Tony stared at the ceiling and sighed. He drummed his fingers on the cot and bit his lip. Dr. Cho told him to rest but his nerves were wound impossibly tight. The nurse had said she was going to call home whether he assured her that he was fine. She had to let his parent know that he had to see the nurse. Dr. Cho had said he was lucky he'd woken up before they'd had to call an ambulance. Tony had almost passed out again at the thought. Howard was going to be plenty mad that he'd been called during work, but he would've been furious if he would have had to pick Tony up from the hospital.

     Tony shuddered and rubbed his chest. He had gotten lucky twice. Dr. Cho had wanted to use her stethoscope but that meant he had to take his shirt off, and that wasn't happening. Tony had resolutely denied her from seeing under his shirt and she gave up on the fruitless task to call Howard. His stomach couldn't handle the stress and his head was starting to pound.

     Tony picked his head up at the sound of Dr. Cho's muffled voice. She was talking to Howard. Tony's breath caught and he stumbled out of bed. He pressed his ear to the door but her voice was still muffled. Tony bit his lip and leaned harder against the door. He looked around and grabbed the empty juice box. He turned the knob and smiled softly at Dr. Cho. He shook the box and headed toward the garbage can.

     "Oh, I don't think he'll need to be picked up. The day is almost over-" Tony peeked over his shoulder to see Dr. Cho's cheeks turn a faint pink. "Well, yes, ma'am. I know he is his father but-" Tony shrank under the heated glare Dr. Cho aimed at her stapler. "I'll let him know then."

     Tony jumped when she slammed her phone back into the receiver. "Is he coming to pick me up?"

     Dr. Cho smiled sweetly. "No. He's sending over his secretary. Do you know her?"

     Tony nodded. "Pepper. Yeah, I know her."

     Dr. Cho turned away with a wave of her hand. "Okay, good. You can go now." She scrawled out a pass and handed it to him. "Just remember to eat something other than paella from foreign businessmen."

     Tony shrugged half-heartedly. "I can't promise anything. It was really delicious. Thanks, Dr. Cho." The woman waved over her shoulder and Tony took his leave.

     He shuffled down the hall with his eyes trained on his sneakers. Howard was sending Pepper here to pick him up. His stomach untwisted the slightest bit at the fact. Pepper was nice. Pepper wasn't going to hurt him for fainting in class. He was free until Howard got home from work. This was his little slice of heaven. Tony was picking up his things from his locker when he remembered his discarded homework in the gym. Tony glanced at his phone before heading back toward the gym. He held onto his backpack and mumbled under his breath about how stupid his body is.

     He cried out in surprise when he collided with something. His backpack exploded behind him and he lay sprawled on the ground. Tony blinked and turned his head up to see what he'd bumped into. Barnes crossed his arms and sighed. Tony's cheeks warmed and he looked away. "Sorry," he whispered. Tony turned to pick up clean up the mess and winced. His chest flared in pain and he bit his cheek. Barnes crouched beside him and held out a thick folder. Tony's eyes widened and he gingerly grasped the folder. "Oh. Thank you."

    "Don't thank me," he said. "I didn't do it for you. May sent me back to the nurse after I'd left."

     Tony nodded and shrugged weakly. "You still came back. So, thanks." He smiled at the other softly. Barnes nodded and started to walk away. Tony eased himself up and watched him go. His lip wobbled and he covered his mouth. He wasn't going to cry because Barnes was leaving. He's been left alone more than he cared to admit. That was idiotic and childish, and he was no idiot. He looked away and focused on putting everything back into his bag. Tony glanced up at the sound of footsteps and he smiled at the ground.

     Barnes scoffed and wagged a finger at him. "This doesn't make us friends, Stark. I just can't leave you here with all this after seeing you pass out. Steve wouldn't like it, and I actually do have a conscience."

     Tony chuckled. "Even for me?" he said, softly teasing.

     Barnes cut his eyes to him and Tony's breath caught. "Even for you." Tony hid his flushing face behind his backpack and Barnes gathered his meager school supplies into a pile. "You have almost nothing in here."

     Tony nodded. "Ah, I finish my work pretty quickly." Barnes grunted and unceremoniously shoved the work and binders into the bag. Tony giggled behind a folder. Barnes' head shot up and his laughter caught in his throat. The jock frowned and Tony wilted. He still couldn't make him laugh, and he wanted to hear Barnes laugh or do anything aside from look annoyed with him. It was probably a nice laugh considering he barely used it. Tony zipped up his bag and stood. He glanced over his shoulder and cleared his throat. "I should, ah, get going. Thanks for the help, Barnes."

