AN: While this is a 5+1 story, it kind of doesn't seem like it to me.

There aren't any relationships, and there's a lot of Tony and very little Thor. Thor's understandable - he's not exactly easy to write - but Tony is there a lot because I love his and Steve's bromance.

Disclaimer!

X

"You are so brave and quiet, I forget you are suffering." - Ernest Hemingway

X

!.

Steve was never one to sleep around other people. Not unless he had their trust, and they had his. When he was younger, he'd share the bed with, first his Ma, then Bucky when it got really cold and his thin skin just wasn't enough, and finally, the Commando's when they were all cramped into one small space during the harsh France winters. Most of the time, there was a fireplace or a stove to heat the room, but he was too skinny, and then too big to be warm. Not to mention, he always put others before him - putting himself first was practically a sin, and Steve was a God-fearing man, no doubts about it.

So, he slept with the door locked and a message sent to everyone who lived in the tower or might need him - don't bother Captain Rogers.

The time he'd slept at the shawarma place was an exception, because he wasn't actually asleep, anyway, just dozing, and he'd just fought in a huge battle and was tired. It was kind of expected, though Tony was sure to call him "Gramps" loud enough that the owners heard, and also mentioned how he needed his beauty sleep, or he'd get wrinkles. Now, Steve's got patience oozing out of his ears, and just as much self-restraint, but the urge to punch him was strong.

Back to the point, Steve didn't sleep around the avengers. Not unless he was in his room, and they would have to pick the lock to get in.

It was understandably shocking that, when Tony, Clint and Bruce stepped into the kitchen after going over new arrow ideas, and Natasha and Thor stepped in from working out, and saw Steve leaning back in a chair, passed out, Bruce gasped. Well, it was more of an intake of breath that suggested Bruce may or may not be going green in the face, to be fair.

But, still.

They all just stood there for a long moment, because not one of them had ever seen Steve sleeping or bothered to question his sleeping habits. (They didn't know Steve was asleep like this because he hadn't slept in nearly a week and had been on two back to back missions, both of which provided him with souvenirs of the black-and-blue variety.)

Oh, and hell if he didn't look like the twenty-three year old that had signed up for Project: Rebirth in 1942.

His hair was pushed away from his face, he was slumped in his seat in such a way that, had he been awake, would never happen, or even be thought could. It was a far cry from his usual soldier-posture, seeing as his spine was just slightly curled up at the shoulders, and his hips were just slightly jutting out. His long, artist/soldier fingers were steepled over his chest, probably halfway between his belly button and heart, though not under his heart. They were perfectly centered, resting on his expansive chest. His bare feet - which had also never happened - were stretched out, but not on the table, like Tony had done before, and would definitely continue to do, just to piss everyone off. His mouth was just slightly opened, showing off the very edge of Steve's pearly white teeth (which were a hazard, because his bite was powerful, but many a woman - and man, including Coulson - had swooned over them, so they should be considered a weapon).

The rest of the avengers just stared at their leader. He was the youngest, if you counted only the years he'd spent walking the Earth - what, twenty-three? Twenty-four? It was a ground-shaking discovery, because, sometimes, he seemed like the oldest.

Tony, obviously, was the first to speak. "Holy shit." It came out breathy, which sure was new. "Any of you guys realize he was this fucking young?"

Bruce shrugged. "I knew, but didn't realize, I guess. I've known he was young since I first learned about him."

Clint, who was blanching, said, "he looks like a kid. Or an underage father. Think about what he had to go through as a kid, though."

"What befell the Captain when was a mere babe?" Thor asked, actually being somewhat quiet.

Natasha sighed. "The Great Depression."

When she didn't elaborate, Bruce, who usually explained things to him and Steve, explained, "the Great Depression was a time of famine and no one had any money or jobs. It was from 1929 to 1939, Thor. Steve was alive for it, and his mother was dead, so he lived at an orphanage."

Thor nodded, but didn't get the chance to say anything before Steve was suddenly upright in his chair, eyes wide. He was gasping for breath, which also served as a reminder that Steve was much older than four of the five standing on the sides of the kitchen - they'd stood away from him, fearing he wasn't actually Steve, and instead a robot, or life-model-decoy, or even a man-droid, which would both be terrible and awesome.

He was sweating, his chest jumping, his hands clutching the table with a good grip, but not one strong enough to break it, like Thor had once done.

