Day 45
“You okay Tony?” Pepper asked and hauled Tony to his feet.
“Yeah I’m fine,” Tony panted, “Getting repeatedly knocked out of the sky is just a tad bit draining.”
Pepper laughed. Tony smiled like an idiot under his mask. He loved her laugh. He loved her. He wanted to marry her like they had planed to do before Thanos sent the universe to hell.
“Well you better get ready for round four,” Pepper nodded her head toward the chitauri that were beginning to mass into yet another wave. Tony joined her in staring at the next wave. They weren't going to make it through this battle. Tony had known that this was his endgame ever since Pepper pulled him back from the brink of death on the Guardians ship. This path was always going to end with his end. He had been prepared for this. Tony tore his eyes away from the sky and looked over at Pepper.
“We should get married.”
Pepper looked over at him, “We will after this.”
“No Pepper. Now.”
“Now?” Pepper laughed, “Tony we are in the middle of a battle!”
“I know,” Tony knew it was a crazy idea, but he had always wanted to marry her, and he didn't want to die with her not being his wife.
“That’s crazy,” Pepper chuckled.
“Pepper,” Tony opened his mask, “I am serious.”
Pepper opened her mask and looked him in the eyes.
“I know Tony.”
Tony pulled her into a hug.
“We might not get the chance after-”
“I know Tony,” Pepper nodded, “Let’s do it.”
Tony beamed, and this time his mask wasn’t there to hide his idiotic smile, but he didn't mind because Pepper’s smile reflected his own.
Tony tapped his ear piece, “Rogers I need you to marry me and Pepper.”
“What?” Steve blustered, “Tony we are a little busy, and another wave just hit our section!”
“Rogers please? You’re a captain. You gotta do it.”
“Fine. Okay.”
Tony gave Pepper a thumbs up and opened an open com link, “Alright people group up. Me and Pepper are getting married.”
“Now?!” Nat was the first speak up.
“Damn straight. Rhodes I need my best man.”
“Guys is now really time?” Clint interrupted, “That next wave is going to drop on us at any second!”
Tony turned to Pepper, “Sky wedding while fighting evil aliens?”
Pepper shrugged, “Sounds fun.”
“Steve can you fight and wed us at the same time?”
“Yeah sure.”
“Alright me and Pepper are going to multitask.”
Tony closed his mask.
“Pepp you wanna do this the right way?”
“Tony we are about to get married while fighting aliens.”
“I know, but we can make an isle through the aliens if you want?”
Pepper laugh and shook her head a little, “Hell yes. Let’s do it. I’ll be up in a minute.”
Pepper watched her very soon to be husband launch himself into the sky toward the massing aliens.
“Friday can we do something about the lack of wedding dress?”
“What do you mean?”
“How does white and gold sound for a suit color?”
The nanobots wavered for a minute a white spread like a wave across he suit.
“Beautiful,” Pepper smiled. She had wanted a normal wedding but she would settle for this. This was so much more them than a normal wedding. She chuckled to herself. This was what normal looked like for them.
“You ready babe?”
Pepper smiled and looked to the sky where Rhodey was carving a path through the hoard of aliens to Tony.
“You bet I am!” Pepper launched herself into the sky. A chitauri fighter dove toward her. She released tiny war heads that exploded on impact with several of the aliens. She flew through the fire, and was met by more alien fighters. She dispatched them as quickly as the last group.
“You two almost in place?” Steve asked in Pepper’s ear.
“Almost there,” Pepper responded through clenched teeth.
“Oh hang on Pepp, I got something to add to the mood.”
Love is a Battlefield began blasting through the coms. Pepper rolled her eyes and pressed on. She exploded through the final line of aliens and flew into Tony’s arms.
“I thought you idiots were going to clear a path,” Pepper laughed as she launched a repulser ray over Tony’s shoulder.
“Shall we?” Tony asked. His mask didn’t need to be down for her to know that he was smiling.
“Steve do your thing.”
