Sorry that this one took a little bit of time. This time I have no excuses except for life. Busy schedules suck. Same ol', same ol'. Also, I fell asleep at my computer last night trying to post the chapter. Bit not good. Anyway, you'll notice that I switched this story up from "T" to "M", not entirely for goings-on in this chapter, but particularly for later chapters. I hope you enjoy! ;)
Big thanks to those of you who reviewed the last chapter: MorgyWorgy, chibi heishi, inukagome15, CeilingRiver, Animelia, Catindahat, and my lovely "Guest" reviewer! Your feedback means the world to me! ^_^
Chapter 9
For twenty-four hours after they returned from their mission, everything went well enough. Thor continued to be unusually reclusive but Steve didn't linger on the issue. From what he gathered from the small bit of conversation he had caught between Thor and Loki, the two of them used to be close. To have to confront someone you care about must've been hard so Steve was happy to give Thor all the time he needed to heal himself.
To be honest, Steve might have worried less than he usually would about Thor because something else was occupying his thoughts. The feeling that the something had been wrong with their mission, that something had been off, never left Steve's mind. He didn't know what, he didn't know how, and had no idea what the consequences were going to be. And when he let his thoughts linger in that place for too long, it scared him.
Bruce seemed to be aware of his worries to some degree because the Wolf seemed to constantly trying to distract him and keep him busy. But it was Tony who really succeeded. Bruce had called the Cat out to join them and to Steve's shock, Tony had agreed. They ended up outside and lazily throwing a ball around turned into a game of full-contact football when Clint suddenly appeared and side-tackled Steve. Natasha had followed Clint out but stayed out of the game as it quickly turned into a free-for-all. With winter slowly fading into spring the ground was thawing and all the dirt turned to mud as soon as they ran over it.
By the time Steve called it quits they were all coated in mud. Bruce laughed as he took all of them in, his eyes and teeth shining out from his face, totally brown from where Tony had tripped him and made him face-plant right into the grass. The Wolf looked happier than Steve had seen him in a while and made him wonder just how long it had been since Bruce had laughed like that. Tony himself was just as filthy and once the game ended the Cat actually looked shocked about just how much mud he had gotten on him. But he couldn't keep a smile off his lips as he scraped a handful of mud off of his shirt and threw it at Clint. Clint had stayed the cleanest out of all of them and easily dodged Tony's attack, smirking at the billionaire before tugging off his stained shirt and bounding back over towards where Natasha was sitting on the deck.
That night as Steve tucked himself in to bed he was still glowing. He hadn't felt that close to a group of people in a long while. It was a bit bittersweet, to be reminded of how good it could feel while knowing at the same time that this wasn't the same as an actual pack and that it probably wouldn't last. But the content feeling of a day spent just relaxing was a welcome distraction from his worries over their last mission. For the first time since Bruce had crawled into bed with him Steve fell asleep easily.
O~O~O~O
As soon as he woke up the next morning Steve knew something had gone horribly wrong.
Sucking in a deep breath, Steve gasped and almost choked. It felt like there was fire running through his veins, his toes and fingers alternating between hot and freezing cold as his pulse pounded through his arteries. And the scents—he could smell everything.
A snarl ripped from Steve's chest as he rolled onto his side, his hand reached out to claw at his sheets. This wasn't good. This was not good. Why was this-?
Loki.
The thought hit him like a truck and sent him reeling. It had all been too simple, too easy. Somehow, some way, Loki had done this to him. To him—What about the others? Sucking in another breath, Steve held it in, counted to five and then slowly forced it out. It was difficult to stifle the low growl that tried to roll out with it. It was even more of a struggle to get to his feet and stumble to the door. Steve really didn't want to leave his room, not like this, in this condition, but he had to make sure everyone else was alright.
He didn't have to go far to find out. Just the smells seeping out from underneath the others' doors were enough to confirm his fears. To make sure he bent down and sniffed the air coming from the space underneath the doors but, no. They hadn't escaped this either.
Swallowing, Steve steeled himself and made his way down to the first floor on unsteady feet. He was nearly dizzy with the sensation of his muscles tensing and his knees feeling as if they were about to buckle. Sweat had begun to bead up on his skin despite the cool morning air and he wiped his trembling hands off on his shirt before grabbing Tony's home phone. It was cordless and Steve took full advantage of it, heading outside where hopefully he could find a bit of relief from the fever that had gripped him.
He sucked in deep breaths of clear, crisp air outside but the smell of the grass and trees was nearly entirely drowned out by the thick, heavy scent seeping off of him. Shaking his head, Steve turned back to the phone and punched in a series of numbers, his fingers still shaking.
The phone only rang twice before he heard the line pick up and Steve spoke before they had the chance to, his voice desperate. "Hello? Agent Coulson?"
"Who is this?"
"Steve, it's Steve."
"Steve." It almost came out like a question, as if Phil was surprised. "I didn't expect to hear from you for a few days yet. Unfortunately Loki is still proving to be uncooperative so we don't have any new information to go on yet. We're going to keep at it and the official debriefing will be within the next few days regardless."
"I appreciate the update, sir, but that's not why I called." His voice sounded terrible, low and growling like some animal. No wonder Phil was surprised. Taking another breath, Steve retreated further out onto the deck outside Tony's house. Steve could tell Phil was already concerned but was keeping his calm.
"What is it? You don't seem the type to phone just for a social call."
"Unfortunately not. We, uh, we have a situation."
He could almost hear Phil frown, his tone suddenly serious. "What's wrong?"
Steve gripped the phone with both hands to keep it steady against his ear. "The team is going to have to be put on medical leave for the next two weeks or so."
"Medical leave? For that long? Is everything alright? I know you have Dr. Banner on site, but if you need another doctor, we have access to a number of Shifter specialists we could send to Stark's place."
"No!" Realizing what Phil must be assuming they had all been injured, Steve rushed to clarify. "No, it's, it's not that. Everyone's fine, it's just…um, you know." Steve's cheek's flushed. He couldn't say it. Clearing his throat, Steve tried again. "With the state we're in, the only thing to do is wait it out."
