Chapter Text
“Ready, Peter?”
“Ready,” he says, shaking his hands of nerves.
“You got your extra web capsules?”
He rolls his eyes. “Yes, Tony, I’ve got it. And you call Steve a Mother Hen,”
“Hey, that’s my baby you’re taking out for a test drive.”
“Our baby,” he corrects. He takes another shaky breath and looks out at the skyline, picking the direction he wants to go. “Right. I’m going.”
“You got this, sweetheart.”
He grins beneath the mask and bounces on the balls of his feet. He takes a few running steps and then leaps, his heart soaring as he flies through the air before throwing his wrist out. The shooter spits out a line of fluid, and he feels the familiar catch of the web before he swings forward with the momentum.
He lets out a whoop of triumph.
Spider-Man is back, baby.
★★★★★
“Did you have to start that high up?”
Peter laughs and pulls the mask off his face as he stumbles back into the penthouse. “It felt good. Haven’t swung that much in a long time.”
Steve grumbles a little but then wraps him up in a big hug, lifting him off his feet and twirling him around. “I’m so proud of you!”
“Alpha!” Peter giggles.
“Hey, hey, paws off my suit!”
“Tony, it’s bulletproof. I think it can handle a bit of manhandling,” Peter says, exasperated. Steve puts him down, and he lets the other Alpha embrace him, kissing him softly. “It was perfect. I love it. You did good. Stop fussing,”
“Yes, Omega,” he grumbles.
“Hey, my turn,” a lower voice says, chuckling slightly. Peter laughs as Bucky also scoops him up in a hug. He blushes slightly, maybe letting it linger longer than needed. He reminds himself that he and Bucky are just friends, but when he talks in his ear, it’s hard. “Proud of you, doll. Jamie is, too.”
“Thanks,” he says shyly.
“You guys are gross,” MJ comments from the couch. “Also, you’re already trending on Twitter.”
“Oh yeah?” he asks, plopping down next to her. He ignores the comment about them being “gross.” He and Bucky had nothing to comment about. Just pack. She tilts her phone towards him, showing him the tweets.
Oh my god, Spider-Man is back! He literally just swung over my head. #spideyreturns
Lookin’ good, Spider-Man! Might have to fight Captain America for best ass now #spideyreturns
OMG, Spider-Man just swung past my office window. #spideyreturns
He cackles at the second one. “If they only knew.”
“Dude, the new suit is legit,” Ned says, looking at his laptop. “You used your web fluid 12% more efficiently.”
“Well, of course, it’s efficient,” Tony scoffs. “I made it.”
“We made it,” Peter says, rolling his eyes. He knows he’s only playing because he’s annoyed that Ned was the reason he never tracked Peter down. His best friend had always hacked systems to keep him out of security footage when needed. And now Peter still insists on MJ and Ned being a part of his backup. They always have been. It’s only right that they still are, at least on the first test drive.
“Yeah, yeah,” he grins. “Go take it off before it wrinkles.”
“It literally can’t wrinkle, but okay,” he sighs. “Also. Ned. Do calculations. I want to get efficiency up to at least 20% with the new formula.”
“On it.”
He’s walking down the hall when his super hearing hears Steve mutter to Tony. “Is it weird that I find the superhero competency super hot?”
Tony sighs, almost dreamily. “No. It’s a thing. It’s totally a thing.”
He grins to himself, shaking his head a little. His Alphas were hornier than he was sometimes.
Ten minutes and a rummage in Tony’s closet later, he’s emerging in an AC/DC shirt and his favorite pair of Omega lounge pants. Tony had spoiled him rotten, finding the best clothes for his senses. Nothing was quite as good as stealing his Alpha’s shirts, though.
When he gets back out, the smell of something delicious hits his nose. Steve is in the kitchen, apron tied around his waist, framing his ass. Peter gives it a shameless once-over as he plops on the couch between his friends again, leaning on Ned and putting his legs in MJ’s lap. It was so nice being able to be touchy freely with his friends now.
