"So, when do people need to be back?" Tony asks, eyeing the group, making sure his eyes don't stay on Steve for too long.

"I should probably be back before it gets too late," Natasha announces.

Steve's head is doing that tilt thing again when he practically whispers, "I need to be back by 7p.m." He's ducking his head, "if that's okay."

"I gotta be back around 6:45." Bucky says quickly, not missing a beat, "I gotta do some chores at home before the week starts."

Tony doesn't miss Bucky's quick pick up on Steve's anxiety about having to be back at a certain time. Jumping in and saying he has to be back earlier, puts Steve instantly at ease and the whole car relaxes. "Got it, not a problem at all. Hey Jarvis?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark?"

"Can you remind us to leave the house around 6:30p.m.?"

"Of course."

—-

Tony's house is not a house. It's not even a mansion, it's like… a mega mansion. It's the size of 4 brownstones combined into one big one, with a huge wooden door and a private entrance around the back.

Natasha watches as both Bucky and Steve's eyes turn into saucers as they pull into the underground parking and park next to several vintage automobiles.

"Is that…" Bucky swallows looking at Tony, "a Rolls Royce?"

"Yeah," Tony smiles, easy going and with just the tiniest bit of pride, "Dad and I both have an affinity for cars. So he collects 'em and lets me work on 'em sometimes."

"That's so cool." Bucky steps out of the car and stands close to another, not daring to touch.

Clint and Natasha slide out of their seats and Steve follows.

Tony leads them to an elevator and up to the main floor. "I'll give you guys a quick tour before we head down to my dad's lab."

He walks them through a massive kitchen, marble countertops and dark cabinets with brass fixtures creating a luxurious space. He introduces them to the staff and when Steve sticks out his hand to shake theirs, saying hello, the staff all smile and welcome the group letting them know they can request whatever they'd like. Tony points out an array of foods that he had already requested be available to them. There's sodas and sweet tea, muffins, fruit, chips, and bagel bites which Tony immediately eats 5 of.

"Dig in, no one goes hungry at my house." He says it so casually but the others pick up, loading up plates in hopes that Steve will do the same. He stands a bit off to the side and Clint is about to call out to him to join them when Bucky rushes over to him,

"Dude! You have to try this muffin, it's so good!"

"What type is it?" Steve asks curiously,

"Cinnamon crunch." Tony garbles with a mouth full of bagel bite.

Steve takes the muffin cautiously and takes a bite, his eyes going wide as chews. "Wow, that's really good!" He steps back towards the staff who are around the corner and he catches their attention. "Thank you for this, this is probably the best muffin I've ever had!" They smile and nod their thanks as he turns back to the group.

"Well you'll have to take some home with you." Tony declares. He doesn't let Steve protest, only shouts, "Let's go, lots more house to see!"

They walk through lush carpeted living rooms and formal dining rooms. He leads them up huge dual staircases to the bedrooms where he just points at his parents door. "Mom's not home, at some luncheon, but that's their bedroom and then we have like 10 guest bedrooms, but mine's down here." He leads them to the last door on the left and opens the double doors.

Natasha doesn't know where to look first. One entire wall is covered with rock band posters and the other is covered with scientific posters dealing with mechanics and engineering. A huge TV takes up a third wall and giant windows fill the fourth. Tony's bed is made and several pairs of shoes are laying about but surprisingly it's organized in its chaotic nature. He walks over to a desk that has a huge computer tower and multiple screens. A 3D printer is working on something on a shelf and he settles in the desk chair, turning a 360 before facing them. "Sooo, what do you guy's think?"

Clint doesn't hesitate a second before saying, "I think your room is as big as my whole apartment." He laughs but Tony scrunches his nose,

"Uh, I mean, yeah I guess it's pretty big."

Bucky laughs, "big? This is huge! My whole house could fit in your parking garage."

Steve stays silent, just taking in his surroundings and Natasha feels no need to comment either.

"Yeah, well, dad never does anything in halves." Tony swivels again and his eyes narrow. "I got an idea." He picks up a device on his desk and turns to them, "I'm going to scan you, get your measurements in case we need to make team shirts or something. Stand still." He doesn't give them a moment to protest before he scans each of them with the device, from head to toe, plopping down on his chair as he finishes.

"Should I feel violated?" Clint asks, eyeing the device, "I feel violated."

"Calm down, Barton." Tony rolls his eyes, "I would never violate your privacy…" his eyes only flash to Steve for a millisecond but Natasha doesn't miss it, "without good cause."

"Ah, that makes me feel better." Clint deadpans.

Tony is up and dragging them back through his house, down to the lower floors where they pass a theater room, a bowling alley, an indoor pool, and a gaming room. He's excitedly explaining how they have an indoor tennis court when they descend another level and step out of the elevator. Glass walls are in front of them, showcasing the entire room, but keeping them separate from the huge space.

