Chapter Text
It was supposed to be a good night. Steve had the night off from Avenging stuff and she had the night off from assissting Team Science.
They had both made an effort and they had gone to the movie. Darcy had especially looked for a cinema showing the classics. Old black and white movies that seemed like a good middle ground for them. Something they both could enjoy.
They were halfway through the movie when Darcy had finally felt the tension bleed out of her shoulders and she sunk into her seat when Steve's phone vibrated.
She kept her eyes fixed on the screen as he untangled his hand from her's gently. He took his phone out and she could see the backlight come on, highlighting a text message. It mocked her. Tiny symbols on a phone that destroyed her.
Steve sighed deeply and ran a hand roughly through his hair. "I have to ..." His hand pressed on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.
"Oh," she said, through numb lips. She couldn't look at him. She kept her eyes fixed on the characters on the screen. "Okay."
Darcy could hear her heart breaking yet again even as he placed a tender kiss on her cheek. Like shattered glass, her already battered heart imploded with pure pain.
He didn't even ask her to leave with him anymore. She had stopped making excuses long ago for never going with him.
"You stay and have a good time," Steve whispered. "I'll send Happy to get you when the movie is over."
"Sure," she replied, stiff as a board now in her seat.
Even when he was breaking her heart, he still tried to be thoughtful and kind. But it wasn't enough anymore.
"I'm sorry," Steve said as he stood up.
"Just go, Steve. Bucky is waiting for you." She still couldn't look at him. She just wanted him to go so she could have her heartbreak to herself. She didn't want to cry in front of him again. Darcy Lewis was not a girl who would use her tears as a weapon and she was stronger than this. She had always been. She had just thought that loving her soulmate was supposed to have been easier.
It had to be another panic attack, another nightmare for Bucky. That's probably what the text said. She had seen them all. If it looked like Bucky was in distress, Steve had to be there.
"I love you." He said it like he was trying to make her believe him. Like she was supposed to still believe in them. But Darcy was tired of fighting.
Steve left when she said nothing. She didn't know anymore. Did she still love him?
In the pale light of the screen, she felt the first tears slide down her cheeks. She was grateful that there were few people in the theatre and even more grateful for the darkness that seemed to accept her pain.
She felt the ache in her chest that had become a familiar companion now. What was she to do when her soulmate was still dropping everything for his old friend back from the dead?