The Iron King…

/Warning/: This chapter contains, cursing, sadness, fluff (So much fluff!), a light chapter for a change, and Steve and Tony get a little bit closer (Just a little bit)! All reviews are appreciated.

P.S: This is an Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamic story, it's also a Medieval story with Viking Tony ^o^

"Character talking"

"Character thinking"

…Flashbacks…

Chapter 15

The fateful night passed, followed by the next day, and the next… and Steven was still in some sort of shock even since that fateful moment when the foolish king admitted to liking him and wanting to court him even; some part of Steven's mind was sure this was a dream burdening on a nightmare that he was going to wake from any moment now… any moment now!… which so far didn't happen, to Steven's charge.

Marriage… the foolish king asked for his hand in marriage… just that action alone should have sent Steven running to the mountains of Asgard; but instead, Steven was still in Mantta, glaring at his basket that was full of herbs and greens that only grow in Winter… Steven was still in a daze as he tried to make sense of what he experienced that day with the king asking for his permission to court him in the hope of marrying him.

Insane… that's what the king was! He was foolish and insane if he thought that Steven would end up accepting his proposal of marriage after everything that took a place between them in the months since Steven and his pack came here… speaking of his pack, Steven hoped dearly that they didn't hear the mad rumors about him marrying the king because knowing them, old man Philips would suffer a heart failure from such news while the rest of the pack would go after the foolish king to kill him, which would create a bigger problem that not even Steven can prevent.

This was a nightmare it really was… Steven should have known that this was a nightmare from the start! Huffing, Steven walked through the forest surrounding the village, making sure to pick up the herbs he wanted and whatever greenery grows in the winter that was of use to him; the last thing Steven can do is gather the wanted herbs for medicine while trying to forget about the foolish king and his request…. And how did Steven even agree to it in the first place? He was not even sure how it happened, it just did, and maybe that was one of the reasons he was annoyed with the king and his stupid question.

"Marriage! As if! I am sure that he will show me his true face in a month or so, and when he does I will kick him so hard I will make sure he will never have any more children! A dancing fool, that is what he is if he thought I accepted his request fully!" Steven mumbled to himself as he tried not to stump his way through the forest, trying to be respectful to the nature and the creatures that lived here; it was really hard controlling his temper though, especially with the king's hopeful face kept flashing in his mind-eye over and over again, reminding Steven of how he found the foolish king that fateful night and how much the man looked at Steven hopefully like he held all the answers to every question in the world.

Steven really needed a drink… he really needed one… too bad mead doesn't affect him like how it does everyone thanks to his Valkyrie training when he was young. Steven knows rationally that he can go to the king any time he wanted and tell him that he doesn't fancy him and want nothing to do with him; he even knows that strangely enough, the foolish king would accept his demand and stop in his foolish plan of courting Steven. What Steven doesn't know, was why he was angry at the king for asking for his permission to court him? Why did the thought of the king fancying him this way made him angry? Was it because the king was one of the reasons his children died? Or was it something else entirely? Steven doesn't know the true reason only that he was angry and somewhat furious, which is never a good combination when someone wanted to marry another.

Huffing once more, Steven shook his head to banish these annoying thoughts as he continued his way through the forest, planning on filling his basket before returning back to his pack's home while making sure to avoid the king for the third day in a row before he was forced to see the king when the Alpha would come and ask for his hand in front of his pack, which was not something that Steven was looking up to.

The splashes of water greeting Steven when he reached the river in the woods made him pause for a second before following the sound, wondering who was in the forest at this time of the day when everyone was busy preparing for the Winter Games. Steven pressed his lips tightly, wondering if he should just turn around and leave this place to return to his pack, but remembering James and his insisting that Steven should bring him shiny rocks from the river made Steven huff; knowing his son, his boy would have come with him and jumped into the river to search for the rocks if it wasn't for Margaret keeping him busy.

