Chapter Text
The whole place it’s in absolute chaos. Police officers, Security, CIA, and Interpol are trying to organize the politicians, family members and by-standers there are everywhere. MET and other Search and Rescue parties were looking and tending victims. The Press is doing a remarkable job of being in everyone’s way and making people even more volatile. But that’s not it.
, King T’Chaka had been pushing for the Accords, but he had been reasonable, kind, and he had wanted accountability, not super-humans in leashes, as a few of the representatives (Thaddeus Ross first and foremost among them) wish. Tony supposes that’s because of the ‘Black Panther Warrior’ thing, generation after generation. It’s not like he had spied on Wakanda… it’s that SHIELD, HYDRA or whatever they were, had a very detailed file on the Royal Family of Wakanda. One that Tony had deleted from every server and site he could and gave the only copy left to the late King, as a sign of respect…just not before reading it and taking some mental notes. So, King T’Chaka understood the necessity to protect the people from the Avengers…but also the necessity to protect the Avengers from the people handling these documents. Tony wouldn’t trust Ross with the care of a goat, to be perfectly honest. Sometimes the Omega is really disappointed on Ellis and his choices…
But all of that hard work is in the balance now, because King T’Chaka is dead and his son, Prince T’Challa (he assumes he is the King of Wakanda now, or will be very soon) is furious and grieving and; according to Natasha; wants to kill Barnes himself. Furthermore, he is concerned about T’Challa obviously not being ready to take over the throne; not after a tragedy like this. They just cannot trust him to make a rational decision after today.
And Steve...God, Steve. His Alpha must be devastated right now. Losing Aunt Peggy hadn’t been easy on him either, but Tony, despite wanting to be there for his Alpha, had stayed in the last seats of the church not wanting to interrupt the ceremony. She deserved all the honors. But Steve had lost one of the only two connections he had left to his past; and now that Barnes was been accused of such serious crime…Tony only hoped that he could calm him down by talking to him. He hadn’t listened to Natasha, but maybe he will listen to his Omega? He absolutely hates to use this happy news to try and bring Steve in, but he needs his Alpha by his side more than ever…the Avengers need their Captain more than ever.
So, with a heavy heart, he looks for an empty hallway and sneaks into the bathroom (it’s easy to avoid people, because its lunch time and even with this tragedy, people got hungry and headed for the cafeteria). After making sure no one is there, he locks the door and sits on one of the toilets with the lid on. Then, he calls his Alpha.
[“Hello, you’ve reached Steve Rogers. I’m not available right now, so please leave a message after the tone and I’ll call you back as soon as I can.]
“Steve? Come on, answer your cell, babe. I don’t want to do this over the phone.”
He waits for a few minutes, then tries again.
[“Hello, you’ve reached Steve Rogers. I’m not available right now, so please leave a message after the tone and I’ll call you back as soon as I can.]
“Steve, answer your phone. I know you talked to Natasha, now please talk to me. Call me back?”
He waits a bit longer this time; waiting for Steve to call him back. He usually calls him back. But the minutes pass and his phone doesn’t ring, so he calls once more.
[“Hello, you’ve reached Steve Rogers. I’m not available right now, so please leave a message after the tone and I’ll call you back as soon as I can.]
“Alright” he sighs “Look, I know you don’t agree with the Accords, but they are not so awful, okay? Things seem pretty bad right now, but we can work through this, if we do it together. The team deployed to bring in Bucky won’t kill him, I doubt they could even hurt him, and when he is secured you can see him. Rhodey will be there, in the War Machine suit, to make sure everything goes smoothly; because I didn’t bring mine. The UN has a psychiatrist ready to talk to Barnes, and I promise you that nothing will happen to him. Personally, I don’t believe it was him, Steve, because even if he did set the bomb-which again, I don’t think it was him- he has more experience than Natasha and he wouldn’t have let himself be caught on camera. Just…listen, okay?”
>> “I…” Tony swallows. “I really didn’t want to do this over the phone (I am hiding inside the bathroom, the only place that has no cameras in this building); because I don’t want you to think I’m trying to manipulate you or something. I am really not. I only found out after Lagos, and it didn’t seem the right time, you know? But I guess there’s not always a ‘right time’ with these things; sometimes you just have to say it. So…I…I…I’m pregnant, Steve.” Pause. “It doesn’t feel real yet, you know? I have three little pieces of you inside me, Steve, there are three.” He says, sobbing and laughing at the same time. “The Doctor says it might be too soon to tell the genders (I am thirteen weeks along), but he is almost certain that its two boys and a girl. I know it’s probably way too soon to be thinking about names, but I thought that we could name the girl Maria Sarah Margaret, or Sarah Maria Margaret…or something like that. And the boys…would it be too weird if both have James as a middle name? One for my James…one for yours?” another wet laugh.
