Atonement

Chapter Eight

No matter how much Tony would want his cousins to stay, they have a life outside Piemonte they can’t run away from.

For two and a half weeks, Tony had spent every day laughing and joking while handpicking grapes from the vines. Although they have been harvesting mechanically since Tony was around four or five, handpicking had always been a tradition none was willing to fully let go of. There’s a small section of the vineyard specifically intended for such purpose, all going straight to the family casks in the basement for personal consumptions.

The three pups present were, as usual, attached to Tony like copepods on a shark. He enjoyed their presence regardless of how much he complained to Marco, Sofia, and Paul to take their kids off of him.

Not that they ever did. They keep giving him the ‘this-is-your-training’ talk, but Tony knew they just wanted him to suffer.

He’ll die before he’d admit he almost didn’t want to return them to their parents at bed time.

There were also enlightening conversations along the way. He found out in a private chat over two tubs of ice cream one night that Lucas recently quit his job as a lawyer to become a photographer. Zia Luna was so angry and Lucas was so disappointed that money and reputation were more important to his mother than his happiness. Tony didn’t give him platitudes and fake sympathies. He didn’t need to because they both knew disappointing parents and disappointing parents were something they have in common.

But Tony didn’t want his younger cousin to end up like him; never getting the chance to talk to his father and have closure. So he told Lucas he could try talking to his mother without the side of screaming matches and hear what she has to say. Maybe she would surprise him, maybe she won’t. He’ll never know if he won’t try.

Oh, the irony of preaching something one can’t practice.

Later, on the second week, Marco approached him and asked if he could have JARVIS do a background check on a list of nannies and butlers for his children. He wanted to make sure the person he leaves his children to for the most part of the day would be the best of the best. He said he hated having to leave Henry and Amara to someone else’s care but with the Winery expanding to three other locations and the mess of the divorce and custody battle, he didn’t have much of a choice. Being an alpha, in this case, was a drawback. The judge was biased and clear about her belief that children are supposed to be in the care of the omega. Child-rearing is no alpha’s job.

Tony did more than a complete background check. He gave him the number of his lawyers and told Marco he didn’t have to worry about the divorce and custody battles for much longer. Marco deserves guardianship of his children considering he’s the one who actually cares for them. Omegas are not the only victims of unjust law. Alphas could be great single-parents too.

Marco is a great dad.

Just like Steve would be.

And then, there was Stella whom Tony was sure didn’t have a problem in the world. A rising architect in Florence, good relationship with her parents, a young and successful accountant beta boyfriend from a respectable family, and basically the whole world right at the palm of her hands. Tony would never have known she was incapable of having children if she hadn’t approached him after their group tête-à-tête and asked if she could have a part in his son’s life. There was a tumor in her uterus. Thankfully, it wasn’t malignant but they still had to remove it because it was causing her considerable pain and complications. The doctors said she could still resort to surrogacy or other methods to have a child.  

Stella said she and her boyfriend learned to accept it and were talking about adoption if they ever get married. Tony wanted so badly to apologize. It wasn’t fair that his baby cousin couldn’t have the child she hoped for while he had his unplanned. Instead, he promised Stella she’d be the first one he’d call when the baby arrives. It’s the very least he could offer that wouldn’t earn him a smack on the head.

Before coming to Piemonte; before seeing his cousins for the first time in many years, Tony always thought he’d be the black sheep. The disappointing child of the family. He always saw them as the perfect, model citizens with great careers, healthy relationships, and the best kinds of people, basically. He saw Marco’s name in the Top 50 successful young businessmen when he was 25, read Gianni’s book on Veterinary Medicince he wrote fresh out of college (Tony doesn’t even like animals), saw Sofia’s picture in the Psychology Weekly journal for being one of Italy’s best child psychologists, watched a video of Charles’s unit given recognition after saving hundreds of people during a terrorism attack, found out about Lucas graduating law school with honors, and even hearing about Stella winning multiple architecture competitions as a student.

All the while, Tony can barely even go on a week without landing front page of some magazine exploiting tales about his indecent activities and unhealthy habits.

Which was why he never dared to come home after his parents died. He didn’t make the best decisions back then. Hell, he made the worst kinds of decisions. He was embarrassed to face the people whom he always looked up to. They must have thought him delinquent and nothing but a dishonor to their family name. Boy, were they lucky Tony didn’t have the Carbonell name attached to his shameful existence.

