He hadn’t made that comment as a jab at Steve. He hadn’t even been thinking about Steve when he’d made it. Just the tiger and the fact that, yes, it hated him and probably would continue to hate him forever because that’s just how things work for him.

Blinking, he watches him get up, too dumbfounded to do or say anything for a moment. Once his brain comes back online, he leaves the table and follows him. It’s easier, he decides, not to comment on the whole friend issue. Period.

“What are you doing? Are you going to try to engage the tiger? Don’t do that. It might try to bite you and I absolutely cannot have Captain America being bitten by my tiger.”

Because if he gets bitten, fine. But Steve? No way.