chapter one; the not-so-subtle nature of darla darwish

THE DAY DARLA DARWISH OFFICIALLY MET JAMES BUCHANAN BARNES, SHE HAD GOTTEN TOO DISTRACTED TO REALISE HE'D SEEN HER. Part of stalking the former assassin was to remain in the shadows, out of sight and therefore out of mind. She usually had to take extra care in where she stepped while in pursuit of the man, but this time, she'd screwed up.

It was early in the afternoon, and the sky had cleared up after a light rainfall. James had gone for his usual walk for a cup of coffee, before heading to a second-hand bookstore where he bought an old classic to read in his spare time. Nothing unusual, considering his aged personality.

It was only when he had turned down an alleyway in central Brooklyn and she'd absentmindedly followed him, far more interested in the novel she was reading than the man before her.

"Are you gonna keep following me around like that, or do I have to shoot you?"

It was only when he spoke did she nearly trip up in surprise. She managed to catch herself and back up, acting as if she hadn't noticed him. She had never been particularly good at lying, especially when she'd been caught.

"Hello?"

His voice wasn't as intimidating as she thought it would be. She thought it'd be deeper, more menacing. Perhaps it was because she knew a little too much about him, or because she was a poor judge of character. She thought he sounded rather friendly, despite the fact that he had just threatened her.

She pretended like she wasn't listening, her nose buried in the book she had actually begun to enjoy. It was an easy read, unlike some that seem to drag for years talking about sewage pipes and attractive young men (looking at you, Victor Hugo). And, in her defence, she'd just gotten to a good bit and had unintentionally prioritised the fictional characters.

Heavy footsteps drew closer, and a gloved finger pushed the spine of the novel downwards. Darla's eyes flickered up to meet a pair of dark, curious ones. She withheld a gasp at how close he suddenly was.

Dude, breathe. You're good. What's he gonna do, kill you?

She cleared her throat, blinking a few times. "Pardon?"

James clicked his tongue, tilting his head to the side. "I said, are you gonna keep following me, or do I have to shoot you?"

Her lips curled slightly. "Are you trying to tell me that you have an unregistered gun on your person, Mister Barnes?"

He took the book from her, closing it so that he could read the title. She went to protest, but saw that he'd stuck his thumb in her reading place. "My Sister, The Serial Killer?"

"It's really good so far," she justified, watching his eyes scan the blurb. "It's about..."

"Someone's sister?" he glanced up at her. "And...let me guess, she's a serial killer?"

"Your file didn't say you were such a smartass," she muttered, snatching it back. This elicited a scoff from the man before her.

"I've seen you around," he said, watching her carefully. She wasn't like the others who had tailed him over the years - she wasn't careful, or quiet. In fact, the first time he saw her was nearly three weeks ago. After deciding she wasn't a threat, he thought he'd play along to make her feel like she was doing a good job. It humoured him.  "You're not as good as you think."

"I know," she shrugged, scratching the back of her head. At least she could admit it. "Sneaking around isn't exactly my strongest suit. I'm more inclined to the whole nine-to-five, sitting behind a desk she-bang."

A silence fell between them. James hadn't stopped staring at her, trying to figure out who she was and what she wanted. He hadn't been interested enough in her to do research - it wasn't like she'd be part of some secret organisation, not the way she carried herself. She wore an oversized winter coat and a pair of jeans - nothing that sent him spiralling. "Who do you work for?"

She was quiet. Her eyes fell back to the book. "I really like the main character in this. You'd think it'd be all about her sister, Ayoola, but it's actually from Korede's point of view! I honestly prefer it, I mean, you see enough serial killers in movies, so it's super refreshing to have an alternate take-"

James' jaw clenched a little, and he repeated his earlier action in taking the book away. She groaned, watching him dangle it in the air above her. "Tell me your name, and who you work for. Then, I'll give the book back."

She frowned, thinking on her feet. She'd never really been great at it. "I'm Darla, and I'm self-employed. "

"Darla what?"

"Don't worry about it."

His right eyebrow lifted. Her frown deepened. He almost seemed amused at her incompetence. "Okay, Darla Don't-Worry-About-It, suit yourself. But I'm gonna need you to stop stalking me."

"I can't do that," she shook her head, thinking about how she was going to get her book back without him outsmarting her. He noticed her eyes flicker upwards, and his lips threatened a smirk. She cleared her throat, returning most of her attention to him.  "And you have some rules you're inclined to follow, am I correct?"

James hummed softly. "So, you work for Doctor Raynor?"

"I didn't say that."

"Did she seriously send someone to follow me?" he took a step back, giving Darla a little room to breathe. She lifted her hand up and grabbed the sunglasses that were perched on her head, lowering them. That meant her eyes wouldn't give her away when he tried to interrogate her.

Oh yeah, nice move.

