[Bucky believes him when he promises not to say anything. He doesn't care, one way or the other, if people know he likes men or women or both or neither. They can say what they want about him, it doesn't bother him, but.. Steve is different. He deserves the chance to tell people on his own terms. There are those in Wonderland that should find out directly from the source, not second-hand.

He makes a sound against the hard press of his knee - he accepted the first promise for truth, he doesn't believe this.

There are few things Bucky can be convinced of, if given time and genuine explanations, but raising his self-worth, after it's been crushed, when it was already so low.. yeah, that's not so easy. Even Steve struggles to help Bucky with that, and internally he understands that it'll only ever get better if he works on it. So he takes a deep breath and raises his head.]

You aren't allowed to say that to me. You chose.

[He swallows, opts for a last ditch effort to protect himself.]

And you didn't pick me. [Bucky raises a hand, opens his mouth, drops and closes.] I never wanted to hurt you. I would've loved you back the same way if I could have. There's just not room enough in my heart to love two people that much that way.

[He tries to calm his breathing. The oxygen in the room is slowly draining and he doesn't want to make it worse.]

But we still coulda been friends. Still could have been together.