They were finally getting close to the end of this hellacious week and Darcy was looking forward to the reset. A tiny part of her hoped that maybe when they woke up wherever the campus took them next week, it would also bring Tony back, though she knew that was likely a futile wish. It sucked that mere days after they finally admitted there was something between them, he disappeared. She hadn’t let herself get close to anyone for a long time and while it was entirely possible that things between them would have crashed and burned in a spectacular way, it would have been nice to at least have the chance.
She knew she was probably being a little extra by holing up in her room for the past few days, but she couldn’t tolerate the looks of pity and the ‘are you okay’s’ that she knew would be a thing. How did she even begin to explain her complicated feelings about this? That would require to make herself far more vulnerable than she intended. A few people had stopped by, but luckily they all seemed to get the hint that she wanted to be left alone. And whoever left a can of green beans without a note definitely gave her a much needed distraction for an hour or so. Apparently that was destined to remain an unsolved mystery and that made her wish she’d thought to pick up that show on DVD back in Florida because listening to Robert Stack’s voice would have been a nice diversion.
It was time to dip a toe back into socializing though, so she actually emerged from her bedroom, took a shower, and was in the kitchen making coffee when she heard a knock on the door. Since Darcy wasn’t sure where her roommates were, she went to open it and wasn’t terribly surprised to find Edwin on the other side. “Morning,” she said as she let him enter the room.
***
On the other side of the door was Edwin, standing as he usually did at this time, holding a tray with fresh coffee and breakfast that he’d made, himself. He hadn’t expected the door to open as soon as he did, because he quickly had to adjust the smile on his face to greet her. “Good morning.” He wanted to say more, then awkwardly announced, “Pancakes and maple syrup, with a side of bacon?” in such a way that it might tempt her to eat.
Ever since Tony’s disappearance, Edwin made it his personal mission to make sure Darcy was taken care of, convinced that Tony would’ve wanted it that way. He’d been told that he wasn’t under any obligation - he wasn’t technically a butler any more - but it just felt right.
“May I come in?” He always gave her the option, understanding Darcy’s desire to be alone.
***
As much as Darcy appreciated his efforts over the last few days, it also weirded her out a little that he seemed to be determined to serve as a butler despite the fact that it wasn’t really necessary. She wasn’t going to argue though, especially not right now, because she knew that he was probably feeling the loss of Tony as acutely as she was.
“As long as you’re going to eat pancakes with me,” she said. No way was she going to let him serve her. Besides, now that she’d decided to break her solitude, she actually wanted some company.
***
The request took Edwin by surprise. Prior to this, he would simply set down the tray and then quietly tidy up her room - he hadn’t expected to stay for long. In general, it was highly unusual for a butler to share in their employers’ meal, so it took an awkward moment to readjust his thinking. He looked down at the plate, brow furrowed, then told Darcy, “I’ll need another set of utensils.”
If she was willing for him to stay, it meant that she was ready to start opening up again. It was a very hopeful sign. Yes, he did miss Tony, but if he was being perfectly honest with himself, he hadn’t developed as deep a bond with him yet, having only met him a little over a week ago. Tony helped Edwin adjust to his new situation, showing him around and teaching him how to work new technology, for which Edwin was grateful. But his measure of loss could not be compared to Darcy’s, to whom Tony was married. They might’ve pretended their relationship was shallow, but Edwin knew better, and recognized the signs.
Edwin placed the tray on the table and then adjusted the cuffs of his shirt. “As you can see, I’m back to my usual height. It seems that whatever caused the problem has been rectified.”
***
“That’s good,” Darcy said. She’d been glancing at the network occasionally, mostly in hopes of seeing something saying Tony was back despite knowing how unlikely that was, but wasn’t really keeping up on the whole shrinking and growing thing. “Let me grab you silverware.”
She walked over to the kitchenette and pulled out a knife and fork before joining him back at the table. “So, have I missed anything interesting the last few days?” she asked, surprised to realize how hungry she was now that she was smelling the freshly cooked food.
***
Edwin started to neatly divide the food into two portions on the same plate, except he made sure that Darcy’s was larger since the meal was prepared initially for her. “Hm? Oh.” He had to stop and think - did anything interesting happen? Not really. It wasn’t like they were in Orlando anymore, where the Disney parks were practically in their backyard, and there were parties just about every day. It just seemed like people were day-to-day dealing with the changes in size.
Then he remembered, “Oh! Something just appeared in my room overnight. A photo album from my time. Does that usually happen?”
