Sam looks at him in concern when he walks through the door. And Steve smiles at him, "I'm really sorry. I keep breaking my promise."

The head shake and shoulder sag from Sam really does make him feel guilty. "Every time you don't answer your phone I think the worst. Which I hate is my go to."

Steve listens as the house is relatively quiet. Danny is still up, working on a project, and he can see Pietro's phone on the coffee table so he's awake somewhere.

"I—" Steve starts, wondering just what to say. "I'm sorry."

Because he is. Sorry that he makes Sam worry so much. Sorry that taking care of him is stressful and time consuming and it never lets Sam relax.

"You're one missed phone call away from another tracking watch."

He looks up in surprise and Sam's face is trying to stay light but Steve can see he means it. He hadn't gotten another one after the last one was shot to pieces. "Sam—"

"Steve." Sam says firmly, "I don't know why the universe is out to get you. But for some reason it is. So do me a favor and just—" Sam's face pinches and Steve feels shock at the man's words. "Just, don't make it easy for it, okay?"

Steve is left there standing alone as Sam walks back to his office.

—-

Clint bounces on the balls of his feet, his small duffel resting on the bench beside him. He hears the announcement for his train and he gets even more anxious. He'd had to finish his class and so wouldn't be driving to the airport with Steve and Natasha, but then his train was delayed and he was starting to cut it close.

The doors hiss open and he bolts inside.

—

"Where is he!" Natasha sighs, standing at the entrance to the security line.

"I don't know." Steve responds, going on his tippy toes and leaning from side to side to try to see over the crowds.

"He better not make us miss this flight!"

"You can go on ahead, if you want." Steve offers, knowing she can't wait to see Bucky, "I can wait for him. That way at least one of us makes it." She glares at him and he holds his hands up in a gesture of surrender, "I'm just saying. Just offering—"

"Nat!" They both look up to see a tuft of blonde hair sprinting through the crowd and sliding to a stop in front of them. "I'm here, I'm here."

"What the hell, Barton!" She exclaims slapping his arm, "you're late!"

"Train got delayed—" he says in between trying to catch his breath, "stuck."

"Come on," Steve urges, "we can get the full story on the plane ride, now we got to go."

Natasha agrees and they make it through security in decent time, sitting at their gate just before the attendant announces they're going to start the boarding process.

"I can't wait to see them." Natasha admits, "this will be so fun."

Clint and Steve both nod, and then Steve perks up, "remember, we have to get souvenirs, I promised the kids we would."

She nods, "right, we won't forget."

"I'm going to get a Harvard sweatshirt from the airport and wear it while we're there."

She and Steve ignore Clint's mischievous grin and pull out their tickets to check their seats.

—

Tony watches as Bucky's eyes scan the doors. They keep wishing open and letting people out of the baggage claim area but no trio so far.

"Where are they?" Bucky complains, "they should have been here by now."

"Maybe Barton had to pee or something, it's a really long airport."

Bucky frowns, "it is a really long airport, why is that?"

"You're asking me?" Tony huffs, "I don't know. I don't live here."

"Well—" but then Bucky's voice cuts off, "there they are!"

Tony turns to see two blondes and a red head emerge from the doors, "what the hell is Clint wearing!"

Bucky looks over to where he's pointing and sees the Harvard sweatshirt. He guffaws and then shakes his head, "so that's what freaking took so long!"

Natasha catches Tony's eye and lights up, running towards them and throwing herself into Bucky's arms, who accepts her willingly, crushing her to his chest.

"Ugh." Tony exclaims, "disgusting."

But Natasha just flips him off as she kisses Barnes firmly.

Clint appears next, Steve in step behind him. "Hey Tony."

"What up Steve? Would you let Mr. Barton know that any and all traitors are not allowed in the vehicle?"

Steve snorts, "see, Clint. Told you."

Clint grins and pulls the sweater off. "I'm going to wear it when you least expect it."

"Not if I burn it first."

Clint laughs and Tony waves them in, "come on," he says, "times'a'wasting."

They load their bags, hop in, and he takes off.

—-

"Steve!"

"Monty!"

Natasha watches as the young British kid leaps forward and shakes Steve's hand vigorously. "It's great to meet you on your feet."

Steve laughs and accepts the handshake, "the feeling is mutual."

"How have you been, mate?" Monty asks, pulling Steve forward into the dorm room and leaving the rest of them in the hallway.

