I am dense. I am VERY dense. I know what SNAFU means. I know what FUBAR means. I have been trying to extrapolate SNRFB, but I am not sure if I have it right, so would you please be an amazing and merciful fuzzy blue alien, and put me out of my misery? *wibbles*
SITUATION NORMAL ROGERS FUCKING BARNES
SNRFB becomes something of a legend among the rank and file.
Everyone knows that it started with the Howling Commandos. The 101st has a story in which Colonel Philips actually got a steady supply of “medicine” from Captain Nixon, who was known to have a near-magical store of such things. Colonel Phillips tended to renew his “medical supplies” every time he’d get the answer “SNRFB” from Dugan.
Captain Rogers and his squad got the job done as far as kicking Nazi and HYDRA ass anyway, so the occasional yelling of “SNRFB IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE STATUS REPORT SOLDIER!” coming from Philips’ tent could be forgiven.
It took a while for a great many people to “get it.” At that point, anyone who actually had beef about this would be coldly told to shut up and just fight the goddamn war, usually by a great many men who could tell actual, “yes, I was there and I would have been fucking hamburger on the beach at D-day if it weren’t for Cap and/or Sergeant Barnes, so shut the fuck up” stories.
SNRFB was the general consensus among the rank and file when Cap flew that plane into the Arctic, mere weeks after Sergeant Barnes fell from that train.
Soon enough, SNRFB began as a code of sorts among the men. A way for buddies to say how they felt, whether or not the affection was simply deep friendship or something else. SNRFB was an unqualified I love you. Ditch the “no homo” disclaimers.
When you’re in the trenches, in the sands, in the goddamn ocean or in the skies, fighting alongside your best pal, the guy you trust to watch your back in or out of the battle zone, somehow, worrying about “other implications” was just more bullshit. SNRFB, man. It was understood.
SNRFB was the last thing Sam Wilson heard from Riley before he fell.
Rhodey remembers saying SNRFB to another close friend during his own time in the battlefield. He’s said it to Tony just once, when Tony was on one of the worst benders of his life, shortly after losing his parents. While Tony doesn’t completely understand the meaning of the entire acronym, he got the meaning behind the words all the same.
SNRFB was something Clint used to say to Phil Coulson, though he never got to say it before Loki and the Chitauri happened.
SNRFB was something Natasha ended up saying to Steve, and they were both surprised that it came out.
Over several bottles of vodka later, Steve told Natasha the whole story and she ended up holding him close as he wept for the love he’d lost.
When Bucky finally came home, when all of them watched as they both whispered broken snatches of words that all spoke of grief and love and relief and home, Tony finally got the meaning of SNRFB.
“Oh hell. SNRFB.” And he facepalmed.
Rhodey patted him on the back, “There, there, buddy. It takes a while to sink in.”
“SNRFB?” Wanda asked.
Clint patted her and her brother on the shoulder. “We’ll explain later.”
