Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 4779

Fic Detail - TonyBucky / Omegaverse / M-Preg

Self-Sabotage (His Own Worst Enemy)

Tony left the doctors office in a daze. He'd gone under sufferance, positive that there wasn't actually anything wrong with him, because both Pepper and Bruce had insisted.

It was only a little bit of nausea, it wasn't going to kill him.

He certainly hadn't expected the news that there was a bun cooking in his oven.

What the hell was he going to do? It wasn't like he could be knocked around in the suit while he was pregnant, but the team needed Iron Man, and that wasn't even taking Bucky's reaction into account.

Did Bucky even want children?

They'd never bothered having the conversation, since Tony hadn't believed himself still able to have kids.

After all the damage he'd taken, not only in Afghanistan but after that, not to mention his age, he hadn't even contemplated the idea of still being about to have a child.

"Where to, Boss?" Happy asked, when Tony climbed into the backseat of the car, a hand clutching at his stomach.

"I, uh. I… the tower, Hap, please. I need to talk to Bucky."

Happy nodded, looking at Tony through the mirror. "Are you okay, Tony?"

Tony swallowed hard. "I don't know."

Tony smelled different.

Bucky had been trying to ignore it, but when the scent of your omega changed, you took notice.

He wanted to be surprised, but he wasn't really. Tony had been pulling away from him for a while now, always too busy in the workshop, or on his way to a meeting, or happy sitting with the team for a movie night that lasted hours and often ended with them all sleeping where they'd been sitting.

So no, Bucky wasn't surprised.

He was confused, sure, because he'd thought that if Tony found someone else, someone better suited to him, then he'd at least tell Bucky instead of just letting him figure it out.

Tony was moral about shit like that; or at least so Bucky had believed.

Miserable as he was to see their relationship come to an end—he adored Tony, and never wanted to lose him—he couldn't take the waiting anymore.

He was just… he was tired.

He'd much rather had the band aid ripped off than dragged out and made all the more painful.

"JARVIS, is Tony around?"

"Sir has just arrived back from an appointment, Mr Barnes."

Bucky nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "Can you tell him I need to speak to him please?"

There was a pause, and then JARVIS was offering to call the elevator for him, to take him to the lab.

Bucky swallowed hard. He could do this. Just like ripping off a band aid.

"I can't pretend like everything is fine anymore, Tony. We're over."

Tony blinked. What? Bucky was still talking, and he forced himself to listen, even as his heart sank.

"—and your scent has changed and I'm not stupid, okay? I know what that means. I just… can't."

Oh. So Bucky had realised Tony was pregnant. Tony supposed that answered the question of whether or not the man wanted children, though admittedly, Tony wouldn't have predicted such a… callous end.

Bucky shifted in front of him, probably able to smell his distress. Tony didn't much care if it was making him uncomfortable in that moment.

"I can move out completely if you'd prefer?" Bucky offered, almost looking hopeful that Tony would tell him to sling his hook.

Tony shook his head because he wouldn't do that. He couldn't do that.

Bucky had been through enough in his life and Tony wasn't about to take away the stability he'd found in the tower and with the team.

"It's fine," he muttered. "I was thinking that a change of scenery was a good idea so… I'll go. I wanted a break from being Iron Man anyway, so this works out well I guess. I'll see you around Bu—Barnes."

Tony turned his back, unable to face his… unable to face Bucky.

He could smell the Alpha's own distress, but Bucky was the one causing this. Bucky was the one walking away, not Tony.

Sure, Tony hadn't taken any contraceptives but that was because he hadn't known. It was an honest—he cut that thought off, because he couldn't call the baby in his stomach a mistake.

It had been unintentional though. He wasn't the kind of person to try and trap someone with a child, even if he had known it was a possibility.

Once he was sure he was alone once more, Tony looked around his lab and sighed. Packing up was going to be a nightmare.

"Prep the Malibu house, J, and let Pep and Rhodey know I need to see them both ASAP, preferably together."

"Of course, Sir. And… may I be the first to offer you my congratulations."

