It always had to be a battle because Tony made it a battle. Steve liked to get along with people, he generally tried to be pleasant, but Tony seemed to go out of his way to irritate and wound, like it was his sole goal in life to have everyone around him driven away.

"You had just told me that you loved me, if I was gonna ask you out why not then?"

Surely that's the point when it made the most sense?

"Let go, because I just told you that I'm not talking to you when you're drunk any more. You're a grown man, Tony, learn to act like one."