A few months later
The alarm cut through my concentration. It turned out to be just a bigger Code Green false alarm. We'd had two I.n the last week. I'm not blaming it on any specific individuals but there's was something to be said in the 200% uptick in near Code Green's since Dr. Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis, intern and mechanical engineer extraordinaire returned from Reykjavik. But who was I to complain? After they relocated to the Tower back in May, just three months ago, there were more Strawberry pop tarts in the pantries than I'd ever seen before in my life. And it was so relieving to have another 'devil may care' woman around the Tower.
Don't get me wrong, I love Natasha for all that she is but she's just a teacher to me. And Wanda reads as more of a mom friend in my mind. Darcy is the kind of girl you make up desperate housewives drinking games with. We gravitated toward each other immediately, bonding over baking, needling Tony, and the bemoaning the lack of clubbing appropriate company. She also held no judgment for me about my past, which I couldn't believe until I saw her and Bucky making googly eyes at each other from across the room, then it all clicked.
Darcy Lewis had become my best friend, big sister and closest confidant inand just a week's time. Now, a few months later, there were still no hydra threats and my probation was set to be lifted this evening. "The perfect time to go clubbing. " Darcy had declared it, before enlisting my strengths to remove, forcibly if necessary, the Sscience Ssquad from their labs. And then, to force them out into the world of the living. The only member to straight up refuse was Tony, as was expected. We had been… cCordial to one another but never anything more. I am nearly positive he had Friday keep tabs on my location just so he could avoid me at all times. Inevitably, we would run into each other cComing and going from our quarters or as we made our way to and from our designated lab spaces. I still didn't quite understand why Tony lived on the same floor as the rest of the avengers, when I knew damn well he had his own penthouse in the tower.
Anyways, my lab was certainly something to behold. The cCalling it my lab was a bit of a stretch considering I didn't build anything really, I just tested my powers and checked my biological markers with gadgets that Tony, Bruce, and Dr. Helen Cho had come up with together-. We were still waiting for a contact from the group called Tthe Gguardians who would potentialy he be able to determine what part alien I am.- But it was the world's most high tech library/relaxation room/artist's studio. All to make remaining in it all day for the sake of data aggregation tenable.
To say I was bored out of my mind at first was an understatement. But over time I began to have visitors. Darcy was a daily visitor, and surprisingly, so was Pietro. Peter and Bucky also visited, if less frequently. And, oddly enough, Vision was there almost all the time. I asked him about it once and he shrugged (how does a former AI program shrug so effectively) and simply stated that my presence calmedcombed his mind. Whatever that meant.
In any case, I wasn't as bored or lonely anymore. In fact, I could almost swear that something was developing between Pietro and I.
Earlier this week, as I was doing the Times word search and also projecting in my powers to deflect incoming projectiles, my hair was flipped up and into my face, causing my concentration to skip which led to a tennis balls smacking me right in the face. Above me Pietro burst out laughing and DUM-E beeped apologetically.
"I don't think I can forgive you for this," I deadpanned, reaching back to jab him in the kidney, which he promptly dodged, all the while still cackling. When his laughing fit finally subsided, he stood back up straight.
"I have an idea, " he announced proudly.
"Stop the presses everyone, and called the Vatican., Speedy here has an idea. It must be a miracle. First one in a decade. The world must be ending," I replied, looking at him and trying not to smirk. I will give him props, because the obscene shocked and hurt that filled his face moments later was almost convincing. He chuckled and moved to sit on the stool next to me. He said nothing, only staring at me.
"Okay Zippy, what was your big idea?"
"You haven't tested your instinctual and biological responses enough. For example, the fight or flight instinct is recreated too imperfectly in simulated situations to be of any use to you. However, there is another way around that beyond throwing yourself into open combat." I tilted my head, waiting for him to continue. He leaned forward placing his hands on my side and leaning closer. Hesitant but not opposed, my eyes fluttered chat. Instead of kissing me as I had assumed (hoped!) was his plan, I felt his lips brush against the shell of my ear. I shattered at the sensation, anticipating.
