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Bucky was a science nerd. He loved going to Stark Expo back in the day, and he loved walking around the labs and asking the various scientists what they were doing in their respective fields. And where Bucky went, Steve went.
That was how Darcy came to be more acquainted with the two of them when she started working in Stark’s fancy tower with Jane. She was working on her PhD in astrophysics at the time, interning with Jane again. However this time she was a paid intern, her paychecks being signed by the one and only Pepper Potts.
So when Bucky came in for the third time, Darcy asked what his deal was.
“I love science, but I don’t have the brains to do it. So I like to ask about it,” he smiled so genuinely at her that she couldn’t be annoyed anymore about being interrupted. Steve walked in five minutes later and spotted his best friend bent over a duct taped machine being schooled by a tiny brunette about the Einstein-Rosen Bridge.
“Steve, you’ve got to hear this,” Darcy turned at Bucky’s voice towards the door.
“Captain Rogers, what brings you up to the lab floor?” Darcy asked, straightening herself and cocking her head.
“Just looking for this punk,” he smiled at her. “And please, call me Steve.”
“It’s nice to meet you Steve,” Darcy walked over and shook his hand. “I’m Darcy, but in a few weeks I’ll be the proud owner of a doctorate, so I may ask everyone to start calling me Doctor Lewis,” she winked and pulled her hand back.
“Nice to meet you too, almost-Doctor Darcy Lewis,” he replied and followed her over to the rickety machine. “Anything sciencey will draw this one’s attention,” he nodded to Bucky who was eagerly waiting for more information.
“Explaining my work to him is good practice for my school work, and it’s nice to have someone to talk to other than Jane,” Darcy shrugged. “Care to learn a little more about all the gibberish Thor blubbers about all the time?” She smiled at Steve’s raised eyebrows.
“Would I ever!”
It became a habit for Bucky to come up to Jane and Darcy’s lab space. Tony was always playing loud music so Bucky couldn’t ask questions, and Bruce wasn’t a huge fan of visitors while he was in the zone. There were other labs, but they didn’t have the security clearance to deal with the former Winter Soldier and his golden retriever best friend.
“How are you a level six again?” Bucky asked one day while Steve was sitting in a rolling chair at Darcy’s desk munching on some pretzels. Darcy was tinkering on a machine while Bucky occasionally gave her tools. Steve perked up, he was wondering the same thing.
“Well Jane and I were there when Thor first touched down,” Darcy started while she screwed something in with a tiny screwdriver. “I tased him, SHIELD descended on us like harpies, and now I know a lot more than they want me to, so they gave me a high security clearance and a lot of NDAs. I had to do some typical training exercises. I know how to use a gun and basic hand to hand combat,” she held the screwdriver out and Bucky replaced it with a wrench.
“You tased Thor?” Steve sputtered from his seat five feet away and Darcy chuckled.
“Yup! I bested the god of thunder with a tiny lightning machine as he calls it. Now he refers to me as his lightning sister.”
“Ooooh,” Steve drew the word out. “He’s talked about you before but I never put it together.”
“I hope only good things,” she chuckled from under the machine and Steve smiled softly at the swipe of grease on her cheek.
“Like Thor would ever say anything bad about his lightning sister,” Steve scoffed. “He only regales us with glorious tales of the taser, your adventures in New Mexico and in London, and how much you mean to him. It’s actually very sweet.”
“He’s a big softie,” she chuckled but Steve caught the blush on her cheeks.
“Plus I’m technically the Avengers’ manager so I have to have at least the same clearance as y’all,” she shrugged and Bucky cocked his head.
“The Avengers have a manager?”
Darcy nodded, tucking her tools back into their box.
“Who do you think files all of your paperwork and schedules movie night? Y’all need some serious team bonding and it’s my job to make sure you work as a unit. I just do it all from behind the scenes,” she looked up at Steve with a raised eyebrow. “You’re telling me you’ve never seen your paperwork signed off by D. Lewis?” He bit his lip bashfully.
“I just assumed it was being done by someone in PR or in the lower levels. It didn’t occur to me that it needed to be someone with a high security clearance,” but then he frowned and it made Darcy frown questioningly back at him. “How do you juggle being the Avengers’ manager, being Jane’s lab assistant, and getting your degree?”
“A lot of coffee,” Darcy smirked, and when she got closer Steve took note of the dark circles under her eyes, the veins popped next to her irises, her slightly shaking fingers. He frowned. That wasn’t good.
It was three weeks later, and eleven trips to Darcy and Jane’s lab later when Steve actually saw her outside the lab. It was like she lived there. He was heading towards the exit for his morning run at five when he looked into the mess hall and saw a solitary brunette sitting at a table. Darcy .
“What brings you here this early, Darce?” Steve sat down next to her, not taking note of what was in front of her. He was entranced by her beauty, even this early in the morning. This was the first time he’d seen her without her signature red lip, and he was drawn in by her lips’ natural pink hue. The ever-present dark circles were more pronounced, even with her eyes closed, and the fluorescent lights did nothing for her, but he thought she looked radiant.