     Barnes wiped his hands on his jeans and shrugged. "You're welcome."

     Barnes turned away and Tony's eyes flicked to his metal arm. He stepped forward before shaking his head and cradling his hand close to his chest. "Hey, Barnes?" he tried. The junior turned around and Tony was suddenly sent back to gym class. He steeled his nerves and gulped. He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned back. "I wasn't kidding when I said I could help with your arm. I-If it's bothering you at all..." Tony peeked open an eye and stepped back at Barnes's blank stare. "I can fix it," he squeaked before running away down the hall.

     Tony leaned against the outside wall of the school to catch his breath. He held his face in his hands and gasped sharply. He talked to Barnes. He talked to another one of them, and Barnes hadn't tried to punch him this time. Tony sank to the ground. Oh god, he talked to one of them. It wasn't out of obligation this time, there was no project hanging over their heads or his eating habits getting the best of him. Barnes had even helped him with his bag. Tony held his head in his hands and grasped at his hair.

     He did something wrong. Barnes was out to get him or something because there was no way the guy would help him without an ulterior motive. That excuse about Steve being disappointed with him was just that, an excuse. Steve Rogers didn't care what happened to Tony. Tony pressed a hand over his mouth and held his backpack against his chest. Tony shivered in the cold wind and wiped his cheek with his shoulder. He couldn't handle this anymore.

     His heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest every time he woke up and his body was so tense that he didn't think it was possible for him to ever fully relax. He hadn't built anything new and his brain couldn't focus for longer than a few seconds before he felt like he was going to implode. He was stressed out and anxious, and almost always on the verge of a panic attack. Tony picked his head up when a car rolled up to the curb and nearly shouted with happiness. He rushed to his feet and climbed into the backseat.

     "Rough day?" Pepper asked. Tony groaned and hid his face in his hands. She sighed and tapped the wheel. "Yeah, I used to get those too. Your dad told me to take you straight home, but how about we get some hot cocoa or something?" Tony gave her a quizzical look. Pepper shrugged and turned the key. "You look like you could need it."

     Tony pressed a hand to his stomach. "I-I don't know. Howard's a bit of a control freak. If he wants me home it might be for a good reason." He didn't say that his life was on the line if he was caught out of the house against his instructions.

     Pepper smiled teasingly. "Ah, come on. Live a little. It's just cocoa." Tony's cheeks lost a bit of color at the thought of disobeying Howard, but he suddenly felt more awake than he has in weeks. He nodded as though he were a puppet on a string and Pepper stared at the mirror. "Cocoa and a sweet it is then," she said haltingly. Tony crossed his arms in the backseat and stared out the window pensively as Pepper drove. He looked up indignantly when pop music began playing from the radio. She raised an eyebrow. "Just trying to lighten the mood, Tony. What? Are my music tastes too girly for you?"

     Tony smirked and leaned forward against the passenger seat. "No, but they're way too boring. You should listen to some old school rock. The good days, not today's sad attempts at mimicry. That'll brighten the mood." Pepper caught his eye and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Unless you don't want to. I'm not trying to force you to change the station or anything. It's your car."

     Pepper chuckled and turned the dial. "I don't know if they're playing anything like that, but I'll try to find something I think you'll like."

     Tony waved his hands. "You don't have to do that. You're already taking me out for cocoa and picking me up from school. I'm sure work was very busy for you. You should be able to choose the music." Pepper scoffed and smiled slowly. Her eyes screamed no-nonsense, but her smile was friendly and warm to see. Tony relaxed in the back seat and Pepper twisted the dial. "Wait! Uh, this one's good." Tony smiled when Pepper left the station on and the first chords of AC/DC shattered the speakers.

     The station was having a throwback to some of the influencers of rock, and Tony was all for it. Tony bobbed his head in the back and tapped his fingers against his thigh. Pepper smiled at him in the mirror and he grinned. Tony hesitated at the door before stepping out of the car. Java Cup was nearly empty and the employee at the counter popped a rather large bubble of gum. An old couple seated at one of the booths conversed quietly over their cups of ice cream and a little girl twirled around a woman with chocolate smeared on her cheeks. It felt welcoming and homey - unlike the tense air he'd felt when he'd brought Natasha - and it was exactly what Tony needed after his disaster of a school day.

