Chapter Text
“Love is for suckers.”
The words, printed in big black letters and crooked font, caught Steve’s attention and he stopped in his tracks to study the poster that had been cropping up all the over the facility in the past few days. Having previously ignored it, thinking it was some sort of a prank or a bid to find someone a date, Steve was surprised to see a new addition to the poster. It was a drawing of a cupid lying in a pool of broken hearts. It was done in pencil. Apparently, someone had doodled over the poster before sticking it up there.
“That’s harsh,” remarked Sam, peering over Steve’s shoulder at the morbid poster.
“It’s actually an intricately done doodle.”
“I mean the concept,” said Sam. “Love is for suckers. Cupid crying. Broken hearts. Look, it says here… bring a photo of your ex to shred? Jesus. Someone is pissed.”
Steve chuckled. “I think it’s funny.”
“You’re in a good mood,” observed Sam as they continued on their way to the kitchen. “Got a hot date for Valentine’s?”
“Sure, yeah, I mean having a hot date is the only thing that makes me happy these days.”
“Is he sassing around again?” Natasha joined them, newly cut red hair bouncing on her shoulders and a brow arched in Steve’s direction. “He wasn’t like that when I first met him.”
Steve rolled his eyes. “He is right here.”
“Look, all I’m saying is, a person should not be alone on Valentine’s Day,” insisted Sam. “That’s just cruel.”
“It’s just a normal day, Sam. It’s the people who hype it up.”
“Do you want a date by next week or not?” demanded Natasha, her tone clearly implying that she already had someone in mind for Steve.
“Did you not hear what I just said?”
“Sorry, what?”
Steve sighed. It was no use arguing with her. She would come at him again in a day or two. He had pretty much scheduled her interference in his personal life in his work calendar. It was easier to expect her ambushes that way.
The trio reached the kitchen to see an annoyed Rhodey marching out, a donut in hand. “Who gave that crazy woman clearance to this area?” he demanded of Natasha, who always seemed to have all the answers. But the redhead stared at him in bemusement, having no idea what he was talking about. Rhodey shook his head and left, muttering comical kid-friendly curses under his breath.
Steve, Sam and Natasha exchanged glances before stepping inside. The first thing Steve noticed was an enormous mangled teddy bear sitting on the kitchen counter. It was holding in its paws a stuffed heart that was ripped down the middle and the woman standing over it… was stuffing chocolates into it? Sam gasped comically at the sight and looked wounded.
“I can’t witness such torture,” he said, hurrying out of the kitchen.
Steve didn’t know what to think about it and could only watch in astonishment as the woman grabbed handfuls of chocolates from a bowl and crammed the hollowed out teddy bear with sweets. She was short and curvy and her red lips moved in a silent song as she worked, not having noticed their presence.
“That’s Darcy,” Natasha murmured. “The brains behind all the anti-Valentine vibes surrounding the facility these days.”
Steve felt his eyebrows rise in interest. “She’s the one responsible for all those posters?”
Natasha smirked. “Love is for suckers? Yeah. She was recently dumped by her idiot of a boyfriend. Over a text message no less. She’s Jane Foster’s lab manager. You know, Thor’s woman.”
Normally, Steve would be suspicious of Natasha honoring him with unnecessary details about another woman but he had to admit, this was a strange way to meet someone. Plus, the redhead looked more amused than smug, giving Steve the vague impression that Darcy wasn’t on her coveted list of ‘Perfect Matches for Steve Rogers’.
“Looks like she found a way to channel all that anger,” he joked.
“I can hear you, you know.” The woman turned around and Steve suppressed a snort at her ‘I eat men for breakfast’ apron. She placed her hands on her hips and regarded the two of them with an unforgiving expression. “For your information, I wasn’t dumped,” she began defensively. “I gave him no choice. I called him a liar, a cheater and a coward. Would you stay with a woman who called you such names?”
She was looking directly at Steve and he coughed awkwardly. “I would if she was worth it.”
For some reason, Darcy looked offended by his words and turned back to stuff the bear with more force than before. Steve didn’t know what he had said wrong. Natasha slapped his arm angrily and stepped forward, speaking kindly, “He didn’t mean that you’re not worth it, Darcy. He just meant—”
Steve realized his error and immediately tried to rectify it when Darcy spoke. “I know that’s not what he… I just—not all men think like you do, Captain.”
She shrugged and aimed a smile at him, her entire face morphing into an expression so appealing that Steve wanted to capture it on paper. He found himself asking her, “Do you need help with that?”
Natasha shot him a strange look. “Why don’t we go out for lunch?” she said. “Sharon’s in town. We could ask her to join us.”
Steve shook his head. “I think I’m going to stay with Darcy. If she doesn’t mind, that is.”
The woman in question beamed. “I need someone to wrap gifts.”
Steve grinned. “I’m your man.”
Leaving a speechless Natasha at the door, he strode forward to stand beside Darcy. “So, what’s the bear for?”
“He’s gonna be sort of like a piñata,” replied Darcy enthusiastically. “But with chocolates! Imagine your scumbag ex and hit hard type of activity. Just need to sew him back up. Come on, let’s go to my place. We've lots to do.”