Chapter 2
As far back as Clint could remember, he wanted to be a Mama.
While he didn’t exactly have the greatest role models in that department - minus George Barnes, of course - there was a part of him that couldn’t wait to have a pup of his own to spoil with love. Give him or her the childhood Clint didn’t get to have.
They had been trying to get pregnant for over five years now. Clint couldn’t help but be heart broken as he tossed the most recent negative test into the trash can. James wasn’t aware of this one, even after they’d promised to be honest with each other.
It’s just...Clint can’t help but feel guilty. It was his body after all that couldn’t support a pup. They had been tested about a year ago, where James’ sperm was perfect...but Clint’s reproductive system was messed up and left about a point five percent chance of ever successfully having a baby.
James, his wonderful loving Alpha, constantly reminded him that it wasn’t his fault. That what they had was already perfect and they could always adopt…but that didn’t stop Clint’s mind from making him feel horrible for having a broken body.
The Omega was lucky enough to get his baby fever out via his friends, since Thor and his wife Jane had an adorable four month old.
But...it wasn’t his and Buck’s kid. He didn’t get to take her home at the end of the day. He was starting to give up hope of ever having a kid when Nat suggested something he felt dumb about not thinking of before.
They could be foster parents.
Clint was a foster kid, not exactly a fact he liked to brag about, but they could be awesome parents to a kid in the system who deserved a loving home. So he was happy when he shared the idea with his husband and the Alpha agreed wholeheartedly.
“Don’t get me wrong babe, I’d love to have a baby with you...but the idea of skipping out on diapers sounds like a win-win to me.” So, it was decided.
The two took the classes and past the inspection before officially telling their loved ones, who all offered unconditional support. They had even met a case worker that works with foster kids through Tony’s friend Jan, Scott Lang.
“I have several kids in mind but honestly I think it’s best you meet them for yourselves and make a decision from there. Plus when you meet in person, you can see if the pup likes your scent or not,” the chipper Beta said as he led the couple down the hallways of the orphanage. Bucky’s hand grasped the Omega’s as they followed Scott outside to the play area.
There were about eleven pups playing outside, running around the playscape adorably. Oh wow, how were they supposed to choose just one? The couple hung back in the shade under a tree, looking around the field as Scott spoke to various kids.
“So, who should we talk to first?” Bucky asked, squeezing Clint’s hand just as something knocked the Alpha on the head. “Ow,” the brunette mumbled, bending down to grab a...Batman action figure? Clint looked up, startling at seeing a puppy high up in the branches.
“Whoops, my bad. Can you toss that back please and thank you?” a little blonde boy who was missing some teeth said, bandaid over his nose and reminding Clint way too much of a younger him.
“Um...how about you come down and get it? Maybe introduce yourself and tell us how Batman got so high up there without his bat-plane?” Clint offered the pup, turning to his husband and smiling at seeing him smiling at the pup as well. “Do you need help climbing -” the Omega asked, interrupted when the pup suddenly landed at their feet. “Fuck!” Clint exclaimed with a gasp, frowning at the laugh the curse got out of the boy.
“Batman obviously used his grappling hook to get up this skyscraper. He’s currently hunting down the Joker who broke everyone out of Arkham. Now can I go back to saving Gotham City?” the pup asked, one hand extended to Bucky.
“You’ve got a lot of spunk, reminds me of someone,” James said with a pointed look to Clint before turning back to the pup. “Here. What’s your name, kid?”
“Wade.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Wade. Would you be interested in meeting with me and my husband?” James asked as Clint felt his chest warm from his mate thinking the same as him.
“Scott said we’d have to meet in the playroom to make sure our scents are a good match,” Clint added, taking a moment to look around for the Beta in question.
“You guys... want to meet with me?” the pup asked skeptically, looking around as if the two were joking. “But, there are better kids here.” Scott appeared after that deprecating statement, a cheery smile on his face.
“Hey I see you guys have met Wade! Buddy, you know Batman stays inside,” the Beta said before taking the child’s toy. “So, Wade what do you think? Want to meet these two in the green room?” the Beta asked the pup who looked at the two before turning to his right.
“What do you think Jimmy? Should we give it a shot?...What?...Yes we are talking again, just give me your opinion...What does that have to do with anything?” the pup said...to nothing. Clint and Bucky shared a look that caught the attention of the Beta.
“Jimmy is Wade’s imaginary friend,” Scott explained, a pointed look at the two to gage their reaction. He can’t speak for his Alpha, but this kid was quickly growing on the Omega.
Clint had also had an imaginary friend until he met Bucky. His name was Sebastian and he one hundred percent had the same accent as the crab in Little Mermaid. It was a secret only his mate had been aware of...but maybe that should change.
“Does Jimmy have an accent? Cause my friend Sebastian did when I was your age.” The Omega thoroughly enjoyed the shocked look on the pup’s face before a small smile broke out.
“Wait...like the crab in the Little Mermaid?” Wade asked with a cheeky grin on his face.
“Exactly like the crab, except I pictured a little boy like me,” Clint said with a matching grin, loving the chuckle it got out of the pup.
“Alright, I’ll meet you guys in the green room. Jimmy here says you’re good eggs and Scott didn’t fake an emergency to keep me from meeting more potential fosters.”
“Wade that was one time and they were actual nazis,” Scott said with an embarrassed huff. “Now follow me gentleman,” the now chipper Beta said before leading the three back into the building and into a very green room with large windows. It was filled with some comfy looking chairs around a small table. In the corner was board games and other various toys. “Alright guys, I’ll come back and check on you in half an hour. I also have to legally disclose that there are cameras in here...but anywho, I’ll be around if you need me!”
