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The first time the notion hits Tony, that Darcy it not your typical average woman is when she knocks on the door to his workshop.
It not unheard of but most people don't knock. They have a code to get in or ask Javis to ask Tony to let them in.
The second time he thinks there's something different about her comes shortly after the knocking.
She came looking for him to ask if she can have a smaller room. At first Tony thinks she's joking. But she stands there, a small reassuring smile on her face, while he repeats the question back at her. She nods.
He's dumbfounded. He manages to get a "Why?" out.
She shrugs, "The rooms a bit big for me. I'm used to college dorms and sharing, all that space just seems a waste."
He finds himself telling her, "He’ll look into it and get back to her."
She gives him a huge smile that does something funny to his stomach.
"Thanks" she calls as she leaves his workshop and Tony gets Javis to play back the conversation.
Within the day he'd found a room that, while still a little big for her, she was happy with.
The third time is shortly after he found a suitable room for her. She doesn't ask for any help moving her stuff. Even though he knows Thor would help her in a heartbeat and it would take her a fraction of the time. She seems content, happy almost to do it herself. When he once again finds himself asking "Why"?
She shrugs and replies simply. "I pack it, I move it."
When he offers to help her, she declines. "I've already taken enough of your time. I'm sure you have more important things to do, people to see."
And he's dismissed with another smile that makes his stomach do that weird flip thing again.
He should get that checked out.
The fourth time is after a long session in the workshop. The last mission was bad. It doesn't happen often but sometimes they can't save everyone.
He's hitting the 18 hour mark he's hungry and shaking, tired and stinky. He doesn't want to sleep cos he knows he'll have nightmares, when she knocks on the glass again. Her way of asking for permission before she entered the code he gave her.
She's holding a tray of blueberry pancakes and bacon and orange juice.
He motions for her to put the tray down and goes back to his computer.
He's shocked when the desk moves away from him as she rolled the chair, with him on it, away and set it and him in front of the tray of food.
"Eat." she says almost kindly
He stares at her but she's not backing down, so he stares more intently and why is she not backing down. And then, she raises an eyebrow. A clear sign that she is so not impressed and kinda bored with the staring.
And suddenly he wants to stare at her some more but he can smell the bacon, its crisp to perfection and blueberry pancakes are his favorite and she put the syrup in a jug on the side and it warm and the smells overcome his stubbornness.
He digs in thinking he'll just have a bite or two or three.
But then plate is clear and his stomach full and he feels lazy and sleepily.
She guides him up to him room and shoved him to the bathroom.
"Wash up". Again her tone is kind rather than demanding.
This time he doesn't argue he gets ready for bed and she's still there when he comes out she grabs his hand and guides him to his bedroom.
When he wakes rested and refreshed, a few hours later, the cover is rumpled where she had lain down next to him and still warm.
She had watched over him while he slept.
That thought did a whole lot more that make his stomach flip.
The fifth is on her birthday.
They had talked a lot more, gotten to know each other better. She asked questions of all the places he had visited and looked wistfully when he talked of Italy and Greece.
He wanted to take her to Athens, she had gone on and on about wanting to see an outdoor performance in a real Amphitheatre.
He had gotten her in the car no problem saying he was taking her for lunch they had done it before always going dutch despite his best effort and she didn't think anything of it, but when she saw the plane she started asking where exactly her was taking her for lunch.
When he told her she started to back away from him.
"What? I can't go to Athens." Her voice a little shaky.
"Why not?" He really didn't see what the problem was.
"I don’t have a passport for one. And even if I did I can't just drop everything and go. It’s short notice."
Once again Tony was dumbfounded. She was saying no?
"Let me get this straight. You're saying no to Athens."
"I'm saying not right now."
"But this is your birthday present."
"This? This is my birthday present?" She looked horrified and a little disappointed.
Tony felt his stomach drop, and his temper rise a little, it must have shown on his face because she became expressionless.
"Thank you, it’s really kind of you but please take me back to the tower."
The drive back was in stony silence.
Once back, Tony turned off the engine. He had to ask.
"You're disappointed this was you birthday present. I don't understand. I wanted to show you Athens and I feel like I've done something wrong."
"I enjoy your company Tony, YOU, not the playboy or Ironman and certainly not the billionaire.
“I like Tony the grease monkey, the guy who makes me laugh. When we’re here” she gestured to his workshop, “I'm comfortable. I know that side of you. I would hope that whatever present you got for me would come from THAT side of you. That you would give something of yourself.”
“I thought we-" she stopped for a moment, she shook her head slightly.
"I'm really sorry I over reacted. It’s really sweet of you to want to take me to Athens for my birthday; I just wish you had given me more notice. I have plans with the rest of the team."
And with that she left him in the car.
Tony was left sitting there, feeling lost.
The sixth time was later that day.
That evening Clint gave her a present.
"I'm just returning it to its rightful owner." He said as he offered her a small box with a garish purple ribbon.
It was an iPod and not even a new one.
She looked at it like it was spun gold and clasped it to her chest. She gave Clint a kiss on the cheek, her eyes a little teary and Tony felt himself burn with envy and confusion.
The seventh and eighth was the next day.
