I sit back in the comfy chair, dropping the damp towel on the floor somewhere. Bruce had come in not too long ago and basically told me to go take a shower or his other less-happy self would make me. I'm loved. I'm also not too shy to admit that I probably smelled since it had been a couple of days since I last showered. Thankfully since we're in one of Tony's created medical rooms in the tower, the room is like a freaking studio apartment with a kick ass bathroom to match. Superheroes should heal in the lap of luxury with Egyptian cotton sheets.

The smell of a juicy bacon cheeseburger permeates the air and my stomach grumbles. Loudly. God, when's the last time I ate? I take a few bites of the burger, and boy is it yummy. I carelessly wipe my mouth with a napkin and look at Steve.

I put it down and start talking, "It's our fave from Jackson Hole. Medium-well with pepper-jack cheese and no pickles or onions. Tons of mayo and ketchup. I'll even share if you open up those eyes, babe."

I nibble on a fry and still no response except for the steady rise of his chest. Damn, it was a long shot, but Steve loves bacon almost - maybe more I sometimes wonder - as much as he loves my boobs. That's sort of an epic love, man, because have you seen the glory that is my chest?

After a few more bites, I put the burger down. I lick my lips and get comfy in my chair. I sigh softly before I talk, knowing he hears me. "Remember when we met?"

After the Battle of New York - really that's how it goes down in history books - Jane hightails it back to the States with me by her side. She marches straight to Stark now Avengers Tower, because we figure that's where we might get some answers. Also we have no clue where the hell S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York offices are. We figure since they're all hush-hush, we won't be able to Google them. Uh, yeah, I tried.

So anyway, we're in the lobby of said tower amid all the construction and going-ons when I get tired of Jane's diplomatic approach to trying to get to see someone, anyone. I shove her to the side and pull out my taser, funny it's a Stark one, and hold it up to the receptionist's face whose eyes widen in fear. Yeah, I so know this is a scumbag move but whatever. I'm really not the patient type. Plus we were on a freaking plane for like ever and ever, so yeah, I'm a little cranky. And in need of a shower.

I press the button to show her it's charged and quietly say, "Look, just buzz your boss man or who the fuck ever and let them know Jane Foster is in the goddamn lobby. If I'm right and it's been known to happen, Stark's gonna get a science hard-on knowing she's here. If not, let them know that she made out with Thor in New Mexico. Just make it fucking happen."

"Is there a problem?"

We turn around at the sound of his voice. I mean even in Bumblefuck, Norway or New Mexico, you know what he sounds like. Plus there's TMZ, People magazine and all that other crap. The world knows who Tony Stark is.

I smile brightly and turn off my taser. I shove it back in my bag and walk over, holding out my hand. He raises an eyebrow, but shakes it anyway. "I'm Darcy and that's," nodding over my shoulder in Jane's general direction, "Jane Foster."

Yep his eyes widen. Score! Science-boner. Just as quick his face goes back into neutral. "Do you often threaten people with a taser? By the way, good choice. You should see the prototypes I'm developing for the NYPD."

I shrug, "I figured security would come swooping down upon us and there would be a ruckus caused and hopefully you would be here to take care of the disturbance in your lobby. This way? Well, it's much easier and avoids me getting arrested which is cool because I've only been in New York for less than two hours. My mom would have gotten pissed."

He nods and introduces himself to Jane who's busy apologizing for me, well, being me. He waves that off and starts walking towards the elevator. I'm guessing we're following. Well, I'm following since Jane's already deep in science talk with the man. I look back at our suitcases and the receptionist gives me a curt nod. Okay, so we're not going to be besties any time soon. I jog after them and hop into the elevator.

We get off at the top of the building into a space that's part Architectural Digest and mostly wicked cool. He motions us to the couch and asks if we have eaten. At that my stomach grumbles quite loudly.

He smirks. "Jarvis?"

A voice with no body answers, "Sir?"

I blurt out, "Holy shit, God works for you?"

Tony smirks again. Um, Jarvis answers. "No, Miss Lewis, I am Mr. Stark's AI."

I mutter, "Creepy that you know my name."

Jarvis answers back, "Miss Lewis when taser wielding women come into the lobby, I immediately find out who they are."

