Chapter Text
They had been talking about this for weeks, but today was the day that Bucky finally got to see Darcy in her training leathers. He was very excited to see what she was capable of, and Sif had shaken her head when he entered the training field with a spring in his step. She knew what was going to happen today and was very excited to see Darcy knock the alpha on his ass while she trained with the other guards. Loki was lounging in the stands with Steve beside him, both excited to see how this would go as well. Steve hadn't been aware that Darcy had trained as a fighter and was eager to learn more about the Asgardian side of herself that she usually kept hidden from him and the team.
Loki was aware that Bucky now knew of his status with Darcy, and he also respected that Bucky wanted to court his sister properly rather than claiming her right then and there. It had earned some respect with their father as well, but Loki knew that wasn’t the reason Bucky had held off. Bucky came from a different generation and a different culture. He wanted to do right by Darcy and not treat her as just another omega.
The fact that he did not balk at omegas being in the Asgardian army was also a plus in his favor. There weren’t many, but some wanted to be a part of the efforts to keep the realms safe. Loki was glad Darcy had a good alpha for a mate; he had worried it would be someone unworthy of her, someone he would have to make disappear and risk incurring her wrath. He would keep his little sister safe no matter what, true mate or not.
The moment Darcy stepped onto the field, Bucky’s eyes zeroed in on her as if attuned to her every move. She watched Bucky’s eyes dilate, the way he had sucked in a breath, eyes raking over her. He had seen her in various styles of clothing at the Tower and here on Asgard, but she could tell there was something about the leathers that just did it for him. Her eye caught Sif’s, and the two smirked at one another. Sif had thought that seeing Darcy in her training leathers would be tantalizing for Bucky. He surrounded himself with strong women, and there was a respect there that some male alphas didn't have. Sif credited this to the fact that he had grown up surrounded by multiple strong women. And she also knew that Darcy being able to hold her own would ease some of the worries inside him about the troubles that lay ahead.
When she was in arm’s length of Bucky, she let him reel her in. The eyes of all the guards and those in the stand were watching. Today was the day everyone would know she had found her alpha. She thought she could hear the disgruntled sounds from the other omegas when they realized they had no chance with Bucky now. “Doll,” his voice was low, a little rumble to it like he was fighting back a growl. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to concentrate.”
She smirked up at him. She had been hoping for this reaction ever since she had teased him with training. “See something you like?”
“Maybe,” he replied with a smirk of his own.
Darcy couldn’t help but feel giddy and as if she were floating on air. She had woken that morning with him wrapped around her in her room. He was still asleep, and she basked in the feeling of waking up in his arms in the soft morning light. When he woke, he had brushed featherlight kisses along the column of her neck and her shoulder. His fingers twined together with hers, and her only thought was how she could certainly get used to this.
“Less flirting, more fighting,” Loki called from the stands and grinned when his sister shot him a glare.
A low growl rumbled in Bucky’s chest, “Can I maim him just a little?”
“I’ll hold him down,” she said as she turned her attention back to Bucky.
He brushed a kiss to her forehead, and she grinned at the casual intimacy of the moment, of him not caring what the others thought or if they saw. She imagined that if she looked over at Sif, she would look like a proud mother. Her and Bucky’s friendship had come out of nowhere; none of them had expected the two of them to gravitate toward one another, but knowing the Norns saw something in them explained a lot. It also helped that Sif did not treat him like he needed to be handled gently. When training with Bucky, she pushed and did not hold back. Given that the Asgardians were tougher than Midgardians, he didn’t feel the need to hold back either. Here, he could be wholly himself without the fear of seriously injuring his sparring partner.
“All right, we need to focus on what we’re actually here for,” he said as he forced himself back. “Show me what you’ve got, doll.”
They started with the knives, Darcy offering a friendly competition to see who could do better at hitting the targets. She threw one of her knives without even looking in the direction of the target. Bucky watched it sail through the air and hit the bullseye. He swallowed thickly and looked back at Darcy, who was grinning at him. “Impressed?”
“Very,” he told her. “Did Loki teach you how to do that?”
