Tony Stark's parties were always the talk of the town. And when that town was New York City, it actually meant something. He had managed to commandeer some kind of abandoned factory turned NYC's newest hotspot for tonight's festivities. Those festivities being, of course, celebrating his own existence.

From what Darcy had heard though, this birthday party pales in comparison to the last one he threw which had been a few years prior. She's a little shocked by that, wondering what on earth must have happened that could possibly outdo what's going on tonight, but she figures she's better off not knowing. Whatever the reason, Tony had decided to start celebrating again, and in extravagant fashion.

This isn't a ballroom type of affair, there aren't waiters weaving through the crowd with silver platters offering glasses of champagne to the guests. This is, to be honest, a lot cooler than Darcy had expected. The music is loud and the lights are dim, the walls are decorated in red and gold, and, most importantly, the alcohol is free. It seems more akin to a nightclub than the catered gala she was expecting.

The room is packed, but nearly every face she sees is someone she genuinely likes and enjoys being around. The dance floor is writhing with people-Clint and Natasha have moves Darcy has only ever dreamed of-but there are also pods of comfortable chairs and tables around the perimeter of the room if you aren't the dancing type.

The room is full of people Darcy likes but she can't seem to find the one person she's looking for. Her eyes sweep the crowd on the floor at first but she quickly dismisses that thought. She knows this isn't his kind of dancing. She looks around the smatterings of chairs and sees Tony leaning back on one of the deep red loveseats with his arm around Pepper's shoulder, eyes bright and laughing at something Thor has said. Jane catches her eye from next to Thor and knowing exactly who Darcy is looking for, genius that she is, she gives a quick shake of her head before tilting it towards the metal staircase tucked in the back corner of the room. Darcy smiles, mouths her gratitude, and works her way through the throng of bodies.

In typical men in black fashion, there are two guards standing at the base of the stairs.

"Johnson. Roberts," she smiles and greets them.

The taller one on the left, Roberts, inclines his head and smiles, showcasing his dimples. "Lewis"

"You boys having fun tonight?"

"With you looking like that how could we not?" The dimples just get deeper.

"Keep sucking up like that and you'll go far, Agent," Darcy says before nodding her head at the staircase. "He up there?"

Roberts nods.

"Alone?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Darcy laughs. "You spend far too much time around him, that's for sure."

"All part of the plan to steal you away from him, Lewis. Soon enough you won't even be able to tell us apart."

Darcy barks out another laugh and shakes her head. "You see, that just tells me you've been spending too much time around Tony, too. Mind if I go up now?"

"It's a free country." Roberts winks at her. Johnson sighs and rolls his eyes at them.

"Thanks, handsome," she says as she steps up onto the first stair and then pauses. "Do me a favor and don't let anyone else up until we come down." She says over her shoulder as she starts climbing.

At the top of the staircase, a good forty or so feet above the party going on down below, she spots him on the catwalk. He's bent over, elbows resting on the railing as he watches the festivities beneath them. She takes a moment to appreciate the lines of his body and bless whoever gave him fashion advice for tonight before she walks over. She doesn't bother trying to conceal her approach, the metal grating beneath them is far from silent or completely sturdy and it shakes a little with each step she takes.

She doesn't say anything as she takes her place next to him, mirroring his position. Darcy peers down below and watches everyone with a small smile on her face. She still has a hard time believe that this is her life now, hobnobbing with superheroes and secret agents, but she wouldn't give it up for the world. If she hadn't mowed down Thor with that van, she'd probably be stuck in some cubicle somewhere dealing with Rich the Copier Guy staring down at her rack every time she needed to print something. As it was, the first guy who had made Darcy feel uncomfortable at work had found himself in what sounded like a very interesting 'conference' with the God of Thunder. No one had stepped over the line since.

A finger running down her bare shoulder breaks her from her thoughts and she looks over to her right into a set of blue eyes that never fail to stun her with their color.

"You look gorgeous tonight, Darcy," he says with a smile. His voice is deep and luscious, just a hint of gravel behind it and it sends a shiver down her spine. She ignores the goosebumps and lifts an eyebrow at him instead.

"What about every other night?" She asks.

He chuckles in response and stands up, moving so he's standing behind her. His places his hands on the railing on either side of her elbows and he buries his face in the crook of her neck, currently bared by her ponytail, and inhales.

"You always look gorgeous," he says into her skin.

She huffs and says, "Man, I miss the days when I used to be able to fluster you. You were so cute back then."

