"The thought of you walking away..." Steve lets Tony see just how much it hurts. How much Tony means to him. None of this changes that. Yes, it's his best friend involved but he still loves Tony just as fiercely as before. He couldn't plan for something that would ruin him so completely. "Can't handle that."

And maybe if Tony sees it. If Steve flays himself up and shows Tony just exactly how deeply the other man, their love, is part of him, maybe then he'll understand and give a little. Maybe they can meet in the middle. All Steve is asking is for Tony to meet him half-way. And not in the sense of his search for Bucky.

He doesn't want to stand between the two of them. He doesn't want to choose. Can't he be greedy for once in his life and have his best friend and his lover?

"I want to help you with this," Steve says stubbornly, some fight coming back into him. "Howard was my friend and I know that's not much in comparison but I want to find the people that signed his death warrant and make them pay. This is something we can do better together."

And maybe in that time he can change Tony's mind about taking his anger and hurt out on Bucky. He knows what Tony wants. Worse, he thinks Bucky might let it happen. He might be a punching bag and God, Steve can't have that.

Rock and a hard place Steve's firmly in the middle.