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“Spot, what is it buddy?” Bucky asked. Spot whined and stuck his cold nose against Bucky's wrist. Bucky glanced around. Kids screamed in delight and chased each other through the grass, joggers passed by them and an older woman sat on a park bench feeding pigeons. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Spot bounced around Bucky and looked up at him with soulful brown eyes. Bucky sighed. Spot was technically off duty right now so it wouldn't hurt to let him do his thing.
“Alright pal, go on. I'll follow you,” Bucky said as he loosened his grip on Spot's leash. Spot bounded over Gapstow bridge. Bucky followed at a light jog. He had planned on going for a run anyway so it was no trouble. He was having a pretty good day. The scents of so many alphas, betas, and, omegas packed together weren't overwhelming like usual. He could still hear the regular traffic, but something about being in Central Park damped the noise and made everything a little softer.
Spot whined again and led Bucky towards a small wooden gazebo. Bucky peaked around and didn't see anyone.
“What's wrong?” Bucky asked. Spot twisted around Bucky's legs and stuck his nose against Bucky's stomach. Bucky took a deep breath. He didn't notice anything at first, then the faint scent of panicked omega hit him. “Oh no. Spot...”
Spot danced around him and gently pulled Bucky towards one end of the gazebo. A young man with a mess of black hair sat leaning against one of the wooden supporting polls. Even from a slight distance Bucky could hear the panicked rasp of the other man's breathing. Bucky cleared his throat.
“Hey, uhhh... Do you mind dogs? Spot really wants to meet you,” Bucky said, patting his dog on the head. The other man looked up and Bucky lost his breath. Watery, dark-brown eyes, framed by ridiculously long lashed blinked up at him. The other man licked his lips and Bucky knew he was done for.
“I- I- No, I don't mind dogs. Let him at me,” the man rasped. Bucky dropped Spot's leash and his dog bounced away. Spot headbutted the other man's back, twisted around him a few times then flopped into his lap. The other man laughed. It sent shivers down Bucky's spine.
“Well, I'm Bucky and the big lug who thinks he's a lapdog is Spot. Don't let him fool you. He looks like a sweet, dumbo, but he's one of the smartest damn dogs I ever met,” Bucky said. He sat himself down a few feet away. He hadn't worn his prosthetic today. It chafed whenever he went for a run and he wasn't planning on running into any cute omega. Just his luck.
“Tony,” the other man, Tony, offered. He buried his face in Spot's neck and Bucky noticed his shoulders shaking. The scent of upset omega flooded towards Bucky. He wanted desperately to fix this, but he didn't even know Tony's full name. How was he supposed to be any help?
“Spot's my service dog. He's pretty good at picking up on when someone is having a crappy day. Want to talk about it or do you want me to just ramble at you for a while?” Bucky asked.
“It's stupid. I don't- It's whatever. I'm just being a baby about it,” Tony muttered into Spot's fur. Spot made a cute grumbly sound and butted his head against Tony's chest. Tony wheezed and pushed Spot back.
“Spot, gentle,” Bucky scolded. Even after the light pressure Tony's breathing sounded a bit strained. “He's usually pretty good at recognizing pressure sensitive areas.”
“He's fine. It's mostly... It's not really a physically thing more of a-” Tony waved a hand around “- thing.”
Bucky nodded slowly. “A recovering from surgery thing or a PTSD thing? I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. Just because my dog's sticking his nose in your business doesn't give me any right to do the same.”
“I mean,” Tony shrugged and went back to lazily running his hands through Spot's fur. “It would probably be good for me to talk about it, at least that's what my therapist said and she's pretty great. But, I hardly know you and I'm sure you have better things to do that deal with my whining.”
“If you're uncomfortable telling me 'cause I'm a complete stranger I get that. If you don't want to tell me because you don't want to be a bother then that's a little silly. I've got no plans. All I need to do today is buy milk and psyche myself up for my prosthetic fitting tomorrow,” Bucky said.
He wanted to inch closer to Tony, but he didn't want to pressure him. Usually when an alpha got closer to an omega it was because they were looking for something. Not that Bucky would mind all that much if something did happen. Tony was pretty much exactly Bucky's type appearance wise. Still, Tony seemed to be having a shitty day without a random stranger hitting on him after catching him crying.
“I don't know. It's just...” Tony's chin wobbled and to Bucky's horror Tony started crying again. “It's just been a shitty day, topping of a shitty week, topping off a shitty fucking year.”
“Hey Tony, it's... you've made it this far right. You're here right now. You're breathing and alive and that's gotta count for something,” Bucky murmured, wishing he could do more. “Do you... Can I hug you? Would that help?”
Tony's shoulder shook. Bucky waited until Tony slid towards him and pressed his face into Bucky's chest then Bucky curled his arm around Tony's waist. Spot flopped over both Tony and Bucky's laps. They sat there, Bucky silent, Spot making gentle contended noises and Tony easing from sobs to sniffles.
