Hair Night
:-:-:-:
The next morning Darcy walked into the private meeting room of the Avengers. Bruce had told her that most of the team would be inside for a small group gathering. All eyes were on her as she silently searched the room. When she figured neither Steve nor Bucky were inside she stepped into the middle.
“Okay, I know you all are doing important business in here-"
“Not really.” Clint.
“I just want to make sure y’all are preparing for Steve’s birthday. Just wanna remind you to not mention anything to him. Nat I know you won’t tell a single soul but please for the sake of Clint’s life...keep him from spilling the beans.”
The redhead nodded and smiled in amusement as Clint raised his hands in disbelief.
“I’m gonna leave you guys to all the avenging thing now but I need to know which beautiful soul to thank for that haircut on ex-Jesus-Boy’s head. It's been killing me for a while now.”
“With Jesus-Boy you probably mean Barnes, right? Cause that would've been me.” Clint again.
Darcy took in a sharp breath before walking the few steps into the room to give the man a celebratory high five. “My man.”
The archer gave a self-satisfied shrug into the round as she made her way back to the door.
“I'm not sayin’ I owe you but you did some fine work, my friend.”
:-:-:-:
Bucky really hadn't planned to get anywhere near the labs. All he wanted was to make sure he didn't have any problems with his arm.
So when he made his way to Tony’s lab he didn't think about Darcy being there. No.
He didn't think about how she had mentioned she'd stay at the other men's labs while Dr. Foster was gone.
Of course he knew that was a big fat lie but Bucky didn’t see the point in not going either.
As he walked past Dr. Banner’s lab he caught a small glimpse inside. The scientist seemed to be alone, the petite Brunette nowhere in sight.
Bucky moved a little slower now but didn’t turn around to leave. Maybe she was in the other man’s lab?
As he approached the lab door he felt his heart quicken slightly. Just the thought of her being near immediately brightened his mood and he was actually scared of the effect she had on him.
He knew he should keep his distance. That she was probably just nice to him because it was the way she was. Not because she actually liked him.
But when she smiled so warmly at him whenever they were in the same room it was hard to stay away.
Steve had assured him that even though Darcy indeed was a nice person she’d never pretend liking someone. (“At least not to that extent.”)
If he was honest with himself, he just wanted to be selfish for once so as long as she didn’t push him he didn’t have to stay away. Right?
He still didn't know what had possessed him when taking a bite right out of her hand as she had offered the tart. But the old Bucky inside of him was quite proud. And her reaction had been quite cute and not bad for his ego either.
The true reason he had come anywhere near the labs had actually been because of her offer the day before. Just the thought of eating lunch with her had kept him awake for hours. Which was a nice change for the nightmares that usually came to him at night. His mind had been too occupied with possible questions he could ask her. Or she could ask him.
At four a.m. and with maybe half an hour of sleep he had jumped out of bed and gone for a run. The whole morning he had been working out, only taking a break to talk to Sam or Steve who came to check up on him.
But when the clock turned eleven and he still hadn’t heard of her, he decided to take the matter in his own hand.
Or at least walk by so she’d approach him instead.
Bucky didn’t think too much about it.
He opened the door instead. Tony was currently looking over some files but locked eyes with him as soon as he walked in.
“Hey Barnes.”
Bucky only gave a small nod as he slowly made his way to the centre of the room, eyes scanning.
“If Wonder Woman was real she'd beat your ass!” a female voice chimed from the side. A voice Bucky immediately recognized as Darcy’s. His eyes shot to the corner of the room which was separated by a short wall.
A few seconds later the petite Brunette came into view with two cups of coffee in her hands. Her eyes focused on the liquids as she balanced them to the table near Tony.
Bucky moved slightly on the spot and blue eyes darted up to him as she put the cups down.
“Lunch-Buddy!”
Her grin was wide as she walked up, only coming to a stop a few feet away from him.
“I’m so glad you’re here I was actually planning to look for you. Wasn’t sure when exactly you’d like to have lunch so this is perfect.”
Bucky cleared his throat. “I don’t really mind when. What suits you best?”
“Well it depends, what brings you here?”
Bucky raised his cybernetic arm a little and gave her a small smile.
“A small check-up.”
Tony watched their little exchange with a small smile tugging on his lips. Darcy didn’t seem to notice but Bucky shot the other man a side glance.
