Chapter Text
Stephanie had always known there was something different about her. Being called “miss” and “young lady” felt wrong, felt like she was lying to the world. Her own body felt like a lie, like she was wearing a costume, and it made her skin crawl every time she saw her reflection. It wasn’t until she got gum stuck in her hair and had to cut it as short as the neighbor boy’s that she felt even the slightest bit okay in her own skin. And when the local butcher called her “young man” instead of “young lady”, Stephanie finally connected the dots and realized that ‘she’ wasn’t a girl. He was a boy.
Bucky was the first person he ever told. He hadn’t even meant to, honestly, but it just slipped out one day while they were walking to the art museum.
“Hey, Bucky, can I tell you a secret?”
Bucky looked down at short blonde that he was mildly in love with (not that he was ever planning to admit it) and answered, “’Course you can, Stephie. You know you can tell me anything.”
Bucky didn’t miss the flinch and Stephanie whispered, “Promise you won’t get mad? Or- Or tell anyone?”
Bucky stopped and gently dragged Stephanie off to the side of the path, stating, “Stephie, you know damn well that I won’t tell anyone or get mad at you.”
Stephanie refused to meet his eyes and Bucky could feel a bubble of what could only be described as panicky fear forming in his gut. Then Stephanie mumbled, “Even if I told you that I’m a boy?”
The statement caught Bucky off-guard and he stared blankly at the blonde in front of him, asking, “Wait, what?”
Stephanie quietly repeated, “I’m a boy, Buck. Not- Not physically, but… But I’m still a boy.”
Stephanie could practically see Bucky swallow back the thousands of questions that came to his mind and instead decide to ask, “So, uh, do you want me to call you something other than Stephanie?”
Stephanie lit up, staring at Bucky with teary blue eyes, and answered excitedly, “Yeah! I was thinking Steven! Steven Grant Rogers!”
Bucky hummed thoughtfully, then answered, “It suits you… Stevie.”
Steve looked like he was about to cry happy tears and Bucky couldn’t help but pull him into a hug, stating, “I’m glad you told me, Stevie.”