Author: The Wayward Angel
Story: The Red String
Rating: M
Word Count: 713
Chapter: 7/?
Pairings: Starbuck, Stony
Spoilers: Captain America: The Winter Soldier spoilers apply
Trigger Warnings: a/b/o dynamics, alpha!Bucky, omega!Steve, explicit sex
Summary: It was snowing out and Steve had a cold. Those were the two things Bucky focused on. Their heating had been cut off two days prior and Steve had taken to burning old sketches and drawings to try to keep warm. Bucky had started sleeping next to Steve at night to keep him warm. *Alpha/Omega AU*
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

Unbeta'd. All mistakes are mine. Please feel free to point out any grammatical or spelling errors.

The Red String
Chapter Seven

2012
Manhattan, New York

"So, have you met someone yet?" Pepper asked Steve at about a month later. Pepper and Steve often met for lunch on Monday's at a little café about four blocks down from the Avengers' Tower. Steve pushed his food around his plate a little and shrugged. "Steve, you said you'd start looking." She admonished.

"I know." Steve sighed, "I've just been so busy lately."

"What if…" Pepper picked at her nails thoughtfully, "What if you found someone that would scent you and protect you, but didn't have to breed you? I know that's what you're afraid of."

"I mean," Steve pushed his plate away, "Yeah, that would probably be ideal. But what kind of Alpha would agree to something like that?"

Pepper smiled softly.

"Not Tony," Steve said.

Pepper frowned, "Why not?"

"He's an ass. With a capital a." Steve raised an eyebrow, "He is the definition of a knothead."

Pepper smiled and shook her head, "He's not that bad. He puts on this…mask, and acts like an ass, but he's really not. I think you two just need to talk." She said.

Steve sighed and nodded, "Yeah, okay."

Steve walked down to Tony's lab and punched the code into the pad next to the door. Tony and Bruce were bent over a lab table, working on an equation. Steve stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment before clearing his throat. Tony and Bruce looked up and Tony smiled, "Hey Cap, what's on your mind?"

"If you weren't too busy I was wondering if we could talk." Steve said.

Tony nodded, "Yeah, sure."

"I'll go work on these in my lab." Bruce said, taking a stack of papers and walking out of Tony's lab.

"What's on your mind, Steve?" Tony asked after Bruce had left, gesturing to a rolling stool for Steve to sit on.

The Omega sat down on the stool and twisted his hands together, "I was wondering if you still had any interest in being my Alpha." He said, looking Tony in the eye.

Tony looked surprised, "Yeah, if that's what you're wanting. I thought…after what I called you in the gym…" He grimaced.

Steve sighed, "There would be…conditions." He said, "I don't want you to claim me, I don't want you to breed me…I know you could, if you wanted, since I'm unmated..."

"I wouldn't do that to you, and you know that." Tony replied.

"Yeah," Steve breathed, "That's why I'm asking you. I already trust you with my life."

Tony nodded, "So, you don't want me to claim you, or breed you. I get it, I do. But, thoughts on sex?"

"Maybe," Steve said, "If I can stay on my suppressants and birth control."

"Yeah, you can."

"And don't call me a bitch."

Tony had the decency to look ashamed of himself, "I didn't mean that. I shouldn't have called you that."

"No, you shouldn't have, but we can move past that." Steve said, standing.

"So, since we're basically writing this off as completely unromantic," Tony grinned, strutting over and placing his hands on Steve's hips, "I'm going to kiss you now." Steve chuckled and bent his head down. Tony stretched up and kissed Steve deeply, holding the Omega to him. Steve sighed softly against Tony's lips, thinking that maybe they could make this work.

To be continued…

AN: Domestic Stony next chapter, but then we get Bucky back. Oh, and I didn't watch Iron Man 3, because reasons, so if you did then I'm sorry but the events of that movie won't be referenced in this story.