The Iron King…
/Warning/: This chapter contains, cursing, a little bit of violence, fluff, and Steve and Tony get a little bit closer, and the Winter Games are here! All reviews are appreciated.
P.S: This is an Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamic story, it's also a Medieval story with Viking Tony ^o^
"Character talking"
"Character thinking"
…Flashbacks…
Chapter 16
It was here!
It was finally here, the day he dreaded so much and wished that would never come; the start of the winter games… if one thing was known, it was that Anton hated these kinds of games with passion and would have preferred to stay in his workshop tinkering with metal and fire than participate in these tasteless and violent games that would last for over two weeks before it was over. For the thousand times, Anton wondered why he was forced to participate in the games in the first place because let's be honest, it wasn't like he was interested in the prizes that would be given considering that Anton own many riches and fortune that those prizes looked like a child's play; it wasn't that Anton was interested in showing off his strength and brutality to the onlookers that would 'Oh' and 'Ah' at every move that he was going to make (Everyone and their mother feared his brutality and insanity; they used to call him the Merchant of Death before he became The Feared Iron King). It wasn't that Anton was interested in attracting a mate or one of the Omegas or Betas that would flutter their eyelashes as they tried to attract his attention; if you wanted the truth, Anton was interested in one Omega, and one Omega only, but the Omega in question didn't seem that interested to come and see him play if it didn't mean he would get a good laugh out of it every time Anton fumbled his way through the many games the elders no doubt were arranging to embarrass him.
So here Anton was, having his behind dragged to the arena before the games started by Jamti and Magna (The traitors who Anton removed the title friends from) so what if Anton was late for the games? It wasn't like he needed to participate in every game there is, so it was no rush to go to the arena… like ever… Anton could hide until the last day of the games before making an appearance and making a fool out of everyone and himself; it turned out that his trusted friends doesn't share the same sentiment as him… figures.
So here Anton was dragged along the way, grumbling and hissing like a furious wet cat, when he noticed how everyone was getting more and more excited when they noticed him walking (Dragged) toward the arena (Which was nothing but a clear field near the ocean they had spent weeks preparing and building housing accommodation and seating arrangement for the visitors that would arrive and the players that would participate) probably they finally realized that Anton would play in the winter games this year and not hide away like the past few years until the games are over.
"How interesting… it looks like the games are starting already." Just as Anton's luck would have it, Anton was greeted by the sight of Steven with his pack not that far behind with the children playing with Petrus who was missing since morning (And still didn't pay his father any attention other than a flitting glance before he returned to play with James... which kinda hurt and put Anton in a low mood). Anton could only twitch a little at the amusing look Steven was sending his way, looking like he was holding in his laughter as he saw the position Anton was in with his two friends who were dragging him to the games.
Why? Just why were everyone and everything so against him that the fates decided to embarrass him even more by bringing Steven to witness how he was dragged like a disobeying child to the games; thankfully Jamti seemed to realize the position Anton was in and he let go of his fellow Alpha in the hope of saving his face in front of the Omega he fancies… it's not like the damage wasn't done or anything, but it was nice of Jamti to remember that Anton was reducing his chance of successfully courting the queen by such actions.
"I thought you are not going to show up, to games that consist of nothing but Alphas showing off like peacocks…" Anton tried to appear non-challenged about the fact that the Omega he fancied just saw him being humiliated by his friends; the sly smile on the Omega's lips informed Anton that what he was trying to desperately portray was nothing but the acting of a fool and the queen knew it, which caused him to let out a tired sigh.
"I was not… but then I heard the Omegas talking about the games being spectacular this year, so I could not help but be curious." Anton had to grimace as the queen's wide grin widen even more and how he emphasize his words when talking about the games like they haven't talked about it in a length last night; the queen seemed to be even more satisfied when he detected the near flinch Anton did after the Omega said his words with so many hidden meanings and amusement.
"If it is like that, then I sincerely advise you to stop listening to the gossip in the market… I am sure those Omegas have many important things to do other than gossiping around." Anton mumbled with a huff, gaining a snort from Steven who was looking a step away from laughing himself silly at how Anton was embarrassing himself further with every word he says.
"It was Klint actually… and we were not in the market this time." Steven smirked, enjoying the annoying grunt and curse that left Anton as soon as he heard 'Klint's name… he should have known that Klint and Nattalegg had something to do with this, the two of them still bother him about marrying Steven or they were going to steal him as their mate; which to this day still irritate Anton to no end. "I wish you the best of luck in the games, Foolish King… you are going to need it this time." Suddenly Steven stated, causing Anton to blink in surprise and turn to the Omega, mainly to order (Beg him really) him to say those words again, but this time with Anton paying attention; because Anton was so sure he was dreaming and that this was not real, or was it?
