#stephen is a good alpha

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Elon being cool

Stephen King: submitted for the approval of the midnight society, i call this- Elon Musk: [rising from bushes] eyy stephano king Musk: mi amico eyyyy! King: we're not friends elon Musk: eyyy! stephano king! why you so obsessed with me? King: Musk: ok ok i will give you a child

King: i'm sorry, what Musk: i will give you a child Musk: whatsamatta for you? Musk: i say the same thing to taylor swift! King: oh King: uh King: how'd that work out? Musk: Musk: issa good Musk: she thinka ima real cool now

Donald Trump: [visibly melting] nickels used to have pictures of bumblebees but now they don't because [unintelligible slurred speech, it is not clear which slur is intended] Taylor Swift: yeah i think i'm going with kamala Musk: mama mia!!! issa outrage!!

Musk: mama mia!! you thinka you canna have opinions, taylor swift?? i rapa dat outta you! King: elon, you can't say that! King: that's terrible! Musk: eh? wottsamattayouface? Musk: alla my fans they applaud, dey clappa da hands Musk: dey say "masterful gambit, sir!"

Musk: taylor swift, i protecta you cat and give you a child! Musk: see, itsa funny because da woman, i dismissa her opinions! Musk: ima very cool! Musk: i sleepa in a cybertruck, where you sleepa stephano king? King: i sleep in a big bed with my wife

King: elon, you can't just say you're going to give taylor swift a child! Musk: eyyy whassa problem? Musk: i just mean i give her a child! Musk: i haffa 20 i don't use, she can haffa any one she want!

Musk: she can haffa Alpha Exsilon Musk, Xanforth Musk, Xanax Xylophone Musk, Xim Xim Xabbadoo Musk, xXx: The Return of Xander Cage Musk, or Evangelion Use The Force Musk Simpsons Meme Musk Musk: but not Alchemical Symbol for Cobalt Musk Musk: imma not bored with him yet

Musk: you know i kissa da taylor swift? she really lika me Musk: see? dissa really happen [displays AI image of Musk kissing Taylor Swift] Musk: eh? issa pretty cool eh? King: how old are you elon Musk: i'm 53 Musk: [drinking from a sippy cup] why you ask?

[professional-benaddict]

im making a new post bc the original is so long🥴🥴 @winterspiderpurrs 💗💗

Peter swallows thickly, feeling an icy sense of urgency run through his body. His hands reach over to his baby bump on instinct.

“Do you want me to call your husband?” Stephen asks, noticing Peter’s silence.

“N-no… I’ll do it.”

“Things might move quickly from here, okay? I’m getting an OB/GYN here right away.”

——

Tony is so distraught when he gets Peter’s call that for a few minutes, he rambles about pointless things (mostly blaming Stephen, even though the doctor had no fault in the matter). Eventually, he has the good sense to get his things and get to the rental car.

“Keep me updated, baby, please.”

“I’ll- I’ll try… but, things might move quickly here. I- I might be in surgery.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll call Bucky and May. You- you stay put. I’ll be there, I promise. I love you, I love you.”

“I love you too. Just- just get here, Alpha…”

“I will, Omega mine. I will.”

——

Three hours later, Peter stops answering Tony’s calls. The Alpha gets a hold of Bucky though who is waiting at the hospital. May is picking up Ben and Harley from school and taking care of them.

Tony bursts into the waiting room, his suit a mess and face a storm of emotions. Bucky comes up to him, embracing him.

“They took Peter to surgery. They are doing a C-section, I presume. They wouldn’t tell me for sure since I’m not family.”

“But-but… It’s too early. What about the baby?” Tony’s eyes are wild, flickering from one place to the next. His hands tremble as he clutches at Bucky’s shoulders.

“It’s 4 weeks early. Pups survive that, and especially yours and Peter’s. They are fighters. Hey? You’ll all be okay. Just breathe.”

[vampiricnature]

Hey guys

FOP hcs under the cut

Dev Dimmadome

-has manic BPD

-curly hair (inherited from Dale)

-extremely closed off, emotionally really sensitive but is just really good at masking

-sleeps in the corner of his bed even if it's absolutely humongous

-likes futurama unironically

-favorite mlp character is sunset shimmer because she's "like, I dunno, whatever" (pretty and rebellious)

Hazel Wells

-favorite mlp character is Applejack because she's cool and strong, plus her accent

-high functioning autism!

-will debate people on whether or not ice cream is a food (it is and she always wins)

-usually when having episodes, her brother always helps her calm down, so when Dev has manic episodes she knows how to help him

Cosmo

-Bed hog

-loves slugs for no reason

-gifts Wanda moss and leaves (she loves it)

-very bisexual tbh, also uses she/her on occasion because he does drag 💪

Wanda

-genuinely enjoys Stephen King books, her favorite is Misery

-watches commentary videos about things she knows nothing about

-keeps every little trinket given to her by everyone (one time, hazel gaze her a rock with one big googly eye and Wanda put it on a shelf, and when hazel came over and saw it she started crying because Wanda displayed it)

Dale

-gay

-gay

-gay

Peri

-due to his love of fashion and his passion for helping kids, he's looked into symbols of support (he paints one of his pinkies red to show his support against csa)

-autistic because I'm him and I said so

-clicks his tongue against his teeth as his main stim (it usually hurts the tip of his tongue but he can't stop)

-scared of peacocks even though they're absolutely gorgeous to him. He just hates how they look at him

-loves fashion from all eras, but usually wears 70s/80s style clothing, with the occasional greaser look from the 50s

Jasmine Tran

-likes Katy Perry more than Taylor Swift

-had a weeb phase where she dressed in only anime merch for three months straight

-her favorite mlp character is Rarity because she's slay

-doesn't actually like musicals unless it's Disney or other animated movies, especially if the genre is pop or jukebox (like Trolls or strange magic)

Winn Harper

-avid Justin Bieber and Eminem fan

-tried roller skating but they don't have very good coordination like that, so skateboarding is much easier for them

-loves the "cool s" symbol

-says based about everything they like

-favorite mlp character is obviously rainbow dash because she's based

Anthony Wells

-ADD+OCD

-theatre lover, the kinda guy to like parody musicals (also watched scamilton and sobbed so hard because of how funnily atrocious it is)

-prefers red over blue Gatorade

-genuinely just a really good guy to everyone, naturally sweet

Irep

-Rivers is a vampire. Look it up

-uses gen alpha slang but also outdated trends like dabbing and flossing

-listens to ABBA on a daily basis, literally every night he plays gimme gimme gimme (a man after midnight) and in the morning it's Dancing queen

-only wears platforms because it makes him taller by like. An inch or two

-telle people to commit suicide on the internet for shits and giggles

-genuinely glad Peri changed his name because Foop embarrassed him and ruined his intimidating image

[apomaro-mellow]

Runaway Royalty 1

Read on AO3

Omegaverse; Prince Stephen is betrothed to Prince Edwin. But as the dawn of their wedding approaches, he takes his life into his own hands and runs away, right into the hands of a band of thieves. A band led by the enigmatic Eddie.

Steve could remember the day his fate had been sealed. It had been when he presented. The moment he was free from the throes of his initial heat, his father told him, although everyone else in the castle had already known. It had been what they were waiting for.

His parents looked elated. Their subjects cheered at the announcement. That in five years time, Prince Stephen would be wed to Prince Edwin.

At first, Steve didn’t know how to feel. He had known his parents were selecting matches from him, from all designations. They were simply awaiting his own to see who would match. And Prince Edwin, who had presented as an alpha just the year before, was perfect. At least in the eyes of the king and queen.

The week of the announcement, he and his twin sister Robin had a time, talking about what the other prince must be like. It wasn’t long after that when a letter came from Steve, addressed from Prince Edwin. It was a very impersonal letter, simply congratulating him on his first heat and saying what an honor it was to be betrothed. 

It wasn’t very romantic. But it was just the first letter. And the prince was only a year older than him. So Steve replied, thanking him and expressing anticipation for the day they were to be wed. He waited for months for a response, but there was nothing.

Seasons changed, and Prince Edwin hadn’t another word to say to him. In desperation, Steve had sent one letter during the changing of the seasons, commenting on how the weather was in his kingdom and inquiring how it might be in his own. Steve had more fulfilling conversations talking to the birds he fed. 

All Steve was left with were rumors about the prince. Whispers among his own court that got louder as he got older and was allowed to mingle for much later in the evening. 

Prince Edwin was a rogue of sorts. He was said to be irresponsible, lazy, and unambitious. It was said that he shirked his duties so often that he was rather useless as a prince. It made Steve less than eager to officially tie their futures together.

“He’s an absolute bore.”

“That is when he’s not talking your ear off. It’s nearly impossible to hold a conversation.”

“And he talks about utter nothingness. It’s as if you’re trying to hold a conversation with a child.”

Years and years of tawdry gossip and yet nothing from his intended, Steve had had enough. He sat in front of his vanity, trying to strengthen his resolve. He would miss his sister. And he was under no illusion that going from cushy palace life to that of an unknown traveler would be easy. But he had no other choice. He would rather be a commoner with freedom than a caged prince. 

He couldn’t marry Prince Edwin.

Steve ran a brush through his hair, the locks free and tumbling down his back. If he was going to do this, he had to change his appearance. Steve took a breath as he grabbed the scissors. He breathed in fast about three times.

“Okay, on three”, he said to himself, scissors in one hand, a bunch of hair in the other. He had been growing his hair for as long as he could remember. Whenever his looks got compared to the beauty of his mother, he preened with pride. Now he had to cut that part of himself away. 

Snip

After the first cut, the rest went with ease. He cleaned the hair up from the floor, changed into plainer clothes, and then snuck out under cover of night. He and Robin used to sneak out of the castle when they were kids. So getting out was the easy part. The hard part would be never coming back. When he was a good distance away, at the tree and Robin used to climb, he took a final look.

His forlorn sigh turned into a shriek when something dropped down from the tree.

“Stifle yourself!”, Robin hissed, covering his mouth.

He licked her hand, getting her off as she wretched and took a step back. Both were confused to their roots.

“What are you doing here?”, he asked.

“Leaving with you”, Robin said after wiping her hand on her pants. “What did you do to your hair?”, she reached out and touched it. 

“I had to look unrecognizable. But you can’t just leave.” Robin’s rut had started pretty much right after his heat did. As an alpha, she was the heir to the throne. His parents would send out entire armies to search for her.

“You’re insane if you think I’m letting you leave without me. You need me.”

Steve didn’t doubt that. But he also couldn’t let his sister throw her life away just for him. “Robin, Our parents will-”

“They’ll either figure something out or they won’t. But this is our lives. Yours and mine. And I choose to live mine with you, wherever you go. Besides, you need your big sister, you can’t even handle your own hair without me.”

“I am older than you by five whole minutes, don’t start trying to rewrite history now”, Steve argued.

“Well, technically Prince Stephen is five minutes older than Princess Robin. We’ve gotta change our story if we’re going to blend in”, she said as she started on the trail away from the castle.