Bucky and Tony are also in the kitchen. Bucky is setting the table, and Tony looks like he’s mostly causing problems. Peter smiles softly when he gets in Steve’s face, demanding a kiss even though he’s in the middle of cooking. There’s something comforting about watching them interact. He wishes the whole pack were here to celebrate the test drive, but alas, it was just his friends and the three Alphas tonight.
“You’re so gone on them,” MJ says with feigned annoyance.
“Hmm?” he asks, turning to look at her. “Oh. Yeah, kinda.”
“It’s a good look on you, man,” Ned says. “This pack thing.”
“Offer is still open,” he yawns, snuggling in a little more.
“Nah, I’m good,” Ned hums, draping his arm over the back of the couch so Peter is more comfortable. “Though I might take Mr. Stark up on that internship.”
“You should,” he nods. “He means it. I can come bother you.”
MJ looks up from her phone with a frown. “Why aren’t you doing an internship?”
Peter shrugs. “Because I can access the lab whenever I want? I mean, maybe someday if I need it for college, but we’re not there yet. Tony says I should relax this summer. Take a break.”
She nods slowly. “Have you heard back from MIT?”
“Oh, um, no, I’m not applying there,” he says softly.
“What?” Ned asks in surprise.
He shrinks slightly, playing with a stray thread on the hem of his shirt. “It’s too far.”
The thought of being in Boston, away from his pack, is almost painful. Even just Sam being out of town or Nat being away on a mission drives him insane. It was just part of being an Omega-centered pack. MIT had been his dream at one point, but unless the Avengers moved base (and he’s sure Tony would make it happen if Peter truly wanted), then his dreams were going to have to change.
“Don’t they have online programs?”
“Not for chemistry,” he shrugs.
MJ looks at him with concern, her brow furrowed. “I thought that was the whole point of getting better?”
The panic peaks slightly, and he automatically looks to the kitchen for his Alphas for comfort. Bucky is staring straight at him, grey eyes watching intensely. “Um, it’s–” A soft whine escapes the back of his throat before he can stop it, and both of his friends stiffen and freeze. “I’m fine. Sorry, I’m fine–”
His friends had been amazing about this whole pack thing, but as both Betas and modern young adults, they didn’t really get some of the things that went on. Especially if it was old-fashioned or seemed related to Peter being sick. His drops in particular seemed to freak them out, like they hated seeing him succumb to his instincts. MJ because she was overly passionate about Omega equality, and Ned because they’d been friends for so long. They were trying, Peter knows they are, but he still doesn’t like dropping in front of them.
“Hey, Pete? Can you come help real quick?” Steve calls.
Peter knows a save when he hears one, and he quickly stands up. “Yeah,” he says, clearing his throat a little. He goes into the kitchen and is immediately blocked in against the counter by Steve’s bigger body, hiding him from view. Peter leans his forehead against his chest, letting out a soft breath. “Sorry.”
“You’re okay,” Steve says softly. “Just take a beat.”
Tony appears on his other side, rubbing his arm. “We’re right here. And we can talk about it later.”
“We’ve already talked about it,” he mutters.
“And we can talk about it as many times as you need,” Tony says calmly, steady as ever.
“Everything okay?”
At the sound of Bucky’s voice, Peter almost whines again, but he bites it back. Friends, friends, friends, he reminds himself. Bucky has enough going on with Jamie and the BARF work. Peter had Steve and Tony; they should be enough. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he whispers.
He can feel all three of them looking at him, then at each other, probably not believing it for a second. With his friends here, his Alphas won’t do much to push, though, and it’s made evident by the fact that Steve clears his throat. “Well, dinner is ready.”
“Excellent! I’m starving,” Tony says, a touch too cheery.
Steve presses a soft kiss to Peter’s forehead before pulling away, leaving him slightly unmoored. But then there’s a strong hand on his lower back, and Peter looks up to see Bucky looking at him intently. “You know you can tell me if you need something, right?” he asks softly.
Sure. If Peter needs something. Not if he wants something. Like for Bucky to scoop him up and take him to his web, like the night they shared while everyone was on a mission.