But he got it all wrong. All these years, he thought he was the only Carbonell that didn’t have his or her life set straight.

Turns out, everybody’s a little messed up one way or another. Marco’s got marital problems, Gianni gets judged for not adhering to traditional mated-omegan standards of child bearing, Sofia is constantly worried social services will take little Thomas from her and Paul, Charles is having trouble sleeping at night because of the nightmares, Lucas can’t chase his dreams without hurting his mother, and Stella has to live with the fact that she can’t have biological children naturally.

The thing is, even though their lives are nowhere near perfect like Tony initially believed, doesn’t mean they are a disappointment.

--

“Will you be fine without us, kiddo?” asked Marco, his smile turning into a smirk.

Tony raised both hands up in exasperation. “Oh my god, Marco! I’m 4 years younger than you! And excuse you, I’ve been doing very well before you came and disrupted my peace.”

The alpha laughed and ruffled Tony’s hair. It wasn’t difficult considering Tony’s about 7 inches shorter.

“I’m sure you’ll miss the disruption you call my kids. Fair warning, you’ll be getting a lot of videocalls from them in the future,” said Marco. “You’ve taken Charles’s honor as favorite uncle at this point.”

“Of course, I’m the favorite uncle. That’s not even supposed to be a question,” huffed out Tony with a chuckle. “Also, fair warning, I will be sending those two kids of yours a lot of presents during birthdays, Christmases, and Hannukah.”

“Tony, we’re not even Jewish.”

The man waved his hand dismissively. “Eh, I’m fairly certain my dad’s grandfather was Jewish. That counts for something.”

Snorting, Marco pulled the pregnant omega for a hug which Tony gracefully returned. Well, as graceful as someone with a belly the size of a basketball.

“You’re gonna be a great parent for your son, Antonio. I’m proud of what you have become,” whispered the alpha softly.

Tony simply tightened his arms around his cousin, finding it hard to form the right words. Inside him, he could feel Steve trying to comfort him, possibly misinterpreting his sudden change of emotion.

Marco was the first to pull back. “Henry and Amara will want to say their goodbyes,” he said, then called his children over who were eagerly waiting by the foyer.

Tony was immediately tacked by two little human beings, both sobbing and mumbling in incoherent Italian. He had to spend thirty minutes saying his goodbyes to the pups; ten minutes longer than Thomas’s equally tearful one earlier that morning.

They were the last of the group to leave. Tony hadn’t realized how truly quiet the whole house was until everyone was gone. Alberto and Lorenzo were out as well as they had to drive Marco and the children to the airport.

He went up to his room and sat at the foot of his bed, contemplating about what to do now that his days weren’t bombarded with whining cousins, fussing aunt and uncles, and clingy pups. He supposed he’d go back to working in the garage. Guiseppe has been accepting broken appliances for him to fix now that his baby bump hinders him from crawling under cars or bending over the hood.

He may as well set up the nursery while he’s at it. Tony already has a crib he could use. It’s quite the old thing but still very durable. Almost each one of the fourth-generation Carbonells slept on it. It’s one of those Victorian iron cribs with crown canopies. He had it painted in red because well, Iron Man, or in this case, Iron Baby. He still has to buy a mattress to go with the crib because they obviously threw the old one away. Tony also has diapers, creams, more newborn clothes, swaddles and blankets, burp towels, baby bath tub, bath essentials, diaper bag, a carrier, and a stroller to buy. He’s foregoing the changing table because he plans on putting the nursery inside his own room anyway, at least until he develops a much better sleeping pattern. He’ll probably just do the diaper changing on his bed before then.

It’s not that he couldn’t afford to buy all those other baby things. He’s got more money to last him a century of lavish lifestyle. Money definitely is not the problem. Nor is space. There’s about seven empty bedrooms in the house, two more in the attic and three convertible rooms in the basement. His room alone is as big as a typical luxury studio apartment in Upper East Side, Manhattan.

The reason he tries to avoid buying the bigger furniture, though he hadn’t realized it until later, was because he still hopes he and Steve would mend their relationship before his baby is born. With the amount of emotional flirting they’ve been doing, Tony has high hopes.

