Chapter Text
“She’s my best friend, that hasn’t changed.” Steve murmurs softly putting his coffee down.
The common area isn’t crowded, and most people are more interested in their own conversations to bother eavesdropping on Steve and Sam. If the subject weren’t so personal for Steve, he probably wouldn’t even entertain the idea that someone might be. Or maybe he’d been seeing too many none too furtive glances from Natasha that he’s gotten a little paranoid in the last couple weeks.
Every time he and Darcy occupied the same space or had a conversation, Natasha was there watching. He wasn’t sure it she was watching out of curiosity or concern. As well as he knew the former spy, Steve couldn’t decipher what that look was supposed to mean.
It’s just that every moment he’s with Dr. Foster’s assistant it’s like the world melts away for a few glorious minutes. It’s earned him many an elbow in the ribs from Bucky when he’s caught mooning after the girl has left or he returns from getting a sandwich or watching a movie in the common room. Just thinking about it has a slight blush rising to his cheeks and add that she just walked into the room and he tracks her progress from door to coffee machine and he knows he has it bad for the girl.
A thought that has even more grounds when he sees the grin on Sam’s face. Apparently, he wasn’t subtle about his feelings for the small lab wrangler.
“It’s clear your feelings for her have.” Sam murmurs his grin growing as he lifts his cup of coffee to his lips.
“Yeah but now isn’t the best time to tell her.” He looks out the window the rain drenched balcony outside. It’s the kind of mood that had him thinking of hot chocolate and blankets curled up on the couch in his living room watching whatever movie Darcy liked, his arm around her shoulders. They’ve hung out in that same scenario a few times before and the last couple he swears she snuggled closer. Hands curled against his stomach her fingers brushing against his knuckles. How many times has he thought he should have just held her hand.
“Why not? What’s the worst she’s going to say Steve, ‘Sorry I’m just not that into you?’”
“Who’s not that into who now?”
Steve and Sam both look up. There’s Darcy standing just beyond them but close enough to catch the last of Sam’s words. She’s smiling a cup of coffee in her hand and looking for all the world like she hadn’t just come off a three-day science bender in the labs with Dr. Foster. A feat that Steve wasn’t sure many other non-science types in this place could manage. Even with being awake seventy-two hours straight and with bags under her eyes Darcy Lewis was still the most beautiful girl he’d seen since Peggy.
“Uh no one. Just someone in HR guess they aren’t very into one of the sergeants.” Steve managed though the grin on Darcy’s face seemed to say she doubted that to be true.
Her gaze cuts to Sam, “Hey Sam mind if I borrow the Captain here a moment.” Her voice level but the way she tilts her head down and widens her eyes just a fraction says ‘scram Sam cap and I need to have a chat’ and that intrigues Steve.
“Not at all Darce. Later Cap.” Sam picks up his coffee and walks away from the table whistling as he goes. If Steve didn’t know any better he’d say Sam was laughing at him.
Darcy plunks herself down in the newly empty chair and takes a sip of her coffee. The cup almost half drained when she sets it down on the table. Guess she really needed it.
“So, before I have the nerve to talk myself out of it I’m gonna ask you a question. However, given my sleep deprived nature I hope you won’t hold it against me if you find the question offensive or aren’t interested, okay?”
Confused Steve leans forward, elbows resting on the table as he nods mutely. May as well let it play out before telling her no right.
“Cool. Question. Would you be interested in going to dinner with me? I’d ask you out to a movie, but we do that already and even being standard date material it doesn’t feel like it’d be special. And technically dinner is sort of a rehash of like the million times we’ve met up for coffee just longer and more chances for me to drop food on the ladies. But it felt less creepy than asking you to an art show in Manhattan or a picnic.”
She’s rambling, and Steve can’t help the smile. She’s nervous about asking him out on a date when he’s just been wondering if he was crazy.
“Yeah sure, but can we still go to the art show?
“Of course, we can. And for the record I was asking you out.” She further explains fidgeting with her coffee cup between her hands. He never saw a cuter expression on her face than in that moment. But the nervous energy coming off her made his heart clench and he smiles at her.
“I know Darce,” Steve leans across the table his hand reaching to brush a thumb over her cheek. “I’m very happy you did.”