#shifter!stuckony

“I believe Hawkeye is correct.” Vision said smoothly. “To see our Captain, Sergeant Barnes and Anthony so happy after they have all been through so much… perhaps we can allow them this unorthodox display of affection.”

“Well I still think it's gross.” Rhodey huffed and crossed his arms. “Really, it's almost indecent. I can't believe I'm actually still watching this.”

******************************“

I think they are talking about us.” Steve said softly, scooping up some oatmeal and feeding it to Tony slowly, completely enjoying the way Tony thoroughly cleaned every bit of food from his fingers before releasing them.

“I think they can suck it.” Tony responded primly, and turned to Bucky, who offered him half a strawberry from his own mouth, and Tony grinned, flicking his tongue out to taste the fruit and and all over Bucky's lips before taking it and eating it happily.

He was perched on the kitchen counter, both the soldiers pressed against either leg, feeding him in small bites between kisses and nuzzles. He wasn't even wearing a shirt, preferring to have both his bonding marks on full display, as well as to allow his mates to touch all over as much skin as they wanted.

“I think maybe we gross them out a little.” Bucky took a drink of milk and tilted the glass so Tony could have some too, smiling as Steve got some more oatmeal ready.

“I think they can suck it .” Tony said again, more firmly this time.

“How's your throat, honey?” Steve asked softly. “Feeling alright?”

Tony shrugged a little.“A little sore, but I'm fine.” He rubbed at his throat, then over his reddened bonding marks with a rueful smile.

Last night, Bucky had thrown him onto the bed, taking him hard and fast while Steve had stood at his head and fucked into his throat viciously, both of them jacking him off roughly, leaving bites all over his chest and stomach, and when they had finished, each Alpha shifter had remarked his neck, breaking through the original bond mark with their teeth.

Tony had shuddered and screamed and come three separate times because his mates weren't satisfied with just once or twice.

He was sore and aching this morning, his voice raw, his ass stinging, but he didn't care. Not in the littlest bit.

“So, we've officially been bonded for a month now and I bought something fun to celebrate with you two.” He opened for another bite of the warm oatmeal, sighing as it soothed his throat.

“Oh?” Steve moaned softly when Tony let his teeth scrape over his fingers and Bucky nipped a little bite onto Tony's cheek.“Tell us what you got, honey.”

“Come and find out.” Tony teased and hopped off the counter, giving them both a kiss as thanks for his breakfast, and headed up to his their penthouse. “Give me five minutes.”

Bucky and Steve waved at him, and finished the rest of their own breakfast quickly.

“You sleep alright last night?” Bucky put his bowl down and reached for Steve, bumping their foreheads together.

Steve closed his eyes and let himself relax into the touch. “Yeah. Tossed and turned but--”

“Something on your mind?” Bucky asked, bringing his hand up to massage Steve's neck lightly, and the Lion shifter sighed at the contact, swaying a little closer.

“Nothing new. Did I keep you awake?”“No, just checking on you.” Bucky smiled when Steve stepped even closer, silently asking for more, so he dropped a light kiss on his forehead, holding him tighter.

It was good between them, like this, so they stayed close for a short while, soothing each other with barely there touches, light rumbles and growls, letting their bond strengthen.

It was several minutes before Steve cleared his throat and stepped away somewhat reluctantly. “Shall we? Don't want to keep Tony waiting.”

“High maintenance little thing.” Bucky agreed with a grin and laced their fingers together to head upstairs.

************************************

Tony's mates knocked on the bedroom door softly, then waited a moment before entering.

The lights were low in the bedroom, nothing except the bed side lamps lit. Every pillow from all the couches and chairs had been gathered on top of the bed, and in the middle of them all, sitting up on his knees was Tony.

He was partial shifted, ears up and alert, tail twitching playfully behind him, claws out and tracing little circles into his thighs.

And he wasn't wearing anything except a black velvet collar around his neck. His name was stitched in silver lettering in big bold letters, and the tag hooked around it proudly labeled him as Bucky and Steve's.

“Oh Tony .” Steve dropped to his knees just that fast, knocked nearly speechless by the sight. “Look at you sweetheart. So beautiful.”

“Stunning.” Bucky knelt too, grabbing Steve's arm to keep either of them from just jumping on the bed. “Oh what a perfect pretty little kitty you are.”

Alpha shifters or not, they were completely at the mercy of their mate like this, and were already rolling into their partial shifts, voices deepening, teeth sharpening as the need to take surged through them.