As a response she leaned towards him and suddenly her hands were around his right arm, dragging him around the table. Bucky’s eyes widened slightly at her touch, still not used to anyone being so comfortable around him. And surprised by himself for not flinching away from her soft hands as opposed to his reaction with other people. But for some reason with her he didn’t mind at all. He tried to remain a neutral face though, since he was pretty sure that the other man in the lab was practically itching to make a comment if he slipped.
“You can do this later.” Darcy grinned at Tony as she took the device he was currently working on out of his hands. The billionaire gave an annoyed huff in pretense but his eyes glinted mischievously.
“Sure, anything for Jack Frost over here.”
Tony slowly walked over to the other side of the room where he had done the last check-up as Darcy followed him, Bucky’s arm still in her grasp and the soldier one step behind.
Only when Tony asked him to sit down her hands slipped away and he tried not to look at her like a child crying for his dropped ice-cream.
As Tony let the scanners do their work and went over some files, Darcy watched his arm in fascination before she started distracting Bucky with questions.
“So when I eat with Jane we usually switch between take-out food and the cantine but for lunch we use the cantine more often because- well we ain’t rich and the food is actually pretty good. I don’t know where you eat your lunch-” she paused giving him a small once-over and squinting her eyes at him. “if you even eat that sort of thing. Did you just agree to this to be polite? Do you even eat lunch?”
Bucky chuckled slightly at the absurdness of her question and if it hadn’t been for the humorous glint in her eyes he would’ve believed it was a serious one.
“No and yes.”
“Okay good! Because I was really looking forward to eating with you. And I think there’s Mac’n’Cheese on the menu so we’re the winners today. But just to make sure, are you okay with eating in the cantine? We could definitely get take-out. Or we could snatch some Mac’n’Cheese and disappear into the Common Room? I don’t mind either one.”
If Bucky was honest with himself he'd prefer the Common Room by a long shot but with Darcy he might even survive the cantine. He shrugged his shoulders and got an annoyed huff from the mechanic currently working on his arm.
“Lady's choice.” he gave her a smile that could have competed with the old Bucky Barnes.
Darcy raised her eyebrows, licking her lips in a nervous manner before she went back to her usual smile.
“A gentleman. I'd say for the premiere we're snatching and hiding in the Common Room.”
Bucky nodded with a barely audible sigh of relief and thanked the universe and Darcy for choosing the option he had hoped for.
If she had noticed the stress he had felt about going to the cantine she didn't comment on it.
Instead she smiled as she asked him about his adjustments to the modern days while Tony continued his work on the arm.
“So you're telling me you've never tried the sweet-sour heaven that are Sour Patch Kids?”
The incredulous look she gave him made him bark a laugh that surprised even himself. And judging from Tony’s expression, the other man was just as surprised. He was quick to recover however as he focused back on Bucky’s metal arm.
“We’ll change that soon enough. How long Tin-Man?”
“Almost done, Lewis.” Tony took a few steps back from Bucky and asked him to move his arm to check for any malfunctions. When everything worked smoothly he gave him a firm nod as Tony grinned back at him.
Their relationship was rather complicated.
When Bucky had first set foot on the Avengers Compound they hadn’t talked much. Bucky had barely seen anyone except for Steve. His friend had talked to Tony a couple of days after his arrival to make sure there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings between them. The billionaire had actually been quite understanding towards Bucky’s inner demons for he was struggling with a number of traumas of his own. So when Steve had informed the man of Bucky’s involvement in the death of his parents, Tony had first initiated contact with him.
At first Bucky had figured the man was there to confront him and kick him out of the building. Or even worse.
But he had just smiled bitterly and raised his arms to show the liquor in his hands.
The day had ended with Tony drunk and Bucky practically cradling the other man in his arms. They had silently sworn they’d never mention what had happened that day. Neither to themselves nor anyone else of the team.
That was probably one of the reasons why the billionaire held his tongue more often than he’d like.
“If you guys are done eye-fucking each other, I’d suggest we go get lunch.” Darcy gave both of them a grin as Tony started coughing and Bucky turned slightly red at her ridiculous comment.
As Bucky followed Darcy’s small figure through the crowded cantine he could feel multiple eyes on him. The ex-assassin searched the room - a habit he still couldn’t get rid off, especially with a high number of people in one place.
Suddenly he felt a small warm hand grasp around his flesh arm and his eyes darted to the petite woman in front of him as she dragged him to the serving counter. When they came to a stop at the queue she turned around to look at him. “Don’t worry about them, big guy. We’ll be alone in less than five minutes. They’re only looking at you ‘cause they’re not used to seeing such handsome men around here. Steve barely makes it to the surface to bless them with his Dorito proportions.”