"I still don't—Oh." Understanding flooded Phil's voice and he let out a little cough. "Right. Are all the alphas present and accounted for?"
Thank goodness he didn't have to say it out loud. The thoughts running through Steve's head were bad enough, he didn't know if he would be able to voice any of it. "Yes."
"And Dr. Banner is safe?"
"Yes." Everyone, including Steve, had left him alone so far so there was probably no immediate danger.
Phil sighed and Steve imagined the man pinching his brow. "Good. Perhaps we'll do the debriefing over a video conference."
"That'd probably be best." Leaving the house as they were might be problematic, even if they were just going to the SHIELD building.
"I will call ahead to make arrangements later on. Send a message out if any of you require suppressants or if anyone needs to be removed from the area."
"Will do, but I think we have everything under control here."
At least Steve really hoped so.
O~O~O~O
Shifters went into heat. Unlike with animals, where the term "heat" usually applied to females, and something akin to "rut" to males, the term "heat" was applied across the board for Shifters these days because it all amounted to the same thing: they just became ridiculously sex-crazed and fertile. Shifters had just as many sexual identities as normal humans and in the modern world any further distinction than "heat" led to social protest in the Shifter community.
When it came right down to it, Steve didn't really care what it was called; it was just something he had to endure. As an alpha male he had a difficult time keeping himself reigned in during the annual event though he had been successful so far. Although his heats varied sometime between spring and summer, Steve was always able to prepare for them because it took a couple of days to really settle in. During those first few days he would notice himself becoming more agitated and restless than usual…and a lot more easily aroused, which often led to some amount of embarrassment, but he had always been able to sequester himself before it got too bad.
His last one had hit him late, probably because of the trauma of losing his pack. With that, he hadn't been expecting another for quite a while. This time it came on so fast Steve didn't know what hit him. Apparently when you cram too many Shifters into one house, as soon as one of them goes into heat whatever pheromones they pump out triggers the rest of them.
It didn't take any of them long to figure out that it was Thor who had set off that chain reaction. After that it wasn't hard to logic out what exactly had happened. As far as any of them could figure it had been Loki, just as Steve had initially suspected. Somehow during the few minutes he and Thor had been alone in the Hydra building in D.C., he had done something to set off the right hormones in Thor's brain that told his body it was time to go into heat. When questioned, Thor hadn't been able to give them an answer. The Lion seemed a little shell-shocked himself. Whatever had happened the most obvious reason why was that Loki had done it in order to put the team out of commission. If that was true, his plan worked.
After his initial call, Steve had Bruce email Agent Coulson with their hypothesis. He replied back that when they questioned Loki about it the Raven had just laughed. He agreed that they were probably right. The entire SHIELD regional network had been put on high alert and in the meantime Steve was forced to put his own team on lockdown. Shifters could venture out in public during their heats but there was an overwhelming risk that they would hurt themselves or, more importantly, another Shifter or, even worse, a human. Steve had to keep an especially close eye on Thor, Tony, and himself. Alpha Shifters in heat could be downright dangerous.
Phil had been worried over Bruce because as a beta surrounded by alphas, he was the most likely target for all of them to try and, well, jump. Even if a beta wasn't naturally submissive, an alpha in heat could easily be driven to try and mount the lower ranking Shifter and would probably be able to do it with the extra strength coursing through their bodies. Luckily neither Thor nor Tony seemed interested in touching him and Steve knew he had it in him to resist. It helped that while Bruce's scent was that of a beta, his unique condition set an unpleasant tint to it, like a hint of old copper or sulfur.
None of this stopped Steve from checking in with is fellow Wolf. It was his job to make sure Bruce was protected and felt safe, even from Steve himself.
As soon as Steve walked into the study, Bruce's head jerked up from the book he had been reading and his eyes immediately flew to Steve. Steve sent him a weak smile and after a moment Bruce returned it.
"Steve, hi. I didn't expect you to be in." Since Steve had woken up in heat he had tried to spend as much time as he could outside where the atmosphere wasn't quite so heavy and he could stay upwind of the others.
"I wanted to see if you really were alright."
"I'm fine." Bruce instantly seemed to understand Steve's underlying question. "No one's tried anything. I trust Tony and I don't think Thor has even noticed me, to be honest."
"And how's your control?" Another point of concern for Steve. He wasn't sure how Bruce's heat would affect his control over his inner Wolf. With this mess, they didn't need an excessively strong Wolf running around causing havoc.
Bruce let out a sigh and shrugged. "I'm managing. Luckily I've had a few heat cycles since I administered the formula, so I've gotten pretty good about keeping myself in check. Why? Are you worried?"
"No." Steve trusted Bruce to come to him if there was a problem and since the other Wolf hadn't approached him he had assumed that Bruce had it handled. It never hurt to check though. Smiling again, Steve rested against the chair Bruce was sitting in but was careful not to invade the other's personal space. The other's scent filled his nose but it was just off-putting enough not to be a temptation. "Honestly I'm relieved. I don't know if I could let you sleep in the same bed as me this week." This was actually the first time that Steve had gotten so close to a beta Wolf while in heat. He was happy that he was able to contain himself but didn't want to tempt fate by putting either himself or Bruce in that situation.
Bruce readily agreed. "Yeah. We don't need to go there."
Steve smiled then shook his head. It was only then he realized that he hadn't spoken to Bruce one-on-one since Tony had revealed his past to him. His smile faded away and he leaned a bit heavier against the chair. "Tony told me. About what happened to him, about how his dad passed. Were you really there?"
Bruce paused again before closing his book and meeting Steve's gaze. "Yeah. I was just a kid myself at the time."
"He said you were part of his dad's research team?"
Nodding thoughtfully, the scientist let out a long breath. "Yeah. Howard hired me on after seeing a presentation I gave for my university at a bioengineering conference." A hint of a smile flickered back onto his lips, though it was a bit sad. "Despite what they said about him in the news, he could be a great guy. The first Cat I'd ever met. When I heard this project he was working on, I jumped at the chance to work with him. He was one of the major researchers and funders in the field then."
