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When Harley hears a loud bang down in the garage, he’s really grateful he kept that stupid potato gun he built before his life turned upside down. And that he has potatoes. He opens the door that leads from his kitchen down to the garage as quietly as he can, not wanting to alert the intruder. They probably thought it was empty and easy to steal from; most people can’t see Harley’s little apartment from the outside, with the way the windows face.
He creeps down the stairs, gun held at the ready. The first thing he feels is the chill of winter air, cold and brisk, making him wonder if he can bill a home robber for his electricity. The second thing is the scent. He freezes halfway down, trying to keep his breathing even as his hindbrain becomes overwhelmed.
Alpha.
Fuck, it’s delicious, Alpha too. They smell warm and spicy, with undertones of citrus and engine oil. All that wrapped up in an imaginary brand-new leather jacket that Harley immediately wishes he could tuck into his nest.
This is such a bad idea. He should go back upstairs and call the cops. But the police in this town gave him enough trouble trying to take Elsie away from him over the littlest things. Having a home invasion might finally give CPS enough reason to listen.
He hears a few grunts that sound like the Alpha is in pain, so maybe he can get the jump on them. He sneaks the last few steps down the stairs and rounds the corner before he can psych himself out. “Freeze!”
The Alpha looks up, totally unimpressed, setting the pliers he was holding down on the table. He’s ruggedly handsome, and the fact that he’s covered in soot, bruises, and blood does not take away from that fact. He’s tan with dark hair and a goatee, a blue t-shirt over a white long-sleeve, and a glowing– holy shit. Is this–
“Don’t move,” Harley gets out, still feeling wild and a bit frantic to protect his baby girl sleeping upstairs.
He puts his hands up in surrender. “You got me,” he says far too casually. Harley can see the amusement in his eyes, and it pisses him off a little. “Nice potato gun. The barrel is a little long. Between that and the wide gauge, it’s gonna diminish your FP–”
Harley fires a shot at a glass behind his head with a growl.
His eyes widen a bit, and he drops his hands. “And now you’re out of ammo.”
“What do you want?” Harley spits out as forcefully as he can, having a hard time deciding if it’s worse to stare at the electromagnet in his chest or his stupidly perfect face.
He sighs and takes a step to the side, moving the lamp so Harley can see the beaten-down Iron Man suit sitting on his couch. He falters, lowering the gun slowly as he flicks his eyes from the suit to the man. This really is him. Tony Stark.
“You’re supposed to be dead,” he says hoarsely.
“And you are an Omega,” he replies as if he’s just now realizing. His countenance shifts from amused and sarcastic to a little more genuine. “I just need a place to fix him.”
“What happened to him?” Harley asks softly, but his eyes are on Tony. (Mr. Stark? Iron Man? Alpha? Wait no. Not the last one. Bad Harley. He’s like twenty years older than you.)
“Life,” he shrugs. “I built him. I take care of him. I’ll fix him. Just needed a place.”
“So you decided to break into my house–”
“Okay, well, to be fair, I just thought it was a garage,” he cuts him off with a huff. “And I’ll compensate you or your parents or–”
“Me,” he says, clenching his jaw. He’s about to add that he doesn’t need his money, but that’s a lie. He does. He could really use Tony Stark kind of money.
“How do you own a building? You’re what, fifteen?”
“Eighteen,” Harley counters instantly. “It was my grandpa’s old shop, and he left it to me. He was a mechanic. Taught me everything I know.”
Tony nods, crossing his arms and leaning back against the piece of junk truck Harley is trying to fix up so he doesn’t have to walk Elsie to school in the snow anymore. “And your grandpa left a beaten-down mechanic shop to an unmated teenage Omega because–”
Harley laughs bitterly, throwing the potato gun onto the table. If Tony wanted to hurt him, he’d have done it by now. “Because Mom was tired of hearing the baby cry, and Dad ran out a decade ago to get scratchers. Don’t ask me where the baby daddy is because if I knew, then I’d get my child support, and we wouldn’t be here.”
“Which happens, Dad’s leave, don’t need to be a pussy about it–”
He doesn’t even have time to be shocked with either offense or humor before it keeps going. He’s not even sure if Tony means Harley’s dad or Elsie’s.
“Here’s what I need. A laptop, a digital watch, a cellphone, the pneumatic actuator from your bazooka over there, a map of town, a big spring, and a tuna sandwich.”
Harley clenches his jaw and taps the table a couple of times. “What’s in it for me?”
