[If Charles is even remotely touching Tony's mind as he speaks, even just barely skimming his thoughts, he'll be able to feel it. The sheer swell of disbelief that crashes over him. Coupled with the way he looks up, squints at the man next to him. Pure. Disbelief in the fact that Charles is actually worried. Pepper and Rhodey... yeah, he accepted that. He's accepted that they're friends, more than in Pepper's case. He's accepted that they'd worry, that they'd noticed, that they'd miss him for whatever really unhealthy reason.
Here on the barge, with people he's only known for a few months. With people like Charles who are forced to deal with him, talk to him, put up with him. Handed a file and a basic "here's your inmate, good luck with that one" hearing that... accepting that...
He looks away again, quickly, his jaw tight and grip white knuckled on the helmet. He's breathing steadily, if not forcibly, tension obvious as those words turn themselves over in his head, as he tries to make sense of even a part of it.
But, damnit, he's tired. And because of that, Charles had made the right choice, the good choice of trying to get Tony to say and listen to things when he's not mentally able to put up those walls, to filter things straight through to the denial bin without actually picking at them first.]
Gold, coming from the guy who has no choice but to put up with me.
[And this, ladies in gentlemen, is why people just give up on Tony Stark.
Because the moment something gets too real he drags it back in any way possible.]
[Spam]
Here on the barge, with people he's only known for a few months. With people like Charles who are forced to deal with him, talk to him, put up with him. Handed a file and a basic "here's your inmate, good luck with that one" hearing that... accepting that...
He looks away again, quickly, his jaw tight and grip white knuckled on the helmet. He's breathing steadily, if not forcibly, tension obvious as those words turn themselves over in his head, as he tries to make sense of even a part of it.
But, damnit, he's tired. And because of that, Charles had made the right choice, the good choice of trying to get Tony to say and listen to things when he's not mentally able to put up those walls, to filter things straight through to the denial bin without actually picking at them first.]
Gold, coming from the guy who has no choice but to put up with me.
[And this, ladies in gentlemen, is why people just give up on Tony Stark.
Because the moment something gets too real he drags it back in any way possible.]