Chapter 2
By the time Tony had eaten and managed a shower, he was ready to collapse. It had been a rough few days and he was exhausted. Though he had yet to make it to his room. Natasha was concerned, so much so that she wouldn't stop talking. He didn't know her very well, but she didn't seem like the type to blabber endlessly. In fact, before they hadn't so much as spoken to one another, as she only arched an eyebrow at him rather curiously. Her husband on the other did all the talking, he was an...interesting beta. Seemed odd not to see him now, he figured he'd have been the one to greet him and all that. Not that seeing Natasha was bad, but she just didn't seem that welcoming. Not until now, that is.
"...just yesterday I saw one about your size. I'm not sure if that's something you like, but we can put in an order for it now that we're government-funded. It might take a while to get here though, we should have some stuff in storage you could use until then. Oh, and-"
"Ms. Natasha," Tony cut her off her before she could continue. "I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Nesting supplies," She informed him. "You're going to need them."
"W-What, why?"
"Well, we can't exactly be a care home if we don't meet the needs of our omegas, now can we." She looked at him oddly, like he was missing a few screws.
Tony didn't quite understand nesting. He wasn't taught how to be a proper omega. It's not like it was important anyway, his mother never needed to nest and she was fine. "Oh, I don't need to have supplies or anything like that. I just need someplace to stay until I get on my feet."
"What do you mean, you don't need to? It's a biological need of all omegas, it's just as important as going into heat or being knotted."
Tony was puzzled at her words. For a genius, he sure felt like an idiot most days. There was just so much he hadn't known. "I d-didn't-" He could barely speak as he realized how messed up he was. What kind of omega was he not to know this?
"You didn't know, did you?" His head shook on its own accord, admitting more than he wanted to. "Oh Tony," she said softly looking at him anew. "You poor thing, being deprived of your classification. It's a wonder you've managed to last this long. God, I can't even imagine what that's like for your health."
"Is it really that...bad?" He asked nervously, his eyes lowering to the sitting room carpet as a means to distract him from the answer.
She huffed a little at his question. That alone worried him."A lot of omegas die from things like that. It's a terrible thing, being deprived of your needs."
"But I've never done it. And I'm fine."
"No, you're not." She said pointedly. "Nothing about your situation is fine. You need to nest, Tony. It's like eating or sleeping, you can't survive without it."
"I think I've done alright without it though. I kept myself and the pup healthy enough, don't you think?"
"That's debatable and you know it." Natasha wasn't one to pry but she couldn't help but ask, "Did the doctors say your baby was healthy?"
He refused to answer. Tony already felt like so much of a disappointment—as an omega, a son, and a mother. He didn't want to tell her that he had been foolish, that he had spent days whoring himself out so he had enough money to eat. That maybe, just maybe he could possibly make enough to provide for his pup. That deep down he didn't want to deliver at a hospital anyway, regardless of his or his baby's health.
He had no idea what childbirth entailed. He never had time to read now, so he went by what people told him. It made for a rather confusing pregnancy but he made it in the end. What he did know though, was that it was the single most important moment in an omegas life. That the connection he shared with his child was beyond any bond or mate. That the birth was his and his alone. Selfishly, he wanted to believe that if only for a moment.
"So...you didn't go to the hospital." Oh, how he hated how she could read him. "Did you at least have help?"
"What for?" He asked defensively. He never needed help before, why would delivery be any different.
"You should have had help, Tony. You're just a kid."
The doctor said the same thing to him later that day. Natasha insisted they go see a professional. Someone who could make sure that he was fine, at least physically. Of course, he wasn't. For months he'd been sleeping in rundown shelters and alleyways and eating out of the trash and just doing the most unspeakable things possible for a bit of change. He was an absolute mess.
"You're going to need a lot of rest as your body recovers. I'd normally say take six weeks off, but you might need more time. Between the severe tearing and the adjustment to life after giving up a child. I can only imagine how hard this must be for you...you're so young." The doctor said to him, not unkindly. He was young himself, though still much older than Tony. And an alpha at that. "A suggestion, if I may..."
He watched as Tony nodded, allowing him to continue with his thought, "It's unorthodox to presume that you gave your pup up willingly. Even so, the loss is still painful for omegas. A doll or stuffed animal could help with the separation as you recover."
"Oh," he said dumbly. He hadn't expected that, to be reminded once again of what he couldn't have. "Do you really think it'll help?"
"Not everyone takes to it well. It's a hard concept to grasp, that a toy could possibly be a placeholder for a lost child. But those that do, say it's better than having nothing."