You were silent as you pulled your shorts back on and followed Steve out of the gym back to his room. It was no longer a secret, and although you were sure Tony had more discretion than your friends would have had, it was of little comfort.

"I need to get some air," you eventually said as you were changing into your normal clothes.

"Alone?" he asked. You noticed he was giving you some space, which you appreciated.

You nodded and started to walk out the door and down the hall.

"Where are you going?" He stood in the doorway.

"Was there a smoothie place a couple blocks down?"

"Yeah. Get me a strawberry banana?" He took out his wallet and handed you some money.

"I won't say it for the millionth time." You just sighed as you put it in your wallet. "You should read some feminist literature."

"Does Little Women count?"

"It's more than a lot of guys have read," you admitted with a small smile, "but fresh air and smoothies."

You walked to the end of the corridor and turned without glancing over your shoulder. After getting yourself turned around several times, you realized that you didn't know where you were and that there were no conveniently placed exit signs. The navigationally challenged shouldn't wander around alone in strange buildings.

With a sigh, you reached for your phone to text Steve to come find you. It wasn't there. You'd apparently left it in his room.

"Great," you mumbled. Didn't that computer or whatever it was over the speakers answer questions? You tried to remember its name.

"Looking for something?" a voice asked from behind you.

You were startled and turned around. It was Tony.

"Yeah, I was looking for the way out of here."

"Come on," he said, ushering for you to follow him. "So, I talked to your lover boy, and he wouldn't tell me who you were. Are you his lady friend or his lady of the night?"

"God no. I'm not a hooker. We're..." you trailed off.

"Are you the reason he's been scarce for the past several months and not some misplaced in time emotional baggage rearing its ugly head? You popped his cherry, and now you're stringing him along to get a piece of that ass?"

"It's not like that at all! Just because we don't label it doesn't mean I don't care about him."

"What about the sneaking around like he's a dirty little secret? You can't tell me that was his idea."

"He's not a 'dirty little secret,' and well, life is complicated. You should know that, being who are you. It's not all black and white. I don't even know why I have to justify myself to you."

"Who's he going to run to when he needs someone to help pick up all the pieces when you break his heart? Look, he's not like you or me. He's a genuinely honest-to-god good man. And he deserves better than either of us."

You opened your mouth to ask him what he meant by "either of us," but decided that it wasn't any of your business.

The tears welled up in your eyes as you walked into the elevator and went down to the first floor. They started spilling when you stepped out and headed toward the exit.

"Hey, you forgot-" Steve took one look at you before he pulled you into a tight embrace. You sobbed into his chest. "Shh, it's okay." He rubbed your back and kissed the top of your head.

It was comforting, too comforting, and you wanted to scream because of all the things that were going through your head. Did he deserve better than you and this? Isn't this what he wanted, too? What if you did break his heart? What if it was already breaking, and you didn't even know it? Why did it bother you more than breaking up with actual boyfriends in the past had? He wasn't your anything, but was he becoming your everything?

You shoved the thoughts to the back of your mind. Tony Stark wasn't a relationship expert. Women, and some men, went through his life like a revolving door. He obviously had no idea what he was talking about. How could he?

"I'll be okay," you managed to say between sniffles, even with your raw throat. As you stepped back out of his embrace, you realized your knees were weak. You stumbled and started to fall backward.

He caught you and scooped you up in his arms, heading back toward the elevator. "We can just stay here tonight."

"No!" you said, too forcefully.

He stopped. "Did something happen?"

You swallowed and tried to decide what to say. "I just don't want to see Tony again."

"Did he say something to you?"

You didn't answer. "Did he say something to you?"

Steve nodded. "I think he's just trying to look out for me. Don't let whatever he said get you down."

"But you're happy? I mean..."

"Yeah." He squeezed you closer to him in what you assumed was the closest he could get to a hug with you already in his arms.

You yawned, emotionally and physically exhausted and definitely not up to the motorcycle ride back to your apartment. "I guess we can go up to your room here for tonight."

You were drifting off as he carried you through the tower to his room and placed you gently on the bed. His lips pressed to your forehead. You watched him walk toward the door through half closed eyes.

"Where are you going?" you mumbled.

"I just need to take care of something. I'll be back soon."

You fell asleep before you could further question him.