She nodded, “It took me so long to be able to master this little trick. I remember I wanted to stab him one time because he just kept pushing. Smug bastard.”
Bucky laughed at the little pout she had on her face as she handled one of her other daggers. “Being an older brother myself, I know exactly what he was doing. Teasing little sisters is like a full-time job to us sometimes.”
Darcy watched his face when he brought up being an older brother. She knew from Steve that he had had three younger sisters. He hadn’t mentioned them to her yet, and she hadn’t wanted to push until he was ready. Steve had told her that they were no longer around, all having passed before it was revealed that Bucky was the Winter Soldier and still alive. It broke her heart that he never properly got to say goodbye to them or even tell them he was still alive. After some time, she thought she'd offer to go to their graves with him, put flowers on their headstones, and have a private moment just the two of them.
“What did you do to your poor sisters?” She asked, a teasing smile on her face, hoping to keep the mood light.
He shrugged, “The usual, hid things from them, teased them about the fellas they liked. They’d get so mad at me, they’d holler for our ma, and she’d, in turn, yell at me to behave. But I loved them, woulda done anything for them.”
She reached out and took his hand, “I’m sure they knew that, Bucky.”
He looked up at her and gave her a small smile, “Sometimes I wish they were still alive so I could see them one last time. The last time I saw anyone was right before I shipped out. Rebecca was the eldest of my sisters and an alpha, so the responsibilities fell on her shoulders, and I never wanted that for her.”
“What designations were your other two sisters?”
“Betas,” he responded. “Becs and I were the only alphas, and our ma was the only omega. Pops was an alpha, too, but he died when I was a teen.”
She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him; her scent would offer some comfort as he talked about this. “I’m sorry, Bucky.”
“I’ll see them again one day,” he said with a little shrug. “Then I’ll get to tell them all about you and the dumb shit Steve got himself mixed up in.” She laughed. “They woulda loved you. Elizabeth would have fussed over you. Becs would have loved this place and the weapons. Mary would have been into the fashion. And Ma, well, she would just be happy that I’m happy.”
“You’ll have to tell me more about them later,” she said with a smile. “They sound wonderful.”
He hummed and brushed his thumb over the blade of one of his knives to test the sharpness. “I will, I have some notebooks filled with memories I’ll let you read.”
They switched to swords after the conversation, and Bucky had to admit he struggled keeping his focus as he watched her. The way she moved when she fought was like nothing he had ever seen. It was like a dance. She was light on her feet and knew when to strike and retreat. She was able to keep up with him and almost managed to get the sword out of his hand at one point. In the end, they called it a tie when they couldn’t stop flirting with one another, and Loki began to complain.
“You’re supposed to be training, not flirting!” He called down to them. Steve was snickering beside him, clearly having heard the complaints he hadn't decided to shout down at them.
Darcy took one of the daggers out of its sheath and tossed it at her brother, who easily caught it and grinned cheekily at them. “Shove it, Loki!” She called out to him as Bucky came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Having brothers is so annoying,” she muttered darkly, and he knew she was planning Loki’s downfall.
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “Maim your brother later, do you want to go for a ride and have lunch?”
She nodded her head eagerly, “Yes!”
“Let’s go wash off and change. I’ll head down to the kitchens and get them to make us something as well.” He pulled away from her and went to inform Sif of what they were doing.
Darcy watched the pair with a smile on her face as Sif said something that made him laugh, and she wondered if it was about Loki. Maybe Bucky's beta would take revenge on their behalf and she wouldn't have to get her hands dirty. He patted Sif on the shoulder before holding his hand out to Darcy, who wasted no time coming to his side. When he stopped in front of her door, she looked up at him and said, “You know we could save time and water if we bathe together.”
He chuckled, “Doll, if I get into that bath with you, we would never get to go on our date.” He kissed her forehead, “Meet me at the stables, I’ll have the food.”
