A.N: I don't own the Avengers, Marvel and Disney do. Obviously. I only own the plot.

Sleepovers were a common affair at Stark Towers. Tony would invite all his friends and Pepper to come over and spend time with him. (He liked them more than his robots.) But Fury (The nanny/ruler of everything Tony.) had strict hours for bedtime. When the clock struck nine, the girls would go to their bedroom and the boys theirs. Of course none of them really went straight to sleep though. They would whisper until JARVIS would inform them that Fury was doing a walk around and only then would they actually get under the covers and sleep.
On this particular night, Pepper and Natasha were seated on the floor, talking.

Nat was the youngest of Tony's friends from SHEILD academy. She had skipped second grade and ended up in Clint's class. She was a mystery to the boys and they liked mysteries- plus Pepper was always complaining about not having and other girls in the group- so they let her in.

Pepper was in Tony's class. One day at lunch Tony had pulled a prank on her, which consisted of a pepper in her sandwich. She had screamed and they all laughed and pointed and began calling her 'Pepper' instead of her real name. Tony, though, was the only one who used it as an endearment, not a taunt, so she began to hang out with him and his friends more. They all joked that she was Tony's assistant, not friend, because she would always fix his class projects when he procrastinated too long and let him copy her homework when he was lazy.

The girls had bonded over their common skill and joy in intimidating the boys and their ambition in their respective fields.

They took the time away from the boys at the sleepover to have girl talk.

"You know how every morning after a sleepover Tony wakes up with the same Sharpie beard drawn on him?"

"Yeah."

Pepper giggled in anticipation of what she was about to say. "And you know how everyone says they didn't do it?"

"Mhm." Natasha nodded.

"I think he draws it on himself when everyone else is asleep." She said in between her giggles.

Now Natasha was giggling also. "Oh my god I bet he does. I bet he thinks it makes him handsome."

"Pff. He's already got most of the school crushing on him." Peppers eyes cast towards the floor slightly." As if he needs a beard to look good."

"I think he looks stupid. He's always spaced out and scribbling numbers and drawing cars." Natasha grabbed a pencil and notepad and began to scribble with her eyes far off into the distance- much like a deer in the headlights. "I'm Tony Stark. I got into SHEILD Academy because my Chest glows and I can do long division." She mocked in a deeper voice.

Pepper noticed that, unlike everyone else who was just jealous of Tony, Nat didn't bring his father into this. "What about his robot armor? That's probably why he's in the program. So they can help him learn how to use it."

The red head rolled her eyes. "I've never seen it. I think he's lying."

"Well, I've never seen you do anything amazing or different. Maybe you're lying too."

Nat bit her lip gently and she glanced at the ceiling. "I have a… special skill set."

"Prove it."

Natasha grinned and with one fluid motion rolled a backwards summersault, sprang up, landed on her bed in a three point stance and somewhere along the way there had managed to produce her Nerf gun out from under her pillow. With the hand not holding the weapon, she hoisted herself up onto the headboard. Balancing on the edge, she cocked and aimed the gun towards the vent on the ceiling, her index finger ready on the trigger. She first addressed Pepper, "There. My… skill." then focused back on the vent.

"If you don't get out of the vent right now, I will shoot to kill, Clint!"

"Oh my god." His voice had a slight echo, "You're a ninja! How can you be a ninja? I thought ninjas we're supposed to be bald!"

"That's monks you idiot."

Clint looked confused momentarily. "Really?"

"Yes. Now get out."

"So you're not going to deny your ninja identity then?"

"I'm pulling the trigger."

"Am I sworn to secrecy no- OW!" Clint cried as a Nerf bullet made contact with his cheek.

Natasha was unfazed by his outcry. "Why are you spying on us, Clint?"

Still rubbing his cheek he answered proudly, "Because you're pretty," Nat shot him again to distract the boy from her blush. "And Pepper can't hurt me up here. You on the other hand are a monster! That was my eye!"

"I know. Now get out. Or I will tell on you."

Clint followed up on what seemed a bluff. "You wouldn't."

Natasha gave him a broad smile. "JARVIS? Please tell F-"

Clint had heard enough. He opened the vent and hopped down onto Natasha's bed. The shaking made her lose her balance and she fell on Clint but quickly sprang up and rolled her friend off the bed and onto the floor with a thud before he could even register what had happened. "'l'll leave! Don't hurt me! Wait, Pepper-" He glanced her way and saw a wide eyed third grader in her own world. He turned back to Nat, who had the gun trained on him once more. "What happened to Pepper?"

Natasha glanced at the other girl in the room. "Your face must've traumatized her."

Clint crab walked to the door, "Whatever, Tash." He stood and gave her a clicking wink ("I'm going to kill Tony for teaching him that.") "Stay beautiful." And with that, he left.

Her blush was far from cleared even as Clint was far enough away that his footsteps had silenced. Eventually she snapped out of her trance. Pepper wasn't as lucky. Nat went to her.

"Are you alright?" Pepper didn't respond. The spy in training took a stab at what may have triggered the trance like behavior. "Was my… skill set too much for you?" Since people were always shocked to see such a gifted seven year old she figured that must've been it.
Pepper finally stirred. In on long breath, she breathed out, " YouhaveacrushonClint."

Natasha blushed again, and set her gun down. So that's what phased the iron Pepper. She decided to go with it. "Maaayyybbeeee."

They giggled some more.