The day of the reception dawned bright and clear. I had started it with Steve, looking over the space (the main facility's atrium had been temporarily made over as an event venue). And pivoted to welcoming out of town guests and dignitaries. I had cousins coming from all over the country, and Steve and I got to say hello to our Wakandan friends again, although this time it was rather more formal: T'Challa and his entourage, rather than Naledi and Bucky. I gave over hosting duties to Steve, and disappeared to get ready. My hair and nails and primping would take considerably longer than his, not that he was going to be any less in the spotlight than I was, but I knew I had a lot more riding on my appearance tonight than he did. I was just going to be under more scrutiny than him, both because it was going to be my first public appearance, and because I was a woman. Normally I would bristle at the double standard, but it didn't rankle so much tonight. I was prepped. I was ready. I was gorgeous, and I was happy. I'd forged my place here, and that nagging doubt that I didn't belong had quieted until I couldn't hear it anymore. Damage Control needed me here. The Avengers needed me here. And, most importantly, Steve needed me here.
Speaking of, all finished with my prep and with minutes to spare before the official start of the evening's events, I stepped into the green-room on the second floor space to meet back up with Steve. His face lit up when he saw me come in, and I could feel the glow in my heart travelling up to my own face. He was wearing a three-piece navy suit, and I realised that with the red of my dress, we looked very patriotic. Presumably Pepper had a hand in this, and knew what she was doing, but I worried it might be too on the nose. Too late now.
"You're stunning," he said, taking my hand as I did a little twirl, before he drew me in for a kiss.
"Careful, you'll mess my makeup." I said, once I caught my breath again. "I feel like a stranger with this much piled on, but Pepper convinced me it's good to look a bit less like myself and to think of it like privacy armour."
"Hey, don't knock armour." Tony interrupted as he burst in from the atrium. "It's saved my ass more than once."
"How's it looking out there?" Steve asked.
"Everyone's here and ready to get this party started. We're all just waiting for the happy couple. How are you two doing so far?"
"Ready if you are," Steve said, looking to me.
I resisted the urge to pull out my notes and read them over one more time. If I didn't know them by now I never would. "Can't think of anything else."
"There was one more thing," Tony said, and he reached for a small box on a side table. "Pepper told me to pass this on to you. She said it's on loan from Harry Winston for tonight."
I opened the box. Inside was a stunning diamond necklace, in a victorian fringe style.
"Oh," I breathed, "It's beautiful."
"Here, let me," Steve said. He carefully lifted it out of the box as I turned, and reached around my neck, fastening the clasp at my nape.
"You don't think it's maybe too much? I don't know that I can pull it off."
"You look beautiful in it," he said, not even glancing at the necklace, eyes lighting over my face.
Well I guess he's not going to be any help. "I suppose they're waiting for us," I sighed.
"Let me announce you," Tony put in, "'Mr. and Mrs. America' That's your cue to come in."
"Captain and Mrs. Rogers," I corrected. That was one of the things I had ironed out with Pepper. I would keep Dr. Breton for personal and professional use, but for the public and media I was happy to be Mrs. Rogers. "Mrs. America is a pageant queen, not me."
"You never let me have any fun," Tony pouted.
"Are you ready?" Steve asked me.
"Ready as I'll ever be."
"Right." Steve nodded at Tony who strode out the double doors to announce our entrance to the room.
Steve and I swept through the doors to a barrage of flash bulbs. I was momentarily over-awed, but Steve's solid presence by my side anchored me.
I remembered the tips Pepper had given me for smiling naturally through the flash, and we followed the directions of the photographers for a few posed shots before descending the staircase to the main floor.
I made it a point to take Steve to welcome my family members who I hadn't seen yet today before we broke up and I turned my head towards working the crowd.
I had been afraid of rambling on too much about my work, but Pepper had told me to go right ahead. She said enthusiasm was infectious and that I came alive when I got to a topic I was excited about - people would pick up on that energy. In the end it wasn't so bad. I was worried about how my family would blend with the Avengers, and with the press. I really didn't want my crazy Uncle Fred's pet political theories colouring my entrance into the public eye. But Pepper reassured me that she had hand selected the journalists invited to the party, and had tasked a couple lower-level compound staff with attending on Uncle Fred, lending an ear and keeping him happy for the night so I could concentrate on managing my own public persona.
Pepper was right. Practicing in advance had made things easier. I felt some nervous jitters during my first media interview, but by the end of the night, I had my spiel down pat.
How did you meet? "We crossed paths on the job."
How do you feel about taking Captain America off the market? "I don't know about all that, I'm just happy with my Steve."
What's it like living with the Avengers? "Everyone's been very kind. And it's nice to be able to talk shop freely. I've known Tony for ages, but all the Avengers at once is as much as you'd imaging it would be."
The dignitaries were a bit easier to handle. They were used to dealing with professionals, and I had formality to fall back on. I couldn't help talking up Damage Control and the importance of funding ecological protection work, so it felt like I was actually being productive. Which was more fun than just everyone focusing on me.
But it wasn't all working the crowd alone. Some of it I got to spend arm-in-arm with Steve, introducing him to my extended family, cousins and uncles, and getting to meet some of his friends and acquaintances like his and Sam's buddies from the VA and a quiet, scholarly woman from the Smithsonian.
The party started to thin out. First the media and dignitaries left, then elderly friends, family and coworkers. When it was just a few hard partiers left, clearly intent on drinking and dancing till dawn, Steve and I made our excuses and exited to the same green-room we had started in. I was supposed to change out of my red dress and leave it there before we headed up to our apartment suite. A few hours back, an armed escort had arrived to collect the borrowed diamonds, so I didn't have to worry about those.
Steve lead the way, and when I stopped to close the door behind me, he rounded on me, spinning me around to face him, and wrapping his arms around me to surround me with his scent.
"You're amazing," he said, holding me closer, "You charmed everyone."
"I'm just relieved it went so well."
"Mmmm," he mused in agreement.
I didn't repress my happy giggle. "And don't think I didn't notice all the disappointed women in the room. 'Captain America is off the market,' I can just see the tabloids now. But I'm the one who caught you."
"And happy to be caught. Now they've seen you, I know they understand why. You wowed them. But you're all mine. And this..." he lifted a hand to trace down the side of my neck to my shoulder then along the dropped neckline of my gown, "you look ravishing. The dress may have been for them, but who's inside the dress chose me."
"You're right. I'm your wife," I pressed my body into his, giving him the encouragement to take things further. "Why don't you prove you know what to do with me."
He claimed my mouth in his, kissing me with a passion that I wasn't expecting. He really had gotten all riled up by the attention I had gotten. I let my hands rove down his back, feeling his form under his suit and coming to a rest cupping his ass. He let out a moan of appreciation into my mouth that made me weak at the knees and I leaned backward until I felt the door behind my back, supporting me. This left me with more concentration to focus on making out with my husband. I had completely lost track of time when I finally broke for air, my soft pants harmonious with Steve's heavy breathing. He wrapped his hands around my waist and dropped his face into my uplifted cleavage. He seemed content to dwell there, softly sweeping his lips across the top of my bosom.
"This dress," he growled. "You're gorgeous in it."
"We're a pair now. You're so damn hot, I knew I had to up my game. Red and tight and sexy, figured it would help me come close."
"Sexy is right. And I'm not the only one who noticed. They all want you, but I'm the only one who gets to do anything about it."
"So, let's see you do something about it," I teased, and gripped his hand in mine, then led him out the green-room and towards the elevators to our apartment.