The Strongest Member of the Team: Part 11: Mine
Title: The Strongest Member of the Team
Rating: Mature yes based on a kid’s movie but NOT FOR THE KIDS
Pairings: Marcus Moreno x reader (eventually the wife)
Warnings: Language. I curse. There’s cursing. Also there’s smut. Smutty smut smut smut. I’ll be honest you have a lot more fluff in this part but you got a little face sitting and implied anal sex.
Word Count: 10k.
A/N: Guys....It’s 88k on this main fic. 5k on the two sequels. I’ve started a Pero Tovar fic because I need that distraction and my poor Mando fic needs someone to do a wellness check. This part is much fluffier but I was feeling like this was a moment to do some important team building so we can break into just “us” moments soon and like...forget the team exists for a bit. Less hardcore here than before but I won’t lower the rating.
I mean, it’s a wedding, how slutty can we get?
Also if No Droids updates this week I will too. Little pay-it-forward action.
Love you all.
Masterlist HERE
“Mine”
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You should not have agreed to come to this wedding. You had not been in front of this many cameras since you and Sonam Kapoor tried to ditch Diwali at the Capitol to go hang with some of your friends in the streets. And then, it was Diwali so you were covered in color and like really who was looking at you when Sonam was there?
You had pulled out some stops. Taken most of the day from work -- but did you, because you clearly had your tablet at the salon-- and had them give you the works: your hair was done, the makeup was good now but you’d had to make them scale it back twice -- Come on, I am not the main attraction here--- and all that was left was the dress. At the salon you’d been peppered with questions from curious girls for three fucking hours. And that was after the thirty minute wait to get to your chair why did you even bother making an appointment?!
They knew you worked at Headquarters and your tablet kept getting pinged with files about Miracle Guy or Tech. Even though it was totally normal for Marcus themed files to pop up you somehow bum rushed them off the screen like these women could sense you were sleeping with him.
Thing was…
There had been no review of terms.
Like…
Yes you were sleeping with Marcus Moreno. Most nights. The man had left a toothbrush and what he called an actual spatula (whatever that meant) at your apartment. You had left deodorant at his because smelling like man after an all-nighter was not your schtick. You had been given the full Spanish Inquisition by Anita and God only knew what she had told Marcus after.
But like…
You hadn’t had to give a word to it before and you were more than aware that just like Kate could not just casually mention she was dating William without becoming a footnote you felt a little cornered. People had social media. If you mentioned this it had the potential to take on legs and move on its own.
Like…
Could you say you were Marcus Moreno’s girlfriend?
Was he self-identifying as your boyfriend?
Really, this had to be his thing to decide because he would be the one interviewed and grilled on it.
You tried to avoid the chattier consultants and pretended you were intensely busy with these forms.
One girl smiled over your shoulder, "Is that Miracle Guy?"
Oh boy here it comes…
"Yeah."
She nodded, "I think his mustache was a good move. Makes him look like a cowboy."
You snorted at was her name Peggy? And said, "I'll tell him that. It will tickle him, he's angry as hell I haven't mentioned it since he grew it out."
She considered you for a second, “Tell him that he needs to lower his sideburns.”
You looked at her, eyeing the nametag, definitely Peggy, “No tell him I love him or give him my number?”
“No he needs to balance the moustache with sideburns. How would my number help with that?” She suddenly looked like the lightbulb blinked on, “Ohh, you want me to do it? I mean I could, I might have an opening. But tomorrow I’m booked because I have to leave at 2.”
You know….You kind of liked this little strawberry haired girl. She just wasn’t trying to be a nudge. She had a little of that unimpressed with Heroics attitude that you had developed.
Frankly you could see it driving Miracle a little insane that she would comment on his moustache and not ask for an autograph.
You might have to come back to this idea, there was potential here.
He needed someone who wasn’t going to exist just to lick his boots for him.
She handed you her card with her hours circled and smiled, “They can always check my availability at the front desk when he calls.”
You fucking loved the idea of Miracle having to call a receptionist and being put on hold while they checked the calendar and then- sin of sins-- making him wait for his own appointment slot like any ol’ Joe Schmoe off the street.
Oh yeah, you were going to have fun with this.
She had a lovely little round face and perfectly coiffed strawberry pink hair with the tiniest little bit of brunette popping out of the roots. She had kind, full eyebrows and big green eyes.
You took the card, “I would expect a phone call. You don’t perchance have a personal line do you? He can be...panicky about his facial hair.”
She nodded very sagely, “I understand. I have a Google line for this exact situation. Listen, just remind him that facial hair is so personal and don’t use words like narrowing. Just be calm and upfront with the delivery.”
You kept your face serious.
At least you suspected you did because she was patting your shoulder, “It’s good of you to be sensitive to his concerns about it.”
“Yeah. That’s me. Miss Sensitivity.”
Oh this was going to be a-fucking-mazing.
*
So hair and makeup were done, now the dress.
It was totally possible you might have ordered something on the company credit card.
Quite possible.
Static Cling, for her many flaws, was able to show you exactly what kind of dress was going to look fucking immaculate on you.
Problem: you were trying to understand how to navigate the often complicated question of underwear. Marcus would not mind. Lightning might. Lightning’s amount of mind might totally have to do with whether or not you and Marcus fucked in her bridal suite and you had a moderate level of confidence that you could hold it together.
Maybe.
Marcus wouldn’t even put a hand up your skirt at work, surely he would keep them to himself at the very public wedding of two of his friends and teammates. Right? Right. So in other words whether or not the underwear was there the behavior should totally exist separately from it and the whole thing will go fine.
Yup.
That was the logic.
