The credits were rolling on The Princess Bride when Darcy's phone started chirping insistently. She swore under her breath, hoping the annoying tones wouldn't wake Steve, who had fallen asleep not long after she had cuddled up next to him. Stretching her foot out from beneath the blankets, she hooked her purse with a toe and dragged it over to the bed.

As she leaned over the edge of the bed to dig her phone out, Steve suddenly wrapped his large frame around her, mumbling in his sleep. The phone momentarily forgotten, Darcy stroked Steve's hair back from his face as she studied the sleeping super soldier. His golden hair, normally perfectly in place, was now messy and brushed against his (obscenely long) eyelashes. In repose, the worry line that seemed permanently etched into his forehead disappeared. Darcy could see glimpses of the frail boy Steve used to be in the curve of his spine as he curled up in the fetal position around her.

The mechanical chirping started again, and Darcy fumbled in her clutch for the offending piece of technology. "Hello?" she whispered.

"Darcy, darling. I need a favor." The silky smooth voice of her other-other boss came across the phone lines.

"Depends on what it is, Raven," Darcy capitulated. The last time she had agreed to a favor before knowing what it was, she had ended up with a pickup bed full of street signs and no bra. (Ah…good times.)

"Both Clarissa and Jeanne called in sick, so I need someone to work the floor tonight."

"Seriously?!" Darcy whispered harshly. "I'm on a date here!"

"Well, wrap it up. We have not one, but two bachelor parties coming in tonight and I desperately need someone on the floor who can keep their shit together. I'll pay you time and a half…" Raven said enticingly.

"Time and a half plus a bottle of tequila." Darcy offered.

"Deal. How soon can you be here?"

Darcy glanced at the clock on the wall, then down at her sleeping date. "Give me 45 minutes," she sighed.

"Wonderful. I'm sure Logan will be excited to see you." Darcy could hear the glimmer of a grin in Raven's voice

"Logan?"

"Oh, yes. One of the bachelor parties is for an X-man. Remy, I believe."

Oh, jeebus Christ on a cracker. This was going to be good.

After Raven hung up, Darcy flung her phone back into her bag. She gently tried to extricate herself from Steve, but he just wrapped himself tighter around her. Which, frankly, was adorable, except….

His face was smack dab in the middle of her cleavage.

"Steve? Steven. Wake up." Darcy said, nudging his shoulders. He mumbled something that sounded like "ten more minutes," and pulled her even closer.

"Seriously, Steve? Why are you so damn cute?" Darcy sighed. Louder, she said, "Steve. Wake up," as she all but shoved his shoulders.

Immediately and abruptly, Steve woke up. With a jerk and a twitch, he sat up and scooted as far away from Darcy as he could in the hospital bed. "Dammit Darcy- I mean – oh, geez, I'm so so sorry," he apologized profusely as a blush spread across his (perfectly sculpted, damn the man) cheekbones.

Darcy waved her hand at him as she started buckling her shoes back on. "Steven, it's fine. You are recovering from two broken ribs. Although, I don't think you're supposed to be sleeping with a concussion." She sat up suddenly. "Steven, did you just cuss?!"

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Um…yes ma'am. I do apologize for that though."

Darcy feigned a shocked expression. "Why, Steven, that's…that's…" A wicked grin crossed her face. "Surprisingly attractive."

He shrugged, an innocent expression on his face as well. "Well, I was in the Army."

Darcy stood up next to his bed and pivoted to face him. Leaning over and placing her palms on the bed, she asked, "Can you out-cuss Fury?"

Steve opened his mouth, closed it, and pretended to think. After a moment, he shrugged as a surprisingly cocky grin crossed his face.

Darcy gaped like a fish. "Oh, Steve. That is ridiculously attractive. I expect to hear ALL about this special talent of yours later," she said as she put her trench back on.

Steve realized that Darcy was preparing to leave. "Where are you going?" he asked, sounding a little like a lost child.

"My boss called me in," she said as she gathered up her tablet and their food containers.

Steve reflexively reached for his shield. "Is there another emergency?"

