Rating: General

Genre: Angst

Summary: Sometime you gotta act like you don't care

That's the only way you boys learn

Note: This is an older fic of mine, it was like one of the first Bucky fics I wrote. I hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think!

Dara huffs a sigh, crossing her arms and glaring across the room at the man currently enjoying having some blonde bimbo rub all up against him. She is ready to go over there and rip the fake blonde off the bitches head. Why the fuck does he feel the need to go off and dance with random women when he asked her to come with him to the party Tony was hosting? Why does he always flirt with every woman in the place when he is with her? And it is not even the type of flirting that is just someone being friendly and not even realizing that they are flirting. No he is straight up, shameless, trying to get in her pants and fuck her stupid, flirting. Dumb jerk!

"I don't know why you are getting upset Dara, you should have known this would happen when Bucky asked you to come to the party with him. He does this every single time you go out together. Why do you expect anything to be different." Natasha comments as she takes a seat next to Dara.

That seems to take the wind out her sails real quick, cooling her temper that was ready to boil over. She closes her eyes and turns away from the pair practically having sex on the dance floor.

"Yeah, your right. I just…"

"You're just in love with him is what you are. You think about cuddling together and watching movies together, training together as he helps you with hand to hand combat, inside jokes. You think about all of the times you guys are happy and that love makes it difficult to walk away even after he has hurt you so many times. But Dara, that is exactly what you need to do. Walk away. Walk away from him treating you as the same as every one night stand he has. Walk away from the women he has cheated on you with. Walk away from the lies, distrust, all of it. Just walk away."

She cuts her eyes at Natasha, "I hate how well you know me that I can't even vent out what is on my mind. You just know. Stop it."

The redhead waves her hand in a dismissive manner, but still manages to give Dara a sympathetic look. Dara does not say anything else, and plays with the straw in her drink. Natasha goes quiet too, letting Dara think over her very blunt words.

"Hey Girls, I would like you to meet Candy. Candy these are my friends Natasha and Dara."

Bucky's gruff voice breaks through the silence, catching the two women's attention. The way Dara flinches at simply being called his friend escapes Bucky's attention as he is too caught up in the fake blonde Candy. That is all she is to him, a friend and he will never see her as something more.

Natasha is right, it is time for her to just walk away and stop crying over James Barnes.

"I'm out of here."

Without another word or a glance in Bucky's direction, Dara slides off the bar stool and storms off. This is the final straw, she is done.

Her hasty exit leaves Bucky concerned and confused. He turns to Natasha who just shrugs her shoulders and turns back to her drink, not acknowledging "Candy's" presence. And Bucky can only turn to Candy and mutter an apology.

As the weeks go by and Dara avoids Bucky at all costs. Whenever he enters a room, she would quickly leave, ignoring any attempt he would make at starting a conversation. Their weekly movie nights got cancelled and Dara even went so far to using the other Avengers to act as a buffer between her and Bucky. If there was a mission, she made sure that she was never on the same team as Bucky. Or if she needed to pass something off to Bucky, or get something from him, she would send another person to talk to him for her. Needless to say, everyone was quick to catch on to the shift in relationship between Bucky and Dara. Well, everyone but Bucky.

"Hey Dara! Ya still up for a movie tonight?" Bucky asks, basically cornering her so she is forced to speak to him.

Dara keeps her eyes cast down, refusing to glance at Bucky. "I'm busy. I have to go now James."

She pushes past the shocked soldier and rushes away before he can catch up to her.

Bucky can't believe his ears, she called him James. She has never called him James; no one calls him James, not since his mother. Something is going on with Dara and he is going to get to the bottom of it.

Not having her around has made him realize just how much he wants her in his life. It is not the same without Dara around. His misses her laugh, she smile, how she loves to just sit and listen to him talk about the past. She is always there for him, taking care of him in someway, and he wants that back. She is the one he can always go to when he needs someone to talk to if Steve is not around, and he just knows that no matter what Dara will drop everything if he needs her. He wants her back; he wants his dependable Dara.

So that night, Bucky heads for Dara's room, know that no matter what he will find her there. Dara rarely goes out unless he drags her out. For sure, he is going to trap her and force her to tell him what is going on and make things go back to how they used to be.

Bucky enters her room without even knocking, nearly scaring Dara to death.

"James Barnes! What the fuck is wrong with you?! Get out right now!" she fumes, pointing to the door.

The man simply shakes his head, crossing his arms, "No Doll. Not until you talk to me. Tell me what has been going on with you the last few weeks."

Dara stomps her foot, "Fine, if you won't leave then I will!"

She tries to walk out of her own room, but Bucky grabs her arms and pushes her back to the bed,

"Damn it Dara! Stop being so damn stubborn and just tell me what the hell is going on with you!" he sits next to her on the bed, "I am worried about you Dara."