You’d gone what you thought was the diplomatic route: black dress. No shiny metal here. All black. Her bridal party would be in red. The boys were in black. You’d blend. The makeup was very demure. The shoes were wedges because you were not doing this in heels it seemed like inviting problems. You had asked that they sew a bra into the dress because, again, in the event of running you felt like a little more support than last time could be a really good idea. This dress was a hair less...fluid too. It was tight to you, hugging you, but a thicker sturdier fabric and a slightly different cut. This one was a little higher in the front but the back….well. You’d be lying to yourself, God, and Coco Chanel herself if you said you were not really looking forward to Magic Hands dipping his palms down there during one slow dance.
Slow dancing.
You were thinking about it like you were facing down the Homecoming Court over your allegations of voter fraud all over again.
But like, with a much lesser chance of a food fight breaking out.
Then you thought about Miracle’s sideburns and smirked, Well...less chance not no chance.
You put on the dress at the salon where it had come in and one of the girls nodded, “Oh my...you got a jaw in mind you’re trying to put on the floor?”
“Yes.” You turned and you had to admit it: you were looking quite nice.
Yes….you were doing your best to be a presentable, respectable, and desirable date and whatever else happened was only half your fault.
Your move Supple Ass.
You were thinking that this evening was shaping up to be pretty nice but then your phone rang and poor Janine sounded breathless.
“The boutonnieres and bouquets are supposed to be delivered in an hour and my car is completely fucking broken down, I need help.”
“Hello to you too Janine.”
A girl’s work is never done.
You twirled your car keys around your finger like an Old West gunslinger.
"Don't worry, Brunhilda and I are on our way."
*
You were balancing a box of flowers. You had sent Janine up to Lightning's room with the bouquets. Ravi was at the venue apparently helping set up the tables. That left the boys to you and you made your way to their suite, knocked on the door, and opened it to Miracle's scoff, "Jesus, are you at least getting overtime?"
"You jest but they've investigated my timesheets six times already. They lose money on my overtime hand over foot." You used your hip to knock the door open wider and Miracle took a step back, Tech. seeing you, stood up to help grab the box.
You looked around the room, "Where's Marcu----where the hell is Crimson?"
You eyed the boys like they were holding onto a grenade.
Tech put down the box and held up both hands in a soothing gesture, "Marcus is on a beer run and Crimson is in the shower. We have not lost anyone."
"Yet." Miracle intoned, chuckling, and Crushing Low made a dismissive whistle, "Ignore him he has money riding on them not making it down the aisle."
"Miracle that's awful!" You slapped his arm.
"You look vaguely not frumpy." Miracle offered.
You narrowed your eyes, "I have on very good professional authority that your mustache makes you look like a cowboy--"
His smile increased and his jaw ticked upward.
"--- but your sideburns are not long enough."
His face completely fell and he looked worried, "What do you mean?"
You shrugged as Tech held in a laugh, "I am not a professional I'm just the messenger. Peggy said your sideburns needed to drop."
Miracle was already at a mirror looking furiously at his sideburns, turning his head this way and that way, trying to see what was implied.
Tech nudged your shoulder, "This is priceless."
"Did uh….Peggy say drop or lower or does she mean….she doesn't mean drop like lose?"
You shrugged and held up a card before demonstratively tucking it in your boobs, "Behave today and maybe I'll give you her number and you can ask her yourself."
You motioned with your hand, "Blinding can you---oh!"
You looked down, "Thanks man."
You picked up the empty box. He waved at you and went back to watching what appeared to be soccer and clapped a little, "Marcus is going to lose this is amazing."
"Uh, I'm not dead yet and Juarez is a fourth quarter player so watch it."
You nearly bumped into Marcus but he sidestepped you, deposited the beer by Blinding's feet with a nudge, and turned to get your hands empty, "Here, give that to me--- boys why are you making her take trash out of this room when Miracle is still in it?"
Miracle didn’t respond which made Marcus chuck a beer at his head, Miracle turned, caught it, and quietly said, “Hey Marcus, if you look at the sideburns do you think lower or none?”
Marcus eyed you, “Did you….break Miracle?”
You just smiled and Miracle looked at you desperately making a grabby motion for your chest which Marcus blocked with one arm and a What the actual fuck face, “Um, hands to yourself, what is happening?”
You smiled sweetly, “I have a sideburn girl-- Peggy. It’s...annoying him.”
You tapped on your chest, revealed the card to Marcus who seemed temporarily less annoyed, and then he reached for it, “Give that to me, we don’t need another groping incident.”
Miracle blushed, “I was nine I hardly think we need to keep bringing that up.”
“Uh, you’re the reason there’s a three second delay on the Superbowl transmissions, we don’t get to put that in the sealed juvenile record.”
You handed Marcus the card with a snort at Miracle and laughed, “Oh my God I forgot about that….will Dolly Parton even still talk to you?”
Marcus held the card up to Miracle, waving it a few times to make sure Miracle saw it as if he was a dog and the card were a treat, then Marcus tucked it directly into his pants. Not his normal pants, he went full boxer-brief tuck with the card and Miracle groaned, “Come on man I’m going to need that.”
“And I’m going to give it to you later.” Miracle smirked, “Don’t be a dick.”
Miracle mumbled something like I’ll give you something later but Marcus flicked his fingers and sent a spoon from the breakfast bar over to smack the back of Miracle’s head. Miracle held up a fist when he felt it but Marcus grabbed his crotch and thus the card and said, “Want me to really get it in there? Aren’t you tired of losing? Last night wasn’t hard enough on you?”
Crushing Low snorted and smacked Miracle’s ass, “Yeah, bro, you sore yet? You want an ice pack?”
Miracle blushed and you wrapped your arms around your waist, Marcus’ eyes subtly washed over you, the higher neckline of this dress, the more...conservative line of it. But he could sense you were a little lit up.
You didn’t know if anyone on the team outside of InvisiGirl knew about you two.
They didn't seem to be acting any differently. It was like it always was, you thought.
You were smirking at the boys. The great gathering of idiots.