So that's how it all started. "Did you help him figure out that formula for Tony?"
Bruce tilted his head. "I was one of the lead assistants on the team, but I'd like to think I contributed as much as any of the senior scientists. Howard actually did most of the brainstorming himself, but towards the end there we were all practically living together in the lab. I actually didn't know Tony that well at the time, had met him once or twice, but the cure Howard was trying to develop was fascinating and I just remember letting my imagination run away with all the medical applications for Shifters that we would be able to offer. "
Even though years had passed, Bruce still sounded excited. He must've been something to see when it was actually going on and Steve found himself wishing he could've been there. But then he would've had to witness Tony getting kidnapped and he didn't know if he would have been able to stand that. "It still must've been a shock, what happened to Tony."
Bruce sat back in his seat, his gaze growing distant. "You can say that again. The whole team was torn apart. Howard was a mess. After we finally got Tony back, Howard ran off and the next thing I know I'm being called in as a medical consultant. The human doctors at the hospital hardly knew what to do and aside from Stane I was the only Shifter on Howard's team…" Bruce shook his head. "Tony was my first real surgery…Honestly, the whole thing scared the crap out of me. I hadn't even finished my degree yet and I was so sure Tony was going to die on my operating table."
Steve wanted to ask about Howard's death, about whatever might have passed between Bruce and the Stark patriarch in his final moments. But Tony had said that Bruce didn't like to talk about it and Steve didn't want to bully him. Especially when he already seemed upset over the memories he was already reliving. "How did you and Tony get so close?"
A little of Bruce's bad mood seemed to lift. "After he woke from his coma, I helped him through most of his recovery process. We spent a lot of time together in those days. But as he grew healthier we started drifting apart. We've worked together a few times since then but this is the first time I've really got to personally see him in action."
Steve cocked his head to the side. "And what do you think of him now?"
A grin finally appeared back on Bruce's face. "That he's a lot like Howard. With less responsibility and more to prove. And maybe even a little smarter, but don't tell him I said so. Tony's ego is big enough as it is."
Steve grinned back, happy that Bruce seemed to approve of Tony's progress. The Cat could use all the extra emotional support he could get.
By the end of the day they all eventually ended up in the media room. The large television on the wall was dark, no one able to gather the motivation to turn it on. Even Thor had ventured out of his bedroom, although he was sitting silently in the back, still unwilling to talk to anyone. Steve was slouched over on the couch while Clint sat in an armchair adjacent to him and Bruce sat in yet another chair on the far side of the room. Steve would have been appalled at his own terrible posture but as it was he was stuck wondering about how it could feel like it was over one hundred degrees in the house when the thermostat said it was only sixty eight.
Steve glanced up automatically as Tony stormed into the room, the billionaire looking a strange combination of feverish and hung-over. He had been scowling since Steve had first seen him that morning and it looked like his mood hadn't improved. As he stepped in, Tony stopped for a moment and flinched like he had gotten smacked in the face. "For fuck's sake…Can someone open a window? Is that too hard for you to manage?"
The Cat waded across the room to a large bank of windows and wrenched them open before sitting down heavily on the far side of the couch Steve was using. Steve swallowed as he was hit with a wave of the Cat's scent and suddenly that four feet between them didn't seem like quite enough distance.
Clint smirked at all of them from behind the magazine he was pretending to read and broke the silence that had settled after Tony's stomping. "So…How's it going?"
Snorting, Bruce slid down lower into his chair with his arms crossed, not bothering to dignify Clint's question with a response. Steve followed his example while trying not to let Clint irritate him. Heats were a mammalian thing; as a Hawk, he was apparently free from all of that. Which was not fair. On the other hand, one less male roaming the halls of Tony's mansion like a caged animal was probably for the best.
Tony didn't bother holding his annoyance back, his scowl deepening as he angrily grabbed the remote and began to flip through television channels. "My life is a living hell right now, that's how it's going. Thank you very much for asking."
Clint grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?"
"No. It's a perfectly legitimate statement. Thanks to Thor," Tony jerked his head back to where the Lion was sitting and Thor responded with a growl but Tony just kept talking, "I'm two months early. Do you know how many meetings I've had to cancel? I was supposed to go into the office a few times this week. Pepper is going to kill me. And, and I have to sit here and stew in this wonderfully saturated air with five other Shifters." Giving up on finding anything good to watch Tony switched to the news and threw the remote down onto the couch. "There are too many fucking alphas in here…"
Steve raised his brows but didn't say anything in return. He couldn't feel insulted; the same thing had crossed his mind after all. Between him, Tony, and Thor, it was starting to get pretty thick in the house. Steve just considered them lucky that Bruce at least was a beta. Not to say that he wasn't putting out his own scent but it was less overwhelming than the rest of them.
Natasha chose that moment to wander into the room and state the obvious. "Ugh! It reeks in here! You boys need to go out and just get laid, because I am not going to live here with all this testosterone in the air."
Rolling his eyes, Tony kicked his feet up onto the coffee table in front of the couch. "Oh, shut up, Natasha. Like you're one to talk."
Bruce glanced at Natasha then over at Tony. "Actually, Tony, she hasn't shown any signs yet of going into heat."
Tony snorted. "How'd you swing that?"
Waving her hand, Natasha rested next to Clint. "Please. If I hadn't figured out how to mask my scent, how long do you think I would've lasted in an enclosed space with male Shifters?" Steve knew different but he allowed Tony to argue. Natasha wasn't showing any signs of heat because she didn't go through it. Just like Clint, she wasn't a mammal Shifter. He still didn't know what she was, but she wasn't a mammal. Lucky her.
"Hey," Tony was quick to defend himself, "I haven't made any moves on you yet."
She sent him back a knowing smirk. "You haven't because I'm not the one you're interested in."
During his conversations with Phil, Steve and the SHIELD agent had decided together that while Clint and Natasha could've been sent out on a mission alone it was best to keep them at Tony's place. The type of assignment they would be given wouldn't play to either of their strong suits. Natasha and Clint needed the rest of the team, so they weren't going anywhere. Just like the rest of them.