Tony rubbed a hand across his stomach.

"Thanks, J."

"What do you mean, Tony's taking a break from the team?" Steve asked, brow furrowed. "Where's he going?"

Bucky shrugged. "Said a change of scenery was a good idea."

Steve looked baffled. "Can you start at the beginning here, Buck, I'm lost?"

"I broke up with him," Bucky admitted, his words muffled by the pillow he had wrapped in his arms, his face pressed into the top of it. "I just… I could tell he wasn't in it anymore and…"

"Buck, Tony just… gets distracted sometimes. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you or anything, it's just… Tony. I'm sure you could fix this if you just—"

"His scent changed, Stevie."

Steve blinked.

"What?"

"His scent changed. He didn't… he didn't just smell like me and him anymore. There was… something else. Someone else."

"He was cheating on you?" Steve asked, frowning again.

"He was… I don't know. But there was definitely something with someone else and I just… I didn't want to wait around for the axe to fall, you know? I don't like uncertainty, Stevie, you know that. I thought Tony knew that."

Steve nodded and then stood up. "I'm going to go and find out what's going on. JARVIS, is Tony still in the lab?"

"Sir has already left," JARVIS said, and Bucky didn't think he was imagining the chill in the AI's tone. "The lab is currently on full lockdown until Sir has chance to return and pack it up. He's left his letter of absence on your desk, Captain."

"Can you tell him that I want to speak to him face to face about this?" Steve asked, stubborn as ever.

There was a pause, and the silence was so full of tension that Bucky buried his face deeper against the pillow. He'd known Steve would go overboard on this, try and fix things for them, but he didn't appreciate it at that moment.

"Sir has declined the offer, Captain. He notes that War Machine will be made available to the Avengers should you have a need for him, and he'll be certain to continue to supply you with equipment in his absence. Until he decides to return, he asks that you respect his decision."

Steve huffed, shaking his head. "I… thanks, JARVIS."

He turned his attention back to Bucky. "Something about this doesn't make sense. I… I'm not sure what, but there's… Tony loves you, I know he does."

Bucky signed. "I'm not asking you to choose between your best friends, Stevie. In fact, I'll be pissed at you if you try it. Just… give him the space he obviously wants for now. He… I could smell his distress in the lab. Whatever, or whoever has taken his attention… I do believe he didn't want to hurt me."

Steve didn't reply, but when Bucky chanced a look at him, there was confusion and the familiar determination on his face.

No matter how much Bucky asked, he knew that Steve wasn't going to let this be until he had answers.

"Pregnant?!" Pepper gasped, a wide smile on her face as she gathered Tony up in a strong hug. Rhodey joined them a moment later, wrapping his own arms around both of them.

"Congratulations!" Pepper said as they separated. "I bet Bucky is ecstatic!"

Tony's smile fell and she frowned even as Rhodey reached out to take Tony's hand.

His Honeybear was the alpha-est of alphas, and ridiculously protective of Tony. It had been that way since almost the moment they met at MIT.

"Tony?"

"Uh. I think Bucky knew before I did?" Tony offered. "He was waiting for me when I got back from the doctors, and he, uh, ended things before I could even open my mouth. Said my scent had changed and he knew what it meant, and… I guess he doesn't want kids? Or at least not with me."

Pepper opened her mouth to reply, but a growl from deep in Rhodey's chest sounded. "I'm going to kill him."

"Platypus—"

"I'm going to kill him dead," Rhodey repeated, his eyes flashing angrily.

Tony shook his head. "I don't want that," he said, squeezing Rhodey's hand. "If he doesn't want children, that's his right. At least he knew that I wasn't about to abort."

Peppers eyes widened. "Did he suggest—"

"No," Tony cut her off. "He didn't, I promise. He just… I guess it's not for him. It's fine."

"It's not," Rhodey disagreed. "If he doesn't want kids then he should be protecting himself from the chance. This is a scumbag move, and he deserves to be told exactly—"

"Rhodey, please," Tony begged. "I can't be Iron Man while I'm pregnant, and the team might need you to go in my place if they get called out. I can't… I need you to keep them safe and you can't do that if you want to tear strips off him."

