Re: Sam + Steve
The 70th Games... that had been three years after Steve's own, and as uncomfortable as it was to admit to, he didn't remember much about them. That had been close enough to Erskine's murder that he'd still been keeping his head down, staying as far away as he possibly could from the Capitol and all of its vile trappings. Stane had been more than happy to keep Steve out of sight in District Eight, and so while Steve had put in the occasional appearance when required, he'd kept his distance more often than not. Sam's mention of his friend didn't spark much of a memory, and the fact that Riley had died after his Games meant Steve wouldn't have had much of a chance to meet him.
Steve may not have had any personal memories of Riley, but the story Sam told sounded a hell of a lot like what had happened to Bucky, and he felt his expression soften with sympathy. He could imagine all too well how Sam must have felt, but Steve, at least, had gotten a happy ending; he'd gotten Bucky back. Sam - and poor Riley - obviously hadn't been nearly as lucky.
He was about to say something, offer his condolences, perhaps, or maybe just commiseration, but Sam's outburst caught him by surprise and derailed his intended platitudes. Sam seemed so legitimately upset and baffled, and Steve had to wonder how it was even possible that he hadn't realized how this would look to the Victors. Of course no one trusted him. The Capitol was rotten from the inside out; anyone who worked for Stane was suspect, and while Steve had come across an exception or two, he'd only found it in himself to trust them once he'd actually gotten to know them.
Still, Sam was practically radiating indignation, as if Steve's suspicion had cut him straight to the core. His voice had gotten loud enough that even Steve clocked it, sparing a quick look around to see if they had pulled anyone's attention, but most people were busy cheering on Clint, who had just pulled off another near-impossible shot. Steve winced as the holographic child fell, then turned back to Sam.
"Can you blame us?" he asked in an undertone, eyebrows raised. He found he wanted to believe Sam, but he wasn't there, not yet. Not when it was possible Sam was just a very good actor. Steve would have to ask around, get some of his friends' opinions, before he decided whether or not Sam could be trusted. "I mean, our privacy's kind of a precious thing - " He cut himself off before pointing out that the last thing he wanted to do was spill his secrets to a man who might turn around and hand them directly to Stane. Considering his current surroundings, that seemed an ill-advised level of treasonous, even for him.
"Just," Steve added, a cautious note to his voice, "I think it's pretty obvious, why we wouldn't be lining up to chat with you."