O~O~O~O
Phil sighed as he stared into the glass room where their prisoner was currently being housed and willed his face not to show his building fatigue. Though they had Loki captured and firmly locked up, the Raven was still wearing him down. Without the threat of physical retribution for noncompliance the interrogation was…not going well.
Loki answered barely any of their questions and when he decided to speak it was in riddles and vague responses. On top of that, Phil now had the health of his team to worry about. Heat was a natural annual stage for Shifters to pass through but with all of them crammed into Stark's house, as spacious as it was, things could turn ugly pretty quickly. But Steve had assured him that they were alright so Phil was going to leave them alone for now. He had enough to worry about as it was.
From where he was standing now Phil was able to keep an eye on Loki but wasn't close enough to have to hear him speak. Over the past couple of days he had more than enough experience with the Raven's silver tongue. He had learned that unless he had to, it was best to keep his distance. But not so far away that Loki was left unsupervised. Phil didn't trust the Shifter to be alone for even a second.
Hearing hurried footsteps come up behind him he glanced back and saw Agent Hill heading towards him, the brunette woman looking grim. Whatever news she was bringing with her wasn't going to be good.
"Sir! News just came in from our western branch that Hydra's serum has been released into the water supply of central Los Angeles!"
Phil's heart dropped. "What?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw a dark smile unfurl on Loki's face and motioned for another SHIELD agent to take his place while he simultaneously began to usher Hill away. "Outside, now!" Once they had a door between him and Loki, Phil turned back to Agent Hill. "Now, what happened?"
She shook her head and drew a tablet out of her pocket, quickly pulling up images from Southern California news agencies. "Reports are coming in of Shifters losing control and running through the streets. Hydra has completely separated themselves from the crime but there is no way that anyone else was the cause. SHIELD agents managed to contain the Shifters and section off the contaminated water pipes but one Shifter died, eight humans are in critical condition, and another dozen Shifters and humans have been sent to the hospital for injuries sustained. We've sent them vials of the antidote Dr. Banner created but the damage has already been done."
His thoughts were racing but Phil kept his exterior calm and collected. He had feared that Hydra would strike while they were distracted but after two days of calm he had let himself grow optimistic. It was a personality flaw. "Then we'll do everything we can to mitigate that damage. Have any extra resources rerouted to our West Coast division and ensure that our agents are working with local authorities. Make sure that those Shifters who were involved have good legal representation."
Agent Hill nodded, already typing a message out on her tablet as she kept her sharp eyes on Phil's face. "We need to inform the Director."
Phil knew they did. This had gone too far for him to handle alone anymore. "I know. You focus on Los Angeles. I'll call Fury myself." Then there was one more call that he had to place. Steve and the others would have to be informed of this.
O~O~O~O
The sun had finally set on their first full day of their heat and Steve was more than happy to retire back to his bedroom earlier than normal. It was a blatant escape from the others but he didn't have it in him to be subtle. Unfortunately sleep was doing a decent job at completely eluding him. Neither his mind nor his body was ready to rest and so he was left just waiting for one of the two to tire out.
Sitting on his bed, Steve desperately tried to think clean thoughts. Just for one moment he wanted to be able to focus on something that wasn't his body and its urges. Especially now that he had a moment alone. Usually he was pretty good at ignoring his carnal pulls but right now resisting the impulse to act out on his desires was quickly becoming impossible. At least to unbutton his fly and touch himself. Just a bit.
"Master Rogers?"
Starting so bad he nearly threw himself off the bed, Steve let out a breath as he realized it was just Jarvis. Shock quickly morphed into a relief and Steve almost felt himself smiling as he readjusted himself under his covers. Thank goodness for distractions. "What is it?"
"I apologize for interrupting," Steve blushed, "but Agent Coulson called the house asking for you. Should I put him through?"
"Sure. Thanks."
"My pleasure, Master Rogers. One moment please."
There was a soft click as the AI transferred the line and Steve waited patiently for Coulson's voice. It was a little weird talking at the ceiling instead of into a phone and Steve felt strangely exposed as Phil's voice replaced Jarvis's. "Agent Rogers?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Is this a good time?"
The question was a courtesy Phil didn't usually extend but it made sense that he would be particularly sensitive to Steve's condition this week. After all, he had almost given in and wouldn't that have been awkward if Phil had called only five minutes later. Shaking his head to rid his mind of the thought, Steve returned to the conversation. "As good as any other."
"Good." There was a pause and suddenly Steve was wary. "Steve…I have some bad news."
He almost hated to ask. By Phil's tone he could already tell that something serious had happened. "What is it?"
"We just received words from SHIELD agents on the west coast. It seems like Hydra initiated the same sort of attack we were trying to prevent from happening in Washington D.C."
Steve's blood, which had been boiling all day, turned to ice. "What? But, how-? Where?"
"Los Angeles. We weren't able to figure it out in time and since I was distracted with the Washington D.C. mission, I didn't see the signs."
"The entire thing, was it a diversion?" They had talked about that possibility but Steve had been hoping that they were wrong.
Phil released a heavy sigh. "It's likely, yes. As far as I can figure it, Loki was left in their building as bait, and we fell for it."
Was there a chance then that there was never a threat against Washington? That Hydra had carefully staged the whole thing, knowing now that SHIELD was actively looking into their files and running surveillance? "And when he triggered our heats -?"
"It looks like it was a way to keep you all occupied while they put their real plan into motion."
Steve had never regretted being a Shifter until that moment, stuck like he was as a slave to his hormones. "Were there any injuries?"
Phil was so reluctant to answer that Steve knew the answer before the SHIELD agent even gave it. "…Yes. Shifters and humans."
Steve opened his mouth then closed it, unable to form the words to ask how many of those injured had died. Swallowing, he changed the question. "If…if we hadn't been, in heat, could we have stopped this?"
"Steve, it doesn't do any good to ask questions like that."
Closing his eyes, Steve pressed himself back into the pillows. "Please, just, answer the question."
