Sam reaches out before he can stop himself, hands covering Clint’s where they’d been clenched into fists. It’s only after he makes contact that he wonders if Clint maybe doesn’t want him touching him right now, if Clint’s still a little too upset to be willing to take any support Sam might offer. Especially when it’s over something Sam’d caused in the first place.

But he’s not going to take it back now. If Clint doesn’t want it, he can shake Sam’s hands off, or take those steps back again.

“I messed up, man, I know that. That’s on me, not you.” You don’t have to get it, you don’t have to trust him, he means, but he leaves that unspoken.

“I know it’s a hard sell,” he adds quietly. “Bucky’s… not the kind of guy you trust on someone else’s say so. I didn’t even take Steve’s word on it, not at first.” There’s a pause, then he ventures, “Can I tell you what sold me on him?”