Rhodey seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before he sighed and gently tugged Tony into his lap, burying his face against Tony's neck, grumbling his acquiescence.

"Huh," he added a moment later. "You do smell different. It's… sweeter. It suits you."

Tony smiled at his best friend. "Thanks, Honeybear."

"So what are you going to do now?" Pepper asked, smiling slightly at the two of them curled up together.

It always made her smile when she saw Rhodey being protective of Tony. Tony wondered if it was because the two of them were together, and both of them had taken him under their wings in different ways.

Thought they were his friends—the best of friends, but still only friends—there was definitely something akin to a familial bond between the three of them.

"I think I'm going to head back to Malibu and lay low. I need… I need to be safe. I won't have my baby put in harm's way, and… Malibu is safe. Nobody expects me to be there."

Rhodey's arms tightened slightly around him.

"I don't like the idea of you being out there alone," he muttered. "Stay with me and Pep."

"But—"

"Stay with us," Pepper reiterated, ignoring the fact that he was about to protest. "You know the house is big enough and you already have your own room there. We can add a nursery for you if you want."

Tears filled Tony's eyes and he clung to Rhodey. He didn't realise how unwanted Bucky had left him feeling until Pepper and Rhodey showed him that they wanted him to stick around.

He nodded slowly, and smiled at Pepper gratefully.

"Okay. Okay, for now at least."

They hadn't heard from Tony in three weeks, and Bucky was starting to worry.

He knew that Tony probably wouldn't contact him personally, but he hadn't even been speaking to Bruce.

The scientist was worried about Tony, Bucky could tell, and so were the others. All calls were being diverted straight to his voicemail, and only JARVIS's assurances that Tony was, in fact, fine and well and safe, were stopping Steve from assembling the Avengers to find their wayward member.

Three weeks and two days after Tony left, the Avengers were called on their first mission. Half an hour in, and the silver War Machine armour arrived on scene, checking in with Steve briefly before he flew into the battle, fighting with a ruthlessness that Bucky knew well.

Colonel Rhodes was definitely angry about something, and if Bucky had to guess, it had something to do with Tony.

Nothing made that man angrier than someone hurting Pepper or Tony.

The shovel talk had been quite terrifying, and Bucky had spent seventy years being tortured by Hydra.

In relative terms, it was a fairly easy fight, and it was only a couple of hours later that they were all seating themselves around the large wooden table in the conference room to debrief.

Rhodes sat directly facing Bucky, glaring at him as the others gave their reports. When it was his turn, Rhodes spoke concisely, never taking his glare away from Bucky.

It was unnerving to say the least.

Bucky knew that both Nat and Clint had noticed and they were watching on with barely concealed interest, while Bruce had already excused himself, going for a nap. Hulking out always tired the poor guy out.

Eventually, Steve stepped in.

"Is there a problem between yourself and Bucky, Rhodes?" He asked, tone civil but with an edge.

"The only reason Bucky isn't dead right now is because Tony begged me not to hurt him. Be grateful that I listened to him."

"Hey, there's no need for that!" Steve said, frowning. "I know the two of them broke up, but Bucky has legitimate—"

The table cracked, and Bucky noticed that Rhodes was gripping it tightly, his anger evident.

"Legitimate? Is this some bullshit forties thing?" Rhodes shouted. "Knock someone up and then just abandon them because you don't want the responsibility? You can fuck that shit straight to the hell you got it from!"

Bucky's brain stalled.

Knock someone up?

What the actual—

"Tony's pregnant?" Steve gasped, looking between them.

Rhodes had stood up during his rant and was clearly gearing up to either kicking Bucky's arse or leaving the room, but he paused when he heard the genuine shock in Steve's tone.

"Barnes didn't tell you why he kicked my best friend to the curb?"

"You did what?" Nat asked, her eyes narrowing and her tone cold.

"I…" Bucky frowned. "I didn't know he was pregnant. I… he didn't tell me."