"This," Tony smirks with a wave of his hand, "is my dad's lab." He walks up and places his hand on a glass pad that scans then beeps. The door clicks open and he leads them inside. 1940's big band music is playing loudly from the speakers.

A thin man with a dark mustache pops up from beneath a huge engine and his eyes scan each of them mechanically as if he can tell what things might need to be fixed just by a glance. The music lowers when Tony's dad makes a gesture in the air and Bucky looks at him in awe. He's graying just a touch, and he's a bit more wiry than Tony, but other than that they look very similar.

"Dad, these are my friends: Clint, Natasha, Steve and Bucky. Guys this is my dad."

"Hello." They chorus, but Steve steps out, extending his hand, "nice to meet you sir, thanks for having us to your house."

Howard's lips lift to the side in a surprised smile and he accepts the hand with his own. "The pleasure is all mine. Usually Tony brings his friends over and avoids me at all costs, so this is a nice change."

"Dad." Tony's voice is annoyed and Howard holds up his hands in surrender.

"So, Tony tells me you guys have a school project?" He waves them over to a sitting area, a few small chairs and a leather couch. They take seats and settle in, some still with food on their plates. "Why don't you guys tell me about it?"

Tony starts first, explaining the basic premise, while Clint and Bucky jump in occasionally to expand on certain details. They show him the syllabus and he studies it with practiced eyes.

"Seems straightforward." He comments, fingers tracing his mustache, "the tricky part is coming up with something doable and impressive."

"Exactly!" Bucky sighs, "We've gone through like 30 ideas and haven't been able to settle on one."

"Come on, let's look at some of my old scrapped production ideas, maybe there's something we can springboard off of there."

—

3 hours later, they're spread out haphazardly across the lab's floor. Steve and Bucky lay on their backs on the rug of the sitting area, studying sketched blueprints with interest. Natasha and Clint are sitting on stools leaning over a table where Howard is explaining something rapid fire that they both are somehow understanding.

Tony stands off, studying two pieces of paper, shifting his eyes back and forth between them. His expression is so focused that he doesn't hear his dad approach.

"Whatcha got there?"

Tony startles, but then scrubs at his eyes, "I dunno, this is the old arc reactor design, the one, you know, you and Obadiah built for that factory?"

"Yeah, more of a light show tha—"

"But it is an energy source right?"

"Yeah, it outputs a good amount, clean energy."

Tony falls silent, concentrating back on the designs and Howard leaves him be, heading over to Steve and Bucky. "What are you two looking at?"

Steve glances up, he tilts his head left as Bucky responds, "We're studying these two." He holds the papers out for Howard to grab.

Howard studies Steve for a second before turning his attention back to the papers. "Oh, these are good ones. Sad about the vibranium though, I could never get enough of it for anything mass produced."

"What about the anti-gravity wheels?" Bucky asks, looking at one of the papers in Howard's hands, "could we do something with that?"

Howard sighs, sinking onto one of the leather chairs, "I never could figure out how to get it to stay afloat. The weight of the car always worked against the anti-gravity thrusters faster than they could compensate."

"Maybe something smaller than a car?"

"Like a jet pack?"

"Maybe…?"

Howard looks at Steve who still has his head tilted towards them at an odd angle.

"What's up with you?" He asks, he points his pen at Steve, who looks up, startled. Steve turns his head to face him directly on.

"What do you mean?" As Steve finishes his question his head tilts again, almost innocuously, like it's a habit and he's not even thinking about it.

Something dawns in Howard's mind, the mechanics of such an action. "When did it happen?" When he sees Steve's face of confusion, he clarifies, "you're compensating." He says it without hesitation, pointing at Steve's head. "Your left ear, when did you lose your hearing?"

There's an excruciating silence where Steve's face drains of color and Tony hisses from the far side of the room, "DAD!"

Howard looks up, confused, "What? Did—" He looks at the faces around him, surprise on Bucky, Natasha, and Clint's faces and annoyance on Tony's (but he knows that's directed at him), Howard suddenly comes to the realization that this was not common knowledge. "Ah…" His thumb and forefinger trace his mustache, a nervous habit he picked up years ago, "Well, I'm very sorry, Steve. I shouldn't have said something, it was none of my business."

Steve's voice is a bit brittle when he speaks. "It's okay, sir."

—

The head tilt. This whole time. He can't hear. He can't hear out of that ear so he tilts his good ear forward. Everything clicks in Bucky's mind and he's mad he didn't put the pieces together sooner.

Bucky wants to shake Steve and shout at him, 'why don't you tell us these things!'

But he doesn't. He just sits there, idly thumbing the paper as Steve is frozen next to him, eyes downcast and cheeks red.

—

Tony's so freaking done.

Steve needs glasses.

