This is honestly par for the course. Tony can't even be properly upset about it because it's just so typical. He can feel his eyes start to sting, but no one else is really paying that much attention to him, so he doesn't bother to swallow back the pain in his chest this time. Instead, he admonishes himself on feeling it in the first place.
People leave him. Unless they're assigned to him because they need to watch over his end of filling military contracts (Rhodes), under his payroll (Happy, and Pepper), or constructed by him (DUM-E, FRIDAY), no one stays. Pepper and JARVIS are very good examples of what can happen when the ties that bind are broken.
As logical as Tony likes to think he is, he's still ruled by irrationality and whim. Genius doesn't really follow the straight and narrow and he has trouble checking himself when impulse strikes. He's not a soldier. He doesn't have the training Bucky does not to be an idiot.
"You knew about this, Rogers," Tony calls across the icy landscape to Captain America and his stoic, handsome face. The venom is jarring. "You knew and you kept it to yourself. People are supposed to trust your judgement."
Sam and Rhodey, and poor T'Challa, have no idea what any of this is about, but of course Steve knows. You don't grow up with someone and not know about the tattoo on their chest...or what it means the first time you meet their soulmate and decide to keep all of that to yourself.
Steve doesn't say a word. He just heads towards the waiting plane, to where he knows Bucky will be able to get the help he needs. At this point, Tony's feelings just don't matter to him.
no subject
People leave him. Unless they're assigned to him because they need to watch over his end of filling military contracts (Rhodes), under his payroll (Happy, and Pepper), or constructed by him (DUM-E, FRIDAY), no one stays. Pepper and JARVIS are very good examples of what can happen when the ties that bind are broken.
As logical as Tony likes to think he is, he's still ruled by irrationality and whim. Genius doesn't really follow the straight and narrow and he has trouble checking himself when impulse strikes. He's not a soldier. He doesn't have the training Bucky does not to be an idiot.
"You knew about this, Rogers," Tony calls across the icy landscape to Captain America and his stoic, handsome face. The venom is jarring. "You knew and you kept it to yourself. People are supposed to trust your judgement."
Sam and Rhodey, and poor T'Challa, have no idea what any of this is about, but of course Steve knows. You don't grow up with someone and not know about the tattoo on their chest...or what it means the first time you meet their soulmate and decide to keep all of that to yourself.
Steve doesn't say a word. He just heads towards the waiting plane, to where he knows Bucky will be able to get the help he needs. At this point, Tony's feelings just don't matter to him.