"Last chance to back out, Cap."
"I'm good."
"You sure?" Tony asked "Because I can have a pair of suits here in 90 seconds."
"Tony, we're at my wedding."
The super soldier and the billionaire genius stood side by side in the middle of Central Park on a warm autumn day, wearing matching tuxedos and blue silk bow ties as the sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky. Despite his better judgement, Steve chose Tony Stark to be his best man. And for the past three months, Iron Man became Iron Genie.
Whatever Steve and Natasha wanted for their wedding, Tony made it happen. Steve and Natasha wanted an outdoor wedding, so Tony created an algorithm to determine the day with the least amount of rain. Steve and Natasha wanted to get married in Central Park, so Tony rented them the Bow Bridge. Steve wanted the men from his World War Two unit to attend, so Tony tracked them all down and flew them out to New York. Natasha was worried about their enemies coming out of the woodwork during the ceremony, so Tony convinced Thor to bring a squad of Asgardian soldiers to guard the wedding. Steve wanted to spend his bachelor party playing poker, so Tony rented out half the Las Vegas strip. Natasha couldn't find a wedding dress she liked, so Tony hired the best fashion designers in the world to design her gown. Truly, the billionaire was the perfect best man. Until the day of the wedding.
"I don't think Natasha would be very happy with me if I left her standing at the altar," Steve whispered.
"Which is why I can have the suits fly us to a remote tropical island where she can't find us. Sorry," Tony apologized as Steve started to glare at him "It's just...you're really want to go through with it?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"It's marriage. It's like, the ultimate commitment," Tony described "Just because you're soulmates doesn't mean you won't have problems. What if it doesn't work out? What if it falls apart after you have kids? How do you tell little Tony Jr-?"
"Tony Jr?"
"What?"
"You said Tony Jr," Steve answered.
"No, I didn't. I said...Cap Jr," the billionaire disputed anxiously.
"Tony," Steve gave his best man a curious look as he asked "Are you thinking about proposing to Pepper?"
"What? Of course not." Iron Man's face turned stark white as he let put a nervous laugh "Quit putting words in my mouth, Cap."
"Okay."
"Alright, fine! Yes, you and your stupid wedding put the stupid of idea of stupid marriage in my head," Tony confessed in a hushed tone, careful not let his soulmate and the maid of honor hear what he was saying "I caught her trying on a gown back when Natasha was looking at dresses and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I love Pepper," Tony rambled "But what if I'm not ready? What if she is? What if I ask and she saw no? What if she says yes?"
"What are you guys talking about?" Pepper asked, the maid of honor wearing a red silk gown on the opposite end of the bridge.
"Nothing honey," Tony lied as he forced a smile "just regular guy stuff." The billionaire forced a laugh as he leaned over to Steve and whispered "She's onto me."
"Tony, I understand that you are going through something very serious right now," Steve acknowledged "And I want to help you. But can you try and hold it together long enough for me to get married?"
"Right. Right. This is your day," Tony acknowledged, taking a shaky breath "You sure you want to do this?"
"If you ask me that one more time, I am going to punch you in your teeth," Steve whispered. The soldier's heart skip a beat as the musicians began to play, signaling the rest of the wedding party to fall in: Wanda and Vision, Thor and Jane, and last but not least, Clint and Natasha.
The soldier felt a massive smile spread across his face at the sight of his soulmate walking up the bridge with Clint, the red-headed assassin wearing a shoulderless gown of the purest white silk, the torso covered in red ruby studs holding a bouquet of red roses. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun, her soft green eyes sparkling, a bright and vibrant smile on her face.
Steve let out a gasp as Natasha met him at the top of the bridge, the red-headed spy handing her bouquet to Pepper before she placed her hands in his. "You look beautiful," he whispered.
"You don't look too bad yourself."
The two soulmates stared lovingly into each other's eyes at the priest began to speak, the spy taking a deep breath once it was time to read the vows.