But their mate needed compliments first, compliments and flattery and so much love , so they just knelt there and said everything that came to mind, sweet words and phrases spilling from their lips even as they both reached for him, tried to edge closer to the bed, needed him more than they needed to breathe.

“God, just look at you.” “So perfect.” “How gorgeous.” “Our mate.” “ Ours.” “What did we even do to get so lucky?” “Come here, honey.” “Can we play? Oh please let us play with you.” “We need you sweetheart.” “So wonderful for us.” “Made for us.” “Look at those gorgeous ears.” “That beautiful long tail.” “Beautiful, perfect kitty.” “So perfect, sweet thing.”

And Tony just bared his little fangs and smiled.Because this was fucking purrrfect.

*****************

Epilogue

*****************

The ringtone of Steve's phone completely interrupted the mission briefing, and absolutely made Agent Coulsons jaw drop.

“Who let the dogs out? Who who who who! Who let the dogs out?”

“Oh my god.” Steve's face flamed red and he scrambled to mute it. “I am so sorry, Agent Coulson, Colonel Rhodes, its um—”

“Captain Rogers.” Rhodey was trying his damnedest to keep the smirk off his face. “Captain Rogers.” he cleared his throat. “Would I be correct in assuming that Sergeant Barnes is the one calling you right now?”

“I–I–” the Lion shifter swallowed back a growl of annoyance. “My mate changed my ringtone, I apologize.”

“Sorry, but Sergeant Barnes chose that as his ringtone?” Agent Coulson asked in that quietly, polite way of his. “Sergeant Barnes, the Alpha Wolf shifter?”

“Not that mate. My other mate, Tony.” he breathed a deep sigh.

Tony had changed his ringtone because he'd been upset Steve couldn't stay with him all day today. Not that Steve had wanted to spend his whole day locked in the conference room talking about missions and personnel.

No he would much rather be snuggled up in bed with both his mates. He missed Tony and Bucky so much he nearly ached. He needed a break from all this. A break from being Captain America. A break from being Steve. He needed to just be Bucky and Tony's mate, and let them take care of him.

Steve shook his head and pushed those thoughts away. He had been feeling down for weeks now and didn't really know what to do about it.“If you’ll excuse me.” he said politely. “I need to take this.”

“Ah. Of course.” Coulson said with a little smile. “By all means, take your mates call.”

“Thank you. Just a few minutes.” Steve stepped into the hallway and opened his phone. “Bucky, I swear to god. You know I am in a meeting, I will muzzle your–”

“911, Steve.” Bucky's voice was stressed, nearly a whine. “911, our room. Its Tony.”

“Oh shit.” Steve only stepped into the conference room long enough to snatch his shield, and took off running, no apology or explanation or anything.

“I haven't been around the compound much since this all happened.” Coulson commented mildly. “Does this sort of thing–”

“Tony is the most high maintenance person in the world. Also the most high maintenance shifter. Steve and Bucky have their hands full all the time.”

“Tony couldn't weigh more than a hundred and twenty pounds.” Coulson raised his eyebrows. “How much trouble could he possibly be?”

Rhodey just started laughing. “Phil. You literally have no idea how much of a handful Tony can be.”

“Isnt his shifter form a cat?”

“Phil. You have no idea.” The Colonel collapsed back into his chair, shoulders shaking.“But both Rogers and Barnes are Alpha–”

“Phil.” Rhodey was full on cackling now, wiping his tears away. “You have no idea.”

************

“Tony!” Steve was yelling, racing up the stairs, tearing into a partial shift as he went, a snarl burning in his throat at the thought of something happening to either of his mates, but especially Tony. Perfect, tiny, little smitten Tony who needed to be held and cuddled and protected and–

The door burst inwards when he smashed into it shield first and skidded to a stop.“Bucky, mate, are you–is everything–”  His shield hit the ground with a clang. “Bucky, are you kidding me?”

“Shush.” Bucky hadn't even turned to look at him yet, kneeling on the floor and staring at their big bed. He was partial shifted, ears and claws out, tail wagging furiously. “Look at him.”

“Oh my god.” Steve dropped onto the ground next to him, his claws retracting as he pulled his Lion back. “Oh, honey, look at him.”

“I know.” Bucky reached and laced their fingers together, his claws scraping over Steves palm. “Our mate is the cutest.”

“God, hes the cutest.”

