CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"What is going to happen?" asked Jenny, quietly, as Darcy settled on the bathroom floor, leaning against the tub. "I want Steve, I do. But how does any of it work? The bonding, mating, claiming? I've never been with an alpha. This is only my second cycle -"
"Okay, slow down," chuckled Darcy, reaching over to grasp Jenny's fidgeting hand in the water. "I know it's confusing, and scary, but it's going to be alright. Steve may be clueless about women, most of the time, but… Bucky and I are behind you both. I'm here for you, okay?"
Jenny nodded, taking a deep breath and exhaling. Leaning back in the tub, she stared up at the ceiling, and listened to Darcy explain everything. She felt like such a non-omega, or beta. She knew nothing except what she had learned as a nurse in the 1950s. It was all outdated, biased towards omegas accepting their alphas' wants and needs, staying in the home, but nothing about the experiences. Everything she remembered was provided with a skewed view. Even in the modern era, decades ahead of her time, information about omega biology and experiences leaned heavily on prior bias. Basically, baby machines, housewives, etcetera.
Darcy spoke the truth, in great detail, and Jenny appreciated it. Vanessa would have glossed over specifics in an attempt to soothe her nerves. Jenny loved her nestmate, her best friend, but Darcy was brash, bold and unfiltered. All the dirty details, everything Jenny could possibly feel through the whole process, the buxom omega divulged. All of it.
"Everything is going to be accelerated, because of everything," said Darcy, letting Jenny squeeze her hand every so often. "If you're serious about moving from imprinted to claimed, just relax and let it happen naturally during this cycle. It will be easier on both of you, instead of forcing it, or being nervous. Think of it… like it's your third date, and you're ready to take the next step."
"What does it feel like?" asked Jenny, glancing over at Darcy. "Being with your soulmate? With the alpha you're meant to be with?"
Darcy took a moment, sighing as she thought of the words, "Like you've been drifting, and you finally have a home. Like a port in a storm."
"That sounds nice," Jenny breathed, smiling. "Steve feels like home, already. It becomes harder to be away from him, and all I want is his presence. I want to be near him all the time."
"There's no reason to be nervous, you know," offered Darcy. "Instinct will guide you, so just enjoy relax, enjoy the amazing sex, and bask in the glow."
"The glow?"
Yes, the glow," said Darcy with a smirk. "Euphoria, glow… Everything is going to change, but you'll be the same… Sort of. Don't worry. It's just… after you claim each other and seal that bond you share, there's… You feel a lot, and all at once. Then there's the glow when your shared cycle fizzles out, and you're present, lucid, and all you want to do is screw. Everywhere. Then there's the nesting period, which is difficult, because you want your things so you can merge them into this new space, but… Steve is going to be overly protective, and you're going to feel threatened if another omega comes in. It's tricky. I'm sure Pepper will find some unscented betas to bring in your stuff. It's sort of confusing, because - Okay, so it's just going to be the two of you for a while, just you. Like a honeymoon for an undetermined amount of time, while you both settle into a new dynamic, sort of."
"Okay."
"There'll be bumps in the road, but it's just the usual ones that come from co-existing in a space," Darcy explained. "Don't feel bad if either one of you gets irritated for no reason - that's just the omega hormones grating against alpha dominance. And you're going to want to rip apart everything in the apartment and create the perfect nesting space. Cleaning obsessively was the hardest for me. I hate cleaning, but I couldn't stop myself. I wanted the apartment to be just for us, and I wouldn't let anyone in who would change the scent. Not for, like, two months. It's normal, though. All mated omegas go through it, so don't be worried. You're not going crazy. It's just instinct driving you for a while."
"Will Steve change?"
Darcy chuckled, "Oh, yes. He's going to be devoted to you. Overly protective, too. Maybe a little aggressive until everything settles. No one is going to be allowed in this apartment until the claiming bond finishes sealing, or whatever."
"I don't want him to forsake his purpose, the Avengers, to make a home with me," sighed Jenny, running a hand over her face. "It doesn't seem fair."
"Everyone is being notified, and the Avengers will handle things without him," Darcy replied, with a shrug. "Don't worry yourself about it. That's what the honeymoon period is for - to smooth out any rough edges after the glow starts to fade. It's like building your home, like you build your nest. Everyone understands -"
"I doubt Natasha Romanov understands," Jenny interjected, feeling a rise of jealousy, or panic. "She doesn't like me. I don't think she understands that what I've come to feel for Steve is true, without nefarious reasons. She treated me as if… I was the enemy."
"Yeah, she did that to me, as well," huffed Darcy with a shrug of her shoulders. "I think she had a thing for Bucky, but she came around. I think she perpetuates a sense of suspicion on anyone that comes between her and her family. The Avengers are the only friends and family she has, and I think she's overly protective of them. Plus, I think she's heartbroken since Banner keeps rebuffing her advances, but is so at ease around you. Even the Hulk adores you."
"I treat Dr. Banner as if I would anyone else," Jenny sighed. "And the Hulk… He just wants a friend. He wants to be treated like he's… a person. Not a monster."
"Nat will come around," Darcy offered, again, giving Jenny's hand a comforting squeeze. "It all falls into place, you know. It doesn't hurt, either, if you're worried about that. The claiming bites? You'll both be flying on that high for days. But you'll remember everything. It won't be like your first cycle."
