Chapter Text
With suitcases and hefty shoulder bags in tow, you waited patiently in the foyer for Steve and Tony to come and greet you. And, ideally, carry your 'luggage' for you. Hauling suitcases through the bustling streets of New York was no easy feat. Super-human strength wasn't your gift, after all. The receptionist smiled sweetly at you; her nostrils twitched very slightly, picking up your strengthening scent.
"Mine's getting close, too. I always have to take a few days off, " the fellow Omega told you, sympathetically.
"I'm gonna be a shut-in for three days and avoid leaving the apartment, " you returned her smile, a tiny smirk playing on your lips. She giggled, resuming her typing at the computer on her desk. With excellent timing, Steve and Tony came striding into the foyer, arriving to collect you.
"Good to see you here at last, Y/N!" Steve welcomed you with amiable warmth, a smile spread across his face.
"Feels good being here," you grin at the super-soldier.
"It was only a matter of time. I knew you couldn't resist our rugged charm and glorious hair. Well. More precisely, my rugged charm and glorious hair." Tony joked.
"That's exactly it, " you snorted, entertaining Tony's self-aware egotism. "Now, can your rugged charm come and help me with my stuff?" You inquired.
"You're asking me when the six foot two super-soldier is right here?" Tony feigned indignance. You and Steve chuckled, said super-soldier leaning down to grab both of your suitcases. While thanking him, you caught his scent; something akin to soap and pancakes. Soothing, but even so close to your heat, it wasn't especially stimulating.
"You seemed to be advertising yourself. I thought I'd make use of you, " you rallied, adjusting the straps of your shoulder bag.
"Eurgh. Fine, fine. Here, enjoy this singular demonstration of gallantry-" Tony teased, taking the heavy bag from your shoulder, relieving you of it's aching weight. His scent was mild like Steve's, a whiff of whiskey and engine oil wading into your nostrils. Yet for some strange reason, there was another set of scents in the vicinity, with more 'kick' than Steve or Tony's. Something akin to...blueberry waffles, the pages of a new book and...toast. You avoided focusing on it, as it seemed to stir something in your loins.
"C'mon, your place is all set up, so we'll go straight up there," Tony said, pulling you from your brief reverie.
It was deeply fortunate that nearly all of the Avengers were Betas. This meant no excessive provocation of your hormones and minimal chance of rash behaviour. The Beta-majority were level-headed, were not predisposed to 'targeting' you like many Alphas were inclined to do, and would be able to help you during particularly distressing heats. The only Alphas present in the team were Thor and Bucky Barnes, and only one of these men presented any kind of issue. Thor had been bonded to Jane Foster for some time, which had had a placating effect on him, and reducing the chances of hormonal spikes and intense ruts.
Bucky, on the other hand, was an unbonded Alpha having to re-adapt to his presentation after seventy years of forced suppression. While Bucky, himself, was a good-hearted man for a significant portion of the time- the Alpha in him could trigger aggression, make him mercurial and rather territorial.
Taking on board an unbonded Omega such as yourself meant establishing precautions- one of these being that both you and Bucky, under no cirumstances, were permitted to be alone together. A Beta always had to be in close proximity. It wasn't just for the sake of your protection, but for Bucky's as-well. If you were threatened enough, wielding the mutant ability you had, you could just as easily kill the ex-assassin.
Able to produce shockwaves, ranging from minor jolts to Richter-scale devestation, you were far from vulnerable. If inflicting the same force, that could destroy buildings, on a person- their internal organs would be ruptured in mere seconds.
Indeed, both of you posed a potential threat to one another during highly fertile periods. It was vitally important that the rules were abided by.
"So you've basically got all the comforts of home, only much more advanced and stylishly decorated," Tony said, swinging open the door to your new apartment, setting your large shoulder bag down.
"'Stylishly decorated'? Don't pretend to be refined, Tony, you're the one who has a not-so-private collection of Avengers' bobbleheads in his workshop-" Steve scoffed playfully at the engineer.
"Oh, so sue me, Captain Spangles, I'm sentimental that way," Tony replied with an imperious air about him.
