They left the Emergency Room and went out for a nice dinner before spending the night watching bad Kung-Fu movies from the 70s and cuddling on their plush king sized bed. Tony fell asleep that night inhaling the enticing combination mahogany, citrus and sandalwood- the familiar and sweet scent that was distinctly Tiberius'. He dreamed that night of a life so perfect he couldn't never have it, not even in his dreams and felt comforted by the idea that what he had with Ty was close enough for someone who had no right to even be alive.
The two of them got an earlier start than usual to get ready for the ceremony only hours away. Tony-ever the sharply dressed- put on a dark navy blue suit with a charcoal gray dress shirt and a black tie along with a black and white pair of classic Nike sneakers. Of course the outfit was thrown slightly off by the black arm sling and cast he was sporting but he still looked damn good. Ty reappeared in the living room wearing a form hugging black suit, black shirt and a matching black tie, the whole get up made his eyes look like they were glowing. In one word Tony found him gloriously, elegantly and devastatingly sexy right now. Okay four words.
Pulling up to the church in one of Tony's many absurdly expensive cars they were a bit taken aback by a.) the fact the Steve and Bucky had chosen such a public and beautiful venue, he didn't think they'd care if they were married in a barn for all it mattered to them. And b.) The hoards of Paparazzi and civilians swarming the front entrance to catch a glimpse of the couple of any one of the famous super-powered guests that would be in attendance. Well as close as they could get to the entrance anyways. Police officers stood on guard and had barricaded a wide stretch of sidewalk allowing a lot of space for guests to enter the church, they even had a few streets closed off to redirect traffic away from the event.
"All this for a wedding?" Ty mused as he took Tony's good arm and helped him out of the car.
"They're New York's golden boys." Tony returned with a big goofy smile that killed him to summon and an exaggerated wave for the cameras.
Inside they found seats that were much too close to the alter than Tony would have liked. Glancing around they saw everybody from the X-Men to the Fantastic Four to a few people dressed in military uniforms and of course every last Avenger and SHEILD agent imaginable. If they were in the world saving game they were here and considering that no one on the team, save a certain Asgaurdian, had any actual family to speak of he knew it meant a lot to all of them. Including himself. Bringing him out of his thoughts was Ty's arm resting itself over his shoulders and pulling him in close, Tony gazed deeply into the other man's ice-blue eyes before all attention was turned elsewhere.
George Gershwin's Someone To Watch Over Me began to flow in and cradle the sanctuary, brushing along the vast ceiling arches and delicate stained glass windows that rose up the walls and bathed the church in a warm golden light. Everyone stood up and looked towards the huge wooden doors opening behind them. Entering first was Steve walking alongside Thor.
Steve was dressed in an impeccable black suit with a crisp white dress shirt and silk black tie- looking as genuinely perfect as anyone could imagine him. Thor in all of his royal poise striding besides him in the same classic three-piece gray suit with a white shirt and silver tie that all of the groomsmen were wearing but it seemed to leave Thor looking even more God-like than usual. Tony had refused to let himself linger on the choice of the best man, he understood why Steve couldn't have asked it of him and now that he was here he couldn't be more grateful. They reached the alter and took their designated places- Steve looking more nervous that Tony previously believed humanly possible. Watching the super soldier draw in a deep, full bodied breath and Thor grinning his lionhearted grin behind him left a dead feeling inside Tony's chest.
He wanted more than anything in the world for Steve to see him, just a glance. But right now the love of his life only had eyes for the love of his own. Bucky was halfway to the alter when Tony ripped his stare off of Steve. Arm in arm with Natasha who wore a strapless dress the same shade of gray as the others with black patent leather high heels and a matching hair piece with bird-cage netting that came down over her emerald eyes. Bucky was in an intricate Victorian style suit in all white with a dark navy blue tie and Converse. He looked more than remarkable in the outfit but what served as the focal point were the crutches Bucky was walking on. Still clearly recovering from their mission just a week ago, Natasha also served as balance support to prevent any painful jostling as he steadily approached his fiance. Nat gave him off to Steve who's smile right now could power the entire country.
It all proceeded seamlessly and soon enough it was time to exchange vows. Tony regretted not moving to the back when he had the chance because now he couldn't leave without every last person there watching him do it. Tony prayed to be somehow transported somewhere else, anywhere else but here in Brooklyn, New York, in their hometown, in this immaculate church, at this wedding that was so utterly perfect. This wedding that might have been his.
"Steve..." Bucky started to speak and Tony could hardly bear it.
"I've been in love with you since 1933. Whether I was waking up in our old orphanage, on the front lines, in some Godforsaken Russian laboratory, in this new century I'm still getting a grip on or when I'm luckier than I have any right to be-next to you I wake up with your name on my lips. When the world became dark and I didn't even remember my own name, I held on to yours. You're the one thing that no one could take from me, the one thing that has and always will be mine alone to protect, to cherish and to hold. Until the world stops turning I will place you above all else. From this day I vow to keep your heart in place of my own, to defend you even when you're wrong and love you fiercely for every second that you'll have me."
Bucky's voice started sounding chocked near the end and Steve's eyes were glassy and red.
"Bucky, I can't begin to count the times you've saved me from everything from death to my own thoughts. You have always loved me for all I am and all I'm not... the skinny little runt who doesn't know when to say when, the stubborn soldier running headlong into enemy territory with no semblance of a plan, Captain America or the guy who sometimes yells at the TV in the morning- they're all the same in your eyes. A lifetime of never feeling quite good enough for anybody or anything but then I see you and that little half-smile you get when something turns out better than you expected it to...and I know without a doubt that this is all I could have ever dreamed to be because you're here with me. From this day I vow to keep you in my embrace always, to serve as the air in your lungs and the blood in your veins. I am happily forever indebted to you for making the ocean pulse, the stars light up and my life worth living. My one and my all."
Not a dry eye in the house. The priest then asked for the rings and an arrow with an adhesive tip whistled through the air and secured itself to the pulpit. On the tail of the arrow were two white-gold wedding bands hanging from a white ribbon, Steve took one and Bucky took the other. At this point Tony was biting the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood.
"Do you James Buchanan Barnes take Steven Grant Rogers as your lawfully wedded husband for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
"And do you Steven Grant Rogers take James Buchanan Barnes to be your lawfully wedded husband for as long as you both shall live?"
No, no, no, please let this shitty joke end.
"I do."
"If there are no objections as to why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Tony's hands hung limp in his lap and the tears spilled from his eyes leaving wet spots on his shirt collar.
"By the power vested in me by the state of New York now pronounce you man and husband. You may kiss the groom."
Then the entire place erupted into applauding and cheering and hollering and whistling when the newlyweds wasted no time in sharing a passionate kiss. Except for Tony Stark, who still couldn't stop the tears running down his face.