"Tony, what's up? You looked angry in class and I just figured I'd check up on you," Steve placed his hand on Tony's right shoulder to catch his attention as they walked out of their geography class.

Steve knew this was his one chance at starting an actual conversation with Tony Stark. While they had talked a few times in person, it was always a "hello" or "how are you?" Nothing more, nothing less. He met Tony five months ago, and while he desperately wanted to get to know him and possibly form a friendship he never could find the words to say. On occasion Tony was even nice enough to wave hello to Steve when he saw him in the hallway, but only when he wasn't indulging in a Trenta sized cup of piping hot coffee from the Starbucks on campus. Much to Steve's disappointment that was 99.999% of the time, so he was rarely acknowledged.

The first time Steve ever saw Tony was when his best friend, Clint Barton, invited him to watch the school's annual drag race for charity that took place in April. The charity, called Heroes for Hope, was where average, everyday teen and adult volunteers dressed up in superhero costumes and visited terminally ill children. They bought the children strong enough to be active a costume of their own and took them to a park designated for the program, where they pretended they were superheroes for a day. There were good guys and bad guys, and the sick children "took down" the evildoers and were given a medal for their bravery. The little ones who were too weak were paid a visit by the superhero volunteers, and they spent some time playing games or just talking; these children were also given a medal for being brave so as not to be excluded. The volunteers were put into an online directory, and children could choose from the wide variety of heroes available on a national level, though only adult volunteers were allowed to travel out of state (all expenses paid of course).

No one was exactly sure why Tony started the charity, but he had billions of dollars left to him by his deceased parents, who passed away in a horrific car accident. As a result, he had more than enough money to start up the non-profit organization and make a difference in the world. Everyone at Shield University chipped in to help with the charity event, and after the start-up year of the event the drag race earned one hundred thousand dollars or more. Heroes for Hope had only been around for three years, but it had gained national attention and spread to every state.

At the time, Steve was a sophomore, and he had never seen a drag race in his life. He had no idea what to expect, but Clint begged him to come along. Clint was thinking about competing in the race the next year, and he wanted to see if it was worth the time and effort working on a car to compete. He didn't want to look like the poor chump who had to go alone, however, as his girlfriend Natasha was currently studying abroad in Russia. Steve didn't want to leave his friend hanging, so he happily agreed. So they bought Heroes for Hope t-shirts that were being sold outside at a table outside of the cafeteria and went to the event, hoping that it was as good as people made it out to be.

Steve and Clint were impressed when they went to the charity event; there were thousands of people, news reporters from all over the state, concession stand after concession stand, and an impressive number of people were competing. The event was a full day affair, and luckily it was held at a race track an hour away, keeping the university safe from liability and an overabundance of litter that was sure to come. The two friends took a charter bus to the drag racing competition; for ten dollars students could board the bus, giving everyone a chance to enjoy the show and donate to Heroes for Hope.

The moment Steve saw Tony stand in the middle of the racetrack on an elevated platform with a mike in hand, he was instantly smitten. While he couldn't see him close up because they were in the nosebleeds of the stands, Steve saw him on one of the large monitors nearby. As Tony gave his speech, Steve was absolutely convinced that Tony cared about the wellbeing of the kids he raised money to help. He spoke casually but passionately at the same time, and it was hard for the audience to contain their screams. People were holding up signs in support of him and his charity, and Steve couldn't believe that one student at Shield University could be given so much love by people who didn't even know him.

Not only did Tony seem to care a lot about children who were struggling, but he was gorgeous; Steve was always attracted to tall brunets, and Tony was in peak physical condition. He looked handsome in his red racing suit with gold sleeves and pant legs, and there was a shiny blue circle with "Team Stark" written on it. Clint immediately noticed how dazzled Steve was by Tony's appearance, and after he finished chuckling for what seemed like ages he told Steve that he would be able to introduce him to Tony. He had Engineering 202 with Tony, and they had talked numerous times in class. Clint assured Steve that Tony was a good guy with a great sense of humor, and Steve could feel his heart race in his chest. Steve didn't know why, but he felt like something was going to come out of meeting Tony.

After Tony won the first place ribbon in the drag race and people began to leave the track, Clint took Steve to meet him. Steve couldn't wait to meet Tony; it had been two years since he found anyone attractive after his foreign exchange student boyfriend, Thor, had to go back to his home country. The distance was too much for either of them to take, and they split up a month after Thor left the States. Steve felt a wave of hope overtake him, even though he knew it wasn't always the best idea to get his hopes up. After all, they had never met before, and Steve didn't even know if Tony was as good of a person as Clint made him out to be. Those thoughts were pushed out of his mind however, and his heart sank when they finally approached Tony.

