III: The Soldier and the Fairy Queen: Red Eve

1944- European Front

"Hey, Buck?" Steve said, breaking through Bucky's thoughts.

He lifted his eyes from the campfire to Steve. Well... new Steve. He was still Steve, just taller. And more muscular. Pretty much better on all fronts. Steve had told him the story a couple times over the long march back to camp. How he'd gone to BASIC under Dr. Erskine's direction, had become a super soldier, and met Peggy.

Peggy. The fool couldn't shut up about her. The way he talked, she was from some heavenly race of warrior-angel with a British accent. He'd talked about Howard Stark, the guy with the flying car, who operated the machinery for the experiment. Then how the duo dropped Steve off behind enemy lines to rescue the majority of the 107th with a shield and dressed in a America costume. Yeah. That wasn't conspicous at all, Steve.

But Steve had done it. He'd rescued all of them. And this was their last day of marching. Finally, he could change. Maybe wash somewhat, if he was lucky. Find a pretty nurse to take dancing in one of the ramshakle taverns in the village.

"Bucky?"

Bucky scratched the back of his neck, he definitely needed that wash. "Yeah?"

"What'd they do to you?" Steve asked, his eyes catching the light from the fire.

Bucky sighed, listening to the snores of Pinky and Dum-Dum, who laid nearby. He looked up at the dark sky. Dawn was coming.

He knew what Steve was talking about, but he didn't want to think about it. All he could really remember was burning, prickly pain, and drifting in and out of consciousness. He remembered bright white light and having a splitting headache. And a girl. A young girl. What he couldn't remember was the problem. "To be honest, I really don't know. I think I was out most of the time."

"Did it hurt?" Steve's eyebrows were practically joined in the middle.

Bucky saw his opening and smirked. "A little," he threw Steve's words back in his face.

*****

Bucky lifted his shirt over his head, letting the nurse prod his sides. She was pretty, with a little white cap perched on her blonde head.

"Well, Sarge, you seem to be all right," she said cheerily, writing on her clipboard.

"I know," he mumbled and pulled his shirt back on, causing the nurse to look back at him from her roster.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." It was most definitely not nothing. Four-inch gashes don't heal in less than a week. Bucky kept his mouth shut and smiled at the nurse, "Just saying how I would enjoy a certain nurse coming with me to the tavern."

The nurse flushed as red as her little mouth, "I get off in three hours, Sarge."

Bucky grinned and stood. He patted the nurse as he walked out, eliciting a quiet yelp and laugh from the latter. Steve was standing outside the medic tent. Bucky replastered his cocky smile back in place before it could fade completely.

Steve looked down-- down! he was never going to get used to that-- at him, "All good?"

"Yup. All the nurses wanted a look at my goods, Captain, schmaptain," Bucky strutted up to Steve and threw his arm around him. "I got myself a date with the cutest one."