Chapter 7
"Okay, enough is enough. Move your ass and go talk to Stark." Bucky scowled, wings twitching in annoyance as he stared at his best friend, who was very much sulking at the moment. "I've had enough of your sulking and his sulking, you're both acting like god damn petty little children."
"Give it a rest," Steve muttered, wings slowly lowering on his back. He knew he was acting childish for ignoring Tony, just as he knew Tony was acting childish in return, or rather out of spite. After admitting to Tony his feelings back during the omega's heat, Tony had blown up rather spectacularly, thinking that Steve was simply playing at his feelings like every other alpha and accusing him of being insincere.
"No I'm not going to 'give it a rest', Steve, I'm tired of the two of you dancing around each other like this. It's bad for you guys and it's bad for the team; it's also terrible on my nerves." Bucky was seconds from actually grabbing Steve by the back of his shirt to haul him over to where Tony was perched at the island in the kitchen, snacking on what looked like some unhealthy abomination of food. "Alright, that's it, come on. You, me, and him are all gonna have a nice chat." Metal fingers clamping down on the back of Steve's shirt, Bucky bodily yanked the other man up, ignoring his squawked protests, and dragged him towards the kitchen.
All the noise of course attracted the attention of the others, even Tony, who looked up from his food to see what was going on. When he realized that Bucky was pulling Steve over to him, he immediately started to get up only to find his escape route conveniently blocked by Natasha, her wings spread out and a smirk on her face. He glared at her, pissed and now basically trapped even though he had plenty of room to maneuver around the two oncoming super soldiers.
"Now that I have the two of you in one spot, we're going to talk things through like sensible humans." Bucky forced Steve into a chair, flesh hand shooting out to snag Tony before he could skitter by, planting him in a chair right next to Steve. "I feel like a mother scolding their children for fucks sake."
He stood over them, a looming presence that would have any normal person pissing themselves just from the sheer amount of anger and annoyance oozing from him.
"I guess I'll be going first then." Bucky huffed as he moved to sit in front of both of them. "Since you two children obviously can't play nice. Tony, yeah trauma is a bitch to get over, I more than anyone know that. But Christ man, when Captain fucking America spills his heart to you, you better believe it's genuine. Steve doesn't tell every omega in his life that he loves them or is in love with them. You're the first person I've ever seen him this head over heels for and what do you do? Throw it back in his face." He saw Tony opening his mouth to argue and narrowed his eyes, baring his teeth in a very alpha display of aggression. He was pleased when Tony snapped his mouth shut. "Yeah, I get other it's a coping mechanism, that you want to deny every alpha ever, but not everyone is like those assholes that hurt you. If Steve wanted to hurt you, I think he'd have done it by now."
Bucky paused to let Tony absorb all that he'd said so far, watching the cogs churn in that big brain of his. After a long moment, he continued on.
"Steve, buddy I love you but holy fuck you have horrible timing. Dumping that on Tony as his heat was ending was a terrible idea. Also, you don't think. You never think. You always jump into something without a plan, and that gets you into trouble." He watched a muscle in Steve's jaw jump and his wings twitch though he remained quiet. "Yeah, you don't know everything about Tony and what happened to him but you should have expected that sort of reaction when you didn't think the whole thing through. Now, I want the two of you to apologize and make up."
For a few tense moments, there was nothing, just a lot of awkward staring. Then, Tony spoke up.
"I guess I'm sorry for freaking out and accusing you of stuff but I had every reason to." He sniffed a little, wings shuffling, feathers very softly brushing up against Steve's. "Can't just drop your feelings on me like that."
"I'm sorry for not thinking about how you would react before I said what I did." Steve whispered, his voice softer than anyone had ever heard it. "But what I said that day is true, I really am pretty in love with you."
"There! Was that so hard?" Bucky clapped his hands together and stood up. "You each get a cookie for behaving."
"You better make good on that, Barnes, I want a cookie." Tony narrowed his eyes at the alpha, who only smirked and went to the pantry. He returned with a box of Tony's favorite cookies, which happened to be Thin Mints which he hoarded every year when the Girl Scouts started selling; everyone was pretty sure that Tony went all around the tri-state area to buy every box of Thin Mints from every troop around. "Want one?" Tony offered the box to Steve once it was in his possession and he'd shoved a few in his mouth. "As a symbol of our truce, you damn well better take one."
"Yeah, I'll have one." When an omega offered you their favorite food, you didn't decline it. Steve took a cookie and nibbled on it slowly, just watching as Tony basically shoveled cookies into his mouth. Was he even chewing them before he swallowed? It certainly didn't seem like it.
Things were finally back to what could be considered normal.
~~~~~~
"Uh.. There something you need?" Steve looked down at Tony, who had chosen to stretch himself out across Steve's lap and shove his wings in the alpha's face.
"Back rub. Now." The smaller man demanded, a slight whine in his voice.
Steve rolled his eyes even as he set his book aside and started to rub Tony's back, gently pressing to work out a few of the knots he could feel already forming. He had to work hard to keep the pleased rumble from rising up as Tony melted in his lap, the omega actually letting slip a small purr. He continued this for some time until Tony wiggled and sat up, resting his head on Steve's shoulder, nose brushing against the alpha's neck.
It was comforting, Steve's scent, and Tony had no idea why, though he didn't really question it, just went with it. He remained there, pressed up against Steve's side until he found himself drifting off.
"This probably isn't the best spot for you to be falling asleep, Tony." He heard Steve saying. He groaned in response and snuggled closer, arms latching onto Steve's thicker arm, refusing to move. Tony drifted again, waking briefly, vaguely aware that he was being moved and was soon wrapped in the warmth of a blanket, on a soft bed. Steve's scent infiltrated his nostrils, weaving itself around Tony like a strange, soothing second blanket. It was.. Nice. "I'll be in my art studio if you need anything."
"Mmhm." Tony barely heard him as he all but buried himself in the blankets and sparse pillows on Steve's bed.
Very nice indeed.