“I know,” he says softly, with a tiny smile.
“Okay,” he murmurs.
MJ and Ned give him funny looks when they come over to the table, but he forces on a smile. His phone buzzes a few times in his pocket, but he ignores it, sure it’s Sam asking how it went, and he can answer it later on their nightly phone call. He pushes his Omega side as far away as possible, prolonging the inevitable drop he can feel coming on until well after the dishes are done and his friends have left.
“Um, I’m gonna go call Sam,” he says hesitantly.
“Okay, honey. Tell him we said hi,” Steve smiles.
“Especially Jamie,” Bucky smirks.
Peter giggles and nods. “Why doesn’t he just tell him himself?”
Bucky snorts and rolls his eyes. “Beats me, Omega. I’ve tried, trust me.”
“Hey, give him time,” Tony chides, and Peter feels bad. “Go call and then come back for ice cream and snuggles.”
“Kay,” he chirps, never not wanting that. Sunday nights are his favorite because they watch a movie, and everyone who is around stays the night. And by everyone, he means Steve and Bucky, except for the Sunday after Sam’s birthday. Nat and Clint had been in town for that, but not since.
He pads into his nesting room and crawls up into the web, flopping back onto he hammock netting and pulling a blanket over him. He opens up his phone, feeling his heart flutter like always at the lock screen selfie of him, Steve, and Tony. Sometimes he still can’t believe this is his life.
Sure enough, there’s a text from Sam asking how it went and saying to call him whenever. But there are also a few more messages that make him frown. He sighs and clicks on May’s text thread, hoping it’s not bad. She was still… temperamental.
I saw a picture online. Why didn’t you tell me you were starting up again?
I thought you were taking a break this summer.
Do you need me to talk to them for you? They’re not pressuring you into being Spider-Man again, are they?
Peter groans to himself, scrubbing a hand over his face. May still didn’t get it, no matter how many times he tried to explain. She had at least stopped fighting about him dating Steve and living with Tony (they had kept the pack thing firmly under wraps from her for now), but her new crusade was him being Spider-Man. Whenever he tried to discuss his work in the lab or the suit, she would start talking about college and prioritizing himself. His own pleading words regurgitated and mingled with new speeches from self-help books. He’s this close to taking her Kindle away.
It was just a test drive.
The reply comes almost instantly.
I just worry about you.
You had all these dreams. I thought you were supposed to be working on college and not crime-fighting
Why can’t it be both? I’m working on applications again. MJ and Ned came over tonight. This IS one of my dreams.
Just because you’re living with an Avenger doesn’t mean you have to be one.
For fuck’s sake. Peter sighs and ignores it, switching to Sam’s contact and pressing the call button. He doesn’t even know why he bothers trying.
“Hey,” Sam answers when he picks up. “How’d it go?”
“Hi,” he hums. “It was fine.”
“Fine? You’ve been talking about this for days, and all I get is fine?”
He groans and grabs one of his pillows, tossing it into the air a couple of times to fidget. “I stopped a couple of muggings. Saved a cat. Went viral on Twitter.”
“And… C’mon, Omega, work with me here. What happened?”
He clenches his jaw and thinks about denying it all, but he knows it’s useless with Sam. “Just… I don’t know. MJ said some stuff and then May texted, and just–yeah.”
Sam hums, and there’s a soft sigh, like he’s settling down somewhere, getting comfy. Peter sort of wishes he were here in person so that he could curl up underneath his arm. He hadn’t done much snuggling with Sam; he was the Alpha he knew the least, but at this point, the awkwardness between them was almost entirely gone. Sometimes Peter felt more at ease with Sam than he did with Bucky, maybe because it was less complicated.
“What did MJ say?”
“She asked if I had heard back from MIT, and I told her I didn’t apply,” he explains as he still tosses the pillow. He feels antsy and restless, more than usual. “She and Ned were both surprised. And then she was like, “Isn’t the whole point of you getting better so you can go to MIT?” and I just… didn’t know what to say. Because she’s not wrong, it was.”
“No, the point of getting better is to get better. Full stop,” Sam counters.