“Salvation. What’s his name?”
“Who?”
“The asshole that left you with a pup,” he huffs like it’s obvious. “I’ve got the best tech and a legal team like the world has never seen. I can find him in a week and get you whatever rights you want. Deal?”
“And if something happens to you?” he asks before he can stop himself. It’s not just out of concern for his end of the deal, no matter what he tells himself. Tony is Iron Man, for fucks sake, and weird things had been happening in Rose Hill. If he’s here, it wasn’t the best sign.
Tony falters as if no one has ever asked him that before. “The minute I can contact someone, I’ll put a fail-safe in. Deal?”
He chews on his bottom lip for a moment before realizing that he’d help the Alpha without it. So he might as well take the shot. “Deal. But if you wake up the toddler, then you’re gonna have bigger problems than whatever you’re dealing with. Also, I only have peanut butter and honey.”
For the first time, the ghost of a smile hovers around the corners of his mouth. “What’s your name?”
“Harley,” he says softly. “And you’re–”
“Another mechanic,” he cuts him off. “Tony.”
★
“Dada?”
Harley curses when he hears the little voice. He turns to see Elsie standing in the dim kitchen light, her blonde curls askew, and rubbing her eyes with a tiny hand. Her princess pajama shirt is halfway up her belly, and she looks half asleep still.
“Hey baby,” he coos, abandoning his search for a watch and scooping her up in his arms. He straightens her out, smoothing her curls and kissing her cheek. “Did you wake up?”
“Mhmm,” she pouts. “Bang!”
“You heard a bang?” he asks, mentally cursing Tony. He had heard it, too. The knot head must’ve knocked something over. “Well, everything’s okay, peanut, you can go back to bed.”
“No!” she whines, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly.
He groans but doesn’t try to put her down, rubbing her back as he returns to the junk drawer. “Dada will hold you for just a minute, but then it’s bedtime.”
“Dada, bedtime?”
Oh boy.
“Elsie, bedtime,” he corrects, poking around in the drawer. He finally finds her Dora the Explorer watch and shoves it in his pocket before she can see it. “Okay, let's go get cozy.”
“Nooooo, Dada! No bedtime!” she whines, gripping him so tightly he chokes a little.
He’s going to kill that Alpha. You know what? Worse. He’s going to make this his problem.
With a sigh, he grabs the two paper plates with sandwiches on them (because he hadn’t eaten dinner before an Alpha knocked his door down) and makes his way downstairs. Tony is fucking around with his suit (five minutes ago, Harley would’ve called it tinkering, but he’s annoyed,) and he slams the plates down on the table and then the watch.
“Here,” he says loudly.
“What happened to being qu– oh,” Tony says when he turns and sees Elsie in his arms.
“Yep,” he huffs, grabbing his sandwich and biting into it.
“Dada, I have bite?” Elsie says immediately.
“Yeah,” he sighs a little softer, holding up the sandwich to her. She leans forward and chomps down on it in such an adorable way it makes him giggle. “Good?”
“Mhmm!” she nods happily, her mouth too full to speak.
Tony approaches them slowly, tugging his plate across the bench. “So the clone got a name or just Harley 2.0?”
“Elsie,” he says simply. “She’s three. Not a word about the math,”
“Wasn’t going to,” he says, taking a bite. “So I guess asking for a tour of town is out of the question,”
Harley eyes him carefully as Elsie lies back down on his shoulder. “What do you want to see?”
“Where that guy went–” Tony makes an explosion gesture with his hand.
“Why?”
“Does it matter why?”
“Kinda if I’m gonna find a babysitter or deal with the whole town seein’ me with my baby out after bedtime,”
“No bedtime!” Elsie huffs ever so helpfully.
Tony chuckles, and it sends a shiver down Harley’s spine. There’s something so… magnetizing about him. Harley can’t stop thinking about how handsome he is, for one, but for another, he also can’t stop worrying. Not about the cut on his nose, or if the sandwich is good enough, or if he thinks Harley smells just as good as he does. He can’t stop the itch to take the man up into his nest and–
And what, Harley? Cuddle with Tony Stark, who is clearly on a mission? Yeah right.
“Babysitter is better, probably,” Tony says with a slightly guilty look in his eye.
Harley sighs and glances at Elsie. “Good thing Mrs. Smith adores you, huh, baby?”
“Bite?”
