I'll always hold you tight, you'll always love me.

Tony is used to hiding from people in his own home but usually that means Howard. Steve (as he’s insisted he be called) doesn’t talk to Tony much more than a casual greeting here and there, which is fine by Tony although he knows that the captain wouldn’t hurt him just being in the presence of Steve’s intimidating physique makes tony want to run for the hills, his bestie Barnes on the other hand avoids Tony for months, tony doesn’t take it personally he knows that he’s not alone in being avoided Barnes’s aversion seems to be to people in general rather than anyone in particular.

It isn’t long however before he suddenly takes an unnerving interest in tony. Tony of course hides because when people are interested in him they usually want something, and Tony doesn’t think he could handle the awkwardness (or the pain) of living with any of the other people who wanted something from him then discarded him when they got it.

Tony thinks the Sargent might just want arm mantianace, which tony would be happy to provide but given the arm is currently fully functioning Barnes’s interest is inexplicable and just ends up setting tony on edge.

Tony also thinks talking to his Bucky bear seems a little weird with his flesh and bone counter part just down the hall, in consideration of this Tony decides that he just won’t talk to his Bucky, at least not every night maybe just once a week, he’s only human after all. Tony manages to abstain for all of ten minutes before he’s hiding under his bed with Bucky, his and Carol’s book, a pen, and a flash light like he’s done every night since he came home from school. Tony keeps himself busy even without school, he video calls Rhodey, codes his AI project, and talks with Jarvis, because it’s fun because he enjoys it. Howard makes him design weapons and Bucky doesn’t judge him when he cries because he hates it, hates Howard, hates himself. Suffice to say tony has never understood the path his been put on.

But despite his initial unease he is beginning to trust Barnes, his following of tony is consistently benign and with only being able to see have of his friend very occasionally Tony is lonely, he also figures that Bucky is never not going to need help with his arm so even in getting what he wants from tony he won’t actually be satisfied by the results, not because Tony’s workmanship is flawed but because the arm will constantly undergo wear and tear especially if the grappling Tony walked in on between Bucky and Steve is a regular occurrence.
It just so happens that the film rails barely capture how funny Bucky actually is, and there are days when he talks to Tony about all the wonderful things in the future. Medicine and computers and clean energy and all the other things tony so sorely wants to explore and make but isn’t allowed to. Bucky insists that tony work on his arm, even when he’s given the option of Howard. He tells Howard it’s because theirs no way he could mistake a kid for a hydra scientist, but later in hushed tones he tells tony it is because he’s “way better at it than your old man,” when Tony tells Bucky bear he’s almost breathless.

Captain America starts saying more than a passing hello to him now too allowing Tony to sit with him and recommend movies and essential reading and all the ‘fun stuff’ he missed doing time as a capsicle, Tony is very content to oblige his childhood hero. In fact Tony’s never been happier.

Then his mom and dad die in a car crash.