EPILOGUE
Bruce stood in front of the hotel room, checking his watch every five minutes and tapping his foot impatiently. He'd been told to tell Clint when the bride was actually ready. Clint and Natasha were renewing their vows, seeing as their actual wedding had been cut slightly short when the guests realized they were only invited because they were Clint and Natasha's targets.
Steve stood in front of Clint, fixing his tie. "Now, Clint," Steve began, "don't do anything rash, like burst into tears. And remember, this is your day too. Don't let Tony tell you otherwise. "
"Thanks Steve, I'm glad I asked you to be my best man…" Clint breathed a sigh of relief and looked at himself in the mirror. "I clean up good."
"That you do, big man," Delilah stood at the door of the room. She wore a dress the colour of Natasha's hair, and looked absolutely stunning. "Bruce wanted me to let you guys know that Natasha just finished getting ready, so I would take your places at the alter. Brace, Thor and day are already there."
"Thanks kid," Clint smiled at the dumbfounded look on Steve's face as Delilah left the room. "You two kill me."
"How does he look? He looks good, right? His black eye faded, right?" Natasha asked as Delilah, Pepper and Maria Hill walked towards the room where the wedding was to be taking place.
"He look amazing Natasha, don't worry. Everything will go perfectly." Natasha may be as cool as a cucumber when it came to battle, but when it came to love, and more specifically Clint, she was a nervous wreck.
"And the rest of them? Are they behaving?"
"Yes. Bruce has been ridiculously calm today, which is very good. Tony has been sedated. Thor has eaten a box of Pop tarts, so he's happy… and Steve is well… he's Steve."
"Good. I'm glad. Thanks for being my Maid of Honor, by the way. It's helped."
"My pleasure. You've helped me a lot, hell you and Clint let me stay at your house in Brooklyn when I moved back a few years ago, it's the least I could do." After Paris, Delilah had moved to London for two years, where she was in constant contact with almost all of the Avengers, aside from Thor, because he'd been stuck in Asgard doing god knows what. Finally, she'd been transferred back to New York, and in order to help here assimilate back into the city, she'd stayed at Clint's old apartment in Brooklyn, then had moved to Chelsea, where she currently lived with Erik, who was now solely a friend, seeing as he was dating a waitress from L.A who he'd met back when he had lived there for six months.
Delilah walked down the aisle and took in her surroundings. After being very single for a very long time, it was nice to see a few happy couples. The makeshift chapel had been decorated with roses that had been dyed purple and red. The room was small, which was good. In the few seats sat Director Fury, as well as a large number of S.H.I.E.L.D agents. In the front row, was a seat left empty, left for the man that made this relationship possible: Phil Coulson.
Steve honestly didn't know how to feel. Today was the perfect day for Natasha and Clint, yet he couldn't feel happy for his friends, because he was still so in love with Delilah, it was hard to bare.
"I was in Paris."
"Wow. Hey Steve. How are you? Please, come in!" Delilah let him into her apartment. It was tiny yet everything he'd ever could have imagined. It felt as if he had just waltzed into a novel set in the 1930's. It was beautiful. It was Delilah.
"How are you?" He asked as they sat down to a cup of tea.
"Good, very good. I'm actually getting moved to London next year, which is quite exciting. I'm really happy, but I have to admit I do miss the States every so often…. How are you?"
"Good. I'm actually here on a mission. We finished early, so I thought I'd swing by and see you. You're dad gave me your address."
"That's great…" an awkward silence followed. Neither knew what to say. The hadn't ended things on perfect terms, and neither knew where they sat in terms of one another.
Without thinking, Steve put down his tea and pulled Delilah towards him. He placed one of his hands on her waist and the other on the side of her face. He leaned in, giving her enough time to fully pull back if she wished to, but she didn't. Their lips met, but neither felt it was right. Steve wasn't such which one of them pulled back first, but after some more awkward small talk, he decided it might be best to leave.
