Part of Me: "ALN" Story (Pre-Serum Omega!Steve and Alpha!Bucky Modern Domestic AU)
TRIGGER WARNING: depictions of domestic abuse injuries, discussions of pro-choice decisions, and past abortion
Eighteen:
Seeing all the vehicles parked in front of their house, Ollie's scent started to sour. Fidgeting in his seat, he desperately tried to flatten his hair so it'd hide the bruises on his left eye. Not that it did anything with his hair being too short, but he was still trying.
Sitting beside his son in the backseat, Steve gave his shoulders a comforting squeeze and assured, "We'll send them home."
"You don't have to do that," Oliver quickly declined. Almost as though it had become second nature to put himself last.
Steve gave his shoulder another squeeze, "They'll understand."
"I don't want them to be mad," Ollie's swollen lower lip quivered while his eyes turned glassy.
"They won't be," Bucky reassured, cutting the engine and climbing out of the van first. Opening the door, he helped Oliver out of the vehicle and kept a protective arm around his shoulders. He seemed so tiny and frail, and Steve swore that if he ever saw that blond knothead bastard again, he wouldn't be able to refrain from giving him mark-for-mark of Oliver's injuries.
Opening the door, the laughter of the girls with their friends could be heard layered with the laughter of their family. Tibby's being the loudest as she wheezed at something that had happened before they returned home. However, all of the adults stopped laughing when they spotted Oliver.
The eighteen year old shrunk into Bucky's side, tilting his head down so they wouldn't be able to focus on the bruises, broken nose, nor fat lip. As the alpha helped their son downstairs to his bedroom, Steve crossed the kitchen to their relatives.
"What the fuck happened?" Becca asked with the rest of the family quietly backing up her question and concern.
"We don't have all the details, but we're assuming it was John," Steve lowered his voice so the little girls who obliviously chased each other into the living room and back upstairs wouldn't hear.
"The next time I see that creep, I'm giving him a piece of my mind," Mandy gritted out between clenched teeth.
"Get in line," Tibby added, scent souring.
Their love was palpable, and Steve was reminded of just how lucky he was. How lucky they were. To have people who would do anything to protect them, even be aggressive towards abusive assholes. Steve just hoped that Ollie could feel it too; that he was loved.
Just as Steve was about to suggest that the party end for the night, Bucky joined them in the kitchen. Giving Steve's slim waist a soothing squeeze, Bucky softly said, "He wants you."
After not hearing from his son for so long, it caused that longing in Steve's heart to expand before snapping back like a rubber band. Not hesitating, Steve gave his husband a kiss on the cheek before heading for the basement. His heart thudded harshly in his chest, desperately needing to comfort his first baby.
Passing by the couch, he found Kit on the hand-me-down sofa playing a video game and gave the young alpha a kiss on their head. Kit smiled up at him and Steve affectionately ruffled their hair.
Reaching Ollie's room, Steve peeked into the cracked door. Although the door wasn't completely closed, he knocked, just to let the omega know that he was there. Ollie laid on the bottom bunk of his bed and mutely gestured for Steve to enter.
"How ya feelin'?" Steve kindly asked, closing the door behind him. Taking a seat on the bed and petting Bruce who was happily curled around Oliver's lanky frame.
Silent tears slid down his face, wetting the pillow. Annoyed with himself, Oliver harshly wiped them away, "Pretty shitty."
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Steve asked, wanting to know everything that happened so he could make sure it never happened again, and so he could comfort his son the best he could.
Knowing that it probably wasn't the easiest thing for Ollie to talk about, Steve gave him an out, "You don't have to. I just want to keep you safe."
"He, uh," Oliver paused, cleared his throat, and tried again, "I wanted to text you, but..."
He wouldn't let me, Steve assumed. Marking his leg, Steve's heart broke for his little guy. "It's okay. You're here now. And you're done with him." Remembering how long it took him to leave toxic and abusive significant others, he asked, "Right? You're not going back to him, right? Not after he did this to you?"
"It's over," Ollie confirmed, easing that little bit of worry that was nagging at him in the back of his mind.
Steve sighed in relief, and Oliver softly chuckled. Adding, "Yeah, I probably should've known he was bad since not even the triplets liked him. Probably would've hurt less..."
"He'll never hurt you again," Steve promised.
"I know," Ollie assured, wiping more of his tears away. "Even if I didn't want it to be over, it would be."
Steve's brows furrowed, "What do you mean?"
"He, uh," Oliver sniffled, "He kinda dumped me."
"What?" Steve scoffed in his surprise.
Ollie nodded, "Yeah, he, uh... He made it pretty clear that he didn't like that I..."
After a moment of just waiting for Oliver to continue, Steve prompted, "Didn't like that you... what?"
Worrying his lower lip, Ollie kept his gaze on the gray cat, "That I ended.... That I stopped being... That I didn't want to be pregnant anymore and... took care of it."
More tears filled Oliver's bloodshot steel-blue eyes. He refused to look at Steve, so the older omega moved closer. Knowing that he needed to comfort the eighteen year old more than he already was. Marking over his side, Steve said, "It's okay."
"How can you say that when you carried me to term?" Oliver cried, rolling more onto his stomach so he could sob into his pillow.
Steve moved Bruce and he sat closer to Ollie. Rubbing and marking soothing circles into his back, Steve assured, "Just because it wasn't right for me doesn't mean that it wasn't right for you."
As Oliver continued to cry, Steve added, "I was in a different phase in my life. I mean, I was financially stable, emotionally steady – for the most part – and could realistically raise a child.
"I did think about it for a while. Weighing all of my options. And I chose the one that was right for me." Leaning close, he affectionally pushed the matted brown locks from his face and lightly kissed a spot on his cheek that wasn't severely bruised.
"Do you think you made the right choice?" Steve quietly asked, laying down beside him.
Oliver sniffled and nodded, "I'm not ready to be a papa yet." Good-humoredly scoffing, "I can barely make pancakes or do my own laundry. How could I take care of someone else when I'm still learning how take care of myself?"
"Sounds like a good enough reason to me," Steve soothed. "And don't forget that you're not alone. You've got a whole large family upstairs who are willing to beat this guy ten times over because he hurt you. We're here for you. No matter what."
"I'm so sorry I didn't listen," Oliver sobbed.
Steve pulled the boy closer and wrapped him tightly in his embrace. Ollie hadn't been able to comfortably fit in his arms in years, but that didn't matter. Steve held his son as tightly as he could, as though he could personally fuse all of his broken pieces together just from loving him so much. And in that moment, it felt like he very well could.