Steve followed, knowing he wouldn’t be able to change her mind and not wanting to anyway. He had been afraid of leaving a part of himself in that place to carry his half of the burden of royalty. But she came, able to read him and know his thoughts sometimes even before himself. 

They had come into this world together and now they were going into the next together.

Little did they know, that their paths would soon cross with a band of robbers…

Part 2

[lupoteodoro]

My Ron Livingston Watchlist Guide

Must-Watch

Office Space (1999)

Band of Brothers (2001)

Ron Livingston's Complete Bootcamp Video Diary (2001)

Keyboard Cat Redux (2009)

Highly Recommended

Swingers (1996) – Goofy.

A Rumor of Angels (2000) – Beautiful movie, and this role led him to get Nix.

Holly (2006)

Music Within (2007)

Defying Gravity (2009) – could have been an iconic space drama.

Parkland (2013) – I love his performance in this one.

Loudermilk (2017-2020)

Worth Watching

The Low Life (1995) – Story of a Yale grad.

Townies (1996) -- licked by a golden retriever puppy

Campfire Tales (1997) – full back nudity.

Body Shots (1999) -- yeah, that one

Beat (2000) – Super cute nerdy gay boy.

44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out (2003)

Sex and the City (1998-2004) – Enough is enough: Berger is my pretty baby boy.

House (2006) – He looks so good.

Relative Strangers (2006) – Fun to watch.

Standoff (2006-2007) – Obviously.

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006)

Leave (2011) – A BoB cast reunion.

Drinking Buddies (2013)

Boardwalk Empire (2013-2014)

Saints & Strangers (2015)

Shangri-La Suite (2016) – Fat Elvis.

Welcome to America (2016)

Daddy Vibes

The Conjuring (2013) – Haunted dad.

Fort Bliss (2014) – Military spouse dad.

The 5th Wave (2016) – Post-apocalyptic gorgeous dad.

Lucky (2017) – Because his look here is what I imagine for Stanhope.

Tully (2018) – Gentle omega dad.

The Long Dumb Road (2018) – Violent Alpha Dad.

The Romanoffs (2018) – Reasonable dad.

A Million Little Things (2018-2023) – Why does he die right away and leave a mess behind? This show annoys me. But he's so good in it.

The Flash (2023) – The Flash’s dad.

Sitting in Bars with Cake (2023) – Adorable sad dad.

His Pretty Face >> plot

JAG (1997) – POW baby.

Timecop (1997) – A 1920s New York cop.

Two Ninas (1999)

The Practice (1999) – I think his character was bullied, but he still looked very great.

Buying the Cow (2002)

The Cooler (2003)

Little Black Book (2004)

10 Years (2011)

Love Him Even as a Villain/Tragic

Adaptation (2002)

King of the Ants (2003)

American Crude (2008)

Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)

The Professor (2018)

Search Party (2016-2022)

Doesn’t Fit Anywhere but You Could Watch

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

Game Change (2012)

[space-mermaid-writing]

All thanks to you

Part 5 of the wild west IronStrange au.

Ko-fi | Masterlist | Read it on AO3 | Word count: 0.5k | Previous | Next

With a smile, Stephen stood back and observed the foal as it attempted its first jumps. The young creature was still wobbly on its legs, but it exhibited a playful, coltish nature filled with curiosity. It was a good sign after the difficult birth just a few days ago, a process marked by complications that had left the mother in need of recovery. Fortunately, she was gradually improving as well.

Stephen began to pack up his bag. He took a last look at the foal before stepping out, heading towards Levi, who was standing by a post in front of the Rogers' ranch house. As he approached, he noticed the front door swing open, revealing two men exiting. One of them was the mayor.

It was common knowledge that he and Rogers Senior shared a strong friendship, and Stephen had heard recent chatter about Rogers' son returning home from the military.

The two men exchanged friendly handshakes, and as the mayor turned his head, he caught sight of Stephen and walked over to him.

“Howdy, Doctor. Fancy meeting you here.”

“G’day, Sir,” Stephen replied, keeping his tone polite.

“How did the recent check-up with my son go?”

Stephen came over once a week to check on Tony. He tried to avoid the alpha without making it obvious. It was less out of guilt but rather to protect his and Tony’s secret. He was sure his feelings for the omega were written on his face for everyone to see.

“Good. His heart is steady and healthy.”

The mayor nodded, clearly satisfied with that information. “That’s good to hear. I don’t think I’ll require your service anymore in that matter.”

Stephen felt a sudden unease wash over him. That had not been his intention “Are you sure? We shouldn’t-…”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Stark interrupted him, his tone firm and slightly irritated by Stephen's persistent questions. “There had been no more incidents. It makes me believe it was a one time occurrence. In fact, these past weeks, Tony seemed healthier and happier than ever.”

Yeah, Stephen knew a thing or two about Tony’s newfound happiness, but he kept his mouth shut, simply nodding along politely.

The mayor didn't seem to expect an answer anyway, because he continued, “Which is perfect timing since I’m looking to get him finally mated.”

Stark’s eyes wandered to Rogers’ house, and thus missing when Stephen's features slipped for a moment.

Stephen’s blood was rushing in his ears. All sorts of thoughts raced through his head, but he couldn’t grasp anything further from the mayor's words. He simply didn’t hear it.

All he could think of was that Tony was about to get a mate. And Stephen was painfully sure he wasn’t one of the candidates.

[infiniteeight8]

Alpha/Alpha IronStrange - Stephen’s Co-Workers

The unprompted follow-ups continue! The rest of this series can be found here: https://archiveofourown.org/series/4381990

-

Stephen had braced himself for gossip. One omega congratulating him on bonding might have slipped through the hospital’s grapevine, at least for a few days, but Stephen had checked with four other people, which effectively guaranteed that everyone in the building would know he was bonded by the time his next shift started. 

The speed of hospital gossip rivals the speed of light.

So yes, he’d braced himself for gossip. He’d expected disapproval for his choice of partner, for the same dynamic nature of the bond, and for how quickly it had happened. None of it was the way bonding was supposed to be done.

Instead—

An anesthesiologist stops Stephen on the way to the break room, her eyes shining. “Doctor Strange!” she says. “I heard the news. It’s so romantic. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Doctor Robinson,” Stephen says politely.

She falls into step next to him. “Is it true you met at a gala?”

“Yes.”

“A gala,” she sighs. “Like a prince.”

Stephen suspects she’d be a little less starry eyed if she knew he and Tony had fucked in a bathroom ten minutes after meeting. He is, however, too professional to share that particular detail in the middle of the hospital. Instead, he settles for, “Which of us is the prince in this scenario?”

“Uh… both?” Doctor Robinson says, blushing.

“Good answer,” Stephen says dryly, even though it’s patently obvious that she’d been picturing billionaire playboy Tony Stark as the prince. Everyone else he’s overheard has cast him in that role, after all. Stephen can see their point. Not that he’d ever tell them so.

Doctor Robinson peels off to head to her own work, then, and Stephen manages to dodge any other comments, though not any other looks, long enough to make it to the break room. Christine is there, alone and without heart eyes, thankfully.

“Well, if it isn’t the belle of the ball,” she says, grinning.

Stephen groans. No heart eyes, but teasing. There was no way he was escaping the teasing. “Please tell me you have not bought into the grand romantic fantasies.”

Alarmingly, Christine doesn’t immediately scoff at the idea. “Not grand,” she says eventually, “but romantic? A little bit, yeah. You’re keeping the bond, or you’d be tearing strips off of everyone who’s been sighing in your general direction. Making a lifelong commitment three months after meeting someone is kind of a whirlwind romance.”

That’s hard to argue with. Stephen pours himself a coffee to buy himself time, but it doesn’t help. “I guess it is,” he admits. 

Christine gives him a long look and then breaks into a sudden smile. “I’m happy you’re happy, Stephen.”

Somehow, Stephen finds himself blushing. Maybe because he is happy. “Thank you.”

[holylulusworld]

A parted land (5)

Summary: Alphas are almost extinct, and omegas rule the new world.

Pairing: Nomad!(Alpha)Steve Rogers x Omega!Reader, Feral!Bucky Barnes x Omega!Reader

Characters: Stephen Strange

Warnings: dystopian world, language, a/b/o, Steve is smitten by you, mentions of extinction and death, a hint of fluff, possessive/protective Steve, scenting, feral Bucky

A/N: It's been a while, huh...

Divider @firefly-graphics

A brand-new land (4)

No man’s land masterlist

“Bucky?” You ask while keeping an eye on the alpha chained to the ground. “You know that man? How?”

“He’s…” Steve doesn’t know how to explain to you how much the man chained to the ground means to him. “I guess you know him as the Winter Soldier. But before all that, he was my best friend. James Buchanan Barnes.”

“Oh—OH! Sorry, I didn’t remember the name,” you crouch down to get a better look at Bucky. “I think I read an article about him some years back.”

“Buck, what happened,” Steve crouches down next to you, to make sure that Bucky doesn’t see him as a threat. “Can you hear me, my friend? It’s me, Steve.”

Bucky lifts his head. He sniffs in your direction and purrs low in his throat. His eyes glow scenting an omega after what feels like ages.

“Omega,” he growls. “OMEGA!”

“Y/N, maybe you should leave. I don’t think your presence will help—” Steve huffs when you slowly crawl toward his friend. “Y/N! What did I just say?”

“Your presence won’t help him,” you shush Steve. He’s a possessive and jealous alpha and doesn’t want to share you with his friend but this can’t be helped.

“Y/N…omega…” Steve licks his lips. “Be careful. He won’t remember that he used to belong to my pack and that he's my best friend.”

“Well, I’ll make him part of my pack then,” you scoot closer to Bucky. “I won’t hurt you.” You softly speak to the alpha who flinches when you lift your hand. “Hi there.”

“Omega,” Bucky snarls.

“Look at you,” you coo and carefully run your hand over his metal arm. “A strong and wild alpha right in front of me.”

Bucky tilts his head.

“What’s your name,” you move even closer, earning a snarl from Steve. “I’m Y/N, and you know the grumpy alpha watching us. It’s Stevie, your friend.”

“Stevie,” Bucky repeats. “Omega.”

“We won’t hurt you, Bucky,” you sit next to him to inhale his scent deeply. Just like Steve before, Bucky’s scent makes your toes curl, and you purr low in your throat.

“Fuck,” Steve curses loudly watching your reaction when you catch his friend’s scent. “Y/N, be careful.” He says again, afraid you will turn your back on him.

“What does a pretty alpha like you do in this cell?” You move closer again to run both of your hands over Bucky’s chest and up to his neck. “Don’t you want to join my pack?” You lean closer to whisper in his ear. “I wouldn’t mind having two alphas.”

Steve grits his teeth. He puffs his chest and snarls in your direction.

“Y/N.”

“Shush, Steve. He’s slowly relaxing,” you stop Steve from dragging you out of the room to show everyone he laid claim on you. He may be an alpha, but you have been the leader of a pack for longer than him.

