…The Disillusioned Of Winter…

/Warning/: This chapter contains, sadness and angst, a little bit of violence, a little bit of fluff, sad Steve, manipulative Winter, and a little dob-con (Not sexually) so be careful when you read this chapter! 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 11

When Steve finally managed to return back to his home, he returned to a quiet house; making an unsettling feeling take over Steve as he walked inside the place. Steve's heart couldn't help but beat loudly in his chest when he didn't spot Winter anywhere; adrenaline started pumping through his body at the mere thought of something happening to his mate while he was distracted; that thought was enough to make his Alpha roar and for the blood thirst to settle in, as his breathing picked up. "Winter?" Steven called out as he entered his room, his heart dropping when he didn't see Winter sleeping on his bed like he hoped he would be. "Winter?!" Steven called out once more, loudly this time, hoping that his mate was just in the bathroom or hiding somewhere instead of having run away or having someone come into his house uninvited and take his mate away from Steve as it happened years ago.

MATE!

Steve's Alpha-self screamed, rage coloring his voice, and bloodlust thrummed in his veins, causing a snarl to pull Steve's face and nearly turn back and ran to the village to find the elders just to do with them as he threatened to do if they didn't leave his mate the fuck alone. Thankfully, all of that came to a halt when Steve managed to catch the faint scent of his mate leading him toward the closet in the farther corner of the room. Steven's heart slowed down and hope started to take hold of him, that he finally found where his mate hide; now, Steve just needed to find his mate and hold him in his arms, to assure him that everything was going to be alright.

But would he believe you?

A traitorous part of Steve's mind whispered, causing the Alpha's breath to hitch and for him to swallow harshly before he rushed toward the closet in the hope of his mate not only being there but also allowing Steve to explain what took place with the elders. Opening the closet's door, Steve can only thank his fast reflexes that enabled him to avoid the knife that was meant for his jugular, causing his heart to thunder in his chest as he jumped back and gazed at the attacker, which turned out to be no one other than his mate who was shaking as he held the knife.

"Winter…" Steve called out, and against his better judgment, he felt nothing but relief coursing through his veins like a heavy drug running through his system and making his muscles lose the tension that dominated them since the elders dared to show their faces in his territory and disturbed his mate in their den. "Winter…" Steve called out once more when he noticed how worse Winter's shaking was getting and the fearful look on his eyes was enough to stop Steve in his place and stop him from advancing toward his mate; but what made bile rise to Steve's throat though, was the stench of terror and distress that seemed to increase with every second Winter seemed to spend gazing at Steve.

"Stay… s-stay back!" Winter snapped, shaking in his place continuously as he tried to make himself smaller than he already was while trying to hide behind Steve's clothes, hissing and growling as he saw Steve come closer to him, making the Alpha more concerned about the Omega hurting himself than him. Winter was breathing harshly, looking closer and closer to another full-blowing panic attack by the second, and making Steve tense in his place as he watched for his mate's next move.

"Winter… sweetheart." Steve cooed trying to placate his twitchy mate, taking a step forward to come closer to the Omega in the hope of calming him; it didn't seem to work as Winter let out a growl when he saw Steve get closer to him, causing the Alpha to still before he lowered himself until he was kneeling in front of his mate, who curled around himself as to make a small target as possible, an action that caused Steve's heart to break; unconsciously, Steve extended his arm toward Winter his action though only caused the Omega more distress as he let out a hiss and narrow his eyes dangerously at Steve. The two of them were pulled into a staring contest, with Steve releasing his scent hoping to calm Winter enough to manage reasoning with him, and Winter who was staring blankly at Steve, his body tense as a bowstring, ready to snap any second now.

"Sweetheart…" Steve whispered, not breaking his stare as he crawled toward Winter slowly, wanting to get as closer to the Omega as he can so he can do something other than staring like an idiot with no goal; that turned out to be the wrong thing to do as Winter let out a growl and finally pounced on Steve, the Omega's patient finally running out as he tried to wrestle Steve while trying to use his knife to stab the Alpha and seemingly get rid of him. Unfortunately for Steve his Alpha decided to react at this exact moment, the tornado of fury and rage he was feeling since the start of all this farce chose this moment to erupt making Steve let out a furious growl and wrestle the Omega into submission; trying to ignore Winter's angry shouts and curses as Steve pinned the Omega underneath him, throwing the knife as far away from them as he can. "Winter!" Steve finally snapped the edge of his voice flirting with an Alpha command which caused his Omega to still underneath him in fear as he panted, his eyes not leaving Steve while there was a fire burning in his eyes, letting out a growl when he stayed under Steve without moving.

