He woke up and didn't really feel any better, but then it sort of was the middle of the night, and he couldn't remember the last time he ate.
So he wandered up to the kitchen and grabbed some food out of the fridge, and threw himself on the couch. Everyone else was sleeping, or elsewhere, and he was happy to be alone for a while.
He was channel surfing later when he came across a Supernatural episode, and Dean was bemoaning about something or other, probably his brother, because Tony had seen enough episodes to know what was up.
"I wish I couldn't feel a damn thing," Dean said, through tears.
"Believe me," he muttered, flicking to the next channel, "It's not all it's cracked up to be."
Steve was generally okay after that. Or at least, in front of Tony, he was less... himself, if that was the right word. It really wasn't, but somehow, Steve changed slowly, from being Captain America to just plain old Steve Rogers, the kid from Brooklyn.
Tony kind of liked Steve. He hadn't realized it before, but he'd never really met Steve, the skinny kid who would do anything to fight in the war. He'd really only met Captain America, the man with a plan, stars and stripes and all of that. The very same man he'd grown up hearing about, the public image that Steve pasted on every time they did a press conference, or held a debrief or a team meeting.
And as much as Iron Man was a mask for him to hide behind (god, who was he kidding, it wasn't really, but his playboy exterior was) Captain America was the mask Steve wore.
Captain America was the one worried about the safety of his team, and the calls he made in battle, and how well the team worked together, but Steve was the one who wandered down to Tony's workshop and made sure he ate, dragged him up to movie nights, sent him to bed when he'd been up for super soldier lengths of time.
Even if everyone else knew about his... condition as an extension of Steve not being able to lie worth a damn, and Natasha finally admitting that she had known, Steve was still the one most concerned about him.
Tony's arm healed, and there were more aliens, and Tony didn't even get hurt fighting them, not that Steve would listen, because he still insisted that Bruce give him a full exam after he de-Hulked and stayed with him, fretting over everything, which was kind of nice, if Tony had to admit it...
Oh crap. Tony didn't just like Steve, he like liked him.
As soon as Bruce was done checking him over, he headed to his workshop to have a sexuality crisis.
Not for himself, mind, he'd been pretty confident in his sexuality for a while. Because girls were nice, yeah, but so were guys. Honestly, he wasn't going to limit himself based on something as simple as gender.
No, his sexuality crisis was for Steve.
He helped himself to a smoothie with considerably more chocolate than usual and laid down on the couch, moaning to Jarvis about his plight.
"Oh god, what if he's not even gay? I mean, there was Peggy, and that seemed... real," he said finally, recalling the look in Steve's eyes when he talked about Peggy, waiting for a dance. It was so sweet it almost made Tony sick.
"I'm going to make a mess of everything," he moaned, burying his face in the couch, and Dum-E came up behind him and attempted to pat him on the back, which was probably going to leave bruises. The poor guy didn't know his own strength.
"If I may sir, that is not the only sexual orientation."
Tony perked up at that, accidentally kicking Dum-E as he did. Another bruise then.
"Wow, I am stupid," he sighed. "Steve could totally be bi. Star and stripes, not stars or stripes, am I right Jarvis?"
"Indeed, that is how the saying goes, but I'm not sure it applies to Captain Rogers' sexuality," Jarvis said dryly.
"Well, I need to find out. Has he said anything to you?" Tony pleaded, knowing just how messy his morals were getting.
Jarvis considered it. "Nothing I am permitted to share, or that is applicable to your current state."
"Well then how the hell am I supposed to figure this out? Too many variables," he groaned, his whining muffled by the cushion, which he suspected Jarvis was relieved about.
Jarvis offered no response.
Clint. He could ask Clint. Clint, who had a thing with Agent (who was dead not dead, because Fury was a bitch like that) would know what to do.
Provided he didn't shoot him first for just asking.
Tony considered it. Definitely a risk he was willing to take.