AN: Thanks for coming to another chapter! I hope you enjoy this XX

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The air quivered as it carried a beautiful melody across the elegantly decorated room. The plush red carpets on the floor beautifully contrasted against the golden detailing embedded in the walls and furniture silently displaying the wealth of the household.

The ball room was painted an orange hue, sourced from the giant chandeliers dangling from the arched ceiling. Mysterious strings of lights snaked around the pillars in the room adding to the beauty of display.

Steve leaned forward. The omega in his arms arched his back as Steve dipped him, taking the opportunity to tighten his grasp on the alpha. He smiled when Steve pulled him up. "You're quite good at this," his melodious voice held an accent Steve had never heard before. Golden cuffs glistened on his wrist when he pushed his dark hair past his caramel coloured shoulders.

Steve smiled, "I'm glad you find me up to your standards."

"Let's see just how good you are," the omega's hazel eyes twinkled with a playful challenge.

Steve's response was halted when the grand doors to the ball room opened. The music stopped for only a second before a different melody started playing. Two figures stepped in hand in hand, deeply submerged in conversation. If they were aware that the entire room was gawking at them, they feigned ignorance with ease.

The two omegas wore matching robes, Tony's in gold and Bucky's in silver. Tony finally lifted his gaze from Bucky's blue eyes to wave at the room at large. He tugged at Bucky's bejeweled hand to pull him to a group of people. Several alphas and brave betas flocked to where the two stood.

It was common knowledge that the omega of the Stark household could only be described as gorgeous. All the guests in the room had encountered him at least once in their lives. The omega by his side, however, was a novelty.

The omega in front of him cleared his throat. Steve's eyes snapped back to his face, had he been staring this entire time? How embarrassing. The omega only lifted an eyebrow before a playful smile tugged on his lips. He made a sound Steve didn't know how to interpret before walking away from him.

Steve watched him walk away for a few seconds before shaking his head. He made a bee line for where Bucky stood. The crowd had gotten even bigger. People from corners of the room congregated to talk to the host of the event. Unfortunately for Steve some had secondary intentions, particularly the alphas surrounding Bucky.

The young prince was currently smiling sweetly at a charming female alpha. The woman placed a drink into Bucky hands, letting her fingers linger on his skin longer than necessary. Irritation prickled at Steve's spine. He easily made his way to the two omegas, "Tony, James. Pleasure to see you two tonight."

Tony's eyes lingered on Steve's person, watching in amusement as the noble sent the poor female alpha a hard look. Tony was definitely getting his best friend laid. "Sir Stevens," Tony couldn't keep the smile off his face. "I'm glad you came."

"No Asgardian would ever miss a good party," Steve caught Bucky's eyes and moved so close to him that their bodies were touching. "How do you come late to your own ball?"

"Late? Perhaps, but fashionably so," Tony's eyes shone with mischief. "Evaline here was just telling me how stunning Bucky looks."

"Was she?" Steve couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the woman.

She returned the look with vigour, "Yes. We were just getting acquainted."

Steve decided to ignore Evaline before his irritation turned into anger. Bucky remained silent but was looking up at him. Steve knew him well enough to see the question burning in his blue eyes. He had to stop himself from smiling. "You look stunning; I'm in awe," the words felt more like a confession than they did a complement. But they couldn't have been any truer.

Bucky gave him a pretty smile which stirred up a storm of butterflies in his stomach. Gosh. He wanted to hug Bucky, to kiss him, to run his fingers over every inch of him. He wanted to stare into those blue eyes for as long as he lived. Instead, Steve took Bucky's hand and pressed his lips against the smooth skin.

"May I have this dance?" Steve felt strangely nervous, his heart rate spiked. The last time he had felt so nervous around an omega was when he was a teenager. No, even back then he didn't have it this bad.

He never thought this uncomfortable, yet pleasant symptom of infatuation would intensify in his adult years.

"Of course," Bucky smiled, curtsying lightly as was custom. He followed Steve past the crowd conscious of how their fingers interlocked.

They held on to one another, swaying along with the music. Neither of them said a word as they danced. Bucky was too busy reveling in the sensation of Steve pressed up against him to hold a logical conversation. Steve smelt so good. How did he smell so good?

"You look so beautiful, I can't keep a coherent thought in head while looking at you," Steve confessed.

"What? I don't usually look beautiful?" Bucky teased, looking up at Steve.

"Not usually, no." Steve's answer was immediate.

"Excuse me?" Bucky feigned offense.

Steve laughed before twirling him, "You always look beautiful. I must not have told you enough times."

"Then which me do you prefer?"

"The willful you who demanded to take a bath in the middle of nowhere," Steve words were a whisper meant only for Bucky's ears. Steve's poor heart wouldn't be able to take it if Bucky looked like that every time.

It was embarrassingly hard to keep his eyes on Bucky's face instead of letting them trail down his chest. The gown heightened Bucky's sex appeal with the way it accentuated his figure. This image would surely haunt his mind for days.