When it was their turn to order food Darcy smiled brightly at the staff members as she ordered four servings with a humorous comment about super-soldiers.
He followed her back out of the cantine with a tray in his hands and let out a sigh of relief when they reached the elevator.
Darcy eyed him from the side but didn't say anything. She only made a comment about the scent of the food.
What a broken man he was. She must already regret making the offer in the first place.
However she didn't show any signs of annoyance or discomfort when they stepped into the Common Room.
She immediately headed to the kitchen counter and he looked at her in confusion as she sat down. He looked at the table close to the kitchen area and back at her before sitting down in front of her.
“The table is too big.” she started, pushing one of her servings to him. “I thought this would be a little bit more personal...if you don't mind?”
“I don't.” Bucky spoke softly keeping his eyes on her as her smile grew.
As he sat down in front of her he started feeling slightly nervous. (“What am I supposed to say to her?” “Buck, it’s just lunch. Darcy can keep any conversation going so don’t worry about it.” “But what if she realizes I’m boring as hell? Stop rolling your eyes at me, you punk!”)
“You know, I’m really glad you’re not avoiding me anymore.”
Bucky looked at her in confusion as she picked on her food before sending him another grin.
“I wasn’t avoiding you.”
“Sure, buddy.”
The ex-assassin stayed silent for a couple of seconds, not really sure how to explain his lack of interaction with her the first few months after her arrival.
“I'm just joking, James. I know I can be a handful sometimes. Don't always have a filter between my brain and mouth. I think a lot of people can't handle it. But I'm actually quite fun if you get to know me. I talk a lot as well so if it gets too much please tell me. I'm just really excited to have a new lunch buddy, that's all. God, Mrs. Williams would come running all the way from home if she knew you were sitting here. She's my old neighbour from my high school days. She used to have a big crush on you back in the day that she never really lived down to this day.” Darcy shook her head with a giggle as she took another bite from her fork. “You broke a lot of hearts, Barnes. And judging by our little trip to the cantine I'm pretty sure you're still breaking a lot of hearts now.”
This time it was Bucky’s turn to shake his head. He looked up from his meal and locked eyes with the woman in front of him.
“I don't think that's the reason they're looking at me, Darcy.”
“Oh believe me soldier, they do. I have very reliable sources.”
“Which are?”
“A secret.”
The ex-assassin blinked at her before chuckling at her expression. Her eyes practically dared him to argue with her but he chose to change the topic instead.
“How did you get to work for Stark or rather Dr. Foster?” he was actually surprised how well the question rolled off his tongue. But he was surprised by a lot of things when he was around Darcy.
“Was in university, political-science. So...not really science like Jane or Bruce but I needed some extra points and Jane needed an intern. And even after graduating I kind of...didn't leave? And one thing let to another and, well it helps if your best friend's boyfriend know Tony Stark.”
Bucky nodded in agreement before shoving another bite of Mac’n’Cheese into his mouth. She had been right. They were pretty good. But maybe it was just the fact that he was with her that everything seemed to be right at this moment.
“Oh!” Darcy jumped slightly on her seat. “As you know Steve's birthday is coming up. I trust you not to tell him but there's gonna be a little party. If you've got any ideas for birthday presents, please tell me. I'm kind of desperate. I either get the best or the worst presents and Mr. Dorito definitely deserves the best.”
At her nickname Bucky raised a single eyebrow in question. “Mr. Dorito?”
“His shoulder to waist ratio is practically a snack. A triangular snack.”
He couldn't help but laugh softly at her description of Steve's body. Her eyebrows were knitted in concentration as she formed a triangle with her hands.
“If something comes to mind I'll tell you but I'm sure Steve would like anything you offer him.”
“Even a date?”
Bucky stiffened in his seat and stared at the Macaroni, suddenly sick of the food in front of him.
He had been so stupid.
“Nat and I have been desperate to set him up on a date but he shows literally no interest. We were so sure he'd slowly show a little more interest since you're with us now. Nat told me he was so obsessed with finding you she almost thought there was something going on between you two.”
Or not?
He couldn't help but smirk at the thought of Steve and him being a thing. That punk.
“As far as I know we've only been on the platonic side of a relationship.”
Darcy sighed softly. “Soulmates nontheless. Anyways if you think that would work out, I'd have a few women and men in mind who'd be more than interested.”
She wiggled her eyebrows at him and Bucky chuckled as he dug into his Macaroni again. The cheesy goodness suddenly looking delicious again.
