"Yeah, I know," he says, when Tony trails off, though he assumes there was something to finish that thought that was left unsaid. He'd never gotten to tell his Tony that he felt that they were stronger together. He'd apologized, yes, but he'd told Tony to keep the Avengers, like he'd accepted their separation, like he'd thought the best thing to do was cede his resignation as Captain America.

"But does it have to be one or the other?" Tony's always finding new ways to fix a problem, and Steve's always bending the rules to get things to fit to his worldview, but somehow, when it comes to each other, they never consider a third choice.

He at least makes an attempt to lighten the mood, after he realizes how futile it is to ask either of them to unpack their relationship with their missing counterparts. "Is this 'cause I didn't know your birthday? I won't forget if you tell me." A beat. "If you remember it."