Phil sighed again but when he replied his tone was firm. "You can't blame yourself. The fault lies predominately with me and with SHIELD. We narrowed our focus too far and forgot to pay attention to our peripheries."
"But if we hadn't been stuck like this, could we have helped?"
"The likelihood that we would've discovered the Los Angeles attack before it happened would have increased had your team been in full commission. I had my team look into the files Stark managed to get this time around and after enough digging we managed to find some intelligence about Los Angeles. Stark would have spotted the information hours before we did had he been able to go through the files himself. And it's possible that we could have sent your team out in time to stop Hydra. But it's just as likely we still wouldn't have made it in time."
There was his answer then. How many lives had been lost because he couldn't keep his sexual urges under control? "What happens now?"
"There is no legal evidence for pinning the attack on Hydra. The government is calling it an isolated incident of domestic terrorism but the media is focusing on Shifter's going on a rampage. SHEILD is doing everything they can to mitigate the damage."
"Okay. Is there anything we can do?"
"Focus on taking care of yourselves. Steve, I called solely to keep you informed, not make you feel any sense of guilt."
He must've heard something in Steve's voice to make him say so. Taking a deep breath, Steve made sure his voice was steady even though his body was still shaking. He couldn't tell anymore whether it was because of his heat or the news.
"Yes, sir."
He never did get to sleep that night.
It was no surprise to Steve then when was in a bad mood the next morning. His emotions were all over the place, shifting erratically from depressed to angered to lusty, leaving him all the more annoyed. He felt unstable which meant he was unreliable and what good was he then? Steve had taken just enough time to inform the others about the content of Phil's call before making a beeline straight for the wooded area in Tony's backyard. He didn't dare shift, not while he could barely been a hold on himself in his human form. Instead he stripped down to his pants and just ran. Ran until he was out of breath, ran until his muscles screamed for rest, ran until his feet were numb.
He was careful though to keep himself on Tony's property and so when he had finally worn himself down it didn't take long to stagger back towards the main house. By that time it was well into the middle of the afternoon but Steve still wasn't ready to go back inside. Instead, he just laid himself out on the grass just passed the tree line and dozed.
The next thing he was completely aware of was waking up to a darkening sky and a loud rumbling in his stomach. Right. He hadn't eaten all day. And after all that running, he felt like he could eat a meal meant for ten. Unfortunately the hunger didn't do anything to kill all the other feelings still whipping through him like a cyclone.
Pushing himself up to his feet, Steve brushed some dirt off of his pants and slowly, reluctantly made his way back towards Tony's house. But he didn't quite make it all the inside.
Steve could smell Tony coming a full minute before he actually saw him coming around the corner in his peripheral vision. All he wanted was to be left alone for just a few more hours, but apparently that was too much to ask. Steve tried to smother the unusually hot burst of frustration that flared up at the thought of being disturbed. He recognized it the hormones from the heat, tried to tell himself that he shouldn't be annoyed, but the Wolf in him was snarling at having his territory invaded. Invaded by someone that couldn't—shouldn't—be a potential mate. Couldn't he? No, no. But yet-?
Shaking his head, Steve let out a quiet growl. He could hardly think straight anymore and that made the anger worse. Everything was getting worse. Yesterday he had been able to handle it, being around others, but things had just built up and up and now he didn't know what was going to happen next.
Tony's eyes quickly found his and the Cat scowled and stalked towards him. "Where the hell have you been? Have you seriously been moping out here all day like a little girl?"
Usually Steve would've let Tony's words wash over him, but he was not exactly in a good mood either. He wasn't up to putting up with Tony's nonsense. "Could you cut the attitude for once, Tony?"
By then Tony was within three feet of Steve and well into his personal space. He was close enough that Steve saw every detail as the Panther's eyes flashed then narrowed. "Sorry, what?"
Deep down Steve wanted to stop talking but he just couldn't. "I'm tired of your backtalk and I just can't put up with it this week."
Tony started forward and got right up in Steve's face, making his hackles rise. Don't do that. God, Tony, please don't do that. Steve ground his teeth as Tony jabbed a finger into his chest. "You don't talk to me in that tone on my property."
He didn't want to fight the Cat but how dare he-"I'll talk to you however I want." A red veil was falling over Steve's eyes as his alpha instincts leapt to the forefront. His heat was making him unable to keep his temper checked, but Tony was definitely not helping his control. The Cat's angry glare just spurred him on and he could taste the pheromones the other alpha was exuding because the smell was so strong.
"You're about ten words away from seriously pissing me off."
Steve snorted and looked down at Tony who was nearly a head shorter than him. "That's not much of a threat."
"We'll see about that!"
Tony's voice had dropped into a low growl and Steve was so distracted by it that he almost missed it when Tony swung his fist towards Steve's gut. A rush of air left Steve's lungs and he doubled over from the blow. Tony was a lot stronger than he looked, but Steve had an even higher endurance. He didn't even wait for his breath to return before launching himself at the Cat, forgoing punching and kicking in favor of wrestling him to the ground. Even in all his anger, Steve didn't want to hurt him.
They hit the ground with a heavy thump, both scrambling for dominance and traction. Tony had never turned his anger on Steve before but even now the Cat didn't seem to want to actually hurt Steve either. Steve was proven right when he left his side open to attack after trying to pin Tony's arms. He saw Tony's eyes dart to the exposed spot but instead of striking a blow—even though he had every opportunity to do so—Tony just clenched his jaw and focused on trying to break his captured arm free of Steve's hold.
Steve didn't have any time to think on it, not as distracted as he was. His skin burned wherever Tony touched it and he expected sparks to zap between them as he threw Tony off of him just so that he had the chance to breathe. He couldn't be around people in this condition, hadn't been able to stand it since puberty. He hadn't even let Bucky near him and now Tony was all over him and his emotions were everywhere and he needed air.
Momentarily gaining the advantage, Tony jerked his fist free from the tangle of limbs but before he pin the alpha Wolf Steve grabbed hold of his hand and flipped them over so that he was on top. Steve could feel Tony's heart beating through his chest as they both paused to take a breath at the same time. It wasn't until then that Steve realized he was aroused, and if the press against his leg was a telling sign, so was Tony.
