Work Text:
From Ms. Potts to Mrs. Stark
Today was the day everyone anticipated: Pepper Potts’s wedding to Tony Stark.
A while before the ceremony, the men— Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, James Rhodes, and Dr. Bruce Banner- were in the Groom’s Suite. They were dressed, but Tony hadn’t written his vows yet.
But Steve was about to check on Pepper and Natasha but was stopped by a scowling Tony.
“Where the hell are you going?”
Steve turned to his teammate.
“Checking on the ladies.”
Tony glared at him.
“Do you have something I could write with?” he fidgeted.
Steve walked to his briefcase in the corner and rummaged through it before finding paper and a pencil, passing the items to Tony. He smiled gratefully.
“Thanks.”
“You should start writing,” Steve said sternly.
Tony sat down, the paper in front of him, and soon, was writing so fast he tore a hole through it.
Rhodey dashed over to stop his friend.
“Tony, stop! You’re ripping the paper,” he said, but Tony wasn’t listening; this made the dark-skinned man roll his eyes. In a more authoritative voice, “Please slow down.”
Tony turned to his friends.
“But I want to see Pepper.”
“Of course you do.”
Seeing the men were busy, Steve bolted from the room and ran down several flights of stairs and through several hallways, noticing how empty the building was. He figured it had something to do with the presence of Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries, and Tony Stark, the superhero.
Ah, the perks of being rich. Steve thought.
All too soon, Steve arrived at the Bridal Suite.
It was a chamber with a high, sloping ceiling, white flowers in large, elegant glass vases, a vanity table full of makeup and hair products, and a large, clear mirror with small circular lights. In front of the vanity were Pepper and Natasha in the two comfy-looking chairs, applying their makeup.
Smiling, Steve knocked on the door, catching Natasha’s attention. She beckoned him into the room, surveying his outfit.
“You look great,” she said.
“I’m glad,” Steve smirked. He wore a black-and-white suit and blue tie tailored to his tall, muscular body. Turning his eyes to Pepper, his grin broadened. “Tony will have a heart attack when he sees you.”
She gave him a dazzling smile.
Pepper’s ensemble was a satin sleeveless cream wedding gown with a long, intricate train, and a thin veil connected to a blue flower crown covered her long strawberry-blonde hair. Around her neck, she wore the necklace Tony had made from the shrapnel in his heart. And on her left wrist was a ruby bracelet she had borrowed from Natasha. On her feet were white flats, with the last piece to her outfit being a red and gold garter on her thigh.
Natasha wore a red knee-length dress paired with her blonde hair and green eyes. And on her feet were a simple pair of black high heels.
After appraising her appearance, Pepper turned to face Steve and Natasha.
“I’m ready,” she said.
“Good,” Natasha replied.
As they walked out into the building, Steve entwined their arms with his, and while walking, they chatted. When they got outside to the limo, Natasha told the story about what happened in Budapest.
They found the limousine waiting for them, along with the driver, who greeted Pepper.
“Ms. Potts, I’m taking you, Ms. Romanoff, and Mr. Rogers to the venue and called for a second limo to collect Mr. Stark.”
“Thank you.”
The valet walked over to open a door for them, and Natasha and Steve helped Pepper in before entering themselves. They were speeding to the venue once the driver got into the car. It was near to the building housing the suites.
In the meantime, Tony, Bruce, and Rhodey were hurrying out of the building. Tony had managed to finish writing his vows. And Bruce and Rhodey checked them to ensure everything made sense.
They didn’t see their limo once they were in front of the building. This left Tony unhappy.
“I’m going to call a suit.”
Startled, Rhodey reached out to stop him.
“Pepper’s going to kill you.”
Tony waved his friend off.
“No, she won’t.”
“Yeah, right-” he mocked before Bruce cut him off, looking green.
“Call the suits!” he exclaimed, walking away from the men while taking deep breaths.
Tony and Rhodey looked at each other before calling their suits. The house wasn’t far from the hotel, so they soon saw Mark LXXXIV and War Machine flying towards them.
Once the men wore their armor, they took to the sky, with Rhodey zooming off toward the venue.
“I hope you’ll be okay.”
“Go!” Bruce said, shooing him off.
Tony flew off, leaving Bruce to wait on a small brown bench. Bruce shuffled, trying to get comfortable. The bench was hard, making the task difficult. After a few minutes of shuffling around, he crossed his legs at the ankles and leaned back, closing his eyes. Bruce hoped his ride would be here soon.