>>“I know, I know, I’m babbling, but I can’t stop it. I’m so nervous. And I’m scared. I’m running ragged here. I need you with me right now, Steve, I can’t do this alone. I’m trying to keep our family together and keep us safe, so please, please Alpha, don’t do anything reckless. Come to us, come to me, and together we will make this right. I love you so much, Steve,” says Tony in a chocked voice “I want you happy; and that means that I care about Bucky Barnes too. I’ll do everything I can to help him, I promise.” A brief pause and a deep breath. “Don’t leave us alone, Alpha, please. Love you.”
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On a Quinjet, the same they used to go to Peggy’s funeral, Steve gets out of the bathroom, fully changed into his tactic gear, and reaches towards his bag to place his folded clothes inside. He sees a blinking light on his StarkPhone, signaling he has voicemail. He sits down and presses the phone to his ear.
[You have 3 new voicemails.]
[To hear the message, press 1. To save the message, press 2. To delete the message, press 3. To call the person who left you the message, press 4. To listen to the next message, press 5.]
Steve presses 1.
[Monday, May 16th, 01:04 pm]
“Steve? Come on, answer your cell, babe. I don’t want to do this over the phone.”
[End of message 1]
It’s Tony. Of course it’s Tony. He presses 3, then 5.
[Monday, May 16th, 01:17 pm]
“Steve, answer your phone. I know you talked to Natasha, now please talk to me. Call me back?”
[End of message 2]
Again, he presses 3, then 5.
[Monday, May 16th, 01:33 pm]
“Alright” sigh “Look, I know you don’t agree with the Accords, but they are not so awful, oka-”
Steve presses 3.
[You have deleted the message.] Pause. [There are no more messages.]
He looks at the background photo: a shot of Tony, sleepy with his head on the table, clutching an empty coffee mug and begging with his eyes for someone to fill it. With a pang on his chest he crushes his phone and after asking Sam to open the door for a moment; he throws the pieces out, to be spread by the wind. He has heard enough. Right now he has no time for people who won’t listen. He needs to get to Bucky.
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Wakanda is, in simple words, pretty cool. The tech is really sleek and cutting-edge, and if the Avengers hadn’t been living with Tony Fucking Stark for the past years, Steve would be amazed. He is not, though, because some things might be new or a bit different, but Tony’s tech on his home is always more advanced than the products that go to mass production (JARVIS, FRIDAY, the hologram screens, the sensors and many other, wonderful things that Tony never lets out of his sight). So, all in all, Steve could say that Wakanda’s tech is somewhat…normal for him. But he doesn’t, because he imagines that hear that opinion coming from a 40’s man could hurt egos and sensibilities.
The TVs though, those are absolutely fine. They always have the one in the communal space on, just in case. After almost six weeks of being isolated from the outside world; he understands his team’s need for a 24/7 information source. In the two months they’ve all been here together, the TV must have been off two or three time, at most. It’s almost lunch time, so everyone is in the room, talking, sharing awkward laughs. But as soon as the female voice starts talking, a freezing silence sets in.
“….And in other news, Tony Stark AKA Iron Man, has entered his eight week of coma. As you surely know, Dr. Stark was brought in the 20th of May, after a brutal fight in Siberia with the now ex-Captain America and the Winter Soldier. He was dehydrated, malnourished, severely concussed and with several broken ribs (both from the repeated smashing of the Shield against his head and his chest), suffering from blood loss (details as to what wound could have caused that were kept confidential) and bond withdrawal. With the sum of each week, the hope of Tony Stark waking up is slowly dying. People from all around the world have been sending letters, flowers, balloons, cards, plushies, and a number of other things. Villages from the Middle East, Africa, Asia (locations were Iron Man actions finally brought peace after years of war, terrorism and death) have been praying for the hero to open his eyes. Kids from almost every school in the fifty States have sent drawings, photos and little presents.” Dramatic pause. The reporter stares at the camera, and she looks really mad. “And yet; not a word from Captain America. He obviously hasn’t shown up (as he is considered a terrorist and would be arrested on sight); but he hasn’t sent cards, or called or asked for information about the state of his Omega. This has been confirmed by a confidential source with access to SI and Avengers Compound communication system. So we must wonder: was his intention for Tony Stark to die when he abandoned him in Siberia? Were his plans ruined by Vision and Pepper Potts when they saved the hero? I remember very well the outrage when they came out as a Bonded Couple to the world. Everyone thought that Steve Rogers deserved better than Tony Stark. And yet…it seems like the whole world was wrong about them. In the end, it was Captain America (ex-Captain America, excuse me) who bailed on his Bonded, after attempting to murder him.” With a last glacial look at the camera, the woman keeps talking. “Now let’s talk about…”
Ever since the first sentence, Steve feels himself pale and shake. He had no idea. How was it that he had no idea? It shouldn't be possible. But Steve doesn’t stay to face the wrath of this team mates (he can feel the daggers on the back of his head; can hear the sparks from Wanda’s fingers), he just runs towards T’Challa’s office