Instead, Anton had to watch the Omega's retreating back as he went to his pack, a grin on his face as the children surrounded him; what made Anton flush and for his Alpha to rumble in happiness was the Omega turning to Anton one last time before waving goodbye to him and heading on his way. "Is it real or am I dreaming this?" Magna suddenly asked/whispered to her husband, snapping Anton out of the nice and warm fuzziness he was feeling ever since the Omega smiled and waved goodbye to him.
"I do not know… did The Queen just wish Anton luck?" Jamti whispered back, his gaze not straying away from the place the Omega stood in as he waved, blinking at the empty place as if the Omega was still there waving another goodbye to the group before heading away with his pack to the arena.
Anton continued to hear Jamti and Magna whispering about Steven and Anton, and the Alpha really couldn't help but clear his throat in embarrassment and straighten himself, gaining surprised looks from Jamti and Magna who scrambled to follow him when Anton started walking to the arena, without being dragged or prompted by his friends. Anton ignored his friends calling out for him to wait, his heart pounding and his face flushed from the cold air (Definitely from the cold air nothing else!), and if there was a huge grin on his face?
No one dared to comment on it…
Everything was a nightmare… Anton knew that! He knew that! But still, he managed to fool himself that everything was going to be fine just because Steven managed to give him one of his lovely smiles before the games started… Anton should have known this was going to be a nightmare, especially after he ignored the subtle laughter hidden in the queen's voice; he should have stayed hidden in his workshop like he planned the night before and let everyone mess everything up without him being in the picture…. He should have known.
It started as normal as Anton liked to imagine; games being called out and people from all around the arena participating to show their strength and improvement. Not caring if the player was an Alpha, Beta, or an Omega; female or a male, all that was important was the strength that was going to be displayed in front of everyone to entertain the crown and prove the strength of the player. As far as the games go, there is no set of fixed rules when deciding to join; everyone can join a game or two a day and call it a quit; some enjoyed participating every day for the next two weeks to prove themselves, while other would participate only on certain days when certain games were played. That is the joy of such games, no hard rules, no enforcement like the insane gladiator rules (Like how Rome or other places liked to do, taking the joy of such simple games) or disqualification from the game unless someone broke a specific rule from the game and cheated, and the most importantly, no over the top violence that results in death; other than that, everything is fair game.
So far, everything was fine, great even! Anton enjoyed the games he witnessed and rewarded the winners with their prizes; so far everything was great and Anton even enjoyed himself and started looking for the next games, wondering if he should participate when interesting games were announced to begin or wait until a more exciting game to come. It was only after the archers contest ended (That Klint not so surprisingly won) that the happy mood Anton was feeling started to disappear… especially when the elders made an appearance and called him by the name to participate in the next game, that the joyful mood Anton felt disappeared like ashes in the wind.
Glíma, was the game the elders forced him to participate in; a wrestling game, that while Anton was good at, he refused to participate in. Because let's face it, most of the participants would drop off of the game if they knew they were going against Anton, which more than once, left Anton uncomfortable and embarrassed when a strong competent warrior folded from the game when they saw that Anton was their next opponent; because they don't want to go against 'The King' as they said.
So here Anton was, standing with a harsh scowl on his face, glaring at the elders with murderous eyes as he tried not to shift in his place every second that passed to show how uncomfortable he was; Anton already knew the result of this game in practice, nearly everyone he was going to face was going to fold, leaving him either going off against Nattalegg (Who not surprisingly was amazing at this game) Thor (Who is a specialist in these kinds of games) or Loki (If Thor managed to annoy him enough that he agreed to participate to shut his brother) and after that, and only after that, Anton was going to go against his friends, which he suspect were either going to let him win the game (Of course they would, especially when they knew the queen was watching him) or will try to embarrass him by making him lose (Which Nattalegg and Loki would do, if only to make Steven laugh at him) so you can see, why Anton was not excited to play Glíma when he had important things to do.
So here Anton was, biting the inside of his cheek hard as he saw the contestants shuffle in their places, some folded and retread back to the arena, not even the prize of three horses and a chest of silver and gold enticed them to stay in the game; while other decided to try their luck in defeating 'The Iron King' and gain the desired reputation; all in all, what was left out of fifty contestants was nineteen, leaving Anton embarrassed as he heard the giggles and misinformation that no doubt was going around the arena at the moment.
