Alpha and Omega

Chapter 3

Bucky couldn't place what it was about this young woman, but there was something about her presence that was comforting, soothing. He thought it might be their common past that made her so relatable to him. Maybe.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her gently.

She looked so confused by the question. The poor thing wasn't used to any kindness. He saw her struggle to think of herself. Saw her try to come up with an answer. He waited patiently for her to come up with an answer for him and didn't press her. He knew better. "Is there anything to eat?" she finally asked in a small, timid voice. It wasn't what Bucky had actually asked, but he would accept the answer.

He laughed loudly, throwing back his head in mirth. "A whole cafeteria on the 2nd floor, all you can eat. You up for a walk?" he asked her warmly.

She grinned at his bark of laughter and nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely, if it involves food. And a room other than a... medical room," she wrinkled her nose at her surroundings. Doctors and exams were not pleasant memories. Bucky could understand that. Poor thing had been through a lot.

"I think I can arrange something. Its just a bedroom with its own bathroom, but I'm hoping it's better that here." He waved at the hospital setting. Of course she'd have her own room in the tower and no one here shared bathrooms.

She nodded her agreement. Anything would be better than what she'd had before now. "That sounds better than here," she can't help cringing at being in the bed in a hospital setting. It brought back too many memories. "And way better than that cell at Hydra," she added with a shudder.

She swung her legs out of the bed so she could get out of the bed and this room. Bucky offered her his flesh hand and helped her down from the hospital bed. It was taller than usual beds and he didn't want her stumbling when it surprised her.

Her small stature and young appearance made it easy to want to protect her from harm.

She accepted his help, taking his big strong warm hand in her small chilly one and gave him a warm grateful smile. By all rights, she should be afraid of him, but he just seemed so safe. So protective and like the wolves of her childhood. She couldn't help trusting him.

When she was standing, he could see just how thin and uncared for the poor thing was.

All he wanted to do was protect her.

"You're welcome to tour the building. This is the Avengers tower. We're in New York state," he explained as he led her from the room. She nodded at his explanation and blushed when she realized she was still holding his hand. She dropped it quickly, shyly, when she realized. Bucky hadn't minded at all, but he couldn't tell her that. He could only give her a reassuring smile.

They made it to the cafeteria quickly. It wasn't far from the medical rooms. Bucky led her over to buffet they'd set up for lunch. He picked up a tray for them and carried it for them, just letting her pick what she wanted from the offerings. "Whatever you want from what's here. Grab it and I'll set it on a table for you." He told her with a sweet smile. His mama had raised him to be polite. And he wanted to take care of her.

And he had old memories around this. It was a courtesy of courtship.

No, he couldn't let his mind go down that path.

Gwen started to protest that she was perfectly capable of carrying her own food, but she recognized the protective caring glint in Bucky's eyes. He was going to help her whether she needed it or not. It was better to let him do it and feel good about himself. Alphas were all the same, even if Bucky wasn't a werewolf and not a true alpha. She looked at the selections and chose a couple things that looked appealing. It was more food than Hydra would have given her, but not enough for her higher than human metabolism.

Bucky watched her fill a plate while he filled two for himself. He set their plates at one of the tables and pulled out her chair for her. She took her seat and he went to get them drinks. He got them both glasses of rootbeer and offered one to her. "I just guessed on what you'd like. It's rootbeer. It's one of my favorites." He told her with a smile, trying to sound reassuring.

"Thank you," she said softly and gave him a warm smile as she took the drink from him. She took a sip and giggled when the bubbles tickled her nose. "It's good," she told him brightly.

God, she could light up a room.

She took another sip, her tail swishing happily in pleasure before she tucked into her meal.

Bucky watched her and he was observant. He doubted that was enough food. Not for a supernatural creature. Not for someone tortured by Hydra. "One plate? No desserts either?" He had two packed plates himself.

She shrugged shyly. "It's more than Hydra gave us..." she said evasively. She didn't want to get into trouble for taking too much. She also didn't want to take too much.

He pointed at his plates. "See anything you might like, take it. I can get more," he told her firmly. "You're still under medical watch. You could have a concussion. Sorry, Loki didn't mean to hit you so hard." He frowned, unhappy that his friend had hurt this exotic creature.

She nodded, unconcerned by his frown, it wasn't directed at her. "It wasn't his fault. I wasn't exactly being cooperative. Though in my defense he could have been more clear that he was rescuing me," she added grumpily. She wouldn't have fought so hard if she knew he'd been trying to help her. She finished off her own plate quickly and tentatively stole a brownie off of his plate. She knew alpha males well, even if he wasn't a wolf, they all liked providing for those under their protection or who they cared for. He wouldn't be happy until she'd taken his offering of food.

He didn't understand that offering the choicest bits of the meal was a courtship ritual among her people.

He raised an eyebrow. "Gwen, I know you're hungry. I can hear your stomach growling." His voice held a bit of warning to it. Especially when he said her name. He wasn't letting her get away with not taking care of herself, especially just for propriety's sake.

She squeaked at the scolding and took more while grumbling under her breath "Overprotective alphas..."

He smirked at her mumbling under her breath. He got his face a little closer to hers. "Another cool fact about me, I have super hearing too." His eyes locked with hers as he said it.

She blushed and squirmed a little under his intense gaze. "Sorry..." she murmured.

He was impressed and glad that she hadn't cringed back from him when he was being scary. He knew he was being scary and testing her. He had to see how damaged she was from Hydra. And emotionally, she didn't seem that bad. He sat back, cutting into his steak. After a few bites, "I didn't mean to scare you. Sometimes my resting face... looks angry. I don't mean for it to, but when you're as ugly as me, it happens." He said with a laugh, teasing, making fun of himself to put her at ease.

She giggled. "You're hardly ugly," she told him, looking him over with a more appraising eye and he could tell from her glance that she appreciated what she saw of his form. That was new and he couldn't remember the last time a woman had found him attractive.

The metal arm scared off most of them.

It was his turn to blush with pink in his cheeks. "You don't want me. I'm tough, but old. I'm over 100 years old. You deserve to find someone closer to your own age," he told her quickly. He was damaged goods, no one would ever want him.

She shrugged, looking unconcerned by that news. "I'll live until someone goes out of their way to kill me. As to who I'm with? As long as we make each other happy, that's all I care about," she told him warmly and happily stole another brownie off of his plate, her tail swishing at the treat.

He noted her use of 'we'. Did she? Could she? Could she possibly mean him in that 'we'?

No, she couldn't.

They just met. They just rescued her. She just got out of Hydra. There was no way she was interested.

He still couldn't help blinking at her statement.

Was she flirting with him?