***
Darcy immediately took a bite of the pancakes, closing her eyes to savor the taste. They were good, like everything else Edwin sent over the past few days, and she had the idle thought that she could get used to this. Not that she’d let herself though, she was not the type of person who would be able to comfortably live having servants.
When he mentioned the photos, she frowned slightly. “Sometimes things show up, yeah,” she said, making her wonder if the research she and Tony had been working on was still in the lab. Now that campus was mostly back to normal, she would have to go and see. “Will you show me sometime?” she asked.
***
Darcy’s reaction to the taste of his preparation brought a smile to Edwin’s face. Satisfied, he used the edge of his fork to cut a small portion for himself, but it remained uneaten because he suddenly became inspired. “I can bring it over now, if you’d like! It wouldn’t be any problem at all!”
Before Darcy could respond, Edwin had sprung up from his seat with the energy of an excited child, and was out the door, sprinting to his room - he was that excited to share the photos with somebody.
***
Startled by his response, Darcy watched him run out of the room, momentarily confused before she shook her head and kept eating, figuring he’d be right back. She wasn’t about to let the food get cold while she waited for his return.
Even though she knew none of the pictures would include Tony, since he hadn’t been born yet in Edwin’s time, it would be nice to get a little glimpse into his past and the man who helped raise him. She glanced down at her left hand, wondering if she should remove her ring, and deciding that, for the moment, she was going to leave it in place.
***
It didn’t take him long - Edwin came bounding back in holding a large, leather bound book, embossed with flowers with a decorative, metal plate that read Photographs. He sat opposite of Darcy at the table, but gave a disapproving look. “I must ask you to wash your hands first. Please. I wouldn’t want any syrup on it.”
He opened the cover anyway, resting the book in his lap, turning it in such a way so Darcy could see while he turned the pages. The first black and white photos were landmarks and scenery. “I took these myself,” he said, quite proudly. “After going through my basic training, I was deployed to India. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh. Here I am in my uniform.” A smart, clean shaven soldier, in a dress uniform with his hat tucked under his arm beside a couple of his mates.
***
“I promise I won’t touch,” Darcy assured him. No way was she going to stop eating now that she started. The food was too good to go to waste.
She leaned over to look at the photos, smiling at them. “You have a lot of talent,” she said. “Next time we end up somewhere with shopping, you should invest in a good camera.” It would give him something to do that wasn’t waiting on other people.
“Which branch of the military?”
***
“There’s a camera on my phone, I’ve been taking a few photos with that. A huge difference from the one that I had before. I considered buying one in Orlando, but I felt there were more important items to buy with my stipend.” Including the maple syrup and coffee that Darcy was enjoying.
“British Army,” Edwin answered. “Enlisted before the war officially broke out. Fortunately, I never had to see combat. I became the personal servant of one General Spencer, and had the opportunity to travel.” He turned the page to show her the next set of photos of ancient temples and mountainous landscapes.
***
The idea of soldiers serving as personal servants was a surprise to her. It was good that he hadn’t had to see combat though. Darcy was glad that he hadn’t been injured or worse so that he could ultimately be there for the Stark family.
“Wow, you must have seen some really amazing things,” she said. “What was your favorite?”
***
A fond smile curved upon Edwin’s face, and he lowered his eyes in memory before flipping ahead through the book a few pages to get to photos of an old city with a wide river flowing through it . Gothic buildings and Neoclassical churches towered over cobblestone roads, identifying the location as being very old.
“Budapest,” he said, tenderly, then gave the reason why. “It’s where I met my wife.” He turned to the next page where there was a photo of a pretty woman, coyly smirking behind the counter of a shop. Seeing it, Edwin became very quiet, touching it with the tips of his fingers as if he could somehow reach through time to be with her again.
***
Darcy felt a mixture of wistfulness and guilt as she watched Edwin’s reaction to his wife’s photograph. The guilt was because she realized that she and Tony hadn’t had anything close to what Edwin and his wife had and he shouldn’t be here taking care of her. The wistfulness was because she’d never know if they could have gotten to that point.
“That’s a good reason for it to be your favorite,” she said softly. “I’m sorry you’re being kept away from her.”
***
“It’s not as though I haven’t been separated from her before,” Edwin interjected, turning the page to find a photo of Ana sitting on a park bench, her hair done in curls and smiling at the camera while holding a sparse bouquet consisting of a single rose and baby’s breath. The first time they’d gone out together. The photo beside that one had them sitting on the same bench side by side, having found a passerby to take the snapshot for them. They looked so young and happy, Edwin wearing his uniform. “ Mr. Stark’s exploits would have me traveling around the globe, sometimes for months on end. Especially after the War.” He grimaced. “But I would always know she was at home when I returned. And in a way, she is.”