"After I lost my parents, my childhood was...less than ideal. And for a long time, I hated myself. I thought that I didn't deserve anything good, and that if my soulmate was out there, he was better off never finding me. No matter how much my best friend told me otherwise," Natasha added, glancing at Clint "But then I met my soulmate, my sweetheart. And he convinced me that us being together wasn't giving each other something that we deserved, but giving each other something that we needed. Sweetheart, you helped me to see a part of me that I didn't even know I had, the good part. That is something I sorely needed before I met you. And for reasons I may never understand, you need me. I don't know if I will ever be good enough to deserve, but I will strive to be good enough everyday for the rest of our lives together," Natasha took a shaky breath as she pledged "I promise to love you, to support you, to protect you, and to stand by you, always. Side by side in our army of two. Forever."
"When I first woke up in the twenty-first century, I was convinced that my soulmate was you lost from me forever. That I would spend the rest of life alone in the cold, trapped in a world I didn't understand. Then I walked onto the SHIELD helicarrier and met the most amazing woman I have ever known. My soulmate. My darling," Steve added, causing Natasha to smile "Who has filled my life with more light and warmth than I ever could've imagined. A psychotic genocidal robot once claimed that I couldn't live without a war. And he was right. Nat without you, I am just a windup soldier. Waiting for his next mission. But with you in my life, I am the happiest man alive. When I'm with you, I'm home. You are my home, Natasha. And from this day forward, I will do whatever it takes to become your home." Steve felt his throat swell shut as he vowed "I promise to love you, to support you, to protect you, and to stand by you, always. Side by side in our army of two. Forever."
Jane gave her soulmate a look as he blew his nose loudly. "Sweetie, are you crying?"
Thor sniffled as he dried his eyes. "It's just so beautiful."
"It is now time for the rings," the priest announced.
Tony stepped forward and handed Steve a pair of golden wedding bands. "Last chance to back out."
"Shut up and give me the rings." Steve hissed. The first Avenger turned back to his soulmate and handed her one the rings, the two of them smiling brightly as they slipped them onto each other's fingers.
The priest smiled warmly as he declared. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
The crowd cheered as Steve pulled Natasha close, the two of them sharing their first kiss as husband and wife.
"Attention. Attention," Tony announced, the billionaire standing in the middle of large white banquet tent where the reception was being held, raising a glass of champagne as he got up from his seat. "Time for best man speech. When I first met Cap, he was a cranky, uptight grandpa in a frat boy's body with a heart of gold. And now, he's still an old man in frat boy's body," Tony admitted "but he's a little less uptight and a lot less cranky. And that is all thanks to Natasha. His soulmate and my second favorite redhead. When I met Nat, she was an enigma. Who kept her heart guarded by a suit of armor not unlike the one I use to protect my pretty face when the Avengers are out saving the world. And after saving the world with our fellow Avengers and many, many nights of cuddling with Cap on my couch, she took her armor off. And I learned that she has one the kindest hearts that I have ever known. I know I could stand here and wish you two a lifetime of happiness, but I won't. Because it's clear to me that as long as you two are together, you'll always have all the happiness you could ever need. Whether you're sharing a kiss on the Eiffel Tower or knee deep in the trenches defending the world from aliens. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you guys," Tony said with a smile "To Steve and Natasha!"
"To Steve and Natasha!" The wedding guest repeated, raising their glasses high.
The bride and groom both gave Tony a deeply touched smile, their eyes filled with gratitude.
"Well, I many not be the best man, but I'd like to say something," Clint decided, standing up from his seat "If that's okay with the bride and groom. I've known Nat longer than anyone here. I've watched her go from SHIELD's most wanted to one of Earth's mightiest heroes. From a colleague to a part of my family. And all I've ever wanted was to convince her that she deserved to be happy. But I couldn't. But you did Cap. And I can never thank you enough for the happiness you've brought to Natasha's life. The same happiness that I found with my soulmate," Clint added as he took Laura's hand "It's a lot easier for this old archer to hang up his bow knowing you two will have each other's backs. Now you're about to face the greatest mission of all: marriage. It's not easy. Not by a long shot. But it's worth it, everyday. So as the original married Avenger, let me tell you how me and Laura have made it work all this time. The four nevers: First, never forget to make time for each other because that will make sure you follow rule two, which is never let the spark go out. The best way to do that is to never forget the little things you did when you first fell in love. And most important of all, never go to bed angry, because that's the way little fights turn into big fights. And here's two extra ones for you, Cap: Never forget to call me when Nat drives you crazy and never, ever hurt her," Clint emphasized "or I will hunt you down and put an arrow in your eye."