Bucky's side, from his thigh to his shoulder, felt overly warm. Bucky couldn't bring himself to care. It had been so long since Bucky felt able to take care of someone. He used to take care of Steve all the time, then Steve grew up and Bucky lost his arm. Steve was still Bucky's best friend, nothing would ever change that, but their friendship had changed after Bucky returned home. Bucky hadn't even realized how deeply he missed being able to take care of someone until Spot had dragged him over to meet Tony.
Tony sighed and pulled back slightly. Bucky's first instinct was to tug him back. Tony didn't look ready for the hug to end, just self-conscious and embarrassed. Still, Bucky didn't really know him and he didn't want to push.
“Sorry. I'm such a mess. You didn't deserve all that,” Tony said, scrubbing his hands over his cheeks to rub away any trace of tears.
“I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it,” Bucky said. He ran his hand across Tony's shoulders. After a few moments Tony folded himself back into Bucky's side. “Needing people. Getting comfort from people doesn't make you weak. Sometimes it feels shitty and awful and weird when your not used to it. Sometimes it makes you feel needy and weak, but it doesn't make you a bad person and it doesn't mean you are needy or weak.”
“I feel like there's a story behind that,” Tony said. Bucky's gut clenched. The idea of talking about how hopeless he felt while he was first recovering from his amputation made him feel a little shaky. “I mean, you don't have to tell me or anything I just thought-”
“Do you know how hard it is to do something as simple as grocery shopping with only one arm?” Bucky asked. He didn't wait for Tony to answer. “I live with my best friend Steve. He took care of all the shopping because I was a mess. I thought if I could just do this one simple thing I could prove that I wasn't so... dependent. So I went out to the store and just- Well, I ended up coming home with a gallon of milk and spending the next four hours panicking in the bathroom.
“I mean, part of the reason failing that wrecked me was because I used to take care of Steve all the time when we were younger. It really wasn't easy to let that go,” Bucky said. “But, do you think I'm less worthy of a person because I had to rely on a friend to do all the grocery shopping and cooking because I didn't know how to with only one arm?”
“No, of course not! That would be ridiculous,” Tony protested so vehemently that he shifted Spot, who grumbled and butted him lightly in the shoulder.
Bucky grinned down at Tony, suppressing the urge to drop a kiss on his nose. “I thought it did. But, I was so caught up in my own life that I didn't have a whole lot of perspective. Anyway, you really don't have to apologize. I'm absolutely serious when I say it doesn't bother me. I know people need help sometimes and it doesn't make them – it doesn't make you – anything less.”
Bucky watched in delight as a light blush crawled across Tony's face. Tony ducked his head against Bucky's shoulder and muttered something. Bucky picked a few scattered words: 'stupidly pretty,' 'sweet,' 'perfect,' and 'goddamn'. Bucky's grin widened and he felt about ten feet tall. There was nothing like having a beautiful man in your arms muttering about how nice you were to build up confidence.
Suddenly a wave of omega scent, sweet and crisp, hit him like a tank. It was completely overpowering. Bucky couldn't smell through it. The scent of grass and mud and people dropped away like bricks falling from the sky. Then all at once the scent was gone. Completely gone. Bucky shook his head, dazed and not exactly sure what just happened.
He could feel Tony heart rate kick into overdrive and Tony tried to tug himself away. Bucky let him go, but grabbed onto his hand.
“Fuck, fuck. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I don't know how- I just- I'm so sorry,” Tony babbled, scrambling as far back from Bucky as their joint hands would allow. Spot jumped up and curled around Tony's back, pressing his nose against Tony's neck. Bucky recognized the gesture as the one Spot used when he was helping Bucky avoid a panic attack.
“Tony, Tony, breathe. Lean back against Spot. Focus on his breathing. Can you feel that?” Bucky asked, rubbing his thumb over Tony's knuckles. Tony nodded. He still looked a little wild eyed, but a little less panicked. “Focus on Spot and focus on the sound of my voice. You're sitting on solid ground. I've got your hand. Now I want you to count five things you can feel.”
Tony opened his mouth then closed it and shook his head. Bucky squeezed his hand. “That's okay, you don't have to tell me. Just count five things you can feel. Five things. Got it?” Tony squeezed Bucky's hand.
“Okay, good, great job. Now four things you can hear. Four things you can hear. You good?” Bucky asked, keeping his voice slow and calm. Tony nodded. “Great. You're doing great. Now three things you can see. Then two things you can smell. How are you doing?”
“Better,” Tony croaked. His bright eyes stood out against his pale, sweaty skin making him look like he had a fever. Bucky could see his breathing was steadier now.
“Alright, last thing. One thing you can taste,” Bucky said.
