Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

”And this room is yours.” Bucky pushed open the door and turned around in a quick spin to catch Steve by the hand, dragging him into the room.

Which was actually more of a suite, if Steve was honest. There was a small front room opening up for them first, with floor-to-ceiling windows of the kind Steve was getting used to seeing around this place by now, even though the view was still mind-blowing. An elegantly curved sofa on front of a TV that seemed to cover most of the wall, a coffee table between the two, and an armchair by the windows. Double doors led into the bedroom beyond, with a wide bed and more of that spectacular Manhattan skyline view. The colours were soft – warm mocha, caramel, and nougat. It almost smelled like the colours, too – sweet and cinnamon. The ensuite bathroom was all polished, yellow stone, sand, and sunshine. Like being on a beach somewhere.

When Steve came almost stumbling back out into the bedroom, overwhelmed and not sure what to say, Bucky was sitting on the foot of the bed, ankles casually crossed, and leaning back on straight arms. Grinning at him so wide Steve could have sworn he saw every single one of his sharp, white teeth.

”I can't afford to stay here”, Steve said. Because there was no way he could. He'd sought Bucky out because he was broke. And his friend figured this was a good place for him to live?

Bucky just waved that away, smoothly standing from the bed and walking over to Steve. He reached out in his usual languid, almost lazy movements, and wrapped his arms around Steve's shoulders, pulling him into a hug. Which solidly planted his face right by Bucky's clavicles. The guy shouldn't be allowed to be so tall. It was ridiculous, really. Even if an argument could probably be made that Steve was the one who was short...

”Don't worry about that, kid”, he said, kissing Steve's blond hair before pulling back with a pleased smile. ”I've got this covered.”

With narrow eyes, Steve stepped back and crossed his arms. ”How, exactly?”

Bucky blinked at him innocently, smiling beatifically, which was always a sign that there was something truly suspicious going on. ”Now, what kind of question is that?”

”Last time I visited, you were still living on Sam's couch. And now you have a place that's an entire floor, so high above Manhattan we might have to duck when the sun passes.” He raised an eyebrow. ”So excuse me if I'm worried.”

”There really is nothing to worry about”, Bucky assured him, dropping the fake innocence and sounding much more genuine. ”I haven't done anything illegal, no-one else is doing anything illegal, it's just fine.”

”But then...” Steve gestured around himself. ”How?!”

With an exasperated noise, Bucky threw his hands up. ”Fine! I should have known you wouldn't just accept a good thing.” Now it was his turn to cross his arms over his chest, looking almost defensive. ”I have a... friend. Who owns this place and lets me stay here. For free.” There was something challenging in his eyes when he said the last part.

Gritting his teeth, Steve shook his head. ”There's no such thing as free, Bucky. You know that.”

All he got for a response was a pointed look under an arched brow.

”Oh my god”, Steve groaned, understanding dawning along with a sense of dread, and dropped his head into his palms. ”You can't be serious!”

”I'm dead serious.”

Steve reaised his head again to stare at him. ”But... no... you... Buck! You were supposed to be an artist! This is... this isn't right!”

Bucky rolled his eyes, reached out to snatch up Steve's skinny wrist and tugged him unceremoniously out of the suite, clear across the floor-wide apartment, to a huge room, bathed in daylight. There were three easels spread out on the floor, shelves full of brushes and colours and any kind of art supplies Steve could imagine. Leaning against the walls all around them were finished artworks in Bucky's signature style, all stark contrasts of light and shadow; bright colours and shining metal against dark winter nights.

Stopping in the middle of the space, Bucky tugged Steve in, clamping his strong hands around Steve's shoulders and placing him with his back against Bucky's front, so he could be sure Steve saw what he saw. He leaned forward and spoke directly into Steve's ear: ”Who says I'm not an artist, punk?”

And that was when Steve gave up and gave in. Because, honestly? He didn't have much choice.

He had left New York after they had both finished their studies in art together, going off in the search of success. And he had failed, miserably. So he had returned, broke and starving, and Bucky had welcomed him with open arms. But not to Brooklyn, where they had both grown up and gotten through their years of school in a tiny flat above a diner that always smelled of grease and garlic, but in a modern, bordering on futuristic, tower in the middle of Manhattan.

(It wasn't very pretty, though, if Steve was honest. At least they had a great view of the Chrysler Building – Steve loved that old skyscraper with its elegant, art deco charm.)

Steve wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that Bucky apparently payed for his home – their home, now – by selling his ass to some unknown alpha. Which was exactly everything Steve had ever hoped to protect his friend from. But he had nowhere else to go, there was nothing he could do to help until he at least got himself a job, so Steve decided that he would try to give it all the benefit of the doubt. At least as long as Bucky was all right with this arrangement – and he seemed to be. He was the same cocky, smart-mouthed guy Steve remembered, full of banter and bravado. But he did know his old friend well enough after all the years they had spent together to be aware that Bucky was also a pretty great actor. He might be miserable about the situation but if he didn't want Steve to know that, he'd go to great lengths to hide it. To protect him.

So Steve kept his eyes open, wondered when he would first meet this ”friend” of Bucky's, and waited.

As it turned out, Steve didn't so much get to meet the ”friend”, as he stumbled over him and Bucky in the worst way imaginable. No, actually, this was far beyond what he could have even imagined.

He'd been out with his portfolio, looking for work, returning late in the afternoon to find the apartment mostly dark, silent, but strangely not feeling empty. Frowning, Steve glanced into the kitchen area, where there were just the demolished remains of what looked like a nice meal abandoned on the kitchen island, an almost empty glass of red wine by one of the dirty plates. As Steve stood blinking at the scene in confusion, he heard voices. The smooth timbre of one he knew as Bucky's, while the other was unfamiliar. It was definitely also male though, deep, with an amused note to it.

The frown on his face turned to a scowl while Steve went sneaking out of the kitchen, closer to the little study off the livingroom. A warm light fell out through the barely open door, and when he placed himself at just the right angle, he got a clear view of the desk inside the room. There was someone sitting in the expensive leather chair, leaning over a laptop, his face eerily blue in the light from the screen. Steve could just make out dark, messy hair, a neat goatee turning to thin, groomed lines of beard running back along the man's jawline. He was dressed in a white shirt, sleeves rolled up halfway to his elbows, collar unbuttoned and his tie loosened around his neck, legs covered in what was likely dark suit pants. One of his hands was loosely curled around a tumbler of amber liquid, probably scotch, placed on the desk beside the computer.

Staring at the stranger, wondering what the hell was going on, Steve suddenly heard Bucky's voice again.

”Tony. Please...” It was a breathy kind of whine, one Steve knew all too well.

Even if he couldn't see Bucky, only hear him, he already knew that Bucky was in heat. He blinked, shocked. It must have hit during the day; Bucky had been just fine the night before, and he hadn't said a word when Steve had told him he would be gone all day today. Although Bucky himself must have known what was coming. Why hadn't he said anything?! If Steve had known, he would have stayed home. Taken care of him.

Did he think Steve wouldn't agree to do that anymore? Or didn't he want Steve to do it?

The thought hurt. It wouldn't have been the first time they were there for each other in this situation after all. Far from it. There had been so few others they could trust, would trust, but they had always had each other, through thick and thin, 'til the end of the line. Two omegas weren't the ideal pair to get through a heat, and it was considered an unnatural perversion to do so, but it was far better than nothing. And far, far better than risking some asshole taking advantage and then blaming his actions on biology. Like he couldn't be bothered to act like a decent human being just because of a change in his hormone levels?

It was all bullshit. Just a crappy excuse to be a bully and get their way.

They hadn't really had any other choice than to look out for, and take care of, each other.

But Bucky hadn't said a thing. Like he wanted to forget that had ever happened. And now he was there, in that room, alone with this stranger. Who didn't even turn his head toward Bucky's voice. He just took his right hand from the keyboard of his computer and let it drop down to hang by his thigh, a heavy, gold watch rattling softly at the movement.

”I'm working, pet. If you need something, you'll have to come over here.” There was that deep, darkly amused voice he'd heard before.

A whimper reached Steve from inside the room, and then a soft, sliding noise. One he figured out moments later came from Bucky moving across the thick, cream-coloured carpet in the study. On his hands and knees. Naked. Crawling, head bowed so his face was hidden behind a curtain of his shoulder-length, brown hair. All the way up to the man in the chair, nuzzling the hanging hand by the look of it. Like a whipped animal, begging for scraps at the table.

”Please, Tony.” The whiny note in Bucky's voice was turning to desperation.

The man gave a sigh, as if he was horribly inconvenienced by the whole thing, and gave Bucky's head a push with the back of the hand he had just seemed to offer. ”Turn around then, slut. If you really can't wait.”

With quick, almost frantic movements Bucky turned on his knees, backed up until his bare ass was where his face had been just seconds before. Even in the dim lights from the lamp on the desk and the glow off the computer screen, Steve could see that Bucky was wet. Definitely in heat, then. He hadn't imagined that part.

Steve should leave. He should. But he was frozen in shock at what he was seeing, and just wasn't capable. The disbelief was like a numbness, locking him in place. Steve couldn't believe he was watching Bucky, the strongest, proudest man he'd ever known, crawling on the floor, begging an alpha for attention.

Because that was an alpha by the desk, Steve was sure of it now. There wasn't more than a hint of his musky scent in the apartment, but it was there. So this had to be Bucky's ”friend”, the owner of their apartment. But why was he acting like this, if that ass was already bought and paid for? If fucking Steve's best friend when he was vulnerable enough to beg was worth the rent on this place, why didn't the guy just do it?

What the hell was going on?!

”Fine”, the man muttered, ”if that's the way you want it.” He barely took his eyes off the screen while he moved his hand, twisting his wrist in an almost elegant, well-practiced movement, and slipped two fingers into Bucky's hole at once. Making the omega whine, long and low and heated. And then he just kept his hand there, unmoving, drawing more noises of desperation out of Bucky. ”No”, the alpha almost snapped, cutting the whines and whimpers off instantly. ”I told you; I'm busy. You need it, you have to take care of it yourself.”

It was clear that Bucky knew perfectly well what this meant. His head dropped between his pale shoulders as he braced his hands on the carpet, arched his back, and made a smooth, fluid movement. Thrusting back, fucking himself on the man's passively offered fingers. And again, and again. It wasn't long before his long back, rippling with muscle, looked slick with sweat; arousal and the heat along with the excertion, as he moved faster, with purpose.

But it seemed it wasn't quite enough. Soon, Bucky was whimpering again. Begging. ”Please, Tony! I can't... I want... Please!”

The man hummed, leaning forward over his laptop, propping his chin in his free hand, elbow on the edge of the desk. Eyes apparently fixed on the numbers on the screen. ”Needy little slut like you, pet?”, he murmured, absently. ”All you want is something to fill you up. That's more than enough. Now finish, I'm getting bored.”

With something that sounded suspiciously like a sob, Bucky dropped to his elbows on the shaggy carpet, dark hair pooling around his forearms. His body moved faster still, writhing against the fingers inside him, arching, canting his hips, until he found an angle that made him sob harder, whining with every exhale, like a starved dog, fucking himself completely shamelessly. While the man casually scrolled through his document, reading.

Steve tried to swallow against the lump in his throat, and failed.

At last, Bucky came. Shuddering and trembling, pressing himself even harder back against the man's fingers. Dropping down until his face and upper chest were resting on the carpet, panting heavily, his back a long curve up to his ass, still propped up on his spread knees.

Chuckling softly, the man pulled his fingers free, carelessly wiped them clean on Bucky's ass-cheek, and then sat back a bit, watching while Bucky struggled up on all fours to glance over his shoulder. Then he patted his hand on his thigh. ”Here, pet.”

Bucky turned again, slower now, as languid and lazy as usual, without the frenzy from before, and rested his head on the man's lap. The hand he'd just fucked himself on so desperately, came up to comb through his hair.

”Good boy”, the man said, even the praise full of that dark amusement. ”Now stay quiet while I finish up here.”

Steve watched as Bucky's shoulders moved in a slow, deep sigh, his hair sliding along his neck and shoulders as he snuggled his face against the man's thigh. And then just stayed there, obediently, waiting.

Still shocked, Steve at last managed to breathe, for what felt like the first time since he'd seen Bucky crawling naked across the floor. He turned on his heel, and quickly and quietly slipped away, hiding in his room.

He didn't sleep at all that night.

Which was why he was in the kitchen before dawn the next morning, loading the dirty dishes left on the island into the dishwasher with short, angry motions, when he heard unfamiliar steps entering the room and spun around to stare at the man he'd seen with Bucky the night before. Tony, according to Bucky's breathy whimpers.

The slightly spicy musk of alpha was stronger now, probably because the guy had taken a hot shower, his thick, dark hair still damp from it. He pulled to a halt at the sight of Steve, and then smiled. It was wide and faintly plastic, not entirely reaching his huge, brown eyes.

”I'm guessing you're Steve”, he said, the voice deep and pleasant and familiar, now free from that amused edge, stepping closer and reaching out a hand. This close, the crow's feet by his eyes in the hints of silver by his temples and in his beard were obvious. He was older than Steve had realized, easily in his forties. Which meant he had a couple of decades on Bucky, on top of everything else.

Steve didn't accept the handshake, just kept staring at the man in silence until he dropped his hand to his side, frowning.

”Oookay?” The alpha cleared his throat, shifting a little on the spot, clearly confused and a bit uncomfortable. ”Something the matter?”

”I don't like bullies”, Steve told him, matter-of-factly.

The man blinked, and said nothing.

The lack of a response made Steve bristle. ”You provide his food and shelter”, he snapped, suddenly furious and unable to swallow it down. ”He has nowhere else to go, and that's still not enough for you? You need to treat him like shit on top of that? What the hell is wrong with you?” He took a step closer, and had the satisfaction of seeing Tony, a few inches taller and probably close to twice Steve's weight, actually lean away and then shuffle one step back. ”What? You think because your hormonal makeup is different than ours you have a right to do whatever you want?”

Another tense silence followed but then, to Steve's surprise, Tony actually relaxed. His back straightened, chin lifting, before he gave Steve a curt nod.

”I see. Well then.” He raised his right hand, shoved his shirtsleeve up with a couple of fingers of his left, and eyed the heavy, golden watch Steve had glimpsed last night. Then he leveled Steve with a calm look. ”I have a meeting in fifteen minutes and a PA who will personally skin me alive if I'm late. Again. It'll be done in about four hours, and after that I'm coming back here, because Bucky needs me back.”

”He does not”, Steve all but snarled. ”He's got me now.” Which implied something he shouldn't be talking openly about, but he was too pissed off to care.

”That so?” Tony raised one of his thick but neat and straight eyebrows, looking supremely unimpressed. ”Well, until he's the one to tell me different, I'll still plan to get back here after the meeting, like he expects me to.” He turned smartly on his heel and walked to the door out of the apartment, stopping with his fingers on the doorhandle and glancing at Steve over his shoulder. ”I'd suggest you have a talk with him before that. Sounds like you need it.”

And then he was gone.

Steve glared at the door for a minute before he turned, left the kitchen, and went to the door to Bucky's suite instead. He placed a soft knock on the wood, heard a muffled call from the other side, and opened it. The double doors to the bedroom were open when he slipped inside the front room, and he could see Bucky's long, bare legs stretched out on the rumpled covers. Swallowing, scared of what he was about to find, Steve made himself walk closer, stopping in the doorway.

Bucky was sprawled out on his front so he covered about half of the almost obnoxiously wide bed, and he was naked except for a pair of gray boxer briefs. On the curve of his left shoulder, in the curve of muscle right above the flat side of his bicep, Steve could make out the oval shape of a bite mark. It was such a livid red it must have very nearly broken the skin. His brown hair was a damp tangle of half-curls, so he had clearly showered as well. Steve had almost expected his friend to be crying into his pillow, wrecked and broken, but Bucky just snuggled his faintly stubbled cheek into the pillowcase and aimed a smile at him that was all blissed-out sweetness, looking ready to melt into the mattress.

”Steve”, he murmured, dopey and heavy-lidded, ”what are you doing up?” But it wasn't an annoyed question, only curious.

”Couldn't sleep”, he admitted as he folded his arms across his chest, leaning his shoulder on the door jamb.

Bucky half-turned on his side, and held his closest arm up in invitation. ”C'mere.”

Steve hesitated, but a part of him very much wanted to get over there to make sure Bucky was all right, to comfort him. Find out what Tony had done to him, make it all better. And after their years living together he hadn't forgotten what a hopeless, unapologetic cuddler Bucky became when he was in heat. So he pushed aways from the jamb, walked into the room, and shuffled over the wide bed until he was on his back beside Bucky. Who immediately draped his arm and a leg over Steve, tugging him closer as he settled his head of damp hair on Steve's shoulder, nosing at his neck.

”What kept you up?”

Chewing on his bottom lip, until it felt sore between his teeth, Steve considered what to say. He settled his own hand around Bucky's elbow where it was resting on his chest, and leaned his cheekbone against the crown of his head

”You know I'm here for you, right?”, he said, voice wobbling a bit. ”Anything that happens, you can tell me about it. I'll always help you out.”

Bucky hummed an affirmative and nodded against him, relaxed and heavy.

At once Steve became aware how strong the scent of alpha was in here, rubbed into the linens of the bed under them. He swallowed, hard, feeling the movement in his throat turn to a sob he tried to choke down, but failed. Miserably.

Instantly, Bucky's head left his shoulder and a concerned frown was pinching his face as he looked down at Steve.

”I'm sorry!”, Steve forced out, before Bucky could say anything. ”I shouldn't have left you all alone like this. You shouldn't have had to end up in this situation, with that... asshole taking advantage of you!” He was trembling with frustrated range now. ”We'll fix it, Bucky. Promise. We'll find a place to live again, just you and me, and I'll get you away from him.”

Seeming stunned, Bucky just blinked at him. Then he slowly pushed himself up sitting, so he could stare down at Steve on the bed. ”What?”

Steve hurried to sit up too, reaching out to grab Bucky's limp hand. ”I saw you with him last night, Buck”, he said, carefully, gently. ”I saw what he did to you. How he treated you. And I promise, he'll never lay a hand on you again. You don't need him, okay?” He rubbed his thumb into the back of Bucky's hand, soothing.

His friend's lips parted when his jaw dropped a little. ”Oh”, he managed.

Words speeding up, Steve leaned closer. ”He said he'd be back in four hours. That's plenty of time to get out of here. We'll find somewhere to go, I'll take care of you and we'll be safe, we'll just -”

To his surprise, Bucky cut him off with an abrupt headshake, squeezing his hand. ”Steve, you need to calm down.”

”But you -”

”No, listen to me, kid.” Tugging him closer by the hand, Bucky settled his other palm along the side of Steve's face, touch warm and firm. ”You don't have to do anything at all. I'm fine.”