“What on earth did you boys do last night that we are concerned for Miracle’s ass? There weren’t animals involved, were there, because I still got the Humane Society on me about those fucking cows.” You were smiling, arms still crossed, and you leaned your back against the wall. You didn’t think Marcus had noticed how little back your dress had. He seemed to sense you were hiding something, his eyes kept darting to you, but the stories of the night before were pulling him into the conversation.
Blinding zoomed around cleaning up some of the trash and Miracle held up a finger to you, “Hey, the cows were an accident. And last night does not require a re-hashing.”
“I am getting concerned that it really really does.”
Marcus leaned close and whispered, “Uno.”
You furrowed your brow, “Dos? Is this a pop quiz?”
Blinding and Crushing started nodding, “Uno.”
Miracle’s face was red and Crimson emerged from the bathroom, in his pants with his shirt only half buttoned and looked around, “What are we talking about? Why is she here….Anita’s not here right?”
“No, no, I was delivering flowers. I’m trying to decipher ‘Uno’.”
“Unooooooo.” Crimson laughed, “How are you feeling Miracle Guy? Still a little sore?”
“Marcus sharked us.”
“He’s been beating you for years you can’t call it sharking at this point.” Crushing countered and Marcus held up his hands innocently.
“I am not a shark, I just like the game.”
“Wait first, is no one going to point out that there’s clearly only one shark in this room?”
Sharkboy smirked at you, nodding.
“Also….the card game?” You asked and the boys nodded, so you clarified, “The children’s card game?”
“Woah, that’s….that’s demeaning to something that is a central part of our male tribe.” Tech produced a really weathered pack of Uno cards from his pocket, “I am the keeper of the cards, Crushing keeps the betting pools, and Marcus cleans us out periodically.”
“I lost the last two times.” He tried to sound casual but he had a shit-eating grin that made your thighs clench thinking about how hard he’d fucked you after Mario Kart.
He noticed you shift your legs and he tried to get closer to you but Miracle chucked a pillow at Marcus with a vicious, “You have a spare plus four up your fucking sleeve asshole.”
Marcus picked his sleeves up, “You really wanna blame my sleeves and not your inability to count?”
Blinding Fast was smirking, “I added four cards to his hand before he realized it.”
“You’re all dicks.” Miracle huffed.
“Wait you boys spent Crimson’s bachelor party….playing Uno?”
They all looked at you and Crimson very seriously said, “Listen, money was exchanged, the honor of people’s mothers was called into question, it gets very intense.”
You eyed Marcus, “Did the honor of your mother get called into question?”
Crimson looked frightened, “Do not even pretend to suggest that, Jesus….do you want Anita manifesting in here? You say her name three times she’s like fucking Beetlejuice, just erase the mere idea of her from your mind.”
Blinding chuckled, “No, we go for Marcus’ manhood, seems less touchy a subject than Anita.”
“What did I just say about the name of that particular person.”
Crushing snorted, “She just once tosses you out of an airplane and you’re all scared…”
Crimson looked at you, “An airplane.”
You more or less gave Marcus the same look and said, “Airplane?”
He shrugged, “I have no idea what you are all complaining about, she had me doing halo jumps on my tenth birthday and that is only because the insurance company literally wouldn’t let her prior to that.”
You held up a hand, “Wait, wait...I have questions. How was child services not called? How did Uno start?”
“This is my fault, I brought it during one of our first training shindigs years and years ago,” Tech admitted, “And when Katie and I got married I requested an Uno bachelor party. It got out of hand. There was almost an arrest for indecency.”
“You guys can’t even get drunk--how?!”
Tech blushed, “There may or may not have been an incident with a llama. I would refer you to Fearless Leader on how that happened.”
Marcus shook his head, “No, no, no, I am not responsible for the fact that Miracle had one pair of pants and was not prepared for the sheer omnivorous voracity with which llamas can potentially approach food. I mean, goats, sure, I get it, but like we were none of us prepared for llamas.”
Miracle looked very serious and dipped the waistband of his tux to reveal what might have been bright blue under armor leggings underneath, “Now we are always prepared. I wasn’t fucking having a repeat.”
You were...stunned, “I thought I had to have the elaborate and strange backstories. So, wait, who won at your wedding?”
Tech shrugged, “We sort of lost track and hence this was like...a re-do? Marky Mark took the gold. He’s vicious. He can hold onto that change direction card until it burns."
“It’s not the change direction. It’s knowing when to hit the skip.” Marcus nodded with incredible presence giving very strict Mr. Miyagi vibes.
You were laughing with the boys and you felt your phone vibrate, turning your back on them and dodging just out of the door to answer a call from one of the caterers, thankfully it was just a confirmation and required very little of your time. However you felt fingers trail down the exposed skin on your spine. Marcus’ lips were on the back of your neck, “I hope you aren’t actually working today....”
“I hope you are actually putting a tux on in a second because you still have jeans on…”
You nearly purred at his touch and he pulled you against him, kissing your shoulder, “I like this dress….”
One of his hands dipped to the low line on your back and then he cupped your ass and his brow furrowed, his voice got low, “You….you didn’t….”
You smirked, “And I expect you to behave.”
He snorted, “No you don’t.”
He turned you and pressed you against the wall, and you turned your head, “Marcus I paid a lot of money for this beauty and you will not smudge it before the parading around you claimed to have an interest in doing to me.”
Instead of pressing forward for the kiss he pulled back and looked you over, “You didn’t need to do all this… but I am going to have a very nice time later making a lot of people jealous. Maybe even tempt fate and test out these hands and that dress. Do me a favor and refrain from putting anything Miracle might want to grab in your boobs again? His hands runneth before his brain. We promised Crimson no fighting.”
You smirked and tipped your nose to his, “I am going to go make sure Janine is good with the girls, then I promise to fully surrender my work phone to Chris in PR and just be a guest.”