The wedding guest laughed as Steve put up his hands in mock surrender, right before he pressed his lips against Natasha's cheek.
"You better kiss her," Clint threatened with chuckle "I wish you nothing but the best. To the bride and groom!"
"To the bride and groom!" the guests repeated.
"I'd like to say something as well," Thor announced, his eyes still red and puffy as he rose to his feet "Anyone that knows me knows that I am a firm believer in fate. That it guides our steps through trials to make us stronger and prepare us for our destiny. Fate also binds our heart with another, long before we are born. And then fate guides us to that person so that we may walk through life together. On Asgard, the day that soulmates pledge their lives to each other is a day of great joy. And I can think of few more deserving of that joy than Rogers and Romanoff. Though I've only known them for a short time in my fifteen hundred years, they have quickly become some of my nearest and dearest friends. And it warms my heart to the core to see you two-," the prince of Asgard pinched his nose as he felt the familiar sting of tears "Blast it, Thor. You promised you wouldn't cry during your speech."
"Thought he was the god of thunder," Tony whispered "not the god of tears."
"Don't judge me Stark! Just because I'm a god doesn't mean I can't show emotion," Thor snapped, right before he cleared his throat "Now, where was I?"
"Nearest and dearest friends," Jane whispered.
"Right. Thank you, my love. I consider Rogers and Romanoff as some of my nearest and dearest friends," Thor repeated "And it warms my heart to the core to see you two so in love. May the All-Fathers bless you with countless of love and happiness."
Steve and Natasha smiled warmly as the guests let out a collective "aw", the soldier and spy mouthing the words "thank you" to their friends.
"Alright, now that the tear-jerking speeches are over, it's time to celebrate," Tony announced "Drink up, everybody!"
And they did. They drank. They laughed. They danced. They gave Steve and Natasha kind words, warm wishes and wrapped gifts. Truly, the wedding day of Captain America and the Black Widow was a magical one.
Then it happened. Natasha threw the bouquet. Right into Pepper's arms.
The strawberry-blonde business woman gave her soulmate a smile as she smelled the flowers in her hands.
"Tony, you okay?" Rhodey asked, noticing the pale expression on his best friend's face.
"Who me? Pfft. I'm fine," Tony lied in an unconvincing tone "Heart's beating a little fast. Think my chestpiece might need a tuneup.
"Tony, you had your chest piece removed two years ago."
"I did? Oh well, there's the problem."
"Why is Stark so frightened by flowers?" Thor asked "Do they devour flesh like the ones from the land of the trolls?"
"It's an old Earth tradition," Clint explained "Whoever catches the bride's bouquet is supposed to be the next to get married."
"The flowers of the bride speak the will of fate?"
"So they say."
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" the god of thunder grumbled as he took another sip of his drink "If I had known that, I would've tried to catch them."
"Attention all Falcon airline passengers." Sam Wilson shouted as he stood on the boarding ramp of a Quinjet parked in the middle of the grass "The final flight to Paris, France is boarding now."
As the newlyweds prepared to leave for their honeymoon, they came across Thor and Jane, the god of thunder once again in tears.
"I'm so sorry about him," Jane apologized "He had a little too much to drink and now he thinks the three of you aren't going to be friends anymore."
"What? Why would he think that?" Natasha asked.
"You two just got married," Thor sobbed "and now you're going to go off on your honeymoon and then settle down in a quaint little cottage, raise a half little Avengers and the three of us will never fight the forces of evil together again."
"Thor," Steve struggled to keep a straight face as he tried to console his friend "Just because Nat and I are married doesn't mean we're not going to see and the others anymore."
"Really?"
"Of course. Steve and I just got married. We're not ready to have kids yet," Natasha assured him.
"And when that day does come, those kids are going to see you as family," Steve promised "Just like we do."
Thor let out a sniffle as he asked. "I get to be Uncle Thor?"
"You get to be Uncle Thor."
The prince of Asgard cracked a smile as a new river of tears formed in his eyes. "You two really are some of the best friends I have ever had." The prince of Asgard sobbed as he pulled his friends into a massive hug. "I know I'm still crying but these are happy tears."