With that it was the three of them again, Clint taking the initiative to sit down and smiling when the other two joined him. He was both surprised and delighted when the pup pulled the Batman toy out of nowhere and began fidgeting with it.
“So, Wade. My name is Bucky and this is my husband Clint.”
“Bucky?” the pup asked, chuckling a little from the name.
“It’s from his middle name, Buchanan. His first name is James, like your friend! I call him James but no one else calls him that.”
“Well...I want to call him that too! Nice to meet you Clint and James. I’d introduce Jimmy but we’re back on not speaking terms.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that?” Clint offered, smiling at the silly pup. Wade shrugged his shoulders before responding.
“He knows what he did. So, what do you guys do for a living?”
“Well, I’m a med tech but I’m in school to be a nurse. And James and his brother own a boxing gym. Their grandpa died last year and left the gym to the two ridiculous Alphas. So on the plus side, if you get hurt...or want to box and get hurt...we got you covered,” Clint said with a laugh, loving the snort of disapproval from his husband.
Especially when the pup looked incredibly intrigued.
“You’re saying I could learn how to box?”
“I…” Bucky said before turning to Clint, the two fumbling for a response before the Alpha continued. “Yeah, I could do that. Granted you eat your vegetables and keep your room clean.”
The two watched as the pup’s face, along with his scent, changed from excited to disbelief.
“Are you...are you guys being serious? I mean it’s one thing to get a foster kid’s hopes up but it’s another to dangle something like that -”
“- we also have a mutt named Lucky,” Clint interrupted the pup’s ramblings, knowing just how insecure a lost boy can feel. “We’ve never fostered a kid before, pup. We’re not perfect, but we promise to talk it out and do our best. I was in the system too and I’ve known the Terminator since we were your age...before he became the Terminator.”
“Terminator?” Wade asked in confusion, intrigue returning to his scent as James pulled his hoodie back and glove off. Clint hated what the arm did to his mate, but he wouldn’t lie and say he hated everything about the metal prosthetic. “ Holyshitthat’scool,” the cub said, reaching without any caution and wrapping both hands around Bucky’s fingers.
Clint was proud when his mate didn’t even flinch, taking it in stride and turning his hand palm up to give more access to the kid.
Keeping his tiny hand on the metal fingers, he walked around the table to stand next to Bucky directly.
“How did you get a metal arm? I had a foster sister who was missing a leg but hers was plastic.”
“It was uh, blown off in combat. My brother and I are both ex-Army,” Bucky explained with a small smile, stealing a glance at Clint who was smiling brightly back at him. The Omega refrained from cooing at the interaction, knowing how tough this pup was trying to be...even if he was being super adorable right now as he practically leaned against James.
“So only Army people can get metal arms?” the pup asked as he eventually let go and went back around to sit in his chair.
“Not necessarily, I got this from Stark Industries. It has a prosthetic department for veterans.”
“Stark? Like Tony Stark?”
“Yeah, he’s married to my brother.”
“Wow...that’s so awesome,” the pup said with wide eyes as Scott made his way back into the room.
“Hey gang, how are we doing in here?” he asked the group, though his gaze fell upon the boy to hear his answer.
“Good,” Wade answered, though the adults could tell he was trying to play it cool when his scent changed to excitement.
“Yeah? They smell...safe?” the Beta asked carefully, making Clint a little sad at the implication of what this pup had gone through. He shared a look with his mate who was wearing a matching frown. The pair turned to look at Wade who was squinting at the two.
“Hm...Jimmy, what do you think?” Wade asked his invisible friend. “Yes we are talking again, just tell me what you...uh huh….excellent point...yeah and they have a dog! Okay, I’ll tell them. Clint, James, we would like to pet your dog.” Clint and Bucky bust out laughing while Scott just let out an exasperated sigh.
“So I take it we smell safe?” Clint asked, the pup nodding while the Beta cleared his throat.
“Wade that isn’t the answer I was looking for and you know it, pup. I will also need to talk to Mr. and Mr. Barnes to make sure this is the best match.” Wade leaned his head as far back as it could go before groaning over dramatically.
“Yes Scott, I would like to go home with these strange men,” the six year old deadpanned, making Clint and Buck bust out laughing again. It only got worse when the Beta looked incredibly flustered.
“Wade, could you go back to the play area while I talk to these two? We’ll have a nice long talk about sarcasm later,” the Beta said with a stern voice, though a small smile was appearing on his face.
“Nice meeting you, Wade,” Clint said with a little wave before his mate repeated the phrase. “Pup’s been through a lot, huh?” he asked once Wade had left and Scott had sat down.
“You can say that again,” the Beta said with a sigh. “Poor pup has been in the system for a year and half, but has been in over fifteen foster homes. He didn’t have the best case worker, the Omega has since been fired. I’ve only been with him for the last three weeks or so. If you want to go through with his fostering, I can give you guys his paperwork to read over. I...we have had one couple turn him away after reading it…”
“He’s six,” Clint said in disgust. “Does he torture innocent animals?”
“Well, no -”
“- Then I don’t need to read whatever has happened to that poor pup,” the Omega said defiantly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’ll take a copy, Scott,” Bucky said, ignoring the pout from his mate. “I would like to avoid any triggers that might hurt the pup,” he said to the blonde, who rolled his eyes but acquiesced.
“So...you guys are interested in fostering Wade Wilson?” Scott asked, excitement in his features though the Beta clearly tried to remain neutral. Clint looked at his mate who smiled and raised his brows, silently asking Clint if he was sure.
“Yes.”
As Scott left to grab some paperwork, Clint quickly grabbed his Alpha’s face and kissed him soundly.
They were going to be parents.