Author: The Wayward Angel
Story: The Red String
Rating: M
Word Count: 977
Chapter: 8/?
Pairings: Starbuck
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 Eight
May 2013
Manhattan, New York
Tony nuzzled Steve's jaw, his nose bumping against the sof skin. The Alpha hummed pleasantly at the sweet smell of an Omega and tightened his grip on Steve's waist. Steve grumbled a little, blinking open hazy blue eyes. "Morning." The super soldier mumbled, "Wha' time is it?"
"'Bout five." Tony replied, "You gonna go for a jog?"
"Yeah." Steve said, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand.
"'Kay." Tony kissed Steve softly, "Just give me a second." Steve nodded and Tony smiled. The Alpha rubbed his forehead against Steve's neck, spreading his scent over the Omega's soft skin. He did the same to the other side of Steve's neck, then down his chest. "Alright, no one should bother you." Tony said.
"Thank you Alpha." Steve said.
Tony growled and kissed Steve hard, pushing him down into the sheets. "You better go get your run in soldier," Tony grumbled, "before it gets too hard for me to let you out of bed."
"Mmm," Steve smiled, "'kay." He kissed Tony lightly once before the dark haired Alpha let him up. Steve climbed out of bed and pulled on some clothes to run in. He laced up his shoes and stuck his phone in his pocket – Tony wanted him to have it at all times, just in case- and left, throwing an "I'll be back," over his shoulder as he did.
Being with Tony was nice. The man could be brash, reckless, tactless, and downright offensive on most accounts. But he was protective, thoughtful, and gentle for an Alpha. Tony basically allowed Steve to do whatever he wanted, a luxury not afforded to most Omegas. So, being with Tony was nice, but it was nothing like being with Bucky.
Bucky.
Steve tried not to think about him. It hurt to think about his best friend. It hurt so damn bad, because Tony was nice but Bucky had been everything. Bucky was his best friend, his mate, his brother, his protector, and the first person he'd ever loved. Bucky never treated Steve like he was anything less than equal, even when he had been small and weak and sick. Tony was great, really, and Steve might even be able to love him some day. He just missed Bucky.
Steve shook his head as he ran the last block up to the Tower. He was happy with Tony. This was enough.
Steve lay on the couch with his head in Tony's lap. The dark haired Alpha ran his fingers through Steve's light blond hair. The Omega hummed contently, eyes half lidded as he tried to focus on the movie they were watching. Tony smiled, his fingers trailing down from Steve's hair to trace his face gently, brushing his lips and cheekbones. "You're gorgeous," Tony mumbled, his thumb running over the blond's lower lip.
The tips of Steve's ears and the back of his neck turned pink, "Am not."
"You are," Tony said matter of factly, "You're so beautiful, Steve."
"You are too." Steve said, reaching up to brush his knuckles against the Alpha's jaw.
Tony chuckled, bending down to kiss Steve full on the mouth, "I'm pretty crazy about you Rogers." He said after a moment.
Steve grinned, "I'm pretty gone on you Stark."
"OH GO FUCK YOURSELF TONY!" Steve screamed as he threw his clothes into a suitcase. He snapped the lid down, face flushed red in anger.
"Would you just calm down and listen to me?" Tony snapped.
"I don't want to hear what you have to say," Steve growled, "I don't care. You slept with her, Tony. You went behind my back-"
"You think I need your permission?" Tony asked incredulously, "I don't need your blessing to get laid. It was a party, I was drunk and you weren't there. Hell, a lot of Alphas have more than one Omega, and it's not like we're really mates anyway."
Steve shook his head, "I thought you were different, but it turns out you're just a stupid knothead like every other Alpha."
"Christ Steve, you know how this works," Tony sighed, "I still care about you. I still lo-"
"Don't you dare," Steve said, "Don't you dare say that when you don't mean it Tony. I have to go."
"Steve-"
"No, I have to go." Steve said, shaking his head.
"You don't have to go!" Tony growled, "Just stay. We can work this out."
Steve shook his head and walked out the door.
January 2014
Washington, D.C.
Steve dropped his last box on the floor, standing and stretching his back, sighing when it popped. He liked the look of the new apartment; it was nicer than the one he had in Brooklyn. Now that his suppressants completely covered his Omega scent he could take missions from SHIELD. Tony still called him most nights before bed, but Steve had no intention of going back to Manhattan. Their friendship was salvageable, but their romantic relationship was not.
Steve sighed and plopped down on his couch. He frowned and picked at his cuticle. Something was coming, he could feel it. He just hoped it was something good.
To be continued…