Steve looked around to the team, his eyes expressing more than his face ever had. It had been a while since everyone moved in, and Steve hadn't laughed or attempted to integrate himself in the team on a personal level. He kept his emotions to himself, and didn't share his problems, like a few of the others had. He was either scared or embarrassed, though both were understandable. Slightly. Tony'd had an anxiety attack right in front of all of them, and hadn't been either. Clint had flashback-ed to being under Loki's control, and didn't feel anything but nauseous.

But, Steve was gone. He'd apparently left while they were just staring at him.

"Damn," Tony muttered as he ran off after him. The rest weren't too far behind.

2.

Tony had had the great idea to swim. In a public place. Tony might've been a certified genius, but he was the biggest moron any of them had ever met.

Though, it was also their fault for agreeing to go. In all fairness, Clint had fucking loved the idea, Bruce and Steve were both going only to keep Stark in sight - they were his babysitters, pretty much - and Natasha wanted to tan. Thor was on Asgard, which was a blessing, because Bruce couldn't handle Tony alone in public places, especially a public pool, with kids and teenagers and lots of people.

It was indoors, though, so Natasha wasn't in a good mood. Stark had rented out a few chairs, and there were only so many, and Steve was left standing. Clint, the asshole, had jumped onto the first chair, Tony had immediately claimed the second, Natasha smiled apologetically, but Steve would have let her have it any way, and Bruce offered, but Steve turned him down.

Something that had changed about swimming was that guys could go in the water without wearing a shirt. That was slightly intimidating, but none of the others thought much of it. They did that a lot, forgetting about Steve's confusion or just assuming he already knew and thus, didn't need to be told twice.

It was really annoying, but Steve didn't complain - never did, about anything, really.

What everyone was wearing was new, too. Bruce was only wearing grey "swim trunks" and that was it. Tony's were red and gold, which sure wasn't ostentatious at all. Clint's were black and purple, which was not at all surprising. Natasha's "bikini" made Steve blush - it was red and accented her curves, but it was only affecting him, because this was, apparently, nothing new to the other guys.

Steve hated that he considered himself not apart of the guys of the avengers, because he was, technically, but they understood sex jokes and references to movies he could never watch without risk of exploding.

Natasha and Bruce didn't plan on getting in the water, but it was clear that Clint and Tony were. Steve wasn't sure he wanted to. He wasn't exactly comfortable in his body, still unused to how much of a clumsy oaf he could be.

Sometimes, he thought he was still skinny Steve, barely five feet tall and just this side of ninety pounds.

When Tony was already submerged - there weren't a lot of people there yet, but there was enough to notice the avengers in about five minutes and that was going to be terrible - Clint turned around and leveled a glare on Steve. "You're getting in before we have to leave."

What do they say this century? "Let's not, and say I did...?" It comes out as a question, because he is obviously not exactly familiar with the phrase.

Clint sighs. "C'mon Cap. Please?" He pouts, "it'll be team bonding." It's funny, really, that the avengers think that team bonding is the one thing he wants in life, that it's all he can think about, that he thinks there's nothing better than constantly spending time with them and getting to know them.

Steve sighs. Team bonding is important, but, maybe other than Bruce, Steve's the avengers that likes to be alone. He's always gone along with the notion, anyway. "Fine. Do I have to take off my shirt?"

Natasha and Clint share a look - it's obvious that they are planning something, because he doesn't know something. It's probably going to be a slide show of bikinis and swim shorts and tanning lotion and sunscreen and the like. Bruce nods. "Yeah, bud," Bruce always calls him 'bud', "sorry."

It's not required, per se, but the avengers are nothing if not assholes (at times), and there's almost nothing better than Captain America's abs. Not even Nutella.

Steve's only been shirtless - he pulled off his shirt the way guys do, from the collar - for one whole minute, in which Clint's gone under the surface, and Steve had stood there like an idiot, when a woman, probably Steve's "age" walks up.

She's pretty, to be sure, big blue eyes, not unlike Steve's own, and straight, dark brown hair pulled into a loose bun. She smiles at Steve with all of her teeth, and struts over to him. Steve being Steve, he glances around to see that every woman in the room was staring at him and the lady walking up to him. Also being Steve, Steve is suddenly unable to think, and his tongue is about ten thousand pounds heavier and he call already feel his foot in his mouth.

