…The Disillusioned Of Winter…
/Warning/: This chapter contains, sadness and angst, a little bit of violence, a little bit of fluff, and sad everyone! All reviews are appreciated.
P.S: This is an Omegaverse story as in Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics; it also deals with the standard Winter Soldier's warnings, with that be careful and enjoy!
"Character talking"
"Character thinking"
…Flashbacks…
Chapter 10
"As if I wanted to stay here and listen to the soap opera you are about to wave." Natasha snapped, anger in every word she spat, hate clear in her eyes as she throw Tony a harsh accusing glare as if blaming him for this mess being his fault; Tony's hackles raised, as if it was simmering before it was raising as the tides now, and Natasha wasn't helping it, not with her eyes that were throwing harsh and hateful looks, as if trying to kill them by her gaze alone, not with her face twisted in anger and a snarl, as if it was forever frozen like this, not with her tense body as if she planned to draw the first hit.
Tony's hackles raised, and he was about to stand up and prepare for another fight with the woman, not caring if she was an Alpha or a teammate because now more than ever it had proven to him how fractured and weak his team was, not being able to stand together no matter what; the only thing Tony was grateful for was that Peggy was staying silently in her place, not moving a muscle and just gazing forward, resignation is clear in her eyes as she was preparing herself to listen to the story of the one she sower that she 'Love' but didn't know anything about. To Tony's surprise, it wasn't him who jumped and started another fight with Natasha, kicking her out of the tower just to be petty by how entitled she was acting; it was actually Pepper who stood up so fast and walked toward Natasha that no one noticed until she was standing in front of the woman, her eyes shining and her face is a picture or a raging Valkyrie as she gazed at Natasha.
"I advise you to return your ass to your seat, or I swear to God and everything holy out there, I will destroy you." Pepper hissed, his words holding a note of a growl that made everyone straighten up in their places and look at the woman who was staring Natasha down, acting more of an Alpha than Natasha herself when the red-headed Alpha took a step back unconsciously, her face falling a little as she realized that her 'friend' was the one who said that to her.
"You don't understand, Pepper! The Winter Soldier is dangerous, he is not Bucky Barnes anymore, he is just a dangerous lying monster that if left too long, would kill everyone and everything you ever loved and cared about! He may act like the victim of the situation but he is nothing but a cold-blooded murderer waiting to sink his teeth in his next victim; he needed to be put do-!" Whatever Natasha tried to say to convince Pepper, the Beta just hissed and pushed her back to her seat, causing her to stumble and fall back, looking at Pepper with shock.
"Do not!" Pepper snapped, her fists clenching tightly as she looked at Natasha with anger shining in her eyes, daring her to contradict the order that Pepper gave. "Do I need to remind you that you are also nothing but a dangerous monster who took over 500 hundred lives? Do I need to remind you that you are nothing but a lying bitch, Miss Rushman?" That made hurt and heartbreak appear in Natasha's eyes before the woman managed to mask it, and even then Tony couldn't help but feel a little vindictive about it, even if he knows that the reason for the hurt Natasha was feeling was because she had some feeling for Pepper but her stunt as Natalia Rushman and her report on Tony had ruined her chance with Pepper, and maybe that was why Natasha always glared at him and was cold to Tony, blaming him for stealing Pepper from her when the fierce Beta was no one's to be stolen in the first place. "You have no right to speak, you have no right to act out, considering that you are more dangerous than the Winter Soldier… everyone read his files, and everyone read yours, and I can assure you, from my standpoint you -who did your missions willingly and without brainwash or torture- are the monster who needed to be put down; you should thank Tony for protecting you from having the Russian or the American government after your ass, so what you are going to do is shut up, sit down, and not move unless you wanted to be thrown out and back to S.H.I.E.L.D. where no one can protect you!" Pepper shouted loud and clear, causing everyone to shift in their place, and Natasha to fold on herself before swallowing and nodding her head in defeat.
Tony knew he shouldn't be as petty as taking pleasure in Pepper putting Natasha in place, but after what he suffered in the past few months, and the insults and interrogation he had to suffer at Natasha's hands; seeing his girlfriend putting the Alpha in her place made Tony feel relieved… light… happy even, because it meant that Natasha would actually shut up and let Tony know and draft a new plan to save Bucky Barnes. "Thank you…" Tony whispered gently to Pepper when she sat beside him, causing the woman to give him a reassuring smile that was laced with tiredness, though her eyes were raging with the fire of anger, no doubt at how entitled Natasha was to dare and accuse the longest POW of the world of being a monster and forget about how black her track record was.
"What a fierce reaction to a story that not many here are interested in or care to listen to…" Rebecca said, her legs were crossed and she was leaning back on the sofa while eyeing Pepper with interest and questions burning behind her eyes as if she couldn't believe that the Beta would go as far as to dress Natasha down and protect Bucky Barnes in the same breath.
Pepper stayed silent for a minute before opening her mouth, only to close it and purse her lips before she got her smartphone out and started to fiddle with it; when Pepper finally found what she was looking for she turned to Rebecca with a sad smile on her face. "You can say I owed Steven Grant Rogers a favor, and protecting his mate is a way for me to repay it." Rebecca wasn't the only one who inhaled harshly at such words leaving Pepper's mouth, because Tony was sure that he had stopped breathing for a minute or two as he looked at his lover, his eyes silently pleading with her to explain.