"Liar!" That was what Winter screamed when he managed to gather himself enough to act against the command, his words freezing Steve as he saw his mate's eyes take on a glassy shine caused by angry tears. "Liar, liar; liar!" Winter screamed that word again and again as he squirmed underneath Steve, snarling when the Alpha's grip didn't budge and he started to try and kick any part of Steve he managed to reach; even then Steve didn't falter in his grip, trying to placate his mate and calm him down enough to explain. "You promised that I will be yours! You promised that they wouldn't get me here! You lied! You lied, just like back then!" Winter spat, deciding to change tactics, and it seemed to work as the angry words he spat were enough to stun Steve for a second to think about it; all Winter seemed to need was this second before he managed to kick Steve hard enough to escape from his grip. Everything happened so fast that Steve couldn't even manage a blink before Winter hightails it and ran away from him, his words causing Steve's breath to pick up and he couldn't help his anxiety from spiking up as he felt his Alpha roar and demanded control of his body, ignoring Steve's shocked stated as he dominated him and causing Steve to still in his place before his Alpha letting out a roar of his own and rushed after his Omega.

Steve couldn't help but feel anger and helplessness as his Alpha ran after his Omega; it took them a few seconds to locate his Omega who managed to run a few paces in the snow, aiming at the forest; Steve couldn't help but growl as he rushed after Winter, his Alpha more in control of his action than him as he saw Winter hurt himself unnecessary just because he refused to listen to Steve and what he had to say. "Stop!" Steve (Or his Alpha, Steve, didn't know anymore) snarled as he managed to get close enough to pounce on his runaway mate, causing the Omega to shout as the two of them fell down; the snow cushioning what could have been a painful fall for the Omega. Winter started squirmed as soon as he managed to find enough ground to move; that act was enough to summon an angry snarl from Steve's throat; his mate was still fighting him even now, which was unacceptable to his Alpha instincts; with a hiss of annoyance, Steve let all of his weight on the Omega, causing Winter to huff in surprise and still in his place under Steve's weight, no doubt his instincts forced him to stay still least he summons more anger of his Alpha. "I. Did. Not. Lie!" Steve/Alpha hissed as he (They?) lowered himself to growl these words in Winter's ear, his Alpha dominating his action fully now while his more rational self decided to retreat, the weight of what took place hours and hours ago, and the action of his mate with his attempt at escaping, finally crashed on Steve and his Alpha, causing fury and possessiveness to take over him.

"But y-you… d-did…" That was Winter's shaky sob as the fight finally left the Omega and he slumped under Steve not even fighting him to get out from under the iron grip of his Alpha. "You said 'Till The End of The Line', but you lied! You lied! You didn't mark me just like back then! You are going to give me away just like with Hydra!" Winter snapped, his words causing Steve's heart to break into a thousand pieces at such an accusation coming from his mate's mouth; so many accusations that were so false, and Steve would have explained the truth to Winter and what really happened, if the Omega just stayed still and listen to him without thinking that every Goddamn word that came out of Steve's mouth was a lie, or a cryptic order!

Instead of answering, Steve just roared and tightened his grip on Winter, causing the Omega to freeze for a second before wiggling like crazy trying to escape Steve's grip; but Steve was far from being rational at this time, not when both he and his Alpha were feeling the fury of a thousand sun and the guilt of being the reason their mate was like that. instead of wallowing in self-pity and begging for forgiveness and understanding that he would never get with this version of his mate, who never seemed to believe in words but in actions; Steve decided to take the route that his Alpha had been edging him on ever since he notices how insane and unstable Winter was when it comes to being owned and marked as a mate. the Omega wanted to be marked and claimed by the Alpha so much that it was bordered on being obsessed; even his rational self knew that Winter was never going to be reasoned with or trusted Steve in any capacity there if he didn't have his bite and claim or take the role of a handler even if it meant punishing and hurting him; something that his Alpha confirmed to him the day after his talk with the Omega.

