A/N: This story was inspired by the eponymous Blake Shelton song. Thanks to Silver for the help!
After a short stay in Wakanda licking their wounds, the former Avengers who had sided against the Sokovia Accords had taken a generous donation from King T'Challa as well as funds that they'd been able to pilfer from who (other than the Black Widow) knew where. She'd just called T'Challa one day to find out if he would allow her into his country despite her fighting against him briefly. He'd agreed as her intervention had prevented him from making a huge mistake, so she'd arrived with piles of money saying she was tired of running from her fugitive status alone. Together she and Steve Rogers, formerly known as Captain America but now missing his trademark shield, had created a new facility for their newest incarnation of a team to utilize.
Darcy Lewis was a recent transplant to that refuge of the Secret Avengers, located… well, she actually didn't know where it was. She supposed she could pick up a menu from the bar she was at and see if it had an address, or maybe even ask the bartender where she was. But truthfully she didn't really care for the moment, and she was too busy being annoyed anyway.
She'd only arrived in the day before, and already Jane was trying to set her up. Upon letting Darcy know about the science buddy she just had to meet, Jane had been relentless. Eventually Darcy had agreed to the date on the stipulation that it be somewhere she could get a drink.
Blind dates were so much better when you had a drink to make socialization just a little less awkward. Apparently there was only one bar in the area, and it wasn't all that close, so Darcy borrowed Jane's car, lamenting the fact that she would have to rely on a single drink to get her through the beginning of the date and hope the rest of the night worked out okay. The directions were simple enough- "exit the compound and turn right. The bar will be on your left in 5 or so miles".
When she first walked in, Darcy had looked around and been pleasantly surprised. It had that feel of a catch-all bar. Since it was the only one in the area, it had to cater to all the bar-going types, but it did so in a way that was generally welcoming instead of just cold and impersonal. It was the kind of place anyone could become a regular.
All in all, Darcy was feeling pretty good about the situation regardless of the outcome of the date. Until, that was, her date didn't show. That was just rude. Figuring they seemed to be in the middle of nowhere and that she knew how scientist types could be about being aware of time, she'd waited a full hour, watching the bar fill up a surprising amount around her.
With a huff of annoyance, Darcy finally got up, pissed off and stormed out of the bar. Noticing that a seat at the bar rather than the tables around had opened up, Bucky slid into the newly vacated seat. He kept his shoulders hunched and his cap pulled low over his eyes. Even though T'Challa's scientists had been able to give him back his memories and he no longer really was the Winter Soldier, some things had stuck. Like trying to go unnoticed whenever he was out in public, which wasn't often.
Truth be told, Bucky generally avoided public. But some days he just got so damn tired. Tired of Steve looking at him with his bizarre mix of hope, excitement, and caution plastered all over his face. Tired of the way that it seemed everyone on base that he came across was pretty much terrified of him. Tired of the way he felt jumpy when he saw a new group of people in the facility, which despite his protests about security seemed to happen almost every damn day.
On that day, he'd trained for hours before cleaning up and going to his quarters to read. But when he'd gotten ready for dinner in the cafeteria, Steve had shown up and started excitedly prattling on about the newest batch of misfits to arrive. And Bucky just didn't want to deal with it, so instead he'd gone out to the bar to see if he could drown his sorrows in a little bit of anonymity.
He'd barely had time to order his drink when a beautiful but angry woman came stomping up to the bar. His back went ramrod straight when she got right into his personal space before he realized she was reaching out for a phone that was sitting next to him.
"Thanks," she muttered, pausing to look down at the screen.
In that moment, Bucky wanted nothing more than to test his luck. See if maybe she didn't know who he was and instead of an hour break from being himself before someone from the compound inevitably showed up and blew his cover, he might be able to talk his way into a whole night of fun.
Of course, Bucky was rusty when it came to dealing with women, and it was shameful, really. All those years as the Winter Soldier had created a chasm that made certain things about being Bucky Barnes just out of reach- even if he did remember being the man. He remembered being good with the ladies and able to talk his way into a date for himself with any dame to cross his path, and usually one with a friend of hers for Steve as well.
So it was a surprise as well as a disappointment when he opened his mouth and what came out was, "what are you doing with your beautiful self?"
The woman startled for a second before rolling her eyes, but she finished it off with a reluctant laugh all the same. She paused for a moment with the ghost of a smile still on her face instead of the frown she'd been wearing, and Bucky considered that in itself a win. But then her head tilted to the side a little and her smile became just a tiny bit bigger as the song changed.
"Just forgot my phone," she told him, holding it up as though he needed proof.
When she turned to go, she did so to the beat of the song that was playing, so Bucky put a hand gently and non-threateningly on her arm and asked, "you like this song?"
"It's my favorite," she conceded with a slight nod of her head.
"Dance with me?" Bucky practically begged, even going so far as adding a, "please" when she didn't respond right away.
With a sigh she looked down at his beer bottle, caught the bartender's eye and gestured to it and then herself. When he quickly procured her requested drink, Bucky stood to give her back the seat. Instead the woman handed over cash enough for the beer and a healthy tip, picked the bottle up with one hand, and grabbed Bucky's hand with her other. Snatching his own beer off the bar, Bucky happily followed her out to the open area where there was a pitifully small amount of dancing going on.