Not long after, he heard someone pull up. So, opening his eyes, he saw another white limousine in front of him, and spotting him, the driver rolled the window down. The driver had been told he was picking up three people but only saw one.
Confused, he furrowed an eyebrow.
“Dr. Banner?”
Bruce stood up to stretch, his muscles protesting, as he faced the other man.
“Are you taking me to Mr. Stark’s wedding?”
“Yeah. Where are Messrs. Stark and Rhodes?”
“They’re already gone, so let’s get to the venue.”
“Okay.”
With that, they were off.
While Bruce and the others were driving over, Tony had landed at the altar. Once on the ground, the Iron Man suit detached from him and flew back to Tony’s house.
He saw that Rhodey was already in place, and Happy was practicing. He walked over and cleared his throat, making Happy scream.
“Jeez, Tony!”
The billionaire smirked.
“What?”
“I need you to get into place,” Happy said.
Tony scurried beside Rhodey, taking in the salty breeze ruffling his hair.
He could see the faces of his friends staring at him as they sat in white folding chairs. Between them was a long carpet leading from the parking lot to the beach where Tony was. Above his head was a white trellis covered with flowers.
Bruce came over, which caught Tony’s attention.
“There you are!”
“Don’t worry, I’m going to stand with Rhodey and Nat,” the scientist told his companion.
“Okay!”
Bruce rushed to get to Natasha and Rhodey behind Steve and Pepper. Tony waved at them, and they waved back.
Soon, the music started, and Thor, Clint, and the Stark Industries businesspeople stood up to face the back of the aisle. They all saw Pepper and Steve strolling with her, carrying a bouquet of white roses and camellias.
Pepper’s eyes soon found Tony, and she smiled at him. He looked back at her, tears in his eyes. Tony would remember this for the rest of his life.
Bruce, Rhodey, and Natasha were next, with Natasha holding lilies.
Finally, Steve brought Pepper to Tony’s side as she handed her bouquet to Natasha. Natasha adjusted her grip on the flowers, so Steve kissed her on the cheek before turning to face Tony.
“Take care of her,” he said.
Tony nodded as Pepper’s petite hand went from Steve’s large one to Tony’s. They clasped hands before turning to face Happy, and Steve went to one of the white chairs in the front row.
“I’ve been waiting for this,” Tony smiled.
Pepper smiled at him, took in his dark eyes, slicked-back salt and pepper hair, and crisp new suit.
Happy, smiling, motioned for everyone to sit down before he began.
Please be seated.
First, I’d like to begin by welcoming everyone and thanking you for being here on the happiest day. It’s no accident that you are here today, and you were invited to be here because you represent someone important in the individual and collective lives of Anthony and Virginia.
I can’t think of a better venue than Venice Beach for an occasion that I know is monumental for the wedded-couple-to-be but for all of us lucky to know and love them as individuals, but even more so as a perfect pairing.
The most remarkable moment is meeting the person who makes you feel complete. The person who makes the world a beautiful place. The person with whom you share a bond so unique that it transcends most relationships and becomes something so incredible that you can’t imagine another day without them. For Anthony, this happened 18 years ago when we became best friends. But about 10 years ago, he met Virginia, who is lovely, too. I know how deeply they care for and love one another, and I feel privileged to be here today among you as a witness to their commitment to a lifetime of love for one another.
I think I’ve had the good fortune to meet most of you here, but for those of you whom I haven’t met, my name is Happy Hogan, Pepper’s Head of Security.
Anthony and Virginia have asked that I keep this speech short and classy and politely asked me to leave out unflattering stories to either of them. So, I’ve had to redline stories about previous flings, drugs, or alcohol, and encounters with the police, but I do feel comfortable saying, “I told you so.” I said this when I learned that Anthony and Virginia’s relationship was becoming serious.
As a spectator to their developing love, it was clear that they represent a perfect pairing because each complements the other so well. They balance one another, and while they are tremendous individuals on their own, they are even better together. Being better together as a team, a unit, and partners in crime has been in the making for many years and leads us to be here today, witnessing their commitment to one another.
I wish I could tell you a single story about Anthony and Virginia that summarizes their relationship and how they enrich each other’s lives and the lives of each of us, but the truth is there isn’t one single event that is a good encapsulation of what they mean to me, to each other, and to all of us. But I do know that both of them care deeply and passionately for each other; they protect each other; they make each other laugh and think outside themselves; that time magically seems to both fly and slow down when they’re together. They help each other in obvious, unnoticed, but always appreciated ways.
