[ To be held by Tony is an experience. His whole body seeming to fit around Steve's like a comfort, like a blanket. His heart beat is steady and slow, and he places both his hands over Tony's. Yes, it would be nice if Extremis could give him back the other arm. Even if it doesn't, it would be nice for Tony to be healthy again, because he's now stuck in a body similar to the one Steve was born in. It reflects his history, yes, but not his spirit. And now it's dying.
But bodies, as Steve has discovered firsthand, can change. Both the serum and extremis have low hit-rates of success, historically. Steve's only biased towards one of them, because it worked for him and he doesn't know who's judging, but he doesn't think of Tony's heart as any less good than his own. If not before, then certainly now. The point's moot, because they'd have to pick one to re-engineer and it seems like they've got the notes for Extremis, but there were options. ]
I love you. Sweetheart, I love you.
[ He's suddenly regretting the position, because he can't turn his head enough for a kiss like this, but he shifts a bit so he can. It's been a long day, and he's shed more tears than he thinks he has for the last decade, but they're going to pull through this because they've got the smartest people on Earth in their corner.
And if he detected any amount of shame in Tony's voice, he would have rooted it out and excised it. He doesn't want Tony to feel any guilt or any shame. He'd done his best to save the universe, and he had. He could have told Steve sooner, yes, but Steve knows who he married.
He's feeling reflective over their life together. He supposes that's what happens when he has to face that, despite their battles and their survivorship, they are both just human. ]
If we had to do it all again, if we started over and found ourselves in that jet on the way to Stuttgart, I don't think I'd change anything.
[ A beat, as he realizes Tony's definitely going to call him out on this so he'll beat him to the punch: ]
No, I would've taken the gauntlet.
But Tony, everything else about our life together, even the parts that weren't so great. It's perfect to me.
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But bodies, as Steve has discovered firsthand, can change. Both the serum and extremis have low hit-rates of success, historically. Steve's only biased towards one of them, because it worked for him and he doesn't know who's judging, but he doesn't think of Tony's heart as any less good than his own. If not before, then certainly now. The point's moot, because they'd have to pick one to re-engineer and it seems like they've got the notes for Extremis, but there were options. ]
I love you. Sweetheart, I love you.
[ He's suddenly regretting the position, because he can't turn his head enough for a kiss like this, but he shifts a bit so he can. It's been a long day, and he's shed more tears than he thinks he has for the last decade, but they're going to pull through this because they've got the smartest people on Earth in their corner.
And if he detected any amount of shame in Tony's voice, he would have rooted it out and excised it. He doesn't want Tony to feel any guilt or any shame. He'd done his best to save the universe, and he had. He could have told Steve sooner, yes, but Steve knows who he married.
He's feeling reflective over their life together. He supposes that's what happens when he has to face that, despite their battles and their survivorship, they are both just human. ]
If we had to do it all again, if we started over and found ourselves in that jet on the way to Stuttgart, I don't think I'd change anything.
[ A beat, as he realizes Tony's definitely going to call him out on this so he'll beat him to the punch: ]
No, I would've taken the gauntlet.
But Tony, everything else about our life together, even the parts that weren't so great. It's perfect to me.