"I've got an important announcement to make," Tony began. Natasha sighed. Every meeting this week had started with Stark making 'announcements.' Now it was just starting to get annoying. She wished she could switch places with Clint, since he had not even showed up yet.
"Do we really have to go through that again?" Bruce asked sarcastically. "Nothing you tell us is that important."
"Well, this one is different," Tony assured him. "Ok, here goes: I'm going to ask Pepper to marry me."
The room was silent. No one had pictured Tony Stark as the marrying type. However, he appeared to be serious.
"Well?"
"My deepest congratulations, Master Stark," Thor rose from his seat. The rest of the men chimed in, while Natasha stayed seated, still staring.
"Did I miss something important?" Clint had entered the room and was leaning over her shoulder. "Stark's proposing to Miss Potts," Natasha said.
"Really, that's great!" He joined the rest of the team while she continued to sit and think.
"Wow, Tony Stark wants to get married," she thought. "Must really care about someone a lot if you're willing to marry them."
Of course, she certainly did not feel that way to anyone. Didn't she?
Well, since the Chitauri invasion, she had become more attracted to Clint. Only it wasn't by assignment, it was infatuation. No, it wasn't! What was she thinking?!
Was it?
"Why do I feel this way every time Clint is near me?" She wondered.
Had Loki been right?
"Do I really…love him?"
*Later that night*
"Excuse me, may I have everyone's attention?" All eyes were on Tony as he moved over to Pepper's chair at the dinner table.
"I just told the team about it today, so I couldn't wait to do this." He went down on one knee and pulled out a sparkling diamond ring.
"Virginia Pepper Potts, I love you like crazy. I always have, and I always will." As Tony spoke, Pepper's eyes brimmed with tears.
"I want you to be my wife, the mother of my children, and my soulmate. So, will you marry me?"
Pepper immediately held out her hand so Tony could slip the ring on her finger. "Yes, of course!" she cried. "Of course I will!"
"Way to go, Stark! Congrats!" Clint was the first to congratulate the couple, and the rest of the team followed so. "This calls for a celebration!" Steve insisted. "Let's skip dinner and go right to dessert," Pepper suggested. "I could bake something." "There's a bakery across the street that has amazing pastries and cake," Bruce added. "I could go get some."
"Let's get this party started!" Tony grinned and kissed Pepper lovingly.
Natasha smiled at the couple, then snuck to the balcony.
Pepper noticed and followed her outside. "Hey, aren't you coming?" she asked. "In a minute," Natasha said.
Clint noticed the girls alone on the terrace, and stood by the door to listen.
"Is something wrong?" Pepper noticed her friend's concerned look on her pale face. "It's nothing," Natasha said. "I just… think I'm in love with Clint."
She faced Pepper and sighed. "I don't know what to do."
"Wow," Pepper said. "This is turning into some night." Natasha glared at her. "Okay, well, if you think you do love him, you should tell him."
"Oh no, I couldn't!" "Sure you could, you just need a little confidence."
Clint slowly snuck away, dumbfounded. Natasha was in love with him? He was amazed that she felt the same way he did about her. Now was his chance; she loved him, he loved her, he should just tell her!
"Natasha?" he went out to the balcony just as she was coming in. "Yes?"
She looked him with her beautiful green eyes, almost like emeralds. Clint tried to speak, but couldn't.
"Nothing," he said sheepishly, and walked away.
Later that night, everyone was cleaning the lounge from the party. Clint had decided that if Natasha needed help revealing her feelings, then so did he. Who better to ask than Tony, since he was the only one on the team in a real committed relationship.
"Stark, can I talk to you?"
"Fire away, Robin Hood," Tony shrugged. "Well, let's say," Clint started, "that hypothetically,I wanted to tell a certain person how I felt about them,but didn't know how. How would you?" "You mean Romanoff, don't you?" Tony chuckled, and playfully nudged his shoulder.
"I said hypothetically!" Clint interjected frustrated. "But…yes."
"Well, with the girl you have in mind, I honestly have no idea," Tony confessed. "But, if you really do care about her, just wait until the right time." "You mean like the way you did with Pepper?" Clint scoffed. "After you both nearly died in an explosion of robot soldiers?"
"Hey, no one's perfect, Legolas."
...
It would take Natasha and Clint the next three months before either of them said anything romance-related to each other, because Tony and Pepper had the whole team help them plan the ultimate wedding.
Hundreds of invitations were sent out, caterers appeared at the Avengers Tower nonstop,and several times a day LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" blared through the master stereo,with Tony hoping for Pepper's approval to play it as their first dance.
After the fifteenth 'No', he gave in and went with her choice of Seal's "Kiss From a Rose".
