Chapter Text
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Harley Stark knew he was weird.
It ran in the family: being bizarre.
His father was. His brother was. And he was too. For many years, this fact had never bothered him.
Throughout childhood, no one cared about others' opinions. Harley had never felt the need to have the approval of his friends to feel included and appreciated. Besides, with or without the endorsement of his classmates, Harley had always known how to live with what he had and be content with it, without aspiring to get more.
He had a father who was just as strange as him; who liked more than anything to remain holed up in his lab most of the time to work on many projects with a whole bunch of tools and gadgets. He had aunts and uncles, the Avengers, each with their own quirky peculiarities. And, of course, he had his precious twin brother who was just like him in every way. In fact, Peter was probably even more special than him.
They had both had serious integration issues over the years because of it. For a while they didn't mind it that much.
Harley had Peter, and Peter had Harley.
Two brothers against the world, united by blood and for life. Why would they need more when they already had everything? Why would it have been necessary to change anything, when everything was already perfect?
His naïve, kind and frail Peter, tormented daily by a severe stuttering, had always been the only thing he cared for.
This is why Harley had never expected that the thirst for popularity would someday blind him to the point to push the wellbeing of his little brother in the background.
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In a world as particular as theirs, siblings tended to have stereotypical mechanisms characteristic of their second gender. Phenomena were occurring early enough in an individual's life that led to behavioral changes which could be considered radical.
Young alphas would become obstinate and stubborn, subject to their bad temper alongside with a flow of strong emotions - aggressive, for the most of them. Thus, it was not uncommon for a young pup to experience their first crisis whilst barely being in kindergarten, leading them to pick on their comrades and start fights for a yes or a no.
The complete opposite of this behavior was the omegas's. Quiet, reserved, and most of them extremely gentle. The most recurring attitudes detectable for an omega were typically heavy interest in affectionate touches and physical contact - mostly from their parents, or close family and friends.
The second genders were both a blessing and a curse.
They allowed humans to be more complementary than ever, as if alpha and omega were the very representation of Ultimate Balance, yet imposed ruthless lifestyles on individuals from an early age.
And in this so special world, the privileged were without a doubt those who had the chance to share their lives with siblings.
This was hands down for a pup the best preparation and the best transition to get used to everything their second gender entailed.
Unjustified anger. Timidity. Excess of violence. Increased sensitivity. Possessiveness. Self esteem issues. Stress. And a whole range of other diverse and varied consequences. However, it was necessary to know how to live with; in order to never be dictated by primary instincts that would never have been tamed.
Two alpha siblings were two bundles of nerves who spent most of their time exchanging punches. Parents usually just let this happen, because it was in their nature, and that way the pups learned to deal with their strength and anger. An elder became aware of his domination over the younger, and the younger learned to bend by the rules of respect.
For two omega siblings, there was little greater friendship and tenderness. They more or less constantly stuck alongside each other, and together get familiar with ways to deal with any of their fears.
And there was also the relationship between alpha and omega siblings.
A relationship like Harley had shared with Peter.
A set of twins.
An elder, and a younger. An alpha, and an omega. Harley, and Peter.
For them, it had always been that way. There had always been the two of them. Just the two of them. The best duo in town - in the world, Harley could have said.
Their education had been a long, arduous road. The pressure from hormones related to their second gender hit them when they were around five years old. And while Harley had only wished to isolate himself and growl to cope with this foreign wave of stress, Peter had only sought attention and love.
For the first time, they had been opposed.
Peter had begged and cried in his brother's legs for days on and on, maybe even without really understanding himself what his body had been craving for. While Harley had only tried to extricate himself by all means from the spontaneous obsession his twin had directed on him.
Whilst Harley had casually started fighting at school or in the park with his 'friends' when someone was touching his toys, the day came when the boy first lashed out on Peter when his brother insisted for too long to have the right to draw together, he and Harley, on the same paper. Or maybe Peter stole the pink pen from him when he used it first? Harley couldn't remember. But he could picture their father storming out of his lab and running up the stairs to separate them, while the twins rolled on the floor in a ball of hits, pulling their hair and digging their knees into stomach and ribs for the sole purpose of injuring each other mutually.
"Hey! That's enough!" Tony scolded firmly, pulling each of his sons by the scruff. "We don't fight! HARLEY!"
"He's biting me!" Harley retorted, growling as his father only tightened his grip on his neck.
"Well, maybe it has to do with the fact that you are tearing off his scalp! Let go, now! Both of you!"
