Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.

Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. There's also references to canon war & conflicts as well as a brief appearance by Hydra. Oh, and the fade to black on the sex element. Feel free to back out if need be.

Author's Note: This piece was almost entitled "How Harry Met Bucky" because that's literally all I had in mind when I woke up at Wee O'clock and started writing this.

Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Post Term 16); MC4A (Year 5)
Individual Challenges: Pack It Up (Y); Red Lights; Red Bull; Red & Gold; Red Wave (Y); Happy Birthday (Y); Blended; Missing Rainbow; Lovebirds; Gryffindor MC; Magical MC (Y); Metahuman MC; Military MC; Neurodivergent; Rian-Russo Inversion; Ethnic & Present; Bi Bi Bi; Setting Sail; Old Shoes; Old Shoes (Y); Alpha & Omega; In a Flash; Bucket Listing; Two Cakes (Y); Eating Cake (Y); Green Ribbon; Greatest Gift
House: Slytherin
Other Hogwarts Challenges: 365 [195](Ablaze); 1000 Prompts Challenge [30](Twirling); Hogwarts Gardens [Ornaments 23](Omegaverse)[Dorothy] (No using "Said"]
Other MC4A Challenges: SpB [1E](Rut/Heat); SuB [3E](Earth); AU [3D](Marvel/MCU); Ship (Winter Lightning)[SpMic1 (Fusion/Crossover); SuMed1 (Meet Cute/Meet Ugly); SuMic1 (Omegaverse; Fusion/Crossover); SuMic2 (Black); 3C (First Dance)]; Chim [Kyrie] ("Carry on My Wayward Son" by Kansas; Race Bend);Hunt [Su WD (Prosthetic Limb]; Fire [x3](Hold the Mayo); Garden [Chores (Running/Jogging); Badges (Jewish Character); Bait (Fusion/Crossover)]; Harvest [A&B (Carrying; Yelling/Shouting); AU (Event Didn't Happen); Relationships (Strangers); Settings (Outside)];
Representation(s):
Desi Harry Potter/Bucky Barnes; Sirius, Remus, & Tonks All Live; Omegaverse AU; Post-Info Dump; Chim Song Prompt
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Brooms Only; Lock & Key; A Long Dog; Bandstand; Eternal Boredom; Larger than Life; Unicorn; Second Verse (Persistence Still; Found Family; Nontraditional; Sneeze Weasel; Zucchini Bread; Middle Name; Spinning Plates; Unwanted Advice); Chorus (Pear-Shaped; Wabi Sabi; Fizzy Lemonade; Machismo; Peddling Pots; Tomorrow's Shade); Demo 1 (Under the Bridge); Demo 2 (In the Trench; Getting On)
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: CM [4B (Omegaverse)] (Brier; Notch); Once (Santa Fe); War (Monomania; Obstruction; Sanctuary; Ennui); T3 (Terse; Terrarium); SN (Rail; Intercept); FR (Satisfaction; Evolution)
Word Count: 903 words

(^^)
Crossed Lines
(^^)

It started as something like a gap year.

Between Sirius, Remus, and Tonks, the Potter and Black estates had proper management for the first time since Harry's parents had died. It would have been nice to have spent the time relaxing with his family and reaffirming the pack bonds that had been strained by everything that had happened during the war (and before, too, because of Dumbledore's machinations). Yet the actual attempt didn't quite work out, as everyone and their milkman had decided that they had the right to demand Harry continue serving as their savior and protector, despite how very little Harry had objectively done beyond what they had all been doing.

So to give the fervor some time to calm down, Harry had done as he had dreamed of doing when he was locked away in the cupboard beneath the stairs of the Dursleys' home. He had traveling through the world. It was a meandering path with no real plan beyond checking off items on the list within his head.

He visited the Punjab, where the Potters had originated from (long before they had become known as the Potters). There he finally learned how to make curry. He also tasted chai for the first time and then traveling farther East, he experienced macha as well. That was when he decided that the British really knew nothing about tea.

Harry would visit the Isles from time to time. Not only did he miss his family (Teddy grew like a weed!), but it was far safer to have his heats in a well established nest, even if it wasn't technically his own. It soothed something for both Harry and Sirius to have that time together. Maybe it was weird to be in his mid-twenties and still nesting with a parent, but it worked for them.

He had just left the renovated Grimmauld Place after one such visit and was passing by an old pub that still showed of being hit during the Blitz when he ran into what felt like a wall. Years of Harry Hunting, quidditch, and surviving a war had honed Harry's reflexes just enough to keep him from falling on his ass. Unfortunately, it did not keep him from knocking the guy on his. The burly man was quick enough wrap an arm protectively around Harry's waist while his other arm came up to cradle Harry's head against the crook of his neck.

It was by far the least jarring fall that Harry had ever had.

His nose was filled with the most alluring scent ever. It was like someone combined treacle tart and the blackberrry jammy dodgers that Remus makes and then wrapped it up in dragon hide. It smelled almost as much like home as the nest Harry had just left behind. Despite knowing how rude it was, Harry couldn't stop himself from blatantly sniffing the guy.

This time he caught the distinct notes of rut just starting to thread through the stranger's scent.

And because the universe still secretly hates him, someone started shouting down the block. The man underneath him sprung to his feet, Harry still pressed to his chest. Following instincts that Harry didn't realize that he had, he wrapped his legs around the man's waist and his arms around the guy's (very broad, holy fuck) shoulders. For his part, the guy just ran in the opposite direction as the shouting, carrying Harry along with him.

Harry had a good view of the street they were leaving. The shouter was wearing black body armor without any markings designating an organization. Having fought in a war and then been an unmated omega traveling alone through dodgy regions, Harry knew how to spot trouble. He threaded his fingers through the hair of the alpha carrying him.

Damn it, but Hermione was not wrong about his need to help people.

"Do you trust me?" Harry asked. The man growled at the question. Or maybe it was at the way another three people in the same nondescript black armor had shown up. Harry tugged on the guy's long brown hair. In response, the alpha tightened the grip of the metal hand he had on Harry's nape. "Do you trust me?"

"Ja," the alpha snapped like it was taking all his thought processes to get even that much out. With a rutting alpha being chased like they were, that was probably true. Harry tightened his grip on his alpha.

"Pirouette," Harry commanded, not even thinking of the possibility that the guy might not know what that even was. Thankfully, the alpha obeyed without question, performing the move flawlessly and not even stumbling as they came out the other end of the apparation behind the wards of Harry's flat in Paris.

Harry let out a breathless laugh of triumph. He had had no idea if what they had just done was even possible. He still couldn't believe that it had worked and that they both seemed intact.

The alpha cut him off with a harsh and claiming kiss. Harry returned the energy just as fiercely. Despite having just finished a heat, he could feel another one setting him ablaze, likely in response to his newfound alpha's rut. Maybe it was the adrenaline from the chase.

Harry growled at the thought of someone taking away his mate.

Or soon-to-be mate.

There were still a few details to work out.

Later.

Much later.