"I'm looking forward to these arguments for the next however-many-years I'm with you guys," you chuckled, shaking your head. Again, that mysterious scent permeated your olfactory senses. Ignoring it, you stooped down to pick up your bag, but halted mid-action. A painful ache in your lower belly caught you off guard, drawing a hissed gasp from you. You slid a hand over your stomach, just below the navel, cupping it.
"Hey, you okay there, [Y/N]?" Steve placed your suitcases on the floor, and touched your shoulder gently. You nodded, a little unconvincingly, seeing as your face was contorted with discomfort.
"You're going into heat," Tony observed.
"Yeah, I guess so. Thought I had a couple of days before that happened. But then the receptionist was able to smell it on me-" You remarked, words constricted slightly as you fought another wave of pain.
"Thought something seemed odd. Your scent's stronger than an off-cycle Omega," he said, looking at you closely.
"Well I'm in for a fun few days, right?" You groaned.
"At least you're here and not surrounded by a dozen Alphas or something. The fridge is stocked, there's plenty of bottled water if you have a preference for it. And, here- hey, JARVIS-" Tony dealt with the situation matter-of-factly.
"Sir ?"
"For the next three days, I need you to keep the temperature in here low. Below ten degrees, but not freezing."
"Optimum temperature has been set for Miss [Y/L/N]. I shall follow the appropriate procedure for an in-oestrus Omega. "
"Thanks, JARVIS. That should make things a bit more bearable for you, [Y/N]," said Tony.
"[Y/N], me and Tony'll sort your stuff out, try and organise it best we can. I imagine you're gonna want to lie down?" Steve helped you stand straight, rubbing your back companionably.
"No, I can't let you do that, that's not fair on you guys-" You said, before stifling a grunt of discomfort.
"I insist. Your scent is getting stronger by the second. Besides, we're teammates now. We help each other out," he gave you a stern look, but there was no mistaking the kindness in his voice.
"Thank you, you guys," you replied, moved by their support.
"Don't mention it. We'll let the others know. Remember-if you need any help at all, just get JARVIS to patch you through to one of us. We'll be up here double-time," Steve assured you. As he and Tony gathered up your luggage, you made your way uncertainly towards the couch, rubbing your aching stomach. The heat really had snuck up on you so suddenly, and you were pinning the blame on that mystery smell.
"Hey, Steve, Tony-are either of the Alphas here? Thor or Bucky?" You called out your question. Steve appeared in the doorway of what you presumed was your bedroom.
"Bucky is. Why?"
"Because I think I've been smelling him since I arrived and that's what brought my heat on early," you explain. Worry etched itself into Steve's face, and sighed tiredly.
"If you were able to pick up his smell when we were on the ground floor, that means his rut is starting. Jesus...that's gonna be a nightmare to deal with..." He looked genuinely agonised. "And if you can smell him, he can smell you-so that'll make things a whole load more difficult. I love Buck dearly, but he can be a pain in the ass when he's not on a rut. When he's on one, I have to stay with Natasha until it passes," his face fell.
"Jeez, that bad, huh?"
"Yeah. Really bad..." Steve sighed once more.
"Barnes on a rut? Holy shit, if he's not jerking off, he's a total fucking psychopath. A seventy year dry spell really messes with you," Tony piped up from the bathroom, laying out your toiletries.
"Christ," you muttered.
"I don't know. Maybe he'll be better this time? He's improved a lot since he first arrived. He might actually be more reasonable now-" Steve began, but with almost beautifully comedic timing, there was no mistaking the penetrating bellow of-
"MOTHERFUCKER! FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! FUCKING COCK-SUCKING ASSWIPE!" From above you all. There was the calm, deep buzz of another voice- trying to mollify the raging Alpha.
"Yeah. He sounds reasonable to me, " Tony remarked laconically. Steve's shoulders drooped, looking positively wretched.
"Maybe he just stubbed his toe or something?" You suggested, imbuing the super-soldier with false hope. You were quickly proven incorrect when Bucky screamed-
"WHERE'S THE FUCKING OMEGA?! I CAN FUCKING SMELL AN OMEGA! YOU MOTHERFUCKERS ARE TRYIN' TO FUCKING TORTURE ME!" The calm voice buzzed more after his outburst.