Nineteen… if you count Anton in… just that thought brought the Alpha nothing but embarrassment and humiliation; where people would probably boast and rejoice at the thought of their fame scaring off over thirty contestants and forcing them to retreat, Anton felt uncomfortable at the thought of forcing a few who spent days preparing for the game back away in fear of angering him, even when some may need the prizes of the games. Anton looked around at the players, relaxing when he saw as expected Thor and Nattalegg taking a turn in this game, to his surprise, even Jamti decided he wanted an in on the game, which made Anton relax even further.
"Does anyone want to step forward before the game is to start?" One of the elders asked, causing people to whisper around before looking at the players; all of who were known for their brute strength and violence in battle; Anton had to bite his cheek and gaze around the arena, hoping that he would catch a glimpse of the queen to see the Omega's reaction to what just happened not a few moments ago. "Anyone?" The elder repeated, and Anton pressed his lips tightly into a thin line, knowing that no one was going to participate after so many people backed away from the game.
Suddenly Anton heard an exploding of whispers and exclaims, causing him to turn around to where everyone was pointing, and his eyes widened uncontrollably when he noticed Steven walking toward the gathering players, a challenging grin on his face and confident in his steps, and Anton had to reign his surprise when he saw the Omega standing beside him. "I thought you were not taking any part in these barbaric games…" Anton accused, causing Steven's lips to twitch into a smirk when he no doubts heard the surprise and confusion in his voice.
"I was not at first because this game is boring… but the look on your face convinced me otherwise." Teased the Omega, and Anton had to stop his lips from twitching down, especially when the Omega implied that he saw how uncomfortable Anton was; instead, he stilled for scrunching his nose at the Omega whose grinned widened even more. "That and I want to throw you around the arena for a while… consider it a revenge for the foolish metaphor last night." And here Anton had to snort and a smile to twitch on his lips unconsciously, count on the Omega to hold a grudge against him at that metaphor even if he said he forgave Anton.
"Is he even allowed to participate in the games?" Someone called out from the group of players, and Anton had to contain his hiss in annoyance when he saw that it was Tyber who scrambled toward them from his seated place, deciding to participate only when he saw Steven walking toward the group.
"What is the matter? Are you afraid that an Omega is going to wipe the ground with your face?" Steven questioned, a dangerous look in his eyes as he gazed at the Beta, sizing him up; it was that look that informed Anton there was going to be bloodshed in the game today, but even then, Anton didn't point it out, deciding to let everything be until he had to pull the raging Omega off of Tyber's corpse… which thinking about it, it may not be a bad thing at all.
Steven's words got their desired effect by causing the players to laugh and shake their heads, pointing at Tyber whose face was getting red as he heard some call him a 'Babe'. "As if I am going to lose against you! You must be joking!" Tyber exclaimed, trying to save face from being laughed at once more, only to gain a snort from the players.
Whatever non-sense Tyber was going to throw next was cut by the elders as they told everyone to get ready and stand in a line as they called the contestants to participate; two at a time until the game was over and only two players stand to complete the game. Anton shifted in his place nervously, hating that he was forced once again to wait out to fight the winner who is to defeat all the players; bending the rules of the game was one thing, but bending it because he was a king was something else, which was why he hated taking any part in the games festival. Anton though, couldn't help his heart from pounding in his chest as he watch contestant after contestant being called out to play; his mind and gaze always stray to Steven who was looking more and more bored as the game drew on and his name wasn't called out yet.
It wasn't that Anton wasn't sure that Steven would win; he knew the Omega would win if the fight he had with Hamar and his minions was an indication, that the foolish queen was a strong warrior. What Anton feared was what Tyber would dare to do when he is to face Steven; knowing that snake, he would use weapons and cheat, something that the elders would try to play it off no doubt.
As expected, Thor, Nattalegg, and Jamti have won their matches easily, not even breaking a sweat to tackle their opponent to the ground and declare their win; it was when Steven's name was called out after Tyber that Anton's heart nearly dropped to his stomach, knowing fully well that the elders probably planned this if the devilish smiles on some of the elders' faces were anything to go by. As much as Anton wanted to stop Steven and tell him not to accept the match, he knew that he has no right to ask that of the Omega, especially if he didn't want to destroy whatever hope he build on courting the Omega… it didn't stop Anton from worrying though, especially when Tyber started to make a nausea of himself as he sashays to where Steven was standing while sending Anton happy smile, which got nothing but a disgusting grimace in return. Steven and Tyber stayed standing in their places for a few seconds before they started walking in a circle, backs straight as they sized each other up, and for a second Anton wondered if he should get ready for a corpse followed by the elders deafening him with their annoying voices.