They were in the kitchen eating breakfast, he asked her about it.
"It got lost in the seize of Jane's equipment and never returned." She explained. "Coulson put a request to have it located but died before anything came of it. Clint must have dug through the evidence storage to find it."
Darcy seemed a little said at remembering Coulson so he gave her a hug. It seemed like the right thing to do.
Hugging her was amazing.
She uncurled in his arms, reaching up. He could feel the weight of her as she didn't just hug him but seemed to burrow in, her face in the crook of his neck, arms around his neck. He had one hand on the small of her back and the other on the back of her head, fingers sinking into her soft hair. He breathed deeply, taking her in and she clung tighter before letting go. She moved away but he held on. Taking a chance he dipped his head down to capture her lips in a chaste kiss, offering her comfort more than anything else.
Just as he was about to deepen it she pulled away in surprise, a faint blush appearing across her cheeks.
"You just kissed me." She said with a small smile he could hear it in her words.
"You caught that, huh?" He teased gently
She bit her lip, and nodded and looked a little worried.
"Why?"
"I wanted to." he shrugged.
He saw her freeze for a moment and her eyes go dull. She nodded again more subdued this time. Then she smiled again, this one not quite reaching her eyes.
She stepped back. "Thank you for the hug. My iPod should be charged by now." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and left.
He watched her go, knowing he messed up but not sure how. He told her the truth. He had wanted to kiss her for a while now. He could still feel her lips under his, but it was the kiss on the cheeks that almost burned, his hands itched to hold her again.
Tony rubbed a hand over his face in frustration, was he ever gonna get it right with her.
The ninth was a week or so after the hug.
She came down to his workshop with a knock on the glass. He barely stood up to greet her before she was kissing him.
If hugging her felt amazing then kissing her was a revelation.
It was full of passion and want and need. She kissed him like her life depended on it. After a second he wrapped his arms around her and took control, pouring everything he had into it. Her hand in the short curls at the nape of his neck, she scratched lightly and pleasure exploded in the pit of his stomach. His mind went blank when she stepped closer, taking back control and Tony felt himself letting her, happy to be led to where ever she wanted to take them, it was a glorious place and he wanted to stay there forever.
When air became important he kissed her jaw and down her neck she let out a quiet moan, Tony's hands went to her hips snapping them flush with his. He felt her buck slightly. He was about the reach down to lift her, when she pulled back, almost mid kiss and walked away.
Tony watched her go, completely dazed. It took him a minute before he could move and a minute more before he could think. And a minute after that, he was chasing after her.
"Javis?"
"Miss Lewis is in the lobby."
He got there just in time to watch Jane and Thor wave her goodbye.
He watched dumbfounded as Thor wrapped his arm around Jane who was crying. And it hit him!
She was gone! Darcy had left, had left him!?
Tony must have said that out loud because Jane turned to him her eyes flashed in anger.
"She graduated and S.H.I.E.L.D kicked her out! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure your name is still on the lease of this place. I don't work for shield I work for stark industries. So bring her back or consider this my resignation."
She had stalked over while ranting and now was firmly planted in front of him.
"She graduated?"
"Yes, funny that. Shield told her she couldn't cos New Mexico was classified but after her college recieved proof she had been intering as Stark Industries R&D they graduated her no problem. I wonder how that happen?"
"But I-" Tony began but the angry Jane just cut him off
"So not a day after she didn't kiss you back, she get a phone call saying she can graduate. And that's she's got a week to move out."
Thor placed a hand on Jane’s shoulder; She shrugged him off and marched away.
Thor watched her go and turned to him.
His voice was quiet and thunderous.
"I enquired if Lady Darcy would not be happy to see her family; I was informed that she did not have any family left. I hope your courtship continues but be warned, Lady Darcy is under my protection should she be harmed in anyway all your suits of iron will not protect you."
The tenth time Darcy surprised him was later that day at the airport.
He had called and got the plane delayed. His name was good for something, after all.
He found her in the waiting lounge, she looked over at him when he entered and smiled at him as though she was expecting him.
"You just kissed me." He said as he sat down next to her.
"You caught that, huh?" She teased
"Why?"
She shrugged "I wanted to."
And Tony got it. The response didn't tell him anything beyond the moment. The 'why' she had asked was her way of asking what he wanted from her.
They sat in silence for a moment.
"So I graduated."
"I heard."
"We should celebrate."
"What do you have in mind?"
She handed him a ticket.
A round trip to Athens,
New York to Athens, later that day.
Athens to New York, two days later.
"Can I see yours?" He asked.
She handed it over.
New York to Athens, later that day
No return destination, two days later.
"I thought it would be a good time to go see Athens. And then I’ll go home after that."
"And where would that be?" He asked hopefully.
She bit her lip and leaned over to kiss him gently twice.
"That depends on you. I know where I want to be and with whom. But if you don't want or aren't sure, then we'll have these two days and part company, I'm ok with that."
Tony marveled at how unique Darcy really was. She was giving him an out before they had begun.
For once Tony didn't feel lost, confused or frustrated. He slid his arm around her and drew her in close.
"You know my room is too big for one person, I'm thinking I should share it."
He felt Darcy smile as she burrowed her face in to his neck.