Well,
That Was Awkward

Chapter Seven:
Not So Awkward

Two days after the mishap in the lab, Darcy opened her front door to find a large envelope and a square box on the floor. Inside the envelope was a card that read:

'Sorry for blowing you up. I was going to make you a robot that gave you on-demand massages but Pepper said I should just go with chocolates. –Tony'

Under the card were Belgian chocolates straight from the country itself. They were the most delicious chocolates she had ever consumed. If this is what she got for a simple accident, maybe she should let Tony blow her up more often.

It's not that Darcy was avoiding Steve and Bucky but Darcy was totally avoiding Steve and Bucky. Like the plague to be exact. It's just that she didn't know how to handle the fact that they had both kissed her, probably without the other ones consent. She felt like a home-wrecker. Darcy didn't want to be one of those, she didn't want to break up the cutest, most well-deserved relationship she had ever seen. Maybe the kisses didn't mean anything and it was silly that she was hiding. Maybe being kissed like that was some weird gay ritualistic way to make sure you were okay after a horrible accident? If that were the case, she could work with that.

"Lady Darcy, why art thou hiding?" Thor inquired, towering over her, snapping her out of her reprieve. Darcy was currently crouched behind one of the couches in the common room because Steve and Bucky were in the hall.

"Shut up and get down here!" Darcy whispered, grabbing Thor and yanking him down beside her.

"Art thou hiding from The Captain and The Soldier?" asked Thor looking perplexed.

"Yeah… we're playing a game."

"A game!" he exclaimed, causing Darcy to smack a hand over his mouth. "What game is this?" came Thor's muffled question.

"It's one where they only get to speak to me if they can find me," she answered him. "So far I'm winning." Removing her hand she sat back on her haunches and gave him the universal 'shh' sign. She had been doing so well all week, she didn't need him to ruin it for her now.

"Well done, Lady Darcy," Thor whispered.

"Thank you, Thor," she pat his shoulder. "Now go lead them away so I can go hide somewhere else."

With that he smiled and stood up, walking from the room she heard his booming voice greet the duo and slowly fade away as they got further from her.

Success!

"She's a civilian Clint, she shouldn't be here." Natasha's raised voice stopped Darcy in her tracks. She was on the way to the kitchen/common room, when she had heard the shouting.

"It could have happened to anyone, Tasha," Clint's voice reasoned with Natasha's. "She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"It's not just that. She's falling in with the wrong people, it's not safe here for her anymore."

Darcy crept closer, making as little sound as she could. Holding her breath, she poked her head around the door frame. At the other end of the room, by the entrance to the kitchen, stood Hawkeye and Black Widow facing one another.

"Nat, do you hear yourself? You need to calm down a little," said Clint, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"What did you just say?" Natasha's voice was quiet, causing Darcy to flinch… Clint was in for it now.

"Nothing," he back-peddled and made to remove his hand.

"Did you just tell me to calm down?" Natasha asked, grabbing his wrist.

"I…No?" Clint sputtered as she twisted his arm behind his back in a move almost to fast for Darcy to follow. "Sorry! I'm sorry!" Clint went with the arm bar and didn't struggle.

"Natasha! Stop!" Darcy ran out from behind her and over to the two super spies. Reaching out she grabbed Natasha's arm and tugged on it. The red-head turned on her like lightening.

"You! Keep your nose out of this for once!" she seethed and pointed a finger in Darcy's face.

"Sorry…" Darcy jerked back as if she had been slapped. Turning she fled the room, a little hurt and fearful of Natasha's wrath.

"Milaya…" Natasha called after her, regretting her outburst.

"Well done," said Clint, circling his arm and stretching it out. Turning, Natasha glared at him and punched him in the same shoulder.

Darcy desperately needed advice but she had no one to advise her. Natasha and Clint were out, there was no way she was going to talk to them anytime soon. Sam would probably agree with Natasha, even if he and Darcy were friends. She couldn't ask JARVIS because the AI was afraid of Natasha. Thor and Jane were biased and would tell her everything was cupcakes and roses. There was always Tony or Pepper… Tony was just no and Pepper, Darcy didn't feel comfortable whining to the CEO of Stark Industries. As for Steve and Bucky, she was avoiding them for good reason. So that left one person: Bruce. And Bruce was currently trying to avoid her after The Hulk incident.