Tony's fingers were intertwined with a brunet shorter than he, and he was a bit on the thin side. They were kissing each other, and Steve could tell between each kiss the other man was congratulating him and telling him he loved him. Steve instantly felt jealous, though he knew there was no rational basis for this; he had never met Tony before in his life and he had no right to feel envious. He couldn't help it, however, and when Clint and Steve approached them the smaller brunet and Tony stopped what they were doing and shook hands with Clint.

Clint introduced Steve to Tony, and then the other man, whose name was Bruce Banner. Steve shook both of their hands, and Tony began talking all about the race and why his car was vastly superior to everyone else's. Even though it was clear that Tony had far more money than everyone else, it turned out that he had actually put a cap on how much contestants could spend suping up their cars, and even he played by the rules. Steve respected that about Tony, and the more Tony talked the more he wanted him. It was obvious that Tony was infatuated with Bruce, however, as they continued to hold hands and look lovingly at each other from time to time during the conversation.

In the months that followed, Steve saw Tony with Bruce less and less frequently. It didn't appear that they were even in a relationship anymore, but Steve knew that wasn't the case. In their Geography 202 class, Tony sat only a chair away from him, and Steve saw that he was still wearing a promise ring. Steve knew the two were serious about their relationship, and while it hurt him to admit it Steve couldn't help but be happy for them; if Steve couldn't have Tony, then Bruce was the next best thing. As long as Tony looked content, then Steve felt the same.

One day, however, Tony stormed into class early, which normally wasn't his style; he often came into class late. He hurried to his seat, slammed his books down and leaned back in his chair. He ran his hands through his hair before putting them behind his head, and Steve noticed that Tony's promise ring was no longer on. Steve quickly realized what had happened, and instead of feeling relieved that Tony's relationship had ended he felt sad and worried about his wellbeing. Throughout class Tony had his phone under his desk the whole time, and he was texting someone, which Steve presumed to be Bruce. Each time a Tony got a text back Steve noticed that Tony's eyes began to water and that he was fighting back tears a bit. He wasn't sure if they were from anger or devastation, but Steve figured it was a mixture of both. Being broken up with was not by any means pleasant, and the fact that Tony and Bruce had been together for three years, according to Clint, must have made it truly heartbreaking.

Steve knew he had to do something, and he decided that as soon as class was over he would reach out to Tony and offer his help. They were acquaintances after all, and Tony was one of Clint's good friends. Even if Tony refused to talk to him, at least he would know that Steve genuinely was concerned about him and he might decide to come to him later if he was upset. As soon as class got out, Steve rushed after Tony and put his hand on Tony's shoulder so they could have a discussion.

"Oh, hey Steve. Yeah, yeah, I'm just fine. Just tired is all. You know how engineering students are; we never sleep. I forgot to get my coffee this morning so yeah, I'm just not running on all cylinders today. You know how it goes, what with the fact that you probably stay up late some nights to work on paintings or whatever the hell else you art majors do," Tony shrugged his shoulders, pretending to be indifferent, but Steve could tell Tony was miserable.

"Since you didn't get your coffee this morning, let's get some together. I was planning on getting some tea anyway. Come on, I'll buy," Steve stated rather than asked, and Tony wasn't in the mood to argue with anyone; he was far too hurt to tell Steve no.

As they walked to Starbucks, Tony wiped away tears on his sweatshirt, though he tried to pretend that his nose was just runny. He told Steve that he was battling a bit of a cold, but it was obvious that he was lying through his teeth. Steve could tell Tony was a man of pride and that he hated appearing weak, which Steve easily related to. When Thor broke up with him ages ago, Steve was devastated but he wouldn't let anyone in or talk about his pain. He only allowed himself to cry in the shower where no one would be able to hear him, and the moment Steve stepped out he was able to put his normal, serious face back on. Unlike Tony, however, Steve was a master of masking his emotions. In a way, Steve wished he was able to feel emotionally the way Tony did. It had been so long since he'd even shed a tear, and sometimes Steve wished he could.

"Thanks for the coffee, Steve. I appreciate it… I'm going to go for a drive. If you want to come I guess you can. I mean since you bought me something I don't want to leave you hanging," Tony said hesitantly as he picked up his black coffee and Steve's chai tea latte and handed it to his acquaintance.

