[ A small smile crosses his lips, one that is wry and a little humorless. Leave it to Tony to guess that right in the first shot. Their living arrangements aren't the best, and it's not home, so...he's not wrong. It is terrible.
Either way, though: ]
It's fine. We make it work.
[ Steve nods slightly, looking down at the table for a moment before peering over to look at Tony. ] Is that your code for terrible, too? Is he causing you any trouble?
[ 'He.' Steve doesn't say the name, in case someone is listening, but it's not like there's any doubt in who they're talking about.
Guess working is all we've got. [ It's sad, isn't it? This is what they've all been reduced to here. ]
Yeah, think it is. [ His mouth twitches like he might smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes. Ross is more trouble than he's worth, and he's got scary amounts of power to back it, as Tony is starting to realize. Not all of it is legal either.
It's like Banner all over again. ]
Nothing putting him on hold for hours on end can't cure.
[ He tries to smile, but it doesn’t really work. He’s concerned, too concerned for Tony. He usually is, but generally he can chalk up those concerns to him exaggerating. After all, it could all be in his own head. Tony could have been fine.
But now that he’s here, and he’s seeing evidence of the contrary, Steve wishes he could do more to help him with the burden that is General Ross. ]
I’m sorry, Tony. I wish there was more I could do right now.
[ Which means it really isn't. Everybody knows what fine stands for after all.
Ross might have had his near-death epiphany, but it fueled the same monster that had made Banner's life a living hell and torn him away from Betty. The same mistakes that she still had yet to forgive her old man for, and probably never would. ]
Don't be. We chose this, we knew what could happen. [ He reaches out, before he really even realizes it, and claps a hand over Steve's, squeezing. ] We'll get through this.
Together, right? [ Even if the rest of the world doesn't know. Can't know. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Either way, though: ]
It's fine. We make it work.
[ Steve nods slightly, looking down at the table for a moment before peering over to look at Tony. ] Is that your code for terrible, too? Is he causing you any trouble?
[ 'He.' Steve doesn't say the name, in case someone is listening, but it's not like there's any doubt in who they're talking about.
no subject
Yeah, think it is. [ His mouth twitches like he might smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes. Ross is more trouble than he's worth, and he's got scary amounts of power to back it, as Tony is starting to realize. Not all of it is legal either.
It's like Banner all over again. ]
Nothing putting him on hold for hours on end can't cure.
no subject
[ He tries to smile, but it doesn’t really work. He’s concerned, too concerned for Tony. He usually is, but generally he can chalk up those concerns to him exaggerating. After all, it could all be in his own head. Tony could have been fine.
But now that he’s here, and he’s seeing evidence of the contrary, Steve wishes he could do more to help him with the burden that is General Ross. ]
I’m sorry, Tony. I wish there was more I could do right now.
no subject
[ Which means it really isn't. Everybody knows what fine stands for after all.
Ross might have had his near-death epiphany, but it fueled the same monster that had made Banner's life a living hell and torn him away from Betty. The same mistakes that she still had yet to forgive her old man for, and probably never would. ]
Don't be. We chose this, we knew what could happen. [ He reaches out, before he really even realizes it, and claps a hand over Steve's, squeezing. ] We'll get through this.
Together, right? [ Even if the rest of the world doesn't know. Can't know. ]