Walking to the river, Steven was prepared to meet many different kinds of personas from young adults to bitter old men; what Steven didn't expect to see was Petrus standing in the shallow end of the river while picking rocks and then dropping them with a frown on his face. What shocked Steven the most was how Petrus was here on his own without someone older supervising him or a friend who would call upon someone if something happened. Just to make sure that Petrus was all alone, Steven looked around the place, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone (Anyone really) only to find no one hiding or in plain sight, which was one of the reasons that made Steven press his lips tightly together as a frown took over his face. How can the foolish king let his son walk around these parts of the forest without supervision? Was what Steven thought as annoyance start rising inside him. Did the foolish Alpha really not notice his son disappearing when the boy spent nearly all of his days with his father?

Steven stayed in his place as he tried to calm down a little, knowing that if he started ranting and cursing the foolish king, for being a fool who doesn't know how to take care of a babe he won't stop even if it meant that his life was depending on it. Gazing at Petrus, Steven noticed how the small boy was picking shiny rocks from the river bed, sometimes he frowned a little as he inspected the rock over before letting it go in the water once more before starting his search again other times if he found a rock he liked he would put it in the small sack attached to his belt.

Steven stayed a few more minutes gazing at Petrus, wondering if he should make his presence known or if he should continue on his way and leave the boy to his exploring, the awful thought of something happening to the small boy if he did that was what made Steven still on his decision and walk to the river, not wanting the pup to be left alone in a place where everything could happen and no one is close to help… Steven was going to have a strong-worded talk with the foolish king after this, how can he leave Petrus all alone in a dangerous place like this without someone looking for him? Even Steven doesn't allow James to such places without someone with him to help or inform someone if something happened.

"Petrus…" Steven called out when he reached the river, hoping that the little boy had heard him approach and would not be as startled as he would have if Steven just appeared out of nowhere. Petrus on the other hand let out a squeak of surprise and nearly fell in the cold water if it wasn't for Steven's reacting fast and managing to catch him from his tunic before he tripped and fell into the freezing water… this was why Steven was so against children sneaking out to such dangerous places in Winter, which again remind him of the harsh words he was going to exchange with the foolish king if he discovered that the Alpha let his son wonder alone in the forest. "Are you alright?" Steven asked after he pulled the pup to the shore and started to check him over, frowning a little when he saw the boy's naked feet and rolled up pants but no shoes in sight. "What were you doing here all alone?" He decided to ask when he made sure that the small pup wasn't injured or hurt from his near fall in the river, just a little cold from the weather if the pink on his toes and legs was any indication, which Steven corrected by taking the fur coat he was wearing (Burrowed from old man Philips) and surround the pup in it, which made the boy stiff as a board… as if he wasn't tense like a bowstring already.

"…Shiny rocks…" Petrus ended up whispering after a while, opening his hands to show Steven the shiny rocks he managed to collect before Steven came and startled him; to Steven's surprise, there were many colorful shiny rocks in Petrus's hands, which kind of informed him why James was eagerly planning to go to the river and collect shiny rocks with the rest of the kids if it wasn't for Margaret and old man Philips scolding them and forcing them to stay inside.

"All alone?" Steven asked once more causing Petrus to shift in his place, his cheeks getting redder as he looked around the place as if trying to find an excuse for being here alone, in the winter; Steven waited for the boy to say something, but the pup did nothing but fidget in his place, making Steven concern. It was true that the two of them were not that close and if it wasn't for James taking a shining to the boy and becoming his friend, Steven knew he would have never interacted with the boy at all; but the two of them were close, not only the boy asks him question of his own sometimes, but Steven thought they were at least close. So it was within Steven's right to be confused about the way Petrus was acting, especially when the boy seemed to avoid his eyes and being all fidgety when he wasn't like that a few days ago. "Does your father know you are here?" Steven decided to ask instead when the pup didn't seem ready to answer him, and he saw how Petrus shook his head at the question and biting his lower lip at the admission.