Gritting his teeth and knowing that what he was going to do can either backfire on him or cause him a major regret and guilt; Steve tightened his hands on Winter and flipped him on his back, causing the Omega to let out a squeak and gaze at Steve with wide eyes when he noticed how blood red his eyes were. "I do not lie!" Snarled his Alpha as he gazed down at his mate who was stilled in his place, tensing as if he was going to bolt at any move from Steve; Steve, though, didn't give Winter the chance to do what he planned for, instead, he let out a growl and moved inhumanely fast to sink his teeth into Winter's neck; piercing his gland and injecting it with his venom which produced a startling noise from the Omega, no doubt the Omega felt a little burned from the claim considering it wasn't done in the throes of heat where pain and pleasure were at the same wavelength.

Shivers started racking Winter's body as a startled moan left him, as his face flushed red and his eyes seemed to be dazed and glazed over. Pulling back Steve could only gaze at Winter in detachment, waiting for the action the Omega was going to follow, which either would be submission and trust from his Omega (Like his Alpha predicts) or angry tears and another fight, which would make Steve feel even shitter and more guilt-ridden than he was feeling at the moment for taking advantage of his mate. The only solace that Steve got from all of this insanity he seemed to have been thrown into was that the bite on Winter's neck was not a bonding bite as much as a show for his intention; for bonding only occurs when the intended pair bite each other at the same time in the throes of their heat and rut. Steve continued to gaze at Winter, taking the flush that dominated the Omega's face, to the messy hair that was all over the place like a halo, to the disheveled clothes, and wide dazed eyes the Omega continued to gaze at Steve with as he panted underneath him. It all painted a picture that made his Alpha's interest spikes up, and for a rumble of possessiveness to leave his throat, especially when Winter tilted his head to the side, offering his neck once more to Steve; adoration and obssession burning in the Omega's eyes that Steve was too afraid to look at and study more than a few seconds, as he felt that it would lead him down the rabbit hole and into the insanity of something unknown.

"I do not lie…" Hissed Steve (His Alpha? Steve doesn't really know anymore, maybe it was him who did this, maybe his Alpha; all that Steve knows is that the two of them were on the same page in all of this madness that was playing around them) as he lowered his head to lick the blood from Winter's neck, causing the Omega to shiver and let out a loud moan, the scent of arousal and want to fill the air around them as Winter gripping the front of Steve's shirt tightly, hiding his face in the Alpha's neck and nuzzle it while purring and chirping, informing Steve that his Alpha was right about the state his mate was in. "I never lie…" His Alpha stressed these words once more, causing the Omega to nod his head in agreement not that interested in what the Alpha had to say as he started licking and nipping at Steve's neck, whining and moaning as the scent of slick started to fill the clearing they were in. "They can never take you away from me now… not with my claim on your neck…" The Alpha murmured darkly, causing Winter to purr loudly at these words and nuzzle Steve's neck like crazy, spreading his legs under Steve and looking at him with such hopeful eyes that made Steve feel undeserving of such a look for his rash action.

But it is not our fault! It is the elders! They forced our hand!

Steve heard his Alpha snap, and even if the words were true, it didn't help the increasing guilt Steve was feeling as he looked at his mate that seemed too far gone into the madness of his own creating (Or was it Hydra or Steve who helped create this madness, to begin with?) to realize that what Steve did to him was wrong on so many levels. "I…Initiating The… The Blue Protocol…?" Winter mumbled, his purring seemed to increase as he nuzzled Steve as if he wanted to leave as much of his scent on Steve as he continued to scent the Alpha, wanting to make him smell of the Omega as much as he can.

