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not-close-to-straight · 6 years

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Stetsons/Schoolteachers (Twelve)

SAS MASTERLIST HERE

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Life in Wildrock slowed down when the seasons changed and after the rush of summer, it was a welcome reprieve.

Fall brought red and gold and brown to the trees, readied the fields for harvest. Alpha and Beta males alike took to the woods for the hunt, bringing home elk and deer and anything else they could bag to make sure their families had enough meat for the winter, and enough left over to make sure the less fortunate in the town had enough to eat as well.

Valkyrie changed her menu from the lighter summer fare to hearty stews and hot sandwiches and casseroles, and every night the tables in her restaurant were full, the workday ending sooner now that the sunset was earlier, and everyone hungry for a bit of dinner before going home.

The children shouted in excitement the first morning they could see their breath in the air, and then grumbled every morning after as their mothers and fathers force- bundled them into warm clothes for their walk to school.

Tony started letting them out early so they could walk home while there was still sunlight, and graded his papers while sipping warm cider, usually snuggled deep into one of Steve’s long sleeves that had been stolen gone missing the last time the Alpha was over.

He also went around to the vegetable patches and bought out the prettiest pumpkins, lining them down the stairs of the schoolhouse and propping them in the corner of the school room, delivering one to Valkyrie with hopeful eyes, raised eyebrows and a coaxing purr as he asked the Beta for a pumpkin pie.

Valkyrie snatched the pumpkin, kissed the Omega on the lips and promised it would be done by the end of the day, and Steve was only slightly jealous of how happy Tony looked.

The Alpha had to work hard to get a smile like that off of Tony, and Valkyrie managed it with a kiss and a promise of a pie?

Damn, Steve needed to learn how to bake.

“This is terrible.” Bucky commented later that week, halfway through eating an entire apple pie, napkin tucked into his shirt, fork moving as fast as it could. “Stevie, honestly, who told ya you could bake? You should bake a few more for me to try.”

“I’m trying to make something for Tony.” Steve frowned down at what was supposed to be pumpkin pie but was actually more of a pumpkin disaster, ignoring the obvious sarcasm from his deputy. “Valkyrie made him a pie the other day and when Tony took a bite, he made a noise that I’ve only heard him make twice, so--”

He stopped when Bucky snorted apple pie out of his nose, horrified at thinking that Tony made noises about pie like he did about his evenings with Steve.

“Aw hell, Stevie.” Bucky complained, wiping at his face angrily. “Why do you say shit like that? I almost died jus’ now. Ain’t right for a man to inhale apples.”

“Sorry, Buck.” Steve kept frowning at the pie, completely uncaring over Bucky’s predicament. “I just don’t understand why this didn’t work. I followed the recipe exactly, but it still looks like crap.”

“Maybe take your apron off and go knot th’ Omega like a real Alpha.” Bucky started chugging milk. “Do a good enough job and he won’t be thinking about pie at all.”

“Tony won’t let me knot him.” Steve said absentmindedly and this time it was milk coming out of Bucky’s nose, setting the big Alpha off all over again.

“God dammit Steve! I’m gonna be spitting milk and pie for days now!” He howled, coughing and snorting and trying to clean his face. “Damn it!”

“Language.” Steve said mildly, and then, “Oh. A tablespoon of butter.”

“How much butter did you put in there?” Bucky finished coughing and peered over Steve’s shoulder to look at the pie.

“Uh--” Steve held up the empty container of butter. “Well--”

“That’s half a pound of butter, Stevie.” Bucky blinked at him. “Half a pound. Why would ya think a half’a pound is--”

“I thought it just said butter!” Steve argued. “And I figured, if it just says butter, it must mean the container of butter!”

“Seriously.” Bucky swiped the ruined dessert off the counter and into the trash. “Stop baking and do somethin’ you’re good at. And maybe tell me why Tony won’t let you knot him, cause that don’t seem right. You tellin’ me you’ve been after that Omega for damn near six months now and haven’t once--?”