"I… please… do not tell father… I promise I will not come here anymore!" Petrus shouted suddenly, causing Steven to wince at the yell in his ears before he turned to the boy who was looking at Steven with wide eyes and wobbly bottom lip; if Steven didn't know any better, he would have said that the boy was probably trying to manipulate his way out of this situation by playing coy… but Steven knew his son, and he liked to think that he knew Petrus to some extent and looking at the two boys, they are similar to each other in many ways; one of them was their fear of falling into 'Troubles' and being caught by one of their parents or other people who may make a spectacle out of things, that's why Steven can see that the tears Petrus was preventing from falling were real and not an attempt to gain his sympathy.

"I will not… on the condition of you telling me why you came here all alone… and where your shoes are…" Steven finally said, standing up and offering Petrus one of his hands while carrying the basket in the other; following Petrus as the boy lead him to the bushes not far from the river to get his shoes, causing Steven to frown in concern at how Petrus hid his shoes far away from where he was at… Steven really needed to talk to the boy about this or talk to his father, because something was clearly going on if the boy was hiding his belonging in the bushes to keep them safe.

When the shoes were in Steven's sight, he kneeled down and helped the pup put them on, which gained him another squeak from the boy before he stilling in his place like a terrified rabbit, an action that concerned Steven greatly, especially when the boy's face turned red and he started to fidget once more... Steven really needed to talk to the foolish king about Petrus's behavior, unless the arrogant Alpha was the one responsible for it, which thinking about it was impossible, especially with the way the king treated his boy like he was the most important person in the whole village; if Steven excluded the foolish king and his friends who played as Petrus's caretakers, then that leave the villagers and their kids, which was not a reassuring thought at all considering that James and the children always complain about bullies and mean people in the village, but really how low can the villagers get to bully a little pup and drive him to the forest alone? And what about the king? How did he not know about his son being here even if the boy didn't tell him? Steven stilled and narrowed his eyes at that, unless the boy always sneaks out without everyone's knowledge then there is no way for him to be here without someone searching for him.

When they were done, Steven stood up, offering his hand to Petrus once more, causing the boy to flush before slowly accepting his hand; clinching it tightly but he lowered his head, refusing to look at Steven, and took it as his mission to look at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Steven started walking in the direction of the village, before pausing and changing his mind, heading to his pack's hut, thinking that Petrus would prefer being in the presence of his friends more than the villagers and the bullies that James always growl about.

"I… I w-was collecting s-shiny stones…" Petrus suddenly stuttered, making Steven look down at the boy who was gazing at the blue shiny stone in his free hand before clutching his hand into a fist and looking at the ground. "I w-wanted to give t-them to J-James… to say s-sorry…" Petrus mumbled, clutching the stone so tightly that his fist nearly turned white.

Those words made Steven stop in his place, looking at Petrus who was looking at his feet with a flushed face and teary eyes as he looked a step away from crying; that made Steven kneel down and raise Petrus's chin up until he was looking at him in the eyes, giving the pup a soft and reassuring smile. "What wrong do you think you did that you nearly endangered yourself to get these stones?" Steven asked with curiosity in his voice, wondering what Petrus did to James, and how his son didn't run to him crying about what Petrus did if it was true.

Petrus's lips wobbled and he started to sniffle trying to wipe his red-rimmed eyes before the tears started to fall; at this point Steven was really concerned, wondering if the little boy was going to cry in the middle of the forest without him even knowing what's wrong to calm the pup down. "I-it i-is because… 's because I m-made… a s-selfish w-wish…" The boy hiccupped, wiping his eyes with his fist, causing Steven to pull the pup's fist away and give him a comforting smile.

"What selfish wish?" Steven asked gently, making sure that his voice was full of warmth and reassurance, not wanting Petrus to feel forced to tell him, but at the same time wondering why would Petrus think that him wishing for something (Even if he considered it selfish) would require him to endanger his life in the river where no one can help him just to collect a few stones to apologize to James.

"I… I… I w-wanted something h-he have… even i-if it m-meant… " Shame clouded Petrus's tone and face as he looked at the ground once more, but this time, the tears he tried to hold into ever since the two of them met started to trickle down his cheeks as he tried to desperately wipe them away without allowing his sobs to be heard.