"No." The Alpha hissed as he pushed Winter away, making him squeak as he was pushed back toward the wet cold snow, which got a whine from the Omega, who looked at Steve with pleading eyes and trembling lips, in the back of his mind, Steve couldn't help but wonder how much of Winter's action was a masterful act, and how much of it was real, a thought that both sickened him and made him fear the answer in equal measures. "You called me a lair… you ran away from your Alpha… you dared implied that I was a useless weak Alpha who couldn't protect his Omega!" Snapped the Alpha, and Steve couldn't help but be sick at what Hydra did to his mate, when his Omega seemed to be more responsive to this kind of treatment than the gentle handling that Steve had been giving Winter; Steve could only feel sick as he saw Winter's lips trembled as he started to whine and apologies, trying to placate Steve by offering his neck and opening his legs widely as if Steve needed to mate and dominate his Omega to truly forgive him for being scared. "I asked for your trust… and you failed to give it… until you learn to trust me and listen to me… I will not initiate the blue protocol!" That made Winter press his lips into a tight line the picture of a demure Omega seemed to disappear and in its place was the hardcore assassin Steve saw on the night his mate first attacked him to kill him; it took a few seconds of pursed lips and deep thinking before Winter gave a court nod, which informed Steve he understood and agreed with his conditions for now.

They gazed at each other for a few more minutes as they lay in the snow waiting for the other side to give up; Steve and his Alpha side gazing harshly at Winter, wanting the Omega to obey, while Winter tried to seduce the Alpha with his scent and gestures which seemed to make the Omega frustrated when it didn't work. When Winter saw that he was not going to win the argument a snarl crossed the Omega's face momently before he let out a huff and nodded one more time, the scent of arousal fading, a terrified part of Steve couldn't help but wonder if this was one of the Winter Soldier programs that Hydra used to eliminate targets with; the thought of Hydra sexually exploit his mate like this made sickness raise in his throat and he wondered if he would find it all written in the files that Sam and Shuri have.

When it seemed that Steve's words finally sank into Winter, Steve extracted himself slowly from the Omega, finally getting back to himself as his Alpha decided that he wasn't needed for now. Helping Winter up from the snow, Steve, took off his jacket and wrapped it around the Omega, getting a purr from the Omega who seemed way too happy as he nuzzled Steve's jacket before gluing himself to Steve's side, gazing at the Alpha with wide innocent eyes, but not making any advances other than implying that Steve can do what he wants. Steve let a harsh breath through his nose at that, holding the Omega tightly, trying to warm him as he made his way to the cabin, trying to ignore how affectionate the Omega was getting and how he was scenting Steve aggressively every chance he had, the scent of triumph surrounding the Omega, making Steve wonder if this was Winter's plan all along. Steve knew he had to talk to someone about this, he knew that Winter's obsession with being marked and mated to Steve and bringing the past only to get a rise out of the Alpha was unhealthy; he knew he should talk to Shuri and Sam about how Winter never response to his soft handling as Steve tried to be a decent human and Alpha by letting his mate decided on what he wants, but the only response to Steve aggressive Alpha side and taking his words instead Steve's even when the Alpha tried to be as understanding of his mate's wants and needs…

Steve just hoped that he wouldn't regret this…

"Mrs. Barnes… would I ever find James Barnes?" A plea, a desperate need to be told that the impossible could be possible…

"No, you won't Mr. Stark… you would never find him unless he wants you to… Bucky… Bucky was always good at hiding; always good at disappearing Gods' know where when everything got too rough… the only one who could find him was always Steve… but Steve isn't here anymore." Pain, so much pain, and hurt, and resignation as the truth was told… Bucky Barnes was never going to be found if he didn't want to… even if it meant saving his life…

"So that's it… I should just… give up?" A voice getting smaller and smaller as reality finally sank in…

"I am sorry…" A hitched of breath and silence dominated the room before…

"If he was here… what would Steve Rogers do?" A voice cracked as they plea once more, still clutching to the hope that was dimming by the second until it was too close to be snuffed out…

"If he was here… he would have pulled a miracle… he always managed to pull miracles when no one expected them…" A sob, a denial, a promise from a God to go Helheim to bring a lost soul back; silence, arguing, more denial, and a plan to expose the military from the core…

A phone ringing pierces the chaos everyone throws themselves into…

"Yes?" An elegant voice answered back. "A-Angie?!" A shock was clear as the woman jumped from her seat, eyes widening more and more as the silence continued before tears started in cloudy sky blue eyes. "A… a-are you s-sure?" A cracked voice and a hitched sob caused the Beta to jump and rushed to his lover who crumbled down to the ground. "A-are you s-sure? D-did you s-see t-them?" More pleading before the 'Oh God, Oh God; Oh God!' filled the room as the woman rocked herself back and forth…

"Pepper, what is going on?" A frantic voice nearly shouting, but not finding the answer he was after as the woman stood up on shaky legs, walking away from the group and ignoring the concerned call of her lover as she continued her mantra and talked on the phone…

.