Tony, fully shifted into his tiny fierce eight pound cat, was curled in the center of their giant bed, little face buried inside his Iron Man mask.

“What is he doing?” Steve dropped his voice into a whisper, leaning closer to his mate, enjoying the physical contact after being apart all day. “Why is he–”

“FRIDAY says Tony had a rough day, didn't want to face anything so he shifted and crawled into his helmet and fell asleep.”

“Sweet, perfect thing.” Steve said sympathetically. “Why didn't he call us?”

“We were busy.” Bucky snorted. “But he should know that's not a valid reason. He knows he can talk to us anytime.” He looked over when Steve leaned against him, and hooked an arm around his mate's shoulders. “You need to be held, Stevie? Get your Lion ass over here.”

The Wolf shifter tugged Steve tighter against his chest. “You know you don't have to ask, sugar, come on. I've been missing you, come on.”

“Thanks.” Steve mumbled. It was still difficult for him, even after being mated for a month to both Tony and Bucky, to admit when he needed to be held, when he needed Bucky to be the Alpha and take care of him. “So…Tony. What are we doing about Tony.”

“Sure. Changing the subject is fine. Not that I've noticed that the past few weeks have been hard on you and want to be there for you or anything.” Bucky nuzzled into his hair affectionately. “I think we need to climb on that bed and cuddle our mate. He obviously needs some loving to make it through today, and you do too.”

“I'm fine.” Steve protested, but he definitely pressed his face tighter into Bucky's chest.

“Sure.” Bucky comforted. “Sure. Up on the bed, honey. Partial shift for me, let me see those pretty gold eyes. Let your Lion out and I'll hold you.”

Steve promptly obeyed, pulling his shirt up and over his chest and letting the partial shift take him, eyes shading to gold and Bucky growled in approval watching the muscles ripple under all that perfect skin.

“Beautiful.” he said, and Steve flushed a little, crawling up on the bed and lying down next to Tony. The cat meowed a sleepily, little paws twitching, and Bucky nearly melted. “God, hes precious.”

“So precious.” Steve echoed, and ran his hand gently over Tony's soft fur. “You ok, sweetheart? Having a rough day?”

Another little meow that sounded more like a whimper, and Bucky was stripping off his clothes, shifting further into his Wolf and following his mate onto the bed, curling his big body around both Steve and the tiny cat.

“Hey, sweet thing.” he crooned. “Want to tell us whats wrong? Want to take the mask off and let us hold you?”

There was a long moment of just silence, then Tony slid away from the mask slowly, scooting across the bed until he was lying between their chests, curled into a little ball.

“There you are.” “Aw, little darling, whats wrong?” “Talk to us, honey.” “We’re right here, both of us.” “We love you, Tony.” “Our perfect little shifter. “Perfect, pretty little kitty.”

Tony sighed and stretched a little, then closed his eyes and started purring happily. Bucky glanced up and smiled into Steve's golden eyes.

“Come here.” he tugged at him and Steve pressed closer, nearly squishing Tony between them as he tucked his head under Bucky's chin, breathing in the comforting scents of both his mates. “That's good.” Bucky murmured comfortingly, his big arms circling both of them. “My mates. Mine. I love you both. So much.”

Tony purred louder then, and Steve definitely wasn't purring, but the Lion shifter was definitely rumbling in a soft purr-y kind of way, and Bucky just smiled and held them both a little closer, a little tighter.

Both his mates were perfect.

******************

Tony woke up sandwiched between his two mates, and happy as hell. He had told FRIDAY specifically to not let them know he’d been having a bad day, but he was absolutely thrilled they had found him. Nothing was better than waking up with both his mates in bed with him, Bucky's arms keeping them safe.

“Bucky.” he whispered. “Mate.”

“Mate.” Bucky replied sleepily and dropped his head to press a long kiss to his lips. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Better now.” Tony snuggled closer into the big Alpha.

“You should have called us. We could have come sooner.”

“You were busy.” Tony said with a shrug, and behind him Steve nuzzled his neck.“Not an excuse, honey.”

“Definitely not.” Bucky emphasized. “So whats going on?”

“Nothing. Just had a rough day. Wanted to hide.”

“Don't hide from us, Tony.” Steve cuddled up against him, laying soft kisses on his shoulders. “Not us.”

“Never us.” Bucky smiled. “Even though, seeing you wearing your mask was the cutest thing I've ever seen. Ever. And sweet thing, I have seen alot of cute kittens and puppies and I am telling you, you are the cutest.”

