A/N: This is part 1 of 2 of the shit going down chapter. I have to leave you on a tiny bit of a cliffhanger so don't get too upset with me. I'll do my best to get the next chapter written quickly, but I really want to do this justice.
CW: Smut, descriptions of teeth pulling and violence.
Stones taught me to fly
Love, it taught me to lie
- Damien Rice, "Cannonball"
They're sitting at the piano, Dahlia playing softly while James watches her, his head rested on her shoulder. He's been nauseous throughout the day and she's almost certain he has a concussion. He seems so small and vulnerable now, his face bruised and partially swollen. Even with all of the cuts and scrapes, he's still beautiful. He tells her he's fine, he just needs to sleep it off or have a drink, but Rebecca won't let him do either. Dahlia has never seen him this helpless before, or this quiet. Usually, he commands a certain kind of presence that intimidates her, but today, he's much more reserved, letting Rebecca take control.
Dahlia plays softly to keep him awake while Rebecca reads a book with Alpine sitting in her lap. She teaches James some scales to keep him from falling asleep until the doctor gets here. James learns them enthusiastically - or as enthusiastically as he can. He looks tired, like he didn't sleep at all last night. There are big bags under his eyes and dark circles. Dahlia wonders what's going on in his mind as he mirrors her, playing the exact same notes, his fingers gliding up and down the piano with confidence. He's a bit of a natural when it comes to this. He has long fingers and a soft touch that make the keys sing. You can't really teach that.
At 4:30pm, there's a knock on James's door. Rebecca gets up to answer it, motioning silently for James to stay where he is. He sighs and rolls his eyes, but stays put at the piano bench with Dahlia.
"She's worried about me," he whispers.
"She should be. She's your sister." Dahlia reaches up and kisses him. "Are you still feeling nauseous?"
"No," he whispers. "I'm okay."
She kisses him.
"Maybe you should take it easy this week and stay home from work."
He shakes his head.
"I've got more meetings with Tony and some developers. I've gotta take Natasha to the Skid Row development—"
"James?" A deep voice calls. Dahlia and James turns around and her jaw hangs open a little. It's the guy she saw the morning that James had to stop by the warehouse to handle Yelena's shipment. James never mentioned that guy was his fucking doctor.
She looks over at James, who stares straight ahead, waving gently to the man in the doorway.
"Hey, Steven," he says softly.
"You look like shit."
"Thanks."
Steven gives her a tight-lipped smile and motions for James to sit on the couch. He checks James's reflexes, tapping on the insides and outsides of his elbows, his forearms, and tests the reflexes in his fingers and knees and ankles. He and makes him look Steven in the eye while he wiggles his fingers.
"Your job is to point at the finger that's wiggling."
James passes with flying colors. Dahlia sits at the piano wondering why he never mentioned Steven when he saw him that day. What could be the reason?
Steven checks James's eyes to make sure his pupils are dilating and contracting properly.
"Have you been nauseous?"
"Yes."
"Any confusion?"
"No."
"Headaches?"
James shakes his head.
"Any tingling in your limbs?"
"No."
"Trouble sleeping?"
James shakes his head again.
"Haven't tried yet."
Steven nods and digs in his bag, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen.
"James, I want you to draw a clock face on here and set it to 10 minutes past 11."
"What's that for?" Dahlia asks. "The clock thing?"
Steven glances behind him and smiles. It's a little arrogant and off-putting. Dahlia feels a shiver run down her spine. Steven's eyes are cold and icy. He has an intimidating presence. Dahlia instantly feels stupid for asking a question.
"I'm trying to determine if he has a cognitive impairment from the accident."
Dahlia nods and James offers her a soft smile to comfort her that makes her stomach flutter and almost forget about the fact that she has some questions to ask him. She's not sure if she wants to bring them up now. He's clearly not in the right state of mind to be interrogated right now. She watches as James quickly sketches a clock and sets the hands at 10 minutes past 11. He hands the pad of paper back to Steven who looks it over and nods.
"Okay. Do you remember how you hit your head?"
"Some guy cut me off and I wrapped my car around a tree," James replies.
"I thought it was a pole," Dahlia interrupts.
He blinks and runs a hand through his hair, his face turning pink. Dahlia raises a brow. Something about this doesn't feel right, and the story about the car accident isn't sitting well with her. She doesn't want to think that James could be lying to her, but how else would he get these kinds of injuries?
"Right. Yeah. Maybe I am a little confused, doc."
"It's normal. Did your head hit the dashboard?"
"No," James replies. "I got knocked to the side."
"Did you pass out?"
"No."
"That's a good sign." Steven pauses. "You probably have a mild concussion. I would take the rest of the weekend to rest - stay away from your phone. You can watch TV and do some light reading, but I wouldn't recommend anything more than that. I know it sounds strange, but mental stress and overstimulation can exacerbate things and make you nauseous."
"Wasn't planning on looking at my phone for the rest of the weekend, doc," James says as he glances over at Dahlia with a sly smile on his face. She blushes and looks down at her feet, suddenly feeling guilty about being suspicious of him. Still, she can't escape this feeling that things aren't quite what they seem. She's had this feeling before, when she first came over here, but his charm threw her off completely. Dahlia chalked it up to James being afraid to show her who he really is, but is that a lie? Is the soft, sweet, gentle James she's come to know over the past few weeks just a facade?
You're spiralling based on one possible lie. Maybe he just thought he told you about his doctor. Maybe it's not a big fucking deal.
