The offer comes as a surprise. Even as casually as they’ve conversed, even as naturally as the words had come out of Henry’s mouth, fancy accent and all, Bucky’s lived in a world where the thought of being wanted by anyone is basically nonexistent, all flattery and compliments just sugary words to win his trust. He looks at Henry briefly with his brows raised, wondering if the suggestion will be retracted as a joke. When it isn’t, and he realizes the offer is genuine, his brows furrow in concern.

Not that Henry would likely be aware, but Bucky isn’t exactly unaccustomed to the notion of fooling around with friends. He’d done plenty of it when he was younger, less neurotic, but those situations had also been quite different, the options of friends far and wide even if one of his relationships went south because things hadn’t gone quite right. Here, with COST, it proves a different gamble.

“We’d still be friends if I don’t like it, right?” He doesn’t want to offend Henry or put him off; he’s damn swell in Bucky’s eyes. But even as generous as the proposal comes, especially with the mellow back and forth they’ve had for the last while in mind, the last thing Bucky wants to do is complicate things between them.