Although I generally also prefer story where Darcy and Elizabeth end up together, I am not feeling so sorry for this Darcy here and now. It seems to me that this may be some kind of mild wake-up call for him, which makes him realize that good things won't happen if you just wait around for them to happen, that one needs to take initiative - just as James Bingley has done.
Also, in this story, Darcy is not in that 'head-over-heels state' yet.
To be honest, I do have this feeling that a James-Elizabeth marriage would be more of the "they just smile, not laugh" variety, but that is because I subconsciously bring in what wi 'know' of Darcy (and Elizabeth) from canon and not from what has actually been touched in this story, with an extremely distant Darcy, who does not only hardly have any lines but who inner workings are also hidden.
