[That isn't the kind of question that most people would have to ask. It's a given, something that's simply understood, because friendship is a concept that even a child can grasp. It's yet another indication of just how much HYDRA has taken from Bucky, that he can't even wrap his head around the simple idea of two people enjoying each other enough to spend time together.]

Because we were friends. That's kind of the definition. We liked to be around each other, we liked each other's company. We got into trouble together. [Steve smiles around that last statement, because while Bucky has little to go on, Steve has a flood of memories that can filter in at any given moment. If only he could lend some of them to him, but the best he can do is talk about them.

He's not sure how else to explain it, but hopefully Bucky can comprehend that much. Bucky hasn't had a friend in over seventy years, but Steve's ready to pick up where they left off, if he can.]