"That makes me feel so much better," sighed Jenny, sinking down into the cool water. "I just want to be happy, make my alpha happy. I was never taught how, though."
"That's the beauty of finding your mate," answered Darcy, perking up with a grin. "You're already perfect to each other. Certain things change, your feelings and emotions are amplified, but you'll still be you."
"Hey, I'm back," called Steve from somewhere in the apartment. "I had to grab Bucky to bring everything up. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, that's fine," called Darcy in return, offering Jenny a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Jen. He's going to take care of you, and you'll take care of him. Then you'll take care of each other, while you find your footing. Parts of it - the after - is going to be different, hard. But it's an experience you'll cherish forever. Both of you. And I'm here for you. Bucky, too. And your friends. They won't go away just because you've bonded with your mate. You'll find your way together."
"Thank you, Darcy," breathed Jenny, eyes full of fresh tears. "I'm so glad we're family. I'm glad I can ask you these things without… being uneasy. And you don't sugar coat it. Thank you for your honesty."
"Any time, Jen," replied Darcy, getting up from the bathroom floor. "I'll go stock up the kitchen with Bucky, and send Steve in. A nice bath will help you both relax. Jarvis will keep the apartment sealed tight. No one in or out. Enjoy!"
And then she was gone, and Jenny was left in a tub of cold water, aching for her alpha to return to her side. It felt better knowing everything - what to expect. It was confusing, all of it, but at least she knew what to expect, mostly. And she would have Steve. It would be about them, between them. They would find their normal, and have time to discuss delicate topics, according to Darcy. They would also be overwhelmed with passion and love, basking in the euphoric glow of their claiming bond.
Jenny knew the dirty little details, the good and the bad, and she could breathe easily. At least, just a little bit. She knew what to expect; emotions, desires, and so on. She just had to tell herself that everything would work out. It would just take time, like Darcy said. Let things settle on their own. Don't force it. Don't be nervous.
It would be fine.
Steve would take care of her, and she would take care of him. Two would become one.
When he returned to the bathroom, the tub had drained out, and Jenny had started filling it up again with slightly warmer water and bubbles with a subtle scent, nothing too overwhelming. Just enough to feel relaxed with a soft fragrance mingling with their own. The thought of sharing a bath with him, both naked, made something deep inside her clench. Her quim throbbed, twinging from the emptiness, and her nerves were abuzz with electric heat, arousal.
And she was still present, lucid, herself.
"Did Darce answer all your questions," asked Steve, stripping down without much fuss, save for a flush creeping up his chest. "I know I'm still a little on edge."
Jenny blushed, giving him some privacy by staring at the tile wall until he slipped down into the tub behind her. Overall, she felt better between Darcy's information, and Steve's return, his scent washing over her like a balm, soothing all her worries to simple background noise. And when she leaned back against his bare chest, her back resting against his growing erection, and his long legs stretching out to the end of the tub, knees bent to fit.
Letting go of a breath she was holding, Jenny finally broke the awkward silence, "Vanessa would have sugar coated everything. She likes to coddle me, most of the time. Darcy doesn't have a filter. I appreciated it."
Steve chuckled, rubbing his large hands up and down her arms, "Yeah, that's our Darce. She's never one to shy away from the gross details."
"Did Bucky answer your questions?" asked Jenny, snuggling back against his chest with a wiggle of her hips. "All the information they never write about in the books?"
"Yeah," Steve barked out a laugh, wrapping his arms around her. "And Darcy, too. All the details you'd rather not know, but she tells you anyway."
Jenny giggled, hugging his arms around her with a large smile, "I'd rather know exactly what to expect. The good and the bad. It helps."
"It does," answered Steve, tucking her head under his chin. "Are you still sure about this?"
"Yes," Jenny replied, without hesitation. "No one else, just you. Only you, Steve."
A soft growl grew in Steve's chest, almost like a deep purr, as he pulled his arms away, lips ghosting the back of her neck, "You and me 'til the end of the line, doll."
"No regrets?" questioned Jenny, leaning into the feel of his beard and his lips traveling to the side of her neck, teeth grazing over her mating gland. "No second thoughts?"
"No," grumbled Steve, tongue licking over the inflamed gland. "You're my home now, Jenny. Never thought it would happen so quickly, but you're it. I'm all in if you are."
With a breathy moan, Jenny tilted her head to the side, giving him more access as she arched back against him, body abuzz with electricity and fire, "I'm all in. My home. My alpha… My Steve."
He bit her lightly, and a squeal of pleasure escaping her chest, like a high pitched mewl. It was the most obnoxious sound she had ever made in her life, but it pulled another possessive growl from Steve that slid over her skin like velvet. It felt better than that morning, the soap and the water, skin so slippery and smooth, and his hands moving down to her chest. She groaned when he palmed a breast, loving how the callous on the bend of his thumb felt against her nipple. It was erotic. Sensual.
Perfect.
When Steve rolled her nipples between his fingers, Jenny was full to bursting with sensation, as if she could feel everything between them. It was so intense, so sudden, she gripped Steve's knees, nails digging into the flesh. She wanted to feel all of it for the rest of her life. His touch, his joy, his adoration and love.
Everything.
Always.