Bucky allows you to touch his chest, he hums and watches you run your hands over his body.

“What are you doing?” Steve asks. “You’re my omega.”

“I think you got something wrong,” you look over your shoulder to size Steve up. “You’re part of my pack. My alpha. This doesn’t mean my pack cannot grow. Bucky needs a pack, and I’m the one in charge.”

Steve crosses his arms over his chest. He looks away and sniffs.

“Are you pouting?” you smirk at Steve. “Aw, you’re still my favorite alpha, okay. Why don't you come over here and allow Bucky to scent you too? Move slowly and lower your head. We don’t want him to lash out.”

“Captain Rogers, I don’t think this is a good idea. I needed months before he stopped snapping at me. He’s still a feral alpha. Your friend or not.”

“We need any help to rebuild this world or set your plan into motion. If we want to fix the mess our world is, we will need this alpha,” you snarl in Strange’s direction. You still don’t trust him. Maybe it’s because of his powers or the fact that you can’t scent him.

“Buck, it’s me,” Steve follows your order. He slowly moves toward you and his friend, head bowed to not scare or anger his friend. “Steve. You remember me, right? We are friends. No. We are family.”

Bucky breathes heavily. He grits his teeth and starts fighting the magic chains holding him in place. The alpha growls loudly and tugs at the restraints.

“OMEGA!” He gets impatient because you stopped touching him. “MINE!”

“She’s mine, Buck,” Steve growls, making you flinch. Great. That’s the last thing you need. A feral alpha versus Captain America. “MINE!”

“Miss,” Stranges claps his hands. You are suddenly outside the room, and the door is back in its place. “You need to stay away from them. They haven’t seen an omega in years. Your scent is driving them up the wall, and they will kill each other if you remain inside the room.”

“Dr. Strange,” you sigh and place your hand on his shoulder. “I know you had a hard time protecting this place and finding a way to undo the events leading up to this point. But I was the leader of a pack for longer than five minutes. Alphas and Omegas followed my lead. So, leave this to me.”

“They will hurt you or worse,” worry flashes in his eyes when he looks at you. “What if they team up to mate you? What if I can’t save you?”

You chuckle. “Doc, that wouldn’t be the worst way to go down.” You grab his hand, squeezing it tightly. "If this goes awry, I have a diary in my backpack. I noted the location of the survivors I met. Maybe it helps.”

“Y/N don’t do this,” he tries to stop you, but you touch the door, and it disappears. “If you need me, just think my name.”

You nod and step inside the room, immediately catching both alphas' attention. They look your way, eyes glued to you as their chests heave up and down.

“We need to talk this out, guys,” you look over your shoulder at Strange. “Release him. If he attacks us, I’ll scream, and you can get us out like you did with me before.”

Strange nods and claps his hands. The door reappears, and the chains holding Bucky to the ground disappear. The alpha cocks his head. He looks at you, purring low in his throat.

You expect him to pounce on you and scent you, but he sits back on his heels, just watching you and Steve for a moment. He tilts his head, eyes zeroing in on Steve.

“St-“ you shriek when Bucky pounces on Steve, not you. You’re ready to help Steve but the feral alpha sniffs at Steve’s neck, growling low in his throat. “Steve.”

“Buck,” Steve tries not to give in to his instinct and pushes the alpha off him. He lies stiffly under his friend, allowing the alpha to scent him. “How have you been?”

 “Guys, that’s not what I had in mind,” you chuckle nervously. “Is there something I should know? How close are you and Bucky?”

“We are friends. No – after all we’ve been through together, we are brothers,” Steve looks up at Bucky, a content smile on his lips. “He used to protect me when I was still the sick and small boy from Brooklyn.”

Bucky considers Steve’s words. He looks at you, eyes darkening as his eyes land on your marred mating gland. “OURS?” He asks, eyes searching Steve’s.

“Ours,” Steve confirms without missing a beat. “Only ours…”

More tags in reblog.

No man’s land

@undecidedsworld, @pono-pura-vida, @balloncinveronnie

[cutechan555]

< Previous Next >

CW // might be sensitive

Finally decided to design

Gustavo's parents

Meet Marcus and Lucinda

Marcus

Cold , distant and harsh the type of the man who would be an alpha male, and he's all about masculinity and strength and he's a pretty big blacksmith and a former knight

Lucinda

Soft spoken, gentle and reserved she's a House wife, just stays in Marcus' good side she's a loving and kind mother to Gustavo and his brothers and compassionate at one point she was a mage and taught Gustavo everything he knows about magic

Lore

Their relationship unfortunately isn't all that great, Lucinda wasn't Marcus first marriage as he just married her to be a mother figure to Stephen

Yeah Stephen was born from a different mother and Gustavo and Marcell were born from Lucinda

Gustavo was born Marcus tried to mold him into the man he wanted him to be, unfortunately it didn't go well resulting in them having a rather...distant relationship he doesn't support Gustavo leaving the town to become a chef

However he did favor Marcell as he was able to make him follow his footsteps and made him grow up to be manly

He doesn't support Stephen's decision as well but wouldn't be open about as he's a child from his past wife

He's the reason Gustavo doesn't visit his hometown much

What do you think?

New to the blog? Check this out!

🩵Art requests🩵→CLOSED

❤️Art trades❤️→OPEN

🔁Reblogs are appreciated🔁

[saucypancarbonara]

💥| - In which Tony and Stephen are college students and Stephen accidentally got Tony pregnant.

-----------------------------------------------

Tony Stark had everything he wanted. A private dorm room, he was very smart, and he always had good grades. He was cocky, incredibly handsome, prideful, and egotistical, and had girls and boys flocking to him. What more could he ask for? Although there is one thing he always wanted.

To be an alpha.

Oh yes, Tony Stark, the prodigy student at MIT, was actually an omega. He tried to hide his status by using scent blockers and heat suppressants. He presented himself as a beta instead. He wasn't tall and strong enough to be an alpha, but despite his omega build, he looked a bit like a beta, so that was the status he was hiding behind.

Everything then suddenly went downhill when Rhodey and a few friends of his went to the bar to drink after passing another semester. After a few dozen glasses, Tony was still fine, but his friends were not. He decided to leave for the bar.

Then a boy his age, with a hoodie with Columbia printed over it, sat beside him. Tony could smell he was an alpha, and he subtly scooted away. Though the alpha was handsome. High cheekbones, a small stubble, and raven black hair with silver strips on the side coming from his temples. He was like no man Tony has ever seen. The alpha then small-talked with him, and Tony replied... As much as he tells himself this was a bad idea.

A few hours passed by, and Tony felt like he had known the alpha for life. He went to Columbia; he was studying to be a surgeon and had a perfect GPA. And for some reason it was incredibly attractive to the omega, something he would have thought he would never say to an alpha he just met an hour ago.

And it seemed like the feeling was mutual too. The alpha would laugh at his witty comebacks, and he would reply with wittier ones too. It seemed they both matched their incredibly large egos. As midnight rolled in, they were both pretty wasted. They gazed into each other's eyes. Were the alpha's eyes this blue? He didn't care. He was just going by instincts, and his instincts wanted that alpha. Badly.

And one thing led to another; their lips collided, and they quickly moved to the bar's motel. And soon, they shared the night of passion. They were too drunk to remember protection. And Tony was off birth control and heat suppressants because his doctor said it would be too unhealthy for him.

When Tony awoke the next day with an annoying headache, he was alone. Just great, just as he was really interested in the guy, the alpha ditched him just for a one-night stand, and he didn't even get his name or number. Typical alpha behavior. Bunch of knotheads.

Speaking of knotting,

The realization dawned on Tony. That bastard knotted him! And Tony liked it! And to add, he wasn't on birth control and heat suppressants. He may get pregnant...

Shit.

And pregnant did Tony get. After 2 weeks, Tony began to puke, and embarrassingly even in classes. He only brushed it off as a simple food poisoning incident. But deep inside, Tony knew what was happening. And he just needed to prove it.

After school one day, he went out and bought a pregnancy test. He awkwardly gave it to the lady at the counter, and the lady stared at him judgingly. Tony brushed it off; he knew he was only 20 and had no regard for motherhood, or is it fatherhood? Gender was confusing sometimes.

Once he got back to his dorm, he took out the pregnancy test and pissed on it. And soon enough, two lines showed, confirming he was pregnant. And an ultrasound with a gynecologist, and she proved it. Tony was actually panicking now; he didn't know how parenting worked or even taking care of a pup nonetheless! He couldn't even take care of himself, much less cook an omelette!

Fast forward 5 months.

Tony walked back from the store carrying groceries. His life wasn't destroyed fully. He was still top of his class and still kept that perfect GPA. He was a bit... Rounder and bigger. Rhodey was the only one he told about this pregnancy and that he really was an omega and not a beta. And his best friend swore never to tell anyone. If he did, Tony would kill him.

Tony also learned how to cook. His doctor said he couldn't live off McDonald's cheeseburgers forever. So he had to take the initiative to actually learn how to cook, and he quite enjoys it, to be frank. At least he wasn't burning omelettes all the time now.

He also decided to kill the pup. He didn't want an abortion. He brought this up himself because of a silly one-night stand, and he was going to take responsibility for being a parent. As much as he hated kids himself, he would learn to love this one. No exceptions.

Tony was close to his private dorm at MIT when he suddenly passed by someone with a familiar scent. Sure, everyone had a unique scent in this whole city, but the one that passed by him was special. Like he knew that scent. He stopped and turned back and...

It was him. The alpha that he slept with. That infuriatingly handsome alpha. The alpha that pseudo ruined his life. The alpha looked back at him. Though, he was holding a woman's hand, probably his girlfriend. He felt his face flush in embarrassment when the alpha's piercing blue eyes eyed his swollen belly. He started showing around the first week of his 5th month. Does this guy know this was his baby?

Then Tony saw it. The red twine that connected them was tied on their pinkies, and it seemed the alpha saw it too. Tony was never the one to believe in soulmates. He heard from other people that they had found their true soulmate once the red twine showed, and that's how they found their true love. Tony craved that, but he didn't see himself as someone's soulmate.

He was screwed, wasn't he?

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💥| - FIRST FANFIC WAHOO! pls don't mind the bad english, it's not my first language 😭. Lmk if u want a part two or if u want more.

Do not repost any of my work to any external sites.

[starkstrangesorcerer]

Title: The Careful Balance of Love Tags: Omega!Tony, Alpha!Stephen, mpreg!Tony, Doctor Dad, Iron Mom, Family Fluff, Pregnancy Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Bonding, omegas are called mama and alphas are called daddy by their children Pairing: Stephen Strange/Tony Stark Characters: Stephen, Tony, Sophie (OC daughter), Bats Word Count: 2,350

Tony who was usually the one to take control of every situation, found himself sitting on the couch, his pregnant belly poking out in front of him, as he watched Stephen, bustling around the living room with their toddler, Sophie.

Sophie, all wild curls and bright eyes, ran circles around the house while Bats, followed her dutifully, his droopy ears flopping as he jogged after her.

