Chapter Text
Chapter 1
“You’re moving where?” Darcy stared at her boss, distantly realizing that question came out much more like a shriek than she intended.
“New York City.” Jane leveled an exasperated look in the direction of her friend and lab assistant.
“You always said you weren’t interested in moving to New York. That there is way too much light pollution and it would be impossible to do your work, and that there are too many people. And now you’re just up and moving?!”
“Tony Stark has been trying to get me to work for SI for years. He makes me an offer every six months or so, and this most recent one I just can’t pass up. Brand new lab space, AI assistance with the math and the data, nearly unlimited funding for research trips including the use of one of SI’s private jets, and an apartment in the tower. How am I supposed to say no to that?”
“Well, that does sound pretty good and hard to pass up.” Darcy stepped closer to Jane and gave her a hug. “I am going to miss you though”
“Why are you going to miss me? Do you not want to go?”
“Wait, I’m invited?!”
“Of course you are! I can’t move to NYC and continue my work without you! I told Tony that I needed to bring my research assistant and let's just say, we are both getting quite the raise!”
This time, the hug was much more enthusiastic, nearly toppling both women over.
“NYC, here we come!”
A very busy and hectic 3 weeks later, Darcy and Jane had managed to get Jane’s entire lab packed up and shipped to NYC, along with all of their (admittedly meager) personal belongings, and had presented themselves in the lobby of Stark Tower. After checking in with the security team, they were whisked off to an elevator that went up for a long time before opening into a hallway. To the left were a series of closed doors, but to the right, the hallway opened up in to a large room, so they headed that way. The room was a living room, surprisingly. It was beautiful, but understated. Full of comfortable furniture and tasteful decorations, but not fussy. There were plants scattered around, and on the other side, a door out to a balcony that contained even more plants. The living room flowed seamlessly into a dining room, with a wide archway separating the two, and through the dining room Darcy could catch a glimpse of a kitchen. It seemed like they were in someone’s home, but whose? Suddenly, the elevator dinged and they could hear the sound of someone running down the hallway.
“Jane! You’re finally here!” Jane was tackled by a blonde mountain, who immediately started twirling her around and kissing her. Darcy decided the wise thing to do would be to back up.
“Thor! You’re here! No one said anything!
“I wanted it to be a surprise, my Jane. Are you surprised?”
Jane’s answer was lost in the rather intense kissing that started, and Darcy suddenly found something very interesting that she needed to go do, maybe in that kitchen she had seen earlier. Thor could get, um, enthusiastic, and Darcy didn’t need to see that.
She walked into the kitchen and, not seeing any chairs or barstools, hopped up onto one of the counters. She opened her bag and pulled out her knitting, wondering if she could get the next pattern repeat done before Thor and Jane came up for air.
Several minutes later, a door at the far end of the kitchen opened, and a voice said “What are you doing here”? Darcy jumped, and looked up from her knitting in surprise. She saw the most stunning man she had ever seen. Tall, dark hair pulled back into a messy bun, piercing blue eyes. He was wearing a blue long sleeved henley and snug jeans, and Darcy tried to answer and found herself too busy staring to reply. He walked over to her, an amused look playing around his eyes.
“I know everyone who comes into this kitchen, and I don’t know you. Are you lost?” That last question came out in a low, almost flirtatious tone. Darcy cleared her throat.
“Um, hi. We just moved here. Well, not here to this kitchen, but here to this tower. I think? I’m unclear on the details. Maybe we are living someplace else. But my boss has a lab space in this tower, except I don’t know where it is yet. The elevator just brought us here, and then she got distracted and then I just came in here to wait.”
“Well hi. Welcome to New York. Can’t say I’m sorry your boss got distracted. There’s something pretty distracting in this kitchen right now.” As he spoke, he was moving closer until he was standing directly in front of Darcy. Her legs involuntarily opened, a silent invitation for him to come even closer.
“Yeah, so far, this tower is full of distractions”. Darcy stared at the man, lost in his eyes. It felt like all the air had gone out of the room.
“Mmm. And what a pretty distraction it is.” With every word, the man seemed to get closer. Darcy thought with a small part of her brain, the tiny bit that wasn’t occupied with the urge to kiss this man like Thor and Jane were, that it probably wasn’t wise to kiss a stranger, but the rest of her brain was enthusiastically on board. “Tell me, pretty distraction, tell me what you want”.
“I want…” All the air seemed like it had left Darcy’s lungs. “I want…” The stranger's mouth was a breath away from Darcy’s own. “I want…”
“Darcy!” Thor’s voice booming from the other room was an unwelcome surprise, and Darcy’s head jerked backwards, slamming into the cabinet behind her.
“Darcy? You’re Thor’s Darcy?” The stranger looked at her. “You should lead with that next time. It would help prevent any more mistakes.” With that cryptic statement, he vanished out the same door he came in, leaving Darcy rubbing the back of her head in confusion and unfulfilled arousal.