She hurried through her bath and dressed in soft leather pants meant for riding and a flowing blouse before braiding her hair back. The entire time she was getting ready, she couldn’t help but feel giddy and overflowing with happiness. Bucky knew they had a deep bond and wanted to be with her; he was courting her. He didn’t want to rush things and treat her with the respect she deserved. It was honestly more than she ever dreamed she would get from her true mate. She had hopes, but as she got older most had seemed like silly fantasies of a young girl. Now she had everything she had ever dreamed of, and all she could do was thank the Norns for bringing Bucky into her life.
Darcy beat him to the stables and got the stablehands to prepare her horse, Glaðr, and get Becca’s gear for her to prepare. So far, Becca only trusted her, Sif, and Bucky to touch her and be near her. Essentially, if Bucky trusted you, then Becca trusted you. The stablehands hurried to it, and she headed into the stables toward Becca’s stall. She was already there and waiting for Darcy, having heard her voice and heard the commotion from the other people in the stables.
“We’re going on a little ride,” she said as she unlatched the door. “Bucky will be here soon.”
Someone dropped Becca’s gear off, and Darcy set to work making sure she was ready. She was halfway through when Becca’s ears went flat, and she made a noise of anger. Darcy looked up to see Ingrid standing in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest, a glare directed at her cousin. “How is it you get everything you’ve ever wanted?”
Her words caused Darcy to straighten up and place a hand on Becca’s side for support. “I don’t know what you mean, Ingrid.”
A muscle ticked in her jaw, and she narrowed her eyes, “You managed to become a princess, you have Aunt Frigga’s favor, the people love you, and now you have an alpha that dotes on you. Why do all these good blessings come your way?”
Anger bubbled up inside of Darcy at Ingrid’s words. “I don’t know, Ingrid. I am simply living my life. I don’t think I deserve the things that happen to me. All I am trying to do is live my life in the best way that I can. Maybe if you stopped being bitter over what you think you deserve, then maybe these so-called blessings will come your way as well.”
Ingrid sneered at her, “I have done the work to be in the position that you lucked into. You did nothing to be here, you and Loki. The two of you don’t deserve the riches; you’re not even truly family.”
A pang went through Darcy at those words, an old wound reopening that she had tried to bury deep within her. She knew not all Asgardians were happy when Odin and Frigga adopted her and Loki. They wondered what the All-Father and All-Mother saw in two beings who were never meant to be boosted to the position they now found themselves in.
“Family isn’t always blood, Ingrid,” she said as calmly as she could. If her cousin pushed her any further, then she might actually strangle her to death. “I’m done with this conversation and trying to be civil about our relationship any longer. Stay away from me and Bucky. If you cannot respect boundaries and learn that you are in the position you are in solely because of your behavior, I’m not going to hold your hand about it.”
Anger simmered in Ingrid’s eyes, but she turned and walked away a bit too calmly. Darcy wasn’t sure what would come of this now, but it was out of her hands. Ingrid had a path she was walking down, and she could either let go of her resentment and forge a better path for herself, or she could spiral down the self-destructive one she was already on.
Bucky arrived not long after Ingrid left, and he clearly had seen her and assured Darcy he had evaded her. “It was like she didn’t even notice me,” he told her. “What did you say to her?”
“Basically, to fuck off,” Darcy growled. “We’ll see what happens from here. I have a feeling that her resentment towards me will finally reach its boiling point. I’m a little scared to see what she’ll do.”
Bucky cupped her face with his hands, “Whatever she tries to pull, we’ll face it together. We’re a team, and I’m pretty sure Sif will happily challenge her. My beta can’t stand Ingrid, but has only kept her mouth shut because she is Frigga’s family.”
“I would pay to see that,” Darcy said with a snort. “I’ll make a foam finger that says ‘Sif’s number one fan’ on it.”
Bucky tipped his head back and laughed. She quickly joined in, feeling the tension drain from her body. “Make sure you make me one too.” Then he grabbed Becca’s reins and said, “Come on, doll. Enough about Ingrid, we’ve got a date to go on.”
He helped her up onto Glaðr, and off they went into the fields beyond the city, where they lounged on the blanket he had packed and fed each other the meats and fruits the kitchen staff had prepared for them. He even stole a few kisses when Darcy curled into his side. It was a lovely afternoon where they were just in the moment, nothing from the outside world could touch them in the bubble they had created.