:-:-:-:-:
The most stressful part of the day was coming to an end and Darcy couldn't have been happier.
As much as she loved working with Bruce and Tony - or Jane - it was still work and she was happy to disappear into her apartment at the end of the day like every other person.
She was currently arranging the boxes filled with files in the corner of the room. Which wasn’t the easiest task, if she may say so, since every one of the three scientists had their own way of organizing their stuff. Or rather their lack of organizing. But she had learned to adapt to their specific rules quite fast. And Darcy was pretty proud of that. Scientists weren’t the easiest to handle. Even Bruce had his little quirks, though he was much more manageable than Tony.
The soft scientist - as she liked to call him - turned away from his work for the third time in the past hour and offered her to leave work a little earlier. But for the third time she insisted to end work with him.
“Besides I’m waiting for Thor to pick me up. We have a date.”
“Does Dr. Foster know about that?”
“Of course, she’s the one who offered it. It’s always been a three-way relationship. I thought you knew this already, Brucie.”
Darcy slowly stood up from her kneeling position in front of the cabinet, shoving the last box into its place.
“Well someone’s gotta tell Barnes then, he’s gonna be quite disappointed.”
Darcy’s head snapped around at his comment but the older man didn’t even look at her, too engrossed in his research. Or at least he pretended to be - she couldn’t really tell.
Only when she stayed silent for another couple of seconds he turned around to see her gaping at him like a fish.
“So what are your plans with Thor?”
Darcy’s eyes formed into small slits. She knew there was no way of opening the topic again if Bruce had already closed it. She had gotten used to it and even though she was itching to talk about Barnes she decided to just play along. There had been enough times where she had annoyed him with conversations revolving around the handsome soldier.
“We’re having Hair Night.” she simply stated with a smile on her lips while making her way back to the table Bruce was currently sitting at.
She walked around him, taking the empty cups that had been filled with coffee a few hours ago into her hands.
“Hair Night?”
Darcy hummed in response as she filled the dishwasher and turned it on.
“It’s practically a tradition. Whenever Jane is gone we have some time for sisterly bonding so we usually pick a movie and have a lot of snacks - if you’ve seen the Common Room you’ll know what I’m talking about. And we try some hairstyles we find on the internet. Thor is actually pretty good at braiding. He says it’s a culture thing, though I’m pretty convinced he’s had multiple hair nights way before he met me.”
Bruce chuckled slightly and Darcy sent him another smile. She really enjoyed working with him. Applying for that internship with Jane had been the best decision to this day.
After all how many people could claim they worked for the Avengers - let alone befriended them?
When she had first started working in the labs no one would’ve guessed Bruce would open up so much to her - of all people. But here they were working like a well oiled machine, joking here and there and more than often teasing the billionaire on the other side of the glass.
Said billionaire had already finished work a couple of hours ago. An important meeting with the CEO of Stark Industries a.k.a. Pepper Potts a.k.a. the woman of Darcy’s dreams.
When she had first met the older woman she had almost bowed down in respect. The red-head was a lot of things Darcy aspired to be even if she'd never do anything to get there.
She liked her comfort zone quite a lot, thank you very much.
These days Pepper - they had been on a first name basis right away - always made sure to greet Darcy whenever she was in the building.
“Greetings, friends!” Thor’s voice boomed through the lab and Darcy jumped slightly.
The two men exchanged a short conversation while Darcy grabbed her things to leave the lab with her friend.
After warning Bruce she'd make FRIDAY turn the fire alarm on if he wasn't out in 15 minutes they made their way to the apartment floor.
Thor was eager to tell her another tale about some galactic monster he had fought while he was away. It wasn't hard for her to pay attention as she probably was one of the few people who actually enjoyed his stories. And she could see how happy he was to tell it.
:-:-:-:-:
“I am quite amazed at the way they’re handling the weapon. Simple but quite effective. I might have to try it as well in our next battle.”
Darcy giggled at her friend’s commentary, trying to stay focused on braiding his hair as the man swung his hand around. They were currently watching Rapunzel - it had been long overdue, it was Hair Night after all - and Thor couldn’t help but analyze everyone’s fighting technique.
“That would be something. I’ll need a picture with you and the pan. I think my followers would be quite happy. Still gotta convince Steve to do a pin-up picture for me though. Everytime I mention it he turns red and doesn’t look me in the eyes for the rest of the day. If the bad guys knew how soft he turns when you compliment him. My god, he’d be useless.”
