Chapter Text
Darcy smashed "reply all" the second her notification popped up.
One week, a whole seven days in motherfucking Hawaii.
Everyone on the compound was invited, and sure, Jane wasn’t there anymore – she’d transferred to London for a while, but Darcy couldn’t care less if she was all by herself, island-hopping.
She wasn’t allowed to use social media anymore, but she was going to email all the coolest photos she could take to her cousins back home to make them jealous but also Jane had to know what she was missing out on.
A few seconds after Darcy sent off her enthusiastic reply, Jane sent another separate email.
It was simply a photograph of her lab’s view of the grey London morning, and Darcy frowned a little.
Darcy couldn’t help herself. She replied immediately:
Why not come to Hawaii? We can go to a place that serves you margaritas by the gallon while you sit in a pristine pool.
Jane only took another minute to reply:
Try and induce FOMO all you want, Lewis. I got offered Cambridge.
Darcy gasped.
Can I call you?
If Stark’s paying your phone bills, sure.
Darcy chuckled, and then dialled Jane’s number.
A few seconds later, she picked up.
“It’s my dream job, Darce. I’m not going on vacation when I just got here.”
“Okay,” Darcy said, making a point to sigh dramatically. “It won’t be the same without you.”
Jane snorted. “I know that. You’ll just have to make friends.”
“I have Bruce,” Darcy retorted, feeling defensive.
“Bruce doesn’t count, you work for him.”
Darcy scoffed. “I worked for you! You don’t count?”
“That’s different,” Jane said, and Darcy could picture her waving her hand around dismissively.
Darcy knew what she meant, but it still made her a little anxious. The people she worked with were always intimidating, and they didn’t even mean to be. The idea of trying to bond with any of them, especially any of the administrative staff who were always really strict with paperwork – the idea itself made Darcy cringe.
How was she supposed to enjoy herself if she was worried about what other people thought of her?
She frowned again, contemplating being truly alone in a place like Hawaii. She was happy. But lonely. It was obvious especially whenever Bruce shrank away from her when she was too familiar with him.
She’d touch his arm and he’d recoil, and it did hurt her feelings, even though she knew he just wasn’t into being touchy-feely with everyone.
And that was fine, but Darcy hated feeling like she had no-one.
“Darcy, you okay?”
Jane brought her back, and Darcy cleared her throat.
“I get it. It’s your dream. Stephen Hawking was there. I get it.”
“You’d said that twice, Darce.”
“Yeah, well…”
Darcy got up from her couch and looked out her window, thinking about how different this place was to where Jane was now.
“I miss you.”
“I miss you, too.”
There was a yell outside and Darcy craned her neck. She spotted Sam Wilson throwing Steven Rogers a football. Nothing sinister.
She watched as Steven caught the ball, and then pulled back his arm, which was very toned and striking –
Not that Sam wasn’t nice to look at, but –
“Earth to Darcy,” Jane prompted her.
That would have been the time to wipe her chin if Darcy had been drooling, but apparently her lack of a sex life had not rendered her that desperate.
Yet.
“I’m still here. Just wondering if you’re ever coming back.”
“You know why I wanted to leave.”
Thor. Almost every ounce of misery had boiled down to him in the last couple of years. Not that Jane couldn’t have a life outside her relationship.
She wasn’t the person she was with, and Darcy would physically fight anyone who told her otherwise about her best friend.
It wasn’t about Jane feeling sorry for herself, either. Just having a serious relationship with Thor had become counter-productive.
Jane was the one who broke up with him, and she was still shattered by it.
It made Darcy sad, to see Jane sad.
But she decided to stay on the compound because she was addicted to this life, as well.
She maybe just didn’t have the self-control to want to do the right thing for her, the safe thing.
She liked being a part of this, whatever this was.
“Yeah. I know,” Darcy murmured. She sighed.
There was another shout from outside.
She was still facing the window, and then realized she was probably still in view of the men.
She ducked away, wincing.