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Victoria adored her family, let's make that abundantly clear-she would do anything for her brother, niece, and her sister-in-law. But, she wanted nothing to do with the family business. She’d watched her father and brother growing up, their actions reason enough for her to want nothing to do with the mafia world. A decision they wholeheartedly supported when she went to college and eventually became a math professor. Honoring her wishes, the family kept her out of the business, that is until today.
Victoria doesn’t know what to say as she places the contract back down on her brother's desk and rubs her temples. How is she supposed to process the reality that an archaic practice is something her brother is urging her to accept? An arranged marriage. Her eyes linger on the picture of the youngest Rogers brother, he’s not unattractive but his appearance and personality are irrelevant when the core of the matter is choice. She didn’t choose this, granted Tony was asking not telling her but the reason this contract was even drafted was the Rogers Family is massive while the Stark Family has narrowed down to only four members. The probability of the Starks becoming an extinct lineage drastically falls if they do not receive the favor of the Rogers. What stronger alliance than for them to become family?
“I won’t make you do this,” Tony promises. “Rogers and his wife have been trying for a kid, I could agree to Morgan marrying their first born but-”
“But she’s a toddler and none of us wants to set her future for her.” Pepper snaps looking at her husband, clearly peeved with this whole arrangement. “Not that we want to do that to you but we wouldn’t ask this if-”
“It’s alright Pep, I understand.” sighing Victoria looks at the terms again, if she does this it's for life.
Neither her nor Ransom can terminate the marriage at any time and she herself will be unable to have children with anyone other than Ransom. Bodily autonomy will remain a decision by both parties at all times so she is reassured she will never have to bear a child. But the file on Ransom describes him as a pompous, spoiled, unemployed member of the family meaning he wasn’t invested in the mafia business like her and she doubted he’d want children anymore than she does. She’d always loved her role of being the cool aunt but the idea of having a kid herself that was a lifelong commitment and responsibility had never been appealing to her.
“I want the lake house,” she looks at her brother. If she’s doing this she wants to be able to escape for a day or two from her husband instead of being trapped in a home she may or may not get along with.
“Well-” Tony starts only to be interrupted by his wife.
“Whatever you want.” she promises. In reality it was a cheap price to pay for Victoria’s future, she could ask for so much more and Pepper would willingly give her whatever she desired.
“And I demand you two have another child.” she laughed, rising from her seat. Tony was clearly eager to fulfill that while Pepper rolled her eyes and excused herself from the room. “So, when do I meet Ransom and when is the wedding?”
“We will iron out the details tonight, our families are getting together for dinner at Steve’s tonight.”
Nodding, she promises to be there before heading home to her apartment, needing to mentally prepare for the evening. When she enters her tiny but cozy studio apartment she absolutely adores, a sadness rises. Ransom will make her sell her furniture, she doesn’t imagine he’d allow her to completely rearrange his abode. Prepahs she can convince Tony to move her furniture to the lakehouse and sell what is already there. Questions of what her new life would look like once she moved in with Ransom started to pop into her head. One of the reasons none of her previous relationships worked out was her love of privacy and hatred of sharing her space, maybe that’s why she asked her brother for the lakehouse. That and her commitment issues that Tony had always promised her would fade over she found the right partner, Pepper had been the blessing to mix that in Tony along with so many other issues her brother had. Everytime Tony found there was improvement that Victoria needed to make in her life would magically be solved once she found the love of her life. Once upon a time she would have rolled her eyes at his reassurances but now she finds herself regretting that she’d never get to prove her brother wrong or right.
Then her thoughts shifted to Ransom, would they have a normal happy relationship or would they just be two adults cohabiting? She didn’t want to live a loveless life, where her husband and herself would have a string of lovers but never truly getting that happily ever after. Monogamy, though something she’d always been afraid of, was something she craved. She’d seen the way her parents loved one another, the way Tony loved Pepper and she had to admit she was envious. Failing time and time again maybe this arrangement wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to her. It was Ransom or no one now, she really hoped this would work out for the better.
Pushing all thoughts from her mind, she decided to take a nice hot shower and doll up, the process always relaxed her and boosted her confidence. She’d never dolled up for a man before, always doing it for herself because she liked the way she felt afterwards. But more often than not she went without makeup so that would be something Ransom would have to deal with. It also gave her an edge when she wasn’t sure what she was walking into.