"You said you knew why his scent had changed," Rhodes snarled. "You told him that was why you were leaving him."

Bucky shook his head frantically. "I thought he was…" he cut himself off, suddenly ashamed, because admitting that he'd thought Tony was creeping around with someone behind his back wasn't any better, was it?

"Colonel Rhodes, can you tell us where Tony is?" Steve asked quietly. "Clearly there's been a massive misunderstanding here."

Rhodes shook his head. "I won't tell you where he is, no. I will tell him about this conversation, and let him make his own mind up. If you'll excuse me."

"Is he okay?" Bucky asked, when Rhodes was almost at the door. "Tony? And the baby? They're okay?"

For a moment, Bucky thought Rhodes wasn't going to answer him, but eventually, he nodded. "They're both healthy."

Bucky slumped in his seat, the eyes of his teammates all on him as he covered his face with his hand.

What the hell had he done?

"He didn't know?" Tony asked, for the third time.

"Apparently not," Rhodey said, rolling his eyes. "Though, he did think you were cheating on him so I'm not really sure that that's better."

Tony shook his head. "No… it's not, but… Buck has a lot of insecurities, you know? He said more than once that he'd understand if I wanted someone better. I just… I tried to convince him that it was him I wanted and I thought that had sunk in but… I guess I was wrong."

Pepper sighed. "This is a mess. What are you going to do?"

Tony shook his head and rubbed his hand across his stomach. "I don't know. If he… I mean. I won't keep him from the baby, if he wants access. If it's not that then maybe he'll want… want to know them? I don't… I don't know what it means for the two of us."

"You don't have to make any decisions now," Pepper said, running her hand through his hair. "You can take all the time you need."

"I don't know what I'd do without you guys," Tony admitted, pressing into her touch.

"You'd be a disaster," Rhodey said flatly, though his lips twitched.

"He still is a disaster," Pepper said, laughing affectionately.

"Yeah, but we're here to clean up after his disasters. Can you imagine what would happen if we weren't?"

Tony looked between them and pouted, folding his arms against his chest. "I take it back, you're both horrible."

Returning to the Tower was hard. Tony had been gone for a little over six weeks when he finally found the courage to face Bucky, but it was harder than he'd expected to step into the elevator and press the button for the team's communal floor.

JARVIS seemed to realise that Tony needed a moment, and he moved the elevator up at a glacial pace, letting Tony collect himself before the doors slid open.

Natasha was the first person he saw, and she immediately approached him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I missed you, kotyonok," she murmured, inhaling his scent for a moment. Something in her seemed to relax, and Tony hugged her back just as tightly.

As much as he'd needed to not be near Bucky, the team were his family, and his omega nature made him miss them even more than he would have done if he were a beta.

When she released him, he smiled at her sadly. "Is he here?"

She nodded, gesturing with her head to the kitchen. "The boys are in there. Bruce will be ecstatic to see you. He's been fretting about you since Rhodes told us you were pregnant."

Tony's lips twitched, and he pulled an envelope from his pocket. "He'll be pleased to see my bean is healthy then."

"You've already got them posing for the camera?" she teased. "Definitely a Stark."

Chuckling, Tony leant into her when she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him towards the kitchen.

Clint and Bucky were sitting at the table, Clint flipping through a magazine while Bucky seemed to be slumped, his head resting on his arms. The scents were familiar and comforting, but Tony couldn't help but flinch at the underlying guilt and sadness in Bucky's.

Steve and Bruce were working together on what smelled like curry, and Tony smiled as they danced around one another so naturally.

"Smells like I picked a good day to visit," Tony said, announcing his presence at the doorway.

The reactions were hilarious. Bruce dropped the spoon he was holding as his gaze shot to Tony, eyeing him carefully. Steve's jaw dropped, and Clint whooped happily, jumping from his stool to tug Tony into a hug.

"You smell amazing," Clint muttered. He'd always loved children, and he was often drawn to pregnant omega's whenever they were around. "Congratulations, Tony."

"Thanks," Tony replied, his hand dropping to his stomach instinctively.