“Um… okay I’ve never done this before i’m going to try my best,” Steve panted. Gun fire crackled over the coms. Full on battle had now descended on all of them, “Um we are gathered here more or less in the general vicinity of Pepper Virginia Potts and To- Anthony Edward Stark, to bare witness to their wedding, but also fight aliens… and um anyway but also you know be here for the unification of these two wonderful people -oh shit!” gun fire erupted again on Steve’s end of the coms, “sorry about that, do you two have vows to exchange?”
“Pepper duck,” Tony shoved Pepper down ward and something exploded behind her.
“Very romantic vows sweetie,” Pepper quipped.
“Okay fine Ms. High and Mighty you go first since you got this whole thing figured out!” Tony retorted cheerfully.
“Okay fine,” Pepper wished she had prepared for this better, but of course her idiot fiance had other plans. Idiot. That was as good a place as any to start, “You’re an idiot.” This prompted multiple snorts from various people over the com link, “You do stupid stuff all the time, and I mean like ALL THE TIME,” Pepper blasted an alien that was aiming for Tony, “You are the idiot who flew a nuke through a wormhole, you are the idiot who decided to go hand to hand with Thanos, and you are the absolute idiot who thought it was a good idea to get married in the heat of a battle, but I love that about you. You don’t give a shit. You do what needs to be done. A few years back I thought I needed a break from your dumbassery, but let me tell you those few months were the most boring dismal months of my life, and I realized that I love your idiocy. You scare the shit out of me and I am always terrified you are going to something crazy and get yourself killed, but I love you, and being with you makes the terror worth having.” She ducked under Tony’s arm and blasted another alien just as he blasted one behind her, “Tony I love you, and everything that comes with,” Pepper launched three missiles at more on coming aliens, “And I promise that isn't going to change. I love you. I love the beautiful mess that you turned my life into. I couldn't imagine it any other way,” She wheeled back around so she was facing Tony, “I don't want it any other way. I want you. You, my idiot human disaster who I love for all I’m worth.”
“Tony your up.”
Tony wanted to drown out the battle around them, he wanted to ignore it. He wanted it to go away. He wanted to give Pepper a peaceful wedding with a dress, and flowers and cake, but he couldn't. He couldn't do any of those things because they had a self assigned job to do. Tony couldn’t give her the peaceful wedding she deserved, so he didn't. Instead he would give her one with fireworks.
A chitauri hovercraft exploded to his right as he launched a missile at it.
“Pepper, um-” He ducked as a laser blast flew past his head, “It’s what I said in that message. It’s like I have always said. It’s always you,” He blasted another chitauri war craft, “It always has been, and it always will be. I love you,” He took her hands in his, “Pepper I love. That’s all there is to say. I could go on to compare you to the cool breeze that blows the storm away, or the dew sparkling in the light of the early morning sun. I could compare you to the sun set across the ocean that dies the water a vibrate flame red, or the cherry blossoms that blow in a spring breeze, but those things don’t come close,” He launched an explosive over her shoulder and he could have sworn the alien glider exploded in slow motion, “The truth is Pepper don’t need anything else. Just you. I love you, and that will never change.”
He leaned his head against her’s.
“Alright Steve do your thing,” They spoke simultaneously. They were ready. It was time. After ten years it was finally time.
Tony let his mask peel back, as did Pepper. They held each other as they hovered in the sky. Tony pushed his forehead against Pepper’s. He ignored how sweaty she was. He was pretty sure he was just as bad, if not worse.
“Pepper, do you promise to love and cherish Tony as your husband through sickness and health, through dumbassery, and genius?”
Pepper’s eyes pinned Tony’s gaze, “I do.”
Tony’s heart danced in his chest. So close.
“Tony, do promise to love and cherish Pepper as your wife through sickness and health? For better or for worse?”
Tony looked deep into Pepper’s crystal eyes that were brimming with tears. Something exploded behind him, but he ignored it.
“I do.”
He formed a small ring from nanotech. Pepper smiled in understanding, and the suit slid smoothly away from her hand.
“By the power vested in me by… by um the U.S. Military, and all of you guys-”
Tony slipped the ring onto Pepper’s finger.
“I pronounce husband and wife, and I don’t think you to need to be told what to do next!”
Tony leaned in and he kissed his wife.
The battle around them could wait a few minutes.
And it did.