She feels him grin into her neck before he lifts his head up again. "I'm sure you can find something that'll do the trick." He pauses for a moment before saying, "What do you mean I used to be cute?"

Darcy laughs and lands a playful elbow into his stomach, smiling even harder at his over exaggerated 'Oomph.'

"You know what I mean, you dork," she says as she settles her arm back onto the railing. He shifts again so he's hunched over her a little more. He crosses his arms across her chest, hugging her tightly into him, before pressing a kiss to her temple and resting his chin on her shoulder. There's enough stubble to scratch her skin lightly and send another shiver through her. They stay like that for a few minutes, enjoying each other's presence, watching the people below.

As is typical, Darcy is the one to break the silence. "So what were you doing up here all by your lonesome?"

Steve gives a half hearted shrug. "Just wanted to be alone for a moment."

Darcy turns her head in an attempt to get a better look at him. "Would you like me to leave, then?"

"Not at all," he says in response and she grins.

"That's not the only reason you're up here, though, is it?"

Another shrug.

"Steve..."

She's noticed before he has a bad habit of isolating himself when there's no need to. He's been in the present long enough that, while he hasn't gotten over the sudden timewarp, he's learned to deal with it and move on, just like any other loss. Sometimes though, she'll see him pull away unnecessarily. He'll curl in on himself and it breaks her heart a little bit every time. No man should be an island and she's been doing her absolute best in making sure he sees that.

"It's nothin'. Nothin' bad, anyway," he says.

"Then what?"

"It's just something I've noticed. Before. In basic. The troops never seem to relax completely around their COs. Even with the Commandos, it wasn't extreme or nothin' but whenever I was around there was always a sense of, I don't know," he sighs. "Responsibility maybe? Never letting themselves completely let loose in front of a superior officer. They didn't mean anything by it, it was something that just couldn't be helped. So, sometimes, I'd just find an excuse to make myself scarce and let them have a real night off."

"So that's why you're up here, you want to give your troops a night off?"

Steve doesn't reply but he doesn't need to. She knows she got it in one. She turns around in his arms and faces him, cupping his face with both of her hands and looking him in the eyes before speaking.

"You know that's not what they think of you."

He gives her a look that clearly says he doesn't believe her. She sighs.

"Alright, so maybe there are a few people down there who can't get over the hero worship thing, but the people you're actually here for, the people you're here with? Tony, Thor, Natasha, Clint... they all look at you as a friend first. Not a superior officer." She thinks about it for a moment and laughs. "God, just try telling Tony you're his superior and see what he says."

Steve's eyes flicker away a little bashfully before he looks back at her.

"You don't have to isolate yourself because you're the one to call the shots in the field. Those guys down there? They were all doing it on their own long before you came around and if you hadn't come along they'd probably still be going it alone. But now you guys are a team, you guys are a team because you trust each other, because you just work together. You call the shots because they trust you to make the right decisions, not because you rank higher than them. This isn't wartime anymore, Steve. There's no reason for them to stay here if they really didn't want to. And there's definitely no reason for them to have spent night after night trying to catch you up on history, watching movies and giving you lessons. No reason except for the fact that you're their friend."

"Got it, Rogers? You're not here as Captain America, leader of The Avengers, you're here as Steve Rogers, friend of Tony Stark... and boyfriend of Darcy Lewis." She gives his forehead a light rap with her knuckles.

He reaches up and grabs her fist and gives her a half smile before kissing the back of her hand. "I got it," he says, letting go of her hand and putting his on her waist.

She purses her lips and shifts her other hand from his cheek to his shoulder, looking at him with narrowed eyes. "I don't think you do... yet. But we'll work on that. Anyway, my point was that you shouldn't force yourself to be alone. And you should let yourself have some fun."

The hand on her waist tightens and he brings his other hand up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. "Doesn't look like I'm alone right now," he says and bends down to press a kiss to her lips. "And this feels like fun to me."

Darcy smiles into his lips and wraps her arms around his neck, standing on the tips of her toes to return the kiss. It's gentle at first, just one set of lips against another. But Steve's lips are plush and soft and Darcy can never get enough of them so it isn't long before she nips lightly at the bottom one, tracing the bite a moment after with her tongue. They're pressed together so tightly she can feel the rumble of his groan in her own chest. He takes a step forward and presses her back against the railing as he deepens the kiss.

His tongue chases hers into her mouth and before long the kiss has gone from gentle to downright obscene. Her fingers are gripping the short hairs at the base of his neck and she's hitched one leg up around his hip. His hand runs up her thigh, slipping under the skirt of the dress and then down to help hold her steady. Warmth floods between her legs and she's never been more thankful for foregoing nylons than she is right at that moment.