“We’ve been working for sixty hours. Jane is in the middle of a breakthrough. I need caffeine,” she mumbled before looking over at him. Her bloodshot eyes were startling, but Steve didn’t flinch.
“Coffee then?” He asked, finally looking at what she had in front of her. A large ice cold can of something called ‘Monster,’ and one of the biggest cups of coffee Steve had ever seen. “What’s Monster?” He asked as Darcy pulled a large travel mug out of her tote bag.
“It’s an energy drink. They’re usually fruity and low in calories. They’ll make a normal person bounce off the walls for hours,” she mumbled as she popped the tab on it. She then did something so strange that Steve couldn’t look away. It was like a train wreck.
She kept eye contact with him while she poured the coffee into the travel mug. The prolonged eye contact wasn’t even strange. What was strange was how she then poured the entirety of the energy drink in with the coffee.
“I’m going to die,” she spoke with eyes that had seen some strange things, voice quiet as she stirred the cup with her finger. Steve could only watch in horror as she popped the top of the travel mug on and took a very long swig of her concoction.
“Uh…” He paused as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Come check on me around lunch. I’ll let you know then,” and with that she stood, taking her caffeinated potion with her, and left him alone.
He did go to check on her at noon, but there was a note tacked onto the locked lab door:
Steve and Bucky,
Janey and I have found some strange readings coming from Midtown. We’ll be back later.
-D. Lewis
Steve raised an eyebrow at the scribbled words as Bucky came walking over.
“What’s that?” He asked as he walked up.
“Darcy and Jane are out of office,” Steve relayed and Bucky nodded. “You gonna miss her while she’s gone?” He asked with a smirk and Steve reddened.
“I don’t know what you mean,” he mumbled and Bucky let out a laugh.
“You can say you like to follow me all you like, but we both know you’re in the labs to see Darcy,” Bucky rolled his eyes as Steve sputtered and turned around. “Don’t deny it, I know you better than you do,” he called over his shoulder at a frozen Steve. The man with a plan was stuck standing there for another minute before he regained his senses and left for the gym. Sure, Darcy was just… effervescent. She was ethereally beautiful, glowing while she worked. Her lips were always pulled into a red grin. Her hair was shiny under the fluorescent lights. She was so kind to his best friend, even when it would have made sense to be afraid of him. And she had really taken to Steve, she’d gotten used to his presence and engaged with him. But that didn’t mean he was attracted to her.
He shook his head as he made his way to the punching bag. Time to sort out his feelings.
When Steve saw Bucky walking towards the labs the next morning, he joined him.
“You should really seek Darcy out on your own instead of always coming with me,” Bucky stated, looking straight ahead.
“Shut up, punk,” Steve grumbled, but perked up when he saw Jane in the lab. That meant Darcy was back. But the tiny scientist wasn’t working on her usual whiteboard, she was typing slowly at Darcy’s laptop.
“What’s up, Jane?” Bucky sat down in Jane’s usual chair and the woman turned tired eyes on him.
“Typing up my notes.”
“Isn’t that what Darcy usually does?” Steve pondered, looking around for his favorite brunette.
“She’s still in medical,” Jane frowned, the crease between her eyebrows deepening. Steve made concerned eye contact with Bucky.
“Why is she in medical?” Steve asked hesitantly, sort of not wanting to know.
“There was an incident with the equipment. It wasn’t wired well and she got an electric shock from my interdimensional radar sensor,” she muttered distractedly, but Steve was already headed to medical before she could explain what that meant.
Steve became more worried the longer it took him to reach her. A normal electric shock wouldn’t have landed her in medical overnight.
He looked all over medical for her, not finding her. He ran into a doctor coming out of the restricted section.
“Captain Rogers,” the smaller man greeted him, writing notes on a pad.
“Can you help me, Doctor…” He looked at the man’s badge. “McCoy?” At his name, the other man looked over at Steve.
“What can I do for you?”
“I’m looking for Miss Darcy Lewis,” he stated, looking nervously at the restricted area.
“You’re lucky, I just came from her room. She’s allowed to have visitors so you can go on in,” and with that, Steve was dismissed. He entered into the sterile hallways of the restricted area and found his way to the first door. Through the window in the door he could see Darcy sleeping peacefully with an IV hooked up to her arm. Well, he had time. He walked in and sat down on the hard plastic chair next to her bed, and he waited.
She awoke half an hour later, looking dazed and confused.
“Steve?” She asked, rubbing at her eyes with her free arm and yawning.
“Hey, Darce,” he whispered, not wanting to ruin the calm.
“What’s up?” She blinked over at him and he smiled bashfully.
“I was worried, Jane said you got an electric shock from some… interdimensional thing,” he looked her over. She looked alright. The circles under her eyes were somewhat lessened.
“Yeah, it wasn’t so bad. For a minute I was stuck between realms and I was like a non corporeal ghost, but Jane fixed that pretty quick,” she said the last part quickly when she noticed Steve’s alarmed look. “I’m still here because they wanted to make sure I wouldn’t disappear. I should have gone home last night, but McCoy told me I need sleep and fluids since I’ve been living off of caffeine for two weeks,” she finished and Steve nodded. He was liking Doctor McCoy more and more.
