Marked

Marked

Chapter 6—Tint my world

Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers. They belong to Marvel/Disney.

The next day, Rogers was almost late for his watch-Agent-Coulson shift, but the door to the agent's room was closed, so he knocked on the door, but there was no answer, so he let himself in. Darcy was sitting in the bed beside her brother, her laptop on the bedside table, and they were each wearing one half of a set of ear phones.

"Sorry, watching 'True Blood,'" Darcy said. "It's almost over."

Rogers sat down in what he was becoming to view as "his" chair, waiting. Five minutes later, Darcy removed her ear bud and yanked her brother's, earning herself a string of profanity from Coulson; Rogers blushed.

"What were you watching?" he asked, trying to head off a sibling confrontation.

""True Blood,'" Darcy said.

"What's that?" Rogers said.

"A documentary series on the lives of American vampires and werewolves who are trying to live in the mainstream," Darcy said.

Rogers frowned. "What? No. Seriously?"

Darcy grinned. "No, it's fiction," she said. "But the look on your face was priceless. It is about vampires and werewolves, and Phil's favorite."

"Darce, shut up," Coulson said.
"Hey, Philly, remember how you promised to take me to Rocky Horror here, in New York? I'm holding you to that once you get sprung."

"I haven't forgotten," Coulson muttered.

"This time we both get to be virgin sacrifices," Darcy said, punching her brother in the arm, earning another expletive. "Sorry. Hey—we can take Steve. It'll be fun."

"Darcy, no. Just stop, all right?"
"You have a list, don't you? Where is it written down so I can tear it to shreds?" Darcy said.

"It's not down on paper yet," Coulson said.

"What list?" Rogers asked.

"Things we can't do to scar Captain America for life," Darcy offered. "What's the virgin sacrifice going to be, moved up to No. 1, or like at the bottom?"

Coulson was now a shade of red Rogers was well familiar with.

"What the hell is a virgin sacrifice?" Rogers said.

"Don't ask Stark," Coulson said. "It's a theatrical ritual enacted during a certain movie that Darcy is much too fond of."

"I have a picture of Phil on my phone from his time as sacrifice," Darcy said, whipping out her phone, scrolling through the pictures until she found the one she was looking for. A picture of her brother in jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket with a scarlet "V" drawn on the middle of his forehead in lipstick. "I was part of the cast, but I had to take this picture. Mom was so proud."

"You two are making no sense," Rogers said.

"Thank God," Coulson muttered. "Darcy, you're scaring him. Isn't she?"

"No," Rogers said. "You two are confusing me."

"Sowing fear and confusion, at least we're doing our jobs," Darcy said, throwing an arm around her brother. "Except it's not just a job, it's a way of life for us."

"Darce, don't you have somewhere to be in 15 minutes?" Coulson said.

"Oh yeah, the orientation for my weapons training," she said, hopping down off the bed. "Gotta go. I'll leave my laptop for you. See you guys later."

She left the room, and Coulson sighed.

"They're letting her near weapons?" Rogers said.

"She already knows how to use a taser," Coulson said. "And I've taken her to the gun range a few times. She's been hunting with our father, so she's not clueless when it comes to guns."

"Then I'm glad she's on our side," Rogers said.

"No kidding," Coulson said.

"Did she really tase Thor?"

"Yes," Coulson said.

"I brought you donuts," Rogers said, setting a package of the powdered pastries on the table beside the laptop.

"Thanks," Coulson said, ripping into the package.

"Darcy said you were an Army Ranger," Rogers said.

"Ten years," Coulson said.

"Then SHIELD," Rogers said.

"Not exactly," Coulson said. "But I can't really talk about that."

And he couldn't. A couple of years of off the books assignments for Army Intelligence before his "official" recruitment into SHIELD by Fury. He'd known Fury from the beginning of his Army career, and considered the SHIELD director one of his closest friends, if men like them had friends. Coulson trusted Fury with his life, but from the sound of it, they were going to have a long sit-down after he was released from Medical. He'd only seen his boss once since waking up, but he figured Fury was staying away because of the constant presence of Avengers by his bedside.

