Chapter 3
Her parents were not nearly as worried as Steve told her they would be. Really, as soon as she walked through the door, all they did was greet her with twin mumbles. They were sitting together on the couch, watching an old James Bond movie. Her younger siblings were already in their beds.
They only really noticed her when she sat down with them in the living room. It was her father who first noticed something was up with her.
“Are–” he leaned forward to get a better look at her, “Are you alright, Junie-Bug? You were gone for a while and now you look like you’ve been crying…” his voice was soft with only a hint of concern in it. To be honest, she was shocked he even noticed. Usually both her parents don’t pay her much mind.
“Y-Yeah! Yes, I'm fine, perfectly fine. I–” she wasn’t sure what to do next. Should she tell them about Steve? Or, should she wait until tomorrow for him to ask permission first? After all, didn’t the man usually get permission and then propose, not the other way around? It was like that in the movies…
“I’m fine, promise.” She smiled brightly at them, masking her uncertainty easily. Both her parents happily took her words for what they were, and resumed their movie. She sat on the chair for a few minutes, not really watching the screen but more just daydreaming about her future with Steve, before she headed up to bed.
After she got ready for bed and laid down, she finally took another good look at her ring. Her parents hadn’t even noticed the new bling on her ring finger. She sighed, turning her hand this way and that. It was truly the most beautiful ring she’s ever seen. Steve is much too good to her.
And, her breath hitched, he was also Captain America. Oh my god. She had never really been a ‘fan’ (clearly, as she didn’t recognize him out of uniform) but she did appreciate his hard work. Him and his team protected their country from evil all the time. Again, she just couldn’t imagine what she could give him in return.
A son, the voice in her head whispered. Steve wanted children, but especially a son. What had he called himself? Right, old school. She hummed in thought, trying to make sense of his request. Then she recalled some more of his background, the one before he defrosted from the ice. He’s an adult man from the forties, so of course he’d have some outdated views about marriage and childcare. The contract did make it seem like he expected her to be a stay-at-home mom. She was expected to clean the home, cook the food, and take care of the children.
“A mom…” She was going to be a mom in the near future. She was sure Steve wouldn’t want to wait years and years for her to be ready on her own. They were getting married in a few weeks, after graduation, and she was sure he would want her pregnant soon after.
She sighed, taking off her ring and putting it safely in the bedside drawer. Then she rolled over on her side, one leg up to her chest while the other remained stretched out. Her big mane of orange hair spread out on the pillow as she laid there, thinking.
She touched her lips softly, tracing the contouring of them. She and Steve had kissed today. It had been the most wonderful experience. He was so soft and sweet with her, completely ridding her of her uncertainty and nervousness. She smiled, feeling how her lips moved up as she did so.
She fell asleep not long after, and did not wake up again until early the next morning. As soon as consciousness came back to her, she opened her eyes and sat up in bed. Today was going to be a very important day. Today, Steve was going to tell her parents about them.
On her phone she already had one message from Steve waiting, wishing her a good morning and telling her he would be there at ten a.m.. She quickly greeted him back and agreed with the time of the meeting. She glanced at the clock; eight a.m..
She got out of bed and took a quick shower, making sure she was clean everywhere and smelled nicely like vanilla. She got dressed in a beige long sleeve with a seaweed green cardigan on top, with a plaid skirt that reached mid-thigh and thick tights over her thin legs. It was forecasted to be a colder day today.
Lastly, and most importantly, she grabbed her engagement ring out of the drawer and smoothly slipped it on. She sighed as she looked at herself in the full length mirror. She thought she looked pretty cute, but definitely not like the beautiful women the Avengers usually hang out with.
She shook those thoughts away and quickly headed downstairs to begin with making breakfast. No one was awake just yet so she had the kitchen to herself for a little bit. At nine the rest of her family showed up.
“You look cute today, Junie. Anything special happening?” Her mother asked her around a big bite of toast and eggs. Her voice was slightly teasing, as if she was sure her daughter was about to deny her words. Instead, Junie nodded her head shyly with a smile.
“Yes, actually.” Both her parents stopped eating to give her their full attention for a change. “There is someone I would like you to meet. He’s coming over at ten…”
It took her father only a few seconds to process her words, before, “A boy? You’re bringing home a boy? Oh god, our daughter is really growing up.” He frowned in an exaggerated fashion, making her giggle at his silly antics.
“Is it really a boy? One from school?” Her mother also finally found her words again.
“No, not from school. He’s…a little bit older, already out of school.” her parents nodded in understanding. “I won’t tell you too much about him, it’s better to hear it from him I think.” She shrugged, looking away from her parents’ questioning eyes.
