Chapter 20
"Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes," Howard greeted them gruffly. "I think it's about time we talked. Alone."
The other alphas could tell by his tone there wouldn't be any reasoning with him. He had just burst into the room, disrupting the calmness that had settled between the three. In wanting to keep the peace they followed him back out into the hallway. Peggy took their place by Tony's side, reassuring them that this was all Howard's doing.
"Is something wrong?" Steve asked genuinely perplexed.
"Is something wrong?" The older man parrotted, "Clearly, unless my nose has deceived me. You've sent my boy into a heat."
Bucky sighed, knowing this would be a problem. "It's just another part of the healing process. The doctor already explained, it'll be over in a couple of days."
"He's fine, Stark. We have it handled."
"I may be getting up in age, but don't start thinking I've gone senile. I know alphas like you and your mate want nothing more than to get an omega like Tony. Neither one of you deserve him. And don't think that just because he carried your pup, means you know best."
"Now you listen here- "
"What my mate means to say," Bucky interrupted before Steve could put his foot in his mouth. "Is that we care about Tony. Not just his biological differences or the fact that he carried Peter. He's important to us."
"I'm sure he is. Still, I cannot in good conscience allow this to continue for the sake of my pup. He can't possibly recover with the two of you constantly hanging around and neither can the little one."
The fight had drained from Steve as he realized what he meant. "I'm sorry, what? Are you kicking us out?"
"Temporarily," Howard supplied like he didn't just drop a bomb on them. "Just until-"
"Until what, exactly? You get tired of 'em and decide to kick him out again."
"Bucky," Steve warned dreading the blowup that was sure to come.
"You can't possibly think that you know best for him. You barely even know him."
"Oh, and you do?"
"I know he's smarter than you think. And the only reason you want us to leave is so he won't have to choose."
"That's not true." Howard yelled to self-absorbed to care about waking the baby.
Their little discussion quickly got out of hand after that and none of the alphas seemed to notice the little omega sneaking out of his room to join the fight. With the pup on his hip and his mind coming online, he grew tense hearing all of the commotion. Everyone knew not to rile an omega in heat, even a fake one. His aunt wasn't going to stop him for putting in his two cents though, she knew better than that.
"Isn't it though?" Tony asked softly. "You think I'm too attached so you've taken matters into your own hands, like always."
Suddenly the alphas were falling over themselves, apologies leaking from their mouths like a water faucet.
"I'm sorry. We didn't mean to wake you, doll."
"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. We got distracted."
"Anthony, I didn't mean to disturb you. I'm sorry."
"Enough of that." He sighed, his mind too heat-riddled to deal. "Dad, are you serious? You can't make them leave."
"Tony, go rest. You don't understand what's happening."
"Oh I understand enough, you're just a selfish old man. You rather separate a family from their pup, than let me recover peacefully. It's always one thing after another with you. Dad, I'm sorry but if you make them leave, I'm going with them."
"Then go."