"You know about him?" This was Peggy who asked, finally inserting herself in the conversation after she gathered herself enough to be present with them, instead of being lost in her mind. "How?" And that was the million-dollar question that Tony was sure was burning inside both him and Rebecca Barnes, wondering how Pepper knew about him when the man died over seventy years ago.
"I don't personally know him… but… but my mother did. He… he died saving her when she was a child…" Pepper finally admit after seeming to gather herself enough, and Tony had to hold in his harsh gasp at those words leaving Pepper… Steven Rogers died saving a child from a wolf that ran away from the zoo… that's what Arnie and Michael told him; Steven Rogers died saving a child from a wolf the military experienced on… that's what the married couple had implied… Steven Rogers died saving a child that turned out to be Pepper's mother… Pepper's mother that if she had died, Pepper wouldn't have been by his side and given him the strength he needed to face the day… Steven Rogers died saving not only Pepper's family but also died saving Tony's life from ruin to an extent… suddenly the realization of that, made Tony know just how he would have fucked up in his life and how much he owed Steven Grant Rogers… if it wasn't for Steven Rogers giving his life to save that child seventy years ago, Tony knew that he would have been found dead in a ditched years ago either by his hand or by Stane's, with no Pepper Potts to protect him and giving him the strength to continue to live.
"Oh… so your mother…" 'Your mother was the reason Steven Rogers died'… that's what Tony thought Rebecca would say as she packed her things and left Tony to scramble around and beg her to stay; instead of doing that, Rebecca just smile and relieve enter her eyes as she gazed at Pepper. "I am glad…" Rebecca's voice cracked as she said that as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "We thought… we thought that the little girl, Stevie, had saved was killed… especially when the military took her away from her family…" Rebecca whispered, looking down at her shaky hands as she tried to control them, her words causing Tony's heart to pound so fast in his chest, that he thought he was going to suffer from a heart attack.
"Mother never told me much about her childhood… just that Steve Rogers had saved her many times and that she owed him greatly," Pepper whispered with her eyes returning to her phone before she swallowed, giving Tony a reassuring smile when he held her hand to reassure himself that she was here with him. "Is that… is that him? My mother is a photographer and an artist so she… she tried to recreate him in a portrait." Pepper's words trailed, before she clicked on something on her phone, causing a hologram to project in the middle of the living room.
A sob was heard and Tony didn't need to be a genius to realize that the portrait that Pepper showed was the last picture of Steven Grand Rogers… the only picture of Steven Grant Rogers that Tony managed to see… Tony could only stare in a daze at the hologram of the man that was Bucky Barnes's husband… the portrait showed a thin man, Steven Rogers, sitting in a chair and gazing at the person who was drawing him, a smile on the face; Tony took in the dark blue eyes, blond hair, and clean shaved face, the tired look in the man's eyes and the sadness seeming to surround the portrait spoke loudly and clearly to Tony, causing him to swallow and continue to gaze at the man who was known all around of Brooklyn as a spitfire.
"Ah… this… can you send me this picture, please?" Rebecca spoke, her voice cracking even after she seemed to gather herself enough, her eyes not leaving Steven Rogers's face, refusing to leave his face as she gazed at him with misty eyes. "I… I don't have any pictures of him… no one does… not after the military came to our house and took all of his pictures and belongings… I managed to hide their wedding picture when I was young but… but it was lost years ago." Rebecca admits, making Tony close his eyes tightly, trying not to imagine the military storming the Barnes's household, not only taking everything that once upon a time belonged to Steven Rogers, but also taking everything that would remind the family of their beloved family member… what would Bucky Barnes do when he realized that he has nothing to remind him of a husband long gone because the military wanted him to play another role? What would Barnes do when he wanted to remember his husband but can't because there was no picture of him anywhere other than the one Pepper's mother created?
"Of course…" Pepper whispered, giving Rebecca a soft smile, waiting for the woman to gather herself as she continued to look at the picture of Steven Rogers… it took time, for Rebecca to gather herself, no one moved and no one even spoke; even Natasha was silent. When Tony turned around to gaze at her and Peggy, Tony had to wince when he saw Peggy shaking and crying silently as she gazed at the picture of Steven Rogers, her fists were shaking in her lap as she forced herself to continue looking at the man in the portrait, because now than ever everything had become real in Peggy's eyes as she gazes at the man that was Bucky Barnes's husband…
Rebecca cleared her throat, gathering everyone's attention as she started…
Anger could not even justify how Steve was feeling… fury and rage came close, but not even they were close to what Steve was feeling at the moment. But if Steve know one thing, then that would be him killing everyone in this fucking room by the end of the night; he was sure if his Alpha didn't finally lose it and snap, choking every fucking idiot in this room, a friend or not, then it would be Steve who was going to put bullets in their heads.
It all started with the elders coming to knock on his door, threatening his mate, and making his Omega descend into a panic attack so strong, that it took Steve nearly all night to calm him down, and even then, he didn't succeed. By the time Steve finally managed to leave his mate enough to deal with the elders, his mate had passed out from exhaustion, his body too tired to handle the stress post-operation.
This is how Steve ended up here, sitting in the meeting room with the elders shouting left and right at each other, demanding and commanding to be heard. Angie, Daniel, and Jack Thompson were taking his side, not that surprising considering Angie and Daniel were his friends, and Jack was probably convinced by Angie and her 'No-bullshit' attitude to side with him. It was Agnes Cully and Calvin Chadwick that were making nausea out of themselves as they hissed and growled and threat and ordered Steve around as if they own him; even Roger Dooley was sitting silently in his place, studying Steve and how angry he was getting by the second without saying a word like he would usually do.