--

November came fast and Tony’s due for another visit to the doctor. It was supposed to be biweekly but because he and the baby were doing very good in all the scans and tests, Dr. Russo scheduled him for a twice a month instead. Lorenzo drove him but unfortunately couldn’t stay because he and Alberto also have their monthly check-up in a hospital about 10 minutes away from the clinic. As much as Tony tried to get his two uncles to agree to a home visit from the doctor instead of them heading to the hospital, Lorenzo insisted he’d drive for as long as he could.

He worries for them, but Alberto got it right when he once said the Carbonells are a stubborn bunch.

While Tony sat waiting in the clinic’s reception room, he couldn’t help but feel giddy knowing it was the first time he’ll get a scan with their bond open. Steve wouldn’t actually see or feel the baby, but he’ll be able to feel Tony’s elation.

Yet he also could not help but feel jealous seeing all the other pregnant omegas and betas with their partners. He made sure to wear a low-collared shirt and show off Steve’s dog tags just so he’d avoid the usual judgment stares unmated pregnant omegas often receive. It’s not like they could tell he hadn’t talked to his alpha in five months.

As he expected, Steve pushed several reactions through the bond. He couldn’t identify all of them but the wariness was strong enough to decipher. Tony tried to ground himself and focus on the fact that he’ll get to see his baby again. In no time, all he could feel were anticipation and delight. There’s no sense in making Steve worry.

“Mr. Carbonell?” called Dr. Russo’s assistant.

Tony eagerly stood (with the help of one kind beta accompanying his wife) and followed the girl inside the office.

Dr. Russo was in her chair looking over charts when he entered. She was quick to notice Tony and smiled at him.

“Antonio, it’s good to see you again. How is the little one?” she asked.

Tony grinned and settled on the familiar seat. “Everything’s good, doc. He’s been kicking me a lot though. Could do with him not doing it directly to my kidneys.”

The doctor chuckled, “Well, something’s gotta give. You got lucky with the morning sickness and the cravings.”

“Ha! I’d rather take the kicks all day than throw up from the smell of water.”

“As would all other pregnant omegas and female betas, Antonio,” sighed Dr. Russo, “Anyway, we’ll skip off the blood test today. Just the weight, blood pressure, and urine test. However, we have to give you a Tdap vaccine on your next visit.”  

“Alright. But can we do the scan now? My bladder is killing me, doc,” complained Tony.

The scan was thankfully still clear of any signs of distress. His baby’s heartbeat was good and he hadn’t seemed to have grown another head or limb in the past few weeks. Not that it’s actually a concern, Tony’s pregnancy brain just can’t get the idea off his head after watching a video of an axolotl growing back an entire limb with Thomas.

His uncles wouldn’t be finished with theirs for another couple of hours so Tony decided to spend the time doing a bit of shopping again. It’s not exactly a long walk to the nearest shopping street from the clinic but it’s quite cold outside so he ended up taking a taxi cab.

The driver was kind enough to suggest some places offering a wide range of baby products and even gave him a calling card for when he was done with his errand and needed a ride back. Tony accepted both happily.

The store he was brought to was some kind of mall solely intended for anything related to pups. There were luxury brands and some cheaper options. Naturally, Tony went in for the expensive ones. He may not have his usual credit card but Antonio Carbonell was definitely not poor.

It was like a wonderland for a pregnant omega or beta. He’s not even kidding when he says he stepped out of Modì with seven bags. He might have spent around two thousand dollars on his first store alone but it’s very hard to say no to adorable baby clothes and cashmere blankets. It’s a good thing they have this one-stop deposit service where he can have the mall hold his purchases for him until he has to leave, or else he’ll be carrying more than he’s capable of.

He was paying for the baby toiletries and packs of newborn diapers when he received a call from his uncle. Tony tried to assure them he could just grab a taxi home but both were actually eager to shop with him, stating that they just have to be the ones to pay for the baby’s stroller. Tony didn’t mind. He could afford the most expensive one on earth but he finds their involvement sweet.

Tony already has a carrier and a stroller in mind. He passed by this store earlier that sells all kinds of baby transporting devices. The stroller was in black and white, optimal for all sorts of terrain, and extremely lightweight. He wants to be able to give his son a tour of the vineyard and a regular stroller wouldn’t be appropriate. Plus, it can be attached to a bassinet in case his baby wants nothing to do but sleep.

By the time Lorenzo and Alberto found him, he was in between two similar-looking car seats.

