Chapter 5
"Well, why not?" Natasha asked after he turned down her job offer. "I thought you liked kids. In fact, I already told them that you did."
"It's not that I don't like kids, it's just- It's not fair." Tony admitted sadly. "I know I shouldn't complain, but I really don't want to take care of someone else's pup when I could hardly take care of my own."
"Oh," She said a bit startled by his answer. In all her planning to help out her friends, she hadn't once considered how the situation might make Tony feel. Of course, he wouldn't want to take care of someone else's pup, that'd be tantamount to torture. "Kid, I'm sorry. I should've realized. Listen, you don't have to take the job. Just forget I even asked."
"No, I want the job. Well, I want a job. I need one, really. It just feels like I'm betraying my pup."
"Tony you don't have- "
"It felt like I was betraying him when I joined the milk drive too. I didn't want to share that with anyone, it just didn't seem right. But then I thought about all those pups in need and I realized that my pup was one too. I might not be able to care for him, but that doesn't mean I can't help someone else, right? And by the sound of it seems like your friends really need help."
The beta smiled to herself as she listened to him talk. The boy was more selfless than she could ever imagine being. She just hoped it wouldn't come back to haunt him. "You're a good kid, you know that?"
Although Tony had convinced himself to take the job, he still felt...off. He wanted to help, he really did. It was just hard to imagine what this job would be like. In all his searching he could only picture himself working as a cashier or a dishwasher even. Those were simple jobs, easy enough to start out with. Not even an omega like him could mess that up. But babysitting, that wasn't so easy. Especially if it meant there'd be alphas around.
Now Tony wasn't afraid of alphas, not in the slightest. But like any parent, he knew there was nothing they wouldn't do to protect their pup. He was young and not in the mindset to take on a job like that. What if he got too attached? What if he accidentally scented their baby? What if he just couldn't do it, that the moment he saw their pup he'd just keel over and die? The possibilities were endless but he mostly couldn't help but worry that they'd hurt him. Many alphas did, even the good ones. It was apparently just part of their biological nature. Whether that was true or not, it did nothing to ease the discomfort he was feeling.
By the time his first day came he hadn't managed to calm himself. If anything, Tony just felt worse. He had agreed to do a trial run while the couple cleaned up around the house. They said it'd only be a few hours, just to start. He was thankful they weren't ready to leave their pup for too long. He honestly didn't think he could handle it if they did. The poor thing was a nervous wreck and if he spent any more time than necessary acting like he had his shit together he would absolutely lose it.
Natasha refused to play into his dramatics, she knew he could handle it. Tony was no idiot, he had an extensive education. Aside from the mandatory omega training, the boy had spent years in school ahead of his peers, collecting degrees like candy. If he hadn't been a minor when he was kicked out he would've been well off. A babysitting job would be nothing in comparison and she made sure to tell him that.
"Don't underestimate yourself. You're smart kid, you'll be fine." She said coolly.
"But what if-"
"You'll be fine." She stressed. Disregarding his nervousness, she continued to encourage him. She had a good feeling about this and she wasn't going to let him fail. "Tony, you're a genius. I think you can handle changing a diaper or two. This isn't a test, okay? All their pup needs is someone to watch him, that's it. You can do this."
"C-Can I uh, bring my baby?" He couldn't help but ask her before they left. The little bunny had become his emotional support. His stuffie went almost everywhere with him now. He couldn't imagine leaving the home without it, and frankly neither could she."
"Of course you can. I'm sure they'd be happy to have another helper."
Tony found that the couple lived in Brooklyn, a few blocks from the doctor's office. The area was nicer, quieter too. They lived on the corner in one of the brownstones that lined the streets. It was a beautiful home, reminiscent of old New York. The inside though was modern and neutral, walls covered in various artworks and overflowing bookshelves. A younger Tony would have found the home modest in comparison to his parent's upper east side mansion. And while that still held true, it didn't take away from the beauty of it. It looked like a home, a real one where love was made and stories were told. Tony had never been in a home like that before.
"Oh Hey Nat, I didn't hear you come in." A tall blonde said coming to greet them. He walked like an alpha, exuding confidence in every step. There was no doubt that he was the one in charge. "And you must be Tony." He said holding his hand out for him to shake. It enveloped his warmly, a kind gesture he wished he'd prepared for. It'd been a while since he'd really spoken to anyone besides Natasha."It's nice to meet you, I’m Steve."
"It's uh nice to meet you as well, Steve." He replied. Before his nerves could get the best of him he did what knew how to do best. Talk, like his life depended on it. "You have a beautiful home. I didn't expect townhomes in Brooklyn to have this much space."
