Chapter Text
Castle Bay Omega house was the leading boarding house for omegas in the city. Liliana Stewart stared up at the brownstone building and clutched her bag a little tighter. The Stewart family had spent every last penny, even selling their generations old home, to make sure that Liliana had a leg up on finding her mate. There were many boarding houses similar to Castle Bay, where omegas were allowed to live and obtain simple jobs that were deemed appropriate for their class. Usually, they were serving positions or secretarial. Nothing too serious that would distract them for their true purpose in life.
Castle Bay was different in one aspect as it was for the well to do omegas. These omegas weren’t required to work, they were provided with the luxury to only find their mates. When Liliana had presented two years ago, her parents, both betas, had panicked. They lived a relatively comfortable life and had never considered that their only child would have been an omega. In their panic, they had made sure she would be more comfortable by putting her in Castle Bay. Liliana thought it was all for nothing, there was no way she was going to find her mate in the ritzy environment that her parents had secured for her.
It wasn’t that Liliana was ugly, she thought she was quite cute. She stood about five foot two and was rather curvy. Some would call her fat, but she ignored them. It was mostly betas and the occasional omega who did so out of some misplaced jealousy because they thought her being an omega put them above them, so they wanted to “bring her down a peg”. Turning her green and gold eyes up to the building she sighed and tucked her brown curls behind her ears.
Liliana started the first shaky steps up the steps of the brownstone, glancing over her shoulder once to see her mom was crying in the car and her dad waving at her. Swallowing hard, she rang the bell to the house and tried to not worry her lower lip. A severe looking beta with blonde hair tied back in an equally severe bun opened the door. “How may I help you?”
Liliana adjusted her grip on her bag and swallowed hard. “Um, I’m Liliana Stewart. I was supposed to report today?”
“Oh yes. Come on in.” The beta let her in and shut and locked the door behind Liliana. Liliana began to chew at her bottom lip as the woman led her around the house. “My name is Eleanor Wright. I am the beta in charge here.” She looked down at Liliana. “You will call me Miss Wright while you are in this house. You will be allowed, if you so choose, to get a job. We can arrange some high security jobs for you. The house curfew is at 10 P.M. You will not be allowed to leave without a beta escort. There is an event at the end of the month to arrange for the omegas to meet some alphas. You will be expected to attend.”
Liliana felt dizzy as she took in all the information. Her parents had kept her practically locked up when she had presented because of all the rules and regulations that were in place on omegas. She had never been granted any sort of freedom and the idea of being able to go out on her own was exhilarating. Miss Wright led her to her room which was a small affair, just big enough for a bed, a dresser, and linked to a shared bathroom with the room on the other side. The closet was small, but could serve for a nest in a pinch if an omega needed the comfort zone or went into a severe heat.
“Here are your quarters. Please get comfortable. Meals are at 8 A.M., 12 P.M., and 6 P.M. Your presence at supper is expected this evening, you will be able to meet the other omegas.”
“Thank you, Miss Wright. I look forward to it.” She said softly.
Miss Wright left, leaving Liliana alone to get her things put away. Setting her bag on the bed she opened it and began to put away her clothes. The twin sized bed was incredibly comfortable and the linens on it were finer than anything she was used to. Worrying her bottom lip, she peeked into the bathroom to check it out. She found a shower that was considerably fancier than anything she had seen before with a raining fixture. Her eyes went wide, and she slipped out, feeling out of her depth.
“Breathe, Liliana.” She whispered to herself. “Everything is going to be okay. Mom and Dad know what they’re doing.”
~*~
Liliana found she got along quite well with the other omegas even though they had different backgrounds. Deep down she knew that it was because they didn’t view her as a threat to their prospects for that evening’s alpha mixer. Liliana personally was apathetic to the idea of finding an alpha, she was on a quest to find a job right now. She knew that was an odd thing to focus on, but she wasn’t concerned with having pups or finding a mate.
Miss Wright called the omegas to the living room; they were apparently getting escorted to another location for the mixer. Liliana was wearing one of her two cocktail dresses. Her parents had not been able to get her as many nice clothes as some of these omegas had, but she was proud of what they had gotten her regardless. It was a white and black dress with pink flowers print that buttoned all the way to her neck where a black satin bow was tied. A black belt accentuated her waist, showing off her very curvy figure. She teetered on a pair of four-inch black open toed heels. The dress pattern looked like it had come out of 1945 and her mother had thought it too old fashioned, but Liliana had loved the pattern and the way the cut complemented her.
Liliana looked around the living room and realized that all the other omegas were trying very hard. They were in dresses that looked like they cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. No matter what her parents had sacrificed the odds of her making the match they were hoping for was limited. Pushing her brown curls back over her shoulder she held her head high as the omegas were led outside where two limos waited to transport the 15 of them and their beta chaperones. Liliana slipped into the second limo and scooted up against the wall.
The others were all chattering to each other, questioning where they could be going. Liliana was focused on taking in the city as they traveled. The limos drove further into the city, heading into the downtown area. A sudden shriek rippled through the car as the omegas became apprised to where they were being taken. The limos had stopped in front of Avengers tower and none other than Pepper Potts was waiting to receive them. Looking at her lap, it felt like butterflies were flitting through her stomach as she realized exactly how out of her depth she was.
