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Steve doesn’t intend it when he shaves his beard off completely.
He had kept his facial hair on the longer side for the past few years. At first it had been pure necessity. Being on the run from basically every government in the world doesn't exactly leave time to shave. The past year and a half, though, he's kept it simply because he likes it. Steve hadn't been able to grow facial hair before the serum. With the serum came the sudden ability to grow a full beard, but the military's grooming requirements had turned near daily shaving into a habit so ingrained in his routine that he kept it up even after coming out of the ice.
And once Steve had been on the run, shaving had been pretty low on his list of priorities. And then he was pardoned and back in the states and Steve found that he likes the way he looks with a full beard. The fact that Tony and Bucky seemed to enjoy it as well was definitely an added plus.
But earlier today, shortly after he got out of the shower, he'd looked at himself in the mirror and decided it was time to shave it. He hadn't truly meant to shave it all off at first. He'd only meant to clean it up a bit, maybe change the shape. But he'd accidentally cut too much off on one side. So he did the same thing on the other. Except he removed too much on that side so he had to do that same on the other so it'd match.
He repeated this cycle several times, screwing up one side and repeating the same on the other to match, until he'd finally just said 'fuck it' and shaved the remaining off.
That's how he found himself in the state he's in now, clean shaven as he works on dinner for his mates and their pup.
It's Bucky who finds him first. The other alpha is freshly showered, his still slightly wet hair curling at the ends. Bucky had spent most of his day training and running drills with Sam. Tony upgraded both Sam's wings and Bucky's arm, and the two decided they needed to test them out by beating the shit out of each other in as many ways as they could think of. Steve had actually joined them earlier in the day, but after hour three, Peter had come in looking for him and he'd called it a day.
When Bucky spots him, his face spreads into a wide smile.
"You shaved," Bucky points out, faking a dramatic pout.
"Great observation," Steve snorts, rubbing his hand over the now smooth skin. “I decided it was time for a change." He continues, leaving out the battle he'd had with his razor.
Unfortunately for him, Bucky's shit eating grin combined with a sarcastic sounding "mhm" tells him that the other man knows anyways.
Steve rolls his eyes and turns back to his now fully cooked food. Bucky sighs dramatically and drapes himself across Steve's back, turning his head to tuck his nose against his scent glands and scenting him.
"Where are Tony and Peter?" He asks, turning the burner off.
FRIDAY responds before Bucky can.
"Boss and Peter are currently in his lab creating circuit boards. Would you like to call them up?" She asks
"That'd be great, thank you." Steve responds, beginning to plate their food.
He fills three ceramic plates with food and places them on the table before turning to grab a plate for Peter. The one he chooses today is hard plastic and blue and is covered with small shark designs. It's Peter's favorite. At least it was a couple of days ago. Steve can only pray that it still is and that Peter will be willing to eat off of it.
He grabs a red Iron-man plate and sets it to the side just in case.
"Is that safe?" Bucky questions as he steps around Steve to grab silverware and Peter's sippy cup.
"Is what safe?" Steve questions, setting Peter's plate down and taking his seat.
The pup has recently started sitting at the table rather than a high chair, per his own request. He insisted he was a big boy and big boys sit at the table like adults do. The three adults had been dubious, but the last time they tried putting him in his high chair it resulted in a meltdown that left Bucky with a lapful of lukewarm mac and cheese. So they'd given in and let him sit in a proper chair at the table. He still needs a booster seat. Without it, the only part of him that passes the top of the table is his eyebrows, and he hasn't fully mastered the art of holding himself up unsupported in the tall chairs, but he's much more content to sit in it if he gets to eat at a proper table like a "big boy".
"The whole," Bucky waves his hand around vaguely, "circuit thing. Couldn't he get electrocuted or something?" He questions, filling Peter's cup with apple juice.
"I didn't know you thought so lowly of me, Buck," Tony drawls sarcastically, walking into the kitchen with Peter perched on his hip.
Peter wiggles in Tony's hold when he sees Bucky, reaching out his arms to him.
