If you think that anything between you and I is the only source of people gossiping maliciously about me, you'd be dead wrong. I'm a blind lawyer whose dad died after fixing a fight after a career of taking dives. I have a lot of my own source of bullshit that people can dig into if they want to be bitter. This? Us?

[He gestured between the two of them, drawing his hand back before he did something stupid, like reach out for the other man.]

Just because Chelsea isn't wagging her tongue doesn't mean others aren't. Do you know how many straight male platonic friends get written off as gay besties? Hell, you and Steve have had your share of that. There's no stopping that kind of thing. People talk.

Life, Bucky, is one of those things you can't control. I learned awhile ago that you can't control what other people do or say. Only what you do and say. Yes, I go out and beat the shit out of criminals at night. But it's up to them if they want to keep doing the thing that put them in a cast again or if they want to change their life. I can't make them do anything. Only do my best to persuade them to change. People who see you and who are attracted to you are going to either respect if you're involved or be jealous that it's not with them. Who you're with, or even if you're with anyone at all isn't going to stop someone who's an asshole from being an asshole.