She giggled quietly. Teasing Steve was one of her favorite things since coming to the Compound. He’d actually adapted to it, at least now he rolled his eyes to hide his embarrassment. It was actually cute.
Sam was the complete opposite, he had come right back at her when she had first made a teasing comment about him and she actually liked flirting with him. It was all in good fun. But in the end of the day they were just friends and Darcy was glad to have him. He had grown on her, one of the few team members who had actually spent time with her outside of the Compound right away.
“Steve is a good man, humble indeed. He does seem quite taken aback when you are with us, Darcy.”
“I take pride in that.”
Thor barked a laugh and Darcy was glad she had already put his hair together or else she probably would’ve ripped strands of it out. After all the blond man always laughed with his entire body.
“Steve told me you’ve started befriending James Barnes. He seemed truly pleased about it. I think it’s very noble of you to make him feel welcomed here.”
Darcy sat down on the couch next to him and crossed her legs. She put the bowl of popcorn into her lab before looking at the thunder god who tried his best not too look suspicious.
“He’s starting to open up. I try not to be too forward with him. I think he’s still getting used to everyone here and I don’t really know if he likes me. I mean I can be annoying as hell - you could probably write a book on that. He’s definitely out of my league but he’s been nice to me. So if he doesn’t like me at all, he’s doing a pretty good job at hiding it.” She paused for a few seconds as she put a handful of popcorn in her mouth. “I like him though.”
Thor who had only been eyeing her from the side turned around to face her with a broad smile.
“I am sure he likes you as well.”
She sighed softly before offering him some of her popcorn.
“We’ll see.”
:-:-:-:-:-:
Bucky dropped down to the armchair of the Common Room with a loud thud. He raised his arms over his head in order to stretch his slightly sore muscles before leaning back on the seat.
Sam had practically thrown himself onto the couch as soon as they had arrived.
The other man was drenched in sweat and still panting from their run a few minutes ago.
Clint who had been comfortably sitting on the couch a few seconds ago looked down at Sam - who had placed his feet on the other man’s lap - and back to Bucky.
“What have you done to him?”
Bucky chuckled with a shrug of his shoulders. “We went for a run.”
The archer raised an eyebrow and looked back down to Sam who let out a few humorless laughs. Or at least he tried. “That guy” he pointed his arm in Bucky’s direction. “is a beast. I thought Steve was an asshole but Barnes takes the cake.”
“You asked me to go for a run with you.” The asshole deadpanned.
“Yeah! With me. Not ahead of me and making me look like a fool in front of all the interns, you jerk.”
The ex-assassin pat Sam’s shoulder, making the other man wince slightly, before standing up to go to the kitchen area of the Common Room.
He filled two glasses with water and walked back to offer one to his friend before chugging down his own in one go.
Suddenly music blasted through the speakers and the three men looked around in confusion before their eyes focused on the brown haired woman currently walking in.
Darcy danced towards the kitchen, seemingly unaware of the other people in the room as she sang along. “I don’t know if you could take it, know you wanna see me nakey nakey naked.”
She moved her arms along her body to the lyrics of the song before Sam coughed to announce their presence. Her head spun around in surprise and the song became quiet as she talked to the A.I.
“Hey, guys. Sorry about that. Thought I’d be alone in here since it’s still so early. What have you guys been up to?” she moved towards the closet and kneeled down to open the lower cabinet doors.
“Barnes and Wilson went for a run and I just enjoyed my free time until these jerks came along.”
Clint was the only one still seated on the couch as he zipped through TV.
Bucky was still standing and Sam seated himself on the other armchair.
The petite Brunette stood up from her position in front of the closet, two bags of snacks in her hands and gave both runners a quick once-over.
“To me it seems more like Sam went on a run and Bucky just relaxed on a bench.” Her eyes were teasing as she made her way up to them. Sam made another comment that Bucky didn’t quite catch, his eyes on the woman who came to a stop in front of him.
“Open up, Barnes.”
The man in question gave her a confused look before his eyes focused on the small red candy in her hand.
“Sour patch kids. The ones I mentioned yesterday? Open up!”
He blinked before slowly opening his mouth. Behind him Sam tried to come up with a conversation with Clint. Bucky was glad his friend distracted the archer enough to refrain from making any comments. He was sure he’d get a lot of teasing words from them afterwards but that he could handle.
Darcy put the little candy in his mouth and he was actually surprised how well he could hold eye-contact with her. Her warm eyes were on him as she tried to analyze his reaction. He tried his best to concentrate on the flavor but the way she looked basically freezed his brain.
