Loving You Just The Way You Are

Steve eyes the team wearily as he quickly moves through the communal living room. Chest constricts painfully at the sight. The team were laid out across the couches, watching a movie. All of them are in their animal forms. He couldn't join them, couldn't be part of that.

Quickly Steve makes his way through the Tower and into the safety of his room.

Alone Steve shifts into his form. As he makes his way further in he catches sight of himself in the mirror. Steve looks at his reflection sadly.

He has the body of a wolf with the physique of a cheetah x lion cross. His fur is a dirty, dusty blond with patches of leopard spots. He has a short and scruffy mane and a hinged jaw like that of a snake with two sets of fangs to match. All his paws are polydactyl having seven toes each. His constitution is like to that of the honey badger and his skin has to be at least two fingers thick. Standing next to a man his shoulders would reach their chest easily.

He knows what he is: an abomination of science. Something more befitting a freak-show circus.

He used to be a wolf before the serum. Small and sickly, yes, but he looked normal. He was normal. Not like he was now.

He was a monster.

The scientists hadn't known what they had created before he stepped out of that chamber. They had, in their minds, been hoping to re-create the perfect predator.

The German's had been experimenting with something similar as well for the past decade, trying to bring back extinct animals - starting with the Aurochs. They bread their animals backwards, choosing the ones who had the right genes. And it worked for the most part, so they started that with their soldiers, aiming for men with the strong shifts of war bulls.

The American's had tried the same but with the new science of gene splicing, but to little success. Then Dr Abraham Erskine came along with his serum. He had mixed the genes of several animals to create the perfect predatory animal. The inspiration: the sabretooth tiger, but more evolved.

Dr Erskine was insistent that the right man was chosen to receive his serum, for well knowing how dangerous the formula would be if used on the wrong man.

He was chosen.

He was the first subject the serum worked on in its finished version. Needless to say the US Army was shocked to discover what their Super Soldier really was. Most of the brass were disgusted and horrified. They wanted the prefect soldier. He was an abomination.

So started the story that Captain America was created from the serum when sickly Steve Rogers stood up to do his part for the country, and sadly losing his wolf shift in the processes, never to shift into his animal form again.

Only he, and he alone, knew the truth. Everyone else, even the Avengers, think that he is a non-shifter. And it hurts.

Especially on days like today were the team curled up together in their animal forms in the Livingroom. He wants nothing more than to join them. But he can't. This has been buried for so long that coming out about this now will not go over well with the team.

Sometimes he lets himself imagine what would happen if he came out to the team. He likes to let himself dream that they would accept him, that they would understand, that he would get to join them curled up in the Livingroom for movies. But realistically he knows that they would be hurt, that they wouldn't trust him anymore. The Avengers would kick him out at best.

Steve whines sadly and looks away from the mirror. He walks over to his couch and curls up, tucking his head under his paws. Dozing lightly, watching the dust dance in the sunlight coming in through the windows.

Steve wakes with a jolt as his door opens and the excited calls of a raven fill the space. Before he could change Tony was right in front of him, a gadget in his right claw. For once in his life the man was silent.

"Tony..." he says, so tense it was painful.

"What the fuck is this, Steve?" Tony shouts.

Steve flinches and curls in on himself. He can feel the burn of tears behind his eyes. Here it goes, this is where he loses everything. Again.

"'m s-so sorry" He can't stop the flow of tears despite how much he wants to. "I know I shouldn' have kept this a se-secret." He buries his head in his large paws. "But I din' want anyone to see me. I know I make people uncomfortable, an' I'mma freakish monster. I jus didn' wanna lose anyone. I can'-"

Steve freezes when a weight lands on his shoulder. And for the first time in over 72 years he was preened. The last person to take care of him like this was Bucky, all those years ago. He stays still, soaking in the feeling of someone taking care of him. The tears still coming strong.

Tony hops down onto his arm to reach the lower part of his mane. "You won't lose us, Steve. This hurts, yes. But you won't lose us. We're pack." Tony says.

Steve whines in response, his throat closing up around his words.

"And if they leave you, which they won't – I promise -, I won't leave you. You're stuck with me forever, Steve" Tony says, looking him in the eyes "You and me, Steve, I think there is something special to be found between us. Tell me you haven't felt the same"

Steve presses his nose into the Raven's belly. "I have" his says, his voice rough.

Tony rests his tiny head on his. "I'm willing to give this a shot if you are" he says, his voice quiet.

Steve gives Tony a small lick, "I'd like that"

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THE END

For the MHEA Harlequin Hoopla, Suspense Prompt - Feb 5th: Shifters