Rhodey
They were laughing. He can see they're laughing but all he could hear was ringing, his head hurt so much and he felt so sick.
Tony stopped walking and braced himself against a wall when his vision began spotting.
"Anne?" Rhodey was close to him, "Are you okay?" Tony wanted to answer him, would have loved to reassure him that 'yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about me,' but when he opened his mouth he realised no words were coming out but the wall felt distant and the floor felt closer and they weren't laughing anymore but shouting. He hit the floor, then there was nothing.
When Tony woke up he felt groggy, his limbs were heavy and his throat was dry and when he tried to move he found himself restricted. He forced his eyes open and saw he watch attached to an IV line and he couldn't help the groaning noise he made.
"Anne?" he turned his head left and through the blurry vision he could make out Rhodey, "You're awake."
"Yeah... Yeah, I... Uh," Tony coughed a few times and Rhodey gave him a glass of water and helped him drink from the straw, "What happened?"
"You collapsed, scared the shit out of us," Rhodey said, putting down the glass and dragging his chair properly, "Scared the shit out of me."
"Why didn't you tell me you were still struggling?" It took Tony a second to realise Pepper was sat beside Rhodey, "You promised me you'd tell me if things got worse."
"Peps..." Tony whined.
"This is serious and..."
"Wait... What do you mean by that?" Rhodey asked, "What do you mean if things got any worse, how long has this been going on for?"
"It's fine Rhodey... Honestly, I have everything under control." Tony said, trying to smile but he felt it didn't quite work.
"Like hell you do when you're collapsing in the street and the doctor is throwing words like malnutrition and anorexia around," Tony felt like throwing up, he never thought of anorexia before, "I knew you were losing a bit of weight but I never thought it was so serious, so how long has it been going on for?"
"Rhodey don't grill him please..." Pepper said, "Just..."
"You knew and you kept it from me."
"It wasn't up to me to tell you, but he promised me everything was getting better and..."
"I was... I was okay for a while until..." Tony lifted his hand to his hair, it was long again and it's what kick-started his need to be thinner, to be more masculine again, "It was the hair, I didn't even realise but it was the hair." Tony was so close to crying.
"Oh..."
"What do you mean hair? Nothing is different with your hair?" Rhodey sounded so clueless and confused.
"I cut it really short," Tony admitted, "When I was thirteen, mom made me wear wigs and I kept it short underneath but she... She found out and... And I had to grow it and... And..." "Tony was crying now, "I hated myself so much, I went back... I didn't even notice..."
"I don't understand... Why won't she let you have short hair?" Rhodey held his hand, "You have to talk to me, you're my best friend and..."
"She won't let me have short hair because it's a constant reminder to her that I'm transgender and she hates it." Tony said, he fell back onto the bed, he couldn't breathe and he felt dizzy.
"Tony, calm down okay," Pepper was kneeling on his bed, holding his face in her hands, "Just breathe with me okay? Come on, it's okay." Tony shut his eyes and focused on Pepper's words, breathing with her until he was calm and felt less like he was going to pass out.
"I'm... I'm okay," he said, slowly opening his eyes, "I'm sorry." Pepper wiped his eyes, a sad smile on her face.
"No, don't apologise okay?" Tony just nodded and turned his head to Rhodey who hadn't said anything since his outburst, "Rhodey?"
"You should have told me," Pepper sat back on her seat and Tony sat up, "You should have told me this is how you felt."
"I couldn't," Tony said, "I was scared."
"You're my best friend, I love you man, I do," Rhodey held his hand out for Tony, he took it, "There is nothing in this world you can say or do or feel that would make me think any less of you, girl or boy or whatever."
"Thank you, I'm just so sorry, I... I just...."
"Don't start crying again okay, I understand... How long have you known?"
"Officially? Since I was about eleven, after biology one day," Tony said, "Unofficially well, I first came out to Jarvis was I was like five?"
"So it's been a good ten years," Rhodey said to no one in particular, it sounded more like he was taking notes for himself, "What name do you go by?"
"You're taking this really easily?" Tony would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised by how well Rhodey was taking it.
"Like I said, you're my best friend and I've known since I was like six, I've known you nearly your whole life and I want to do everything and anything I can to make you more comfortable," he smiled, "So come on, name?"
"Anthony, Tony for short, just don't ever say it in front of my parents, they aren't fans."
"I promise, Tony," Tony couldn't help but smile at how natural it felt coming from his friends mouth.
"Is this the right time to also come out as gay?" Tony said, "I've not told anyone that."
"No wonder you dress so well, you spend all your time in the closet," Pepper joked and Tony laughed, he couldn't remember the last time he felt so free and so open with his friends and he knew it couldn't take another hospital visit to make them close like this.
"I need help..." Tony said, "I can't live like this anymore."
"As Anne?" Rhodey asked.
"As an anorexic... I can't..."
"I promise you, we'll get you the help you need." Pepper said and Tony just nodded. He trusted her and he knew she'd do what she can to help him, they both would.
When it finally came to them having to leave, Jarvis taking them home after getting all the information from the doctors and coming to sit with Tony through another emotional breakdown, Tony realised that his parents never came to visit him. Not even once.
"You look beautiful, Annie sweetie," Maria Stark said, smoothing Tony's dress out again, Tony just grimaced, "Absolutely stunning, my precious girl." Tony glanced at himself in the mirror, she was right he did look pretty but pretty isn't what he was after.
He looked healthy as well, after his collapse Pepper had been straight on the phone with doctors and Jarvis, between them both they found Tony a program and a therapist to battle his eating disorder and when his looks got too much, Rhodey was always there to help make him feel masculine; whether it was by letting Tony borrow shirts and stuff of his or whether he'd lounge around in a skirt just to show Tony that boys could rock them too.
He was thankful for his friends and when his mother pulled him into a hug he sighed; he was thankful for his mother because although she didn't understand, she still loved him.
He just had to admit to the fact he was never going to be able to be Tony freely in public. The thought made him sick but it was something he came to terms with.
He thought about the note still attached to his Captain America figure under his bed; it wasn't okay but it would do.