Jane asks, "That happens often?"

Tony shrugs, "It's all in a day of the life of being me."

Jarvis adds, "Sir, it might also have to do with the callousness of how you rid yourself of bedmates."

Tony rolls his eyes, "Jarvis, just order food. I want a burger. That cool with you ladies? Jarvis, Jackson Hole."

After Jarvis assures us that he's already placed the order and it will be delivered in less than an hour, Tony slips off his suit jacket. He has on a white button down that probably costs more than the national debt, but lets me see the faint blue light underneath. He lives because of some blue light thingie. Well, I tased a god so it's all gravy.

He pours himself some amber-colored liquid and asks if we want anything. I ask for a beer. Again with the smirk. "You old enough to drink, young lady?"

I roll my eyes, "Yeah, Dad, I am."

He shudders at that. "Please don't call me that. I think my testicles just tried crawling back inside me."

I snort and Jane actually laughs. Then she catches herself and looks a little lost. Tony sits across from us in a plush chair. He takes a sip and looks Jane dead in her eye. "You want to know why he didn't see you."

She bites her lip while looking down. Then she squares her shoulders and looks back at him. "Yeah, I'm guessing I do."

For the next half hour Tony, he insists we call him that, gives us a super condensed version of the Battle New York, first-hand edition. I swear I just need popcorn and a Coke. He winds up and sits back, finishing off his drink before rising to pour himself another.

Jane quietly asks, "Thor had me sent to Norway?"

Tony nods. "He didn't want to see the two of you get hurt."

Jane nods and I look at her. I roll my eyes. "Um, hell no. I get that. I do. Hey, I even appreciate not being on the same continent as his bro since his little bro was having a temper tantrum from not having the bigger dick. I can respect that. What we're having issues with is the nothing that followed. Yeah, he had to bounce back to his side of the galaxy. But a phone call? A text? Hell, there's Face Time, dude."

Jane sighs before speaking. "It was ... it was just a kiss. That one kiss that belongs in a movie scene with music playing in the background, but a kiss is all it was."

No one says a thing and then there's food. Somehow before we finish eating lunch, Tony has us employed by Stark Industries. After slurping up the last of his milkshake, he offers to take us to our new digs. Rewind please.

Jane looks at him, "I'm not sure what it is you think ...?

He cuts her off, "You wanted answers as to why big and blonde basically ditched you and I gave them. That being said, I am a man of action. I also refuse to be under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s thumb. I'm an Avenger and this is now Avengers Tower. Yeah, we'll play nice with the Man, but when it's all said and done, we're going to do this our way. So I'm giving you, Dr. Foster, the chance to do some real work without worrying if Fury's going to have some of his goons swoop down and take your stuff. Plus, my lab is way more cooler than theirs can ever be."

She nods slowly as she processes the information. I look at him, "And me? I'm not anything but some girl who's a few college credits short of her Bachelor's. You don't need me."

He shakes his head. "But she does. Agent told me all about how you basically kept her alive in New Mexico and made sure she slept, ate, and basically functioned as a human being. You didn't let her get too pulled under her work. In my eyes, that makes you a necessity. You're like a younger, shorter, way more stacked version of Pepper. Plus, I pay better."

So that's how we moved into the Avengers Tower. We met Clint and Natasha a few weeks later. Well, more like they were all of a sudden there scaring the crap out of me. Turns out that they had been around for a few days observing us all ninja like. They were very weary of us, especially Clint.

One day after him jumping up as I walked into the kitchen on whatever floor we were on, I grabbed an orange off the counter and chucked it at his retreating back. Of course with my aim it hit the back of his head. He whirls around, eyes flashing.

I stick my hand up. "No, I wanna know what the hell your problem is. Have I offended you in some way? Because it's likely and if I did, I'm sorry. Just let me know what I said or did and maybe we can actually manage to live here without you running away like I'm going to pee in your Cheerios."

His body is tense. His voice is raspy, "Don't you know ...?"

I cut him off, "About Loki and what he did to you? Yeah, but that wasn't you. He controlled you like he did that huge ass Destroyer robot that he sent after Thor. Because he's a pussy. Always trying to make others do his dirty work because he doesn't have the balls to do it himself."

