Their Sweet Omega 4 - Jake Jensen x Pre-serum Steve Rogers
Relationship: Jake Jensen x Pre-serum!Steve Rogers x F!Reader
Word Count: 5577 (what? 🫢)
Summary: Jake and Steve have been as unlucky in completing their pack as you've been. A 'chance' meeting might just change all that.
Warnings: omegaverse; polyamory; light angst
A/N: Some more happenings for our sweet trio who were inspired by a post from the lovely @thezombieprostitute.
A/N2: Reader has a nickname of Angel in this verse due to multiple Readers coming in later and interacting with one another.
A/N3: This part is finally here, and it's a long one. (Sorry, not sorry.) We're getting a lot of happenings in this one, but it's kinda necessary for the world as a whole and for their story (and some others that pop up here as well). I hope you enjoy the new faces you're about to meet, and all that's going on with this sweet trio.
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"Thank you, sir," Jake said, shaking his boss's hand.
Or at least tried to.
The man had quickly made his exit from the conference room as if he wished to be anywhere but there.
Jake could well understand the sentiment, believing with all his being that this meeting could've been an email. He hadn't the slightest clue why it wasn't except that Mr. Smith, the COO of the company, had decided to join the meeting last minute. That had certainly seemed to put Jake's boss on edge.
As it was, Mr. Smith approached Jake with his hand outstretched. "Thank you for coming in, Mr. Jensen. I know it's an inconvenience during your downtime, but Mr. Pearson and I am deeply grateful."
"It's not a problem, really, Mr. Smith," Jake automatically replied.
Mr. Smith seemed amused by that. "I doubt that. How is your Beta doing? Steve, right?"
"Yes, sir. He's fine."
Jake hoped Mr. Smith wouldn't catch the lie in his words, not really wanting to go into the incident that took place while trying to get to the office. All he wanted was to end this interaction so he could get back to Steve and check on him.
A stupid argument between a young alpha and omega had resulted in a bottle of over-saturated florals being shattered on the open sidewalk just as Jake and Steve were passing. It wasn't but a minute or so later that Steve's breathing had changed, the harsh chemicals of the perfume upsetting his asthma. His inhaler had helped a little, but Jake couldn't be sure that a hospital run wouldn't be in their near future. He really hoped not, but he could never be fully sure.
Thankfully, Mr. Smith didn't bother delving further as he said, "Glad to hear it. I'll be in touch again soon. Good day to you and your Beta."
"Thank you, sir."
Mr. Smith left the conference room with Jake following shortly. He needed the extra moment to not only gather up the items his boss had requested, but he also wanted that moment to check on Steve. Pulling out his phone, he opened up his contacts until he found Steve's best friend, Bucky, and quickly typed: How's he doing?
Bucky responded back almost immediately: He's sleeping. I think the treatment he took helped. His breathing's smoother.
Jake's eyes closed upon reading that. His hands shook with relief as he typed: That's good. Meeting's done. Heading your way.
While he hurried to carry out his promise, his phone dinged with another notification from Bucky: No rush if you need to take care of some other things. He's safe here to catch up on some sleep. Looks like he could use it.
As much as Jake wanted to argue, he knew deep down that Bucky had a point. Steve always needed a bit more rest whenever his asthma acted up, and he'd been working so hard on his latest commission, not exactly taking the best care of himself. Jake had failed Steve on that score, even as he'd been a bit busy himself picking up the slack around work.
His boss wasn't a bad guy overall, but he lacked some necessary people skills for the position he held in Jake's opinion. Jake's been putting out more fires recently left in his boss's wake to keep the department from completely falling apart. A part of him knew that the others only stayed because Jake went to bat for them or picked up the slack when they couldn't.
If only his last boss hadn't been offered that cushy government position, they wouldn't be in this mess. Penelope Garcia had been a real gem of a boss, one who'd definitely helped him refine his skills to match hers. She'd also been so good at delegating work and making sure everyone was taken care of when they needed it. That had even extended to the families of her employees, even going so far as to have a real soft spot for Steve.
"What are you doing here? And why was Mr. Smith down here?" a voice called from a nearby cubicle that had been designated the weekend desk.
Jake's brows knitted at hearing her voice, turning to face the Omega. "Better question is why are you here, Ducky? Didn't you work the last three weekends? I thought I had put you on the no-contact list for the next month."