“Here, princess,” Tony says, tearing one of his halves in quarters and handing it to her. Instead of taking it, the toddler lunges for him. Harley tries to stop her, but to his surprise, Tony isn’t phased. He takes Elsie in his arms, handing her the quarter. “There. Stop stealing your daddy’s sandwich, that’s not nice.”
Elsie giggles and holds her share with both hands, holding it out to Tony. “Cheers!”
Tony laughs softly and taps his sandwich against hers. Harley’s insides turn to absolute goo at the sight. He’d never seen an Alpha interact so gently with his baby girl, and it makes him feel greedy for more. But this is Tony Stark. Harley is never going to get more.
“How long until you’ll be ready to go?” he asks, taking a bite of his sandwich. “Mrs. Smith usually likes an hour's warning.”
“Hour is perfect,” he nods. “I can do a lot in an hour.”
Harley snorts. “With a toddler in your lap?”
“I can adapt,” he says with a raised brow.
“Elsie, help!” she nods very seriously.
“There, see?” Tony says smugly, cheering his sandwich against hers again. “An hour is perfect.”
★
Two hours later…
“I told you so,” Harley says smugly.
“You know, when you said you had a watch, I was hoping for something a little more adult,” Tony huffs, ignoring his remark about fixing the suit taking twice as long with Elsie involved.
“She’s three. What do you expect?”
“I expected it to be your watch.”
Harley laughs, the sound echoing around the side street as they walk towards the memorial. He glances at Tony, who is wearing some of his grandpa’s old clothes. A big coat and a trucker hat. Again. Stupidly handsome. Makes Harley want to get all up in that jacket with him. His own coat is a size too small and not nearly warm enough.
“You know, I thought you’d ask,” Tony says suddenly.
“Hmm? Ask what?”
“Just ask more.”
Harley looks at him with a raised brow. “Do you want me to ask about New York?”
“N-no,”
“Or the Avengers? You wanna talk about them?”
“Nope– what’s the official story here? What happened?”
Harley rolls his eyes as he changes the subject. He tromps forward in the snow, sitting down on the edge of the small crater. “A guy named Chad Davis used to live in the area. An Army guy, had a bunch of medals. Town gossip is that he went crazy and built a bomb. Blew himself up right here.”
“You don’t seem like one for gossip,” Tony says as he traces the shadows on the walls.
He snorts and looks at his lap. “Hard not to hear it when you are it.”
“You said six people died? Including Chad Davis?”
“Mhmm,” Harley hums, looking back up at him. Tony steps closer, and he tries not to react to his sudden instincts from being lower than an Alpha. “There are only five shadows, though. Never made much sense to me.”
“Me either,” he agrees.
He sits down next to Harley, so close their shoulders touch, and it makes his stomach clench. This close, his scent is dizzying. He looks over at the Alpha, studying him carefully. There’s something so broken about him, something that Harley’s mechanic hands desperately want to fix.
“Was it hard?” he asks before he can think better of it. “Flying into the wormhole?”
“That is manipulative,” he says, his scent instantly flaring with defense, fear, and anger. “We said we weren’t talking about it.”
“I- I’m sorry. I just thought you were really brave for doing that and–”
“Can you stop?!”
Harley’s mouth opens and shuts a few times as the question is barely tinged with an Alpha’s command. “You brought it up earlier!”
“Remember when I said I had anxiety issues?”
“Well, I would too if I had to fly into– look, just– are there bad guys in Rose Hill or what?” he asks a little snippier than he means to. “I can–”
“Can you just let me catch my breath? Seriously, what–”
“I’m just trying to help!”
“Well, you’re not helping!”
Harley’s eyes widen as Tony is clearly starting to have a panic attack. He reaches for him instinctively, and the man flinches. “Tony, just let me–”
“Nope, no, now you’ve done it,” he says, starting to scramble to his feet, but Harley is faster, running purely on instincts. “No, no–”
“Hey, shh, you’re okay,” he says, bringing him closer and pressing his face to his neck. He shudders, and his body is still too tense. Harley scratches his fingers over the back of his neck and into his hair as he tries to pump out calming pheromones. “Breathe, Alpha. Shhh– shh, there we go. I’m sorry. It’s okay. Everything is okay right now.”
“It’s not,” he chokes out.
“It is,” he says softly. “Right here. You and me. Everything is okay.”