"I think he wants to come and say 'hello', [Y/N]," Tony piped up wryly.
"Shit..." You whined, a hot flash burning through you. That scent of blueberry waffles, books and toast became more intense; evidently impacting on your body chemistry.
"I SMELL AN OMEGA! THEY'RE IN FUCKING HEAT! I SMELL THEM! WHY ARE YOU KEEPING US SEPARATED, YOU FUCKER?!" More fierce yelling from Bucky. "NO! GET BACK HERE! SON OF A- YOU FUCK!" There was the sound of slamming against something metallic.
"For the love of God, Steve, he needs to go on some suppressants. He's completely cracked up!" Tony complained.
"He was suppressed long enough! This is the adjustment period- we can't give him any drugs, it'll only set him back!"
"I WANT A FUCKING OMEGA! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! WHY ARE YOU TORTURING ME LIKE THIS?! YOU'RE ALL FUCKS! EVIL FUCKS! GIVE ME...GIVE ME AN OMEGA! PLEASE! FUCKING PLEASE! I CAN SMELL AN OMEGA, FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! IT'S KILLING ME!" He cried out beseechingly. Hearing his fury and his desperate pleas plucked at the heartstrings of your inner Omega, it made you want to rush to this rutting, pleading Alpha and present yourself. You, yourself, were glad to be apart from the ex-assassin- nearly two hundred pounds of horny, furious Alpha was not something you wanted to be around.
"Mr Stark and Captain Rogers, Dr Banner would like to speak with you both- shall I establish a communication channel? " The polite A.I inquired.
"Bring him here. We'll speak to him in person," Steve said, returning to his spot in the bedroom doorway.
"I second that," Tony chirped, entering the main area of the apartment. You groaned, sweat prickling over your body, lethargy weighing heavily in your mind and bones. A couple of minutes later, and the gentle-natured scientist appeared. Almost immediately he switched his attention to you, one of your hands clutching your stomach, the other clapped to your boiling forehead.
"Hey there, doc," you greeted with as much cheer as you could muster.
"Oh God, [Y/N]-now I can see and smell why Bucky's behaving so aggressively. How are you holding up?" He spoke gently.
"I'm peachy," you replied drily, earning a smile from Bruce. "I went into heat earlier than I should have. I could pick up Bucky's scent, and it set me off."
"I'm sorry, [Y/N]. I guess things have been timed badly. We should have known he was going to start his rut, his scent was getting stronger. We could have postponed your arrival by a week, he'd be finished, and you would have gotten through your heat. You wouldn't be getting this extra bother."
"Bruce, I don't mean to interrupt, but is there anything we can do to calm Bucky down?" Steve asked.
"At the risk of sounding crass, there's only one thing that's going to level Bucky's temper," Bruce gave him that 'you-know-what-I-mean' look.
"A good, hard fuck with an Omega-" Tony chimed in.
"Yes, thank you, Tony-I gathered that," Steve pinched the bridge of his nose.
"No matter how far apart you keep [Y/N] and Bucky, they'll still be able to pick out each other's scent. I noticed while I was speaking with him, he started behaving very erratically. I'm making the assumption that's when [Y/N] arrived at the Tower. The only way of easing their symptoms would be to have them in totally different buildings, and that's not exactly feasible. For a start, Bucky's...currently unmanageable. There's no reasoning with him. And [Y/N]-" Bruce looked at you, sympathy in those dark eyes of his, "-is, more or less, incapacitated." He squeezed your hand affectionately.
"That's a nice way of putting it," you chuckled weakly.
"Listen, [Y/N], if the discomfort gets too much for you, I can give you something to help you sleep. And I'm sure the others have already mentioned this- if you need any of us, just let JARVIS know. You may be a fellow Avenger, but more importantly- you're a friend. We look out for each other," Bruce told you.
"Thanks, Bruce," you answered sleepily. Changes in society had led to greater appreciation and respect for the discomfort Omegas experienced during heat. Though you knew full well the Avenger Betas were decent people at heart, regardless, it was touching that they were caring for you so diligently.