Wanda once told her that she looks for the worst in people, and she wasn't wrong. On dates, Dahlia would just wait for the guy to fuck up instead of enjoying the time she was spending getting to know another person. James is the first guy who didn't make her feel like that, and now she's possibly sabotaging something really good that's happening in her life.
Still, that alarm bell rings loudly as Steven packs his bags up and, essentially, gives James a prescription for rest and some Tylenol if he starts to have headaches.
"If things get worse, give me another call, but I think you just need a couple of days to rest and recoup."
James gets to his feet and sticks his hand out.
"Thanks, doc."
"No problem."
Steven gives Dahlia a small nod and leaves the room after shaking Rebecca's hand. She walks him to the door and James looks down at Dahlia as she sits at the piano. Dahlia forces a smile, deciding not to bring up the fact that she's definitely seen Steven Strange before. James doesn't ask her about it. She decides to forget about it this weekend. She'll ask him once he's feeling better.
They spend the rest of the day in the lounge, reading, chatting, and Rebecca makes them some sangria before she starts dinner. James lets her cook, but he doesn't let Dahlia out of his sight. He seems anxious, and more attached to her than usual. As they lay on the couch watching TV with Rebecca, James grabs Dahlia's hand and kisses her knuckles, her palm. There's a weight in his eyes that makes her anxious.
Is he hiding something or breaking up with me?
Even when she gets up to go to the bathroom, he's watching her like a hawk as she walks away. Dahlia manages to send Wanda a text as she's leaning against the bathroom counter.
Something weird's going on with James.
[wands 🍃] something mafia-esque?
She rolls her eyes. Wanda cannot let this shit go.
This is serious. He got into a car accident this morning.
[wands 🍃]: what the fuck? are you okay?
I wasn't in the car. He's fine, too. Thanks for asking 🙄
[wands 🍃]: I was going to ask!
He's been acting weird. I'm freaking out.
[wands 🍃]: what kind of weird?
Clingier than usual, he seems really anxious... he kept apologizing this morning when he got back and he's been weird this week. One second he's super clingy and the next he's really aloof and REALLY into his phone.
[wands 🍃]: is he hiding his texts from you or taking secret phone calls?
Dahlia thinks for a moment. She can't really recall other than some business calls that she was able to overhear in the other room. James generally tries to separate his work life from their relationship. He says it's important... and yet, he hired her for a job and now they're in love, so maybe he's not as good at it as he tries to be.
No, he's not using his phone. Something feels off, Wands. He has this family doctor that I saw a couple of weeks ago and James didn't even mention him.
[wands 🍃]: so?
It's weird!
[wands 🍃]: maybe he's one of those doctors who prescribes cocaine and heroin and shit, or maybe he got his medical license revoked and writes illegal prescriptions and James just doesn't want to tell you.
Where do you get this stuff?
[wands 🍃]: I saw it on dateline once... but that doctor killed his wife, so idk if it's relevant.
Dahlia sighs and shakes her head. Leave it to Wanda to come up with something totally fucking ridiculous.
[wands 🍃]: do you really want to spend your whole weekend worrying about the fact that he didn't tell you about his doctor? Go cuddle that man, get some dick, and deal with it later.
You're right. Thanks for the pep talk.
[wands 🍃]: always here for you. Basil ate your expensive underwear, by the way 😬
Dahlia sighs.
"Fucking cat."
She pockets her phone and heads back out to the lounge. James has his eyes closed and Rebecca smiles at her as Dahlia sits back down on the couch. She cuddles up to James, letting him wrap an arm around her and hold her close. He kisses her temple.
"Te iubesc."
I love you. She knows that one. He texts it to her all the time.
"Te iubesc," Dahlia whispers.
James smiles.
"That was pretty good."
Rebecca nods in approval.
"Nu e rău pentru un American," she chuckles. James smiles and Dahlia looks confused.
"What does that mean?"
"Not bad for an American," James chuckles.
The three of them giggle, and suddenly all of the tension in the room evaporates. She pushes the questions she has out of her mind, ultimately deciding that what matters the most is the person right next to her.
Dahlia finds that, for the rest of the weekend, things are relatively normal. They eat dinner, sleep in, drink sangria and eat incredible food. James takes Dahlia for a walk on the beach the next morning to watch the sunrise, and watches as she runs into the ocean in nothing but her underwear and a t-shirt. She lets herself drown in euphoria and stability. Aside from Wanda, her apartment, and her job, James is the most stable person in Dahlia's life. She's afraid to ask questions because she doesn't want to rock this boat. It's so perfect, but in the back of her mind, she knows that her paranoia will come screaming back, demanding answers of him.
For now, it's quiet.
On Monday, James doesn't go to work and only takes one phone call from Tony Stark about Steve's party. That night after dinner, they play Scrabble with Rebecca. She kicks the shit out of both of them. Three triple word scores three games in a row, and she makes words that Dahlia has never even heard of before.
"Zaxes is not a fucking word, Becs."
"Yes, it is! A zax is a small axe used for cutting roof slates, and zaxes is the plural version of that. 21 points, asshole!"
James sips his drink and shakes his head.
"Fuck no. Take it off the board."
"You're just mad because all you can spell is ass and there's no cursing in Scrabble!"
She shoves his word off of the board and Dahlia giggles into her sangria.
"An ass is a donkey, you idiot!" James replies as he puts it back down onto the board. "Three points! Go fuck yourself!" He turns to Dahlia. "Peach, look up zaxes."
Dahlia googles it and winces.
