[ It definitely helps, those receptive expressions, even if Bum still kind of feels like he wants to sink through the floor and disappear, somehow still anticipating rejection even though Steve had assured him multiple times it wasn't the case. He just... wasn't used to being assertive about anything, so actually having to speak his mind... well, it's terrifying. And embarrassing. But he wants this so badly. ]

[ He bites his lip and nods slowly. ]

I-- I know that. I had... someone... back home, too. [ Not someone good, exactly, but someone he wanted to stay faithful to. Here, though... Is it really so terrible if he wants to have something he can look forward to in this awful place? If he wants as much of it as he can get? ] And-- I met nice people here... [ He probably doesn't need to go into much detail there. Steve is one such person... and he wants to tell him about another one, but he's scared he might not like it, and things are going so well right now. ] What-- what I'm saying is, I understand... and it's okay...