Chapter 4
Smell was the first sense to return. Steve breathed a delicious scent deep through his nostrils, exhaling with a pant so he could breathe deep again quickly, to get as much of that scent inside him as he could.
It was warm and sweet, and his body shuddered with it. Each gulp made his head dizzy and his stomach excited with butterflies. He had never smelled anything like it; didn’t know what it was but knew that in his lifetime he couldn’t possibly get enough of it.
His skin prickled with the sensation of a warm weight putting pressure on him. His fingers were caressed by softness; they tickled with each rise and fall of his chest. A rush of gentle air came and went against his neck, directly over his Alpha gland.
The next sense to return to him was sound, a constant puff and pause of air, the same air that was breezing his neck like repetitive music.
Steve forced his eyes open, blinking to focus and frowning in confusion when he realised where he was, or where he wasn’t.
No longer in the driver’s seat of his car, he was sat on the back. Bucky no longer beside him but straddling his thighs with his nose tucked under his chin.
Steve’s hand was resting at the back of the brunette’s head, strands of hair shifting between his fingers. He kept the omega wedged to his neck, pumping out soothing pheromones as he did so.
Shit, what had happened, what had he done? He removed the hand keeping Bucky in place, only for the omega to shuffle and force his nose hard into Steve’s neck with a whimper.
Steve clutched him again, earning him a satisfied purr and Bucky’s roaming hands on his side. They were hugging, scenting and hugging, their clothes were ruffled. Bucky smelled content and calm, while was Steve verging on a break down. His mind was at war, wanting to push Bucky away, pull him closer, shake him awake to demand what happened-
‘Don’t do that.’
The thought was sharp in his head, aggressive and painful. He stared dumbly through the windscreen before snapping his head left to right to check for someone, anyone. It was only him and Bucky, and by the looks out the window he realised they were parked in the layby they used before.
‘Let him rest.’
The thought was ordered, a harsh snap in his head. He found himself bobbing his head in agreement. Bucky was asleep, unharmed, he had needed rest and apparently he had found a way to settle the sad omega.
‘I found a way.’
Steve scrunched his face at the intrusion in his mind; it didn’t feel like a thought, but a voice of authority, someone else’s voice inside his head.
“What the fuck?” He muttered, only for an odd bark of laughter to rattle between his ears.
‘I think it’s time I introduce myself...’
Steve swallowed uncomfortably, waiting for more thoughts to sound in his head. Nothing happened at first and he closed his eyes and breathed deeply to calm himself. He had gone crazy, was having a moment...stress...doctors always blamed stress.
Eyes still firmly shut, images started to form and sharpen in his head, ones he wasn’t consciously thinking, then suddenly the image clicked, and he saw him.
It was himself, but not; his smile was twisted to one side, his body puffed up and hair ruffled, then there were the eyes, Steve’s own blue eyes, but narrowed in amusement.
‘Hi,’ the other Steve said in a sing-song voice before waving with a chuckle, ‘strange isn’t it...’
Steve didn’t speak, too stunned to react to the image in his head, the cocky version of himself who rolled his eyes dramatically at the muteness.
‘I’m the Apex Alpha.’
Steve gasped, squeezing his temple as he thought of the notion of Apex Alphas. Dr. Erskine had warned him it was a possibility with the serum. That was one of the reasons they picked him, a weaker Alpha was less likely to have a domineering personality afterwards.
‘He was wrong.’ The Apex Alpha stated with a hiss, ‘I’ve been here the whole time, locked away in a cage, but now I can be free, even if it’s only for a little while.’
“The blackouts...”Steve muttered.
The Apex nodded, cruel smile twisting tighter, ‘the blackouts...’
“You shot Brock?”
The Apex slapped his hand over his mouth, wide eyes bulging from his face, ‘was-was that me?’ he barked with laughter stroking his hand through his hair,‘oh yeah...didn’t die though did he.’
“Why-why would you make me do that?”
