[He settles just a little, when Steve leans a little more, water sloshing around them. With a steady hold, eyes forward, he listens. Because he'd asked for Steve to unload in less words. And it's hard. Not even just to agree with Steve, that he is right. Tony knows he should have said something sooner. As soon as he thought something was wrong. Certainly way before the organs are gonna start failing stage. He has no excuse. The one about him trying to work things out himself so that Steve can focus elsewhere gets blown to shreds in the next moments.
And Steve's right. What was the point of building all this, of giving himself so wholly to Steve, if he still tried to dig his way out of his own holes as if Steve wasn't standing right beside him? He has to get better. He knows this. And he promises to himself that he will try. When he gets physically better he will get better at sharing the load. Of living up to the same expectations he sets of Steve. They're a team. That's always been the case.
But the rest of it he just can't sit silent through. It prickles his ire just a little. It's not the worst downtalk Steve's ever had about himself but Tony dislikes it immensely regardless.] Honey, you're one of the smartest people I know. I don't often keep court with idiots. Your areas of expertise are just different
[Not an ounce of mere placation in any of it. Steve was sharp, and a lot smarter than many people gave him credit for. Tony remembered a time when a lot of people, teammates included... maybe even a little himself when he'd still bore hostile feelings, had thought Steve was too much of a relic to catch up to anything. But Steve is so smart. He catches on so fast. His mind moves at incredible speeds sometimes. That's why Tony's always been comfortable deferring to him.] There have been times when you've been the best lab partner I could ask for. [He presses a kiss against Steve's temple, fond smile there.] My rubber ducky. [But Steve often did one better than the one Tony still had on his desk. From all that time ago. Because Steve took information, tried to process it, and relay it back. There were plenty of times Steve had helped him talk something through. So he really won't stand for Steve even off-handedly wishing he were smarter.]
...and I know I keep saying we will get through this. But we will. Though I agree with you. I'd like our next mishaps to be on a much smaller scale. Gum getting stuck in Alice's hair. The alpacas getting loose. Carol bringing back some weird thing from space Alice wants to keep as a pet. You know. Normal stuff. [Snorting against Steve's temple, still resting there.]
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And Steve's right. What was the point of building all this, of giving himself so wholly to Steve, if he still tried to dig his way out of his own holes as if Steve wasn't standing right beside him? He has to get better. He knows this. And he promises to himself that he will try. When he gets physically better he will get better at sharing the load. Of living up to the same expectations he sets of Steve. They're a team. That's always been the case.
But the rest of it he just can't sit silent through. It prickles his ire just a little. It's not the worst downtalk Steve's ever had about himself but Tony dislikes it immensely regardless.] Honey, you're one of the smartest people I know. I don't often keep court with idiots. Your areas of expertise are just different
[Not an ounce of mere placation in any of it. Steve was sharp, and a lot smarter than many people gave him credit for. Tony remembered a time when a lot of people, teammates included... maybe even a little himself when he'd still bore hostile feelings, had thought Steve was too much of a relic to catch up to anything. But Steve is so smart. He catches on so fast. His mind moves at incredible speeds sometimes. That's why Tony's always been comfortable deferring to him.] There have been times when you've been the best lab partner I could ask for. [He presses a kiss against Steve's temple, fond smile there.] My rubber ducky. [But Steve often did one better than the one Tony still had on his desk. From all that time ago. Because Steve took information, tried to process it, and relay it back. There were plenty of times Steve had helped him talk something through. So he really won't stand for Steve even off-handedly wishing he were smarter.]
...and I know I keep saying we will get through this. But we will. Though I agree with you. I'd like our next mishaps to be on a much smaller scale. Gum getting stuck in Alice's hair. The alpacas getting loose. Carol bringing back some weird thing from space Alice wants to keep as a pet. You know. Normal stuff. [Snorting against Steve's temple, still resting there.]