After Steve and Tony unpacked and organised some of your items- leaving you with considerably easier access to clothes and toiletries for the duration of your heat- they wished you well, insisting that each of them would come to check up on you every couple of hours. After that, you were left to your own devices. With your cramps subsiding and feeling parched, you shuffled exhaustedly in the direction of the fridge to grab a bottle of water. You unscrewed the cap carelessly, and drank the entire bottle to quench your thirst. Having little else to do beside endure the high temperature, fatigue, dizziness and fast approaching sexual desperation, you wandered to your new bedroom to rest for a few hours.
Sweat soaked and uncomfortably hot, you stripped off to your underwear and collapsed onto the cool bed; the thought of being under the duvet was unbearable. Not just the warmth, but the thought of fabric against your skin made your insides crawl. Curled up on the bed, you closed your eyes, preparing to drift off into a peaceful slumber.
That was, until, you heard loud thumping from above you and more furious snarling and yelling from Bucky. A bizarre mix of fear and pity filled your heart, and you momentarily dwelled on the prospect of just venturing up to the agitated Alpha and letting him knot you. It certainly would have calmed the both of you down. Quickly, however, you came to your senses- acknowledging, not only the risks you posed to one another, but also that you in no way had some kind of obligation to him just because you were an Omega. He was more than capable of dealing with his own needs, and you didn't need him to satisfy yours.
With a certain internal triumph, you soon fell fast asleep.
Waking up, you felt the horrendous impact of your heat. Drenched in sweat, body temperature sky rocketing and completely disorientated, you trembled as you pushed yourself up, your legs still sprawled out on the bed. Even with the apartment temperature regulation, you were roasting, an inferno raging through your body. The heat of the quilt beneath you was agonising and you crawled towards a different part of the bed. During the movement, what you'd originally thought to be heavy perspiration on your inner thighs turned out to be slick ; the lubricant Omegas' bodies produced in plentiful quantities during a heat. You lay on the bed, groaning and whining wretchedly.
Hearing the door to your apartment being opened, a wild rush of excitement came over you, as you believed it to be an Alpha come to help rid of your grief. As soon you sniffed a Beta, however, you felt anchor-heavy disappointment sink your heart.
"[Y/N]?" A pleasantly familiar, raspy voice called out.
"Natasha!" You cried, seeking her cool, calm companionship. Despite only having met her on a few occasions, you'd formed what could be considered something resembling a friendship with the self-contained Russian. Being another woman and incredibly insightful, she immediately appealed to you.
"[Y/N]..." She repeated, entering the bedroom. Taking in your semi-clad, sweat-covered self and the large patch of slick on the duvet, she said simply- "I'm getting you some more water. You'll be dehydrated. I'll stay with you, make sure you can get to sleep again,"
That was one of the many reasons you valued her friendship. She knew when action needed to be taken. Kind words could come later. She returned within a minute, settled herself beside you, removed the bottle cap and placed the plastic rim to your lips. You drank back several gulps appreciatively. Intuitively, she seemed to know when you were satiated and placed the bottle on the bedside table.
"This one....is really bad..." You wheezed.
"Is it unusual for you to be getting such a bad heat?" She asked.
"They can be bad...but not this soon. I'm usually like this... a day into the cycle. This is a couple of hours in, and it's fucking horrendous!"
"It's being near a rutting Alpha. The pheremones are throwing your body off," Natasha concluded.
"Yeah, I figured," you moaned.
"You're gonna be okay, [Y/N]. I know you will. Do you want me to get Bruce? He can give you something to help you sleep," Natasha suggested.
"I can't sleep for three days straight. I've just got to find other ways of dealing with it."
"Is it enough without an Alpha?" Natasha inquired, understanding the meaning behind your words.
"An orgasm helps you relax for a while. You can think more clearly," you told her quite openly.
"So, you'll pretty much be eating, drinking, sleeping and masturbating for the next three days?" Natasha's mouth quirked into a semblance of a smirk.
"When you put it like that, it seems fantastic..." You chuckled.
"MInus the agonising heat symptoms, it sounds like my kind of holiday," she teased gently, distracting you from your woes. You snorted at her, making an amusing dismissive sound with your lips.
