The car ride is quiet until Bucky looks over at him and says in a mocking voice, "you can't just go around hitting people, Bucky." Mimicking his words from the office.

Steve glares at him and Bucky glares back.

Tony watches them. "What the hell."

They look at him and almost in synchronicity cross their arms over their chests.

"Oh wow." Tony says flatly. "I'm seeing some real maturity here. What are you guys, like 8?"

"No one asked you to come pick us up." Bucky snaps. "And what the hell are you doing here anyways? Aren't you supposed to be in college?"

Tony looks at him and Steve feels his cheeks heat up.

"I think Steve knows why I'm here."

"Sorry." He grinds out. Even though… he doesn't really feel sorry at all.

"Not here for an apology."

"Then why are you here?"

"I get a call from my dad about the video blowing up again and I get nervous. I worry. I'm like a mother hen clucking after her stupid, reckless chicks."

Steve feels his eyes widen. "The video? The… hospital one?"

"Yep." Tony says flatly, "You thought ripping your shirt off in gym class wasn't going to have long term consequences?"

"How do you know about that?" Steve rasps out.

"Please—" Tony says with an eye-roll, "I know everything."

Steve feels his heart seize, he can't know…

"But, the cat's outta the bag now. I hacked in, added myself to the guardians list, and my dad and my mom, and decided to take a quick trip down here. Didn't expect to find you guys getting suspended, but hey, it's funny how the universe aligns sometimes."

"Natasha." Bucky says, "what about—"

"Told her I was taking you two. She's not suspended. She can't skip school."

Bucky nods, looking relieved. They pull into Tony's and Bucky sees Clint's motorcycle. A full on intervention then. Good. He stares at Steve who he can see is curling in on himself. They step outside of the car and he sees Clint leaning against the back stone wall.

"Hey Clint."

"Hey Buck."

There's a pause and Bucky watches Clint eye Steve. "Hey Steve."

A pause. "Hey."

"Wow." Tony says, "that was painful."

Steve just glares at the ground. They walk down into the lab and find Howard working.

"Hey dad."

Howard looks up, and surprise crosses his face before it lands on Steve and something unreadable flashes.

"Aren't you all supposed to be in school? 'Sides you?" He points at Clint then looks at his watch, "aren't you supposed to be at work?"

And something warm fills Bucky's chest that Howard knows all their schedules by heart. He wasn't lying when he said he'd be hard to get rid of. Bucky looks back at Steve who's growing pale and looks queasy.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." He snaps. Tony's head whips towards them and stares at Steve in surprise.

"Woah, first fighting and then snappy answers? When did little Stevie become an actual grumpy teenager?" Bucky watches Howard's face go flat, emotion removed. He looks at Steve whose face mirrors his, blank. Clint stands there awkwardly and Bucky doesn't know what to say. When had Steve gone from the nicest, most polite kid to the one who they can barely get 5 words out of? Tony stands there, eyebrows furrowing, "hello? Anyone home?"

"I need to go to the bathroom." Steve says quickly, walking away and disappearing into the elevator. Tony's eyes slide to his father's.

"Dad?" Howard doesn't meet their eyes. He just turns back to his workbench. Tony's voice drops. "Dad?" Still nothing. Tony walks over and stands in front of his dad's bench. "I'm gunna need more than silence. What is going on? What happened to Steve?" Howard looks up, and the look on his face takes Bucky's breath away. Tony's too. "What? What is it?"

Clint steps forward, "Is it his heart? Did something happen?"

Howard's eyes close and his knuckles are pressed against the metal work table. "I promised him I wouldn't say anything."

Bucky feels his heart skip a beat. He's walking forward, standing next to Tony, "what!? Tell us about what?!"

Howard shakes his head.

"DAD!" Tony practically growls, "I don't care what you promised! You have to tell us!"

That makes Howard's face pop back up. "No." His voice gets flat. "No, I don't. He was right. It's not technically my information to share and I think he's had enough of his life choices taken away without me adding something else."

That stuns them into silence.

—

Steve barely makes it to Tony's bathroom before he's vomiting violently into the toilet.

He crumples to his knees and heaves again. His meager breakfast making a re-appearance among the blood. He's barely hungry to begin with and now he can't even keep the tiny amount of food he eats down…

His hands are wobbly, but he digs under the sink and finds the cleaning spray. He wipes down the seat and carefully puts the bottle back. He feels dizzy and a bit light headed and he sits back against the cold stone shower wall.

A knock on the door. Steve freezes and he looks down at his shirt. The collar has blood on it. He doesn't respond but the knock comes again. "Tony?"

Mrs. Stark.

"No," he rasps out, "it's Steve."

