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Darcy was talented at many things. Crossword puzzles, remembering the lyrics to every Disney song ever, baking the perfect cupcake, keeping Jane alive. The list goes on. But perhaps her greatest talent was always ending up in places where she did not need to be. Case in point, her current situation.
She’d snuck out of the Tower to go to her favorite coffee shop. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. New York seemed to be behaving itself today, and she’d gotten her coffee and headed back to the Tower without any incidents. She got on the elevator that only went to the upper floors, music blaring through her headphones, coffee in hand. Right as the doors were about to close, they slid open again, and there stood Steve, Sam, and another man.
Steve’s eyes landed on her, and his face tightened, “Darcy.”
She paused her music, pulling out an earbud, “Hey, Steve. Sam.”
She looked at the guy standing between them, practically being propped up by the two men. He was looking straight ahead, no emotion showing on his face. Steve and Sam, however, did have expressions on their faces. They looked exhausted, and worried, and kept glancing at Darcy as if they wished she weren’t there. Darcy took in the shaggy hair, dirty clothing, and distant expression, and using all of her context clues, realized that the mystery man was probably none other than Steve’s old childhood friend turned brainwashed assassin that they’d been searching for. That would explain the constipated looks from Sam and Steve.
Ignoring every ounce of self-preservation, Darcy gave a little wave to possibly-Winter-Soldier-dude, “Hey there, I’m Darcy. Welcome to the Tower.” Steve sighed, and she looked up at him and shrugged, “What? I’m being polite, Steve.” The constipated look returned.
As the elevator ascended, Darcy remembered that she had to make a stop before returning to the lab, “Hey, JARVIS, can you let me off at the common room. I need to get Janey some sustenance.”
JARVIS’ soft British voice filled the elevator, “Of course, Miss Lewis.”
Looking back, Darcy was certain that none of them really registered what had happened until it was over. All she knew was that one moment she was standing there, minding her own business (mostly), and the next she was shoved into the corner, breathless, her face squished into an unfamiliar back.
Steve and Sam’s shouts filled her ears as the elevator came to a halt. Darcy lifted her head enough to peek around the body in front of her, seeing that Sam had unholstered a taser and was holding it at his side. Steve was leaning toward them, hands up in a pleading gesture as he softly said the name, “Bucky.”
And Bucky… hadn’t attacked her as she initially thought. His body was pressing her back against the metal wall, shielding her from the rest of the elevator, and his hands were up in a defensive stance, one holding a knife that he’d seemingly pulled from thin air. His head was examining the ceiling, as if he expected someone to drop down and attack them at any moment.
Oh. He was protecting her.
From JARVIS.
Darcy reached forward and gently tapped him on the shoulder, “Umm, Bucky? James? Mr. Winter Soldier, sir?” He moved imperceptibly, shifting just a bit to let her know that he’d heard her, but not enough to let her go or allow anyone to get to her. “Uhh, hi. Darcy again. That was JARVIS. He’s not a real person, just an AI. You don’t have to worry about him, he’s cool.”
The body in front of her moved forward just a bit, and the man tilted his head to the side to glance back at her. That blank look in his eyes was gone, replaced by a ferocity. If she weren’t pretty certain he was trying to protect her, she’d be scared shitless.
Darcy held up her hands, “See? I’m ok. You’re ok. Didn’t even spill my coffee. JARVIS is our friend, right J?”
“Affirmative. I have no bodily form, Sergeant Barnes, nor do I have any wish to harm anyone in the Tower. I am merely here to help.”
Darcy could tell that JARVIS had altered his voice to sound slightly more mechanical and she shot a small smile at the ceiling. And while Bucky tensed again at the sound of JARVIS speaking, after a few moments he slowly stepped away from Darcy, with only a few lingering suspicious glances at the ceiling.
Steve quickly stepped forward, making himself a barrier between his friend and Darcy. “You ok?” he asked in a soft voice.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I think he was protecting me?”