“Yeah,” he pouts.
“You can still apply to MIT, Peter. You know Tony would move mountains if that’s what you want.”
“But what if it’s not what I want anymore?” he huffs. Then he groans in frustration and scrubs a hand over his face. “I’m just– I don’t know. May basically said the same thing. I’m just tired of being questioned.”
“Hey, I hear ya,” he soothes. “Do you want my honest opinion?”
“Yes, please,” he sighs in relief.
“I think you and Tony talked about it for a long time, and I think you made the right choice for both you and the pack. School is going to be hard on you, and having us closer is better. Especially while we’re still settling, it’s barely been a month since the pack really formed.”
A weight lifts off Peter’s shoulders at hearing someone say it’s the right choice. Tony and Steve had been nothing but assuring, but it was a lot of “we support you” and “whatever you want, Omega.” Which is nice in its own right, but it’s not what he needs right now.
“Thank you,” he says softly.
“Course. You okay? You sound ready to drop.”
He laughs a little half-heartedly. “I’ve been fighting one, yeah. I almost dropped in front of MJ and Ned after the college talk.”
“Why are you fighting it? I thought you were comfortable with them?”
“It makes them uncomfortable,” he mumbles. “And– yeah.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Omega. Do you need me to call Tony for you?”
“I don’t want Tony,” he pouts petulantly, even though he shouldn’t.
“Steve then?”
“No,” he whines. The words fall out of his mouth before he can think better. “I want Bucky.”
“Well, okay, I can–”
“Noo, Sam, don’t,” he pleads. “He’s not–we’re not–it’s–”
“Peter, we’re going at our own pace, and I would drop everything if you need me right now. Bucky would, too. Why are you acting like he wouldn’t? Did something happen?”
“No, just– maybe– I–” He forces himself to take a deep breath. “Bucky was looking at me, and I did that stupid little whine I do, and MJ and Ned both froze like I was a bomb about to go off.”
“So then you brushed it off.”
“Yeah,” he mutters bitterly. Then he sighs in defeat. “It’s fine. I’ll just… I’ll sleep with Tony tonight, and I’ll be fine in the morning.”
“Peter.”
“What? What else am I supposed to do, Sam? I can’t just–”
“You can just! He’s still one of your Alphas.”
“And Jamie is his Omega, I’m not–”
“Bucky is an Alpha in an Alpha body trying to take care of a co-conscious Omega. It’s a little different than him having a bite mark on someone’s neck.”
Tears threaten to spill. “I don’t know how to ask,” he whispers. “Tony and Steve just know what I need, especially when I don’t. Bucky hasn’t even tried, not since Jamie. Even though I’ve been there every week when he needed me. And I get that it’s complicated and they need time, but what if–” He cuts himself off, lest his deepest fears bubble to the surface.
“Don’t let it sit, Omega.”
“What if he doesn’t want me?” he whispers. “He didn’t ask for me to bond with him; he never got the chance. None of you did, really. I– just– I feel guilty,”
“Honey, that man is besotted with you. I don’t know why you can’t see it.”
His ears burn at the endearment. It wasn’t often that Sam let one slip.
“You need to spend time with Bucky, not just Jamie. I know you’re helping Jamie get used to being out and about, and you’ve been there for them after BARF sessions, but you have needs, too. And based on your history, you know we’re all worried about you getting bond-sickness.”
“We were worried about that when you left for DC, and I’ve been fine,” he complains.
“Yeah, 'cause you yap my ear off every night. Which is a good thing, by the way; don’t go saying sorry.”
“Sorry,” he says anyway, just to be defiant. Then softly. “I miss you.”
“You do?” Sam’s voice sounds hopeful and a little surprised.
“Yeah,” he says shyly, blushing slightly. Admitting that was sort of a big step for them, one he hadn’t expected to take.
There’s a long pause before he speaks again. “I miss you, too.”
“How are things up there?” he asks.
“You really want to know, or are you just trying to distract me?”
“Can’t it be both?”