“For the record,” Steve started scooping out flour again for another attempt at pumpkin pie. “It's only been about three since Tony and I started spending time together.”

“Oh that’s right. It took you almost three months to convince him to even give you the time of day.”

“Thanks for that.” Carefully measuring out exactly two tablespoons of butter. “But no, I haven’t knotted Tony at all in three months. It’s one of his boundaries so we just… we just do other things. And it’s fine. We have a good time together and it's always satisfying, so--”

“But why?” Bucky interrupted, going back to his apple pie. “Why won’t he let you? All this time figured you were keepin’ him stuck on you but--”

“Don’t be crude, Buck.” Steve rolled his eyes. “And he hasn’t told me why, but I promised not to ask questions and--”

“Steve.” Bucky interrupted again, this time sounding concerned. “You’re tellin’ me that the schoolteacher has so many secrets that he won’t even let you be with him for real and he won’t let you ask why?”

“Uh--” Steve paused in adding pumpkin to the dish. “Well--”

“I mean, sure when ya were just messing around it was alright.” Bucky’s eyes flickered red in sympathy for the distress on his best friend’s face. “But everyone knows you and him are in love. Everyone knows. There’s a pool goin’ at Valkyries place for whether or not it’ll be a spring wedding.”

Steve started to smile, but Bucky continued, “You love him, Stevie. How you gonna love someone that keeps those kinda secrets from you? Secrets that keep you apart?”

“It’s just sex, Bucky.” The other Alpha finally said. “We get to be together in the ways he’s comfortable with and that’s enough for me.”

“You aren’t curious? Not even a little bit?”

“Of course I am.” A sprinkle of cinnamon, and Steve eyeballed it critically before deciding to just dump in a full spoonful. “Knowing that Tony’s been hurt enough that he’s got rules like I can’t knot him, that I can’t see him with his shirt off, he’s still weird about me staying the night-- it tears me up inside, Buck. But three months isn’t really all that long to be together, and we’ve only known each other since spring. Can’t expect him to tell me all his secrets, you know?”

“Not all at once.” Bucky agreed. “But… he could tell you a few things at least. Doesn’t it bother you that he doesn't seem to trust you?”

The muscle in Steve’s jaw clenched in frustration, the first time he had shown any emotion over the conversation. “Well to be fair, I haven’t told him everything either. I haven’t told him about Peggy--”

“--who you fell in love with when you were all of twenty three, never even spent the night with, exchanged a few long letters over a few years and then let her break your heart. Big secret.” Bucky scoffed. “You don’t have real secrets, Stevie. No skeletons in your closet. But Tony obviously has secrets, and apparently he has no intention of sharing them with you.”

“I’m sure when he’s ready, he will tell me.” Steve maintained. “And until then--”

“Until then, what?” Bucky's pale eyes flickered red again. “What-- you’ll be content to be with an Omega who insists on keeping you away? Who won’t let you be an Alpha around him? Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Yes, Bucky!” Steve voice rose, his own eyes snapping red in anger. “Yes! It bothers me, alright? If I had my way, Tony would already be mine! Marked and bonded and mine, but that’s not how it's happening, is it? He’s got secrets and issues and I’ve got to-- I’ve just got to deal with it if I want to be with him.”

A deep breath. “And god, Buck. I want to be with him. He’s meant to be mine, I can feel it in my bones, you know? I'd be alright with all this other stuff-- that I don’t know hardly anything about him, that he has weird boundaries, that he’s hiding things-- I could handle all that if I could call him mine. Doesn’t matter if I’ve only known him for six months, there’s something about Tony that calls to me already. Time will fix the rest, I know it will.”

“I know you want him to be yours, Stevie, I can see it on your face when you talk about him.” The big Alpha hesitated, then added, “And I can see it when Tony looks at you. He might be tellin’ you that you ain’t courting and all that, but he wants to. There’s just something keeping him from saying it all.”

Steve’s hand tightened on the counter top. “Maybe.”