He's terrible with women.

Before she can say anything, Tony pops up in the water next to Steve's foot, calling for him to get in. Steve doesn't want to be rude, but he's burning to death, probably, from his own blushing, so he jumps in next to Tony.

Bruce politely explains to the lady that Steve isn't good with women - she understands, and, with a grin, walks back to where ever she came from. (There was a huge temptation to say that Steve was gay, but Bruce is an excellent example of restraint when faced with temptations.)

Natasha says, with all the languidly of a lazy cat, "he's an idiot."

"Kind of," Bruce agrees, because Cap is nothing if not smart, but Steve is a moron when it comes to things like, say, other people. "He's just kind of in over his head. He doesn't understand this century." Bruce shouldn't be speaking for Steve, but it's clear and easy to see, most of the time.

"Well, he needs a better teacher than Tony." Natasha says it like Tony is ruining him, but Tony cares a great deal about Steve, despite his awful childhood. Steve needed help and Tony provided him with it.

Tony pretended to dislike them all, but he was fighting a losing battle.

"Ever notice how young he should be?" Clint asks, showing up out of nowhere, dripping wet and catching a lot of attention. "Like, when I was his age, if she'd of walked up to me, I'd be all over her in a shower stall or something, not taking the Tony Stark express way, headed to Excuses, New York."

The three sighed in unison.

#.

They were just getting back from a mission. A hard mission. One that completely sucked for all of the five avengers currently on Earth.

The tower had been attacked, and the bar was trashed, but Tony and Clint, ever the most childish, wanted to drink until Steve had to drag their unconscious selves to their rooms.

So, they went out to a bar that they wouldn't be recognized at, due to the lighting in the place.

Steve wasn't allowed in, even after he showed his ID.

Tony got pissed. Asked "do you know who I am?" and then followed it with "of course you do!"

The guy said, "I can't trust you not to bring someone underage into the bar."

Tony sighed and declared it was time to raid Wal-Mart.

Steve felt bad.

$.

It was their vacation. Well, it wasn't a vacation, really, because they were still in the tower. The only part that even suggested 'vacation' was that they didn't have to deal with crises.

Steve was usually the first one up, because of his military training, but today, Tony was up before him, and Tony got up at about ten o'clock, if he'd even gone to bed in the first place.

First (after Steve, that is), Bruce was up, doing calculations in his head at the kitchen table, and then writing anything with probably promising results down in his notebook.

Then, Natasha sauntered to the elevator to work out a bit before eating. She always made sure she was seen and then usually joined Steve, who was going at the punching bags.

Then, either Clint or Thor would come in, hungry or hung over or lethargic or something like that. Clint wasn't a morning person, but Thor sure was.

Finally, Tony would emerge from either his room or the labs and make himself coffee, if there wasn't any left or the current brew was cold.

When the morning had ended with Tony coming from his room, Natasha came up, like always, expecting food.

Steve usually cooked for them, though Bruce and Clint weren't bad either.

Anyway, Natasha took one good look at the assembled avengers - five of them, all but the Captain - and said, "where's Steve? He go on his run already?"

"Hmm?" Tony wasn't a morning person, per se, as he wasn't 'all there' and was more often than not confused. "J? Steve?"

"Captain Rogers is currently in his room, sir. Would you like me to waken him?"

That woke Tony right up. "He's asleep?"

"Yes, sir, he is." JARVIS sounded downright exasperated, as if he was thinking duh, I just told you that. Maybe people were right when they called Tony's prized AI creepy - he shouldn't sound like an actual human like that.

Thor proclaimed loudly, "this is most unusual! The good Captain might be in harm's way!"

So, because they were all mother hen's at times, they ran off to Steve's room. It was locked, but Tony got in because "that's just how J's programmed, don't worry."

Steve was in there, obviously, and he was asleep, just like JARVIS had said. He was spread out under his sheets and blankets and laid on his stomach. He seemed like he was in complete nirvana, sleeping peacefully, which was and is a miracle, seeing as not one avenger went without nightmares.

"Hey, Steve!" Clint said with a poke to the soldier's foot. Clint jumped out-of-the-way before Steve's leg could go fucking through him, and followed up his exclamation with a "it's just the avengers! You're not supposed to be asleep, Cap!"