Sam sighs but concedes, telling him about his day and his job. Peter puts the phone on speaker and rolls on his side, hugging a pillow as he listens, letting his voice wash over him. Sam’s voice is soothing, and he finds himself drifting a little, but without the physical presence of an Alpha there, he feels a little bit like he’s about to jump off a cliff without his webs.
His mind wanders to MJ’s comments and then starts spiraling. Was it wrong that he couldn’t survive without his pack? What would happen to him if something went wrong? If he were alone? The thought sends a shiver of fear through him. It was all still so new and fragile. They hadn’t even had a full pack meeting since Sam’s birthday. Nat kept slipping away on missions that no one knew about, and Clint had gone home to see his family. Bruce kept to himself on principle. Wanda and Vision lived at the compound more than in the tower.
But worse than that was the very nature of who his pack was. Anything could happen to them at any given time. He could lose them at any given moment. He could protect them from a lot, but not everything. The idea of failing someone in his pack is almost worse than the idea of them all suddenly changing their minds about tolerating him.
“Pete? Honey? You okay?”
He wipes away the few tears that have escaped. “Huh? Yeah, I’m okay.”
Sam sighs. “I’m calling in the brigade.”
“Nooo, I’m fine,” he whines. “I’m supposed to go out and get ice cream.”
“Omega. Enough. I’m texting them.”
Peter’s stomach swoops, and a few tears prickle at the corners of his eyes. Sam never pulled rank on him, but he should’ve known this would be his line in the sand. Alpha was disappointed in him, and it only made the need in his core intensify. “Alpha,” he whines a little.
“Shh. I know, honey, it’s okay,” he soothes. “He’s comin’, okay? Just hang on.”
He’s fading fast, his head a little fuzzy. “Want you, too,” he mumbles.
“I can stay on the phone, sweetheart,” Sam coos.
“Want you home,” he whines. “Want everyone home.”
“Oh, honey…”
“Omega?”
Peter lifts his head a little at the sound of Bucky’s voice. “Alpha?”
“Can I come up, doll?” he asks, his head popping up from the ladder.
“Uh-huh,” he whimpers, making grabby hands at him, all shame gone now that he’s dropped.
Bucky smiles at him softly and crawls into the web, making his way over. The moment he’s close enough, Peter tugs him down, purring the moment their bodies touch. “I gotcha, baby doll,” Bucky murmurs, pulling him closer. “You can let go. Alpha’s got you.”
So Peter does.
★★★★★
Bucky sits down on the couch with a soft sigh, tilting his head back against the cushions and staring at the ceiling. His mind is running in circles, inner Alpha prowling because he’s sure something is wrong with Peter. But unlike Jamie, Bucky can’t just jump into the fray with him. They’re not there yet.
“Ten bucks says he drops after ice cream,” Tony sighs as he sits down on the other side. “MJ really shook him up.”
“She did,” Steve admits, looking conflicted on where to sit for a minute. Bucky pats the couch next to him, wanting him close. Steve’s lips quirk into a tiny dorky smile before he sits down, draping his arm behind Bucky on the couch.
He’s such a sap, Jamie huffs.
Yeah, he is.
Ugh. All of you are.
You like it.
“Think someone needs to give those kids a talking to about what being a Beta really means,” Bucky mutters, not sure if his opinion is wanted. “They’re good kids, but man, they avoid their instincts.”
“It’s all the rage these days,” Tony drawls. “Not succumbing to your baser instincts or whatever bullshit. Hell, they don’t even teach Betas about theirs anymore. Don’t get Bruce started on it; he turns green, and Rhodey will be right there to back him up.”
“For good reason,” Steve snorts. “I get that they're not pack, but they’re like Peter’s family. Him gettin’ Omega on them shouldn’t scare them like that.”
Tony hums softly, nodding in agreement, his gaze a little distant, like he’s thinking. Then his brow furrows slightly. “Did the college thing really make him whine like that? Or did I miss something else?”
Bucky clears his throat a little. “Might be my fault. I was looking at him, and then he looked at me and whined. I tried checkin’ on him, but he said he was fine so–”
“Babe,” Steve says, sounding disappointed with him. “And you believed him?”
