How do you heal?

Chapter 70: The Anger of a Gentle Woman

Pietro had taken his bag and went to unpack as Annie finished making her toast and eggs. Plate and bottle of coconut water, because electrolytes, in hand she walked down the hallway to the laundry room to throw in her sheets and grab a fresh set. As she was loading the washer she heard the door open and turned to see Bucky. The bad mood that Pietro had chased away instantly came back but she didn't say anything, just returned to her task hoping he would get what he needed and leave.

"Some reunion you had out there." She heard him say but she didn't turn, didn't reply. "It's kind of funny, really, you fuck me last night and then are all over Maximoff this morning. Never really thought you were the type."

Did he seriously just...oh fuck no. Annie whirled. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Bucky just stared at her from the table he'd propped himself up on, a smug grin on his face. "It's not a rhetorical question, Bucky, what the actual fuck is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?" He asked in a mocking tone, clearly satisfied that he was getting to her.

She turned back and closed the washer, using the moment it took to turn it on to harden herself before facing him again. I am done crying because of James Barnes. She hoped the machine sound would muffle her voice if anyone passed by in the hall. "I mean isn't this supposed to be better, healed Bucky? You went to Wakanda to get your shit right but ever since you came back you have been an absolute asshole. Is this how you were before the war, because if so I understand why you were such a fucking player, you enjoy mind games and manipulation."

The grin fell from his face and she could tell she hit a nerve. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

She took a few steps toward him, anger rolling off her in waves. "I'm talking about the fact that since the day you came back you have done nothing but fuck with my head and I am so sick of it."

"I have not." He said, jumping down from the table and stalking toward her.

"Yes you have. You walked in and acted like nothing had happened. Like you hadn't broken up with me in a note saying it would never work out, leaving me heartbroken for a year after you asked me to buy a goddamn house with you! And then barely twenty four hours after being back you go on a date with Kat? Somebody that you had previously had no interest in, or jesus maybe you did and I was just too stupid to see it. Then to add to your assholery Kat treated me like absolute shit to my face in front of you multiple times and you never said a word, never called her out on it. You just let her do it. For someone who less than twelve hours ago claimed to care about me there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of evidence of that." Her hands were moving wildly now expressing her frustration in her movements.

"Oh you act like your boy toy Pietro wasn't a dick to me when I got back." He said as he took a few steps closer, coming to stand just a foot or so away from her.

He was trying to make her feel bad but she didn't back down. "Yeah, he absolutely was but you know what, Bucky, I told him to knock it off and he did. Also, I'm not saying what he did was right but there was a big difference. Piet was a dick because he was trying to be my friend in solidarity because you hurt me and Kat did what she did because she's a fucking cunt. And then you pulled that whole shit with the emergency contacts."

"Hey, you started that!" He closed the distance between them and shoved a finger in her face.

She waved her arms in a mocking surrender but did not step away. "Oh sorry I was mean to your girlfriend one time after a year and a half of putting up with her bullshit. Forgive me for being human and reaching my limit but she is the one who reacted like a child. However you asked me to give you the paperwork and when I did you pulled that 'I don't have anyone else' line and acted like you had some claim over me and said you want to be my friend again? Bucky, we were never friends. We were sad people who felt better being sad together."