He smiled and gave a very soft kiss to you before pulling back, “I’ll keep the boys in line, we won’t miss it.”
“See you at the altar then.” You winked and were gone down the hall before you saw the weird face that Marcus had when you said that. He watched you leave until you turned and were completely out of sight, trying really hard to put to words the feeling in his stomach at the idea of seeing you at an altar.
*
Chris from PR had been handling stuff like this for a long time and while, yes, he had been happy to have you running a lot of point you could see almost visible relief when you showed up in the bridal suite with your work phone in hand. He snatched it up and said, “Thank you, I was just about to call you and this saves me the step, please tell me---”
“Every vendor is saved as contact name and vendor name and vendor type, you can use the search bar, there’s also hyperlinks on the spreadsheet I sent you last night and also I like am here….”
“Yes well you’re here in non-official capacity so…”
You looked around the suite and cleared your throat, “I don’t know if that’s like...common knowledge.”
He eyed you, “I made the place cards. You’re a plus one. You’re a serious plus one, a plus one at the big table.”
“I am, in fact, yes, that thing but like just… let the man with the media fallout decide how he wants to roll things out.”
Chris rolled his eyes, “My God just...ok listen take your florist and move out to the ceremony space, I do not need more cling-ons.”
You collected Janine in time to hear a tense exchange between Lightning and InvisiGirl.
“I’m just saying Amari it would be nice to see your face, we all get what your power is, but like I would like to see you in my wedding photos.”
“I don’t have to show my face to you for shit Charlene.”
“It’s my wedding Amari--”
“--Oh, really?! Really?! HOW WOULD ANYONE KNOW IT’S NOT LIKE YOU HAVEN’T MENTIONED THAT EVERY SIXTY SECONDS FOR MONTHS ON END--”
You cocked your head between what you imagined was InvisiGirl and Lightning and made the mistake of clearing your throat, Lightning turned on you with full fury, “WHAT?!”
You held up the calming hands, “I just wanted to say that the boys are moving along, everything’s fine, you look beautiful, it’s all fine.”
You smiled, Lightning took a breath, looked you over and said, “You look good.”
“Thank you, but nothing to you.”
She nodded, smiling, and you caught the moment to push, “And the flowers? Good? Anything I can check on?”
“Can you get Amari to not invisible herself?”
“No more than I can get Miracle to stop checking himself out.” You sighed, but rubbed her arms, “But in a little bit absolutely nobody will even remotely be looking at them all eyes will be on you. This is your day. Everyone is so excited. Crimson looked like a kid at Christmas. It’s going to be epic. Now...screaming is bad for the blood vessels in the face and eyes, I’m going to need you to just woo-sa yourself a bit before you get mottled.”
She responded to this, calming herself, breathing in and out, in and out.
You gave Janine the keys, reassured her that Brunhilda would not, in fact, sense a foreign presence and try to expel her, and stayed there with Lightning for a minute just calming her down. You got there with her, you did, and it did take a minute and then as you got into the hallway to get to the parking lot someone tugged on you. Nobody was there. So you rolled your eyes, “You going to do this with me too Amari?”
Amari materialized, she was….well much larger and more pregnant than you realized as she liked to hide in her invisibility and you hadn’t really seen her much. Like you knew she was due in a couple months but hell, she was round.
“I’m freaking out.”
“You’re fine.”
She was just rambling, “I didn’t tell anyone, why didn’t I tell anyone? Now nobody knows and it’s not like I can just announce it this way and like why did I do this? I knew I should have said something earlier. I just...I didn’t want the fuss. I hate the fuss. I hate the fuss and attention. I don’t want people petting my belly and asking me questions like what are you going to name it? Like I don’t fucking know I’m still processing how it’s coming the fuck out. I don’t even have the nursery together. I have the envelope in my purse where they said what it is. I’ve had it there for three months. I just...I don’t know. I can’t…..”
You just hugged her.
The belly made it hard, but you managed. You hugged her, “It’s ok, sweetheart, I need you to breathe. You do not need to be feeding that baby stress.”
She started to breathe and you rubbed her back, “Listen….they are your friends. They love you. They don’t understand why you’re hiding and they probably feel like you’re mad at them or it’s something they did and that might be making them lash out. But it’s not your fault. It’s ok. You get to choose how to deal with this baby for the next like eighteen to twenty one years.”
She snorted, “You make it sound like a prison sentence.”
“I mean, but with baby cuddles and Saturday morning cartoons and cute little handmade spaghetti necklaces.”
She sighed when you said that, “The clothes are so tiny. And cute. And the detergent smells amazing….”
She was breathing, “I….I love Charlene. I don’t want her to think I like...stole her thunder. I just… I have been...I’m….shy. I don’t … I didn’t...”
You hugged her tighter, “It’s ok. I know she’s a spitfire but she’s just really insecure sometimes and she probably, more than anything, just wants to know you love her. And you do. And you don’t have to, like, offer her anything else to offer her that. She just wants to feel loved and safe. You can do that on your own terms. Really, sweetheart you can.”
Amari was breathing and the tears that had been welling in her eyes dried up and she squeezed your arms, “I can see why he likes you so much.”
You held up a finger, “About that….do they like….know? The team? Has he said anything? Because I have been sort of letting that be his thing.”
“He has not said anything, no.” She said with a smile that made you think there was probably a hefty amount of teasing or pondering on the part of the group.
“Listen,” You nodded, “Today they all get to see me and Marcus, at some point a million cameras are going to want to take his picture and he’s going to have to explain why his mom’s assistant is with him and like...I’ll be honest. I’m worried about that moment. I’m worried that they’re all going to see me and make fun of me and that he will suddenly realize he has no business slumming with the mere mortals of the world and trade me in for another super-powered underwear model.”
