Tony smiled; his heart leaping with happiness at the casual way Peter had so willingly just claimed him and Pepper, and because it was expected when being introduced to someone. He offered his hand to T'Challa, first.
"It's a pleasure," he said. "Still T'Challa? Or do we need to be more formal face to face?"
"T'Challa, please, Tony."
"Good." He then turned his considerable charm on the girl standing beside the Wakandan king. "You are just as pretty as Peter said you were, Shuri. It's nice to finally meet you."
She blushed, but her smile was amused. More at herself for succumbing to his flirting – and because she was being such a fangirl. She couldn't help either, though. It was Ironman, after all – and everyone likes being told they're pretty.
"It is nice to meet you, as well, Mr. Stark."
"You can call me Tony, too," he assured her. "Whatever you're comfortable with. My fiancé, Pepper," he said, repeating the introduction that Peter had just made.
Shuri offered Pepper her hand.
"Nice to meet you, Pepper."
"And you, Shuri," Pepper replied, smoothly. She met important and rich people all the time, so she was just as good at the social graces as Tony – better really. "How are you enjoying your visit?"
"It is very pleasant, thank you."
Pepper turned to T'Challa, who took her hand and brought it to his lips, formally – although the smile in his eyes was just as sincere as the one on his face.
"Peter did not mention how lovely you are, Pepper."
She smiled.
"We'll have to work on him a bit more."
The boy smiled, too, watching the meeting with interest. An academic competition might not be the first choice of places for the King of Wakanda to meet Ironman, but it was definitely unique. But the circumstances didn't allow for a lot of time for small talk.
Unaware what was happening in the back of the room, the moderator and the judges began calling for the contestants to start taking their places.
"I have to go," Peter told them, apologetically.
"Good luck," Shuri said, smiling. She looked at Pepper. "May we sit beside you to watch?"
"Please."
Pepper waved at Peter as the boy left them, but Tony and T'Challa were now studying each other.
"Stick around after the competition," Stark suggested as Shuri seated herself in the chair beside Pepper. "We'll have a drink or something and get to know each other a little."
"I would like that."
T'Challa took the spot beside his sister, settling on the padded folding chair as easily as he might sit on his throne, and Tony reclaimed his chair on the end of the row, his arm going around Pepper, who was watching as Peter and Ned took their places next to their teammates.
"How often do they have these competitions?" Shuri asked her, curiously.
"Usually once every month or so – then, if they win enough throughout the year, then they go to the regionals, and then finals."
"Peter's team won the finals, last year," Tony added, just like any proud father might.
"Do you have anything like this in Wakanda?" Pepper asked.
"No," Shuri said, softly, to avoid annoying the people who were settling in front of them. As Peter had told her, the room wasn't filling up. There were not a lot of spectators at the event. "This weekend is the first I have heard of them. It is very exciting."
They would have said more, but the match started – the first question being a science one, and a tricky one, at that. Peter rang in before anyone else, and Tony decided that his quick reflexes probably would allow him to get to the bell before anyone, if he knew the answer. Which, in this case he did.
No one cheered, or even clapped when the moderator announced the answer was correct, so Tony didn't, either, but he wanted to do both. Pepper smiled beside him, because she knew he did and was impressed at his restraint. She reached for his hand and held it while they watched as the competition continued.
OOOOOOO
Like the one that morning, the evening final took longer than planned. And finished with Peter's team well ahead by the end of things. There was polite clapping when the moderator announced the winners and the two teams shook hands, amicably, before separating to go join coaches, other teammates and the few parents that were there.
Peter stopped long enough to tell his teacher where he was going, and then he and Ned headed toward the back row, where Tony and the others with him were still sitting, allowing the small crowd to begin dispersing before they got up. Everyone stood when the boys arrived, though, beaming, and Tony pulled Peter into a rough hug, reaching over to tousle Ned's hair at the same time.
"Good job, guys. Congratulations."
Peter grinned, letting Tony go in order to hug Pepper.
"Thanks."
"They sure made it easy," Ned said, smiling when Pepper hugged him, too.
"Right?" Tony agreed. He looked over at T'Challa who frowned when Shuri excitedly hugged Peter, too. "Peter and Ned are math and science wizards. They might as well have started the question with 'which one of you two wants to answer this one…?'"
"They were more difficult than I expected for such young participants," the King admitted, forced to be impressed by how easily the answers had been coming from both teams.
Clearly the students weren't as backward as he'd assumed them to be. Which wasn't his fault, really, since he only had Shuri to use as a comparison to other teens, and she was beyond brilliant.
"Yeah, they try to trick us, sometimes," Peter said, grinned. He looked at Shuri. "The convention center arranged a bit of a party – just refreshments and music – on the top floor. Want to come?"
She nodded, belatedly looking at T'Challa.
"May I?"
He hesitated, but Peter stepped forward, Shuri's hand in his own.
"I'll keep an eye on her, T'Challa," he promised, emboldened by the victory and the moment.