"Oh! No, not that boss." Darcy responded, motioning him to lie back down.

"Another development with the Bifrost?" he asked confusedly.

"No, not that boss either. My other-other boss." Steve looked at Darcy, his brows furrowed in confusion. Laughing softly, she reached out and smoothed the line out of his forehead. "Don't worry your pretty little head, Cap. My other-other job isn't world-threatening or –changing in any way." He relaxed as she repetitively stroked his forehead, the worry easing out of his face and shoulders. "Thanks for the date, Cap. We should do it again sometimes," she said, smiling. "But now, I have to go."

"I'm sorry our date got ruined, Darcy," he said quietly as she reached the door.

"We ate good food, watched an excellent movie, and cuddled. I'd say it was a quality date," she replied with a bright smile. "Now finishing healing, soldier. I left the movie if you wanted to watch what you missed." Blowing him an ostentatious kiss, Darcy headed out of the medical wing and out into the city.

As she sat in the back of the cab (no way was she riding the subway this late at night without her Taser), Darcy's phone chirped once. Pulling it out, she saw she had a text message from none other than Steve.

By the way, I also learned to speak a little in German, French, Italian, and Spanish as well.

Quickly followed by, Don't tell Tony.

Darcy quickly tapped out a response. Prove it, soldier boy.

After a minute, his response came. Je veux vas te faire encule insensée.

Darcy did a quick Google translate search, and her eyes almost popped out of her head. The only response she could type back was Damn. Okay.

Was Steve actually….flirting with her?

As the cab pulled up to the back door of the club, her phone chirped again. Eagerly, Darcy opened the message, but it was just Raven asking where she was.

"Alright, I'm here, let's rock this bitch like it's 1955!" Darcy said with a flair as the back door bangs shut behind her.

"Oh, darling, you look so…demure." Raven says with a sigh. "Please, undo some buttons or something. We must keep our patrons entertained."

Darcy rolled her eyes and undid another button on the neckline of her dress, as well as most of the ones running up the side. At Raven's nod of approval, she grabbed a tray and went to work.

The mutant groom-to-be was a spicy Cajun with floppy hair and flashing red eyes. Logan introduced him as Gambit, but the taller man swooped over Darcy's hand and told her, "please, call me Remy, mon chere."

Darcy giggled and set down the pitchers of beer and mugs that they had ordered. "I'm sure Miss Anna Marie will appreciate that," she replied with an arched eyebrow, her own Southern accent peeking through.

Logan guffawed as Remy pretended to look chastised. He raised his now-full mug to her in a toast. "To Southern girls – may their wit remain as big as their…hair," Remy finished, with a glance at her chest. He clinked his glass with Logan's, and Darcy just sighed.

It was going to be an interesting night.

Steve had been released from the medical bay around midnight, so he had gathered up Bucky and headed back to the Tower. They had spent the next few hours chatting about their shared past, and Steve eventually introduced him to the Avengers he didn't already know.

Around 3 am, they were all lounging around in the media suite, watching reruns of some TV show and just hanging out, when two Southern accents singing "Friends in Low Places" echoed through the hallway, followed by an exasperated growl and a youthful laugh.

"JARVIS, since when were tourists allowed in my Tower?" Tony asked imperiously. "I don't like people in my elevator." Pepper rolled her eyes at that statement.

"Sir, Miss Lewis is returning home, and seems to have brought…friends." JARVIS replied, the distaste in his voice rolling in waves off the last word.

"It's probably just Logan," Jane mumbled from where she was half-asleep on the couch, her head pillowed on Thor's thigh.

"I'll be as high as that Stark Tower that you're livin' in!" a man sang as Darcy belly-laughed. The two stumbled in the media room, followed by a shorter man with mutton chops and a young man with piercing blue eyes.

"Oh I'm not big on social graces, think I'll slip on down to the Oasis!" Darcy stumbled through, ending it with jazz hands worthy of Glee.

Steve recognized the man with muttonchops from some old missions in Madripoor. "Logan," he said with a brief nod.