“It’s good!” he practically choked out. The laugh that escaped her soft lips made his heart jump a little too fast and he tried his best to keep his composure. The thoughts that had formed inside his head ever since she’d danced into the room were less innocent than usual.
He partially blamed the way she had stepped into the room with the suggestive lyrics of the song still in his mind.
He couldn’t remember when had been the last time he’d thought about a woman in that way.
The ex-assassin knew that the old Bucky would've pursuit the beautiful woman in front of him without a second thought.
She was everything he wasn't. Bright where he was dark. Soft where he was tough. And most of all she was so warm where he was nothing but cold. He didn't deserve to look at her that way. Imagining what it would feel like to touch her in the softest way when his hands only touched to kill. He didn't deserve even the fantasy he was building in his head every time she smiled at him.
But he was too selfish to stay away. And too broken to stop himself from thinking of what could be if he had met her a lifetime ago.
“I can't believe noone properly welcomed you into this century. Not even Sam? I'm slightly disappointed.”
The petite Brunette shoved the package filled with candy into his arms and walked backwards, slowly making her way out.
“I’ll see you for lunch, right? Where do you want to meet?”
The two men behind him became silent at her question and Bucky gave her an awkward smile.
“I can, uh, pick you up from the labs?”
“That would be great!”
And she was gone.
The room fell silent for a couple of seconds before Sam let out a low whistle and practically jumped on Bucky.
“Damn Barnes, go get a room next time.” Clint commented from his seat on the couch.
Bucky only rolled his eyes at them as he walked towards the door, a cold shower being the only thing in his mind.
:-:-:-:-:
Bruce had joined them for lunch today. And Bucky wasn't sure if it had been his punishment or a blessing. On one hand he was slightly disappointed for not being alone with Darcy but on the other he was glad to have someone with him. Still slightly concerned about his thoughts revolving around the woman who currently walked in front of him with an empty tray in her hand.
It had been hard to make eye-contact with Darcy during lunch. He was a little ashamed of himself for even thinking about her in that way, if he was honest with himself. They couldn't even be considered friends and his mind was already five steps ahead.
Bruce had eyed him a little longer than usual and Bucky wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Maybe the scientist had seen right through him?
The ex-assassin mentally shook his head as they entered the cantine again to return their dirty tableware. It had been easier on him than the day before. He felt like he managed most things a little better with Darcy by his side.
He almost bumped into her when she suddenly came to a stop in front of him. As he tried to figure out the cause for her abrupt stop he noticed a blonde woman approaching the both of them with a smile on her face. Darcy sent her a small wave and took a few more steps towards her. The woman was wearing a pencil skirt with a blouse - probably working for Stark - and was slightly taller than Darcy. Her face seemed familiar but he couldn't recall from where he had seen her before.
“Darcy, I barely see you anymore. Where have you been?” the woman spoke with a british accent that took him slightly by surprise.
“Oh you know how it is. Science-ing, making sure everyone stays alive. Making sure I stay alive. The usual. Jane's gone so I kinda ‘transferred’ to Stark and Banner’s lab for the next two weeks. How are you handling things now? It's been more than two months since you've started, right?”
Bucky was silent as the two woman talked to each other, his eyes occasionally going through the rows of people sitting in the cantine.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Darcy hand reached out to him and he took a step forward to stand next to her. “This is-"
“Bucky Barnes.” the blonde woman finished for her, eyes on him and a smile on her red lips. She stretched her arm towards him and Bucky reluctantly shook it. “Hailey Grant, it's nice to finally meet you. I work at the front desk in the entrance hall. I've only seen you running around the Compound but was never able to introduce myself.”
Bucky gave her firm nod before taking a step back, focusing his eyes back on Darcy who turned towards him with a smile. However he could still feel the blonde woman's eyes on him.
The two women said their goodbyes after a few minutes and Bucky gave an awkward smile before they turned to leave again.
Darcy whipped up and down as they waited for the elevator and he couldn't help but smile at her child-like behaviour. “Hailey’s been working here for a while now. We bonded over lunch a few weeks ago. I was even allowed to take her to the Common Room a few times. She was actually kind of sad she didn't get to see you. Told me you used to be her favorite Howly when she was a kid.”
Bucky’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What was her name again?”
“Hailey Grant, I really like her.”
Bucky’s eyes widened slightly as realization hit him but he immediately regained his composure. Hoping the woman next to him wouldn't notice the panic slowly rising in his mind.