To Marytta. Hey, sugar.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Not even the drawing, which is just the cutest thing Mary has ever drawn.

This story is beta'd now! Thanks to alygator86.

1. Skinny Steve

He wished Bucky was there and he hated himself for it. He had got himself into that mess (once more) and so, he would get out of it on his own.

Another well-aimed kick impacted on his arms, which protected his bony torso. There were only two kids this time. Steve knew one of them had an uncle discharged from the army, and it seemed like he had taught his nephew some moves, but it did not really matter. He was too skinny anyway, too weak to beat anyone up. He hated himself for that, too.

The beating seemed to last for hours. On this occasion, there was no Bucky to end it. The children just got bored and left. Steve knew that his friend was playing somewhere a little far from there. Bucky had actually met a new group. When he had invited Steve to go with them, the scrawny child had refused. He was still a bit under the weather from a cold the previous week and his mother would not let him go outside the neighbourhood. Besides, he always messed up meeting new people. He knew Bucky did not mind —not much, at least. He often said there would never be a person more important than Steve, because they were brothers in every way that was relevant. Yet, he wanted Bucky to make new friends. And maybe, when they knew and loved Bucky, they would not mind that Steve messed things up as well.

Finally, he got up from the pavement. He ached badly, but looked like he was in one piece, so he thought it was probably fine. He started to walk home, already making up some excuse in his mind for the scratches and fresh bruises. He did not enjoy upsetting his mother, but it was impossible for him to stand bullies.

While he walked home, the ten-year-old remembered the trigger of that particular fight. One of the kids (he had already forgotten his name) had insulted Bucky for being an orphan. And Steve had launched himself at him —even though his asthma hardly let him breath most of days. And he stood no chance against the two bigger boys. In addition, they would probably never dare say that to Bucky's face, so his best friend would not have known. In spite of all this, Steve never doubted defending his friend was the right thing to do. Because they would always have each other's back, until the end of the line.

A/N: The first two chapters are a bit short, but they will get longer later, I promise. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. All opinions are welcome; criticism only helps me to improve!