“Now count four paces to the left.”
Pietro smiled and slowly counted to four, stopped and looked back to Tony, shovel in his hands. Tony was still looking at the map, his brows furrowed in the concentration and he was biting his bottom lip and Pietro really wanted to kiss him right now. But he didn’t move, not when he knew how important it was for Tony.
“So I dig here?” he asked after a second, soft smile still on his lips that grew even more as Tony looked up at him from the map. He was still frowning as he looked at the grass near Pietro’s feet, frowned even harder and looked back to the map.
“Is there a white rock? That’s what it says, that there should be a white rock.” he was getting frustrated and Pietro could not only see it clearly, but smell it too. He chuckled and looked around, trying to spot white rock.
“I don’t see any rock, sweetheart. Show me the map again?” he moved back to Tony, who only sighed and moved the map toward Pietro, so Omega could see it too. “Not that I am expert or anything, but wasn’t you like four when you draw it?”
“Yes, and?” Alpha asked, brow arched, before his eyes widened and Pietro grinned, seeing how suddenly he understood what Pietro meant. “We didn’t count in our steps are bigger than when I was four… How I could make such a stupid mistake?”
Pietro moved his hand on Tony’s shoulder and leaned in to nuzzle against his cheek. His Alpha was sometimes so rude to himself it made Pietro want to burrow him in soft blankets and slap him in the back of his head at the same time. But then the best way was to just leave him to do his thing and just be close. That what he did, moving with Tony to the big glass door at the back of the mansion, so they could start their treasure hunt again.
This time it went faster, as they already did it once again and soon enough Pietro was standing in front of the big white rock and looking at it. It was quite big rock and Pietro instantly imagined small four years old Tony dragging it himself to this stop from somewhere else to mark this spot for future himself.
“You are sure you don’t want me to dig?” Tony asked again and Pietro just shook his head and he pushed the rock away and started digging himself. “Not that I think you aren’t strong enough…”
“I am stronger than you, Alpha.” Pietro reminded him with a smile as he carefully moved the ground away, not wanting to break whatever little Tony buried in the ground years ago. “Why you never dug it out earlier?” came question, as Pietro looked to Tony, feeling Alpha watch him closely.
“I promised myself I would do it when I got partner I wanted to spend life with.” Tony answered with small smile on his lips. “I once almost did it, when I was 15, but Beta I was with then said it was just waste of time. Then I forgot about it until you found the map.”
“… That Beta, do I know them?” Pietro asked casually, not looking at Tony, but he heard his chuckle and felt the hand on his back.
“No, love. And you don’t need to jump in to protect me instantly like that, even if it’s really sweet of you.”
Pietro felt himself blush, even as he felt warmth spreading through his chest at Alpha’s words. It was just so easy to make him feel good and Tony knew it. But then bond went both ways and Pietro could make Tony feel good easily too when he wanted. Doesn’t matter he used it to mostly tease him when he was working, but that how it was between them.
He stopped suddenly, feeling something harder under the shovel and instantly fell to his knees, moving the shovel away and started digging with his hands. He felt Tony do the same, second pair of hands appearing next to his as they moved the ground to uncover top of the metal box. Pietro felt himself still for a second, before he started digging with his hands faster, hearing Tony laugh when his hands blurred for Alpha’s sight. He didn’t care Tony teased him about being impatient, this was part of his Alpha he didn’t know at all and he just wanted to touch and see it.
It didn’t took long for the box was out and on the ground next to them. It was maybe 30 cm long, 10 cm wide and 20 cm high, but it needed to be quite heavy for four years old child. There was a lock on the front, some kind of combination lock that Pietro had no idea how to open, even if he was itching to look inside.
“You really brought it here and buried it all yourself?” he asked as Tony moved the box to himself more and looked at the lock.
“Yeah, I mean Jarvis was watching, but I wanted to do it all myself. Took me better part of the day to dug the hole out.” he chuckled fondly at the memory and Pietro purred quietly just to show his approval. “I am not sure about the lock, we may need to break it to get inside.”
“Really?” Omega sighed, before taking map to look at it again. “Maybe you left the clue somewhere here?”
“I didn’t at least I don’t remember doing it.”
“Tony, you were four, you may forget stuff that long ago.”
“Are you calling me old?”
Pietro laughed, before gasping in surprise as the top of the box just snapped open. He looked at Tony, who was grinning at him, so sure of himself and cocky, that Pietro just wanted to kiss him hard.
“I did it.” he said happily and Pietro slapped his shoulder lightly. “Hey! Domestic abuse!”
“Shut up and show me.” Pietro rolled his eyes and moved to sit next to Tony, so he could look inside the box.
He slowly reached inside and pulled out old looking teddy bear. It looked used, fur in some places was more frayed than others. It had dark blue jacket and black domino mask and it took Pietro few seconds to know who it was, before he laughed, delighted by that.
“We are so not telling Bucky about it.” Tony said instantly and quickly took bear from Pietro’s hand.
“Why? I think it’s adorable. I thought you had Captain America’s stuff when you were child.”
“I did, but this one… Aunt Peggy gave it to me when I was afraid of sleeping alone. Howard didn’t like when I slept with light on, he didn’t like me having stuffed toys too, so I always hid it, but he found it somehow and I needed to do something, before he would threw it away.” Tony’s voice was soft, little sad and Pietro put his hand on his thigh, ignoring he was leaving dirt on his jeans.
