The sensation that rolls through him is so painfully bitter he wants to laugh. He's a killer, a machine, a weapon-- those are titles he understands, can embrace, not being a best friend, not being important to someone; not like this. He's been followed so far, been offered a life he didn't take and he knows why. Knows it's the truth even if he can't remember it, and part of him desperately wants to, to be able to fill that gap but the rest doesn't know what will happen to who he is if he does. Bucky hasn't felt fear in forever, he doesn't know what to do with the sickness it causes.

"You're a fool." Maybe he intends to hurt with the words, he doesn't know, he just needs to push Steve away. Nothing is supposed to get under his vest, under his skin, but he's doing it with words and Bucky doesn't like it. He's trained to deflect these kinds of things.