The Apex wobbled his head with wide eyes as if Steve had asked the most monumentally stupid question.
Steve’s eyes snapped open, no longer stood in the dead space of his mind with the Apex, he was back in the car with Bucky, the omega purring softly, pressing close to Steve’s chest.
‘That’s why.’ The Apex muttered, ‘I’ve been locked up in here so long, seen bland omegas through your eyes, but never one like him. Both of us want him, and I can make him ours.’
Steve shook his head, whispering quietly under his breath, “we can’t have him, he’s with Brock.”
The Alpha watching from the back of his mind shrugged, ‘so...we get rid of him, simple really...we kill Brock and claim our omega...’
Steve opened his mouth to protest, but the omega squirmed and groaned, coming round from his nap in the car.
The Apex vanished with a swift wave and a cocky smile, and Steve’s thoughts were his own again, no interruption, no confusion from someone else’s emotions.
“Steve?” Bucky blinked up at him, dozy eyes tightening with worry, “Shit I’m sorry.”
“What, why? I’m the one that should be sorry...driving you here.”
Bucky straightened, swinging his leg from Steve’s lap and settling beside him, “no, you were right...I needed rest...I needed to be free of anxiety and concern, if only for a few minutes...thank you.”
Bucky shot him a small smile, cheeks reddening the longer Steve stared at him with no words.
“N-no problem...you ever need this again...just ask...”
Bucky bit his lip, sad eyes settling on Steve’s, “That would be nice, but you know I can’t do that...if anyone saw us, if Brock found out,” he blew a breath through his teeth and shook his head, “it would be bad.”
“I was being there for you, comforting you when you needed it; we didn’t do anything...inappropriate.”
“I shouldn’t have needed any comfort though, I’m Brock’s; he matters not me.”
A growl echoed in Steve’s head, his own vocal cords ached with the need to outwardly express the Apex’s fury. He winced, rubbing at his throat.
“I don’t like this trained omega shit.” He croaked.
Bucky reached for his knee, squeezing gently, “trust me, it’s better than what I had...”
The words didn’t make him feel any better; they made his gut sink to his toes.
“Now-um...I better get back to Brock.”
A snarl echoed in Steve’s head again, though he was prepared this time and schooled his face into a sincere smile.
“Of course, Buck...”
There was another personality in his head, one that could speak to him and push his emotions outwards. The Apex wanted Bucky, and was prepared to do what he needed to get him. Steve had to stop him, had to push his thoughts of murder away and be sure to steer clear of the injured Alpha. Even the mention of Brock’s name had the Apex snarling and snapping furiously.
When Steve thought back to his gaps in time they weren’t hours or days, but minutes. The last jump of time had been twenty or so, the easiest way to keep Brock alive was to stay away, not give the Apex in his head a chance to take control and kill...
The Apex snarled and hissed at Steve’s cunning, but he stuck to his plan, avoided Brock and in so doing, ignored Bucky as well. The Apex sulked, demanded Steve see Bucky to make sure he was alright. He wanted to, it hurt his chest not to, but he didn’t, he couldn’t risk it.
He visited Tony, desperate to speak about the problem with someone, but the other Alpha only closed his eyes and pinched the top of the nose in confusion.
“The Alpha in you...what does that even mean?”
Steve banged dramatically on his forehead, “inside, I know it sounds crazy, but I hear his desires, his thoughts-
“This all started after you saw that omega you liked?”
Steve sighed, “yeah-
“It’s Alpha emotions...they make you feel territorial, I know that’s hard for you to handle, Mr. Serious and in Control, suddenly set adrift in the big bad world, but it’s normal.”
Tony reached for his shoulder to offer a comforting pat but Steve pulled away sharply.
“It’s not normal, something in my head is wrong.”
Tony stood with a sigh, wandering over to one of the many laptops and strolling through files.
“Look, Steve, your brain is fine, the scans were fine...there’s nothing wrong with you.”
“You don’t get it...the voice in my head...it wants me to-to…to...”