“I-well– we’re not–it’s–” he stammers. Steve and Tony are looking at him with little smirks, and Jamie is even rolling his eyes at him in his mind. “We’re not there!”
“Barnes. He nested with you for an hour on Thursday,” Tony chuckles. “You scented each other so much that it soaked into my entire lab. You’re there.”
“Yeah, but that’s– he was just helping because I was… sad,” he mutters, hating to admit it. Jamie coos at him softly, wrapping him up in his presence a little more. He’d gotten better at that, softer, ever since they kissed. “We’re just friends. Like him and Sam.”
“Yeah, and they’re heading more towards mate town with every passing day,” Tony says knowingly. “You can hop on the train, Buckaroo, it’s natural. It’s how this is supposed to work, apparently. Omega-led packs aren’t exactly the most researched thing, but–”
His words are cut off by his and Steve’s phones chiming. Bucky panics that it’s some kind of Avengers alarm (or maybe it’s Jamie panicking) until he realizes that his buzzes, too. He pulls it out, and his eyes widen at the message.
Alpha Quad
Sam: Peter’s dropping. He needs Bucky.
Bucky is on his feet in an instant, barely hearing Steve say he’ll tell Sam he’s going. His heart pounds, entirely running on instinct as he practically sprints down the hall towards Peter’s nest room. He pushes open the door, trying to sound calm rather than frantic. “Omega?”
A curly mop of brown curls pokes up out of the hammock loft space—Peter’s web, where they usually weren’t allowed. Bucky was the only one who had been up there, and it was before he decided it was his Alpha free zone. “Alpha?”
He grabs onto the ladder, almost climbing to the top as he asks, “Can I come up, doll?”
Peter looks pale, his eyes big and round, a little glassy. “Uh-huh,” he whimpers, making grabby hands at him. It’s adorable and melts Bucky’s heart.
He smiles at him softly and crawls into the web, making his way over. The moment he’s close enough, Peter tugs him down, purring on contact. “I gotcha, baby doll,” he murmurs, pulling him closer. “You can let go. Alpha’s got you.”
Peter lets out a soft whine, and his head slumps against Bucky’s chest. He knows Peter gets exhausted when he drops, usually falling asleep the moment he’s tucked in Tony's or Steve’s arms. There’s a weird static noise somewhere, and he realizes that the call with Sam is still going.
“Hey, I got him,” he says quietly as he grabs Peter’s phone. He checks quickly to confirm, and yep, Omega is out. “He’s asleep already.”
“Thank god. He was fighting it so hard, I could tell,” Sam sighs.
Jamie perks up a little (a lot) at the sound of Sam’s voice, and Bucky has to bat him away a little. Right now, it was about Peter. Jamie could call Sam later.
There’s a frustrated sigh from Sam, which surprises Bucky. He’s usually the calm and reasonable one. “You okay?” Bucky asks.
“No,” he mutters. “I should’ve come home this weekend. Don’t even know what I’m doing up here.”
Bucky had quietly wondered the same thing. The weird new pseudo SHIELD that had popped up as part of Tony’s efforts to get them all pardoned was now based out of a small office in the city and the Avengers compound upstate. Bucky knew Sam had lived in DC for a long time, but he didn’t understand why he felt the need to go back there and pretend like the last couple of years never happened.
“Tony would send the jet for you. You could be here tonight,” he points out.
“I have sessions tomorrow,” he sighs.
“Isn’t online therapy all the rage these days?” Bucky asks with a raised brow.
“Oh, yeah, I could do that. Better than canceling. I’ll get it sorted. Probably not tonight, but maybe by tomorrow afternoon.”
Peter whimpers and shifts a little on his chest. Bucky shushes him softly, kissing the top of his head. He settles a moment later, and Bucky wonders if he’s out for the night or if he’ll wake up in a little while.
“Look, Buck…” Sam sighs.
“What?” he asks warily.
“Can you make a damn move already?”
He blinks in surprise at the question. “Wh-what?”
