There was no way to hide the smile on his face and he let out a breath, dropping his chin to his chest. "Yeah. Well. Listen. Don't tell anyone that you maybe helped me a little too and don't go telling Romanoff about this and maybe I'll let you use the penthouse sometimes..." He did not want to add more charges to his wayward home for ex-assassins. Then again, Natasha might not be so ex about her assainating. Tony never asked. He valued having balls. "And one day you're going to open up to me about all of the kinky things you do. Especially because I'll be your best friend. Thst you're not dating. So that makes us like blood."

Tony called Rhodey and Barnes his best friends interchangeably but Bucky was the only person who actually took his bullshit, reprocessed it in a way that was stern but not patronizing, and saw him for what he was. Not just a spoiled kid, but someone genuinely hurting.

He was not going to tell Bucky that, though. Not ever.

"Uh did you bring back the motorcycle? I was souping that up for Cap. I don't want you scuffing it."