“I’m sorry…” he said softly, smiling back when Tony smiled at him.
“It’s okay, it’s in the past now.”
it wasn’t okay, but Pietro didn’t say it, knowing it wouldn’t change much. He just nodded his head and reached in the box again, pulling out flat box. He opened it slowly just to see delicate collar, made from expensive jewels and silver. It looked very expensive and like it would break just touched wrong.
“Ah… so there it was. My mom gave it to me when I was looking for stuff to put in box. She said it was her present for my Omega.” Tony gently took the collar out and smiled. “I thought I lost it somewhere…”
“It’s beautiful.” Pietro said, eyes focused on it.
“When my mom was young, only the things Omegas wore were theirs. Alpha could throw Omega away at any moment, no matter bond or marriage. Omegas wore a lot of jewelry so if that happened they could have money to take care of themselves and pups.” Tony explained, before turning toward Pietro. “May I?”
“I don’t think you gonna throw me away.” Pietro said, before he nodded and turned around, so Tony could unclasp his collar and change it for the old one.
“Never.” he heard, before feeling the kiss on the nape of his neck. “But little me wanted my Omega to have it so…”
It was quite cold against his throat, but not uncomfortable. Little snug, so Pietro could feel it every time he swallowed harder. It felt like he a reminder, always there and he knew many Omegas hated the idea about being owned, but he quite liked it, being Tony’s. He turned around again to face Tony and felt heat pool in his stomach at the dark look Alpha was giving him.
“How do I look?” he asked, before grinning as Tony growled in answer. “Well, we can act on it later, after we end with what we started.”
“You’re a total tease, you know it?” Tony growled again and Pietro grinned again, before emptying the box quickly on the ground between them.
There was a letter in envelope, few small trinkets and another small box. Inside small box was small bird like figure, made from metal. Pietro gently took it out and saw small key under it. He quickly found the keyhole and after few twists the bird moved and sang soft song Pietro instantly recognized.
“You always hum this.” he said, smiling again. “When I have nightmares or can’t still long enough to sleep, you hum this.”
“My mom sang it to me when I was really small.” Tony’s voice was rough and Pietro swallowed hard, his eyes filling up with tears. “Before she started taking pills and…”
“Oh, Tony…” he whispered, put the singing bird back to the box and pulled Alpha against his chest.
“I’m fine.” he said, even as Pietro could not only hear all the emotions in his voice, but feel them through the bond too.
“You don’t need to be.” he replied, hugging Tony and felt him lean closer, face against his neck and could only hold his Alpha close, giving him time to put himself back together after all the emotions. “I’m here to catch you if you need me, Alpha. Always…”
He felt warmth and wetness against his skin, but didn’t say anything more, just holding Tony, metal birding singing softly in the background.
They returned to Tower hour later with metal box and all the things they found. Pietro still had the new-old collar on and he already planned on putting bird in his nest to have it close whenever Tony couldn’t be with him. He didn’t say a word about Tony breaking earlier and Tony didn’t say anything too, both of them secure in their bond enough to know the other one will always be there to help without judgment. The trinkets were little toys little Tony made and Pietro could take them too, Bucky Bear too. There were already pictures send to Barnes that Tony was opposed to, but still posed to. There was only letter Pietro didn’t see, but he didn’t want to be rude about it. So he waited for almost half an hour when Tony disappeared in study with letter, putting all the stuff in his nest, before he went to check on his Alpha.
“So…? Little Tony have any words for me?” he asked, coming to the desk Tony sat at and climbed to sit on it.
“No, it was more letter for me.” Tony shook his head and leaned it against Pietro’s thigh. Omega instantly used that opportunity to run his fingers through his hair. “Just some advice he wanted me to remember. Nothing very important.”
“Oh, I think it was important.” Pietro chuckled, scratching Alpha’s scalp slowly. “Otherwise you wouldn’t hold it like that.”
Tony chuckled too, fingers relaxing on the letter he was crumbling just seconds earlier. He tilted his head so Pietro could see his eyes and it made Omega smile softly at him. He knew it was important for Tony to find that box, to reclaim some part of his childhood. He barely talked about his parents and past, sometimes mentioning his butler Jarvis and Ana, maybe his mom, but never Howard if he could help it. This, seeing little Tony being excited to have partner, bonded one, even as Pietro knew his parents weren’t proper model of family, it made Omega crave to hold that little boy and tell him everything will be okay. He couldn’t so he would just hold adult Tony close and let him put himself together as many times as he needed.
“You know me to well, pup.” Tony said, his voice low, making pleasant shudder run down Pietro’s spine. “That’s quite dangerous…”
“Why, because I know you like to be pampered and that you aren’t all strong and stupidly manly Alpha and that I like taking care of you?” he asked with a grin, making Tony chuckle again.
“Makes it hard for me not to love you even more.”
“… Good. That was the plan.” Pietro grinned even harder, before he tugged at Tony’s hair to make him move up. “Come on, there’s dinner waiting and bath and then we can cuddle in the bed.”
“Only cuddle?” Tony straightened in his chair, eyes twinkling mischievously, making Omega just want even more.
“We will see how you will behave.” Pietro answered, jumped off the desk and walked toward door. “Come on, Alpha, don’t let me wait too long.”
He heard Tony follow with soft growl and grinned to himself, hand moving to touch the collar on his neck, adding just another reason why his choice in the end was good one, no matter what Wanda said.