Making a frustrated noise, Steve shook his head against that soft hand. ”You could be bleeding out in a ditch and still claim to be fine, Bucky. I know you. But you don't have to pretend with me. I saw...” His words trailed off, lips pressing together in a twisted, tense line.

”I know what you saw.” Bucky brushed the pad of his thumb over his cheek. ”I know what it must have looked like to you, and I understand why you're worried. But trust me, it's fine. More than fine. It's exactly what I asked for. What I wanted.”

Steve bristled, shaking the caressing fingers off his face. ”You're in heat, for fuck's sake! What he made you ask for means nothing!”

He knew very well that a heat didn't turn an omega into a helpless victim, not by a long shot. But he also knew the way it weakened your resolve, impaired your judgement, made you impressionable, easy to persuade. Just like being mildly intoxicated. Everything sounded like a wonderful idea, right there and then. And the way you had trouble focusing on any one thing for long made it hard to think things through properly.

Bucky gave him a smile, one that was slightly exasperated, but kind, too. ”We made this deal a long time ago, Steve. When we were both level and of sound mind. I'm not stupid.”

Now Steve blinked, confused. ”Deal?” Of course he'd known there was a deal, had known that Bucky let Tony into his bed in exchange for this spectacular apartment, but this was so far beyond what he had thought that meant. He'd had no idea Bucky had sold himself and the control of his entire life to this alpha, who was a power-hungry asshole of one at that, one who thought he had the right to own Bucky like that. Like he was an animal, a pet, a thing, something to humiliate and use.

He had disliked the idea from the start, but he had been prepared to accept – or at least live with it – if Bucky was okay with it. But how could he be okay with an alpha taking advantage like that?

They had spent their whole lives fighting to be free of that kind of influence, to stand on their own, to get by without any alpha having to sweep in and ”save” them. There was no way Bucky could really want this.

Was there?

Bucky sighed, rubbed his palms over his own face, and then seemed to square his shoulders as his gray eyes settled on Steve again. They were clear, calmer than Steve was used to seeing them just one day into a heat.

”I met Tony a couple of months after you left”, he started, and Steve suppressed a wince. He'd barely had time to turn his back before the bastard had come sweeping in.

”It was just a chance thing, us running into each other at an art gallery. But we got to talking, and I liked him. I really did.” Bucky's lips curled in an inward-looking smile at the memory. ”I didn't even realize he was an alpha until we came back to his place. Well, this place really; he lives in the penthouse. Anyway. Then the scent was clear enough that I picked up on it when we were alone. But I was weeks away from a heat, so it didn't feel like it mattered. We just had a good time.” He shrugged his bite-marked left shoulder. ”We kept seeing each other now and then. And then I was about to end up on the street when I couldn't make rent and Sam would have lost his apartment if he couldn't find a roommate who actually payed him, so I couldn't be mad at him for kicking me out. Somehow, Tony got wind of it, so he offered me this place.”

Steve's gut felt icy. ”In exchange for sleeping with him?”

To his surprise, Bucky shook his head. ”Nah. That's more of a perk. He's just...” With a little huff of amusement Bucky raked a hand back through his damp, tangled hair, smiling to the side, lost in throught for a few moments. ”He's rich, Stevie.” Bucky arched a brow as he looked back. ”Insanely, over the top, filthy fucking rich. You have no idea. The rent he'd make for this place is less than pocket money to him. It means nothing. He cared more about making sure I had a place to stay, than the money. So he moved me in. Just like that.”

Frowning, Steve let his long, thin fingers twist themselves up into an agitated tangle in his lap while he listened. ”Why let him use you, then?”

”He's not, kid.” Bucky settled a heavy, grounding hand over both of his, giving him a serious look. ”That's what I'm tryin' to tell you. We fucked every now and then, and he gave me a place to stay when I was in the shit. One really wasn't connected to the other, more than that he cared about me. I could have told him to never touch me again and he wouldn't have kicked me out. Still wouldn't. He's not that kind of guy.”

”Then why make me think so, when I first came here?”

That made his friend chuckle. ”Just my stupid idea of a joke.” He pulled a face. ”I mean, it's sort of true? If you don't consider the fact that Tony's a nice guy? And I had meant all along to introduce you two and explain things, in a better way, but never got around to it. Didn't mean for you to walk in on us like that, okay?”

Not really convinced, Steve slowly nodded anyway. More to make Bucky continue than anything else.

”And at first, I didn't let him close to me when I was in heat”, Bucky carried on with his story. ”I didn't trust him. I was sure he'd go crazy, not back off if I asked him to, that he'd lose control. Beat me down, tear me up, and then blame the hormones.” He scoffed, knowing he didn't have to explain in greater detail to Steve; they had both come across that brand of jackass alpha, far too often. ”So I locked him out when I felt it coming on. And he told me he understood, that it was fine, that I could just call him if I needed anything. If I needed anything”, Bucky repeated, sounding incredulous at the mere memory of that exchange, slowly shaking his head. ”I thought he was manipulating me. Just looking for a chance to get to me.”

Swallowing, Steve hooked a finger around Bucky's thumb, still resting over his hands. ”What changed your mind?” Because something must have.

”The fact that he made things better, without even being there.” Bucky smiled at his bewildered frown. ”By then his scent was already all over this place, and even though I just had my toys to get me through it, I was still... all right. Satisfied. It sort of blew my mind. I had always thought it was a myth, how an alpha could help an omega feel better during a heat. Just one of those romantic lies to make us think we need them to be happy, you know?”

Steve nodded. He did know. To trust the movies and magazines, you'd think an omega could barely function without an alpha holding them up, holding them together.

Bucky nodded back, then continued. ”My next heat hit in the middle of the night, a couple of days early. Tony was sleeping here when it happened. He woke up, smelled it on me, and you can't guess what he did?” His face split into a wide grin. ”He left. He knew I'd asked him to stay away the last time, so he got out of bed, without even waking me up, and left. In the morning I found the t-shirt he'd been sleeping in folded on his pillow. Because he knew the fresh scent would help me.”

That left Steve slack-jawed and speechless. He couldn't even imagine that happening. In his experience an alpha was always prepared to take advantage of any situation, if there was something in it for them to gain.

”So I threw myself on my phone and called him, asking him to come back”, Bucky continued, and then laughed. ”And that bastard said no! That he'd be happy to discuss things before my next heat, but no way was he coming close to me based on a decision I made right then.”

”What did you do?”

”I hung up on him”, Bucky said, smirking. ”Then I called him again, begging him to come back. Maybe I was testing him, in some subconscious way? I'm not really sure. I was whimpering and crying and letting him know how wet I was, just for him, and he told me to quit whining in his ear and go take care of myself, like a good boy. Then he talked me through it, over the phone, and I realized it helped more than just the scent on his shirt. Him telling me what to do, how to do it, how fast... Ordering me, really. I mean I could hang up and make it all stop, whenever I wanted. But I never did, 'cause I didn't want to.”

Steve could see where it was all heading by now, of course, but he still couldn't understand. Not really.

”So that's what the deal really is? He helps you through your heats? And you crawl for him in return?”

”No, punk.” Bucky shifted around on the bed until they were side by side, tucking Steve in under his heavy arm in a half-hug, tipping head head down to speak warm words into Steve's hair. ”I don't crawl for him. I do it for me. It's what I want. It makes me feel better.”

Wrapping his arms around Bucky's waist, Steve pressed even closer. ”Then what does he get out of this?”

”He gets to watch me, silly”, Bucky replied in a husky murmur, making Steve shiver. Just a little.

”So, you don't...? He doesn't...?”

”Fuck me through it?”

Steve hummed, feeling his gut churn again.

”'Course he does. But we both enjoy those other things too. And not just when I'm in heat. So I get to live here, for free, and he gets to spoil me. He gets a pet, and I get to crawl.” He kissed the top of Steve's head. ”We're both real happy with the arrangement.”

After a moment of thoughtful silence, Steve shook his head against Bucky's bare chest. ”I don't understand.”

”You don't have to”, Bucky assured him. ”Just trust me, okay?”

And Steve decided that he could do that, at least.

When Tony returned after his meeting, Steve was surprised that the man wasn't more condescending and obnoxious about Steve's apparently flawed assumptions about the situation. Instead of grinning and taunting him, Tony just gave him a smile that looked a bit... relieved? And then went to the bedroom suite where Bucky could now be heard whining his name.

The omega in heat had become increasingly restless over the past fortyfive mintues or so, but he had politely refused Steve's offers to help.

”You're real sweet, and I'm grateful”, Bucky had muttered while Steve wiped the sheen of sweat off his forehead with a cool, damp cloth, making him hum with pleasure. ”But Tony will be back soon, and he'll make sure I get to sleep through the night, after. It's just better that way.”

Steve had nodded and given him an attempt at a smile and stayed right there, cooling his face and playing with his hair, until Tony came back. Then he went to his own rooms and carefully closed both sets of doors before curling up in his own bed, so he wouldn't have to hear anything from Bucky's room.

As he pulled his duvet up to his ear, he didn't really want to acknowledge that he was jealous, but part of him still knew it was true. He had apparently lost his usefulness now. After years of being there for Bucky, and Bucky being there for him, all that seemed to be over. And the worst part was that he had always known it would happen, eventually. He'd just preferred not to think about that.

Steve had loved Bucky for as long as he could remember. More or less like a brother while they were growing up, as a friend, and then later as something else, too. Something there was no word for, but something real anyway. Living together, sharing a bed more often than not, helping each other through heats on a regular basis... There was really no way for them not to feel deeply, intimately, about each other. Not the way actual lovers would, of course. As omegas they weren't campatible that way, and even if their chosen way of giving each other relief hadn't been considered a crime against nature, been something they had to be careful to hide, they couldn't have been mates.

After all, what Bucky had told him about the effects of Tony's presence was true. An omega eventually needed to be settled by an alpha. An alpha could give things another omega just simply wasn't capable of. There was no way around it, even if they hadn't wanted to think about it. Even if they loved each other – and Steve knew for a fact that Bucky loved him, too – they just couldn't be each other's everything. This had been coming for years.

Bucky had always been destined to find an alpha, move on with them, and leave the things he and Steve had shared behind, now nothing but a dirty secret.

Still hurt, though, now that it was a fact, and loneliness turned his heart to a heavy, aching knot behind his ribs.

About two weeks later, at three in the morning, Steve was back outside Bucky's bedroom door. Shifting his weight from foot to foot, fists clenched, gnawing on his lip. Until he at last made himself raise a hand and knock.

”Yeah?”, came Bucky's sleep-gravelly reply after a moment.

”It's me. Can I come in?”

”Sure.”

When he slunk inside, Bucky had turned on the bedside lamp and was sitting in the middle of the bed, rubbing a fist against one eye, blinking at Steve, adorably rumpled and bleary-eyed. Then his heavy-lidded gaze settled on Steve, took in his tense posture, and that was enough for him to know what was wrong, even before his nostrils flared and he caught the scent.

”It just started?”

”Not really”, Steve admitted, glancing away while he absently wiped his clammy palms on the pajama pants that were all he was wearing. ”I tried to handle it but... I don't have any... you know. Things? And I thought maybe you'd... help?” He looked back at Bucky, and tried a crooked little smile. ”For old time's sake?” Then insecurity hit. ”Or I could borrow your things, if you don't...”

”No, of course I'll help”, Bucky said, voice turning softer now that he was more properly awake, and pulled the duvet aside as an invitation. ”Come here, baby, and we'll get you taken care of.”

”Couldn't we just...?” Steve nodded his head sharply backwards, indicating the way back to his own rooms. He knew that Tony had been on the West Coast for a few days, working, or he would never have dared seek Bucky out at this hour. But crawling into the bed that still smelled of him? Oh god no. Not appealing, at all.”I'd be more comfortable like that, I think.”

For a while, Bucky watched him, serious and thoughtful. ”We could, but it would be better like this”, he said at last. ”There's still alpha scent all over my bed, and it would be good for you, Steve. Really good.”

”Bucky...” He heard how whiny he'd gotten, already.

”I know you don't like the idea, kid, but it doesn't mean you're weak”, Bucky soothed, hitting the nail on the head, of course. ”It's just what your body wants. It doesn't mean you need an alpha to play the hero.” He shoved the duvet aside and slipped to the edge of the bed, reaching a hand out. ”He's not here, baby. It's just me. And some pheromones. Give it a try, and if you don't feel better? We'll go to your room. Promise. Just... try?”

Steve still hesitated, but not very long. Everything in him was urging him toward that bed, and the scent actually wasn't helping him stay away. Mostly he felt empty and needy and skin-starved and he desperately wanted Bucky close. Even if that meant being on a bed smelling of Tony. So in the end he left the doorway, hurried to the bed, and let Bucky pull and manhandle him onto it until Steve was stretched out on his front on top of Bucky, their legs tangled and Bucky's hair like a dark halo on the pillow.

”There we are”, Bucky murmured, running his warm, wide palms down Steve's narrow back, feeling the ridges of his prominent ribs. Then they passed his slim waist, before dipping into the back of his pants, briefly cupping his ass-cheeks before a couple of his fingertips dipped into the already soaked crevice between them. The sensation made him hum in sympathy. ”Oh, Stevie... You shouldn't have waited so long.”

By this point, Steve was beyond words. He just gave a whine in the back of his throat, his burning hot face hidden by Bucky's throat, as he rutted into the hollow of Bucky's hip. The friction to his cock alone couldn't get him off now, he needed to be filled, but he was too desperate not to seek any kind of relief.

Then one of Bucky's fingers pressed into him. Steve tossed his head back, gasped in a lungful of alpha pheromones, and came, pretty much instantly. Already worked up from his attempts to get himself off before he'd come here.

It wasn't enough, though, and Bucky noticed. Steve never even got soft, just kept rubbing himself against Bucky, mewling into his now damp shoulder, listening to his soft, murmured praise and endearments. While that long finger pushed in deeper, setting a steady rhythm, before Bucky worked in a second one.

Groaning, Steve fisted his hands in Bucky's hair, fucking himself back on those helpful fingers.

And suddenly, out of nowhere, the memory of Bucky fucking himself on Tony's fingers, right there on the carpet of the study floor, came back to him. Somehow, it didn't seem as bad in his memory now as it had then, when he had been level and sober. With a moan, Steve stretched his neck, to get a whiff off the pillow under Bucky's head. Spicy alpha musk hit him like a slap when he got his nose into the cloth, made him tense up and clench around Bucky's fingers with a whimper.

Bucky's other hand came sliding up his back again, fingers cupping the back of his head, holding him close, tenderly. ”That's it, baby, such a good boy, so good, just let go now, easy, just like that...”

Steve came again. Harder, deeper, feeling for a few pulsating moments like his entire body was one, spasming muscle. Helplessly lost in Bucky's comforting embrace. He even blacked out for a little bit, probably, because the next thing he knew he was spread out on his front on the sheets, naked now, and there was a warm washcloth wiping his ass clean. Or as clean as it could get when he was in this state. Steve sighed, content for the moment, and let Bucky roll him over on his back to pull a pair of boxer briefs on him, his front apparently already cleaned before he'd returned to reality. The underwear were too big and very obviously Bucky's, striped bright red and dark gray. But they were warm and dry and felt good.

Done with that, Bucky crawled back into bed, slightly propped up on a pile of pillows against the headboard, feet on the mattress and knees pointed to the ceiling, and settled Steve to curl around his side, head on his chest. For a while he just hummed a soft little tune, combing his fingers through Steve's hair, and it felt good. So good. Steve thought he was going to start purring and then promptly melt into a puddle any second.

”How are you feeling, babe?” Bucky ran light fingertips up and down Steve's ribs and spine, just enough pressure in the touch not to tickle.

Steve considered the question, probing his own state of mind and body, surprised with what he found. ”I feel... calm. Settled. Like I'm halfway through the heat and properly fucked out, instead of a couple of hours in after a fingering.” He gave a tired but amused huff into Bucky's pectoral. ”Even if it was a really good fingering.”

”Well, yeah, I've always been good with my hands”, Bucky murmured, smug smirk audible in his tone. ”And you see? I knew the scent would do you good.”

Grumbling something unintelligible, unwilling to admit it and agree even though he knew Bucky had been right, Steve closed his eyes and snuggled closer. Drifting off to sleep almost at once.

He slipped back into reality perhaps a couple of hours or so later to Bucky speaking softly above him, the faint tone of Tony's voice in the far distance making Steve realize Bucky was on the phone.

”No, we're fine. Nothing we haven't gotten through before.” A brief pause followed, and in those seconds of silenve Steve's life more or lass passed before his eyes. The words were vague, ambiguous, yeah, but was there really any way Tony wouldn't jump the right, and absolute worst, conclusion?

Bucky seemed unbothered, though, and there obviously was no follow-up question on that worrying subject, judging by his next answer.

”He wouldn't be comfortable with you here, anyway. Your scent is doing him good, though.” A soft little chuckle. ”Mmm, of course I like it.” Another beat of silence. ”Don't worry, darlin'. I'll call you when you can come back. And take care of yourself, now. I know how you get without me around.”

The tone of the voice on the other end of the line sounded almost as whiny as the omegas when they were in heat.

Bucky chuckled again, the movements of his chest shifting Steve slightly. ”You're a big boy, Tony. I'm sure you can manage. I'll see you in a few days.”

Once the conversation had ended, Bucky's hand came back to stroke slow, warm circles over Steve's back, and he found himself drifting back off to sleep surprisingly easy. He still felt physically calm and sated enough, even though he knew it probably wouldn't last much longer, and most of all he felt safe. Bucky had told Tony to stay away, and by some miracle it seemed that Tony was listening. Even if he didn't, Steve felt sure that Bucky would protect him from the alpha. He could relax, now, and rest. While there was still time.

And just as he'd known he would, Steve woke up the next time with a tingling itch inside, feeling raw and empty again, whimpering and pawing at Bucky for attention before he was even fully awake. Then he pressed his face into the sheet, panting in the heavy scent in the fabric, fisting his hands in it by his ears, while Bucky tugged his borrowed underwear off and helped him through another release. Leaving him limp and satisfied, which just one climax usually wasn't nearly enough to achieve this early in the heat.

”This is good”, Bucky said, petting his back while he came down from the high. ”Isn't it?”

Steve grumbled and snorted into the sheet, but didn't pull his face out of the rumpled folds of it.

”Stubborn punk.”

”Jerk”, Steve muttered, muffled by the mattress.

His friend just chuckled. Then he shuffled off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

At first Steve thought he was just off to get another washcloth, but then it was a long time before he came back. So when the door to the ensuite finally was opened again, he pushed himself up on his elbows to see what was up. But there was nothing to see, other than Bucky coming over to the bed. Where he slipped his hands and forearms in under Steve, rolled him into his arms, and lifted him off the bed bridal style.

