And They Were Roommates
Originally, Darcy planned on having them sit down in one of the cozy booths of the deli to enjoy their sandwiches. That plan was swiftly nixed as she watched the tension gather between Bucky’s shoulder blades and his breathing tick up a notch.
The deli was small and adorably quaint, but there were multiple exits and few clear sightlines and enough people milling about that she knew Bucky wouldn’t be able to relax and enjoy his meal there. She smoothly asked for their sandwiches to-go while checking out and then maneuvered him into a corner to stand and wait for their order. Bucky’s breathing began to slow once he had a solid wall to his back and Darcy standing partially in front of him like a human shield. He still wore the tension between his shoulders and his eyes continued to dart from exit to exit, but he looked less like he was about to bolt.
Darcy peered over her shoulder and Bucky locked eyes with her for a second before giving her a tight-lipped smile and nod of gratitude. She had hoped she had been subtle enough with her maneuvering to keep him from realizing she’d noticed his rising panic. It seemed a rather private thing to notice, especially between two people who’d only just begun to extend the bonds of friendship. He was an ex- spysassin though, and she was hardly the authority on being sneaky, so it didn’t really surprise her that he’d figured out her intentions. At least he seemed thankful and not too embarrassed by her help.
The front door of the shop burst open with a flurry of frosty air and a large group of boisterous diners flooded into the deli. Bucky jerked, upper body twisting to face the perceived threat, and Darcy felt him dart a hand out to grab a fistful of her coat low at her back. Moving slowly and trying to catch his eye, Darcy turned to face him and lifted a hand to rest on his chest. He was breathing hard again and glaring daggers at the overly loud patrons, but when her hand made contact with his chest he immediately snapped his eyes to hers.
Darcy swallowed hard, giving him a strained smile before taking a deep, deliberate breath in through her nose and then slowly letting it out. She raised her eyebrows expectantly at him and repeated the deep breathing. Bucky’s eyes quickly roamed over face before he caught on to her meaning and began breathing in tandem with her. She responded with a gentler smile and rubbed her palm soothingly over its place above his heart.
After a dozen or so deep breaths, Bucky visibly relaxed enough to lift his head and break the incredibly intense eye contact they had going on. Once she felt the fist at her back cease to shake and she was sure he wasn’t going to start murdering anybody, Darcy let her hand drop and turned back to watch the front counter for their sandwiches.
Bucky’s hand remained fisted in her coat. He knew he should probably release her but he was having a hard time staying in the present, and focusing on the single point of connection was really the only thing keeping him from snapping. He closed his eyes and took another breath through his nose, letting the rest of his senses filter out and focusing on the way the muscles of her back gently shifted under his knuckles. She swayed slightly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, obviously impatient for their order to be ready.
He took a few more breaths before allowing each of his senses to blossom back into awareness. It was a technique that Sam had taught him early on in his recovery, to shut down all the input and focus on one thing until he could open up to his other senses. It almost always allowed him to quell whatever flashback or panic his body was trying to push at him in response to overstimulation. Once he’d gotten his mind and body settled, he briefly considered what Darcy must be thinking about him right now. He’d just told her not twenty minutes ago that these episodes of his were rare. She probably thought he was a liar and a loony now, Jesus.
His thoughts were interrupted by their order finally being called and Darcy pulled away from his grip to head towards the counter. He followed behind her as she swept up their sandwiches, turning to him with a smile before shoving his sandwich into his hands and ushering him out the door.
“I thought you said you would read the manual later,” Bucky commented once they’d ambled a few paces back down the sidewalk.
Darcy had already started to dig into her sandwich as they’d walked so she gave a garbled, “whaa?” around what should probably have been an embarrassingly large bite of sandwich.
“Back in the deli...moving slow, helping me breath, making me feel safe...did you read that in the manual?” he asked shyly.
Darcy swallowed. “Oh. That. No, no I didn’t even open it before we left...I was mostly just working on instinct, I guess?” Darcy shrugged and took another bite, this one slightly less grotesque in size.
“Oh. You’ve got impressive instincts then. I guess Steve did a pretty good job picking out a babysitter for me after all.” Bucky avoided her eyes and looked down at the sandwich in his hands, absently picking at the wax paper wrapping.
Darcy stopped in her tracks, reaching out a hand to gently grip his forearm, a line of concern etched between her brows. “Hey, hey, I know I joked about being your babysitter last night, but you’re not a child that needs constant supervision and care. I know that. You’re just a man... a man who’s been through some admittedly heavy shit, but a human being like any other.”
Darcy drew a quick breath and tried to place as much sincerity behind her gaze as possible as she continued, “Can I give you some advice, from one human being to another?” Bucky eyed her intently before giving a curt nod.
“We all need help sometimes, Bucky,” she said quietly. “Everybody, no matter what they have or have not gone through, needs support from another person or people from time to time. You’re not weak or broken or...lacking in any way just because you need help sometimes. I’m your friend, remember? Being there for you when you need it? It’s what I’m here for.”
He just stared at her, not sure how to respond, mouth opening and closing a few times before he breathed out a soft, “Okay.”
She gave him a tender smile and a quick squeeze to his wrist before turning and continuing on down the sidewalk. Bucky looked down, blinking rapidly to push back the emotion swelling in his chest. His head snapped back up when he heard her clear her throat a few feet ahead of him.
Deeming it high time for them to break away from their emotionally laden conversation, Darcy gave him a wink and a cheeky grin. “You coming home with me or not, soldier?” His responding grin was exactly what she was hoping for.
“I dunno doll, what’s in it for me?” he replied, strolling towards her with what she would call a panty-melting prowl.