Tony waited, wagging his eyebrows, but Steve couldn’t finish, didn’t want to admit how crazy he had gotten.
“To what? What does your great Alpha brain wanna do?”
Steve shook his head at the mocking tone, getting to his feet with a huff.
“Guess it’s something I gotta figure out on my own.” He mumbled.
Tony pinched his chin as he studied Steve, “better yet, claim that omega and you won’t feel so crazy.”
Claim the omega...Steve had to avoid him at all costs. Brock’s life depended on it.....
..........Smell came back first, antiseptic and sickness, followed by sensation, warm air around him, crinkling material between his fingers. Then the sound, the repetitive beep of a heart monitor.
His eyes snapped open, and he took stock of what he was doing. Brock lay in the hospital bed, eyes shut and body still. Steve hovered at the foot of the bed, shoulders hunched forward and grip unforgiving on the cushion in his hands.
A cushion he was squeezing with fury-
‘Damn you.’ The Apex hissed at him, ‘a few minutes longer...’
Steve dropped the cushion and backed away, crashing into the wall behind. He had been about to kill Brock, to suffocate him with a cushion.
He clutched his head in despair, shaking his head left to right as he muttered, “no” over and over. He had been so careful, avoided the hospital, had been at the store hours away, and hadn’t even felt a prickle in his head like the times before.
“No...” he mumbled for the twentieth time.
The Apex bobbed his head patronisingly slow at the back of their mind, ‘yes, Steve, yes...’
“You can’t do this, you can’t kill him.”
The Apex huffed and rolled his eyes, ‘why not?’
“You can’t!” Steve yelled.
The door to the room crashed open, Bucky stood with wide eyes, whipping his head back and forth between Steve and his injured Alpha.
“I’m sorry.” Steve whispered.
The room filled with the scent of guilt and anxiety, bitter and stomach churning. Steve saw Bucky’s throat bob, saw his eyes fill with water at the intensity of emotions he was pumping out.
“’m sorry.” Steve mumbled again, pushing past the stunned omega to get to the corridor.
His scent of distress followed him like a cloud, each person he passed shivered at the ferocity, curling in on themselves before gasping in relief when he got far enough away.
He had to leave, lock himself away, to get voluntarily sectioned-
‘No!’ the Apex roared.
He ignored the angry yell, storming into the elevator and jabbing at the buttons. Yes, he would get himself locked away; ensure he wouldn’t be able to kill Brock.
He squeezed his eyes shut, seeing the Apex vibrating with fury, teeth gleaming and eyes manic. ‘Don’t!’
“You’ve left me no choice.” Steve mumbled.
He heard the elevator doors closing, almost to the point of meeting in the middle, but then they clunked, and reopened.
He forced his eyes open, forced his focus from the irate Apex at the back of his mind and looked to who stood in front.
Bucky, still wide eyed with his jaw hanging in horror. He went to speak, before thinking better of it and waiting for the doors to shut behind them.
“Bucky...this is all my fault, Brock... it was my fault.”
The omega shook his head sadly, “it wasn’t Steve, they told me what happened, and I know you got Brock out of there as quick as you could...”
‘Didn’t want it to seem suspicious did I.’ The Apex hissed, and Steve scrunched his face at his thoughts.
“Is this why you’ve been avoiding the hospital...is this why you haven’t come to see him...or me...?”
The last two words were spoken so softly Steve only just caught them.
“It’s my fault...” he mumbled again.
Bucky shoved his chest hard, growling through his teeth, “stop that righteous shit...I-I’ve really needed you Steve, even if you’re only brooding through the glass, I’ve needed you and you haven’t been there ‘coz you got some guilt complex.”
‘Murder complex.’ The Apex added with a laugh.
“Bucky-I...I...”
Just like with Tony, he didn’t know how to describe it, doubted the omega would be happy when he realised the man who shot his Alpha was standing right there.
The anxiety and guilt grew, festering and thickening until the whole elevator reeked of it.