The omegas filed rather quickly out of the car, tittering with excitement. Liliana stepped out and looked from Pepper to the tower. It was no wonder why this event had been kept secret. She jumped when the sound hit her. It was the sound of yelling paparazzi, something she had never heard before. Questions were being fired at rapid speed at the omegas and Liliana remembered that some of the girls were the children of celebrities. She ducked her head and headed into the building, trying to avoid being photographed.
Pepper, an alpha, greeted the omegas pleasantly. “Hello, ladies and gentlemen.” There were exactly two male omegas in the group. Male omegas were rare, but they did happen, and it made sense to Liliana that just like her their parents would do everything to ensure a good match. Most alpha females were like Pepper and either chose alphas or betas.
Liliana looked around the lobby of the tower as they were led in, and she felt completely underwater. They were led through to elevators where they were taken up in batches of four or five. Once they reached the 75th floor, they were led into a room that had a lavish buffet table spread out. The room was empty at the moment and the others were still buzzing with excitement as they realized they were meeting Avengers. Liliana was personally interested in how nice everything appeared, jumping when the AI welcomed them to the floor.
The omegas were ushered over to a section of the room where they were allowed to sit or stand depending on their preference. Liliana found herself gravitating to the large floor to ceiling glass window and staring out at the city. It was dizzying sight and she didn’t hear the AI welcome the Avengers to the floor until she heard the other omegas gasp almost in unison. Liliana turned around and even she couldn’t contain the small gasp that left her lips as the superheroes entered the room.
The presence of so many alphas in the room suddenly felt overwhelming for Liliana and she quickly sat down on the nearest armrest. She had never been around more than two at a time and now there was a stifling six. The Avengers who identified as betas were trailing behind their alpha counterparts, they weren’t here to look for prospective mates but to diffuse any situations if the alphas got out of hand. Liliana swallowed hard and averted her eyes from the impressive figures, turning her attention back to looking out the window.
~*~
Steve smiled as they walked in and the omegas that had been brought in all puffed up like little peacocks. He could hear Bucky chuckle next to him as they took in the 15 or so omegas. All of them were ‘well connected’ according to Pepper. Would make good matches for his team. Steve wasn’t looking for an omega as he was bonded with Bucky. Bucky, however, was looking. He wanted pups and an omega to take care of. Steve’s point of view on the matter was different most likely because he had been a beta before the serum.
Steve glanced over at his partner who was surveying the female omegas intently. Thor was already over at them, chatting up a slim redheaded thing. Bucky smiled and nudged Steve. “Look at that one.”
Steve looked where Bucky’s gaze fell and saw a woman who looked like she felt out of place. She had brown curls hanging down her back and was in a dress that reminded him of the girls at the USO shows during the war. Her green eyes flitted around the room, looking at her fellow omegas and not paying the alphas much thought before she turned her attention back to looking out the window. Steve smiled at Bucky. “Well, she is definitely different.”
It was obvious that Bucky was intent on going for that one, Steve hadn’t seen that look of intent on his face since the war when he was going for a girl at the dances. “Don’t scare her.” He whispered in his ear before turning to the bar where Tony was pouring drinks for the other betas.
Tony looked up. “You want your usual, Capsicle?” Steve nodded. “Any of these look interesting to you?”
Steve smiled and gestured at where Bucky was headed. “That one has caught Bucky’s eye.”
Tony looked and nodded. “I can see that, definitely has an old, vintage vibe to her.”
~*~
Liliana saw Thor flirting with Midge, or Madge, the name was slipping from her memory. The oppressiveness of Thor, Steve, Bucky, Natasha, Pepper, and Loki was almost too much for her. The others were accustomed to these types of meetings. Looking around for a place to get a drink, she froze realizing two things. One, to get to the bar she would have to walk past four of the alphas and then be wedged between two of them at the bar. Two, Bucky was walking in her general direction, and he looked, well, good. He was wearing a black button up shirt with short sleeves so she could see the vibranium arm clearly.
Looking over her shoulder she saw that she was leaned against the arm of the couch next to one of the more popular girls, her dad was a state senator Liliana remembered. The younger woman was puffing up, fluffing out her very short cocktail dress. She had obviously seen Bucky headed over. Liliana, her stomach in knots, forced herself to stop leaning against the couch and scooted a bit closer to the window, leaving the space for him to get to his quarry.
Liliana was practically pressed against the glass, trying to make herself small and unnoticed so that she could get through this. The scent of chocolate and cinnamon invaded her senses, and she closed her eyes, bracing herself as she inhaled the scent of an alpha on a mission. Swallowing hard, she began to worry her bottom lip in her anxiousness. Liliana jumped as a soft voice spoke behind her. “Hello, omega.”
Liliana’s eyes went wide and the butterflies in her stomach were obviously trying out for the Olympics now. She turned, expecting that she had heard Bucky’s voice carry from where he was talking to the other omega. Instead, she was greeted with him standing less than a foot away from her. His blue eyes were sparkling with intent as he took her in. She opened her mouth to speak, and a squeak came out. Blushing, she noticed the other omegas that were less engaged were staring in disbelief at the interaction occurring in front of them. Liliana licked her lips and was able to stutter out, “A-a-alpha.”
