The two of them were in Steve's room before Daniel continued their conversation by remarking, "Almost like me and Jack. Maybe Peg was right in a way."

"What do you mean? Jack made it pretty clear that you two weren't romantic."

"No," Daniel looked down at his shoes as he toed them off. "We're not, but he's my Jackie and I'm his Susan, and nobody else gets away with using those nicknames."

"Where did those names get started?" Steve asked with a grin, closing the bedroom door before he peeled off his T-shirt.

Daniel sat down on the end of Steve's bed and pulled his right sock off, holding up his ankle for Steve's inspection. The super-soldier peered at the dark green words in the semi-darkness, making out the words "You sure you can keep up, Agent Susan?"

"I still had my crutch then, in the days before my metal leg, and he was not happy about being partnered with the agency's cripple."

"And where are you two at now?" Steve asked, retrieving two pairs of basketball shorts from his dresser before he sat down on the bed beside Daniel.

"He's my best friend, but we are platonic," Daniel answered, removing his second sock. "None of us ever did anything worse than having sex with an opposite-sex spouse that wasn't our own. We're not inclined towards same-sex relations, anyway." He scoffed quietly. We've never even just slept in a bed with someone of the same sex."

"So you've never done something like," Steve gestured between the two of them. "This?"

Daniel froze for a beat before he shook his head.

Steve gave him a small reprieve, handing him the extra pair of shorts and saying, "Try these on if you want to; I'm going to go brush my teeth in the bathroom that's attached to this room. I have an extra toothbrush for you too, if you want it."

"Thanks," Daniel muttered, and Steve left him to his tasks and thoughts.

The other man was overly jittery, moving quicker than Steve, and by the time the super-soldier was ready to leave the bathroom, Daniel was already there, shirtless on the bed, having already turned off the lights… and still skittish with nerves but trying not to be. He still hadn't answered Steve's question.

Steve crawled under the covers on his side of the bed, both of them still sitting up in the moonlit room as he laid his hand on the other man's wrist and asked Daniel, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Daniel answered quickly, too quickly, as he took a deep breath.

So he was nervous, even though he'd claimed to think it was no big deal, Steve mused.

Searching his eyes, Steve asked, "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing; I'm fine."

"What you are," Steve smiled gently. "Is a very bad liar."

Daniel flushed, embarrassed at being caught, and opened his mouth, closed it, and tried again. "We're soulmates, so there's a connection, but I…" he sighed. "I don't really know you as a person beyond being 'Captain America' and I always thought that if I was going to share a room with a man, it would be with… someone else, at least the first time, anyway."

"You're just more comfortable with Jack, aren't you?"

"I'm comfortable with all of my soulmates."

Steve gave him a "come on now" eye roll at the copout. Daniel put his head in his hands and groaned, the only admission that Steve needed.

"I don't even know why?!" Daniel said from behind his hands. "He really is such a... well, a jerk! And I… With Angie I even had this 'love at first sight' experience, and I know that she is and always will be the soulmate to whom I'm closest but..."

"But there's still something about Jack," Steve nodded understandingly.

"And even Eddie sometimes, but that just feels more like the familiarity of an old friend sometimes, and it can be hard enough to get him to just give somebody a hug. Bucky's definitely…"

Daniel trailed off and Steve nodded with a laugh; he needed no explanation. "Yeah, Bucky."

"And you," Daniel looked out at Steve from behind his hands. "You look a little like Jack."

"But I'm not Jack," Steve replied, bringing them back full-circle.

Daniel sighed. "But you're not Jack."

"Don't worry," Steve put a hand on the other man's back. "Bucky'll figure something out for you two; he's good at convincing people to do things."

Daniel smiled at Steve. "Is that your story?"

"And I'm sticking to it!" Steve nodded firmly with a smile of his own.

Daniel chuckled, but it turned into a gaping yawn.

"We should lay down; it's been a huge day," Steve said, taking his own advice as he spoke.

He would let Daniel decide what to do with himself, so he wasn't really expecting what he got. He'd turned his back to Daniel to give the other man the space that he presumed he would want, but when Daniel laid down he put his head against Steve's back. In an attempt to actually… snuggle? But both men soon realized that wasn't going to work.

"You can turn over if you want," Daniel offered quietly, obviously knowing full well what Steve was attempting to do.

So Steve obliged, and Daniel turned on his side so that they were facing the same direction. They weren't looking at one another, but Daniel scooted so that his back was molded to Steve's front and Steve draped an arm carefully over his chest, and it was nice.

"Do you mind being the little spoon?" Steve asked, remembering the way that Bucky had groused the first time they'd lain like this after the serum.

"Actually," Daniel considered. "I think I like it. And, you know what, you may not be good ole Jack, but I gotta say, Steve is kinda nice himself."

"Thanks, Danny," Steve smiled, not quite brave enough to add a sarcastic "I love you, too," just yet. "Good night."

Daniel burrowed in for the night, closing his eyes as he muttered, "Good night, Steve."