“What do you think?” asked Tony without looking at the two older men. “Should I get this one or this one?”

Lorenzo raised his brows at Alberto and shrugged. “I don’t see any difference.”

Affronted, Tony snapped his head up and gaped. “You Alphas have no idea what you are talking about. See this one has….”

They let the pregnant omega talk and talk about latch systems, compatibilities, safety structures, installation details, and adjustability. Alberto, even as an omega parent of three had no idea what Tony was on to. It wasn’t like they had car seats when his children were born. Other prospective parents have already gathered around Tony and have been listening to him discuss the pros and cons of each car seat. Hell, the salespeople stopped selling because Tony was doing it for them.

“… so, which should I get?” ended the omega with a heavy exhale.

“Uh,” started Alberto when he realized Tony directed the question at him. “The second one,” he answered.

Tony beamed and pushed the other car seat away. “Yeah, I thought so, too,” he hummed then called for a salesperson to pack it for him. Everyone around them were suddenly interested in the same model and thus began The Great Car Seat Debacle of 2014. Chicco should pay Tony for handing them their best sale of the year.

Lorenzo took his card from his pocket and gave it to their nephew, which Tony promptly accepted with a pleased smile. As the pregnant omega happily paid for the stroller and the car seat, Lorenzo shuffled closer to his omega and said, “I’m glad you understood what he was blabbering about.”

“Oh, no. I definitely didn’t. I still don't.”

“Then how’d you know which one was better?”

Alberto grinned. “I didn’t. I just liked the blue accent.”

--

There aren’t many days in Tony Stark’s life he considers very special. There’s his mother’s birthday, when he met his first friend (in college, no less), the day JARVIS was first activated, and the day he bonded with Steve.

It was supposed to be their first ever anniversary as a bonded couple. Tony dreamed about this day several times over. He always imagined he’d get to wake up next to his boyfriend, naked and sated after a long night of marvelous love-making. Steve would kiss him good morning—morning breath and all, then offer to make them breakfast they would simply ignore because they’ll be too busy eating each other. Tony would have planned a date to The Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Museum of Natural History and Steve will have looked like a kid in a candy shop. Then, at night, Steve would take him someplace private and casual where they would eat diner food and laugh and kiss each other.

But that’s not happening, Instead, Tony woke up with the sky pouring down heavily. There’s no chance of him going out for work in the storm which means he’ll have nothing to keep his mind busy.

The bond had been quiet for two days. The last he felt from Steve were rage and anguish before it was closed. Pepper told him the Avengers were called for a covert operation in Eastern Europe but didn’t know what for. Steve likely wanted to focus on the mission and spare Tony from whatever he might find there. Either way, both are not very encouraging.

It’s their first bonding anniversary and they’re not even together. He’s 6 months pregnant and Steve’s in the middle of a possibly dangerous mission. Not exactly a great way to celebrate such an occasion.

Regardless of the bad weather and the unfortunate circumstances of well, everything, Tony still pushed himself off his bed and took a quick shower. He'd love a bath but there was no way he'll be able to get out of one with how big his baby bump currently is. Getting up from bed was hard enough.

Thank God for the sturdy bedside table.

Lorenzo and Alberto were already in the great room drinking their weird herbal tea and watching some old Italian soap opera.

"Lorenzo made crespelles, mimmo. Go eat breakfast and we'll watch one of those treasure hunting films you Americans love so much," said Alberto.

Chuckling, Tony stuffed his plate with Italian crepes and smothered them in chocolate. He didn't bother sitting down on the table and simply finished his breakfast on the island counter, watching as Alberto put on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

The movie was a welcome respite. He hadn’t seen it since it first came out and didn’t find it hard to concentrate. Tony was still feeling agitated—could be because of the weather or the fact that he hadn’t felt Steve in a while— but keeping his mind occupied helped considerably. 

Unfortunately, reality strikes in one way or another. His watch started beeping like hell in the middle of the mine cart chase scene. Tony felt his heart stop for a second, realizing what the signal meant. JARVIS wasn’t installed throughout the whole house because of wiring issues, so he can only access his A.I. in his room and through his watch. He immediately excused himself from the two older men and headed up as fast as a 27-week pregnant omega.

"J, talk to me,” ordered Tony with a pant as he pulled out his tablet from the top drawer.

