Sam looked suspiciously at Tony before making up his mind and sighing softly, hands tightening around the bars. "Look, I'll tell you.. but you have to go alone and as a friend."
"Easy." Tony replied instantly, the time between them running out quick.
Tony's on the verge of walking away, eager to get to Steve, and Sam's body tensed at the sight. His lips parted before a choked sound came out. It caught the other's attention and he turned back around, confused. His brow lifted in question.
His head hung low and his shoulders lifted like whatever he had in mind was too difficult to produce but Sam Wilson always had a way of surprising Tony. Tongue traced over the bottom lip as his head rose, sad eyes focused at his ex teammate.
"Is... Is he.. going to walk?" Sam mumbled out, the distance between the two forced to be longer as an angry Tony slightly recoiled. He heard the words but a part of him wished he hadn't. Bile built up in the back of his throat and fingers curled to form fists, head held high.
"Oh? You care about Rhodey now? After the damage has been done? Were you that worried when you allowed him to fall like that?" Tony asked as his voice got louder and by this time the sound system was back online. "Because from the looks of it, seems like you didn't give two SHITS!"
Sam's teeth grit, jaw tightening, while Tony accused him and knuckles bulged before the anger he felt simmered into irritation. He pulled away from the glass and stood his ground. Brows came together, forming a harsh frown, as his hands were placed at his sides.
"I tried to save him! He was my friend too, Tony! He was m-" He snapped his mouth shut, refusing to say the rest. A knuckle jammed between his teeth and he bit down, unsure how to proceed after that.
Tony's startled by the way Sam came at him, fingers uncurling and hanging in a relaxed manner but it didn't take away the anger he felt inside. Mouth gaped, searching for a reply, but the other beat him to it as he lifted a hand to silence him.
"I... I.. I wasn't fast enough. I moved out of the way but I didn't know it would hit him. I swear I didn't know, Tony. I'd never want to hurt him this way... I've." Sam ceased, releasing a shaky breath then continued. "He was my friend too."
He wasn't going to act like some idiot who didn't know what was going on between Rhodey and Sam but it didn't mean he had to act like he liked it now. Maybe, at some point before all this splitting up between them happened, he was supportive but now he wasn't so sure. The trust was completely gone.
"I made a promise that I'd never, NEVER, let another one of my teammates fall. Meet the same fate..." His name was hard to say even after this long. "Same fate Riley did. And I failed again.. I failed and that's on me. That's on both of us." They both fucked up and he had no intention of pretending it was only him.
As expected Tony closed the distance between them and glared through the glass, almost challenging, then looked away and settled with a huff. He was right. They both messed up and failed Rhodey.
"He's paralyzed from the waist down. He says it's no big deal but I know him better than that. It's-"
"Tearing him apart..." Sam finished.
Sighing, Tony nodded slowly and leaned against one of the bars. Rhodey's words didn't match his eyes and it was very clear how much being paralyzed had bothered him. Running a hand through his hair, Tony looked down at his feet and tried to talk again but not without clearing his throat first.
"I don't trust you. At all. You don't trust me either but... I know, Sam. I know. He's my best friend and you're both not slick, so say it before I change my mind and walk out that door." Tony stated clearly.
The sudden realization had Sam's heart nearly bursting but he didn't waste the perfect opportunity to say what he had to say. To make things right between him and Rhodey. Fingers pressed against the glass as a shiver travelled down Sam’s spine in the cold room.
"Tell him.... Tell him that I'm sorry. All of it. That we had to be on different sides and that our last moments were spent arguing and fighting one another." The tears he'd been unaware of kept building up until they overflowed and dripped down his cheeks, streaming down and curving under his jaw. "Let him know that Icarus will always fly too close to the sun because the sun is just that amazing."
Once Sam realized what was going on, he showed Tony his back and removed himself from view. His forearm quickly wiped away at his face and removed the evidence of him crying in front of a Stark. Showing this side of himself to people he didn't consider to close too was always a big no but for just a moment, just this once, he allowed his walls to fall. A broken man repeating a fall that tormented his very soul.
The silence engulfed everything, even the steps Scott took on the cell to the right of him, and Tony kept his gaze on Sam. A big part of him wanted to refuse any of this but he knew better than that and Sam's words were exactly what Rhodey needed at a healing time like this. The other couldn't see him but eventually nodded in agreement and took a few steps back, eyes darting over to where one of the cameras were placed. Time was out.
They’d said everything possible in such a setting. Tony's shoes clicked against the harsh floor and echoed further away until there was nothing, gone from sight and mind. There were matters to attend to.