Steve nodded and glanced at his friend, a curious expression on his face, “I think so, too. I’m not sure where that came from, but it would be just like the old Bucky to try to save a pretty girl.”
Darcy softly punched his arm, “Hey, wasn’t it your scrawny butt he used to have to save back in the day?”
He just smirked at Darcy, “Hilarious.”
The two of them looked back at Bucky, who’d allowed Sam to take his arm, and was staring ahead again with that same vacant expression from before. Moments later, the elevator opened on the common floor and Darcy stepped out, throwing a small wave behind her, “Bye guys. See you around.”
After that, Darcy didn’t see much of Steve’s friend. Every once in awhile, she’d see him with Sam or Steve in the common area, or in Tony’s lab as he upgraded his metal arm. He never acknowledged her though, even though she always made sure to say hello to him. If she ever tried to include him in conversation, he kind of just ignored her. But, really, he did that with everyone, aside from a few grunts and mumbles to Steve.
She did hear whispers about him, from Tony or Thor or Clint. He seemed to be recovering better than they had anticipated. Not quite well enough to be out and about on his own, but well enough to roam around the Tower. At the very least, most of the murder seemed to have left his system.
*****
Darcy glanced around the lab. She was... worried. She’d started this war, but at the moment she wasn’t sure if she was going to win it. The constant looking over her shoulder was exhausting, and she was stressed out.
Looking back, starting a Nerf war with Clint maybe hadn’t been her best idea. Partially because he was, y’know, kinda famous for his skill at shooting things. At least she hadn’t challenged him to an archery fight. They’d been at it for three days, and Darcy was embarrassed at how outmatched she was.
And how intrusive Clint was. She hadn’t realized that she would need to make an official rule prohibiting either of them from shooting the other while they were peeing, but apparently she totally did.
Which opened up a whole new set of questions, like, how often did Clint hang out in the vents above people’s bathrooms? Was this just because of the Nerf fight or, like, an everyday thing? Should Darcy be concerned about any videos of her singing show tunes in the shower getting out? Did he creep around anyone else’s bathroom? What a weirdo.
No matter. Darcy had decided that today was going to be her lucky day. She’d asked JARVIS for his help to avoid Clint, and whenever he got near whatever room she was in, her phone would ping. It was working, but it meant that she was constantly on the move. It was exhausting.
Darcy was sitting in the lab entering data when her phone pinged. She shot up, grabbing her phone, “Gonna get some coffee, Janey. Be back soon!” Darcy hurried to the stairwell and power-walked downstairs to the common floor kitchen. An obvious choice maybe, but there was nearly always someone there. Maybe Darcy would be lucky and it would be Thor or Steve and they could be her human shield if necessary.
She walked into the kitchen and saw that it’s only occupant was Bucky, who was sitting on a stool eating his lunch. She gave a tiny wave and headed over to pour herself some coffee, “Hey there, don’t mind me.” He did not.
Bucky didn’t acknowledge her at all, just stared at her for a moment, and turned back to his food. “Are you settling in ok?” Bucky grunted. Okaaay. Darcy could take a hint, she knew he didn’t want to talk to her, but the silence was deafening and she just kept on babbling, “I know that Steve is really happy you’re here. Sam, too.” Nothing. “And you know, everyone else is really glad, too. I think Tony is a little in love with your arm, but he tends to get that way around shiny things. Not that I blame him, it is pretty cool. And Thor likes sparring with you. He says you’re a ‘noble warrior,’ which is a huge honor coming from him. I’m pretty sure Asgard is full of legit warriors. Not that I’ve ever been invited.”
