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[ingeniar]

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USERNAME: STARK

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[rehandle]

[ A nod of his head, regretting having asked, glad at least to have spared him whatever might have followed had Barnes done this himself. He's at a loss, for a moment, for what to do. How to move on from dredging up the barely settled waters of the worst time of Tony's young life. Perhaps his whole life, though the rest of it hasn't exactly been exclusively kind.

But there are only so many seconds he can stand and stare at him for. So. ]

I'll tell him.

[ Later. When they're done walking through the cold garden. Once he's taken what edge he can off of the conversation he's started.

He can begin with taking the edge off of the sting of the open air, reaching out after a blink of decision to lightly touch Tony's arm. The spell primed silently a minute or two ago finds purchase: Tony's body becomes the lines for an inch or two of warmth to colour outside of, an invisble room temperature barrier against the cold settling through and over clothes, butting up against skin.

Light touch turns to a squeeze. He is, he's forced to acknowledge, still bad at this. Bedside manner never trained, capacity for care rarely finding a home until recently. He lets him go, and the spell remains intact. ]

Sorry to bring it up. I figured better me than him.

[ingeniar]

[ The warmth helps, even if it's just on an animal level, basic processes easing as his body relaxes a few degrees. A tension he hadn't realised he was holding onto leaking away. When Stephen squeezes his arm, Tony glances down and away, letting go of a sigh. He nods a bit, agreeing with the unsaid. Yes, okay, he needed this. The spell. The contact. The whole deal. ]

No, it's -- [ He looks back at Stephen, frowning faintly. ] We should have talked about this. Weeks ago. When I first found out he was here, we should have -- I guess I hoped we could avoid each other. Stupid, really.

[ Another glance away, and back. A touch more focused this time, more complex. ]

There's a lot we need to talk about. Should probably talk about.