Hi people! Glad to be back! Thank you all for your condolences. You guys are amazing. (Yes you: Royleen & Nienna Perks)
I'm deciding to change some pairings with the characters (Nat and Clint / Nat and Steve). I really like Clint...a lot. Plus I think Nat needs a tame man for her Widow-wy needs. Spiders can love their prey. So what does that mean?
It means that the story in the future will have twist and turns, with characters intermingling and maybe even a love triangle? Can an Arrow bend to a triangle? :)
Enjoy this chapter. I do not own anything but an Arrow shaped ring, a bottle of bubbles and a headache from my neighbor's dog.
"Damn it!" Darcy screamed as she yanked her uniform off the kitchen table. There on her light blue uniform shirt was a deep red juice stain. She hurried to the sink and began to scrub the dark color out of her shirt, but the more she scrubbed, the more the stain spreaded in the fabric.
"Son-of-a-bitch!" She screeched as she threw the shirt into the wash bin angrily. She had thirty minutes to get to the Diner and her uniform was ruined. Plus tonight was the night that Frankie was hosting this "huge get together" with Tony Stark. She couldn't show up with dirty clothes. Frankie would absolutely kill her...then himself.
Darcy grabbed her phone and found Frankie's number. After dialing he picked up on the first ring.
"Darcy Love! Hows it going? Are you looking fabulous for tonight?" Frankie cheered into the phone. Darcy felt a pain of guilt.
"Ummm about that. Frankie I kind-of-sorta-maybe ruined my uniform shirt..."
The other end of the line was silent. Darcy automatically felt worser and worser as the empty silence continued.
What am I doing? I'm letting him down.
After what seemed like forever Darcy heard Frankie take a deep breath on the other end of the phone.
"I guess Allura can work extra hard..." he sighed. Frankie's voice sounded like a five year old who just found out that Christmas was canceled. Which in his case wouldn't be an overstatement. Darcy bit her lip as she literally felt her heart drop to the bottom of her stomach. This was Frankie she was flaking on. He was the one to give her a chance when she came crawling for a job. He was the one to pick her up and dust her off after many failed attempts at life. Covered in dirt and grim from her experiences with the heart. Frankie was there. He was her Frankie. She couldn't do this to him. She wouldn't.
"Wait! How about I just wear a different shirt? Black skinny jeans and a black button up? I'll even put on some boots! Would that be okay?"
"YES!" Frankie screamed on the other end. Darcy yanked the phone away from her ear.
Crap that man can scream.
"Darcy thank you thank you thank you! I knew my girl wouldn't let me down! I guess this will make you late huh? Oh well! At least my good luck charm will still be here!" Darcy could practically hear Frankie jumping up and down. She smiled as her chest swelled with emotion.. At least she could still make him happy.
"I'll be there in like an hour and a half? Two hours top!" She said as she began to dig in her closet for clothing. Frankie let another happy squeal of glee and hung up the phone.
I swear this man is going to kill me.
Darcy walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She had two hours to get dressed up, do her hair and catch the train. As she began to gather her clothes to bring into the bathroom her phone chimed. It was a text from Loki. A larger smile crept on her face as she undressed and texted at the same time.
L: Hope that everything goes well. Going to the meeting now.
Darcy smiled as she quickly typed a response.
D: Nothing good so far. Ran into a crisis, may not make it to work.
Loki responded instantly which made Darcy's stomach flutter.
L: Don't stress out yourself. I'll pick you up tomorrow for breakfast.
D: Sounds great! Good luck with your busy meeting. Don't let the big dogs of business eat at you.
L: I thought I was a big dog?
D: I don't know about that yet ;)
L: You little Minx
D: I try ;) Text you later :-*
L: Looking forward to it :-*
Darcy blushed. She really really liked him. To the point of no return.
She threw her phone on the bed and went to get ready. The sun was already setting into the hazy orange, yellow and pinks and Darcy began to rush even quicker.
She knew it would be a long night.
Tony was ranting and joking when Loki walked into the office.
"There's my prince!" Tony yelled as he strolled over to to clasp his hand on Loki's shoulder.
"I was just saying that this little gig would do wonders for your social life!"
Loki rolled his eyes as he put on his black jacket. Every since he first met Tony, the billionaire declared that Loki needed his help at life.
"I don't need any help in my social life Tony."
