A/N: Wow thank you so much for reviewing! I will soon start working on another story about Steve and Beth, so I'll let you guys know when I get that underway since I know quite a few of you readers have sent me PM's requesting that I write something for that pairing. This chapter is mainly Pepperony because it's their wedding. Don't worry, I threw in your Brutasha.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Chapter 18: New Year's Eve
Bruce POV
I straightened my red and gold bowtie, and pulled on my jacket in the back room of the cathedral where Tony and Pepper were set to be married in almost forty five minutes.
Steve, Clint, Phil, Happy, and Fury were smoothing out their tuxes. Mark Potts, Pepper's father, helped Thor pull his mane of dirty blonde hair into a low ponytail as Eugene Paltrow, Pepper's brother-in-law, brought in the boutonnieres. Loki rushed in with his garment bag and when I looked at him and asked, "Where the Hell have you been?", he pulled off his winter hat and gestured to his new hairstyle.
"My taxi got stuck in traffic. How does my hair look?"
Thor glanced up and said,
"Brother, I hardly recognized you at first glance, but I must say that the look suits you. Why did you cut your hair?"
He shrugged and said,
"It was bothering Darcy and I was always getting tangles in it, so I cut it."
I gestured to Loki, and then to the dressing room and said,
"Get dressed, we don't want Tony flipping out if he sees you in anything but the tux."
Loki nodded, and disappeared into the dressing room.
I went up to Tony's door, and knocked twice.
"Who is it?"
"It's Bruce."
"Come in."
I walked in, and shut the door behind me. Tony was looking in the mirror, and trying to tie his bowtie, but kept messing up because his hands were shaking so much.
"Do you need a hand there?", I asked, noticing his struggle.
He nodded, and I tied the bowtie in one attempt. Tony mumbled his thanks, and then leaned up against the wall.
"Bruce, I am so nervous, it's not even funny anymore. You remember how I made fun of Thor when he got married, and was freaking out?"
I nodded, remembering how jumpy the demigod was before his wedding.
"Well I think of how I made fun of his nerves, and now karma is coming back to kick my ass for it."
I smirked, and patted my best friend on the shoulder.
"What are you afraid of?", I asked him.
"Making a fool out of myself, getting the vows wrong, disappointing Pepper and her family, dropping the ring, or doing something wrong."
I sat down in a chair, and gestured for Tony to do the same.
"Now," I leaned forward to address Tony's fears, "You won't make a fool of yourself because you've been in front of large crowds, and you're used to the attention and the pressure. You won't get the vows wrong because you've practiced them for a month. You won't disappoint Pepper because she loves you, you won't disappoint her family because they trust Pepper's judgment, and they approve of you. You won't drop the ring because once you get up there, I'm sure that the only person you're going to be thinking about is Pepper, and that will calm you down. You have to be confident and I know you can be, I've seen it before. Besides, you're sober so you'll be aware of everything you're doing. I'm sure Pepper is just as nervous as you are, but she loves you."
I glanced at my watch and asked,
"It's almost time, are you ready to get out there, and get married?"
Tony nodded and stood, no longer shaking with anxiety, but drawn up to his full height with his head held high.
"Thanks for the pre-wedding pep talk Bruce."
I stood, and fastened Tony's boutonniere to the lapel of his jacket.
"I'm sure that you'll return the favor when it's my turn.", I said as he fastened my boutonniere on my lapel.
Steve poked his head in the door.
"The wedding photographer wants to get photos of the groom and groomsmen. The wedding planner says she wants the groom at the front of the church in twenty minutes. The procession starts in exactly twenty five minutes. You guys ready?"
Tony nodded.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
We got our photos taken, and then Tony stood at the doors, and waited for a few minutes as he was announced, before all of us groomsmen gave him the thumbs up as he held his head high, and walked into the cathedral.
Natasha POV
I helped Delilah, Pepper's sister, and Charlotte, Pepper's mother attach the veil to the diamond hairclip that pulled back the front strands of her strawberry blonde hair. She had the rest of her hair cascading in a waterfall of loose curls down her back.
Pepper was very nervous, but her mother and sister had already given her a pep talk, so I didn't want to simply repeat what they said.
Charlotte tapped the diamond hairclip and said,
"Something old."
Pepper pointed to her teardrop earrings.
"Something new."
Jane came over with an intricately carved box in her hands. She set it down on the vanity, and opened it up to reveal a beautifully crafted, gold and diamond necklace. The diamonds shone with white light until Jane touched it, then they shimmered with a bright green hue, matching the color of her wedding ring.