"Do you know how much danger you have put us in by harboring the Winter Soldier? The government could come knocking any moment now, and if they discovered what we are, the next thing we know we are going to be lab rats!" Calvin snarled, puffing himself to appear bigger than he was, trying to scare Steve even while being nothing but an irritating Beta, and ignoring how Steve was bristling at every word the man said and how he treated Steve like a dancing monkey who didn't understand the risk he was putting everyone in ever since he found his mate in the snow that day.
"Oh, just shut up! Harboring the Winter Soldier? Dangerous? Hah! You gotta be shitting me? Did you forget the shitty situations you continuously put us through and how you nearly expose our existence more than once? Do I need to remind you of what Hodge did?" Jack snapped, causing Calvin to growl at him and take a step toward the Alpha, which got a snarl from Jack.
"Mr. Thompson, what Cal did in the past is in the past, and he did apologies more than once for it; we are here now to deal with something more urgent than my husband's plan to help our town improve," Agnes stated, sending her husband a warning look, and shutting him up while turning to Steve with her disgusting coy smile as if she was trying to butter him up and appeal to his protective side that she was an Omega. "Steven, I don't know how the Winter Soldier convinced you that he is your dead mate making you act irrational not only to endanger yourself, but us as well, but it needs to stop this madness right now… you need to accept that your mate is dead and that the person you are protecting in your house is nothing but an international terrorist." Agnes tried with a gentle smile, her words getting a harsh intake of breath from not only Steve but Angie (who jumped from her seat) and everyone who knew about Steve's past and his love for his mate.
"Now, hold up, you bitch!" Snapped Angie, her face twisting in anger as she glared at the woman, her hands twitching as if she wanted to put them around Agnes's neck and choke the life out of her. "Everyone and their mother know that the Winter Soldier is James Buchanan Barnes, and everyone here knows that he is Steve's mate! Are you calling Steve and everyone in the fucking world a liar or are you implying that Steve and James's mating bond is a lie?" Angie's voice rose until she was shouting at Agnes, causing the woman's smile to twitch into a harsh frown as she glared at Agnes.
"You and I both know that what's left of the Winter Soldier is not James Barnes anymore, but a mindless killer that would be our ruin; instead of Steven hanging to the past, he should think about the future, and find a suitable mate who wouldn't result in the military and the Avengers coming to knock on our door." Agnes rolled her eyes with her head held high, looking at Angie from underneath her nose as she said her piece, ignoring how Angie bristled and let out a snarl before she rushed around the table at Agnes causing the woman to stand up and for a fight to break up between those two.
The fight between Angie and Agnes started another fight between all the elders, sans Roger and Daniel who looked at each other with irritation as they saw the rest of the elders fight and squabble between themselves like pups trying to shout louder to be heard and ignoring the rest of the group; it was only when Agnes nearly attacked Daniel when the Omega tried to defuse the situation that Steve finally snapped.
"Enough!" He roared, his face twisting into a snarl as he gazed at the elders who froze into their places, gazing at Steve with fear as they saw the fury on his face and the red in his eyes. "Enough!" Repeated Steve as he stood up from his chair, causing everyone to pull away and return to their seats when Steven ordered them in a hiss. "Now that you have all said your piece allows me to say mine; if anyone… any one of you… dared to call the Avengers, the government, a fucking police officer, to threat my mate, or stress him, I swear to everything that's holy I will destroy you… I don't care who you are or what you are going to do, I will destroy you and make you wish that you have never been born." Growled Steve as he gazed at Agnes and Calvin, saying that directly to their faces and causing them to frown harshly at his words, their mouths curled in displeasure when a growl left Steve's mouth when they opened their mouth to argue.
"So you are going to endanger a whole town for a terrorist?" Agnes didn't seem to get the memo as she continued, ignoring Steve's harsh glare and hiss at the Alpha. "If you are going to forsake the lives of everyone here then I suggest that you step down from your position as the leader and let someone more competent take your place." Agnes huffed, causing Steve to pause for a second before a dark smile took over his face, causing Agnes to flinch when she saw how relaxed Steve was becoming.
"Oh, please do." Stated Steve as he took his seat once more, leaning back on his chair and relaxing as if he was unwinding after a stressful day. "Who are you planning on bringing? Brandt? I will give you three months, five tops before the government comes knocking on your door. Hodges? Oh please, if you want an alcoholic and a drug addict he is the best there is; I am sure he would make a good puppet for whoever going to use him." Steve smile happily as he saw Calvin shift uncomfortably while Agnes frowned harshly when Steve called them out as if he didn't know what they were doing. "Or maybe John Walker? Nah… that's not going to sell, no one wanted a racist and a misogynistic as their leader… or are you planning on taking my place?" Steve tilted his head, his smile widening even more when he saw the twitch in Agnes's left eye. "If you thought you can do it, then why don't we vote between us? I don't really care, because I can just pack everything and leave with my mate as if nothing happened and let you ruin yourself when you realize that approximately 95% of the population is going to leave this town with me." That caused a snarl to cross Agnes and Calvin's faces before they controlled themselves.
"Fine, have it your way." Agnes hissed, looking at the rest of the elders with a dark look promising them reckoning before she stood up and marched outside of the meeting room, Calvin not that far behind her as he send Steve a harsh glare before turning to run after his mate.
