As soon as I'm in the bathroom after Bucky's breakdown I let out a huge sigh. It's hard to act commandingly when you're incredibly upset, but I have to put up a facade of strength for him. I can't lose Bucky, there's no way I'll forgive myself if I let him walk out and I don't do all I can to help him. I realize as I stand there alone that I'm in love. I don't know how it happened, but it did, and I'm 100% sure of it. Everything in my life has been kind of a losing battle, but it has made my realize that the only way to get through is to try and find the silver lining. My father was never proud of me, so I decided upon a career that would at least make me proud of myself. And since then it's been one thing after another. There have been so many ups and downs with SHIELD and for the most part I'm never one who really gets a lot of recognition for my work. Not to mention losing Coulson, and having no one to talk to about it because no one really knew about our relationship… I put everything I have into my job because I don't have much else. I may have told Bucky I wasn't lonely living by myself, but that wasn't exactly true. I wasn't lonely because I never let myself have a moment to let it sink in that I was basically on my own, all the time. Except now, because now I had Bucky. Someone who didn't remember anything, and who thought the world was new and exciting, and who was genuinely interested in my life. The slow pace of my existence was pretty much perfect for him because it didn't involve being a superhuman, or a spy, or anything else. I was just an average run-of-the-mill girl from Chicago…

My thoughts were interrupted when Bucky sat down on the toilet lid, not making eye contact. I eyed him curiously for a moment, not sure if I was really seeing him sitting there. I'd been pretty positive he was going to want to leave, there was a strong tone of panic in his voice before and it hinted at wanting to make a run for it. But I'd been wrong, I guess, because he'd stayed put.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," I said softly, running a wash cloth under warm water so I could wipe the blood away from the wound on his leg.

He sat silently, staring at me with uncertain eyes. I bent down to wipe away the clotted blood and inspect the injury, waiting for him to speak, but he didn't.

It took almost a half an hour for me to remove the ceramic shard from his leg and close the wound properly. After that I gently wiped the blood from the other cuts on his arm and face, applying antibiotic cream wherever there was a large cut. Bucky stayed silent the entire time, eying me warily as though he wasn't sure I was going to keep helping him if he didn't say something. I wasn't about to play that game, I was going to help him and he was going to have to deal with it. So long as he was under my roof still, I was going to do what I could.

"You should be all set," I told him, washing my hands after taking the rubber surgical gloves off.

He nodded slowly, "Thank you."

"Thank you, for not leaving."

He stared at me again, eyes still dark, "You're crazy, for not wanting me to leave."

"Maybe," I say, "But I can't lose someone else that means this much to me. I never got to tell my mom, I never got to tell Coulson… I can't not tell you."

"Tell me what?" he asks, raising an eyebrow just slightly.

"That I love you," I reply quietly.

He's silent again, staring at the floor for a while before he speaks again. "You don't."

I cross my arms over my chest and stare him down, "Don't play this game with me."

"You don't," he says again, this time meeting my gaze firmly, "You can't, I'm not anything you should be attached to. The only reason I stayed is because I was sorry for hurting your feelings. I'm not staying forever, Maria. I can't. I'll be gone by tomorrow afternoon. I just… wanted to apologize first."

"You don't get it," I say, "I'm not scared, do you know that? I'm not at all scared of you. Because at this point? I've seen a lot of people die who shouldn't have, and they didn't come back to life and get a second chance. But you? You did come back to life. And if you're only here for a little while longer, so be it. And if you take me down with you? Fine. But I'm not going to play that game, the 'what if' game, because it's stupid. It doesn't get you anywhere and you're left with a lot of things left unsaid. And on top of that, I do love you. You've become a part of my life I don't want to lose because you've given me something to hope for. I lied when I said I wasn't lonely. I was, I just didn't realize it until I wasn't anymore. Before you broke down we were doing so well. I love your enthusiasm for everything, and I love how you treat me like a woman and respect me. It doesn't bother you that I'm a total nerd and own all of Indiana Jones on DVD…" I feel my eyes starting to get hot with tears and my face flushes with embarrassment, I hadn't wanted to cry.

"I don't want to hurt you," he whispers.

"You haven't yet," I manage to choke out, "But you will, if you leave."

Bucky stands and carefully puts his arms around me. I rest my head against his chest and we stand together for a while just holding one another.

"I'm scared," Bucky whispers softly into my neck.

"I know you are," I say back, rubbing my thumb in a circle on his back, "But its okay..."

"I have you," he finishes.