"I've got it, Stephen," Tony insisted again, reaching for the baby wipes on the coffee table despite the discomfort that came with bending over too much. "I can take care of Sophie just fine. I don’t need you hovering over me."

Stephen shot him a look that could only be described as a mixture of concern and amusement. His brow furrowed slightly, his hands busy as he picked up Sophie and set her gently on his lap to prevent her from getting herself hurt.

"Tony, I know you can take care of Sophie. But you’re carrying our second child, and I want you to rest. You don’t have to do everything.”

Tony, ever the stubborn one, sighed. "I don’t want to be pampered, Stephen. I’m not an invalid."

Stephen placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder, his voice low and reassuring. "I know, and I’m not treating you like one. But I can handle this. You should take care of yourself, for both of you." He gave Sophie a playful smile, and she giggled, leaning forward to plant a kiss on his cheek.

Tony watched the two of them, his heart swelling with a mix of affection and frustration. He couldn’t deny that seeing Stephen with Sophie brought out the gentler side of the alpha.

Sophie bounced up and down on Stephen’s lap, her tiny hands reaching out for her favorite book. "Daddy, read," she demanded, her voice high-pitched and adorable.

Stephen’s expression softened, and he pulled the book toward him. “Of course, sweetheart.”

Tony couldn’t help but watch them, his hand gently resting on his belly. He still wasn’t used to the idea of being a pregnant omega, especially with how often Stephen insisted on taking care of things. But he also couldn’t deny how good it felt to see Stephen so involved in their little family. He smiled, despite himself.

Just as Stephen began reading aloud to Sophie, Bats trotted over to Tony, resting his chin on Tony’s lap with a soft, expectant look in his eyes. Tony scratched behind the dog’s ears, sighing again. "It’s like I have two babies to look after now," he muttered.

Stephen glanced up from the book, his lips curling into a small smile. "Well, you’re not the only one. I’m not exactly getting a break either."

"I know, I know," Tony grumbled, though the warmth in his voice showed he didn’t mind in the least. "But I’m still capable of taking care of our little one."

“I know you are,” Stephen replied softly, his gaze gentle. “But it’s important to rest, Tony. Not just for the baby you're carrying, but for yourself too. I want you to be okay.”

Tony opened his mouth to protest again but was cut off by Sophie’s giggle. She wiggled her tiny fingers toward Tony, trying to get his attention. "Mama, play!"

Tony smiled, the sternness of the conversation slipping away. He leaned down, letting Sophie climb into his lap. Bats, now satisfied with the attention from Tony, happily plopped down at their feet.

“I can play, little one," Tony said, his voice softening. "But remember, Mama’s not supposed to do too much right now.”

Sophie grinned mischievously. “But you can play with me, Mama!”

Tony chuckled, his irritation forgotten as Sophie clung to him. Despite his protests, he couldn’t help but enjoy moments like this, the simple joy of having his little girl in his arms, with Bats curled at their feet. He knew Stephen was right he didn’t have to do everything himself.

Stephen, noticing the slight exhaustion in Tony’s eyes, gave him a knowing look. He walked over and sat beside them, his strong arm wrapping around Tony’s shoulders as he kissed the top of Tony’s head. “You see? You’re allowed to rest. I’ve got everything handled.”

Tony tilted his head back, meeting Stephen’s eyes with a fond look. "I know," he murmured, his fingers absently tracing circles on Sophie’s back as she nestled into his chest.

Sophie, content and sleepy after their impromptu playtime, let out a soft yawn. Tony smiled and shifted her gently in his arms. “Looks like it’s nap time for the little one,” he said, rocking Sophie as he stood up carefully, his belly making the action a bit more awkward than it used to be.

Stephen quickly stepped in to help, wrapping an arm around Tony’s waist for support. “I’ve got her,” he said, taking Sophie into his arms once Tony had her settled into a comfortable position. “You just focus on resting. We’re a team, remember?”

Tony couldn’t hold back the smile that spread across his face. "Yeah, we are."

Stephen kissed him softly on the cheek before settling Sophie into her little bed in the corner. Bats immediately followed, curling up next to her, clearly sensing that it was time for everyone to relax.

Tony hummed before he settled back down onto the couch, his feet propped up. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the peaceful atmosphere of their home wash over him.

He could hear Stephen humming softly as he cleaned up a few stray toys, and he felt a warmth spread through him, a sense of contentment that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Maybe he didn’t have to do everything on his own after all.

And maybe, just maybe, it was okay to let Stephen take the reins sometimes.

[witchywithwhiskey]

On the AO3 post for the alpha next door you wrote that you'd mostly read omegaverse novels om KU. Do you have any recs??? 😄 always looking to expand my TBR!

oh my god there is nothing i love more than giving book recs!!! ok here we go:

Baby & the Late Night Howlers by Kathryn Moon was my very first omegaverse book. it's reverse harem + bikers, and the premise is basically that the female main character thinks she's a beta but finds out she's an omega by very suddenly going into heat while in a biker bar. i think it's a pretty good entry point.

Lola & the Millionaires Part One and Two by Kathryn Moon are the second and third novels in this Sweet Omegaverse series (which are all reverse harem), and they're about a beta who matches with a pack of millionaires who've found a male omega. this is a neat non-omega-focused duology.

Bad Alpha by Kathryn Moon (i swear not every book on this list will be by Kathryn Moon) is another book in this universe. its about a female alpha who forms a pack with a male omega and some male alphas. she's also an assassin who was sent to kill the male omega, but she mates with him instead. and she's very much a badass.

Faith & the Dead End Devils by Kathryn Moon is about the omega sister of the male omega from Bad Alpha. it has another biker pack but i think i liked it better than the first one. she's rescued by the bikers from like omega traders and it takes her some time to feel comfortable with the pack and i like stories like that. (also there's one scene where a beta uses his fist to replicate a knot and i....have never been the same 😳)

outside Kathryn Moon's Sweet Omegaverse series, i recently finished reading Devyn Sinclair's Slate City Omegaverse series and it's great—they're all reverse harem as well and take scent matching even further. Knot Your Damn Omega is about an omega whose twin sister is a famous actress and so she's struggled to meet alphas who truly want her for her, until she meets her scent matches in a pack of tattoo artists. Knot All That Glitters is about a politician's daughter who scent matches with her security guard and his pack. and Knot For A Moment is about a ballet dancer who scent matched with her best friend in college but left before he found out and then of course he joins her ballet company years later and learns she's his match. all of these are very very sweet but have a good amount of plot to balance the smut.

Dark City Omega by Elizabeth Stephens is the only non-reverse harem omegaverse book i'm rec'ing but it's just so so so so good—it has an enemies to lovers storyline that's chef's kiss. it's a bit on the darker side, and the world-building is more extensive than the other books, but it's fantastic.

i also devoured the first book of the Pack Darling duology by Lola Rock in like less than 24 hours, but it ends on a cliffhanger and i had to wait for the second book and it just didn't really live up to my expectations so that's a "maybe you could try it if you want" kind of rec.

anyway! those are the ones i'd rec. i've read others but they were only ok. if you've read any already, or if you do read any, let me know what you think!!

[professional-benaddict]

part 19 of the omegaverse au🖤 and previous part by @winterspiderpurrs in the reblog here

everything is being posted on AO3 so follow the story here 🖤

“All right, let’s get started. Calling Doctor Stephen Strange to the witness stand.”

The doctor in question stood up and straightened his suit as he headed up to the wooden witness stand.

Tony had mostly spent the day at court keeping his head down a bit. His lawyers adviced him to try and seem as non-threatning as possible. Luckily, the judge wouldn’t cave into OPS’ lawyers demands to have Tony handcuffed, so he was free to move around.

The shaved patch on Tony’s head had started to grow again, and his scar was mostly covered by hair now, but still a bit pink and soft. He had gotten to shave his facial hair before the trial, so he was back in his beloved goatee. He felt more like himself, but not entirely. He didn’t have much of an appetite, so the suit that Ben and Harley had brought him from home sat a little more loosely on his frame.

The Alphas hands, and whole body frankly, ached for the feeling of having his Omega close. Peter’s scent from behind him gave him some comfort, and hope. As did the fact that Stephen was going up there to defend him. Even if he had a bruised jaw which he could have used to get Tony in prison, easily.

Tony’s lips twitched upwards in a shaky smile as he met Stephen’s eyes from where he now sat on the stand.

The judge had the doctor go through the formalities, stating his oath to speak the truth, then his full name and profession. And, his relation to Tony.

“Tony’s a good friend, an old friend, and now very recently he was also a patient of mine.”

“How did you first meet the defendant?”

“Oh… At a party, when we were in college. Then we started hanging out more and more. We were friends for many years before he even met Peter, and have been ever since. I love their three kids as if they were my own.”

“And then he was your patient?”

“Yes. Tony started showing strange symptoms, changes to his behaviour.”

“What kind of changes?”

Stephen paused a little, looking over at Tony, and the man nodded a little.

“Increased aggression. And protectiveness towards his Omega.”

“And you, Doctor Strange, you were a victim of his aggression, correct? The defendant attacked you, in the hospital.”

Tony nodded towards Stephen again. It pained the doctor to say these things, even if they had all talked it through with the lawyers.

“Yes, your Honor. Peter was having surgery, and there were some complications, so Tony and the boys weren’t getting updates for a while. I went to find out what was going on and came back to tell Tony that Peter was okay, but- but he became upset. He punched me. I didn’t press charges, and I won’t- I told the police and the OPS, because Tony was sick.”

The OPS lawyer, Samson or something, stood up.

“Your Honor, we have Doctor Strange’s statement from that incident, as well as the nurses who were on call. They told us that the defendant had threatened them multiple times, yelling and harrassing them. Even if altercations between Alphas are not our concern, we cannot ignore how the defendant harrassed and threatened the Omega nurses. Who knows how many other Omegas the defendant could hurt if he goes unpunished?”

Tony swallowed thickly and turned to look at Peter behind him. The Omega gave him a sad little smile. He mouthed “it’s okay” and the Alpha felt a bit better.

The lawyers argued back and forth for a bit longer until the judge grew tired of it. He told them to sit down again, and directed another question at Stephen.

“Doctor, I have all the paperwork from the hospital that the defendant shared, as does the jury. We will have time to read through them thoroughly concerning the defendant’s health. But, in your professional opinion, was the defendant sick and does it explain his behaviour?”

“Yes, Tony was sick. The tumor in his brain was releasing excess adrenalin and also messing with his hormones. Tony’s testosterone levels were off the charts, which explains his aggression. But, once I removed the tumor a month ago, Tony has shown no signs of that aggression. He is back to his normal self.” Stephen paused a little, looking over at Peter and the boys on the first row of benches behind Tony and the lawyers.

“A loving father and husband. An Alpha who will protect and love his family and friends, but he would never hurt someone.”

The judge hummed a little, and all eyes were on him.

“Thank you, Doctor. The court will be on break for an hour. Dismissed.”