Steve let out a tired sigh as he looked at the rest of the elders who stayed in the room, looking at Steve as if waiting for him to say something. "I just have one question I want you to answer and then everything is your responsibility," Roger spoke for the first time since everyone settle in, causing Steve to turn to the man and give him a nod so that he would ask his question, causing his fellow Alpha to sigh and lean back. "Are you sure you are ready to handle everything that's going to be thrown at you without endangering anyone in the process?" Roger asked, looking more tired and aged as he gazed at Steve, waiting for him to answer.
"I am… if it came to it, then, I would leave if it meant no one is going to get hurt." Steve answered sincerely, gazing at Roger's face and letting the man see the honest truth shining in his eyes, and that seemed to be enough for Roger who nodded his head and stood up, accepting Steve's words as the truth. Steve didn't help but look at Angie, Daniel, and Jack who were looking at Steve as if they still have something on their minds that needed to be said; Steve couldn't help but sigh tiredly at that…
It seems like it was going to be a long day…
"I don't know from where to start, but I think that everything started with our father… May God tortures his rotten soul in hell…?" Everyone had to flinch at how much hate and poison were in the woman's words when she practically spat the word father like it was a foul taste she can't get rid of. "You see, our father was one of those… people… who always thought that Omegas are beneath them, not worth a thing… only a breeding stock that should take care of the house and raise the pups and nothing more…" Rebecca's fists clenched tightly as she tried to take deep breaths in hope of calming down, because sure as hell, every time she was forced to remember her father, fury, and anger always coursed through her.
"Omegas are useless…"
"Dey are nuttin' but a breedin' stock…"
"Disgustin' how much those Omegas started flauntin' demselves left and right, tryin' tuh gain deir rights! Hah! As if! Deir only right dey have is stayin' barefooted and pregnant!"
"I Swear tuh God, James, if yuh presented as an Omega I will kill yuh and throw your body out of de house fawh people tuh do wit' as dey please! Okay?"
"That's what father used to snap and shout every time he was angry or was too far in his drunken stupor… I may have been two years old by then, but I do remember enough to know the fear we all lived in, and looking at it now, I finally realized how terrified my brother was of being Omega… he was always terrified of being near our father, and was always in a hurry to get out of the house every time father made an appearance saying that he has work in the docks; maybe because he knew that for father, being a male Omega is worse than being an Omega to start with…" Tony bite the inside of his cheek so hard that he tasted blood because he can't really imagine what it was like to live this life full of fear and terror every minute of the day when you are told what would happen to you the second you presented as something your family do not wish for and be considered a freak and unwanted for it; even Howard with all of his shortcomings and negligence had never put that much thoughts in dynamics, just that it was something you should overcome to reach your full potential. "It all started when James… when James presented at fifteen…"
"No, Please! George, please, let James go!" Winnie screamed as she tried to pull her husband away from her son who was curling on the floor and sobbing harshly, shaking as he tried to crawl away from his father who continued to advance on him. Winnie could only let out a cry of pain as she was pushed with so much strength that she ended up on the floor after slamming into the table, shaking as she gazed at her husband, who had a snarl itching into his face.
"Shut up! Yuh keep your mouth shut if yuh doan want me tuh deal wit' yuh next!" George snapped, face red as whirl around, nearly backhanding Winnie when she stood up to stop him again if it wasn't for James pulling his attention away from his mother by trying to scramble away to move… to escape, to run, to disappear from this insanity… but that did nothing other than gathering his father's attention once more causing the Alpha to roar and go after James.
"I was two years and a half… maybe older, maybe younger, I don't remember much… but I do remember standing in the doorway of James's room, crying as I saw my own father beating my brother, hearing my mother scream at him that he was killing James… I remember gazing at my brother and trying to open my mouth and call out to James when I saw my father shaking him from his hair… I remember my brother looking at me and telling me to 'Look away, Becca' over and over even as father slammed his head to the floor over and over again, intending to kill him." Rebecca swallowed, her hands were shaking so bad as she remembered the tears in her brother's eyes, the bruises lettering her brother's body, and the blood that ran down his face from the cut on his head. "I remembered begging God for a miracle… for a knight in shining armor, just like the fairy tales that my brother used to read to me every night…"
James had stopped thrashing, he had stopped doing anything other than taking deep stuttering breaths and containing his noise of pain as his father shook his head, screaming and cursing at him, the resignation shining in his eyes at the harsh truth of dying; no one was coming to save him, just as no one was going to come and stop his father from killing him, who was insane enough to come and risk their lives to save an Omega when they have their own families to take care of? Who was going to come and save an Omega when it was normal for the head of the family to get rid of useless members? No one was coming, and everyone knows that; that's why Winnie was begging her husband and crying at his feet groveling, that's why Becca was crying in the doorway, screaming his name and word 'Stop' over and over again, face red from tears and snot, that's why James closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the final blow to come so that it would be over.
Just then, just when George raised his head to slam it on the corner of the table and finish everything, the front door of their apartment was slammed open; causing everyone to look at the intruder who dared to step in and stop this madness that started in the morning, when James tried to run away when he realized what was happened, only to be stopped by his father coming home on one of his rare sobriety hours.
From what James can see through his bruised eye, the intruder was a man holding a shotgun directly in his father's direction. "What de fuck do yuh want, Rogers?!" His father snapped, and James had to try hard to remember who Rogers was… only to realize that the person who was in front of them could only be 'Steve Rogers' the Alpha who probably lived in the apartment above them with his mother and was always involved in fights with the Alphas in the street.