"I don't really want to impose on you Tony. You don't need to feel obligated to hang out with me; I just bought you coffee, it's not much. Here, let me give you my number. If you want to hang out text or call me anytime," Steve answered with a kind smile, and the two exchanged numbers before Tony took off out of the double doors with his coffee.

Steve spent the rest of the day worrying about Tony; he prayed to God that Tony wouldn't get hurt on his drive because he was upset. He knew that people were prone to road rage when they were emotional, and while he wasn't sure if Tony was one of those people Steve could tell he was a risk taker. After all, he loved drag racing and left people in the dust. Every few minutes, Steve would check his phone to see if Tony had texted him. He knew that there was no way Tony would bother to talk to him, and all Steve could do was show his concern. He never got a text that day or that night, so Steve went to bed at two in the morning, though he was unable to sleep. All he could think about was how upset Tony must be, and while he wanted to ask him if he was okay Steve felt it was best to leave him be.

A week later, Steve was half an hour late to geography because he had a meeting with an academic advisor. When he quietly walked into the room and took great care not to let the door slam, Steve noticed that Tony wasn't in his seat. Normally Tony was in class fifteen minutes late, at the very latest, and as a result Steve began to worry about him all the more. As soon as he took his seat, Steve felt his phone buzz in his front right jeans pocket. Since he sat at the back of the classroom and the lecture hall was massive Steve was able to look at his phone. When he typed in his password, unlocked his phone and looked through his messages, Steve was surprised to see that Tony texted him.

Hey. Not that you care or anything but I'm not in class because I had a meeting with my board of directors for Heroes for Hope and I decided to say fuck it to all my classes today. Can you meet up with me sometime today to give me the homework? I emailed Dr. Hill, but she's a bitch and doesn't like me so she never responds to my messages. –TS

Sure. Where would you like me to drop it off? – SR

I'm sitting at the curb by the double doors near Starbucks. It's nice outside, so why spend it inside? I need to work on my tan anyway; the whole "ghost" look really isn't in right now.- TS

That's true. I have to go, I think Dr. Hill's getting suspicious. See you in an hour.- SR

As soon as Steve texted Tony back and put his phone away, he felt a mixture of anxiety and excitement. While he figured that all Tony wanted was his homework, Steve had an ounce of hope that Tony would want to chat with him. Even if it had nothing to do with the lack of a promise ring and a broken heart, Steve wanted to become friends with Tony at the very least. He just wasn't sure how.

When class ended and Steve walked outside, Tony was right where he said he'd be. He was smoking a cigarette, and a pack of Newports was sitting next to him. There were only four cigarettes left in it, and when Steve sat down alongside him Tony picked up the pack and offered him one. Steve wasn't fond of smoking, although he'd tried it once or twice. He didn't want to make Tony feel worse than he already did by rejecting his offer, so Steve thanked him and took one. Steve put it in his mouth, and Tony politely lit it for him.

As he took a drag from his cigarette, Steve looked over at Tony. He looked exhausted; his eyes were a bit puffy as if he'd been crying, there were bags under his eyes, his skin was a little pale and his face was stuck in a seemingly permanent from. It greatly saddened Steve to see Tony in such a deplorable state, especially since there wasn't a day in the few months he'd known Tony where he looked so miserable. He had no idea how deep Tony's love for Bruce ran before, but now Steve could truly see it.

"He dumped me, Steve," Tony sighed as he dropped his used up cigarette on the cement and ground it into the pavement with his converse shoe.

"Aww Tony… I'm sorry to hear that. You looked so happy… I don't know what happened but it must've been rough…" Steve looked at Tony empathetically before taking another puff of his cigarette.

"Yeah… Hey, I know you said you'd be willing to talk if I needed it… Is that offer still on the table because… Well fuck I hate to admit it but I need to talk about it. My 'friends' took Bruce's side and I really don't have anyone else. I know you don't know a goddamn thing about me, so it's totally fine if you rescind your offer. I'll be okay either way," Tony glanced over at Steve before looking out into the parking lot.

"Of course. I don't take back what I say, especially when someone I know is hurting. Since I know you like to drive, let's get some coffees to go and I'll drive us around and we'll chat. If you end up wanting to stop somewhere to sit, we will. It's the end of the week, and I don't have anything going. We can go wherever you want," Steve responded with a warm smile before putting out his cigarette.

