Asylum

If you're not the one...

"Sit down, darling. Make yourself comfortable. Do you want a drink?" Valentina clicked her heels around the office as she walked straight to her decanter.

"No thanks," Steve replied as he took a seat.

After pouring herself a drink, Valentina walked over to Steve and leaned against her desk, just inches from the alpha.

"How are you feeling about your stay with us? I'm glad to see that now you have friends," the woman said with false enthusiasm. "I knew that more than one omega would show interest in you quickly."

"What do you mean?"

Valentina looked at him with a smirk. "Nothing. I wanted you to come to my office to tell you that I'm very proud to see you're so willing to change for the better. I think we have something very special here, you know?"

"Uhm... thanks. Now can I leave..."

Valentina interrupted him raising her voice. "What fascinates me about someone like you coming to this hospital, with this desire to be cured, is that you can infect other patients with that will. Like that girl, Darcy. The problem is there are also patients who can infect for bad to those who are like you. And when that happens, it's a real tragedy."

Steve knew where this conversation was headed. "Are you talking about someone in particular?"

The woman stroked Steve's hair, somewhat condescendingly. "James really is a cutie, isn't he? But he's what we usually call a troublemaker."

"Ma'am, literally all he did today was rest. And he spent the last few days wearing a straitjacket."

"And have you ever wondered why all that happens? Trust me, it's painful to have to act like this with him. I love all my patients, you know?"

"You said you didn't know," Steve muttered with a frown.

"What?"

"You said a while ago that you didn't know what they did to James. And now you say that happened to him for a reason. So you DID know?"

The woman gestured soundlessly, cornered by the question. "Of course not! I didn't know, but nurse Rumlow explained to me that James left him no choice."

"What did James do to Rumlow?" The alpha crossed his arms, confident that he was unmasking Valentina.

But she decided to change strategy. "All alphas should be like you. Passionate, willing to fight for what they believe in, caring for others. I hope one day you meet an omega that truly deserves you."

As she said the last sentence, Valentina stretched her leg so that her heel gently brushed against Steve's leg. Although this was far from comfortable, the alpha was relieved by the change of subject. But Valentina was not willing to take her finger off the line so quickly.

"While that day arrives and while you are under my care, my dear, I'll see to it that no one takes advantage of that passion and that goodness that characterizes you. Whoever tries, will confront me."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Why would I threaten YOU?" The woman gave a laugh that sounded kind on one side, but was full of malice on the other.

As he walked from Valentina's office to the bedrooms, Steve had a pain in his stomach. Clearly, what the hospital director said was a threat to Bucky, she was practically telling him that if he didn't walk away from him, the omega would be in trouble.

Steve didn't actually know Bucky and still couldn't call himself his friend. But he knew perfectly well that Valentina was lying; he didn't seem like a bad person, much less someone who had a reason to be locked up there. Steve knew next to nothing about him, except that he was actually nice, he had an infectious laugh, smelled like sea breeze, and had a face too beautiful to be true.

He didn't know what to do. If he stopped talking to Bucky, he would once again leave him completely alone against Rumlow. But if he became his friend, he would make him a target for Valentina. Perhaps the solution was to care of him from a distance, without attracting anyone else's attention but without abandoning him either.

He was almost completely convinced of his resolve until he entered the room and found Bucky and Darcy hugging each other.

"S-Steve..." Bucky said looking up. His eyes were puffy, he'd been crying.

Darcy smiled in relief. "Are you okay? We thought that... dude, we thought we would never see you again."

Bucky looked at her reproachfully. "Steve, please forgive me. If you want to never talk to me again..."

Steve's heart ached upon hearing that. "Bucky, I don't understand. Why wouldn't I want to talk to you?"

"Because it's my fault you had problems with them. I don't want Rumlow or Valentina to be against you for being my friend. If you or Darcy want to leave it's fine, you already did a lot for me."

The girl cupped Bucky's face in her hands. "Don't be ridiculous, we're not leaving. We're friends! Right, Steve?"

The brunette turned to see the alpha with his big blue eyes. His brow was slightly furrowed, as if he was ready for an answer that he wasn't going to like.

"That's right, Bucky. We're your friends. If you thought you'd have your room to yourself tonight, you're wrong," he smirked.

Steve didn't know how he would deal with the hospital director, but he had just decided that he wouldn't leave Bucky alone.

*****
*****

Bucky could almost hear his heart break as he listened to why Steve had ended up in that hospital. Although the brunette might have refused to acknowledge it, it was obvious that someone like Steve would already have a mate: he was a kind alpha, considerate, brave and so gorgeous that any Hollywood celebrity would be jealous.

And even if he didn't have a boyfriend, what made him think he'd notice someone like Bucky in that way? Steve had known him for just over 24 hours and had probably only approached him out of pity. Lucky enough that one day Bucky could consider himself his friend.

The only thing he didn't understand was why Steve's omega had sent him to this place. Did he have no idea what kind of torture this hospital was? Either Steve's omega was completely evil, or he was dumb because he didn't know what he had.

"Bucky, everything okay with your breakfast?" Steve asked. "You haven't taken a bite of your bread for like 5 minutes."

The brunette smiled, although the smile did not reach his eyes. "Yeah, it's really good... and when is your omega coming to see you?"

Apparently the question took Steve by surprise. "Uhm, this month I guess. Clint always has a lot of work to do."

Bucky couldn't help but think that if he had someone like this alpha in his life, he would never trade him for his work.