Darcy/Bucky 8
“Why are you making such a big about this?” Darcy asked, her eyes moving over the contents of the fridge. Bacon? Probably bacon. Bacon-wrapped… bacon? “Hey, did you eat those cocktails wieners?” Because that was a heart attack waiting to happen, but it was a tasty heart attack waiting to happen. Unless… “Wait. Your friends aren’t vegetarian are they?”
She looked up to see James leaning back against the counter. He was actually wearing clothes, too, this was serious. Just a pair of dark jeans and a button-up shirt, but for him that was practically a three-piece suit. At least around the apartment. He had nerve sensation issues with clothing against the bit where his prosthetic met his skin, so usually at home he was shirtless, in a hoodie if he got cold.
His mouth twisted a little at her question and he shook his head. “No vegetarians.” He wasn’t wearing the glove he wore to hide the telltale metal of his hand. That was a good sign, at least. If these were his friends it was good that he trusted them enough that his prosthetic wasn’t a big deal.
“Good.” She turned her attention back to the contents of the fridge. “Aha!” There they were, tucked up behind the milk. She pulled them and the bacon out of the fridge. “Hey, can you get the toothpicks down for me?”
James wasn’t particularly tall, at least not compared to the other men she’d shared space with most recently, but he was still taller than her. He moved over to open the cupboard and take the toothpicks down, setting them on the counter beside her. “Why do you keep them up there if you can’t reach?” He moved until he was behind her, his arm settled around her waist.
“Isn’t that exactly what you’re here for?”
She felt his lips brush over her shoulder through her shirt. “Just, they can be a little intimidating.”
“Believe me, it takes a lot to intimidate me.” A whole lot. A whole, whole lot.
Bacon-wrapped cocktail wieners were ridiculously easy to make, filling the apartment with the smell of cooking pig. Darcy was just pulling the tray out of the oven when there was a knock at the door.
She heard James moving through the apartment until he opened the door, and then the low murmur of voices. They sounded a little familiar, but she couldn’t quite tell as she slid the hot cookie sheet across the top of the stove. They’d need a minute to cool or whatever, but she could go and say hi before putting them on a plate and getting drinks for everyone.
Pulling the oven mitt off, she set it on the counter and moved across the kitchen’s cream linoleum in her flats to see that James hadn’t gotten much further than the door. At least his friends were in and the door was closed, that was a start.
“Hey guys!” Darcy gave them all a wide smile. The expression on James’ face turned to one of bemusement as she stepped forward to collect hugs from Steve, Nat, and Sam. “So you’re the mysterious friends?”
“Wait, you know each other?”
“Come on in, guys. Although if I’d known you were coming over, Steve, I would have made more food.” She gestured them in the direction of the living room.
James caught her elbow and pulled her against his side. “How do you know them?”
“I lived at the tower with Jane for a while.” She gave him a grin before slipping away, moving into the kitchen to grab everyone a beer and pile the bacon-wrapped cocktail wieners on a plate.