Tony returned the smile, although it weak and still filled with sadness. Steve could tell Tony had put a lot of thought into deciding to open up to him, and no way was Steve going to leave his acquaintance hanging. Hearing that all of Tony's friends abandoned him broke his heart, and he really hoped that Clint was not one of those people. Knowing his friend, however, he figured that Clint just stayed on the sidelines, listened in on all of their conversations and made a judgment call himself. Clint reminded Steve of a sneaky spy, and sometimes he greatly appreciated Clint's somewhat shady ways. Steve decided to push Clint's potential opinion out of his thoughts, however, and instead focused on Tony again.

Steve got up from the curb and helped Tony up off the ground after the brunet put his pack of cigarettes away in his messenger bag. They went back inside, got Tony's usual black coffee and Steve an earl grey tea before heading back out to the parking lot. Steve decided to drive them around, and he and Tony piled into his 2000 Pontiac Sunfire to drive nowhere in particular.

"This is the kind of car you drive? Steve, I figured you'd have better taste than this! You know if you want I can supe this up for you… Take me a couple hours maybe, but I think this poor little thing's in need of a boost," Tony joked, and Steve could tell he was trying to keep the subject off of Bruce.

"Sure, if you'd like to. I know this isn't the best car but I don't have the money you do. Now anyway, I know you had some things on your mind besides my car… You can get it all off your chest, I don't mind," Steve switched the direction of their conversation, and Tony sighed and took a quick sip of his coffee before he began.

"Well… First I'm going to say this entire situation is bullshit and that I realize there is no way Bruce and I are getting back together. After what he did… I can't take that shit. And I'll admit some of this is my fault, not much, but some of it. If you ever hear otherwise they're wrong. People lied to Bruce about a bunch of shit, and I didn't do what they said. So there, just going to start you off with that.

"Okay, anyway so Bruce and I have- I mean had- been together for three, going on four years. For the past few months though we haven't spent a lot of time together, except in the evenings, granted I had time. Bruce is a physics major, and he wants to be a nuclear physicist someday, so he does a lot of research. He's currently working on his undergraduate dissertation so he's been busy. I have been too though, because I'm working on mine for my engineering major. I'm currently working on a super computer/butler that can help with basically anything you need. I'm hoping I can use it to organize all of the lists of sick children for my charity and help us find reliable volunteers.

"Not spending a lot of time together's put some stress on our relationship, and Bruce always tries to act like things don't bother him and won't- wouldn't- tell me when he was upset. It sure as hell bothered me, and I let Bruce know it. I only expressed my frustration because I wanted to show him I gave two shits about him. I'll admit, Steve… I don't know if you know this about me but I used to be a playboy. After my parents died I just went on a binge of partying and having sex with anyone who wanted it... I caught chlamydia and gonorrhea, yet it didn't stop me at all. I was just self-destructive at that time in my life; I didn't give a fuck about my health or my life at all, and everyone knew it. I actually had an HIV scare… Let me tell you, Steve, that is not something you want on your mind," Tony took a deep breath and took several gulps of coffee, giving Steve a moment to process the information.

Steve nodded his head as he took in the information. He was well aware of Tony's past; there was not a single person who didn't know about his old ways, and if they didn't they simply weren't paying attention. While he hadn't known about Tony catching a venereal disease, Steve didn't really feel like he could judge him. He sincerely believed that Tony had changed, however, and Steve didn't believe in the idea of judging a man for the mistakes of his past.

"Where was I… Oh yeah, me and Bruce. Well because I spent so much time in the engineering labs some of our friends began to get suspicious. They thought I was slipping back into my past patterns of behavior and lying to Bruce about where I was, even though they knew damn well that I'm busy with my dissertation. I have to finish it, and I'm on a roll right now; no way can I stop when I've got motivation. Well, I was doing great until all this shit happened.

"So some of our friends told Bruce they were worried that I was cheating on him…. And Bruce didn't say anything, but I knew something was wrong. I had no idea what it was though; I just assumed he was upset because we hadn't gone out on a date in a while. That wasn't it though, obviously, and he started to think that I was up to no good too. So one day Bruce came to the lab that I was working in to check and see if I was there. I wasn't though, and when Bruce looked out in the parking lot my car was gone too.

