#ShieldShock

[paperbackribs]

So the confusion I face when trying to work out a ship on tumblr because

There's Eddie

Not to be confused with Ed

Who's with Stede

Not to be confused with Steve

No, not this Steve either

He's with Bucky

Sometimes they're with Darcy, too

No, not this Darcy

He's with Lizzie

[pollydoodles]

Baby Mama

What to do when your best friend has the world's cutest baby, and your biological clock suddenly starts ticking loud enough for the whole Avengers tower to hear?

-"Oh god," Darcy said suddenly.

"What?" Jane's head popped up over the desk, instantly alert in that way she managed only when either Thomas was about to stick one chubby finger into an electrical socket, or one of her machines was ready to explode. "What have you done to my son?"

"Nothing," Darcy protested in an injured tone. "He's absolutely fine." She paused. "I mean, he's covered in chocolate, but from the point of view of him still having all four limbs attached and the usual amount of eyeballs, he's fine." Jane visibly relaxed, resting her chin on the edge of the desk as she knelt behind it, pulling faces at Thomas who giggled wildly and shook his fists at her.

"I just..." Darcy said carefully, hands squeezing into Thomas and putting her head behind his so that her face was obscured from Jane as she continued. "I just realised I want one."

[superheroesofbothuniverses]

December 21 Holiday Prompt Fic: Shieldshock

Prompts: Shieldshock, mutual pining, mistletoe

Natasha was the first to notice as she usually was in most things. Jane Foster and her intern, Darcy Lewis, moved into the Tower due to security issues at their previous residences.

“I better not see any Dark Elves around here, Stark!” Darcy had proclaimed loudly.

Steve had been introduced to Darcy and seemed perfectly normal about it to the casual viewer, but Natasha noticed the tiniest hint of something in his eyes when he looked at her that suggested interest. She’d never seen that look for any one of the women she’d tried to set him up with. But the biggest tell was the huge genuine smile he gave when Darcy made an impertinent joke about the size of his shield.

“He always did like them sassy,” she thought to herself, already planning the best way to throw them together.

Thor, surprisingly, was the next Avenger to notice the sparks between his lightning sister and shieldbrother.

“Lady Darcy, Steven has been frequently visiting the labs,” he observed. “He seems to always be seeking you. Is he attempting courtship?”

Darcy flushed and shook her head vehemently.

“No, of course not. He’s just being helpful, that’s all. We’ve had to move a lot of equipment around and he loaned us his muscles. Like Steve would ever be into a broke intern!”

“You underestimate yourself,” Thor told her gravely.

Clint Barton was often misjudged to be oblivious to everything when he was off duty. However, this was a gross misconception that he enjoyed encouraging. His sharp eyes noted plenty of Steve and Darcy interactions and he frequently gossiped with Natasha over their “ship”.

“Hey, Steve, you ask her out yet?” he asked one day as they were traveling home from stopping another wanna be supervillain.

“Ask who out?” Steve asked, blinking in confusion.

So oblivious. Clint mentally sighed.

“Why Darcy, of course. You spend an awful lot with her or talking about her.”

“I do not,” Steve denied, brow furrowing. “Well, maybe I do enjoy hanging out with her and she taught me how to navigate social media, but we’re just friends. There’s no way she likes me like that. Besides, she’s got a boyfriend now.”

Clint shook his head. “A long distance boyfriend who’s visited exactly once and is kind of a wet noodle. Darcy can do better.”

“She can also do better than me, that’s for sure,” Steve muttered. But Clint thought Cap looked rather glum after their talk.

Tony Stark noticed when Darcy was kidnapped and Steve went absolute berserk in the fight to rescue her.

“Wow, capsicle! Were you trying to take their heads off?” he asked in amazement as Steve strode toward a wide eyed Darcy and broke her cell door like the Avenger he was.

“Do you see what I’m seeing?” Tony whispered to Natasha as Steve gently checked Darcy for injuries and gave her some soft reassurances that made her smile crookedly at him.

“Yep. It’s about time you noticed, Stark.”

“What are you going to do about it?” he asked curiously, knowing her love of encouraging matches.

“Nothing for now. But if they persist too long in their denial, measures will be taken to help them see the obvious,” She stated, a note of almost unholy glee in her voice.

