The Fall - Book 2

204. I want a blue dress.

MARCH 11, 2020 — AVENGERS COMPOUND — RÉA

"So," I tell Pepper once we're settled in her and Tony's suite, "Bucky and I set a date!"

"Oh, sweetie, that's wonderful! Tony, Réa and Bucky set a date!"

"If it's not May thirty-first, I'm going to owe Rhodey, Clint, Steve, and Nat so much money," Tony mumbles as he enters the living room and joins Pepper on the couch.

I shake my head, a small grin on my face as I laugh softly.

"It's May thirty-first." I pause. "Which I guess isn't that surprising, since that's when Bucky and I first met, and almost everyone was there for that."

"Well, I'm very excited and happy for your both! I'm assuming you're going to ask Nat and Wanda to be your bridesmaids?"

"I am. We're actually going to have lunch together in an hour; I'm going to ask them then. But I have a question for you two, first." I clear my throat. "Would you two both walk me down the aisle?"

"Yes," Tony replies.

"Of course!" Pepper says simultaneously.

I smile brightly. "Great!"

Pepper grabs a notepad and a pen, and we begin discussing wedding-related plans; Tony excuses himself, saying that he's going to leave this to Pepper, and that he just needs to know where and when to show up.

"Make sure she and Bucky have everything they want. Spare no expense," he tells her, giving her a quick kiss before leaving the suite.

"Alright, so...have you and Bucky decided anything else?"

"We have! It's been a productive morning," I grin. "We spoke with T'Challa, Queen Mother Ramonda, and Shuri earlier; they've given us permission to get married in Wakanda. Obviously, neither of us want a very large crowd...we actually have a list; I'll give that to you. But even with plus-ones, it's only going to be about forty five guests, at least for the ceremony. We told T'Challa that the reception can be open to the Wakandans. I mean, that seems fitting, since we were all together at that celebration back in twenty-eighteen."

Pepper nods, and writes something down. "What about colours?"

"I asked Bucky about colours...he said, and I quote, 'whatever you want'. I told him that it's his wedding, too, and he said," my voice catches and my eyes mist as I repeat his sweet words, "'I'm marrying you...the rest of it doesn't matter to me.'"

Pepper places her hand on her chest and makes an 'aww' expression as I continue.

"And then he thought for a couple of minutes and told me that he'd like to wear a grey tux, and that he doesn't want to wear a bow tie. Which works out, because...well, I want a blue dress. And grey and blue look nice together. I was thinking that Sam and Steve could wear the same colour tuxedos as Bucky, with bowties, so they're different from him, and Nat and Wanda could wear a complementary shade of grey. And you and Dad can obviously wear complementary colours as well."

Pepper jots down some more notes. "Okay. I'm glad you and Bucky have talked about this stuff...especially since we don't have very long to plan! If you don't mind, I'll call and make appointments with the tailor, a bridal boutique, and a flor...wait, what do you want to do for flowers?"

"I...well, I might have had a Pinterest board of ideas for a few months," I say, a faint blush colouring my cheeks. "So I have some alternatives to flowers, as well as ideas for cakes and dresses and tuxedos and hairstyles and...well, lots of things. I can add you to it, if you want."

"Yeah, do that...that'll make this whole process much easier."

I take my phone from my pocket and go ahead and add her to that Pinterest board, as well as send her the guest list.

"That's actually a perfect stopping point, because I have to meet Wanda and Nat in ten minutes.' I give Pepper a big hug. "Thank you, Mom."

"You're welcome, Réa. I'll make those appointments, and let you know dates and times."

I nod. "When you make the appointment at the bridal boutique, could you make it for four of us, please? I'd like you there—obviously—and I'd like Nat and Wanda to come as well. That was we can hopefully find my dress, and dresses for you three as well."

"I can do that. Now, go enjoy lunch with your friends. I love you."

"I love you, too."

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After we're seated in a corner booth and the waiter has taken our orders, I tell Nat and Wanda that Bucky and I have set a date.

"And I wanted to ask you both something..." I hesitate briefly. "Would you two be my Maids of Honour?"

"Eeeee! O.M.G.!" Wanda excitedly squeals. "Yes, of course!"

Nat's a bit more composed than Wanda...she doesn't squeal, but there is a gigantic smile on her face. "Of course, Réa. I'd love to."

"Great!" I smile at my best friends. "I talked with Pepper some this morning about plans; I told her I've had a Pinterest board for a few months. I added her to it...I can add you two as well, if you want. I'd really appreciate your thoughts on things."

I tell them what Bucky said, and they react much like Pepper did.

"He is so sweet...it would be kind of nauseating if it was any couple besides you two," Nat says, just as the waiter returns with our food.

Our conversation resumes once the waiter leaves and continues as we eat, moving from the topics of my engagement and wedding planning to Nat and Wanda's lives and relationships. I settle the bill, insisting on treating my two friends, and we return to the car, conversing the whole way back to the compound.

"You said Bucky's going to ask Steve and Sam to be his Best Men?" Wanda asks as we walk down the corridor to my suite.

"Yeah. He actually took them to lunch to ask them, too." I open my door, and gesture for the two women to precede me inside. "Alright, let the brownie-making and the rom-com marathon begin!"

Wanda turns on 50 First Dates and the three of us make a large pan of brownies; when Bucky returns, he, Sam, and Steve join us.

"If you eat that last brownie, Sam, I'm going to use my Widow Bite on you," Nat fixes Sam with a pointed look as he reaches for the last pastry.

"Split it?" he asks; Nat considers briefly before nodding.

Steve, Wanda, Bucky, and I chuckle at the pair.

"Y'know, Sam, you're lucky she agreed to share. She still hasn't completely gotten over you eating the last of her chocolate that time when we were on the run," Steve chuckles.

"Why'd you bring that up?! Now she's going to be mad all over again!"

"It was my emergency, stress-relief chocolate! And you ate it!" Nat points at Sam. "It's not like I could just waltz out to the store and get more...we were in the middle of nowhere!"

"Well, did you ever think that maybe I was in need of stress relief, too?!" Sam retorts.

The pair bickers back and forth, and I can't help giggling, because I know they're not actually angry at each other. Soon, everyone else joins in the laughter, including Nat and Sam. We return our attention to the film; Bucky drapes his arm around me and I rest my head on his shoulder.

The six of us spend the rest of the afternoon in my suite before joining the others for supper.