"You did, but I volunteered," Ducky shrugged though she appeared a bit out of sorts. Her scent certainly spoke to a quiet sadness that Jake didn't like coming from her. At least she gave him some clue with why with her next words. "My neighbor's in rut again. So, I've been staying with a friend. Just couldn't stay in her place alone all day, so figured I might as well work, you know?"
This news gave Jake some pause.
"I know it's not my business, but didn't he just have a rut about a month ago? That's an awfully fast turnaround for an Alpha."
Ducky nodded but then shrugged. "He's been getting them in quicker succession these last several months. Not even sure why. He's usually got his pick of omegas to help him out. All I know is that he doesn't want me around. Practically growled that at me the time before last. And, I don't know why I admitted that to you of all people. You're practically the boss around here, and now I'm sufficiently embarrassed."
Her scent made that clear, too.
Jake had some thoughts on what was going on, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. It really wasn't his place to meddle. His luck would have him screwing things up for Ducky, and that was something he couldn't do to his co-worker and friend.
So, he settled with saying, rather lamely, "I'm not the boss. Just another doing his best to keep everything running smoothly. Besides, I wanna help when and where I can. I appreciate you trust me enough to tell me."
"You should've been tapped after Ms. Garcia left," Ducky said, not the least bit repentant in her opinion even as she glanced around to make sure they were well and truly alone. "Look, he's doing his best, but you were her protege. We all knew it, and you've always been good at the logistics of this place. Hopefully, now that things have settled down with the C-suite, they'll figure it out, too, and fix this obvious mistake."
Jake nodded, unsure what there was to say.
Then again, it appeared he didn't need to as Mr. Smith appeared out of nowhere and said, "You are correct, miss. There's been an unfortunate overreach of certain personnel in the choosing of this department's current leadership. We are working to rectify that. It's why I was here for the meeting, Mr. Jensen. While I'm not privy to giving you any particulars at the moment, know that you will be looped in soon enough."
Jake and Ducky both jumped at his words, feeling equal parts horror and guilt at being caught speaking on such a topic.
The last thing Jake could afford was lose the benefits this job gave him, especially for Steve. He would never do anything to jeopardize his position, and yet, this moment felt like he'd done just that. Sure, he'd land on his feet again because he always did, but he didn't want to do that at the expense of Steve's health and well-being. He wouldn't.
"Y-yes, sir."
"I apologize, Mr. Smith. I shouldn't have spoken out of turn," Ducky rushed to say.
Mr. Smith shook his head. "No reason to apologize for speaking the truth, miss. However, I do owe you one as I overheard a conversation that you'd been making in confidence with Mr. Jensen. Mr. Pearson does have some lovely suites within the building if you have need of one. They're generally for higher-level associates, but you've been proving your worth as one of our top programmers these past several months. I can speak on Mr. Pearson's and my behalf in extending one of these suites to you whenever the need might arise."
"Oh, Mr. Smith, I couldn't possibly," Ducky said, her scent deepening with her embarrassment than it had before. "That's too much. I promise I'm perfectly fine with the situation I've managed so far."
Mr. Smith nodded. "Well, if you should change your mind, come and see my secretary or myself for a key. No questions asked."
"Thank you, Mr. Smith."
"Well, I've kept you both long enough. I shall let you both get back to your days. Miss, do ask for some paid time off soon. We don't want you overworking yourself." Mr. Smith turned to leave after Ducky nodded, but he soon stopped and glanced back, meeting Jake's gaze. "Mr. Jensen, please keep your calendar notifications on. I wouldn't want you to miss any pertinent meetings that may be happening for your department soon."
"I will, sir," Jake quickly agreed.
Once they were certain he was gone, Jake slumped into the closest chair he could find, his head falling into his free hand. From the scent Ducky gave off, she wasn't in better shape, either.
"Oh, that could've gone so badly," she mumbled after a moment, her voice as shell-shocked sounding as Jake felt. "I'm so sorry, Jake. I shouldn't have spoken as freely as I did. Please know I'd never do anything to hurt you or your Beta."
"I know you wouldn't," he breathed after another moment of calming himself down. When he could take an easier breath, he finally glanced up to find Ducky's horrified features. "It's okay, Ducky. You didn't do anything wrong. If anyone should've been paying attention, it was me. It's on me whatever happens next."
A notification dinged on his phone.
Glancing down, he read the caption from his calendar: Department Status Meeting.
His fate, it would seem, would be determined sooner than he thought.
In less than two days, he'd know whatever the future would hold for him and this department.
Even if he was forced to seek out a new job, he still had a Beta who loved him, friends and family he could count on, and the possibility of a date with a pretty Omega. He would focus on those and figure out the rest after the meeting.
