Stability Bucky/Steve
When Bucky breaks down at three in the morning, nobody can blame him. His morning before, without Steve, was horrible. His had been a living nightmare while he looked after Peter for Tony. And, by the end of the day, during dinner, Bucky’s emotions and instincts were at an all-time high.
He’s in the kitchen, on the floor, sobbing his heart out. His cheeks are red, his eyes are red, his lips are red, and he’s choking every time he breathes. Bucky knows, ironically, that the cause of this breakdown is sitting only a few feet away. Tucked away in a blanket, shaking and sobbing in Natasha’s lap-
Peter - Fucking - Parker.
Peter would admit it immediately, he’s been a menace; to the team, JARVIS, and Bucky. He hadn’t meant it, but he’d said some pretty stupid stuff.
Bucky was an omega, Tony was an omega, Peter was an omega, and, surprisingly - JARVIS had been based on an omega as well.
Words were yelled, screamed, cried, and sobbed. Peter had caused a mess, a storm, a whirlwind, a bombshell, to say the least. Bucky had been “babysitting” Peter for the day while Tony was on a business trip, so he'd tried his best to be a good mom - or dad - in the situation.
It had started when Peter woke up, mumbling, stumbling, sleep deprived, and exhausted from high school study. Bucky hadn’t taken the best notice, he then started talking to the pup. Peter got snappy and mean, yelling at the poor omega like he was trash.
This continued for the whole day, Peter snapping, Bucky retreating into the living room or his nest upstairs. Lunch? Peter snapped when anyone tried making conversation. When people came downstairs into the kitchen or living room? Peter snarled and cursed at them. Even Thor was jumpy around the youngling.
The pup had made it his day's mission to make anyone and everyone cry. Wanda was sulking upstairs, Clint had gone to hide in the air vents, Steve had to drag Bucky into their room before the omega had a freak accident, and Natasha stayed in the kitchen; not at all bothered by Peter’s antics.
Now Bucky was crying on the kitchen floor, curled up in Steve’s arms. Peter was sobbing away in Natasha’s lap, apologizing profusely and trembling. The second Peter starts actually crying, Bucky’s instincts go into immediate overdrive.
Fear, Love, Care, Despair… Some of the many things that had gone through Bucky’s mind in that instant when he heard Peter crying. The moment Peter could smell Bucky’s distress, he started crying harder. The wailing was quickly followed by another pained sob from the older omega.
Eventually, Steve was able to drag a crying and panicking Bucky upstairs into a nest while Natasha cradled and calmed a screaming Peter. Bucky kicked and yelled all the way into the bedroom, clawing at Steve’s arms, biting his hands, and fighting to go back downstairs to the young omega in distress.
Bitterly, and somewhat reluctantly, Bucky ceased his attempts to escape. Now comfortable in his nest, Bucky began to calm down, slowly, but it was a good step in the right direction.
‘Steve?’
A small pause; a heavy silence stretching out across the room.
‘Yeah, Buck?’
Hesitantly, Bucky makes a quiet remark-
‘What did I do wrong?’
Steve sighed and leaned against the side of Bucky’s nest, in which the omega lay contently with his blankets and plushes. Slowly, Steve reached out and pulled a few strands of Bucky’s hair from his face.
‘You’ve done nothing wrong, Peter was brooding, it wasn’t at all your fault.’
Bucky nodded and moved to tuck a stray lock behind his ear, the hair falling perfectly to frame his face. He looked down into his nest, recalling the events of the day. Peter’s snappishness, the irritable way that Peter had taken over the team’s shared nests as his own when anyone was too far away from him, and the cold look the pup gave people when they came anywhere near “close”.
Sighing, Bucky moved to the other side of the nest, silently permitting Steve to enter his space. Steve smiled gently and shifted into the nest, slowly, making his movements deliberate so he wouldn’t set off another fit or any deadly instincts that could lead to someone getting injured or worse.
Many hours passed, and Bucky had fallen asleep with Steve inside their nest. Steve was wide awake, quietly watching the bedroom door which was open slightly. The moment Steve began to relax, the sound and smell of a distressed omega reached his senses.
