One part of the war that Bucky would never forget was Lieutenant Samuels, the leader of his company. Samuels was brave, strong, and smart as a tack, and for a skinny, 65 year old man he was deceptively not afraid to get his hands dirty. He would laugh in the middle of battle, running out of ammo only to take out two daggers, spinning them in his hands like they were batons before stabbing a Nazi in the eye.

Lieutenant Samuels seemed invincible. It was as if he was a shield against all the dangers of the war, and somehow he gave comfort to even those on their deathbeds. He had a safe aura that surrounded him, and acted as the fatherly figure for most of the company. Bucky, whose father was an ex soldier and died when he was very young, sometimes liked to imagine that he was his actual father. He felt warmth spread through him whenever Samuels smiled, patted his shoulder, and said, "Good thinking, Sergeant."

One night, Samuels took first watch. Bucky decided to stay up too. He'd been having nightmares for the past couple of days, and he was honestly afraid of closing his eyes. His only wish was to get back home to Steve, to their crummy Brooklyn apartment, where he could work at the docks and come home to Steve sketching at the table every night.

'Unless Steve has somehow managed to manipulate the admissions office into accepting him,' Bucky thought anxiously, then pushed it aside. As if. Hopefully Steve would miraculously forget about his foolhardy ambitions. But that was impossible. If there was one way to describe Steve Rogers, it would be stubborner than a mule and twice as stupid when he gets an idea into that thick skull of his.

Actually, come to think of it, Steve hadn't written any letters to him even though he promised to write. Bucky sent three so far, warning him about the horrors of war and asking if Steve was doing okay. Maybe Steve ran out of money, and couldn't pay for a stamp. Maybe he got sick, and was on the streets dying. Maybe-

No. Bucky forced his tense body to relax. Steve's gonna be fine. He paid off the rent for a year, and the meager pension he's been earning will help Steve survive. Bucky narrowed his eyes. Unless he gave away everything to some homeless widow. The damn idiot, he should have never left Steve alone. What was he thinking?! Oh wait. He didn't have any choice, because of the FUCKING draft-

"You alright, son?" Bucky's head snapped up from where he was glaring into the fire. Lieutenant Samuels was sitting a few feet away, poking at the fire with a stick.

"Yes, sir," Bucky replied, fidgeting with his uniform. If only Steve could see him now, covered in dust from head to toe.

He would probably laugh and call him a dust bunny before ruffling his hair. And then Bucky would wrap his arms around his skinny shoulders and say, 'You'll be a dust ball when I'm done with you!' He'd hug Steve, getting dust all over his stupid white button up that he always wears, while both of them laugh until their sides hurt, Steve half protesting and yanking on Bucky's hair in retaliation. And then-

"Ah, I see. Thinking about your sweetheart back home, huh?" Bucky shook himself out of his daydream and stared at Lieutenant Samuels, who was smirking at him knowingly. Bucky shook his head and smiled softly.

"No, sir. Just my best friend, Steve," Bucky laughed, "And Steve's definitely not my sweetheart." Samuels hummed before going back to poking at the fire halfheartedly.

"This Steve seems kind of important to you. What's he like?" Samuels asked, his green eyes bright and glittering in the fire light. Bucky grinned and shook his head, running his hand through the back of his hair. If there was something that Bucky completely knew, it was Steve Rogers.

"Steve and I met when we were kids. Steve was defending a kid from some bullies, and when they knocked him down he just got back up for more, the stupid punk. Well, I was passing by and managed to scare the bullies off by hurling a cardboard box full of rotten vegetables at them. Steve and I have been best friends ever since. He's always been real small and skinny, but he's full of passion and he's not afraid to stand up to anybody, no matter how bigger they are. I'm always hauling his scrawny ass out of trouble. But when he gets into a fight, and his blue eyes light up with this inner fire… he's something else," Bucky trailed off, gazing into the fire while smiling wistfully.

"He sounds like a good man," Samuels said seriously, watching Bucky with a knowing smile.

"The best of the best, sir," he whispered, "He's got the biggest heart I've ever seen. He's gonna be an amazing artist one day, I just know it. He's gonna do something great." Lieutenant Samuels nodded.