There's a silence. "I heard someone throwing up, are you okay?"

Steve groans inwardly. He stands up and hopes she won't notice his collar.

He opens the door and smiles, "I'm good. Just felt a little sick."

She looks at his smile and then her eyes find his collar immediately afterwards. He winces, and she steps forward, grabbing his jaw and gently pulling his face towards the mirror. He stares at their reflection and looks at her through the mirror in confusion.

"Smile." She says softly. He opens his mouth to ask why when he sees it. The inside of his mouth is bloody. He grimaces and it makes it worse.

"Sorry." He says quickly, "I'm sorry." He steps forward, turning on the faucet and beginning to rinse out his mouth.

She looks at him, and it's a look that reminds him why Howard Stark picked her to be his wife, she misses nothing.

"How long?"

He blinks at her through the mirror.

"How long what?"

"You must be vomiting blood often enough to be able to ignore or be used to the metallic taste in your mouth." He groans. Shutting off the faucet and spitting red saliva down the drain. She lays a cool hand on his cheek and looks at him. Not with pity. Just concern. "Steven? How long?"

"Almost 5 months."

He watches her swallow thickly. "How often?"

He looks at the floor. "Couple times a week. It's worse when I'm stressed."

"Ulcers?"

He shakes his head 'no'. Her eyes soften. "Does Howard know?"

Steve shakes his head 'yes'.

"Does Sam?"

"Yes."

"What can I do?"

He looks up at her and the soft concern on his face makes his heart crack. He hasn't cried since Sam found him in the bathroom in the grocery store. Even before he got the news. She doesn't comment on the moisture growing in his eyes. She gently sits on the counter and runs her fingers through the front section of his hair. He's watched her do this to Tony multiple times and it makes his throat constrict with emotion.

"I had a sister, did you know that?"

He doesn't miss the past tense. He shakes his head no, eyes trained on hers. She sighs. "Maggie. People called us M&M. Maggie and Maria." She cups his cheek before running her hand through his hair again. "She woke up one morning and said she felt sick. Two hospital visits later we discovered she had leukemia."

Steve feels his heart drop. But Mrs. Stark just keeps speaking. "It wasn't pleasant. I'll just say that. But I'll never forget the early days when she wanted to pretend that it wasn't happening at all. Didn't want to talk about it or tell people." She stands up and waves her hand for Steve to follow her into Tony's room. He does and she keeps speaking as she opens Tony's closet. "Then after she did tell people, she hated that everything in her life was about cancer. Cancer this and Leukemia that. No one seemed to remember that she was still just a 16 year old girl behind the bald head and the weak body."

Steve closes his eyes. Barely able to breath in a shaky breath.

He opens his eyes when hands gently rest on each side of his face. He looks up at her and her eyes are moist too. "You are so precious to this family, Steve. I know those rumors are false but I wouldn't mind you being my son." She smiles at him, at her joke, and Steve feels his mouth pull down as he tries to keep from crying.

She gently pushes his hair back again and looks at him. "You're not your heart condition. And you're not whatever this is." She points back at the bathroom.

"Please don't tell Tony, or anyone." He rasps out, his head still between her hands.

She tilts her head, her eyes sad at him. "Going alone isn't the way." She says softly, "You can't do this alone."

"I can—"

"No." She says, gentle but firm. "No, I know that you can. What I meant is you shouldn't. Maggie may not have loved that everyone focused on her cancer, but I'd like to believe that having her family love and support her, made her time more special."

"I'll tell them… When I'm ready." She nods and unbidden the question falls from his lips. "So you don't think Howard can fix me?"

Steve watches as her eyes widen in surprise. He knows she knows about his heart condition and why he is here all the time, getting poked and prodded in Howard's lab. "My husband.." she says with a smile, "is the most well-meaning and capable man. He sets his mind on something and he does it. Does he always do it on the time-table that's needed? No. But he tries. And I'll tell you that I know he never gives up."

Howard's words from a few weeks ago echo in his mind. I'm not giving up, why are you?

"That's not an answer." Steve says quietly.

Maria Stark steps back and looks at her son's room. "Steve. Two years ago, my son and my husband were on the brink of… " She sighs and she looks at Steve. "We were starting to fracture as a family. I'll be honest. It was breaking my heart. But then… You came along." She smiles at Steve and she points to him, "something about you. The deeply instilled goodness that you have… It healed this family. It healed the rift between them. Them, working together… I don't even know how, and I don't question a miracle when it's handed to me." Steve feels his chest tighten at her words, throat constricting again and chest pounding. "But I'm a firm believer that true goodness in the world is repaid. I don't know how. Maybe it will be in Howard finding a way to help you. Maybe it will be in some other way. Just… promise me that you won't give up."

