Steve grit his teeth through the procedure. It hurt, he could feel the change in his body, and he could feel everything grow. It was incredible, and terrifying at the same time. But, Steve Rogers wasn't one to back down because of a little pain and fear, no he wanted to see this through to the end. When the machine opened up, he gasped quietly, exhausted, but he could feel his body already healing itself, and his brain just couldn't wrap around it yet. He looked down at Peggy and offered a weak smile.

"How do you feel?" She asked, concerned, but Steve could see the look of amazement in her eyes too.

"Taller…" He breathed, laughing softly.

And before Steve knew it, he was being shoved on stage instead of on the front lines, and he didn't understand. He felt like a fool, a useless show monkey… He was made to be a solider, and that was what he wanted and needed to be.

When he did the show for the actual troops Steve- Well Steve felt like shit. These were the men he was supposed to be fighting with, and they were laughing at him. He felt worse than when he thought about telling Bucky what he was, but now he couldn't go into an asthma/panic attack induced fainting spell…at least that was a good thing.

When Steve heard that the 107th- Bucky, was taken prisoner by a HYDRA cell, his stomach felt like it was boiling lead. He didn't care if he was disobeying orders. He didn't care if it was going AWOL, he had to be a soldier, and he had to save his friend. He would deal with everything the commanding officers would throw at him when he got back. Though, it was really amazing that Peggy was, well… approving of this behavior. It made Steve's heart flutter through the worry and panic.

"Steve….?" Bucky asked as he looked up, confusion clear in his groggy eyes. Steve wanted nothing more than to deck all of the HYDRA scum that had done this to his friend, his lover, whatever they were now.

"Yeah, Buck, It's me…come on." He whispered, getting him up from the table and slinging his arm around his newly broad shoulders.

"What happened to you?" Bucky asked as they started to exit the cell he was being kept in.

"I joined the army." Bucky snorted softly.

"Did it hurt?" He asked, weakly squeezing Steve's shoulders.

"A little." He responded, looking around to take in their surroundings. Steve felt little bursts of emotions within his chest. Bucky was safe because of him: Pride. Bucky was safe and alive: Joy. But, Bucky had obviously been experimented on: Rage. Steve didn't know which one to act on. He bit his lip to try and concentrate. They had a mission at hand, and with so many lives at stake right now, Steve didn't want to fuck up.

Steve smiled a little at Bucky when he came into his tent.

"I'm shocked they didn't kick your ass out of the army, disobeying orders like that…. You'll get yourself killed." He teased slightly. Steve shook his head a little, a fond smile on his face. Steve knew he was teasing, but Bucky still looked worse for ware, and Steve was more concerned about that than his own wellbeing currently.

"Yeah well….if you save over a hundred men, they can't really kick you out. Besides…. I'm an icon now, and a soldier. It wouldn't be good for the army's image." Steve said, shrugging his shoulders halfheartedly.

Bucky walked over and sat beside him on the cot, his hand going to rest on Steve's knee. Steve looked at him at a side glance and laid his hand over Bucky's. "Buck I-"

"Shuddup Steve… I know what you're gonna say. I'm just glad you are safe, even if the army took you." He said softly, squeezing Steve's hand. They couldn't do much, not here. If any of the other commandos found out that Steve was what he was, or that he and Bucky were an item….Steve didn't want to think about it because it would be so much worse than what happened to that man in the back alley at home.

The blonde let out a soft sigh and looked at his friend, giving a timid smile that he hoped translated to 'I love you.' Bucky returned the same look and Steve's heart settled warmly in his chest.

"So…tell me what happened to you, Big Guy?" Bucky asked, sitting back more on the cot. Steve chuckled and nodded, sitting back more too, their shoulders together.

"So…back at home when I went to enlist…this Doctor came up to me. He asked me a few questions and said that maybe it was time the army called in the little guy. He told me about this serum he created and how it would make 'super soldiers'. We did the experiment and this is what happened to me…. I ain't sick anymore. But uh- everything else is the same." He said the last part softly. Bucky smiled tenderly at Steve.

"Now your outside match your insides then, Huh soldier?" He teased again, eyes roaming over Steve. Steve knew it was a big difference from what he was before. Bucky didn't have to worry about him being sick, about him getting hurt. But he was still him….Steve was still just that small kid from Brooklyn, just like Bucky said.

It all went wrong….It all went so so so wrong. Steve wanted to scream, but no sound came out. It was all stuck behind the rock in his throat. Bucky- Bucky! He…He fell. He fell and Steve couldn't save him, not this time. He held onto the side of the train, his eyes searching desperately for where Bucky was. To see if he could find him and get him before it was too late. But…but it was far too late, Steve, and Bucky was gone. Steve was alone. He felt his shoulders shake as he clung to the side of the train, wrecked sobs leaving him. For once in his life, Steve Rogers felt helpless… and it crushed his soul. 'Why couldn't it have been me…?' He thought despairingly.

Steve stared at the water ahead of him. The plane was going down, and there was no going back now. He said his goodbye to Peggy, and as much as he loved her, yes…it was defiantly love, it wouldn't be the same. His life felt hollow without his best friend, without Bucky. Steve didn't want to try and replace him either, no one could ever replace him, not even Peggy. He set Peggy's picture up and looked at it. As the plane split the icy covering of the water, Steve closed his eyes and imagined. He imagined a happy life, with all of the people he loved, in a world not scarred by war.

Steve didn't think about the fear he had felt in his life, the fear about his body. He didn't even remember the uncertainty of before he was a solider. He just thought of happiness, and comfort as the cold water swallowed him. Good night, Little Soldier, until we meet again.

Please review. The sequel will be out soon~