“Are you talking about Maddie? Because we all ha--”
“I do not need those details. What I’m saying is like… I am scared of that moment because ultimately I have very little control over what other people’s opinions are or how they will react but like….I just really like him and I can’t let him down and if he wants me to do this, I’ll do it. Because he’s the thing I want to deal with everyday and this other stuff comes and goes, if he feels good about me and I feel good about him I can eventually swallow the panic and focus on what’s important.”
You squeezed her arms and tried to read her face in case she wasn’t getting the connection you were trying to make but behind you guys the doors opened and Amari instantly vanished.
“Hey before you go--” Lightning stepped outside and looked, having seen the tail end of Amari vanishing, and stomped her foot, “Jesus Christ what is wrong Amari? Why are you doing this to me?”
You didn’t know if you should say something and then you felt Amari’s hands leave you.
A moment later you saw Lightning’s face go from upset to smiling and she appeared to wrap her arms around something invisible, hugging it, “Oh honey, I’m sorry I’m mad I’m just...I’m stressed. This has me stressed. When I can’t see you I sometimes forget that you have my back.”
“I’m sorry Charli,” You heard InvisiGirl’s voice, “But I just….listen I love you. I want to tell you something, I don’t want it to ruin your day, I’ve been trying to keep it to myself but like if you want to see me you’ll notice.”
Lightning’s face became a huge question mark, “Are you ok? What do you mean?”
Amari re-materialized and Lightning’s jaw dropped. For a moment you could not tell if it was joy or rage but then the smile carved out over her face and her voice went into a really grating octave and she squealed, “Oh my! My baby girl is having a babbbbbby!!!!!! How would this ruin my day?! Oh no, your poor feet, honey you do not have to wear those shoes right now-- why didn’t you let me know--oh my Sweet Baby Jesus we would have pushed the date back so we could have had a little flower girl or a teeny tiny little ringbearer… Hello there, it is Auntie Charli….”
Amari hugged Charli tighter and said, “I’m sorry I was being a brat I just...I didn’t want to tell people, you know how I get….”
Lightning squeezed her, “Amari-- I will not let anyone pet you that you don’t want petting you….but you understand I’m going to right?”
“Right. Well, you’re the godmother so I guess I better get used to it….”
There was squealing, hugging, and a little crying as the two reminded themselves that they really did love one another.
Well, it looked like your work here was done. Quietly you tiptoed away.
*
You drove Janine to the ceremony site and she went in with Ravi to finalize some of the flowers on the arch. The cameras and reporters were all billowed outside-- it gave you a fairly nice flashback of Marcus doing his electro-Hulk-smash in the way long ago when the reporter had elbowed you during the Static Cling media blitz.
Without your work phone you just had your regular one and, really, only one person ever used the number.
MM: You didn’t run away when you saw this mob, did you?
You forget I am neither super nor a hero and they do not care about me.
MM: Fools, each and every single one of them then.
You smiled.
You boys need anything?
MM: You are on guest mode. Get a drink. Sit in one of the good seats, I want to have a good eyeline of you.
Marcus we cannot make faces during this. Lightning is not in that good of a mood.
In just another part of the building Marcus was smiling at his phone and Tech patted his back, “Good news?”
“Good plans.” Marcus tucked the phone into his pocket and straightened his tie in the mirror, “Tech, when was your bachelor party?”
“Three years ago in August.”
“Fuck, really?” Marcus looked into the mirror at the two of them, “When did we….get old? Like two of us are married, before you know it there’s going to be a second generation...I sometimes still feel like we are twenty two and trying to hide just how late we were up from my mom.”
“She knew. She always knew. She was twice as bad those days.” Tech shook his head and put a hand firmly on Marcus’ shoulder, “I dunno man, I remember dating these different people. Fun times. Then like, I got a hold of Katie and part of me was just borderline panicked, like I was afraid I would open my eyes and she would be gone. And like she was happy with me. With me. For what reason I still don’t know… that woman drives me up a fucking wall. I’m so goddamn happy about it all the time it’s sappy.”
Marcus smiled and straightened his cuffs, avoiding the bait again.
One of the planners came and shooed the boys to the door that they’d walk out. Of course they peeked through to see the crowd come in. Marcus took a turn when Tech all but pushed him forward and he saw it… you were getting walked down the aisle by a scrawny little usher who he vaguely recognized as Crimson’s nephew. But for a second...it was just you, in a pretty dress, smiling in a way that he knew meant you had just laughed, and you were walking down an aisle and seemed to be walking right towards him.
That was the first time the thought occurred to him, I could...I could see myself doing this.
He could.
He could see himself watching you walk towards him like it was the first moment of the rest of his life.
*
The ceremony was gorgeous.
Most of the people inside were friends and family but you noted a couple people talking quietly into recorders or taking notes on pads. Then there was Ravi. You now owed Chris in PR a favor but Ravi and Janine were hanging in the back and Ravi had a quietly blissed out smile on his face.
LavaGirl was the first to walk down and you noticed the stare she had with Sharkboy.
Vox preened down the aisle. She was in her element.
Amari walked down, belly out, and a lot of people looked surprised, including the team. Marcus was elbowed by Tech and he had a tense face of Yes, sure, surprised, I had no idea but you were smiling and winking at him.
The boys were lined up, handsome to a T, and you kept stealing glances at Marcus. He was just a Latin James Bond. Being on "work mode" he had the hair spiked and the glasses off and he looked like the formal wear version of his action figure.
And it looked fine.
You were hoping for a little time to get that jacket off of him.
But it also made you yearn for him in his glasses and his old tee shirts and the sweatpants with the hole in them he loved too much to throw away.
You saw Miracle crying and managed to mime it to Marcus in time for him to catch it too and he petted his friend’s back soothingly.
