About Last Night: Green Series 1 (Pre-Serum Omega!Steve x Alpha!Bucky MPreg AU)

Three

Delicately, Steve handled the one-of-a-kind Michelangelo drawing. It was easily one of the most interesting pieces Steve had been allowed to put his hands on. His eyes roamed over the light ink and his heart broke at the creases and tears and the spots from where it had been exposed to mold. Luckily, it was drawn on some of the best paper of all time.

Getting to work, Steve started on cleaning. Not wanting to use too much moisture, he used his little brush and carefully went along the edges first. Almost marveling with how the spots started lifting from the old paper as if they hadn't been there at all. Surprisingly thankful for this meticulous day at work considering how his morning had started out so horribly.

No one should ever get him wrong though, Steve loved his job as an art conservator. But lately, he had been more fatigued than usual. Climbing into his nest on the sofa that he had been simply too exhausted to take care of when he was done with it. Which just wasn't like Steve. Usually, he always put those items back in the trunk turned coffee table before he went to bed. Or, at the latest, in the morning before work.

And more than that, Steve had been falling asleep before his head even hit the pillow at the ripe time of nine o'clock.

Sure, part of it had to be because of his heat coming. Probably had something to do with his age too. Steve paused, what if it was omegapause? Steve's eyes widened. He wasn't even thirty yet! Sure, he was twenty-nine, but still. Of course, this would be something to happen to him.

It was times like this when he wished his mother was still around. Sarah Rogers had been a nurse, she'd know what to do. She always knew what to do.

It also seemed just like his life for Natasha to be on him about Bucky. Saying that it was obvious that they were compatible. But that was just silly. It was a fairytale that parents told their children so they'd stay virginal until they met, "the one." And Steve had already been burned twice before with that immature ideology, he wasn't about to let it happen a third time.

Sure, Bucky was excellent in bed. And it was obvious that they had chemistry while sober, if the Friendsgiving three weeks ago was anything to go off of. But keeping Bucky at a distance was safe. Steve wanted to keep himself safe. After all, what if Bucky turned out just like the previous alphas he was with? Yes, it was common for omegas to be petite and delicate and dainty and every other term for small and frail, but Steve had a lot wrong with him. He was almost entirely deaf, he lost a lot of his eyesight from his juvenile rheumatoid arthritis – that, thankfully, went into remission, but that was beside the point – he had to get his gallbladder removed when he was a teenager, he had scoliosis...

Did he really need to continue?

It was obvious to Steve that Bucky deserved – at least – an omega with birthing hips. Something that Steve didn't have and would never – not from lack of trying, of course – have. And Steve didn't want to seriously get involved with someone unless it was a, "last one," type of thing.

Of course, drunken nights between the sheets didn't count, and maybe once his heat had passed, they could get together again.

"Ya know, I saw James the other day," Natasha nonchalantly baited Steve as she worked on her own project.

From behind his lit, magnified glasses he glanced over at his best friend and deadpanned, "Is that so."

"Yup," Natasha kept her own gaze on the Gifford in front of her, she commented, "A little birdie even told me that you accepted his friend request."

Straightening so he wouldn't breathe too harshly on the piece, Steve heavily sighed, "Nattie, it was a fun night. Leave it at that, please?"

Natasha held her hands up in surrender, "I thought you two were really hitting it off at Friendsgiving." Pouting her lower lip exaggeratedly, she continued, "I was hoping that two of my best friends would be soul mates and already planning their future nuptials."

"You'll have better luck with Laura and Clint," Steve smirked, raising his hands up and stretching out all the kinks where his body had locked up.

As he did so, Natasha focused on her work again. Opening the container of cleaner wax, Steve got a big whiff of it. Immediately, his stomach churned, and bile started to rise. Quickly, Steve climbed from his stool and rushed for the omega restroom with his hand covering his mouth.

Making it just in time as he lifted the seat and vomited the granola bars he had eaten into the toilet. Not stopping until his stomach was completely empty. And once it was empty, Steve wiped his mouth with some toilet paper and flushed it all. Staying there, crouched for a moment in case more needed to exit his body.

Hearing the soft footsteps, Steve wasn't surprised when Natasha's voice called, "Stevie, sweetie, you alright?"

Standing, Steve opened the stall and crossed for the sinks. Washing his hands, he cupped some water in his hand and rinsed his mouth. Once done, Steve quirked a brow, "You're not supposed to be in here."

Being an alpha, Natasha really shouldn't have been in the omega restroom. Nattie being Nattie though, she blew a raspberry and checked herself out in the mirror. Making sure her cream slacks were sitting right on her voluptuous hips and that her dark brown curls were still holding up.

Pulling out her compact, she powdered her adorable wide nose and glanced at Steve through their reflections, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just feeling a little off," Steve rinsed his mouth again, "I think my heat's coming up."

Natasha nodded and subtly sniffed at Steve. Then, her brows furrowed, and she snapped her compact closed, "I don't smell pre-heat."

Rolling his eyes, Steve explained, "That's because it probably won't come for a couple more weeks, at least."

"When was your last heat?" Natasha kept her gaze on her reflection.

Steve knew that it was a façade to keep him calm, and he both appreciated it and hated it. Shrugging, "I don't know. My pill makes it so I don't get them as often." Noticing something flash across Natasha's expression, Steve's stomach started knotting anxiously, "Why?"

Natasha prefaced, "Don't freak out."

"Too late," Steve's heart started racing and his palms were clammy, all the while his stomach churned, and his head spun.

"No," Natasha smoothed her hand over Steve's short hair, fixing it as she idly swiped her wrist over his slender shoulders, effectively letting her scent gland mark him and letting her calm alpha scent soothe him. "I was just curious, ya know?"

He didn't need to ask why she was curious. His stomach dropped as his heart jumped up into his throat because he knew what she was thinking. He knew, and he hated that he knew. What he hated even more though was the fact that if he wasn't about to start his irregular heat...

"Oh, fuck."

"What?" Natasha asked, hazel eyes wide with concern, "Are you going to be sick again?"

Nodding first, shaking his head second, and then shrugging third. Steve's knees were weak, and he grasped tightly onto the countertop until his knuckles turned white. Tears filled his eyes as he tried to remain calm. But he couldn't remain calm, not until he knew.