“Oh, come on, Barnes. We’re in the same boat. I know you feel it. I know you– I mean, I guess I don’t know, but–”
“No, you’re right,” he murmurs, looking down at Peter draped across his chest. Then he sighs softly. “I fucked it up, didn’t I?”
“A little. Not entirely. But I’d advise some action when he comes back up. Steve says that works better with him.”
“Are you texting them?” he asks.
“They were asking if they should come in. Steve offered that information voluntarily.”
He snorts softly. “Alright, alright, I hear ya.”
Finally!!
You sure you’re okay with that, baby?
Yes, please, for the love of God, stop pining and kiss him already.
Bucky raises a mental brow at Jamie’s eagerness. It felt like more than just encouragement, and it only adds to Bucky’s confusion about why Jamie is so resistant to Steve. If he can relax around Sam, Tony, and Peter, then why not Steve? He pushes the thought down, not wanting to linger too long and make Jamie feel bad—one thing at a time, or more like one Omega at a time.
Peter stirs at that moment, lifting his head and looking around sleepily. Then he looks at Bucky, and his lips part in almost surprise, and his cheeks turn pink. Bucky raises a brow at him, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Hi, sugar. You need somethin’?”
He’s still a little out of it, Bucky thinks, but not quite as bad. His mouth opens and shuts a few times before he nuzzles back into Bucky’s chest, almost like he’s hiding. “No,” he mumbles.
“Omega. Tell Bucky what you need.”
He whines at the sound of Sam’s voice, high and needy. “I don’t know,” he whimpers.
“Yeah, ya do, honey. Come on. It’s okay.”
“Don’t need nothin’,” Peter huffs.
“What do you want then?” Bucky asks, rubbing his back a little. Peter looks up at him in surprise, then looks at the phone, and looks hesitant. Bucky decides to make an executive decision, feeling a little more confident. “Sam, I think Omega and I need to talk. I can have him call you back later.”
“No, it’s okay. You guys do your thing. Unless he wants me, then that’s fine. I gotta make some calls. I’ll talk to you later, honey, okay? Be good for Bucky.”
Peter’s cheeks turn a darker shade of pink. “I will. Night, Alpha.”
“Night, Omega. Bye, Buck.”
“Bye,” he murmurs before hanging up the phone. He doesn’t know where to put it, so it doesn’t fall through the hammock cracks, but Peter plucks it from his grip and rests it in some sort of holder on the wall. Bucky tugs him closer, all the way up on his chest, so he’s mostly lying on top of him. “Think we need to have a little chat, Omega.”
Peter whimpers, nuzzling at his scent gland. Bucky lets his scent go more than he usually does, and Peter immediately settles with a soft sigh. “Okay,” he says softly.
“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you in front of your friends,” he starts, rubbing his back soothingly.
“Oh,” he whispers. “That’s not- you didn’t. I just-“
“If anyone understands not wanting to be vulnerable, even in front of people you trust, it’s me,” he says quietly. “It’s hard, even on the good days when you want to make progress.”
He sighs at that, nodding against his shoulder. “Just wish they’d all stop doubting me,” he mumbles. “I get they’re protective, but I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”
“Well, when you’re not tellin’ people what you need, sugar, I can see why they’d be checkin’ in,” he chides. Then he softens, kissing his temple. “Sweetheart, why didn’t you tell me you needed me?”
“'Cause I didn’t- I- you and Jamie are figuring things out and I’ve got Steve and Tony and we said we were just friends,” he whines in a rambling rush of words. “I didn’t want to rush things.”
“Honey, you have been there for me two weeks in a row when I felt like I was gonna fall apart,” he says firmly. “The least I can do is help you through a drop. And I’m sorry if you felt like I wasn’t there for you because of Jamie. That’s not what either of us wants. You’re my Omega, too, and Jamie’s pack head. We wanna be there for you.”
Tears start to spill down his soft cheeks. “I just didn’t want to make him uncomfortable,” he whispers.
