Work Text:
Tony stepped out of the penthouse elevator carefully, stopping there and listening. Stephen’s moods were volatile; sometimes Tony could hear the screaming even before the doors opened. There had been another virtual consult on Stephen’s calendar today, and that was often a trigger.
But the apartment was quiet. Very quiet. Anxiety tightened Tony’s gut. “Stephen?” he called out. His voice felt too loud in the wide space of the living room. Tony made his way down the hall to the master bedroom. The door was closed. Tony swallowed hard before opening it. There was a lump in the bed. “Stephen?”
Still no answer. Tony crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Stephen didn’t move when Tony laid a hand on his shoulder. Tony didn’t ask how the consult had gone. He didn’t know what to say. For a long time it was just silent. “Want anything particular for dinner?” Tony asked finally, because there were always practicalities.
After a long minute, Stephen said, very clearly, “It would have been better if I’d died.”
Tony closed his eyes. At least… At least Stephen hadn’t said he wished he had.
Sometimes Tony had to look for small wins.