After a thoughtful moment, Edwin continued, “A selfish part of me wishes she was here with me. I know she would’ve been delighted by the Disney parks.” He looked up at Darcy. “You two would get along wonderfully. She has a feisty nature, not unlike yours. And I know she would’ve been fascinated by meeting Tony.”
It was the first time he brought up the name in Darcy’s presence since he disappeared, it slipped out, and once it did Edwin realized his mistake. “I’m sorry.”
***
“It’s okay,” Darcy said, finding that hearing his name didn’t sting quite as much as she’d expected it to. “I mean… I miss him, obviously, but I’m not going to pretend he didn’t exist or anything.” He’d been an important part of her life for a brief time and that would never change. It sucked that he got sent away before they could really explore their relationship, but she didn’t regret it.
She looked at Edwin’s pictures and, after a few moments, added, “I would love to meet your wife.”
***
“I notice you’re still wearing your ring.” Edwin’s voice was sympathetic and soft, looking at her with an expression that conveyed he understood. Ordinarily, he might not have brought it up, but since she’d been so frank with him, Edwin wondered if she was ready to talk about her loss.
To let it know it was alright, if she wanted to do so, he opened up to her to reveal, “I check my phone constantly, hoping to find a message letting me know Ana’s arrived.” This was the first time he spoke to somebody about his wife using her first name instead of calling her Mrs. Jarvis. “You might think this foolish of me, but when we were in Orlando, I purchased some souvenirs that I thought she might enjoy. I must say, I’m fairly good at picking out gifts. I’ve been collecting them in my room, just in case.”
***
Rubbing her thumb over the ring, Darcy nodded. She wasn’t quite ready to talk about it, wasn’t sure if she ever would be, but she wasn’t going to bristle and change the subject either. At least not with Edwin. It might be different with other people.
She gave him a soft smile when he admitted that he’d purchased his wife some souvenirs. “I think that’s sweet,” she said. “And I’m sure that you’re good at gift giving. You’re good at reading people.” Which was her tacit acknowledgment that he’d been right the previous week when they spoke after the wedding reception.
***
Though she hadn’t said a word, Darcy’s actions told Edwin everything he needed to know, from how deeply she felt for Tony to how she wasn’t ready to talk yet. “I understand,” he told her in a mere whisper, and produced a bittersweet smile of his own.
He took a deep breath to gather himself before plunging back into the conversation. “I really am,” he cheerfully bragged, not seeing any need to be humble. He gave Darcy another understanding look, then continued, “There’s this one animated film Disney put out… Frozen. One of the main characters is named, Anna, who looked very similar to my own Ana. Blue eyes, red hair, styled in similar ways.” He chuckled. “I purchased an Anan doll for her. I think she’d get a hoot out of it.”
Edwin then remembered, “Oh, I wanted to show you this as well.” He flipped through the pages of the album, closer to the back, looking for something specific. When he found it, he showed Darcy, “Here. Howard Stark. Tony’s father.”
***
This was possibly as close as Darcy would ever get to actually admitting that she’d been developing feelings for Tony and she appreciated that Edwin seemed to understand that and wasn’t going to push for more. If she ever felt the need to talk about it more, she knew she could seek him out.
She smiled at his story about the Anna doll, able to see the resemblance between his wife and the character from the pictures he’d shown her, and then leaned closer when he flipped to a picture of Howard Stark. It was easy to see some of Tony’s features in the older man though she knew he’d been sensitive about comparisons to his father and never would have said as much to him.
“Thank you,” Darcy said. It was an all encompassing statement meant to include the breakfast, the conversation, the photographs, and just generally being a persistently supportive person for the past few days. She’d wallowed long enough and knew it was time to get back to living her life. “I think I’m going to head down to the lab.” It would be another difficult experience, but it was one she felt ready to face.
***
Going to the lab was a good sign, considering Darcy hadn’t left her room in several days. The same lab where she and Tony would work together. It couldn’t be easy, but Edwin was confident that she would be alright in the long run. She had a strong character, just like Peggy Carter, but that didn’t mean Edwin wouldn’t still look after her.
He closed the album and set it aside. “That sounds like a capital idea. If you want to look through the rest of my photographs, just let me know. However, we ought to finish our breakfast. I’m afraid it’s gotten cold.”