The rest of them listen as Steve pauses and then smiles at Monty, "it's been a rollercoaster."

And Monty looks at him with a knowing look, "rollercoasters are fun, Steve."

Steve pauses and then he chuckles, "okay, you got me there. It's been a new experience."

"I'm sure, tell me how Carter's doing. I miss her."

The full laugh that Steve gives makes all of them blink in surprise, before he launches into a story about a phone conversation they'd just had that had ended in Peggy refusing to tell him what she's wearing for his prom and him arguing that he should know.

"You know," Natasha says softly, watching the two laugh and joke, "sometimes I think we forget that he's a kid."

Bucky snorts softly, "sometimes I think we forget we're all still kids."

"Speak for yourself." Tony quips, "I'm an adult." Clint shoves him and he laughs but then they grow quiet.

"Let's have a lot of fun this weekend." Bucky says, "okay?"

They nod in agreement.

—

Clint's eyes are wide as they take in the library and the sheer massive size of the campus.

"This is Killian Court." Tony explains, talking about the crazy differences in all the architecture of the buildings.

"You guys want to walk across the Harvard bride and get something to eat?" Bucky asks.

"We can just go to Cafe Luna—" Tony says, jutting his thumb in the opposite way, "shorter of a walk."

"Yeah but the view from the bridge is cool, and we didn't take them to the Boston Skyline point or past the sailing pavilion."

Tony nods and looks at them, "what do you guys want to do? Longer but prettier walk? Or shorter but less scenic?"

Clint glances to Steve really quick, to gauge his body language.

But he's standing still just looking around.

"I'm fine either way," Clint offers, "Nat? Steve?"

"Well which one is better?" Natasha asks as if they're all idiots. Which… fair.

"Luna—". Tony says at the same time Bucky says,

"Sauvage—"

They glare at each other and start arguing. And Clint notices that Steve tips his head back to look at the darkening sky. His lips purse and then Clint watches as he inhales a slow breath in and out.

He glances over to Natasha, trying to catch her eye but she's already watching.

"Everything okay, Steve?"

Conversation immediately halts and Steve looks at them, first in surprise at being noticed and then in an apologetic expression. "I'm fine." No one says anything and he sighs, "okay, if I promise to be honest will you guys do me a favor?"

Bucky steps forward, worry on his face, but Natasha throws out her hand, "no—" she cuts in quickly, "nobody agree to that. It's a trap."

"What?" Tony asks, "what's a trap?"

Natasha turns slowly to Steve, "what's the favor?"

Steve seems caught off guard, "what?"

"Tell us what the favor is first, then we'll decide if we agree. Because I bet it's going to be some shit like 'I want you guys to go on without me.'"

Realization clicks for him and the other two and they scoff and cross their arms, glaring at Steve.

Who, standing in the setting sun, looks pretty gaunt and frail. He frowns and looks ready to argue but then he just sighs and shrugs his shoulders, "nevermind."

Bucky shifts and throws an arm round his shoulders, "you wanna go back to the dorms? We can order pizza and totally chill—"

"No!" Steve snaps, turning out from under Bucky's arms and stepping away, his face angled away from them, "No. I'm fine."

"Steve," Tony cuts in, "there's nothing wrong with telling us the truth."

Clint watches as the kid in front of him practically transforms, from calm and frail to looking so mad he could tear apart the world with his bare hands.

"The truth!" He snaps out, "you want the truth?" He glares at all of them and then places the palms of his hands against his eye sockets, "the truth is I can't do what a person my age can do. I just can't. And you guys treat me like I'm made of glass. And I know why. I get it, I am weak. And I know you're willing to go back to the dorms and just chill, you have no problem with that— but I do!" His voice is getting louder, more angry, "you may not see it as me holding you guys back, but I am. I want you guys to go. To leave me behind, because the truth is one day you will have to leave me behind and move on—"

The starkness in which he mentions his own death is brutal, his face getting an eerie warm glow from the sun.

