[What?! Don't look at him like that! He can only be serious and vulnerable for so long before his natural defenses kick in. Diverting the attention to her was pretty mild compared to other tactics he'd used in the past when he felt like this.
Unfortunately being this real with her also meant he didn't have that smooth exterior that always seemed to have an answer ready for everything. She had to see the struggle and doubt, but also this was Tony- not Iron Man. It was terrifying for her to see it, but there it was.]
It's not that.. it's..
[He sighed as he scrambled to find the right words. How was he supposed to say it was less scary to face a problem if you had someone to face it with? Was he supposed to confess that letting go of the guilt from the past made him fear he'd get careless again? If he was supposed to recognize there were people he wanted him and cared about him, how did he let go of the knowledge they could get hurt?
How did he admit that if he had to watch one more person he cared about suffer like he'd watched Peter fade to dust or Ignis detach from reality or lose his family the man of Iron would break?
no subject
Unfortunately being this real with her also meant he didn't have that smooth exterior that always seemed to have an answer ready for everything. She had to see the struggle and doubt, but also this was Tony- not Iron Man. It was terrifying for her to see it, but there it was.]
It's not that.. it's..
[He sighed as he scrambled to find the right words. How was he supposed to say it was less scary to face a problem if you had someone to face it with? Was he supposed to confess that letting go of the guilt from the past made him fear he'd get careless again? If he was supposed to recognize there were people he wanted him and cared about him, how did he let go of the knowledge they could get hurt?
How did he admit that if he had to watch one more person he cared about suffer like he'd watched Peter fade to dust or Ignis detach from reality or lose his family the man of Iron would break?
He gave up and opted for saying something else.]
I'll try to find that balance.