To distract Tony from what was probably a debilitating amount of pain- judging from the fact that he was going willing back to medical- Steve talked. He caught Tony up on what was happening on the ground, and how Asgard was considering sending diplomats on Earth's behalf, and where Pepper had gone into hiding.
"Iceland? Really?"
"She said that it was the one place aliens almost never bother to attack when they try to invade Earth. Besides, Jane and Darcy were doing research up there, so..."
"But Iceland?" Tony whined. "It's the more boring place on the entire planet! That's why aliens never attack it. I mean, sure, they got some good booze, but that's it."
Steve huffed out a breath that might have been a laugh if he weren't so polite. "I don't know why you're so offended by this."
"Do you know how hard it is to get Pepper to take a vacation? She's going to count this as her vacation time and she's not even anywhere fun, like Sydney or Madrid," he said, even as a horrible thought occurred to him. "Oh my god, they didn't attack Madrid, did they?"
Steve thought about it for a bit, trying to remember which parts of the map had the most little, red lights on the holographic map in the war room. "I don't think so. They've mainly been focusing on the U.S."
Tony and Steve winced, each feeling more than a little responsible for that, and descended into silence for a while.
Steve floundered for a new topic, once less rife with blood and guilt. He eventually settled on one of Tony's favorite topics, one that he knew to be safe and free from awkward implications. "Hey, I have your coffee. When Bruce says it's okay I'll bring you some."
Tony stared at him like the secrets of the universe were etched into the profile of Steve's face. "What coffee."
"You know, the overpriced coffee you put on the list every time Bruce or I go shopping," Steve replied, staring resolutely ahead. He wasn't sure why it was important to do so, or even that he was doing it, but suddenly he found himself unable to look at Tony. "The rest of the groceries were ruined, but they seemed alright, and it would have been a waste not to bring them, especially considering how much you complain about SHIELD coffee."
...Steve brought his coffee.
Of all things he could have done...
It was in this exact moment that Tony finally recognized a key fact about himself and his relationship with Steve, something that even he could not ignore. His heart fluttered in a thoroughly unhealthy manner and all the air disappeared from the universe and Tony was half certain that he was going to die horribly, because his greatest fear was coming true before his very eyes: it wasn't just a little man-crush mixed with a healthy dose of lust, or appreciation for the magnificence of the perfect mix of man and science. No.
Tony Stark was in love.
It was just poor timing that, like all his major epiphanies, this one was accompanied by an explosion.
Author's notes: So... I kinda went on an unscheduled hiatus for a while. RL was kicking my ass and I needed time to deal with it, but I'm back now, with a really short chapter. Don't worry, the next one is much longer.