This wasn't good.
Steve really shouldn't be touching anyone in his condition. Just touching was making him…
Swallowing, Tony leaned his head back against the ground, briefly exposing a column of tanned skin. The Cat still seemed angry but that didn't stop Steve from chasing his lips down. Tilting his head to the side at the last minute, Steve felt Tony shiver under him as his own lips brushed against the light dusting of stubble beginning to grow on Tony's cheek. He barely recognized his own voice, it sounded like he had gargled with a bucket of gravel. "Tony…"
He felt Tony swallow again, the Cat's voice almost as wrecked. "Sorry I hit you."
Closing his eyes, Steve took a deep inhale of Tony's scent. It was heady, almost choking, and it smelled so much like an alpha that it should've been off-putting. But it wasn't. It wasn't an alpha Wolf, maybe that was it. Maybe that was it, but Steve suddenly wanted. Somewhere throughout all of encounters they had shared Steve's feelings about Tony had morphed from disgust, to annoyance, to admiration, and then…Ever since Tony had come to him that night, it had changed into something else. But it couldn't be—love?
Steve drew in deep breaths, his mouth open to get a better scent. "It's our heats." He said it both for Tony and for himself. He couldn't remember any more if he had felt this way toward the feline alpha before his heat set in or if it was just a chemical reaction in his brain but he could hardly think anymore. His hormones were going haywire. And it seemed like he wasn't the only one.
Tony bit his lip before narrowing his eyes. "I have a proposition."
"What?"
"You should kiss me."
"Huh?" Steve wished he could've been more articulate, but all the blood in his body just flooded to the wrong brain.
Tony's cheek brushed against his and Steve shuddered at the feel of his breath against his ear. "We're both on edge, so let's take off some of the pressure."
But, no matter what his emotions were saying, they were just fighting. Weren't they? "Tony, I don't think we should—"
"Look," Tony tilted his own face so that his lips brushed up against Steve's in a way that made a bolt of electricity run down his spine, "I'm still pissed at you, but neither of us can keep this up. You're, the only one here I can ask. I'm one day away for going out for a quick fuck so—umph!"
Steve cut Tony off by shoving their mouths together. The thought of the Cat finding another partner when Steve had him right here made him almost blind with a possessive rage he didn't even know he had. This was bad and if Steve had any ounce of brain function to spare he would've been afraid as he quickly began to lose control over to his heat. One thought stuck though: he really did need to get a handle on this. And, like Tony had said, Tony was the only one Steve felt he could ask this of.
Their kiss, which had started with a hard press of lips, turned almost vicious as they both began to lose themselves to their instincts. Steve jumped when he felt Tony's lips opened and the Cat's tongue press against the seam of his mouth. He tentatively parted his own lips and Steve's eyes fluttered closed as their tongue's tangled together and Tony moaning underneath him. God, that was nice. Like getting a tall glass of water after a week of walking through a desert. The way Tony reached up and pulled on his hair somehow made it even better.
The Cat rolled them so that they were both on their sides, allowing Steve to wrap his arms around Tony and pull him tight to his chest in an effort to get even closer. It still wasn't enough, wasn't nearly close enough. Steve couldn't control his hand as it trailed down Tony's side until it reached his hip, his fingers tightening on Tony's waist.
The fingers digging into his skin seemed to shake Tony a little out of his haze. Pulling away from Steve's mouth, Tony still moaned again as Steve licked at his bottom lip. "Jesus…Jesus, Steve."
"Please, Tony." Steve didn't even know what he was begging for. For him to just shut up and go back to kissing, for something more. He was so hard he was aching and his blood was humming through his veins. Tony's eyelids fell shut and he growled before pulling Steve's head closer by the back of his neck for another heated kiss.
But he seemed determined to talk as he physically pulled Steve far enough back to separate their mouths again. "Steve, fuck." Both of their chests were heaving as Steve licked his lips. Tony looked ready to snap again at the action but somehow reigned himself in even as his eyes followed Steve's tongue. "If we don't stop now, I won't be able to."
Steve wanted to say that was fine just so that he could get some relief but there was just enough sense in him to take Tony's warning seriously. Closing his eyes, Steve took in a deep breath before rolling onto his back and falling free from Tony's grasp.
In turn, Tony let him go, his only protest the burning drag of his fingertips as they slipped across Steve's chest. The cold grass felt good against his heated skin and he finally was able to start catching his breath. It still felt like there was fire in his veins and now all he could smell was Tony laying right next to him, stinking of Cat and arousal. It smelled so good. "I don't…I don't know if that took the edge of my heat, Tony."
The Panther let out a husky chuckle as he turned onto his stomach so that he could watch Steve. "Yeah, that was a stupid solution. Short term: great, long term: blue balls."
Steve couldn't help it, he laughed back. Not because it was funny, but because it was true. "I thought you were supposed to be a genius?"
Opening his eyes, Steve rolled his head so that he could look at Tony only to find the Cat staring back at him, the corner of his darkened lips quirked up in a smile. "I take no responsibility for what my brain comes up with while I'm in heat."
Steve watched the way his lips moved but managed to smile and remember he was still mid-conversation. "I'm not listening to you anymore then until all this blows over."
Tony's grin spread. "That's probably smart since the only thing I can think of now is a very dirty suggestion for something you can blow instead."
Steve could only shake his head, too heated up still to be embarrassed by the blatant innuendo that usually would have made his face turn red. "You're terrible."
"I know."
Shaking his head again, Steve closed his eyes. But the visual deprivation only made him to focus more on Tony's smell. Which didn't help the situation. But he didn't open his eyes. "Hey, Tony?"
Tony released a low hum. "Hmm?"
"We're okay, right?"
"…Yeah, we're good."
But they weren't good. Not when Steve wanted to roll over, run his fingers through Tony's hair, and pull him back in for another kiss. This was new. This was dangerous. But if Tony said they were good, Steve could pretend. Besides, there was another question on his mind. "…How come you didn't go to Bruce with this? The two of you seem close."
