Steve was tempted to laugh. SO tempted, but he was fairly sure that would be a horrible idea. Skye would have to stand on a chair just to punch him in the face, but he knew that she'd be willing to do it, and it seemed like Mariko was ready to hold the chair steady for her. Steve thought over his response for a moment, using the time to lean down and pick up Vincent, who had decided to sit on, rather than at, his feet.
"Buck is special," he said, making the three of them agreed on at least one point. He scratched behind Vincent's ear, letting the weight of the dog's body remind him of his own safety.
"I don't even know if you realize how special he is to me. When I though James was dead, I... was almost ready to go with him," he admitted. It was a lot to admit to two girls that he didn't know all that well, but their strong connection to Bucky made him know he could trust them. Maybe not to trust that they wouldn't punch him in the face, but he never intended on breaking Bucky's heart.