Template:Featured Articles/6-2023
 "Wouldn't have offered if I didn't," she murmured from where her face was smushed into his side. "But'm tired of stomping all over your sore spots on accident too." Her brain turned over all the things she and Kevin had talked before, and she finally settled on what might be a decent starting point. "He asked if I thought my past relationship issues might be why I gravitate towards people who have.. limitations. Other people, priorities that create a sort of barrier to being fully invested." Doug made a thoughtful noise at that admission. His first instinct was to deny that he had any limitations...but he knew better. "Just because there are other people doesn't mean I don't want to fully invest in you, sweetie," he told her, and that was the truth. Even if Wade were to come back to the mansion, there would still be a place in his life for her. "Just because you want to doesn't mean you can, either," Darcy replied gently. "If Ange told you doing something would turn out okay... if Emma needed you to do something as her Knight... you can't say you wouldn't do them. And with Hellfire stuff, all you could really say is that you'd try to keep any blowback off me. And I knew that coming into this, my brain just... likes to be a particular kind of jerk about it sometimes." She turned, lacing their fingers together and giving his hand a squeeze. "Wade's a little trickier. I'm just not sure where I'd fit in if he came back, except as your friend. Which... if that's ever what happens I'll be devastated, but as long as we're adults about it and use our words I'll get over it. Eventually. I'd probably take one of those extended intel trips, hope I was able to keep it together by the time I got back." It stung, hearing Darcy give herself so little room to matter. Yes, Doug admitted that things would probably change if Wade were to come back, but... "Darcy, this is important." He pulled on her hand a little bit to hold it between both of his. "There will always be a place for you in my life. No matter what." He looked steadily at her eyes, trying his best to convey comfort and reassurance. "It took me quite a while to come to terms with non-monogamy, but let's be honest, it takes a village to contain my particular brand of dumbass." He shook his head a little, in self-aware humor. "I'm not the only person in Angie's life, or even yours. If Wade came back, maybe I'd spend a bit making up for the time he's been gone, but that doesn't mean you have to go away." "I told you my brain was mean," she replied, relaxing a little in his hold. "It... it's been an adjustment. I mean, I've done it before, kinda, with the girl I dated in college. But it was more us and some guys who knew they were temporary, not... a complex relationship. We were pretty friendly with some of the ones that weren't weird about it, which is why dating Matt's so easy. I know Foggy's his number one." Darcy could even joke with them about being a sidepiece, because it worked with their friendship. She smiled up at Doug, scooting up so she could peck his cheek. "We're just a little more complicated. It's harder for me to figure out sometimes where I fit in with people that have known you so long, that have seen you through your best and worst." Her lips quirked into something that wasn't quite a grimace, but wasn't one of her easy smiles either. She'd accepted years ago she was probably not going to be someone's first priority, and thought she'd made peace with it. Apparently not, if her brain could still fuck her up like this. She couldn't even crack her normal joke here, because she knew Doug would take it poorly. "Making up for lost time makes it so easy to just close the circle," she murmured against his cheek, pressing another kiss to it. "But I'll try not to borrow tomorrow's troubles and just appreciate what I do have." |