[browsingaround2]

Books/Series in the Mercy Thompson universe that I am respectfully (desperately) asking Patricia Briggs to write asap:

(Some spoilers.)

1. More. Bran. Lore. I am insatiable for it. Wild Sign and the short story Silver are everything. How I both love and hate this man. I’m in awe of Patty’s ability with this character.

2. Stephen deserves happiness. Please a spin off where he finds reciprocated love. 🥹

3. More Samuel and Ariana content! What were they doing in Africa?! How did Samuel react to that baby news?!

4. More stories about Ben. He deserves happiness too! (If you want to read my WIP where I’m attempting to do this, check out my ao3 story “Soul Flight”. My page is linked in the pinned post.)

5. The next Alpha & Omega book because oh my goodness Charles Cornick as a daddy 🥹

6. What happened to Tad at college?!?!

7. Will Mercy ever get pregnant? What will that baby BE?!

Please and thank you, Patty.

Sincerely,

Your devoted reader

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/5/2024: INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994)

I'm sorry, but this movie fucking sucks. I hadn't seen it in decades and I thought it was probably "OK"; I devoured the books as a kid and I didn't remember hating the film, but I should have realized that it was a red flag that I didn't love it. I have now discovered that it's bad enough that it failed to thrill me when I was a morose little horror dork who was really the target audience, and as an adult I can hardly stand it.

Daniel Molloy (Christian Slater, dressed up as Art Spiegelman for some reason) interviews for-realsies vampire Louis (Brad Pitt, still looking like he spends a lot of time in the sun) about life with his master Lestat (Tom Cruise, who knows why) and their eternally-childlike daughter Claudia (poor li'l Kirsten Dunst). Suddenly I feel like I don't know what to say about this, as I'm writing, even though I enjoyed the book and also the superior-in-every-single-way TV show. You know. Louis is really sad about being a monster. Lestat is really happy about being a monster. Claudia is really mad about being a monster. They have interpersonal problems. Later they meet some other vampires, and have interpersonal problems with them. At the end Louis is angry with Daniel for not getting the point, but maybe neither did I.

To some degree the problems of the movie are the problems of the book, but on the page they're basically forgivable for various reasons. I'm probably not going to refresh my memory, but as I recall Anne Rise has a way of really drawing you into her world, which is so literally-sensational that it makes up for her boy-crazy humorlessness. Everybody basically has one characteristic, outlined above, but the visceral pleasure of the prose takes over--and to be totally fair, it was novel at the time. It was the vampire story we had all been waiting to hear. (Ok, so the book is from 1978 but it still felt fresh in 1994) But when you port all that to the screen and leave the telling to these actors who are almost universally miscast, it all just lies there, dead.

I thought my hesitation about rewatching this was related to my petty aversion to Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise specifically. I really don't enjoy either of them in general, and I also felt like they were profoundly wrong for the roles; neither of them could be less goth, less tortured, less otherworldly. It feels criminal to fill these classic queer outsider roles with alpha males who seem like they would have beaten up your weird gay friends in high school, and their performances are not remotely good enough to make up for this impression. Kirsten Dunst is perfectly awful but like...you just can't have a 12 year old playing a person who is any older than 12. It cannot work. It's not her fault, it's just a bad idea.

The only guy who is any good at all in this is Stephen Rea, a staple of director Neil Jordan's films, who I almost didn't even recognize because his Santiago is so uncanny and dynamic and fun despite having very little to do. I love the way his look references LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT, it made me wonder how much more could have been done by subtly comparing Rice's vampires with their cultural predecessors. Rea lights up every scene he's in because he's so mischievous and unpredictable, and he's also almost the only person with any standout stunts--which helps me segue into the other main gripe I had with this movie, that it is incredibly stiff and static. It's like a prison. Everyone is totally weighed down by their giant ridiculous wigs and seven layer costumes, so even though the movie is supposed to be all sensual and shit, it's like nobody can even move.

Dealing with INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE is making me realize that I'm not quite sure what I think about Neil Jordan. I have this kneejerk reaction that he is Great because THE CRYING GAME is such an institution, and MONA LISA is real good too, but I might have found all of his other movies kind of humorless and stiff and like, beautiful but not altogether meaningful. I really struggle with THE COMPANY OF WOLVES because of its terrific FX and handful of fun scenes, but there is something about it that fails to connect with me. Sometimes it's overly pretentious, I mean paralleling a maiden's coming of age with the blood on the white roses is like...pretty gross, dude. But overall there is something about it that just lacks substance, despite its relentless and oppressive Symbolism. It seems like this problem should have been smoothed out for INTERVIEW since it was shot from Anne Rice's own script, but according to me, it really does not work out.

[late-to-the-party-81]

Sunshine and Gunsmoke

Chapter 2 - Rain, rain, go away

AN: Thank you and welcome back to those of you who are still here. I hope you enjoyed chapter one and the world building. Just warn that this chapter is darker and more intense. I will put more detailed trigger warnings at the end, but there will be stalking, physical assault and attempted sexual assault. Once again, a bit hug and round of applause to my cheer-reader @kahey2804 who put up with me rambling in DMs at her, and to my lovely beta @zenaidamacrouras1 who fell for me batting my eyelids at them until they said yes.

Catch up on Chapter 1 here

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Summary: Bucky knows he should say no to Steve for his own sake, but he can’t seem to let the feisty Omega go. Eventually his secret will come out, so he wants to savour every moment he can get.

Steve is content. He’s in a better place financially, he has a good friend (?) in Bucky and is basking in his freedom. But why does he have the feeling he is being followed and watched. Could it just be because he works for a mob fronted business, or is there something more sinister happening?

Relationships: Platonic Alpha Bucky & Beta Clint, past Omega Steve x Alpha Stephen, FWB Omega Steve x Alpha Bucky

Chapter WC: 8k (eeek!)

Chapter CW: Omegaverse, Shrinkyclinks, Strip club AU, references to past abusive relationship, references to misogyny, inferred Mafia elements, Alternating POV, flirty Bucky, flirty Steve, Clint Barton is so done with this, non-graphic descriptions of sex, references to rut, Friends to FWB, pining, angst, identity porn, Stalking, anxiety, breaking and entering, vomiting (once), Dark Stephen Strange, deluded behaviour, misogyny, gaslighting, degradation, physical assault, medical assault (drugging), kidnapping, attempted sexual assault, identity reveal.

Bucky’s head hit the pillow as he gulped in deep breaths. Steve was splayed across his chest, breathing just as hard and, for the moment at least, connected to him. He’d been weak, falling sway to Steve’s sweet words and enticing touches and had ended up in his bed. Again. And still, he couldn’t find it within himself to tell Steve the truth as to who he was.

He knew it wasn’t healthy to one, have a relationship based on what was effectively a lie, and two, to have one where one half thought it was a casual ‘friends with benefits’ arrangement and the other knew they were in a lot deeper. Because he couldn’t deny it any longer. Bucky was deeply in love with Steve. He’d suspected it for a while, but three weeks ago, against his better judgement, he’d taken Steve up on his offer to help him through his rut. 

Being a coward, he hadn’t invited Steve to his actual home - there was no way he could have kept up the facade of the humble barkeep in his swanky uptown apartment, so instead he’d given Steve the address of one of his family’s safehouses - a slightly dingy apartment across town from Steve’s. And although most of the three days they’d spent holed up together was a blur to Bucky, he did remember how hard he’d had to fight his inner self so he didn’t end up non-consensually claiming Steve during it. At least they’d had time beforehand to properly workout their boundaries and ensure that they had enough supplies in to keep the two of them going.

“Buck?” Steve’s lilting voice brought him back to the present and realising that his knot had gone down, he eased himself from the clutch of Steve’s body. He didn’t move Steve though. He wanted to revel in the feeling of the Omega’s weight on top of him for as long as he could.

“Yeah, Stevie?”

Steve lifted his head, a soft smile on his face, and started to trace invisible patterns across Bucky’s chest with his finger. “Why are you called ‘Bucky’. I can’t work it out.”

Bucky snorted. “It’s short for Buchanan.”

Steve pulled a face. “What sort of person names their child that?”

“It’s not my first name, dumbass.”

“Oh,” Steve replied, his brow furrowing. “What is it then? No…hang-on. Please don’t tell me…”

WIth a roll of his eyes, Bucky nodded the affirmative. “It is…” He was glad they were no longer attached, because not only did Steve start to cackle, he rolled off of Bucky and onto the bed beside him.

“James. Buchanan. Oh god. Did your parents hate you?”

Bucky turned his head to look into Steve’s smiling, happy face. “Now you know why I go by Bucky. Go on, laugh it up.”

“Never have I been happier to be plain, old Steven Grant Rogers.” Steve flipped onto his front and propped himself up on his elbows. “And now, James Buchanan, I’ve got a question for you. Would you do me the honour of assisting me for my next heat? It’s due in about a month by my calculation, and I really don’t think either of us want a repeat of last time.”

“Hey!” Bucky cried with mock outrage, “I remember the bits I was involved in not being so bad.”

“Yeah, yeah. Big, goddamn hero that saved the day. You know what I mean. Being prepared in advance will be better, though. And hopefully I won’t feel as awful this time around.” 

Any mention of heat suppressants was obviously being left unspoken, but it was clear what Steve meant. 

Bucky knew he should say no, the way he should have said no the last half dozen or so times Steve had taken him to bed, but he just couldn’t deny himself this. If this was all he got of Steve then he would hoard it like a miser hoarding pennies. Also, he told himself in mitigation, this would be different. This was Steve’s heat and his Sunshine needed him to help. He’d be a bad friend if he said no, wouldn’t he?

“No problem, Steve,” he heard himself say. “Send me a text with your estimated dates and I’ll make sure I’ve got bar cover available in advance.”

Steve flashed him another smile and then leant over to give him a brief kiss. “You’re the best, Buck. Now, I’m gonna have a shower before I head to my diner shift. I’ll see you later?”

There it was. The casual dismissal. Bucky schooled his features, not letting his smile slip an inch. It was the way Steve wanted it, so it was the way it was gonna stay. “Absolutely, pal. I’ll have a White Russian waiting with your name on it.” 

Steve grinned as he pushed himself up and walked out of the bedroom and into his small bathroom. Bucky counted to twenty under his breath before getting up himself. He rooted around for his clothes and hastily pulled them on, checking for his phone, wallet and keys. Then, with a wistful glance back at the bed, he left the room and then the apartment. As he made his way down the stairs and out of the door, he kept thinking about how he could change the situation without losing his friendship with Steve, which is probably why he didn’t notice the person watching from across the street.

Steve walked home from his diner shift with an air of contentment about him. He couldn’t believe how far he’d come in just a few months. From being virtually penniless, he was now making enough that he could manage to save a bit. It wasn’t a lot, and it wasn’t every month, but something was better than nothing. Speaking of which, he knew that the biggest reason for his positive outlook was down to his friendship - or whatever it was - with Bucky.