     Pepper's heels clicked on her way to the front counter. Tony trailed behind her and tapped his chin. There were so many choices and his stomach was having a surprisingly hard time picking one. He bit his tongue and held a hand over his middle. He was making Pepper happy. It didn't matter that Howard would be furious if he found out Tony was eating something without his permission while courting the man's assistant around. Tony glanced at the redhead and huffed. Pepper looked a lot happier when he agreed to get the warm drink and a pastry.

     He was probably making a big deal over nothing. Barnes could have been trying to live up to Rogers' image and be nice to the little guy. He was forced by his friend's integrity and moral compass to help Tony. That didn't automatically mean he had an ulterior motive; it just meant he didn't like Tony.

     Tony looked up at the sound of the employee clearing her throat. Her dark-colored lips were turned down into a pout and her makeup made her eyelashes look like spider legs. She raised the thin eyebrow with a metal piercing and tapped the board. "Welcome to Java Cup. What would you like?" she deadpanned.

     Tony fidgeted and flicked his eyes over to Pepper. He hadn't settled on a pastry yet and this girl didn't seem like the patient type. She probably didn't even know who he was. He looked between the menu and the girl. "Hot chocolate and a chocolate cake pop."

     "Whipped cream or peppermint sticks?" she drawled.

     Tony scuffed his shoe against the floor. "Whipped cream."

     "Anything else?" Tony shook his head. The girl handed him the bagged cake pop and the styrofoam cup. "That'll be three seventy-five."

     Pepper stepped forward to pay and led them over to an empty booth. She crossed her legs and shifted her blue pencil skirt. Tony looked out of the window to watch the trees sway in the wind. He shivered despite the warmth from his drink. Pepper nibbled on her cookie while she nursed her coffee. Tony scooped a dollop of whipped cream onto his finger. "Thanks, Pepper."

     Pepper shrugged. "No problem, dude. As I said, you looked like you could need it. Care to tell me what happened at school?" Tony frowned at her from behind his cake pop. "My lips are sealed. Mr. Stark won't know a thing."

     Tony's shoulders drooped and he rubbed his neck. "Ah, it was nothing really. Just got a little anxious." Pepper raised an eyebrow and Tony swallowed dryly. "Right. Uh, you already know I passed out in gym class. I just...You have to swear you won't tell Howard a single word I'm telling you." Pepper pantomimed zipping her lips and throwing the key. Tony traced a groove in the tabletop. "I, uh, don't have a lot of friends at school. Or any actually. It's just kinda difficult being a genius and all. Not that I'm trying to brag. It's just that I'm the only fifteen-year-old in all of my classes and it can get..."

     "Awkward?" she suggested.

     "Yeah." He sighed. "And I have to deal with punks who either want to make my life utterly miserable or ignore me completely." Tony shuddered at the memory of Hammer's beatdown. "But then I got partnered with some girl who's a part of the elite."

     "The elite?" Pepper's lip quirked. "What is she? A cheerleader?"

     "Worse," Tony smirked, "she's a scary Russian." Pepper's eyes widened and Tony shook his head. "I'm kidding. I mean, she's scary and Russian. She just has this tight circle of friends that I like to call the Gang and I sort of, kinda...have a friend-crush on them."

     "The 'Gang'?" Pepper snorted. Tony rolled his eyes and sipped on his drink. "Little Tony has a crush," she teased.

    Tony scowled. "The name's a work in progress and it's purely platonic."

     Pepper tilted her head. "So, what made you all jittery in the car today?"

     Tony slumped in his chair. "The problem with having a friend crush on these certain elites is that they all hate me. Every last one of them hates my guts. Well, except Bruce, but I think it's because I'm smart enough to keep up with him. The whole school despises me and I have no idea what I did wrong, but I know it's my fault because it's always my fault-"

     "Hey, hey," Pepper cut in. She squeezed into the vinyl seat beside Tony and squeezed his shoulder. She set down her cup and cupped his cheeks. Tony blinked away his tears and gazed at Pepper's diamond stud earring. Pepper brushed a lock of hair behind his ear and he sighed. "Don't say that. It's their fault for not giving you a chance. Tony, look at me. Those kids are idiots if they decide they don't like you."

     "Th-They think I'm a jerk a-and a slu-"

     "Tony!" Pepper pressed his face into her neck and hugged him tightly. He gripped her blazer and trembled with repressed sobs. He couldn't cry right now. Stark men were made of iron. She held him close and he melted like putty in her arms. He hasn't had a hug in so long and Pepper - like most females - was extremely warm. "I don't want you calling yourself that, or ever using that dirty word again. You are not either of those. You're smart and caring and very funny. If they can only believe the media then they don't deserve to know you."

