Love Grows: Love Series 1 (demon!Bucky and pre-serum!Steve omegaverse au)

20

SOMEONE WAS IN THE ROOM. Steve could hear them. Moving around, opening doors, pulling out drawers. Someone was there. And Steve really wished they weren't. They were making too much noise, and his head was pounding.

Rolling onto his back, Steve pulled the comforter down so he could peek at whoever was in his room, disturbing his sleep. He supposed that he shouldn't have been surprised to find his husband. It was Hodge's room too, after all. That fact didn't annoy him any less though.

"Morning, sleepy head," Hodge greeted with a large smile, buttoning his jeans.

Brows furrowing, "What time is it?"

"Ten after nine."

"Where are you going?"

"I have rehearsal," Hodge chuckled, cocking his head to the side as he studied Steve.

"But," Steve scrubbed his hand over his face, trying to wake up faster, "My heat...?"

"Lasted for three days," Hodge good-humoredly scoffed.

"It did?"

"Yeah," Hodge confirmed, pulling on a knitted sweater. "Don't you remember?"

Racking his brain, Steve had flashes and glimpses of his heat. That big, muscular body on his. Lips and teeth and hands kissing, scraping, caressing. Rolling around in bed. Coming more times than he could count. Feeling sore and worn out, but in a good way. In the best way. Bonding.

Reaching up, Steve winced at the healing mating bite on the crook of his neck. Forever. That's what that meant. And Hodge had done so without question nor hesitation. Steve smiled to himself. It had already been on paper that they belonged to each other, but now it was in their souls too.

"... tonight."

"Sorry, what?" Steve blinked, realizing that his husband had been talking.

Hodge gave him a funny look before repeating, "I might be late tonight."

"What? Why?"

"Man," Hodge scoffed, "Daniel said that the tea would make you spacey, but I didn't think it'd be this bad."

Sitting up, Steve stretched his sore, stiff body. Hoping that he'll wake up faster that way. Also hoping that his husband understood what it was like to have a season. Growing up, he had wanted to be a beta so he wouldn't have to deal with a heat or a rut or anything else that could be so discombobulating. Now though, well now was different. A heat was going to bring him a baby. So he figured that they weren't that bad. Not now.

"Earth to Steve?"

"Sorry," Steve sheepishly apologized.

Rolling his eyes, Hodge repeated himself, "I might be late tonight."

"Right," Steve nodded, ensuring that he was paying attention now. "And why's that?"

"Bucky got me a reading with that buddy of his. For that movie, Symbol of Courage."

Brows arching high on his forehead, Steve asked, "He did, did he?"

"Mhmm," Hodge confirmed, checking himself out in the full length mirror.

"Well, that was awfully nice of him."

"He's a good guy."

Steve shrugged, not knowing enough about his husband's new friend to know definitively either way. The thought of Bucky though caused a shiver to run down his spine and a tingle in his mating bite. Feeling his cheeks heat at the reaction that even thinking about the alpha gave him, Steve chewed on his lower lip. He really shouldn't be thinking about other men when he was in his and his husband's bed and the man in question was his husband's, his mate's friend.

"What about the play?"

"What play?" Hodge asked, leaving the room.

Getting out of bed, Steve followed him in nothing more than the sheet from their bed wrapped around himself. "'What play,'" he mocked. "Flag Smasher? The play that you wanted for months...?"

"Didn't you say that it was an awful play?" Hodge quirked a brow.

"I don't think I used that word," Steve rolled his eyes, holding the sheet tighter to his naked body.

"Still," Hodge chuckled. "It's not like I was gonna win a Tony."

"Still. You made a commitment."

"Yeah. After the one they really wanted got hit by a car."

For a moment, he just stared at his husband. Shocked by how nonchalant he had mentioned a comatose man. Didn't he know how it could've happened to anyone? Even Hodge himself? Didn't he feel sympathetic for the actor and his wife? Couldn't he see that everything could be over in a single second?

"Don't look at me like that."

"I'm not looking at you like anything," Steve fibbed, directing his attention to his feet.

"Hey," Hodge took Steve's chin between his thumb and index finger, tilting the omega's face up to look at him. "This could be really good for us." Putting his other hand on Steve's flat abdomen, he added, "For all of us."

That brought a little smile to his face, and he hated himself for it. For dismissing Jonathan F. Walker just as Hodge had. As though he wasn't a person who was suffering. As though a single second of sympathy was more than enough. As though their family and their dreams were more important than the Walkers'.

Worrying his lower lip between his teeth, Steve asked, "Do you think it worked?"

"It better have."

Placing his hand on top of Hodge's, Steve agreed, "It better have."

Hodge smiled and turned for the coffee maker. With his thermos full, he grabbed his keys and headed for the door. Before he could leave the apartment though, Steve followed and asked, "Hey! Forget somethin'?"

His brows furrowed until Steve puckered his lips in a silent reminder and request. Playfully, the beta rolled his eyes and headed back for the omega. Steve stood on his tiptoes, expecting a kiss on the lips. Instead, he got a kiss on his forehead.

"If I kiss ya now, there's no way I'll be leavin' today," Hodge explained, giving Steve's body a lustful once over.

"Fine," Steve dramatically sighed, but agreed nonetheless, even if there was a small part nagging him that it was just an excuse. But could anyone know when an actor was being true and not acting? Or did all of them question their partner's sincerity?

A twinge of guilt washed over him, but not his own, it was coming through the bond. First, Steve was elated to have such a thing. Then, he decided that if Hodge felt guilty – whether he was lying about not kissing him or if he knew he was being a dick about John – the beta could come to him if he wanted to. At least with the guilt, Steve knew that his husband wasn't some super attractive, perfect robot.

CREAK!

Turning, Steve looked down the hallway. The linen closet at the end of the hall stared back at him. Steve wasn't sure why a chill came over him, but he hugged himself to keep the shudders at bay. Perhaps his mom had been right about watching too many scary movies. Perhaps the last of his foggy brain would wash away in the shower just like his thoughts of Bucky.