I also know that it’s not just anyone with whom you can have communication with simply a look, or remember the names of each other’s favorite places, or surprise each other with reservations at a restaurant you’ve been eyeing for years or say “I’m sorry” every time it’s warranted. They do that for and with each other.
But my experiences with Anthony and Virginia also highlight the quality of their love. It doesn’t matter if I’m with them in person or in a bizarre group text with them—when I’m engaging with Anthony and Virginia, I always enjoy myself. And I am sure that that’s part of what makes them so unique to each of us: how happy and contented we feel when we are with them. And what I wish for them on their wedding day is that their lifetime together as a team is complete contentment, full of those moments that they wish would never end and that they continue to make one another smile and laugh as they make each of us do.
So, without further ado… Dearly beloved and honored guests:
We are gathered to join Anthony and Virginia in marriage.
This contract is not to be entered into lightly but thoughtfully and seriously, with a profound realization of its obligations and responsibilities.
The bride and groom have each prepared some vows they will read now.”
Pepper grabbed her notecards from Natasha.
“Tony, I knew my life would change from when we met—every day with you has been a new adventure. I was your assistant, keeping up with your appointments one day and helping you stop Obadiah Stane the next. As your career kicked off, enemies came at us, and I was promoted to CEO. That was the start of a more personal relationship. Vanko and Hammer happened, but we got through that. That wasn’t our only obstacle; we’ve both been kidnapped, mine coming with an Extremis injection and a break. That allowed me to reevaluate our relationship, and I didn’t want to live without you. You’re worth it, so here are my promises to you, Tony: I will be lenient about your responsibilities as an Avenger. I’ll listen to you when you’re sad and rejoice when you’re glad. And when the time is right, I’ll make our house a loving home for our family to grow. But my most significant promise is to support you as Tony Stark and Iron Man.”
The audience had no dry eye by the end of Pepper’s speech.
“Tony?”
“Pepper, you helped me replace my first arc reactor, and as time passed, I made you CEO of my company. After Stane, Vanko, and Killian, I realized you would be safer without me, so we broke up. But we got back together. I will not let my enemies harm you or our children. And should you ask for it, I’ll retire and settle down with you. I will be a father who loves our children. And I will be there to experience the joys and sorrows of life by your side. Finally, I promise to make you feel as loved as you have done for me.”
“And now:
“Virginia, do you take Anthony to be your husband?
Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him forever?
“I do,” Pepper sang, looking Tony in the eyes.
Happy nodded before turning to Tony.
“And Tony, do you take Virginia to be your wife?
Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her forever?”
“I do.” Tony smiled.
“Rhodey. It’s time for the rings,” Happy told him. Rhodey came forward with a large, simple gold band for Tony and a ring for Pepper with a large diamond surrounded by smaller topazes and rubies.
Happy said, “Anthony and Virginia will now exchange rings as a symbol of love and commitment to each other. Rings are a precious metal; they are also made precious by you wearing them. Your wedding rings are unique; they enhance who you are. They mark the beginning of your long journey together. Your wedding ring is a circle—a symbol of never-ending love. It is the seal of the vows you have just taken to love each other without end.
Anthony, please place the ring on Virginia’s left hand and repeat after me:
“As a sign of my love.”
“As a sign of my love.”
“That I have chosen you.’
That I have chosen you.”
“Above all else.”
“Above all else.”
With this ring, I thee wed.”
“With this ring, I thee wed.”
Once the ring was on Pepper’s finger, Happy turned to her,
“Virginia, please place the ring on Anthony’s left hand and repeat after me.”
“As a sign of my love.”
“As a sign of my love.”
“That I have chosen you.”
‘That I have chosen you.”
“Above all else.”
[“Above all else”]
“With this ring, I thee wed.”
“With this ring, I thee wed.”
After that, they both had their rings on their fingers and smiled at each other.
Happy then said, “To make your relationship work will take love. Continue to date each other. Show each other that your love and marriage grow stronger with time.”
It will take trust to know that in your hearts, you truly want what is best for each other. It will take dedication to stay open to one another—and to learn and grow together. Going forward together without knowing what the future brings will take loyalty. And it will take commitment to hold true to the journey you have both pledged today.
“And now, by the power vested in me by the State of California, it is my honor to declare you married. You may seal this declaration with a kiss.
Tony dipped Pepper and pulled her into a kiss as the crowd cheered. They kissed for several moments before pulling apart and standing back up. Happy then grinned at their friends.
“I am so pleased to present the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Edward Stark.”