Her parents let her drop the subject for now, as they could interrogate this boy on their own in half an hour. After breakfast, the whole family got washed up and dressed while she did the dishes. She did not want Steve to come here and see a dirty kitchen.
At exactly ten on the dot, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it!” She shouted up to where her parents were still getting her brothers dressed. Quickly, she rushed to the front door. Right before she opened it, she looked at herself in the mirror to check if she looked alright. Satisfied that her hair was not too much of a mess, she opened the door with a bright smile.
“Look at you, doll. You’re so beautiful.” Steve stepped forward smoothly, tilting her head up and pressing a soft kiss to her surprised lips. It only lasted a fraction of a second before he pulled completely away to a respectable distance. “Good morning, sweetheart.”
“Good morning, Steve! My parents are–”
“–here. We’re here, and you are not who we expected to see on our doorstep this morning. Junie-bug,” her father put his hand on her shoulder, making her look away from Steve and up at him, “When you said ‘a little older’, I expected a college kid. Not a fully grown, adult man.” His tone of voice was strained as he spoke.
“Please give him a chance, dad! Steve came here to introduce himself and talk with you about something, please hear him out. Steve,” She turned to her fiance with a shy smile, “let me show you to the office.”
Her father tried protesting, but as she passed him with Steve right on her tails, she noticed her mother whispering in her father’s ear.
“Here we are.” She whispered shyly as soon as they entered her fathers study. It wasn’t anything impressive, really. Just a room with a desk facing the door and two chairs in front of it. There were some family portraits on the wall and a single shelf with some books on it.
“Relax, doll, I’ll handle everything from now on, remember? I’ll go talk with your parents and then maybe you can give me a tour of the rest of the house?” She nodded in agreement easily. “Good girl. Now, I’ll wait for your parents here. It would be best if you waited somewhere else while we talked.”
She was a bit disappointed she was going to be left out of the conversation, but did not complain about it. She nodded, gave him a quick hug around his middle, and then left the room. She passed her parents as they headed towards the study quietly. Her mother gave her a tiny, reassuring smile as they passed each other.
The conversation inside the study took a long time. To kill time she hung out with her younger brothers. All three of them were in the playroom upstairs so it was easy to watch over them. Time slipped away without her knowledge, and before she knew it she got called downstairs by her father. She walked past her mother on the stairs as she headed up to take care of the boys. Her mother did not give her any inclination on how it went.
Nervously, she stopped walking right in front of her dad and Steve. The two men were quietly talking before she reached them, so she took that as a good sign.
“There she is! Junie-Bug, I have been talking with you fiance for a while now and I quite like him! I think you’ve made the right choice, honey. It also helps that he’s Captain America of course, you little rascal.” Her dad gushed, messing with her hair as he called her a rascal. She grumbled and stepped out of his reach.
She had honestly completely forgotten her dad was quite the fan of the Avengers, the Captain in particular. Her dad was all about traditional values, respecting veterans, and the red, white and blue. She should have known it would not have taken much to convince her dad of their pairing, not even with the age difference.
“Your father has very graciously given us his blessings, and your mother also accepts our match, doll. We haven’t discussed this yet, sir,” He turned his piercing blue eyes away from her and towards her father. “but I would like to marry your daughter right after her graduation. She can move in with me as soon as our marriage is official.”
Her father nodded slowly, clearly thinking things through. “What about college, Junie? You applied to all these schools out of state, how are you going to combine that with moving in with Mr Rogers here?”
“Please, sir, call me Steve.” He quickly interjected.
“Dad…I don’t actually want to go to college. I want to marry Steve and create a family with him. You know I’m not as smart as your other daughters, and I have no passion for any career, really. I am good with children, though! That is what I want to spend my time doing.” To her own ears she sounded like a naive, love-sick fool.
Thankfully, her dad never got to know her well enough to catch when she’s exaggerating or lying.
“Well, alright then, if you’re sure. I already had three daughters in college, I suppose it's normal for at least one of you to not be interested. I’m sure you will make a good mother, Junie, if that is really what you want. And Steve, you promise to take care of her for me?”
Steve straightened his back (if that was even possible) and widened his shoulders, showing off his impressive physique. “I’ll take care of your daughter no matter what. She’ll never have to wish for anything ever again. I already bought us a beautiful home, and wedding planning is well underway.”
“Have you really?” She couldn’t help but ask. He hadn’t involved her at all in the decision making. Then again, when did he have the time to do any of that, buying a house or wedding planning? She only heard about his plan yesterday.
