Author's Note: I'm sorry if the layout of this one is a little bit confusing but I hope it works out!
Dear Stevie,
How are you? I hope you're feeling better now.
To answer your question, the war sucks. It's so shitty. Take my word and seriously don't join. I'm not saying that to be a protective big brother but because it just genuinely is awful for everyone here. We all hate it. All day everyday it feels like it's just mud, blood, running, the ear popping banging of guns and all in all it's just hell, repeated over and over again. It sucks.
Please stop trying to enlist. You won't enjoy it. It's no fun. Just ask some of the guys in my squadron.
Anyway, I hope things are going good back in Brooklyn. I can't wait to see what you've done with our apartment when I get back.
I'm so happy to hear that you found a job selling bonds. I told you every little bit counts!
Yours sincerely, Bucky.
Bucky sighs as he signs off the letter and folds it up, placing it in an envelope. He grunts as he gets up from his stretcher camp bed and grabs his rain jacket.
Holding it over his head to shield himself from the relentless rain he runs out of his tent and across the way to the main living quarters. Inside he scuffs the mud off of his boots and places the letter in the mail box, hoping that the next lot of mail will get sent off soon.
------
... I told you every little bit counts!
Yours sincerely, Bucky.
Steve smiles as he reads the letter from his best friend. He's so glad they've managed to keep in contact so well since Bucky left for the war.
He folds the letter up and tucks it into the breast pocket of the star spangled, red and white striped, blue uniform spread tightly over his new and improved, massive, impressive body where it would be safe while he goes on stage.
Little did Bucky know that he was far from their not actually newly renovated apartment in Brooklyn right now like Steve had told him. So far he had managed to avoid telling Bucky and he planned on keeping it that way for as long as possible.
As much as he wanted to tell him all about it he also knew very well that Bucky would kick his ass all the way back to Brooklyn if he found out that he had joined the army, jumped on a grenade and undergone dodgy life changing experimentation at the hands of a German scientist who he hardly knew, chased a gunman down a busy street in bare feet, used a car door as a shield that he wasn't sure was bullet proof and dived into the sea after a submarine. Just to name a few things.
Yeah Bucky would totally kill him. Some things are just better off being kept secrets. It will be better for both of them. Imagine the heart attack Bucky would have if Steve told him all that by letter.
By the time he is finally finished with the photo ops all he wants to do is reply to Bucky's letter. So he rushes back to his dressing room and that's exactly what he does.
Dear Bucky,
Just hang in there bud you'll be back before you know it. I'm sure things will get better and I know I have no idea what your going through but I'm sure it can't be that bad. Just think about all the friends you're getting to be making and all the places you're getting to go. See? There are some positives.
Remember winter is almost over now too so the weather will be getting better soon and that means that you can take mud off that list of awful things.
At least you're not stuck back here in Brooklyn. It's just the same old same old back here. If anything it's gotten more boring now that your gone.
Work is stupid too but like you said at least it's something. But it's nothing like being out there on the front lines with you.
Hopefully I'll see you out there soon.
Yours sincerely, Steve.
After sealing the letter into an envelope Steve got up and went out to find the one person he knew he could talk to right now since Bucky isn't there.
This whole propaganda thing is really starting to get to him. It's not what he expected when he signed up for the war.
"Peggy?" He says when he sees her standing in the communal area.
"Yes?" She asks him smiling.
"Would you mind getting this sent off and then would we be able to talk?" He sighs disheartened.
"Sure." She says as she takes the letter from him.
She always takes care of Steve's letters to Bucky.
------
... Hopefully I'll see you out there soon.
Yours sincerely, Steve.
Bucky groans and rolls his eyes, face palming as he gets to the end of reading Steve's letter.
Why can't he just give it up?
He's not cut out for the war.
Okay, so maybe Bucky might've exaggerated a little bit on how awful he's finding the war, it certainly ain't all rainbows and butterflies but it's not that bad either. But it's just to protect Steve.
He will get absolutely monstered out there and if it takes lying to him to get him to stay out of it then so be it.
Bucky huffed as he folded up the letter and put it under his pillow with all the others Steve had sent him before blowing out his lantern and rolling over to go to sleep.