…

.

That was three weeks ago…

And just like Rebecca Barnes predict, Tony never managed to find Bucky Barnes… no matter how much he spent days and nights searching for the Omega who turned into a ghost story that no one managed to catch a glimpse of, but everyone knew a past story about. Three weeks since Rebecca Barnes told them about Steve Rogers and how stubborn he was; a punk who managed to make the impossible possible… in the back of his mind, Tony always felt shitty when he wished that it was Steve Rogers who took the Captain America mantra and not Peggy Carter, if only it meant the man would manage to give them a miracle like Rebecca believed he always does… it was three weeks since Pepper started acting strange, getting that phone call from one of her old friends, and acting strangely in the aftermath, no one knew what to do with the dazed look on the Beta's face, only thinking the worse happened; even Tony offered for his lover to go and see her parents see what happened to them if her detached persona and giggling at strange times without prompting was an indicator. It was three weeks ago since he last saw Peggy Carter and Natasha Romanov, both decided to retire back to S.H.I.E.L.D. to escape the reality they were both thrusts into, leaving the rest of the team in a frenzy as they tried to search for a ghost before the deadline came and blindside them… Three weeks since he said goodbye to Rebecca Barnes and told her that he would keep her updated on any news he found on Bucky Barnes…

Three weeks…

One week of overtime on the deadline…

It was one week since the poisons put in the metal arm of Bucky Barnes were injected into his body… a week since Tony raised his head from his search (Which cover all the worlds continents) to see the clock ticking twelve, informing Tony that his time had run out and that Hydra success in killing an innocent man… it was a week since Tony started to search for the decaying body of Bucky Barnes in the hope of giving him a suitable funeral, instead of bringing him home to be saved and recovered… it was a week since Rebecca Barnes called him, telling him it was not his fault, and thanking him for not giving up on her brother, breaking what's left of Tony's spirit and increasing his guilt and pain for failing to help Bucky Barnes… it was a week ago that… Bucky Barnes was already confirmed to be dead…

"Tony…" The sound of his name coming from Pepper made Tony raise his head from his latest invention and turn to his girlfriend who unsurprisingly had a traveling suitcase beside her… and for a split second, Tony couldn't help the panic that overcome him at the thought that this is it… that Pepper was going to leave him and was going to let him down gently for being too unstable and invested in finding a corpse.

"Hey, Pep…" Tony mumbled, his eyes not straying away from the suitcase, something that Pepper seemed to notice as she give Tony a sheepish smile walking inside the workshop toward Tony, hugging him tightly and then kissing him gently, dissipating all of his worries for a moment. "So… where are you going?" Tony finally dared to ask after pulling away to gaze at his lover, who looks radiant and happy, a look that Tony wanted to always keep on Pepper's face.

"Back home… for a week or two at most…" Pepper trailed off before a small smile took over her face, and Tony couldn't help but kiss that smile, feeling triumphed when he managed to get a small laugh from Pepper who leaned on Tony and held him tightly. "Do you… do you remember my uncle? The one I always talk about?" Pepper suddenly asked, her words causing Tony to blink and he had to think for a few seconds before he managed to remember the 'Uncle' that Pepper meant by her words.

"Ah! The artist one, you wanted to introduce me to for years now?" Asked Tony, finally remember which uncle Pepper meant, especially when she only has one uncle that she always goes on and one about and how she wanted Tony to meet her family who was like a father figure to her her and raise her along side her parents… Tony always chickened out of meeting the man who helped raised the love of his life more than her parents, mainly because Pepper thinks that the man was made of gold or was like a God walking on earth making him fear that the man would find him unworthy of being beside Pepper if they met, even when his lover says that her uncle would love him and that he was just overreacting.

"Yeah, him…" Pepper grinned, pulling away and Tony allowed her to pull back, watching as Pepper started to look around the workshop, noting the additional projects that Tony was working on. "You do remember that I told you he was unmated because his mate died years and years ago?" Tony nodded as Pepper said that, remembering well enough how Pepper used to laminate about how her uncle deserved to be happy and not lock himself in his grieve, how the man was so sweet and it was unfair for him to suffer and blame himself for his mate's death/disappearances years. "Well… three months ago… my uncle… well… he… he found his mate." Pepper said, her words causing Tony to let out a 'Huh?' of confusion and look at the Beta with a tilted head, not knowing if what to make of what he was hearing.

