In Another Universe

TWENTY FOUR

[Song Suggestion- Exile by Taylor Swift Feat. Bon Iver]

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Flashback to Bucky and Anastasia's wedding, Rosie is only a few months shy of one year old at this point in the story.

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Bruce strides down the brightly lit hall of the Plaza Hotel, Venue employees donning little black dresses and suits scrambling around him with last minute flowers and decorations in hand.

This is all wrong. The nagging voice in Bruce' mind echoes for the millionth time today.

He has to find Anastasia, He has to convince her to call it off.

Finding the plaque marked The Bridal Suite l, Bruce taps his knuckles against it and awaits Anastasia's soft voice before opening the door.

"Come in!" She squeaks.

Bruce slips into the room to find her standing by the floor length mirror which rests beside the window, golden light seeping in and bouncing off her nearly sheer wedding gown.

Glancing over her shoulder she smiles, her hands still wrapped around her back as she wars with the much too stiff zipper.

"Jellybean!" She exclaims, "Thank god, Can you help me with this?!"

"Of course." Bruce says, reaching her with three long strides across the intimate room.

His eyes wander down her exposed back as he gently replaces her hands with his on both the side of the dress and the zipper, Carefully pulling it up to rest between her shoulder blades.

Electricity igniting within his veins as his hands linger against her silky skin momentarily, And in a beat, she's spinning 'round to face him.

"You're a life saver!" She smiles, stretching up to wrap her arms around his neck and giving him a brief hug before sinking back down onto her bare feet and padding over to the lush cream colored couch. "I'm so not looking forward to being stuck in this heels for an hour."

He watches her cautiously as she struggles to reach down, Her bump being in the way as she fiddles with her eggshell-colored strap-riddled heels.

With her being pregnant for the second time, Her natural red hair has grown out quite a bit, Leaving her with a red to platinum ombre falling just below her chest.

"Here, Allow me." Bruce says taking a knee in front of her, gliding the fabric up to expose her ankle and slipping her foot into the heel.

"Thank you..." She swallows thickly, gazing down into Bruce' melted caramel eyes.

His presence is exactly what she needed this morning. Rosie has been throwing a fit all day long, Her emotions are all over the place, The wedding dress barely fits because of the extra baby weight she's gained in the last two weeks since she had it altered for the third time. All while her mind is warring with itself.

Because this is all wrong. And she knows it, The same as Bruce.

"Why are you doing this, Stassie?" Bruce asks, his tone soothing as he tightens the last strap into place.