Darcy could feel the words streaming out nonstop, but she couldn’t help it. If only he’d at least try to participate in the conversation, maybe she’d shut up. But he didn’t, he just sat there silently judging her, hence the word vomit. “--and I love her to death, but Jane just--”
Darcy’s sentence was cut off with the ping of her phone on the counter across the kitchen. She scrambled to grab it, moving just in time to avoid a foam dart headed towards her. A shriek erupted from Darcy’s mouth as she ducked behind the island, “No! Stop! I give up!” Her hands were covering her head but she distinctly heard a scuffle on the other side of the kitchen and Clint’s shocked, “Hey!”
Hesitantly, Darcy looked around the corner only to be shocked by what she saw at the kitchen doorway. Bucky had Clint up against the wall, arm at his throat, as he crushed Clint’s Nerf gun in his left hand. Darcy’s startled squawk drew his attention and she could see that his eyes had that same intense look they’d had that first day in the elevator.
The day he’d saved her. Kinda the way he’d saved her just now. From Clint and a few foam darts, but still.
Darcy scrambled across the kitchen and stood near Clint, meeting Bucky’s eyes. Her voice took on that soft, easy tone it had taken that first day, “Hey, Bucky. Everything ok?” His eyes darted over to hers, but he didn’t respond. She touched his arm, gently pushing him away from Clint and wedging herself between the two men, “Hey, don’t do that, ok?”
Finally Bucky stepped back and looked around the room, flexing his fists. “M’sorry, thought you were hurting her,” he mumbled to Clint, his jaw clenching.
Clint cleared his throat and nodded, “Yeah, I figured. But no, I’d never hurt Darcy. It was just a Nerf fight. See?” Clint pulled out one of his foam darts and bent it between his fingers, “I get it though, we’re cool,” Clint reached around Darcy and patted Bucky on the shoulder.
Bucky nodded in response and started out of the kitchen as Darcy and Clint watched. “What the hell?” Darcy whirled around to face Clint.
He shrugged, “I guess he’s protective of you. Isn’t that what happened in the elevator that first day?”
“Yeah. But, like, why? He ignores me when he doesn’t think my life's in danger.”
“Don’t know, Darce.”
Darcy gently ran her hands along Clint’s jaw and neck, making sure that Bucky hadn’t injured him too badly, “Are you ok? He had you pinned to the wall pretty hard.”
Clint grinned, “Me? Nah, I’m fine. I’m invincible.”
Darcy rolled her eyes and scooped up the broken plastic parts of Clint’s weapon, “Well, I think that this is a sign that you weren’t meant to win our little fight.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you do. You can have this one. I mean, you did almost hit me that one time yesterday.”
Darcy stuck out her tongue, “Whatever, Clint.”
The next day, Darcy was laying on the couch in the common room watching television. The sound of voices entering the room made her lift her head, and she saw Steve and Bucky coming in. Since she was looking, she saw the precise moment Bucky noticed her presence. Meaning she saw the way that he visibly paused, his footsteps faltering, his entire body tensing. He quickly recovered, but it was pretty obvious that he wasn’t expecting to see her, and that it wasn’t an entirely pleasant surprise. “Hey, guys.”
Steve greeted her with a grin and settled on the other end of the couch. Bucky, of course, took the chair furthest away from her. Steve was in a good mood and happily carried on a conversation with her, but any time Darcy tried to get Bucky to talk, all she’d get was one-word responses or cranky growls. Steve would just shoot her an apologetic smile and give Bucky a look that said he would be hassled about it later.
Darcy gave up. She had tried to be friendly with the guy, tried to make him feel welcome, and he wouldn’t even look at her. He wasn’t even this rude to Tony. It just didn’t make sense.
*****
The AIM cell breached the Tower two days later. They had come for Jane’s research, astrophysics apparently being the cool new thing for mad scientists now. Darcy had to give them credit. She would have thought the Tower was impenetrable, but thanks to a mole who’d snuck his way in, (someone Darcy was certain would not be getting a Stark severance package), they made it into the building. They actually made it into the elevator, before JARVIS shut it down and sent the building into lockdown mode.