...
Finally, the big night arrived. Natasha, as Pepper's maid of honor, was helping the bride get into her dress. It was a gorgeous gown: halter-top, embroidery of blossoms on the bodice, and a princess tulle skirt. Natasha's bridesmaid dress was elegant but simple: a plain lavender color, strapless with matching high heels.
"Pepper, you look amazing," she smiled, as she fastened the halter around her friend's delicate neck. "Thanks," Pepper grinned at the redhead through the mirror."So do you. Have you and Clint talked yet?"
"Well, no, because we've all been playing wedding planner for the last several weeks." Natasha hinted. Pepper blushed, and continued to apply her mascara.
Soon the ceremony began.
800 eyes were turned to the back of the cathedral. Bruce and Natasha, as the best man and maid of honor, were the first down the aisle after Pepper's mother was escorted.
Linked arm in arm, they reached the altar then split apart, Natasha going left of the minister and Bruce taking his place beside a very nervous-looking Tony.
"You alright?" Bruce glanced at the groom, stifling a soft laugh. "Of course, sure, yeah," Tony stammered. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Then the organist began to play "Here Comes the Bride." Tony's knees started to buckle, and he began to sweat bullets. Bruce put his hand on his shoulder to steady him, and Tony mouthed his thanks.
Once Pepper reached the altar, Tony relaxed. He couldn't believe how beautiful she looked; her blonde hair hung in ringlets around her head, with ivory lilies woven in. The veil bounced off her curls and draped down her back, and beautifully accented the gown.
Their vows were recited and rings exchanged in a matter of minutes. "By the power vested in me by God and the state of New York," the priest concluded, "I now pronounce you man and wife." Tony took Pepper in his arms as they shared their first married kiss. The rest of the Avengers looked on, happy at the union of their friends.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Edward Stark!" The church burst into joyous applause as the bride and groom went hand and hand back up the aisle, smiling and waving to the guests.
At the reception hall, dinner was served: fillet mignon with stuffed mushrooms, braised asparagus in hollandaise sauce, and Caesar salad. Almost as soon as the last of the guests finished the meal, the newlyweds cut their cake: a five tier devil's food cake with chocolate fudge frosting, decorated with ivory fondant and roses.
Later, when everyone was invited to the dance floor after Tony and Pepper's first dance, almost every single guest flocked the space. Jane had come to town just for the occasion as Thor's date, so he had no trouble finding a partner. Bruce and Steve, however, had to muster up a bit of courage to ask a woman to dance, but once they began to sway in time with the music with a companion, their worries were forgotten.
The only people who weren't anywhere near the dancing were Clint and Natasha. He stood gaping in a corner, near the wedding party's table, while she sat at the other end of the room.
Natasha glanced at the archer slightly, without letting him notice.
What was she going to do? She couldn't keep her feelings hidden forever. How could she even admit it? What if he laughed at her, or worse, told the entire agency? She'd be humiliated right out of the program.
Oh the hell with it! "Just do it, Romanoff!" her conscience screamed through her head.
She forced herself up out of the chair and made her way across the room to Clint. "Barton, we need to talk," Natasha tapped his shoulder. Clint turned and faced her, alarmed. "Oh God," he thought. "Stark spilled, didn't he? Damn it, I'll kill him!"
He followed her to the garden outside, lighted with small paper lanterns floating on the small lily padded pond. "Listen, there's something I need to tell you," she began. "I…"
"No, wait." Clint interrupted her. "I need to tell you something, too. And…I just have to say it now, or I won't be able to later." Natasha looked astonishingly at him, unable to make a comeback.
"Alright," she sighed. "Go ahead." Clint took a deep breath and gingerly reached for her hand. "Natasha, ever since I can remember, I've been in love with you."
He saw Natasha give a small gasp, but continued. "I know, 'love is for children.' But why should it have to be? It shouldn't, and it isn't. I've always known I loved you, and it was stupid of me to keep it from you this long. So, I love you, Natasha Romanoff, and that's that."
Natasha was speechless. "Clint…you…" she stumbled on her words. Clint shifted back and forth. "You don't have to say anything right now. Just take all the time you need, it's no big deal." He stuck his hands in his pockets and started to stroll away.
"Wait!" Natasha shouted after him. He turned back and glanced at her. "This is quite a coincidence." she smiled.
She strode over to her partner, and tenderly wrapped her arms around his neck. Ever so softly, Natasha pressed her lips to Clint's. He almost pulled away, but returned the kiss, putting his hands on her waist.
The pair held each other close and continued the embrace for what seemed like an eternity, but neither even cared. All that mattered to them now, was each other.