Now that Tony wasn't about to have a panic attack Bucky tried to figure out what had triggered it in the first place. Tony had been doing fine until the overpowering scent. Something about that. Maybe Tony was easily overwhelmed by sudden smells. But, he started to apologize for something. What if Tony had been the one behind the sudden scent. Bucky gave him a slow once over.
Tony was dressed a little more like an alpha than an omega. He wasn't wearing any jewelry or bright colors. His hair was pretty short for an omega. Usually omegas had impeccable control over their scents at a fairly young age, but maybe... if Tony wasn't used to being an omega... Bucky let the thought drop. It wasn't Bucky's business and if Tony wanted him to know he would tell him.
“Thanks,” Tony murmured, looking away from Bucky with a bright red flush of shame stamped on his cheeks. “I should probably go.”
“Tony, if you really want to go I'm not going to stop you. But, if you want to talk about what just set you into a panic I can listen. I'm not going to judge you,” Bucky said. Spot booffed and licked Tony's face.
“I should go,” Tony repeated.
“You should go or you want to go?” Bucky asked. Tony shook his head and frowned. A slight wrinkle formed between his eye-brows.
“Doesn't matter. I should go,” Tony said again, this time he was a little quieter, more like he was trying to convince himself then convince Bucky.
Bucky sighed and squeezed his hand before letting it go. “Okay. I would feel a little better about leaving if I knew you had someone else around to help you out. Do you have any friends you can call?”
Tony pulled his hand back slowly, looking a little shaken. “You're not going to push? But you're an alpha and that's what alpha's do,” Tony said. His completely baffled expression made Bucky's heart ache. Bucky shook his head.
“I'm not that kind of alpha. I don't want to be,” Bucky said. “We just met each other. If you don't want to talk you don't have to. You don't owe me anything. You know I'm willing to listen if you want me too, but that doesn't mean you have to talk.”
“But, you told me about, you know, you're hard time with the grocery shopping so I guess I do kinda owe you,” Tony said. He looked small.
“You don't owe me. I told you that story because I thought it might help you to know that I know the feeling. You're not alone,” Bucky explained.
Bucky noticed Tony's baffled expression turn thoughtful. Tony ran his hands through Spot's fur, gazing off into the distance and chewing on his lower lip. The action sent a spiral of heat curling down Bucky's chest and settling in his gut. He tried to push it away. Attractive as Tony was now was not the time. Tony started twisting Spot's fur into tiny braids.
“I've had a really complicated, dramatic and kinda traumatizing past year. Today I was just fed up. I- I stood up for myself against someone who's opinion means a lot to me and... It didn't go well,” Tony said, sounding a little pained to admit it. “So, I just left. I left and I don't know if I'm going to go back, which is scary and relieving at the same time.”
Tony untwisted the braid he made and ran his hand along Spot's back. Bucky tried to make an encouraging, but not intrusive, sort of sound. Tony's half smile told him the attempt was worth it if not particularly effective. Tony swallowed.
“Anyway, I felt shitty so I decided that I needed to go somewhere new. Somewhere I could, hide away and just be myself for a little bit. Then comes along this dog and his cute owner who seems like a genuinely decent guy. He asks how I'm doing and wants to make sure that I have some help and just... It's the weirdest and nicest thing to happen to me all year,” Tony said, his ears slightly pink.
Bucky's entire person seems filled with helium. He could probably float all the way back to his and Steve's apartment. Tony must notice Bucky's delighted expression because he flushes and turns back towards Spot.
“And I kinda want to, you know, tell him everything about the shitshow that been my life, but I don't want to overwhelm him with my messy life and send him running for his life. But, I also don't want to change the subject because... Well, if he happened to be interested then he might be dragged into my life without knowing what he's getting into,” Tony babbled on, getting a more and more worked up as he went on.
Words clawed at Bucky's throat. He wanted to tell Tony that it was okay. He could definitely ask the cute dog owner out to coffee. The cute dog owner has a lot of baggage to and they don't need to go into everything right at this very minute. Bucky held himself back. Spot looked perfectly calm which meant Tony was getting worked up, but not panicked.
“So I decide that maybe I'll try flirting a little, just scent only, conveniently forgetting that I don't... Part of my messy life is that I can't really control is. My scent is kinda all or nothing,” Tony explained.
Tony's brow furrowed and his shoulders twisted in. Spot wagged his tail and pawed at Tony. Tony grinned down at him and patted his head. He looked up at Bucky, bright eyes filled with tentative hope. All of Bucky's breath left his body.
“Anyways, so that's been my day. What do you think?” Tony asked.
“I think you should ask the cute dog owner out to coffee,” Bucky said. His words hit the air before Bucky's had the chance to think them through first. “I'm pretty sure he'd say yes. Besides, everyone has baggage and it's not exactly first date material.”
Tony turned a pleasing shade of pink and smiles back. “So, mister dog owner. You, me, this handsome fellow in my lap and a coffee date, what do you think?”
“Yes,” Bucky answered without a second of hesitation.