“You gotta at least talk to him, yeah?” Bucky started working at his apple pie again. “At least see if he’s open to anything more. At least way you know if you’re wasting your time or not.”

“I know.” Steve swallowed hard. “I know I need to talk to him. Problem is, I think he could tell me he’d never want anything more, and I’d still be gone on him, you know? I don’t think there’s much of anything that could stop how I feel for him. It’s sorta scary. Never felt like this about anyone, and its not even someone who wants a real relationship.”

“It’s like you’re cursed, Stevie.” Bucky was almost whispering now. “First Peggy and now Tony-- you keep fallin’ in love with Omega’s you can’t have.”

“Trust me.” Steve took a deep breath and tried to focus on the dessert again. “I’m well aware of that.”

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“What do you think?” Steve asked hopefully, watching as Tony took one bite, and then another from his offering of pumpkin pie. “Did I do alright?”

“Can’t talk.” the Omega grunted. “Eating pumpkin. Go away.”

“Go away?” Steve laughed, then laughed louder when Tony grunted again and kicked at his shin. “I bring you pumpkin pie and you’re going to tell me to go away?”

“Should’a talked to me before you handed me pie then.” Tony shrugged and took another bite. “It’s not as good as Valkyrie’s but she puts bourbon in hers and you put caramel in yours, so it’s not really a fair comparison, huh?” Another bite. “Go away so I can concentrate.”

“You kissed Valkyrie when she made you a pie.” Steve said softly, hopefully. “Kissed her and made a sweet little noise that about made my toes curl. Got anything like that for me?”

Tony sighed and set the pie pan aside very carefully, if not a little regretfully before wiping his lips and turning so he was facing Steve.

Then he scooted close, wrapped both arms around Steve’s neck and crushed their mouths together in a heated kiss.

“Oh.” Steve breathed out, a little surprised, more than a little pleased, and Tony bit at the Alpha’s bottom lip just hard enough to make Steve growl, before soothing it with his tongue, suckling at it lightly.

“Tony--” Steve started to pull away, trying to regain a little bit of control over the moment, but Tony only pressed closer, dropping one hand to Steve’s thigh and moving upwards in teasing circles until the Alpha groaned, and then Tony made the sweetest little noise Steve had ever heard--- almost a purr but definitely a moan, something greedy but content all at the same time, ending in a little whine that had Steve jolting forward to scoop Tony up into his lap, winding both hands through the thick hair to start the kiss all over again.

“Oh sweetheart.” He gasped when Tony mewled and wiggled closer. “Oh, make that noise again and I’ll give you anything you want. Anything, I swear--”

“Just let me eat my pie.” Tony said in exasperation, all sweetness gone as he escaped out of Steve’s grasp and got back onto the step, happily reclaiming his dessert and paying no mind to the Alpha that was currently gaping at him, eyes wide and mouth open and entirely offended that he had been apparently been deemed less interesting than pie.

“Alright, maybe I’ll come by later and see you.” he finally said and without looking up, Tony agreed, “Yep. Maybe later.”

“You look adorable, by the way.” Steve stood to his feet and brushed off his pants, willing his reaction to the kiss to ease. “I knew I was missing a long sleeve shirt, I just couldn’t figure out where it went.”

“Things left at my house will be worn.” Tony held up hands that were nearly covered by the ends of Steve’s sleeve, and then motioned to the pie. “Or eaten. Either way it's mine now.”

“I’ll see you later, sweetheart.” Steve bent back down and kissed the Omega’s forehead. “Enjoy your pie.”

He was ninety-percent certain that Tony made a nom-nom noise as he walked away, but he knew better than to turn around and ask.

Tony and his pie were not to be disturbed.

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Steve didn’t make it back to Tony’s until the next morning, not wanting to show up uninvited too late at night, and knowing he was always welcome for a morning coffee.

Sure enough, Tony called for him cheerfully to come in, and the moment Steve stepped through the door, the Omega was snuggling up into his arms, pressing close and humming happily when Steve kissed his head.