When the broom was jumped and the applause was shattering and the official big kiss was had and everyone started walking towards the exit you realized for the first time that being the guest of the groomsman could be….a little lonely. You saw the swarm of cameras outside and knew that right now nobody would care who you were, nobody would try to take your picture, but nonetheless you kept your head down and sort of ducked into the middle of the thickest group you could find. Everyone was shoved down the hall and into the big ballroom and you found your place cards-- yup, just like Chris said, little ol’ me, at the big table-- and you made your way to your chair. At least, thank God, Tech’s wife was there-- how you had missed her at the ceremony you didn’t know but she waved off the concern, “I missed the ceremony because I had a business call, was it nice?”
“Yeah, you know-- wedding-y. Vows and stuff.”
She looked at your place card, “Not working are you?”
“Uh...nope.”
Why was it awkward?!
Last night you had sat on Marcus’ face trying not to scream out fucking loud while he held your goddamn arms down and wouldn’t let you move. That hadn’t been awkward. That had been hot. But this...someone asking why you were sitting here, even nicely, was making you nervous you were about to misstep. Anita was two tables over for Christsake. She wasn’t here. This was the table. It was Katie and a guy that leaned over and offered a hand, “Adam. I’m here with Leonard.”
You had never heard Crushing referred to as Leonard but that totally made sense. Adam was super nice-- he was some breed of Middle Eastern with gorgeous long hair and a very full beard, and he whispered, “I...this is one of our first things. Like we sort of just started seeing each other a month ago. It feels good but like...this feels like a big table.”
You squeezed his hand, “I fucking get you, man. Just ...trust the process.”
He snorted, “I hate the fucking Sixers...but I get you.”
At least you weren’t alone at the table.
It made you feel better that Crushing brought an even newer partner than you.
When the party filtered in Marcus kept eyeing you, with some suspicion as to the well cut man standing around next to you. When Crimson and Lightning took their first dance he wheedled as close to you as he could and you snuck over, leaning over onto his shoulder, “Tough job today?”
“This was oddly stressful for something that involves absolutely no napalm.” He smirked and reached a hand back to squeeze one of yours.
Then the DJ said “And now Charlene and Henry invite their bridal party up to join them in the first dance.”
Tech grabbed his wife, Vox grabbed her husband, Amari pulled a man with a very severe limp up to the edge of the floor, LavaGirl and Sharkboy were magnetically on one another looking suspiciously practiced, Crushing signalled the handsome dark man, Blinding led out a woman you learned was a long-term girlfriend who lived most of the time in Hong Kong, and Marcus took the hand he was holding, spun to face you, and pulled you with him with a smirk, “You owe me a dance.”
He kept one hand on your waist, one hand holding your other and was so close to you that you could practically count the hairs in his mustache. He was a good dancer-- of course he was. He was guiding you around the table with grace only matched by SharkBoy who was shockingly fluid. Miracle was stuck dancing with a sweet gray haired little lady that you later found out was Lightning’s grandmother.
You know, it had been a while since you danced.
At least, sure, there had been clubs and stuff but this-- he curled you against him, that dress line was a terrible idea because you just wanted him under it. Being this close just made you want to curl into him and get under the covers and fall asleep listening to his breathing.
This was… lovely.
You didn’t even realize other people were there you were just looking at him, not even realizing for a full minute that he was just staring right back at you with a goofy little smile on his face.
Marcus was paying better attention to the music than you, sweeping you around, even showing off as it was ending with a dip you did not think you had in you.
You blushed, “Well, this is one way to tell everyone.”
He chuckled a little and whispered, “I got a better one.”
When he drew you up he kissed you, soundly, in front of everyone.
And he did it so nicely you didn’t even notice that there was a sharp intake of breath and a few snapped photos.
After the dance everyone returned to their tables for drinks and food and the bridal party was huddled.
The group had scandalized faces.
“How long has this been going on?” Miracle Guy demanded and Marcus bristled through his smile, one hand possessively on your hip, “A few months.”
“What do you mean a few?”
“None of your business.”
"Yeah but if it was... would you put it under or over six months?"
"The fuck?...." Marcus eyed Miracle suspiciously, gave you an inquiring look that you shrugged with a beats me and he said, "Under."
A pause and Miracle covered his face, “Fuck.”
“Pay up.” Crushing Low made a grabby gesture with his hand, laughing a little as his date looked confused, “Told ya.”
“You cheated. You had to have. Who was spying, InvisiGirl? Has to be. Why is she helping you? Did you give her a cut?”
“Woah, woah, woah,” You barked, “Is this what I think it is?”
Marcus looked between his two teammates, “Did you...have a bet about this?”
“I said you wouldn’t work up the nut to admit it until six months, easy.” Miracle mumbled as he palmed Crushing Low a fifty.
Crushing Low smirked, “Sucker's bet.”
He started handing out smaller bills to Tech No and Vox who smirked as they pocketed their winnings, Tech’s wife at least looking mildly unamused. Tech was slightly abashed and raised both hands in defense, “I just...I had faith in you.”
He looked at Marcus, “Both of you.”
Marcus’ eyebrows raised and he pinched the bridge of his nose, “We are all going to have to talk about boundaries next meeting.”
You snorted and gave Miracle a disappointed look, “See if I give you Peggy’s information now.”
“I still need to know what she meant by sideburn length. How long? We talking jawline? I’m concerned. You have her number safe, right? Did she mention if there’s a crisis line?”
You rolled your eyes, “God help us watch this one stick.”
Marcus shook his head at the team, “I can’t believe you guys bet about us.”
"I'm mildly concerned at the degree of casual betting." You shook your head.
“We bet about when you would say something. We all just assumed it was happening.” Vox thought that, somehow, this made it better and she smiled widely, “She’s good for you, it’s good thing! You’re much more ---”
“Team Leader-y.” Offered Crushing Low and she nodded, pointing at him.
“Yeah that!”
You cleared your throat, “Hey are we going to talk about any other exciting revelations from the evening?”
