It's both things, really. Denial and shoving things so far down that they can't breathe anymore. Things are safer that way; if you don't leave yourself open, you don't get hurt.

"Tinman." He snorts. "She called me a lot of things, none of them as charming as that." And yet his tone makes it clear that he isn't sore about it. It was only fair, really, he gave as much as he got.

"I haven't quite managed to replace her with anyone else as good for tossing ideas back and forth." And insults, but that's optional.