Chapter Text
Darcy was pacing. It probably looked more like a dog angrily chasing its tail, than fiercely striding by the couch that her boyfriend currently occupied like she hoped. She couldn’t help herself, it had been a total of 72 hours since Tony, Jane, and Bruce had slept. They were sciencing again, fuck knows on what this time.
At this point she didn’t care, that time passed about 50 hours ago. She just wanted them to get the fuck to sleep. Was it too much to ask to have more than an hour of rest before getting a phone call from one of them saying, “Sorry kid, but I left a thing-a-ma-bob in the kitchen. Would you mind getting it?”, or hearing some thud, scraping noise, and the occasional scream from the lab, which was conveniently located right below the room she shared with Loki.
“Darling, please stop pacing. The only thing you’ll accomplish is making yourself dizzy again” Loki pleaded for the third time that hour
She knew that he was trying his best to keep her sane, but she couldn’t help feeling slightly irked. The last time she had been up for three days straight was when Thor left after the destroyer, well, destroyed the town she and Jane were living in seven years ago.
She was about to tell him exactly why pacing was going to help her but, looking at Loki was a mistake. He was giving her the puppy eyes and patting the spot next to him on the sofa. Let it never be said that Darcy Lewis passed up the chance to cuddle with a hot alien dude.
“Fine, I’ll stop” she huffed, flopping chest- first across his lap.
Loki chuckled, his fingers caressing her back in slow circular movements causing Darcy to shiver before she flipped over, linking their hands together, curiosity shining in her eyes.
“Who got you to sleep when you were up all night reading everything you could get your hands on?”
Loki’s voice held the amusement he refused to show on his face when he replied
“Are you implying that someone is powerful enough to force me to put down a book that I am absorbed in?”
“Yes, yes I am. Now spill”
“My mother” he paused, closing his eyes for a brief moment and tightening his hold on her hand slightly “she replaced one book with another, something more soothing than what I was studying. It became the norm when I was a child.”
Darcy brought their hands to her lips, softly kissing his knuckles, causing his expression to soften. She knew how hard it was for him to speak about Frigga. She still had trouble talking about her own, even though she was a child when her mother passed.
Still, the thought of being read to at night gave Darcy an idea that gave her the energy of a thousand suns. A wicked grin spread across her face as she hopped up from the couch and ran to grab a pen and paper, leaving a very confused and concerned Loki on the couch.
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“Do you three know why you’ve been summoned in my office this morning?”
Nick Fury was looking at what his team called “the science trio”, Agent Lewis was correct in her statement that they “we’re practically zombies without the rot" but at this point he'd have to disagree. The rot was there and came in the form of not showering.
Tony shrugged, raising an eyebrow at the question
“We all know you just can't get enough of me Nick.“
The billionaire placed his hand on his chest, ready to continue his sarcastic reply with added dramatics when Jane elbowed his side, causing him to wince and cross his arms.
Director Fury put on his I am not fucking around right now expression, silencing Tony, and Jane, who was still terrified of the director regardless of his facial expression. Bruce took this opportunity to speak.
“I, uh, I don’t know why we’re here” Banner ran his hand through his hair, silently wishing that he could have just stayed in the lab, “but I’d like to know”
Nick leaned forward, folding his hands, making sure to look at each of them directly
“It has come to my attention that you three have not been taking care of yourselves.”
Tony looked like he was about to say something, but thought better of it when Nick’s good eye landed on him, disapproval clear in his gaze.
“A tired Scientist is a Scientist that makes mistakes. Mistakes that we cannot afford. You three are our most brilliant minds in this organization, maybe the world. After this, I expect you to get some rest ,and only stay up this long if you have no other choice“
Fury reached into his desk, pulling out a small book titled “Go the Fuck to Sleep”, he placed it gently on the desk. Tony and Bruce hadn’t spent all that much time with Darcy to know that she was behind this, but Jane, Jane knew and was pinching the bridge of her nose while trying to hide a smirk under her hand.
He then continued to speak
“You have an assistant, and friend, who cares so damn much about your health she wrote a book. You’re going to listen to me read this, and then you are going to heed Miss Lewis’ words and go the fuck to sleep”
He opened the book, revealing a sketch of Darcy laying down in bed asleep and began to read
“The hawk nestles close to his spider now.
The lambs have laid down with the sheep.
I’m cozy and warm in my bed, guys.
Please go the fuck to sleep.
The windows are dark in the town, Tony.
The Captain huddled down in the deep.
I’ll let you use my iPod if you swear You’ll go the fuck to sleep.
The eagles who soar through the sky are at rest
And the creatures who crawl, run, and creep.
I know there’s no anomaly tonight.
That’s bullshit. Stop lying.
Lie the fuck down, Jane, and sleep.
The wind whispers soft through the grass, Bruce.
The field mice, they make not a peep.
It’s been seventy-two hours already.
Jesus Christ, what the fuck?
Go to sleep.
All the Avengers are in dreamland.
The froggie has made his last leap.
Hell no, you can’t go to the second floor lab.
You know where you can go?
The fuck to sleep.
The owls fly forth from the treetops.
Through the air, they soar and they sweep.
A hot crimson rage fills my heart, guys.
For real, shut the fuck up and sleep.
Volstagg and his kids are snoring,
Wrapped in a big snuggly heap.
How is it you can do all this other great shit
But you can’t lie the fuck down and sleep?
The seeds slumber beneath the earth now
And the crops that the farmers will reap.
No more coffee. This experiment is over.
I’ve got two words for you, dude: fucking sleep
The fire giant in the simmering heat
The sparrow has silenced her cheep.
Fuck your equipment, I’m not getting you shit.
Close your eyes. Cut the crap. Sleep.
The flowers doze low in the meadows
And high on the mountains so steep.
My life is a failure, I’m a shitty-ass agent.
Stop fucking with me, please, and sleep
The giant pangolins of Madagascar are snoozing.
As I lie here and openly weep.
Sure, fine, whatever, I’ll bring you some coffee.
Who the fuck cares? You’re not gonna sleep.
This room is all I can remember.
The furniture squishy and sweet.
You win. You escape.
You run to the lab.
As I nod the fuck off, and sleep.
Bleary and dazed I awaken
To find you yawning, so I keep
My fingers crossed tight as I tiptoe away
And pray that you’ll go off and fucking sleep.
We’re finally watching our movie.
Cuddled on the couch, drifting to sleep.
Beep. Oh shit. Goddamn it.
You’ve gotta be kidding.
Come on, go the fuck to sleep”
When Nick closed the book and looked up, all three scientists were finally a-fucking-sleep.