Pressed against her as tightly as he is, she can feel him hardening against her abdomen. She whimpers a little at the thought and snakes a hand under his shirt, scratching her nails against the ridges of muscles she finds there. He jerks forward at the sensation and gasps when she moves her hand down to cup him outside of his jeans. He breaks off the kiss and grabs her wrist.

"Darcy," he says. His voice is absolutely sinful. She knows he's going to try to tell her to stop but he's still holding up her leg, so that's a good sign.

"Hmm?" She says, all innocence.

"We can't." He leans forward and presses his forehead against hers, breathing a little heavily.

"Why not?"

He huffs out a breath like isn't it obvious?

She turns her head to look behind her and he lets his head drop to her shoulder. The party is still going strong on the floor and she can't see a single face turned up at them. Even if they did try to look up, the hanging lights are all beneath the catwalk. They wouldn't be able to see a thing. She turns back and whispers in his ear. "They can't see us up here, Steve." She nips at his earlobe and feels him shudder, his hand gripping her thigh a little tighter.

"What if-"

"I told them not to let anyone up here until we came down."

He inhales sharply and presses a kiss to her collarbone. "Turn around," he growls and steps back. Darcy doesn't even hesitate. One thing she has found from personal experience is that it's best to listen to Steve when he gives orders. She'll more than likely enjoy the results. And tonight looks to be no different.

She bends at the waist slightly, hands on the railing, sticking her rear out. Steve presses himself against her and he's already hard as a rock. He runs his hands down her skirt and then back up, bringing the silky red fabric with them and exposing her. She pushes back into him as he cups her cheeks and is warranted with a light smack that has her whole body tingling.

"God, Darcy," he says mostly to himself.

His fingers toy with the edges of her lace panties before he bends over to whisper into her ear. "Are you fond of this pair?" He asks and nuzzles the skin behind her ear.

"No, not particularly."

"Good," he says before he straightens back up. Darcy feels more than hears the rip and suddenly Steve's fingers are uninhibited and sliding into her slick folds. She spreads her feet a little wider to give him better access and moans freely as his fingers make neat little circles around her clit, knowing no one downstairs can her over the music.

They've been together long enough that Steve knows how to play Darcy's body like a finely tuned instrument and it's not long before she's enveloped in goosebumps, knees weak and shivering, desperate for release. She whines when Steve removes his hand but is rewarded in short order when she feels him fumbling with his belt and zipper, her skirt still rucked up around her waist.

She looks over her shoulder and watches as he unzips himself and pulls his cock free. He runs his hand over her ass as he gives himself a cursory pump. He catches her watching and raises an eyebrow.

"What are you waiting for, soldier?" She asks.

He grins wickedly with one hand still wrapped around himself as the other dips between her legs. He pushes a finger in without warning and her eyes close involuntarily as she gasps. Darcy lets her head hang forward, her knuckles white with how tight she's holding onto the railing, as Steve fucks her with his fingers slowly. She's about to make another sarcastic comment, desperate to feel him inside of her, when he pulls his hand back and steps forward.

He bends over, wrapping one arm around her abdomen, his chest flush against her back and lifts her slightly so her feet are barely touching the ground. He guides himself with his other hand, the blunt tip of his cock pressing incessantly against her. She tries pressing back into him but can't find the leverage and she feels him chuckle in response. Finally, he pushes into her slowly, a cascade of shivering warmth radiating from her core as he seats himself fully inside of her.

His free hand comes up and holds onto the railing next to hers and she feels his forehead on the back of her neck. He presses a soft kiss between her shoulder blades and starts to move.

While Steve typically enjoys the slower, gentler type of love-making, Darcy was thrilled to find out that he has absolutely no qualms about fucking her brains out when given the chance. He thrusts into her now hard and wanton, sending ripples of pleasure up her spine with every push in.

Another thing she was thrilled to find out is that Steve isn't the strong and silent type in bed. If she gets him going, the words just seem to tumble out of his mouth.

His arm around her stomach tightens as he picks up the pace. He lifts his head up and she can feel his breath in her ear. "God, Darcy, the things you make me do."

Her head is hanging forward, her neck limp and eyes closed as her body rocks with every thrust. Steve lets go of the railing and winds his hand through her ponytail and pulls hard enough to lift Darcy's head up but not enough to hurt her. He growls into her ear, "Open your eyes."