Bucky feels an almost nauseatingly intense wave of emotions from Jamie. It’s deeply protective, the urge to care and protect his pack head. There’s also a little bit of surprise, like he’s having new feelings—something to work on later.
“He’s not uncomfortable with you,” Bucky says, translating the feelings into words. “It’s all new for him, being around another Omega. He’s never had that before. But he wants to be there for you, too.”
“Oh,” he mumbles. Then he lifts his head a little. “So. So he wouldn’t be mad if-if–“
Bucky cuts that thought off with a kiss, surging up and pressing his lips gently against Peter’s. He moans softly, fingers tangling in Bucky’s shirt to pull him closer. Bucky holds him by the waist, moving their mouths together until he gets an urge. He follows it, rolling them over. Peter moans louder once he’s on top, a soft purr emitting from him.
“Alpha,” he whimpers between kisses.
“Shh, I’m here,” Bucky soothes, trailing his lips over the curve of his jaw. It’s been a long time since he’s done this, but his instincts are burning bright. “What do you want, baby? Tell Alpha.”
“I want you,” he whines, baring his neck. It’s hard in the netting, but Bucky gets a thigh between his legs, and Peter immediately starts grinding on it, sweet little noises slipping past his lips. “Want you and Sam. Want everyone home. Want my Alphas.”
His scent is growing thicker with every word, and Bucky’s brow furrows slightly. He nuzzles against Peter’s scent gland, and there’s something different. “Baby, you feelin’ okay?”
He moans a little, shaking his head. “Dropped.”
“I know, I know, but—“ he hesitates again, scenting him. He needs an expert. “Hey, Omega, listen to Alpha, okay?”
“Kay,” he whimpers, still grinding needily.
“Can Tony come up here?”
“No,” he pouts, clinging to Bucky. “Only Alpha.”
He’s translating that to mean only him right now, and he feels honored. He gets his metal arm under him, holding him close. Peter wraps his legs around his waist, clinging to him like a baby monkey. “Alpha needs to take you to Tony, okay? I’m worried about you. Need our Omega expert. Is that okay?”
Peter giggles a little, almost delirious. “Daddy’s an expert.”
Oh lord. Bucky inhales sharply at how that makes him feel. Or maybe how it makes Jamie feel? It’s too complicated to sort through right now. “That’s right, he is,” he chuckles, slowly moving them back toward the ladder. Peter’s sticky helps, and by the time they’re at the bottom, Tony is pushing the door open.
“I was told I’m needed,” he says softly. Friday must have alerted him.
“Something’s off,” Bucky murmurs, hoisting Peter up a little better in his arms. “Omega. Let Daddy scent you, sweetheart.”
“Kay,” he whines, adjusting his head on Bucky’s shoulder so his neck is presented.
Tony raises a brow at the reference but leans in to scent him, stepping close. Bucky’s stomach does a weird little flip at the proximity, but he pushes it away. Tony nuzzles against Peter and then pulls away with his eyes wide. “Well, shit. That explains a lot. He’s in preheat.”
Peter whines at that, pulling away from Tony like he’s offended. “Am not,” he pouts.
“Oh, but you are, baby boy,” Tony coos, rubbing his back. “You remember how it felt when you first stayed with Daddy? You were all anxious and dropping like a fly every couple of hours?”
Peter blinks at Tony a few times, his processing time clearly a little slower. “Oh.”
Bucky and Tony both chuckle at that. The affection on Tony’s face right now is almost breathtaking in how intense it is. They all might be Peter’s Alphas, but there was just something about the two of them that was special.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, we’re better prepared this time,” Tony says softly, though his eyes flick to Bucky briefly. “Though we weren’t a full pack last time, I don’t know how that’s gonna work.”
Peter whines again, and this time, Bucky has a guess. “He said he wanted everyone home,” he says softly.
Tony nods like that makes sense, then he chuckles to himself, pulling out his phone and typing on it. “Well. Steve is usually the one who gets to do this, so I’m not wasting the opportunity.”
“Do what?” Bucky frowns.
He grins and turns his phone screen so Bucky can see.
To: Pack Chat
Tony: Avengers! Assemble!