T'Challa was not swayed by the boy's sincerity – or his big brown eyes – but there was no mistaking the hope in his sister's expression, and her brown eyes were much harder for him to resist. Clearly, she wanted to spend time with other kids her age, and was finally getting that opportunity. Intelligent kids, even – which was rare for her. He looked over at Stark, who shrugged but didn't try to tell him what to do.
It was his sister, after all.
"Fine. But do not leave the convention center."
"I will not."
"That goes for you, too," Tony told Peter. "Let me know if you're ready to leave – or even better, come join us." He looked at T'Challa. "Do you have a place? Or do I have my people find us one?"
"We have a reception room the center has made available to us." He turned to his sister. "Join us on the third floor by 10:30."
She looked like she might argue the early curfew, but Peter didn't give her a chance.
"We will," he agreed, pulling her behind him and slapping Ned's shoulder.
The three were out the door in a flash, followed by the Avenger security agent, and a Wakandan who was waved over from an unobtrusive spot along a far wall by Okoye, who was planning on staying with T'Challa.
"He'll watch her," Stark told T'Challa as they also headed for the door, Tony taking Pepper's hand in his as automatically as breathing. "So, tell me about Wakanda. What do you guys do for fun there?"
OOOOO
It wasn't a great party. There was music being piped in through the convention center's overhead intercom system, but it wasn't very contemporary, and certainly nothing that the teenagers from either school were interested in listening to. Luckily, they didn't have to. Ned and one of the tech geniuses from the other school got together at a control panel MJ found behind a small fake plant and they spliced a few wires and connected an old i-pod to the sound system. The music was much better – and louder – after that.
There was a table of refreshments of all kinds. Drinks – all nonalcoholic – and sandwiches, vegetable trays, chips, pretzels, popcorn, and candies were on a table under the sound system, and there were several tables for them to sit at if the kids didn't want to dance.
Which most of them did not.
"You do not dance?" Shuri asked Peter, once the music had been sorted to their liking and she noticed that none of those in the room made any attempt to make an impromptu dance floor.
He shook his head.
"Not well."
"He slow dances pretty well," MJ corrected – which made Peter blush, and made both girls smile. "He just doesn't have the rhythm to do anything else."
Shuri looked at Peter, who nodded his agreement.
"She's right. I can't dance."
"I could teach you," Shuri assured him. "I happen to be a fine dancer. It is a tradition with my people."
The Wakandan princess stood up, pulling Peter with one hand and Ned with the other and gesturing for MJ to join them, as well. Several of the others joined them, interested, and in less than fifteen minutes they were all swaying to the music with varying degrees of success.
Ned embraced the lessons, immediately, of course. He had the rhythm, he just didn't have the moves to back it up. Peter had the natural grace and coordination that his spider abilities gave him, but no matter how many times Shuri corrected his technique, she had to admit that he looked just plain awkward.
"Don't feel bad," MJ said to her, swaying in perfect imitation of the dance that Shuri was attempting to teach Peter and a few others. "I've tried. Some guys are just brains and not athletic."
Which made Shuri smile. She patted Peter's shoulder, consolingly.
"I have not given up on you, yet, Peter."
Phones came out, and people started taking selfies or group shots. All of them wanted Peter in their pictures – he was known to be Tony Stark's son, after all – but they also wanted the exotic princess in them, as well. Ned photobombed everything he could, dragging MJ and a couple of his teammates into the shots as well. Flash went to the party, but he didn't stay long, being unwilling to mingle with the kids that he considered idiots and unable to convince Shuri that he was interesting, as well.
It was a lot of fun, but the time went by sooner than expected and Peter looked at his watch, regretfully.
"It's getting close to 10:15," he said to Shuri over the music. "We'd better get you back to your brother."
She nodded, and went through the crowd, saying her farewells to the new friends that she'd made and hugging MJ and Ned, both, promising to get their information from Peter and telling them that she would keep in touch, if they wouldn't mind.
"Are you coming back?" Ned asked, Peter.
"Probably not," he replied. "I'll see what Pepper and Tony are doing. If they're staying over, I might spend some time with them. I'll see you back at the room, later."
"Okay."
Peter and Shuri left, and both the security people – one Wakandan and one Avenger – who had been watching them all night followed at a discreet distance behind them.
"I had fun, Peter. Thank you for inviting me."
He smiled.
"You're welcome. I'm glad you came."
"Do you get many opportunities to spend time with people your own age?" she asked. "Living with the Avengers, I imagine you see many more adults than teenagers."
"Yeah…" he trailed off, because he was suddenly feeling that tingle of warning that made him hesitate and look around, concerned. "The only time I really see anyone my age is at… school. I suppose-"
"What is wrong?" she asked.
"Hold up a second…" he put his hand on her arm to keep her from moving, and suddenly jerked both of them backwards, responding to an inner prompt that he felt but she didn't.
His free hand shot out just in time to catch something that went whizzing by his ear, and the same time he did, he saw the Wakandan guard and the Avenger guard both crumple to the ground in silent heaps.
"Shit!"
Grabbing Shuri, he pulled her behind him, automatically looking for cover, the dart in his other hand dropping to the ground, just as they both heard a series of muffled explosions coming from somewhere several floors below them.