"Buck! Buck!" He calls, cooing when Bucky sets his cup on the counter and takes him into his arms.
Bucky nuzzles into the boys hair, covering him with his scent in a way that makes Peter chirp happily.
"Mama and me, we made a light bulb light up! It was so so so cool!" He exclaims with an excited wiggle and flailing arms.
"And it was so so so safe too, wasn't it, Bambi?" Tony asks with a smirk.
Peter nods emphatically.
"It was sooooo safe! Mama didn't let me get hurt even a little bit!"
"I'm know he didn't. Never doubted it for even a moment," Bucky tells him as he makes quick eye contact with Tony, voice amused.
Peter just keeps nodding his head.
"Come on, kid," Tony says as he takes Peter back from Bucky, "We gotta wash our hands and then we can eat the delicious food your Daddy made for us,"
Bucky grabs Peter's cup and takes it to the table while Tony helps Peter wash his hands. He takes a seat next to Steve and waits for the two.
When the two enter the room, Tony immediately makes note of his, lack of, facial hair. The other man falters for a moment before he continues to their seats.
"You shaved?" Tony asks, setting Peter in his seat and buckling him in before sitting in his own.
Steve opens his mouth to respond only to snap it closed when the smell of distressed pup fills the room. All three adults turn to Peter. The boy in question is staring back at Steve with wide eyes. His mouth is agape, holding his little plastic spoon, blue to match his plate and full of mashed potatoes, half way towards his mouth. His smell is sour, a sharp contrast to his normally sweet pup smell, and it makes Steve wrinkle his nose and his stomach drop.
"Bambi?" Tony asks, voice soft and concerned.
Peter doesn't respond, just continues staring at Steve, his wide brown eyes now filling with tears.
"Pete, baby, are you okay?" Steve asks again, reaching out his hand to attempt to cup his face.
Instead of reaching for Steve for comfort like he normally would, Peter flinches backwards, mouth finally snapping shut. The sudden movement has Steve pulling back, his heart dropping further. He feels helpless as Peter's bottom lip begins to tremble before he opens his mouth again and letting out a sobbing wail. Steve can only watch, heart breaking, as Peter continues sobbing, his little face scrunched up and red as he screams at the top of his little lungs.
Tony reacts quickly, unbuckling the pup from his seat and pulling him into his lap. Peter continues to cry, tucking his nose against Tony's scent gland, aggressively scenting him. It takes a couple of minutes before Peter's crying calms to quiet whimpers. Steve watches as Bucky stand up and pick up Peter's booster seat, placing it on the ground, and sits where Peter had just been. He places his metal arm against Peter's back. The pup immediately leans into the touch, withdrawing from Tony's neck and turning to face him. He reaches out to the man, Bucky immediately taking him into his arms.
Peter copies his actions with Bucky, scenting him from his place hidden against his collarbone.
Steve gives it another minute before he speaks again.
"Baby? You okay now?" He asks, keeping his voice soft and speaking slowly in hopes of not startling the boy into another fit of tears.
It doesn't help. The pup still flinches, his head whipping around to look at Steve again, his lip immediately beginning to wobble again before he dissolves into tears again.
Tony looks quickly between Steve and Peter, clearly putting together that Steve is the reason the kid is so distressed. Tony stands, placing a gentle hand on Peter's shoulder.
"Spider-monkey, come here baby." Tony coos, voice and scent soothing.
"Mama!" Peter sobs, turning and reaching his arms up to Tony.
The omega gently plucks Peter from Bucky's arms, letting him tuck his nose back against his scent gland, before turning and walking down the hall and entering the boy's bedroom and closing the door behind them.
As soon as Bucky and Steve are left alone, the former whips his head around to gape at where Steve is sitting. Steve is just staring into the space Tony and Peter disappeared to.
"Steve!" Bucky hisses "What the fuck? Did you do something?" Bucky asks him, voice incredulous.
The faint accusation in his voice, combined with an undertone of bitter anger to his scent, snaps Steve out of his trance.