But Bruce was too nice to be mean and unbiased enough to tell her the truth. Plus he was a scientist, so that meant he was smart and would probably give really good advice. To hell with him trying to avoid her, she needed to talk. Darcy marched down to the labs and paused at the door, scanning the room. Bruce was hunched over something in the corner alone. No Tony or Jane. Perfect.

"Hey," Darcy announced, her presence causing Bruce to jump a little and look up.

"Hey," he sighed, taking off his glasses and frowning at her.

"I know, you're avoiding me, but I need some advice. Got a sec?" she asked, walking over and plopping down into the chair in front of him.

"Sure, what's up?" he put down the papers he was holding onto and gave her his full attention.

"I'm stuck. I've fallen into somewhere I don't belong and I don't know what to do about it." Darcy lent forward, placing her elbows on her knees.

"So get un-stuck," Bruce said simply.

"Thanks, genius."

"It's that simple, only you can get yourself out of whatever is holding you. If you feel like you're somewhere you don't belong, do something about it. If you stay where you are, you might never find where you belong." He put back on his glasses and Darcy blinked at him, "Anything else?"

"Yeah, I think I'm a home-wrecker," said Darcy cavalierly.

"Excuse me?"

"I kissed two people, that are a couple, at different times and the other doesn't know about it," she explained.

"I don't know what to say to that," Bruce ran a hand through his hair. "You know you're asking for relationship advice from someone whose been out of the dating game longer than you've been alive right?"

"You're not that old," Darcy smiled at him.

"Thanks," he chuckled, "I don't know what to tell you Darcy, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I think I just needed to say it out loud. I think I know what I'm going to do," she told him, getting out of the chair and standing.

"Well, feel free to talk at me whenever," Bruce said, picking up his papers again.

"Thanks, Big Green," she winked at him, then paused. "Too soon?"

"Yes," he grimaced.

"Sorry."

Darcy looked around the room, checking to see if she had missed anything. She didn't have much but what she did have was packed into two garbage bags and three boxes. It was almost embarrassing, her lack of worldly possessions, but for most of her life she had either been an orphan, a student or an unpaid intern. She couldn't afford squat. That was okay by her though, she didn't need much and she had been lucky with scholarships and having Tony offer her a room in the tower.

Sighing, she hefted the last bag over her shoulder and brought it out into the hallway where the rest of her stuff was waiting for her. It would take a few trips to get everything to the car but she could manage.

"What are you doing?" a gruff voice asked from behind her. She jumped and swung around nearly tripping over the giant bag in her hand.

"Oh sweet baby Jesus!" she cried coming face to face with the Winter Soldier. Bucky stood before her in his full regalia, nonchalantly leaning against the wall. "Why hasn't somebody given you a bell yet?" she asked clutching her chest. She was pretty sure he had just shaved a good five years off of her life. She could have sworn she saw the corner of his mouth twitch up in a slight smirk but it happened so quickly she couldn't be sure.

"Taking out the trash?" he asked casually. His voice was gritty.

"In a manner of speaking," she said stacking one box on top of another. He gave her a pointed look and glanced at the boxes on the floor in front of her.

"Moving out," she sighed.

"Why?"

"Because I am." Closing the door to her room, she hoisted a garbage bag of clothing over her shoulder. He reached forward and took it from her before dropping it back onto the floor.

"What are you-" she was cut off by Bucky as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "Hey!" she screeched, staring at his backside. "Put me down you barbarian." Bucky ignored her racket as he got into the elevator and off again on his floor. She 'oof'd' as he bounced her up and down to quiet her. Making his way to his apartment, he strode through the door was and over to Steve.

"She's leaving," Bucky said tossing her into the room in front of him. Darcy stumbled and smacked into Steve's chest before she had time to get her footing. She only just had time to register that Steve was also in his uniform. They must have just gotten back from a mission.

"What?" Steve asked confused, grasping her shoulders lightly he righted her. "Leaving where?"

"Moving out," Bucky answered for her as he shut the door to their apartment.

"What? Why?" Steve looked down at her. Darcy was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"All good things must come to an end?" she said shyly.

"Darcy," Bucky's voice was unimpressed.

"I don't really belong here," she told them, placing her hands over Steve's and pulling his off her shoulders.

"Who told you that?" he asked flatly.

"I told me that," she was stepping away from them now.

