Chapter Text
1. Who do you think you are?
“Whooooo. Some kind of superstar.”
Reed Richards folded his arms, watching Darcy with jaw muscles clenching.
“What, were we not talking about one of the formative Spice Girls songs from my childhood?”
Johnny snickered over in the corner and Bruce stepped forward to play referee.
“Okay, yes, Darcy, Reed was being a bit…intense, but maybe we should try to bring things back to a more respectful tone.”
She snorted.
“Sure. As soon as he admits he’s wrong and the capacitors won’t handle the load.”
“I don’t think some assistant is really going to–”
Darcy tuned him out and looked over to where Jane was crunching the numbers. It only took another couple of seconds.
“She’s right.”
Richards stopped mid-privileged-douchehole rant and whirled to face her.
“What?!”
Bruce gave up trying to play good cop and nodded at her impressed.
“Nice catch, Darce.”
Darcy shrugged.
“What? I pay attention.”
Reed continued to move his jaw without much sound coming out as he frantically reviewed the math.
“But…how…”
“Science bitches!”
Darcy held up the marker she’d been holding, and dropped it to the floor. Dramatic mic drop finished, she high-fived Tony and made her way to the door.
But Johnny came jogging up beside her before she could make it to the elevator.
“So, not just because you’re gorgeous and out-scienced my asshole of a brother-in-law, but I think I kinda love you right now.”
She froze and stared up at his flirty grin.
Those were the words wrapping their way around her right calf.
Well hell.
2. "Well, I dunno," Darcy stutters. "Like I could, you know... love you eventually. But, uh... I need time. And you're kind of driving me insane, dude. Like sometimes I wanna jump your bones. Other times..well, I kind of want to sock you in the shoulder. Really hard."
Johnny leaned back against the elevator wall, grinning as through proud of himself. Which, knowing him, he probably was.
“In the shoulder?”
“Yes.”
“Not the face?”
She huffed and purposely went to the opposite end of the elevator for some space.
“Are you kidding? I already broke my hand once punching someone, the shoulder is way better. Plus, most of the time I like the way your features are, you know,” she gestured in a circular motion towards his face, “arranged, so I figure I should try to preserve that.”
“I appreciate that and all, seeing as how you’re my soulmate and all.”
She raised a hand and rubbed at her right temple, trying to not lose her cool. Especially when they were in such a confined space. She would wind up following through with one of her earlier threats. And she didn’t want either on Tony Stark’s security feeds.
“Yes, I remember. Which, you know, I appreciate that you’re so gung-ho about it and whatnot, but I need some time to adjust. I mean, we did just officially meet yesterday.”
He slowly straightened and came closer, stopping fully outside her personal space for the first time in the 36 hours since they’d spoken each other’s words.
“Just adjusting, right? You’re not gonna run?”
Darcy noticed the slight furrow between his brows and began to realize why he’d been so enthusiastic from the get go. He was worried she didn’t want him. Well shit.
With a soft sigh, she lowered her hand to his upper arm and gave a comforting squeeze.
“Not running. Just regrouping.”
He nodded, and then his earlier grin came back.
“Just so we’re clear. You’re always welcome to ‘regroup’ with me.”
Darcy closed her eyes, already knowing what was coming, especially as he was most definitely flexing the arm her hand still rested on.
“Seeing as how you’re already thinking of jumping my bones and all. There’s all kinds of things I’d like to adjust with you.”
She couldn’t hold back her groan, and thanked every deity she could think of that the elevator dinged to announce their floor.
3. "Frogspawn. Utter frogspawn.. what is he doing? Doesn't he know that that is dangerous?! No, no, no, no... he did it. Gosh. He actually did it. And practically shaved ten years off of my life while doing it. I'm gonna have white hair at age: 30 because of that reckless idiot!"
“You turned 30 last month.”
Sue turned to narrow her eyes at Darcy, who was playing a video game on her phone on the other couch.
“Thanks for the reminder,” she said through pursed lips.
“Any time.”
The blonde rolled her eyes and went back to watching her team fighting alongside the Avengers on the television. But Johnny went zooming past, nearly colliding with one very stationary Hulk, and she let out a gasp.
Darcy finally got up off the couch and turned the TV off.
“You freaking out is not helping anyone, believe me, I’ve tried.”
She went back to her spot and dropped unceremoniously onto the cushion.
“I don’t know how you’re so calm about all this?”
Darcy glanced up from her virtual murderous tirade with a snort.
“What makes you think I’m calm about this?”
Sue folded her arms and leaned back in her seat.
“Okay, then why aren’t you actually freaking out?”
She shrugged, setting her phone aside.
“Johnny and I figured out a while ago that it was best if I didn’t watch him work anymore.”
Sue raised a brow in question, and she couldn’t stop the grin the spread across her face.
“Because if I did I’d just get mad at him, and all we’d ever do was fight and have make-up sex. And great as that is, there’s just too much we both have to do.”
“No, nope, never!” Sue held her hands over her ears. “Your soulmate or not, I refuse to believe my brother is anything other than a virginal angel. I am not going to think about his sex life.”
Darcy snickered and pulled her legs up to sit cross-legged.
“That’s rich coming from you.”
Sue finally lowered her hands to rest them on her barely-there baby bump.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She sniffed.
“Uh, huh. From what I hear, the only reason you’re not out there with your team was because you and Reed might have had a little make-up of your own after the giant octopus fiasco.”
The other woman gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
“I knew I heard someone. I can’t believe Johnny walked in on that!”
Darcy laughed at her discomfort, but then Sue sat up straight, slapping her hands down on either side of her.
“Wait, he told you?!”
With a shrug, Darcy picked her phone up, preparing for another deadly spree.
“Eh, who better to tell about your accidental mental scarring than your soulmate?”