*****
"I can't believe you set that up, Ran," you huffed at your best friend, "and got CK to help you out. What if it had backfired, huh? What if they'd been turned off because of your antics?"
Ransom, the proud jerk, merely shrugged. "Clark wanted to help. Besides, it didn't. They weren't. But if they had been, you would've known right then they weren't worth your time."
That had you planting your feet on the sidewalk, refusing to budge. You brought your arms up to cross over your chest and waited.
Ransom tried staring you down, but you glowered right back. He was in the wrong, and you weren't about to let him get away with it.
After several long seconds, he finally broke. "All right, I'm sorry, okay? I just want you to be happy, Angel. You're my best friend, and I don't want you wasting your time on losers. Now, can we please go and get something to eat? I really am starving here."
As if to prove his words, his stomach gave a loud grumble of protest. His hand had even come up to rest over his abdomen as if that had pained him.
Worry overrode your anger in an instant as you softly demanded, "When's the last time you ate? I mean, really ate?"
It was Ransom's turn to grow stubborn. His lips clamped shut even as his gaze turned into a warning glare.
The same warning you had little issue ignoring as you pushed, "Tell me. Please."
"It's been a couple of days," he mumbled, the words coming out as though they were painful to say, "but I'm fine. Just need to budget a bit more until I get my first paycheck at my new job. That's all."
His words made little sense to you, but you knew better than to push for more than he'd already given you.
"Okay, let's eat. Then, I'm taking you shopping for groceries. We're going to meal prep as many meals as you need until you're paid again. Got it?"
"Angel, I can't ask—"
"You're not asking," you said with such conviction that he snapped his mouth shut. When his gaze moved to avoid yours even as his cheeks heated with embarrassed shame, you closed the distance you'd placed before and rested your hand on one of his clenched fists. "Hey, there is no shame in needing help, Ran. Not with me. We may not be blood, but we are family. Family sticks together and helps each other when they can. Okay?"
His eyes still avoided you, but he nodded, his throat working. His scent had shifted from discomfort at admitting his faults to you into something a bit more hopeful. Though, that hopeful scent dimmed when he mumbled, "I'll pay you back, I swear."
You would never take his hard-earned money, but you knew he wouldn't let this go, which is why you offered, "I do have some heavier deliveries this week. I could use those strong arms of yours to help me out."
That got a small smirk out of him and a nod.
"But for now, let's get some food."
Happy to hear those words and be done with such a personal conversation, Ransom practically dragged you down the street. No doubts in your mind that he wanted to divert you and your kindness before you could confound him. It never failed to bring out his terrible upbringing as a Thrombey-Drysdale where one took and stepped on others like yourself rather than admit any sort of fault or flaw.
Not that it stopped his family from pointing out each and every one that Ransom had whenever he was near them. You'd witnessed a few of these scenes yourself and had been sickened at the sheer disdain they hold for the oldest of the Thrombey grandchildren.
You knew Ransom had his flaws and faults, but so did the rest of them, not that you'd know it with the way they acted. They sure thought of themselves as being better and perfect compared to the general public. It was no wonder why Ransom had rebuked your first offerings of friendship as children, but seeing his family, it'd also been why you kept trying until it finally stuck.
Because in your mind, you couldn't imagine a better best friend than Ransom, and you made sure he knew it, too. If he wasn't, then your family wouldn't have opened their arms to him. Instead, they'd seen the same things you had and welcomed him so freely, even when he screwed up. You weren't exactly innocent of screwing up, either. Together, you both learned what it meant to have an unbreakable bond that transcended even a blood one.
Only when your foot stumbled along a crack in the sidewalk did your thoughts turn back to your surroundings.
Ransom had already stopped you and kept you from falling, his hands having coming to rest on your hips and staying firm.
"Thanks," you said softly, happy to have a moment to catch your breath. You hadn't realized how quickly you'd been moving until that crack forced you and Ransom to slow down.
Ransom also took a deep breath before saying, "I'd never let you fall."
Before you could reply, a commotion from the nearby station caught both yours and Ransom's attention.
A group of young alphas had gathered around a lone traveler, clearly having just gotten back in town with his travel cases. In his hand, he held what looked like a trumpet case. His shoulders slumped with his exhaustion even from the distance you two stood from him. The alphas had seen his state and had decided to pounce, baiting and growing increasingly more aggressive in their advances. The way the man didn't immediately make them stand down with an alpha command proved your worst fear. The man was a Beta. He had no real way to defend himself against this group.
