He swallowed down a groan as Bucky's fingers tightened on his hips. They were not as close as his body wants but at the same time he knows full well that if they really were pressed together naked and wet like this they'll be awkward questions to answer. Answers he would give honestly but he's not sure if Bucky would be okay with. Bucky was making strides in becoming human again, not completely the James Buchanan Barnes he remembered before the war but still his best friend. However it worried Steve sometimes that Bucky had no other connections to anyone else in the world and showed no inclination of wanting another. The work they did was dangerous, like the last week showed and he worried about what Bucky would do if he was really gone.

He sighed as Bucky pulled away and began to wash his own hair perfunctorily, feeling Bucky's gaze on him from time to time, and glad he's not sporting any improper erections. One final rinse to get all soap and shampoo of of him and he was feeling so much better now that the grime of the grime and dirt of the last week was gone from his body. And now that he was clean, he could feel his stomach making demands he won't be able to put off much longer. He smiled at Bucky's soft declaration and answered with a simple, "I know."