"I know that," He's already cutting in, their words overlapping as Mick continues. He remembers the days 'boss' had just been a joke, and he hates that it's become something else entirely. Just like everything else. His brain is often a helpful supplier like this. And he realizes that Mick's switch in the use of that word was just his reaction to everything Leonard had been doing and the distance he'd been shoving between them for years. But it didn't make it any easier to hear when they got like this.

Now, he's just on the defensive, arms folding across his chest, that incredulous look stuck on his face. "Really, Mick? I'm using you?" He scoffs and shakes his head. "You honestly think I only care about you when a job comes around?" He's glad the painful way that idea squeezes his heart doesn't make it into his voice. Does he really feel that way? Is that actually what Leonard's been doing, subconsciously, all this time? Or is it even subconscious? Maybe he just refuses to admit it to himself.