"Hi, I'm James," he told her as they began to move to the music.
"Darcy," she replied.
Honestly neither of them could say how many songs they spent out there, eyes locked together as they seamlessly moved together. From the first moment of having the woman in his arms, Bucky felt himself starting to fall in love. After some time, Darcy let out a soft sigh and then she was moving onto her tiptoes as Bucky bent down and they shared a quick, sweet kiss. When they pulled apart, Darcy was blushing slightly.
She looked away and cleared her throat before saying, "I'm sorry, I really should go. I have work in the morning, but thanks for turning this night around for me."
"Can I walk you to your car?" Bucky asked more than a little desperately hunting for a way to extend the night.
Darcy smiled at him brilliantly and nodded her head. As they walked out, they set their beers down on an abandoned table and he noticed that she'd hardly touched hers, so he didn't have to worry about her getting behind the wheel.
Because it was cold out, as soon as she reached the vehicle, she climbed in, leaving the door open so Bucky could rest one arm on top of it and another on the roof of the car as he leaned in and asked, "can I call you sometime, Darcy?"
"I'd like that, James," she told him happily as she turned her key in the ignition, "just let me find a paper so I can write my number…"
She trailed off as the car failed to start. With a small groan, she tried again, and once again, absolutely nothing happened. The way he saw it, her battery was probably dead, but rather than offering that explanation or attempting to fix it, Bucky just got caught up in the spell of her eyes again, unable to move or breathe for fear of scaring her away as Darcy said, "I guess I need a ride."
Bucky smiled widely for the first time that night, satisfied by the flare of arousal he saw on her face in response. He stepped back from the car and offered her his hand and said, "I'd be happy to help."
After she climbed back out of the car, Darcy held onto his hand as they crossed to the far side of the parking lot. Once they were both seated in the car, she took his hand back up in hers and didn't let go as they started out of the lot. She murmured brief instructions for Bucky to follow, but the car remained otherwise silent with both its occupants comfortably happy to be with each other.
When she directed him to turn into the road that paralleled the compound and provided a cover house for mail and all of the residents to use to interact with the outside world, he stopped the car short, grateful there wasn't any traffic behind them. Then he laughed.
"What?" Darcy asked, eyes going wide as he continued on then turned onto the actual road for the compound.
"You can't make this up," Bucky said with a laugh. "Ain't nobody going to believe me when I tell them how we met."
Darcy still look confused as Bucky pulled into a well-lit parking lot and turned off the engine after reaching his designated spot, so he explained, "I live here too."
Darcy looked around at the section of the parking lot he was in, and Bucky could practically see the wheels turning in her head.
"Most people don't call you 'James' do they?" She asked licking her lips nervously. "Like you probably have a best friend named Steve and he calls you something else."
Bucky sighed then bowed his head in acknowledgment as he said, "most people call me Bucky. I understand if you're not-"
"Why?" She interrupted him to ask.
To his credit, Bucky didn't even pretend to misunderstand that she was asking why he hadn't told her who he really was. "Sometimes it gets to be too much- everyone watching me and waiting for me to break and turn into that monster again."
"Well that's stupid," Darcy muttered. "I head the Wakandan medical teams fixed your head up with the help of whatever super soldier goodness you have in you. Plus, you're clearly a good guy and a gentleman!"
Bucky made a choked sound and stared at her in disbelief, "I'm pretty sure the entire world would tell you that isn't true."
Darcy waved her hand carelessly and said, "that wasn't you. You were the guy who walks a lady to her car in the dark and offers her a ride without pressuring her for anything more when it won't start. You're good people." She exited the car and walked around to the drivers side, waiting for him while he sat there momentarily stunned.
When Bucky noticed her first shiver, it snapped him out of his disbelieving stupor and rushed out of the car. As he did, he pulled off his jacket and hastily wrapped her up in it.
Darcy smiled at him and pulled it tighter around herself before going up on tiptoes to press a short but not at all chaste kiss to his lips. With a wicked grin, she slid her finger into the belt buckle by his right him and started pulling him toward the building. "C'mon, Soldier," she said giving him a smile over her shoulder. "Let me give you your reward for chivalry and let you show me just how much you aren't a gentleman."
With a groan, Bucky followed her. It may not be a night away from base, but he thought that Darcy might just be able to take his mind off of everything anyway. And in the morning, he'd work on making sure she kept doing so day after day and year after year.
Darcy knew she was feeling bold, but she wanted him to believe in himself again if anything in his good side. That was only fair. There was still some good in him, there had to be and it was just needing to be let out.
Feeling brave, she led him to her quarters, "It is okay James anything you want. Even if it is just a place to feel safe and warm. You don't have to pretend to be anything other than who you are. You can't hurt me." He looked at her his own dark blues full of trepidation. "Yes I can, Doll. I'm dangerous…" Her brown eyes smiled.
"James, please. Let go, it's okay." With THAT Bucky sagged in relief and she brought him inside. She looked up at the ceiling, praying to the gods that she could give the man respite from the world. Respite that was sorely needed after everything.
A/N: I'm trying (and struggling) to ease my way back into writing with oneshots, so if you have any prompts, soulmate or otherwise, please send them along! You can also find me on Tumblr as jdho2.