Tony offered to pick her up for dinner but her car was a lifebuoy should things go south, so she took the address from her brother and began the journey just outside the city. Rogers Estate was too over the top for her tastes but it was far cozier looking than Tony’s luxury penthouse. When she pulled up there was only one car parked, a light colored beamer she assumed belonged to Mrs. Rogers. She couldn’t imagine a massive man like Steve Rogers cramping into the driver seat when he could easily afford a more spacious vehicle. When she knocked on the front door she began regretting it, wishing she’d waited for her brother to arrive before going to the door.
“Oh! You’re here!” the excitement in the women is above what she would expect for some household staff, leading her to believe the woman was Mrs. Rogers. “Please come in! Ransom and Steve are locked up in the office but should be joining us soon.”
“Thank you, this is for you” Victoria held out a bottle of wine that would not serve everyone attending dinner. Tony had said both families would be in attendance, meaning all the Rogers and their partners. 5 Starks and 14 Rogers. Joseph Rogers really needed to have a vasectomy earlier-who the hell wants to have 9 kids! Granted the Alder and Levinson’s had been twins but still, to have 9 children all so close together!? Her hips hurt just thinking about the 7 women who had the misfortune of contributing to Joseph Rogers brood.
“Thank you!” Mrs. Rogers' look of genuine gratitude endeared Tori, even more so when she could see the woman mentally scolding herself. “Where are my manners! I’m Annie.” Tori shook the woman's hand and offered her name though it was clear who she was.
“I begged my husband not to be so medieval for this alliance, you just say the word and I’ll stop this whole thing.” Annie whispered into her ear, making Tori laugh again.
Amused, Tori questioned her, “You’d go against Mr. Rogers?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time, my husband learned early on what battles weren’t worth fighting me on.”
Tori tried to maintain her composure as she tried to picture this ball of sweetness ever taking a raised tone of voice with her bulky husband who probably stood a good two feet taller than herself.
“How else would they solidify the alliance?”
“A contract! They love the damn things so much I don’t see why they are complicated matters.” Oh Tori was absolutely in love with Annabelle Rogers. This arranged marriage would be worth it if it meant she got to interact with Annie on a regular basis.:If you need the arrangement to end, just say rosebush and I will get you out of this.” Annie conspired.
“We will see how the evening pans out,” Tori finally breaks and offers a chuckle. “Rosebush, I got it.” she smiles.
Annie dotes on Tori while they wait for everyone to join them, getting to know Annie in the span of about an hour and a half. She understands why Annie is so positive and nurturing, she grew up outside the mod world with a normal little middle class family she adored. She had the life Tori had only imagined as a kid, what would an uncorrupted childhood have been like, one where she hadn’t seen her first murder at 7 years old?
“Babydoll?” a voice calls out Tori assumes it belongs to Steve Rogers.
“Here comes trouble,” Annie winks at Tori. “In here honey!”
Tori stands for introductions as Steven and Ransom enter the room, her eyes instantly falling on her intended. His face is still red, his brow furrowed, whatever he was discussing with his brother (she suspects it to be the marriage) he was not happy about it. Steve gives his wife a quick peck on the lips before shaking Tori’s hand in an introduction.
“And this is my brother Ransom.”
Tori puts her hand out towards Ransom who looks at it only a moment before sneering and walking towards the opened wine bottle and grabbing a glass for himself. Either oblivious or not caring about the tension he has caused he indulges in the sweet dessert wine as the doorbell rings. Steve Rogers is apparently adverse to awkward situations because he scurries away as quickly as possible to answer the door himself. Annie takes a deep breath before addressing Ransom again.
“Here’s how this is going to go, we give it a try and if we find ourselves incompatible, be the terms of the contract we can just be roommates.”
Ransom annoyance transforms into curiosity. “I have a one bedroom home.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
She watches as the tension slowly eases from his shoulders, he takes a deep breath as his face morphs into a neutral expression. He walks over, she maintains her composure and allows him to take her hand to place a quick kiss to one of her knuckles. A relieved breath escapes her as she offers him a kind smile. Regaining his posture, conversation doesn’t resume but the room is lighter now, while it doesn’t resume until her niece and brother enter the room.
“Who's ready for dinner?”