“How are you, honey?” Steve hung his hat up and tilted Tony’s head up for a proper kiss. “Sleep alright?”

“I had vague, pumpkin themed nightmares.” Tony admitted, shuffling over to the coffee pot to pour Steve a cup. “Scary enough to make me regret eating the entire pie, not so scary that I won’t go to Valkyries for another slice for lunch.” Tony took a sip of his coffee before asking, “I think the polite thing to do is to apologize for blowing you off yesterday, but I’m probably not going to do that.”

“Mr. Carbonell.” Steve grinned. “I’m surprised at you! How rude!”

“Yes, well if you’d seen me during fall before you wouldn’t have been surprised at all. I turn into a pumpkin gremlin every year.” Tony returned, and then looked a little crestfallen. “I didn’t expect to be here for fall, you know.”

“Why not?” Steve grimaced at the flavor of the coffee-- he had no idea how Tony drank it black like this-- and added a spoonful of sugar. “When you took the teaching position did you think it was just temporary?”

“I didn’t think the position was temporary.” Tony sipped at his own cup. “I just figured I’d be temporary. I thought by the time summer ended I’d be gone and yet here I am stockpiling blankets and stealing shirts from you to prepare for the winter.”

“I thought that was another one of my shirts.” Steve smiled over how tiny Tony looked in his dark blue long sleeve, the hem falling nearly to Tony’s thighs, the sleeves covering his hands. “Keep it. It’s a good look on you.”

“Thanks.” Tony’s cheeks turned a little pink. “I was going to keep it anyway.”

Steve reached for Tony’s hand and pulled him to the couch, settling back and making room for Tony to curl up in his lap. “Tell me why you thought you’d only be here temporarily.”

“No particular reason.” Tony hedged, and pressed closer. “I just wasn’t expecting to be here for the winter, and am woefully unprepared.”

“I’ll get you set up for the winter, Tony, don’t worry about that.” Steve brushed his knuckles over Tony’s cheek, and rumbled quietly when the Omega leaned into the touch. “I’ll take care of whatever you need.”

“I’m tempted to take you up on that offer, Sheriff Rogers.”

“Please do.” A kiss to the top of Tony’s head, something cold settling in Steve’s core at the thought of Tony planning on leaving.

“Tony, can I talk to you about something?”

“Go for it.” Tony finished his coffee and slid his hands beneath Steve’s shirt to touch skin. “But make it quick, because I have to be at school in forty five minutes.”

“Uh, sure.” Steve took a deep breath, trying to find his words, and Tony snuggled closer again, humming quietly as he soaked up Steve’s warmth.

It was astonishing sometimes, how easily and happily Tony gave in to the moments between them. Sometimes all Steve had to do was smile and the pretty Omega was flushing and even purring as he moved closer.

Other times, even after they had finished coming together and were lying panting on the bed, even then Tony would look guarded, would stiffen under Steve’s hands, or slide away to get cleaned up sooner than he usually did.

It was happening less and less though, and times like this-- where Tony acted as if they had always been together, as if there were no secrets between them, as if tucked into the Alpha’s arms was exactly where he wanted to be-- times like this were becoming more frequent, and Steve’s breath caught over every single one.

Bucky was right.

He was in love with Tony.

And it was time to say something about it.

“Are you-- are you---” he sighed and started again. “How do you feel about being here for the winter?”

“I don’t know.” Tony said truthfully. “I’ll admit that I didn’t expect to like Wildrock at all when I first came, but I love the children now, and have gotten used to the smaller pace and I suppose the Sheriff isn’t all that bad either--” a sly glance up at the Alpha and a squeal when Steve pinched him. “And since we are a few days ride from the nearest train, at least winter means no new visitors or anything, right?”

“That is sort of a weird thing to say.” Steve frowned. “But yes, winter means snow and if the train even makes it this far west, Wildrock is still a few days out from it. So no unexpected visitors. The only people in Wildrock will be townspeople, yeah.”