”Hey!” Steve huffed and pouted, but also wrapped his arms around Bucky's neck and shoulders, holding on for dear life.

Unperturbed, Bucky hauled him into the bathroom, and settled him in the tub. Which was filled with deliciously warm water, covered in bubbles smelling of peppermint and chocolate. With an almost indecent moan, Steve let himself sink down until his mouth was barely above the bubbly surface.

Even when there was help and protection around, a heat was still a stressful few days, and Steve tended to become very tense, the muscles of his thighs, ass and lower back pretty much never fully relaxed. Which left him worn and sore, and Bucky obviously remembered that.

Warm baths had been a luxury they couldn't afford back then, though.

”Yeah, okay”, Steve drawled, barely having the focus to shape the words, ”this is good.”

He closed his eyes, felt his tense muscles uncoil and the ache in his lower back starting to ease up, but still heard Bucky moving around and then sit down on the wide, tiled edge of the tub, leaning against the wall behind Steve's head. For a long time he just sat there in silence, playing with Steve's blond, wispy hair while the humid, steamy air in the room turned it damp. When he did speak up, it was slow and thoughtful, serious.

”It goes both ways, you know?”

Steve let one eye slide open and looked up at his face. Strong jaw covered in morning stubble, full lips pursed in thought, steel-gray eyes lost somewhere in the middle distance.

”What does?”, he murmured, hearing his breath pop a layer of bubbles in front of his mouth.

”How we feel better with him around”, Bucky said, blinking out of his stare before aiming a smile at him. ”I know you won't admit it, because you don't like it, and trust me, I get that. But we just do. No alpha made me feel like that before, because I was never around them for long, and they all pretty much treated us like crap.” He shrugged a shoulder. ”But Tony is around all the time, and keeps us safe. So, it works.”

With a groan Steve let himself sink even lower into the water, until just his nose was above the bubbles.

”I know you don't trust him yet”, Bucky said, lifting a leg off the floor to settle it along the rim of the tub, wiggling his long, weirdly elegant toes. ”But your body knows this is home, so it doesn't care.” He started combing his fingers through Steve's hair again, after the motions had gone still for a while. ”Point is, though, that it works the same way for Tony. He has us here, living under his roof and eating his food and smelling of happy omega, and it settles him.”

Frowning, Steve poked his head out of the foam long enough to mutter: ”That's goddamn primitive, Buck.”

”'Course it is”, Bucky agreed easily. ”We are pretty goddamn primitive. All of us. I mean we basically haven't evolved much in the last... what? Thirty thousand years or something? As far as your body's concerned, we might as well be living in some cave, gnawing on mammoth bones for dinner. All it knows, is that you're warm, fed, safe, getting off when you need it, and that's it. It's happy. So you're happy, too.”

Still frowning, Steve glared at the iridescent bubbles floating over his chest, refusing to look at Bucky. He got that his friend was speaking for himself more than he was speaking for Steve, saying that this made him happy, but he knew that at the heart of it, it still applied to them both.

He heard a sigh, and a thump when Bucky slipped off the tiled ledge and landed on his knees on the floor, chin pillowed on his folded arms on the rim right next to Steve. Who couldn't keep from looking at his friend, and was rewarded with a warm smile.

”At the end of the day, it's all good, right?” Bucky reached out and ruffled his fingers through his hair again. ”No-one's getting taken advantage of, no-one's getting hurt, so why not just be happy? Just go with it?”

Steve's eyes dropped again, as he was biting his lip in thought.

The other omega was silent for a moment, and when he spoke next, his voice was tinted with sadness. ”Haven't we earned a break?”

Something painful twisted in his chest at that, and Steve screwed his eyes shut tight against the burn behind his eyelids. When that wasn't enough he sucked in a breath, and let himself slip down below the surface completely. Hiding. He didn't want to think about that. Not right now.

Tony came back to New York on the first day after Steve's heat was over.

Steve would very much have preferred it if he'd stayed away longer, until he felt completely like himself, and the scent of omega in heat had at least somewhat been aired out of the apartment. But this was Tony's house, after all, and he'd been kind enough to stay away this long even when he really didn't have to, so Steve didn't feel like he had any right to ask for more. He'd just stay away from the alpha until the pheromones in their home had dissipated. Well, stay away from him more than usual. Steve had made a habit of not spending too much time in the same room as Tony from the start.

Secretly, he was certain there was something Tony expected from him in return for staying away during his heat. Or maybe he was just trying to lull him into an illusion of safety?

Because Bucky was right – Steve didn't trust Tony. Not yet, and very possibly not ever.

Frankly, Steve never trusted anyone. Not fully. Except Bucky, of course. No-one else had ever given him a good reason to trust them, but loads of good, solid reasons not to. The world had taught Steve that he could never risk letting anyone close – least of all an alpha – because nothing good would ever come of it. And he was too small and frail to protect himself. Even though he'd always tried his damndest. Oh, had he ever.

So he'd become suspicious, wary, relying on the physical protection Bucky could offer. While he had taken it upon himself to protect the much more easy-going, trusting and open-minded Bucky from his own sometimes poor judgement.

Then he had turned his back for a year and bam! – Tony.

It was frustrating him to no end; if Steve had been there, this would never have happened in the first place. And he'd still have had Bucky...

When Steve walked into the kitchen one morning about two weeks after his heat ended, dressed but still rubbing sleep from his eyes, he found Tony sitting at the kitchen island, one hand curled around a cup of what had to be fresh coffee, given the scent in the room (the sharpness mingling nicely with the thicker spice of Tony's own scent, but Steve didn't want to notice that). His other hand was busy tapping at a tablet in front of him, but as soon as he heard Steve come into the room, it stilled and he raised his head to fix attentive, brown eyes on him, a small, careful smile on his plush lips, framed by the always so neat goatee.

”Morning”, he greeted.

Steve nodded, and mumbled a ”mornin'” in return as he went to pour himself some of the coffee still in the pot, picking an apple out of the fruit bowl and quickly cutting it into eighths onto a little plate. He hesitated about where to sit, but then decided that until Tony actually showed his true colours and kicked him out, this was Steve's home. So he had every right to sit at the island, too. Teeth clenched, not looking up, he placed the cup and plate on the high counter and climbed into a barstool across from where Tony was sitting. He ate a crunchy slice of apple, swallowed it down with a sip of coffee, and then dared a stealthy glance up at Tony through his lowered lashes.

The alpha was watching him, hand resting on the glowing surface of the tablet but still unmoving. He wasn't smiling anymore, but he didn't look angry or hostile. There didn't seem to be anything heavy or lustfully demanding there either. Just a thoughtful expression that tugged his eyebrows gently together, bottom lip twisted slightly to the side.

He didn't say anything.

After eating half the apple, Steve cleared his throat and looked up properly, breaking the silence at last. ”Where's Buck?”

”Shopping.”

”Oh...” Steve hadn't meant to sound so dejected at finding out that Bucky wasn't at home, but it just slipped out.

Tony gave that gentle smile again. ”I actually asked if he shouldn't wait for you, but he wanted to avoid the worst of the crowds. And also he said you were busy today?” The inquisitive inflection was soft, barely there, making it curious instead of an outright demand that he explain to Tony what he had planned for the day.

”Yeah, I... uh.” Steve swallowed, and decided that it might be wise to tell him anyway. Not like it was a secret. ”There's this exhibit in Central Park today. Sculptures. Not my medium, but I really like that artist's style, so I thought I'd go have a look.”

”I see.”

Tony bit his lip, eyes narrowing a little, and Steve felt his stomach drop. Was Tony about to tell him he couldn't go? Was he going to forbid him from leaving the Tower? He could do that, if he wanted. He could order Steve to do just about anything – or threaten to kick his ass to the literal curb if he didn't do as told.

”You want me to drive you over there?”

For a moment Steve didn't understand what he'd heard; it was so different from what he'd expected. ”Huh?”

Tony arched a brow, looking faintly amused. ”Want a ride?”

”Oh, no!” He made himself take a calming breath and soften his tone to something more polite. ”I mean... Thanks? But I'm fine. It's just like half an hour's walk, and it's a nice day, so I don't mind.”

”Walk”, Tony repeated under his breath, lips curling like it was a dirty word. ”All right.” He squared his shoulders. ”How about company, then? On your... walk?”

Now Steve was the one with the narrow eyes, suddely feeling suspicious. ”Why?”

”You know, for... culture?” Tony seemed unconvinced by his own argument. But he still pressed on. ”Jamie is always telling me I need to know more about art, so I might as well try. Right? And if you're there I don't have to go alone and have no idea what I'm doing and accidentally sit on a sculpture or... something.” He cleared his throat. ”Not that that's happened to me before, or anything! I mean, not more than once. Maybe.” Rubbing a hand over the blushing back of his neck, Tony glanced away.

Stunned by the dispaly of unexpected awkwardness, and the unfamiliarity at hearing Bucky be called Jamie, Steve could just blink. Then he thought of something. ”Wait... Didn't you two meet at an art gallery?” He was sure Bucky had said something about that.

”Well, yeah.” The alpha shrugged. ”Pepper dragged me there because she wanted to get something for my art collection. Which is more her art collection, to be honest. She spends my money on it, but it's really her baby.”

Well, that explained that, then.

Even though Steve still wanted to refuse, he didn't dare. Better be polite and obedient in the things he could live with, to keep Tony happy with him, so he'd let Steve stay. And besides, they would be in public. Since Tony hadn't actually tried anything with him here, in his own house, Steve felt sure spending time with the man out in the open couldn't be a bigger risk to his safety.

It'd be fine...

So in the end, they finished up breakfast and left the Tower, walking toward the park together.

It was surreal in so many ways.

Steve felt even smaller than usual in crowds, and it was worse still in his worn clothes beside Tony's effortless elegance, looking untouchable and aloof behind his rose-tinted sunglasses.

Then he started to notice the way Tony would step in closer, angling his body so his shoulder turned to a shield between Steve and anyone carelessly coming too close. He never touched Steve, but made sure no stranger bumped into him either. It felt really odd at first, but after a while Steve calmed down and accepted it. Maybe it meant that Tony thought he was too small and frail and helpless to walk down the street on his own, and the thought pissed him off. But then, on the other hand, he hated to get bumped into and pushed and shoved and jostled by strangers. So since Tony didn't make a big deal out of it, he let it go, quietly. For once.

It was odd having company at the exhibit. It was something Steve was very used to doing on his own, because he didn't know anyone else who was even slightly interested. Well, Buck, of course, but they hadn't been living in the same city for a long time. After a while he eased into it, though, because it turned out Tony was surprisingly good company. He was making an effort to be interested and seemed curious by nature, so he asked questions and listened carefully to Steve's sometimes rambling and overexcited answers. There was no hint that he felt offended by having something explained to him by an omega.

For a while, Steve even forgot all about the fact that he was out with an alpha. It was just so nice, and fun.

The only thing that reminded him was the reactions from other alphas they met during the visit in the park. Usually, it was normal for alphas to try to approach him – a tiny, helpless omega out on his or her own had to deal with stuff like that, it was just the way it was – but now they gave Tony one quick glance and moved away.

Thinking back, Steve realized that this had started happening even when he was out on his own, since he'd moved in with Bucky. Alpha scent clinging to his clothes, he assumed.

It had at least some advantages, living close to an alpha. Even if Steve wished it could have been him they respected enough to stay away, instead of Tony's percieved claim.

When they had seen every single sculpture in the exhibit, they came to a stop, suddenly a bit awkward again. And then Steve's stomach broke the tension by giving a loud, displeased rumble.

Tony grinned. ”Lunch, maybe?”

Normally Steve would have claimed not to be hungry, but that was useless after his belly had outed him like that. So he just gave a curt nod. And they walked back in the direction of the Tower, finding a slightly run down and almost empty diner along the way.

”It doesn't look like much”, Tony said as they shuffled into a booth at the back, ”but their pies are just fucking great.”

They both had the bacon and broccoli pie, at Tony's recommendation, and it really was great. During the meal they exchanged relaxed smalltalk, mostly about the sculptures they had seen, a bit about Tony's art collection – which Steve quickly figured out that Tony really didn't know much about – and a promise that he'd make sure Steve and Pepper got to meet some day soon.

When the plates were cleared away and they were left with a cup of coffee for Tony, and tea for Steve, who only had coffee in the morning, something in the atmosphere over the table shifted into seriousness.

”Actually”, Tony said slowly, ”there are a couple of things I'd like to talk to you about.”

Immediately, Steve felt himself go tense as a bow string. But Tony noticed, and raised a hand in a calming little gesture.

”No, wait... It's okay.” He gave the same careful smile he'd offered Steve that morning. ”I get how that sounds. But it's not a 'we need to talk' kind of thing. Really.”

”Then what kind of thing is it?” Steve heard how wary he sounded.

”It's just...” Tony shifted a little, and then placed his elbows on the edge of the table, forearms folded and each hand gripping the opposite elbow, leaning slightly closer. ”Look, I know this is really personal and if you don't want to talk about it – especially with me – I get it. I do. But you've already had one heat, and I think it's important that we at least address how to handle things, in the future, while you're level.”

Now Steve didn't know what to say, so he just waited, quietly, eyes on Tony's face. But he could feel himself shrinking a little more in his seat.

”Bucky told me you two have always handled your heats together”, the alpha started, hesitantly, voice even softer, making sure no-one could overhear. ”And that you don't want an alpha around.”

Tony knew about them. He knew. And now, here it was. This was it. This was the moment when Tony was going to tell him that he wasn't going to allow that kind of unnatural behaviour under his roof. That Steve would have to let Tony fuck him through his heats from now on, like a proper little omega, or get his stuff packed and move out.

He'd known that was how it would end, the day Bucky found himself an alpha. A male alpha would want to fuck Steve, or kick him out. A female alpha wouldn't have allowed him around at all if she'd taken Buck as a mate, because then Bucky was supposed to be the father of her offspring. And Steve wasn't attracted to female alphas anyway, had never been, so that would have been all right. He'd hoped Bucky would find a female alpha, actually. His friend had always gone both ways, and Steve could imagine him settling down with an alpha female and give her a bunch of kids and be happy.

Steve would have felt less threatened by a female. Even though he knew they were just as much alphas as the males. At least bonding and starting a family tended to make them ferociously protective, and less likely to abuse their omega.

But that hadn't happened. Tony was the alpha in Bucky's life now, and their relationship seemed to be an exchange of heat-fucks for a place to live, no matter how nice his friend tried to make it sound. So why would Tony give up on a chance to double that deal? Two omegas to fuck for the right to live under his roof was better than one, obviously.

The only possible aswer was that he wouldn't. Of course he wouldn't. Even if two omegas getting each other through their heats hadn't been considered wrong and disgusting, Tony had no reason to allow it, if it meant he got himself another omega to mount.

Really, with all those heat-pheromones around, Tony would probably end up going into rut and then there'd be no stopping him from taking what he wanted, anyway.

”So”, Tony continued, a bit firmer now, snapping Steve out of his frantic thoughts as he tried to steele himself for the blow, ”I think it would help if you told me about your heat-cycle. Just, you know, so I can program it into my calendar and know when I should stay away from your floor. Jamie's is already in there, so it would make it easier for me to keep track, that's all.”

What?

For the second time that day, Steve had a hard time understanding simple words because they were the complete opposite of what he'd expected to hear. He stared at Tony's face, which now looked forcibly calm, and slowly gathered his scattered wits enough to give an actual answer.

”I guess... that makes sense?” He cleared his throat when his voice felt far too rough. ”I'm on a stable 97 day cycle. Usually lasting four days.”

Tony had slipped his phone out of his pocket as soon as Steve started talking, and was thumbing notes into it while he listened and nodded. ”Upper end of the scale”, me murmured, almost absently. ”Bucky's lower, at 91, and he tends to go for three days. Makes sense. Longer heats if they are more far between.”

Without meaning to, Steve found himself nodding as well. Bucky's stats hadn't changed since they were kids, while Steve's had fluctuated a bit in his late teens.

”Thanks.” Tony aimed a smile at him across the table when he looked up, putting his phone away. ”It makes things a lot simpler if I can make sure to stay away, without you guys having to call to give me a heads up.” He turned serious again. ”I know things didn't start out the best way, with you sort of... well, stumbling in on our arrangement.” A corner of his mouth twitched up. ”But for the future – is it all right with you if I come to your floor for Jamie's heats?” A concerned furrow appeared between his thick brows. ”If not, we can sit down, all three of us, and discuss another solution that you're more comfortable with. Both of you. I know he prefers his own rooms over the penthouse, but we could figure something out.”

Again, Steve gave a series of shocked blinks. ”Oh. No. I'm all right with that. Really. I can just stay in my own rooms, out of your way. It doesn't bother me.” Kind of a lie – it did bother him – but it wouldn't be better if Tony took Bucky away for those days. He'd just worry more if his friend was out of reach completely.

Tony seemed relieved when he nodded. ”Good. Not that either of us mind having you around. But I wouldn't want you uncomfortable in your own home, Steve. I hope you know that.”

He really knew no such thing, so he just glanced to the side, not sure what to say instead. ”His own home” was Tony's property, after all. All the power was in his hands.

”I remember how Bucky was about his heats in the beginning, before he came to trust me. He hasn't said that much about it, but I know you two grew up together, and were... close. So I understand if you need space, too.” Again, Tony shifted a bit in his seat, and Steve turned back. Only to find Tony looking out through the window beside the booth. ”I can give you that. It's no problem.”

Now Tony turned back, giving him a tentative smile. ”I just hope that at some point in the future, you'll feel like you can trust me, too. At least a little.” Tony really looked hopeful. And like he was trying to hide that hopefulness, even from himself, but there was a faint spark of it in his dark eyes even so.

So, that was how it was going to be? Steve sighed, felt his hands turn to fists where they were hidden from view in his lap, under the table. God, he'd heard it all before.

You can trust me. You're so pretty. Such a sweet boy. I'll take good care of you. I'll make you feel so good...

But it always ended the same way.

And here he had almost let himself believe that Tony might be a bit better than that. He should have known.

”I'm not letting you fuck me.” Steve's voice was so gravelly he barely knew it as his own.

Tony's face turned blank, the sparkle in his honey brown eyes extinguished at once. ”That's not why I...” He swallowed. ”That's not why it matters.”

”Really?” His tone had turned positively scathing now. ”You don't want a second omega to fuck while your first one isn't in heat? You already know our cycles don't overlap. What could possibly matter more to an alpha than that?”

Leaning back in the worn leather booth, Tony gave him a long, considering look. His mouth, usually so full and soft-looking, was pressed into a tight line. But when he spoke he sounded calm, even though Steve had almost expected him to snap and snarl.

