Chapter Text
Darcy, by nature, was cheap. Her years as a student had moulded her into a penny pincher that would buy seven cheap coffees to save up enough stickers for one free ultra caramel supreme, and had managed to sneak her laundry in with other peoples machines for two and a half months before the laundromat got wise to her shenanigans.
Of course she was also very big on giving gifts, so those two aspects of her personality tended to clash.
The mugs, she decided, were her best investment since her degree.
She was just scrolling through her Tumblr when she found the website advertising personalized coffee mugs. Darcy would be damned if she didn't get each of the Avengers their very own.
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"Anyone know what this is about?" Natasha asked as she entered the kitchen that was just off the common room with Clint.
"Darcy said it was important." Steve shrugged.
"And it is, my patriotic friend!" Darcy huffed under the weight of a large cardboard box marked 'fragile' in her arms. Sam, who stood the closest, was quick to take the load from her hands and put them on the counter.
"Alright children, get ready for Christmas in July-" Darcy started pulling bundles out of the box and unwrapping them.
"Even though it's March."
"Hush Tony. I found a place that does personalized mugs. So when I read them off you've gotta guess which ones yours. Sound good?"
Various sounds of approval were made, which had Darcy grinning. "Good. They're kinda obvious, try to be tolerant. I made them all up so try and pretend to be excited. 'Don't talk to me before I've had my super soldier serum?'"
Steve looked around for a moment before taking the mug with a smile. "Thank you."
"'I ripped my pants.'" Tony barked out a laugh as Bruce stepped forward to take that one.
"'Don't.'" Natasha smiled at hers.
"'Aw, [object] no.'"
"Clint." A chorus of voices echoed in the kitchen.
'"Nice set of parabolas'- okay everyone knows it's Tony's. 'Somewhere over the Bifrost.'" Darcy grinned when both Thor and Jane made a grab for the cup. "Sorry Jane, this one goes to the tall blonde space god. 'Somewhere over the Einstein-Rosen Bridge' is for you."
'Ain't no wingspan wide enough' went to Sam. 'Ask me about the tank' went to Rhodey. Pietro's read 'My dyejob is bad: my attitude's worse' and Wanda's 'The Wickedest Witch'.
"And last but not least- hey, where's Bucky?" Darcy furrowed her eyebrows, looking at Steve.
"I think he's in his room." He answered, looking puzzled.
"I called everyone..." She muttered, starting to walk down the hall, a chorus of thanks behind her.
Darcy knocked on Bucky's door and heard a shuffling inside. "Hey, Barnes? You home?"
The shuffling stopped.
"I don't know if you got my message, but I got everyone a little something today. And you're not exempt from my gifts." Still nothing, Darcy sighed. "It's a coffee mug. It's black, one side says 'Stabbing is just chest based metal contribution' and the other side says 'Shooting is just a 9mm face present' I couldn't decide which one I liked better so I just got both-"
The door opened slightly, Darcy could see Bucky peering from behind it. "You...got me something? Why?"
"It's not poisoned or rigged to explode." Darcy blurted. "I got one for everyone, it was a dumb idea I guess-"
"Can I see it?"
Blushing, Darcy held up the mug like an offering, rotating her hands so he could see both sides. "You don't have to take it if you don't want it."
The door opened a bit more, and she had to force her eyes up when she saw him in a tank too and sinfully low hanging sweatpants, hair hanging in his eyes... Oh holy Thor.
"But why me?"
"Well shit dude." Darcy grinned. "We've had hot chocolate together more than three times now- in my family that pretty much equates to common law marriage. Not really- point is you can't borrow my sheep mug forever."
Bucky gingerly picked up the mug with the non-robot hand and inspected it carefully. "Thanks... Lewis."
She beamed at that- the first time he used her name. "No sweat Barnes. You busy at all tonight?"
"I don't...no." He had started to close the door a bit.
"Well, I'll be watching movies in the common room. If you wanna join me I'll be there all night." She shoved her hands in her sweater pockets. "There will most likely be bad singing involved, so if anything I'll warn you of that."
Bucky said nothing at that, instead leaving her with a stiff nod before closing the door.
Darcy made her way back into the kitchen where the group still stood, apparently waiting for coffee pots to brew and kettles to boil.
"Hey Darce?" Jane called from her place on the countertop. "Thanks again."
"Yeah, it was really sweet of you." Sam raised his mug in appreciation.
Steve walked over to her, standing between her and the island. "How was he?"
"He took it, that's something." She shrugged. "I invited him to watch bad musicals with me tonight- also that's a heads up for you to invest in earplugs."
"Don't you have a tv in your wing of the building?" Steve asked with a playful grin.
"Bruh. You've got the intense surround sound three-D curved screen that is optimal for watching David Bowie in a sparkly cape." Darcy nudged his ribs before adding in a much quieter tone; "Besides. If he has a bad night, I wanna be there for him. I'm a mother hen."
"Maybe." He nudged her back. "He's only tried to kill you once so that's probably a good thing."
"Twice. There was an incident where he thought my scrambled eggs had traces of arsenic."
"You're not that bad of a cook."
"Funny." Darcy gave him a glare. "You watch yourself Cap. My taser isn't just reserved for thunder gods and creeps on the street."
Steve felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and excused himself to answer the call. "What's up, Buck?"
"I need to get her something."
"I don't think she gave it to you so you could get her something back."
"I need to get her something." Bucky repeated, then asked in a quieter tone. "What should I get?"
Steve smiled. "I dunno. Good luck."