Chapter 3
Bucky and Clint were becoming more and more obnoxious about Steve dating Tony, teasing the blonde just about every chance they got.
“If it wasn’t for me you wouldn’t have met him that night!” his brother loved reminding him. But Steve didn’t care, because he was head over heels for the Omega.
Even though he’d already met Harley, Tony kept the two separate for the first few dates, explaining to Steve that he didn’t want Harley to get attached until it was more serious. And that was after about the fifth date, as the two had discovered that the “L” word - though early - felt right.
So today, instead of meeting Tony at some restaurant, he was going to his apartment to cook for the two Starks. Steve had felt bad for not inviting Tony back to his apartment, but the Omega understood the teasing from Bucky and Clint would only get worse if he came around.
Apparently Tony wasn’t much of a chef, so Steve picked up some ingredients before making his way to the much more expensive two bedroom apartment.
The door swung open by the third knock, leaving Steve with a raised fist and a smile.
“Hey Tony.”
“Hey Steve,” Tony said with a bright smile, pulling the blonde inside and steering him towards the kitchen. “Here let me help with those groceries. I told you I could’ve had it delivered!”
“It’s fine Tony, the market is on the way here,” Steve said as he placed the bags on the counter, pulling Tony into his arms once they were free. “Plus I got to show off my arms when carrying the bags,” he teased, flexing his arms as he said it. The air momentarily changed to the sweet smell of Omega arousal before the brunette shook himself and blushed.
“You’re a terrible influence,” Tony teased the blonde as he helped put the groceries away.
“M’pretty sure you claimed the corruption title on our last date…” Steve teased right back, grabbing the brunette by his hips to pull him into his embrace. The Omega practically purred in delight and shifted to kiss the blonde in greeting. It only lasted a moment before they heard tiny footsteps quickly approach them.
“Daddy!” Harley cried as he ran into the kitchen, the two adults separating and continuing unpacking the groceries.
“Hey Harley, Steve’s here and he’s going to make us dinner!” The boy glanced at Steve for a moment before turning back to Tony.
“Cool. Daddy the router accidentally fell from the table and now the internet isn’t working.”
“Ah, and how did the router ‘accidentally fall’ from the table?” Tony asked as the kid shrugged his shoulders in answer, a smile still evident on his face. “Uh huh, well why don’t you help Steve and I’ll go have a look, okay?” the brunette asked before leaving the two blondes alone.
“How about you climb up on the stool and help me with the green beans?” Steve asked, pulling a bowl out to hand to the boy. Harley complied, silently watching Steve break off some ends before mimicking his actions. The silence only lasted another moment.
“So you like my Daddy?” Steve was startled by the question, but didn’t halt in preparing dinner.
“Yeah, I like him a lot.”
“Huh. Well. You should know that if you’re ever mean to him, I’ll tell Uncle Rhodey.” That had not been where Steve expected the conversation to go, taking a second before Steve realized he was getting a shovel talk. From a six year old.
Which meant...it was an experience the six year old has had before.
“Good,” Steve said in answer, loving the surprise on the boy’s face. “If I’m ever mean to your Daddy, you should absolutely tell on me. Your Daddy is nice and deserves someone who is nice to him.” Harley clearly hadn’t been expecting that answer, as he stared at the older blonde for a few more seconds before puffing up his chest.
“And if you’re ever mean to me, I’ll tell Aunt Pepper,” the boy said with new vigor, like he still didn’t fully believe the Alpha.
“I’ve met your Aunt Pepper, she would totally kick my butt if I was ever mean to you,” Steve agreed, doing his best not to smile at the boy’s face. “You deserve someone nice too, Harley. I hope you do tell someone if I’m ever mean to you or your Daddy.” Harley was stunned into silence, deflating in his chair as Tony rejoined them.
“Alright Harley, the internet is back on. And don’t think I didn’t notice the small footprints climbing up the table. Care to explain that?”
“My airplane got stuck on the bookshelf,” the six year old said simply, shrugging his shoulders in response once again.
“Right, well please ask for help the next time that happens. We have this giant here, let’s put him to good use and make him reach for things up high, alright?” Steve pinched the brunette’s side when he came into reaching distance, letting out a yelp and shooting the blonde a pout.
Before Tony could reprimand him, the Omega’s phone went off.
“Oh crap, it’s the office. Hang on you two I’ll be right back,” Tony said, kissing Steve’s cheek before leaving the kitchen to take his call.
“So, Harley, what’s your favorite movie -”
“- I’ll know if you just want him for his money, too,” the six year old said, interrupting Steve’s train of thought with new vigor. The Alpha just stared at the tiny blonde for a few seconds before shaking his head to respond.
“Harley, I promise you, I’m not after your Daddy for his money. I just...I really, really like him. But it sounds like your Daddy’s exes haven’t always been like that, huh? Sounds like you’ve run into a few people who treated your Daddy wrong...maybe treated you wrong. Am I right?” The glare and shrug was the only response he got from the pup. “Well, I have no intention to hurt either of you. But like I said before, tell on me if I do. I like you and your Daddy too much to mess this up.”
“You...you like me?” the pup asked with a skeptical tone and matching face.
“Very much, kiddo.”
“Huh,” Harley said as Steve turned back to preparing dinner. There was a moment of silence as Steve wondered if he’d said the right thing. But then the pup spoke up again, this time in a quiet voice. “Jurassic Park.”
“What?” Steve asked, looking at the pup with a smile.
“My favorite movie, it’s Jurassic Park.”
