Besides telling him which way Steve went after he exited the building, Jarvis was no help. Tony wandered a little, trying to figure out where a man from the past would go to try to disappear. He had to hope that Steve wasn't trying to hide for good or God forbid, went back to Shield. If he had, Tony didn't care what he had to blow up to get him back.

After walking a little ways, Tony realized he was heading in the direction of the place he'd bumped into Steve that first time, all those weeks ago. It was the only place they had in common outside of the tower, besides Steve's old apartment. It had long since been rented out to someone else, so Steve probably wouldn't have gone there.

Tony really didn't know what he was going to say when he finally found Steve. Where did they go from there, now that the secret was out to almost everyone Steve knew in this time? He didn't think any of them would spill the beans, but Steve hadn't meant to either. And if Tony noticed the truth, would other people as well? It wasn't like Steve was spending a lot of time with people for that to happen, but what if that changed? If the wrong person found out, who knows what would happen.

But Tony was determined to make it all work out. Once he'd decided that Steve was someone who he wanted in his life, that was how it was going to be. He wasn't going to let this minor hiccup be the thing that messed everything up. Tony's age hadn't prevented him from running a multi billion dollar company, so Steve's age wasn't going to control his life either. Not while Tony was trying so hard to show him that he was in control of his own destiny.

Tony almost shouted in relief when he saw that head of blonde hair sitting on the bench. It had to be proof that Steve wanted Tony to find him, since he was the only one who would think to look here. Maybe it wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. Steve could've gone anywhere and made himself hard to find, but he hadn't. Tony walked over and sat beside Steve like he had that first day, waiting for the other man to speak first. He could be patient, now that he knew Steve was safe.

"I'm sorry," Steve finally said, sighing as he kept staring straight ahead. "I shouldn't have run off like that."

"It's okay. Everyone needs space sometimes," Tony waved off. He'd have to plan out a floor of the tower to be some sort of sanctuary for Steve, so he wouldn't have to go so far next time.

"I really screwed things up, didn't I?"

"No, you didn't."

"They are never going to look at me the same way."

"That's not true."

"You don't," Steve pointed out, turning to look at him for the first time. "Ever since you found out, you've been looking at me like you don't think I can take care of myself." That wasn't exactly a lie, but it was a lot more layered than that. Even if Steve was 27, what he'd gone through would affect how Tony saw him.

"I'm looking at you differently because we're friends now. It's not because of your age."

"Tony."

"Okay, it's not just because of your age, but that does play a part," Tony admitted, holding up his hand when Steve was about to start talking again. "That's not something you can hear and disregard. It's a big deal. But that doesn't mean I think less of you. It makes me sad when I think about what you had to go through, but I also admire you. Not everyone could've accomplished what you have at any age."

"You might feel that way, but other people-"

"Screw what other people think! You want me to show you all the websites that are about hating Iron Man? Because I can," Tony said, pulling out his phone and jiggling it at Steve. "You know and I know everything you've done for people. What you've sacrificed. The number on your ID takes none of that away."

"But what about the rest of the team? Just because you're okay with everything, doesn't mean they will be," Steve argued. "It's different for them, if they'll be working with me and Shield. I may not be leading them in battle anymore, but will they even be able to respect me as a colleague?"

"Barton's reaction was a little bit over the top, but he was just surprised. They all were. And honestly, how much do we all really know about each other? I've gotten to know Banner somewhat and Romanoff and I have a past, but it's all kind of been surface level. Don't you think you should give them a chance? It might be unfair to judge them based on their reactions, while not wanting to be judged based on your age." Tony knew his words were getting through to Steve, thanks to the contemplative look on his face. Giving people a chance was hard, especially if you already have an idea in your mind about them. But Tony had with Steve and it was turning out to be one of the best decisions he'd ever made.

"Do you really think it will be okay?" Steve asked, sounding so young and unsure. It was strange seeing Captain America be so untouchable on the battlefield, and then have Steve be so vulnerable. But people were rarely who they tried so hard to present themselves to be. Steve was strong and tough and brave, but he was still human.

"They were worried when we noticed you'd gone. I told them to hang back at the tower, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were climbing the walls or searching for you themselves."

"Don't want a kid running around on the streets of New York alone?"

"They don't want their teammate to be upset and alone."

"We aren't really a team. Not anymore."

"Doesn't matter. What we did together will bond us forever."

"Did it? Would they even be here right now if you hadn't called them?"

"Maybe, maybe not. The point is they are here. If they'd ignored me, that would be our answer."

"I don't even know what to say to them. Is every conversation going to revolve around how old I am?"

"Of course not. Ours don't."

"Tony, you literally just dressed me up like a baby," Steve said accusingly.

"What? No. I mean, huh?" Tony spluttered.

"I walked past a children's boutique and saw something eerily similar to what you put me in."

"That doesn't mean anything. Children also wear shirts and pants. Anyone can wear anything these days."

"Tony."

"Alright, maybe I did it on purpose," Tony admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "But that's what friends do. We tease each other based on the material we've got. Forgive me if your age is low hanging fruit. I give you full permission to make fun of anything about me."

"Like your band shirts?" Steve asked, staring down at the ground in front of them.

"Sure. Maybe not the typical billionaire attire."

"And your propensity to be over the top in every situation?" Steve questioned, cutting his eyes over at him.

"Go big or go home is my motto."

"I'm not even sure where I'd begin with your facial hair."

"Wow, low blow, Rogers," Tony gasped, catching the small grin that Steve tried to hide. He could tell that the other man was starting to loosen up a little and he was relieved. Tony was usually the type to welcome chaos, just to make the day more interesting, but right now he wanted harmony. He wanted the best circumstances so Steve would decide to stay put and stay safe.

"Maybe I'm just overreacting. It's hard going from keeping this huge secret for years to having people find out about it," Steve sighed. "It would be like the public knowing I'm Captain America and never being able to walk down the street again."

"Can't relate on that one."

"Yeah, I've seen the press conference," Steve snorted. Tony hadn't purposefully gone out to tell people he was Iron Man, but he didn't regret it. It was actually liberating. Being able to live openly was a privilege and he hoped Steve would be able to get to that point someday.

"Don't worry. If there are ever any whispers out there about you, I'll cook up a scandal to bring the attention back on me."

"So thoughtful."

"I try."

"I guess we should be getting back now. Might as well face the music," Steve mumbled wearily.

"How about this? If they step out of line, we'll beat them up."

"Tony! That's awful!"

"We can totally take them."

"You're ridiculous."

"Come on," Tony said, standing up and pulling Steve along with him. He sneakily checked the temperature of Steve's skin, needing to make sure he was still getting better. Tony wasn't sure if the serum would allow him to backslide in his healing, but physical confirmation of Steve's well-being made him feel better. "We'll make everyone waffles and they'll forget about everything."

"You might be overestimating the power of a breakfast food," Steve pointed out, walking by Tony's side in the direction of the tower. He could easily have called for a ride for them, but Tony wanted to have these last moments with Steve before seeing everyone again.

He'd called the rest of the team over and he was glad they'd shown up, but he wasn't looking forward to not having Steve to himself anymore. This would be better in the long run, since the more people Steve had in his life, the harder it would be to take off on his own, but he also wanted to be selfish. Tony needed to set aside his own wants and do what was best for Steve. Even if Steve didn't want to be treated any differently because of his age, Tony felt responsible for the guy. The feeling had started during their first reunion on that bench, before he even knew his true age. Maybe there was an instinct inside of him that he'd never realized before, but there was no denying it now.