"Are you sure you do not want to fold? I promise I will not think less of you if you back away, crazy Omega!" Tyber edged on, his words getting a twitch from Anton and a snarl nearly took over his face when the Beta dared to insult the Omega; for a split second, Anton wondered to himself, if he was going to be the one who was leaving the corpse to the elders to be dealt with, which doesn't sound so bad now that Anton was rethinking his stand.
"Is that so? Too bad for you I am not in the habit of listening to oath breakers who lie through their teeth." Steven countered back, causing Tyber's smirk to twitch into a frown before the man hissed and charged at Steven, tactlessly. Anton would swear high and low that he couldn't comprehend what happened next; for a moment Tyber was charging at the Omega, planning on throwing him down and winning, and the next, Tyber was on his back several meters away, gasping as the Omega wiped his hands with his tonic, a grimace on his face as if a foul thing touched them.
"What?" Anton questioned tilting his head, and he wasn't the only one in daze and confusion as they gazed at the scene that couldn't have taken more than a blink of an eye. Anton can hear the whispers starting once more as everyone was pointing at the queen and Tyber; in the distance Anton was sure he was hearing James and Petrus cheering and clapping their hands followed by the queen's pack, and that was what probably snapped him out of his daze and made him clap his hands as he gazed at the Omega, his heart pounding in his chest when Steven raised his eyebrow as his lips twitched in a smile, causing Anton to feel warm on the inside.
"He was fast…" Nattalegg murmured, getting a nod from Jamti who didn't remove his eyes from Tyber who was whining and huffing as he demand a rematch and that the Omega cheated; an accusation that was so funny, that nearly everyone started to protest when the elders granted Tyber another chance. Before Anton can object at the elders breaking the rules, Tyber charged at the Queen once more… only to be thrown once more and find himself on his back.
At that everyone started laughing, especially, when Steven start inspecting his nails when Tyber stood up once more, demanding a rematch… which as you can predict, met with a lot of jeering and disapproval, but the elders once more granted the cunning weasal his chance. That was when Anton decided to take the matter into his own hands and walk toward the players when the elders granted Tyber his third chance; and just as Tyber was about to charge, Anton caught his right arm and flipped him over his shoulder, rending everyone silent.
"We came here to finish this game fairly, we did not come to see you show favors and offer Tyber three chances when the other players were not granted the same." Anton snapped, causing the elders to flounder when Anton's words summoned the ire of the warriors who lost and kept silent until now. "If we are done with this unfair match, then the winner is clear; if not… I am sure the rest of the players would love to go against Tyber as his next opponent, considering that he is granted many chances in this game without us knowing." That caused the warriors to laugh and cheer, followed by the crowd as they giggled and pointed out at Tyber, some even stood up and decided to join the game, seemingly getting more excited at the thought of thrashing Tyber a few more times, while others wanted to test how strong Steven was.
Anton, though, was having the time of his life when he saw the elders' faces go from pale to red to purple, looking like they were going to explode any second now; the only one who was having the time of his life was Fury, who was laughing loudly in the background, which was not that surprising, considering his hate for the elders and the Stone clan. "The winner is… The Hydra Queen…" The elders finally agreed, seemingly spitting these words against their will, they even referred to Steven by his previous title, as if trying to remind the people of where the Omega belonged before; no that people seemed to care as they all clapped and cheered for the Omega (The only Omega who decided to play this game)
"I did not need your help…" Anton heard Steven say, and he wondered if the Omega was going to throw him just like he did Tyber, but Anton gathered himself and turned to the Omega who was studying him and he shrugged his shoulders, praying for the Gods not to embarrass him and make him tongue-tied.
"I know you do not, but it irks me how the elders discard the rules for him when they refused to do so to many players when their opponent was caught cheating." Anton spat as he glared at Tyber, ignoring the Beta who stood up trying to clean his clothes from the dust and follow Anton at the same time, only to trip and fall on his face, making everyone in the arena laugh at him once more.