"But… but how? Wasn't his mate dead for like twenty years?" Tony asked, still not being able to process the situation of how a man's dead mate returned back to life… and not for the hundredth time, Tony blamed himself for not paying that much attention to Pepper's story about her uncle… it wasn't really his fault that Tony zoned out every time Pepper brought her uncle with how much the woman always talk about him; for some time, Tony even believed that Pepper had a romantic crush on her uncle until he realized it was one giant hero worship, that Pepper was never going to shake away.

Pepper rolled her eyes, no doubt knowing that Tony wasn't really understanding the situation even after she no doubt explained it to him a thousand times before, but was not going to call him on it. "No, his mate was reported missing when he went visiting his family in Europe years ago, it was the government who labeled him dead even when uncle fought to keep his case open." Pepper explained, causing Tony to let out an 'OH!' as he listened to Pepper who shook her head at his antics. "It turned out that… it turned out that there was an accident on his way to his family and he… he lost his memories." Tony couldn't help but wince, his mind uncharacteristically recalling Bucky Barnes against his will, an action that gained him a sympathetic look from Pepper who took one of his hands and squeezed it gently.

"So… so your uncle finally found him… and he is OK, isn't he?" That question managed to get a happy smile from Pepper in return; part of Tony, couldn't help but be relieved and grateful that someone finally managed to get their happy ending and find their mate, even after years ago. "How is your uncle handling all of this?" Tony couldn't help but ask, and in fascination, he watched as Pepper grimaced and shuffled on her feet. "Not that good, huh?" Pepper let out a tired sigh and shook her head, pressing her lips into a tight line.

"Yeah… that's why I need to go and see if I can offer my help, from what my friend told me… my uncle's mate isn't doing great, too much trauma and fears from his time away; my uncle is trying his best to cope with everything, but nothing he does seemed to work." Pepper then sigh and murmured something that Tony didn't manage to catch, but didn't care to make his lover repeat when Pepper gave him a tired smile. "You know I would have brought you with me if I didn't know your thoughts about meeting my uncle…" Tony had to wince at the all-knowing look Pepper send him. "…and knowing that it isn't the right time for my uncle with him being busy with his mate." Pepper finished her explanation, causing Tony to hum and smile at the Beta.

"You don't have to explain Pepper…" Tony's muscles loosen when he saw the happy smile gracing Pepper's face. "…I will be there if you need me, I am just a phone call away. Give your uncle my best wishes, and I promise I will come with you to meet your uncle and his mate next time when everything is settled." Tony kissed Pepper after saying that, promising himself that as soon as he finished his quest of finding Bucky Barnes's body, he would finally gather the courage to meet Pepper's family, and the uncle she always talked about… especially considering that he had a serious question to ask the older man…

Tony hoped that everything was going to be OK with Pepper's uncle…

Five days, that's how much time had passed since Handler Rogers claimed Winter as his life-long mate; five days that felt more like a lifetime ago. Five days of Winter trying to get Handler Rogers (Or was it Alpha Rogers now that the two of them are mated?) to be intimate with him, nuzzling and kissing and offering himself to the Alpha, who was a little cold in his treatment but no less kind and understanding (And even Winter doesn't fault the Alpha on the cold shoulder he is giving Winter, not with the numerous times, Winter disobeyed him, and him trying to run away from his Alpha) five days and every time Winter remembered his handler's claim, how he held him effortlessly down, how he clamps his jaws tightly on his neck, not paying attention to anything other than claiming the Omega, not even paying attention to how Winter moan and squealed under him as he got so wet that he reached his peak; Winter couldn't help but shift in his seat and clench his legs together, feeling unbearably warm as he remembered the pain of the bite, and his Alpha's tongue licking the blood away after proving his strength and claim…

Winter couldn't help his gaze from staying to the Alpha, taking him and how he was chopping vegetables, his face impassive as he listened to the news; his annoyance was only indicated by his lips twitching down every time he heard Captain Carter goes on and on about her plan of catching the Winter Soldier and taking him into custody. Winter couldn't help the purr that escaped him at how protective his Alpha was; already his Alpha was possessive of him and his claim… a good sign if Winter wanted to secure his place in Handler Rogers's life, it meant that the Alpha won't leave him or give him away when it came to it.