She moans in response but her eyes open obediently.

"Look at them, Darcy. Look at all of them down there. Drinking, dancing, laughing." A sharp snap of his hips. "Completely oblivious to us. Completely unaware that I'm fucking you right above their heads."

He pulls her hair again, tilting her head back farther and starts biting and sucking at her neck. He lets go and puts his hand back on the railing, giving him better leverage, allowing himself to go deeper. She's going to have the mother of all hickeys after this, she can tell, but it's more than worth it.

The arm around her body lowers her so her feet are firm on the ground again and he spreads his legs to accommodate the height difference. His breath is on her ear again as he asks, "Are you ready to come for me, Darcy?"

"God, yes. Please."

He smiles into her neck before he stands up straight, bringing a hand to her hip and slipping the other around the front, under the fabric of her skirt and back into her folds. Give Steve a mission and he is methodical in his plan of attack, never stopping and never hesitating until he gets the results he wants. His fingers toy with her clit as he works a rhythm with his hips, thrusting in and out as deep as he can, and it's not long before she feels the buildup of pressure inside her.

"Oh god, Steve. I'm gonna-"

"Come for me, sweetheart," he says in response, barely audible over the music, and she does. She feels herself clench down around him. She's shaking apart at her very core as wave after wave of pleasure washes over her, moaning his name over and over like some sort of prayer. She feels his thrusts turn erratic,his fingers losing some of their skill, and just as she starts to float back down from her own high, his hips stutter and he's saying, "Fuck, Darcy," as he comes.

His movements come to a standstill and he just slumps over into Darcy's back, kissing whatever bare skin is in front of him, running his hands up and down her sides.

"Geez, Darcy."

She just laughs at him as he pulls out of her, leaving her feeling empty and a little sore. He pulls her skirt back down into place and turns her around to face him. She beams up at him and wiggles her eyebrows. He chuckles before cupping her cheek and kissing her softly but thorough. When he's done, he wraps his arms around her waist pulls her to him. Darcy just rests her head against his chest, enjoying the feeling of being in his strong embrace.

"What do you say we take this back to your place? I'm in the mood for a nice, long shower," she says.

"Mmm. Sounds like a plan to me," he says. He leans back to look down at her and a light blush tinges his cheeks. "You might want to put your hair down. I, uh-looks like I got a bit excited there," he motions to what must be a pretty impressive love bite if she remembers correctly. She just laughs in response and takes a step back to undo her hair and straighten out her clothes.

Steve tucks himself back into his pants and looks around on the ground, before bending to pick something up. She looks at him curiously and he holds up the pair of panties she had been wearing which were, suffice it to say, now unwearable.

She laughs and says, "You are such a caveman, Steve."

"Sorry," he says but the small grin he gives her says he's not really sorry at all and she grabs the underwear from him and stuffs them in his front pocket.

She runs her hands through her hair again and looks up at Steve. "How do I look?"

He smiles at her, winds a tendril of her hair around his forefinger before letting it go and says, "Absolutely perfect." And with the look he's got in his eyes right now she knows he means it. Her heart is so full it threatens to burst out of her chest, but that's usually the case when she's with Steve.

She winks at him and gives him a playful smack on the butt and says, "Alright, let's go home."

They make their way downstairs, Agent Roberts giving her a cheeky grin when they walk by, and she begs off to clean herself up a bit in the bathroom while Steve makes the goodbye rounds for the both of them. When she comes out she finds him standing at Tony's table, bidding farewell.

Darcy sidles up next to Steve placing an arm around his waist and she sees Tony gives her a once over. His eyes narrow on her and then flicker over to Steve and she swears to god it's like that man has a sixth sense when it comes to sex because he gives her a leer and a wink before telling them to scram because it's past the old man's bedtime.

Steve just chuckles and they wish Tony a happy birthday and they slowly work their way outside. They take a cab back to Avengers Tower and when they're finally in the elevator Darcy speaks up.

"So, you're something of an exhibitionist."

Steve's arm is around her shoulder and he rubs a circle into her skin with his thumb. "Darcy, I have a feeling that for you I'd be just about anything."

She hums in response.

"But, I would prefer to keep that side of our relationship relatively private if at all possible," he says with conviction.

She turns her head to look up at him and smirks.

"What?" He asks, looking down at her.

"So I guess now is not the time to let you know my underwear has been hanging halfway out of your pocket this whole time?"

He looks down, shocked, and sees the bright pink lace that can't be mistaken for anything else.

Ah. There is the flustered Steve that she was missing.