Peppers POV

Ever since New York, Tony had been different. Tony didn't seem to realize it, but I did. It hadn't really been a really dramatic change, but it was still noticeable, even Rhodey had noticed. Whenever someone brought it up Tony blushed-which was insane to begin with because I had known him for ten years and had never seen him blush once-and then he denied it and changed the subject quickly. No matter how much I wanted it not to be true, I knew what it was.

Tony had fallen in love with Steve Rogers, Captain America, The First Avenger.

It would seem to be an utterly ridiculous assumption, if you hadn't been around Tony since New York and luckily, not many people had.

Unfortunately, Tony hasn't realized this. He still thought he was for the most part straight and liked me, but it was obvious to everyone except for Tony himself that he wasn't. He obviously had his eyes on Steve and Steve alone. At first, I thought it was just one if those awkward man crush things Tony occasionally got around people he admired because as much as I'd like to say it was untrue, I still like Tony.

I knew it would only be bad for Tony and even worse for me if Tony and I were to stay together like this, so I decided to break it off before anyone got more hurt than anyone already had.

Tony's POV

I will my eyes to stay open as I put the finishing touches to the upgrades in my suit. I check the clock, half past ten, I had only been awake for the better part of three days, so I didn't know why my eyes were already getting droopy. I shrug, oh well, I guess it doesn't really matter. Just as I begin to start welding again, I hear the familiar click-clack of Pepper's heels. I set down my welder, slightly irritated with her for interrupting my work. Wait, why would I be irritated? I never used to be irritated with her for interrupting me, not since I had developed feelings for her. What was going on? I'm too tired to think about deep self-reflecting questions, so I just shrug it off and look up to where Pepper was standing.

She doesn't start a conversation, but rather just stands there with her mouth slightly open as if she was trying to say something. That wasn't usually Pepper's style though, usually she got through what she had say or do and left. "Did you need something?" I ask her a little snappy.

"Tony...," Pepper trails, nervously. Pepper was nervous? I didn't even know she had the word nervous in her vocabulary, let alone was able to be nervous. "I-I think we need to break up."

I drop the welder onto the table. "What? Did I do something wrong? I'm really sorry I can fix it if I did, but you don't have to break up with me!" I say calmly, though a bit surprised. All I had to do was reason with her and everything would be okay.

"No Tony, this isn't something you can fix. You've changed, since New York, and I'm not saying for the worse, you've just changed," Pepper replies slowly.

I'm in shock, really, I am. I don't even know what to say, and that's a shock all in itself because I never don't know what to say. "Uh," yeah, there we go, that's a great way to start, idiot. "Why?"

Pepper sighs, "Look, Tony, I can't tell you because you need to figure it out on your own."

"What do you mean you can't tell me? I swear to gods P-" I was cut off by Pepper.

"No, stop it. I'm not going to tell you, so skip the tantrum, okay? I know you'll figure it out," Pepper starts to walk out of the lab, and on her way out she finishes with a, "That will be all, Mr. Stark," and she's gone.

I'm not going to lie, I really wasn't as upset as I should have been. I expected that I would get angry, get piss drunk, and get a massive hangover, but all I really wanted to do was call Steve to come down here for some reason. I sat back in my chair, why did I always want Steve around me now? Ever since New York, all I had wanted was Steve around me, with me, talking to me, I was good as long as he was near me. I shook my head, it was just the sleep deprivation talking, I didn't really mean that.

After a few minutes of just standing around, just trying to figure out why Pepper would do something like that, I decided I was done in the lab today. I put up my tools, turn out the lights, and went up the stairs in search for a certain Super Soldier.

I find him sitting on the balcony sketching something. He must not have heard me coming because he nearly jumped out of his skin when I said, "Hey."

He recovers quickly and looks up from his sketchbook at me, "Hey. Did you finally decide to leave your lab? You've only been down there for three days," he looks back down at his sketchbook and starts sketching again.

I knew that Steve hated it when I stayed down there for days at a time, especially because he usually had to either drag me out of there or carry me to my room. "Yeah, well, Pepper kind of broke up with me down there like five minutes ago, so I figured I deserved a break," I answer, trying to make him feel bad for me.

Steve looks up again, looking genuinely surprised with his eyebrows raised and his mouth forming the shape if an "o". "Oh."

I tear my glance from the skyline and look over at him, shocked, "Oh? My girlfriend breaks up with me and all I get from you is an 'oh'?" What is it with the people around here? All I wanted was a little sympathy and a 'It'll be okay'. So what if I wasn't really that upset?

Steve shakes his head at me. "Well, in my defense, you really aren't acting very upset at all."

Well, he was right. I really wasn't, but that's besides the point. "Whatever," I say defensively. "What are you sketching anyway?"

Steve quickly cover his sketchbook and closes it, "Nothing," he replies.

"You know it's not very convincing when you cover it up and hide it like that. What, do you have a bunch of sketches of Natasha or whoever you like in there?" I question, maybe a little more than slightly interested. Okay, fine, I was really interested, leave me alone.

"Maybe," Steve answers, inching farther away from me.

"What? The Captain America has a crush?" I tease him and he blushes all the way to the tips of his ears.

"No, but Steve Rogers might," Steve corrects as he gets up to evade the conversation.

I grab his wrist and pull him back down before he can get to far. "Oh, come on! You've got to tell me!" I beg.

"No, I'm good."

"Please?" I beg again, making a puppy dog face, but it's no match for Steve.

"Nope."

I pout. "At least give me a hint."

Steve squirms a little, but agrees. "Fine," he concedes, "He's um... He's really smart and loves technology," he blushes a shade of red that I've only seen on a tomato.

"Wait, you like guys?" I queried. Today was fucking full of surprises.

"Yeah, why? Does it matter?" Steve asked. I could tell he was a little embarrassed because he was fiddling with the spirals on his sketchbook and shifting his weight between his feet.

"No, not really," I quickly reassure. "It's just kind of... A surprise, I guess. I mean, you're Captain America. I don't think anyone would've guessed."

"Yeah, I guess," Steve says awkwardly.

"Don't get awkward around me after you've already told me. It's not like I'm one to judge, I'm not exactly straight myself," I stated, surprising myself that I said that. In fact, I don't recall deciding-at least not consciously- that I wasn't straight.

Steve gives me a surprised look, "Really?"

"Yep," hell, I might as well go with it, I must have said for a reason, right?

I swear Steve grins, but he turns around too quickly for me to confirm it. "Okay, I'll see you later, Tony."

"Yeah, okay," I mumble back, confused.