You gestured to Amari and the group doubled down in congratulations and how good you look and how do you feel peppered with Miracle’s shrugging disinterest (What? It’s a bodily function, good for her).
You understood why she did what she did.
You never thanked her, but you did buy her the biggest goddamn item on her baby registry and you feel like she knew.
*
Ok, the team knew.
The team was fine.
You were drinking with Katie, you two were affectionately calling one another work wife and home wife.
She at one point rubbed your arm, "That was a big hurdle. You got the cameras up soon, but a word to the wise-- don't look at the paparazzi shots and do not read the comments. Just take a picture in your own head and make up your own headline."
You studied her, "Did, uh, you have a hard time? When it started?"
She snorted.
"Oh yeah. I'm surprised you don't remember. Whenever one of them dates a normal person there's a lot of fixation." She tipped back her martini aggressively, “I’ll be honest, it fucked with me for a bit. Tech and I went through an extended me coming to terms with it phase that lasted a few months.”
This was your fear.
You felt like you could deal with it. Hang with it. Like it would be ok.
But what if it wasn’t?
The man hadn’t told his teammates about you until tonight-- sure it seemed like most of them had guessed. Sure it did. But like...what if he wasn’t really ready to slap some sort of Marcus Mark on you?
Or what if he just thought he was, and he did, and then the attention made him change course?
Were you making yourself nuts? Yes. Probably.
Katie seemed to see you spiralling and squeezed your hand, “So not that Tech would say anything to them but he had you two called months ago. Said he was doing recon with Marcus--”
You giggled. Marcus and “recon” would make you giggle forever.
“-- and Marcus just kept looking at his phone with this big stupid grin on his face and this lovesick expression. Wouldn’t say a word, didn’t want to share. But Tech knew it was you. Said he smelled it a mile away.”
You smiled, “I remember that day...I was buying my car. I made a salesman cry.”
Katie looked momentarily concerned but you assured her it was deserved.
The boys were all doing a celebratory shot and were coming back towards you like overexcited puppies, Marcus getting his hair messed by Miracle with an annoyed, “AND you won the soccer pool-- what is it, Crimson’s day or yours Moreno?”
Marcus looked at you with this warm expression, “Might be my lucky day.”
You rolled your eyes, “I’m arranging a Gamblers Anonymous meeting for you boys.”
“Babe, I don’t have a problem, I’m the one winning.”
“That’s what they all say.” You smiled as he wrapped his arms around you and drew you in for a kiss, one hand trailing just along that sinfully low edge on your dress.
One of the planners came up to you guys, telling you to start making your way to the red carpet line for your pound of flesh photos. You gulped. This was...this was the part. The one that scared you. Marcus noticed the tension and sent a calming current through you, not that it only calmed you but it at least made it easier for you to breathe for a second.
“Choose your order.”
“We’ll go first.” Amari volunteered, her husband limping up beside her, “Get it out of the way.”
She eyed Crushing and Tech and they shuffled the order they were standing in, Marcus pulled you up and said, “We’ll go second.”
Second?
Second.
Jesus.
*
The cameras were flashing.
Great.
You knew this would happen but it didn’t make it happening any less stressful.
You just tried to glue yourself to Marcus’ side while half-hiding behind him and hoping you blended in with the background.
Unfortunately, Team Leader knew what you were doing and wrapped an arm around your waist,“Don’t worry about them...it’s just you and me.”
You rolled your eyes, “If it was just you and me there would be a lot fewer pants in the room.”
He snorted and his smile lit up, “Patience.”
Many of them were still fixated on Amari and her giant belly and you knew they were asking precisely the sorts of questions she didn’t want asked.
You realized that her going first would distract the reporters-- she was the first of this generation to have a kid, and she was going to be big news.
You two were signalled to walk out just as Amari made it to the end-- it was about twenty feet of carpet, you just had to make it across.
He squeezed your waist in reassurance and one of the cries came, “Marcus, over here! Over here! Sweetheart do you mind stepping out?”
Marcus’ grip tightened on you, “She stays if you want me.”
Now that...that was like blood in shark infested waters. Oh well, you stood up straighter, did the smile you knew flattered you, and thanked Christ you paid for good hair today.
“Who is she?”
“She’s my girlfriend...and that’s about all you need to know.” He winked at them, his tone was light but definitive, he wasn’t about to go spouting out all the details.
You tried to keep the smile small but he had done it. He had gone and dropped terms.
Fuck yes.
You were the girlfriend.
You could feel yourself preening and Marcus' hand shot a current through you like he knew exactly what you were thinking.
Someone wolf-whistled at the two of you and called out, “Nice! What’s her power? Hey sugartits what’s your power?”
You bristled, “Not saying rude things to people.”
A chuckle broke out among the photographers briefly and one said more, “No seriously, what’s your power?”
“I don’t have any powers.” You admitted and Marcus nuzzled against your temple, pressing a kiss there.
“You mind that, chief?”
“Not one little bit.” Marcus nodded at them and then began leading you off, your tenure in the spot was done and he nodded after them, “Ask Miracle about his sideburns, trust me on that.”
“Miracle? Pfft. Fifty bucks says he has a goatee by the fall.” Crushing whistled and the cameras left you and Marcus to focus on him and Adam who looked a little more at ease with everything now than he had an hour ago. You got a warm feeling looking at the two of them, like you should really remember Adam’s name and everything he was saying because it was going to come up at Christmas parties for the next twenty years.
When you got to the end of the line you realized your hands were shaking with adrenaline, but only because Marcus took one and rubbed it between both of his, kissing it, and winking, “You did good.”
“I didn’t curse.”
“You didn’t, I noticed, and I think we should arrange some sort of reward system for you so that you keep that behavior up.” His eyes twinkled. You knew that twinkle.
You pushed one of the buttons on his jacket with a tentative finger, “Is this rented?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Did you pay for insurance?”
“It’s a tux, not a car.”
“But like you’re protected if it’s damaged?”