Fury also trusted him, probably more than anyone else on the planet. Coulson was privy to more than a couple of the other man's secrets, including one thing he protected above all else—the existence of his son. Coulson was the only other person in SHIELD who knew of the boy's existence, which was how much Fury trusted him.

"Anything else Darcy told you about me?" Coulson said.

"Not much," Rogers said, stealing a donut, watching as Coulson scowled. No one touched his donuts without permission, not even the man who was Captain America. "Philly? Isn't that a baby horse? Or a baseball team?"

"Darcy's nickname for me," Coulson said. "It's better than calling me 'agent badass' in public."

"True," Rogers said.

Then Coulson's phone was buzzing, and he answered it. "Oh hell. . ." he muttered. "Mom. . .nothing. Yes, glad to hear from you. No, I'm fine, really. . .she told you WHAT? Yes, I'm fine. . .not really. . .no. . .I know I can't lie to you. . .a little over two weeks. . .no, you should not speculate. . .just because I'm here and that happened. . .what do you mean Dad finally won that bet? The Roswell one? How much? Fly-fishing on the Gunnison? Maybe. . .I'll see what I can do. . .I love you, too."

Coulson set the phone down, leaning back into his pillows.

"Everything OK?" Rogers said.

"Sure," Coulson said. "I've been dreading that phone call since I woke up."
"At least you have family," Rogers said.

"I know," Coulson said. "You know, you're not completely alone. You have your fellow Avengers."

"Stark keeps telling me that," Rogers said.

"He's right," Coulson said, yawning.

"Agent Coulson, get some sleep," Rogers said.

"It's Phil," Coulson said.

"Fine, Phil, get some rest," Rogers said.

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Coulson was awakened by the sound of a crash, laughter and yelling right outside his open door. He heard his nurse ripping someone a new one out in the hall, followed by what sounded like his sister saying something inappropriate to a member of the SHIELD medical staff, and more laughter. Then Stark was in his room, followed by Darcy and Rogers.

"What is going on?" Coulson asked.

"Your day nurse isn't very nice," Stark said. "Nurse Ratchet, right?"

"Yes," Darcy said.

"I still don't get the reference," Rogers said.

"What were you doing out in the hall, or do I want to know?" Coulson asked, interested in his visitors' reactions; Rogers blushed and looked sheepish, Darcy and Stark just grinned.

"Introducing captain spangles here to some illicit activities," Stark said.

"Such as?" Coulson said through gritted teeth.

"Running and sliding in the hall," Darcy said, pointing to their feet. She and her two companions weren't wearing shoes.

"Yeah, captain fantastic isn't as athletic as he'd like everyone to believe," Stark said. "He crashed into the nurse's station desk. It was funny."

"You tripped me," Rogers said.

"You're the only person in this wing, so you'd think the nurses wouldn't mind that much," Stark said.

"Stark, never, ever piss off the nurses," Coulson said. "It will end badly."

"Whatever," Stark said. "I'm meeting Pepper for dinner. You guys staying here?"

"I wouldn't miss hospital food with Phil for anything," Darcy said.

"We're going to watch a movie," Rogers said.

"Which one?" Stark asked, now interested.

"The first 'Lord of the Rings' movie," Darcy said.

"You're watching it without Legolas?" Stark said. "I can't believe you're going to introduce Rogers to Tolkein without the rest of us."

"We'll watch something else," Coulson said. "Darce, pick something."

"Something with Cary Grant won't scar Steve for life, will it?" she said.

"That's a safe choice," Coulson said.

"What, is Rogers five?" Stark said.

"If you're gonna pick Grant, at least make him watch 'Arsenic and Old Lace,'" Stark said.

"You've seen it?" Coulson said.

"Pepper loves old movies," Stark said. "We should have team movie night when you get out, Phil. It'll be fun."

"Or a disaster," Coulson muttered.

"Have fun," Stark said.