Steven stilled at that, gazing at the boy who was crying and trying desperately to wipe his tears away; confusion and concern were the main emotions that took hold of Steven, and he gathered himself enough to focus on the little boy first before allowing himself to reflect on what Petrus said. Gentle, Steven hummed as he raised his hands to wipe the little boy's tears, focusing on the boy and trying to calm him down with soft words and gentle touches; it took time before Petrus managed to calm down enough that his tears stopped falling, and when that happened, Steven gave him a soft smile before leading him to a fallen tree where the trunk made a good spot for sitting comfortably.

When the two of them were sitting on the trunk and Petrus was calm enough to have a conversation with Steven without starting to cry again, Steven took it as his chance to reach the core of the problem that made the little boy so conflicted and unbalanced. "So… you think you did something unforgivable to James by wishing to have whatever he has but you think it was selfish of you, and wanted to apology… is that correct?" Steven summarized the problem, getting a nod from Petrus who was clutching the coat around him tightly and looking at his legs. "But how do you know that this wish was selfish?" Steven countered, wanting to know why the boy was having that line of thinking, what did James have that Petrus wanted so much that he considered it so selfish of him to wish for? What did James have other than… what did James have other than his mother and found-family… that made Steven still in his place, his back becoming as stiff as a board at that line of thinking… what did James have and Petrus didn't that the younger boy wished for and yearn? What did Petrus have and James didn't but his son would do without? The answer Steven's mind reached was both one he didn't want and one that made him conflicted and wrongfooted; but in the end, Steven gathered himself enough to give Petrus a warm smile and acted as if nothing happened and that he didn't realize the meaning of the pup's words.

"Because… I k-know that… I know that… J-James only h-have y…" Petrus said before he stopped, curling tightly around himself and hugging his legs before shrugging his shoulders and refusing to continue; not that Steven didn't know what the boy meant by his words, because it was clear as day what Petrus meant, and how Steven's suspicions were confirmed even when he didn't want it. "How… how do I know if my wish is not selfish?" Petrus suddenly asked, countering Steven's question with another, causing Steven to bit the inside of his cheek to stop his laugh at the sudden change, but that didn't stop him from giving the boy a soft smile.

"James has something you want and yearned for and you wished for it, is that not it?" Steven asked making Petrus pause for a second before nodding his head in confirmation. "A wish is a wish, Petrus… and everyone in the world may have a selfish wish or two they do not share with anyone, no matter who they were; a wish is something that may come true or not, it depended on the will of the Norns… The only time a wish can become selfish and bad is when you hurt those around you to achieve it; tell me, Petrus, did you hurt James to make your wish come true?" At that, Petrus shook his head fast, looking at Steven with wide eyes, pleading with Steven to believe him, not that Steven didn't believe the boy, because he know for sure that Petrus wouldn't hurt a fly even if it meant gaining what he wanted, the small boy was too soft, not a treat that he often sees in Alphas, and the only time he ever saw it was... years ago. "Then it is alright, to wish for what you want even if it turned out to be selfish because at the end of the day wishes and reality are different realms only the Norns decide what is to cross and become true." Steven smiled at Petrus who pressed his lips tightly in deep thoughts gazing at the shiny rock in his hands as if he was trying to decide what to think.

"T-then… it is a-alright to w-wish for something… even if it was s-selfish as l-long as I d-do not hurt a-anyone?" Petrus suddenly asked just to be sure, gaining a nod from Steven who confirmed his words once more, causing Petrus to look at the stone in his hand with his lips pursed before looking at Steven once more with wonder in his eyes. "Does that mean… does that mean you wished a selfish wish t-too?" Petrus asked shyly, no doubt wondering if he should have asked that question or not.

Steven paused a little, wondering what to tell the little boy in front of him, especially when Steven disliked being seen as vulnerable and weak even by a small pup, but those begging blue eyes that looked at Steven like he was holding all the answers in the world caused Steven to crumble a little… those eyes looked like his James too much for Steven to just deny the boy and walk away… "I did… when I was younger… I wished for many selfish wishes…" Steven stated, causing Petrus's eyes to widen and for him to look at Steven with a new light, the relief on the pup's face was what made the Omega know that he did the right thing by telling the boy this secret, which made him relax a little. "But as I told you, only the Norns decided which wish comes true and which does not… we can only hope that the outcome is in everyone's benefit because we do not know which wish the Norns decided to grant or if it was considered selfish or not." Those words made Petrus nod his head slowly as if he still couldn't believe what he heard just now.