Ransom's scent turned dangerous as he watched the scene, spiking enough to have your nose curling. What sounded like a snarl came out of him. "Little sons of bitches need to eat shit."
"Come on, Ran," you urged, already tugging at his hand with little effort as he easily followed, "we gotta help him."
"Clark still at the bakery?" Ransom asked, his gaze still locked on the group and the Beta.
You nodded. "I'll text him."
It took you only a few seconds to shoot off the text and another for CK to answer. You grinned at his response as you murmured, "Let the chase begin."
"Get 'em, Angel. I've got the Beta."
You spared Ransom a final glance before pushing away from him. As you neared the group, you could make out the grunts of the Beta as they took a few healthy kicks at him. The Beta didn't have much longer if something wasn't done. Getting closer still, you spied the bond mark on his neck. He was claimed, and they dared to treat him like this. Didn't these young alphas know the penalties for this assault? Did they truly care as you heard some of their cruder comments tossed his way? And where was his mate? Why weren't they here to help him?
The platform was clear except for the Beta and the group of alphas.
As much as the thought disgusted you, you knew well enough the power of a possibly interested Omega to a group of young and foolish alphas like these. All you had to do was let them get a good whiff, and the chase could begin.
Finding the best vantage point was key to this. You needed a place where your scent would call to them, but one that would also allow you to make a clean break towards the bakery. CK would be your reinforcements as would Ma K if she'd made it back to the bakery. These young alphas didn't stand a chance against her and the punishment she'd have waiting for them after you explained what happened.
Sure enough, the alphas soon took notice of your scent, sniffing the air and changing course towards your location. The Beta remained curled into the tightest ball he could get, his cases broken and his belongings spread around him. As much as you wanted to forget your plan and comfort the Beta, the alphas still posed a greater threat to the Beta and yourself if they caught you.
"Alright, feet, don't let me down now," you murmured. To the alphas, you shouted, "If you think you're alpha enough, come and claim me, big boys."
You didn't wait after that to take off, sensing them behind you. A combination of their aroused scents created a reeking cloud within the alley you'd taken, a shortcut back to the bakery. You could only hope that it didn't cause any lingering effects on any omegas who might be in the area. Heats have been known to ignite instantly with such a strong level of alpha scent in the air, especially for unclaimed omegas. You could only hope it didn't have the same effect on you, much preferring the calmer tones you'd briefly scented from Jake earlier.
Thoughts of him and his sweet Beta, Steve, helped to ensure your feet flew faster. No way were you going to let these young alphas taint the promise of what you could have with a mature and caring Alpha like Jake.
The back door of the bakery was in view when the first of the young alphas managed to scrape his fingers along your shoulder.
But that was all he and the others would manage to accomplish.
CK stood off to the side as did Ma K, who had indeed made it back to the bakery. His hand shot out and swung you behind him and back on the street as he and Ma K closed ranks, trapping the young alphas in the alley.
"What do have here?" Ma K asked, censure full in her voice as she eyed them.
You gave her and CK a quick rundown between panted breaths.
"Angel, go back to Ransom. We'll get these younguns sorted. Don't you worry now," Ma K assured you, shooing you back to where you'd left Ransom and the other Beta.
Ransom met you halfway, his stomach growling louder than ever. "You okay?"
"Yeah, and the Beta?"
"He'll be fine, I think. His ride pulled up right after you took off with the alphas on your tail. They handled?"
You grinned. "Ma K has them, so yeah, they're handled. Food this time?"
"Hell yeah! Let's get there before you fall over."
A huff of laughter escaped you. "I'm a little out of practice."
"Track star out of breath?"
"Not enough that I couldn't whip your butt if I wanted to."
That earned you a grin as Ransom wrapped an arm around your shoulders and tugged you toward the restaurant you'd promised him. "I have no doubts about that, Angel. No doubts at all."
Grinning back, you couldn't help asking, "So what was the Beta's name? You ask?"
"Yeah," Ransom murmured, his cheeks growing a deep shade of red, "it's Nick."
"Nick's really cute."
"Shut up." Ransom's blossomed with more color as did the tips of his ears. "Doubt we'll be seeing him again."
"We don't know what the future holds, Ran. There was a reason we found him like that. We just don't know it yet."
*****
Steve didn't wake this time to the tickling sensation of Jake's goatee against his skin. He woke to the sound of hushed voices. Keeping still where he'd nodded off in Buckyy's office, he listened as best he could to the conversation taking place.