He looks skeptical so I press on because that's how I do. "Look, did you enjoy what you did? Did you try to stop it from happening? Yeah, well that just proves that he did it. Not you. He just happened to use your body like a remote control car."

Clint slowly comes back into the kitchen and sits down at the breakfast bar. "I can't help feel it's my fault that Coulson's dead."

My mouth falls open. That's the agent Tony was talking about? Fuck, I didn't know, but still. So instead of offering my condolences like a normal person, I blurt out, "But I never got to tase him for stealing and not returning my IPod!"

Clint just looks at me and starts to laugh. Natasha walks in and sits beside him. I get the feeling she had been nearby all along. She rests her hand on the one of his that rests on the counter. They link their fingers together and just like that I have new friends. Who can kill me with a toothpick. Oh yeah.

Bruce is next after coming back from wherever a few months after BoNY (yeah, I totally acronymed Battle of New York - it's a mouthful). He's quiet and passive and is as skittish as a newborn fawn. I wanna squish him because he's just that darn cute. Jane quickly tells me that I'm not here to adopt the Avengers like lost puppies. Whatev.

I quickly find out his favorite things, like the type of tea he drinks and kind of music he listens to while getting his science on. Jarvis helps me find the tea which I have to go to Queens for. Riding the 7 train to 74th Street is an experience, but I get my eyebrows threaded for the first time so it's totally worth the trip.

I make sure Jarvis knows that he has to shuffle their playlists so there are no fights and no need for me to force them to do their time-outs, which usually means that they have to watch Mob Wives with me. I make sure with Jarvis' help that Tony designs and gets a kitchenette installed in the lab. Makes no sense to have a kitchen on a separate floor when half the time I can't get them out of the lab. An apartment-size refrigerator, a two burner stovetop, microwave and coffee machine that would make Starbucks cream it's cup, and I'm a happy girl. I make sure it's always stocked with fruit, tea, water bottles, Mountain Dew and Pop-Tarts. I also convinced Tony to create healthier Pop-Tarts for Jane. I mean, really, Pop-Tarts is what fuels one of the smartest women in the whole world. Why don't I just IV-drip pure sugar cane into her bloodstream?

One day I get off at Tony's floor, bypassing the one I share with Jane and the labs, to give him a piece of my mind. I step off the elevator and with my Tony-induced tunnel vision walk smack dab into a wall. I am about to fall on my ass when the wall moves and steadies me.

I murmur, "Holy mother ducker, you're hot!"

I can hear Tony chuckling behind the blond Adonis. Can I keep him, Ma? Can I? Can I? Said Adonis is currently blushing and it's making my lady bits tingle.

He swallows before speaking, "Pardon me, Ma'am. My ..."

I cut him off, "No way do you ever call me Ma'am again. And I'm sorry for almost plowing you over in my haste to rip Tony's nuts off."

Cue the blush again and I just might be the tiniest bit in love. Then I inspect the total package and blurt out, "Um, why the hell are you dressed like my uncle Murray?"

Tony is now full on laughing and cutie's stammering about how he doesn't know my uncle Murray. I wave him off. "He's dead, has been for the last two years, but you dress like you're about to get the senior discount at I-Hop. This won't do." I walk over to Tony and stop to look back over my shoulder at Steve. "You don't have the weird ear hair thing going on, right? Where it looks like they got a Chia pet growing out there?"

I look back at Tony and hold out my hand. He just looks at me. So I ask nicely. "Money please. Or I tell Pepper how you basically bought my goddamn college degree from NYU and not Culver by the way and then let her borrow my taser to use on your manhood."

Tony rolls his eyes. The Pepper thing was a low blow seeing how their love story didn't turn out to be that epic. She can't handle the Iron Man saving the world part of Tony as much as she thought she could. I really don't see how dealing with the alcohol binging man whoring Tony is any easier, but whatever. She loved him enough to force him not to choose and he loves her enough not to chase her. He's been handling it like a champ but I do think it has a bit to do with him and Jane getting drunk once a week to get over their broken hearts. Well with Jane, it's more broken pride. And maybe a valve.

I turn to the Uncle Murray wannabe. "Um, sorry, but who are you?"

He holds out his hand, "Steve Rogers."

Tony throws in, "Captain America."