“He’s kinda cute when he’s all lovestruck,” Tony commented. “Don’t tell him I said that, though.”

Bruce Banner found out when a sad Darcy poured out her heart after the fall of Shield. She’d been to see Steve in the hospital and had been greatly shaken.

“He almost died, Bruce! He was so doped up on pain meds and they made him really loopy, but I’ve never seen him that beat up before. The worst part was, when the drugs wore off he looked so sad it hurt my heart. I hate seeing Sad Steve.”

“It’s a good thing he’s got friends like you and Natasha and Sam, then,” Bruce told her. “He’s going to need you more than ever. I can’t imagine the betrayal he must be feeling……”

He shook his head sadly. “And then of course, on today of that, finding out what happened to his oldest friend.”

Darcy winced. “Yeah. I’m not gonna go there with him unless he opens up on his own. The horror of it is just beyond words. I wish I could take some of that pain away.”

“You really care about him, don’t you?”

“Yeah. I don’t dare think too deeply about it, because I don’t want to get my hopes up, but yeah,” she admitted. “I don’t think either of us is anywhere near ready for that talk yet.”

Life ended up preventing Steve and Darcy from having that talk for over a decade. Steve was busy helping rebuild Shield, finding Bucky, dodging the law, and saving the universe and Darcy was busy finishing her degree, traveling the world, and Doing Science.

They were reunited at a Holiday Party at Clint’s house and Steve, looking devastatingly handsome with a new hairdo and a quiet confidence, strode towards Darcy, who lit up with a radiant happiness and let herself be engulfed in a hug.

“So, this is the woman he’s been pining after?” Bucky asked. “Because she’s totally his type.”

“Tasha and I were trying to get them together for years,” Clint explained. “Yelena and Kate have pledged to help me complete the mission. You in?”

“Hell, yes!” Bucky agreed, finishing off his drink and eying Steve and Darcy fondly. “It’s about time he let himself be happy.”

After some scheming from the four conspirators, Steve and Darcy were left to themselves.

“Hmmmm, methinks I smell a plot,” Darcy said suspiciously, noting the quiet around them.

“Me too,” Steve laughed, not taking his eyes off of her. “I hate to play right into their hands, but I think we both know why they did this and that this conversation has to happen.”

“Yeah,” Darcy agreed breathlessly. “I lived in denial so long, I still can hardly make myself believe it. But my goodness, the second you walked in, my heart went crazy.”

“Mine too,” Steve told her earnestly, taking her hand in his. “The truth is, I fell hard for you, Darcy. Very hard. We’ve put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears and it’s high time we stopped beating around the bush and did something about it.”

Darcy grinned up at him happily.

“Very direct and to the point as usual, Cap. I am wholeheartedly on board.”

A sprig of mistletoe “randomly” appeared hanging on a string between them.

“Well, would you look at that. How convenient.”

Steve stared hard at the ceiling before looking down at Darcy’s laughing face.

“They’re just looking out for our best interests,” she defended playfully. “It would be a shame to waste such nice mistletoe, wouldn’t it?”

“Very much,” Steve said, and closed the gap between them.

[r3volutionary-queen]

Hello tumblr world. I still lurk! I still read your asks! I still read your messages! I still struggle with work-life balance and anxiety/depression in a draining capitalist society when I would rather hide in the woods and write until the sun explodes (which might be soon)!

That being said, I received the most lovely notification this morning of the most incredible fanvid that was made of Ignition. One of my incredible readers (alicewinter_ao3) has been taking on the immense task of translating the entire story into Russian and this video came as a result of their efforts! The edits and the attention to tiny details from the fic are so insanely well done, I had to share it here.

SERIOUSLY. GO WATCH IT. IDK HOW THEY MADE THIS BUT I’M SCREAMING.

Funny story: I had actually opened up ignition last night and wrote about a thousand words. First time in forever. Then, this morning, I wake up to this.

Maybe it’s a sign.

Also, I really, really miss all of you.

