strkirn.
STARK HAS DONE ENOUGH IN HIS LIFE TO BE BLAMED FOR. mistakes he has made. situations he’s gotten himself into. reckless behavior because he couldn’t say no which ended in loss of life and so much guilt and blame. trying to convey that to a soldier. to a superhero and friend, is hard. tony doesn’t think steve is really listening to what he is saying. stark has spent so much time blaming himself for the sins he has done that he refuses to allow himself to ever blame himself for things that were out of his control. it’d been a hard lesson to learn, but tony finally had reached that point.
“a minute doesn’t matter, steve.” harsh words. he should tread lightly. “try as we might, we can’t change the past.” though the avengers had tried before. “we came here to do a mission and that is the important part. her life was valued but we can’t change what happened. you can’t tell thor to fly faster or hulk to smash harder or you to punch quicker. we give everything we have and to the best of our abilities. we’ve had the hard lesson that we’re not perfect and invincible. to some degree, we’re all human. humans are flawed.” maybe this isn’t the best speech but tony in unsure of what else to say. “don’t blame yourself for a situation you had no control over.”
There's a weight to the soldier that is hard to dispel. Even if they're not —— mistakes, not exactly, the perceived failure still rests heavily upon his shoulders. He's listening, maybe, but not really HEARING.
It's not a crushing weight. It can't be, for him. He's gotta pick himself up, again and again, weight of losses heavy upon him —— and MOVE FORWARD. Because he can't stop. And he can be rattled, he can be shaken, but he has to believe that they’re making a difference.
❛ You don't know that. ❜ A flash of stubbornness, weary and frustrated, to the notion of a minute not making a difference, and he tosses the gloves down in a chair. It's a light toss, though, no anger behind it, no force. He glances upward to the lights overheard as though seeking answer, and takes a breath and lets his eyes fall after a moment, arms crossing over his chest.
❛ I tell myself every day every life matters. Every one of their lives. And I lost her, Tony. ❜ Blue eyes seeks Tony's, but then ——— they soften a little. They relent, they drop down, and he lets a breath go. He's quiet for a moment, though, and ——— he lets it go, even just a little. ❛ Thanks. ❜








