[Wow, ask him all the hard questions why don't you. Steve wants to say that it's fine, that Bucky's fine, he's fine. But Sam...he knows war, and he knows the effects it has on people even better. And Steve owes him too much to not shoot straight with him.]

It's going to take time. I think he trusts me a little, and I'm grateful for that. But he still looks at me like he's waiting for orders, which is the last thing I want to do because look where that got him last time.

[That guilt. Steve's never been able to let it go, and he never will.]

All I want is for him is to be okay, except I have no idea how to really help him get there. Maybe I'm not even the guy for the job, which makes me wonder what's wrong with me if I can't even figure out the best way to take care of my best friend. And then there's this war that makes me feel like I've just traded in SHIELD and Hydra for Seelie and Unseelie, because neither side is giving us all the answers. And I think about them getting their hands on Buck while he's still vulnerable, using him like a weapon all over again, making targets out of everyone on the other side-

[At some point he'd gripped the edge of the table. And now it's starting to crack. He takes a breath.]

It's a little hard to stay focused sometimes.

[But other than that he's great.]