He’s in the middle of a sip of coffee when Steve makes his suggestion, and for a long moment Bucky just freezes, mug still at his lips, a tangle of thoughts crashing together in screaming incoherence in his mind.

Slowly, he sets the mug down. Only then does he meet his best friend’s steady, hopeful gaze.

“You know they’re not going to let me go,” he murmurs. “Not after everything.”