Bucky gave her a smile and she felt her knees weaken, the butterflies flitting around. “What is your name, doll?”
“Um, it’s Liliana.” Nervous hands began to smooth out the skirt of her dress, eyes looking anywhere but at the incredibly handsome face in front of her. “Liliana Stewart.”
“Liliana, that’s a pretty name. Would you like to get a drink?” Swallowing thickly, she nodded a couple of times, nervousness flooding her as she realized he intended to lead her away from the pack of omegas and to the bar where Steve and Loki were standing. Bucky led her with a purpose, causing her to have to take two steps for every one of his. They stopped in front of Steve and Liliana looked up at him. “Steve, I’d like you to meet Liliana.”
“Hello, Liliana.” Steve said and she felt her stomach drop.
Steve and Bucky were, not exactly mates, but a couple. Confusion filled her as she tried to figure out what they wanted with her. “Hello, alpha.” She whispered and began to worry the inside of her lip, averting her eyes from those intense blues. The cinnamon-chocolate smell of Bucky was mingling with the new scent of Steve and was making her feel a little woozy, he smelled like citrus and clove.
“Please, call me Steve.” His smile didn’t leave his face as he turned to Tony. “Tony, can you get a soda for this cute omega?”
Liliana’s head snapped up. Cute? Did Captain god damned America just call her cute? Tony suddenly spoke up and she turned her head to the beta who had a warm, welcoming aura coming off of him. “Hey, what do you want to drink?”
“Um, do you have Dr. Pepper?” She stuttered a little. Omegas weren’t allowed alcohol at these functions because of how dangerous it could get.
Tony nodded. “You got it.”
Within a few moments the soda appeared on the counter and Bucky handed it to her. Liliana willed her hands to steady as she took it, taking a small sip of it and then looking between the two super soldiers, trying to figure out what was happening. Bucky smiled. “How old are you, Liliana?”
“Twenty-two.”
Steve nodded. “You seem nervous. Do you need some fresh air?” He glanced over at the terrace that was behind them. Liliana shook her head, the thought of being 70 plus floors up and outside did not sound appealing to her. “Alright. Well take a deep breath, you’re absolutely safe where you’re standing.”
~*~
Steve heard the whimper that Liliana let out when she looked back at the pack of omegas that were watching them. It was obvious that the woman had never been under scrutiny like this. Steve glanced at Bucky who obviously had heard the same small sound that had been made. Bucky looked like he wanted to rush Liliana out of the room and get her somewhere quiet. Steve felt the same way, but he knew that wasn’t allowed at these mixers. The omegas had to stay where their beta chaperones could see them.
Liliana swallowed hard, licking her lips, and looking back at him and Bucky. “I um, are you wanting to ask about one of the others?”
Steve’s heart nearly broke at the innocence in the question. She truly thought they weren’t interested in her. “Oh, sweet little omega, no.” Bucky spoke up before Steve could. “I brought you over to meet Stevie because I am interested in you.”
Liliana’s green eyes went wide, and Steve noticed that he could now see flecks of gold throughout them. They were positively beautiful. “Buck is right,” he chimed in. “He wouldn’t have brought you over here if he was interested in someone else.” A blush crept over Liliana’s pale skin, taking over her face until she was colored like a tomato. Beautiful. “So, let’s get to know each other a little better, yea?”
The omega nodded and Steve could see her visibly swallow. “Oh.” She managed to slip out. “Um, well what do you want to know?” Steve and Bucky began to pepper her with questions, taking turns finding out her likes and dislikes. Steve smiled at the fact that she felt she was old fashioned, loved vintage clothing, which explained her dress. She was staring at her glass, having just finished and she looked up at the two of them. “You, um, you should know that I am not uh…from a prestigious family.”
Bucky reached out and touched her hand, slipping the glass out of it and setting it on the bar. “Doll, we don’t care about that. We want to get to know you.”
Steve watched as the realization sunk into Liliana’s brain and she licked her lips. “Oh.” Her voice came out barely a whisper. “I’m sorry I miss understood, alpha.”
“Oh, sweet thing.” Steve interrupted. “You don’t have to apologize.” He reached out and grabbed her other hand, watching her reaction. “Bucky and I would like to…call on you at your omega house. Would that be okay?”
Liliana looked at her hands in theirs and nodded. “That…that would be lovely, S-Steve.”
~*~
The ride back to Castle Bay was obnoxiously loud for Liliana. The girls in her limo kept peppering her with questions, trying to find out what Steve and Bucky had wanted with her. She answered the questions as best she could. Most of them looked shocked when she said they had asked to call on her. “Both of them?” One of the girls said, scandalized.
Liliana nodded. “Yes, both of them.” She felt a flush setting in. “Is that bad?”
“Well,” the girl said with a sniff. “It makes no sense. You can’t mate two Alphas. They’re probably playing some sort of game.”
Liliana began to worry her bottom lip, weighing what she said. “Well, I won’t know until I find out.”