nextgenerationmarvel | Power of Two

It had been a very long yet oddly quick week since Stephanie finally came home. They got the paperwork squared away, Sancho to the vet, and a few last patrols done. Well, he did the patrolling to keep his nerves steady. Marcelo's father sent a private jet to pick up his son, his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, their growing kitten and Brooke to bring them to São Paulo.

Marcelo had packed his wedding attire and a few toiletries for the most part. Also, a few things for the wedding night. Other than those, he still had belongings in Brazil he could still use. And whatever else he needed, he could buy. Thus, the cargo in the jet was left to the ladies.

He had not mentioned it was winter in Brazil until they landed. Once they all deplaned, it was a nice 65 F outside. There was a couple days to settle in. Brooke was set up in a five star hotel while Marcelo and Stephanie had the family's northern mansion to settle into. The back of the mansion's grounds nestled up to a national park with a lush bit of rain forest.

The day of the wedding, Marcelo couldn't stop pacing. Even with his father assuring him everything would be fine. The rooftop of the Hotel Unique was rented out for privacy so the vows could be said looking out over Ibirapuera Park. The civil servant was on time. Marcelo was decked out in his HUGO 'Amaoro Hill' Trim Fit Chintz Wool Suit, David Donahue Blue Dress Shirt, tie, belt, mercury dime cuff links, purple polka dot pocket square, and To Boot New York 'Winston' Oxfords.

Marcelo swallowed and tugged a bit on his Robert Talbot Lilac Woven Silk Tie. Per tradition for good luck, he hadn't seen Stephanie this morning. He wasn't completely sure she would show up. Mostly sure, but then her father might kidnap her or she changed her mind or karma would come back and bite him for leaving Helena before they married.

His father, as steady as ever and filling in as best man, readjusted his son's tie back properly and told him it would be fine. Also, Marcelinho needed to get ready. Stephanie would be there shortly.

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It was time for Stephanie to walk up to the altar. After today, she would no longer be Stephanie Shaw, but Stephanie Shaw da Silva, a married woman. Her and Marcelo would be starting a new family, and one day, she was certain, they'd have children as well. That would be some years in the future- they were both young and their life circumstances weren't stable enough to allow for children at the moment.

It wasn't really traditional for her to walk up there with a friend, as opposed to a father or similar figure, but there wasn't anything to be done about it. There was no 'giving away' here, this was her and Marcelo entering into marriage together. Freely.

Yes, she was a little nervous, but she couldn't help but smile incandescently as she stepped out. That smile, if anything, grew even wider when she caught her first glimpse of her soon-to-be husband. Her eyes grew a little moist and her heart started hammering like a schoolgirl's.

Despite everything, they were here, together. And they would be, for the rest of their lives.

Marcelo was extremely fidgety before Stephanie came out. It took a gentle elbow to the ribs and a fatherly 'calm down.' The Brazilian still wasn't sure Stephanie would show up. Fate had been so not kind to him lately. Why would it change its mind at this point?

Except Stephanie did show up. And she was breathtakingly gorgeous. He tried hard not to get slack-jawed, but it was a near thing. He swallowed hard and shifted on his feet. His smile was nervous, but most of his worry had dropped away when he saw the woman he was marrying.

It wasn't proper wedding protocol to run down the aisle and sweep the bride up in one's arms, was it? So, he behaved himself. Brooke and his father would give him the stink eye. That could hold him in check.

It has hard to play nice and keep her hands off of him. It was a tempting though to just grab him and run off. But they'd have to wait for awhile for that. If they were lucky, they could ... or maybe it was best to just wait until the wedding night.

Instead, she firmly kept a radiant smile on her face. There were some nerves, but mostly, she was just beyond joy. It took every bit of discipline she could muster up not to simply tackle him right up there on the altar. She took her place and her smile widened just a little at him.

"Mi amor." She mouthed delicately at him, eyes meeting his.

He was getting a little misty-eyed. This was theirs. He was choosing a tougher road, but he wouldn't be alone. Marcelo almost missed the ceremony starting for staring and smiling blissfully at Stephanie.

It wasn't a very long ceremony, really. He knew that. This wasn't in a church. Just them and the two people who meant the most to them. It all just kind of blurred until he turned to face Stephanie and held her hands. As he carefully took her ring from her right hand and slid it onto her left-hand ring finger, he hoped he remembered the vows he wrote. He even remembered to say them in English.

"Stephanie, I give you this ring, wear it with love and joy. Today, I choose you to be my wife. I love you unconditionally and without hesitation. I accept you as you are, and I offer myself in return. I will care for you, stand beside you, and share with you all of life’s adversities and all of its joys from this day forward, and all the days of my life."

A tear rolled down her cheek, one that she could not blame on allergies or anything else. She was, simply put, getting overwhelmed by the emotion and the beauty of the moment. The smile never left her face, however.

Her smile broadened if anything when he put the ring on her hand. When it came time for her to speak, she did so clearly without a moment of hesitation.

"Marcelo, I give you this ring, wear it with love and joy. Today, I choose you to be my husband. I love you unconditionally and without hesitation. I accept you as you are, and I offer myself in return. I will care for you, stand beside you and share with you all of life's adversities and all of its joys from this day forward, and all the days of my life.

Yo soy tuyo y tú eres mío."

He softly repeated back that he was hers and she was his in Portuguese.

With their vows exchanged and their rings on their permanent homes, the civil servant pronounced them husband and wife. Marcelo could now kiss the bride.

Only slightly mindful of the very small audience, he pulled her closer and kissed his new wife.

Any social expectation that this would be a little, 'cute' kiss delivered mostly for the benefit of people's smartphone cameras, was out the window. Stephanie kissed her husband, passionately and deeply, and until they both needed desperately to breathe.

"... we should sign the certificates." She managed to mouth almost more than speaking, her face lit up in an incandescent grin.

He blinked and tried to catch his breath. Man, his wife had some great lips. His smile got wider at that thought. My wife.

They'd done it. His heart was still beating against his ribcage, but Marcelo had managed to marry the love of his life. He stepped back slightly. Just enough to not make it awkward for him to brush the back of his fingers gently down her cheek. He nodded in agreement.

They needed to sign and... oh yeah. His papai and Brooke, too. They were still here right?

She was thinking the same thing about her husband.

It had been a long road getting here, with a lot of joy and a lot of pain. But it all seemed more than worth it for this moment. And even more so later tonight. Though they had a wedding reception and a dinner to get through before that.

She kissed him again, a little more briefly this time.

"Signing with our witnesses, yes."

He cleared his throat to get his voice back. "Right, yes."

Marcelo grabbed Stephanie's hand and held onto it. They'd made it. The pair was now a them.

He nodded to the civil servant to let him know they were ready to sign. He glanced at his father and Brooke with a smile.

"I can't think of better people to share this moment with."

Power of Two

For the boyyy she's marryyyyiiiing

Re: For the maaaan she's marryyyyiiiing

Re: For the maaaan she's marryyyyiiiing

Re: For the maaaan she's marryyyyiiiing

Re: For the maaaan she's marryyyyiiiing

Re: For the maaaan she's marriiiieeed

Re: For the maaaan she's marriiiieeed

Re: For the maaaan she's marriiiieeed

Re: For the maaaan she's marriiiieeed

Re: For the maaaan she's marriiiieeed