Reluctantly the blond was the first to obey the mechanic's order, loosening his hold on the younger's hair and clothes. As an alpha himself, he was more sensitive to the influence that another alpha might have, especially when that alpha was older. For the omega, the need to indulge the will of someone hypothetically higher in this hierarchy only showed itself later, paradoxically in their favorable nature to submission. Thus, Peter was the one who continued to bite his brother on the forearm despite his father's request, uttering offended and frustrated yappings and squeaks as a token to his discontentment.
The omegas were always loud in situations that required physical defense on their side - most of the time it was all bluff. Tony didn't like it though, so his lips retracted to show his bare teeth.
"Enough!"
With a final upset whine, Peter went calm and silent, letting Harley go and looking up at his father with a sad pout. "Harley hit me."
"Shut up, you snitch!"
"Let him talk." Tony scolded, crouching down next to the two young boys, still holding each of them by the skin of their necks. "Pete, baby, explain what's the matter."
Harley rolled his eyes.
"I-I just wanted to draw with him… and he started to be mean to me…" some sniffles.
Tony's questioning gaze traveled from Peter to the young alpha.
"He screwed up my drawing! I didn't want him with me, and he messed it up! I told him to leave me alone!" Harley fought back energetically, irritated to feel his cheeks coloring from all the attention that was on him.
"Okay, I get it bud, but this isn't a reason to hurt your brother. We don't hit other people, I told you before. Even when it's extremely tempting and you feel it's perfectly justified. It'll get you a lot of troubles."
Harley huffed audibly. "People at school know you, they've seen you on TV… they say you always do whatever you want."
"First of all, that's not true. Otherwise I would be the master of this planet. And then… you must know, son, that actions have consequences, sometimes terrible consequences, and that you are too young to face them or understand them as a grown-up. I'm a disastrous example, don't try to be like me if you want a nice, quiet life."
"I wanna be like you..."
"Point is," Tony paused. "You're supposed to be… a team. I know that sometimes it won't always be easy to come to an agreement, but you can't hurt each other. Never."
Peter still looked so devastated as Harley trembled with anger. The engineer sighed.
"Listen, boys. I know it's hard for you right now with… all of these emotions. I know it's a lot, it's new. Everyone goes through this one day or another, and it will haunt you for the rest of your life. But you're going to have to learn to live with it in order to be happy. Do you understand?" He tried to be as understandable as possible. He wanted his sons to feel loved and protected.
"But…" Peter wailed, his stuttering worsening in chorus with his distress. "How? H-How do we do that? I ... I'm… I'm always so s-s-sad, and alone..."
"Pete. That's not true. It's just an impression. But… it will be fine, okay? As long as you have your brother with you. Same for you, Goldilocks."
Harley still wanted to scream and bang - something or someone, whatever - but his father's serenity and self-assurance was hard to ignore. It was… contagious. So he lowered his head defeatedly. "Can I go to my room, please?"
"Of course."
Tony let go of his son's scruff, and Harley hurried back to his room to find the tranquility he longed for. When Peter instinctively tried to go after him, the man gently restrained him by placing his hand against his small chest.
"Nah-ah. This is a 'no' for you this time, young man."
Peter almost looked panicked. His watery eyes were as large as saucers. "Why?"
"Let your brother be for now. I think he needs to be a little... alone."
"But w-why? Being alone is sad... Isn't Harley happy?" The boy glanced toward the hallway where his brother had left seconds earlier. "Is it my fault? I didn't want to make him angry, I promise... I... I just wanted a hug... and-and-"
"Hey. Hey, hey, hey, baby. Come here. You can hug me as much as you want."
Tony guided his son into his arms as Peter nestled his wet nose against the man's chest, dejected.
"Your brother is not sad. He's just having a rough time, just like you." Tony hushed the little one, rocking him back and forth in a slow, soothing rhythm.
"Wha-what d-does that m-mean?"
His father seemed to search for his words for a few moments, still holding the omega. "There are things in life that we cannot fight against. It doesn't matter how hard we try. You know, there are three inevitable things in this world? Death, tax, and, well… this. The second gender. Do you remember when we talked about it, months ago?"
Peter nodded, although he looked uncertain.
"Okay, perfect, sweetheart. Can you tell me what you remember from our little discussion then?"
"Huh… you… you said it was something natural." He gave his father a discreet stare in search of approval, which he found through the chocolate eyes that were watching him with patience and love. It instilled him the courage to keep going. "That we should never be ashamed of who we are, and, um… our emotions get all weird when the… uh, um… the second gender?" He waited for silent confirmation from the alpha. "We get weird when the second genre appears. But that's normal. Right?"
Tony picked up his omega from the floor, and walked over to the sofa on which he slumped down heavily. Peter shifted on his knees to find a position to his liking, making sure he could stay glued to the man as a mollusk to his rock.
"Yep." Tony simply said, his lips stretched into a thin white line as Peter absently played with his beard.
