"And if it weakens your control over your emotions instead of giving you more?" Steve feels a little dirty using that tactic on Tony even though it could happen. Back when Steve could get drunk alcohol always made him more emotional, not less. It numbed nothing. Maybe that's another difference between them.

"I admire your strength," he says, inching closer to Tony to press their thighs together. Tony doesn't have to look at him but he's going to keep going. Either Tony explodes at him and they're fighting again or maybe he lets go and grieves. There keep switching back and forth between pretending it's fine and it being not. They've got to pick a direction.

"After everything, you're still fighting. But I'm saying it's okay if you can't right now," Steve pitches his voice incredibly tender and incredibly loving. "If you need to take a moment to let go, I get it. It's okay. I'm not going to think less of you for it. It's not going stop me from loving you. You're still the veins of my heart."

Steve really needs to take some of his own advice sometimes. But Tony's been his safe place, his place of rest and putting his burdens down, since they started this. Their home is where he doesn't have to save the world or save his best friend. He just gets to be with Tony.

He rests his forehead on Tony's shoulder for a second and then lifts his head and presses a kiss to the side of his head. "I really suck at not telling you what to do, huh?"