Tony doesn't protest, doesn't grab for him, doesn't make Steve's leaving any more painful then it needs to be and he's grateful for it. He goes right down the hall for the spare bedroom, the one that doesn't have his stuff in it or a broken lamp on the floor...
He cranks the shower as cold as it will go and stands under the spray until it hurts his skin and his teeth chatter. He wants to douse the heat of touching Tony skin to skin and distract himself from the gnawing shame that's digging into the back of his skull.
He flops face down on the spare bed twenty minutes later with a splitting headache, feeling more tired than has in years and years. Sleep doesn't come quick, but he passes the last few hours until dawn in a haze, trying to think of what he's going to say when he has to venture out for food.
He solves the problem by passing out near dawn and sleeping through breakfast...
The next time he sees Tony he finally comes down to the kitchen after sleeping in the guestroom and then restlessly fussing with things and trying to draw in his actual room until almost 4pm.
Steve had hoped against hope to avoid him a little longer, really, but it seems that Stark has found a kitchen project. The expensive fancy coffeemaker is in at least a hundred pieces on the table...
Steve stops, hovering in the doorway and watching Tony quietly, hesitant to invade the kitchen but not wanting to outright walk away in case the other man expected the apology he was owed.
augh, sorry, chores attacked
He cranks the shower as cold as it will go and stands under the spray until it hurts his skin and his teeth chatter. He wants to douse the heat of touching Tony skin to skin and distract himself from the gnawing shame that's digging into the back of his skull.
He flops face down on the spare bed twenty minutes later with a splitting headache, feeling more tired than has in years and years. Sleep doesn't come quick, but he passes the last few hours until dawn in a haze, trying to think of what he's going to say when he has to venture out for food.
He solves the problem by passing out near dawn and sleeping through breakfast...
The next time he sees Tony he finally comes down to the kitchen after sleeping in the guestroom and then restlessly fussing with things and trying to draw in his actual room until almost 4pm.
Steve had hoped against hope to avoid him a little longer, really, but it seems that Stark has found a kitchen project. The expensive fancy coffeemaker is in at least a hundred pieces on the table...
Steve stops, hovering in the doorway and watching Tony quietly, hesitant to invade the kitchen but not wanting to outright walk away in case the other man expected the apology he was owed.