Tony rolled his eyes as he too began to put on his jacket. "You don't get out much Loki"
"Oh he gets out just fine" a female voice said from behind the door. There stood Natasha in all her fiery glory in a pair of black dress pants and a tan blouse. Her red hair hanging straight around her face. Loki pressed his lips together, fighting the urge to snark at her. Instead he busied himself with checking mail that was sitting on the desk in front of him.
"What are you getting at Widow?" Tony asked.
Oh no. He's intrigued. For Odin's sake.
"Loki has a girlfriend. I met her today. Feisty little thing. Buxom." she said with a smirk. The room went quiet. The puzzled looks on the others faces was both insulting to Loki, and quite demeaning. He didn't like when people underestimated him. Which they always seemed to do. Even if he kept his private life private, it wasn't their place to look down their social noses at him. Even if he was taller overall.
"Is this true brother?" Thor boomed with a large smile on his face. "Has a woman caught your eye?"
Instead of looking bashful, Loki looked annoyed.
"Yes Thor. I have a lady which is none of your concern."
"Woah there sunshine! It is our concern!" Tony laughed. The look of glee mixed with interest gleamed in his eyes. Loki dropped the mail on the table.
"Is she hot? Nice? Future Laufeyson?" Loki turned to Tony and forcefully pushed him out of his way.
"I do not wish to discuss this like we're high school girls. Yes I have a girlfriend. Yes she is beautiful. No you can not meet her."
Thor looked shot down while Tony looked determined. Loki began to walk out the office and ahead of everyone else. Tony walked up beside him and matched his steps with his.
Loki attempted to ignore him as he approached his car. Loki decided to ride with Tony and Thor since he did not know where the group was headed. Natasha rode with the Steve and Clint while Fury, Coulson and Hill rode in their own separate car.
When Loki first met Natasha and Clint, he could have sworn they were a thing. The lingering touches after intense arguments with staff. The way they would communicate without speaking with one another. The way they would predict each other's moves screamed an intimate relationship. But when Tony made snide comments in hopes that they would spill about their love life, Natasha set it clear to everyone in the whole building that Clint and her was friends. Coulson had explained that they were in the field too much together to form a relationship and still keep their threatening auras around others. But Loki knew the only reason why Natasha wasn't dating Clint was because she had eyes for Steve. And Clint played too much of a brother role too do anything intimate.
Tony broke Loki's musings with the beep of his car. He hurried to claim what Tony called "shot gun" while Tony drove and Thor sat in the back. His large frame squeezing himself into the back of the convertable. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Tony glanced at Loki and attempted again to ask questions much to Loki's dismay.
"What's her name?" Tony asked glancing back and forth between the road and Loki. Thor leaned in too in order to listen in. Loki thought about ignoring Tony's questions, but knew that he was relentless and would not stop until he got answers. Also it was a good opportunity to tell Tony now then in front of the whole team.
"Her name is Darcy."
Tony nodded while Thor wrinkled his head in confusion. "That name sounds familiar" he muttered. Loki rolled his eyes. "It's not a common name Thor. I think her parents were Literary Students and chose the name from a book, which you know nothing about"
Thor ignored the insult. He was use to Loki's defensive nature.
Tony snickered and began shooting questions at him like bullets since Loki broke on the first question. Loki groaned and laid his head back against the seat of the chair. Closing his eyes and attempted to fight the incoming headache he was about to get from the sudden interrogation.
"How old is she?"
"What does she do?"
"Is she hot?"
"Got a picture?"
Thor and Tony's questions ping ponged at a speed in which Loki found amusing and irritating at the same time. After they slowed down Loki held his hand up for silence.
"She is in her early twenties. A waitress and yes she is very attractive. No I do not have pictures Thor."
They seemed pretty happy with the answers and a comfortable silence fell in the car again. Loki's eyes stayed closed as her thought about his dear Darcy and how ravishing she looked from their previous outing. He hoped that all was well with her, and decided as soon as this so called "meeting" was over he would call her. Not to be eager...but just to say hi.
Oh what a lover boy I have become.
When the car stopped Loki didn't bother to open his eyes. He was preparing himself to have a sit down with his co workers and his brother and attempt to make a deal, or at least make it without bruises. Having Thor here at his company was extremely uncomfortable. Living in his shadow had made Loki not only jealous of Thor at some points, but also weary of Loki becoming second best again. He worked much too hard for Thor to sweep in and knock all of it down. For once he will not be second best.
Loki got out the car and didn't look at his surroundings. Instead he took out his phone and looked at Darcy's contact, debating if it was a good idea to call her now and not seem too over eager, or to get her in trouble at work. He could hear the others getting out of their car. Tony clasped his hand on Loki's arm and began to lead the way. Loki was still stuck in a mental debate of whether to call or not when they entered a doorway that heard a familiar bell ring. Too familiar.