[afteriwake]

To Good First Dates (A "Mutual Admiration Society" Fic)

So this fic serves to showcase their day together after Steve makes Darcy hangover breakfast, but there's also a canon dump of sorts letting you know what to expect in this series. I forgot to mention it's not "Thor: Love & Thunder" compliant, as Jane is Lady Thor but she's not dying of cancer, but yes. It takes elements of "Avengers; Endgame," "Black Widow," the Hawkeye series, WandaVision, "The Marvels" and "Thor: Love & Thunder" and mashes the bits that didn't make me mad/cry together. And Tony lives, too. He'll pop up later.

To Good First Dates - Steve cooks for Darcy, and everything goes pretty well.

READ @ AO3 | SERIES PAGE

They had settled in and watched trashy daytime TV instead of anything substantial, and Steve had let her curl into him, putting her arm around her shoulders for the most part. For as tiny as she was, Steve noted Darcy took up a lot of space on the sofa. But he didn’t mind. He was just happy she had agreed to let him cook dinner for her tonight.

It was a date, but not the kind he’d hoped she’d agree to. But there was time for him to impress her, something he found he really wanted to do. There was something about Darcy, the powerless astrophysicist who taught lectures to crowded halls and worked planet-side with S.W.O.R.D. and was still witty and charming and, yes, beautiful.

He had been nursing a crush since the blip had been resolved and Tony had rejoined the Avengers on a part time basis and they reached out to Nick Fury to see what he was doing. He’d been introduced to Monica Rambeau, Kamala Khan, Kate Bishop, Yelena Belova, Jane and Darcy in one fell swoop by all the assorted Avengers and now they were all working in concert. But Darcy had been the one that stuck out to him.

Last night had been a blessing in disguise, apparently.

She started to doze and he took the opportunity to have some more groceries delivered to Jane’s apartment. Darcy had a place in Brooklyn but she often stayed in the guest bedroom of Jane's apartment in the Avengers Tower, according to Jane. The Avengers Tower had been reopened and housed all aspects of the Avengers, the planet-side S.W.O.R.D. operations that worked in conjunction with the Avengers, and the Young Avengers that Kamala and Kate were trying to get off the ground. He’d settled in just fine, and he was happy to see Jane had as well.

When Darcy woke up again the groceries had been delivered and he’d tried to time things so dinner would be ready before she’d woken up but he’d been off. She stood up and stretched before padding into the kitchen. “What smells so good?”

“Shrimp Alfredo with fettuccine noodles, and garlic bread,” he said. She was shorter than him but she rested her chin on his arm and he chuckled. “Want to try the Alfredo sauce?” It’s homemade.”

“Sure,” she said. He’d used baby shrimp in the sauce because he personally liked a lot of shrimp in each forkful, and he made sure there was at least two pieces of shrimp on the spoon of sauce he put to her lips, his hand hovering under the soon in case anything fell. This wasn’t his kitchen and he didn’t want to make a mess. He’d make enough for Jane to have some later, but he hoped Thor kept her occupied enough to let them have dinner alone.

“It’s good,” Darcy said, shutting her eyes and licking her lips, a small smile settling on her face. Steve found he was mesmerized, and snapped out of it when the tier went off for the bread.

“No wine with it, because...you know,” he said. “So I got sparkling apple cider.”

“Oh thank you,” she said, her smile widening. “No more booze for me for a long time.” She moved away from him and went to sit at one of the stools by the counter. “How did you learn to cook?”

“After I came out of the ice, I realized there was a lot to learn. I’d had to fend for myself when my ma died so I knew the basics, but I took a few courses between S.H.I.E.L.D. assignments and Natasha...she was a frequent taste tester.” It still hurt to think about his friend not being there. He missed Nat every day, just like he was sure Clint and Yelena did. She’d been his best friend, and he’ struggled to fill the hole she’d left in his life.

After Thanos has been vanquished, he’d seriously considered staying in the past with Peggy, but he had seen her with her husband and knew she had moved on, and it was best if he did too. Sharon had been there for a while, but they had drifted apart, her not understanding everything he had lost while she dealt with all the things she had missed by being a victim of the blip. He’d given the shield to Sam and was working with the Avengers as Nomad, wearing the black suit again. Sharon, Sam and Bucky were off doing their own thing and he would get updates, but Sam was a good Captain America and he was proud of his friend. They helped the Avengers when Cap and the Winter Soldier were needed, but he’d accepted that once he gave up the shield, he’d take a backseat in this new world order.