“Bucky.” Steve rolled his eyes. “Tony, his tail was wagging so fast it was like looking at a Labrador instead of a several hundred pound Alpha level shifter Wolf who had called me in a panic crying 911.”

“Did you call Steve in a panic?” Tony was trying not to laugh because Bucky looked just horribly affronted that Steve had told on him.

“It was just– you were so adorable. Tony, baby, my little kitten, so cute.” The Alpha shifter growled. “Mine. My litte shifter.” He glanced over at Steve. “Both of you. Mine.”

“Yours.” Tony whispered.

“Yours.” Steve repeated, his voice a little rough.

“Tony, if you’re alright, I think our mate needs some extra love today.” Bucky said with a soft smile and Tony leaned up to kiss him lightly before flipping over and jumping on Steve, raining kisses all over his face and neck, wiggling against him happily.

“Tony!” Steve was laughing, big hands resting on Tony's bare hips. “Honey, I'm fine.”

“Are you?” Bucky's voice dropped into that low rumble that he only used in bed with his mates. and Steve's eyes bled to gold. “Because I feel like you need some love.” He bent over Steve and slotted their lips together, humming in encouragement when Steve whined a little, and started panting.

“I love when he makes that noise.” Tony said, looking up from licking and kissing down Steve's chest. “That little desperate…”

“I know.” Bucky kissed him again, and laced a hand through Tony's dark hair, pushing him down lower. “Use your mouth, sugar, he loves that. Open those pretty lips.”

“Fuck.” Steve groaned when Tony grinned and wet his lips eagerly.“Hold him down.” Tony instructed. “He gets all jumpy during blowjobs.”

“Its perfect.” Bucky said soothingly when Steve flushed red. “Everything both of you do is perfect. I love you. My mates.”

“My mates.” Tony whispered and squeezed Bucky's hand.

Tony's voice was already raw from screaming as Bucky filled him for a third time, plunging deep inside him with one brutal thrust.

Face down in a stack of pillows, ass raised high in the air, Tony couldn't do much more than hold on for dear life and try to breathe as Bucky took him hard and fast, holding him tight enough to leave bruises on his waist and hips.

His neck and chest were littered with love bites and scratch marks because the Wolf shifter was not near as gentle as Steve had been, and even though Tony had flinched away from his teeth after too sharp a bite over his nipple, he had pulled Bucky right back against him, begging him not to stop, not to ever stop.

Bucky had growled deep in his throat, his eyes lighting with want , and had licked over every bite mark, soothing them before nipping against him again, wanting needing to see Tony covered in proof of their mating.

“I love you.” He murmured and snapped his hips forward and Tony pressed his face to the pillows so he wouldn't cry out. “I love you, Tony. Pretty kitty, sweet soft little thing let me feel you change, want to be inside you when you shift, come on.”

Bucky's voice was low and savage even as he called Tony every sweet thing he could think of with every push inside his mate . “Shift for me baby, honey, sugar, beautiful thing, come on sweet thing, little darling kitty, shift for me. Want to play with you like this.”

He pushed Tony's legs farther apart, brought him closer up to him and ground their hips together in a rough motion. Tony's back bowed as his entire body lit, electricity zinging through his veins when Bucky touched him just right.

“Oh oh oh!!” Tony shuddered all over as he dropped into his shift and Bucky never stopped moving inside him, into him, but he wrapped Tony's tail around his left wrist and tugged lightly, then a little harder when Tony's suddenly clawed hand shot back to scrabble against the metal, trying to make him let go, because it hurt but at the same time punched his arousal so far up so quickly Tony was nearly dizzy with want, with the need to come.

“Please please please let me come.” He begged, arching his back and baring his neck to entice the Wolf shifter closer. “ Please please need you need you, my mate.”

He was desperate, Bucky hadn't let him come once today, even though he'd been inside him three different times. He had always pulled out before he or Tony was ready and after hours like this Tony was sure he'd pass out before he could--

“---YES YES YES!!” He cried when Bucky finally wrapped a big hand around his leaking, aching cock, pulling over him with hard quick strokes, and finally Tony was coming, soaking the pillows beneath him as he sobbed through it, his claws shredding the blankets as he ripped at them, trying for anything to keep him splintering entirely apart. But then he could feel the change as Bucky let his Wolf forward just enough to---

“--oh oh no nonononono I can't take it, Bucky I can't take it, I can't---”

“My mate.” Bucky snarled and slammed their hips together over and over, faster and faster. “My mate, you are made to take me. All of me. Take me, let me have you like this.”