"Steve—"

"No, Bucky." He cuts him off, "I'm not finished. I am tired of feeling like you guys would be doing so much more or going so many more places if I wasn't with you." Clint opens his mouth to protest, but Steve glares at him, "I'm not saying you guys make me feel that way! I'm saying it's just the truth! If you'd never met me, or you didn't know everything about me then you—" he cuts himself off and then lets out an exasperated chuckle that sends a chill down Clint's spine, "I wish you guys didn't, you know? I wish you guys had no idea about anything. Because then Sam wouldn't be threatening me with a freaking tracking watch, and Howard wouldn't be wishing to put me in a bubble, and you guys wouldn't treat me like I'm glass."

His back is fully towards them, and he shakes his head. "There's something else…" he says quietly, making Clint's blood run cold, "Something I want to tell you guys because… I— well there's Peter now and…" his fists are tightly clenched at his sides, "I don't want to repeat the past, stuff I could have avoided... maybe… I don't know… if I'd said something… who knows… But if I tell you this now… then it will only make you guys worse. You'll overreact or get all psycho protective and—" he stops. His voice trails off and they stand there stunned. His half finished thoughts having all jumbled into one longer confession of sorts. "You guys won't ever not see me as the 14 year old orphan you pulled from the dumpster."

There's a sickening sort of silence as Clint watches them do what he's doing. Internally evaluating if what Steve is saying is true.

And it is.

He knows Bucky still wakes up occasionally with the nightmare of Steve in his arms in the dumpster.

He knows that because they've talked about it. Clint does too. Or the crushing nightmare of the brothers escaping prison and coming for revenge.

Clint knows Tony shares Howard's crippling obsession with fixing things. And to them sometimes Steve isn't a human, he's a malfunctioning humanoid that needs their help. And they mean it in the nicest way.

And Natasha….she admitted to Clint long ago that she feels like it was all her fault to begin with. If she hadn't gotten between Steve and Brock that very first day and goaded him that maybe it wouldn't have gotten so bad.

So they all stand there quietly.

Steve turns and his face is pretty blank when he holds out his hand. "Can I have the dorm key?" Bucky quietly pulls the room key out of his pocket and hands it to him. "I'm going to go to bed. I'd tell you guys to go on without me but I'm sure you'll just ignore me anyways. So… do whatever the hell you want."

Then he walks between them back towards the dorm.

And the sun dips down, the lights on the pathway flickering on and creating a weird glow aside the dying light.

—-

Steve wakes up the next morning in more pain than when he fell asleep. Which is saying something. He quietly shifts, trying to get his joints comfortable. His shoulders ache as if he held them tense all night.

He sits up, running a hand through his hair.

"Morning." Someone whispers.

Monty sits on his bed, quietly working in his computer.

"Morning." Steve whispers back, seeing Clint and Bucky asleep on the floor next to him. He angles his head and sees Natasha asleep on Bucky's bed. "What time did they get back?"

Monty shrugs, "I went to bed around 11 and they still weren't here, so I don't know."

Surprise and relief flows through Steve. He's glad they stayed out and did stuff. "You feeling better?"

"Not really."

Monty nods, "you know my Aunt, real cool lady, she uh…" his voice gets softer and he tugs his headphones down around his neck, "she was in a car accident and…" he looks sympathetic, "she had pretty bad chronic back pain after that… she looked normal but she was in loads of pain all the time…" he frowns and then his throat bobs, "she got real sad a few years in. No real hope of a cure or anything and…" Steve feels his heart stutter, the look on Monty's face is sad, "my mom was devastated. She said she never even realized how bad it was till it was too late. Blamed herself for not asking and checking in more often, blamed herself for not trying to find a solution…" he looks up and locks eyes with him, "I know you already have them—" he gestures to the group sleeping on the floor, "but I watched my ma lose someone who decided they couldn't live with that pain and I don't want that to ever happen again. So if you ever need someone, or something, you just reach out."

"I'm not—" Steve starts.

"I'm not saying you are." Monty cuts in quickly, "but I needed to make sure you knew that." He smiles at Steve, "life's hard enough without what you've been through. You don't have to go it alone."

The lump in his throat makes him unable to speak, so he just nods.

—

Tony claps his hands, "okay, for your last night we're going to party at one of the houses tonight." He points at the group, "no drinking for you children."

Clint flips him off but none of them say anything to the contrary. Bucky glances at Steve who seems relatively calm. None of them had talked about last night. And things had been good today.

"What kind of party?" Natasha asks.

"The fun kind," Tony says with a wink.

Natasha rolls her eyes and they walk out the Student Center towards the auditorium.

—-

Steve immediately feels out of place the moment they walk into the house.