It was true to say that Steve was really enjoying their stress-free ‘situationship’. Bucky was funny, and kind and affectionate, but Bucky wanted to keep it casual then Steve could live with it. At least it meant that Bucky wasn’t trying to control him, which Steve didn’t actually think he’d do, but it did mean he could breathe easier. Even if it would be nice to have Buc someone to come home to.

As he went through the main doors of the apartment he raised his hand in greeting to the elderly lady who lived on the first floor, before jogging up the stairs. He stepped through the door and threw his keys in the dish on the sideboard and as he made his way through to the living room, he tipped his head from side to side to work out a kink in his neck. He really ought to invest in better shoes for his diner shifts. 

It was cooler than anticipated in the main room of his apartment, and Steve frowned as he noticed the window leading on the fire escape was slightly open. He was sure that he’d closed that before he left for work. He was normally very security conscious. However, he had been in a bit of a daydream after his shower, sniffing at the lingering scent of smoke and oil in the air and imagining what it would be like to wake up every day with that scent surrounding him. Maybe he’d just intended to close it, but then forgotten? Well, he consoled himself, there was no damage done.

He crossed the room and shoved the window down firmly, making sure the latch was securely in place, before heading to his bedroom. He wanted to double check that he had everything packed and ready for his dance this evening. He’d been working on something that he hoped would work well for the patrons, but also give Bucky a bit of a laugh too. He started to hum to himself and the window was soon forgotten.

It was another packed house. Steve peeked out from behind the backstage curtain, seeing for himself that it was a rowdy crowd tonight, just as some of the others had said. However, as the saying goes, the higher the risk, the higher the reward - these Alphas may be a bit more ‘handsy,’ but they’d also be freer with their dollar bills. It was a trade off Steve was willing to make, especially with the number of bouncers around and Bucky behind the bar. It hadn’t escaped him how Bucky always stopped serving to watch him dance, however he stopped his brain from thinking too much about that, lest he tie himself up in knots imagining something there that wasn’t.

With a signal from Clint in the sound booth, the intro to his song started.

Uh, dirrty (dirrty) Filthy (filthy...) Nasty Christina, you nasty (yeah) Too dirrty to clean my act up If you ain't dirrty You ain't here to party (woo!)

Steve couldn’t hold back his grin as stepped out in a pinstripe, mobster-esque outfit, complete with heels and fedora. His pole skills had improved over his time working here, so once his tear-away pants had come away, he was able to show off his physique to its best advantage. Under the vest that had matched the pants, he wore a pair of black, sequin nipple tassels, which matched the sequins on the front part of his thong. The crowd was going wild for his dance, and he’d even had a chance to throw a cheeky wink over their heads when he’d noticed Bucky staring across with his mouth open.

However, as the song got towards the end, and he was strutting his stuff from the left hand catwalk back toward the centre, something unexpected happened. The club was always ‘highly scented’. He and the other Omega’s wore scent enhancers, and randy Alpha’s always created a stink, so it was often very difficult to distinguish one person’s scent from another’s unless you were up close. Therefore, when the smell of lemon, antiseptic and rosemary got caught in his nose, he staggered, almost face planting onto the scratched wooden stage as he tottered in his heels. He just managed to save himself and went into his signature side split just as Christina announced ‘What?’ at the end of the track, but his head was reeling.

The smell had disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived, but a feeling of apprehension had already taken hold of him. Stephen couldn’t possibly know where he was working? Where he’d moved to after he’d left? It wasn’t as though he’d left a forwarding address for his mail, or told anyone where he was going. He must have been mistaken. Maybe he was just tired? That had to be it.

He exited the stage on auto-pilot, gathering up his tips and giving rehearsed flirty looks to the Alphas right at the front. Backstage, he quickly cleaned up, changed his lingerie and slipped on his silk robe before heading out onto the main floor. He needed his post-dance drink and wanted to drum up some private dances. He had high-hopes for the latter, given the type of crowd that was in. He just needed to get his head back in the game.

Plastering his smile back in place, he headed towards ‘his’ stool at the bar where Bucky had done as promised and had his drink ready and waiting.

“Fuck, Stevie,” Bucky started, with a grin. “You pulled out the stops that time. But I know that ‘mob’ stunt was aimed at me. You’re a little shit, you know that?”

Steve didn’t need to fake his smile now. Seeing Bucky so giddy was like a balm to his soul. “I knew you’d get it. I thought it would be funny and a bit meta, even if only you and I understood.”

“Oh, I think Clint and the girls got it too. I could see Clint trying to hide his giggles in the sound booth and a couple of the girls were hollering and rooting for you as well.”

Steve took a sip of his drink, enjoying the tingle of the alcohol. “You think the Barnes’ would see the funny side?”

“Absolutely,” Bucky assured him. “Some of them have a good sense of humour. Or so I hear.”

Bucky scrubbed at the back of neck as he spoke, looking a bit bashful, but all Steve could think was how cute the Alpha looked when he did that. Like a school-boy with an inappropriate crush - if only, Steve thought, it was a crush on him. Friends with benefits was good, but…

Cutting off that thought by finishing off his drink, Steve placed the glass back on the bar and hopped down from his stool. “Well, that’s good to know. Now, I’m gonna head off and shake this money maker. Baby needs more to eat than Ramen noodles this week.” He wiggled his satin clad hips in Bucky’s direction with a chuckle and headed off into the crowd, his earlier apprehension had dissipated almost as quickly as the offending scent had, and speaking with Bucky had put him back in full spirits. 

Three hours later, he was sleepily letting himself back into his apartment, still humming ‘Dirrty’ under his breath and working out what he was going to spend his tips and private dance payments on, when he stopped dead. 

Something was off.

Carefully he opened the hall closet and pulled out his mop. It wouldn’t be an effective weapon if there was an intruder in here, but it would be better than nothing. He knew he should just leave and call the police, but the part of him that railed against being seen as weak wanted to find whoever was here and rip their throat out. He crept through to the living room and flipped the light switch.

There was no-one there.

Steve didn’t allow himself to relax. If there was an intruder in either his bathroom or bedroom, they’d be alerted to his presence now, so he needed to be extra careful. He picked up the TV remote, selected a random channel - turning the volume up to mask any of his movements - and crept along to his bathroom. That was empty as well, which only left his bedroom. 

Taking a deep breath, he jumped through the door, switching on the light and brandishing his mop.

There was no intruder there to greet him. However it was clear to him that someone had definitely been here. His bed, and its nest of blankets and pillows that had been left in disarray this morning after his overnight visit from Bucky, was now meticulously neat. The bedding had been changed and the coverlet smoothed out with the pillows lined up along the headboard. Using the end of the broom, just in case the intruder was very small and very sneaky, Steve lifted up the lid of his laundry basket. Heaped on top were the blankets and bedding that had been on his bed this morning, and floating in the air was the smell of lemons.

Steve snatched a couple of the blankets out of the hamper and backed out of the room, feeling his hackles rise. He dumped them on the sofa, before going back to the front door and double checking it was fully locked. He did the same with each of the windows. Twice. When he was as satisfied as he was going to get that he was alone and secure, Steve retreated to the sofa, not even bothering to undress as he wrapped himself up in the fabric that smelt of him and Bucky combined. With the lights still on and the TV still blaring, he fell into a fitful sleep, the mop handle still gripped in his hands.

It was with a strong feeling of anxiety that Steve left his apartment the next evening to go to work, and on his return in the early hours, his heart was beating rapidly in his chest. However, this time there was nothing amiss. His bed looked the same as it had this morning when he’d stripped off all the new bedding and left it sitting in a ball on his floor. He felt as if he was going mad. Sunday was the same, and by the time he left for the diner on Monday morning, he’d almost convinced himself that he’d imagined the whole thing.

However, when he got home from his shift, his window was open again, the thin, gauzy curtains blowing around in the breeze. A few times, when out and about, he thought he caught the smell of lemon or antiseptic in unexpected places, or had the feeling that someone was following him, but whenever he turned around, there was no-one there.

His sleep was fractured, and he knew he was getting tetchy with people, something he couldn’t afford to do at either of his jobs when he relied on tips, which in turn relied on him having a congenial manner.

Two weeks after the first hint of lemon creeped back into his life, a new incident almost tipped him over the edge. He arrived home, full of trepidation, but the window was closed and there was no strange smell. Steve let out a breath he didn’t even realise he’d been holding and went through to his bedroom.

There, sitting on the bed was a teddy bear. A teddy bear wearing a doctor’s outfit - a white coat and toy stethoscope. A stuffed toy he definitely didn’t own. He ran into his bathroom, falling to his knees, and emptied his stomach into the toilet. 

A few minutes later, feeling rung out and sweaty, Steve returned to his room. He picked up the stuffed toy between finger and thumb and walked through to his kitchen. He placed the poor thing in his trash can, added a load of paper, took the can out onto the fire escape and dumped in a load of matches. Numbly he watched it burn.

He dumped the ashen remains down the apartment garbage shoot, then picked up his phone. It rang once. Then twice, and was picked up. In his sultriest voice said “Hey, Bucky. I’m feeling some kinda way if you are?”

He should have just told the truth, instead of using the pretext of sex to get some company, but for reasons he couldn’t explain, he didn’t want to tell Bucky what had happened. He just wanted him here for the comfort his presence would bring and he wasn’t brave enough to ask for it outright. And as for all of these weird goings on, maybe if he didn’t talk about it, it wouldn’t be real?

This all had to be Stephen. There wasn’t really any other reasonable explanation - the scent, the toy, the precision bed making. He supposed that it could be the Barnes family, letting him know that they always had eyes on their employees, no matter how far down the food chain, but that didn’t seem likely. No, it had to be Stephen trying to get in his head and trying to have power over him again. Well Steve wasn’t going to let him. No matter how hard Stephen pushed, he was going to stand his ground.

There was a knock on the door, and Steve tried to banish his thoughts, determined to lose himself in the joy of being with Bucky. He plastered a smile to his face and went to welcome his friend inside.

[Image description: A moodboard. The background is a grey cityscape and there are two rows of pictures, all with made to look as though they are torn paper. On the first row there is a hand reaching towards a window, a text box which states "But the terror in his eyes? That gets me high." and a streetlight overlooking a building in the dark of the night. On the second row there is a text box which says "You belong to me!", the image of a teddy bear in a doctor's uniform, the image of a pristenly made bed and a text box that states "I will find you!".]

Clint was sitting at the bar, reading down the papers attached to his clipboard when he realised that Bucky was talking to him.

“What? Sorry, man. I was in the zone.”

Bucky huffed, blowing up the hair curling over his brow. “I said, have you noticed anything strange about Steve? He’d been acting kinda… off… and at first I thought it might be because of his heat, but that’s not due for about another two weeks.”

Clint cocked his head and raised an eyebrow. “Do I even want to know why you know when Steve’s heat is due?”  A flush ran up Bucky’s neck and Clint sniggered. “You’ve got it bad, my man.”

“Shut up,” the Alpha grumbled.

