"Steve." Bruce stops and recalibrates before speaking again. He wants to be honest from a different angle. "I think you're great for a lot of reasons, none of them related to your reputation. It's all based on personal experience. Like the first time we met and you said the only word you cared about was that I could find Loki. No one else sidestepped the Big Guy like that. I know it must seem really small to remember that, but people can show you who they are in the seemingly insignificant things. Not to mention you literally just told me you'd stand between me and Ross, which is a big deal. I could list more, but I know it'll make it awkward so. I'll drop it." He still wants that to be out in the open. Steve's someone who never looked for praise, but probably didn't get enough of it, in Bruce's opinion.

"She'd swoon if you did that. We were friends first. I was always lucky to know her. She's one of the best people in the world." Bruce grew up with no real love to speak of, after his mother died. Betty was everything to him. He cherishes and respects her, regardless of the fact their romance was long dead and buried. And he knew even now she would say the same of him. Only a few connections like that existed in a lifetime, if someone was lucky.

Bruce laughs, seeing the teasing for what it is, and nods. "I can't even blame that on the scepter. I would've said it anyway. I'm a natural born pessimist."