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It began as many things do for Darcy, in the communal kitchen. She’d been cleaning up after her most recent batch of cookies in search of the PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE, scoring this batch 8 out of 10, but she found it lacking in gooeyness and exterior crunch. Of course, that didn’t stop the majority of the cookies from disappearing off the cooling racks immediately after she took them out of the oven, leaving more than one Avenger with minor mouth burns but satisfied smiles.
She set the bowls to soaking and began rinsing off her favorite spatula, all the while listening to relaxing music and ocean sounds on her Stark phone. Realizing she was not alone, but not wanting to seem like a scaredy cat, she turned slowly and took in the dark-haired man standing in the shadow to the side of the kitchen.
“Sergeant, did you get a cookie? They’re not as warm as when they first came out of the oven, but they’re still a pretty delicious chocolate chip cookie. I’m thinking next time I need to add pretzel bits and a little flaky sea salt. Wanna try these though?”
Taking two small steps forward and into the soft light of the kitchen, he nods at her, never taking his eyes from her face and accepts the cookie she hands him. The small bite he takes is so terribly cautious, but she’s observed him trying not to overwhelm himself now that he is eating for joy and flavor again, not purely for sustenance. All of this makes her want to go burn Shieldra to the ground all over again. She watches his shoulders relax as he begins to earnestly eat the sweet treat.
“James,” he quietly mumbles around a mouthful of cookie, “Call me James.”
“Sure thing, James. How would you rate these on a scale of 1 to 10? I’m asking for research. I guess Jane and the scientific method have worn off on me a little after all these years.”
“I haven’t had chocolate chip cookies in 70 years or so, but these are pretty great,” he says again shyly, but still chewing his cookie.
Hiding her surprise at his compliment and admission, she adds, “Well, I’ll be sure to let you know when I’m making the next batch so that you can have something to compare it to.”
His soft smile melts her heart, and she decides that anything she bakes she’ll make sure that he gets some to try. And maybe, like the cookies, she’ll help bring him in one step closer out of the darkness.