Darcy/Steve 8
This sort of thing wasn’t really Darcy’s deal. She hadn’t even initially been invited, but Jane had been visiting Thor, and Darcy had been with her, of course. Thor had said he wouldn’t go without Jane, Jane had said she wouldn’t go without Darcy, and one too-expensive dress later, Darcy was standing at the edge of the large room holding a flute of champagne and wishing it was something a lot more margarita-y.
Jane was mingling. Well, more accurately, she’d been co-opted by the sciency people and was currently in debate with Tony Stark about something. Thor was there, though, in case anything got, um, heated, so Darcy didn’t feel obligated to go on over and supervise.
She didn’t know anyone else. Everyone else, who looked at home in their tuxes and gowns that cost more than Darcy paid monthly for rent. Sighing, she let her eyes move around the room.
That guy. That blond guy over by the other wall who looked as out-of-place as she felt. He had his own champagne flute, held awkwardly like he was afraid he was just going to snap the stem. “Wallflowers unite,” Darcy muttered to herself as she started around the room to him.
He was a lot larger than he’d looked from across the room, she noticed as she walked right up to him. He acknowledged her with a polite smile, but there was a guarded look in his eyes.
“I always heard Stark knew how to party, but this… I wish they had beer. Or margaritas. Champagne always makes me feel like someone’s going to notice that I don’t really belong here and kick me out, and I’ll end up spending the rest of the night at Denny’s. In my dress.”
Her torrent of words seemed to surprise him a little, his eyes widened as he turned to give her his full attention. “I’m just glad he hasn’t put me up on stage,” he said after a few seconds. “I’m about done being someone’s dancing monkey.”
He seemed to be looking right at Tony Stark while he said it, but nothing else was forthcoming. Interesting. “I’m Darcy.”
“Hi, Darcy, I’m Steve.” He offered her his hand, and she took it and shook, her own practically disappearing in his grip. Dude was almost as big as Thor.
I wonder if he’s as stacked as Thor, came the inappropriate thought. She couldn’t exactly tell through his tux. “I was dragged here and ditched. How about you?”
There was a smile as he said that, his blue eyes lighting up a little. “Pretty much, yeah.”
Her eyes moved over him. What the hell, there was time to kill before Jane was finished her great scientific debate. “Well, Steve, wanna dance?”
He actually flushed a little. “I’m not… I’m not so good at dancing.” But he offered her his hand again, and this time when she took it, he led her out to the dance floor.
Steve didn’t know what he was talking about, she decided a few minutes later as he effortlessly led her around the room. He was just fine at dancing.