Yelena was a good asset and a good Black Widow, and Clint had given Kate his blessing to step up as Hawkeye. Kamala was a breath of fresh air and he found himself amused by her often, and Bruce and Carol and Tony worked in the background with him. Things were good, especially with Jane as Lady Thor and Thor back after he’d gone off with the Guardians of the Galaxy a bit, finding some peace himself. So things had settled, but there were still holes and indents in his life.

He had the feeling Darcy might help to fill some of them.

He finished cooking dinner, chatting easily with Darcy as he got it all set up and plated. He poured them each a glass of apple cider and raised her glass in a toast. “To new beginnings.”

“To awesome first dates,” she said with a smile, clinking her glass against his lightly.

“Oh, just wait till I actually take you out somewhere,” he said with a chuckle. “I want to impress you.”

“Honestly, your cooking is a huge step in the right direction,” she said after she swallowed her first forkful of food. “This is delish.”

“Thank you,” he said. He watched her eat for another moment more before joining her. All in all? This all boded very well for things working out between them.

[dreaminonao3]

Woke up to an email from AO3 stating that the person who had left a comment on every chapter of the first fic in my Templar Knight!Steve/Darcy fic and all the rest of the fics in the series has decided to write their own Knight!Steve/Darcy fic, except Steve is a woman, a lesbian, and is impregnated after being raped by the Red Skull back in the 1300s then "dies" four months pregnant.

This person didn't even tell me they were going to write this fic before they uploaded the cover and cast bios (as separate chapters and padding the chapter count like that feels like it should be a TOS violation). They did credit me and my first Templar Knight!Steve fic in the author's notes but holy fucking hell, I wish this person had asked me beforehand if it was okay to use my AU.

And it is my AU, no one else has written this.

I sure as fuck do not want to approve linking my fic to theirs.

What a shitty fucking way to start my day.

ETA: They uploaded a third "chapter" that is author's notes in the body of the chapter. I reported the fic as being non-story, so we'll see what happens.

ETA: The fic has been taken down!!!

[grimeysociety]

And I never saw you coming | xii.

“You sound weird,” she retorted, shifting a little. 

“No, it’s just -” he improvised a wave of his arm, gazing around for something, anything. “I…”

“You’re jealous,” Wanda added. 

(the finale! yay!)

[janeykath318]

Merry Christmas to the five other Shieldshock shippers left. We are a small but enthusiastic bunch.

[bjorkshire-pudding]

Hey Val ^.^ 6, 7, 9 and 15 for the writer ask game! Have fun!

Hi Luna! Thanks for dropping by.💙😌

6. What ship(s) captured your heart? Hmmm... this is a difficult one, because most of my recent work has been written with either Character x OC or Character x Reader. But a long, long time ago when I used to write for the Marvel fandom, I was really into Tasertricks and ShieldShock. (If you're interested in reading any of my old works, you can follow the links.)

7. What character(s) captured your heart? This motherfucker right here. He just... yeah.

The thing about it is, I was warned about him. Years ago, my brother told me: "I feel like you'd like Captain Levi." I told him he was a fool. He's laughing now.

9. What fic meant the most to you to write? This answer goes hand in hand with the previous question, I think. Near the end of last year, I realized that there were some feelings of grief I hadn't fully processed yet in regards to my dad's sudden death a few years ago. I wrote something called Where the Sky Hangs, where I got a chance to explore those feelings and find catharsis in writing about them (and Levi is the male lead in it).

15. Rec a fic you wrote or posted in 2023. This recommendation comes with a bit of a caveat - the story was originally written and posted in 2022. I decided I didn't like how it had ended, however, and decided to do an almost-complete rewrite in 2023. It's one that was very recently finished called Against the Tide. It's an Ikemen Prince x Bleach crossover adventure fic featuring my Black OC, and you can read it here.

Ask me things!

[aenariasbookshelf]

New Fic: Come Down to the Sea

You want a ShieldShock pirate!AU? Well, I got you covered.

Just do NOT look for historical accuracy.

[puzzlebean]

Okay I am procrastinating from the things I actually need/planned to write and want to get myself back in the flow so I'm opening up requests for fics between 100 and 1000 words.

