“He picked some soulless guy with greasy hair who strangled my mother over me,” Tony says with a seriousness that might actually make Bruce think that break up is the best term to use for what happened and not just some sort of funny euphemism for friends no longer speaking. “Stringy greasy hair. Someone the Accords are supposed to protect against. I get that he was brainwashed and that it’s not his fault exactly but he’s still dangerous. And he seduced Cap away from all reason.”

Tony doesn’t disguise his bitter he feels about it. It’s in his eyes, intense and amber, the color of dripping syrup. He could start a fire with sparks like that.

“Okay, I over reacted. Maybe trying to kill Barnes was stupid. But Rogers... he never stays the fuck down.” Tony doesn’t usually sink to language like that. It’s hard and wrong off of his tongue, the edge too sharp. “He threw a freight car on a kid he didn’t know could handle it and then he shattered what’s left of my sternum with his shield. And I miss him. After all of that, I miss the asshole. It’s hard being the boss. It’s harder to actually lead. To have all of this on your shoulders— This isn’t what I signed up for. “