He nods silently and she brushes his hair back again. She reaches onto the bed and holds up a shirt that doesn't match the one he's wearing but it's close enough in color.

He thanks her quietly and slips his shirt off, changing quickly. He knows her eyes watch the scars on his skin but she says nothing.

"Do you need a ride home?"

"I came with Tony."

"That's not what I asked."

She's giving him an out. A way to leave. "Yes, please."

She nods. "I'll get Jarvis."

She's about to leave the room when Steve feels himself step forward, getting her attention, "I'm sorry… About your sister."

She smiles. "Thank you Steve…" She pauses and looks at him tenderly. "You know… You're the first person I've told about her in a very long time. Thank you for listening. I'd love to hear about your mother if you're ever feeling up to it."

Steve tries to ignore the way his nose burns as his eyes fill back up with moisture. "Anytime." He croaks out. "I'll talk about her anytime."

"Next time you're here in the lab." She says with a soft smile. "Come find me afterwards. I have a new cookie recipe I want someone to taste test anyway for the kids at your house. You'll be mine and Howard's guinea pig. How about that?"

He lets out a weak chuckle at her joke. She nods and disappears. He grabs his shirt and waits until Jarvis comes to collect him.

—-

Clint hasn't been ignorant to how long it's been since Steve went to the bathroom. He sees Bucky getting antsy too.

Tony is talking with his dad about Steve's latest blood draw. And some machine that works with x-rays or microwaves or vitamin rays. He doesn't know, sounds like techno babble to him.

Suddenly Bucky stands up and says, "I'm going to go check on Steve."

Tony looks at his watch. "Geez. Guess it has been a while."

Bucky's in the elevator but Clint slips in through the doors before they close.

"He bailed." Bucky says through gritted teeth. "I bet he bailed."

Clint wants to disagree. But he doesn't.

They walk into the kitchen when Mrs. Stark is talking to one of the housekeepers.

"Mrs. Stark?" Clint asks, "Have you seen Steve?"

She looks at them, "Steve went home with Jarvis. Do you boys also need a ride?"

Clint shakes his head, "No I have my bike. Thank you though." She nods and they go back down to the lab.

—

"He what?" Tony asks, eyebrows furrowed. "He just left?"

Clint nods, and Bucky feels his annoyance rising. Steve's behavior has been so unlike Steve that he just can't comprehend it. "Why." Bucky growls out. "HOward, you know, please tell us."

But the man doesn't look up from his workbench as he solders something together. "I may disagree with Steve, but I won't break his trust. You'll have to ask him yourself."

Clint nods and Bucky feels himself hesitate. "You…" he glances at Howard, "do I need to be worried about this video? The one people are watching again? Steve…" he sighs, "He hasn't been himself lately. I never would have thought he would have shown his scars, but… He just… ripped off his shirt. And now here we are."

"What happened?" Tony asks, sitting on a stool. I heard bits and pieces and knew about the video getting watched a bunch, but haven't heard the whole story.

"He was in gym class," Bucky says sighing, "he was assigned Skins because the scrimmage jersey's weren't there yet. When he asked to switch, the coach basically told him not to be ashamed of his skinny body."

Howard's lips purse and Tony curses. "And when Steve tried to say that wasn't the reason, the coach waved him off. So… In front of literally everyone on the field, he ripped his shirt off and played soccer. When the coach saw, he tried to give Steve a shirt and Steve refused. The whole schools been abuzz since. And once kids saw the scars, they finally made the connection back to that garbage video. Hence the rise in watches."

"I'd like to kick that coach." Clint says flatly. "What kind of bullshit."

Tony is frowning. "That's such… UGH. But also, why was Steve in PE?"

Howard glances up, as if he's just realizing that fact. "He shouldn't be." He snaps. "I'll get a doctor's note asap."

Bucky winces. "I don't think he wants that."

"And why the hell not?"

"He just yelled at us yesterday that quitting now would make him look even worse. He hates looking weak."

"Everyone hates looking weak." Tony states in exasperation, "but his heart is weak. He shouldn't be straining it!"

Clint nods, "I mean, the doctor already says 30. We don't need that number to go down."

Bucky watches as Howard looks away with a wince. "Are you close?"

Howard shakes his head. "No. But I'm reaching out to colleagues in other fields for help. I have lots and lots of avenues to explore. I'm not anywhere close to running out of ideas."

"Okay."

They talk for a bit more before Tony says he has to get back to school.

"When will you be back next?" Bucky asks.

Tony looks at his phone, "fall break. October."

"And.. Steve? Are he and you guys going to be okay with this whole video thing resurfacing?"