“Oh, yeah that’s a good one. I haven’t seen any of the sequels, though.”
“You haven’t at least seen Jurassic World??” Harley asked with an adorably offended expression. “I’ll have to ask Daddy if we can watch it after dinner. It’s still not better than Jurassic Park, but it’s better than Lost World and Jurassic Park Three.”
“Oh...wow I don’t think I knew there were that many…”
“Seriously?” the pup asked in more exaggerated offense. “Well...what’s your favorite movie? Is it something old and boring?” Steve chuckled as he turned to face the boy before answering.
“Well now I don’t want to say! It is old but it’s definitely not boring.”
“What is it?”
“Have you ever seen the Wizard of Oz?” Steve asked as he began washing and chopping the potatoes.
“No, but I do like wizards!”
“What’s this about wizards?” Tony asked as he came back into the room with a smile on his handsome face.
“You’ve never shown Harley the Wizard of Oz?” Steve asked the Omega, shooing him away when he tried to snag a piece of bread that Steve brought.
“I’ve shown him the more important stuff, like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.”
“Daddy he hasn’t even seen Jurassic World!” Harley said, offense in his voice and a pout on his face.
“Well I guess we’ll have to have a movie night after dinner, won’t we?” the Omega said as he walked around and loudly kissed the pup’s cheek. Steve watched for a moment, a smile on his face as he wondered if this was a life he could have.
A few weeks passed and things were hit and miss with Harley. It was like the pup wanted to like Steve, but remembered he shouldn’t trust him and went back to building a wall between them.
That was, until the pup got sick.
Tony called him, frantically asking if Steve could pick the boy up from school. The Omega had back to back presentations and had asked Steve before asking anyone else to go get him. Which, while Steve didn’t love the fact the pup was sick, did help stroke the Alpha’s ego.
Harley knew Steve was picking him up, which may have been why the pup was pouting when the Alpha walked into the school nurse's office.
“Hey pup, not feeling too well?” Steve asked as he grabbed Harley’s backpack, reaching a hand out and trying not to take it too personally when Harley brushed past him.
“I want my Daddy,” the pup said pitifully as he walked out and followed Steve to his truck.
“I know, bud. He said he’ll be home for dinner and wishes he could pick you up himself. He also told me to make you chicken noodle soup and watch whatever movie you wanted until he got home.” Steve hoped that would at least get a smile from the pup, but he just frowned in the rearview mirror.
Tony had told him how Harley craved physical comfort when he was sick, but Steve knew the boy wouldn’t want that from Steve.
Which is why the Alpha did his best to comfort the pup without holding him. He set up pillows and blankets in the living room, grabbed the pup’s teddy bear and put on a dinosaur movie marathon. He brought tissues and a trash can, since the pup had already thrown up once at school. He also grabbed him some juice and gave him medication, making the same face as him when he drank the yucky red liquid.
“I know, bear, it’s gross but it’ll make you feel better,” Steve said sympathetically, taking the cup back when he finished.
“I want my Daddy,” the pup cried before going into a coughing fit. Steve was unable to hold back this time, reaching over and rubbing the boy’s shoulders in comfort.
“I know and I’m sorry Harley. Want me to see if he is on break and can call us?” the Alpha asked, smiling when the pup nodded adorably. Steve pulled his phone out, sending Tony a quick text and smiling when the Omega immediately called back. “Hey Tony, someone’s missing you,” Steve said as he put his phone on speaker.
“Oh bambino, not feeling too good, huh baby?”
“Daddy I want you to be here,” Harley said, tears forming in his eyes.
“I know bambino and I promise I’ll be home no later than five, okay? I’ll be home earlier if I can weasel my way out of the last few presentations. Grandpa might be mad at me, but I think he’ll understand if it’s to be with you when you’re not feeling too good.”
“Tell Grandpa I threw up at school, Daddy. Maybe you can come home earlier.” Steve couldn’t help smiling at hearing the Omega chuckling through the phone.
“I will baby, I’ll be sure to tell Grandpa that. Is Steve taking good care of you?”
Steve did his best to keep his eyes on the phone, not wanting to see the rejection or disappointed look from the pup.
“He made me take the yucky medicine,” the pup whined with a pout, which didn’t actually make Steve feel all that bad, especially when his Daddy laughed again.
“Steve wants you to feel better and gave you the same thing I would have if I were there, you silly goose. Now I gotta go, but I’ll see if I can come back sooner, okay bambino?”
“Okay. Love you Daddy.”
“I love you too, baby. See you soon. Bye my wonderful boys.”
“Bye Daddy.” “Bye Tony.” The two blondes were quiet after Steve hung up the phone, the older one wondering if he should go start on the soup and leave the pup alone.
“I’ll get started on the soup. Let me know if you need anything, bear,” the Alpha said as he stood up off the couch, putting the remote within reaching distance of the pup before walking towards the kitchen.
“Steve?” Harley asked quietly, causing the Alpha to turn around.
“Yeah?”
“Why did you call me bear?” Harley asked, quiet and almost shyly. Steve thought about it for a moment, unaware the name had slipped out before answering the boy honestly.
“My Papa called me that when I was little. She was my Papa Bear and I was her Baby Bear. It just...kind of slipped out.” Steve hesitated a moment, wondering if it would only make things worse with the boy.
He didn’t really receive a confirmation as Harley stayed quiet and watched his movie, but the fact he didn’t outwardly oppose the name made Steve a little more confident.
Baby steps.