“I have indeed, doll. Maybe I can take you to it today to show you around? You’re also welcome to join us, of course, sir.” Steve said to them both, not at all noticing the confusion on her face.
Steve has bought a house and had begun wedding planning last night? Or had he begun the process earlier? But then why wait until yesterday to share his plan with her and propose? She had been texting him about her worries for a long time now. Is that when he started, all those weeks ago?
“You know what, that sounds like a great idea, son! I’ll inform the missus, see if she’s also interested in joining. If she is then I'm afraid it’ll be a full house with the boys.” Her father chuckled loudly.
“Then it will be good practice for the future.” Steve grinned back, referring to his wish of having a big family. Her dad grinned happily at his future son-in-law, before hastily making his way up the stairs to speak with his wife.
Steve turned to her and gently put his big hands around her waist, holding her at arms length and forcing her to look up at him. “Are you happy, my Junie? I’m very happy myself. Your parents were very easy to convince on the merit of this match. I think they could tell how serious I am about you.” He chuckled softly, the tips of his ears red.
“I am also very happy. I can’t wait to see our future home. When did you even have the time to arrange that?” She asked him curiously, a confused smile on her face.
“Don’t worry about it, sweety. Worrying is my job now, remember? Now, give your future husband a kiss, hm?” He said sternly. She wasn’t afraid though, as she could clearly see the amusement in his eyes.
She blushed as she stood on her tippy-toes, shyly pressing her lips against his. One of Steve’s hands abandoned her waist to instead hold the back of her neck. This way he had control over when she could pull away. He kissed her for as long as he could, gently moving their lips together, his tongue softly exploring her mouth, before pulling away completely.
The sound of her family standing at the top of the stairs caused his retreat.
She stood in front of him now, with his arms back around her waist, wrapping her up in his arms as he pulled her against his chest. His head rested on top of hers as her family came down the stairs. Her mother chuckled at the sight of them, “Young and in love.” She mumbled with a sarcastic roll of the eyes.
“Are we all ready to go? I came here with my motorcycle, so I can take Junie on the back. If that’s okay?” Steve suggested calmly. She could feel the bass of his voice rumbling behind her back. It was quite comforting, so she sagged a bit further against his chest.
“Sure thing, son. Let’s get going. You can go ahead of us and I’ll follow you with the car.” Her father said, easily agreeing with Steve. She smiled, thinking how nice it is that her parents have accepted him so quickly. She supposed that was one of the advantages of being America’s Golden Boy.
The drive to their new house took almost an hour by motorcycle (and car). She was a bit saddened at the thought that she would live so far away from her brothers, but she figured she could one day get her driver’s license and make the trip herself.
They crossed the water to head into New Jersey, and quite soon after they ended up in a suburb of some kind. She had never been on this side of the river before so she was enjoying taking in the new sights. Eventually, Steve slowed the motorcycle down as they entered the correct street. The road was lined with large trees, and every house around them had a white picket fence.
The all american dream for Captain America, she grinned.
He parked his motorcycle on the driveway of one of the larger homes the street had to offer. As she got off the back of the motor, she took in her future home. The front yard had green grass with every blade cut the same height.
The house itself was two stories tall with gabled roofing, white paneling and a large front porch. There was a brick chimney on the side of the house, and windows everywhere with shutters on the sides. There were flower boxes hanging under each of the windows as well. And, to put the icing on the cake, there was an American flag hanging from a poll on the edge of their yard.
“Oh Steve” She sighed out as her eyes roamed over the exterior of their new home. Steve stood next to her, his arm thrown over her shoulders as he, too, admired their new home.
“Do you like it, doll? When I first saw it I thought it’d be perfect to raise a family in. What do you think?” His voice was casual and gentle, but she could sense some of his nervousness. The hand gripping her shoulder was just barely trembling.
She turned her body to look directly up at him, raising her left hand up to caress his cheek. The engagement ring glittered in the pale sun, the cold of the day completely forgotten. “I love it. Thank you.” She raised herself on her toes again to give him an appreciative kiss.
“Alright, kids, save that for when you’re married.” Her mother’s amused voice came from behind them. Juniper hadn’t even noticed them coming to the house and parking the car next to Steve’s motorcycle.
She blushed fiercely and moved away a step to put some distance between her and Steve.
“Alright, let’s head inside everyone.” Steve said with a bright smile, grabbing her left hand and pulling her towards the front door. He expertly led them around the home, pointing out little details he loved, and things he’d still like to change.
The downstairs was a completely open concept, with the kitchen, dining and living all blending into each other. There was a small bathroom near the front door, and a laundry room in the back of the home. The upstairs had another bathroom, as well as four bedrooms and a study.