"Cap, this your girl now?" the man returned with a wry grin. "Ya might want to contain her before she falls over. Or outta that dress."

Steve glanced over at Darcy. Her dress was unbuttoned on the side, and mis-buttoned in the front. Her previously perfect red lipstick was now a little smeared, and wayward curls had all but escaped the updo they were in earlier. She leaned against her singing partner, one eye almost closed as she smiled lopsidedly. His mind instantly raced to conclusions that he didn't really want to think about, and then he felt guilty for assuming such things about Darcy.

"Dudebros! And miss ladies as well," she suddenly proclaimed with an expansive hand gesture that almost sent her toppling over. Steve reached to catch her, but she managed to maintain her balance. Righting herself, she continued. "I would like you to meet some of your superhero brethren. That dudebro is Wolverine," she said, pointing at Logan. "This one is Gambit," she said, patting the man she was leaning on, "and that cutie patootie is Iceman. He's a baby," she stage whispered the last sentence as the younger man waved awkwardly.

"We just wanted to make sure Darcy got home safely. After her shift ended, Remy – Gambit," he said, pointing at the man, "convinced her to stay with us and do tequila shots. It was his bachelor party," Bobby offered as an explanation.

Logan extracted Darcy from Remy and walked her over to Steve. Feeling self-conscious, Steve just let her lean against him drunkenly while Logan collected his fellow X-men and led them out the door. "It was nice meetin' ya, cher!" Remy yelled over his shoulder.

"You too darlin'!" Darcy drawled out. She then leaned further into Steve, and sighed contentedly. "You smell like hospital," she said as the place quieted down, wrinkling her nose.

"You smell like cigar smoke," he whispered in her ear as Tony started to lecture her on bringing strangers into his precious Tower.

"Your mom smells like cigar smoke," she replied saucily.

Steve now understood that 'your mom' jokes were socially acceptable, due to a pop culture lecture after Darcy and Clint spent a breakfast trading said jokes. Since the day had been long, and he was tired, he decided to drop the manners he clung to like a life raft and return Darcy's banter. "Your mom smells like Dr. Doom," he whispered back.

"Your mom smells like Volstagg," she returned quickly.

"Your mom smells like Deadpool."

"Your mom smells like Tony's puke-green shakes!"

The two looked at each other as Tony's tirade washed over them. Almost simultaneously, Steve and Darcy started sniggering, which lead to full-blown belly-shaking laughter. "Well, I'm glad you find SECURITY BREACHES funny, Lewis." Tony said, pouting.

"I find your FACIAL HAIR funny!" Darcy shouted drunkenly. Steve bent over in laughter as the rest of the Avengers started giggling as well.

If this is what dating Darcy entailed, Steve could go along with that.

Steve managed to corral Darcy up to her floor and into her room. He convinced her to drink a glass of water and take two aspirin before she flopped face down into her bed. Smiling to himself, he set another glass of water and two more aspirin on her nightstand before letting himself out of her suite.

Bucky was waiting for him outside her door. "So...your date seems interesting," he said by way of a greeting.

"She reminds me a little of you," Steve replied as he led the way to the bank of elevators. At Bucky's stare, he continued. "You're both a little brash and so very...confident in who you are."

Bucky snorted contemptuously. "Maybe seventy years ago, Cap, but not anymore."

The two sat in silence as the elevator rode up to the guest floor, where Bucky was momentarily staying. Right before the car reached the floor, Steve turned to Bucky and said, "You know you're still my best friend, right? No matter what happened between then and now."

Bucky sighed tiredly, the lights in the elevator glinting off his metal arm as he ran his hand through his hair. "I've done a lot of things, Cap. Things you wouldn't approve of. Things you'd be fighting against."

Steve reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. (It was strange, being able to look Bucky in the eye. All of Steve's memories involve looking up to Bucky, both literally and metaphorically.) "It's just Steve," he said simply.

For a moment, the two men stared at each other, as old memories started to bubble to the surface in their brains. "G'night, Steve," Bucky finally said with a small smile as he stepped out of the elevator.