"She's right, James."
"Son of a bitch," he whispers.
"You know what?" Rebecca asks. "Just for that? Just for questioning how fucking intelligent your sister really is, check this shit out."
She picks up a bunch of tiles and arranges them around some of the other words on the board that they've made, eventually spelling out QUARTZY.
James and Dahlia blink.
"You are making shit up!" He laughs.
"It's a crystal, you fucking tool!" Rebecca exclaims. "And it's 164 points on a triple word score. Suck it, loser!"
James sighs and looks over at Dahlia as he sips his whiskey.
"There's a reason we never played this game when we were kids."
"Yeah, because your best words were ass and dicks. Even during Scrabble, this guy has the sense of humor of an 8th grader."
James rolls his eyes and Dahlia giggles. They continue to play, but Rebecca mops the floor with both of them.
By the time Tuesday rolls around and she has to say goodbye to Rebecca, Dahlia feels like she's gained another best friend. They wrap each other in big hugs in the driveway while James puts his sister's bags in her car.
"It was so great to meet you," Rebecca says softly. "I'm so sorry I can't come to Steve's party. Work shit, you know?"
"And in a whole other state across the country," Dahlia laughs.
"That too." She pulls away from Dahlia and grabs her by the shoulders. "You're really lovely, Dahlia. I'm so glad James found you. Between you and I, he was getting a little miserable being alone."
"I'm right here, asshole," James laughs.
"I'm aware," Rebecca quips with a big smile on her face.
Dahlia chuckles. She really likes Rebecca. She calls James out on his shit and humbles him to the extreme. The past three days, it was like she was looking at a completely different version of the man she loves. He's softer with his family around, and more casual. He didn't wear suitpants and dress shirts the entire weekend and actually lounged around in his sweats and a t-shirt - although, Dahlia does give credit to his minor concussion for that. Still, she appreciated watching James sip his morning coffee while his sweatpants clung to his hipbones.
He talks more casually around Rebecca, too, switching between English and Romanian, but always translating for Dahlia. She has a feeling she saw the real James Barnes this weekend, and now that Rebecca's gone, he'll be that impenetrable, dominant businessman that she's always known. Not that that's a bad thing, she just loves his vulnerability. It's like watching a flower bloom.
They hug one more time before James hugs his sister and they speak softly in Romanian. The conversation looks like it's serious, with James nodding and smiling, worry in his eyes, while Rebecca stares at him with a stern look on her face. Dahlia watches with confusion as they part and Rebecca waves at them as she gets into the car, honking at them as she backs out of the parking lot and heads in the direction of the airport. James and Dahlia get into his black McLaren and she turns to him.
"Do you guys speak Romanian to each other a lot?"
"Huh?"
"Back there, when you were talking. Do you speak Romanian with each other a lot?"
"Habit from when we were kids," he tells her. "We used to talk shit about the other kids in our class and nobody had any idea what we were saying."
She raises her eyebrows.
"I hope you weren't talking shit about me."
James scoffs and shakes his head.
"Not at all. She was just telling me she didn't want me to screw things up with you, and to be on my best behavior."
Dahlia chuckles softly, and the anxiety from earlier this weekend returns.
But James keeps his hand rested on Dahlia's thigh as they drive toward the flower shop. She links her fingers in his, examining the fading bruises on his knuckles. Dahlia traces the lines of his tattoos, bringing his hand up to kiss each finger. James looks over and smiles at her, his bright blue eyes glittering in the morning light. She holds back the question that's lodged in her throat and just decides to enjoy the moment. Now isn't the time, and she doesn't need the stress before she starts her shift. They're spending the weekend together after Steve's party. James is taking her to San Francisco.
She agreed to it while they were lying in bed on Sunday morning and she read him the news. There's an art gallery opening. All it took was for Dahila to say, "I'd like to go to that", and James Barnes, in classic James Barnes fashion said he would take her. Immediately, he tossed her his credit card and had her book the Fairmont in Ghirardelli Square. It's almost $2,000 a night with a living room, a kitchen, and a view of the bay and Alcatraz. James made sure she booked the most expensive suite in the hotel.
She'll ask him about it then, but James always has a way of charming the shit out of her and making her forget about the small things.
🌺 🌺 🌺
The week flies by with preparations for Steve's party. Dahlia barely has time to breathe, much less think about James. They get to see each other in fleeting moments. He's doing his best to prep for the party, telling her he wants it to be as extravagant as possible. Steve is his best friend, after all. On Thursday morning, she texts him about a particularly bitchy customer who wanted to return a bouquet.
Who the fuck returns a bouquet?
[James 🖤]: An idiot.
I'm so stressed. We're only three quarters of the way through the arrangements.
[James 🖤]: Sounds like you need a break.
No, I need to work harder! You said you wanted this to be extravagant.
[James 🖤]: Dahlia, whatever you come up with is going to be beautiful, just like you.
He's so supportive, it makes her a little angry.
He stops in at noon with a bag of sushi and a case of beer while Wanda, Kate, and Scott are grabbing lunch across the street. Dahlia melts the second she sees him. The bruise around his eye has almost faded, and the cut on his nose is healing up nicely. He has a gorgeous smile on his face, his eyes bright and shining as he walks toward her in his pale blue suit with a white t-shirt underneath. He's been wearing more color. Dahlia loves it.
"James..."
"Figured you needed a pick-me-up."
She blushes.
"You're so sweet."
He walks around the counter and kisses her on the cheek.
"Anything for you, draga mea."