“This is my favorite room in the whole house.” Steve told them before he opened the final door. It was one of the four bedrooms, only this one wasn’t decorated as plainly as the others. No, this one was a completely functional, ready to be used, nursery.
Her father barked a surprised laugh, while Juniper could only look around wide-eyed. She knew that Steve would like children, of course, but seeing him this prepared for a little one made her swallow her nerves down. This was going to happen. She was going to get pregnant and have babies. Oh my god.
“Good man, well prepared.” Her father slapped Steve’s shoulder in a good-natured kind of way. He must think it so amusing how well prepared Steve was for the inevitable. Juniper on the other hand, began to feel a bit faint at the idea.
“I see that you’re quite ready for children, Steve. Junie, how do you feel about that? You’re still so incredibly young…” Her mother sighed, turning her attention to her youngest daughter.
None of her older sisters had gotten pregnant yet, so it was strange imagining that she, the youngest, would make them grandparents first.
“I–,” Steve’s hand in hers thightend, “I’m really excited to start expanding our family, mom. I can’t imagine anything more beautiful.” And it was kind of true, too. She could imagine how beautiful their babies were going to be. Hopefully they would have a son with Steve’s blond hair and blue eyes. She would also maybe like a daughter with red hair like hers, to continue the tradition.
“I can’t believe how mature you’ve become in such a short amount of time. What happened to my little girl, hm?” Her mother pulled her into a hug, letting go of her brothers’ hands for the first time. Immediately, they began to fuss. Her dad stepped up to take over.
“It’s still me, mom. I’m just…ready for the next phase.” She mumbled into her mothers chest
As soon as her mother pulled away, Steve grabbed ahold of her hand once again. “Has she shown you the ring yet?” Steve asked as he pulled her hand up to eye level of her parents
“Oh wow.” Her mother breathed out, her hand coming up to touch it before aborting the move at the last second. “That is such a beautiful ring, Steve.” Her father added, “Must have cost a pretty penny, too.”
Steve shrugged, a bashful smile on his handsome face. “Nothing is too much for my future wife.” He kissed the back of her hand, before lowering their hands again to a more comfortable position.
After the tour they headed back to her parents house. Was it strange she was already thinking about the new house as home? She hugged Steve tightly around the waist as he zoomed through traffic with his motorcycle.
“I can’t believe we’ll be living there in a few weeks.” She said dreamily when they got back to the house. They were sitting in the living room with her father, her mother busy taking care of her brothers. She had already given Steve a tour of the house, a bit embarrassed by how old and run down some things were.
“Your graduation is in a month, yes? In May if I’m not mistaken?” Steve said, making her smile at the fact that he remembered. “Yes, I have the wedding planned for the first of June. It’s going to be in the beautiful St. Bart’s church in Manhattan. For the reception, Tony agreed to give us a floor of the Avengers tower. I’ll take you home right after.”
She nodded along, completely overwhelmed by the information Steve was throwing at her. St. Bartholomew’s Church was huge and always very busy. How has he managed to book it for their wedding so last minute? Also, who was she even going to invite? She had her family of course, so that’s eight, and then a handful of friends from school. She probably won’t even have twenty people there. Why did Steve choose such a huge venue?
“You have it all planned out, don’t you?” Her father laughed heartily. “June first, you say? I’ll put it in my agenda. Junie-Bug,” He turned his attention to her, “have you gotten a dress yet? One month is very last minute for that kind of thing.”
She opened and closed her mouth with a frown. It was, wasn’t it? What if she wouldn’t be able to find one in time?
“Don’t worry, sir, I have thought of everything. Junie has an appointment at a bridal shop tomorrow to find a dress. Doll, I have invited two of my female friends to help you, and you can of course take whoever you want to be there as well.” Steve said confidently, ending on a sweet note.
She nodded, a shy smile taking over her face. She’ll ask her mother when she comes downstairs again.
Steve did not stay much longer after everything was discussed with her father, telling them he had some more work to do. Now that she knew it was Avengers work, saving the world work, she didn’t mind being left behind. She kissed his cheek before he got on his motorcycle, making him growl and pulling her into a proper kiss immediately after.
Her parents talked about Steve the rest of the day. They both kept reminding her how lucky she was, and how Steve was such a great guy, and how she should do her best to make him a happy husband.
As if that hadn’t been her plan from the start.
The next day her mother and her headed to a most fancy bridal shop. In front of the entrance of the store stood two beautiful women. She didn’t recognize them, but they did recognize her. The first woman, with red curls and perfect lips, addressed her first.