He wasn’t really sure why Tony seemed to relax after those words, but the Omega definitely went a bit more pliant in his arms, so Steve held him tighter.

“Then I suppose I feel fine about staying the winter.” Tony pressed a kiss to the underside of Steve’s jaw. “Why?”

“Tony, I--” Steve swooped another kiss onto Tony’s lips. “Baby, I want you to stay. I want you to stay here.”

“I won’t have much a choice once the first snow comes.” Tony kissed him back, but pulled away to see Steve’s expression. “But I don’t think that’s what you’re saying.”

“I want you to stay here in Wildrock.” Steve took a deep breath, took a chance, took a risk-- “I want you stay with me.”

“With-- with you.” Something flickered in Tony’s eyes that looked an awful lot like regret. “Steve--”

“Listen.” Steve pushed Tony lightly from his lap and went to his knees in front of the couch, holding onto Tony’s hands tightly. “Tony, listen. I know that we aren’t courting, and we aren’t matched or whatever. Whatever you want to call it, or not call it. But what if we… are? What if we did that sort of thing.”

“Steve.”

“Just listen.” He leaned in and pressed their foreheads together. “I can see it in your eyes Tony, the way you hold me, the way you smile when we’re together. I know you want to be more and I know you know that I want to be so much more, sweetheart. We are perfect together. You know we are.”

“It’s not you, it’s--” Tony started to say, and Steve shook his head.

“Let me finish. I know there are things you aren’t ready to tell me, and I can promise to give you time to sort that out. I know you have boundaries, and I’ll keep to those. You don’t want me to knot you? That’s fine. You don’t want to be naked with me? That's fine, I can handle all of that.”

“Steve--” tears now, filling the Omega’s dark eyes and spilling down his cheeks. “Please--”

“I’m not asking for--” Steve placed his palm at the base of Tony’s neck, right over his pulse point, right where a bonding mark would go. “I’m not asking for something you can’t give me, Tony. I’m asking for a chance to take just the tiniest step in that direction.”

Silence, the Omega shaking where he sat.

“I’m not even saying you have to tell you you want me for anything more than getting off together and the package of unmentionables that I had the supreme discomfort of ordering through Natasha--” a tiny smile and encouraged, Steve murmured, “you don’t have to say anything at all, Tony. I know it's only been three months, but this is right between us. I won’t pressure you for anything big, but just give us a chance to be something real. Please.”

“I--I--” Tony closed his eyes, leaned away and Steve followed him, getting back on the couch and gathering Tony close. “Steve, um--”

“Tony Carbonell!” Someone shouted from outside the door, then banged on it loudly, disrupting their moment. “Tony Carbonell, you open this door right now, or I’m coming in after you, I don’t care if your pants are down or not! I’ve seen your ass naked, I’m not afraid to see it again!”

“Um--” Tony’s eyes flew open wide. “What the hell?”

“Who the hell?!” Thoroughly pissed at being interrupted, , Steve stomped over the door and flung it open. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are--”

“I don’t know who the hell you think you are.” The Alpha on the other side of the door was a few inches shorter than Steve but somehow completely intimidating in an army uniform, buttons gleaming, pants starched, a scowl on his face. “Or why the hell you’re opening my friends door but you need to--”

“Your friend?” Steve looked the soldier up and down. “I know all of Tony’s friends and you aren’t one of--”

“Son, you don’t know half of nothing about Tony.” the other Alpha scoffed. “So why don’t you step aside and let me--”

“Rhodey?” Tony’s voice was wavering, bordering on disbelief as he peeked over Steve’s shoulder, tears still bright in his eyes, cheeks bright red. “Is that you?”

“Hey Tones.” The soldier grinned. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Honeybear!” The Omega burst into tears again and Steve was shoved almost violently aside so Tony could fling himself at the new Alpha. “HONEYBEAR!”

“Uh--” Steve stared at the two of them blankly. “What the hell is a honeybear?”

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#ncts fics #stony #western au #alpha steve #omega tony #alpha rhodey

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