She smiles.
"Lock the door."
James grins and flips lock. They walk into her office and he closes the door, biting his lip as he leans against it, looking her up and down. She decided to wear a pale pink dress today that hits her mid-thigh. It's billowy and soft. The shop's air conditioning broke this morning. Scott has been trying to fix it for most of the day to no avail. Just one more thing to add to Dahlia's stress.
"How much time do we have?" He asks.
"They'll be back in like half an hour."
His body sags.
"Fuck."
"Why?" She laughs.
"Not enough time for what I wanna do to you."
"You dirty dog," she teases.
Dahlia giggles and steps toward him, gliding her fingers up his shirt to graze his abs. She hovers her lips just over his, breathing softly. James growls.
"Guess you'll have to wait until the weekend to fuck my brains out, huh?" She purrs.
"Don't tease me, peach."
"Maybe I want to. Just a little bit."
James grabs her by the shoulders and spins her around, pressing her against the door. He drops to his knees and licks up her inner thigh, making brief eye contact. He's delicious - bright blue eyes, chiseled cheekbones, and a dusting of dark stubble across his face. She could die right now with this man between her legs and she would be okay with it. James pulls her skirt over his head so that he disappears and can kiss and nip at her skin as he nestles between her thighs. He yanks one of her legs over his shoulder to give himself more control. Dahlia clamps a hand over her mouth as he nuzzles against her cunt, teasing her and making her whine into her palm.
"You're already fucking soaked for me," he mumbles beneath her dress.
James pushes her panties aside. He laps at her clit with feather-light strokes, circling it and flicking it as gently as possible until Dahlia has to bite down on her fist to keep from moaning. He teases her entrance with his tongue, and when she feels two thick fingers slip inside of her, her eyes roll back. James thrusts slowly, making sure to touch and lick every single fucking inch of her that his mouth and fingers can reach. Dahlia's skin is on fire, her cunt clenching around him as she grinds her hips against his mouth. He sucks on her swollen bud and strokes her g-spot. Fire crawls through her veins and makes her skin hot and flushed. James purrs and moans into her pussy and Dahlia feels the vibrations all the way down to her toes. She's so fucking quiet, trying not to get completely lost, but he makes it so difficult. She tries to keep an ear out for the sound of the bell on the door. So far, nothing. James works tirelessly to push her right to the brink of her climax before he pulls away and points at the desk, a massive tent in his pants.
"Bend over," he commands in a low and gravelly voice. Dahlia locks the office door and does as she's told. She feels the sharp sting of his hand slapping her ass, followed by the sound of his pants unzipping, and then he's thrusting into her. She can feel every inch of him as he fucks her like an animal. It's desperate and hot, and the fact that they could get caught at any second makes it even hotter.
They're so quiet. The only sound she can hear is her heartbeat and her own breath rushing in and out of her chest. Her heart is pounding and her eyelids flutter as the tip of his cock grazes her g-spot. James grabs a handful of hair, yanking her head back and biting down on her shoulder, through the fabric of her dress. He ghosts his lips up her neck until he reaches the shell of her ear, flicking it with his tongue.
"The next time I'm in here, I'm gonna do what I wanna do to you. Gonna walk in when you've got a fucking store filled with people, bring you back here, and make you scream my fucking name."
She pulses around his cock, biting her tongue to keep from crying out. Her hand reaches out to grab a sheet of paper, just so she can have something to crumple in her fist. James fucks her harder. She can picture the devilish grin on his face.
"You're gonna take every fucking inch of me, peach."
"Yes, daddy," she whispers.
"Good girl." He groans softly in her ear. "Gonna come."
She nods. She's right on the fucking edge, trying to hold herself back until she can't possibly hold on anymore. James pushes her right past that point, shoving her face onto the desk, his cock pulsing inside of her as he comes with the sweetest, most heavenly groan that makes every muscle in her body tense. Dahlia's climax follows quickly and she swallows the screams she so desperately wants to let out. They breathe heavily and James pulls out of her, taking his phone out of his pocket.
"Ten minutes," he laughs. "Not nearly long enough."
Dahlia pulls herself up to her full height and pushes her sweat-logged hair out of her face. She quickly runs into the bathroom to clean herself up while James takes their lunch out of the bag. When she comes back, he's set out a bottle of beer and a bunch of sushi rolls. He's also opened the door and the windows to get the some airflow into the office. Dahlia leans against the bathroom doorway and smirks at him. James quirks an eyebrow.
"What?"
"You know, one of these days, I'd like to be in charge."
He blinks and raises his eyebrows.
"Did you not have a good time?"
"No, I did." She saunters toward him and plucks the sushi roll out from between his chopsticks, popping it into her mouth. Dahlia watches James melt in 4k right in front of her. "I just want to be in charge. For one night."
He chuckles and pretends that what just happened definitely did not happen. This is a man who doesn't like to give up control easily. He picks up another roll and pops it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
"I don't necessarily play fair, peach."
"Why?" She asks, propping her legs up on her desk and crossing her ankles. "Are you afraid of being dominated by a woman?"
"Where did all of this confidence come from?"
She knows where. It was his softness the weekend before. She saw how much he needed her, how desperate he was, and it got the gears turning in her head. Mostly the horny ones, but that's okay.
Dahlia shrugs.
"Just a thought," she replies as she sips her beer. "I'm in love with the richest man on the West Coast. I'd like to see what it feels like to have that kind of power in the palm of my hand. Just for a night."