"There he was… Steven Grant Rogers… a shotgun in his hands and a harsh look on his face, looking more dangerous than a knight in shining armor with the rage and anger in his eyes, but no less protective as he ordered my father to step away from Bucky… at that time, no one would have to pat an eye at what happened, no one cared enough to interfere in families affairs, and Omegas' rights weren't as they were now, so it was a shock to see someone standing up to protect James, going as far as breaking into our apartment with a shotgun to save a strange Omega…" Tony finally let a breath he didn't know that he was holding ever since the start of the story, clenching his hands into tight fists only to realize that they had been shaking since the start of this story.
"I said it once, I won't say it again; get your hands off of de Omega, Barnes!" Steve snarled so loudly that no one believed that such a dangerous and chilling voice had come out of the tiny slip of nothing, even if his scent informed everyone that he was an Alpha and an angry Alpha at that.
"Who do yuh tink yuh are tuh orduh me around, huh?" George growled, tightening his hand around the fistful of James's hair before shaking him tightly causing James to choke and whine. "I can do whatevuh de hell I want Rogers, so I advise yuh tuh return home befawh yuh end up in dis bitch's place." George hissed as he turned to slam James's head to the table edge.
But George never did it; instead, he and everyone froze in their place when they heard the shotgun go off, and the glass vase above George's head exploded, showering him with glass and water. When George looked up with wide eyes, he was greeted by the sight of Rogers gazing at him with narrow eyes and a gunshot that was pointed directly at his head. "Let de Omega go if yuh doan want de next bullet tuh be in your head," Steven said dangerously in a calm voice that caused George to swallow, especially when he finally noticed the people standing outside of the doorway, gazing at the spectacle that was taking place and whispering between each other.
"Fine! Okay? Yuh want dis bitch so much, he is yawhs!" Snapped George, face going red as he saw people pointing at him, and throw James in Steve's direction, causing the Alpha to growl dangerously at the way the older Alpha treated the Omega. James though, could only gaze up at Steve with blurry vision, not even having the strength to scramble and run away from where he was, body too bruised and in pain to move.
"Ma!" Steve called out, causing a woman to break from the crowd to enter the apartment and rush to James, helping him up and trying to pull him outside of the apartment, only to be surrounded by the Omegas that live in the apartment complex as they helped her carry James to her apartment. "Mrs. Barnes, if yuh want dis is your chance tuh come wit' me and leave your husband," Steve said, glancing at Winnie, but not taking his eyes completely off George. Winnie looked up, sniffling as she looked up between George and Steve before she seemed to have made up her mind and stood up on shaky legs before she ran to pick Becca up and the bags that she and James dropped when they were surprised by George coming early. Ignoring George's growl of anger, Winnie tried to rush out of the apartment, going after her son who was dragged away from this mess, which did nothing but make the Alpha rage and rush after her, causing her to panic, but a well-placed shot hit him in the left leg, causing everyone to shiver as they turned to Steve who was watching the Alpha screaming on the floor in pain as he gazed at Rogers with wide and disbelieving eyes. "I will only say it once, so make sure tuh listen well and get it inside your empty head… if yuh evuh, evuh, come aftuh de Barnes family, I will make sure de next bullet won't miss your head. Yuh got me so fahr? " Steven hissed darkly, causing the man to shiver and nod his head, breathing harshly as he tried to stop the bleeding… no one tried to stop Steven and the rest of the Barnes family from leaving the apartment, just as no one called the police and reported what took place; after all, territorial dispute, was not prohibited yet, and in that time, winner takes all, even if no one believed that the five-foot-nothing Alpha would win.
"I never saw my father as afraid as he was that day; I remembered not taking my eyes off him as I saw the monster that scared us and made my brother's life a living hell reduced to nothing by a twenty years old Alpha… a child in his eyes… to this day I couldn't help but wonder if God had heard my prayer and gave our family the miracle we always hoped for," Rebecca mumbled, seeming lost in thoughts before she snorted and shook her head. "It was only when we were finally in the safety of the Rogers family's residence that the strength Steve had displayed seemed to disappear and he passed out causing us to panic… it turned out that Steve was sick with pneumonia and was on bed rest for the past week, what surprises us though was instead of resting as he should be; he decided that saving my brother's life was more important than his, even when we never know anything about him other than him living in the same apartment complex as us." Rebecca's words caused Tony to blink and for a smile to twitch on his lips, because what Rebecca told him resembled everything Arnie and Michael had told him, how Rogers always stood up for the people in need, risking his life to protect them fiercely.
"What happened after that brave encounter?" It was Thor who asked that question, seemingly engrossed in the story, his eyes were wide with interest and his jaw a little dropped at the story that Rebecca painted, and who wouldn't? Tony was just informed that the first meeting between Rogers and Barnes was nothing short of the Alpha saving the Omega from certain death, the trope of every Alpha/Omega love story that people go on and on about, no wonder Barnes fell in love with him.
"…He made himself even sicker than he was before, to top it all, he seemed to have told his mother to spend whatever they have collected to buy his medicine, to get us food and first aid for Bucky… we didn't know about that until the priest came to give Stevie his last rites." Whatever smile on Tony's face vanished as Rebecca let out a tired sigh at that admission. "That day, Bucky cried so much more than he did when our father nearly killed him. The only person, who dared to step up and save him, was dying because of him… it was hard for Bucky to accept considering that he wanted to thank Rogers for saving him, but instead, he was dying in the next room; I think it was more painful to Bucky when Stevie wanted to talk with him that night." Rebecca let out a hum before a sad smile crosses her face. "No one knew what they talked about exactly, but it gave Bucky enough determination to put himself back together, he even stopped blaming himself for presenting as an Omega; not surprisingly, Stevie survived that winter, even when everyone said otherwise… the look on Bucky's face was almost enough for us to get the gest of their conversation that day…" Tony didn't know what to say about that, but it was enough for him to build the base for the rest of the stories he heard about the pair.