5 days, 120 hours,7,200 minute; 432,000 seconds… that's how long Winter was mated to his handler, an action that he never regretted, even when his Alpha called Doctor Wilson and Doctor Shuri and told them what happened, causing the two of them to crowd Winter all day the first day of his mating with his Alpha, causing annoyance to course through Winter, especially when Doctor Wilson huffed and puffed and snapped and screamed at Handler Rogers only to stop when Winter snarled and nearly attacked him ("He wasn't angry at me or screaming at me, Winter, he was angry at the elders and how they forced everyone's hands…" That's what Handler Rogers said anyway, even if Winter didn't get on what the Alpha meant, and was still planning on killing Doctor Wilson if he dared to raise his voice at Handler Rogers) it did get better when Doctor Wilson and Shuri left and told Steve they would come back later with answers on the subject they were searching in… whatever subject that was.

Winter was… content of sort. He was already mated to his Alpha; he already secured his protection, not having to fear that his handler would give him back to Hydra or to the Avengers. The only thing Winter was angry or annoyed at was his Alpha refusing Winter to initiate The Blue Protocol, a fact that always greeting on Winter's Omega side and made him more snappy and cagey at the thought of his Alpha not mating him and getting him pregnant with pups soon to prove his claim to others who would no doubt try and assert their dominance over Winter, a thought that only succeed in making Winter twitchy and hissy.

Winter decided to press his lips together and focus on his Alpha, tracing as he worked in the kitchen making their dinner; it was supposed to be Winter who cook and make his Alpha proud of him for being a very good caretaker of their house, but the Alpha refused for Winter to enter the kitchen and hurt himself… and maybe that was for the best, considering that Winter doesn't know his way around the kitchen, and Hydra and his previous handlers didn't find it that important to teach Winter how to cook any decent thing other than boil water.

That didn't matter to Winter at the moment, because even if Winter can't cook, he can show his Alpha how a good Omega he can be in different other ways… Winter just needed to find a way to make his Alpha notice him… a different way than Winter being an idiot and trying to run away from his Alpha that is.

It wasn't really in Winter's intention to run away from his handler, but fear of being left by his handler, and the terror of being handed back to Hydra or the Avengers made Winter react before he knew it and seek freedom, even if it meant attacking his handler to achieve it (And Winter was grateful that the Alpha didn't punish him for his idiot choice even when he had every right to) but in the end, his action had prompted his Alpha to give him his mark to Winter something that the Omega had been trying to achieve for a long time.

But now that a huge burden had been removed from Winter's back, he can finally relax that he carried his Alpha's mark on his neck, knowing that no one was going to touch him and call the Avengers and Hydra on him because Handler Rogers won't allow it; his Alpha would destroy them before he let them come near Winter, a fact that his Omega side reassures him off over and over again.

All that is left now after getting his Alpha to mate him so he can carry his pups, and in doing so he would secure his position in his handler's life; to right the wrong that James Barnes did when he left his Handler Rogers and killed his baby. Winter should feel disgusted to remembering Bucky Barnes's memories, he should be disgusted that he used that line, that was his Alpha and Bucky Barnes's line; he knew he should be angry and hissy and annoyed, but he didn't, not after these words got the desired results and made his Alpha claiming him as his, which did take away from his anger and fury at Bucky Barnes. "Winter, dinner is ready!" His Alpha's voice snapped Winter out of his deep thoughts causing the Omega to blink and turn his sight to his Alpha who was putting dinner on the kitchen's island, a sight that made the Omega purr and stands up going to his handler mostly to nuzzle him affectionately, receiving a soft kiss on his forehead in return…

Winter couldn't help feeling warm even when hours had passed…

So, what do you think?

Finally an update!

Don't blame me blame my finals and then me getting sick after them for not updating in the last few months!

Did everything go from zero to a hundred in mere seconds with Winter and Steve?

Yes, they did…

Read and Review

And tell me what you think…

Nazaki-Sama