I will write for:

Max Verstappen/Lewis Hamilton

Max Verstappen/Charles Leclerc

Max Verstappen/Lewis Hamilton/Charles Leclerc

Max Verstappen/Lando Norris

Max Verstappen/Oscar Piastri

Kate Bishop/Yelena Belova

Wanda Maximoff/Darcy Lewis

Wanda Maximoff/Monica Rambeau

Steve Rogers/Scott Lang

Steve Rogers/Darcy Lewis

Steve Rogers/Darcy Lewis/Bucky Barnes

Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson

Eddie Munson/Chrissy Cunningham

Ava Silva/Beatrice

[superheroesofbothuniverses]

December 17 Holiday Prompt Fic: Darcy’s Christmas Family Tree

“Dr. Lewis is back in town,” Bucky commented. “Now Steve will finally cheer up.”

He slid onto a stool a couple down from Darcy, who was perusing a menu.

“Hey, Bucky!” she greeted with a smile. “I hope he didn’t wreck your Thanksgiving with his moping. I’ve heard how he gets when he’s missing me.”

“Oh, we kept him busy so he couldn’t pout too much,” Bucky answered. “He’s so smitten and it’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.”

Darcy smiled. “I’m equally smitten and this Christmas he’s gonna meet my crazy family. He’s the first boyfriend I’ve had that I’ve ever let get that far. Steve can easily match the Lewis trolling. I can’t wait to see it.”

“But that’s not the reason you wanted to meet me here, is it?” Bucky asked, noticing her fiddling with a small wooden box she held close.

“No,” Darcy shook her head and grew more serious. “I found out some very interesting family history and it’s taken me a while to process it.”

“You told Steve yet?”

“I wanted to tell you first because it directly impacts you,” she told him, eyes down on the box.

“Me? How so?” Bucky asked curiously.

Darcy took a deep breath and began her story.

“My parents are downsizing and cleaning out their old house, getting ready to sell. That’s why I was gone so long.”

Bucky nodded.

“They found this box that belonged to my late grandma. She died when I was a teenager and no one was able to get the box open because they couldn’t find the key. But they finally found the key in one of her old jewelry boxes and we opened the box. Talk about a bombshell.”

She shook her head and smiled mysteriously.

“Grandma Becky was notoriously private about certain things and all I knew about her childhood was that she’d had an older brother who didn’t make it home from the war.”

Bucky’s hand tightened on his drink, but he didn’t say a word. Darcy opened the box, removing an old photo and placing it in front of Bucky.

“This was right on top.”

It was a vintage picture of Bucky in his Army uniform. His heart stopped as he took in the significance of it and he looked up at Darcy intensely.

“I vaguely remembering her mentioning a Jimmy once or twice, but it never clicked before now,” Darcy said, emotion filling her words. “Her maiden name was Barnes.”

“And Becky was short for Rebecca,” Bucky finished. “If this is true……..oh, Darcy.”

Darcy handed him another picture, and Bucky’s whole fist clenched as he fought the emotion pouring through him at the sight of his smiling younger self next to Rebecca.

“Becca was your grandma?” he managed.

“Yes,” Darcy confirmed. “My dad is her youngest son.”

He blinked rapidly. “I knew she’d had several kids, but I thought I’d never get to meet them, because of, well, everything.”

“I understand,” Darcy told him. “She kept writing you letters even after you were pronounced KIA. I think it helped her with the grief.”

She handed him a neat bundle of sealed envelopes, still tied up in twine and yellowed with age.

“She also saved all the ones you’d written to her. Full confession, we did read some of those. But

those to you we didn’t touch, I promise you. There’s also some of your personal effects in there. I assume they sent those after…..” her voice trailed off and she quietly handed the box to Bucky.

“Just so you know, I am thrilled to have you for a great uncle. I knew I had to get my sarcasm from somewhere.”

Bucky chuckled even as his eyes welled up.

“C’mere.” He ordered, and Darcy moved over to accept his hug. They were both wiping their eyes when they pulled apart.

“Darcy, this is the best Christmas gift you could have given me,” he told her. “What do your parents think?”

“They cried a lot when I told them your story and they both want you to come to Christmas. My dad, especially.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Well, I think I’m gonna take these home and spend some time processing. You mind?”

