imafuturist | Stark Mini-Tower of Healthy Emotional Choices, Wednesday Afternoon

"Of course not," Tony replied, looking pained. "But it doesn't change that it happened."

Steve moved closer. "It doesn't," he agreed, "but our lives don't move along normal lines."

Tony didn't retreat when he did that. Well. Not much.

"Does that make it better?" Tony asked.

"I don't think better or worse comes into it," Steve said evenly, stopping his movement towards Tony. "I'm okay. I'm not leaving you."

Please don't buy the Dodgers.

But what if it was through a shell corporation that he was going to put in Steve's name? Did that change things?

"Everything I design destroys things," Tony finally said at that. And he really liked to think he'd gotten better than he was before Iron Man, but here they were.

"Sweetheart," Steve said softly, closing the last bit of distance, "no. The shield you made for me saved my life."

"From me," Tony pointed out. You know. In case Steve forgot.

Steve reached out to touch Tony's shoulders. "From your suits," he said softly. In his mind, there was a difference.

"I'll work on making sure I can't disable the lockdown," he promised.

"Give it to JARVIS and he and I will establish a password," Steve said, squeezing Tony's shoulders gently.

Tony nodded and leaned into his space at that. "Are you sure this is okay?"

Steve nodded. "I think you've said much worse to yourself since Sunday. There's no need to add on."

Tony reached over to take his hand for that. "I have everything ready if you change your mind."

How was that helpful? Don't ask.

Steve squeezed Tony's hand in reply. "Tony, I'm not going anywhere."

And he'd keep repeating that until he was believed.

Hey, it was perfectly normal to go with the worst case scenario when you were Tony Stark. Odds were high in that happening, after all.

"It's just a back up plan for you."

"I don't need a backup plan," Steve said with a tiny, fond smile.

He was going to keep in in place. Just in case.

Instead of saying that, he asked, "How are your ribs?"

"About 90 percent fixed," Steve said with a tiny smile. "You can come back to our room."

Steve thought he was subtle.

He was so subtle!

"If you're sure about it," Tony replied, holding onto Steve's hand like a lifeline.

"I'm always sure," Steve said firmly.

Tony leaned over to kiss him for that. "Think the dog's forgiven me?" he joked quietly.

"Of course he has," Steve said, kissing him back.

Tony held on a little tighter at that. "Maybe next time we go out of town for these things."

Steve laughed and let Tony cling. "I don't think they send invitations about it."

"Inconsiderate," Tony said with a laugh that sounded still on this side of brittle to anyone who knew him well enough.

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