It takes a minute, but slowly, Tony starts to relax. He’s hot under Harley’s hands, so he quickly grabs a fistful of snow to cool his palm before he runs it over Tony’s neck. His fingers accidentally brush against his mating gland, and the Alpha gasps.
“Sorry,” Harley whispers.
“Don’t be,” he murmurs.
Harley’s breath hitches, not quite sure if the tone of his voice is an invitation or not. It was unbelievably inappropriate to touch someone’s mating gland whom you weren’t involved with. And yet, almost like he’s in a trance, he finds his fingers sliding back towards that spot. At the same time, Tony’s nose traces along his jaw, and he has to bite back a moan at the subtle scenting.
“You smell like sunshine,” he murmurs in a tone that pierces right to Harley’s soul. His breath hitches when his fingers trace back over his gland. “And- and honey.”
“Don’t you have a girlfriend?” Harley breathes out, shuddering, when he feels the ghost of lips against the spot behind his ear.
Tony reels back at the question, breaking the spell and making Harley regret asking. He blinks for a moment, looking like he’s not quite sure where he is or what he is thinking. Then he clears his throat and stands up, leaving Harley shivering from the sudden lack of warmth.
“The guy who died. Relatives? Mom? Mrs. Davis, where’s she?”
Harley sighs, turning to look at the bar across the street. “Where she always is.”
Tony follows his line of sight and nods. “You comin’?”
“No way,” he snorts, standing up. “Last thing I need is Sheriff Asshole seeing me wander into a bar when I’m supposed to be home with my pup,”
“You got a babysitter?”
“He won’t believe that.”
Tony frowns, looking between him and then at the bar. “Okay. You wait here. Stay safe.”
“Tony,” he says as he starts to walk away. The Alpha turns towards him, and there’s something almost hopeful and longing in his eyes. “You be safe, too. Please?”
A dry smile spreads across his face. “Of course. I’m Iron Man.”
★
Harley watches in horror as the water tower falls. “ALPHA!” he shrieks, running towards the wreckage.
“And what do we have here?”
“NO!” he yells as strong arms suddenly pick him up.
The man carries him over to where Tony is pinned, but then he sits him on his lap, and Harley’s skin crawls. Tony’s eyes are wide with horror, and he pushes at the beams, which pin him down even more. Harley tries not to cry, but tears prickle in his eyes anyway.
“Tell me, pretty Omega, what do you want for Christmas?” the creep says.
“No! Let me– Al–Tony, I’m so sorry–”
“No, no, I think what he’s trying to say is I want my god damn file.”
“It’s not your fault, Omega,” Tony says, looking at him with wild eyes. Harley swears that the deep whiskey brown of his irises is tinged with red. Is he– “It’s not your fault.”
Like hell is he just going to sit here and be a damsel in distress though.
Staring into Tony’s eyes and seeing the tinge of feralness on his face, Harley takes a deep breath. He can see Tony’s confusion and can feel the man holding him. He is also surprised when he relaxes—his mistake.
With a sickening crunch, Harley slams his head back into the guy's face and then elbows him in the gut. He gasps and chokes, and Harley takes off as fast as he can. His only thought is getting safe, so Tony doesn’t have to worry about him.
He ducks behind a pile of Christmas trees and hides as he hears the sound of the repulsor blast. There’s a shout of pain and then quiet. He breathes heavily, waiting until his Alp- until Tony tells him it’s safe.
But after a few minutes, all he hears is Tony walking away. He waits even longer before poking his head out and seeing Tony walk back into the bar across the street. He hisses in annoyance and then comes out of his hiding place, meeting him at a car he’s walking towards.
“What the fuck?!” he hisses.
Tony looks up, surprised, as if he hadn’t expected him to stick around. “What? Did I miss something?”
“Oh, you know, just your eyes turning red and then not even asking if I’m okay,” he snaps. “Tony-“
“It’s rude to tell an Alpha if they’re looking a little feral, weren’t you raised better than that?” he interrupts far too conversationally for Harley’s liking.
“Admit it,” he says, grabbing his arm before he can get in the car. “You feel it too. We’re- we’re connected,”
It’s so stupid, but it’s the only way to express how he’s feeling. The unexplainable tug towards the older man. His inner Omega is pacing in panic that he’s going to abandon him here.
“You need me,” Harley adds, looking at him with pleading eyes.
He really means, I think I need you.
At the very least, Tony’s eyes look pained, and he puts a hand over Harley’s. “What I need–“ he says softly. “- is for you to go home, be safe, be with Elsie. Guard the suit, and stay close to the telephone because when I call, I’m gonna need you to pick up.”