Whatever Steven planned on telling him next, he held it back and gave Anton a mysterious smile as he seemed to size him up. Anton couldn't help but shiver, already feeling like he was going to finally get it after crossing the Omega in such manners; thankfully, nothing bad happened, on the contrary, many more people decided to participate in the game if only to go against the queen to see how strong he was… and all who went against him ended up eating dirt as the Omega throw them with nothing but a flicker of his fingers, not even breaking a sweat as he slammed huge Alphas to the ground.
"You look afraid." That was what Steven said when his opponent was Thor; if Anton didn't know any better, he would have thought the Omega was edging the huge Alpha into making a rushed movement, but Anton liked to think that he knows his friend, and the way Thor shifted in his place, informed Anton that Thor was truly cautious and wary of the Omega.
"Ah, who would not be a little concerned when facing a Valkyrie?" Thor stated as he and Steve started to walk in a circle, their eyes sharp as they studied each other's movement, waiting for who would move next. "Even in jest, facing a Valkyrie should not be taken lightly… I nearly lost an eye thinking otherwise." Thor grinned at his words, causing an amused smile to cross over Steven's face.
"Then you should be grateful, that I am not trying to teach you a lesson," Steven said before moving, his movement was so fast that if Thor wasn't an expert in this game he would have already been eating dirt like the many other Alphas who challenged the queen before him. That move made the crowd go wild as they start cheering Thor in earnest, wanting him to defeat the undefeatable queen; Anton on the other hand, watched with unwavering attention how Steven seemed to give Thor the small hope of winning before snatching it away from him… just like a game of Hnefatafl.
It was when Thor finally gathered enough courage to go after the queen, the Omega surprised him by flipping him over his shoulder, causing the Alpha to squeak at the sudden and fast movement that resulted in him falling on his back and losing the game; just like that, the crowd once more erupted into cheers and shouts as the people around chanted the queen's name over and over again.
Dear Gods above, Anton couldn't help but swallow the noise that wanted to leave his chest; his Alpha was dripping with pride at the strength Steven displayed, and for a second, Anton couldn't help but think, how beautiful the Omega was in his rage, even a playful and controlled one. It was only when the queen turned to him with a wide conspiring grin that Anton knew it was his turn, for Thor was the last player before him.
"Are you coming or are you just going to stand there, Foolish King?" The Omega called out to Anton, causing the Alpha to twitch in his place and gaze at Thor who was grunting as he finally managed to stand up, massaging his back that no doubt was killing him after such a harsh throw.
"Oh me?" Anton questioned, getting a big grin and a crack of knuckles from the Omega who seemed too excited and bloodthirsty as he gazed at Anton up and down… to say the truth, Anton adored such a look on the Omega, but he would have preferred if Steven was pointing that look at another and not him. "I thought it was obvious I am folding out after you broke every Alpha who challenged you," Anton stated which gained him a shriek from the elders who were objecting to his decision, not that Anton was paying them any attention; all of his attention was stolen by the Omega who was gazing at him with an amusing look. "I know that you no doubt think of me as a fool, but even then I am smart enough to want a good night of sleep with no broken back." At that, both Anton and Steven gazed at Thor who was limping toward a laughing Loki who was no doubt was going to rub it in his brother's face that he was stupid enough to challenge a Valkyrie.
"You are folding?" The Queen repeated to be sure, which gained a grin from the Alpha who nodded, causing the Omega to hum and tilt his head. "I wonder if you predict what I am going to do with you." Steven's mouth was pulled into a dangerous grin that made a shiver of fear run down Anton's spine and caused everyone to still and stay silent not wanting to direct the queen's dangerous attention toward them. "Smart… I will let you live… for now." Steven said cheerfully, causing everyone to gulp at that, even the elders who just a few moments ago were protesting Anton's decision.
"The winner of the Glíma contest is Steven due to the king folding!" Laughed Fury loudly, the Alpha seemingly having the time of his life today, which caused Anton to roll his eyes at the older man; Anton then turned to look at the Omega who was heading his way with a near pout on his face, causing Anton's heart to beat loudly in his chest at the sight of the Omega.