”You know all those things people say about omegas, right? How they are all weak-minded, weak-willed, overemotional, helpless. Needy sluts who'll wave their ass at anyone who wants a go?”

Steve clenched his teeth so hard he thought at least one was about to splinter, his narrow shoulders pulling up around his ears, as if he was getting ready to protect himself from a blow to his face. It felt like he'd already gotten half a dozen slaps around the ears, to be honest.

”Thought so.” Tony picked up his cup of coffee, emptied it, and shoved it away across the table after he'd put it back down. His lips turned into a bitter little curve that wasn't really a smile. ”Then you know what they say about alphas, too.”

'Course he did. They were entitled pricks who thought they ruled the world and had a right to take anything they wanted, use anyone they wanted. Careless bullies, always ready to fuck anyone over. Figuratively as well as literally.

Unlike what they said about omegas, though, that was all true.

He kept giving Tony the same silent glare.

”Exactly”, he said after a moment, the curve of his mouth now more sad than bitter while he slid out of the booth and dropped a wad of bills on the greasy surface. ”Then you know why it matters.” And with that he turned on his heel, walked out, and left Steve staring after him.

Wondering why he suddenly felt like such a complete dick.

Four days later, Steve found himself sitting backwards on a chair in Bucky's studio, forearms folded on the back of the chair, chin supported on them, bathed in perfectly golden sunlight. Watching his friend as he sat propped on his high stool, and sketched out a portrait of him on a new canvas.

Actually, Bucky asking him to sit for a portrait, and Steve going along with the plan, had been more of a truce than anything else.

There had been a few really tense days after Steve had returned from his lunch with Tony, still feeling vaguely shitty and covering it up with righteous anger, to find Bucky lounging in the livingroom couch. Luckily, the alpha was nowhere in sight. Because as deeply rattled as he was from their talk, Steve hadn't been able to keep himself from pouncing on Bucky as soon as he entered the room.

”You told him?!”

Bewildered, Bucky had blinked at him as he turned from the garish commercial running on the widescreen across the room. ”What?”

”You told Tony about us?!” Steve had almost choked on the last word.

”Well, yeah?” Bucky had still looked baffled by his strong reaction. ”I had to explain how things used to be for us, and I -”

”No you didn't!” He'd nearly been shouting by then. ”Christ, Buck, why would you...? He didn't need to know that! What do you suppose he'll do with that? Huh? Maybe nothing right now, but if this... thing you have going on? What if that goes to shit? He'll fucking out us, Bucky. Ruin our goddamn lives! What were you thinking?”

Sitting up straight in his seat, Bucky had raised his hands, palms out, in a stopping, calming, placating gesture. ”Okay, deep breaths, kid. Don't freak out on me, here.” His voice had dropped to a soothing register. ”It's fine, Stevie. He's not like that. And he's okay with it. Really. Trust me, Tony knows all about doing whatever you have to when life gets rough, all right? He'd never judge us. Swear to god.”

Inwardly, Steve had groaned and rolled his eyes in helpess exasperation, because really? Tony was an alpha, for fuck's sake! A rich, handsome, spoiled rotten alpha. His life had literally never been rough. What the hell did he know about doing what you had to, just to get by?

But he hadn't said that. He'd just gritted his teeth and glared at his friend's infuriatingly calm, patient face. ”I sure hope you're right, Bucky. Because if he so much as breathes about that, to anyone, neither of us is getting a job, ever again. Or an apartment.”

They had stared at each other, for what felt like a long time.

”I'm right”, Bucky had said at last, looking almost mulish, and Steve had chosen to turn and walk away. Because it was that or say something he'd regret.

Now, things were gradually easing up between them, a little bit more with every scratching stroke of Bucky's pencil, his face a soft frown of concentration that Steve remembered very well.

”It's been too long since I painted you”, Bucky muttered, correcting a line with quick movements. ”And I really need to practice portraits.”

”You should ask Tony to sit for you.”

The frown vanished as Bucky's face split onto a huge grin, and Steve felt his heart lighten a bit, even though his friend didn't look away from his work. ”Jesus, have you even met the guy? He can't stay still to save his life.” He shook his head. ”No, this is better. And I get to have you all to myself for a while.” There he took his eyes off the canvas and smiled at Steve, who gave a just slightly wobbly one in return before Bucky continued his work.

Steve watched him for a while as he continued sketching, just throwing quick glances at Steve now and then for references. He knew Bucky already had most of his sketch down, and was starting to focus on details now.

Bucky's dark hair was twisted up in a pony tail high on the back of his head, keeping it out of the way. He was freshly shaven, his face smooth and clear, giving a perfect view of his wide, full mouth, lips faintly quirked up at the corners. The gray eyes were focused, brows drawn down in concentration, nostrils flaring a little, as if he was even using his sense of smell to make sure his portrait would turn out perfect. His worn and torn jeans were already spattered with colour, meaning he'd used them to paint for a long time, and his red-and-gray plaid shirt, its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, seemed to be in the same state. Or getting there fast.

While he watched, he realized it was years and years since he'd last seen his friend so relaxed, at peace, with himself and the world.

Maybe that was what made him blurt out what was on his mind before he had time to think it through.

”You don't miss it? When it was just us?”

Bucky blinked out of his working trance and looked at Steve, a bit owlish before he came back to here and now. Then he turned pensive, head tipping to the side. His hair was almost long enough to touch his shoulder when he did that, Steve noticed.

”I miss parts of it”, Buck said, slowly. ”The you-and-me parts. Huddling up for warmth when that useless heater broke down, every goddamn winter. Cooking together. Going to art classes, practicing by the kitchen table at home. Yeah, I miss that”, he added with a smile. Then looked back to his canvas before he continued. ”I don't miss the rest. I don't miss the heater breaking down. Being poor as fucking dirt all the time, scared we wouldn't make rent. I don't miss splitting my knuckles open on some asshole's teeth 'cause he thought he could feel you up. I don't miss you being angry all the time. I don't -”

The snap of his pencil breaking in half in his grip cut him off. Bucky's head tipped forward and he stared at the splintered remains, as is he didn't understand what had just happened.

Steve swallowed. He knew that Bucky didn't even know the worst of how it had been for him, but he'd sworn to himself he'd never let him know. Apparently he hadn't managed to hide how he felt as well as he'd thought. He had been angry all the time, but mostly because he'd been afraid. Afraid and frustrated. He'd wanted to protect Bucky from everything out there in the world, and he knew he'd never succeed.

That was a huge part of the reason why he'd left New York. Steve knew he was a fucking trouble-magnet. If he stayed, he'd just attract more crap, and Bucky would feel the need to step in front of him, take the worst of it.

He'd wanted to protect Bucky from having to protect Steve.

Instead he'd left the door wide open for Tony.

Silently he watched his friend get off his stool, toss the broken pencil and go to a shelf to pick out a new one. Then he didn't go right back to work, but instead came up to Steve, who was still straddling his chair, leaned down and cupped his jaw in one hand, kissing his other cheek softly.

He stayed there for a while, still bent down, his warm cheek by Steve's.

”I'm real happy you came back, kid”, he murmured at last. ”Missed ya.”

Steve released a slightly shuddering breath. ”Missed you too, Buck.”

His friend stood back up, gave Steve's cheek one last gentle stroke with the back of his fingers, and then went back to work.

”I feel like my life, right now, is the perfect combination of what I missed and what I found later.” Bucky smiled, eyes on the sketch. ”You're here, just like you used to be. But the heating works, we don't have to worry about rent, or alphas taking advantage.”

”No, just one alpha”, Steve muttered, before he could stop himself. He caught a glimpse of Bucky flinching a little, messing up a line. Steve turned his head quickly to look out at the city skyline instead, teeth clenched.

The silence was heavy for a few moments.

”Steve?” The word was steel. There was no way he couldn't turn back to look at Bucky's deadly serious face. ”Tony means a lot to me. But if he's done anything to you, I swear to god I'll -”

”No!” It was almost a shout. ”Shit, sorry! I didn't mean to make it sound like that.” Steve felt his cheeks heat. He was such a mess, and always putting his foot in it. ”He seems... He's not... not like any alpha I've ever met before.” He hesitated, gnawing on his lip. ”I'm just not used to it. Having an alpha so close, all the time. It still freaks me out a little, okay? But I'm working on it.”

For a little while Bucky still looked worried, but then his shoulders relaxed and he gave a crooked smile. ”Yeah, I know what you mean.” He went back to fixing his sketch. ”I still wonder, some days, if he's actually unique, or if we just ran into all the assholes before he came along.”

Steve considered that for a moment. ”Maybe a bit of both?”

”Probably.”

Reluctantly Steve got his teeth out of his sore lip, sucked on it instead, and then decided to try asking something else, even though there was a risk he'd just mess things up again.

”I remember what you said before”, he started, tentatively. ”That he's not... you know, using you? Even though it kinda looked like that.”

Bucky threw him a quick glance. ”Yeah?”

”I know you said I didn't have to understand, just trust you, and I do.” Steve squirmed a little, trying to move without really moving and messing up Bucky's work. ”But I'm still wondering about it. What you get out of that.”

There was just silence after that, but when he dared to glance at Bucky again, he looked thoughtful, eyes still looking at the canvas but his gaze more aimed inward than at the sketch taking shape.

In that moment Steve wished he could read minds. It seemed like there was so much moving behind Bucky's eyes, and he couldn't even guess at most of it. Because Steve couldn't really understand what he got out of letting Tony fuck him, to begin with. Never mind the rest of it. It was years since Steve had let someone get that close, and even if the sex had been okay, it hadn't ended great. The last time an alpha had touched him when he was in heat... no, he didn't want to think about that. It couldn't be anything like that.

All he really knew was the dispassionate, gentle, but in the end fairly mechanical way Bucky helped him get through his heats. They were both omegas, after all. They weren't made to enjoy each other's bodies that way. There was a reason people thought it was ”against the laws of nature”, what they did. It was just an act that had started out, and then continued, because they had no other choice, but even though they got nothing sexual out of doing that for each other, it had still brought them closer.

Sometimes Steve thought that if they could have fucked each other, properly, they would never have needed anyone else.

But they couldn't, so apparently they did. And Bucky had found Tony.

”It's not that I don't want to talk about it”, Bucky said at last. He studied his sketch for a moment and then got up to get his paints, perhaps to distract himself from his own words. Steve knew he had an easier time talking when he kept his hands busy. ”It's just really difficult to explain. And I've never tried before, so just... bear with me if I ramble?” He gave Steve a quick smirk before settling by the easel again, palette in one hand, brush in the other.

There was just the soft whisper of brush-strokes against the canvas at first, before Bucky got to talking.

”The whole thing started out small. Like I said, it was just Tony giving me orders over the phone those first times. He wasn't in the room with me, he couldn't physically make me do anything. But when he told me to do something, I wanted to obey anyway.” He paused to consider the painting a moment, then picked up more paint with his brush and carried on. ”I mean I was in heat and not really thinking straight, but even then I knew I wasn't doing it just because he was an alpha, or because he was better than me, or some stupid shit like that. It wasn't about that. The important thing was that I knew he'd take care of me. That he wouldn't make me do something that was bad for me. And I didn't need a level head to know that – my gut told me.”

Again there was just the sound of the brush, and Steve found himself almost holding his breath, waiting for Bucky to resume speaking.

”From there, it kind of... evolved?” Bucky have a shrug. ”Maybe part of it is some genetic omega thing, me getting off on knowing he's pleased and happy. But as far as I can tell from what other omegas have told me, that sure ain't all of it.” A smile curled his lips. ”I think most of it's just me. How I'm wired.”

”And how's that?” Steve couldn't keep from asking.

”This is going to sound bad”, Bucky warned, pointing at him with his brush, ”so don't go off on a rant before you've heard me out, all right?”

Steve nodded.

Even so, Bucky hesitated, sighed, and looked at the painting when he opened his mouth, the hand with the brush dangling between his spread legs. ”I like it when he hurts me.” He heard Steve suck in a gasp and threw him a sharp, warning glance. ”I'm not talking fists to the face, kid. Just... a slap, or a smack, pinching, or pulling my hair.” At the last part he couldn't hold back a sweet smile and Steve felt his confusion flare up even worse. ”Guess there's no explaining how that can feel good if you aren't made that way. It just does.”

This time Steve stayed quiet and let him continue in his own time.

”That's the only really concrete, physical part of it. The rest's really all illusion. The illusion that he can be the boss of me. That he can use me. That I'm his needy little pet omega.” Bucky threw him a smirk at the last part. ”But we both know none of that's true. It's all makebelief, Steve. A game that we enjoy playing.”

Thinking hard, Steve turned to look out the windows, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He still didn't understand, he didn't think he ever would. Like Bucky said, if you weren't made that way, wired that way, you probably wouldn't get it. But the important part was that it all seemed to come back to one specific point.

”You really trust him? With all that?” He didn't have the words to specify what he meant – all the ways Bucky was exposed and vulnerable, putting himself in Tony's power, even if it was just as part of a game.

Bucky turned and gave him a calm, steady look. ”I really do, Steve. Almost as much as I trust you.”

With a wet, strangled swallow, Steve looked out at the city again.

For the better part of an hour, Bucky kept painting, and they both stayed silent. Then they decided that the light had changed too much, and that they would get back to it tomorrow.

When they had curled up on the couch instead, Steve tucked right up under Bucky's heavy arm, a shared blanket over their legs, and a mindless sit-com running on the huge TV, Bucky suddenly returned to the subject Steve thought they had left behind for the day.

”Maybe you'd understand it if you got to watch”, he said, almost absently, as if talking to himself. ”You've always been like that. I remember back at school; the teachers could explain something ten times and you never got it quite right, but as soon as they did a demonstration, you nailed it.”

He shuffled around in his seat until he could see Bucky's face. ”If I got to watch... what? You and Tony?”

”Yeah.” It didn't look like he was joking.

”I already did”, Steve reminded him carefully. And look how well that went he didn't add.

Bucky rolled his eyes. ”Accidentally stumbling in on something you weren't prepared to see, lacked the proper context for, and naturally completely misenterpreted, isn't the same thing as being there for the whole thing. Getting the big picture.”

”And you'd be comfortable with that? Me getting to see that?”

”Yes”, Bucky said, no hesitation what so ever. He reached out, got both arms around Steve and tugged him up sideways on his lap, so he could hold him tight against his chest and nuzzle his fine, blond hair. ”I think it would be good for you. I know how you feel about alphas in general, and I'm sure you're still worried Tony's actually using and abusing me, at least somewhere deep inside. And I suspect you won't let go of that until you see for yourself what's going on.”

He was probably right about that, Steve had enough insight into how his own mind worked to admit it. When he had talked to Tony and realized that the alternative to Steve agreeing to Tony coming to their apartment when Bucky went into heat was him taking Bucky away, the thought of his friend being even farther away from his protection had turned his gut into a knot of anxiety. So if he was allowed into the same room, that would make things even better, right? Because even if Tony put on an act for Steve's benefit, unwilling to show his hand, treating Bucky kinder than he would if they were alone, it would still make things better for Bucky, in the end.

Steve would be keeping him safe. Just by being there.

And Tony had also said that they wouldn't mind having him around, hadn't he? And now Bucky said the same.

He'd be an idiot not to take the chance to make things better.

”Okay”, he murmured, pressing closer to Bucky's chest, fingers tangling in his plaid, paint-stained shirt as he shoved his toes, cold even in his socks, in between Bucky's thigh and the cushion. ”Okay, I'll watch.”

While what he was thinking was I'll watch out for you.

In the almost two months before Bucky's next heat, Steve did his best to try to be around his friend and Tony more than he had been before. Both as a way of making sure Bucky was doing all right, and to get himself more used to being close to the alpha. Often it was a struggle. Especially watching him and Bucky interact. But he'd said he was working on it, so he did his best.

The first thing to take him by surprise was realizing how much time Tony actually spent at their place. Steve's first thought had been that Tony showed up to be with Bucky when he went into heat, and then that was that. Business over and done with for another 91 days. He'd been sure that was the only part of Bucky that Tony was actually interested in. Now he started to see that he might have been wrong about that.

Tony showed up at least three times a week, often more. He tended to come on late afternoons, sweaty and oily after a day in the workshop, or tired and cranky after long meetings, still in his suit and with his tie tugged loose around his neck, to promptly drop down on the couch and refuse to move. Steve carefully kept his distance at the latter occasions, because he'd expected to be growled and snapped at. But Bucky never seemed bothered. He just tutted at the grouchy alpha, tugged off his dress shoes, suit jacket, and tie, and then went to the kitchen to grab him a beer. Sometimes he'd rub Tony's shoulders and let him bitch about business things neither of the omegas understood much about but listened to anyway. Other times Tony just slumped against Bucky's side, sipped his beer, and joined them in watching whatever was playing on the TV that day.

Much of their time together was Bucky taking care of the alpha – feeding him, relaxing him, making him get some much needed rest, or supplying him with coffee on mornings when he'd spent the night and came shuffling out of the bedroom like a rumpled, tousle-haired zombie.

So the second thing to surprise Steve was that this also went both ways. On days when Bucky was stiff and sore from working on his art, Tony would rub his shoulders in turn, let him stretch out on the couch with his head in Tony's lap so he could have his hair played with all night. And the alpha had an endless amount of patience for that, or for scratching Bucky's back, or even rubbing Bucky's feet one day when he and Steve had been out walking around museums for hours.

They talked about anything and everything. They joked about anything and everything as well, and they had perfectly compatible sharp, witty, and crude senses of humour. They cuddled, hugged, exchanged casual little touches and the occasional kiss, obviously tender even though they stayed fairly chaste.

And the third thing to surprise Steve was that it didn't seem to be about sex. Not really. Even if there naturally wouldn't be the same feverish drive from Bucky's side when he wasn't in heat, alphas ware supposed to be insatiable. Ready and eager at any time, any place. But even though Tony obviously very much enjoyed being physically close to Bucky, there was nothing demanding about it. And even when he spent the night in Bucky's bed, Steve had the impression that most of the time, all they did was actually, literally, sleep together.

It was very confusing.

Lastly, Steve was also surprised at the fact that he was starting to enjoy having Tony around, not just tolerating his presence.

The alpha was always mindful of Steve's need for personal space. He respectfully stepped out of the way in the kitchen, didn't loom or crowd him in any way that might seem threatening, kept his distance on the couch. And he even made sure not to keep Bucky all to himself when he joined them. So Steve got to cuddle with his friend as well, and not be left out in the cold all the time.