"No!" He exclaims, voice shrill "He was fine last night at bedtime and this morning! I don't know what happened." His voice is panicked and he can smell his own growing distress.
Bucky can clearly smell it too. His entire body relaxing and his scent softening into something more reassuring. He takes his mate's hand, tugging him to sit on the couch with him. The two of them sit together for what feels like hours before Tony finally exits Peter's room. He's alone.
Steve sits up straighter.
"Hey, Buck, comer's." He calls, voice faintly amused as he stands in the entrance of the hallway, leaning against the wall.
Bucky stands and makes his way to him. Steve watches as Tony grabs him by the wrist and pulls him further into the hallway. Steve can just barely hear them whispering, but can hear very clearly when Bucky begins to howl with laughter. He can also hear Tony telling him to shut up, but the barely held back laughter that laces his voice dampens its effect. It's another minute before Bucky calms himself.
He turns back around and makes his way back to Steve.
"Take off your shirt," he says bluntly, shit eating grin on his face as he stands over him.
"Uh-" he stammers "What?"
"Don't ask questions, just take it off."
Steve stares at him, gobsmacked, before finally tugging off his shirt. Tony wolf-whistles at him from his spot against the wall, Steve can't help but roll his eyes.
"Scent it and hand it here." Bucky demands, holding back a laugh.
He follows his commands without hesitation, covering the shirt in as much of his scent as he can before handing it over.
Bucky snorts, taking the shirt and walking back to Tony before the two disappear back into Peter's room.
Steve just stares at the spot the were just in before he slumps back against the couch.
It's another five minutes before the two reemerge from Peter's room, this time with the boy in question cradled in Bucky's arms. The pup is wearing Steve's shirt now instead of the shirt he was in before, little hands clutching the neckline and holding it against his nose with his eye's squeezed shut. Its huge on him, enveloping his tiny frame in soft fabric.
Bucky sits down next to Steve, Tony taking a seat in the loveseat across from them. Both men look incredibly amused, glancing between Peter and Steve with grins on their faces.
"Hey, Pete," Bucky coos, barely holding back a laugh. "Remember what we talked about?"
"Mhm!" Peter hums, dropping the shirt but still not opening his eyes.
"Alright," Bucky says, before he leans forwards and holds Peter out to Steve.
The man freezes, not wanting to hold Peter when even the sight of him has the boy in tears. He glances between Bucky, Peter, and Tony with panicked eyes. Tony smiles back at him, rolling his eyes fondly and nodding encouragingly. He still doesn't take Peter. Bucky huffs, exasperated, before he lifts Peter and just places Peter in Steve's lap. Steve tenses, almost holding his breath while the boy shifts in his lap, eyes still closed. Peter sniffs quietly, before he freezes as well. He sniffs again, this time leaning closer. It's only another second before Peter practically, throws himself against Steve's chest.
"Daddy!" Peter chirps happily, scenting him.
Peter calling him daddy has him finally relaxing, and he lifts a hand to cradle the back of his neck and wraps his other arm around his back. Peter continues to scent him, nuzzling against his neck. When Peter turns his head to nose at his jaw, he freezes again.
Peter extracts himself from his neck, gazing up at his face with wide eyes.
"Daddy?" Peter calls again, reaching up a hand and placing it against his jaw with a frown.
"Yea! That's me!" Steve says back at him, praying that Peter won't go back to being afraid of him.
Peter's frown turns into a pout and he rubs a hand over the still smooth skin of his jaw and chin.
"Hair’s gone." Peter states, voice soft and confused.
Steve laughs in relief, realizing what the issue has been.
"Yea! I shaved, baby." He says.
"I don' wike it…" Peter responds, pout deepening.
Bucky and Tony both dissolve into giggles, clearly having been holding it in throughout the whole moment.
Peter turns to look between the two of them before turning back to Steve with a bewildered look that has Steve bursting into loud laughter as well. Peter whips his head around to look at the three of them as they laugh, eventually beginning to giggle himself.