They both sat in silence for a bit, and Bucky leaned back to look at the stars. He hoped Steve was doing alright. He'll need to send another letter when he gets ahold of some paper and stamps. Maybe Steve did send him letters, and they're on their way. And the next time they get to a base they'll call Bucky's name and give him a small stack of letters. They'd all have Steve's distinct scrawl on the front, and inside will be his long ramblings on how many fights he got into, how he helped old Martha with carrying her groceries again, and had an asthma attack because of walking up four flights of stairs carrying a huge grocery bag. And maybe there'll be a few sketches of the park, or the cat that hangs around their building.

"Bucky?" Lieutenant Samuels's voice drew him back to reality again. Jeez, he was really spacing out tonight.

"Yeah?" Bucky asked, rubbing his eyes. He must be tired or something. Samuels was smirking at him again.

"Are you sure Steve's not your sweetheart?" He asked, waggling his bushy eyebrows suggestively. Bucky's eyes widened.

"No, sir!" Bucky exclaimed, blushing. He and Steve would never… would never… Samuels started laughing at him, a great booming laugh that seemed to echo through the night. It showed how exhausted their company was that none of them even stirred.

"God, Barnes, you should see your face right now! I don't know how your precious Steve puts up with you, you numbskull. You're obviously as thick as a brick!" Samuels laughed and started trailing off into wheezes. He wiped a tear from his eye and shook his head. Bucky rolled his eyes and huffed.

"That's not what you said yesterday when I sniped that Nazi who was over 2,000 meters away," Bucky smirked back at him triumphantly, "Besides, I know Steve like the back of my hand. We're only best friends!" He was glad, even though he wasn't into guys, that Samuels was still very accepting. He'd get along real well with Steve. Samuels was a great guy and loves everyone. Except Nazis, of course.

"Well, I know the look of someone in love, even underneath the pure obliviousness, and it's all over your face and your puppy dog eyes. And I never said war, son, I meant matters of the heart," Samuels sighed, mimicking a swoon and putting his hand over his chest. Bucky couldn't help but laugh at his antics.

"Yeah, well you're still wrong, sir. Must be getting senile in your old age," Bucky teased, and Samuels scoffed.

"Even an old man like myself can see that love struck gaze in your eyes, boy. I've seen that sappy expression on many faces before." He seemed to stare past Bucky, as if he was seeing old memories flash across his eyes. Maybe even recent ones, like of James, who was married right before he was drafted, and was killed yesterday. A more somber mood settled between them as they recalled the harsh battles they've been going through.

"Sir?" Bucky's whisper cut through the heavy air like a knife. Samuels swivelled his eyes back on Bucky's and motioned for Bucky to go on. He continued, "Are you afraid of dying?" He hated how his voice trembled. How weak he sounded. Samuels stared at him, his face unreadable, before puffing his chest out and smirking.

"I survived the trenches son. I've seen shit that makes this look like child's play. No Nazi bastard is gonna kill me," he stated, squaring his shoulders. Bucky laughed and shook his head, glad that the mood was lighter.

"Yeah, well I doubt anything could kill you, sir. Not even if Hitler himself came out to the battlefield," Bucky proclaimed, smiling confidently at Samuels, who grinned back.

"Thanks, kid. Now why don't you go to sleep. If I can kill Hitler, I can certainly watch over everyone," Samuels declared, pointing at Bucky's mat while raising an eyebrow pointedly. Bucky shrugged and started crawling over to his space.

"Hope you have sweet dreams of your sweetheart!" Samuels called, before breaking out into gruff laughter once more. Bucky rolled his eyes and sighed, flopping down onto his mat and tugging the old blanket over him. And when his thoughts went back to Steve, as they always seemed to do, his heart beat just a little bit faster.

A/N: Thanks for reading! There's going to be at least one more chapter. If you could give a comment, then that would be great. Also, without my beta Nepetation, this would have been awful. I'd be lost without her! XD So thank you Nepetation! :) Go check out her fics if you have time!