Rodgers.

14.

" I love the suit." Bucky said when Steve and I got them.

Steve's was red white and blue, simply for the Captain America thing. Mine was deep grey though, blue and white accents on the sleeves and chest, a bullet proof mask  over my head. " Steve said the shield is helpful. I took the knives in case. Electric rods aren't my thing."

" Toughest gal on the East Coast."

He looked at my shield, which was also dark grey and white. " I like your color scheme more than Steve's. Less annoying."

" I've always been less annoying."

" Correct you are, doll."

Our first mission was in two days. Bucky, Jim, Gabe, James, Jaques and Dum Dum were accompanying Steve and I. Fiercest fighters we could find. " Do you have a shield because Steve does?" He raised his eyebrow.

" No." I shook my head, " No. No. Its handy. It's protection. I need to stop being so reckless."

He wrapped his arms around my waist, he was doing his stupid little puppy dog face, " You, reckless? Never, my Marilyn."

" Shut up." He tried to hold me tight, but forgot how strong I was.

" I love how strong you've become. But it makes me sad."

" Sad?"

" The two people I love most in this world are weapons. Its unfair to say, but I miss being the strong one, because that meant you two didn't have to be. And it meant you weren't here."

Here. Europe. A war zone. As much as I loved what my brother and I can do, I agree with him. I'd rather be chubby and home safe. I'd rather be standing in front of Steve, next to Bucky, keeping him safe.

" I've got you to keep me safe." I tried to make him feel better.

He laughed, " I couldn't keep you safe. Not if I tried."

" You're wrong."

" You can crush my head in your hands." He said, " I want you to swear to me you won't try and save me if I'm in danger. If I'm captured, if I'm getting my ass beat. You finish whatever we're doing. I'm not the priority."

" Bucky don't put that on me." I sighed.

He looked at me, his face not scared or upset or angry, his face was soft, looking at me with so much admiration I almost cried, " Marilyn. I'm asking you, put yourself, and the world, first. Please?"

I wanted to object, to yell at him and tell him how dumb he was, but I sighed, " I swear."

He nodded, " Good."

" I assume you're going to swear the same thing?"

" I'm gonna swear to take a bullet for you and your brother, if you two die, it's over. Our lives are meaningless compared to yours."

" We don't trade lives." I said sternly.

" Well, that's too bad."

I glared at him, and he was smiling, " Do you ever get sick of stressing me out?"

He nodded, " When I don't stress you out, I like to frustrate you."

" I'm actually going to slap you."

***

Turns out I was quite handy with the shield. I learned I could throw it accurately, I took out a few targets from far away. Steve did the same, saying I was a genius for thinking to use it like that. 

Steve and I often practiced fighting. Who better to train with that someone twice as strong as the typical solider? We were pretty evenly matched, one only besting the other when a small mistake was made. 

" Stop missing me on purpose." I rolled my eyes at Steve.

" I don't wanna actually hurt you." He was panting.

I sighed, pulling my hair away from my face, " I love you, but German forces aren't going to have that mindset."

Steve was for sure stronger than me. After we had our blood taken to try and make a new serum, Howard explained to us how it affected us differently. Steve, being a man, has more natural testosterone, that's why his change was so intense. He had more muscle mass, and was clearly stronger. My side effects were different, due to my estrogen production. I'm more emotional, irrational, and easily agitated, Steve got angrier quicker, although he dealt with it better. Howard said he was working to fix it. But even though I was crazy strong, my reflexes were just slightly better than my brother's. 

I notice this often, like now, when Steve went to kick me in the stomach, and I grabbed his leg, slamming him on his back. He started coughing, trying to catch his breath. I looked at him, " You done, Stevie?"

He was breathing heavily, but smiled, " I could do this all day." 

I lifted him to his feet, brushing away the hair sticking to his forehead, " You're nuts."

" So are you." He shoved me, " You're insane. You still amaze me, and you always will."

" You're twice as strong." 

He shrugged, " And you're twice as smart. I can punch, but who's going to think us out of a bad situation?"

We couldn't compare ourselves, it was impossible. Comparing me to a regular woman, simple, but comparing me to my twin, people could look for hours and not find anything completely different. That's why we worked so well together. Similar people think alike. 

" Wanna keep going?" He asked, " I won't go easy on you, and I assume the same for you?"

" Oh, absolutely not, Steven. Have we ever gone easy on anyone?"