"Good to know," Natasha croaked out as she struggled to breathe.
"Thank you so much for inviting us to your special day," Thor told the bride and groom as he released them from his grasp "I'm sorry I've been blubbering all day. But to be fair, I did tell you I cry at weddings."
"Yes you did love," Jane coddled, gently rubbing her soulmates shoulder as they walked away "and there's nothing wrong with that."
"A man needs to cry every now and then," Thor justified "He can't keep his emotions in all the time. It's not healthy."
"Alright, alright man tears. Move it along," Tony hurried "We need to keep things on schedule. Don't want the happy couple to miss the sunrise."
"Sunrise?" Steve repeated "It's three in the afternoon."
"Not in Paris. I timed the flight to you two would make it to your room by sunrise," Tony explained "so that your honeymoon will start in the ultimate romantic setting. It's a very tight window and you're about to miss it. Now move, move, move!"
"Okay. Okay," Steve chuckled as he led Natasha onto the jet, looking back for a moment with a deeply grateful expression. "Thank you, Tony. For everything."
The billionaire smiled. "Have a great trip, Mr. Romanoff."
"And you ruined the moment," Steve said with a chuckle.
"Steve," Natasha called from the top of the jet ramp "You wife wants the sun rise in Paris."
Steve's smile widened. "She's my wife now," he told Tony.
"I know, Cap. I was there."
"Steve!" Natasha repeated.
"Coming darling!"
"Whoa." Steve's eyes widened as he and Natasha walked inside their hotel room, a massive luxury suit with red velvet carpet, a bottle champagne chilled in ice, a stack of gift baskets piled in the corner, a balcony and king-size brass bed with silk sheets, covered in rose petals, and a box of strawberry-covered strawberries. "This place is bigger than my old apartment back in Brooklyn."
"Is that the Eiffel Tower?" Natasha led her husband onto the balcony where they could see the entire French capital below. Sure enough, the iconic Parisian landmark was in full view, the morning sun rising behind it.
Steve was amazed. "Tony really did time it so we would see the sunrise."
"It's beautiful. I'm going to freshen up," Natasha decided.
"Okay. I'll see about having room service bring us some breakfast," Steve told her following his wife inside. After translating the menus by the bed and ordering some croissants, coffee and mixed fruit, Steve took a look at some the presents sitting in the corner, his eyes widening in surprise when he noticed the one labeled from Thor: a large trunk bursting at the seams with gold and flawless gems.
Before he could even imagine the worth all that could be in the chest, Steve answered the hotel phone as it rang. "Hello?"
"Congratulations Captain Rogers."
Steve's eyes widened at the sound of Nick Fury's voice.
"Sorry Hill and I couldn't make it to the ceremony," the former leader of SHIELD apologized "You know how demanding our work can be."
"I...understand. Do you want to talk to Natasha?" Steve offered.
"I can't talk long, you know how it is," Fury declined in a regretful tone "Just give her our best. And Rogers," the one-eyed spy's voice became surprisingly dark as he warned "If you hurt her, I'll know." And the line went dead.
Steve shook his head in disbelief as he hung up the phone. Why was everybody threatening him on his wedding day?
"Steve," Natasha called from the bathroom "Can you here for a sec? I need help getting out of my dress."
"Coming darling," he called as he walked into the bathroom "Nat, you will not believe what Thor...good God almighty." Steve's eyes widened as he found his wife sitting in the bathtub, surrounded by bubbles and scented candles.
Natasha gave her husband a sultry smirk as she let her Russian accent slip into her voice. "I know it's not swimming with the dolphins, but I thought you might like it."
"I do," Steve confirmed, trying to fight off what he could only describe as an asthma attack "How did you set this up so fast?"
"Believe it or not, it was like this when I got here. Tony really thought of everything," Natasha praised, slowly running the water over her arms "Would you like to join me, Mr. Rogers?"
"Absolutely, Mrs. Rogers. I'll just tell room service to take their time with our breakfast and I'll be right back."
"And sweetheart?"
"Yes darling?" Steve asked as he poked his head into the bathroom, his shirt now completely unbuttoned.
"Bring the champagne and strawberries," Natasha requested.
"Coming right up."
They stayed in that tub for three hours.