Miscellaneous crap.

That's An Order (Stucky)

"I thought you were dead."

"I thought you were smaller, what happened to you?"

"I joined the army."

"Did it hurt?"

"A little."

"Is it permanent?"

"So far."

~

"...You don't... have one of those, do you?"

~

"But you're keeping the outfit, right?"

~

06:00

It was overcast and foggy on the Italian front, the sounds of jeeps sloshing through the mud from the previous night's rain awoke Steve from his slumber. He swung his legs over the side of his cot and rubbed at his face. He made his way out of his private tent and into the adjacent, where the rest of the Howling Commandos slept.

Well, all of them except Bucky. Dugan's whiskered face popped into view from his bunk, observing Steve's confused expression.

"Barnes left half an hour ago, dunno where he went though, sorry Cap'n." He flipped open his zippo to light a fresh morning cigar. Steve gave him a nod and a salute before exiting. He sought out Peggy in the bunker, loading her pistol and tucking it in her holster.

"Good morning Captain." Peggy greeted with a smile.

"Morning, Agent Carter, I don't suppose you've seen Sergeant Barnes?" Steve was glancing around the facility, trying to catch any telltale flash of a navy blue jacket.

"As a matter of fact, I have," She replied. "He's been avoiding you, hasn't he?"

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed," Steve sighed. "I get it, I don't look the same, but surely he can't be that freaked out by me."

"You're hardly a fright, Rogers. He'll come around eventually, and if he doesn't, why don't you order him to talk to you?" Peggy Fixed him with a mischievous smirk.

"I don't like throwing my weight around, Peg." Steve chuckled.

"What's the point of having it, then?" She quipped and strode past him into the misty morning, leaving Steve to hatch a plan.

~

21:00

Bucky was amongst the ammo crates in the back of the arms shed, focusing all his attention on cleaning his rifle instead of the facts, which were that Steve was no longer the 5'4", 94-pound punk he left behind in Brooklyn and that he no longer needed Bucky to protect him. Hell, Bucky and his compatriots would have been long dead if not for Steve's absolutely moronic rescue mission, but he put more energy into being grateful for his life than being pissed about Steve risking his own.

Insecurity was hardly the only thing causing him to avoid Steve, though, He would be lying if he said he enjoyed not being able to return to their previous rapport, but when he was around the blond, he knew he wouldn't be able to avoid staring at his newly-enhanced best friend. The way his form had changed now caused Steve to tower two inches over Bucky and his foolish fearless mission had shown him just how strong Steve really was now, as he had cleared the gap in the imploding factory almost easily, and half-carried Bucky's exhausted body to their escape.

With a tortured sigh, he set down his reassembled sniper and thumped his head back against the crate behind him. So much for not thinking about Steve too much. This, unfortunately, was an army base, not their shoebox apartment back in Brooklyn, where they could get away with being close and sharing longing stares.