A/N: This was a request! Sort of short but I thought it was a good little end to the mini-series. 

Words: 1.8K

Warning: Suggestive themes

Crickets chirp through an open window—their melodic song hypnotizing a tired Y/N deeper into dreamland. She nestles cozily into the quilts of Bucky's bed. Blissfully unaware, she is, that Bucky's sitting awake beside her. He breathes out slowly to ground himself as his thoughts start to grow harder to control. Flashes of awful things splatter his brain while his anger washes over him. How could anyone dare hurt such a precious thing? Y/N's the most innocent, sweet-hearted creature Bucky's ever met. Even in these last three days that she's been forced away from her home and away from everything she knows she's managed to keep a smile on her face. Bucky encouraged her to take leave of work and stay with him at the compound for the time being. Of course this arrangement prompted an introduction to the rest of the team. Y/N was adorable, Bucky recalls with a soft smile, when she'd met his friends. She'd been so shy and unsure of herself in front of the heroes. It wasn't until she'd felt his cool metal hand on the small of her back that she visibly relaxed in the crowded room.

Now, in the darkness of the late December night, Bucky brushes a delicate lock of hair from her cheek. She nuzzles her face into his hand. His hard heart melts. This girl laying here in front of him is the best blessing he could ever hope to receive. He doesn't know what he's done to deserve such bliss, but he knows that he's eternally grateful.

Swallowing stiffly, Bucky leans over to kiss Y/N's forehead gently as to not disturb her. Her even, melodic breathing calms his soul.

When he pulls away he forces himself to stand. He's not dressed in the night clothes that he'd been wearing a few hours before when they'd been cuddled up watching TV. As soon as Y/N fell asleep Bucky was quick to change into more appropriate attire: a mission uniform.

Bucky makes for the door before hesitating. Grabbing a sheet of paper from his desk he quickly jots down a note—setting it on his empty pillow—and then leaves to meet Steve and Nat out in the hall.

Daylight freckles Y/N's vision. She whinnies and tries to roll away from the unblocked window. Her hands immediately reach out for the warmth of the man that's been accompanying her to bed the last few days. When all she finds is cold, empty space her eyes fly open wide. She sits up straight with a gasp.

"Bucky?" It's the first word to fall from her lips. She notices the note on the white pillowcase. Frowning, she grabs the folded slip with cold fingertips. In Bucky's neat handwriting he's spelled out a note for her.

Good morning, angel. Hope you slept well.

I found him. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm dealing with it now: I hope you'll understand why I didn't tell you.

Don't worry about a thing, darling. This is almost done. I'll be fine. Steve and Nat are with me. By lunchtime I'll be back and this will all be over with.

I love you endlessly.

Your Becky

Y/N shakily wipes a tear from her eye. She carefully folds the note back up and rests it atop the pillow once more.

Dragging herself from the bed, Y/N goes to Bucky's bathroom. She starts the hot water and hurriedly strips herself of the sweaty sleep clothes. Ducking into the stream she tries not to cry again. She's been afraid for so long. She's been alone. She's been in danger. None of those things are true anymore; all because of a man named Bucky Barnes spilled his coffee during the shift she'd dreaded going to.

Out of the shower she takes her time brushing her teeth and drying her hair. She stares at her reflection in the mirror for a while through the steam, wondering how on earth she's supposed to go back into the real world if Evan's still out there, and sighs. Her only hope now is that Bucky's as good of a soldier as everyone around here assures her he is.

A quick glance at her phone tells Y/N it's time to get her ass out of the bathroom and into some clothes—it's nearly twelve. She paddles into the bathroom with a fluffy white towel wrapped around her chest and her hair fluffily dried around her shoulders. She stops cold when she steps into the scene, though, because there's a man sitting in wait for her on the corner of the messily made mattress.

Bucky smiles at her softly. "Hey, baby." He's wearing military style cargo pants and a bulky black jacket. It must be bullet proof. He's not dirty or sweaty or covered in blood like Y/N imagined he'd be.

A stiff lump clogs Y/N's throat. It's hard to swallow, much like the idea that this whole Evan situation could be over with: she just has to hear the word from Bucky to know. She's afraid to ask, but she has to.

Clutching her towel, Y/N jumps to the point. "W—what happened?"

Bucky slowly rises up from the bed. It creaks as he moves. He walks to where Y/N stands frozen at the center of his bedroom. It's not until they're a mere few inches apart that Bucky speaks. "It's over." His hand, testing the water, moves to delicately caress her cheek. When she doesn't pull away or protest he firms his grip to the back of her head. "He's not going to hurt you ever again."