He looked at Bucky then, still sitting at the table, but upright now, his eyes taking in every inch of Tony. The smell of guilt and sadness intensified until it was almost choking them all.

"Hey, Buck."

"Tony. You… I'm so sorry. I didn't… I'm sorry."

Tony nodded and offered up the envelope he'd shown Tasha. Bucky accepted it with a shaking hand and opened it, pulling out the scan picture.

Tears filled his eyes as he looked down at the grainy photo. Tony understood, because that was their child. He'd bawled when he'd first seen it on the screen, and then again later when he'd been alone in his room with the photos.

"This…" Bucky shook his head and looked up at Tony. "Thank you. For letting me see. You'd have been well within your rights to have not."

Tony's brow furrowed. "I wouldn't do that."

"No… no, I know you wouldn't," Bucky admitted quietly. "I, uh."

He shook his head and didn't speak, looking back down at the photo. Tony pulled out another to show the others, and it was passed around while Bruce got hold of him, hugging him and then resting his hands on Tony's stomach.

"You're taking care of yourself?"

"Of course I am, Brucie," Tony replied quietly. "I know I'm reckless with my own self sometimes, but I wouldn't risk my child."

Bruce nodded. "And you have lots of physical contact with trusted people, yes? You know that's important for an omega, especially a pregnant one."

Tony nodded again. "I think my Honeybear is enjoying all the extra cuddles at the moment and you know Pep is used to me being clingy."

Bruce snorted. "Good. And you know you can come to us at any time, for anything right? None of us will ever turn you away, Tony. You could have come to us with this."

"I just… I was a little muddled," Tony admitted. "I didn't even think pregnancy was a possibility for me, and then—"

"I get it," Bruce assured him quietly. "Just don't be a stranger, please? This baby is as much our family as you are."

Tony smiled and leant into Bruce, resting his head on Bruce's shoulder. Not even half a minute later, Steve was swooping down to pull Tony into a hug of his own.

"I knew you hadn't cheated on Buck," he murmured softly. "I told him that there was something else going on."

Tony grinned. "Glad you had faith in me, Spangles."

"So, how far along are you?" Steve asked, gently helping Tony into a chair at the table.

"About three months, give or take a few days. The first trimester went well, my doctor is pleased."

Steve grinned. "You can eat curry, right? You'll stay for dinner?"

Tony nodded. "I can eat curry, and of course I'll stay."

His attention was caught by Bucky, who made a wounded noise and stood up, the photo gripped in his hand as he fled the room. Tony watched him go and sighed. He wished there was an easy fix for this, but there wasn't one.

Bucky hadn't trusted him, and that was a big deal. Especially given that Bucky hadn't even asked Tony what was going on. He'd just assumed and… well. This was what they were left with.

Tony glanced at Steve, who looked conflicted between staying in the kitchen with Tony and the others, and following his friend. He reached out and squeezed the Super Soldier's arm.

"I'll go."

Seeing Tony again was harder than Bucky would have expected.

His scent was completely different now, and more importantly, was identifiable as a pregnancy and not whatever Bucky's insecurities had immediately jumped too.

The scan photo of their child only made the guilt worse. He should have been in the room while it was being done, should have been holding Tony's hand and shared in the excitement of becoming parents.

Knowing the Tony was going to be spending the evening in the tower, and also knowing that he no longer had the right to pull him into his lap and hand feed him bites from his plate, or even just hold his hand over the table, was too much for Bucky to handle and he run away.

Without even meaning too, he found himself in the penthouse that he'd shared with Tony. With both of them having left, Tony to presumably Rhodes, and Bucky to the Avengers floor, the scents on the sheets were still the two of them, entwined together.

It brought more tears to his eyes as he buried his face against Tony's pillow.

How had he managed to mess this up so badly?

A hand on his back startled him, and he turned over to see Tony perched on the bed, an uncertain look on his face.

"I was going to ask if you were okay, but that seems a bit redundant now," Tony admitted, biting his lower lip. "Uh. Was it… do you not want me around?"

