Marriage Part 2

[cat_13145]

Title: Marriage Part 2- Meeting the In-Laws

Author: Cat_13145

Pairing: Toro/Anne, hints of Toro/Bucky

Rating: PG 13

Warnings: Roger being mean to Toro.

Summary: Roger wants to have a talk with Toro about his marriage plans.

 

“What are you thinking?”

Toro raised an eyebrow at the small blond.

“I believe it’s traditionally to say congratulations when you’re told a friend is getting married, Roger.”

“Alright. Congratulations. Now what the bloody hell are you thinking?”

Toro shrugged, trying to avoid his friend’s eyes. “Thought I’d get married.”

“Why? Do you love her?”
Toro was fighting not to look at Roger, his skin going red.

“Roger-”

“Do you?”

“It’s not that simple.”

Roger snorted. “It tends to be. Either you love her, in which case you marry her, or you don’t, in which case I repeat What the hell are you thinking?”

Toro groaned, wondering why he had invited Roger to this party, because being interrogated in the men’s room wasn’t his idea of fun.

The truth was he had invited everyone he had known back then, but Roger was the only one who had turned up, apparently to torment him.

He glanced around. “America has gone mad.”

Roger snorted. “America has always being mad, that I believe is the reason it produces superheroes. In any other country, Steve Rogers would have been put in some form of home before he hurt himself.”

“You know what I mean!”

“The McCarthyism?” Roger snorted. “Toro, if someone’s threatening you, if you’re in trouble, then for God’s sake just say so. I can have you out of here and on a plane to England in ten seconds flat. Your fiancé too, if you’re worried about her.”

Toro paused, biting his lip. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” He groaned at the expression on Toro’s face. “Because of your father. Honestly Toro, we can get him out of there, take him with us_”

“No!” Toro yelled. “No. You can’t.”

Roger placed a hand on his forehead, as though the whole conversation was giving him a headache.

“Toro, please, help me to understand what on earth processed you to propose to that Woman.”

“Her name is Ann. And I didn’t propose to her, she proposed to me.”

“And you didn’t refuse? Honestly Toro, if you want some advice about getting out of marriage proposal, try Wodehouse.”

Toro bit on his lip. This was the part of the conversation, he’d been dreading.

“Maybe I don’t want to get out.”

Roger’s blue eyes (nothing like Steve’s) narrowed. “What?”

“Maybe I’m O.K. with the idea of being married to Ann. She knows exactly what I am and she doesn’t mind.”

“Does she think she can fix you?” Roger sneered. His hand hit the wall of the cubicles, causing them to vibrate. “Dam it, Toro this won’t help. You can’t change it, you can’t fix it. It’s a part of who you are and you can’t out run it, because you’re just running away from yourself!” He glared at him. “What about Bucky? You dishonour his memory doing this. If you love someone, and you lose them, then you don’t give up. You fight on and you do it their name. Their memory.”

“So that’s why you’re calling yourself Union Jack?” Toro yelled. Roger’s face went cold.

“That’s a completely different matter.” He snarled.

“I know.” Toro slumped against the sink. “And I’m sorry. It was a cheap shot.”

He looked at the other man. “I’m not like you, Roger. And this isn’t England. People here won’t turn a blind eye because of...what was it? If you’ve carried the calf, then you can lift the bull. They see it as evil, pervert and wrong and with everything else I...” he trailed off, dropping his eyes and shaking his head. “I can’t survive alone.”

Roger glared at him.

“you know, I’ve thought a lot of things about you over the years, Thomas Raymond. But I never thought you were a coward.”

He stepped around Toro and wrenched the chair out from under the door where he had jammed it.

Ann stood on the other side, looking at the two men with confusion.

Roger took her hand in an elaborate gesture that seemed completely out of character for him.

“I thank you for an enlightening evening, madam. And my congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Ann replied, apparently oblivious to the sarcasm in Roger’s voice.“Will you be available for the wedding?”

Roger glanced at Toro, who couldn’t bring himself to meet his eyes.

“I am uncertain, madam. It will depend on the state of the world.”

He walked away.