Crossing her arms, she turns her head away, not wanting to meet his gaze. She knows that if she looks into those blue eyes of his, she will give in to him and will once more be thrust into the vicious cycle of allowing him to hurt her.

"Nothing is wrong Bucky. Just please leave." her voice cracking from holding back the emotions bubbling up inside.

"Don't give me that bullshit! I know that there has to be something going on with you. I miss us Doll. I miss talking to you and being with you. Just tell me so we can fix it and go back to the way we used to be." Bucky begs, reaching from her hand.

Dara jerks her hand away while shaking her head.

"No Bucky! I'm sorry, but I just can't anymore, I can't be friends with you anymore. I don't want to be your friend anymore. I-I don't care. I have to stop caring or I am just going to get hurt even more in the end." she blurts out without a second thought.

"I don't understand. What are you talking about? You can't mean that, Doll…" Bucky falters, shoulder dropping at being rejected.

Well, the elephant is in the room, might as well address it.

Dara hold her hand up, "Don't. No more pet names. No more hugs, hand holding, cuddling. No more anything that could give me hope that one day we could be together when you are just going to turn around and rip my heart out by hooking up with a different woman. Call me cruel or whatever, but there is no more us in any form. Friend or otherwise, it is over."

"You can't mean that Doll. Next to Steve, you are my best friend. I need you in my life."

Standing up, she moves away and crosses her arms, "Why? So you can treat me like all your other "girlfriends"? Bucky, in the time I have spent away from you, it has made me realize just how much you use me, take advantage of me and how much I care for you. All you do, all you care about is what I can do for you. We basically have a friends with benefits relationship, and YOU get all of the benefits!"

Bucky stands, his eyes narrowing slightly, "That is not true Dara."

"Really!" Dara shouts as she flings her arms in the air, "You get the benefits of everything that comes with our friendship; me taking care of you, helping you when you have a nightmare, being the ear for you to talk you on your bad days, me stepping in anytime Steve is not around or available. Then there is the other side, the side that whenever you can't get a girl for the night or too tired from a mission, you come to me. And once more, I am left to take care of your needs. I was fine with it at first, because it gave me some kind of hope that we could be more than just friends. But then it would all blow up in my face the moment another woman walks by with pretty legs.

"And then I'm tossed to the side while you go play with the shiny new toy until you get bored. Then when you find need of me again, you come to dust me off and play for a while only to have the cycle repeat over and over and over again. Well, damn it I am TIRED of being the backup, second place! I deserve better than that Bucky! In the time that we have been "friends" when have you ever done anything for me? If I ever need you to talk to or just a shoulder to lean on, you are too busy or I should just go to Nat because she is a girl and can understand my problems better. Movie nights, our "date night" get forgotten at the drop of a hat when YOU come up with something or someone better to do. You abandon me, forget about me, and plan out ignore me unless my presence can benefit you in some way. And I'm fucking tired of it!"

Bucky jerks back, not used to hearing Dara speak this way. He has never seen Dara look so pissed off before either. Fist clenched at her sides, glaring at her as her chest heaves for heavy breathing. He has to admit that she looks very sexy mad, but with her words ringing in his ear, this is not the time to make a move for angry sex.

He still can't believe her words as being truth. There is no way that he has taken advantage of her friendship. He has been a great friend to Dara! There was that one time… Or the time he… what about when…

He has done plenty for her he is just too pissed that he can't think of anything! But he is NOT a selfish person or a selfish friend!

"That is a bunch of lies Dara and you know it! I have been there for you plenty of times. If you want to end our relationship then fine! But don't go making up bullshit lies saying that I have not been a good friend to you, you know damn well how much you mean to me!"

Dara rubs her temples, closing her eyes. Breathe in… breathe out… breathe in… breathe out… calm down. Natasha was once again right, Bucky is never going to change. There is no way he is going to admit to his faults in their relationship.

"Whatever Bucky believe what you want, but I'm done. There is only so much I can give, only so much hurt I can take because of you. From now on, I don't care. Do what you want, go where you want, and be with whoever you want, I'm not going to hold you back. Don't come crying to me, don't turn to me because I'm not going to be there anymore. I have realized you just are not worth it. I'm not going to cry over you any longer, because playboy, I just don't care. Good-bye James."

She holds the door open for him and he stands there in shock. This is really it, he has lost her for good and he does not know why, or at least, he does not want to accept her reasoning for why. With a shake of his head, Bucky takes his leave and the moment the door shuts behind him both Dara and Bucky know that this truly the end. He has just walked out of her life forever and she closed the door of them ever having a relationship in the future.