[ He feels that exhale in his bones. Tony's had a long day, and he's had a long few months or however of keeping all these secrets to himself in an effort to not scare Steve, but he hadn't been successful at that. Still, it must have been stressful for him, and so Steve holds him tightly to himself. In a way, it's like he's telling both of them that he refuses to let go, he refuses to give up. He'll knock down all the doors to the Sanctum if he needs more time, he'll beg Hank for more Pym particles now that he's returned. He'll do anything to keep Tony, who has so much more living to do.

One time, when Alice was very young, she'd asked for a sibling. A big brother, she had requested. And Steve laughed it off and told her that might not be possible, but a younger brother wasn't out of the cards. It was so long ago, but he's reminded now. And once Tony's better, maybe they can be reminded again, but for now he focuses on the present, not the future. ]

I've been practicing. Have you been at the receiving end of Alice's hugs? Sometimes I'd wonder if it's not physically possible we're both her fathers.

[ Yes, definitely physically impossible, and it doesn't matter, anyway, because Steve will always be her father regardless, but it would be nice if they could have a child who they never needed to worry about getting sick, or breaking her bones.

Steve settles in to sleep, and though it'll take him longer than usual, he'll probably be out before Tony is, deep breaths and loud heartbeat steady there to guide him into a restful slumber. ]