Staying in his place because he was too enchanted by the foreign expression on the Omega's face, turned out to be his fatal mistake; considering that not a second later, Anton found himself being flipped over the Omega's shoulder like he was nothing but an annoying fly. "There… consider us even now; you had paid back for that stupid metaphor." Anton watched the queen say those words while he was lying on his back, the shock not leaving him as his mind finally processed that the Omega just throw him on his back even when he folded out of the game; Anton couldn't help the loud laugh that left him involuntary at the childish route the queen decided to take, instead of walking away and leaving Anton his dignity intact the foolish queen defied all expectation and throw him around like a sack of potatoes… and if the soft smile and the childish glint shining in the Omega's eyes made Anton's grin widen uncontrollably…
The humiliation he suffered was worth it…
"You cheated!" Anton called out, trying to prevent a huge grin from taking over his face as he looked at Steven who (Surprisingly) was sitting near him and his friends with his pack; the festivity was going full swing in the background, but Anton was not paying that much attention to it, considering that after a full day of games and competition, this kind of festivity was normal, even the drinking games which Thor decided to take a part in and make a complete fool of himself while doing.
"I did not, I won fairly!" Steven spat back, a savage grin on his face as he challenged Anton to contradict his words… which Anton was so going to do, considering that his back was still twanging in pain from the harsh throw he was subjected to; not that the foolish Omega cared about that, too happy as he took his winnings and went home.
"I folded out of the game, and you still broke my back! How is that not cheating? I refused to go against you for this particular reason!" Anton stated, his words getting soft laughs and chuckles from his friends, and surprisingly some of the queen's pack members.
"Oh, stop acting like a babe; I did not even throw you that hard, to begin with!" Another round of laughter from the people around them, caused a smile to twitch on Anton's lips, that he desperately tried to hide, only to fail in doing so, if the raised eyebrow was anything to go by. "Just admit you are getting old, it is easier saying that than accusing me of cheating." That got a loud laugh from his friends, and Anton swore he was going to make his friends' lives a living hell after this.
"Old? Old! If I am old what are you? I am only older than you by three seasons or so, Foolish Queen!" That got an 'Ohhhhhhh!' from everyone around the fire, and a twitch from the Omega; Anton wondered if he crossed the line by such words and if the Omega was going to throw him on his back once again.
"How many times did I tell you it is impolite to say an Omega's age?" Steven asked irritated, causing Anton to grin widely this time when it looked like the Omega wasn't going to come and throw him into the fire, but glare at him with annoyance. The glare seemed to increase when James looked up from his food and squeaked something along the lines of 'Mama is not that old! If he is then he will be ancient like you!' which caused Anton to lose it and start laughing hard.
"The child has spoken! You are ancient, Foolish Queen!" Anton crows in triumph, not caring that the insult was originally meant for him, because realize it or not, the kid had just insulted both Anton and his mother without knowing; considering that the two of them are closer in age than James realized.
"Hey! If Father is older than the Queen by three seasons then they are the same age!" That was Petrus who was finally done counting and told James of his realization, causing the pup's jaw to fall to the ground as he gazed between Anton and the queen several times before turning to his mother and later Petrus who was looking at the Omega and Anton with wide eyes.
"But! But! But that is like old! Mama is not ancient like him!" James tried to justify, which did nothing but make everyone lose it and start laughing loudly, the only one who wasn't laughing was the queen whose face was flushed (Which Anton found endearing, not caring if the flush was out of anger and would be follow by a revenge plan that would finish him) And the mouthy Beta who was trying to hide her laughter (And was failing in doing so) as she consoled the Omega, and let's not forget the old man who never smiles and continued to glare at everyone and everything until Steven scold him and told him to mellow down a little; Philips was his name or so Anton's think.
"I am going to kill you, so I hope you got all of your affairs in order before that." Steven deadpanned, the way he said his words summoned another round of chuckles and giggles as everyone gazed at the two of them like they were a free entertainment, which going by Anton and Steven's interaction since they met, it was not that far from the truth.
Whatever Anton wanted to say next, he planned on saying something that would probably make the Omega flush (In anger or embarrassment, Anton doesn't care, not when the Omega was beautiful with that soft pink so obvious on his pale skin) Anton stiffened in his place when he felt someone throw themselves on his back to hold him tightly, making his friends still in their places before narrowing their eyes at the person who dared to do that.
Before Anton throw the person who dared to do this off of him, the drunken voice of Tyber made Anton twitch as a harsh scowl took over his face. "What do you want Tyber?" Anton hissed as he tried to pull the man's hands off of him, cursing as the man seemed more persistent in latching to Anton.
"I… I w-was… winnnnnn." The Beta mumbled into Anton's shoulder, causing the man to growl in annoyance and try to throw Tyber away from him, ignoring his drunk mumbling as he tried to stay latched to Anton's shoulder, causing Anton to get angrier by the second.
