“I’m sure Penny knows all about your secret shame at this point,” Steve mutters, play acting his anger. There’s no way in hell he can ever be mad at Bucky for more than half an hour tops, even if they’d often butted heads and called off their friendship during their childhood only to be seen reading comic books and playing video games before the hour was out. It’s just another testament to how close they are.

They clicked at six years old and it’s a bond that’s never managed to do anything but stronger from day one.

Steve moves, both to save his back and because he would really like to hug Bucky. No one is here to see but the dog and though Steve tries to man up as much as possible and not be that snot nosed little sick kid always hanging on the bigger boys in a ‘sensitive’ or ‘girly’ way. He doesn’t know why being emotional is girly or why being girly is bad, but he does know that he tries to fly under the radar when he can. And no. That’s not a short joke.

His bones creek as he gets up and Penny licks her chops and moved forward, towards him, both paws lightly padding the floor as if she’s making a low level warning. Steve smirks.

“Call off your backup, Barnes. I’m coming in.”