He heard Tony fidget in the grass next to him. "I could say the same thing to you."
"It's not like that between us." Tony made an unconvinced noise and Steve opened his eyes to look the Cat in the eyes. "It's just a Wolf thing. I promise." He didn't know why it was so important to him that Tony understood and he was unduly relieved when the Cat rolled his eyes but nodded.
They both lay there for a few minutes more before Steve's stomach decided to remind him that it needed food. Tony laughed at him but helped him up and they made their way back into the house together. Leaving Steve in the kitchen to get started, Tony excused himself to "change his shirt". Steve was pretty sure he was doing more than that, unless Tony kept his shirts in the bathroom, but he didn't say anything. It took him five minutes standing in front of the open fridge while "deciding what to make for dinner" for his own arousal to start going down.
Hearing footsteps come up behind him, Steve glanced over his shoulder with a smile expecting to see Tony. Bruce looked surprised but gave a small smile back. "You look like you're feeling a bit better, Steve."
Steve kept his smile, fine with sharing it with Bruce, as he returned to cooking. "Yeah, a bit."
"Good." Bruce shuffled over to the coffee maker and after a moment's thought grabbed the decaf instead of his regular fully-caffeinated mix. It was a smart move; none of them needed any extra energy right now. As he started the machine up Bruce's nose twitched and he turned to look over at Steve. Steve swallowed but tried to look innocent as the beta's brow furrowed and he scented the air again.
It didn't work; Bruce had him figured out. Looking surprised, Bruce reached up and grabbed a mug out of the cabinet. "…I still might not be able to tell everything about the others, but if there's one thing I do know it's how to read a Wolf's scent. And yours says that you've been messing around."
"Well, I, uh…"
Steve was saved from answering as Tony strolled into the room. The Cat had indeed managed to change his shirt but he also seemed significantly more relaxed than he had when Steve had last seen him. A grin lit his face when he saw Bruce standing in the kitchen next to Steve and he walked over, patting Bruce on the shoulder as he passed by. "How's it going, home-wrecker?"
Bruce looked confused. "What?"
Tony raised a brow as he leaned back against the counter top. "You're pretty oblivious for the third side of a love triangle."
"Honestly, Tony, it's way too late in the day for—" Bruce cut himself off as Tony brushed by him, the Wolf's eyes widening as his nose twitched again. It took a moment for Steve to realize what dots had just connected in the scientist's head but when he did his whole face flushed red. Bruce opened his mouth once, closed it, then tried one more time after looking from Tony to Steve. "Did, did you two…?"
Tony tilted his head. "Did we fight then make-out and rut against each other like horny teenagers? Yes."
"And why would you-?"
"Because Mother Nature is a bitch and decided it was funny to compel us to fuck anything with a pulse for two weeks every year."
Bruce looked between the two of them then sighed. "Somehow I'm not surprised at you Tony, but Steve, I have a feeling this is a new low for you."
Steve could only shrug. "I'm not exactly proud of what happened…"
"Hey!" He smiled and fought to keep his pan on the stove as Tony shoved him.
The coffee maker beeped and Bruce gratefully turned back to pour himself a cup. "It's times like these I'm grateful for not having been born an alpha…"
"Tell me about it." Pulling away from Steve, Tony waved to the two Wolves. "Unlike some of you, I managed to feed myself properly today so I'm going down to my workshop. If you have to come down, knock first. For your own sake."
"Sure…" Bruce began to stir cream and sugar into his coffee then suddenly looked up as Tony was about to leave the room. "Hang on, what was that about me being part of a 'love triangle'?"
Tony grinned as he slipped out of the room. "Don't worry about it."
"I'm not in love with either of you!"
The Cat winked before disappearing down the hall. "It's alright, honey. I'll let you down easy."
Steve watched the whole exchange with a smile and shrugged again when Bruce turned back to him. "You know I'm not in love with him, right?"
"It's okay, Bruce."
"Alright. Good. Anyway, I'm going back to my room to hide under my sheets. Have a good night."
"Good night, Bruce."
O~O~O~O
The next day started out significantly better than the last had. Steve had escaped back outside but with his emotions a little more settled out than the day before. This time he didn't run but instead settled on doing simpler exercises in the yard. One of the others occasionally came out and got curious about what he was up to but today Steve didn't mind the lack of alone time as much. His heat was still at the forefront of his brain but the anger had significantly dwindled.
He almost considered himself calm when that façade was shattered. He was completely taken off guard by a flap of wings and the shriek of a hawk. Clint.
Steve's head snapped up to see a giant hawk land in front of him, Clint quickly shifting back to his human form with a panicked look on his face. "Steve! Steve, we have a situation."
Muscles instantly tensed, Steve leapt to his feet. "What's wrong?"
"Mammal Shifters is what's wrong. Tony and Thor are about to kill each other!"
"What?! Why?"
"Who knows? They're both too jacked up on pheromones to listen to us though. You need to come break it up!"
Steve didn't need to hear anymore. Motioning for Clint to lead the way Steve raced after him as the Hawk shifted back into his animal form and took flight. Steve followed him all the way around the front of the mansion to the front drive where, sure enough, Tony and Thor were in a full-on fight. As he drew closer Steve understood why Clint had shifted to come and find him faster. The Cats were both swinging real punches and he saw blood staining the front of both of their clothes.
A growl ripped from Steve's throat and he threw himself into the mix, shouting to be heard above the din. "Stop, right now! The both of you! Right-!"
Steve was cut off as Thor's fist swung into his face, the punch meant for Tony. It sent him reeling back, the Lion matching him in strength, and he snarled as he struggled to keep his feet. Before he could launch himself at the other blond, Tony beat him to it as he jumped at Thor with a fierce growl. "You son of a bitch, I'll-!"
"Tony, enough!" Steve's shout caused Tony to falter for half a second, just long enough for Steve to force himself between the two Cats. He was facing Thor and their chests bumped as Tony pressed against his back, still eager for the chance to strike at the Lion. Steve wasn't about to give him that chance though. Shoving them both back with his shoulders, Steve turned and threw his arms out to separate them by another few feet. "Stop! Enough!"