Jane was surprisingly out of the lab. Thor had just come back from a small trip to Asgard, and the two of them were undoubtedly doing filthy things to one another at the time. Normally, this would mean that Darcy would have some time off too, but she’d snuck out the day before while Jane was distracted, and she had work to finish.
The moment the klaxons started their angry yelling, Darcy grabbed her purse, pulling out her taser, and began heading towards the door. “Miss Lewis, the hallway is clear, if you would proceed to the safe room.” Darcy began hurrying down the corridor, when she heard something behind her.
She turned back just in time to see Bucky Barnes, in full Winter Soldier mode, rushing towards her. She only managed a confused yelp before being picked up and tossed over his shoulder. Darcy examined the grey carpet beneath her, the admittedly cute butt in front of her face, and the gun poking out of the waistband near her head. She was not too proud to admit that she was speechless. Why did this keep happening to her?
They reached the safe room and Bucky put her on her feet, locking them in and taking up guard duty at the door. Darcy watched him a moment, questioning look on her face, before sighing and flopping on the couch in the center of the room, “You know, some women would object to being manhandled like that. I mean, I usually expect dinner first.” She narrowed her eyes at him, “Or, y’know, an actual conversation.”
He didn’t answer for a moment, just glanced at her with those eyes on full alert, “You needed to be in here where it is safe.”
“Yeah, dude. I was actually on my way here. I’m just questioning why you felt the need to go all caveman on me.”
“I needed to make sure you were safe.”
“Well, thank you, that response was adequately vague and confusing.” He didn’t respond to her, but every so often his eyes would slide over to watch her for a moment. Darcy studied him, “Did Steve ask you to come check on me, get me to safety?”
The question seemed to confuse him, “No.”
“Natasha? Thor? Clint?”
He gave a brief shake at each name, his face growing more perplexed, “No one asked me to.”
“So, you just heard the alarm and took it upon yourself to come check on me? Just out of the blue? And, like, you knew where I was, and where the closest safe room was?”
He answered hesitantly, as if for the first time he was realizing how strange it was, “Yes.”
“Oh. Ok. Well, thanks, I guess.”
He looked like he was about to speak, but at that moment, the door to the safe room opened. Thor stood there, Mew-Mew raised, “Oh, good! JARVIS said you were in here. I am glad to see that you both made it to safety!” Bucky slipped through the door and by the time Darcy peeked out into the hallway, he was long gone.
Whereas before he would just kind of ignore Darcy’s presence, Bucky seemed to be actively avoiding her after the safe room incident. He made sure to never be alone with her in the same room, and whenever they did end up the same general area as one another, he kept himself as far away as humanly possible.
She’d baked cupcakes and when she’d offered him one, he just mumbled a, ‘No, thank you,’ under his breath and left the room.
He’d stopped by Tony’s lab, but upon seeing Darcy, hurried out, saying he’d, ‘come back later.’
It was driving Darcy nuts. She just wanted some sort of explanation for his behavior. So far he’d come to her ‘rescue’ three times, yet he would barely look at her if he wasn’t playing superhero. It was this thought that put the idea into Darcy’s head. If he wouldn’t speak to her unless she was in danger, she’d just have to put herself in danger. Not really, she wasn’t totally stupid, but Bucky needed to think she was in danger.
Her accomplice to this plan was JARVIS. Darcy would go hang out in the safe room while JARVIS alerted Bucky to the very serious (and very fake) threat to Darcy’s life. Which is when he’d come striding up looking like the total opposite of a white knight, ready to slay the imaginary dragons that threatened her. Then, she’d lock him in the safe room with her and demand answers. What could possibly go wrong?
“Miss Lewis, Seargent Barnes is on his way.”
“Thanks, J.” Darcy sat on the edge of her desk and waited for Bucky to come get her. Sure enough, he appeared moments later, snatching her up and carrying her to the safe room down the hall. “We should really stop meeting like this,” Darcy said to the denim clad butt in front of her.