James sucks his teeth and takes a deep inhale.
"We'll talk about it."
Her eyes go wide.
"Seriously?"
He smirks and sips his beer, cradling it between his palms. Dahlia watches as he leans forward, his piercing blue eyes burning into hers.
"Peach, the only woman I'd ever want to be on my knees for is you."
She throws her head back and lets out a loud, raw groan.
"Fuuuuuuck!"
They laugh and there's a knock at the door.
"Are you fucking in there?!" Wanda asks.
Dahlia rolls her eyes while James laughs. He rolls the chair over and unlocks the door.
"Hi, Wanda."
Kate, Wanda, and Scott are standing in the doorway, staring at the two of them. Scott frowns.
"Don't tell me you did it in the chair. I sit in that sometimes!"
"Oh my God!" Dahlia laughs. "We didn't fuck in here!"
"Why are the windows open?" Wanda asks.
"Because it's 100 degrees out, you fucking freak!" Dahlia exclaims.
James winks at Dahlia and continues to eat his sushi.
What was supposed to be a small lunch with just the two of them is quickly invaded by her co-workers. James doesn't seem to mind. His mood is light and easy. His face looks brighter. Scott asks him about the car accident and James tells the same story with the exact same details.
Maybe he's not lying.
The guilt returns. She feels like shit for doubting him, and this week, he's given her no indication that he hasn't been 100% truthful. James stays for another half hour and offers up the beers he brought for lunch. He gives Dahlia a kiss as he leaves and presses his forehead to hers as they stand on the sidewalk outside the shop.
"I'll see you tomorrow night. I sent a gown to your apartment, and some shoes... and a hair and makeup artist will meet you at 3:00pm."
"Are you trying to send me a message?" She teases with a smile.
"No, peach," he laughs. "I just don't want you to have to worry about a thing tomorrow night. Everything is taken care of."
"I love you," she murmurs.
"I love you too."
A horn honks and James looks over his shoulder. Dahlia follows his eyeline to see Peter waving in the front seat of a big black car. James kisses her.
"I've gotta get back to the office."
"FaceTime tonight?" She asks.
"Wouldn't miss it," he says with a wink.
The rest of Thursday and Friday go by in a flash. They manage to finish the rest of the arrangements by the end of the day on Thursday and arrange for a delivery driver to pick the flowers up in the morning.
Dahlia put up some temporary hours, letting customers know they were only open from 9:00am to 2:00pm on Friday and closed for the rest of the day for a staff function. Friday is mostly slow, with a few customers and a few sales. Dahlia is fine with that. They've been running on nothing but adrenaline, caffeine, and hope for the past week while they prepped for this party. They deserve a slow afternoon where they can just lean against the cash register and talk shit. It's the perfect end to a mostly perfect week... save for all of the stress. Dahlia is relieved to leave the shop behind for the weekend, putting Wanda and Kate in charge.
Once Dahlia and Wanda get home at 3:00pm on Friday, they're greeted by a hair and makeup artists standing awkwardly in the hallway, along with two large boxes, each of them labelled with Dahlia and Wanda's names on them.
James bought Dahlia a lavender gown covered in small rhinestones on the bust. There's a high slit up the side, and a pair of white pumps to go with it. Wanda gets a fiery red gown with matching red shoes, and both of them get more jewelry than they could possibly wear in one night. There's a small card attached.
Love,
JBB
Wanda turns to Dahlia as they rip open the boxes on the kitchen counter while the hair and makeup artist set up shop near the big window in the living room.
"You really hit the jackpot with this dude," Wanda tells her.
Dahlia laughs and they settle in for the evening. She makes cocktails for everyone while they get ready. It turns out, the hairstylist is a woman named Jane who James has known for about two years.
"He always gets the same haircut. Fluffy on the top and short on the sides."
Dahlia giggles.
"Well, you do an amazing job. It's very sexy."
Jane chuckles as she curls Dahlia's hair. Wanda's hair is straight, and they both have fairly neutral makeup, save for red lipstick. They wanted to match in some way. Kate and Scott are getting ready at Kate's apartment with Hope and they'll meet them at the party. Dahlia texts James.
I assume you're wearing a purple suit?
[James 🖤]: Rainbow suit.
Seriously?
[James 🖤]: No. Royal blue.
Can't wait to rip it off of you.
[James 🖤]: Bad girl, Dahlia.
Just for you 😘
She lives to tease him.
Once they're ready, there's a car waiting for them outside of Dahlia's apartment to drive them to the hotel. The concierge takes them through the back of Barnes Towers to a much smaller and more intimate ballroom decorated in black and gold. The lighting is dim and intimate, and Dahlia spots James at the bar, sipping a glass of whiskey in a royal blue suit with a black bow tie. His hair is perfectly styled, fluffy and a little messy and curly. Stubble dusts his chin and the second their eyes meet, the two of them smile brightly. Dahlia rushes to his side as he talks to the man beside him. He has long black hair, sharp cheekbones, and piercing green eyes. Dahlia doesn't bother to say hi to him at first. She's too preoccupied with James until he gestures toward his friend with a smile.
"Dahlia, this is Loki Laufeyson. He's one of the investors in the Skid Row property."
Loki sticks out his hand and Dahlia shakes it firmly.
"Nice to meet you."
"So nice to meet you too. James has told me a lot about you."
She blushes.
"Nothing too terrible, I hope."
Loki smirks.
"Not at all." He looks past James's shoulder. "I should mingle a little more. I can't spend the whole night at the bar... as much as I'd like to."
