It wouldn't have been hard to deflect the inquiry. Tony'd hid that he was dying from the people who knew him best for months, so redirecting Rogers would've been a piece of cake... Except for the fact that hiding the palladium poisoning had nearly killed him. And the fact that Rogers was kinda a teammate, and what was it Rhodey had said? Something about not being a lone gunslinger? Whatever.

Also Pepper would literally kill him if he got into the pattern of not telling people things again. Even if "people" was only Steve Rogers.

"Anxiety issue," he said quickly. There. That didn't count as lying. Just... not elaborating.

"And, uh, sorry, you're saying I look bad, and not apologizing for being a loud-mouthed little twerp? Wow. You really know how to make a guy feel loved, Rogers. How did you sell anything in the war?"