Darcy pointed a finger at his sandwich. “A hot meal and a warm bed, what more could a soldier ask for?”
Bucky lifted an eyebrow and his current smirk tilted towards lascivious. “A warm bed, huh?”
Darcy sniffed primly. “A warm bed, Barnes. Not my warm bed.”
Bucky chuckled lowly. He fell into step beside her as they headed back to her apartment and started peeling the paper from his sandwich. The divine smell of it hit him, his gut suddenly clenching with hunger. The satisfied groan he gave after taking his first bite had Darcy staring at him with rapt attention. He swallowed down the bite and licked a bit of sauce that had squirted out onto the thin skin between his thumb and forefinger. He looked up in time to see Darcy’s eyes following the motion.They both froze as her eyes met his, a blush blossoming over her cheekbones and throat.
Oh, thought Bucky, oh! A wide, knowing grin stretched across his face before he flicked his tongue back out across his skin. Darcy reacted with a sharp inhale.
“You sure you’re not offering your bed?” he asked slowly, drawing the syllables out over his tongue.
Darcy huffed and gave a little stomp before marching off down the sidewalk. “Shut up and eat your damn sandwich, Barnes,” she tossed over her shoulder.
Bucky threw his head back with a laugh that bubbled pleasantly up from his gut and then picked up his feet to catch up to her.
Darcy nibbled at her sandwich around a very self-satisfied smile and crossed “make Bucky Barnes laugh” off her mental checklist for the day. Damn, she was good. She hadn’t even been completely awake for more than a couple hours and she’d already accomplished her mission of the day. Sure, the deli had been touch-and-go there for a minute, and he’d definitely 100% caught her creeping on him, but overall she’d call it a win. Bucky was currently ambling beside her, munching in companionable silence, loose-limbed and the most relaxed she’d seen him since...well, maybe ever.
Yeah, definitely a win.
***
The rest of the weekend passed quickly and without incident. Darcy puttered around her apartment for most of it, doing her general baseline cleaning. This usually consisted of doing laundry and tidying and dusting all the surfaces she could reach...and praying no one noticed the thick layer of dust on everything just beyond her fingertips.
Bucky had spent most of the time quietly reading on her couch or disappearing into his room as she worked. It was...nice. She was surprised to find that they orbited each other easily and his presence in her home was not as intrusive as she assumed it would be. He seemed to be fairly self sufficient, not demanding attention or expecting her to entertain him. He even paid for most of the takeout they ordered as she hadn’t made it to the grocery store yet. Best roommate ever.
Darcy was hopping up to dust the top shelf of her bookcase when she felt Bucky come up behind her. He plucked the cloth from her hands, giving her an eye roll and proceeded to dust all the spots she never could. It was great to have his help, but also slightly embarrassing, especially when the copious amounts of dust sent him into a sneezing fit.
“Jesus, Darce, when was the last time you cleaned up here?” he asked between coughs.
“Uh...never? It’s too high up for me to reach...or see, so I just pretend it’s not there and hope for the best.” This was said with a shrug and a guilty smile.
“You never heard of a footstool, shortstop?” Bucky arched a brow now that his fit had, thankfully, passed.
“You know, I have, actually,” she said, lips pinched tight with faux displeasure. “But I refuse to use one. It would be like admitting there is something wrong with my size. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with me, I am a goddess and an absolute delight.” Darcy gave an imperious shake of her head and flipped a few curls over her shoulder.
Bucky’s eyes flicked up and down her frame, sending tingles up her spine. “I don’t know about the ‘delightful’ bit, but you are pretty easy on the eyes.”
Darcy stuck her tongue out at him, “I’m definitely a delight, Barnes, and don’t you forget it.” She shoved at his shoulder, “Now back to work. It’s time you started pulling your weight around here.” He gave her a saucy grin and opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the insistent tones of the Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic” blaring from her phone.
“What the hell is that?” Bucky asked.
“It’s Jane! One sec,” Darcy said holding up a finger and pulling the phone from her pocket. She put the phone to her ear, “Hey Jane, how is my favorite astrophysicist in the whole wide world?” she chirped brightly.
Jane gave an indelicate snort. “You better not let Erik hear you saying that, you’ll hurt his feelings.”
Darcy rolled her eyes. “Yeah well he hurt my retinas with his deep seated aversion to pants, ergo you are my favorite.”
Jane deadpanned, “Aw Darcy, love you too,” and then continued with genuine emotion. “I miss you. That’s why I’m calling actually. I need a girls night.”
Darcy snorted. “You need a girls night because Thor is gone and you are one lonely hombre when he’s out of town, don’t think you can slip one by me. I know all.”
Jane clucked her tongue. “Okay, yes, Thor is gone and I am a little lonely, but I do actually miss you, you know. You are my best friend.”
“I miss you too, Jane,” Darcy said with a grin. “You provide the wine and snacks and I'll bring the movie and hot gossip.” She glanced at Bucky’s back as he dusted off the top of her television before adding, “I, uh, could use a girls night too, actually. But only one bottle of wine tonight, I have work in the morning and it's an actual grown up job where they frown on Monday morning hangovers.”
Jane sighed. “Oh, alright. I miss when you were an intern and belonged to me so it was no big deal that you were hungover.”
“We were usually both hungover, Jane. I didn't have to show up until you were well enough to science, too.”
“I know, it was great. See you at 8?”
“Sure thing, see you then.” Darcy hung up with a pleased sigh.
It really had been such a long time since she'd had a girls night with her friend. She loved her new position as a Stark employee—the pay and benefits alone were incredible—but she often missed the simplicity of working for Jane. Tonight was going to be just what she needed, and the perfect opportunity to update her friend on the status of her new friend and roommate, one James Buchanan Barnes.