“Not at all,” Darcy assured him. “Take all the time you need. I’ve gotta tell Steve next. I’ll do my best to keep him occupied so he’ll leave you in peace for a few days.”

Bucky grimaced, but then suddenly grinned.

“Do what ya gotta do. I get to plan a shovel talk,” he declared, sliding off the stool with a smirk. “Thanks again, Darcy.”

Steve was nearly bowled over when he arrived at Darcy’s apartment.

“Awww, I’ve missed you so much, sweetheart,” he sighed, holding her close. “Can I come with you next time?”

He gave his best puppy eyed smile and Darcy chuckled.

“Of course, you adorable golden retriever. I’ve missed you, too. So much. How was the mission?”

“Lame. I missed hearing you in my earpiece.”

After a very satisfying interval that ended up with a rumpled Darcy and Steve cuddled on the couch, she broached the important family topic.

“So Steve, I have a very interesting plot development in my family tree.”

“Oh? Did cousin Meg get married yet again?” Steve asked amusedly, busy dotting kisses on her hair.

“Shockingly, no,” Darcy laughed. “This one is kinda surprising, but you’re gonna like it, I hope.”

She extracted her arm to pull a picture out of her pocket.

“Do you recognize the woman in that picture.”

Steve pored over it for a bit then frowned.

“Of course. That’s Bucky’s sister, Rebecca. But what does this have to do with your family?”

Darcy smiled at his confused expression.

“That’s her wedding picture when she married my Grandpa Lewis.”

Steve’s face was a study. He gaped like a fish for a few moments, then smiled, then looked perplexed.

“She’s my grandma, but she was very private and almost never talked about her past. My dad’s middle name is James and she would occasionally mention her brother Jimmy who was lost in the war, but no one thought it was the same James Barnes until we recently uncovered a box of her personal letters and pictures. It was very enlightening and also a gut punch. She kept writing to him even after he “died”.”

Steve closed his eyes.

“Poor Becca. She was gone by the time I got out of the ice. Did she have a happy life?”

“She did. My Grandpa adored her. I remember her being sweet and caring. She made the best fudge.”

“Wow,” Steve sighed. “So this means you’re Bucky’s great niece?”

“Yup. Think you can handle that?” Darcy smirked at him and Steve kissed her again.

“I think I’ll manage,” Steve teased her. “We’ll just have to hope Bucky can handle it, or I might be a goner.”

“Punk?”

“Yeah, Jerk?”

“You intend to do right by my niece?”

“Absolutely. I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“So you’re planning on popping the question?”

“Yep. But don’t breathe a word. New Year’s present.”

“I see. But listen here, Steve. You know you’re my best friend, but if you ever hurt Darcy, I’ll make our little tussle of 2014 look like playground sparring. Curtains.”

Bucky made a slashing motion across his throat for emphasis.

“Understood,” Steve nodded. “And I’d deserve it, too. Anything else?”

“Only it’s about time we became family for good.”

They smiled at each other and then Darcy, who blinked sleepily up at them from her position between them. They were flying out to meet her family and she’d fallen asleep only a few minutes in.

“Mmmm,” she purred happily, nuzzling against Steve. “I’ve never felt more safe in my life.”

“That’s the idea,” Bucky smiled.

[that-wimpy-cowboy-doll]

made up fic title: Absolutely the Fuck Not

Thank you for asking, babe! Okay this one came to me when I saw a billboard for Rogers: The Musical!

The aforementioned atrocity becomes so popular and well-loved that it's put on in high schools across the country after its initial Broadway run. Darcy Lewis, however, is infuriated. She's still with (a non-shitty version of) SWORD, though she's not security-cleared to know what's up with Steve Rogers on the moon. And because she's sentimental, she sometimes stops by Westview or Puente Antiguo for old times' sake with the facade of making sure there are no trace anomalies from all the Avengers shenanigans that took place there.

She spots a sign in one of the towns that a high school is putting on Rogers: The Musical! and one of the locals that she's gotten on good terms with invites her to come check it out. It's a small high school, so the arts funding is...minimal, to say the least, and they have a grand total of one beleaguered drama teacher who makes these things happen. The drama teacher is fine with it, though, the art teacher at the school is surprisingly outstanding/efficient at making set pieces and backdrops, and he's always happy to lend a hand.