"Don't sell yourself short," Bucky said, coming forward, grasping her forearm and pulling her back in again.

"I'm not an Avenger," she struggled with him.

"No, you're not, but who makes sure we're all fed?" Steve reasoned.

"I don't really."

"You always have something ready for us when we get back from missions. You practically force feed Tony, Bruce and Jane and you leave proper portioned meals for the rest of us in the fridge with sticky notes on them." Steve gave her a look that said he wasn't buying her shit. "If it was a bad mission there's always freshly baked cookies, milk, tea, coffee and booze ready and waiting for us by each of our apartment doors. You keep the gym stocked with clean towels, water and every energy drink imaginable," he went on.

"You wrangle three of the team into regular hygiene and sleep," Bucky chipped in.

"You keep me company and watch bad movies with me when I can't sleep." Clint chimed in from the air duct above them. Since Loki had brainwashed him he sometimes had panic attacks at night when it was time for him to rest.

"Clint!" Bucky snapped.

"Leaving," came the archers reply.

"And don't think we haven't noticed you dealing with the press and telling them where to go for us," Bucky sounded almost proud.

"You're one of us Darcy, you can't just leave," said Steve taking her hand and squeezing it gently.

"Anyway, I hate to break it to you Doll, but you can't leave, it's not safe out there for you anymore," Bucky folded his arms across his chest. "You've been seen with too many of us. You're a target now. It's safer if you stay here, where we can keep an eye on you."

"None of that matters, I'm still leaving," said Darcy, wrenching herself away from them.

"Why are you so hell bent on leaving?" Bucky looked stricken.

"You know why!" Darcy spat.

"No I don… because we kissed you?" realization dawned on his facial features.

"I'm not a homewre- wait you both know?" The anger that had been growing in Darcy's chest started to deflate.

"Of course we know, we do talk." The look on Steve's face was almost comical as he gestured between himself and Bucky. "So that's why you're leaving?"

"I don't want to come betwee-"

"You wont come between us… well maybe only literally," Bucky smirked.

"Bucky!" Steve reached out and smacked his arm.

"What? It's what we both want," he said evenly.

"I… you… uh?" Darcy babbled.

"Yes," Steve affirmed.

"I need to sit." Her knees were beginning to shake. Taking her hand again and placing one of his own on the small of her back, Steve led her over to the couch, where she plopped down gracelessly.

"Honey, no one thinks you're a home-wrecker," said Steve, kneeling down in front of her. "We're both interested in you. We thought we had made that clear when we took you out on a date." He placed a hand on her knee and squeezed it gently.

"Oh my God, that was a real date?" Darcy gaped at them.

"What did you think it was?" Bucky rolled his eyes as he joined Steve kneeling in front of her and mirroring his hand on her knee.

"I don't know, just us going out for dinner!" Darcy said loudly, while wildly waving her hands around in front of her.

"No, that was a date," affirmed Steve, while grabbing her hands and stilling them.

"Oh… okay."

"We are very interested in having you join our relationship," Bucky told her softly, making it as clear as possible so there were no more misunderstandings.

"I… you… okay," she said stunned.

Dropping her hands, Steve leant forward and placed his on the sides of her face. Dragging her to him, he placed his lips on hers for their second kiss. This one was soft and gentle, the way she'd imagined him to kiss in the first place. Pulling away, he smiled softly at her, then leant back. Bucky gave them both a giant smile that must have been what he smiled like before Hydra and pulled Steve to him, kissing his cheek. Darcy made a strangled noise in the back of her throat. Reaching forward she grabbed the front of Bucky's uniform and tugged him toward her. Their lips mashed together in a harsh but passionate kiss, that ended with Bucky biting her lower lip.

"This is a lot to process," she said, pulling away from them and sitting back. The boys shared a meaningful look between them, silently speaking to one another.

"Let's start things off slow," Bucky said.

"Darcy Lewis, will you go on a date with us?" Steve asked, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.

"Yes," she answered, unable to refuse that look. Lunging forward Bucky swung an arm around her neck and Steve's and brought them in to his chest. They laughed as he placed a kiss to each of their foreheads.

Somehow, this wasn't so awkward.

FIN.

A.N: Soooo it's anticlimactic, don't hate me but I ended it. Maybe sometime in the future there will be a second story but not at the moment. I have to work on my own stuff for a little bit.

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