That takes him aback so fast it leaves him reeling, blinking up at the Hulk like he’s forgotten how to understand English. The idea that Tony Stark can do better than Bruce Banner is so foreign and alien to him that he just can’t comprehend it. He still doesn’t know what he did to make Bruce interested in him in the first place and he lives in perpetual fear that whatever it is will lose its potency.

But then the Hulk mentions Steve and Tony’s knocked out of his disbelief by a bark of his own laughter. “Steve? Buddy, have you been checking out Steve’s ass when no one was looking? That’s what this is, isn’t it? It’s okay.” He winks. “I’m not judging.”

He’s not going to keep making light of it either, though, and sobers somewhat. The smile, however, remains. “It’s probably weird to hear it, especially after you saw me moping around over him, but I’m happy. With Bruce, I mean. He makes me happy. He gets me. Not a lot of people do. Hell, most of them think I’m a freak. So unless you’re volunteering for the position, I think Bruce is gonna have to be it.”