"Mr. Barnes, this is an opportunity I think you should consider," the stranger whispered, his accent soft yet distinguished enough. It belonged to a man who'd worked his way into higher social circles, but it spoke of a fighter as he'd clearly been arguing with Bucky about this opportunity.
"I'm fine here," Bucky retorted though his words held little conviction behind them.
Steve was well aware of the troubles that plagued Bucky after he'd been medically discharged from the military. Jobs had snubbed their noses at an alpha with an extensive injury like Bucky's. The prosthetic he used barely functioned in any way, but Bucky had persevered and learned to adapt with what he had. He wasn't a quitter, and an injury wouldn't keep him down.
"Do you truly believe that, or are you afraid of wanting more for yourself?" The man's voice softened as if in understanding of Bucky's plight. Maybe he did, but Steve didn't dare peek and find out. "I have it on good authority that the owners here are looking to lay off a great number of their employees. I've seen the list myself. You're on it, Mr. Barnes."
Bucky didn't say anything long enough that the stranger finally pushed on.
"Look, Mr. Barnes, I came here because I'm a decent talent tracker. You have a knack for security protocols and tactics that is quite unmatched in your industry. No doubt from your time with this country's military, and that is a talent that those who hired me are quite interested in. They're offering an incredible benefits and compensation package for the right candidate. I believe that candidate is you."
"And what would be your commission, Mr. Conrad, for your recruitment efforts?"
A low chuckle escaped this Mr. Conrad, almost too low for Steve to catch.
"You're perceptive, I'll give you that, Mr. Barnes. You're wrong in this case however. The company for which I'm approaching you is also my employer. They needed someone who had a knack for tracking on their payroll, and I fit their bill. Sure, I would prefer to track in the heart of jungles and such for lost souls, but a city like this one is just another type of jungle. My objective remains the same."
"And I'm a lost soul in this case?"
"Aren't we all at some point in our lives, Mr. Barnes?"
Steve heard some shifting as one of them stood, presumably Mr. Conrad.
"The offer is good for another twenty-four hours, Mr. Barnes. I hope for your sake that you'll seriously consider this offer and take it. Mr. Pearson is an employer who cares about his employees and will take care of you and your future dependents. For that, I can and will guarantee."
Footsteps took the man towards the door of Bucky's office.
"My number is at the top of your offer letter there in case you change your mind. I really hope that you do."
The door squeaked open and closed with a click, leaving the room in deafening silence that made Steve's skin itch.
"I don't have to worry about future dependents. No one wants a defective Alpha," Bucky grumbled, seemingly lost in thought.
"You can't know that, Buck," Steve said.
Bucky jumped a bit in his seat but he recovered quick enough. The grin he shot Steve was one of accepted resignation. "But I do, punk. I've been told by enough omegas at this point. Even ones I had no interest in have come up and told me as much. One even threw a drink in my face to make their point all the clearer."
"'What do you care about some bad apples?' Isn't that what you always say to Jake and me when we've had our own troubles with finding an omega? Why is it so different for you?"
Steve matched Bucky's steely gaze with a glare of his own.
Ever since his best friend had come back to civilian life, Steve had noticed the changes in him. Some were good, but a fair number of them weren't. He just didn't know what would help Bucky out of this current funk he was in or if there was a way he could help. Steve really wanted to do something. He didn't like not having a plan of attack, and this has proven quite a quagmire to wade through.
"From what you told me earlier, punk, it sounds like you and Jake may have found your Omega. Angel, was it? I'm happy for you, Stevie. I really am."
Steve wasn't sure what to say to that. He knew it to be Bucky's attempt at changing the subject. It was something that Bucky had really begun to do more of when he no longer wanted to discuss the topic at hand.
Deciding it was best not to push, Steve switched tactics and asked, "So, what's the job that Conrad guy was offering?"
Bucky's gaze went back to the paper still sitting under his hand on his desk. His eyes shifted back and forth as he read whatever the offer stated as if needing to confirm it was real.
"Buck?"
"It's actually the same company where Jake works. They're looking for a new Head of Security. Seems like the CEO is about to shake up a lot of things over there. Something about letting some things slide while he'd been contemplating selling and making things right again."
"What does that mean?"
Bucky shook his head. "Beats me. Conrad didn't go into a lot of details outside the scope of the job he was offering."
"Yeah, and what's that?" Steve asked, even as his thoughts swirled around Jake and the possibility of his Alpha losing a job he loved. Steve didn't want to think how much that would devastate Jake, especially after all Jake had done for the company.