At first Steve had kept quiet for the most part while Tony was there, nestled into his corner, but he found that he more and more was dragged into their conversations and discussions and playful banter and bickering. The fact that Tony actually seemed to enjoy it every time Steve's stubborn sass or dry sense of humour showed through, made him gradually begin to relax and be more himself around the man. It was made easier by the fact that Bucky was very much himself around Tony, too. There was nothing timid or fearful or submissive about him. He teased and talked back, he joked and comforted. Just like he would do with Steve.

Then came the night when Bucky went into heat.

Tony was already at their place when it happened, and since Steve knew that Tony kept track of both their cycles now, that was no great surprise. He'd most likely made sure to be there, and to have a pretty clear schedule for the next few days as well.

They were halfway through some pretty mindless action movie, Steve wrapped in a blanket on one end of the couch, popcorn bowl within comfortable reach, Tony and Bucky tangled up on the other end. When suddenly Steve became aware of sounds that were not coming from the wildly unrealistic car chase on the screen. Sounds he was familiar with. He turned from the movie and looked across the seats.

Like before, Tony was on his back, head and shoulder blades propped up on the throw pillows by the armrest. Bucky had been draped over him, like a lazy jungle cat on a tree branch, and he still was in the same position. Only new he wasn't simply resting there anymore. He'd buried his face by Tony's throat, whimpering softly, heavy breaths sucking down the scent of alpha – which was now rapidly getting stronger in response to the pheromones coming off the omega going into heat. Bucky's hands were clutching at Tony's shoulders, and Steve could make out the rolling movements of his hips as he rubbed himself against Tony's thigh.

Humming softly, Tony ran the fingers of one hand through the omega's hair, placing slow strokes down his back with his other hand. Soothing and calming.

Then his dark eyes suddenly came up and met Steve's over Bucky's heaving shoulder, giving him a small smile.

”You still okay with this, Steve?”

He knew Bucky had talked to Tony about their plan, so all he had to do was nod. Even though he wasn't entirely sure he was okay. But there was nothing forcing him to stay if he decided later that he didn't want to. He could leave anytime if he thought it was all becoming too much.

Tony nodded back in acknowledgement. Then he wound his fingers into Bucky's hair and tugged his head away from his throat, so they could look at each other. Steve couldn't see more than the back of his friend's head, but he saw the sharp focus in Tony's eyes, which was entirely on Bucky.

”Jamie? I want you naked on the bed in three minutes.” A whine was his only answer, but if it was a protest or an acknowledgement has impossible to say. Then Tony pulled his hands away from the omega. ”Go.”

Instantly, Bucky was off the couch and slipping out of the room, not so much as a backwards glance at either of them.

Meanwhile, Tony pushed up sitting and then stood, stretching. He turned to Steve, who had shoved his blanket down and was trying to untangle his legs from it, gave him another smile, and then headed off after Bucky. Leaving Steve to follow at his own pace.

When he reached the doorway to Bucky's bedroom, stopping there to take in the scene, the omega in heat had obediently undressed and placed himself on the bed, stretched out on his front, head pillowed on his folded arms, one leg slightly angled out to the side, displaying himself in clear invitation. All Steve could see of his face was a flushed cheekbone, and one dark, heavy-lidded eye.

Tony had stripped to the waist and was busy getting his jeans undone.

Steve noticed that the alpha had a pretty nasty-looking scattering of scars across his well-muscled chest, getting worse right over his sternum, the scar tissue there still pinkish and shiny. He had no idea what had caused that, and this wasn't really the time to ask, so he took his eyes off the scarring, just in time to notice the flash of self-consciousness across Tony's face.

As he let his gaze drop, the alpha getting back to undressing, Steve remembered once thinking that Tony's life had never been rough. It was obvious that he'd been wrong.

But even while thinking about that, he couldn't help but notice that Tony looked real good out of his clothes, scars or no scars. He was in great shape, all solid, no-nonsense muscle, but without being too bulky for his height. His skin was a golden tan, naturally a darker shade than Bucky's, not to mention Steve's fair, Irish skin that only reacted to sun by burning and breaking out in thousands of freckles.

As the alpha tossed his clothes aside, Steve left his awkward hovering by the door jamb and circled into the room, aiming for an armchair in a corner, where Bucky usually dumped his own clothes at the end of the day. Now his jeans and sweater were on the floor by the chair, obviously just thrown in that general direction. Steve picked up the clothes and draped them over an arm rest, before curling up on the seat, legs folded to his chest, arms around his bony shins. He felt safer there, away from the bed, while it still offered him a perfectly good view ofthe rest of the room.

At first, Tony walked around to sit down on the edge of the bed, satisfied with rubbing slow, soothing caresses down Bucky's arched back, the tense backs of his thighs. Until the omega was squirming impatiently.

”Tony...” The name was an airy moan as Bucky turned his head just enough to catch his eye. ”Stop.”

Steve's breath caught.

”You're not treating me like I'm made of glass just 'cause Steve's here”, he continued.

Tony huffed and threw Steve an amused glance. But then he focused on Bucky again, and a subtle but clear change came over him. His back drew up straighter, his shoulders seemed to widen when he pulled in a breath, and something determined settled in the lines of his jaw.

”Well then”, he said, one corner of his mouth curling up in an evil-looking kind of smirk. ”If you're going to be like that, that means you're making yourself useful, and opening yourself up for me.”

That drew a long, miserable whine from Bucky, but Tony was completely unmoved. He just raised his hand from where it had been resting on the omega's thigh and then brought it down in a smack on one side of his ass. The sound of the impact of his palm to the soft curve of flesh was sharp enough to make Steve jump, unprepared. Bucky just gasped and arched more, pushing his ass up off the mattress, as if searching for more of the same. He didn't get it, though.

”Get to it”, Tony snapped, and Steve squirmed uncomfortably, the urge to jump to Bucky's defense growing rapidly. ”I'm not waiting all night.”

Instead of turning his head and telling Tony to go to hell, Bucky just tugged his arms free from under his head, and reached behind himself. There, he used one hand to pull the previously spanked and now blushing ass-cheek to the side, pushing the tip of his middle finger of the other hand into his already slick hole, arching his back even more, almost unnaturally, to reach. He didn't need telling twice to get on with his chore, just worked a second finger in along the first one as quickly as he could. And a third. All while Tony sat at the edge of the mattress, watching, passive, but completely focused on Bucky's every move. When he decided that it was time, he stood up from the bed.

”On your knees.”

Panting into the duvet now, Bucky slipped his fingers out of his own body, got his hands back by his shoulders and then struggled up on his knees, his head and chest still resting on the bed, fingers twisting into the sheet. It looked like a lot more work than it should reasonably be, his body unwilling to cooperate properly.

Tony climbed onto the bed behind him, getting just almost into position. And then turned still and passive again, waiting.

Bucky whined. Long and low and achingly needy. But all he got for his troubles was another slap from Tony's quick hand, this time to the outside of his thigh.

”You know how this goes, pet. You want it, you work for it.”

Throwing a glance over his shoulder that was both completely sinful and shot through with miserable desperation, Bucky started to shift back on his knees, aiming as well as he could in that position, and with no help from his hands, for the tip of Tony's cock. And since Tony was only holding it in place for him with a loose, lazy grip at the base, it wasn't an easy task. Mewling and groaning in turns, Bucky twisted and pushed and worked. Once, he managed to get the tip to catch on the rim of his hole, but then he got over-eager and pushed back too hard too fast, misjudged the angle, and the length just slipped along the cleft of his ass.

Bucky wailed in disappointment.

”Gonna have to work harder than that, pet”, Tony taunted, with a nasty chuckle, his tone full of that dark amusement Steve remembered from the very first night when he'd seen them together in the study. A tone he hadn't heard since that night. Which suddenly struck him as strange.

Because Tony was often amused. Especially around Bucky. Tony laughed at his jokes and horrible puns, even the ones that just made Steve snort and pull a face, and he laughed right along with Bucky as they watched sit-coms and painfully bad movies. But he never, ever, laughed at Bucky. And now, leaning back at the hip to look down at the omega, nasty smirk firmly in place on his face, Tony was chuckling like he found both Bucky and his frantic struggle hilariously pathetic.

It was in that moment Steve suddenly thought he started to understand. To see the big picture. He didn't understand all of it, he might never, because he didn't think he was wired that way, but he could begin to understand the only really important part, the only part he needed to understand – that this was all an act. Makebelief, just like Bucky had said. Illusion.

Steve's first assumption had been that this kind of interaction was the foundation of their relationship. That this had been Tony's real face. That when the alpha showed concern or kindness, that was the act. Him trying to lull them into believing they were safe, so he could strike when they were unprepared. But by now he'd seen Tony cuddle with Bucky on the couch, rub his feet, look at Bucky like he was something valuable, something precious, too many times to be able to make the same mistake. He understood that that was reality, and this was the act.

And even though it looked it, Steve didn't think it was for Tony's benefit, the way he would have guessed it was, despite what Bucky had told him. If not for this powerplay, Tony could have fucked Bucky into the mattress by now. Maybe twice, if the alpha had gotten high enough off the heat-pheromones to not go soft after the first climax. Which had to be more satisfying than tormenting the frustrated, desperate omega. The omega who enjoyed this kind of treatment. Wanted it. Got off on it.

There was no good reason for Tony to drag this out, if not for Bucky's benefit.

Steve felt like his world-view had suddenly been tipped upside-down. Nothing was the way he'd thought it was. Right was wrong, black was white, and he had to rearrange everything he'd thought he knew.

While he had been lost in thought, Bucky had finally managed get Tony's cock where he wanted it, and the groan they both gave in unison when he fucked back on it dragged Steve back to here and now. Just in time to see how Tony only allowed the omega to roll his hips for a couple of thrusts, before he leaned down over him, supported with one hand on the bed, the other tangling in Bucky's hair to jank the omega's head back around, catching his rolling eyes.

”Now, stay still.”

Before, Bucky had objected to being told to move. Now he whined at being ordered to be still. Something that obviusly wasn't lost on Tony.

”Can't make up your mind, pet? Well that's all right. You don't have to. If I need you to have an opinion, I'll tell you what it is. Now, keep your pretty mouth shut, and that sweet ass still.”

With that, Tony abruptly changed the hold on Bucky's head, from the fist in his hair dragging him back into a strained arch, to instead planting his palm on the back of his head and pushing him face first into the sheets. Tony kept his hand there, holding the omega in place, while he started to fuck him – in a slow, steady pace that Bucky absolutely did not approve of, if the muffled noises he was making were anything to go by.

”Be quiet”, Tony growled, but picked up the pace. Slightly. ”Be good for me, pet. Just be good...”

In response, Bucky seemed to just melt, his chest sinking deeper into the bed, back turning to an enticing curve up to his ass, knees easing apart a little bit wider, opening up and taking it. Being good.

Right then, with a start, Steve became acutely aware that he was hard. Painfully so. And he couldn't make sense of it at first, because that had never happened around Bucky before. At least not as a reaction to his friend – being wet and hard from his heats was something entirely different from getting a hard-on out of arousal. Which was perfectly natural. Another omega would do nothing for his libido. And there had been plenty of situations where he would have noticed any such reactions.

When they had shared a bed, in any state from fully dressed against the cold, to completely naked and sweaty in the summer. When they had shared cramped showers, scrubbing each other's backs. When they had helped each other through countless heats.

Bucky was his best friend, more than half his life, and meant everything to him. But being close to him, or watching him, no matter how intimately, had never turned Steve on. And the same was true for Bucky when it came to him, naturally.

This was all different, and Steve knew why – it was because of Tony. The scent of alpha was thick in the room now, spicy and musky and rich, coiling in the back of Steve's nose and throat with each breath. Seemed to seep into his pores. He knew, intellectually, that it still wasn't Bucky who was getting him achingly hard, making his heartbeat and breathing speed up. It was all Tony's influence. But it was strong enough to rub off on his perception of the other omega, as well.

And it felt safer to focus on Bucky, than entertaining the idea of wanting Tony like that. The idea that Steve would like to be the one on his knees for the alpha, moaning and keening into the sweat-damp sheets, getting fucked just like that – slow and deep and thorough. He wasn't ready to even let himself think about that. It was easier to project that arousal onto Bucky – sweet, safe Bucky, who'd always taken care of him. Always treated him right.

Before he knew it, Steve was out of the chair and on the edge of the bed, on the other side of the mattress but already much, much closer than he had been. He realized that he'd lost touch with reality again, and while he had been gone Tony had pulled Bucky's face out of the sheets, dragged him up on his knees, so that he now almost had the omega in his lap, fucking up into him with measured rolls of his hips.

Still nestled in his underwear and jeans, Steve's dick gave an enthusiastic little twitch when the mingled scent of omega-in-heat and alpha-on-a-high almost overwhelmed him.

While Bucky was clinging on to the back of Tony's neck with one hand, Tony's hands on his hip and waist helping to keep him steady, he reached his free hand out for Steve. And now he didn't hesitate to crawl closer, pushing upright to shuffle on his knees as he closed the last distance between them. Let Bucky's hand catch the back of his neck, tug Steve in real close and... kiss him. Not his usual chaste little peck either. No, this was hot and wet and messy, tongue and teeth everywhere, and with a needy whine Steve tilted his head back, slotting their mouths together, and leaned into it, hands curling around Bucky's ribs for support.

He was vaguely aware of Tony sucking in a stuttering gasp, shocked.

”Jesus fuck!” Tony's curse was choked, breathless and strained.

A hint of worry made Steve break away from Bucky's mouth then, looking over the other omega's shoulder at Tony's face. They had just done something horribly wrong, after all. Something freakishly perverted. Even if Tony had already known about them helping each other through their heats, seeing something like this happen right in front of him was something different. Potentially much, much worse.

So he was – at least on some barely-conscious level – prepared for horrified outrage, and an utterly disgusted alpha ready to toss them both from his Tower. Maybe through a window. He was not prepared for Tony's slack jaw, wet, parted lips and pupils so blown there was barely even so much as a ring of brown left of his irises, an aroused blush flaring high on his cheekbones. He'd even stilled his movements, no longer steadily fucking Bucky. Instead he was just staring at them, frozen and mind-blown.

Feeling daring, rebellious, dirty in an oddly delicious way he'd never tasted before, Steve turned his head enough to catch Bucky's lips again. His eyes still locked with Tony's. He felt Bucky's full, swollen, hot lips brush his, and then his tongue flick out against Steve's own bottom lip.

The sight of that display turned out to be the last straw that broke the alpha's back.

With a shout Tony went rigid, fingers digging harshy into Bucky's flesh as his head tipped forward to thump against the omega's sweat-slick back, shuddering through his sudden orgasm.

Slightly shocked himself, at his own boldness, Steve let go of his friend and crawled backward, away, until his back hit the headboard. He stayed there, helpless, unable to move, as he watched Bucky tip forward again, Tony draped over him. His gray eyes, dark and hazy with heat-lust, were on Steve's face, but he wasn't sure his friend could really even see him right now.

Bucky hadn't come yet, and he was losing it, fast. Shrill whines escaped his throat with every laboured breath, and he was squirming under Tony, who was slowly getting his own breathing back under control and realizing what he had to do.

”Easy there, Buck”, he panted, getting his grip back on the omega's hips, planting his knees more firmly in the mattress. ”I've got you.” And then he was thrusting again, hard, making Bucky toss his head back with a loud, keening noise.

It barely took a minute before Bucky's jaw went unhinged in a silent scream and he convulsed in the most violent climax Steve had ever seen him reach, by far. Any orgasm he's had at Steve's helping hand was absolutely nothing in comparison. The clenching of his insides powerful enough to push the now over-sensitive alpha over the edge a second time, before they both collapsed in a sweaty tangle of limbs, panting and whimpering, gaping for air like fish on dry land.

Steve was very distantly aware that he'd come in his pants, untouched, triggered by the explosive release of pheromones from the other two. It felt kind of gross once he realized it, sticky and cooling fast, but he didn't want to move. So he just sat there, feeling limp and oddly wrung out.

Across the bed, Bucky was shifting away from Tony, but just enough so that he could twist around in his arms and get them front to front, legs entangled still, arms around each other's waists, his face once more by Tony's throat. While Tony slowly rubbed his hands in circles on his lower back, placed a kiss on Bucky's hair, and murmured soothing praise.

”You did so well, sweetheart. Really well. You're so good for me, you know that? Always so good for me. God, you look so good like that. Fucking gorgeous. Just for me.”

Bucky was all but purring, snuggling closer with every word, coming back down to reality, one breath at the time.

Once they had both settled, Steve calming down along with them, by proxy, and Tony had been silent for a while, Steve noticed that the alpha was watching him over Bucky's wildly messy hair. A small, shifting smile on his reddened lips.

”What?”, Steve muttered from his nest among the pillows, back still by the headboard. It could have sounded abrasive and defensive, but it came out mild and curious instead.

”Just...” Tony hesitated, and then gave a breathy little laugh. ”It's not every day I discover a brand new kink, that's all.”

Steve frowned, not understanding.

”You two, kissing like that?” Tony unconsciously licked his lips at the mere mention, and Steve felt a shiver slip down his spine. ”That was the hottest thing I've ever seen. And trust me, I've seen a lot over the years.”

Against his chest, Bucky squirmed a little. ”Dirty fucking pervert”, he muttered sleepily into Tony's neck, making him chuckle.

”That's me”, the alpha readily agreed, unbothered and shameless. And then yawned, widely. He reached out to grab ahold of the duvet, dragging it over them both, before his eyes fell shut.

In his pillow-nest, Steve curled into a ball as well, surrounded by their sated scents, feeling grounded and safe, in a way he hadn't expected.

Within minutes, they were all asleep.

Steve had guessed that Tony would spend all his time with Bucky in bed, while he was in heat. But he quickly found out that wasn't true, either.

When they woke up the next morning – very early, since they had fallen asleep so early the night before – Bucky was still calm and sated. He was sticky, cum-stained and sore, on the other hand, so Tony offered to draw him a bath. And when Steve returned from a trip to his own rooms, to wash up and put on clean clothes, Tony had not only settled Bucky in a frothy bubble bath – he'd settled himself right in there with him, happily washing Bucky's shoulder-length hair while the omega leaned back against his chest and hummed contented pleasure.

He decided to leave them to it, and instead slipped out to the kitchen to make them all coffee and some breakfast.

They did spend most of the day in Bucky's bed, in the end, but not with Bucky and Tony consumed by frenzied fucking, the way Steve would have imagined. Instead, Tony did some work on a tablet, answering e-mails and tweaking new designs for the latest Starkphone. Bucky was stretched out by his side, tapping on a tablet of his own, probably link-hopping the way he tended to do when he was in heat and couldn't focus. Steve opted for settling in the arm chair again, sketchpad in hand, drawing the peaceful scene on the bed, Bucky now and then turning to smile at him over his bare shoulder; he had never dressed again after the bath, aside from pulling on underwear. Tony was just in loose-fitting boxers and a t-shirt as well. It allowed for both skin-on-skin contact between the alpha and the omega in heat, and their scents to mingle in a way that made them both satisfied.