"Oh. So… Harley and I, we… a-are w-we-… are we-we-we…"
The Avenger frowned as he noticed the boy struggling to speak. His stutter was tending to become more pronounced lately - he personally didn't hold it against him nor mind it, however Tony couldn't stand to see the tears of frustration shining in Peter's eyes. It was tearing his heart.
"Hey, honey… calm down. Take a deep breath. 'Kay?"
"B-But I wanna t-talk!" Peter grunted, disappointed.
"Yeah, of course baby. No one is stopping you. You have all the rights to speak as much as you want. I just want to make sure you're fine. Alright?"
Peter pouted, but agreed to wait a few minutes to regain his breath and his thoughts. Or maybe he had too many ideas to say, and a too little mouth? He mused this assumption as he sucked his thumb, cheek rubbing against his dad's shoulder.
"Daddy?"
"Hmm?"
"Are Harley and I weird?"
The child felt a small gust of air tickle his hair as his father breathed out with his nostrils in a silent laugh, just before pressing a kiss against his scalp.
"Ah. Fair question. Are you asking because of the second gender?"
"Yes...?"
"Then, no. That was my point, buddy. You are going through something normal. It's innate. It's new, it's settling inside you, and... your body is adjusting. Like everything in the world. And you feel the change. You deal with it the way you can, and sometimes… it's overwhelming." He noticed the way Peter was actively nodding through his monologue, nodding his every word as if his father was evoking and listing the memories and emotions of his omega. "Eventually, it will pass. In fact, it's you who will learn to live with it."
"Adaptation." Peter concluded excitedly, a big smile on his innocent face.
"Ex-act-ly."
The kid's laughter echoed in the living room as Tony emphasized each syllable with a kiss on his forehead or nose.
"So, we aren't weird?"
"Oh, uh, yes you are. Second gender aside, I mean."
Peter tilted his head to the side, an expression of incomprehension reflecting on his features. "But… you said no."
"I am weird." The mechanic stated with a nonchalant shrug, trying not to lose his seriousness when he saw his son's outrageous face at his words. "But, hey. Do you know who else is weird? Even weirder than the three of us?"
Slowly, Peter shook his head negatively, his mouth slightly parted.
"Uncle Rhodey."
"No way…!" The child cringed, eyes wide.
"Yes!"
"No!"
"YES!"
"NOOOOO!" Peter cried out so loud that Tony had to press his palms to his ears because of the piercing pain that stabbed his eardrums.
"Hey… why are you so loud?" A new voice commented.
The alpha glanced at the hallway leading to the bedrooms, where a shy Harley was standing.
"Hey, pal. Your brother is in the midst of a denial crisis."
Harley raised an eyebrow as Peter gasped in shock. "No, I am not!"
"Yes, you are."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"No!"
"YES!"
A winning smile illuminated the billionaire's face, although Peter thought he had won the round. Deciding not to take what little happiness Peter could get out of this victory, Tony turned his attention to the young alpha who was swaying nervously from one foot to the other.
"Still upset, young man?"
The said young man blinked. No apparent joy, but no anger either. He was calm. Tony patted one of his legs to invite the older twin to come closer, which Harley did after a second of hesitation. Soon Tony found himself with a son on each thigh; the two boys were staring at him with their large, innocent and curious eyes once both settled.
"Daddy said we were weird." The younger accused bluntly, pointing his finger at the man's chest.
"I did."
"Why would you say that?" The blonde asked after a pause, not sure if he should feel shaken by this fact or if it was a truth he had already secretly accepted.
"I also said I was too." He put an arm around the shoulders of each of his sons to hold them closer. "We're… special. Atypical? Awesome? Pick the term you're most comfortable with. But under no circumstances you should feel inferior or abnormal about it."
Peter wasn't sure he understood the meaning of his father's words, so he wrinkled his nose. Conversely, Harley didn't show much reaction. It was a reflection he had had at one point in the past. Deep down, he knew he was different. Though, Tony didn't seem to attribute a negative view to it. He almost seemed to use compliments to describe them despite the ambiguous words.
"We… are not like other families." Harley concluded softly, his voice as evanescent as a whisper.
"Indeed." Tony chuckled.
He was Iron Man, after all. Their uncles and aunts were eccentric in their own way, with equally unusual skills that left no room for routine in their lives. Harley and Peter would grow up in a more unique and infrequent environment than ever. And Tony knew it. The only thing he could hope for them was that they would adjust to this world.
When the mechanic emerged from his thoughts, he realized that Peter was snuggled beside his brother, a happy, sleepy look plastered to his face. Harley didn't try to escape this contact.
Tony sighed fondly. "Love you, guys."
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