wingheadshellhead:

“tony stark and his armor. his wonderful metal suit. the end result of all the technology he’s mastered. in his hands the ultimate weapon for good. a good that i can never hope to equal. […] it’s the amazing inventions that steam from tony’s mind. tomorrow’s dreams made real.”

“captain america. steve. i look at your handsome face… into your clear azure eyes… and, as ever, i feel the same guilty envy. […] i feel like a snail or a tortoise, lumbering along in my shell, whenever i’m with steve. so clumsy and so safe next to his grace and daring.”

“you’re walking a little funny, steve. next time you should establish a safe word.”

“you’re walking a little funny, tony. what was that you were saying about a safe word?”
“hilarious.”

“good morning, beloved. did anyone check the dumpsters for clint yet?”
“funny you should ask that.”

“everyone feels inadequate next to you. god knows i always have.”
“you? tony, you’re brilliant. successful. one of the smartest men in the world.”

“it… wasn’t supposed to be this way…”

“maybe… maybe there was a reason you had to be on the other side of every argument. how you could be my rudder, steering me when others couldn’t… i don’t know if i can do it without you… i certainly won’t do it as well… i miss your battle cry.”

“it wasn’t worth it.”

“i’m worried about you, if you don’t get some sleep.”
“i slept for 70 years ––”
“yeah, you’ve used that line before.”
“leave me alone. i am a senior citizen.”

“i appreciate you taking your valuable time to help a desk jockey with his neuroses.”
“you appreciate…? are you kidding? mr. stark. when i woke up in this era, i had no one, nothing. you gave me a purpose, somewhere to belong… you gave me a home.”

“whether you were there or not, it was still you. all of this. your heart, your spirit. this is a legend you created. the kind that shines maybe once every hundred years. i am both grateful and jealous. let’s go with grateful.”

“you were amazing up there.”

“i’m not half as good at –– at anything as i am when i’m doing it next to you. and that’s the truth.”

“cap, there’s so much i want to say –– if only i could find the words, i can’t let you think i’m deserting the team.”
“deserting us? you founded the avengers. you gave it your heart, your strength, your genius. you’ve been it’s soul.”

“the electrical charge i channeled through my gauntlet won’t harm steve, just keep him immobile for a while. but the decision to do it was as easy as digging my own heart out with an ice cream scoop!”

“you found her daughter.”
“i did. wasn’t that monstrous?”
“no, it wasn’t. it’s the kind thing that used to blow me away. billionaire sweating the small stuff. the important things.”

“be nicer to people. don’t be so aggressive. we’ve talked about this.”
“i only do that when i’m tired, hungry or frustrated. or any combination of the three.”
“i know.”

“my point is, a man’s worth isn’t measured by what he’s made of, by blood or bone. it’s what’s inside, what you believe, and how you act on those beliefs that counts. and by that yardstick –– i doubt anything could diminish you.”

“wake up, old man.”

“i… look, I’m not the crying kind, steve. i didn’t cry at my own father’s funeral. but right then and there i realized that in this crazy business we’re in, there’s no one i’d miss more than you. and i… well… you’re an inspiration to me, steve. to a lot of us. we may not think like you or act like you –– but we still respect and appreciate what you do and the way you do it. you’re an idealist in a world that is far from ideal. i don’t know how you can do it, steve… how you can keep all the ugliness from getting to you… hardening you… i can’t. i’m not as perfect as you… forgive me.”

“tony… i’m not perfect either. i’m sometimes too quick to judge… too slow to forgive. i appreciate how much courage it took to come here –– in a bar, of all places –– and to level with me like you just did. i’m really sorry our ideological differences bent our friendship out of shape. i miss having you as my friend. i’d like us let to bygones be bygones.” 

“i was going to stand there looking all pretty, and just say “assemble” –– then wait for the goosebumps.”
“very funny.”
“i learned it from watching you, dad.”

“tony. tony. tony. i didn’t think you were serious. this is captain handsome ordering you to rock and roll on that 45. –– that is last time i let tony freelance the door codes. we all said, six digit number! just because he has trouble remembering his own birthday…”

“so… this idea has been running through my mind. it’s overwhelming –– all-consuming –– and i can’t shut it off. the exact same thing happened the day we found you.”
“you remember that?”
“oh… i remember everything about that day. we started something that mattered. because of you, the world changed. i changed.”

“how well do you remember that day, tony?”
“like it was yesterday. greatest day of my life.”