I'm now the one blushing. "Oh holy crap, I just insulted Captain America. Isn't that like peeing on the Statue of Liberty or burning the flag? Do I go to jail for that?"

Steve Rogers gently places a hand on my shoulder. I might be hearing angels singing in heaven. Get a grip girl! He speaks softly, "Just Steve okay, Miss?

I nod, "Just Darcy, okay, Steve?"

He smiles and cue the angels singing again.

Tony decides to ruin our moment, and it is a moment. He's smiling at me. I'm smiling - maybe drooling - at him. His hand is on my shoulder. Taylor Swift could write a Grammy Award-winning song about this moment right here. And yeah, Tony ruins it.

"She's the girl I was telling you about with the killer rack."

Steve's eyes drop down to said killer rack for just a split hair of a second before catching himself. I can't help but smile just a bit wider. Points for not openly ogling my chest.

Steve sighs, "Tony, knock it off."

I tell Tony, "Money."

He waves me off. "Go to Barney's. Tell them to put it on my account."

I scoff at him, "No way. This right here is American pie with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and a cherry on top." Oh naughty picture of me licking ice cream off Steve's pecs, but I shake off that train of thought rather quickly. "Um, like I was saying, Barney's is way too much. He'll hate it. I was thinking the Gap since he's a khaki kind of guy."

Steve frowns. Puppies everywhere keel over. "Uh, said guy is standing right here. I don't think we need to go ..."

I cut him off, "Sweetie, Steve, you're rocking pleats. You're like what, twenty-five? You don't rock pleats on your khakis at age twenty-five. It's illegal. Or at least it should be. Well, maybe guys named Biff rock them, but you're too much of a hottie for that. And we can check out Banana Republic as well. Hmm, trying to think if we should hit up the West Village for some retro stuff too. And Levi's because that's about as American as you, so it will be great. You in some 501's."

Steve looks overwhelmed. Tony sighs and pulls out a wad of bills and I'm not talking singles. I swear when he goes to the stripper bar, the ladies must wet themselves. He hands me some and I smile wickedly at him.

I grab Steve's hand and pull him towards the elevator. We hop in and Steve's looking just the slightest bit shell-shocked.

He looks at me, "What just happened?"

I smile brightly at him, "You just let me into your life. Don't worry, it's gonna be awesome."

I look at him lying in the bed. His chest keeps rising. I finish off my burger and throw out the fries. I sit back down and sigh.

I twirl my hair around my finger just how he does it, but it's not the same. I talk to him again. "God, you were so sweet to me that day while I dragged you from store to store. You blamed the red in your cheeks on the sun, but I know it's because I handed you those Captain America boxer briefs. I'm glad you went along with me that day. I mean, yeah, I would have fallen for you anyway, but you just let me do my thing. I still think you were being polite though. No matter what you say."

"You were like a vision that literally ran me over. Hell, Darcy, if you told me we were going to go jump off the Brooklyn Bridge I would have just to be with you. You were what I needed to ground me and I'm glad you pushed your way into my life."

I blink back the tears that come to my eyes at that particular memory. I shake my head and keep on talking. "And being the sweetie you are, you got everyone the Avenger tees Old Navy was selling of everyone. Even though Tony bitched, you saw him rock it at dinner the next night. And I know every woman in America appreciated you in Levis. I know I do."

The door to the room opens and I smile when Bruce comes into view. He presses a kiss to the top of my head. He places a cup of tea on the small table beside me. "You need to rest Darcy."

I shake my head. "I can't really sleep in this chair."

He just nods, "Come walk with me for a bit. The doctors need to come in and run some more tests and you need some fresh air." I'm about to protest when he speaks again. "Clint's going to come in and sit with Steve for a bit."

I nod slowly and follow him out of the room. We head to the floor that has the balcony garden thing. I blink against the brightness of the sun. It warms my cheeks and I smile at Bruce. "You were right. I needed some air."

Less than an hour later and I'm back in his room, seeing there's another hospital bed next to Steve's. I smile, thinking of my really weird new family as I hop into the bed. I grab Steve's hand and squeeze it before surrendering to sleep.

Thanks to krystal214 for being my toothpick wielding ninja. I'm glad this made you smile.