"I have a question, ", he whispered. I mumbled my acknowledgment and it took me a few seconds to process what he had said and by that time it was already too late. " are you ticklish?," he had whisper gently. Now he was mercilessly attacking my side with one, extremely quick fingers, whenever I moved to try to escape, he was there.
I collapsed to the ground, giggling breathlessly before I cut myself and put on my grumpy face. Pietro smiled lazily and shifted so his knees were on either side of my thighs.
" if you tickle me again, I'll scream," I warned him.
" I bet I could have you screaming my name," he replied cheesily.
" I actually hate you right now. I'm considering making you my official arch nemesis. I might make T-shirts. And badges. Definitely badges."
"Who's making badges? Didn't you know nemesis badges are so last season? This is why you should consult the great and powerful Darcy on all things," came the snarky voice of my best friend from the lab door. I urgently pushed Pietro up and off of me. But as was the theme of the day, I was seconds too late, and Darcy saw us in a position that looked extremely compromising without context.
She raised her eyebrows at me, cheeks twitching as she managed, for once, to hold back whatever retort she thought of once she saw me beneath Pietro. Instead, she readjusted herself and offered me a hand to pick me up off of the slightly dusty floor. I made a mental note to give DUM-E the swiffer tonight.
After I was back on my feet and thoroughly dusted off, Darcy approached the silver haired man who was currently leaning against one of my shoulder high bookshelves, jabbing her finger into his sternum. "You hurt my sister and I know an Asgardian who can make your life a living hell. And no, I'm not talking about Thor. Plus, you should be scared of me, I've bested him in combat once before and I can certainly take you. So watch yourself, Maximoff.," she growled before stomping away, grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me along behind her.
"We've talked about this," she hissed at me after her suite door slammed behind us. She'd been silent the entire elevator ride down to her floor. I loved Darcy but she was still a little paranoid about F.R.I.D.A.Y. always being present and listening in.
"Darcy it wasn't like that, he... tickled me?"
She snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, I bet he did. Looked like he wanted to do a lot more from where I was standing, kid. I'm telling you he's bad news. What do you see in him anyways?"
I scoffed at her insinuation that somehow, Pietro would be the rotten one between us. "Dee, I was literally sleeping with Tony Stark a few months ago while I had intimate knowledge of his fiancés fate. Plus, I'm not exactly innocent in literally any sense oif the word..." I trailed off but she just glared at me, which was her way of telling me that we weren't leaving until I answered all of her questions.
I sighed and plopped myself down on her cozy arm chair, putting my feet up. "It's just... he's easy to be around, Darcy. It's not hard, I don't have to think about anything twice, there's no pressure. He's funny, makes me smile, puts up with my shit. And he doesn't want more from me than I'm willing to give. We're as easy as breathing." I blinked, shocked at the words that had just come out of my mouth. Sure, I would admit to having a crush on the guy, he was hot and snarky. I loved that. Wait, love? I really was losing my mind.
"You know what, forget anything I just said. Let's go out clubbing, like you suggested and find me a man to get under for the night. I have to blow off some steam. I'm delusional and sappy over here."
Darcy shrugged, noncommittally. "What?!" I demanded, confused as all hell.
"If you really feel that way about him, you should tell him. He may not be pushing you to give more than you're ready for, but is he going to be prepared to give you everything you want, or is he just here for the safe convenience of it, Kaida? You two have been prancing around each other like orphaned fawns, afraid to let yourselves get hurt and calling it sacrifice for the other. Or maybe he just doesn't care and wants to play dirty because you're available and convenient. "
I was a little hurt at her words but I could see the truth behind them. It was time Pietro and I had a chat. But not before I went out and had fun with my best friend. I relayed that thought to Darcy who excitedly squealed as we plotted to get the Science Squad outr and about with us.
That brings us to now. Several of us piling into the biggest kink I'd ever seen. Bruce, Jane, Nat, Clint, Thor, Wanda, Pietro, Sam, Helen, the super soldiers, and even Peter had elected to join Darcy and I out tonight. It was certainly going to be one for the history books.
And like all great historical nights, it started with tequila and would end in the biggest mistake of someone's life.