“You shouldn’t replace sleep with coffee,” Steve responded, smirking at her. “It’s like with Voldemort and the unicorn blood. You’d be living a cursed life, a half life,” he smiled when Darcy let out a little chuckle. He liked making her laugh.
“Good to know you showed up for movie night when I had y’all marathon Harry Potter,” she smiled and leaned back with her eyes closed. “God I am so sore and tired. I didn’t realize that I was running on fumes until I had time to sit down and relax.”
Steve frowned, going unnoticed past the veil of Darcy’s eyelids. He wished he could help take care of her, she clearly was so entranced with her work that she found it difficult to do herself.
“Well I’m glad you’re okay. And not a ghost. Even if you’re exhausted,” he replied before leaning back in the uncomfortable chair. When he was panicking on his way over to medical, he came to the abrupt and unnerving realization that he did have feelings for Darcy Lewis. He wasn’t sure what to do about that, but he didn’t want to waste any time.
“Darce?” He asked, and she hummed questioningly, opening her eyes. “I guess I started coming to the lab to hang out more with Buck, but I find myself seeking you out now,” he looked down at his lap, unsure how to continue. “I think you’re real swell,” he smiled up from under his lashes to find Darcy with her mouth slightly parted and a flush high on her cheeks. “And I’d like to take you out on a date after you’re out of medical, if you’d like.”
It took her a moment to collect her thoughts, but her face was suddenly filled with a beaming smile.
“I would love to, Steve,” she whispered, and reached her free hand out to intertwine her fingers with Steve’s. It was nice, they sat there in silence for a while just holding hands.
They didn’t get to go on their date. Because the day Darcy got out of medical, Steve had to go on a mission with the Avengers. He was off the grid for over a week, so she couldn’t even text him. When he got back, bloodied and bruised, but forgoing medical to find his way to the labs to kiss Darcy (nothing like a near-death experience to make you want to make a move on a beautiful dame), there was another note taped to the door.
Steve,
Impossible readings in Manila. Be back in a week or so.
Darcy.
He frowned and ground his teeth together. He would just have to wait to see her.
He only had to wait two and a half weeks before he was notified by the AI that Jane and Darcy were returning via quinjet. Which was alarming in itself because they usually traveled commercial and the quinjet was only for missions and emergencies.
He waited at the door to the landing pad on top of the tower, and emerged when the quinjet touched down and the ramp lowered.
Steve didn’t like being afraid. In the past, he was always scared for himself. Would he die of the influenza? The flu? TB? Would he get beaten to death? Die in the war? He didn’t have to worry about Bucky, the man could take care of himself. But he was scared for Darcy. He didn’t know what was going to come out of the jet.
“We had to pull them out of their lab in Manila,” Tony had crept up behind Steve. “Darcy was mugged at gunpoint and then their lab was ransacked and set on fire. Somebody doesn’t want Jane’s research getting out.” Steve felt a shot of panic erupt in his chest. Robbed at gunpoint?
When the ramp was fully lowered, Jane walked down next to Darcy and Steve scanned the two women from head to toe. Jane looked normal, if a little rumpled and grumpy. Steve would be too if his work went up in flames. He gave Darcy a once-over. Her left arm was in a sling, but otherwise she looked just fine. What was the sling about?
“Steve!” Darcy called and smiled brightly, hurrying over to stand in front of him. “I’m sorry I missed your return,” she panted one she’d arrived in front of him. Tony must have left because she didn’t address the other man.
“It’s alright, Darcy,” Steve looked at her arm again. “What happened there?”
“This guy was trying to rob me but I had sensitive information on me so I tased him, but he shot me first. Hence the sling,” she cocked her head.
“You were shot, and then had the mental wherewithal to incapacitate him?” Steve raised his eyebrows, impressed. He was trying not to be stuck on the part where Darc\y was shot and could have died.
“I’m more than meets the eye, Steve Rogers,” she held out her right hand and he took it. “Now, where are we going on this date? It’s all I’ve been thinking about since that day in medical.”
Steve smiled softly and stopped walking, using her hand to tug her in front of him.
“I almost died on my mission,” he stated matter-of-factly, and Darcy’s eyes widened. “And you got shot. Which is pretty close to dying,” he added with raised eyebrows. “I would be a total schmuck if I didn’t kiss you right now after two near-death experiences,” he finished and Darcy’s cheeks heated up.
“I think you’re right,” she smirked and in a moment Steve’s lips were pressing against hers, his hands gently placed on her waist. Hen didn’t want to disturb her bad arm. The kiss was sweet and soft, though when Darcy licked across the seam of his lips, he deepened it. It was everything he’d ever thought it would be, and when they parted, foreheads pressed together and eyes closed, Darcy let out a little huff of a laugh.
“That was nice,” she whispered. “Now you really have to take me on a date. I need more reasons to kiss you.”
“You don’t need a reason. You can kiss me whenever,” he responded and Darcy grinned.
“Good answer, soldier,” she replied and kissed him again.