He didn't look surprised. He didn't look startled or concerned or even worried. And he knew that was on his face. He knew it was. And he let it sit on his face for a moment before he spoke.
He couldn't say what it was, exactly. There was no specific thing that told him, no damning piece of evidence. It wasn't even something he'd exactly known. It was just that when the words had popped out of her, they'd slotted right into place, filled in the answer to something he'd never quite been sure about, answered more questions than it raised.
"The first person I saw... who put their own needs aside to take care of me. Put themselves in danger to stick around and watch over me. The person who picked up... whoever I used to be and saw a human being instead of an opportunity."
He leaned in to look her in the face.
"It didn't even occur to you, not once, to use me to get yourself out of trouble. Finding Captain America... I don't need to go into the ways you could have used me, comatose, then weak, to help yourself. I've thought about it. But I don't think you have, not seriously."
A step back gave him enough room to take another sip of his soda.
"And what makes you think I wasn't trying to die when I went down in that plane?"
no subject
He didn't look surprised. He didn't look startled or concerned or even worried. And he knew that was on his face. He knew it was. And he let it sit on his face for a moment before he spoke.
He couldn't say what it was, exactly. There was no specific thing that told him, no damning piece of evidence. It wasn't even something he'd exactly known. It was just that when the words had popped out of her, they'd slotted right into place, filled in the answer to something he'd never quite been sure about, answered more questions than it raised.
"The first person I saw... who put their own needs aside to take care of me. Put themselves in danger to stick around and watch over me. The person who picked up... whoever I used to be and saw a human being instead of an opportunity."
He leaned in to look her in the face.
"It didn't even occur to you, not once, to use me to get yourself out of trouble. Finding Captain America... I don't need to go into the ways you could have used me, comatose, then weak, to help yourself. I've thought about it. But I don't think you have, not seriously."
A step back gave him enough room to take another sip of his soda.
"And what makes you think I wasn't trying to die when I went down in that plane?"