"For the love of Gods, who let him come near me?!" Snapped Anton when he saw Tyber's companions, causing them to squeak and stutter their answers, not even daring to come near Anton to pull the idiot off of him; an action that was making Anton angrier by the second when he felt Tyber nuzzling his neck. It wasn't like things like this didn't happen, and usually, Anton would just laugh it off and shrug who latch into him; but with Tyber? Not only was Anton getting angry, but Tyber refused to let go of him!
"There are children in here, so I will appreciate it if you would take him away before I choke the life out of him." stated a cold voice before Tyber was pulled off Anton, causing the Alpha to finally breathe and turn to see the queen dragging the drunk Beta by the collar of his tunic and throw him toward his friends who were shaking and the murderous smile they were at the end of. "The next time this takes a place in front of the children, I will end all of you." Steven stated cheerfully, causing the men to flinch and nod their heads before dragging Tyber away from the group; it was only after Tyber and his companion were far away, that Steven huffed and returned to his seat with a grumble of 'Should have killed him and end it' "Are you sure I still cannot kill him?" Steven asked with an annoying voice, causing Anton to huff and grumble.
"Unfortunately, you cannot at the moment, especially when the elders are watching him closely…" Anton hissed before going silent in deep thoughts, it was a few seconds later that Anton and Steven turned toward each other and started discussing many strategies to get rid of Tyber and him clan without anyone noticing them; the two of them losing themselves a little in the game of strategy they made as they tried to find the perfect plan that was without a fault while pointing what was wrong with the plan the other suggested. It wasn't until Anton and Steven noticed how silent everyone was, that they stopped their discussion and turned to see what was wrong, only to be greeted by the still forms of their friends and the confused children who started asking questions when they saw that Steven and Anton started to pay them attention.
"… You two… are scary…" That was Fury who seemed to have passed their group and froze in his place like everyone else who was gazing at Anton and Steven with horror and shock. "Who knew that discussing how to end someone's life would bring you together?" Fury shook his head as he took a big gulp of his mead before muttering something about 'Crazy Brats' and continuing on his way.
"What?" Asked Anton, looking at his friends who were gazing at Anton and Steven with surprise and worried looks on their faces, his question got a nervous laugh from Loki and Nattalegg as the two tried to act normally, but they stilled in fear when Steven repeated his question in an impatient tone. In the end, Steven and Anton decided to ignore how strange (Terrified and surprised) their friends were acting and return once more to their strategy of getting rid of the Stone Clan, this time the children and old man Philips (Who was getting surprisingly interested in their game and getting rid of the Stone clan) decided to participate and shout their opinions when they knew that this was some sort of game. If Anton was having fun with the queen (If the amused glint in his eyes was anything to go by) every time one of their friends flinched at one of their violence-filled plans…
Then no one needed to know…
The rest of the Winter Games went as the first day; the daylight was filled with sports, shouting and cheering audience, winners and losers, and many games to keep everyone entertained and allow everyone to participate and enjoy the festive events. The nighttime was filled with festivity and stories around the bonfire, laughter and excitement, stories of the Gods and Goddesses; games of drinking and games of Hnefatafl, calmness, and tranquility before the start of the next day of sports and cheers.
Anton spent half of the time hiding from the elders and the Stone siblings, while only participating in the sports that interest him; games played on ice, such as ice skating and war games, games played on lands, such as stone lifting competitions and Knattleikr, and many other games that caught his fancy. Reaching the final day, Anton was content that today would be the final day of the sports festival, and the final day of him finally stopping his game of hiding and seek with the elders and the Stone siblings.
The final day, consisted mostly of games played in the water, from swimming games to fighting in the water, today was a day that Anton knew he needed to hide once more before the elders force him to participate in one of the swimming games; it wasn't like Anton hated water or didn't know how to swim, if that was it then he would have never set a foot on a ship that was going to cross the sea. No, Anton hates being forced into the water when it wasn't necessary at all; all because of an incident in his youth that made him hate the vast ocean and the rolling waves that can drag everyone to their doom.
Anton hummed and cheered for Magna who was taking part in the swimming race, looking closer and closer to winning the race than the other players, and when Magna won (Not to his surprise) Anton cheered his friend loudly with the rest of the overexcited crowd. When Anton felt someone standing beside him, he stiffen in his place, thinking that it was one of the stone siblings who found him; Anton's body relaxed though when he smelled Steven's scent wafting toward him and calming him down.