Once they were tucked away in the safe room, Bucky set her on the ground and took up his post. Darcy plopped on the couch and watched him, “So, I feel that now is the time for honesty. There is no threat. I’m fine. I just asked JARVIS to tell you that I was in danger so I could get you in here.”
Bucky froze, turning slowly to look at her with confusion dawning on his face, “What?”
“Yeah, sorry. But really, you left me no choice. The only time you acknowledge me is when you’re trying to save my life. I just want to know what the deal is. You owe me that much.” She patted the couch beside her, “C'mon, I can sit here all day. All night, too. I have no plans.” Darcy frowned, “Although, I did skip lunch today and if I starve in here, everyone’s gonna be really pissed at you.”
Darcy watched as his face changed, the incongruous combination of distant, aloof eyes and fierce protection of the Soldier, melding into the alert, utterly human Bucky Barnes. “You lied to me.”
“Technically JARVIS lied, but yes.”
His eyes flared as he turned away from her, trying to pry the door open. After a very admirable attempt, he gave up, hitting the door one final time. “Let me out,” he growled.
The wild look in his eyes gave Darcy pause. She’d known this probably wasn’t a great idea, but seeing him freak out was absolutely not her intention. The words rushed out of Darcy, “Oh. Oh my god, I’m sorry. This was a terrible idea. I just wanted you to talk to me. JARVIS, let him go.”
The door clicked open and Bucky started towards it. He glanced back once, then paused. A soft curse fell from his lips as he hit the wall, turning to slide down. He sat there, hand in his hair as Darcy watched silently. Then, Bucky’s soft voice, barely audible, “He likes you.”
Darcy just stared at him until he elaborated. He cleared his throat, “He likes you. The soldier. Whatever part of him that’s still in me, he likes you.”
“Why?”
“He wants to keep you protected.”
“Again, why?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense. He shouldn’t want to protect anyone. It isn’t the way they trained him.” He really did look puzzled, like the idea of that part of him doing something good was just too much to process.
Darcy stood and slowly made her way over to Bucky, sliding down the wall to sit beside him, “That must be nice for him. To have someone to protect, after he was forced to hurt so many." She shook her head, "I don’t mind if he wants to protect me. I mean, I could go off on a big feminist rant about how tired and demeaning the whole, ‘damsel in distress’ thing is, and how I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself. Which I am. But, if he wants to protect me, that’s fine. Maybe one day I’ll need it.”
“You shouldn’t want anything to do with him. Or me,” Bucky replied, heatedly.
“Why? Because of things he did? He was a puppet, a weapon in the hand of someone else. I don’t blame him for the things he did. I don’t blame you, either.”
Bucky spoke softly, “Maybe you should.”
“That isn’t fair. To me or to you. No one expects you to play martyr for the rest of your life. It’s ok for you to have friends. And, I’d like to be one of them.”
He stared at her with widened eyes and a furrow between his brow. Darcy just stared back unflinchingly.
She’d welcomed him into the tower that first day, and she’d sincerely meant it. Darcy had been glad that the worst of his ordeal was over and that he was finally going to be able to remember what it was like to have people on his side. Even though she didn’t know him then, she knew Steve, and she knew what Bucky had meant to him and her determination to make him feel welcome hadn’t waned in the least, even when he was bound and determined to avoid her.
Bucky must have sensed this in her, because something in him shifted and the tension left his face. “I could use another friend, I suppose.”
Darcy lit up, “Now that’s the spirit, Buckaroo. Can I call you Buckaroo?”
He shrugged, looking only slightly concerned at his new nickname. Darcy stood and brushed off her pants, holding out a hand to help Bucky up. He hesitated only briefly before allowing her to tug him to his feet. “I wasn’t lying about skipping lunch. You wanna go get some food?”
“I could eat.”
“I could eat. You really are Steve’s friend, huh?” Darcy slipped out of the safe room, grinning as she heard a soft chuckle behind her.