He pulled you close, “However you’re looking to damage it is worth the price of a tux.”
You smiled and grabbed his tie, “I saw a very empty looking limo outside and you have magic hands that can open door locks.”
“Door locks, zippers, all kinds of fun shit.” He grabbed your hand and squeezed it, “Lead the way.”
*
The night went on forever, and still managed somehow to end.
You danced endlessly with Marcus-- the nice cuddly slow ones (he didn’t let you miss a single one) and a few very nice fast ones that, frankly, nearly resulted in a second trip to the limo. But the night did wind down.
Marcus went to go get his car and it left you for a second with Crushing Low, who was waiting for Adam to get back from the bathroom. He nudged your arm, “You’re not sore about the bet, are you?” “Nah.” You shook you head and motioned toward the door, “You must like the guy, huh? Pretty big shindig for a new thing.”
He shrugged, “I’ve always liked playing certain odds. It sounds like gambling, but gamblers play against the odds. I … Listen, it’s smooshy bullshit so I don’t wanna hear you repeating this, got it?”
You smiled and mimed locking your mouth with a key and tossing it away.
“He….he’s my guy. My person. Like… I know it in my bones. He’s a once in a lifetime shot, I’m not going to fuck around making goo goo eyes like you and Moreno did for months--”
“Hey!”
“Hey nothing, I… listen. My dad, he met my mom on a Thursday. He proposed that Sunday. They got married by the next Wednesday. They have been together over thirty years.” Crushing made a sweeping motion with his feet, “I um… I have the ring. At home. Have a little set up and everything. I’m locking into this one.”
You felt your eyes widen, “Why….tell me?”
“Because you gotta jump in when you live with a Heroic sugar. Don’t look to pump the fucking brakes if you think this guy’s your person. Go for it. Look back on how fast it was and how silly everyone thought you were in thirty years and laugh about it.”
He smiled at you, “I mean it. You two? You two make a lot of sense. One of the easier bets I’ve ever made.”
Adam emerged from the bathroom and Crushing winked at you, “Think about what I said.”
You frequently would.
*
You guys stumbled into your apartment late, really late, and you belatedly mumbled, “Why are we here? Didn’t we drive past yours to get here?”
“I like yours.” He was far more awake than you. You’d started the heavy-dancing portion of the evening-- post limo, which, did, in fact, rip the seam on Marcus’ jacket and result in your sewn in bra getting ripped out too-- by trying to keep up with the drinking level of the team. You had somehow forgotten that you were not superhuman and had tried to mediate the damage. Now it was late, you were in the happy place between far-too-drunk and far-too-sober and you were feeling….devilish. You wandered directly into your room and started to peel off the straps of the dress but Marcus stayed your hands, “Wait, now...I wanna do it.”
And he did, slowly, with his mouth and his hands and kisses that were trailing empty paths to nowhere just to lick a sheen of sweat off of you. He kept your back to him and he was carefully pushing the dress down over the mound of flesh-- in the limo you had been limited and the dress had stayed on. It had gotten pushed around, but it had stayed on. Now he was dressed and you were just in heels and moonlight and he ran his hands down your neck, your breasts, until they settled low on your hips.
“You know,” you said, hips slowly dragging your butt across the front of his pants, already feeling him hard, smiling at what you were going to offer, “I’ve never...tried...anything there...before you and those magical hands.”
He moved his hands to cup your ass cheeks, “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah…” you reached over to your dresser and grabbed something you’d tucked away there last night, the motion pushing you further against his crotch and he pulled you tight against him, you felt the hands leave you for a second, heard him flick the buttons off his shirt before returning those delicious currents to your skin, “But if you...wanted… I would let you.”
For a second he froze, saw the bottle of lubricant in your hand, and then you felt a positive flood of his currents and you started to breathe heavy, you heard his pants hit the floor, and he pushed you stomach down on the bed with a tone in his voice that made you wetter than his fucking currents, “I want every single part of you to be mine.”
And he fucking meant it.
And he fucking repeated it.
He repeated it with every single stroke of his fingers, and his tongue, and his glorious goddamn dick until you almost forgot what he was saying.
I want you. To be. Mine. Mine. Mine.
For a second you didn’t realize you were responding each time: You got me, you got me, you got me.
And just before he came, when you felt him tensing, when you felt him start to pulse, you shifted your hands, reached around, took two handfuls of his ass and held him against you moaning, Mine.
Or maybe it was him saying it.
Or maybe you both were.
Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine.
*
In the morning Marcus woke up feeling physically drained-- happily so, but drained nonetheless, and he did something he never did before. He took his phone, turned so that if you woke up you couldn’t see the screen, and started just mindlessly looking at a few things.
Of the many things he looked at he idly went to a page with different kinds of rings. Diamond ones, emerald ones, ruby….all very pretty. He wasn’t in a rush. He wanted to look. See what was there. See if anything felt like you.
So far, it didn’t.
But it didn’t hurt to look.
He had meant what he said: Mine.
_____________________________________________
A/N: Headcannon casting: Adam is Oded Fehr. Fight me. So yes, fluffy, gives us some room in upcoming chapters for more events. Hope nobody is upset with the portion of fluff :) If we don’t see the team settling a bit now later it feels very RUSHED MARRIED BABIES EVERYONE AT ONCE and like...them kids is deffffinitely all fairly close in age, except Guppy, so we will have our hands full anyway.
Usual warnings: this isn’t beta read. I have no idea when half this stuff writes itself. I am stoked for some of the upcoming adventures.
Tag list? I’m learning @tortles @mrschiltoncat @swimmingsloths @imaginecrushes @dreamer7black @sarahjkl82-blog @finnisrioting @heresathreebee (I added you because you make me laugh) @seasonschange-butpeopledont
^ Wait…I feel like I’m missing someone. Someone? REPORT! BEULLER?!