Bucky knew something wasn't right the moment he entered the apartment. The lights were off. Not even the TV was working. He expected (Y/N) to be on the couch watching a movie, waiting for him as she always did when he went on a mission with the team. It was only nine o'clock so she should still be awake. But she wasn't.

At this point Bucky was alert. He silently put his bag down and made his way past the living room and kitchen while looking for any signs of what might have happened, already assuming the worst. He had promised (Y/N) that he wouldn't let anyone harm her and he wouldn't know what to do with himself if someone had gotten to her while he was away.

He walked to the door of the bedroom, which was closed. That alone made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. (Y/N) never closes the door to the bedroom. As he stood there, he could hear faint sounds of sniffling. Bucky slowly opened the door and crept into the room.

Bucky realized that the sounds he had heard were from (Y/N). She was on the bed, the sheets covering her trembling body as almost silent sobs left her lips. He could see the tears as the light from the moon illuminated her face in the otherwise dark room.

(Y/N) hadn't noticed that her boyfriend was just a few meters from her. She didn't even know that he had come back from the mission. All she knew was that the mission was supposed to end in two days if everything went as planned so she was surprised when she felt the bed dip behind her and a strong arm being draped over her shaking form.

-"It's okay. I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you." (Y/N) heard Bucky say and she immediately relaxed. She turned around to face him. "Do you want to tell me what happened, doll?" Bucky asked her after a moment of silence. He gently put the hand that wasn't keeping her close to him on her tear stained cheek.

(Y/N) was grateful that he never made her do something she didn't want to. Bucky always made sure she was comfortable. One of the things that made her fall in love with him was how thoughtful and compassionate he could be. She was the one of the few people that have seen this side of him.

-"I just…I think…I think that you deserve someone better." (Y/N) managed to say through the sobs that raked her body. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. She hated the way she looked especially at this moment and she knew that he deserved someone better than her. Someone like him. Someone perfect. And she had too many flaws.

-"What do you mean? There's no one better for me than you (Y/N)." He told her as he stared at her. In his eyes, she was a goddess and he didn't know how she could think so little of herself.

(Y/N) snorted quietly as if she didn't have the energy to actually laugh. She looked straight at Bucky's gorgeous blue eyes. The eyes she loved so much. She could see her broken self in them. Her tear stained face looked back at her with such desperation that for a moment the only thing she could do was stare back.

-"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" She said these words over and over again like a broken record as if they could save her broken soul. As if repeating them like a mantra could change the fact that she would always think that she wasn't enough. As if they were the last string connecting her to reality and she clung to it like it would snap any moment and let her drown in the ocean of self-hatred she had made of her tears.

-"It's okay, doll. I'm right here. And I'm not going anywhere." Bucky tried to reassure her but his words fell on deaf ears. The only thing he could do was cradle her in his arms.

It broke Bucky's heart seeing his girl like this. So vulnerable and broken. He wanted to help but he didn't know how. He kissed the top of her head and let her cry her heart out.

After a while he could hear her slowly quiet down. A few minutes later and her breath evened out too. (Y/N) had fallen asleep. Bucky stealthily maneuvered around her trying his best not to wake her up. He slid under the covers and took her in his arms again. She cuddled closer to him out of instinct. It made Bucky smile knowing that she trusted him so much.

In the morning he would ask her again if she wanted to talk. Bucky wanted to know what had made (Y/N) so upset. But if she didn't want to talk about it he wouldn't push her. However, those were things he had to worry about when they woke up. Right now, he just had to be there for her.

With one last kiss to (Y/N)'s forehead Bucky fell asleep.