“But–“
“We’re done here,” Tony says with so much finality it makes him want to scream. “Scoot so I don’t run you over,”
Tears prickle in Harley’s eyes as he backs up. Tony gets in the car, and he thinks that’s going to be that, but then he rolls the window down. He can even say what he wants to say because everything is getting stuck in his throat.
“I’m sorry, Omega,” he says, looking like he means it. “You did good. Thank you,”
“So you’re just going to leave me? Like him?” he asks, knowing how childish he sounds. He has no right. And yet something deep inside him wants to lay claim to this man.
Tony pauses for a moment, thinking it over. “Yeah, yeah, I am- wait, are you guilt tripping me?”
Harley clenches his jaw. “Yeah, Tony. You’re leaving your– an Omega stranded in the cold. I’m guilt tripping you.”
“You’re tough, you’ll be okay,” he chuckles as he turns the car on. “You know how I know?”
“Don’t you-“
“Cause we’re connected,” he says with a mocking pout. “Bye, ‘mega.”
Harley steps back as he peels away, heart breaking and inner Omega howling in pain. He wants to scream and shout, but there are too many people around. So instead, he spins on his heel and starts to walk home. Because, of course, he’s still going to do what the dumb Alpha wants.
★
“What’s happening, Omega? Give me a full report.”
Harley sighs tiredly, scrubbing a hand over his face. This was the third time Tony had called to check on the suit. “Well, I’m on my third cup of coffee and my second bowl of candy. Starting to question your tactics,”
There’s a soft laugh on the other end of the line. “Can you still see straight?”
“Sort of.”
“Then you’re fine. Pup okay?”
“Yeah, she went to bed again finally, thank god,” he sighs. Then he glances over at where said toddler fell asleep on the garage couch. Right where Tony had been sitting, her little face pressed against the cushions. “Well. Bed is relative. But yeah, we’re okay.”
“Good, that’s- good. Give me Jarvis,”
Harley fights back the flutter in his stomach and sets the phone next to the Iron Man mask. “Go.”
“Jarvis, how are we?”
“It’s totally fine, sir. I seem to do quite well for a stretch, and then at the end of a sentence, I say the wrong cranberry.”
Harley laughs softly as he can practically hear Tony’s confusion on the other end of the phone.
“And sir, you were right. Once I factored in available AIM downlink facilities, I was able to pinpoint the Mandarin’s broadcast signal.”
“Where are we talking? Far East, Europe, Africa? Where is it?”
“Actually, sir, it’s in Miami.”
Harley hums in agreement as he types away, checking on the suit levels and getting ready to send the coordinates to Tony’s phone. There’s a brief moment of silence, and once more Harley can practically hear the confusion. “Okay, ‘mega, I’m gonna have to walk you through rebooting the speech-“
“It really is in Miami, Alpha,” he interrupts. “I’ll send you the cords.”
“Okay– okay first things first, I need the armor. Where are we at?”
Harley winces. “It’s not charging.”
He can hear the tires screech as Tony suddenly pulls off the road.
“Actually, sir, it is charging, but the power source is questionable. It may not succeed in revitalizing the Mark 42.”
“What’s questionable about electricity?!” Tony asks, and Harley’s hackles raise at the panic in his voice. “Alright? It’s my suit and I can’t- I’m not gonna… I don’t want… Oh god, not again.”
“Alpha?” Harley asks in concern as he can hear Tony breathing heavily and fumbling with the car door.
“What am I gonna do? What-“
“Tony. Alpha. Hey, stay with me,” he says, trying not to raise his voice too much so as not to startle him or Elsie. “Deep breaths. Okay? With me. In and out. In- good- let it out.”
“I can’t- I can’t Omega I-“
“You can. I’ll try to up the power source here, but in the meantime– you said you’re a mechanic, right?” he tries.
“I- yeah-“
“So why don’t you try building something?”
There’s a long pause, and for a moment, Harley is worried he passed out.
“Okay. Thanks, Omega.”
“Ton-“
He hangs up. Harley barely resists chucking the phone and instead grabs a piece of candy and hurls it towards the wall. “Is he always like this?” he asks the AI.
“Sir? Oh yes. Though it seems to be worse with people he caterpillars.”
Great.
Now he’s got to figure out how to reboot a speech drive.