In the end, the two of them made the journey to Steven's pack when the sky started to darken, prompting them to reach the safety of the village before the creatures of the forest woke up when the sun disappeared. It was only when his pack's hut came into sight that Steven felt a small tug on his tunic, making him look down at Petrus who was giving him a shy smile while offering him the blue shiny stone he held as a form of courage and safety ever since he met him early this morn. "Thank you…" Was Petrus's whisper as he put the stone in Steven's hand before he ran to James who finally notice them and started running toward them; Steven on the other hand was frozen in his place, gazing at the shiny stone that was put in his hand by Petrus who for the first time since seeing him the boy was actually smiling happily as he showed James and the rest of the children the shiny stones he collected from the river bed… Steven on the other hand…

He knew he had a lot of things to think through…

"You seem… happy..." Jamti stated so suddenly behind Anton that he nearly dropped the logs he was carrying in his arms; blinking several times in confusion, Anton turned toward his friend, who was also carrying his share of the logs and following Anton to the village square where everyone was busy preparing for the Winter Games that would take place in a fortnight or so.

"What do you mean by your words, Jamti?" Anton asked in confusion, looking at his friend who was still gazing at him, looking as if he was studying and trying to unlock every secret Anton had hidden from everyone… which was not that reassuring or appreciated, even if his friend no doubt meant well by his invasive stare.

Instead of answering him, Jamti stopped in his place, looking at Anton from the top of his head to the tip of his toes with a concentrated look, as if he was trying to find what was making Anton tick if he continued with his stare; Anton for his charge could only feel uncomfortable as his friend continued to not give him the answer he wanted, causing his hackle to raise by the second as Jamti ignored him. Anton doesn't know how much time had finally passed but when Jamti finally spoke up and told him what was he thinking, Anton was already one step away from leaving his friend alone.

"I do not know… but you seem happy… content? Like a weight had been lifted." Jamti answered; unsure in his words as he started to walk until he reached Anton were then the two of them continued their way to the village square. "Everyone can see you were in a great mood these past few days and everyone is happy about that… but… what brought it on?" Jamti asked with curiosity coloring his voice, causing Anton to hum and bit the inside of his cheek, wondering if he should tell his friend or not.

Anton was a little hesitant to tell his friend about what occurred between him and Steven, not because he doesn't trust him; oh no, that was farther than the truth. But the reason that he didn't tell his friends, was that he still didn't believe what took place between him and the queen a few days ago; part of Anton feared that if he told Jamti or anyone about his night with Steven then something would happen and would ruin the slice of hope Anton had achieved. "You can say that…" Anton said slowly, this time he started biting his lower lips in deep thoughts, wondering if he should tell his friend or not; in the end, Anton decided to shrug it off and tell his friend, if nothing else, the older Alpha could help him preparing a successful courtship to woo the stubborn queen. "I… I asked The Queen for his hand in courtship… and… he accepted…" Anton said slowly, his face flushing just a tiny bit as he remembered how the Omega had sat opposite of him, all regal and challenging as he ripped into Anton, refusing to end the game no matter how many times Anton gave him a straight path to win, instead he played and challenged Anton until the Alpha finally gathered himself enough to win the game and gain a chance (Even if a small one) to court the stubborn Omega.

"You did what?!" That was the high-pitched squeak that lift his thirty-five autumn old Alpha friend, causing Anton to nearly drop the woods in his arms like how his friend did after he let out that girlish squeak/squeal, making the Alpha look at Jamti like the man had lost his mind. "Wait! Wait! Wait! So you are telling me, that The QUEEN! The Omega who hates your gut and would stab you in the heart if he got the chance, accepted your proposal?" Jamti squeaked, and if Anton wasn't having a fun time watching his friend founder as his hands went all around the place, he would have taken offense to how little faith his friend had in him.