College kids all double his size fill the place, along with loud music, the smell of warm beer and sweaty bodies.

"Hold on—" Tony says, "I'll be right back." He disappears into the crowd and the move to the living room, standing by a couch where some guys are shouting at the screen as they win or lose at whatever game they're playing.

"Barnes!" Someone calls, getting Bucky's attention."

"Oh, Nat, this is—" he leads her away to go greet the person, leaving him and Clint standing there awkwardly.

Steve immediately smells it.

Cigarette smoke.

He glances at Clint whose eyes are trained on the girl and guy standing near the open window smoking. Then he turns to Steve, "you gotta get out of here."

Steve laughs, "I have an inhaler now you know. I should be fine."

"But it's still not good for you."

Steve shrugs, "It's not good for anyone Clint." But he does motion for Clint to follow and they walk towards another room, finding fresher air there.

"Well," Clint says with his eyes glancing back, "I can't say I miss the constant need, but sometimes I do miss it a bit."

"It was calming, right?"

Clint nods at him, "yeah, it was. But cancer's not calming so it's fine. Glad I quit."

A shout and cheer from the other room startles them both. They laugh and then the music gets somehow louder. Steve winces at the feedback in his ear and turns his side down a bit.

"No fair." Clint jokes, "I wish I could do that."

Steve rolls his eyes, "you can, it's called earplugs." He feels the heat making his glasses slip down the bridge of his nose, so he pushes them back up.

Clint considers this and then nods, "true. You know, I'm taking an ASL class at my college."

"You are?" Steve asks in surprise, "how come?"

"Well," Clint shrugs, "you never know when you will need it."

"That's cool." Steve says, squishing against a wall so people can pass between them, "you should teach me some stuff in case I ever need it."

"Yeah man," Clint smiles, "for sure. It's cool to learn."

Steve's about to ask him to show him a few things when he feels his pocket buzz. He slips his phone out of his pocket and sees the call.

Pegs

"Hey," he says to Clint, "Peggy's calling me, I'll be right outside." Clint looks briefly hesitant before nodding. Steve steps out a side door and answers.

"Hey."

"Hello, darling, is this an okay time?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Just wanted you to know my dress arrived and you're going to love it."

Steve laughs, "you're so cruel." He fake pouts, "can't you at least tell me the color?"

"Nice try, but no. Sam knows and he's already ordered your tie and my corsage to match."

"Using my own family to go behind my back. So mean."

"I just want to see your reaction." He hears her say with one of her patented mischievous grins, "that is my entire reason for being so cold hearted as you say."

"Well I'm sure you're going to blow me away—" he says with a smile, "you always do."

Her voice gets playful, "speaking of blowing—" she jests, making his cheeks instantly go red, even though they have on no account done anything of the sort.

"Pegs." He says, his voice embarrassed, "you gotta stop making these jokes. One day someone will overhear and think you're serious."

She laughs and then pretends to pout, "and would that be so bad?"

He frowns but his voice has humor in it, "you know I want to wait, to do right by you."

"I know." She says, her voice switching to the one she uses when she's feeling positively giddy, "and I love you all the more for it. I just love teasing you and seeing you blush, are you blushing?"

He groans, "you know I am."

"Perfect. Then mission accomplished. I can't wait to see you."

"Me either, just two weeks."

"I'm counting down the days."

"Same."

"Now go have fun with the college kids, tell them I said hello and to stop fretting about you like mother hens."

Steve laughs, "I already did."

"Oh, did you now? How did that go?"

"They actually stayed out and did stuff after I decided to go to bed, so I take it as a win."

Her tone changes to one of mild concern and trying to hide it, "but you're feeling okay?"

"Joints are getting worse." He admits, "so is the pain." He adds quietly.

She's quiet for a moment before her voice comes through the phone softly. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Don't stand me up at my prom." He jokes.

She laughs and he hears her flipping through some textbook, "the day I stand you up is the day I've lost my mind, and Peggy Carter is always of a sound mind."

He chuckles in response and loud music blasts behind him as someone opens a window.

"My my, sounds like quite the party."

"Not really my type of thing." Steve sighs, "but Tony insisted on the full college experience. Or at least his college experience."

"Well I'll let you get back to the fun, I love you my darling."

"I love you too. I'll see you in three weeks."