"What? No, no, of course I want you around! I just… it was just a lot. And I feel like shit because I hurt you and that's the last thing I ever wanted, Tony! It's… hard to see you, knowing that I'm the reason you've got an underlying sadness to your scent that wasn't there before."

Tony sighed. Sometimes, he really hated that scents gave away emotions.

"You're right, you hurt me," he said carefully. "But we're both still here, right? And… well. I know I was wrong that you broke up with me because of my little bean, so that's progress, right?"

"Doesn't change that I hurt you."

"No," Tony allowed. "It doesn't. But I mean… you want to be part of the baby's life, right?"

"As much as you'll allow me," Bucky replied solemnly.

"So… that's already better than I was expecting, you know? And, well, now you know that I wasn't cheating on you so. That's… a plus point?"

"Why are you trying to make me feel better?" Bucky asked softly. "Tony, you did nothing wrong. This… this is all on me. I messed up, and I hurt us both. This is for me to deal with, not you."

"I miss you," Tony admitted. "I want… I want to come home. Pepper and Rhodey are great, and they've been so amazing, but it's not the same. It's not… home."

"Baby…" Bucky sighed. "Just tell me what you need me to do. I swear, whatever it is, I'll do it, Tony. I promise."

"I just want you to trust me!" Tony said, throwing his hands in the air. "I want you to believe me when I tell you that you're the only one I want! I want you to trust that even when I get distracted by things in the workshop or with SI, that I still love you! I want… I want you to love me, and let me love you, and I want you to tell your insecurities to fuck off, Buck, because to me, you're perfect as you are."

Bucky swallowed hard against the lump in his throat and, unable to talk without bawling like an idiot, he picked Tony's hand up in his own as he sat up and carefully pulled Tony into his lap.

"I want all of that too," he whispered, burying his face against Tony's neck. "I want all of that, and I want this, you here in my arms, where I can keep you both safe."

Tony burrowed back against him, letting himself settle into Bucky's warmth. His scent was comforting in a way that nobody's else was, and his omega brain took comfort in being close to the father of his child.

"I know I still have a lot of making up to do," Bucky murmured against Tony's neck. "I'll do whatever I need too."

"I just want you to trust that I love you," Tony admitted. "And, uh, probably deal with my Honeybear glaring at you for a while. He's pissy."

Bucky had expected that, and in all honesty, he didn't blame Rhodes. He was grateful, in fact, that Tony had someone who loved him so much.

"I love you," Bucky whispered. "And I'm so sorry. I love you."

"I love you too."

…

Bucky held Tony's hand through the labour, and found himself glad that he had the super soldier serum to fix the damage Tony did to his hand.

After seven hours of painful contractions, Tony gave birth to a beautiful little girl.

"Have you picked a name?" Steve asked, looking down at the little girl in Bucky's arms. Tony was fast asleep, worn out from both the labour and the emotions of holding his baby for the first time.

Bucky smiled at his best friend. "Jamie Maria Stark-Barnes."

Steve smiled back. "It suits her."

"We want you to be her godfather," Bucky said, offering the baby to Steve, who awkwardly arranged his arms for the precious little bundle.

"Really?"

"Of course," Bucky replied. "We know, if anything were to happen to Tony and I, that you'd protect her and take care of her. We're going to ask Rhodes, Pepper and Nat as well, but Tony said I could ask you myself."

Steve looked down at the baby in awe as she wrapped her tiny hand around his forefinger. "I'd be honoured."

Written for:

Disney - C5. Write about a supportive best friend.

Marvel - 2. Write about a genius.

Galleon - Romance

North funfair: Do You Wanna Build A Snowman - Step 1: 9. Hugging

East Funfair: Cookies For Santa: 18. Piñata Cookie: Anger

South Funfair: The Night Before Christmas: Extra: 2. Christmas Book; Hugging

Days of the Year - 2. Native American Day - Theme: Reconciliation

Religious Holidays/Events - 4. Rosh HaShanah Starts - Shouting

Sticker Book - Standard Book of Spells, 4. Episkey - Write about trying to fix something.

365 - 349. Noise