Steve, realizing he wasn't in danger, sunk into his sheets with a groan. "Go away."

Cue confused looks all around - Steve was nothing but polite at all times (unless there was an argument, that is) and what he'd said bordered on asshole-ish.

"Uh, what?" Tony and Bruce asked at the same moment.

Steve sighed. "I'm trying to sleep!" Groused the super-soldier. "Go away."

"Um," Bruce replied, "alright?" And they left, without complaint. God, Steve was such a teenager. (And wasn't that a weird thought?)

%.

"I never went to college - maybe I could now?" Steve asked tentatively.

Tony started coughing and choking on his coffee. "What!?"

Steve, in a panic, quickly back pedaled. "Uh, I don't have to. It was just an idea."

Natasha nd Clint were on a mission, Thor was in New Mexico visiting Jane, and Bruce was in his labs, so it was just the two of them.

Tony frowned. "No, no, that's not what I meant. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know," Steve admitted. "I just wanted to go, I guess."

"You know you don't have to ask, right?" Tony was all for Steve going to college - the guy needed human interaction and socialization outside of the nutcase six that was the avengers.

"Uh..." Steve obviously thought he had to.

"Next time," Tony said, almost angrily, "you don't have to ask."

...

Steve took art classes and classes about history and one called "exploring the 21st century's technology" or something close to that, not that Tony paid any attention, at the nearest college - it wasn't even one that cost a lot of money. He went to a freaking community college.

It was terrifying.

+!.

The avengers were sitting around the kitchen table, some (two) very drunk, some (one) tipsy, and then there was Steve, Thor and Natasha, who were drinking, to be sure, but not enough to get them drunk. They were the ones best able to hold their alcohol, or, you know, the alcohol of Earth just didn't do it for them.

"Tell us a story!" Clint laughed, one of the drunks.

"Yes! That's a great fucking idea!" Tony screeched with an unnecessary fist pump.

"But not Thor's," Bruce managed. He was tipsy, but was having a hard time not slurring. "You's are cool, sure, but we've heard 'em."

"That means Steve's going to tells us stories!" Tony cackled. Clint threw his head back with to laugh, because apparently the two of them were giggly, fun drunks.

Steve made to protest, but Natasha pouted at him and Thor looked at him with his Godly puppy eyes and begged, "please, Captain, I tire of my tales. It would be most pleasuring to hear yours."

"My stories aren't that fun," Steve warns.

"No," Natasha smiles, always kind to him. "They'll be interesting."

"Alright." Steve groused.

"So," he starts. "This story is set during the Depression, about '34. My best friend, Bucky, and I were sisteen and seventeen. We both lived in the orphanage, and we were the oldest, so we had to watch the younger kids a lot.

"There was three kids - Alice, Edward and Marie. Alice was sweet, and quiet, and could entertain herself without getting hurt. Edward and Marie hated each other and were always being childish about it. Marie wouldn't share the snacks that Helen and Charles - the house parents - left and Edward would never share the toys.

"Bucky wasn't good with kids, and I was, but only Alice listened to what I said. So, Bucky came up with a great idea, and helped me set up a tent with blankets and chairs and couch cushions. We managed to round them up in the tent, and Bucky told them not to leave, because there was something 'out there.' He went to 'make sure it was gone' and never came back.

"I knew he'd either left me to deal with them, but he'd never do that, or was playing a game on the kids. Marie and Edward were scared, but they were the tough kids, so they didn't come to me for comfort. Alice, did, and she sat on my lap and asked what was out there and why Buck hadn't come back.

"I remember telling her that I didn't know what it looked like, but that it had Bucky, and we needed to stay inside the tent."

"Wait!" Tony called, a hand in the air. "Where's Bucky during all of this?"

"I'm getting to that part, Stark. The kids were getting really freaked out, so I said I would go look for Bucky if they stayed in the tent. They agreed, and I climbed out. Bucky was leaning against the wall, acting like he'd been waiting for me.

"He mouthed 'freak out' and I did, falling all over myself, and making a lot of noise. I yelled 'Bucky! It's got Bucky!' and the kids started screaming."

There was silence from his team, like almost all throughout the story, and then they started laughing.

"How'd the kids take it?" Natasha asked.

Steve grinned. "They wouldn't go anywhere near us for weeks and we got to watch the older kids, the ten to twelve-year olds."

That set off another round of laughter.