She picked it up, and fastened it around Pepper's neck where the diamonds became a rainbow of many colors while she said, a note of humor in her voice,
"Here's something borrowed, and believe me when I say I want it back before you guys leave on your honeymoon. This was the 'something new' I got from Thor's mother when I got married and, according to Thor, it was hand crafted from the finest raw materials that Asgard had to offer."
Pepper gazed at all the shimmering Asgardian diamonds as Darcy came forward with a blue silk and lace garter in her hands.
"Hey Pepper, hitch your skirt up, and I'll help you put on something blue, unless you can bend over and do it yourself.", she said with a smirk.
Pepper nodded, put on the garter, and said,
"Thanks for your help."
I glanced at the wall clock as Beth came in with our bouquets and said,
"We need to line up and get photos, and Tony has gone to the altar."
I took my special maid of honor bouquet, and led the bridesmaids into the foyer of the cathedral. When the guys saw us, they broke into wide grins, but the only one I was focused on was Bruce.
He straightened his cufflinks and said, "Hello beautiful.", as I walked over to him.
I nodded and said,
"Hello Bruce, you're looking sharp."
We got lined up next to each other in order.
Macie and Maxine, Pepper's five year old twin cousins, would lead the procession as the flower girls. Pepper's nephew, Joseph, was the ring bearer. He was followed by Fury and Happy, Steve and Beth, Thor and Jane, Eugene and Delilah, Loki and Darcy, Phil and Maria, Clint and Serena, and then Bruce and I. Pepper's mother would follow behind us and then there would be a pause as all the guests stood and faced the back as Pepper was escorted down the aisle by her father.
I was told that this wasn't the traditional order and that Tony had changed a few things to ensure that Pepper's family was included.
The music started and I recognized it as Canon in D by Pachelbel. Bruce and I linked our arms as Clint and Serena began to process into the cathedral. I took a glance at Pepper who was breathing deeply before the ushers nodded to Bruce and I.
While we were walking down the aisle, I couldn't help but think that I would actually be getting married to Bruce. I never even thought I would have all this; a baby growing inside me, a permanent home, family and friends, a fiancée, or even a puppy!
I love Bruce with all my heart and just to be blessed with so many good things was more than I could have ever asked for.
Bruce and I broke away from each other at the front and I stood in line with the rest of the bridesmaids. Tony was looking as calm and collected as ever but I had the feeling that he was probably a nervous wreck on the inside.
The congregation stood and faced the back as Pepper started her walk down the aisle. She looked so nice. Her gown suited her very well; off the shoulder with very little detailing and a small train, simple and elegant. When Tony saw her, he broke into a wide grin and mouthed the word 'wow', before wiping his eyes quickly. All of us smiled at his reaction and Bruce patted him on the shoulder.
Mark gave his daughter a final hug and kiss, Tony held out his hand to Pepper, and Mark placed her hand in his. I saw Tony mouth the words 'You look absolutely stunning'.
We sat down and the ceremony began.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony…"
My eyes met Bruce's and I smiled at him all through the service.
"I, Tony Stark, take you, Pepper, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. With this ring, I thee wed.", Tony slipped the wedding band onto Pepper's finger and grinned as Pepper repeated the vows and slipped Tony's wedding band onto his ring finger.
I smiled as the priest said,
"By the power vested in me by God and the Great state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife.", he nodded to Tony who broke into a wide grin, "You may kiss the bride."
Tony pulled Pepper close and dipped her as they shared their first kiss as husband and wife. The congregation applauded as they broke apart. The priest announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Stark!"
We proceeded out of the cathedral and stood in the foyer as everyone came by to congratulate the newlyweds.
"That was a lovely service, wasn't it?", Bruce commented as we waited to have our pictures taken.
I nodded and said,
"I can't believe that in three months, it'll be our turn."
The wedding party climbed into our limousine to head to the reception.
Darcy sat with Loki across from us and said,
"You two lovebirds are next!"
We laughed as Steve slid in awkwardly next to Beth and pulled the door shut, accidentally closing the edge of his scarf in the door. When he rescued his scarf, he glared at us and said, "Not funny guys.", as Beth giggled beside him.
I held Bruce's hand through the duration of the car ride. Bruce asked Steve and Beth when they planned on getting married.
Beth smiled and replied,
"Sometime in June or July. Steve wants to wear his uniform at the wedding, I think that would be perfect."
I patted my baby bump and said,
"I think that's a great idea, but I'm due on June 24th, so can you try to plan around that? I'd hate to ruin your big day by going into labor in the middle of the ceremony."