"Ha ha. Witty, Natasha. My sides are splitting," you said, earning a small, sharp exhale of breath from the composed red-head. For Natasha, that was as close to laughter as anyone would get from her.
"Well, I'm gonna leave you to your busy schedule, [Y/N]. Hope you're feeling better soon. See you around, comrade," she bid you farewell, touching your hand in an affectionate gesture that wouldn't irritate your hypersensitive skin. Following her exit, you curled up once more and closed your eyes. Feeling so physically drained, it wasn't long before you were fast alseep again.
When you next awoke, it was twilight, your unlit room bathed in near darkness. You couldn't muster up enough enthusiasm to go and switch the light on, so you lay on your bed- burning hot with a clouded mind, thighs drenched with slick. Considering the number of people living in the Tower, it seemed eerily quiet.
"JARVIS?" You croaked.
"Miss [Y/L/N]? " He responded pleasantly.
"Where is everyone?"
"I'm afraid the team were called on a mission to deal with some civil unrest. Mr Wilson had volunteered to stay behind and provide any neccessary care, but was unable to remain due to a family emergency. Is there anything I can do for you, Miss [Y/L/N]? "
"N-no, thank you, JARVIS," you answered hoarsely. "Um...is...Bucky still-?"
"Sergeant Barnes is still present. His behaviour has been extremely inconsistent for the past several hours. He's only just begun to settle slightly."
"Oh...how's that?"
"I feel it would be inappropriate for me to explain, Miss [Y/L/N]. "
"Oh," you caught on, knowingly. Needless to say, a prolonged, loud groan from above you was more than explanation enough. The obscene yet intimate sound had slick further drenching your underwear, and you felt an ingrained yearning ache within you. The scorching heat of your body was now tortorous. Casting aside any pretences of maintaining your dignity; you yanked your underwear off and flung it across the room, before unsnapping your bra and throwing it to join your underwear. Something deep inside of you was imploring you to seek satisfaction in the form of an Alpha. Normally you could cope without, or at the most, you were relieved by a caring, level-headed Alpha. Going to Bucky, you worried, could entail violence given the state he was in.
But he would calm down if he had an Omega...you were debating in your mind. You shook the notion from your head, soon reminding yourself of the possible dangers.
I could just talk to him...even a rutting Alpha can be soothed by an Omega. He'll be horny as hell, but he might not be so vicious,you thought. The two of you could relax each other...
What? What am I thinking? That's crazy...you felt appalled at the way you kept contradicting yourself. The need for a coupling was growing, with brute force behind it. But something, some kind of Omega impulse had you dragging yourself off of your bed and stumbling out of your bedroom, making an unsteady but purposeful beeline for the apartment door. You didn't intend on re-dressing, having clothes against your skin would have infuriated you.
So hot....so fucking hot...you thought, sweat pouring down you, your hair a bedraggled, sticky mess. Staggering toward the elevator, you thumped on the doors, calling for JARVIS.
"I strongly advise that you remain in your living facilities, Miss [Y/L/N]."
"JARVIS, please! Let me out! I can't stay in there anymore!"
"Miss [Y/L/N], I suspect you intend to visit Sergeant Barnes- that would be highly unwise given the condition you're both in-"
"Please, JARVIS! Please! I'm fucking begging you! Let me out! It's awful! I just need an Alpha, please!" You wept, hands clenching into fists and pummelling the steel alloy doors.
"If you insist, Miss [Y/L/N]." Was all JARVIS said, before allowing the elevator doors to slide open soundlessly. You collapsed into the spacious interior, the metal wonderfully cold against your furnace of a body. The elevator ascended with a slight lurch, but almost as soon as it stopped-arriving at Steve and Bucky's apartment floor-were the sound of fast, heavy footfalls and desperate bashing on the doors.
"JARVIS, don't open the doors," you said firmly. The A.I prevented the elevator from opening, allowing you the opportunity to reason with the super-soldier on the other side.
"Bucky-"
"I can smell you! I can fucking smell you! Christ, you smell so good!" He said frantically.
"Bucky, it's me, it's [Y/N]. Remember me?"