As Loki looked up he stopped. Startled. There they were in the Diner. The very Diner that Darcy worked in. They were there. Inside. For a meeting. Shit.
Tony ignored Loki's pause and walked into the restaurant as if he owned the place. A busboy looked up and instantly recognized Tony and ran into the back. Two seconds later Frankie came out from the back with a large smile on his face and his tablet in his hand.
"Mr. Stark!" He beamed as he held a hand out to shake the billionaire's hand. Tony took it and shook it. Looking around. Frankie then gestured for a girl to come out. Loki's palms began to sweat as he stood his ground. Please not Darcy. Please not Darcy.
To his relief the blonde girl, Allura, bounded out towards them. She looked as bubble gummed as usual with her blonde hair in a high pony tail, too short skirt and pink lip gloss.
"Hello my name is Allura! Can I show you to your table?" She asked eyeing up the team. Then her eyes stopped on Loki and Loki's eyes was too fixed on hers. This was not going well. Tony cleared his throat and smiled his money smile that usually got him anything. "Yes" he said. Allura continued to eye Loki. He finally broke eye contact to look around the Diner, but Darcy was out of sight.
A moment passed and Frankie nudged Allura, breaking her out of her trance. She bounced up and turned and began to walk to and overly large table with a red table cloth draped over it. By the look of it, they must have gathered all the tables and pushed them together. As they began to follow her Loki noticed that Frankie too had spotted him. He was looking at Loki with a mixture of confusion and fondness. Loki smile slightly and nodded towards him. That caused Frankie to break out into a huge grin and nod back.
As they sat at their table Allura began to hand out menus. Loki nervously sat at the far end, but Tony being the insufferable man that he was walked over and sat next to him. Thor on his other side. When Allura approached him with his menu she smiled widely.
"Hello Loki. Nice to see you again!"
Loki fidgeted as he did not make eye contact with her again. "Pleasant to see you again too Allura"
Tony raised his eyebrows. "You've met?"
Allura smiled "Loki eats here regularly as of late" she said in her awfully sweet tone. Loki looked around for an escape.
"Is that so? Loki I wouldn't see you as a Diner man." Loki frowned as Allura opened her mouth to say something. "Well actually-"
"Allura!" Frankie smiled as he appeared beside her. "Not everyone had menus."
Allura then popped off to hand out the others. Loki looked into Frankie's eyes and tried to send the message of "Thank You". Frankie must have gotten it because he nodded with a smile and looked at Tony once more.
"My apologies. Our other waitress is currently not here at the moment. But I assure you that this evening will go as smoothly as planned." Tony then smiled and nodded while Frankie threw a glance Loki's way and left.
Loki was a bundle of nerves.
What if Darcy finds out? She'll now I lied to her face repeatedly!
Loki began to fidget with his hands, his eyes darting around the room. So far Darcy was no where in sight. Frankie had said that one of his waitresses was no longer here at the moment and it had to be Darcy since Loki knew that Frankie spoke of Darcy highly.
He took a deep breath. He remembered that Darcy text him earlier saying that she was having problems at work. Hopefully for him that meant that she wouldn't come at all. Or that they will leave before her night shift. Denial began to sink into his pores and cloud his brain.
For the first time Loki found himself praying to the gods that he did not see Darcy that night.
Too bad for him that the gods were not listening.
Mint Chip Ice Cream people. Eat that and relax! It's was also brought to my attention from an amazing reviewer (JigokuShoujosRevenge) that it seems as though Darcy would do the old "storm off and cry bs" that happens a lot in these situations. I would like you all to know that I do not plan on doing that. In this fic Darcy is a realistic strong female character that doesn't let herself be pushed around. No she won't assault Loki physically (at the moment) but that doesn't mean she doesn't know how to play. So no. Darcy doesn't take bs from anyone.
Lets just say Darcy can get her hands dirty too. She's a Woman of Chaos. Not tears. Loki isn't the only mischief maker here.
I hope you enjoyed that chapter. The music inspired is:
The Garden - Mirah
R U Mine? - Arctic Monkeys
Ain't No Rest For The Wicked - Cage The Elephant
I'm still open for suggestions? Both plot and names. Also thank you all for the constructive criticism :) Take it in stride.
This chapter is dedicated to : Redowyn
Thank You. See you next chapter.
-Midnight