James chuckles and Loki turns to Dahlia.
"Pleasure to meet you, darling."
"You too," she says softly, her cheeks turning pink.
Loki saunters into the crowd and Dahlia turns to James, kissing him softly. He looks down at her, his eyes glittering.
"You look incredible. Perfect."
She laughs.
"Thanks. It's been a while since someone did my makeup for me. Jane says hi, by the way. She also says you're due for a haircut next month."
He runs a hand through his hair.
"You don't think this looks good?"
Dahlia grins.
"I do, but she thinks you're looking a little haggard."
His jaw drops.
"Haggard?"
"Hey, her words, not mine. I think you're perfect." Dahlia cranes her neck to kiss his cheek. James chuckles and orders her a gin and tonic.
"You wanna do some mingling?" He asks, sticking out his arm.
"Of course."
They float through the crowd and Dahlia puts on her biggest smile as James introduces her to more people - Tony Stark and his wife, Justin Hammer (he makes sure to tell her that the two of them hate each other so that she doesn't ask any awkward questions), and some more of his business partners. She does her best to be eloquent, perfectly feminine, and still assertive. James told her to never let these men walk all over her or treat her like she's just his girlfriend. For a rich guy, he's not the worst feminist in the world.
Finally, they spot Steve and Sam at a table doing shots and laughing together. Steve grins when he sees Dahlia, his eyes a little droopy from the alcohol. He stretches out his arms. He looks to be in an unusually good mood tonight, but then again, it's his 37th birthday and the alcohol definitely helps.
"It's my favorite couple!" He shouts through the crowd. "Get the hell over here, you two!"
Sam shakes his head and shrugs, relenting to his friend's ridiculous behavior. James rolls his eyes and leans over to Dahlia.
"He got into the sauce early."
"Well, it's his birthday," Dahlia chuckles as she walks up to Steve and he kisses her on the cheek. "Happy birthday."
"Thanks," Steve says softly. "And thanks for the flowers. The whole place looks fucking amazing."
Dahlia blushes as Sam approaches her and kisses her on the cheek too.
"I don't think we've formally met, but I'm Sam Wilson. Been a friend of James's for a long time."
"Dahlia Davies."
Sam grins.
"Yeah, we know who you are."
She looks around the room while James, Sam and Steve talk. Wanda and Kate are talking to Yelena while Scott and Hope are on the dance floor, swaying to some shitty '80s song. They look happy. Everyone looks happy. Dahlia takes a deep breath, sipping her drink. She's not even listening to the mindless chatter from her table - they're talking about business. They're always talking about business, but Dahlia is just trying to soak all of this up the best she can. The ballroom is full and she's never seen James so relaxed in her life. He wraps an arm around her waist and kisses her temple as Steve leans over the table, pointing at him. Dahlia looks up at James as he quirks an eyebrow.
"I'm telling you, Buck, Hammer was showing me his new security system, and I think it could be used in conjunction with Stark's."
Dahlia resists the urge to roll her eyes as James shakes his head.
"There's no way you could get Tony and Justin to agree on anything. They'd rather gouge their own eyes out than work together."
"I'm just saying, think about it," Steve slurs. "Can you think about it? Here, I'll send you an email. Can I send you an email?"
James shakes his head and sighs as Steve pulls his phone out of his pocket and taps away at it, blinking furiously as he tries to focus his eyes. He's already hammered and the party just started an hour ago. Steve's eyes go wide.
"Oh shit."
"What?" James asks.
"We've got a..." He hands the phone to Sam.
"Hotel thing," Sam finishes for Steve. "Apparently it's an emergency delivery."
James looks over at Dahlia who sighs.
"You said no work stuff. You said the weekend was about spending time with—"
"Dahlia—"
He promised. He said that Friday night after 3:00pm, he wouldn't think or talk about work, and now he's broken both of those rules.
"We'll be so fast," Steve interrupts, reaching over to pat Dahlia on the hand. "I promise. So fast. We'll be back before you finish your drink."
She gently pulls her hand away from Steve and looks up at James.
"Go," she whispers. "I'll be at the bar."
"Thank you." He kisses her on the cheek and motions for Sam and Steve to follow him. Steve turns around, stumbling backward into the crowd.
"It'll be SO FAST, Dahlia!"
James shrugs and winces as he turns around to grab Steve by the shoulder and haul him around. Dahlia frowns and sighs. She's trying not to be upset, but James did promise that his focus would be entirely on her this weekend.
"Don't freak out," she whispers as she walks to the bar. As she climbs onto a stool and begins to nurse her drink, she feels someone slide onto the chair beside her. Dahlia looks up into Kate's big, hazel eyes.
"Where's Wanda?"
Kate points behind her and Dahlia looks over her shoulder to see Wanda laughing with Scott and Hope.
"Yelena took off. Said it was an emergency," Kate tells her. "So Wanda didn't really get a chance to make a move even though she's been trying for half an hour."
Dahlia arches an eyebrow.
"An emergency?"
"Yeah, she said something about having to take a phone call about a shipment." Kate sips her champagne. "How are you doing? You look bummed."
"James also got called away to a work thing."
"Rich people shit, huh?" Kate mutters, swirling the champagne in her glass.
Dahlia scoffs.
"Yeah."
She gets that nagging feeling again, that something isn't right. Dahlia looks over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the crowd. It looks a little thinner than it did before. Tony's wife is standing by herself, checking her phone and Tony is nowhere to be found. Dahlia also can't find Loki. Her natural curiosity takes over and she glances across the room to the doorway she saw Sam, Steve, and James walking toward.