"It was great see you Steve, I'm sure I'll see you next time I'm in your neck of the woods." They embraced, but it felt as if they were hugging friends they'd fallen out with and were only just seeing again after years had passed; they didn't feel comfortable around one another anymore.
"Bye."
She'd been back in New York for a year and a half, and they were starting to become more comfortable around each other. Steve still loved her, he knew that much. Loving her to him was like breathing, it came naturally, and as much as he tried, it couldn't live without it.
As she made her way down the aisle and to her spot beside Pepper, he couldn't keep his eyes off of her, as much as he tried.
Maria watched as Steve stared at Delilah. It was cute; even she had to admit it. As much as she'd like to have a gorgeous, chivalrous man pining after her, she was perfectly happy thank you very much. Her and Bruce had been dating for months, and she thought he was perfect, and hopefully he thought the same of her.
She's perfect, Bruce thought as he looked at Maria. She was everything he wanted and more. She was beautiful, smart, funny, creative, thoughtful, and kick-ass. He didn't know what he'd do without her.
Damn, I'm lucky. Tony Stark honestly didn't know how he'd ended up in a life like this. He should have died in Afghanistan, but he'd been saved, and he now planned to live his life the way it should be: in love, a good-ish father, and partying, while also at least trying to help people. He had the most beautiful wife. He had the best kids in the entire world, no matter if they wanted to speak to him or not. He was loving life right now.
Pepper Potts-Stark was one lucky woman, and she knew that. She loved what she did and who she worked for, and who she had married, and the daughter she had inherited from that. She was truly happy.
Thor loved Jane, and Jane loved Thor, and that was all Thor cared about.
I love her, Clint thought.
I love him, thought Natasha.
Delilah felt like she was drowning; yet flying at the same time. She loved to be around the people she loved; yet she was lost. She knew her job could possibly fall through. The bands people who read the Magazine wanted to see, were not the people doing shows. She didn't know what to do. She also was lost with Steve. He looked amazing, in his tuxedo that fit him amazingly in all the right places. She knew she loved him, but she didn't know if she was okay with admitting it at loud just yet, but soon, she promised her self she would.
"It was a gorgeous ceremony," Steve muttered to Delilah as he took her arm. They were walking down the aisle behind the newly renewed couple.
"You are very right." She loved the way his arm felt wrapped around hers. She loved him.
"Everyone, smile." The group stood on a grand staircase in a Manhattan hotel. Somehow, Delilah and Steve had ended up together. "Now, ladies, In want you to all step in front of the men, and our beautiful bride on groom will be sitting at the foot of the stairs," the photographer said. Supposedly, according to Tony, he was the best wedding photographer around. As Delilah went to take a step down, her foot slipped and she felt herself go tumbling forward, when all of the sudden, she wasn't. She looked up and there stood Steve, his hand wrapped around his forearm, catching her.
"Thanks," she said, smiling up at him."
"My pleasure." He loved her.
"Do you ever realize how alone you are?" Delilah asked as she leaned on the railing of the balcony, her back to him. The wedding party and guests had all headed back to Stark Tower to eat, drink and be merry, be Delilah was feeling anything but merry.
"Yes, I do," Steve replied, as he came over to stand beside her. He'd come outside to see why she was all alone, and he understood: she was lonely.
"I know you do. You would probably be the sole person to actually have a right to feel this way."
"No. Everyone has the right to feel."
"That was deep."
"I know," he said, taking a swig of his drink. The Manhattan skyline was on full display in front of them, and the summer air felt like a breath of fresh air to the stuffy heat of the Tower. Even though the tower was fully equipped with all that one could need, with a lot of people, it still felt stuffy and warm.
"I love you," she said quietly, so only he would be able to hear if anyone were to be eavesdropping, though both doubted there would be. She felt as if a weight had been lifter off her shoulders, and she was swimming towards the surface, almost in the reach of a new breath.
"I love you too." He took her hand in his and they looked out over the city together, feeling their loneliness begin to dissipate.
Delilah Stark and Steve Rogers loved each other, and that was all they truly knew.