"Did they get together after that?" Pepper asked a small smile on her face as she was hearing the story, no doubt that she was too invested in the story of the man who saved her mother, it didn't help that the story is romantic from Pepper's point and view, and who wouldn't think that? Even Tony didn't have it in him to tell Pepper that this wasn't what happened, because he was also invested in Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes's story.
Rebecca chuckled softly and shook her head, her words causing Pepper's smile to fall and the start of a pout to take over, which was endearing if Tony had anything to say about it. "No, they didn't get together, or at least that's what was said… if you asked Steve, he would have told you the two of them were just friends; but if Bucky was asked, he would have said they were husbands… it was quite the fun dilemma they put themselves in since they started spending all of their free time together." Mirth was swimming inside Rebecca's eyes as her smile widened, no doubt remembering a happier time. "For us, the Rogers family was our family, Steve and his mother did everything they could to help us continue on with our life as we wanted without the fear of my father looming over us and destroying the small piece of happiness we manage to gain. Sarah Rogers was a saint who became a dear friend to my mother, helping her find a job, loving us, and supporting us until the day she died, the second mother who always offered us encouraging words and soft smiles. Steve Rogers was like a father and a second brother to me, teaching me the right from the wrong and how to stand up with my head held high and protect those in need of my help… for my brother, Steve Rogers was everything… he was the person who took him to Goldie's boxing ring and taught him how to box with the help of his friends; he was the one who taught Bucky that being an Omega doesn't mean the end of the world and how to face it with no fear in his eyes, he was the one who changes my brother's way of thinking and gave him enough confidence to act as he liked without the fear of our society pressure on him… there was really no doubt that Bucky would end up falling in love with Stevie…"
"Marry me!" A fifteen nearly sixteen years old Bucky nearly shouted, face red as he felt everyone's gaze at him, his hands tremble as he tried to steady them, looking at Steve as he waited for the Alpha's next move, trying not to let his burning face stop him from expressing his love for the Alpha, and maybe he was cursing himself for just blurting out his intent without buying a ring; Steve's though, his eyes were so wide, they looked like they were going to pop out of his head as he rocked the deer in the headlight look.
"Marry me!" At sixteen and a half years old, Bucky finally dared to repeat that question once more, this time on Steve's birthday as he gazed at the Alpha with a determent look in his eyes, not caring about the people who stopped in the street to gaze at them with a slacked look on their faces, some giggling, some shaking their heads, and some are joking as they pointed at them; this time Bucky had made sure to buy the engagement rings and think hard about the perfect proposal… the only thing Bucky's proposal success in doing was causing Steve to choke at the bit of food, his eyes were comically wide and his face purple, causing Bucky to squeak and rushed to help the Alpha before he choked and died.
"Marry me!" Asked Bucky not two months later, this time getting Becca's help for the proposal, he went all the nine yards with sunflowers, candy, chocolate, and fancy dinner, it caused Steve to still in his place as he saw Becca toddle to him with the rings in her choppy hands.
"Marry me!" That's what Bucky said on his seventeen's birthday, causing Steve to scramble to catch his gift before it fell to the floor, gazing at Bucky in disbelieve as if he didn't just propose to him last week when they were out dancing, turning Steve's face crimson when everyone chuckle and shook their heads at their antics.
"MARRY ME!" Bucky grin widely when he presented Steve with the bear he lost 3 dollars trying to win at Coney Island, his loud shout attract the attention of everyone as they giggled and chanted saying 'Yes' to Steve who looked a step away from passing out… which he did.
"Marry me!" Everyone in Brooklyn let out a sigh as they saw Bucky cleaning Steve's face from the blood, the two of them had just finished their fight with some bullies who were harassing young Omegas… well, Steve brought the fight to himself to give the young Omegas a chance to escape, but Bucky was the one who came running with the anger of a thousand suns as he kicked them where it hurt the most… Steve can only sigh.
"Marry me?" Bucky asked with uncertainty, twisting his hands together to stop them from shaking so bad, not daring to look up at Steve as he continued to gaze at the Alpha's legs, biting his tongue so hard that it was a miracle he didn't taste blood; today was his twentieth birthday, and if the rumors are true then this would be the last time Bucky was going to propose to Steve.
"Bucky…" Steve said with a sigh, causing Bucky to contain his flinch as his lips wobbled, no doubt already knowing the answer Steve was giving him; what Bucky didn't expect was Steve to put his fingers under his chin and raises his face, to give him a gentle smile. "Yes, I will marry you." Steve smiled gently as he said these words, causing Bucky to let out a 'Huh?' as he gazed at Steve, suddenly everything got blurry and it was only the sob that left Bucky's throat that made him realize that he was crying.
"You mean to tell me that Bucky Barnes asked Steve Rogers to marry him nearly every day for the next five years until the Alpha finally accepted?" Rhodey called out, the shock clear on his face with amusement and mirth in his eyes that was mirrored by nearly everyone in the room. "Damn, that's dedication right here!" That got a laugh from everyone, the loudest being Thor who was becoming more and more invested in the story… nearly all of them were invested if you didn't include Natasha who was scowling harshly, and Peggy who was frowning in deep thoughts and gazing at her tightly drawn fists.