“Bucky and Steve, sitting in a tree,” Clint started to sing-song, but stopped when a wet, beer soaked rag smacked him in the face. “Eww.” He wrinkled his nose before lobbing the cloth into the sink next to Bucky. “It’s not a bad thing. I think you could be good for each other. You’ve been a lot happier these last months.”

Bucky turned away to empty the glass wash machine. Clint knew it was so Bucky wouldn’t have to look him in the eye. “It’s not like that,” he mumbled. “Steve’s only looking for something casual. And, you know, so am I. No strings. No pressure.”

“Sure…” Clint drawled. “You keep telling yourself that in order to save that Alpha ego of yours. I tell you, it’s much easier being a Beta. None of this extra hormone shit to deal with.”

At that moment the door flew open, banging back on its hinges and Steve scurried in. Clint got up to head to his sound booth, knowing that Steve and Bucky liked to ‘shoot the breeze’ - or whatever they were calling it to kid themselves into thinking that they weren’t actually in a relationship - when he realised that Steve was calling his name and following him across the floor.

Clint turned, confused, as Steve followed him into the sound booth. He looked down at the petite Omega and saw that, maybe, Bucky had a point. Steve was not looking himself. He seemed both tired and wired at the same time. “What is it, Steve? Something bite your ass?”

Steve twisted his hands together in the cuffs of his oversized sweater - a sweater that Clint was certain he’d seen Bucky wearing a few weeks ago, but he wasn’t about to point that out. 

“I just wanna check - cos I know what kinda business the owners of this place are in… But there’s no way they would have anyone following me, would they? You know, just to make sure their employees aren’t going to rat them out to the cops or anything?”

Clint’s brow furrowed further. “You sure you shouldn’t be talking to Bucky about this, you know with him being-”

“I don’t want him involved,” Steve interrupted with a hiss. “And you’re my boss, not Bucky. So I’m asking you.”

“Okay…” Clint was still baffled, but as he didn’t really understand what was going on between the Alpha and Omega anyway - besides the obvious - he decided he’d just go with it. “I’ll double check, but I wouldn’t think so. It’s not their style. If they’ve got a problem with you they tell you straight. I am 99% certain that the Barnes’ don’t have any problem with you. I mean you’d know before me, surely?”

He’d expected Steve to look a bit more relieved at that, but for some reason he wasn’t. If anything he looked even more keyed up.

“O-Okay. Thanks, Clint. That’s what I thought. I’d best go get ready, so I’ll see you in a bit. Umm, say hello to Bucky from me, okay?”

Steve hurried out of the booth with the same energy he’d arrived with. Clint shook his head to himself. He’d never fully understand Alphas and Omegas.

“What was that about?”

Clint jumped and whirled around, realising that Bucky had come up beside him on silent feet.

“Oh. Umm, Steve was just worried that someone’s been watching him. He wondered if it was a member of the family, but I told him it probably wasn’t. Cos like the pair of you would know if it was, yeah?”

Bucky opened his mouth, as though he was about to ask Clint a follow up curtain, but at that moment, one of the dancers, a sweet, but dim girl who called herself Kandy - but who’s parents had called her Maureen - appeared in a flurry of satin and shrieks.

“What the fuck now,” Clint let out under his breath, then louder, “Kandy, angel-face! How can I help?” He pushed his way past a pensive looking Bucky and got back to the task at hand - wrangling a flock of diva Omegas.

For the rest of the evening Bucky watched Steve like a hawk. Not that he didn’t normally, but this time it was even more so. He told himself he was just being a good friend and truthfully, his concern was genuine. 

When Clint had told him what Steve was worried about, it had taken all of Bucky’s control not to rush backstage and force Steve to tell him everything himself. However, it was just another sign that Steve didn’t see their relationship as serious as Bucky would like it to be, and therefore It was none of Bucky’s business.

It was difficult though, to see Steve so drawn and on edge. All Bucky could do was provide Steve with the opportunity to open up. With that in mind, he lined up two White Russians for when Steve came over after his dance.

Steve clambered up onto his stool with a wan smile. He looked so tired.

“You alright, pal?” Bucky hoped his inquiry came off nonchalant enough.

Steve chewed on his bottom lip and stirred his first cocktail with the little paper umbrella that Bucky had popped in it. “Just something niggling me, Buck. Nothing for you to worry over, though. I’ll get it sorted.”

Bucky wanted to call bullshit, but instead went for levity. “Want me to come over tonight? Work out some of your frustration again?”

Steve’s lips twitched up and Bucky felt a spark of triumph. “Why, are you trying to get into my thong, James?”

“Ppht,” Bucky snorted. “Like it’s hard?”

“Yes you are,” retorted Steve, “but what am I?”

They burst into laughter and for a moment Bucky thought his Sunshine was back. However, when their fit of the giggles faded, Steve just looked balefully up at him, the bags under his eyes showing clearly through his stage make-up.

“It’s okay, Buck. I think I just need a quiet night tonight and a long sleep. But first I ought to go earn those tips. If I don’t see you before I go, I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

He slid down from his perch and made his way through the throng. His second White Russian sat gathering condensation on the bar, untouched.

Bucky picked it up, knocked it back and then pulled out his phone. Time to call in a favour and see if his father knew what was going on.

Steve hated the way that he was jumping at every shadow on his way home. He hadn’t slept properly in days and was scared to leave his apartment. If it wasn’t for the fact that he had to leave it in order to keep it, he would probably have become a hermit. A hermit armed with a mop handle and a new, shiny baseball bat.

As he approached his building, he fished his keys from his pocket, wanting to be ready to open the main door. He hated the moments where he was just standing there, turning the lock. He just felt so exposed.

Above him, the streetlight flickered. Steve hitched his bag higher up onto his shoulder and then lifted his keys. He hadn’t even placed the correct one in the lock when movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. A shadow detached from the wall and with every step closer it got more recognisable. Steve tried to push his fear down - his personal demon thrived on it.

“Stephen. How unpleasant to see you.” Steve felt adrenaline surge through him, but he’d been expecting this moment.

Stephen stopped in front of him, invading his personal space and sighed dramatically. “If you’ve quite finished having your tedious Omega tantrum, Steve, I’ve come to take you home.”

Steve cocked his head to the side. “How about you go to hell instead. I’m sure they have a reservation for you - although I hear it’s not as exclusive as you would like. Shame.” He’d been taught to stay calm and non-confrontational in situations like this, but he wouldn’t be Steven Grant Rogers if he held his tongue.

Another sigh left Stephen’s lips. “You haven’t been taking your medication and it’s made you completely hormonal. You must have had a heat by now.” The tall Alpha leaned down and Steve tried not to flinch as Stephen took a good sniff of his neck. “And if I’m not mistaken you’re due one soon. Which is good, because then we can sort this all out. You’ll be better when you quit that embarrassing job as well. Being surrounded by the stink of so many other Alphas must be doing a number on your system. I’m surprised that you haven’t taken more than one of them into your nest.”

Steve ground his teeth together. “It’s none of your business, Stephen. You and I aren’t together any more and Bucky is just a friend.”

A sharp bark of laughter split the night air. “A friend? Oh you naive Omega. He’s not your friend. He’s a horny Alpha and you are just an easy little slut who’s weak nature means you’ll invite anyone into your nest if they offer you affection. And Bucky? Ha! What sort of a name is that anyway? Are you sure he’s not a Beta taking fake pheromones?”

Stephen’s words stung, and it was a struggle not to wince, but there was no way he was letting them go by without comment. “Not if the size of his knot is anything to go by. Never had one so big. Or satisfying.”

Stephen growled at Steve’s taunt, his arm snapping out and he grabbed Steve’s wrist in a painful grip. “You whore,” he spat. “I should have claimed you during that first disgusting heat of yours. Then you wouldn’t have had this silly mental aberration. You’d have known exactly where, and to whom, you belonged.”

Twisting and pulling his arm, Steve broke the hold the angry Alpha had on him, and shoved him hard in the chest. Stephen fell down the step between the sidewalk and the street, landing on his back with a curse, and Steve took the opportunity to unlock the front door and race inside. He continued to run up the stairs, taking them two at a time, until he reached his apartment door. Once inside he engaged the safety chain, grabbed one of his rickety dining chairs from his living room, and wedged the back of it under his door handle.

His heart was thudding in his chest and he felt sick. He should really call someone. His heart was telling him that someone was Bucky, but his head, twisted in knots by Stephen’s words, couldn’t shake the thought that there was some truth to the notion that Bucky was just sleeping with him because he was easy.

He picked up his baseball bat from where it currently rested against his coffee table and perched, full of nerves, on the edge of the couch, facing the door. Waiting.

He waited.

And waited.

The hours ticked by, and the sun started to come up outside. Saturday morning. Which meant no diner shift. He could stay in and rest. He’d speak to Clint later tonight. See if there was any ‘protection’ he could invoke. There had to be an upside to working for a mob controlled business?

He’d just rest his eyes first, though. Just for a moment. That couldn’t hurt, could it?

He blinked slowly…………….

……… and in the next moment, his eyes snapped open. Disorientated, he looked around. How was he in his bedroom? Hadn’t he just been on the sofa? Why did his arm hurt? Why was-

“Stephen! What the fuck?” He pushed himself upright, also realising he was naked. “Get out, you lunatic!”

Stephen grinned sickly at him. 

“Come now. No need to be so dramatic.”

“How did you even get in here?” Steve bit out.

Stephen’s grin got even wider. “You know me, Steve. Magic hands and all that.” 

He shook them, drawing Steve’s attention. In one he held a used alcohol wipe and in the other was a syringe. Steve scowled. “What the fuck have you just done to me?”

“Just speeding things up, sweetheart. I decided we shouldn’t wait any longer to be bonded and we all know that it’s likely to take better if you’re having your heat. He wrinkled his nose up as he spoke the last word. “Modern medicine is such a marvel,” he said, looking at the syringe in his hand. “One little prick can change so many things.”

“Evidently,” said Steve dryly, watching as his ex threw the syringe and the used wipe into the trash can.

“Acid-tongued as always, Steve. Don’t worry. That will disappear soon enough. When we’re bonded you’ll finally understand your place and appreciate everything I do for you.”

Steve looked at him, incredulous. “You’re totally deluded, you know that? Now you’ve added physical assault to the list. Let me make this clear. I. Don’t. Love. You. If I ever did, you destroyed that feeling quickly and effectively when you showed your true colours. I am not your possession and I want you to get out of my home!”

As his anger rose, Steve started to feel tell-tale prickles make their way down his spine. Stephen just grinned at his outburst, apparently amused by Steve’s resistance. 

Eyes flicking around the room, Steve decided it was time for a different tack. He launched himself from the bed, aiming for his bedroom door that was still ajar and offered a chance of freedom. Unfortunately, he only made it a few steps before a wave of dizziness washed over him and he crashed to the floor. With a dark chuckle, Stephen picked him up and re-deposited him on the bed. He was so unconcerned by Steve’s escape effort that he even turned his back and opened Steve’s closet, carelessly rummaging through his neatly organised belongings to find some of the heat blankets.

