"Then thanks for having his back," Steve said. His chin was lifted slightly, an example of pure stubbornness, and his feet were planted in a way that said he was ready to make the whole rest of the world move, instead of getting out of its way himself. "But that doesn't mean I don't still owe you." Because she had clearly been taking care of Bucky when he hadn't been able to, and Steve owed her for that alone - and that wasn't even counting the fact that whether she had intended it or not, she'd still acted on Steve's behalf back at Clint's party. She'd saved him from making a far worse mistake, limited events to a simple scuffle and a juicy story that would distract the Capitol from whatever might have come out of Steve's mouth.
He winced at her next words though, a flinch that became a frown and set his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "Don't," he said quietly. "Please, that's not what I meant." After a moment he crossed his arms over his chest, but his shoulders were hunched in a way that clearly said he was ashamed of himself.
"It's - you were right, what you said," Steve began haltingly. "About me not being able to handle it. And - so I guess I have a hard time understanding how anyone else could, but... it doesn't make me think less of you." He thought maybe that was where he'd fucked up before, that maybe he'd come off sounding like he was looking down on her, when that wasn't the case, that wasn't it at all.
"You and Buck - hell, you and everyone else," Steve continued, "you've all been through a hell of a lot more than me. And I'm finally getting that, and I'm sorry I was a judgmental bastard about it before. You don't have to accept that apology, and I'm not expecting you to change your mind about me, but I just want that out there, okay? I want you to know that."