He catches it. The disappointment that laces Steve's tone is almost as bad as the look on his face, and it shoots straight to Bucky's core in a heartbeat. He's an asshole for doing this, he knows it. An asshole for making Steve feel like that, he's being a bad friend, he knows it. He grits his teeth when Steve's mass jostles the entire damn bed frame, glaring up at the ceiling wordlessly like somehow it's personally to blame.

What's worse, though? That's what he's gotta decide. Is it worse to leave Steve feeling like he did nothing wrong but for whatever reason Bucky's decided they can't be BFFs anymore?

Or is it worse to keep it up, ride out the intensity, let himself go lax, start flirting, make a pass, get shot down two, three times before he ultimately lays it out there flat. Look like an idiot. Put Steve in the awkward position where he's gotta let Bucky down gentle - because he would, wouldn't he? he'd be real kind about it - and then leave Steve feeling awkward in his own god damn bed knowing the guy above him wants to sleep with him.

Living with that every night.
Maybe wondering if he's gotta start looking out for himself in case Bucky-
This is prison. It's not a hard conclusion to jump to.

Maybe just in Bucky's mind. Spiraling out, going too deep. Thinking too hard, too dark, too much.

The first option's the lesser of two evils, and so he keeps his damn mouth shut. The lights go out. He rolls on his side, and the night passes in awkward sleepless silence.

And he intends on doing it again tomorrow.
And the next day.
And the next week, until whenever the feeling passes and he can be around Steve without his heart doing cartwheels.