The Man My Father Always Talked About • A CAPTAIN AMERICA STORY

54

Their wedding was nothing elaborate, a small ceremony outdoors with their friends and a few other guests. The bride wore a beautiful white, long sleeved, floor length gown. It rested just at the edge of each shoulder and ended at her wrists. It was simple, yet beautiful. Natasha was her Maid of Honor, the redhead looking stunning in her sage green dress while Pepper was a very pregnant bridesmaid.

Natasha wiped a tear away as she hugged Clara. Natasha had always been the sister that Clara never had. Since the snap, they had grown even closer than before. Natasha would sometimes stay at their house to help her forget her loneliness. Pepper and Nat soon left the room to allow Clara to have a private moment. Clara reached into her jewelry box and pulled out a pair of pearl earrings. They were the same ones her mother wore on her wearing day. As she put them in, she suddenly felt sad. She was getting married and neither of her parents could see.

Tony rounded the corner and her entered the room, nearly tripping as he stopped. She hadn't seen him enter as she was still focusing on putting her earrings in. Her big brother stood is awe at the sight of his little sister. Tony looked at his baby sister, all grown up, wearing her white gown. There was tension between him and his sister after every thing that had happened and her quick forgiveness of Steve after his betrayal. He despised Steve Rogers, partly for his betrayal and partly because he thought he could have done something different had he gone to face Thanos that day. But Tony swallowed his pride. He let go of his resentment for one day because after everything, he was going to walk the girl he raised down the isle. Seeing his sister in a wedding gown made a tear run down his check before he wiped it away.

When she finished, Clara noticed Tony in the mirror. She hadn't seen him for months since she announced her engagement. Now she had seen him for two days and he seemed like a new person. His hair was beginning to grey on the sides and there were more wrinkles by his eyes. Somehow she knew their strained relationship would not be healed over a wedding and they would probably not see each other for a long time afterwards. She turned around and smiled. They walked together in silence before they faced the door that opened to the ceremony. Clara breathed in deeply as she adjusted her veil. "What if I trip?"

"Then do it elegantly," Tony smirked as he handed her the bouquet.

Clara nudged his arm and smiled. taking her bouquet. She looked at her brother as he looked straight ahead. The music started and Clara wrapped her arm around his arm. With his other hand, he rested it on hers and the siblings proceeded down the white rose petal trail left for them down the isle. Steve stood front and center in a black tux. Steve's Best Man. Clara had the pain of not having her parents, Steve had to pain if not having his best friend be by his side. Steve asked Bruce to be his best man, he would have chosen both Bruce and Thor, but Thor cut off all contact with them the second they returned back to earth. The moment was beautiful as they said their vows, saying they'd love and protect each other until the day they died. It was the last time all of the remaining Avengers were in the same place at the same time.

Their reception was bitter sweet. The guests enjoyed themselves but of course were filled with the grief of missing the friends that should have been there. After their first Steve and Clara's first dance, Tony walked up to them.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's tradition the one who walks the bride down the isle dance with the bride on her wedding day." Tony and Steve shared a glance, one that Clara couldn't read. Steve kissed her hand before handing her over to Tony.
Clara looked to see the guests chatting and enjoying themselves. Steve joined Natasha and Bruce, glancing over at Clara frequently. The slow music playing drowned the siblings conversation out for anyone but the Starks to hear.

"Congratulations," Tony said, taking her hand and beginning their dance. "You look beautiful by the way."

"Thank you," Clara smiled. "You're looking grey."

"Ah," Tony chuckled. "I had a feeling that would come up."

"Have you thought of any names?" Clara asked, dancing slowly to the tune.

"Morgan," Tony answered quickly. "Boy or girl, either one. The name just kind of sticks."

"I like it." Clara smiled softly. "I can't wait to be an aunt." Their conversation stopped for a moment, though they continued to dance. "Thank you for being here."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world Clar," Tony replied. "No matter who it was you were marrying."

Clara looked up to meet her brother's eye. "Please don't start with that." Tony stayed quiet. The song was coming to an end, as was their dance.

"Pepper and I are going to be heading out soon. She hasn't been feeling the best you know," Tony said, their feet stepping in time.

Clara shook her said and chuckled softly. "So is this how it's going to be?" She looked back up to him. "Are we just going back to the way things were?"

"We'll never be able to go back to that," Tony replied. "It's the past and you know that. We can't change it."

"So what? A call here and there, maybe see each other on special occasions?" Tony sighed as he didn't want his response to ruin her big day. "I know how you feel about him and I know I should probably feel the same way, but I don't." Tony tried to avoid eye contact, but Clara made him meet her eye. "I don't want to lose you Tony, but you better not make me choose."

The song ended. People clapped. Tony leaned in and kissed her cheek softly before backing away and letting go of her hand. "Congratulations again. I'm happy for you both." Steve approached her with a glass of champagne. She took it reluctantly as Tony backed away to leave. What tears that had formed were gone instantly as Clara took a sip of her drink and went back to the party. From the distance of the outdoor tent, she could see Tony helping Pepper into their car. They met each other gaze one last time before he got into the drivers seat and left. "Are you okay?" Steve asked.

Clara swallowed her sadness and smiled at her husband. Her husband. "I couldn't be any better."

They honeymooned in Europe, somewhere Steve had wanted to go to relax rather than work. In those three weeks, Steve and Clara felt like they were living a new life. Some days they'd spend all day in bed, just to be by themselves and away from the world. They couldn't get enough of each other. When they returned home, they returned to their old lives as they remembered their new duties and what they needed to get done. Clara returned to the orphanages and Steve continued his weekly support group. One day Steve came home with a furry surprise and added a new member to their family of two. Their new dog was a German Shepard that they named Miles.

Tony and Clara drifted further as the years went by. She was there for his wedding and the birth of his daughter and he was there for her wedding, but what used to be frequent visits turned into missed phone calls and text messages. Morgan would stay at Steve and Clara's house sometimes while Pepper and Tony had a date night and Clara would take Pepper out for lunch occasionally, but the Stark siblings weren't the same as they once were. Tony never acted the same way around Steve and her like he used to. He hid it when they visited the few times that they did, but he still blamed Steve for their failure in the first place. He still felt betrayed by him. Tony left with his family to start a new life while he thought his sister was doing the same. The world was a safe place and they were both married adults. They didn't need to rely on each other like they once did.

Five years had flown by like it was nothing. They made the best out of their loss. Natasha was giving out missions to Rocket, Nebula, Okoye, Carol, and Rhodey to make sure everything was fine in the world. Tony had finally settled down and had a kid. Steve and Clara were living together in a quiet place, happily married with an adorable dog. Unknown to the rest, Bruce had come to terms with the Hulk and was able to become one with him. The world seemed to be coming together again. That is, until someone showed up on the Compound's doorstep.