That thread feels especially fragile here and now. Damon's power is real and terrifying; there's no shame in falling to it, but there's shame in running. His body might not be sturdy, but his commitment is firm.

Even if those comments sting enough to almost bring him to his knees. They're things that Tony could say but presumably loves him too much to ever mention, deep flaws that aren't merely human, but feel like stains that are irreconcilable with the person he wants to be.

"No one needs to die tonight," he says, a thick layer of ice creeping over the sword's blade and coating it, weighing the weapon down and dulling it and rendering it useless, at least for cutting. "It'd go better for us both. Your life has value, too, and it won't last much longer if you take mine."