As lunchtime was about to roll around Bucky got restless again though, tossing his tablet aside to press into Tony's side, nosing at his neck.

This time there was no drawn out teasing. As soon as their few items of clothing were torn off, Tony pushed Bucky over on his back, settled between his long legs, as they wrapped around his hips. His hands caught the omega's wrists, forcing them to the mattress by his head. But then the rough grip eased, his hands slipping up to Bucky's, until their fingers were entwined and the alpha held his hands captured against the bed that way instead.

Locked in that position, Tony pulled his hips back, aligned himself, and started to push inside. No preparation at all this time, just stretching Bucky open as he went. Moving slowly, eyes fixed on the omega's face as Bucky panted and whined and begged. But only ever for more, never once for it to stop.

Steve watched from his chair, feeling his body respond to the sight and the scents again, but less violently than the night before. He was still absorbed enough in it to only notice much later, when the pair on the bed had finished and caught their breath and Tony had petted Bucky calm and started to murmur about ordering in some food, that his restless fingers had actually sketched out the scene while he watched. Steve blinked at the quick, messy lines that still clearly showed the bunched, working muscles of Tony's back and ass, Bucky's legs hooked around his hips. Then he snapped the sketchpad shut.

The rest of Bucky's heat passed much the same way. Lazing around in his bedroom, reading, talking, cuddling, the occasional shower or bath dragging them from the bed, watching movies on the TV in Bucky's front room when the heat started to ease up and he could focus on one and the same thing for longer stretches at a time. In many ways it was exactly as their life usually was, except for Bucky regularly getting whiny and handsy and Tony growling at him in response, manhandling his ”pet” until they were both sated again.

And then the heat was over, Tony had to pull his suit and tie back on and leave early the next morning for a meeting he'd been putting off for the last three days, slipping away with a kiss to Bucky's forehead, and a playfully strict salute in Steve's direction.

Suddenly they were alone again, life was back to normal, and Steve didn't know what to do with that.

Seeing his unease and bewilderment, Bucky slung an arm around his shoulders and led him to the studio again, placing him on his chair and taking out the half-finished portrait of Steve that had been put aside too long. Letting him sit there to digest the events of the last three days in silence, while his brush whispered against the canvas. Ready to listen or answer any questions, Steve knew, but never urging him to speak.

The shifted position of the sun on the sky outside told him they'd already been there for hours when he finally found his words.

”I really did get it all backwards, didn't I?”

Bucky hummed softly. ”Can't say I blame you.” He threw Steve a quick smile, then looked back to his work. ”You've never been slow to admit when you're wrong, though.”

”So we're good?”

”We're real good, kid.” Bucky gave him a more thoughtful glance. ”But we were always good.”

And Steve knew what he meant. His feelings for Bucky had never been in question; it was the way he felt about Tony that was the real issue. Biting the side of his bottom lip, he turned to look out the window, not sure what to say to that yet. He knew he'd been wrong about Tony, but he still didn't know where that left them.

As the days passed, he knew things had changed, though. Even if he couldn't put words to his feelings on the matter. What he had felt didn't fit anymore, but he didn't know yet what would end up filling the empty space the anger, aversion and mistrust had left behind.

Tony still came around their place as usual, acting the way he always had.

It was Steve who had changed. He didn't keep his distance the same way anymore, because now it felt safe to step up close by Tony's side when they worked in the kitchen together, raching across him to pick up plates or cutlery. It felt safe, now, to sit right next to the alpha on the couch, still not snuggled up to him the way Bucky would, but without the seat he'd always made sure of was between them before. He noticed how Tony tensed up a little every time either of those things happened, at first, as if he thought it might have been a mistake on the omega's, and that Steve would spook any moment. But then he never did, and Tony gradually started to relaxed into it, never saying a word about it, but clearly pleased with the development.

At first, Steve was slightly worried that Bucky would be jealous. That he would feel like Steve had come along and decided to steal his alpha's affections away from him, even if that wouldn't have made much sense, really. But he knew that such territorial instincts had very little to do with sense and reason. If Bucky considered Tony his mate, then Steve would be competition.

He got over the idea pretty damn quickly, though. Because there was no way Bucky was hiding jealousy behind the bright, happy, beaming smiles he flashed Steve's way every time he saw him get more up close and personal with the alpha. It was obvious that he was pleased with this change as well, with the fact that the men in his life were now getting along, despite the rocky start.

Steve knew that it was an accident, the first time Tony touched him.

The alpha had always been so very careful about not laying a hand on him, never breaching his personal space, always letting Steve come to him if he wanted to be close. So when it happened, he knew it was an honest mistake.

They were all on the couch, Bucky with his head in Tony's lap as usual, one of the alpha's hands playing tirelessly with his hair. Steve was curled up by Tony's other side, close but not quite against his arm. Then Steve had cracked some joke at what was going on in the movie they were watching. Later, he couldn't even remember what it had been, the memory erased by the events it triggered, but he thought it had been pretty awful. He could remember the snort of laughter from Bucky, and that was a noise his friend usually reserved for when Steve's humour was especially obnoxious.

Tony threw his head back with a real, full-body laugh, and while his eyes were still closed, the pink tip of his tongue peeking out between his sharp, white teeth, he reached out blindly with his arm, wrapped it around Steve's narrow shoulders, and tugged him into his warm, solid side. Letting the little omega feel the vibrations of his laugh roll through his entire body. Then he tipped his head forward again, turned to face Steve, eyes cracking open, grin still wide as he opened his mouth a bit more to say something – and froze. At once realizing what he was doing.

Oddly, it was that startled reaction that made Steve realize, too. He hadn't even thought about the fact that Tony was touching before then. Now he blinked up at the alpha, just as frozen.

Neither of them moved for a solid minute. Steve thought they were barely even breathing.

Then he twisted a little in his seat, tucked his shoulder more comfortably under Tony's arm, felt the corners of his lips tick up in a tentative little smile, and relaxed into the alpha's side. He saw the huge, brown eyes widen a bit more, every one of his dark lower lashes visible in the lights off the widescreen. But then Tony smiled at him in return. Not showing teeth now, as if trying not to look threatening, but big and warm and so damn genuinely happy it made Steve's heart melt, just a tiny bit.

That moment marked another clear change in their interactions. Tony still refrained from making the first move, but if Steve placed himself witin comfortable reach, giving the all-clear sign, then he was always happy to take the invitation, wrapping an arm around the omega's shoulders and tugging him close. Steve had already figured out that Tony was a tactile person, and that not touching Steve had been contrary to his natural impulses. He'd still done it, though, without question.

It was all innocent enough, even so. Tony's arm around him on the couch, or strong hands casually moving him aside if he was in the alpha's way in the kitchen – that kind of thing.

Until Steve woke up on the couch one night, and realized that he was snuggled up with Tony, both of them stretched out on their sides on the seats. They had been sitting side by side before, but once the boring documentary had lulled him to sleep, the alpha must have rearranged them into a more comfortable position. Now he had his face burrowed into Tony's firm pectoral, the fronts of his thighs pressed against Tony's, so warm through both pairs of sweatpants. One of the alpha's arms was resting around his waist, his thumb rubbing slow little circles into the lower ribs on Steve's back. The hold on him was steady, preventing him from accidentally rolling back and off the edge of the seats, but not so tight that he couldn't break free if he wanted to. And Tony had probably placed them so he himself was the one with his back against the back of the couch, knowing that Steve would have felt too cornered waking up in that position.

The panic he had expected to flare up, even so, didn't show. And it took him a moment to figure out why.

Waking up like that with Bucky would have felt safe simply because he knew from experience that it was. That Bucky would never hurt him when he was defenseless. With Tony, his mind was less convinced of his safety, lacking as many positive experiences to draw from. But his mind was currently overruled by the opinion of his body, which had decided that this was all just fine. His nose was full of grounding alpha scent. Not the thick musk of arousal and heat-high, just the warm spice of calm, settled, content alpha. It seemed like every cell in his body was busy drinking in the sense of alpha, and home, and belonging, and protection. It had nothing to do with his conscious thoughts; it was all an instinctive response.

Close by, probably sitting next to them on the couch, Bucky was giving off calm, peaceful, grounded omega pheromones, and Steve knew they helped too. If Bucky had perceived any threat, his distress would have woken Steve up at once.

It actually took some force of will for Steve to make his muscles engage enough that he could roll his head back, taking his face from Tony's chest and the delicious smell of his t-shirt, so he could tilt it back and search out the alpha's face. Dark eyes met his blue ones, and Tony gave him that gentle, careful smile, the one that Steve had realized was Tony's way of broadcasting I come in peace, I mean you no harm.

”Hey”, Tony murmured. ”Sleep well?”

”Yeah”, Steve admitted, gravelly.

”Wanna get back to it?” Tony's smile turned amused and indulgent.

Steve just hummed, still tired, and then let his face thump down against Tony's pectoral again, and fell back asleep.

The next day Tony showed up in the doorway to the studio, where Steve had borrowed an easel and was working on a drawing of the Chrysler Building, which he had such a perfect view of from here.

”You remember how I said you should meet Pepper some day?”

Steve turned with an eyebrow arched in question.

”My PA?”, Tony reminded him. ”Who takes such loving care of my art collection?”

”Oh, right!” Steve perked up at once, because he did remember, and had hoped he'd get the chance to meet her before Tony got pissed at him for some reason and threw him out. Now, he no longer worried about that – which was a bit of a surprise to realize – but he'd forgotten about it, with everything else that had happened since.

”Well, come on, then.” The alpha pushed away from the door jamb he had been leaning on, smiling, and waved Steve along.

They ended up on another floor of the Tower, not that far down from Bucky's and his. This one was not an apartment, though. It was a huge, open office, flooded with daylight and decorated in colours of sand and sea. Perfectly matched to the cool, elegant strawberry-blonde woman perched behind the desk by the windows.

She smiled at them and left her seat to greet Tony with a casual kiss on his cheek, and then offered Steve her hand for a shake.

They were already engrossed in a conversation about the mentioned art collection, Tony trying and failing to slip in comments here and there, when Steve suddenly realized that the woman was also an omega. He had some trouble reconciling that with the image he'd gotten from their brief meeting, and everything Tony had said about her in passing before. Steve had gotten the impression that she was perfectly collected and in control, took exactly zero shit from anyone – Tony perhaps least of all – and ran his life, including his company, with an iron fist. More than once Tony had actually muttered that he should just name her CEO and be done with it, so he could be left to work on R&D in peace.

Did that mean Tony would be all right with turning the running of Stark Industires over to an omega? Was he serious?

Having met Pepper Potts, Steve felt oddly certain that Tony was completely serious, and that he would be making a wise decision in doing so.

He also remembered what Tony had said, about the general opinion of omegas, and how the context had made it clear that he didn't agree. Steve understood now that he'd had proof of the fact that Tony didn't judge omegas incapable and weak, right in front of him, all along. He'd just been assuming that anyone Tony had so much respect for, must be a fellow alpha. Once again, he'd been misled by his own preconceived notions.

At least, he was starting to break that pattern now.

Steve's next heat hit more than a week early, catching him completely unaware.

Later, though, thinking about it calmly and reasonably, he knew that it was something he should have expected. He had spent two of Bucky's heats in the Tower, after all, and since Bucky was all but mated with Tony, Steve's body had abviously decided to sync his cycle up with who it perceived as the higher-ranking omega. Biologically, it made perfect sense.

That didn't make it any less awkward when he walked into the kitchen that morning, took one whiff of the alpha scent in the air, and felt his knees go weak.

Tony, standing by the coffee maker, tensed up, slowly turned his head, nostrils flaring, and blinked at Steve in confusion. This had to be a surprise to him as well, given that he had monitored Steve's cycle so he could keep away when this happened. Now he hadn't had any warning, and he was right there, in the same room, nothing between him and the omega going into heat.

An icy kind of dread trickled like frost through Steve's insides. It was so easy to imagine Tony dropping the coffee pot filled with water that he was holding, about to pour it into the machine, to instead leap across the room and tackle him to the floor and... Steve whimpered around a thick swallow, his shoulders curling in defensively as he took a step back, aimed his movements all wrong, and ended up wedging himself right into a corner.

Across the room, Tony didn't move at all. He just took a deep breath – through his mouth this time – and called out, loud enough to make Steve jump. ”Jamie? Kitchen! Right now!”

In moments, Bucky came skidding around the corner on sock-clad feet, hair a mess, and dressed in his paint-stained working clothes. ”What?” Then his nose caught up with him, and his eyes widened. ”Oh, Stevie! Shit.” He moved a lot slower when he walked across the kitchen and slipped an arm around Steve's trembling back, pulling him out of the corner and tight against his chest. ”Shh, baby, I've got you.”

Grasping at Bucky's plaid shirt, hiding his face by his warm clavicles, Steve calmed down almost instantly. He was okay. Buck was there. It was all right. He was safe and it was fine, really, he'd just forgotten about that for a moment.

”I'll go”, he heard Tony say, voice soft now. ”Call me when you -”

”No!” Steve's loud exclamation surprised everyone in the room. Including himself.

The alpha blinked at him again. ”Huh?”

”No”, he repeated, softer and calmer this time, eyes locked on Tony from where his cheek was still pressed against Bucky's chest. ”Don't go.”

Tony's shoulders dropped as he exhaled. ”Steve. It's okay. I know you don't feel safe having me around right now. I mean you basically jumped out of your own skin running into me just now. So it's better if I leave. You don't have to worry.”

That felt so wrong to hear. He knew it was true, or, well, it had been true. It didn't seem to be anymore. For a moment there he'd been convinced that the alpha would take for granted that he could have Steve now, any way he wanted, just because things were different between them, compared to how they had been. That his heat would magically turn Tony into the entitled bully Steve had used to think he was.

But of course, that hadn't happened.

And now it felt like ages ago when he'd been profoundly relieved to know that Tony was on the other side of the continent, just so he could be entirely sure the alpha wouldn't burst into the room at any moment and have his way with him. Now he realized he actually wasn't worried about that anymore. Not once the first shock had dissipated.

”I changed my mind”, he said, and felt Bucky's arm tighten around him. Maybe in surprise.

Tony gave him a long, considering look. ”Maybe”, he finally said, far from convinced. ”But we can talk about that when you're level again. I won't let you make any big decisions right now.”

Steve shook his head. ”Doesn't have to be that big, really. I just... I want you to stay.” He fumbled for words. ”Just... stay. Please?”

Thinking hard by the look of it, Tony chewed on his lip. Then he nodded, almost reluctantly. ”I'll stay. But I won't touch you. Okay?”

Quckly, eagerly, Steve nodded in return. ”Okay.” More than okay. That was great. He really didn't want Tony to touch him, anyway. Not like this. He wasn't ready for something like that yet. But a basic, primitive part of him was adamant that the alpha be near him, craved his presence.

Then he suddenly felt Bucky's lips and hot breath against his hair. ”Maybe he'd like to watch us?” His voice was lofty and teasingly amused, and even though he couldn't see it, Steve was sure Bucky's gray eyes were smiling right at Tony. ”What do you think, baby?”

It took a moment for the meaning of Bucky's words to sink in, but then he saw Tony's eyes go wide as saucers, a clearly aroused blush blooming on the alpha's cheeks, what looked like a shudder rippling through his body. And then he got it.

”Yeah”, Steve choked out, throat at once so tight and dry, ”I'm pretty sure he'd like that.”

He saw Tony's Adam's apple bob in a heavy swallow. ”Fucking hell”, he groaned, obviously unable to say anything more to confirm their suspicions. But that was still enough.

Things were kind of a blur after that, but they ended up in Steve's room this time. Steve had his sweater and his favourite pair of worn-soft jeans pulled back off him again, after spending barely half an hour on his body. Then he was spread out naked on his belly on the bed, feeling aching and empty and feverish, Bucky right there with him, fingertips already softly circling around his hole, gathering up slick, while his other hand rubbed warm, soothing circles at his lower back. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Tony on the edge of the little loveseat by the windows next to the bed, watching them, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

When Bucky slipped the first finger in, Steve and Tony actually moaned in unison, both having anticipated the penetration just as eagerly.

After a little while, he felt Bucky lean in over him, soft, damp lips trailing kisses along the bumps of his spine. And he knew it was just something Buck did for show, to work Tony up, but Steve discovered that he didn't mind. Actually, he liked it. A lot. It made him feel powerful, in control, knowing they could have such a strong, profound effect on an alpha. Nothing in his life had given him power over an alpha before this, but now he was sure they could have Tony all but crawling and begging, just by being intimate like this. By doing something they had always been told would never be accepted.

Steve gave in, and went with it, because just like when he'd watched Tony with Bucky, he found himself aroused in a way he could only become with an alpha around. He even caught himself putting on a bit of a show of his own. Arching his back a bit more, showing off the curve down to his tiny but at least firm butt, bearing down on the two fingers Bucky had in him to the knuckles already. He didn't hold back, just drowned in how good it felt to be filled en stretched, and let every bit of it show on his face. His jaw dropping into a blissed-out smile, golden eyelashes fluttering against his cheekbones.

The reaction was very gratifying.

There came a thoroughly undignified noise from Tony's seat. When Steve glanced his way again, he wasn't at all surprised to find the alpha sprawled back in the loveseat, pants and underwear shoved down with one hand, the other a hard and fast fist around his cock, flushed and straining in his grip.

”Easy now”, Bucky teased, cool and unruffled. ”Don't hurt yourself, Tony. If you do, maybe we'll never let you watch again.”

Tony whimpered. ”Oh god... Just shut up and keep going!”

Bucky chuckled, but he also shut up and kept going. Expertly, guided by many years of practice, working a third finger into Steve, finding the angle and pressure he knew would do just the trick.

He made Steve come three times, almost in a row, before the omega in heat was at last giving signs on being satisfied, for now.

By then Tony was an incoherent mess in his seat, heaving chest decorated with ropes of semen, reaching nearly to his chin.

When they had all cleaned up as needed, Bucky came back to the bed to slip clean underwear on Steve, and then sat down beside him, slowly petting his back. Tony hovered by the foot of the bed, apparently not sure what to do with himself now. So Steve decided for him, before he could make up his mind to leave.

He took one heavy arm off the bed and reached a grabby hand out toward the alpha. When Tony hesitantly stepped up and slipped his own hand into Steve's eager fingers, the omega tugged on it, as hard as he could, trying to guide the bigger man down on the bed in front of him.

”You sure, Steve?”

”'M sure”, he almost slurred. ”No touching. Just holding.” That was as eloquently as he could state his wishes at the moment.