Tony's body rocked through a second orgasm before he had even come down from the first, and this time he definitely screamed as Bucky came deep inside him, the Wolf shifters knot expanding and locking them together as Bucky closed his eyes and howled his absolute pleasure into the room.

Sharp teeth in Tony's neck then, and he couldn't do more than moan and shiver as Bucky bit into him, a bonding mark on the opposite side of Steve's, marking them as mates.

“Mine.” Bucky's voice was little more than a rumble in his chest. “Mine. Tony. I love you . My mate. Say it, say it.”

“Yours.” Tony ran clawed fingers over Bucky's scalp, tangling in his hair, keeping him close over him. “ Yours .”

As soon as he was seeing straight again, Bucky eased them over onto the pillows, trying not smile as Tony yelped and shrieked when he realized they were still locked tight.

“How long?” Tony asked, closing his eyes and letting Bucky lick and kiss softly over the bond mark.

“Forever.” Bucky murmured and Tony chuckled at him.

“I meant how long will we be together like this.”

“Oh.” Bucky sounded sheepish. “Half an hour or so.”

“I kind of like it.” Tony hummed and Bucky kissed every inch of him he could reach.

“We can do this as often as you want. I'm yours and you're mine, Tony.”

“Forever.” Tony mumbled and fell asleep.

“Thank you. Thank you .” Bucky kept kissing him, couldn't stop touching him, even as he turned them sideways into the stack of pillows, holding Tony close as he waited for their bodies to calm. “My mate. Thank you.”

********************

After a short nod of permission from Bucky, Steve slipped into bed next to Tony, pulling the covers up and over their shoulders. “Is he alright?”

Bucky nodded slowly. “A little bruised up, but he's fine. Sore tomorrow probably.” He winced. “My Wolf wasn't exactly gentle with him.”

“Happy though? Both of you?”

Bucky flushed and nodded again and Steve leaned over Tony to bump their foreheads, then slot their lips together for a long moment. “Glad you're here.” Bucky whispered. “It's right, all three of us like this.”

“Yeah.” Steve whispered back, and rubbed their noses together before staring down at Tony.

“I can't stop looking at him either.” Bucky admitted, and Steve kissed him again.

“Stop staring at me and go to sleep.” Tony said with a little snarl after several minutes and they both chuckled.

“Sorry.”

“Sorry, honey.”

“You're just beautiful.”

“Such a pretty kitty, Tony.”

“Don't call me kitty, I hate it.”

Bucky growled. “You love it.”

*****************

“Now boys .” The Colonel crossed his arms over his chest. “I want you to tell Tony exactly what you told me. Don't leave anything out or I'll put you through a wall again.”

Bucky and Steve, both dressed again and looking more than a little terrified, nodded in unison.

“It wasn't that we didn't want to be around you after shifted down, Tony.” Steve began awkwardly and the black cat just twitched his tail.

“It's just that--” Bucky rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Just that you were naked , and both our animals got--got--um--”

“Got??” Rhodes thundered and Bucky jumped. “Finish your fucking sentence!”

“We both got possessive and were afraid we couldn't control our shift!” Steve blurted. “Bucky and I have been getting… closer but---”

“But feline shifters and canine shifters don't ever really get along and we both want you, so seeing you naked--”

“--both our animals wanted to claim you, and of course, fight the other shifter in the room so--”

“-- so we left so we wouldn't do anything stupid.” Bucky finished lamely. “And we are really really sorry if that hurt your feelings.”

“Of course it hurt his feelings!” Rhodes growled, and the Bear was still so close to the surface that it came out as more of a rumble and less of a sentence.

Tony stood on his hind legs and pressed his little face into Rhodey's, meowing softly until the man calmed down.

“I told I would kick your asses if you upset Tony.” he warned. “Consider yourself lucky I only scared the living hell out of you today. If it happens again, I will crush you, Super soldiers or not. Pretty sure I can carry your shield, Cap, you ain't all that special. And Bucky, wolves are about a dime a dozen so don't fucking test me, or I will toss your mangy hide away and find another one for the team, do I make myself perfectly clear?”

He scooped Tony up into his arms and left the room, leaving Bucky and Steve shaking on the couch.

“I have never been more scared in my life.” Steve admitted, and Bucky couldn't even laugh about it.

