Tony was once again shocked enough that his mouth actually closed, recoiling slightly like he needed a wider perspective to fully understand what Steve had just said. It sounded like he thought sometimes it was up to him to hold some awful reality at bay, and he was the only one that could handle this secret. It sounded very much like how Tony would solve a problem, because no one else deserved that pain. There was no way this wasn't Tony's fault somehow.

Eventually, he had to confront, "So, you're doing it again, because it worked out so well the first time." Steve had been refusing to admit that he was punishing himself for about a decade now. Only he knew how long he could maintain this lie before it became too unstable.