Beth nodded.
"Of course we'll plan around that! You and Bruce are like family, we'd hate for you to miss the wedding."
We got out of the limo and found flurries falling from the sky.
I smirked and said,
"Well, they say it's good luck to have rain on your wedding day. I guess snow is a good substitute."
Bruce chuckled beside me as we proceeded indoors.
The ballroom itself was huge and the dance floor occupied most of the space. It was surrounded by many circular tables for the guests. The wedding party was going to be seated at a long table that faced the dance floor and could be seen from any place in the room. There was a large open bar on one side of the room. There was red and gold everywhere you turned.
We took our seats at the table and I silently thanked Tony for seating Bruce and me next to each other. Tony and Pepper entered the room and we all applauded the couple as they made their way to our table, kissing before sitting down, as tradition called for.
The waiters brought out the food and we ate, talked, laughed, and acted like one big happy family.
After the dishes were cleared, Bruce got up as the DJ handed him a microphone to make his Best Man's speech.
The room fell silent as Bruce tapped the microphone and cleared his throat. I glanced around at the guards in uniform by all the doors and I felt much safer, even if I was concealing two guns and four knives on my person.
Thank God that Tony had tightened security. SHIELD agents were undercover here and they were guarding the doors inconspicuously. Everyone's bags had been searched upon arrival and they had to step through a metal detector. I had been exempt from the search because I was a member of SHIELD. There was a strict 'no photography and no recording of any kind' rule in place to prevent the Stark wedding reception from making international news.
"Uh, Hello. My name is Dr. Bruce Banner, I'm Tony's best man and fellow Avenger. I met Tony one week prior to the Battle of New York. I still remember his first few words to me, 'It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner, your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled and I'm a huge fan of the way you turn into an enormous green rage monster.' It was the first time I actually had a friend since my lab accident. He took me under his wing, gave me a home, and a second chance at living. I owe Tony my life and I consider him my brother. When I found out that Tony wanted to propose to Pepper, I gladly helped him to plan the engagement party. I saw how much Pepper meant to him from the first time we worked together in the lab at Avengers Tower where he kept a photo of Pepper on his desk at all times. He may not have shown it outwardly, but throughout it all, he thought about Pepper. Pepper Stark," Bruce turned to Pepper and said, "You are Tony's whole world," He pointed at Tony, "Tony Stark, you are one lucky man. You and Pepper will be very happy together." He raised his glass and toasted them, "To Mr. and Mrs. Stark!"
He sat down as I got up to give me my Maid of Honor speech, I wouldn't have to use a fake name to protect my identity this time.
"Hello, my name is Natasha Romanoff and I'm the Maid of Honor. I don't like to mince words, so I'll get right to the point. I would like to say that Pepper opened her home, heart, and her closet to me when I needed it the most. She was the first person to welcome me home and I am honored to be here. As for Tony, well, thank you for everything. You're an amazing teammate. It's true that Pepper is his whole world," I turned to her and Tony, lifted my glass of water and said, "these two deserve the very best wishes on their special day, here's to the Starks!"
The rest of the speeches flew by. Soon it was time for Tony and Pepper to have their first dance as husband and wife together.
They swayed alone in the middle of the floor to "L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole. I was amazed; I only thought Tony listened to classic rock and that Pepper didn't really have a favorite genre, I never knew they both liked jazz.
They kissed at the end of the song and then cut the cake. I laughed when Pepper shoved cake in Tony's face and he returned the favor, only to have a chunk of it fall into the front of Pepper's dress. Pepper had her father-daughter dance as I looked on, realizing that I would never have an actual father-daughter dance and I kind of felt sorry for myself. The DJ turned up a fast song and then the party got started.
I sat in the corner and sipped my seltzer water as I witnessed Maria and Phil doing some sort of tango, Steve being taught how to wop by Beth, Darcy teaching Loki how to shuffle, and Thor was trying to show Jane how to do some type of Asgardian two-step.
Clint requested a song called the "Harlem Shake" and I laughed my ass off with Serena as Clint started doing the worm, Fury watched the spectacle from the bar and shook his head.
Bruce had gone to discuss some scientific stuff with Tony and would be back soon. For now, I was left with my thoughts.
I patted my growing bump and looked down. I wondered if it knew who I was. I didn't care what the gender would be, I would love them just the same. I had started to think of baby names with Bruce.