"I'll see you then." She responds, hanging up.

He smiles as he slips his phone into his pocket. The door to the house is open and he slowly walks up the steps to get back in, but is blocked right before he can pass through the door.

He halts and looks up, a leering face staring down at him, "sorry, no middle school nerds allowed."

Steve immediately knows this won't go anywhere good. "Okay." He acquiesces, stepping back and back down the porch steps. He hears the guy laugh and shut the door.

He takes the opportunity to call Sam and check in.

He's about to hang up when he feels someone approach. Clint taps him on the shoulder.

"Sam? Yeah I'll let you know when we're on the plane, uh huh, yeah, love you too, bye."

"Wondered what was taking you so long."

"Sorry," Steve says, "how's the party inside?"

"Still loud. But now there's pizza, you hungry?"

"Sure."

They walk in the door, no big guy denying entry in sight, and back to the kitchen. They bring the slices to a table where they eat, trying to hear each other over the noise.

Someone walks past, bumping into Clint and spilling their cup of something foul smelling on his shirt.

"Shit!" He exclaims, popping up and trying to brush it off. He walks through the next door into the kitchen, leaving Steve alone at a table.

"What the hell." A voice states, "I told you. No middle school nerds allowed." Steve looks up and frowns. The big guy staring at him with an annoyed expression. "What the hell are you doing in this house?"

No words come. He knows anything he says won't be taken well. Either he tells the truth and this guy doesn't believe him or he lies and the guy calls him out on it.

"I asked you a question, pipsqueak."

"I'll go." Steve says, standing. "Sorry."

"That's not good enough this time." The guy says, "I told you once and you didn't listen. Now you gotta learn there are consequences for disobeying."

Steve wants to throw up his hands and scream at the universe. Sam's right, it has it out for him. He backs away and tries to look sorry, "really, I'm leaving, okay? My friends are here, that's the only reason I'm here, okay? I'm going, I'm gone." He moves to turn towards the door but the guy is fast. A fist grabbing his collar and yanking him forward.

"You lying little shit, who the hell would be dumb enough to be friends with a loser like you."

"Guilty."

Steve and the guy's heads both turn to the new voice that has now loudly cut across the crowd.

Tony stands there, a cup in one hand and a phone in the other. His face is murderously calm.

"Get your hands off my little brother, Ezekiel."

As stunned as Steve is by the words, Ezekiel is doubly so.

"Stark? What the hell? This is a prank right? I'm being punk'd?"

"No prank. No Cameras." Tony steps closer, his eyes on the fist still holding Steve on his tippy-toes. "Get your grubby little fist off."

"You don't have a brother."

Tony rolls his eyes, "yes I do, didn't you hear? My father had a torrid affair with his mom and now I have a half brother, of whom you are still holding." Steve glares at him, but Tony isn't even looking his way, "Ezekiel Stane if I have to tell you one more damn time to get your hands off—"

"What the hell!"

Steve looks up to see Bucky entering the room, Nat right behind him and he sighs, would the torment never end? The people in the room have gone mostly quiet, only the laughter and music from other rooms filtering in.

"What the hell, Stane, get off!" Bucky's right behind Steve, reaching to drag him away but Steve holds up his hand. He turns to Stane and looks him square in the face. "I'm here because Tony, who is not my brother, and Bucky here, are my friends. I met them years ago, and they asked me and her—" he points to Natasha, "and someone else to visit. I should have just said that when you asked but honestly I didn't think you'd believe me either way. So would you please let me go? I'll still happily leave."

Stane seems equally annoyed and confused but he drops Steve and backs up, glaring at them, "bunch of freaks." He mutters before disappearing into the other room. Clint enters the room a second later, with a towel around his neck. He looks at their faces and frowns, "what happened?"

"The only trouble in the house found me." Steve says with a sigh, "as per usual."

"Are you okay?" Natasha asks, "what did he do?"

"Nothin'." Steve says, "honestly, he was just being a bully. But.." he looks at Tony apologetically, "can we go?"

"Screw this party." Tony says, "let's go somewhere the Neanderthals don't roam."

Steve looks up to see Bucky's eyes still on the doorway when Stane had exited. Steve grabs his arm, "come on, forget it. At least he didn't call me stick bug."

Bucky glares at him, "that's not fucking funny, Steve."

"I think it's hilarious." He deadpans, "let's go."

—-