*has nothing to say*

"So..." Bruce cleared his throat causing Tony to look up from his paperwork. It was one of the rare occasions that Tony was actually in his office and not at the desk in his classroom. It was easier to stay away from Steve if he was in his office. The room was small and cluttered, mostly filled with taken apart tech and random math equations written on every surface.

"So?" Tony said eyeing Bruce with a look of worry. Bruce never came to Tony unless he had something to say. Theirs was a strange friendship. They understood each other and got along but never went out of their way to hang out unless they were working on something. Bruce lived a very solitary life, Natasha had been the only person he was willing to share his space with for longer than a few hours and that was okay with Tony. He liked his personal space too. He kept to himself most of the time. The world painted him as a partier and a playboy, and he had willingly adopted that persona to alleviate the masses but it wasn't him. In recent months he had found he enjoyed the quiet of his home, the silence broken only by the sounds of pencils on paper.

Steve had taken to hanging out in Tony's workshop in the basement of his house whenever Tony got in one of his "I need to make things and break things moods". It was easy and calming to have someone around. Tony finally understood why people made commitments to one person for the rest of their lives. Tony wasn't ready to do that per say, but he could understand it.

"Prom is coming up," Bruce said, placing his glasses firmly on his nose. The look was shocking, Tony had seen him do it before, but it had never really struck him as effective. Bruce in one movement made himself look 10 years older and a million times wiser.

So?" Tony asked again, trying to give the appearance that he wasn't sure where the conversation was going.

"So...I heard you are going to be one of the chaperones." Tony sighed and put his pen down, abandoning the papers he was grading, he gave Bruce his full attention.

"Yeah, Nick roped Clint and Thor into it too." It wasn't totally true, but Tony wasn't about to admit that he may have more or less not put up a fight when Fury asked him to chaperone.

"Yeah I heard. I'm shocked that you didn't put up a fight. You know he would have let you out of it. He always does." Of course, he would know, Bruce was all-knowing when it came to Tony. It was a bit freaky, but the guy took Tony's secrets to the grave so it was ok.

"I put up a fight," Tony said, the need to defend himself was strong. "Fury must just be tired of my shit. I've gotten out of Prom duties every year, Nick finally dug his heels in."

"No, I don't think that's what happened at all. I think, you're going because you want to keep an eye on someone." Tony scoffed and went back to grading. Trying not to let everything show on his face. Tony was a great poker player, but when it came to Bruce, that guy saw through everything.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you are talking about."

"A blond someone who is going to the prom with his ex..." That made Tony lookup. Steve was going with Remy to the Prom, they had bought their tickets separate but Tony knew Steve was going with the guy. Steve had made sure Tony was ok with it, which of course he was; he had no reason not to be okay with it.

"What are you talking about, Steve's never had..." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Bruce had known about Steve, but Tony had never given him an affirmation on the topic until then.

Tony wasn't listening to Bruce anymore, he was too busy packing up his things. Steve had told him that he had never had a boyfriend, never had a relationship. Bruce was telling him different. He really didn't want to know how Bruce knew about Steve and Remy, because neither of them were out of the closet, but he wanted... needed to know what Bruce meant by Steve's ex. He needed to hear the story from Steve.

The months after the kiss in the park were good for Steve. He still hated not being able to tell the world about Tony, but somehow Tony and he had made it work. They had found a sort of comfort in sneaking around. They had also found comfort in each other's company. They had found that it wasn't just the sex that made them good. They worked well together, it was peaceful and simple. Tony was a whirlwind of manic ideas and words spoken before thoughts had fully formed, but Steve found he could understand him.

Steve was sitting at his desk waiting for class to start when Tony came in. He could tell something was wrong. There was a glint in Tony's eyes that told him the genius was angry about something and the glare he levelled Steve with told him that it was because of Steve.

"Oh shit! Rogers, what did you do to make him so mad?" Remy leaned over and whispered in Steve's ear, Tony's eyes flashed. Steve could almost feel daggers piercing his skin. He didn't know how to answer, he couldn't for the life of him think of anything. Unless someone had found out about them, but no that couldn't be. They had been so careful and in any case, Tony wouldn't be in class teaching if they had found out.

"Sit the fuck down and shut up." Tony snapped at the class as the bell rang. Everyone in the class did as they were told. Tony wasn't often rude or mean to his class, he may be crass and march to the beat of his own teacher drum but even Steve had never seen Tony treat his class the way he was. Something had angered the man.

"Books, paper and writing implement out." Tony said dimming the lights and turning on the projector. "Turn to page 394 in Discovering Physics." Remy leaned forward to ask Steve a question.

"Lebeau," Tony snapped before any words could leave Remy's mouth, "You will either trade seats with Wanda," who was on the other side of the room, "Or you will be in detention until you graduate." Remy and Wanda traded seats. "That will be your seat for the rest of the year." Steve's eyebrows knitted together. What had gotten into Tony?