And, come his standing ovation at the performance that Darcy just so happens to see...looks hauntingly familiar. Hence Darcy's opening line of "Absolutely the fuck not."

[afteriwake]

"You're drunk!" / "Yes, I'm drunk. And you're beautiful. And tomorrow morning I'll be sober…but you'll still be beautiful." Steve/Darcy

So this is part of my "tomorrow you'll still be beautiful" series, but also the start of a brand new series called "Mutual Admiration Society"! So expect more ShieldShock fics in the AU in the future.

The Feeling Is Mutual - A drunken Darcy tells Steve he's beautiful. He returns the favor the next morning.

READ @ AO3 | SERIES PAGE

She had to admit, watching Thor try to out-drink Steve had been funny. But she’d been enjoying the party with the Avengers and had imbibed just a bit more than she usually did, so everything was nice and fuzzy and she was having fun. Maybe she shouldn’t have drunk so much, but she wasn’t in the state Thor was in, so she was happy for that.

“You okay, Darcy?” Steve asked, coming up to her, with a soft grin.

“I had more than I usually do,” she said, giving him a smile. She also had to admit, Steve was a nice guy. She had no luck with nice guys, but he was nice and hot and soon there would be nothing else to say to him other than tell him how beautiful he was. Okay, she’d had a lot more than she usually did, apparently. She didn’t feel sick, but she was thinking lying down in a nice, cool, dark place would be a very good idea. “Is there a place I can rest here?”

“Let me take you back to Jane’s apartment,” he said, placing a hand on her lower back and gently guiding her around the others to the door. Tony’s apartment in the tower was at the very top, and Jane’s apartment was a few floors down, so that meant they were going to be in an elevator together.

She hoped she didn’t get diarrhea of the mouth when she was alone with him, because yeah, he was sooooo pretty and she was impressed by his eyes and his muscles and he had the sweetest smile, too. “Girls should really be chasing after you.”

“Yeah, well, the right one hasn’t come by yet,” he said, his grin kind of sad. She didn’t want to make him sad! No no no, he deserved happy.

“You’re beautiful, you know that?” she said.

"You're drunk," he said with a small laugh as they got out of Tony’s apartment and headed towards the elevator. And in a moment of drunken clarity, she knew she had to make him believe it.

She stopped moving and reached up, bracing his face in between her hands when he stopped. She licked her lips and pulled him closer. No kissing, she just wanted him to know she was serious dammit. “Yes, I'm drunk. And you're beautiful. And tomorrow morning I'll be sober…but you'll still be beautiful.”

He blinked, then lifted his head up, her hands still cradling his face, and he kissed her forehead. “Thanks, Darcy. That means a lot.”

“Well, it’s the truth,” she said, shutting her eyes. The hallway was spinning a bit now, but she wasn’t sure if it was because she was tipsy or because Steve had done something so intimate with her. She leaned into him and he put an arm around her shoulders, moving slowly and two two of them staying in a companionable silence as hey got in the elevator and made their way to the floor where Jane’s apartment was. Tony had said he’d get her one of her own if she wanted, but there was something really nice bunking with Jane. It was nice having friends, she thought to herself as Steve got Friday to open the door.

She made her way to the couch and inelegantly flopped down on it, shutting her eyes. Oh, this was nice, she thought to herself. She felt a blanket being pulled up to her chin and her hair being brushed back, and that was nice too. And then...well, then she felt herself slipping into a quick and easy sleep.

---

There was talking, Soft talking, but heck, it was too loud for the pounding of her head.

“Jane?” Darcy said, opening up her eyes. She sat up and saw Jane sitting at the counter as Steve cooked something that smelled really good at the stove.

“Sleeping Beauty woke up,” Jane teased with a smile, hopping off the tool and heading into the direction of the bathroom. A few minutes later she came out with a bottle of aspirin, and she opened it up and shook two of them into Darcy’s hand. She left her again and went into the kitchen, bringing back a glass of water.

“Why is Steve here?” Darcy asked after she’d taken the pills and had a little extra water.

“He never left,” Steve said from the kitchen. “Why Bucky used to have too much to drink his mom would make him a big greasy breakfast with lots of fried potatoes. It helped to take the edge off the hangover. She taught me what to make and I figured you’d need it when you woke up.”