"I heard that they want you to participate in the next game but unfortunately, you are missing it again… you must enjoy hiding from them like a game of a cat and mouse." Steven grinned, gazing around the area they were in, which was nothing but a small hill the villagers' children are using to ski and built forts to defend and play war, while the rest of the adults are busy participating and cheering for the games.
These words caused Anton to snort and throw the Omega an amused look before saying to the cheerful Omega. "I am sure if I participate, you would want to join the game just to beat me… you know that everyone started to run away when they see you join them in their game?" That made the grin on the Omega's lips widen, even more, pride dripping from the Omega at the thought of being feared even more than he already was.
"Do not worry; I do not fancy water games that much, so it is safe for you if you decided to participate today." That caused Anton to laugh, knowing fully well that the Omega was just giving him a false sense of security before he got bored and decided that he wanted to teach Anton a lesson.
"A shame really; I was looking forward to seeing you in the water," Anton stated boldly, causing Steven to blink in surprise and gaze at Anton from the corner of his eye; Anton waited in anticipation, wanting to see what the Omega's next movement would be at such bold implication.
"You are getting bolder as the days pass… I wonder why…" Steven hummed, raising his eyebrow as he looked at Anton like he was waiting for the man to speak his reasons, even when they both know well enough where that boldness Anton displayed came from. "Then you can look forward to it and feel disappointed as it is not happening… peeping on a helpless Omega while they are bathing is something, but convincing them to participate in such games is another." The Omega jested causing Anton to huff, trying to hide the flush on his cheeks as he remembered the day he stumbled upon the Omega while he was taking a bath… every time Anton remembered that incident he was forced to remember his dream which made his face flush even more, and for a second he hoped that the Omega interpreted his fluster state to the cold, but the laugh he was greeted with informed Anton that the Omega knew.
"You are bad for the health you know that?" These words brought nothing but a wide grin on the Omega's lips and Anton's lips pulled into a smile against his will at the joy the queen was showing him without holding back; Anton couldn't help the hope of the Omega slowly softening up to and accept him a little bit that the two of them are finally getting to know each other.
The soft moment between them was broken by children's shrieks from behind them, causing Anton to turn fast and for his eyes to widen when he saw a slide coming toward them at high speed full of screaming children. without thinking about it, Anton's hand immediately went to Steven and he pulled the Omega toward him, jumping away from the danger and the screaming children who ran over where both Anton and Steven stood not only a few seconds ago; the speed of the slide increased until the children slammed into the haystacks not that far away causing it to tumble over them, and to his surprise, it didn't summon screams of help and cries from the children, but laughter as the kids pushed away from the hay and stood up to brush the snow and straw from their clothes.
"I… uh… can you… can you p-please let go of me?" Those stuttered words caused Anton to blink and turned to the speaker, only for him to flush hard until his face turned red when he noticed that he was holding the Omega close to his chest tightly, embracing him and protecting him from the danger that wasn't even there. The realization caused Anton to choke and let go of the queen like he was burned, looking away from the Omega in embarrassment, his heart pounding in his chest so loudly, that Anton wondered how his heart didn't escape his chest.
"I… a-apology…" Anton mumbled, getting a nod from the Omega whose face was flushed just like his, and just for a second, the Alpha wondered if Steven felt the same as him when he was being held in his arms. "T-the kids… they… we… I…" Anton tried to justify, getting a nod from the Omega who was looking away saying 'Yes' with every word Anton said as if agreeing with him.
"There you are!"
Someone called out, causing both Anton and Steven to stiffen in place before looking at each other with wide eyes; it didn't take a second for both of them to see one of the elders running toward them, causing Anton to look at the queen, open his mouth once more to apology but think otherwise when he saw how the elders were getting closer to them. With that Anton closed his mouth and turned the other way, and start running and hoping that the elder wasn't going to catch him, leaving the queen looking at him with wide eyes and dropped jaw as Anton disappear…
Gods above… this was embarrassing…
So what do you think?
Fluff and so much fluff!
Hopefully, Steve and Tony would get closer and closer in the next chapter!
Congratulation on reaching over 100k words! This is the first time that a story of mine reaches this high count!
Cheers! ^-^v
For this occasion, I posted another Steve/Tony fic! A Greek Mythology fic with Medusa Steve and Hephaestus Tony; if you are interested check it out!
Also, there won't be any new chapters in the next month, due to my finals starting; hopefully, after the end of my finals, I am returning to writing.
See you next time and cheers!
Read and Review
And tell me what you think…
Nazaki-Sama