"Wow… I can see your faith and confidence in me clearly, Jamti, keep it up!" Anton gushed in a false happy voice as he gazed at his friend who seemed to finally realize what he was doing and started to apologize to Anton with a wince as he started to collect the logs that fell from his arms. "And to answer your question… yes, The Queen agreed to give me a chance to show my worth as a potential mate… I had hoped that you would help me but I am starting to doubt that…" Anton mocked his friend, trying to hide his grin from his best friend who once again tried to apologize to Anton for his exclamation.

"Well, who can fault me when the two of you are known for hating each other? Always hissing and glaring like two stray cats, preparing for a fight…" Jamti huffed after he secured the final log in his grip and walked fast until he reached Anton, glaring at the Alpha when he saw Anton's wide and amused grin.

"Even stray cats can grow fond of each other, do they not?" Anton asked innocently, his steps were light and an honest smile was stretching his lips, causing Jamti to press his lips tightly before letting out a huff and a nod of acceptance before a slow smile spread over Jamti's face.

"Who would have thought that The Queen would end up saying yes to you…" Mumbled Jamti, a laugh leaving his lips before he finally regained himself and looked at Anton with true happiness in his eyes. "So The Queen agreed to give you a chance to court him?" Asked Jamti once more, gaining an enthusiastic nod from Anton; causing Jamti to mirror his friend in his enthusiasm. "I never thought I will see this day coming…" Jamti whispered to himself, no doubt that he didn't want Anton to hear it, but the Alpha heard it anyway but didn't answer his friend because he knew this was the same reaction Anton had when he realized he liked the Queen. "So… how are you planning on courting The Queen? Please, do not tell me that you are planning on catching his attention during the Winter Games; I can tell you right away that it will not work." Jamti stated, looking scandalized at the thought of Anton doing the very Alpha thing everyone in their village does during the Winter Games and trying to show off to gain their intended Omega's attention.

"Gods, no!" Was Anton's immediate response, because really, the fastest way for Steven to reject him before he even takes his next breath, is by showing off as a brute in the Winter Games; the Omega may even laugh at him when he learned that he was going to take an active part in the games, Anton just hoped that Steven would understand and won't think of him as a brute if he explained why he was participating this year. "I was hoping to start courting him after the games ended… when I have a solid plan that will not result in me getting killed by an angry Omega… or laughed at..." Anton mumbled, gaining a hearty laugh from his friend who seemed to realize how complicated the dilemma Anton had thrown himself into.

"Do not worry; I will help you gain The Queen's affection!" Jamti cheered, pumping Anton's shoulder with a confident grin, making Anton all warm on the inside before his friend decided to ruin their moment by saying "Knowing you, you will mess up your chance before it even started!" And that was what made Anton trip his friend ignoring his friend's shout of outrage as the logs he carried scattered around once more; using that as his chance, Anton let out a quiet laugh as he started running to the village ignoring Jamti who was chasing him, laughing and he throws empty threats of informing The Queen how childish Anton was, which did nothing but widens Anton's grin even more… Anton though… he couldn't help but notice that Jamti was right…

He didn't feel this happy in years…

"Tomorrow the games are going to start; to my amusement, I heard some funny news from the gossiping Omegas in the market." A voice behind Anton startled him, nearly causing him to scatter the pieces of Hnefatafl everywhere; turning to glare at the man whose crime was ruining Anton's strategy-making night, Anton was greeted by the sight of Steven, looking too amused by what took place and the embarrassment he caused Anton.

"How many times did I tell you not to sneak on people… and that you are not allowed to enter this room…" Anton said, adding the last part as an afterthought because really, Anton can't have the foolish Omega enter his (As he dubbed it) meeting room/workroom, where he stores all of the important books, documents, and a few treasures he cared about.