"But why not accept in the first place when the two were going to end up married anyway? Was he waiting for Barnes to reach the consenting age? I doubt that very much considering that the drinking age at that time was like… sixteen." Clint asked, sitting on the edge of his seat as interest shined in his eyes wanting to know more about the story that Natasha tried hard to ruin for everyone if it wasn't for Pepper.
Rebecca wet her lips at that question, letting out a soft sigh before answering the question. "He was going to die… sooner or later; everyone knew he was a dead man walking…" That shut Clint up and he gazed at Rebecca with wide eyes as if not believing her words. "Everyone knew if he didn't die from the next fight he participates in, then he would die from the next sickness he was going to catch on his way to the grocery store, and if he didn't die from that, that it was from the next asthma attack that no one would know from where it came… Steve spent all of his life being told by doctors that 'You won't live to reach the age of twenty', or 'You won't reach the age of twenty-five', or 'You are definitely dying before you reach the age of thirty'… he spent all of his life seeing priests standing near his bed giving him his last rites over and over again… everyone knew that Steve won't handle the idea of marrying Bucky and then dying the next day, leaving Bucky widowed and heartbroken… everyone knew he would refuse Bucky over and over again until Bucky decided to move on and marry someone who wasn't going to die on him just because he wasn't breathing right… no one knew why the change of the heart occurred, but everyone was overjoyed by it." Whatever humor everyone managed to gather from the story about Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes courting had vanished as if it was never there, leaving everyone lost for words, even Rebecca herself, that's why Tony decided to fill in the blanks with the few short pieces he gathered.
"Then they got married in the early '39, with their family and friends surrounding them… they stayed happily married for five years; Steve Rogers was an artist whose art started to gain attention from rich people, while Bucky found a job as a secretary, and the two of them were going to buy a house in the suburbs… but it all change when Rogers got the letter that he was drafted." Tony continued his words snapping Rebecca from the rabbit hole she seemed to have thrown herself in; it also seemed to snap the attention of everyone around him as they gazed at Tony with surprise at his ability to know the story.
"What really broke them wasn't the letter... that came way after… what really broke them was Steve getting sick… so sick that his Rogers's luck couldn't shake it…" Rebecca's voice crack as she whispered, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes, trying to center herself before she opened them once more. "Suddenly the 'You are definitely dying before you reach the age thirty' seemed truer and truer every day that passed." 'Oh…' was heard from somewhere in the room and it was 'Oh' alright, because Tony had thought that Steve Rogers died by the military hand, but it turned out that he was suffering before that from sickness. "Everyone knew that any day now, Steve was going to die; even Steve knew it… it was Bucky who refused to believe and would get… hysteric every time he heard someone even implying that." And why wouldn't he? From what Tony gathered from Rebecca, Michael, and Arnie; Bucky Barnes had loved his mate to death, of course, the thought of losing his hero, best friend, and husband would scar him for life… just the thought of the same happening to Pepper sends Tony spiraling down. "It seems that Steve knew that Bucky was not to be reason with, that if it was left to him, Bucky would spend all of their life saving on a fruitless hope of finding a cure… so you can say he took the matter in his own hands to ensure that Bucky and their child would never live the rest of their lives needing anything…"
"Steve!" Screamed Bucky as he barged into the bedroom, the anger and rage in his face caused Becca, who came to visit Steve, to flinch and shy away from her brother who looked a minute away from ripping his hair off or stabbing someone; Steve, on the other hand, turned from Becca after giving her a tired smile, and toward Bucky, giving his husband a questioning look as if asking him 'What?' "Where is the fucking money?" Bucky question, being on roll as steam was probably coming from his ears, gazing at Steve with a look that ordered his husband to talk.
"I used it," Steve said coolly, not flinching at the narrow eyes look he was at the end of, and not even twitching like Becca did when Bucky took a step toward the Alpha with anger in his eyes, it was a few seconds later that Bucky seemed to calm down enough to be talked with rationally.
"Did you buy medicine with it?" Bucky asked, his eyes filling with hope even when there was caution as he gazed at his husband, probably not believing him if it wasn't for how composed Steve looked. "Did you read the news about the new trail treatment? Did you sign up for it?" Bucky's eyes were gaining a little shine of hope as if he was trying desperately to convince himself that Steve just did what Bucky had been yapping about for weeks now.
Steve, on the other hand, hummed as he tidied the scattered papers containing his and Becca's drawings before giving them to the small girl and pointed to her to leave them alone… not that Becca dared to leave them truly alone as she eavesdropped on them after closing the door. "I didn't… I bought us a house." Steve stated, and it wasn't even five seconds later before Bucky started screaming hysterically.