★
Harley is walking back from dropping off Elsie at daycare when he sees the garage doors rattling. His eyes widen, and he bolts towards it. With a heave, he yanks them open and falls backward as the different parts of the suit go flying into the sky.
He laughs in relief, tears pricking his eyes. “Be safe, please,” he whispers.
Come back for me.
★
Harley is glad that he didn’t have to pick up a second job until it got warmer. The walk from the diner is a lot nicer in the early spring sunshine. He got off early today, which is bad for his bank account but good for his soul. He just needs an afternoon to himself.
Three months.
He’d seen it all on the news, of course, and had waited for weeks for Tony to come back, even if it was only to keep his promise.
He’d given up around Valentine's Day when he saw the paparazzi photos of him and Pepper Potts.
It was stupid, really. Thinking that any Alpha in his life would come back for him. Not his dad, not the father of his child, not the man who he ached for and felt in his very soul was his mate. None of them.
With a bitter huff, he unlocks the door to the garage and heads in. He’s about to go straight upstairs to his apartment when he catches sight of something shiny. He stops, jaw dropped at what he sees.
The garage has been totally overhauled. All the junk is cleared, and new tools and organizers replace it. The rusty, beaten-up truck that Harley still hadn’t fixed is replaced with a brand new one, and he can see a car seat in the back. Next to it is a princess-themed kids' jeep. On one of the new shiny lab benches is a potato gun with a sign that says “Mark 2.”
He waits for just a moment, hoping that out of nowhere the gift he really wants will appear.
But nothing.
A sob escapes his chest, and he rushes up the stairs, just wanting to be in his nest.
“Well, that’s not the reaction I was expecting.”
He almost doesn’t hear him, too intent on getting to safety. But he does, and he stops in his tracks in the kitchen, turning to see Tony sitting on his couch. No. On a new couch. Looking as stupidly handsome and perfect as ever in jeans and a light blue button-up.
“You said a week,” Harley spits out through his tears.
“Yeah, well,” he sighs, pushing to his feet. “Your baby daddy was a little harder to find than anticipated, and uh- well, I had a little delay of my own,”
He taps his chest, and Harley’s eyes widen when he sees that the arc reactor is gone.
“Why- why are you here?” Harley sniffs as Tony keeps moving closer with that soft smile on his face that makes his heart want to explode. “You could’ve sent me an email if- if you found him.”
“Well, I was gonna,” he says, and he’s so close now that Harley can smell leather and citrus, and it’s taking everything in him not to fall into his arms. “But then I realized I’d bought thirty-seven candles with the notes of sunshine and honey, trying to find something that smelled like home as much as you do.”
His breath hitches as Tony runs a hand up his arm. “No, no, Alpha, you don’t get to just waltz back in here after three-“
He can’t finish the sentence because lips press against his, cutting him off. Harley sobs and then throws his arms around Tony’s neck, his keys clattering to the floor. Tony wraps his arms around him tightly, moving their mouths together like they’ve known each other for years. He feels like he’s dreaming.
“Alpha,” he whimpers when they part for air.
“Omega,” he breathes out, resting their foreheads together. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I left you. I’m sorry, I couldn’t come back sooner.”
“You could’ve called, you idiot,” he laughs wetly.
Tony laughs too, smiling despite the small tears forming in his eyes. “I could’ve called.”
Harley sniffs and reaches up to wipe away his tears. “You had surgery. I guess I can forgive you,”
“Yeah?” he chuckles, tightening his grip. “Enough to come to New York with me?”
He looks up at him, confused. “New York?”
“Well, yeah, sort of blew up my house in Malibu,” he says with a grimace. “Plus Avengers stuff, most of it happens there. Figured I could use a change of pace and it’s closer to here if you aren’t inclined to pick up your life and move so–”
“Wait, wait like come to New York with you forever?” he asks in awe. Then he makes a face. “You idiot. Why did you upgrade my garage if I’m not even going to get a chance to use it?”
“Uh, well, overboard is sort of quintessential to my personality, but I suppose it was a bit silly, not that we can’t take whatever you want– wait, so is that a ye–”
Harley kisses him again, sliding his fingers into his hair and pressing their bodies as close together as physically possible. “Yes, I’ll come to New York with you,”
He sighs in relief and hugs him tightly, pressing his face against his neck and inhaling deeply. Harley shivers as he feels lips press against his mating gland. “I-I thought maybe with Elsie… you’d want to take it slow,”
“She asks about you every other day,” he murmurs. “She keeps pressing her face against the couch to try and get your scent, even though it’s gone. I think she’ll be fine.”