     "You don't even know me. I'm not the same little kid you saw back then," Tony whispered into the crook of her neck.

     Pepper placed her chin on his head. "That's okay. I know enough. It's alright. You don't always have to be the playboy or the son of a billionaire. You can worry about girls when you're way older and in the super distant future," Tony gave her a weak laugh, "and that's fine because you're a kid."

     "I'm Howard Stark's kid," he argued. "I can't ever just be a kid."

     Pepper froze before placing her forehead on his. Tony blinked up at her. "You're right about that. You have to be the more mature one, and the smarter one, and the carefree one. You have to do it all and I'm guessing it's a lot. But make sure you keep your childhood. You are a child above all else and you should be treated as such. As you said, you're a fifteen-year-old in your junior year. If anything, they should be the mature ones and try to get along with you because they are older and have more experience," she mocked. "But somewhere underneath all of that don't forget to just be Tony."

     "Be Tony," he repeated.

     "Yes," she said.

     She pressed a kiss to his forehead and Tony held back a whimper. The hole in his heart where every single touch was stored exploded and spilled over by the lingering feeling from the woman's lips. A tear spilled out and he knew if he didn't get home soon he'd start bawling his eyes out in the coffee shop. But Pepper was touching him and holding him, and he felt practically invincible yet completely vulnerable. Tony sniffled and Pepper wiped his tear away. "Let's get you home. It's getting late."

     Tony tensed at that. He checked the time on his phone and let out his breath. They had time. Howard shouldn't be home yet. Tony finished off his cake pop and tossed the stick away. He drank his hot chocolate on their way to the car and joined Pepper in the front. They blasted rock music and Tony played his air instruments impeccably well if he did say so himself. He waved at Pepper from the driveway and turned to go inside.

     The keys jingled in his pocket and he slipped off his shoes. Tony yawned behind his hand and ruffled his hair. His mind finally felt clear enough for him to design something. His thoughts circled back to Barnes' arm and he smiled at his feet. He could build the guy a new arm complete with all the bells and whistles SI could offer. He'd never have the guts to give it to him, but it wouldn't hurt to think about it. He played with the design in his head and hummed softly under his breath.

     "Anthony." He stopped in his tracks and his styrofoam cup fell from his hands. Howard waved a finger at him and tapped his watch. "I told Pepper to bring you straight home and you're late. The school's less than an hour away. Tell me what took you so long." The cup bounced against the hardwood floor before exploding with the last dredges of the warm drink and rolling toward Howard. He crushed it under his dress shoe and Tony flinched at the sound. Howard sneered at him and grabbed him by the collar. "You disobeyed me to go out for drinks!" he shouted. Tony whimpered and turned away. Howard threw him to the ground and he kept his head down.

     "It wasn't my fault, she-"

     "So you're blaming my employee for your stupidity?" Howard yanked him by the hair. "Is that what you are doing, Anthony?"

     "N-No, sir. Not at all, sir," he muttered.

     Howard dropped his hold and Tony watched him balefully. The man moved around the living room as if he were a prowling lion and Tony wrenched his eyes shut. He flinched away when something touched his cheek before grabbing his face. He grabbed Howard's arm and struggled on the ground. Howard shook his head and gripped Tony's wrist. He pulled him up to his feet and Tony stumbled after the man.

     "It seems that the closet isn't working for you. You still think it's alright to rebel against me. I think it's time you learned your lesson."

     Tony paled. "S-Sir, I have homework to do tonight. Finals are on Thursday. I can't...I'm not going to be able to-"

     Howard covered his mouth and Tony breathed heavily through his nose. "Do not talk back to me. You are my failure of a son," he growled, "and I will do as I please with you. Do you know what engineers do with their failures?" Tony gasped when he was suddenly pulled forward. "They find the mistake and look at it from a different angle to try to salvage it."

     Tony tried to pull away from Howard when he was dragged forward down the basement stairs. Tony yelped when he was pushed, hands and knees scraping against the cement foundation. He scrambled away as Howard stalked forward. "D-Daddy. Daddy, please don't," he whined. The basement was plunged into darkness and he held his breath. He made a sound between a yelp and a sob. Either one made him flush with shame and his humiliating display of weakness made his stomach clench. Tony flinched away again. "Please, please stop, Daddy. You're scaring me."

"If that doesn't work," Howard growled as if Tony hadn't said a word, "then they throw them out." Tony screamed and stars blurred across his darkened vision. His head banged on the ground and he felt his body go limp.