"A house? A fucking house? How could you?" Becca flinched and tried to back away when more screams and shouts were heard from inside the room, Bucky demanding Steve to sell the house and get his money back so they can go to the new experimental drug trial that promised its succession, while Steve coldly refused to do as Bucky said, trying to keep his temper down before he lost it… and even then it didn't seem to work when Becca heard Steve finally snap back and start a shouting match between them…
A week later, Steve was drifted to war, without care of him being sick, and the military had given him 4F when he went to sign up the first time… not even a day and a half, Bucky went and signed in Steve's place, returning home to break the news to Steve, not caring about what the Alpha had to say… Steve died that night because of a 'Wolf attack' and Bucky lost their child…
"Steve knew that Bucky would waste whatever they had on a fairy tale of a drug that would cure him, so be bought the house without Bucky's knowledge, wanting to be sure that neither Bucky -Who was pregnant at that time- and their baby would suffer from not having a roof over their heads; he went as far as to invest in a few projects that turned out to be far more successful than anyone thought they would be, so that Bucky and the baby would never be in need of money or asking anyone for what they need… but then Steve died, and Bucky couldn't handle it; the shock and stress was so great that he ended up losing the baby… suddenly, the house didn't matter, nor the money Steve gain from his investing that made Bucky rich enough to life comfortably with their baby for the rest of their life… suddenly the military swarm our apartment taking away everything that contain any information about Steve Rogers; turning him into a ghost that never existed… suddenly the military were in a rush to ship Bucky to the front line, ignore that he just lost his mate and baby not a day ago, ignoring that he nearly took his life not a few hours ago if it wasn't for Steve's friend Arnie, telling Bucky about the house Steve bought, and the money he managed to invest in so Bucky can move on and live his life like how the two of them always wanted… suddenly, Bucky packed everything and left, leaving the house and money in my and mother's name, considering that we were the only family he had left… that was the last time I saw my brother, before people dubbed him as Captain America's whore and him dying," Rebecca whispered her hands were shaking as she let out a long breath lost in thoughts and leaving behind a silence that was suffocating everyone in the room.
"But it wasn't a wolf attack…" Pepper said, her voice cracking and her hands shaking, her face was so pale, that Tony couldn't help but reach out to still her shaking hands, giving her a gentle smile, even when his face was pale as her. "My mother… my mother said it wasn't a wolf that attacked her… but a man wearing military clothes… my mother said that she was returning home from her friend's house, she told me that a man wearing military clothes with so many medals cornered her, saying very nasty things and scaring her… she told me how he was turning to a scary monster by the second, and how he was saying he would kill her… Steve Rogers arrived by then and saved her before something bad happened; he protected her but it ended with him and the monstrous man dying… she told me when the military was taking her away, she heard them talk about 'Project Wolf' and how of a failure it was…" Tony inhaled harshly at that, it was Pepper's turn to comfort him gently by holding his hand tightly, centering him in his place before he drifted.
"They would, wouldn't they? They would mess up, and then they would try and erase their mistakes so desperately, that they won't care about the ones they were hurting." Rebecca said gazing at Peggy as she said those words, watching as the woman's hands clenched tightly. "That's why it is better if you left Bucky be, Mr. Stark…" Tony's head snapped to Rebecca, gazing at the woman with disbelief shining in his eyes at the woman's words. "You wanted to know how much Steve is going to affect Bucky's recovery; I told you, last time he dropped everything and went on a path of self-destruction, he became a suicidal idiot who came with a dangerous plan after a dangerous plan in hope of dying because he wasn't strong enough to take his own life. What you are dealing with now is the damaged version of my brother, with seventy years of torture and abuse, this version knows nothing but death, no right, and wrong, no nothing other than death and pain; if this version remembered Steve… I can promise you the consequences would be catastrophic, this version would not only try to kill himself but would try to burn the world with him as he does… that's why I want you to let him be… if he was lucky not to remember Steve in these past months, then his death would almost be merciful, but if you saved him and he remembered Steve and you forced him to hang on to his life… then please don't blame yourself when you find him dead when you stop looking after him." Rebecca warned, causing Tony to bite the inside of his cheek to stop the promises of 'this wouldn't happen'… because from the story he heard, he knew how impossible for him to save Bucky Barnes without expecting things like this.
"So what you are saying is that the only person who can possibly save James, is Steven Rogers… but he is dead… so you are just giving up on your brother without even trying to save him in the first place!" That was Peggy who finally spoke, losing it and snapping, glaring at Rebecca with anger and fury in her eyes. "How do you even know what is going to happen? How do you know that James may remember Steven Rogers? James may never remember him so why are you condemning your brother's life?" Peggy huffed as she stood up fast from her seat, glaring at Rebecca who was eyeing her coolly before letting a chilling smile cross over her face causing everyone to shiver.
"I know that you would never be able to save Bucky and be his 'The One' as you are hoping, just as I know that your only chance to save Bucky is having Steve Rogers with you… but look around, Steve Rogers is not here; Steve Rogers died seventy years ago because of the military that plays the tone you are dancing to like a dancing monkey… the same military that destroyed my brother's life and robbed him of his husband and child, and let Hydra fester in their ranks for over decades. You have no right to come to me like you are any better than them just because you 'Love' my brother, you have no right when you were the one who let my brother fall from the train to Hydra's clutch." That caused Peggy to flinch harshly as if she was slapped and gaze at Rebecca with a harsh stare full of anger. "If it was Steve… he would have jumped after him. If it was Steve, James would never allow the military or the public to label the person he loves as a 'Slut' and a 'Whore'. If it was Steve then James would have been back home with his family, not enslaved and tortured for over seventy years." That made Peggy become as quiet as a mouse as she gazed at Rebecca with an unreadable look on her face before she turned around and walked away followed by Natasha, leaving everyone gazing at the place she was; Tony on the other hand couldn't help but frown at that…
This just feels like the calm before the storm…
So what do you think?
Poor Bucky and Steve!
Well poor everyone but still!
We get to learn some of Steve and Bucky's past!
If anyone is interested I posted a new Steve x Tony with a side of Steve x Bucky fic, "Weep For The Future" it's a Greek Mythology story with Steve as Medusa, Tony as Hephaestus, and Bucky as Poseidon. If you are interested in a companion fic being mainly Steve x Bucky then tell me ^-^v
Read and Review
And tell me what you think…
Nazaki-Sama