Howard sighs. "Just keep an eye on him. He'll probably get a lot of curious people, but he just needs to ignore them. It will calm down again."

Bucky nods and they walk out of the lab.

—-

Steve shuts the door softly and walks towards the room Sam stays in. He knocks and hears him call "come in'.

"Sam?"

The man comes from around the corner and gives Steve a tired expression. "Suspended? On the third day of school?"

"Sorry." Steve sighs. "That kid threatened Bucky and I just snapped."

Sam looks at him seriously. "You wanna hide the whole immune system thing… Okay, that's your choice. But…" he crosses his arms, "they're going to figure it out if you keep acting like…"

Steve feels himself go still, "like what?"

Sam's eyes go dark, "like a dead man walking."

"I'm not acting. I am a dead man walking."

And he can tell that Sam isn't prepared for that response, because the silence is tinged with despair. "Not if there's anything I can do about it."

"There isn't anything you can do about it."

"Steve." Sam says with a brittle tone.

"Sorry." Steve says flatly, "I'll hide it better."

"No." Sam says sharply, "that's not what I want. That's not what anyone wants."

"Well what does everyone want?"

"For you to be happy."

"I'll try."

Sam sighs and he blinks at him. "What's my punishment?"

"Punishment?"

"For getting suspended."

"I think I'll let this one slide." Sam says. "You're already suspended—" there's a pause where Steve can almost hear the ghost of the words and dying in the air. "I think that and everyone talking about you behind your back is enough."

"The principal told you?"

"About you ripping off your shirt in gym? Yeah. He filled me in."

"Great."

"You didn't do anything wrong by that. It's your back. But people will talk. You gotta deal with that now."

"I know."

"Okay. Then that's your punishment. I'm going to the store in a bit, before the kids get home from school. You wanna join?"

"I think I'm going to sleep. I'm tired."

"Okay."

Steve walks up the stairs. Rubbing at his joints as he changes into something more comfortable and slips under his covers.

—

Natasha waits for Yelena, Pietro, Wanda, and Rebecca at their subway stop. They'd all decided to go to Midtown High where Rebecca went. They were all freshmen this year and growing so quickly. Pietro dwarfed Steve now.

She watches as they exit the train and see her. They bound over and she says hello as they begin the journey home. She hasn't told them about Steve's shirt debacle yesterday. But they've noticed his change in behavior. It was hard to miss.

She listens as they talk about their classes and teachers and she can't help but smile. These kids had gone from (barring Rebecca) struggling to survive to blossoming and really thriving under their new care. Sam and Sarah had been making a huge difference. Not only in the house but in the neighborhood around it.

They walk into the house and Rebecca waves goodbye. Natasha's not surprised to see Clint and Bucky in the kitchen at the house as Sam talks to them about something.

"Hey guys." She says, "can't believe you punched someone." She huffs at Bucky.

"First of all, he deserved it." Bucky says petulantly, "and so did Steve."

"Do you know?" Clint asks Sam.

She glances at Sam. "Know what?"

Sam just sighs and doesn't answer.

Bucky chokes, "you do! You and Howard both know! And you won't tell us! Is it about his heart?"

"Wait," Natasha interjects, "I'm lost."

"You know how you said 'something happened with Steve'?" Clint says, keeping his eyes on Sam. "Well, you were right. We just don't know what it is. And Howard and Sam both know. And they refuse to tell us."

"It's not my place to tell."

"You know Tony could find out. If it's about his medical stuff, he could hack into his records."

But Sam and Howard must have already had this discussion because he looks at them very seriously. "If you want to break Steve's trust and privacy, then that's your choice. But you'd have to deal with the consequences of that choice. And I don't think you'd like them."

"So it is his medical stuff about his heart." Natasha breaths out. Sam neither confirms or denies and they leave the kitchen.

The walk into the room where Steve lives, only to see a few kids milling about quietly as Steve sleeps in his bed.

They creep back out quietly and sit on the wooden staircase, each on a different stair.

"What do we do?" Clint asks.

"You know how he is. We had to trick him into letting us help last time. But this is different. If it's his heart then we can't even help."

"Bucky's right." Natasha adds, "there's nothing we can do besides be there for him. So, that's what we do. No matter how hard he tries to push us away, we don't go. We stay."

Bucky nods and Clint stares at the door to Steve's room.

—

Bucky hears his phone buzz. He groans in his sleep and pulls the pillow over his head.

But it buzzes again.

And again.

He finally grabs it off his nightstand and squints at the bright light as it shines in his eyes.

It takes a few seconds for his eyes to adjust but he sees three texts from Clint.

C: They caught them

C: The Fleming brothers.

C: THEY CAUGHT THEM.

—-