At least it seemed the alpha got it. And was unable to resist, even though the concerned lines between his eyebrows made Steve suspect Tony thought he should refuse the offer. But instead he got down on the bed, and let Steve tuck himself against the side of his chest, shirt still damp from where he'd wiped his cum away with a washcloth.

”You're secretly a cuddly sweetheart, aren't you?”, Tony murmured after a while, as he rubbed slow circles over Steve's shoulder blades and back.

Steve grumbled a wordless objection to this very obvious lie and slander. But given the fact that the noise was muted because he didn't want to move his face from where it was planted by Tony's throat, he didn't think it had the intended impact.

His suspicions were confirmed when Bucky chuckled softly behind him, settling down to be the big spoon, sandwiching Steve between the two bigger, heavier bodies. He nuzzled the back of Steve's neck in turn. ”You really are, Stevie. Nothing to be ashamed of. You know I am, too, after all.”

And yes, that was true. So maybe it was fine. He never thought Bucky's cuddly disposition when in heat was a weakness, come to think of it. Just his own.

And maybe that wasn't quite fair?

They were almost at the end of Steve's heat, three days having passed in much the same way as the first, and now they were watching a movie in the livingroom, since the couch there was bigger and more comfortable for the three of them. Tony was sitting propped against a pile of thow pillows by an armrest, knees angled slightly toward the ceiling, Steve resting between his legs, with his back against Tony's chest, Tony's arms around his waist. While Bucky was sitting with his feet on the coffee table, akles crossed. Steve's feet were in his lap, and Bucky was rubbing aches out of them, and his tense calves, with strong but gentle hands.

True to his word, Tony hadn't once tried to touch Steve during his heat, only held him, just like he'd wanted. Just like this. And it had been perfect.

He hadn't understood it himself at first, but now when his mind was more focused, Steve knew that at some level, he'd been testing Tony. Letting him look but not take part. Hold but not touch. Watching as closely as he could for any sign that the alpha would take the whole arm now that he'd been offered a finger. But he was as respectful of Steve's boundaries as ever, even now that they had been moved.

Steve still knew that he was nowhere near a point where he could let Tony help him through his heats, the way Bucky let him. His trust had been too thoroughly broken in the past to be mended this quickly. There'd always be cracks in the surface, maybe even missing pieces, and it would forever be a brittle thing, the trust he could place in an alpha again. But relaxed back in the safe, comfortable circle of Tony's arms, his chest calmly rising and falling behind his back, his breath warm on Steve's feathery, blond hair, he at least knew it would be possible to try to mend it. To give Tony a chance. To leave a chink in his armour wide enough to let the alpha in.

Tony had hoped for that trust, and now he had it. Not because he had asked for it, demaned it, thought he was entitled to it. But because he'd earned it.

As if feeling Steve's state of mind, perhaps scenting it on him, Tony hummed contentment around a deep, happy sigh.

”You two are ruining me for any other omega”, he murmured, not even really sounding too upset by this fact. ”You know that, right?”

Smiling, Bucky turned to look at them both, his face softer and happier than Steve could remember ever seeing it. ”Doesn't matter anyway, Tony”, he stated, tone warm and firm, ”because you're keeping us.”

Steve felt Tony tense, just a little, arms reflexively tightening around Steve's middle. ”Is that so?” His voice was hesitant and careful.

Bucky's smile just widened, and then he aimed his gray eyes at Steve directly, letting him have the final say.

He knew what the deceptively simple question meant. It wasn't just about them staying under Tony's roof. Not about them casually hanging out all the time. About Tony fucking Bucky through his heats, or being there for Steve during his. It was all of that, but also something more than the sum of those parts.

It was an offer of a bond.

Of a pack.

Something goddamn primitive, yes, and just what every cell in his goddamn primitive organism longed for.

Steve twisted around enough in Tony's hold that he could face him, meeting those honey-brown eyes, once more seeing the sparkle of hope there that he himself had crushed so crudely and cruelly the last time it had showed itself. And he smiled.

”Yes”, he said, voice steady, ”you're keeping us.” And then he stretched his skinny neck as far as it would go, and caught Tony's mouth in a kiss, just a fairly chaste press of lips, but heartfelt and earnest. Even though he'd said there'd be no touching – because something like this deserved to be sealed with a kiss.

He'd barely pulled back long enough to see Tony's eyes, bright and liquid, before Bucky suddenly landed on top of them both, knocking the air out of their lungs with a combined grunt, so he could plant a wet smack of a kiss on Tony too – right on the sharp tip of his nose.

Laughing, Tony dragged an arm free from where it was caught between Steve and Bucky's chest, so he could place one hand on each of his two omegas, fingers scratching affectionately through Bucky's hair with one, thumb rubbing at Steve's ribs with the other.

”Well, since you two obviously run this show, I guess that's that.”

And Steve decided then that Bucky had been right – they had earned a break.

All of them.

Chapter Text

At first, Tony couldn't even figure out what was wrong with him.

Actually, he never really did figure it out – Pepper did.

She'd dragged him down to the office to work through some new contracts Rhodey had sent in from his contacts in the military, seeing if there was anything they'd want to touch, and if so, what they could do with it. Tony had tried to refuse, but he'd set himself up for failure because he never let anyone but himself make decisions about military contracts. They were too goddamn sneaky about trying to get their hands on shit they could weaponize, and Tony only trusted himself to see through their bullshit and shut anything like that down before his signature hit the paper. So he really had tried to get out of it, but in the end he'd had to agree to at least see her for three hours, to go through most of it. No more than that, though. He'd put his foot down when she'd asked for the whole day.

Not happening. Because Tony had more important places to be today.

At least he'd given her the three hours before lunch, and he tried his best to focus, but it was like there was static buzzing at the edges of his peripheral vision, distracting and pulling at his attention, scattering his thoughts. White noise sneaked its way into any silence, the rustling of paper was unbearably loud and grating, and a manic sort of energy was bubbling in his gut. Heart pounding, breaths too quick, and for a while he wondered if he was having a panic attack, but fuck, it'd been ages since that happened last and these days it took some serious, heavy triggering for him to lose it like that. Paperwork with Pepper was not one of those triggers – even if it was for the military.

Tony didn't understand what was going on. Not until Pepper gave a deep, exasperated sigh and put her hand on top of his, where his fingers were tapping restlessly against the polished tabletop beside the contract he was currently reading through. Or trying to read. He'd probably skimmed the same paragraph five times and he still didn't know what it said. ”In case of...” and the rest could have been anything. Alien invasions? Earthquakes? Blue moons? Tony had no idea.

”You should have just told me what was going on”, Pepper said, shaking her head, looking weary but fond. ”I'd have let you off the hook.”

Raising his head, Tony blinked at her. ”What?”

”Stop it. Just take that rut-brain of yours and go home. You are less than useless to me as it is. Even if there was something here we could sign today, I wouldn't let you within ten feet of anything legally binding when you're in this state.”

He'd barely heard anything past the word ”rut”. Because what?

Tony was forty four. He hadn't rutted in... what, five years? At least? After forty, ruts tended to be few and far between for an alpha, and he hadn't even thought about it that much, because there hadn't been any omega in his life until pretty recently, anyway.

”I'm not in rut”, he objected, shaking his head right back. ”I'm probably just coming down with something. Seriously, I'm too old for that. Let's just look at this thing again, and -”

But now Pepper was smiling at him. ”Tony, get a clue, would you? You have two omegas at home who are twenty years younger than you, and considering the pattern of your days off over the last year, I'd guess their heats synced up at least nine months ago. And I know they are due any day now. Of course you'll rut under those circumstances.”

”Eighteen years younger, Pep”, Tony hurried to correct, focusing on the really important part of what she'd just said. ”Don't make it sound worse than it is. And wow, are you stalking me or something because shit, you know a lot about my personal life, one would think it was your job to look after me or something.”

”Stop rambling”, she ordered, already gathering up the papers in front of them, sliding them into a folder, ”and get out of here.”

Tony fled, before she could change her mind.

The apartment was quiet when he returned, but he knew the omegas were around even so. In part because he could smell them both, and because he knew they hated leaving the Tower – or even the floor – while they were in heat. So it took him only a couple of minutes to find them.

They were sleeping on the couch in the livingroom, the seat wide enough to hold them both comfortably. Sleeping so soundly, in fact, that Tony was able to walk all the way up to the couch and look down at them, smiling fondly all the while, without them waking up.

Steve had his back to the backrest of the couch, and Bucky had his to the room, shielding him. The smaller omega had one of his thighs slipped in between Bucky's, maybe seeking warmth, his slim arms folded up like bird's wings between their chests, his face by the other omega's clavicles, and one of Bucky's heavier arms was draped around his waist. Bucky's full lips, soft in sleep, were against the crown of Steve's head, like he'd fallen asleep kissing his hair. Which, if Tony knew them right – and he liked to think that he did – Bucky probably had.

As always, he spent a moment marveling at how different they were, curved together like a cuddly yin and yang. Steve so tiny and frail – at least on the surface – blond hair so light it was almost silvery in daylight, golden brows and lashes against his pale skin. Jamie so much taller, so much more solidly built, skin fair but contrasting against his dark brown hair, now a loose, tangled halo on the cushion, and his even darker brows, lashes a black sweep against his cheekbones.

They were both just as gorgeous, though, in their wildly different ways. And seeing them like this, warm and safe and relaxed, made his heart feel full to almost bursting.

His little pack – and yes, that thought still got him excited, every single time – was protected and content. It was all any alpha could wish for.

As he watched them, Tony noticed Steve's nostrils flaring in his sleep, his senses no doubt reacting to the unfamiliar scent of alpha rut. His brows pinched together a little, body squirming restlessly against Jamie's, which was still heavy and unmoving. Then his eyelashes fluttered, he turned his head so his cheek, rosy from sleep, was against the other omega's chest, and then his eyes cracked open, blue irises cloudy under heavy lids.

”Tony?” His always so surprisingly deep voice was adorably slurred. ”'S'that you?”

Bucky didn't even move a muscle. He must be really knocked out.

”Yeah, it's me, sweetie”, Tony murmured, trying to let Jamie keep sleeping. ”Got back early.”

Steve's eyes blinked wider, clearing as he woke up properly. ”What's that smell?” His nostrils flared again, with purpose this time.

Tony huffed. ”That would be me.”

”Oh?” His brows twitched together again, considering. ”It's nice. All... warm. Sweet. A bit like cinnamon.” Steve caught his eyes, questioning. ”What's going on?”

”Apparently having you boys around has made me rut. Which I should have expected, I guess, but yeah, no, I really didn't.”

Something wary flashed by behind those bright blue eyes. It wasn't surprising, but it still made Tony a bit sad – and feel like he wanted to smash his fist through someone's face. If he only knew who deserved it...

”Are you okay?” Steve's voice was so small and careful now.

Tony smiled at him. ”I'm fine, honey bun. It's still just getting started, and you two really took any possible edge off by waking me up like that this morning.”

God, it had been glorious. There was nothing quite like being dragged from sleep by the fresh heat-scent of two omegas, wrapped around each of his sides in the bed they had all taken to sharing most nights. He'd been so hard he could probably have dented steel, and the needy noises had made him figure out he'd have to put that hard-on to good use, and quickly, too.

Fucking these two? Yeah, that was another reminder of what complete opposites they were.

Jamie, who craved the rough tumble, being held down and made to take it. Tony's bratty pet. Always a challenge, but damn, always so satisfying.

And then Steve, who had only let Tony have him a couple of times yet, and who needed it to be soft, and sweet. He clung like a desperate octopus, whimpering against Tony's throat, but expected Tony to always keep his calm. Petting Steve gently through it, kissing his damp temples, whispering loving praise in his ear, and fucking him slowly, so goddamn slowly it almost drove Tony insane. Because not matter how well prepared, Steve was still a tight fit around his cock, and clenched nervously at every movement.

He was a different kind of challenge than Bucky, almost maddening, but it was even more rewarding, too, when Tony was trusted with this, and managed to not fuck it up.

Because watching Steve let his careful guard down, let go, give in, quiet and breathless as he shuddered and came against Tony's abdomen, was one of the most beautiful things Tony had ever seen. Precious little thing – so impressively strong and brave to let himself be vulnerable like that, when it had once completely terrified him. Probably still terrified him, on some days.

Tony guessed today was going to be one of those days, judging by the way Steve was shrinking in on himself, back pressed against the cushions behind him. Insecure in the face of these sudden and new circumstances.

That was when Jamie woke up, yawning widely, arms stretching out lazily, moving like a cat as he latched on to Steve, and then continued to drag him right into his chest again. Humming into his hair while the smaller omega curled into him, apparently happy for an excuse to hide his face in Bucky's sweater, where Tony couldn't see it. One gray eye cracked open to roll around and fix on Tony's face.

”You just woke me up from the best dream”, Jamie muttered. ”Gonna have to make that up to me.”

”That so?”

Jamie hummed again, an affirmative sound this time, but then he sniffed, and blinked his eyes wide open. And then he smirked. ”Mmm, that's nice”, he drawled, voice low and purring. ”Was wondering if you'd rut for us anytime soon.”

”So everyone was expecting this to happen but me?” Tony sighed.

”Well, you're old, so I can't blame you for doubting.”

Tony mock-glared at him. ”Fuck you.”

The smirk on Bucky's full mouth just grew, while he pushed both himself and Steve up sitting on the couch. ”Yes, please?”

Tony gave a deep sigh. ”Maybe if you weren't just nice to me when you wanted something? Honestly, no respect...”, he added with a sad shake of his head.

Jamie tilted his head thoughtfully. ”Oh, my poor alpha's ego's all bruised. You need me to kiss it better?”

”Gonna need you to kiss something, that's for sure”, Tony grumbled.

A slow, wicked smile spread over Jamie's face at that. ”Yeah? Well, I guess that can be arranged.” And with that he wrapped his arms tighter around Steve, who had been peeking with wide eyes up at Tony from his hidingplace by Bucky's chest, and gathered the smaller omega up in his lap. His left arm stayed curled around Steve's lower back, holding him close, while his right hand combed into that fine, fly-away blond hair as he tilted his head down and brushed soft kisses by the corner of Steve's mouth, along his cheekbone.

For a moment Steve's blue eyes fluttered and almost closed, his body half melting into Jamie's hold on him, but then he glanced up at Tony again and visibly tensed.

Tony could only guess at what his face looked like right then, but considering what the sight of them together always did to him, he had probably gone dark and intense and that was clearly not what Steve needed right now. He couldn't really help it, though. The deliciousness of it, just getting even better because it was still run through with an old, ingrained hint of wrong, always got to him like a punch in the gut and he felt his cock make an interested twitch in his slacks. Even as he tried to school his features again, put Steve at ease.

It was clear that Jamie had noticed Steve's tenseness as well, as he moved to cup the back of his golden head with his big hand, holding him safe and close as he ghosted light kisses closer to Steve's lips again. He was stopped before he reached his goal though, by Steve's hands coming up to push at his shoulders.

Steve's blue eyes dropped from Tony's face again. ”Buck, don't. We shouldn't... Just... Don't tease.” His voice was quiet and concerned, and he moved to tuck his face by Bucky's throat, hiding.

”Hey baby, no...”, Jamie murmured into Steve's rumpled hair, wrapping his arms around him more securely. ”Tony likes it. He wouldn't get mad at us. You know that, right?”

There came a barely-there, noncommittal shrug from Steve. Otherwise he didn't move.

And okay, so, that hurt. A lot, actually.

Frowning, Jamie raised his head to give Tony a sad, apologetic look. Tony forced on a smile and shook his head, moving a hand in a dissmissive gesture. He got it. No, really, he did. It just... still smarted. But he made himself keep the smile firmly in place as he took a step back, away from the couch.

Problem was, that movement turned Jamie's frown dark and stormy, and then he was shaking his head quickly in a warning, don't you fucking dare kind of gesture.

Well... Nothing to do but stand there like an idiot and wait for his omegas to sort things out among themselves, then.

(Actually, Tony had noticed that a lot of his life since the pack formed was standing around and waiting for his omegas to sort things out. They did, after all, run the show.)

As soon as he was sure Tony wasn't scurrying off somewhere, Bucky reached for a blanket hanging over the back of the couch, wrapped it around Steve's shoulders, and then gently turned them around so he could tuck the little omega in on the seats again. At the same time keeping his own body between Steve and Tony.

”Okay, Stevie, you just stay here, all right? All safe and snug. Me and Tony'll be in the bedroom, and if you change your mind, you're welcome to join us.” He leaned down, probably to kiss Steve's hair. ”Love ya, punk”, Tony only just heard him murmur.

The answering mumble from Steve was too quiet to make sense of at all, and by the time Jamie stood back up, all of him was hidden under the blanket except for a couple of whisps of pale hair.

Meanwhile, Bucky clawed his hand into the front of Tony's shirt and walked him out of the room as if he was a misbehaving kid, and even though Tony threw one last, worried look at the blanket-burrito on the couch, he couldn't hold back a smile as he followed, right into the bedroom as promised. Jamie was clearly not in the mood to be patient, and by now Tony's rut was getting properly started and he was almost fully hard in his pants, so he might as well go with it.

Tony had only just gotten Bucky spread out on chest and knees in front of him on the bed, cock half into his omega's slick hole, when a faint movement at the edge of his peripheral vision caught his attention. He turned his head just enough to see that it was Steve, mostly hidden in shadows by the half-open door, peeking into the room. Tony saw a pale, freckled shoulder and tousled, golden hair falling into blown-dark eyes that didn't match the almost gray hue of his bloodless cheek. Arousal clearly warring with fear.

But Tony knew from experience by now, that the only way to convince him that things were alright, was to show him. So he didn't complicate things, but just continued to fuck the omega on the bed in a firm, fast pace he wouldn't have started out with normally. It would have made him cum way too soon. Now that didn't matter, so he just kept going until he was leaning on a hand supported on the small of Jamie's back, curled up over the omega's body, growling with the force of his release.

Thanks to the effects of his rut, Tony didn't soften even a little. His movements stilled long enugh for him to catch his panting breath, then he steadied his punishing grip on Bucky's hips, made sure the angle was right, and pounded into him again, as if nothing had even happened.

He'd been high enough off his omegas' heat-scent before that he'd stayed hard after coming, but when that had happened he had still been over-sensitive and a bit sore, and to keep going had always been sort of a struggle even with an intact hard on.

This was nothing like that.

With an almost shocked gasp, Jamie tossed his head backward, then let it limply drop back down into the pillow, so that it could muffle the actual scream he let out when Tony nailed his sweet spot. His trembling hands were grasping and clawing at pillow and sheet, his long back all bunched muscles along his perfectly arched spine, covered in flushed alabaster skin, shining with perspiration as he pushed back for more.