"The faster you learn that you cannot order me to do a thing, the faster you learn to live a calm stress-free life." The Omega stated instead, taking the seat opposite of him as he started to arrange the pieces of Hnefatafl to their original places once more, not without pausing a little to study the board. "A weak strategy that has only 50% of succession…" Steven stated with boredom in his voice, causing Anton to twitch a little before he let out an annoyed sigh.

"Never one for constructive criticism, are you?" Anton complained in a dry tone, while secretly looking at the Omega, checking if he had any injury or looked more tired than usual; instead, the queen looked healthy… glowing… Anton doesn't know but seeing the Omega looking like that made him relax without him even knowing he was tense or stiff. "I thought that you would have stayed as far away from me as you can until the end of the Winter Games." The Alpha pointed out, informing the Omega of his knowldage of Steven avoidance of Anton ever since the Alpha asked for his hand in marriage, and while it did fluster and embarrass Anton for a bit; the Alpha knew that the Omega needed time to fully decide what he wanted to do and how to respond to Anton's sudden proposal.

"Constructive criticisms are for children, I never saw the need for them when dealing with grown-up… or… are you implying something with your words?" Steven's amused smile widening even more when Anton managed to catch the subtle jab to his maturity the Omega no doubt meant by his words. "As for staying away, I had important matters to attend to, only managing to finish them this morning." Steven stated, giving Anton a challenging look as if daring him to bring whatever 'Important Matters' the Omega was busy with; when the Omega was satisfied that Anton was not going to make a fool of himself by sticking his nose where it doesn't belong, the Omega made the first move by moving a piece of his army forward, starting their strategy battle once more. A battle that Anton enjoyed thoroughly because it meant that there was someone who was going to challenge him, countering his every move and making him give more effort to think about his next move. "I heard amusing news today in the market that I could not help but try to confirm… are you participating in the Winter Games this season?" Steven asked out of the blue, causing Anton to let an annoying sigh out as he started to grumble something while making his move.

"Unfortunately…" Was what Anton stilled on saying, which brought a small smile on the queen's lips (A victory if Anton had to say so himself) before the smile was wiped away and in its place was a look that ordered Anton to continue, and what does that say about Anton when he followed Steven's non-verbal order? "The elder decided that I needed to play the peacock this season to attract a mate… if not then I would be forced to spend an even more time with the Stone siblings." Anton grimaced, remembering those two nuisances that still scrap for his attention by trying to paint Steven as the villain, thankfully, Anton didn't suffer from Sunset's company that much as the Omega still had bruised nose, making her unable to leave her temporary hut in fear of being the laughing stock of the village.

"A peacock, huh? What an interesting line of thoughts…" Steven hummed as he made another move, causing Anton to contain his flinch at how hard the small piece slammed the board. "Does that metaphor include me as the peahen in the equation?" Steven asked innocently, causing Anton to curse himself silently because he was sure he had just given the queen a weapon to poke him with until the Omega deemed that Anton had paid for his stupid compares.

"Oh, Foolish Queen, you are anything but a peahen… in fact going with that metaphor, you are more of a wild cat… unpredictable and dangerous wild cat that is planning my death!" Anton tried to placate the Omega, and to his relief, he managed to paint an amused smile on the Omega's lips before Steven pulled back to study him intensely, only to snort at what he found.

"I will take this as a compliment and not as the placation it obviously meant… nice saving though, you managed to live for another day, but your strategy is still lacking," Steven stated as he put his piece, causing Anton to blink several times in surprise when he noticed that he had lost against Steven.

"How…?" Anton mumbled to himself, wondering how did he lose when he was so sure he was going to win not a few seconds ago, it was only when he reviewed the board slowly this time, did he realize that he gave the queen a small opening to win against him, which made Anton hum. "You won… another round?" Anton asked, getting a surprised look and a raise eyebrow from Steven before the Omega shrugged his shoulder and waited for Anton to right the board; Anton couldn't help the flutter he felt in his chest, because he was sure that after this day…

A new tradition between them was born…

So what do you think?

Short chapter I know, but the next chapter would be longer!

Steve and Peter moment! So cute!

And did Steve warm up to Tony, a tiny bit?

Read and Review

And tell me what you think…

Nazaki-Sama