He knew the moment when she left, knew the moment when she walked away from him, and he lifted the bed up from where he was wedged underneath. A moment of panic swelled in his break, like his world was returning to that cold darkness where he would sink into depression and never claw his way out. He shuffled out from under the bed, setting it down on the floor and rising to peer out the window for signs of her departure.

He saw her moving to a chair and sitting, not actually leaving the yard and walking away. He watched what he could of her as he controlled himself and finally convinced himself away from the window and slowly over to the closet. He pulled it open and stared at all the clothing inside, making a conscious choice that if he were to follow her, he would have to look the part and not make her decide his clothes for him. It was a small step for her, only for her.

He changed into a new pair of jeans that hugged his hips but didn't cling tightly to him. He found a black tight-fitting shirt and then overlaid a red button-down long sleeve shirt over it. He walked to the bathroom and actually brushed his hair and put it back up into a ponytail that was neater and peered at his reflection again. Maybe someday he'd feel like this 'Bucky' fellow. Until then, she was everything.

Barefoot, he walked out into the backyard, breathing in the freshness and allowed the door closing to announce him. He walked over to her slowly, uncertain and out of place before he slowly lowered himself into a chair nearby. "I won't let you down."