Blood tickled at Steve's nose and he could taste it on his tongue. But his nose didn't feel broken so he ignored it. He could feel Tony's chest heaving underneath the palm he had pressed against the Panther to keep him at bay and he similarly ignored the tremors that ran through his body at the physical contact. Now was not the time, especially when he couldn't allow this to go unpunished. This was the second fight they had had in three days and he couldn't let it continue like that. Bruce had jerked forward when Steve had been hit and now he reached in and grabbed Tony's shoulder, Clint moving in to do the same to Thor. Once he was sure that neither of the Cats would attack again, Steve slowly lowered his arms and pinned each of them in turn with a sharp glare. "I don't know what started this fight," he held his hand up as Tony's mouth fell open, "and right now I don't want to know. We're all on edge but that doesn't give anyone the right to resort to physical violence. I don't want to remove either of you from this team," they were both invaluable, "but I will if have to!"
Thor with still growling deep in his throat, his eyes narrowed in a heavy glare. He could practically feel Tony's own stare drilling into the back of his head and he made sure that he met both of their eyes before continuing. They had to know that he was serious. "Now, we're going to talk this thing over inside, but you can consider yourselves on notice. One more incident like this and I will be having a talk with Coulson about your reassignment."
Without any further conversation, Thor turned and stalked back into the house. Wiping his face as blood streaked down from his nose, Steve grimaced. It probably looked bad, but it wasn't anything close to what Tony and Thor had done to each other. Speak of the devil…Tony tucked up next to him as Thor disappeared back inside the mansion. The billionaire's brow was pinched in concern, his golden brown eyes skimming over Steve's face and angrily taking in every detail. Seemingly oblivious to his own wounds, Tony reached up and thumbed at the red smudge on Steve's cheek. "Did that bastard get you too bad?"
Steve shivered at the touch but forced himself to slap the Cat's hand away. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted. As the leader he was obligated to keep order and discipline and he wouldn't let his own heat debilitate him and keep him from performing his duties. "I'm fine. Just…go inside, Tony."
"Steve—"
"Please."
Steve had spoken under his breath, quiet enough so that only Tony had heard him. The Cat eyed him once more before growling and turning on his heels to follow Thor back into his home.
Checking back with Bruce and Clint to try and give them an ounce of reassurance, Steve shook his head then slowly made his way towards the front door of the house. He wasn't looking forward to this.
Thor and Tony were both waiting for him in the living room. They both had their arms crossed and were standing on opposite sides of the room, but at least they had both did as he asked. Now that they were both standing still Steve could tell that while their cuts had bled a lot it looked like they were mostly flesh wounds, which was good for all involved. Nevertheless, after they were done here he was going to call Bruce in to take a look at them.
Both Cats looked up as he entered the room and Steve decided to cut right to the chase. "Listen, we're this team's alphas. We can't bicker amongst ourselves like this, it isn't good for group dynamics."
Tony snorted as he dropped down into a chair, one leg lazily propped up on the cushioned arm. "Easy to say when you are the one in charge."
"I'm serious." Steve put his hands on his hips. "The others look to all of us, not just me, as alpha Shifters for leadership. How are they supposed to trust any of us to make decent decisions together if we can't go for forty-eight hours without breaking into a brawl? So what is it? What is going on between you two that you can't get along? And I don't just want to hear it's because you're Cat Shifters." There was more to it than that and they could only blame the current state of things on biology for so long.
Thor frowned down at Tony and cross his arms over his chest. "I demand to be treated with more respect. I am a prince of-!"
Unable to keep his mouth shut, Tony threw his hands into the air in exasperation. "Of fucking what? Some village in Scandinavia humans don't even know about? Congratulations, that's a hot piece of property right there."
Steve shook his head. "Tony, Thor has a point. This isn't going to work if we don't have some respect for each other." The 'and you can be kind of an asshole' went unsaid but judging by Tony's expression he received the message loud and clear.
"This isn't all on me. He needs to learn his place! He can't lord over us just because he has delusions of being royalty."
"I have no intentions of 'lording' over anyone!"
Tempers were beginning to rise again and Steve tried to cut it off before they could start swinging again. "Okay, okay! Both of you! You're letting your heat get the better of you!"
Thor snarled back. "As if either of you are in any position to lecture me on losing control of one's self during a heat!"
"I—I don't kn—" Steve's eyes flew to Tony's, suddenly unable to form a proper sentence.
Thor continued, waving his hand wildly towards Tony as he kept his eyes on Steve. "If you had not chosen to seek release from each other, you would be no better off than I."
"How did you…?" He wasn't a Wolf like Bruce, he wouldn't have smelled it on them!
Snorting, Thor straightened up. "You think me a child! I have seen many courtings in my lifetime and I know the signs. At first I did not believe it possible, a Wolf and a Cat, and two alphas besides, but there is no mistaking the way you act around each other."
Tony growled from his seat. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about."
"I know exactly what I speak of. And it is little wonder now why you, a Cat, have supported a Wolf as you have. This has been going on for longer than this heat, has it not?"
Tony jerked up in his chair. "Shut the hell up!"
"Tony!" As much as he didn't like where Thor was taking this conversation, he couldn't allow Tony to speak to the Lion like that, especially since they had just had a talk about respect.
Apparently it's not what Tony wanted to here. Lurching up out of his seat, Tony glared at Steve. "Listen, if you're not actually going to do anything more than scold us, I'm going back to my room."
"Tony. I'm not done."
"Too bad, because I am."
With that Tony stormed out of the room, leaving Thor and Steve in an awkward silence. It didn't take long for Steve to call Bruce in and leave himself. He let his feet carry him out onto the back deck where he shakily took a seat and put his head in his hands.
He just wanted to forget. Forget about the fighting, about Loki and their botched mission. About Los Angeles and the Shifters and humans who died or were injured there today because his team was falling apart at the seams because of a chemical reaction in their brain that turned them into hormone-crazed animals. About Tony and how good it felt to kiss him and how intoxicating his scent was.
Steve let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes. It would be over soon.