"I don't know who you're talking about," she shrugged, scratching the outside of her lip (a habit she'd picked up from her Great Aunt). "I've never met a Doctor Raymond."

Smooth.

"Raynor," he corrected, unimpressed by her ill attempts to mislead him. "You and I both know it's Raynor."

"Can I have my book back?" she changed the topic, holding her hand out. So, in response, James unzipped his leather jacket and shoved the book into the inner pocket, before walking off. Darla's jaw dropped a little in shock. "Oi!"

"You've been following me long enough, Darla," he called over his shoulder, the hustle and bustle of the street increasing in volume as he left the alleyway. "Come and find me when you can be bothered to talk!"

Darla spluttered as he turned the corner, quite clearly taken aback. She thought for a minute, before breaking into a run so that she could catch him. The odds weren't in her favour, however, as she made it back onto the Main Street and looked back and forth.

He was nowhere in sight.

She ran her hands through her hair. "Fuck."

★☆

"You sent someone after me." It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

Doctor Raynor didn't even look up from her notebook. "What are you talking about, James?"

He was severely unimpressed. "What happened to honesty being the best policy, Doc? Why don't you tell me exactly why a woman named Darla has been stalking me for the last month, and maybe I'll forgive you."

Raynor's lips quirked a little. "I didn't send her after you."

"So why does she know who you are?" he pressed on. "Does she work for you?"

"Darla doesn't work for me, no," she shook her head. "She is, however, on temporary placement here to complete her book about fallen organisations."

"And you've been, what?" he tilted his head. "Sharing notes? Isn't that a breach of confidentiality."

"I'd never to that to one of my patients," Raynor shook her head, before looking down at her watch and sighing. "Time's up."

"Thank God."

As he went to stand up, Raynor watched carefully. "You know what, James? I'm setting you some homework."

His shoulder's deflated. "What?"

Raynor smiled. "Make a new friend this week. And, if you want some advice, maybe start by giving Darla her book back. She's not going to leave you alone otherwise."

★☆

THE SECOND TIME DARLA DARWISH MET JAMES BUCHANAN BARNES, HE'D FOUND HER FIRST.

"So this is where you've been hiding."

Darla's head shot up from her desk, where she was furiously typing out a chapter about the experiments on weaponry following the alleged fall of HYDRA. A broad grin appeared on her face at the sight of the former assassin, and she clumsily shot out of her seat, knocking a few things over in her wake. "Sergeant Barnes! What brings you here?"

A little surprised by her eagerness, James tried not to react. He pushed the door a little further open, revealing her name plate. He traced the letters with his gloved finger, before looking back at her. "I asked Doctor Raynor about you."

Darla blinked. "Who?"

"Hilarious," he muttered, stepping further into her office and shutting the door. Darla didn't think much of it, offering him a seat opposite her desk. James lowered himself down, hands on either side of the chair. "She says that you're a writer. You've been scrounging around for information after the HYDRA leak."

"Can you blame me?" she didn't pick up on his distaste. "It's all so interesting! I mean, I'd never have thought all of this was happening under our noses. I knew the government was fucked up, but not like this, you know?"

He stared at her. She went back to typing. "So, you're not a journalist?"

"Nope."

"Or a therapist?"

"I've been told I'm not very empathetic," she hummed, squinting as she read something on her screen. She glanced back at him for a second, smiling. "Apparently I can be a little insensitive in how I approach things. Oh, by the way, do you still have my book? You should read it, I think you'd really enjoy it. Maybe you can relate to the whole 'killer thing'."

"I prefer older books," his voice remained monotonous.

"Like the bible?"

He suppressed a chuckle. Okay, that was kinda funny. "Not that old."

She thought for a moment. "Have you read Lord of the Rings?"

"Yeah, I got 'em all when they came out. Steve and I used to share the set," he said.

"Steve seemed like a cool guy," Darla muttered. "You don't have to talk about him if you don't want to. I guess it's all pretty touchy considered what happened. If you wanted, we can talk about something else?"

"What gives you the impression that I'm gonna be staying long?" James inquired.

"Well, you've made yourself comfortable, and you haven't shot me yet," she shrugged matter-of-factly. "I think this is the start of a wonderful friendship, don't you think?"

"Well, according to Raynor, you aren't gonna leave me alone, so do I have a choice?"

Darla chuckled. "Well, Doctor Raynor also said that she wanted you to make at least one new friend this week. Did she mention that?"

He shifted in his seat. "She might have."

Darla perked up. "So it looks like you've done your homework early, Sergeant!"

James sighed. "Bucky."

"What?"

"Just call me Bucky."

★☆

okay this shit is SO bad but i haven't written in so long and i just need a creative outlet idc at this point lmfaoooo

it'll hopefully get better but in all honesty I just want some comedic soft-ish content that doesn't take up too much brain power xoxoxoxo