"[Y/N]....yeah....yeah, I remember you, course I do," the ex-assassin sounded soothed by this information. A wave of his wonderful scent hit you, and it took all your strength not to order JARVIS to open the doors.
"Bucky, are you gonna calm down for me?"
"I'm already better...fuck..." You heard him groan softly. Making the assumption he was being placated by your scent, you continued talking-
"How bad is your rut, Bucky?"
"Fucking horrifying...I need...I need you...Jesus fucking Christ, I need you so badly, [Y/N]...it's been driving me crazy. You smell so good...like fresh baked cookies...and cotton candy from Coney Island...like the park..." He said, through a choked moan.
"Are you okay, Bucky?" You rested your palm against the cool elevator doors, splaying your fingers.
"I don't know...I really don't fucking know. For fuck's sake !" He cursed loudly. "I can just smell you, smell how much you need an Alpha!" There was a loud thump against the doors from the other side.
"Bucky..." You said, intending to be comforting, but your voice sounded plaintive and needy. The ex-assassin groaned longingly at your saying his name.
"Fuck...tell me you're wet...please...tell me that sweet slick is running down your thighs..." He pleaded in low, seductive tones. A silky, soft moan escapes from the Omega within you. "Ohhh, fuck, it is, isn't it? Omega..." Hearing Bucky call you by your presentation, in that delicious, honeyed rasp of a voice, had you whining desperately.
"Alpha... need you, Alpha...Bucky, I need your knot...I want you inside me...this heat is killing me!" Your primal nature began to consume you.
"Jesus," Bucky gasped, hitting the elevator doors with what you presumed to be his fist. "[Y/N], let me in, 'm gonna give you my thick knot...make you feel all better...fill you up...give you what you need," he growled hungrily. His scent was becoming as potent as a narcotic, clouding your ability for sound judgement.
"Bucky!" You moaned, breath hitching. You slipped your hand down between your legs, to soothe a thrumming ache in your clitoris. Unfortunately, the desire for a knot was something only Bucky could satisfy. Slick ran down your inner thighs in rivulets; the fresh wave of your scent seeping through the doors. The super-soldier growled and groaned on the other side-
"God...sweet damn...you're touchin' yourself- I wanna lick your thighs clean...bet they're covered in slick. Fuck, [Y/N], 'm so hard it hurts," Bucky told you heatedly, more animalistic from the powerful pheremones rampaging through his own body as well as the ones being exuded from your own. Only able to respond in whimpers, you leant your forehead against the cold metal seperating you both, in half a mind to ask JARVIS to open the doors. An orgasm already clung to your loins, ready to be released and savoured throughout your body.
"Omega," Bucky breathed out in a lustful sigh. "Been jerkin' off for hours, thinking about knotting someone...[Y/N], please, let me in there with you, I wanna knot you...wanna help you, Omega...give you my Alpha knot..."
Even while gripped by rampant lust and fear for what could happen if you allowed the riled Alpha into the elevator- some small voice of reason, the remnant of sense that couldn't be discarded despite the Omega instinct battling against it, commanded you to put distance between yourself and Bucky.
"I'm so sorry," you said, verging on tearful. "JARVIS, take me to another floor, please," you forced back a sob.
"No! [Y/N], no! Don't go! Please!" Bucky implored, scrabbling at the crack between the elevator doors.
"We could hurt each other, Bucky, we could really hurt each other. We can't take that risk," it agonised you to say such words, when there was nothing more you wanted than to have him right then and there, to have that sinewy body pound against you, feel his knot swell inside of you.
Before you could dare to reconsider, JARVIS triggered the elevator and began its ascent.
But something in the back of your mind knew you would be unable to resist for much longer.
Nor would Bucky allow you to slip through his fingers so easily. Alphas were hardly the sort to abandon an opportunity with an Omega, after all. They were of the inclination to knock down doors if it meant knotting a pleading, heat-afflicted Omega or rushing to console one in distress.
Something else told you he would be in hot pursuit- as though the both of you were involved in some bizarre, drawn-out chase for foreplay.
Admittedly, it added an element of excitement to the whole thing...