"What's up?" Kate asks.
"Nothing," Dahlia replies. She drains her drink. "I'm gonna go pee and fix my lipstick."
Kate nods.
"I'll be here trying to find a sugar daddy."
Dahlia chuckles.
"You might have good luck today, Bishop."
"Fingers crossed!" Kate jokes. Dahlia pats her on the shoulder.
"I won't be long. We can make fun of some of these rich people when I get back."
Kate nods and Dahlia gently pushes her way through the crowd, going unnoticed by most of the people chattering away. She walks toward the doorway that leads to a long hall. It looks like it's only used by employees. She pulls her phone out of her purse and checks it.
Nothing from James.
The hallway leads to another heavy metal door that Dahlia pushes open. On the other side, are a set of concrete stairs that look like they lead to a basement. The walls are concrete.
She hears voices coming from a few flights down and gingerly slips off her heels so that she can creep down unnoticed. She climbs down two sets of stairs as slowly as possible, her hand clinging to the railing. When she gets to the bottom, she spots a door at the end of another hallway and hears a scream followed by the sound of something very solid hitting the floor.
"Get him back on the fuckin' chair!"
That's James's voice. Dahlia's heart pounds and she can't stop herself from creeping closer and closer toward the door. It's only open a crack. The hallway is dark, with the doorway being the only source of light that she can see. She gathers up the skirt of her dress so that it doesn't make a sound and slowly stalks forward, trying to control her breathing. She hears the sound of someone groaning and muffled voices.
"Give Rogers the pliers." James's voice again.
"I want a turn when he's done." That sounds like Tony Stark.
"Please, you don't want to—"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, WALKER!" James roars. "You've done enough damage. You tried to fucking kill me and my girlfriend last week, and you think you can just walk away from that unscathed? That's the woman I love, you SON OF A BITCH!"
There's another crack, the sound of a fist hitting someone's face. She hears a pathetic whine and laughter.
Dahlia's jaw is on the floor. She has to stop for a moment to gather herself. She shouldn't be here, but she's in too deep now.
Walker was the person who chased them off of the road? She didn't even see the guy's face. He was wearing some kind of weird ski mask. All she saw was a blur of dark blue and all she heard was a gunshot and the sound of tires. She reaches the door and peeks through the crack. John Walker is tied to a chair, his face beaten and bloodied, almost to the point where he's unrecognizable save for his uniform.
Wanda was right.
All Dahlia sees is Walker at first, and then James comes into view, circling his enemy with a predatory look on his face. His eyes are vicious and murderous. She's never seen him like this before. Her heart is pounding so fast she's afraid it's going to shatter her ribcage. Dahlia's legs can barely hold her up and she has to gently press the wall to keep herself upright. James grabs Walker by the hair and rips his head back as he steps behind him, forcing John to look him in the eyes. Dahlia sees a small leg attached to a black high heel kick Walker in the gut, and then sees Yelena lean forward and spit on him. James chuckles.
"Your kids are gonna grow up knowing their father died a fucking coward." He looks to his right. "Stevie? You do the honors."
"Happy fucking birthday to me," Steve chuckles as he practically dances into view with a pair of pliers in his hand. "Sam, open his mouth."
Walker begins to scream.
"NO! NO NO NO NO NO!"
Dahlia can't fucking believe what she's seeing as Sam holds open John's mouth and Steve reaches in with the pliers. She hears bone crunch, followed by the sound of a guttural groan, the kind of sound a wounded animal makes. John screams and Steve pulls his arm away, blood dripping off of the pliers. There's a pearly white tooth caught between them, most of it covered in crimson. Dahlia gasps and covers her mouth. The motion from the doorway catches James eye.
Fuck.
Maybe he didn't see her.
She sees fear in his eyes.
He definitely saw her.
They stare at each other. His face pales and his jaw clenches. Dahlia can't look away. She's frozen in place as pure terror makes itself at home in her bones. She feels a chill roll down her spine and encompass her entire body. Her brain screams at her to run, run as fast as she can and to never look back. James pulls his phone out of his pocket. In the half second that it takes for him to look down at it, Dahlia makes her move, spinning on her heel, her shoes clutched in her hand as she sprints down the hallway. She hears the door slam open.
"DAHLIA!"
Don't look back. Run and don't look back.
Her legs burn as she tears up the stairs, almost tripping before she saves herself by grasping the railing. When she looks back, James isn't following her. She rips the door open and steps through it, slamming it and leaning against it, breathing hard. She's sticky with sweat, feeling hot and cold at the same time. Dahlia lets her head fall back as the last fifteen minutes begins to catch up with her. Her eyes fill with tears and she shuts them, trying to block out the image and sound of Steve ripping Walker's teeth out.
James isn't who he says he is.
He lied about their car accident.
Which means he lied about the car accident last weekend.
He lied about his money, his job - his real job.
What else has he lied about?
Does he even fucking love her?
Her phone buzzes.
[James 🖤]: We need to talk.
Dahlia stares at the text, unable to help the laugh that bubbles up from her throat.
"About what?" She whispers.
Out of sheer stupidity, or loyalty, she unlocks her phone and texts him back.
We do.
[James 🖤]: Meet me in the garden outside?
I need a drink first.
[James 🖤]: Of course. I'll be there.