"Needless to say he thought the worst, and the next day, which was last week when you saw me without my ring, was when shit hit the fan. The night before, I arrived at his apartment pretty late… eleven at night I think? Anyway, Bruce blew up on me. I swear he became a monster; he threw shit at me, was telling me that I 'betrayed him' and that he'd had enough of me. I asked him what his problem was, and he told me that he went to visit me at the lab and I wasn't there, and neither was my car. The only reason I was gone was because I was getting a cheeseburger and some French fries; I didn't eat all day, and I was getting light-headed. Since it was nine 'o' clock at the time the cafeteria was closed so I couldn't go there. I would've invited Bruce to come along, but I thought he was busy working on his physics experiment.

"I kept trying to explain the situation to him, but Bruce wasn't having any of it; our 'friends' got it in his head that I was being unfaithful… I didn't fucking do anything wrong, Steve. Sure I was gone a lot, didn't always remember to text him back, and I'd drink a bit too much sometimes, but for fuck's sake I would never cheat on him. Bruce should've known that, but he didn't trust me anymore. There was nothing I could've said to change his mind, and believe me I tried. I love him, and then he just throws me away because of a bullshit rumor.

"At the end of all of it, Bruce grabbed me, ripped the ring off my finger and told me that he wanted to give it to someone special who deserved it. He kicked me out of his place, and told me he never wanted to talk again. It's not very often that Bruce erupts, even though I know he's angry pretty much twenty four-seven. But it was so bad, Steve… He was like a giant rage monster. I think he made himself sick worrying about all of this too, because his skin was kind of green. And don't get me wrong, I don't want you to ever hate Bruce because of me. He really is a good guy, but he bought into all of those lies… And now I don't have any friends, no Bruce, nothing…" Tony wiped away tears on his blazer as he sniffled.

After Tony dried his eyes, he opened up his backpack and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. He pulled one out, stuck it in his mouth and dug a lighter out of his left jeans pocket. Tony lit the cigarette, tossed the lighter in his book bag and took a long draw off of the Newport; Steve glanced over in Tony's direction and could've sworn he inhaled half of the cigarette. To keep the smoke from stinking up his car, Steve pushed the "open windows" button on the center console and the windows rolled down, allowing the smoke to leave and for Tony to tap the ashes of his cig down onto the road.

"I promise I don't normally smoke this much, and I'm sure you have a rule about it because you seem like the kind of guy who hates people doing it in his car and if you do I'm sorry. They just help calm me down, and honestly I'm still a little surprised with myself that I told you all of that. You don't even know me and you listened to me… Why? It really doesn't make any sense. I've only said hi to you a few times and have made no effort whatsoever to get to know you even though Clint's friends with both of us, yet you took time to talk to me. What in the fuck for? Shit all of my friends abandoned me, Clint included, and then you just waltz into my life when I'm pissed as fuck and buy me coffee… You know Clint's actually the one that started this bullshit. I should've just kicked his ass and maybe Bruce would still love me," Tony flicked away the ashes out the window, not taking his eyes away from Steve.

"Tony, the reason I asked is because I'm genuinely concerned about your wellbeing. Just because we aren't best friends doesn't mean I can't give you a shoulder to cry on. You're a good guy, and I know that. I completely believe you, and I mean it," Steve stated in a blunt yet kind way, and Tony smiled a sincere smile for the first time in over a week.

"You know what? Fuck all of them. I know I didn't do anything wrong, and if they're all going to hate me because Clint did this then whatever. I can do better than Bruce… I don't know how, but I'll find someone better. You're pretty fucking great Steve… Can we stop somewhere and get more coffee? Mine's cold and gross now and I pretty much need it to live. There's more coffee in me than blood I think," Tony joked, to which Steve chuckled and rolled his eyes.

Steve agreed, and as they drove around they found a nice little coffee shop in a small town an hour away from Shield University. They sat down and enjoyed their time together, the tone moving from somber to enthusiastic. It was as if Tony's cares had been taken away just by having Steve there, and it meant the world to him that someone actually took the time to listen to him. Even though Clint was one of Steve's best friends, he didn't for a second believe that Tony was capable of cheating on Bruce. When they were together they looked so in love, and he couldn't imagine Tony giving that up for some cheap fling.

For once in his life, Tony felt like someone had really listened to him because they truly cared. It wasn't about his money, his charity, his family history, or his research; rather it was because of genuine worry. Bruce didn't even make him feel that way in all of the years they were together, though he was always sincere and did love him. Something was just different about Steve, and in that hour he knew that he had a genuine, loving friend who would be there for him through thick and thin. It made him feel warmer than the piping hot coffee they drank at the small café, and Tony almost forgot why he felt so down in the dumps.