Chapter Text
Natasha found the two on the couch together the next morning. Bucky's legs were stretched out on the table in front of the couch, his metal arm slung around Darcy's shoulders. Her head rested on his shoulder, her knees tucked up. Both were sound asleep. Natasha wasn't sure how they ended up cuddled together, but she wasn't surprised in the least. In her humble opinion, you didn't need to be a super spy to see how Darcy's presence had effected Bucky the past two weeks. There were signs even before the girl had been woken up from her coma.
This was good, Natasha noted to herself. James would treat Darcy right and now he could stop moping around. He deserved this after everything he had been through. Natasha understood how important the presence of someone like Darcy meant in the life of someone recovering from trauma like he had gone through. She was optimistic and talkative and cracked jokes whether they were funny or not. She remembered when she had been freshly recovered from the Red Room and Clint had been that person for her.
She and James had never been that person for each other. They were too similar to ever be that person.
This was fine by Natasha. What they had was in the past, though it was still a part of them both whether acknowledged or not. She held no ill will and she didn't think he did, either. She was happy for him. This could be another step towards a new beginning for James. She hoped it would help him become a James she had never met, one that more resembled the happy friend from Steve's memories but was still a new man altogether.
Darcy's brow furrowed and she made a low noise in the back of her throat. she wiggled around a bit and for a moment Natasha worried she had somehow woken the girl, but Bucky just tugged her closer and she quickly settled back into a peaceful sleep.
Natasha smiled and retreated before the couple actually did pick up on her presence, giving them a bit of privacy before the next Avenger walked in on them, this time much less stealthily. Bucky, Darcy, and possibly the entire tower were woken up by Thor's thunderous approval of the lovebirds a couple hours later.
As the other members of the private floors filtered into the common room, drawn by Thor's raucous, Bucky found himself not caring about the influx of people. He was too busy smiling back at the pretty girl in his arms.