Dahlia takes a deep breath and wipes her nose on the back of her hand. She flicks the tears away from her eyes with her fingertips, slips her heels back on her feet, and walks back toward the ballroom. Kate and Wanda have their backs to her. Dahlia does her best to sneak quietly up to the bar and order another gin and tonic. She guzzles it, and then orders another, taking a deep breath and hanging her head.
All she can see is the way James prowled around Walker, his chest broad and proud, head held high... and the look on his face. It was terrifying, but part of it was exciting. He was still beautiful. She could still see the man she loves.
Her phone buzzes.
[James 🖤]: Please don't leave, Dahlia.
She locks her phone, checks over her shoulder to make sure that her friends are still occupied, and slips out the back toward the back garden. James told her about this place. It's usually reserved for weddings and small parties. She walks down the same hallway toward that basement and takes a right instead of going straight. There's a set of large doors that lead outside. With her drink clutched in her hand, she pushes them open and steps out into the cool summer air. She can hear fireworks popping off in the distance. For a second, Dahlia forgets that it's the Fourth of July. Her heels clack softly agains the cobblestone and she sees him, sitting with his back to her on a bench. He's hunched over, his elbows rested on his knees. Dahlia sees a large plume of smoke float up into the air. She takes a sip of her drink for courage, the ice jingling against the glass. James turns his head slightly and she takes a deep breath.
"On top of all of... whatever the fuck I saw down there, you smoke too?"
"Is that supposed to be funny?" James growls.
She lets out a hollow laugh.
"I don't know, James. I've never dated anyone who let their best friend pull out a cop's teeth."
"Keep your fucking voice down," James says softly.
"Tell me the truth and I will."
He stands up from the bench and turns to her, sucking on a cigarette, his cheeks hollowing out.
"I didn't want you to find out like this."
She gives him an incredulous look.
"How the fuck did you want me to find out? Were you going to tell me over pancakes one morning? Or how about when you were fucking my brains out in my office? Oh, by the way, I kill people."
"Dahlia—"
"I should have listened to Wanda," she laughs. "I'm so fucking stupid. I can't believe I didn't listen to my gut. There was red flag after red flag with you, James! You didn't even want to call the ambulance after Walker ran us off the road the other weekend! And then you leave early in the morning— what the fuck were you doing?!"
He swallows thickly.
"Taking care of something."
Her eyes well up with tears and there's a lump in her throat. James steps toward her, tossing his cigarette to the ground. She doesn't move, and watches him take one more step.
"I was going to tell you," he says softly. "Really, I was. I went and saw Father Paul."
"Who's Father Paul?"
"An old friend," James breathes. "Everyone told me to tell you the truth before you found out like this."
"You should have listened to them," she chokes out through tears.
James doesn't take another step toward her, his eyes stormy and his face twisted in a grimace, as though he's trying not to cry.
"I never wanted you to find out this way."
"You said that already."
"Dahlia, I love you."
"How am I supposed to believe that?" She sobs. "How am I supposed to believe ANYTHING YOU FUCKING SAY TO ME?!"
She hurls the glass to the ground, watching it shatter at his feet.
"BECAUSE IT'S FUCKING TRUE!" James roars.
She storms toward him and slaps him across the face. He grabs her wrists and pulls her toward him.
"DON'T FUCKING—"
"It's true, Dahlia!" He snarls. "I fucking love you! I would do anything for you - I have done EVERYTHING for you!"
"AND I HAVEN'T?!" She screams.
His mouth hovers over hers and his voice softens to a whisper.
"I would fucking kill for you," he breathes.
A warm tingle runs down her spine.
Why does she like the sound of that?
Tears well in his eyes and his cheeks are flushed with emotion. Dahlia can't turn away from him. She doesn't want to. All of the fear in her body evaporates, and all she feels is adrenaline pumping through her. James swallows thickly.
"I have never felt like this about anyone. You make me feel alive. The way you look at me? Fuck... The only thing I want to do is keep you safe and provide for you. I want to — I want a future with—" His voice catches in his throat and she watches him try to regain control over his emotions. He's bad at this. "I have spent the past two weeks being eaten alive by guilt. I wanted to tell you because I am so deeply in love with you that it hurts to breathe sometimes. You're all I think about, Dahlia. You're the only thing that matters."
She sobs and leans into him. Everything he's saying to her is exactly the way she feels about him.
"I don't want to lose you," he whispers as she looks up into his glossy eyes. "I think I'd fucking die without you."
This is so fucked up.
But she feels the same way. Nobody ever said anything about love being rational.
Did they?
James has shown her a world she's only ever dreamed of. He's shown her love that she's only ever seen in movies - the kind of love that starts as an electric spark and quickly consumes your entire being. She wants him to devour her, and every other man after him would pale in comparison.
His loyalty to her has been unwavering, even if it was hidden by lies.
When she looks into his eyes, she sees that this might be the only thing about him that isn't a carefully crafted facade.
This is so fucked up.
"I told you I didn't want our relationship to be based on lies," she whispers.
"I know," James replies. "But this isn't a lie. No more lies. I promise. You can hear me out and then, if you still want to leave, I'll never text or call you again. I'll let you go, Dahlia."
"I just watched you pull a man's teeth out of his skull, how can I believe that?"
He smiles and a tear trickles down his face.
"Because the look in your eyes tells me that you want to hear me out."
She doesn't want to run. Not from him.
Dahlia stares up at him.
"Get me another drink and a cigarette."
He blinks.
"You'll stay?"
"I'll stay."
This is crazy. This is absolutely fucking crazy. But she's in too deep now.