He dumped an armful on the bed, a look of scorn in his eyes. “Here. I suppose you’ll want to make your silly little nest. Whatever soothes your hormone-addled brain.”

Steve growled at him, bearing his teeth. “I wouldn’t waste the effort on you.”

Apparently nonplussed, Stephen looked down at his watch. “Your fire should make things interesting. Maybe I’ll even change my mind about how disgusting heats are if the bonding doesn’t rid you of it. I’ll come and check-in on you in a bit, see how you’re getting along. You’d best rest, sweetheart. It’s going to get a bit rough I think.”

The sick grin returned as Stephen exited the room, pulling the door shut behind him. Steve scrambled up and pulled on the knob, but it was clear that Stephen had worked out a way to jam it. He ran to the window, but here in his bedroom there was no fire escape outside. Just a drop three stories down. Then, even though he guessed it would be in vain, he searched around for his phone. Given that the clothes he’d had on when he fell asleep weren’t here, he guessed his only form of communication was still in the living room along with them. 

Returning to the bed, he glared at the clock. One pm. He must have fallen asleep at some time around six this morning. Bucky and Clint would expect him at work sometime between eight and nine, ready for opening at ten. They’d know something was wrong when he failed to turn up. He just had to hold out until then. He could do that, surely?

The hours passed slowly. Cramps began to wrack Steve’s body, and the prickly sensation intensified. He went through periods of intense fever, followed by chills. In his lucid moments he realised that this was worse than the after-effects of the heat suppressants. True to his word, Stephen came and looked in a few times, even going so far as to place a plastic tumbler of water and a few granola bars on the floor, just inside the door, supplies that Steve took greedily.

Eventually though, the drugs that Stephen had administered did their work. Steve’s body started to produce slick and his sexual urges started to peak. As much as he willed it all away, his chemically enhanced hormones were now running the show. The next time Stephen looked in, it was to find Steve whimpering and humping at one of his pillows, a pathetic attempt at a nest surrounding him.

With a dark smile, Stephen stepped forward.

Bucky looked down at his watch. Nine pm. One hour until opening, and Steve hadn’t yet arrived. Even if he’d overslept after last night, he’d still have been up early enough to get here on time.

“Hey, Clint!” He called out as the beleaguered manager walked past, muttering to himself as he started down at his bent and battered clipboard. “You’ve not heard from Stevie, have you? He’s not here yet.”

Clint gave him a look. “Like Steve would contact me before you,” he said, before continuing on his way.

Bucky picked up another glass, cleaning at an invisible mark. Anything to sooth his nerves. Since that first day, Steve had been nothing but punctual - always here at least ninety minutes before the doors opened so he could negotiate his dance slot and make sure what he had planned didn’t clash with any of the others. And it couldn’t be his heat either. He hadn’t smelt of pre-heat last night and Steve had already confirmed to him that it wasn’t going to appear for another week. They’d both cleared their calendars in preparation.

Throwing down his cleaning cloth in frustration, Bucky dug his phone out from his back pocket, and dialled Steve’s number. It rang and rang, before going to voicemail, Steve’s voice telling him to leave a message if he was a boomer. With a sigh, he shoved his phone away and started to do his opening checks. An hour later and the doors opened, inviting in the Saturday night flood of Alphas. There was still no Steve.

For the next thirty minutes, Bucky checked his phone between each drink service. He sent texts. He tried to phone again. Nothing. A sense of foreboding started to form in the pit of his stomach. His call to his father yesterday had confirmed that there was no Barnes sanctioned surveillance on Steve, and nothing to suggest it was one of their competitors. His father hadn’t known who Steve was, so it was unlikely that the Maximoffs or Starks did.

But Steve had been worried about someone following him. He’d said as much to Clint, and his behaviour over the last few weeks suggested that it was either true or Steve was totally losing the plot.

“Fuck it,” he muttered. “Kate!” The new Beta bartender paused mid-cocktail to look at him. “I’m sorry, I gotta go. Let Clint know, okay?” She nodded and then returned to what she was doing. 

Bucky ducked out from behind the bar and made his way to the back office. Opening the safe that was in there, he retrieved his gun, plus an extra clip just in case, and made his way out the back exit towards his car. As his feet crunched over the gravel of the parking lot he called his father again. Twice in two days - it was some kind of record.

Twenty minutes and several traffic violations later, Bucky pulled up outside Steve’s apartment, carelessly abandoning his car at the curb. At the same time a blacked out SUV came to a stop - one of his father’s fleet. Two burley enforcers alighted and gave Bucky a curt nod each.

Bucky walked up to the apartment door and pressed the buzzer for Steve’s apartment. There was no answer, but a quick check around the side of the building showed that his living room lights were on. Returning to the door, Bucky ran his hands down all the buzzers, counting on someone being pissed off enough at this time of night, to just press the door release. He was right, and with ear-screeching noise, the front door unlocked. Bucky yanked it open and then turned to his father’s men. He pointed at the first. “You, go up the fire escape. Third floor. Threadbare red couch. Wait for the two of us to come through the front door, unless you see a small blonde Omega in distress.”

Another curt nod, and then Bucky was racing through the door, the other one of the enforcers following him up the stairs. When he reached Steve’s door he hammered on it loudly and shouted. “Stevie!” Pressing his ear to the wood composite he couldn’t hear anything. If Steve was there, he must be in the back half of the apartment. 

Closing his eyes, he took a deep inhale. Sand and sun met his nose. Steve was definitely in there, but something wasn’t right. Steve’s scent was sickly sweet like in his heat, but at the same time not, and that wasn’t all. There was another scent mingled in, an Alpha one that Bucky didn’t recognise. His own Alpha bristled, but he was torn. He and Steve weren’t a couple. Steve was allowed to be with someone else. What if, for some reason his heat had just come early and he’d found another Alpha friend to help him through it?

However, on the flip side of that, Steve had been worried. Anxious even. And he couldn’t believe that Steve wouldn’t at least let Clint know if he wasn’t coming in.

That thought sealed it for Bucky, and raising his foot, he kicked at the door. The lock sprung open under the assault, but the door was then halted by the security chain and then something blocking it. Bucky swore under his breath, preparing to kick again, but then the door swung open. The man he’d sent up the fire escape stood there.

“Looked like you needed a hand, boss. And seems like the window has been tampered with.”

Before Bucky could say anything in reply a cry broke the air, accompanied by a spike of distressed Omega scent.

“Shit!” Bucky ran off toward the bedroom, safe in the knowledge that his backup would follow him. He skidded to a halt outside the open door and took in the scene before him.

Steve was face down, on all fours on his bed, a mess of blankets around him. He was naked, flushed and obviously heavily aroused, at least in body. Behind him, a tall, dark and skeevy looking, half dressed Alpha was holding him down by the back of his neck.

“Bucky!” Steve’s voice, partially muffled, wobbled as he called out. 

At the same time the other Alpha opened his own mouth. “Who the fuck are you? Fuck off out of here.” 

Trying to remain calm, Bucky addressed his friend, not even looking at the man behind him. “Are you okay here, Stevie? Do you want me to go?”

“Of course he wants you to go!” the other Alpha shouted. “You’re the ones invading an intimate and private moment here. My boyfriend and I were just sorting out a little relationship hiccup.”

“Steve?” Bucky wanted to be certain. If this was Stephen, there was no way in hell Steve wanted to be back with him. Ocean blue eyes full of tears and despair looked up at him.

“Alpha,” he sighed. “Help. Alpha.”

Bucky straightened his spine and directed his attention to Stephen.

“I think,” he growled out, “that it’s you who needs to leave. I know who you are, Stephen. I know what you did to Steve, and it’s taking all my resolve not to beat you into a pulp.”

“Who the fuck do you think you are, Bucky? It is Bucky, isn’t it? Steve isn’t your mate. You might have been getting your knot wet in him, but he’s mine and he’ll agree with me soon enough.” Stephen’s arrogant whine was getting on Bucky’s nerves.

“You’re right,” he said, and for a moment, there was a flash of victory in Stephen’s eyes. “Steve’s not mine. But he’s not yours either. He’s not anyone’s. He’s his own person, free to make his own choices about who to fuck, who to love, who to trust. I know I tick two of those boxes and you tick none of them.” He took a careful step forward, wanting to get within arms reach of either of them. “And it is Bucky, but only to Steve. Not to you. You can call me James. Buchanan. Barnes.”

He pulled his gun out from behind his back and shot the external wall an inch to the side of Stephen’s head. Then, in less than a heartbeat he adjusted his aim to point directly between Stephen’s eyes, a curl of gunsmoke escaping the barrel. “And I never miss.”

Stephen’s eyes went wide and he immediately released his hold on Steve to raise his hands. Bucky motioned with the gun, and Stephen clambered off the bed. Bucky’s enforcers grabbed hold of him roughly.

“M-Mr Barnes,” Stephen stammered. “I didn’t know, I-”

Bucky backhanded Stephen across the face, splitting his lip. “I don’t give a shit about what you have to say.” He said with a snarl and then turned to his men. “Take him to the shop,” he ordered. “You don’t have to be gentle, but I want him conscious and able to talk and listen when I get there. And call the doc - have her come over straight away. I need her to take a look at Stevie.”

As soon as the room was cleared, Bucky placed his gun on top of Steve’s set of drawers and inched back toward the bed, crouching down so he was at eye level with Steve. Gently, he reached out and swept back some of his sweat-soaked hair.

“Hey, Sunshine,” he crooned. “It’s alright. It’s safe now. He’s gone.”

“Bucky,” came the croaked, plaintive reply.

“Ssh-ssh. I’m here. Do you want me to come into your nest?”

Steve sobbed and nodded into the blankets, his hips twitching as he sought out friction. Bucky toe-d off his shoes and settled himself in the middle of the bed. Almost immediately he was wrapped up in Steve, who settled on his lap, arms and legs around his waist and his nose pressed right into Bucky’s neck. Bucky returned the embrace, carefully. Steve felt so small in his arms - like he’d break if Bucky wasn’t gentle enough.

“Alpha. Please.” Steve’s hips bucked and slick started to soak through Bucky’s jeans. Bucky tried to concentrate on putting out a soothing and calming scent and hoped the doc would be here soon. “He drugged me,” Steve continued. “I didn’t want this. But it hurts. Please!”

Bucky was thankful that his men had taken Stephen away. He’d rip the bastards knot off for this. The guy was sick. Steve was humping away in his lap, and it would have been so easy to help ease his discomfort, but he couldn’t. He had to be strong. Hopefully the doc could reverse this or something. Steve wasn’t in any position to give informed consent, so unless there was no other way, his dick was staying firmly inside his pants.

He started to rock side to side, letting out soothing noises as Steve whimpered.

“I know, Sunshine. I know.”

Chapter 3

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Bingo and Challenge fills:

For the whole fic: @buckybarnesevents Into an alternate Juneiverse - Strip Club | April Babb - Pet names

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