“Somehow this was more terrifying than any flashback I could ever have.”

“Heya pals.” Clint and Natasha appeared in the doorway. “Met Rhodey's bear, did you?”

“Um--um--”

Clint's lips twitched into a smirk. “Yeah, so story time. Back before Tony was Iron Man, and he was just rich and obnoxious and hot--” two sets of eyes snapped up to meet his. “-- what? You think just because Tasha and I are together I'm blind to how gorgeous Tony is? You two are all brawn and no brain aren't you?”

“Clint.” Tasha murmured and he coughed.

“Right. Anyway. So I meet Tony, ended up trying to be flirty and funny and offended the hell out of him without realizing it.”

“Imagine that.” Bucky muttered and Clint glared at him.

“So anyway. Later that night, I shift into my hawk and go to take off, and a partial shifted Rhodey-bear reaches into the sky and snatches me back to ground. Surprised he didn't break my wings. Tells me in the most terrifying voice in the world, that if I ever upset Tony again he'd pluck all my feathers and roast me for dinner. Then let me go. It took me six months to even be able to look him in the eye again.”

“He's intense.” Natasha nodded. “I wouldn't feel comfortable going up against him, even in full dragon form. I feel like he could rip my wings off without blinking.”

“How is he so big?” Bucky stammered. “His bear is twice my height. And Rhodes is like, half my height in real life. I've hardly even heard him raise his voice but--”

“It's because he's such a good person.” Clint said decisively. “Not only is he fairly high ranking military, and War Machine, which would make his bear big anyway but he's genuinely the nicest person I've ever met. Maybe nicer than Phil, but I would never say that out loud. The strength of his heart, his soul. That's what fuels his bear.”

“That makes it worse. Makes it scarier.” Bucky complained. “I can't compete with a guy who's animal is directly proportionate to the goodness in his heart!”

“Well maybe next time you don't piss Tony off.” Clint snapped, and Bucky popped his teeth right back, bursting into a partial shift and growling at him.

“Down boy.” Clint waved his hand in a bored fashion. “I've heard you scream like a child, you don't scare me anymore.”

****************

A week and a half later, both Steve and Bucky were snappish and irritable with each other and everyone else.

Tony had barely spoken to them the last ten days, and certainly hadn't called them to help with his shifts at all. Their almost daily dose of snuggles and cuteness had completely disappeared, and tensions were so high between the Lion and Wolf that they couldn't even share a bed anymore.

When Bucky had walked into the bedroom the other night, Steve had partial shifted almost instantly, eyes flashing gold, a warning snarl building in his chest. Bucky had had to partial shift himself, and they had spent a restless night unable to relax around each other at all, even in separate beds.

This morning they couldn't even sit together.

Bucky was pacing anxiously in the living room, Steve tapping his claws on the kitchen table, physically unable to bring himself out of a partial shift because he was so stressed out. Neither of them had realized how much they had counted on Tony being with them to keep them level until the little shifter started refusing to be around them.

It was tearing them up mentally, throwing them out of sync emotionally, and driving a wedge into their friendship, effectively putting a stop to anything romantic that had been blossoming.

And it was making the rest of the team insane .

“Enough .” Wanda yelled, when Bucky got too close to the kitchen and Steve jumped to his feet in a clear challenge. Bucky had just squared up his shoulders, more than ready to accept the challenge, when Wanda pushed her chair back and sent them both a glare.

“I cannot handle the tension anymore. Bucky, come let your Wolf run with Natasha and I. You need out of the compound and away from the Captain. Tonight, Hawk and Vision can take Captain out. Let's go.”

“I don't want to go.” Bucky protested. The thought of Steve alone with Tony made his skin crawl and his Wolf furious .

“I wasn't asking.” Wanda lifted her hand, letting her power arc between her fingers and glow in her eyes and Natasha murmured in agreement behind her.

“Fine.” Bucky couldn't even look at Steve, turning away as he started undressing so he could shift.

In the entirely creepy way of shifting unique only to Snakes, Wanda took two steps forward, and let her entire body shimmer and melt away, her human skin seeming to shed itself, leaving her as her Constrictor, thick coils tensing and moving as she curled her body close together to avoid being stepped on.

“Come on.” Tasha sighed and stepped out of her dress, treating everyone to a quick flash of perfect curves before the scales starting climbing her body, smoke puffing from her mouth when she exhaled.