“Sir, it seems like the Avengers have encountered a problem in their mission. A bomb just exploded in Belarus, four miles from where I am able to trace the Captain’s last communication.”

“Get me everything SHIELD has on this mission!”

JARVIS worked with lightning speed as usual, and in a matter of seconds, Tony was scrolling through several reports of child trafficking and slavery. The files were horribly detailed and Tony couldn’t hold back from gagging. His hand instinctively covered his stomach as though he trying to convince himself his baby was still inside him and not in danger. No wonder the last he felt from Steve were anger and disgust.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” cursed Tony, “Any updates, JARVIS?”

“I was able to reconnect my servers to the comm system. The children were rescued moments before the explosion but Captain Rogers was still within the area when it happened. Sergeant Wilson was able to fly him directly to the quinjet and Dr. Banner is currently tending to his injuries.”

Time seemed to stop around Tony. It was like his whole body was taken over by an entity and he had no control whatsoever over his actions. Or lack thereof.

He knows Steve gets hurt in missions. It’s unavoidable in their line of work, but Steve’s much more prone to injuries than any of them. Steve doesn’t think so because of his healing abilities, yet it’s what makes him more dangerous. He doesn’t know when to stop or at which point his body would say ‘enough’. The man’s got a bed engraved with his name in the medbay; no matter that he refuses to stay longer than a night in it.

It makes him angry and frustrated. It makes him want to cover his mate in bubble wrap and never let him leave their room. Tony hates seeing Steve hurt.

But he hates it even more now that he couldn’t.

Tony’s miles away from his mate. He’s got the report from JARVIS— fractured rib, left leg, and shoulder, concussion, burns on his back, multiple lacerations, peripheral vascular injury, and a ruptured eardrum. It wasn’t his worst set of injuries, but the fact that he wasn’t there making sure Steve would be okay scared him the most.

JARVIS kept him updated without having to instruct. He knew that Steve was taken to SHIELD medical within the first hour and that he was unconscious but stable. JARVIS doesn’t have visuals inside the surgery room, which Tony will definitely fix, so he was left to wallow in his worry for the next three hours and 17 minutes. He kept the bond open, hoping that he could feel Steve again, even if it were pain. Pain is better than nothing.

His uncle brought him lunch but respected his space. He hadn’t bothered to ask how they knew something was wrong. They always do.

Tony paced and paced inside his room, stopping by the holograms projecting from his tablet for a second or two, then paced again. His son was restless in his womb as though he knew his father was in danger.

It wasn’t until five hours later that Tony finally felt a flutter in their bond. The billionaire all but fell over from the sheer relief of knowing his mate was alive. JARVIS then swiftly informed him that Steve had woken up and was already giving the staff headache. Tony didn’t have to ask to know it was likely due to the Super-soldier demanding he’d be released. Some things never change.

Like a switch flicked on, Tony scrambled to his phone and shakily dialed the very number he swore he’d never be ready to use again. Alberto was right. There’s no point in his life that he’ll ever be fully ready to do anything.

Until it happens, it seems.

“Tony,” said Steve breathlessly. “You called.”

Tony choked off a sob and clutched his phone tighter. “Steve.”

“Baby, are you okay? Is something wrong? Honey, tell me,” Steve pleaded, though his words were still raspy and exhausted.

“Am I okay? I got the report from JARVIS,” Tony said in a shaky voice. “You could have died, Steve! You could have died out there and I’m… fucking shit.”

“I’m fine, sweetheart. I’m fine. I’m in the infirmary right now and Dr. Egerton says I’ll be right as rain in a couple of days.”

“Do you know what first popped into my mind when JARVIS told me there’s been a complication in your mission? I thought I’d have to live knowing my last words to you were me telling you to leave.”

“But it’s not,” said Steve, tone heavy with reassurance and empathy. “Those aren’t last words, Tony. We’re talking now, aren’t we, doll?”

“Steve, you don’t understand!” growled Tony, pulling his hair in distress.

But Steve remained composed and comforting. “Then, talk to me, baby.”

“That’s just it, Steven! You could have died and I didn’t even get the chance to tell you!” Tony was completely sobbing by now.

“Tell me what, sweetheart? I’m here now and I promise everything will be okay. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

Tony choked on a laugh, completely devoid of humor, and frankly alarming especially because of the tears still flowing on his face.

“I’m pregnant, Steve. We’re having a baby.”