Prompt 7 – Live
Darcy Lewis
Rated G
It's cool on the roof, the rain earlier in the afternoon washing away all the heat and humidity that's hung over the city like a wet blanket for days. The ambient light obscures all but the brightest stars, but it doesn't matter. Darcy's gaze if fixed on the horizon and the brilliant flares of orange and red that rise and fall. Steve is down there somewhere, along with the others, fighting against who knows what.
There's never been a mystery about just exactly what it is that Steve does for a living, but it's never been a topic of conversation, either. They try to live a normal life, doing things just like other couples do. They walk to work together when they can, they buy groceries, they even painted the living room. In between, Steve disappears for days or weeks, and Darcy tries valiantly to pretend that it's no different than a plain old, boring business trip. Swap the stars and bars for a nice blue wool suit with chalk stripes and a bright tie, add a briefcase, and it almost rings true.
Almost.
But the illusion never holds, and she has to slip back into reality, one where people can die. She's stopped making him promise to be safe, because it's not a promise he can keep, nor is it fair of her to expect. She was fully aware of who Steve was when she started down this path, and while she didn't fall in the love with the icon, just the man, wanting him to be anything different isn't fair to either of them.
So she suffers in silence, torturing herself on the quiet roof in one of his t-shirts and an old battered pair of shorts while the sky downtown burns.
This is part of a bigger idea, but I couldn't get it done in time for the final prompt day. To do it right, I'll probably have to turn it into a few chapters…if not more. Consider this a teaser (not a Taser), and expect something more along this vein, with a heavy dose of Bruce and Pepper in her for good measure.
Thank you so much for reading along, and for tolerating this odd lot ship that I've come to enjoy. It's really funny playing around with what if, and I very much appreciate your encouragement and kind words! Also, thank you to fuckyeahdarcylewis on tumblr for coming up with a great set of prompts!