the grocery order and the music Jarvis provided, she didn't notice time passing.
The blaring of an alarm had her nearly falling out of her seat in startlement. "Jarvis, what the hell?!"
"There has been a level 1 security breach. Please remain in the lab. Security protocols are activating. The lab will be lock down until the threat is neutralized."
Jane and Darcy watched as giant metal doors slid out of the ceiling outside the glass doors and locked into place. When Jane grabbed her hand, Darcy squeezed it in solidarity.
In the lab they couldn't hear anything except the sirens. When those suddenly cut out, the silence was deafening. The metal shielding blocking them in didn't budge telling Darcy that the threat wasn't over yet. Grabbing her purse, she dropped Jane's hand to dig for her tazer. Granted, anything that got past Stark's security probably wasn't going to go down from a tazer but it made her feel safer. Plus she had taken down a Norse god with this baby and that was before Tony's upgrade to it.
After several minutes of silence, Darcy became aware of a small scratching noise. Trying to track it down she hushed Jane by putting a finger to her lips. The sound was coming from above them. Peering up at the ceiling she spotted movement through the grate of one of the air vents. Her grip tightened on the tazer she had down by her side. The grate suddenly slammed outward falling straight down. A pair of legs could be seen as the owner swung down through the opening. Darcy saw muscled arms and blonde hair follow. The man was now hanging from the vent by only the strength of his arms. He paused probably calculating where to land due to the vast amount of equipment below him.
Darcy raised the tazer and fired. The prongs caught the man in the side. There was only half a second for him to register what had happened before volts started pouring through him. Immediately he lost his grip and came crashing down. He missed most of the equipment but his upper half hit the edge of one of the workstations before sliding to the ground.
There was silence between the two women as they looked at the fallen man.
Then Darcy spotted the bow and quiver strung over his back.
"Oh shit."
"Captain Rogers, Darcy is requesting your assistance in the labs." Jarvis' voice put him on full alert.
"Is she all right," he queried as he turned away from the building schematic he was going over with Thor.
"She appears to have caught one of the intruders."
Steve was running before Jarvis even finished the sentence. He took the stairs, the elevators were too slow. He knew she was alive, but scenarios were still running through his head. She could be injured in a million ways. But Jarvis would have told him that certainly.
Rogers was well aware that he had been a jerk lately. He couldn't seem to stop himself when it came to Darcy. Especially when he saw her with Sam. Yet she had still called on him specifically. It gave him hope.
As he approached Dr. Foster's lab, Jarvis raised the metal shielding. Through the glass he could see Darcy frantically pacing. Opening the door, he heard her speak. "Oh my god I killed him."
"He's not dead," Jane broke in from where she knelt beside a crumpled figure.
"I broke him. Oh my god. He's going to kill me."
Approaching Steve began to recognize the man sprawled on the floor though it had been a year since he had last seen him during the battle of New York. It was Clint Barton, better known as Hawkeye, the Avengers archer.
Darcy looked at him with wide panicked eyes. "I didn't know who it was. I mean who uses the air vents like a door? Are you sure I didn't kill him?"
He knew Darcy was panicking but he couldn't help the bubble of laughter that was rising in his throat. It poured out with more force than he was expecting. Then he couldn't stop. Jane looked at him bemusedly while Darcy looked like she might kick him. Still he couldn't stop.
It was the first time he had really laughed since finding out about Bucky. It felt good. All due to Darcy again.
He saw Barton stir and went to the man in case he came up swinging, but he kept one eye on Darcy. Right then he made himself a promise, when he found Bucky he was going to pursue whatever he felt for Darcy. If she was still interested by then. For now, he would let things stand, but he would come up with some way to apologize.
Natasha Romanov was gorgeous. She had the kind of body that Darcy wished she had, that she lusted over a little. But Darcy wasn't jealous. Really.
The only emotion Darcy was capable of right now was terror. That was because Natasha Romanov had a look in her eyes that said she could kill one measly lab assistant with her pinkie finger. When Natasha had demanded to know how Barton had ended up in his current state Darcy had grabbed onto her gonads and stepped up to take the blame. She was half wishing that she had kept her mouth shut.
Rogers was not helping the situation. He was still having a hard time keeping his laughter in check. At least he was attempting it. Tony was definitely not. The genius was keeping the length of the room between himself and the disapproving Black Widow though.
The slightly disoriented Barton was laying on one of the couches in the common room, recovering. He was taking the whole incident with good humor. "That's what I get for not using the front door, Tasha," he said reaching for her hand.
Natasha allowed him to take it, shifting her deadly glare away from one relieved Darcy Lewis. "No, that's what you get for being out of practice. Believe me, Barton, we're going to fix that."
Now the archer's face showed the same dismay that Darcy had been feeling. "I don't really think -"
"That's right you don't."
Barton snapped his mouth shut at her fierce tone. Darcy couldn't blame him. She had read about the Black Widow. All those files that had been dumped over the internet had sparked heated debates amongst fans and critics alike. Darcy would admit that she had been curious and had peeked. What few reports she had been able to find had been flattering about Natasha's skill, but to a civilian those skills were frightening.
"Next time you should call ahead before attempting to breach my security," Tony tossed in from his assured safe distance.
"If we had called ahead we wouldn't have gotten a true feel for your security's capabilities," Natasha replied.
"Plus we wouldn't have found out about your third layer of defense in the disguise of a lab assistant." That had been from Barton and it made Darcy huff a laugh. Which she quickly covered when Natasha's focused gaze came back to her.
Darcy wasn't sure if Natasha and Clint were 'together' but there were hints that they might be. Natasha's obvious disapproval to his injury being one of them. Now wasn't really the time to be wondering about it, but no one had ever accused Darcy of being appropriate or tactful.
"I'm really sorry again," she said. "If it will make make you feel better you can hit me back." She offered the violet tazer in Clint's direction. "Or you can have your impressive comrade-slash-girlfriend do it. I wouldn't mind tingling from anything she did to me."
The silence was remarkable.
The men had all frozen and were looking to Natasha for her reaction. The Russian bombshell narrowed her eyes slightly. "I can promise more than tingling," she said as a lascivious grin spread across her lips.
Barton lost it. His laughter spurred the others. Darcy looked down at him clutching his side before turning her gaze back to Natasha. She was smiling and that killer look had soften, giving Darcy a glimpse of the real girl beneath strings of contrivance. The infamous Black Widow probably wasn't aware that untrained Darcy Lewis could read the tension in her body at this friendly gathering, and Darcy was smart enough not to point it out. But she did want the only girl in this superhero boys club to feel at home. Darcy was sure she could find a way to make that happen.