Bucky grumbled a little a more, but dropped his pants and let his Wolf take over, growling at the pain that always accompanied his left arm changing. Hydra had managed to design the arm to shift with him but it always hurt and he hated it. Hated the reminder of his Winter Soldier days. He even kind of hated how close his Wolf came to emulating the Winter Soldier, all brute strength and and barely checked power and killer instinct.

But he couldn't deny how much he loved the freedom being in Wolf form brought him, and he knew a hard run would do wonders for his state of mind.

“We will see you in a few hours.” Vision said calmly, running his hand over several feet of Wanda, and the Constrictors eyes glowed red at the gentle touch. Vision couldn't shift, for obvious reasons, but he loved Wanda just as much in her Constrictor form as he did human, and she loved that.

Raising her coils to push more of them through his hands, she sent him another soft look before heading out the door, closely followed by Bucky, and then Natasha.

Once they were gone, Steve was finally able to pull himself from his partial shift, breathing a sigh of relief, and Clint clicked his tongue in sympathy.

“Why don't you go paint or something. We’ll run you ragged later, so go get some rest. Can't imagine you sleep well with the canine shifter in your room. Go sleep, we will come looking for you when they get home.”

Steve didn't answer, just sent both Clint and Vision a jerky nod and headed up to his room.

*****************

He'd only been asleep a few minutes when the door to his room banged open, and a very disgruntled Tony stood there glaring at him.

“I haven't hardly slept all week.” Tony spat. “Haven't been able to shift alone. It's making me crazy. Both you Alpha shifters are so stupid and it pisses me off, but I need you anyway so get your asses down to my lab and--- hey, where's Bucky? I came looking for both of you.” His face fell and Steve sat up on his elbows.

“Bucks out running. Needed a break from all--” he made a circle motion with one hand. “You know?”

“Oh.” Tony looked even more upset and kicked at the carpet self consciously. “I came in here all ready to yell at you guys and demand a little attention but now I'm not really sure what to do.”

Steve bit back his laugh and held out a hand hopefully. “Well… I'm here, if you want.”

Tony eyed him curiously. “Without Bucky? We've never done that.”

“Being close to Bucky isn't the part of this whole thing I have been missing.” Steve said, feeling a twinge of guilt as he said it, because shifter biology aside, he was missing Bucky.

Just not as much as he was missing Tony. “I miss you, Tony.” he murmured, and and Tony's eyes lit warmed.

“Oh.”

“Come on.” Steve urged. “I'll close my eyes and you can shift and we can just lay here, huh?”

“Yeah. Alright, that sounds good.” Tony nodded quickly, and was already unbuttoning his shirt, so Steve dropped a pillow over his face so he wouldn't stare.

Within a minute, he felt tiny laws pressing at him lightly and he opened his eyes again.“Hey there, beautiful.” He turned on his side, making room on the bed and Tony curled into a little ball next to him, nose pressed into his stomach. “Yeah, we can nap like this. This is fine.”

****************

“I love you Tony. Do you know that I love you?”

Steve was moving steadily inside him, pressing further, deeper with every long, slow stroke, and Tony was nearly blanking out, barely coherent as heat started curling through his body again .

“I love you too.” He managed, and Steve kissed him gently, tenderly, his tongue moving in lazy swirls inside Tony's mouth.

“I want you like this always.” His already deep voice was so much lower now, rolling from his chest like thunder, and Tony loved it. “Want you like this beneath me, looking up at me. Look at me, sweetheart, let me see you.”

Tony forced his eyes open, meeting dark blue eyes that were shading to gold as Steve's pleasure built.

“God, you're beautiful. My little shifter.” Steve ran a big hand through Tony's hair, down his neck, following the curve of his back and down to his ass, holding him tight, opening him up that much more, and Tony's whole body jerked as sparks flashed in front of his eyes.

“Again, like that.” He whispered and Steve murmured something soft and sweet, adjusting how they lay together until he was brushing that spot every time, with every thrust of his hips, and Tony was tossing his head back and forth as the pleasure edged towards pain. “Don't know if I can come again, but oh you feel good.” He gasped and Steve soothed him with light kisses, pressing deeper, harder now.

“You can, honey, you can come again for me. Just one more time. The others times were so good, just one more time for me.” He encouraged, coaxed, nearly begged his almost-mate. “Want to see you, sweetheart. Want to watch you. Want to feel you around me when you come this time.”