He can't hear out of one ear.

He's being mistreated at home or somewhere.

He doesn't have enough food to eat.

He's allergic to a lot of things (Clint had filled him in on that)

Tony wants to punch his dad for being so obtuse, but also… would Steve have ever told them? He doesn't think so.

—

The silence was becoming unbearable.

Howard sighs and scrubs a hand down his face.

"Steve, I'm truly sorry, I didn't mean to cause you embarrassment. I'm a mechanical engineer, and it may sound silly but the ear is just a bunch of mechanical parts working together to send information to the brain."

He glances at Tony who looks angry and lost in thought. He's kind of surprised Tony hadn't noticed the kid's tick of turning towards the left.

Steve swallows and straightens his spine, pushing his shoulders back and deliberately keeping his face forward. "It's fine, sir. No big deal."

Howard's opinion of the kid rises and he leans forward. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about it? I might have some ideas…"

Steve's brow furrows but he shrugs, "I guess I don't mind?"

Howard nods and studies Steve's face. "Were you born deaf in that ear?"

Steve shakes his head, "no, I wasn't."

"When did you lose hearing?"

"Um.. I was 12."

"And you're how old now?"

"Almost 15."

"Was it an accident that caused it? Head trauma?"

"No." Steve shakes his head, he doesn't notice Natasha's eyes lock onto him at that question. "No, it happened when I got scarlet fever." He looks at Howard as if that is the simple answer to the question. Howard nods in thought, and stands.

"Well, I'm going to look up some things, I'll be right back. Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you help me with something?"

Tony's eyes flash in question but he doesn't ask. "Yeah, uh- sure."

They exit the lab and close the soundproof glass doors behind them. They step out of sight of the group and Howard looks at his son.

"You guys didn't know."

"No, dad, what the hell! You can't just go around announcing people's stuff!"

Howard sighs, "I know, I know… I didn't realize you guys didn't know, that was—"

"Very Howard Stark." Tony's monotone delivery has his dad's head snapping up to stare at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You just say whatever you want, no matter the consequences to those around you. You've always been that way, it's— sometimes it's... Just because you're rich doesn't mean you can say whatever you want."

Howard reels back a bit in surprise. "I do not—"

Tony scoffs. "Dad, you haven't thought about what you were going to say before you said it in my entire life. Ready, Fire, Aim, remember?"

Howard scoffs back, raking his hands through his hair, causing it to stick up, "And you do, Tony?"

There's a beat of silence before Tony rolls his eyes, "well I got it from you."

Howard's tongue presses against his bottom teeth in thought as he glances around the corner back at the group in there. "So… what's this kid Steve's deal?"

Tony's head tips back and he sighs. "What isn't his deal? He desperately needs glasses, and as you just pointed out, he's deaf in one ear, he's obviously not getting enough food at home, I mean— just look at him. And on Friday? He came to school trying to hide bruises around his neck."

Howard's eyes widen, and then narrow in thought as he peers around the corner at the top of Steve's head that's just barely visible above the couch. "You think he's being neglected at home?"

Tony's voice is flat, "Oh yeah, for sure, somethin's going on there."

Howard's face is calculating. "Scarlet fever."

"Huh?"

"It's notorious for causing hearing loss, but usually that's in cases that are left untreated…"

Tony's blood runs cold, "Untreated?"

"Yeah, if it's ignored, no antibiotics or attempts to bring the fever down."

Tony grits his teeth, "So you're telling me this kid got scarlet fever at home, was ignored and suffered permanent hearing damage because of it?"

Howard winces, his mouth turning into a frown, "I'm not sayin that's what happened, but if what you're saying about his home life is true, then it's probable. Where does he live?"

"With his mom, I think."

"Do I need to call someone?"

"We think the TA at the school already called CPS."

Howards nods, his eyes wandering back to the blonde head poking up, "good, let me know if there's anything I can do."

Something like camaraderie warms up Tony's chest as he looks at his dad, a feeling he's never associated with him. "I will, dad."

—-

Natasha and Clint stay frozen where they are. Their eye's lock on each other and Natasha watches Clint's jaw clench. Tony enters back into the room. Walking over and slouching down into a chair.

Bucky clears his throat, looking at Steve. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Steve looks up, and there's a fire in his eyes: pride. "Why would I? What does it matter?"

Bucky looks at him, squared shoulders and a face ready to argue, and he can see the kid who never backs down from a fight, someone who has always had to fight for himself.

He sighs and leans back against the couch, picking at some loose threads on the rug, "I'm not saying you had too… But you can if you want. We could have— I don't know… helped you out."

"I don't need help." Comes Steve's quick and steely reply.

"No one said you did." Clint says calmly from across the room. "But there's no harm in accepting help either."

Steve's quiet for a moment. "I just don't want anyone thinking I can't do something because of it. I'd rather people not know."