If it was a boy, Bruce had suggested the names Flynn and Brandon. I had suggested the names Ben and Robert. He had suggested the girl's names Rebecca, Grace, and Cynthia. Those names were very important to him because his mother's first name was Rebecca, his sister's name was Grace and both of their middle names had been Cynthia. I suggested the names Tatiana and Anastasia. I wanted to bring out a bit of the Russian blood that this child had inherited from me, so I thought of the best Russian girl's names, including my own middle name.
A slow song came on called "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perry. And I watched the couples form as someone tapped me on my shoulder.
"May I have this dance, my dear?", Bruce smiled at me and held out his hand, which I took and I let him lead me to the floor.
He wrapped me in his warm embrace as we swayed gently. He pulled me close and I rested my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. He planted a kiss on my forehead and whispered,
"My dear, you are absolutely stunning."
I looked down at my baby bump with a smirk on my face.
"I am getting bigger."
He tipped my chin upward and gazed lovingly at me.
"You are beautiful, no matter what. The baby bump just means three things. One, that an assassin can also be the motherly sort. Two, you're glowing. Three, there is more of you to love. I never understood why Thor was so happy when Jane was pregnant and now that I find myself in the same situation, I finally understand what made him smile."
I tilted my head to one side.
"And what made him smile?" I asked.
He peered at me over his glasses and said,
"I have never seen anything more beautiful than the woman I love with all my heart and soul carrying our child. To see her smile with excitement as she feels the baby moving inside her just brightens my day and makes me feel like I'm on top of the world."
I kissed him, putting every ounce of emotion that I had into it and when we broke apart, I whispered,
"I'm glad I can brighten your day."
"You always will."
The song ended and we walked back to our table. Steve and Beth came over and sat down.
Steve shook his head and loosened his bowtie.
"Phew, these newer dances sure take a lot out of a person, I can't see how Darcy and Loki do it."
He glanced out at the dance floor and saw Darcy with her hair messed up, obviously a bit on the buzzed side and Loki with his dress shirt halfway unbuttoned and a bit more than buzzed. Both of them were sweating while they were doing some weird dance move. Steve shook his head and threw his hands up in the air.
"What type of dance is that anyway?"
Beth looked exhausted as she picked her head up off the table and said,
"It's called Krumping, and they're doing it perfectly."
From across the room, someone shouted,
"Hey! It's almost midnight!"
The room became a sea of iPhone screens as people went to check the time. Bruce pulled his phone out and said, "It's 11:57… thank goodness that person said something, we would've missed midnight if they hadn't."
Beth lifted her head and Steve pulled himself to his feet, holding out his hand to her.
"So what do you say Beth? One last slow dance of 2013?"
She smiled as he led her to the floor. Bruce looked at me, nodded to the dance floor and asked,
"Want to dance?"
I nodded as we walked out onto the floor and swayed next to Darcy and Loki.
Soon someone yelled, "10...9...8…", and the rest of the guests began chanting down, "5...4...3...2...1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" we all shouted.
I turned to Bruce and we said, "Happy New Year!", to each other at the same time.
He pulled me close and we kissed.
The DJ announced that the bride and groom would be making their final goodbyes before heading off on their month long honeymoon on Tony's private island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. We ran over and embraced the newlyweds and said our goodbyes. Pepper took the microphone from the DJ.
"I'd like to thank all of you for coming here today. Happy New Year! Before Tony and I leave, there are two traditions that must be taken care of!"
Tony grabbed the microphone and said,
"The Garter toss! Get ready gentlemen!"
The dance floor was cleared and Pepper sat on a chair in the middle of the floor giggling madly as Tony walked over to Bruce and pulled off his bowtie and then faced Pepper and gave her a seductive grin as he walked towards her slowly. Pepper lifted the hem of her gown to her knee as Tony tied the bowtie around his eyes and got on his knees in front of Pepper. Steve asked me,
"What is he doing?"
"Just watch, you'll have to learn what to do for your wedding." I said, elbowing the super soldier and I laughed as his eyes widened.
"I have to go up her skirt? In public? To get her garter? With my teeth?"
Tony ripped the bowtie off and held up the garter with a triumphant yell, stretched it back, yelling, "GET IT GENTS!", and fired. It was caught by Loki who held it up and asked,
"Now what?"
Pepper got up and grabbed her bouquet, stood on a table and yelled over all the screaming ladies, "CATCH IT!" before closing her eyes and chucking it as hard as she could.
Darcy jumped up and caught it. I stared at the demigod's widening eyes as she explained to Loki what the tradition meant.
I turned to Bruce and said,
"Let's try to have the happiest New Year ever."
He kissed me and said,
"I don't need to try, I already know we will."
A/N: What did you think? Shoot me a review!