"Seemed like they're worried about their current safety protocols in terms of letting go of problematic employees. Conrad apparently liked the strategies I've put in place here to handle similar issues."
"The same place that's going to let you go if what Conrad said was true?"
Bucky nodded. "Kinda surprised they kept me this long honestly."
"I'm not," Steve said stubbornly. "Conrad wasn't wrong about your skills, jerk, and you know it. Deep down inside, I know you do. You deserve a job that makes you happy, and you definitely deserve a family of your own."
When Bucky didn't say anything, Steve pushed ahead, adding, "You should take the job, Buck. I've met Mr. Pearson once. He does care about his employees and their families. All the big heads of the company do. Jake's old boss would send care baskets whenever she heard I wasn't well. Even at the company holiday party, she was the one who always had personalized favors for all the employees and their families. If you take their Head of Security job, you'd be able to be that change you've wanted to make here but couldn't afford to."
"Never seen you push a company this hard before, punk. Usually you're pretty anti-corporation. You starting to drink their flavored water or something?" There was a teasing lilt to Bucky's words that hadn't been there before.
Steve huffed at him. "No, I'm not. I just know what they've done for Jake and me personally. I'm a huge expense for Jake medically. It's not a secret with all that's wrong with me, but their medical benefits have seen that it's all practically covered without issue. They've also been more than generous with paid time-off for Jake when I need him with me. That's nothing to sneeze at, is it? Come on, Buck, at least tell me you'll consider it."
"Will you quit if I agree to consider it?"
A shit-eating grin spread over his lips as he countered, "I mean, I can do this all day. Wouldn't it just be better to give in and take the offer?"
Bucky shook his head, but a real smile peeked through even as he tried to hide it.
"Whatever you say, Stevie. Tell me more about this Omega, Angel. What's she like?"
Steve didn't need further encouragement to talk about you and how sweet you'd been to him and Jake.
In fact, he proved he could practically wax poetic where you were concerned, still on the topic of you when Jake showed up to collect him.
"Happy to see you feeling better, Beta," Jake said, leaning down to press a kiss to Steve's forehead before taking the space next to him. "Wanna thank Buck for watching you, so we can get out of his hair?"
"Yeah, but tell him to take the job offer he got. He's being stubborn and won't listen to me. Mr. Pearson is an excellent CEO and Bucky should work for him, right?"
Jake froze long enough for Steve to witness it before he seemed to gather himself enough to nod. His gaze turned towards Bucky as he said, "Yeah, Mr. Pearson's a good employer. He treats his employees very well. You couldn't find a better job than one in his company."
Steve didn't miss the stilted way Jake spoke, either, but he kept that to himself. At least for the moment. If there was going to be bad news for them, then he knew Jake would rather say it in the privacy of their home, not in front of others, even Bucky.
"Fine, you win, punk. I'll call Conrad after you two clear out of here. Happy now?"
Steve nodded. "Yeah, I am. Proud of you, Buck."
With Bucky's promise, Steve helped Jake gather up his few items and stored the portable treatment machine Bucky kept on-hand for him, setting it back on its dedicated shelf. It didn't take long to have everything righted and be standing at the door with his stuff collected.
"Thanks, Buck."
"Anytime, punk."
Jake shared a nod with Bucky before he led Steve out of the room and the building, their hands intertwined.
They were almost back to their place when Steve dared to ask, "Is your job in jeopardy? Bucky mentioned some things that Conrad said while I was sleeping. Said they're shaking things up over there."
"I don't know yet. I have a meeting with HR and Mr. Smith Monday morning." Jake's gaze turned to meet Steve's, conviction gleaming behind his glasses. "No matter what happens, we're going to be fine. I promise you that, Beta. For now, let's focus on things we can control like finishing up our date day. I still have dinner planned for us, and we have a date to make with Angel."
As much as Steve wanted to argue, he also knew his Alpha wouldn't budge on this, so he pivoted and nodded. "Yeah, okay, but can we take our dinner home? Kinda just wanna veg out at home after the eventful day we've already had."
"It has been pretty eventful, hasn't it?"
"Definitely crazier than normal. I hope it doesn't keep going like this."
"Me, too, Beta. Me, too."
*****
Your phone vibrated on your end table, but you didn't hear it.
After everything you'd been through that day, you'd barely made it to your sofa before sleep claimed you.
While your dreams were consumed with a certain Alpha and Beta, they, too, dreamed of you, but a small bit of niggling doubt had crept into their minds and possibly found itself a foothold.