“Oh.”
“Unless–”
“No, no, I just–” He laughs a bit. “Thought it would all take a bit more convincing,”
“I mean, I think you’ve still got some groveling to do,” he smirks, pulling away to look at him again.
His eyes darken, his scent growing richer. “How long until she’s back from pre-school?”
Harley glances over at the clock on the microwave and sighs. “Not long enough. I have to pick her up in an hour.”
Tony chuckles. “I mean, I can do a lot in an hour.”
“But I have to walk–”
“Baby, I have a car,” he laughs, cupping his cheeks and kissing him again. “You have a car.”
Harley moans against his lips, sliding his hands up his chest to grab him by the back of the neck and tug him closer. Tony obliges him, grabbing him by the waist again and pulling him in so tightly it’s like he’s trying to merge their bodies together. It’s messy and desperate, Harley pouring all his worry and hurt and anger into it.
“Fuck, okay,” he finally gasps when they part for air. “Show me what you can do in an hour.”
Tony growls, and it makes Harley whimper. He squeaks when large hands lift him up under the thighs, and he wraps his legs around his Alpha’s trim waist. “Can I go in your nest, baby?”
“Yeah,” he whines, nuzzling at his gland. “It’s messy.”
“Oh, I don’t mind, baby,” he rumbles, carrying Harley into the small one-bedroom. His nest is still sleep-worn and tangled up from this morning, but he’s too needy to waste precious moments fixing it. When he’s laid backwards on it, he gasps softly. Tony smiles down at him like he’s the most special thing in the world. “This is perfect, Omega.”
“Alpha,” he whimpers, trying to tug him down for another kiss.
“Shh, gotta work quick here, honey, don’t distract me,” he grins, pecking him quickly before moving away.
Harley’s mouth waters as he unbuttons his shirt. In the back of his mind, he thinks he should be trying to get his clothes off as well, but he’s too frozen by the sight of tan skin and muscles going on display. In the middle of his chest, instead of the arc reactor, there’s a large bandage. He can’t help but reach up and touch it gently.
“You sure it’s okay?” he murmurs.
“Positive,” he smiles, moving to take off his pants. “Might be the other reason I waited. Had to get cleared first. Knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you.”
Harley raises a brow. “You still could’ve call–” His argument dies in his throat when Tony shoves off his pants, his underwear going right along with them. His cock is long and thick, already dripping with pre-cum. Harley whimpers as a burst of slick escapes him, wetting his underwear. “Alpha.”
“Yeah, I know, baby,” he coos, though there’s a smirk on his face. “Your turn, c’mon. Let me see that pretty body.”
His cheeks flame as Tony reaches for him. Harley tries to help, but he’s really more of a clumsy hindrance as Tony manhandles him out of his clothes. The apartment is slightly cold, even though it’s spring outside, and he shivers as his skin is exposed to the room. He swallows nervously as Tony takes in the sight of him. He knows his tits are still swollen from breastfeeding Elsie, and god knows what his cunt looks like.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” Tony whispers.
Oh.
Harley suhdders as Tony puts a knee on the bed, crawling over him. His skin is warm, and Harley whimpers as he slides his hands up Tony’s arms. He gasps as Tony kisses his neck, right on the scent gland. It’s intimate, and his hand travels upward until he can brush his thumb across Tony’s, just like he had done that fateful night. This time, he can feel Tony shudder at the touch, and it ignites something hot and desperate between them.
“Omega,” Tony growls, kissing him roughly.
“Alpha!” he gasps softly as his cock rubs against his hip. He mewls againtst Tony’s lips, rutting up into him to try and get that delicious length against his pussy. Tony obliges him as they kiss, and the feeling of his dick against Harley’s cocklet makes them both moan. When it moves lower, gently bumping against the entrance to his pussy, Harley feels like he’s on fire. “Alpha, fuck please– I can take it.”
“Omega–”
“I need it,” he whines desperately. “Need you. I pushed out a baby, I can take your dick.”
Tony smiles, licking his lips as he clearly tries to keep it together, but then he bursts out laughing. Harley can’t help but giggle too, which turns to a squeal as Tony suddenly assaults him with kisses, all over his cheeks and neck. Then the giggles turn to a moan as the tip of Tony’s cock pushes against his pussy.
“Fuck, yes,” he sighs in contentment, moaning as he pushes in more. “More, c’mon.”