"Thank you, I appreciate it. It took a lot of work to get her this way, we got her in a foreclosure. Though we knocked down a few walls for space, I figured an open concept would be better with a kid."
"Really? Well, it looks good. Bet you're glad you didn't take out the gallery wall though, looks like you've got quite the collection here." He said eyeing artwork he knew cost a pretty penny. Some though were more familiar than others. "Oh, is this a Barnett Newman?" He asked pointing to a black and white minimalist painting.
The question piqued the alpha's interest. "Yes, actually. I found that at an auction in the city. I'm more of a realist myself, but the collector in me just had to have it." He looked at the omega for a second longer, like he couldn't quite place him. "Why don't you two have a seat? I'm sure Buck will be down in a minute, but in the meantime can I get you anything to drink?"
"No, I'm alright. Thank you though." Tony said taking a seat on a tan leather couch.
"Nat," Steve asked, "Can I get you anything?"
"No, I'm going to head out soon, just wanted to make sure Tony got settled here first." She said just like they agreed upon. He knew he wouldn't have been able to even make it through the door without her there. "But I'm not leaving without seeing the baby, so tell Buck to hurry up. I've got to be back to work in half an hour."
"I'm sure you'll make it back on time. He's not always late-"
"What were you saying punk?" A gruff voice said from overhead. It was another alpha, Steve's mate. "I'm never late, I just like to take my time."
Tony turned to see the alpha descending the stairs. He walked carefully and precisely with a pup in his arms. It was almost comical how tiny he looked in his arms, Tony could just feel himself start to swoon. It'd been so long since he'd seen a pup.
"Oh is that what you're calling it?" Steve said teasingly, his eyes glued to the man in front of him.
"Hey Bucky," Nat said joining in, "I didn't think you'd ever make it."
The man just smiled at them, pretending to huff a little for the dramatics of it all. Tony would have laughed at the scene but he was far too nervous to even try. Sitting there felt awkward and he wasn't sure if should get up and introduce himself or try to blend into the couch. Either way, he couldn't bring himself to interrupt their moment, they all looked so happy together.
"Enough out of you two, I was only a few minutes late. This one kept distracting me." He said gesturing to the pup.
"You can't always blame the baby."
"I can too."
"Sorry boys," Nat interrupted, "But I've got to go. Clint just texted, he had to leave early."
Steve looked a little disappointed to hear that. "Let me walk you out then."
Tony watched as they retreated back to the front door. The other alpha, Bucky, didn't follow. Instead, he turned to where Tony was sitting and joined him on the couch.
"Hey, I'm Bucky and this is Peter." He said introducing himself and his pup. "It's nice to meet you, uh Tony, right?"
"Yes, it's nice to meet you as well. Both of you."
"Would you like to hold him?" Bucky asked, "I promise he doesn't bite."
Tony wanted to hesitate, but those familiar brown eyes were captivating. He just nodded, accepting the little one into his own arms. He fit perfectly, just like he belonged there. Even if it wasn't his baby the feeling of holding a pup was a welcome one. He just had to remember not to get attached. This was only a job after all. "He's really cute," Tony said. "How old is he?"
"Pete's just about three months." He beamed, "We got lucky with this one. Not many alpha couples get to adopt, especially not newborns."
Tony's heart dropped at the realization. His pup was around the same age. "It's great that you guys got to adopt. I know there's so many pups without parents."
"Yeah, there is. Natasha's been a great help though, opening up an omega house and starting the milk drive. It was the only way we were able to get him fed for a little while."
"Oh, why's that?"
"When we first got Peter, he was still attached to his Oma. The doctor's said the bonding process can happen way before birth, so it was a bit of a challenge getting him to take formula." Bucky said thinking back. "But things got better once Nat stepped in. He's still a handful but he sleeps through the night now that he has real milk."
Tony smiled glad the he was able to be apart of something like that. He knew the milk drive was for a good cause. "Yeah the milk drive is great. I think Nat loves that the most, especially getting to hold all the babies."
"She mentioned that you help out with that too. Do you do deliveries or something?"
"No, I just pump a few times a day." Not realizing his mistake Tony continued. "It's the only way I can help. Nat doesn't want me doing any physical labor."
The alpha paused taking in what he just heard. Whether it was said unknowingly or not, he didn't want to react and scare the poor omega. But he was more curious than anything. "I didn't know you had a pup."
Tony should have kept his guard up, he should have been ready, but not even his genius could come up with a lie bold enough to be believable. Distracted by little doe eyes the same as his, he had went and blabbered about his not so secret secret. He stilled looking down at the pup in his arms. How he wished it were his. "I don't- Well, not anymore."