Bucky smiled and moved closer to Steve.

The reduction of space effortlessly made their dancing more intimate. It was easy to forget where they were. To forget that a hundred people surrounded them. Steve really wanted to kiss Bucky. To feel the omega's hands circle his neck or even tighten in his clothes. He wanted Bucky so bad it was almost painful.

But no matter how desperate he felt, he knew not to. Their relationship was not one they could be open about.

"I'm tired of dancing," Bucky complained.

"What do you want to do?" Steve questioned.

"Let's find Tony," Bucky's eyes danced around the ballroom looking for his friend. He quickly spotted the extravagant omega and made his way over to him.

Bucky's presence attracted a larger crowd. The few people who knew him came to converse with him. Bucky laughed happily as he talked with the large crowd of people. He rarely ever left the castle and the only balls he attended were official ones organized by monarchs.

He had never had the freedom to dress how he liked or to talk to whomever he wanted to. Here he could take the glasses of wine servants served on silver platters instead of juice. He could speak to people frankly, call people by name instead of title.

Steve watched from the side. He hopped that his constant presence by Bucky's side would discourage some, but most people completely ignored him. They continued to shower him with questions, to promise to show him extravagant sights, to try impress him with stories.

Steve knew that Bucky was so happy to talk to them because he's never had the freedom to enjoy himself. He knew this. But this didn't stop irritation from building within him. Bucky was his.

Steve had to stop that train of thought.

Bucky was his? Where had such possessive thoughts come from? Steve had felt his affection for Bucky grow over time. But he hadn't realized that he had reached the point where he wanted Bucky to be his. The realization was as terrifying as it was liberating.

If Bucky let him, he was ready to sink his teeth into the omega's nape and spend the rest of his life with him.

Were these feelings supposed to appear so fast? Wasn't it something that slowly built up over time? Was Steve mistaken about his feelings because he had never experienced it to this extent. He was pretty sure he was going to marry Peggy but that had fallen through. Was this the same as then?

But looking at Bucky laugh, watching him grab Tony's shoulder affectionately, there was no doubt in Steve's mind that he would do anything he possibly could to protect that happiness.

His mother had always told him when you meet the one, you fall in love in mere seconds. And that had been true. When Bucky had tried to get rid of him back at the meadow in the woods Steve was already captivated by him.

Everyone around him seemed to agree to everything he said and do things the way he wanted. It was refreshing to meet someone who for a change demanded something from him so boldly.

Steve stepped away from the crowd to find a drink.

Is this what love felt like? This sickly sweet yet suffocating feeling. Steve wondered how Thor had remained un-swayed by Bucky. But if his cousin was feeling this same sensation for another, he understood it. No one could ever replace Bucky, no matter how beautiful or powerful.

Steve downed his wine. What a strange time to have such a soul shattering epiphany. Steve felt lost and unsure of what to do with this new knowledge. How the hell had he not figured out that he was in love? He had literally been risking his reputation every night for the past two weeks by sneaking into Bucky's room.

The fact that he was willing to do that alone should have given it away.

Bucky lifted his blue gaze from the person he was speaking to. Their eyes met. Bucky smiled at him and he slowly smiled back.

"Stop staring at him like that," a hand clapped his back with far more force than was necessary. Steve glanced over his shoulder; Odessa's lips were curled into a smirk. "It's almost like you're in love with him or something."

"I just might be," Steve let out a deep breath.

Odessa raised her eyebrow. She hadn't expected such an honest response so quickly. "Then why don't you just marry him?" She asked, watching him down another glass.

"I can't just do that."

"Why, you're worried about that Thor fella?"

"No, Thor already has someone," Steve clarified. "I just don't know if I can make him happy."

"You do make him happy. Let me tell you that Bucky isn't usually as cheerful as you see him act. He's been that way since you came in the picture," Odessa's eyes were full of affection as she looked at Bucky. "You love him enough to shield him with your own body so I know I can rest easy."

"He will get into a lot of trouble if he just goes of with me. He will loose so much, I'm not confident that I'm worth all that pain." Steve downed yet another drink.

"If you take him to Asgard, what are they going to do? Both kingdoms would still have an alliance, you two are happy and Thor gets to stay with his lover," Odessa shrugged. "Reputation, glory or fame should never take precedence over happiness. I found out quite a lot about you. With your status the damage would not be irreparable."

Steve had to chuckle humorlessly. Of course Odessa saw right through him. "You make it sound so easy. I mean, would he even want to marry me?"

"That, my friend, is for you to work hard for," Odessa took the glass of wine from the server before Steve could get it. "Getting drunk won't solve your love troubles. It'll just make you do something stupid."

"You underestimate me," Steve smirked. "I'm known to outdrink even Thor. It'd take a lot more to get me drunk."

"You drink more than Thor?" Odessa laughed heartily. "Come! You must challenge my knights!"