Steve carries his muffins onto his floor and places them on the coffee table. He glares at them for a moment.
Why would muffins make this ok?
He eats a muffin.
He's trying to see this from Tony's point of view, he really is, but all he can think is that the other man wants to keep their son to himself.
Maybe he should? Tony is rich, powerful, influential, great with Pete... Can Steve offer anything as Jim's father that he can't offer as 'Cap'? Is that what Tony meant?
It hurts somewhere in his chest to think that he couldn't be a good father. He thinks he's done ok with Pete. And surely that's not the point anyway? He still has the right to know even if he is a terrible father...
But nobody told him. This wasn't just Tony.
Why did nobody tell him?
How did he just eat five muffins without noticing?
He needs to speak to someone.
'Jarvis?' he squares his shoulders.
'Yes, Captain?' the AI replies promptly.
'Did he at least worry over whether or not to tell me?'
'Captain,' Jarvis sounds apologetic, 'sir reaches conclusions very quickly.'
'He didn't want to tell me,' he drops has head into his hands.
'He believed you would not want this,' Jarvis continues, 'that you deserved better than to be tied to him.'
'That wasn't up to him,' he sighs.
There's a moment of silence before the AI continues,
'He did not want you to prefer James over Peter.'
'How could he...?' Steve looks up, 'how can he think that I'd...? Jarvis, aren't we friends?'
'You may not believe me, Captain, but sir did believe this would not hurt you.'
'I meant you and me!' Steve stands up suddenly and waves a hand. 'Jarvis, aren't we friends? Why didn't you tell me?'
The AI stays silent.
Steve laughs bitterly,
'Right, that answers that then.'
'Captain...'
'Save it,' Steve walks to his bedroom, 'I'm going for a run.'
'Captain,' Jarvis persists regardless, 'I consider you one of the few friends I have, but sir is my creator. He is my father.'
Steve sighs and leans against the wall,
'You should have told me.'
'Sir was not ready for you to know.'
Steve lifts his head from the wall and then lets it drop back a couple of times.
He can't help but think that he'd be taking this better if there had apparently been ANYBODY on his side.
He gets that Jarvis wouldn't tell him, he does, and Pepper and Rhodes are Tony's friends not his, but Bruce?
Is he being unreasonable? It has only been four days or so.
What would he have done? If he found a child that was his and Tony's; would he have told Tony immediately? He thinks he would have.
But then he does have certain feelings for Tony that clearly aren't reciprocated.
'I'm going to be a father,' he tries to let that sink in.
What should he do? Tony clearly intends for the boy to live with him and Pete, so when does Steve get to see him?
This all comes back to Tony not thinking well enough of him to trust him with this.
He's such a fool; he thought they were friends.
But that may be those unreciprocated feelings again.
He walks back into his living room and glares at the muffins. And spots the envelope.
He chews on his lip as he considers if he wants to read anything Tony may have written to him. He doesn't, but he's not going to start running away now.
Leaving the penthouse earlier was definitely a strategic retreat...
When did he start eating this muffin?
He sits down and opens up the envelope.
Oh. His breath catches in his throat.
That would be his son.