“So you slept here?” Darcy asked, her voice sounding slightly incredulous.

“With the most interesting person at the party passed out on the couch, there was no reason to go back,” he said, and Darcy detected a hint of a blush on his cheeks. Interesting, huh? she thought to herself.

“You know, Thor’s probably still up in Tony’s apartment,” Jane said with a wide grin. “I’ll go get him and take him out for some waffles or something.” She reached over for her purse on the side table by Jane’s feet and mouthed “You go girl” to Darcy before she left the apartment, leaving the two of them alone.

Darcy stood up and, to her credit, her stomach didn’t lurch and her steps didn’t wobble as she made her way to the stool Jane had abandoned. Her stomach did grumble loudly, though, and she got a sheepish look on her face as Steve laughed softly.

“It’s almost done,” he said.

“You didn’t have to stay here last night.” she said.

“Jane came down from the party soon after you passed out and we talked for a bit. She’s actually really neat. Hopefully we’ll get to be better friends now that we all live in the Tower.” He started dishing up the food then. She knew Jane had a full fridge but when she saw what was on the plates he brought over she realized he had to have gotten some of it from somewhere else, either his own place or the grocery store. “She said you don’t drink much.”

“Nope,” she said, taking the fork he handed her and spearing some of the fried potatoes. “Like, I like a beer or two, maybe a mixed drink or shots every once in a while."

He motioned at her food with his fork in a nudging motion. "Eat. It tastes like shit when it's cold." She took a bit of the potatoes and nearly moaned, because it was just what the doctor would have ordered if she’d seen a doctor for the hangover. They both ate in silence until all Darcy had left was a slice of bacon that she picked up and started chewing on. “If women knew you could cook they’d be all over you,” she said.

“Yeah, well, I have to admit, I was kind of hoping to impress you this morning.”

“You absolutely did,” she said.

“Good.” He went over to the coffee maker and prepared a cup for her and took a cup of black coffee for him. Jane must have told him how she liked it because when she took a sip it tasted just like she had made it herself. Not that it was complicated; flavored creamer in the fridge and a spoonful of sugar. But she had a sweet tooth and Steve had nailed the combination perfectly. “So...you think I’m beautiful?”

She flushed slightly and looked down at her cup as the scene in the hallway came back to her. “Yes,” she murmured.

“Good. Because I think you’rebeautiful too, and I was wondering if...maybe, I don’t know, we could do something together today?”

Her head snapped up. “What?”

“I mean, only if you’re up to it. The food and coffee won’t cure the hangover, but--”

“You think I’m beautiful?” she asked softly, surprise lacing her voice.

“I have since the first time I saw you,” he said with a small smile. “I just didn’t think you were interested in someone like me.”

“Oh my gosh,” she said. “No. I do think you’re more than beautiful. You’re funny, and you’re sweet, and you’re beautiful and sexy, and...I might have a teensy tiny crush on you.”

“Well, that’s good,” he said. “Because if Thor hadn’t kept me to the drinking challenge, I’d have tried to spend last night talking to you.”

“Oh,” she said before giving him a grin. “Good to know. But we can talk now? Tony has a gazillion streaming options, and we can watch movies while I recuperate from overindulging last night.”

His smile was so wide she was almost glad she’d suggested it, even if the fact that Captain America found her beautiful was something she just could not fully get over. Good. Maybe I can cook you dinner tonight, too?”

"Only if you let me make a batch of better than sex brownies in return,” she said, setting her coffee and stretching her hand out towards him. “Deal?”

He grasped her hand, and instead of shaking it, he softly kissed the back of it. “Deal.” She grinned at him, blushing bright red, and getting that beautiful wide grin of his back in return. Someone in charge of fate must absolutely love them both, she decided, because life wasn’t about to get any better than this for a while.

[aimmyarrowshigh]

Panfandom Hanukkah Bingo 2023 @hanukkahbingo

K9. Bad Puns - Darcy Lewis @ AO3. Darcy emerges from the bedroom in her Hanukkah party garb. Steve doesn't know what he expected, but it wasn't this.

[grimeysociety]

sometimes you're stressed because you're hosting your divorced parents for Christmas Eve dinner so you don't sleep and then ask an AI to generate some art at 5.30 AM