The rest of the class was silent, time passing as slowly as was humanly possible. No one spoke, the notes were on the board for the students to copy and Tony lectured. The anger only flaring when he would look at Steve. The bell rang and the class filed out as fast as they could.

"Go on Remy, I'll meet up with you in a bit, I have some questions about the notes I need to talk to Stark about." Remy sighed.

"Your funeral." But he followed Wanda out. Steve didn't say anything till the classroom was empty.

"So how was your day?" Steve asked, not moving from his seat.

"Go away Rogers, I'm busy."

"Tony what's wrong?" Steve asked, Tony hadn't called him Rogers or spoken to him with such contempt since before his mother had passed away almost seven months ago.

"What's wrong! Are you kidding? Nothing is wrong. Whatever could be wrong," Tony's voice was low but the growl of anger was evident. "Bruce just informed me that my boyfriend, was taking his ex to prom. Only said boyfriend had repeatedly told me he has no exes. I don't know why that would make me angry, do you?"

Steve didn't move, whatever he had expected Tony to say, it hadn't been that. He knew eventually he would have to tell Tony about him and Remy, explain the nature of their friendship at least. He had forgotten Bruce had walked in on them in an unflattering position.

"I told you I had been with someone. The very first day, I told you I had had someone."

'You said it was just sex! That he was too into someone else and you weren't looking for a relationship. You also didn't mention a name. You lied Steve."

"I omitted a few things," Steve amended. But it was splitting hairs and he knew it. Tony knew it too. "And it was just sex."

"It's still a lie. How do you think this makes me feel Steve! I have to go to this stupid prom and watch you and Remy together. I know its not like that anymore with him, I can see the way he feels about Logan, which is just...well Logan will figure it out eventually I'm sure. That's not the point though. I have to go to this prom thing and watch my boyfriend be with another guy, one that he's been with before."

"You told me you would come out, when you had a guy you felt like telling the world about. But I can't be that guy Steve. I'm not that guy."

"That's not why I'm going with Remy!" Steve shouted, Tony's words hit him hard. Steve didn't want to be locked away, a secret kept until the end of time. He didn't want to be ashamed or made to feel ashamed of what they had, and in one sentence Tony had done just that.

"Remy wants to come out, and he asked me if I'd do it with him. He just needs someone to stand next to him when everyone finds out. I'm helping a friend out and stepping out of the shadows for him." Steve sighed.

"I would walk out that door right now and tell anyone that would listen that I was in love with a man name Tony Stark. He's frustrating and brilliant, he's stupid and sexy and he's an asshole, but it doesn't matter, because he's a really good guy and he loves me too. I would tell them that I'm the luckiest guy in the world because Tony Stark is mine and no one else can have him. But I can't. I can't do that Tony, and I hate it! I fucking hate it so much." Steve left after that. He didn't even bother hearing what Tony said. He was so angry and he just needed time.

He'd never really told Tony any of that. Tony had known that Steve didn't like hiding but he had never bothered to elaborate on his feelings on the topic. He should have told Tony about Remy. That was his bad call and he was paying for it. It just wasn't something he liked talking about. Steve and Remy hadn't been anything to each other, other than a release. They had only been together a handful of times and had broken it off before the beginning of senior year because of how Remy felt about Logan.

Steve did not want to come out with Remy, but Remy asked for his help and Steve had agreed. At least he would be able to stop hiding from something. Even if it wasn't everything, it was something. Steve's trip home was calming, he had left his car in the parking lot at school opting for a run instead and when he arrived home, he was shocked to see Tony waiting for him inside.

Steve slowed his pace as he walked up his driveway, Tony's car had been parked a block away. He knew what he needed to do to before he reached the front door.

"I'm sorry," He said as Tony stood to say something. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Remy and me. I'm sorry you had to hear it from Dr. Banner. I had forgotten he knew." Tony's eyebrows rose and Steve knew what was coming.

"I'm not going into detail, but Dr. Banner busted Remy and I one time and that's all you need to know. Remy and I have been over since the summer, there is nothing there." Tony nodded.

"I get it, I shouldn't have gotten mad. Bruce just took me by surprise and I hate being caught off guard." Steve stepped forward, closing the distance between him and Tony.

"You look like you have something else to say." He resisted the urge to run his hands down Tony's chest.

"I wish I could tell the world about you, you know that right?" Steve nodded, he did know that. They both wanted nothing more than to be able to tell everyone. "But we can't Steve, what's between us is perfect and I'm happy. I don't want that to change. So if that means seeing you with Remy, I will just have to deal."

"I'm not with Remy, I'm going to prom with him, that's it. What would you rather me do? Ask Wanda?"

"Yes." Steve laughed and shook his head.

"That's not happening." He said wrapping his arms around Tony. "Are we good?" Steve asked holding his boyfriend tighter. Tony nodded and Steve smiled again. "Good."

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