"We wouldn't think that, Steve." Natasha says gently, heading over and sitting down cross legged next to him. "I—" she looks up at the four boys who are now staring at her. She's never had friends. Well, Yelena of course, but outside of her, Natasha has never allowed herself to get too close to people. It was dangerous to do so, to allow people to see you vulnerable. But sitting here, with these specific four boys, she's never felt more safe or at ease. "I… haven't always had the easiest life. I was given up for adoption to an illegitimate agency..." She grimaces and the others stare at her in shock. "I was basically sold to an agency in the US when I was 5 and got adopted by this family that… well… they're not always the easiest. But one day, they decide to foster this other little girl. And at first I was scared of being replaced, but turns out they just wanted money from the foster system. So eventually we really did become like sisters and we rely on each other. With that support system we can make it through anything. I never wanted to trust anyone to help me, but having her, it makes life so much easier."

She looks at Steve, hoping her little speech wasn't too on the nose. She's hopeful that maybe he'll tell the group about his mom, but Steve just reaches out and places a thin hand on her knee. "I'm so sorry that that happened to you, Natasha. That's terrible. I'm glad you have a sister you can rely on. If there's anything I can do to help let me know."

His voice is so caring and his eyes blazing with sincerity that she actually has to look away so she doesn't blurt out the fact that she knows about his mom. How can he be offering comfort to her? He's the one who needs comfort! But as she glances down at the thin hand still resting on her knee, and glancing up at the deep blue eyes that are still staring at her with a fierce determination to make sure she knows he means what he says, she realizes that no one has ever acknowledge how horrible the beginning of her life really was. And here was this kid, with a list of problems as long as his arm, offering her comfort.

She swallows thickly against the rising knot in her throat and finds her hand resting in his, "Thanks, Steve. That means a lot." He smiles softly and squeezes her knee before drawing his hand back.

Clint looks a bit shell-shocked at her story but she just smiles at him through and claps her hands against her legs. "Enough about our personal problems. We have a school project to work on!"

The hilarity of the statement breaks the tension and they all laugh, sifting through papers and setting out their top choices.

Natasha doesn't miss that Bucky deliberately moves to the side of Steve's 'good' ear and continually hands Steve whatever snacks Tony keeps nonchalantly placing on the plate next to him.

—-

Steve hops out of the car in good spirits. He thanks Tony again for the huge ziploc bag of muffins that Tony had insisted he take and he disappears around the corner.

Tony wastes no time filling them in. "My dad thinks he lost his hearing because the scarlet fever was neglected… So maybe his mom isn't as great as we thought…"

Bucky stiffens and his hand grips the door handle.

Clint and Natasha share a look that Tony doesn't miss. "What? What is it?"

Clint huffs out a breath and Natasha's nose scrunches up, but Bucky sighs is the one to talk. "His mom isn't…" he starts, looking up and catching Natasha's face morphing into surprise.

"Wait, you know?" She asks in disbelief.

"I know what?"

"About his mom?"

"Yeah I know… Wait, you know? How do you know?"

"Know what?!" Tony shouts in annoyance.

"His mom died." Natasha says quietly, "like 5 years ago, my sister went to middle school with him."

"My mom actually knew his mom when she was younger," Bucky adds, "but they lost contact. Apparently she was the nicest lady."

"That's pretty obvious." Clint responds, waving in the direction Steve had just disappeared, "have you met her kid?"

"So where is he living now?"

"I don't know." Bucky remarks, "but it can't be anywhere good."

—

Monday passes easily.

Steve comes bounding into the cafeteria, paint in his hair and on his arms and hiding behind his ears. They pass lunch laughing and talking about random things, enjoying each other's company. Clint 'accidentally' has an extra sandwich that he 'just isn't hungry for' and offers it to Steve who protests multiple times but eventually gives in and sits there chewing with a smile on his face.

They talk about the possibilities they've considered with Erskine who urges them to make a decision soon as the clock is ticking.

They spend study hall in the library, starting out working on their own individual homework but it soon turns into another planning session for their project.

"Okay, I have to head home." Natasha says, checking her watch, "can we spend extra time on the project tomorrow? Maybe at Milo's?"

Clint nods his approval and the rest of the group is in agreement.

They go their separate ways.

—

Bruce notices his absence first.

Steve usually walks in just a few minutes before the first bell. But the first bell passes and there's no sign of him.

He won't lie. He's been nervous ever since he called CPS. And yesterday was the day of the supposed appointment for them to check on Steve's house. And now he's not here. That can't be a coincidence.

He waits by the front door, hoping that he'll pop through any second, but he doesn't.

Bruce checks his phone, hoping to find a 'student called in sick' email in his inbox. Nothing.

The sense of dread he felt after the phone call returns in full force.

—