”You still need it harder, don't you, pet?”

Jamie turned his head, probably intending to give an answer, but didn't manage words. His eyes were hidden under heavy lids, and his mouth was a wet mess of plump, red-bitten lips and slack jaw. All he got out was a long, needy whine. But that was enough, anyway.

”Thought so”, Tony growled, digging his thumbs into the rosy cheeks of the omega's ass, spreading them enough to see the length of him disappearing into Bucky's body, sliding smoothly through heat-slick and his own come. ”So good for me, aren't you, slut?”

That earned him a pleased moan, and Jamie's knees sliding even wider apart on the mattress. Christ, but he loved it when Tony called him names.

”That's it”, he muttered, moving his hands to hook his fingers around the omega's hipbones again. ”I've got you.”

From there it was really just a frantic blur of fucking Jamie even more thoroughly into the bed, until his hands had come up from the pillow to brace against the headboard in an attempt to not thump the crown of his head against it with every sharp snap of Tony's hips. Bucky keening and crying and drooling into the sheets, Tony panting and grunting with the effort, the slap of hot, sweaty skin filling the room.

Nothing else was really important then and there, even though a part of Tony remembered vividly that they had an audience. He was aware that Steve hadn't left his spot half hidden by the doorjamb, so he was still scared to enter the room. But he also hadn't turned tail and left.

When Bucky finally came, his body squeezing Tony like a punishing fist, the alpha was pretty quick to follow behind.

He was still hard when he pulled out of Jamie, but the way the omega was sprawled out over the bed, boneless and blissed-out, told him that to keep going now wouldn't be welcome. So instead Tony just let himself flop down on his back beside Jamie, his hard, wet dick slapping him in the stomach. He was feeling pretty damn blissed-out himself at this point, though, so it didn't bother him that much.

What kind of did bother him as he was laying there, catching his breath, was that the fact that he was still hard meant that his other omega needed him, and he was far from sure he would be allowed to help.

”Hey”, he heard Bucky's hoarse voice say, and felt the omega shift on the bed. ”You okay?”, he added, oh so gently, and then Tony knew Jamie wasn't talking to him.

There came a tiny, inarticulate noise from Steve, and then Tony both heard and felt Bucky sigh.

”Oh, Steve... Shh, no, just... come here. Let's take care of those. Get you comfortable.”

Tony carefully peeked at them from under his eyelashes, and saw that Bucky had twisted around until he was sitting up, leaning back against the pillows and the headboard. He was reaching for Steve, who had dared come all the way up to the bed. His face and chest were flushed and he was very obviously hard in the sweatpants he was still wearing. It was those pants Bucky was now helping him get rid of, putting an arm around Steve when he was finally naked, and guiding him up on the bed. Until Steve was sitting with his back against Bucky's chest, his skinny legs tucked up against his own front, arms stubbornly wrapped around them. And he was pointedly not looking at Tony, while Bucky stroked his hair and arms and sides, comforting him.

”We're good, Steve. So good. Relax a little, baby? We're all good.”

Gradually, Steve softened against Bucky, his arms letting go of his shins so his feet could slide down along the bed. His blond head tipped back against Jamie's sternum and then slowly, shyly, rolled around until he was facing Tony.

Who no longer was furtively eyeing them from under his eyelashes, but had turned on his side so he could watch them properly, head propped up in a hand. He gave Steve a careful little smile. ”Doing okay there, honey bun?”

Steve was still pale under a new flush, but his eyes were also still deep and dark with need. He nodded wordlessly. He didn't exactly look okay, but at least better than before.

”No-one's doing anything you don't want to, Steve”, Jamie murmured into his hair as he gently rocked the smaller omega from side to side, planting his own feet in the mattress so he could bracket Steve between his drawn up legs. ”Just like always. If you just want me to help, that's fine.” He moved a hand to softly stroke down Steve's chest and belly. ”Tony can stay right there. Can't he?”

Gray eyes under a raised brow flicked to Tony, but he didn't need the pointer.

”He definitely can”, Tony promised, voice just a little too husky. At least the words made the corners of Steve's mouth tick minutely upward. That was a win.

”He smells real nice, though?”, Bucky continued, not taking his eyes off Tony as his lips moved in Steve's hair. The blond strands couldn't quite hide his smile. ”Doesn't he?”

Steve's cheeks darkened a bit more, and he nodded, a quick up-down-up movement of his delicate chin.

”Wanna get a better whiff of him?”

Hesitation, then another nod.

Bucky hummed, pleased, and reached a hand out to grasp Tony's wrist, guiding him closer on the bed, until he was almost curled up around both of them.

Tony didn't reach to touch Steve in turn. Instead he just pushed himself up until he was sitting supported on a hip and one straight arm, leaning in so he could nuzzle under Jamie's hair, kissing the sensitive spot behind his ear, grounding himself on the scent of sated omega. Then he glanced down at Steve, raising an eyebrow, asking permission. When he got another one of those jerky nods he slowly leaned in closer, Jamie's lips by his ear, and let Steve himself reach the last inches until he could get his face by Tony's throat, drawing in a long, deep breath of alpha-in-rut.

Steve shuddered, a needy noise coiling in his throat, and he pulled back again. Eyes squeezed tightly closed. He looked almost pained. The scent must have kicked his heat into overdrive.

”We can both help you”, Tony offered, watching Steve's face soften at just the sound of his voice. The omega was so deep in his heat that his body responded intictively to his alpha's presence, even when his mind was conflicted and torn. Tony needed to get both mind and body on board here, though. ”Steve, sweetheart, I need words.”

The omega's eyes fluttered open at the faint note of command, slim rings of bright blue around pitch black. ”Yeah”, he managed, all gravel. ”Please?”

”'Course, honey bun. We got you.”

And when Tony moved to kneel by Steve's legs, Bucky shot him the widest, happiest, proudest smile Tony had ever seen. He wasn't sure if Jamie was proud of him or of Steve, though. Maybe both?

Tony gently cupped his hands around the backs of Steve's thighs and slowly spread his legs on the damp sheet, and almost at once picked up the tension and resistance in those lithe muscles. He also noticed that Steve's candy-pink little cock, which had been rock-hard before, had wilted noticeably now. So he let his advances grind to a halt, looking up at Steve where he was leaning back in Jamie's lap, the other omega's arms wrapped around his chest, his own fingers clutching tightly at Jamie's thicker wrists. His blue eyes were too wide, his red-bitten lips too tensely twisted.

Giving him a smile, Tony let Steve's legs fall back on the sheet, where his bony knees immediately bumped together as he tried to shield himself.

”What's the matter, sweetheart?”

He could see Steve's strained swallow. ”Do you have to...?” The worried, rapidly blinking eyes flicked up to Bucky's, as if searching for help, before coming back to Tony's, almost immediately dropping shyly. ”I mean, when you're like this? Do you need to...?”

It wasn't that hard to figure out what he was thinking. Keeping his smile in place, Tony used the pad of his right thumb to rub a soothing circle into the soft skin above Steve's knee. ”Steve, listen.” Those blue eyes darted up to his face again, although half hidden under golden lashes. ”I'm still me, okay? Rutting doesn't mean I'm suddenly out of control. I'm just as much the same person as you are when you're in heat.”

Steve's cheeks turned a few shades pinker. ”The heat means I need things, though. So if it's the same for you, then -”

Tony firmly shook his head, which made Steve fall silent. ”Not really the same that way, no. 'Cause a rut isn't about me. It's not there for the alpha's benefit. It's just nature's way of helping me give you what you need. You're my pack, and I need to be able to take care of you both. So my hormones give me an extra boost for a few days. More energy, less need to sleep, less of a refractory period...”

”Fuck yes”, Jamie murmured appreciatively, with a blissed-out smile once more plastered on his plush lips.

Grinning at him, Tony gave a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows. ”Liked that one, huh? Thought you might.” Then he softened his smile as he looked back to Steve's uncertain little face. ”Long story short, I have the energy to please you both, for days. But how I go about doing that? That's still up to you, honey bun.”

Steve rubbed his knees together, bit his lip, and then glanced away. Fingers twitching nervously around Jamie's wrist. ”I don't want you to fuck me”, he muttered, voice almost disappearing around the last words.

In the privacy of his own mind, Tony guessed the truth wasn't so much that Steve didn't want it, and more that he wasn't sure what to make of Tony when he was rutting. Didn't matter, though. The answer was the same.

”Then I won't”, Tony assured. ”Any requests for what I should do instead? If anything at all?”

Squirming a little in Bucky's lap, blushing adorably, Steve bit his lip again. But the side of the lip this time, a gesture Tony had come to know meant that he was getting aroused and didn't know what to do with it just yet. He didn't seem to find any words, either.

”Seems he wants something, all right”, Jamie said, rubbing the pad of his thumb over one of Steve's tight little nipples, eyes on the smaller omega's now rebounding erection.

Steve just arched into the touch and whined at him, which only served to prove Jamie more right, really. But Tony didn't push for an answer, still. They had time.

Because what he'd told Steve was nothing but the truth, after all. There were many misconceptions about rut out there, and Tony knew it. Most people wrongly assumed that it worked the same way as an omega's heat, but that wasn't true. Just as Steve had pointed out, an omega had physical needs. For an alpha in rut, satisfaction instead came by proxy – only the pheromones and hormones released by sated omegas would settle them, nothing else did the trick. As long as one of his or her omegas was still in need of more, the alpha would keep going.

And Steve clearly was in need, but Tony was prepared to let him figure out what he wanted on his own. If he could. By the looks of things, he might need help.

He gave Steve a smile. ”You trust me enough to try something out?”

It just took a tiny moment of hesitation this time, then Steve nodded.

”Thank you”, Tony murmured earnestly, stroking his palms down along the omega's legs as he backed away a little. ”You just let me know if it's not working for you.”

There was still a hint of stiffness in Steve's legs when Tony worked them apart, but he didn't actively resist this time. Just let Tony stretch himself out on his front between those skinny limbs, hooking one knee over his shoulder, thumbs rubbing over hipbones and the dip of Steve's waist as he leaned in and planted a wet, open-mouthed kiss on the omega's lower belly, muscles twitching slightly under the touch. Slowly he worked himself lower, and heard Steve's breath make a surprised hitch when Tony kissed his way up the underside of his flushed, startlingly hot little cock, and then wrapped his lips around the faintly leaking tip.

Steve sounded like he almost choked on his next noise, before it turned to a needy whine, his hips helplessly rolling up off the mattress, following Tony's mouth as it pulled back a little.

”Tony!” Steve gasped the name like a prayer. ”What...?”

Behind Steve, Bucky hushed him softly. ”It's fine, Stevie. Just fine. Relax. He's got you.”

And so Tony didn't have to take the time to pull off Steve's dick to ask if this was a first for him, because really, it was obvious that it was. It had been a first for Jamie too, since apparently, alphas weren't supposed to do this. According so some stupid idea of what made you a proper alpha or some nonsense. Tony couldn't care less about that. As he saw it, what made him a proper alpha was making his omegas happy. And that was that.

So what if a blowjob couldn't get Steve off? Didn't mean it was somehow a pointless thing to do. Tony did a lot of things for Steve and Jamie that had nothing to do with orgasms, and everything to do with making them feel happy, and safe, and cared for, and loved. And to make them feel good. While they did a lot of those things for him, in return. It was the way it should be, after all.

That's what a pack was about.

Judging by the shuddering whimper Steve let out as he rolled his hips again, chasing the wet suction and the curl of Tony's tongue around his cock, the omega definitely appreciated Tony's efforts. And Tony didn't try to stop Steve from eagerly fucking his mouth. His dick was a comfortable fit right there, a satiny weight on his tongue, so he just wrapped his lips tighter around the root and sucked a little harder, drawing the sweetest noises he'd ever heart out of Steve's throat.

After a little while, Tony still pulled back and let go, smiling to himself at Steve's displeased grumbling, before he placed another wet kiss high up on the inside of Steve's trembling thigh. Then one on his small balls, tightly drawn up to his body, and a wide lick to his perineum that made Steve hitch out another whine of Tony's name. Then Tony changed his grip again, slipped a hand in under Steve's ass to lift it a bit off the sheet, shuffled himself down even more on the bed, used his other thumb to spread the omega open, just a little, and then leaned in to get his mouth on him. Nose pressed in behind Steve's balls, lips brushing tentatively against his wet hole. Just enough that Tony could feel it twitch at the unexpected contact. Then Tony opened his mouth and softly flicked his tongue over the slick little ring of muscle and Steve honest to god wailed.

At that, Tony couldn't keep from opening his eyes to get a look at his omegas.

Steve looked completely wrecked. He was still leaning back against Bucky's chest, neck limp, head tilted back against a pectoral, mouth slack and wet and hanging open, but no sound was coming out of him, aside from heavy, panting breaths. His eyes were closed, blond brows scrunched together in a knot of intensely focused pleasure. More lost to sensation than Tony had ever seen him before, and damn if he didn't feel proud enough to burst at the sight.

I did that!

Bucky, for his part, was watching with wide, dark eyes, his delicious bottom lip caught between his teeth. Arousal and fascination flashing clearly across his flushed features, even while his arms were still wrapped almost protectively around Steve's torso.

Satisfied that he was doing something right here, Tony let his own eyes fall closed and focused. On the way Steve's ass quivered and then relaxed under the tip of his tongue, letting it in. On the way the omega got even wetter at the gentle intrusion. On the taste of him, oily and spicy-sweet, thickly coating Tony's lips and tongue, musky scent filling his nostrils at the same time. On the way Steve started making noises again as Tony worked his tongue deeper, and then started fucking Steve with it in shallow but insistent movements. On the way those noises grew louder and ever more desperate as Steve tried to push back, failed, reached a hand down to twist skinny fingers into Tony's hair, hooked his leg firmer around Tony's shoulder, trying to drag him in. As if Tony would move to get away if Steve didn't force him closer.

Nothing could be further from the truth. This was a good spot, right here. He sure as hell wasn't going anywhere.

Tony just tried to make his tongue a little stiffer and broader, working himself even closer and deeper, unconsciously rubbing himself against the sheets as he heard and felt Steve get closer, and closer, and finally his panting and keening cutting off to choked silence as Steve came, hard, ass clenching in spasms around Tony's tongue, getting wet enough to soak Tony's bearded chin.

The scent of that fresh slick was really what pushed Tony over the edge, tilting his head to bury his face in the soft crook of Steve's hip while he came, dick pressed hard against the dry friction of the mattress. Panting against the hot, damp skin there as he came back down, smiling into the softness.

Yeah, this was a much better use of his day than breaking down military contracts...

For a while, all three of them rested. Tangled up in each other, warm and snug, not caring about stickiness and wet spots on the sheets, breathing in sated scents, and drifting between sleep and wakefulness.

Jamie was the first to slip free, shuffle off the bed and leave the bedroom, only briefly pausing to drop a soft kiss to the crown of Tony's head when the alpha made a protesting, snuffling noise into the pillow his face was mostly mashed into. Then he was gone, leaving a cold space along Tony's back. He reached for a blanket and pulled it over both himself and Steve, the omega murmuring indistinctly as he burrowed closer to the alpha's chest, soft and trusting in his sleep.

The next time Tony woke up, it was to Steve's languid stretching and slow roll away over the mattress, flopping down on his front just outside of Tony's reach. Probably after getting too warm. Because Tony sure was overheated. He kicked the blanket off them, propped himself up on an elbow, and used his free hand to slowly draw soft patterns over Steve's back, making the omega shiver pleasantly, melting under the touch, almost purring his contentment.

”You alright, honey bun?”, Tony asked, smiling, already pretty sure what the answer would be.

”'M awesome”, Steve half-slurred. Only to then be slightly contradicted by his own growling stomach. ”Awesome, but hungry”, he amended, squirming slightly, pink blush spreading over the back of his neck.

That made Tony notice that the air in the bedroom was quickly filling up with the sweet, rich, golden smell of pancakes. He made an almost indecent groan.

”Okay, that's it, we're getting up.” Tony sat up and dragged himself to the edge of the bed, where he could place his feet on the floor. ”C'mon!”

When there was no movement from Steve, he reached back and poked a finger into the omega's soft waist, making him squawk and twist like a worm on a hook, even though the touch hadn't been that harsh. But as soon as the finger was gone, he snuggled back into the sheets.

”Lazy, are we?” Tony curled his hand around a skinny wrist and tugged, gently. ”Up you get, sweet cheeks! And I'll even carry you to the kitchen.”

Steve still grumbled a bit, but then he sat up and shuffled over to cling on to Tony's back like a limpet. His arms wound around Tony's shoulders and neck, knobbly knees clamping down around his hips.

Smiling, Tony slipped his forearms under Steve's thighs to secure him, and then leaned forward and stood up. The omega was a comfortable weight on his back as he walked out of the room. But he was mostly smiling because he knew that not that long ago, Steve would never have let himself be carried anywhere. He would have seen it as teasing about his size and resented the mere offer for implying that he was weak and helpless.

Now he had his face tucked into the side of Tony's neck, breathing slowly and calmly, his legs moving so he could hook one foot around the opposite ankle around Tony's waist. His dick was a soft, warm, damp little press against Tony's back. He was all relaxed, and just happy to be held close.

In the kitchen they found Bucky by the stove, dressed in a loose-fitting pair of pajama pants, feet and chest bare. He looked up from the pan where he was poking at a pancake, and threw them an amused look over his shoulder.

”I thought the smell of food would lure you out”, he smirked, gray eyes affectionately warm despite the teasing tone.

”Well, you weren't wrong”, Tony admitted, walking up to his side.

”That's good to know”, Jamie murmured happily as he stepped away from the stove long enough to wrap his arms around Tony and Steve both, tipping his head down to share a sweetly lingering kiss with the alpha, before giving the other omega's cheek a soft peck. ”Now get. I need to finish the last ones.”

So Tony gently dropped the loose-limbed Steve off on a kitchen chair, before he went puttering around to set the table, and fetch strawberry jam and that atrocious canned whipped cream that Steve for some reason loved. It wasn't until Jamie gave his ass an appreciative pat on his way past the stove that Tony realized the fact that both he and Steve were still completely naked. But then he didn't have the time or energy to be bothered, because by then the pancakes were done and it was time to settle by the table. And with their legs hidden under the wooden surface they all just looked bare-chested anyway.

The salty sweetness of pancakes with jam was perfect. And so was the sated, contented smile on Jamie's face as he watched them eat, his right hand coming up to rest on Tony's shoulder while he ate with his left, just to connect them skin to skin.

Steve seemed happily occupied with his food at first. But after a little while, Tony felt slim fingers inching their way up his bare right thigh. Without pausing his own meal, he reached his left hand across his lap, slotting their hands together under the table.

Tying the whole pack together.