History

Chapter 11 - Our Story

Everyone had managed to sit through all of the Ice Age films, they had watched enough to follow the story and enjoy them but there had also been a lot of drinking and talking happening at the same time, it was the perfect night.
Everyone had now headed home or back to bed, everyone except Bucky and Lily who were busy cleaning up the mess everyone had left behind. Lily had been drinking but she was only lightly buzzed, and Bucky had refused the Asgardian Ale tonight so he was stone cold sober.
They pottered around picking up the trash and sorting out the empty bottles in silence. Lily tried to break the quiet once or twice but Bucky only smiled at her and went back to what he was doing. This started to make Lily feel anxious, something was definitely bothering him.

"Is everything OK Bucky?"

Again he responded with a smile and a small nod.

"Are you mad at me?"

No response.

"Bucky, have I done something wrong?"

Silence. Lily started to panic, tears filled her eyes.

"Please, if I've done something to make you mad at me please tell me. Bucky please what did I do? I'm sorry, please look at me"

"It's nothing Lily, honestly you're being stupid"

Buckys words were cold, he barely even looked at her as he spoke. Lily didn't understand what was happening, they'd had such a good day together and now his whole attitude toward her had completely flipped.
Normally he was so compassionate about her anxiety, now he'd just told her she was being stupid, it's like he was a completely different person.

"Fine"

Anger overtook her sadness and Lily started cleaning up rather aggressively. Bucky watched her furiously beat the crumbs off of a cushion out of the corner of his eye.

"Why don't you just go to bed, I'll finish up here" he offered.

"If you're sick of me you just had to say" Lily huffed throwing the cushion back on the sofa and storming off towards the door.

"Lily wait.." Shouted Bucky

She stopped and turned to look at him, her expression softening.

Bucky shifted nervously on his feet. "Goodnight Lily" he sighed.

Lily's expression hardened again "Goodnight James" she said coldly before leaving and slamming the door behind her.

Bucky was furious at himself for calling her stupid, he should have just told her what was bothering him. He should have told her that he is desperately in love with her and although he had said he would wait forever, he didn't know if he could keep to his word as it was killing him and despite his less than favourable view of himself he had realised that he had been through more shit than any one person should have to endure and he deserved to be happy, and being around Lily and not being able to be with her for a reason he wasn't allowed to know was making him miserable.

It had been a couple of days since the movie marathon and Lily had been avoiding Bucky, she had sat away from him at meal times and had timed entering and leaving her bedroom to when she knew he'd be elsewhere. She missed him but she was far too angry at him to give in.

"Lils! What did that punching bag ever do to you?" Nat laughed as she looked at Lily whose knuckles were bleeding from the ferocity of her assault on the punching bag that was now swinging wildly on its chain.

Without a word Lily stormed over to her gym bag and began to unwrap her hands and wipe away the blood. Nat came and sat next to her and gently gripped on to her arm.
"Lils what's going on with you? Talk to me."