“You’re so bossy, Omega,” Tony chuckles, but he does as asked. Their combined moans echo loudly around the room. “Fuck, but you feel good.”
Harley can only make an incoherent noise, his hindbrain lighting up in pleasure. Tony’s cock is the perfect fit, not like the pathetic dick that took his virginity. No, Tony stretches him open delicately, filling all the available space, sinking in to the hilt like he’s made to be there. Maybe he is. Harley could believe in soulmates and things like that right now, it’s that good.
“Move, Alpha, please,” he gasps, gripping Tony’s arms for dear life.
“Shh, I got you, baby,” he murmurs. He groans as he pulls out halfway and then pushes back in. Harley sees stars, and he whimpers, hooking his legs around Tony’s hips so he can get in deeper. “Fuck, yeah, that’s my good Omega.”
“Alpha,” he whines, high-pitched and strung out.
Tony chuckles softly, dropping to his elbows so they’re pressed closer together. He noses at Harley’s scent gland, smothering him in the delicious scent of leather and citrus. Harley moves his hands up to tangle in his thick, brown hair, holding on for dear life as his mate fucks him.
They don’t say much, everything too intense and intimate for coherent thought. Tony rolls his hips in smooth even thruts, slowly driving Harley closer and closer to the edge as his cocklet rubs agains his stomach. There’s a mess of slick between his thighs and pre-cum between their bodies. The previously cool room now feels hot and steamy, Harley’s skin dripping with sweat.
“Alpha, fuck,” he finally gasps. “M’gonna cum.”
“Fuck, yes,” Tony groans, head dropping slightly to kiss his scent gland. His knot catches, and Harley squeals as he’s suddenly filled. “Cum for me, baby.”
Harley bursts into a thousand tiny fireworks as his orgasm crashes into him. His pussy spasms, clenching down around Tony’s knot as hot, sticky seed coats his insides. Instinctively, he tilts his head to the side, baring his neck, and Tony meets him without asking. There’s a sharp pain in his scent gland, followed by utter bliss.
“Oh,” he gasps softly as the bond takes hold, letting him feel all of Tony and baring his soul in turn.
Tony rumbles against his neck, kissing over the bite mark and lavishing it with attention to soothe the sting. “Mine,” he growls. “My Omega.”
“Yours,” he whines, rocking his hips a little to grind Tony’s knot inside him. “All yours.”
Again, intimate quiet surrounds them as they bask in their mating. Harley doesn’t have an ounce of regret or question. Everything feels so right, for the first time in his life.
“Omega?”
“Hmm?” he hums.
Tony laughs softly, kissing his cheek. “Knot went down, baby. You’re pretty out of it.”
“Oh,” he blinks, realizing that they’re not connected anymore and feeling sad about it.
“Don’t worry,” Tony chuckles again, clearly seeing it on his face. “We’ll have more time when we get home.”
Home.
“You did pretty well for an hour,” Harley grins.
“I told you I could,” he laughs. “Now let’s see how well I can do with fifteen minutes to clean you up.”
They crowd into Harley’s too-small shower, laughing and giggling as Tony gets them both washed up. Even with being distracted by kissing again, they pile into Tony’s car to pick up Elsie with minutes to spare, the car seat pulled from the truck and placed in the backseat. When they pull up in front of the preschool, Harley smugly watches the bewildered looks on the teachers' faces.
“DADA!” Elsie squeals with delight, running down the sidewalk towards him.
“There’s my girl!” he laughs, picking her up and swinging her around. “Look who it is!”
Elside gasps with surprise when Tony also gets out of the car, wiggling and squirming to launch herself at him. “Tony! Tony! Tony!”
“Hi princess,” he laughs, coming over and taking her from Harley. Elsie throws her arms around the Alpha’s neck and hugs him tightly, and he hugs her just as tightly back. Harley feels tears spring to his eyes at the sight. “Did you have a good day?”
“Yeah!” she nods, like it's totally normal for Tony to be picking her up from daycare and asking her that. “M’hungry!”
“Well,” Tony grins, looking over at Harley. “Maybe we can go home and split a PB and honey before we hit the road, huh?”
“Yay!” Elsie cheers.
Harley laughs softly to himself as Tony puts her in the car. They need to pack, and he’s going to have to figure out something to say to his mama, but he’d worry about that in a minute. He’s finally getting his happy ending, and he’s going to enjoy it.