Y/N stares dazedly at Bucky's collarbone. She feels his thumb against her jaw and his eyes trained onto her face, but something keeps her from moving or saying a word.

"Sweetheart?" Bucky whispers. He lowers his head to meet her height. He waits patiently for her to speak.

She licks her lips between words, as if the saliva will make it easier for the words to come out. "I—I didn't know if you'd actually—if you'd actually stop him for me." She finally brings her eyes up to his baby blues. "What happened?"

Bucky shakes his head quietly. "Don't worry about that," he hums. He leans to kiss the center of her head—feeling her sigh shakily beneath him. "Just know that there's nothing on this world that'll hurt you anymore." He tries to offer a smile as the tears begin to build in her pretty eyes. "I'm gonna keep you safe, doll."

"O—okay," Y/N chokes.

Bucky pulls her warm body into his arms. Against his chest he cradles her—one of her small arms pressed between them keeping up the towel—and kisses the top of her head. "It's okay. Everything's okay now." He closes his eyes and rests his cheek upon her hair that smells of honeysuckle shampoo. "I love you."

Y/N buries her face deeper into his chest. "I love you, too." Her words are muffled by his leather jacket but fully heard by his rapidly beating heart.

She moves her head. The point of her chin rests between his collarbones. He smiles down at her dreamily, thinking that there's nothing prettier he's ever seen than her in this moment. She laughs when she notices his wistful staring and then without another word rises up on her tiptoes to kiss him. Giddy with relief and adoration for him she pushes onto him harder with more of herself than she's ever bared to anyone before.

Bucky staggers back slightly before righting himself against the bannister of the bed. He sweeps an arm around her waist and kisses Y/N deeply. There's the taste of peppermint on her tongue and he moans when that icy-mint tongue glides across his bottom lip. Her lips travel down his stubbly jaw before nestling in the heat of his neck. His head falls back and his hands to her waist as she suckles and nibbles on his flesh.

Suddenly, before Bucky can really lose himself to the otherworldly ecstasies, Y/N pulls away. Bucky blinks down at her as she steps back.

"Babe...?"

Y/N silences him with a smirk that drags across her lips. Her hand that holds the towel loosens until it falls to the floor around her feet. Bucky stands, weight pushed back against the bedpost, and chokes on air. There she is: standing right in front of him, completely exposed, with a look in her eyes that calls him to action.

His hands, both the metal and man, grab her by the face. He pulls her in for another kiss—this one different than all the others.

"You're beautiful," Bucky mutters against her lips.

Y/N smiles. Her fingers lightly tug on the end of his jacket sleeves. "I'll say the same to you once you let me see."

The realization of what this all means scares Bucky into stepping away. Y/N's left cold and alone at the center of the floor.

"I... babe, I..." he stutters with his words. His blue eyes are hazy as he glances down to his metal arm. His head starts to sway before Y/N can stop him. "I'm sorry, but I..." He breathes. "I don't want to hurt you."

Y/N, rising on her toes, traces his cheeks with her hands. She brings his averted gaze to her face before smiling at him sweetly. "You're my person. You're my hero." She pushes some of that sweaty brown hair from his face as she goes on. "You're my everything."

Bucky's skin prickles with the sincerity of her words. He almost concedes before he shakes his head again—looking away. "None of that changes the fact that I could hurt you, Y/N. I'd never do it on purpose, but what if..." He stops himself before the thoughts can overwhelm him. "There's a reason everyone's afraid of me." A stiff swallow is the ending punctuation to his whisper.

Y/N, wrapping her arms around his narrow waist, presses herself against him. She's so warm and soft while Bucky's cold and hard beneath her. "I'm not afraid of you, Bucky Barnes."

Fearfully, with unsureness radiating out of his baby blue eyes, Bucky stares down at Y/N. Eventually he brings his metal hand to rest on the small of her bare back with his other one brushing fingertips across her shoulders.

"I feel so safe when I'm with you," Y/N mumbles into his chest. "I've never felt like this before."

Bucky can't help but smile gently at her words. Convinced now, he pulls her face up to meet his. His lips against her are slow—not urgent. "I'll keep you safe." He starts unbuttoning his coat while their kiss grows hotter.

"I know," she whispers back.

Bucky tosses his shirt aside and shutters at the cool air. Y/N's hands are immediately there smothering him with welcomed heat. "I won't hurt you." He nibbles on her ear. "I promise."

Y/N smiles. "I know."

Jeans halfway to his ankles, Bucky pauses to gaze meaningfully into her eyes. "I'm so completely in love with you, Y/N."

Y/N, kissing his dimpled chin, replies to Bucky's phrase with a coy, "I know you are, my darling Becky Barnes."