Bucky took a step back, visibly affected by the sheer amount of negativity flooding him. Steve punched at the buttons, praying the elevator would hurry up before he drowned the omega in confusion and despair.
Bucky composed himself, pushed off from the side and all but fell into Steve’s arms. His fingers laced through the blond strands, forcing Steve’s head down and into his neck.
Omega, the sweet warm scent he had only smelled on Bucky. It was selfish to nuzzle into it, to growl pathetically as he did.
Bucky was offering him respite from his self-loathing, allowing him to suck up his scent to calm down.
Steve indulged, and even the Apex in his head relaxed with the scent, no longer aggressive in his stance but slumping and settled.
‘Yes, our omega’s calming us, what a good omega we have.’
The elevator opened on the basement, but neither of them moved, too caught up in the moment. Steve nosed along Bucky’s neck, up his throat, under his chin. He sucked up the sweet scent on offer before plastering his own on Bucky’s available skin. It wasn’t sexually charged, but comforting, homely with his nose tucked into Bucky’s neck.
He twirled them round, pinning Bucky to the side of the elevator with a rumble. This wasn’t the Apex; this was purely him rubbing his cheek against Bucky’s neck, splaying the omega’s arms to his sides so he could rub his face against each limb, causing the omega to slouch, dizzy with attention. Steve brushed his lips on each of Bucky’s wrists, Bucky gasping and biting his lip hard both times.
Steve moved back to Bucky’s head, forcing the omega’s chin up with his own before leaning down and ghosting his lips on the pale flesh.
The omega whimpered in the most delicate sound Steve had ever heard and he responded with a low rumble that had Bucky shivering.
“S-Steve...we should stop.”
He didn’t want to, god he didn’t want to but he leaned back at the omega’s plea and smiled tightly. His anxiety had faded completely, the guilt lingered as a background hum, and contentment took the dominate place in his emotions.
“Sorry, um...got carried away...”
Bucky shook his head, blotches of red stained his cheeks as he mumbled the words, “wasn’t you that got carried away.”
Steve frowned, eye’s snapping down to where a prominent erection bulged in the omega’s pants.
‘Yes.’ The Apex hissed, ‘he wants us too.’
Steve stared stunned, nostrils twitching to catch the barest hint of aroused omega. His scenting had aroused Bucky, the shudders and the wet gasps from his lips had been from lust.
Bucky bolted from the elevator, an awkward laugh escaping his lips, “sorry...I-I just wanted to comfort you like you comforted me...”
Steve was still too stunned to speak, the Apex Alpha was doing a distracting happy dance in his head, chanting ‘compatible’ over and over.
“Don’t apologise Buck...” He opened his mouth to say more, but nothing came out.
He was saved from saying anything by Natasha strolling into view. Her eyes snapped between them, narrowing in confusion.
“Thought you’d be with Brock...” she mumbled towards Bucky.
The omega visibly shrunk, eyes lingering at Natasha’s feet. Steve glared at her in annoyance and she held her hands up in surrender.
“’s just he woke up...”
Bucky’s eyes snapped up from their submission. He gawped, and Steve asked the questions on his behalf.
“What? When? Is he alright?”
The redhead shrugged, “few minutes, yeah think he’s gonna be fine.”
Bucky flung himself back into the elevator before flicking his head for Steve to get out. He did, watching stunned as the door shut on the wide-eyed omega.
“Steve...why can I smell him on you?”
“We didn’t do anything wrong.” He sniped at her.
“You’re playing a dangerous game.” She said as she strolled away and out of earshot.
‘He wants us too.’ The Apex grumbled, ‘of course he does, look at us. We must make him ours.’
Steve shook his head, “no-no killing Brock, we can’t, I’d rather be locked away-
‘Fine.’ The Apex snapped, ‘I promise I won’t kill that Alpha, there are other ways.’
Steve swallowed uncomfortably, “what ways?”
‘You’ll see...’
Then the Apex’s presence in his mind faded, and Steve was left in the corridor on his own.