Natasha was carrying Peter upstairs. Peter was awake, but could barely keep his eyes open. The poor pup was crying, trembling, mumbling, and squirming in Natasha’s arms. Steve and Natasha made brief eye contact. Steve shot Natasha an apologetic smile.
When Peter saw Steve and Bucky, he immediately broke down, turning his head so he wouldn’t have to see the couple. Bucky, unfortunately, had woken. When the already stressed omega saw the tired and crying pup, he immediately stood and wobbled over to the bedroom door.
Steve also stood, walking over to Bucky and grabbing him by the wrist.
‘Bucky.’
Bucky sighed, nodded, and turned away. Natasha had already begun walking again, carrying the crying child into his room without a word on her behalf. Steve wrapped an arm around Bucky’s waist, walking the tired omega back toward his nest. He moved Bucky slowly onto the ground, making sure he was in a comfortable position.
‘Would you like the heater on tonight?’
Bucky shook his head, too preoccupied with staring at the wall.
Sighing, Steve knelt to the ground and kissed the top of Bucky’s head, before standing again and walking out of the room. He closed the door quietly and headed to Peter’s room. Steve wanted to check on the pup, make sure he was alright, and see if Natasha had him under control.
She was leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping lightly, her boot making a slight clicking noise every time it left the ground. Natasha wasn’t smiling and she looked exhausted. Only a few feet away, Peter was curled up on his bed, a heater strategically placed next to him so he’d stay warm throughout the night.
‘How long did it take to get him down?’
Natasha turned her head, a confused look playing over her features for a brief moment.
‘An hour maybe, 2 at the most.’
Steve nodded and leaned against the other side of the doorframe. He looked at the young omega for a few moments before glancing around at the objects in the room. Iron Man merchandise, a few Spider-Man-themed things, highschool work books sprawled over a desk, and the occasional medical supplies with the odd dish or takeout box.
‘When was the last time he got any proper sleep?’
Natasha shook her head, looking down at the floor, and then back up at Peter when he made a small movement. She was quiet for a moment before answering in a low tone.
‘Could’ve been days. He was complaining about multiple upcoming tests a week ago, which could have been a factor in it. And, last time I checked with Bruce, Peter still hadn’t had his monthly heat.’
‘You think a delay in his cycle could have something to do with this behavior?’
Natasha nodded then shrugged, shaking her head again and sighing. She paused briefly before turning to face Steve, leaning her back against the wall.
‘When was Bucky’s most recent heat cycle scheduled?’
Steve blinked. He hadn’t thought about that recently.
‘It’s a week overdue… Give or take a few days.’
Slowly, a small smirk pulled on Natasha’s lips. She’d thought a lot about all the omegas in the team recently. If she was correct, something big could happen anywhere in the upcoming next few days.
Steve caught on and smiled too. He nodded and leaned back against the wall as well.
‘You think Peter’s and Bucky’s cycles have synced.’
‘I know they have.’
Steve’s eyes widened in shock, he hadn’t thought to track the omega’s heats. Natasha did. She always thought of things like that, she was amazing with the omegas and could give an impeccable reason for anything to do with them.
‘Wouldn’t that be impossible? Omega’s heat cycles only ever sync when they feel a deep connection with one another.’
‘Almost,’ Natasha commented. ‘Almostimpossible without the usual connection that would run quite deep in a relationship.’
Steve didn’t usually feel bested, but at this moment he did. It was very often that Natasha had him feeling this way, but it never had anything to do with the omegas or Bucky. Bucky was his. Natasha knew that and she’d known it for quite some while. So, beating Steve in something that had to do with Bucky made Steve feel somewhat small and not so up-to-date with the education everyone had on omegas and the other dynamics.
‘You know your stuff, Nat.’ Steve comments, quietly, keeping his growing unease and anger at bay.
Natasha sighed in response, shaking her head and rubbing her temples.
‘I know Bucky doesn't seem to like Peter, but there’s a connection growing.’
to heal
you have to
get to the root
of the wound
and kiss it all the way up