There were a few people in Steve's life who stood out at the most important. Sharon Carter, obviously, made the top of that list, now that Bucky was gone and even still, though the two of them weren't exactly speaking much. Sam Wilson, his best friend for decades and the one person who could ask Steve to drop whatever it was he was doing and give him aid probably came next. Sam he loved like family, he was someone whose strength he often borrowed from, whose shoulder he'd lean on, and who acted as his support both in the air and in his day-to-day trials. They were a lot alike, he and Sam, they shared a lot of the same outlooks and he was proud to call Falcon his best friend.
But then came Tony, perhaps third on Steve's list, but placement didn't really equal value really. And Tony's name would be underlined, and Tony was special. In part because they shouldered the weight of the Avengers together, and in part because he'd known Stark a very long time, theirs was a friendship that ran deep. While the surface was often unsteady with disagreements, different opinions or incongruent moral algorithms, the core of their friendship and the mutual respect they had for each other was rarely rattled.
"People are afraid with what's been happening with the mutants. And now things are getting a bit out of hand and it concerns me. I don't want to act against the Brotherhood as Avengers, because I won't ally us with the sentinel program and I know that it will or could be perceived that way if we're not careful." Generally, Iron Man stayed on the bench when Magneto's name was brought up in conversation as a potential target, but Steve wanted Tony's advice on how to proceed with this, because while Steve was probably the team's best tactician, Stark's insight often helped him see perspectives that he'd never considered. "So, I was thinking of just reaching out to the X-Men and offering our help if they need it. I will speak out against the sentinels if they want me to, but only if they want me to. Does that sound like the right thing to do, do you think?"