“You must be Steve’s Juniper. I’m Natasha, nice to meet you. And you must be mom.” Natasha shook both their hands before stepping back. Being called Steve’s Juniper, as if he owned her, made her blush. “And I'm Wanda, great to meet you both.”
After the introductions they headed into the store as a group. Immediately they were approached by a young woman with long blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Her makeup was impeccable and she seemed to be very friendly.
“Hello everyone! I’m Christie, I'll be helping you today. Now, which one of you ladies is my beautiful bride?” Christie said, the smile never leaving her face. Juniper did notice how Christie mostly looked at Natasha and Wanda while asking for the bride, and felt slightly embarrassed to admit it was her.
“Oh! Hello darling! Juniper, right? Great to meet you.” Christie beamed after only a mild awkward pause. “So, Juniper, who have you brought with you today?” Juniper awkwardly explained they were her mother and two friends of the groom. Christie’s eyebrows raised at that revelation.
“Alright, perfect.” She clapped her hands, “And, may I ask how old you are? You still seem so youthful.” Christie giggled, causing the rest of the bridal party to also laugh. “I-I’m eighteen.” She said shyly.
“Wow, eighteen? That’s amazing. And you’re okay with that, mom?” Christie asked her mother, clear curiosity on her face. Her mother nodded, a small smile forming as she looked down at her daughter. “I am. Junie found a great partner in Steve, and I’m certain they will be happy together.”
“Wonderful! Now ladies, I'd like for you three to take a seat right over there,” she pointed towards the far corner of the store which was still empty, “while I take the bride to try on some dresses.”
After that, most of what happened was a blur for Juniper. She recalled Christie asking for her dreams and wishes in relation to the dress, as well as the budget. She hadn’t known what to say to either, so she had called Steve right there in the dressing room. Christie had given her an unreadable look before she had left her to call her fiance for a moment.
“Good morning, doll. Is everything alright? I thought you would be dress shopping by now?” The comforting sound of Steve’s voice immediately calmed down her worries. She nodded, before she realized he wouldn’t be able to see.
“Good morning. Yes– No- I don’t know. I’m in the dressing room now, and the sales associate asked me some questions and I realized I didn’t have the answers.” She rambled while she paced around the small area. She held up her hand, staring at her ring in admiration.
“Well, maybe I can help. What were the questions, doll?”
“Well, Christie asked about the budget. And, I didn’t know if I was going to pay, or my parents, or you. And then she asked me about what kind of dress i’d like, and I couldn’t answer. I have no idea.” She sighed, “Help?”
Steve chuckled, “Sweetheart, of course I'm paying. You will never have to think about money again, remember? As for a budget…well, as long as you love it I'm fine with it. Natasha has my card so she’ll make the transaction happen. As for what kind of dress, well, we are getting married in a church. A little bit modest would be preferable. It’s up to you how you want that to look, though. I’ll leave that up to you and your entourage.”
That was the information she gave to Christie, who appeared extremely happy with the idea of no budget. After that the real blurbegan. Christie would put her in all kinds of styles, from tight fitting, to puffy princess dresses.
Her entourage (as Steve called them) was very critical, which did help her narrow down her preferences. Definitely nothing too tight, everyone agreed. Sleeveless was also not a good idea, as she had to walk quite a long aisle in a cold church.
In the end she did find a dress that she really liked, and that everyone else also liked on her. She felt like a bride wearing it, and her mother teared up when she saw it first. That, most of all, sold it for her.
The a-line wedding dress fit her beautifully, and the creamy white color made her hair stand out very nicely. The torso area had beads and crystals all over it, slowly spreading out as they went down the skirt. The skirt was quite full compared to the bodice, giving her a nice shape (with a thin waist). The dress had thick straps for sleeves, also covered with beads and crystals. However the straps were then covered with a silky, see-through chiffon type of fabric. These sleeves went down her entire arms, poofing out slightly but cinching tight around the wrists.
The dress was modest, beautiful, and yet also youthful. They also found the perfect veil to match, making her mother tear up all over again.
After finding her dress, she was measured everywhere so the dress would be a perfect fit. As she walked past the front desk where Natasha was paying with Steve’s card, she caught her talking about paying extra for a speedy delivery. The woman behind the desk happily agreed.
After that, their group went to lunch, and then shoe shopping. As the dress reached the floor, she didn’t really see the need to buy new shoes. Everyone else strongly disagreed. They ended up finding her a pair of white kitten heels. They were comfortable and easy to walk in, but did give her the click-clack sound a regular heel would.
Then finally, she could finally go home again.