“ Dammit .” Tony gasped. “Touch me. Touch me again, please please oh fuck, like that, yes.” Steve gripped him firmly, just tight enough to make him want to shout, stroking over him quickly until Tony was writhing beneath him in near desperation.

“Tell me you're close.” Steve breathed, rolling his hips in a slow thrust that had Tony arching his back and crying for more. “Tell me your close, Tony. Don't want to wait any longer. Want you to be mine. Mine.”

“Yours.” Tony groaned, and covered Steve's hand with his own, jerking himself harder now. “Yours, Steve yours!”

He came with a cry bordering on painful, his over sensitive body tightening around where Steve was buried so deep inside him.

“Oh that's right, that's perfect .” Steve praised him over and over, slowing his hand down when Tony started whimpering.

“Yours.” He said shakily. “Take me.”

“Ah fuck, Tony.” Steve's hips snapped forward into all that heat, the easy slow motion from before gone as he chased his own edge. “You are so beautiful like this, beneath me, around me oh my god.”

He was panting, trying to kiss Tony but only able to touch their lips together barely as he got closer, driving in and out of that perfect body as hard as he could, lifting Tony's leg from around his waist to over his shoulder and Tony eyes snapped shut and he shrieked, bursting into a partial shift right beneath Steve's fingers, lean muscles rippling and stretching as his body changed.

“Gorgeous.” Steve groaned, one hand running the length of that long black tail. “My beautiful little shifter, look at you.”

A few more strokes and his Lion came forward enough to change his eyes to gold, his fingers to claws and he let go of Tony instantly, not willing to hurt him, digging his claws into the bed instead.

“Tony!” He cried. “Tony!” Steve threw his head back and roared his release, the windows shaking as the sound filled the room.

Tony gave a little cry of his own when Steve darted forward, sinking fangs into his neck hard enough to break the skin, cementing their bond, wanting to roar all over again when he tasted Tony's sweet blood.

“My mate.” He whispered when he could speak again. “My mate. Thank you. Thank you for this.”

“Yours.” Tony whispered into his ear as Steve licked gently over the bite, his Lion purring and rumbling softly.

“Your mine and I'm yours.” Steve returned. “ Yours, Tony.”

******************

Bucky entered the room cautiously, giving the Lion shifter plenty of time to realize he was there, not wanting to fight a newly bonded Lion defending his claim on a mate.

The room reeked of them though, and Bucky had to quiet his own growl, had to remember that Tony wanted them both , that his turn was coming if he could just be patient.

“It's alright.” Steve's voice was hoarse in the dark, and he flipped on the small lamp on Tony's nightstand. “Come on, we've been waiting for you.”

Relieved, Bucky crossed to the side of the bed, bending to touch his forehead to Steve's for just a few seconds, before even looking at Tony. “Oh, look how happy he is.” He whispered and Steve nodded with a contented sigh.

“He was amazing. I can't even believe it. Come on though, he will want you here when he wakes up. We both want you here.” Steve lifted to kiss him gently, then pushed him towards Tony.

Bucky moved around the bed, laying on top of the covers and pressing his lips to Tony's cheek.

“Mmm. There's my Wolf.” Tony sighed happily and turned to face him, lifting his lips for a proper kiss. “Glad you're here.”

“Of course I'm here, honey.” Bucky swallowed hard. It wasn't easy being in same room as them, so soon after a bonding, staring at the prominent mark on Tony's neck that matched Steve's teeth.

No, this definitely the hardest thing he'd ever done, sharing a bed with a newly bonded couple, especially when he wanted to be bonded to Tony, but he'd do it if killed him, if that's what Tony wanted. Besides, he wanted Steve too and he knew it would all be fine once he and Tony had their time but fuck it was hard right now.

Steve was still watching Tony fondly, but glanced up long enough to look concernedly at Bucky. “You alright? I know this isn't easy, but I can't say thank you enough for letting me go---”

“It's fine.” Bucky hushed him. “It's fine. Can I hold him? Or do you need me to keep my distance still--” Even though Tony was theirs, he wasn't going to push it with the Lion. Not now.

“Hold him.” Steve placed a light kiss on Tony's neck over the bonding mark. “Hold him all night long. I'll hold him too. It will be perfect. This is going to be perfect.”

“Somebody better hold me.” Tony mumbled, and made grabby motions with his hands.

“High maintenance.” Steve whispered, and lay down behind Tony, waiting for Buck to do the same before they carefully wound their arms around him, and Tony sighed happily.