Since the morning was nice, they put the top down on Peter's car. It made it impossible to really hold a conversation, especially when they turned off the service road and onto the highway, but the fun of having the wind blowing all around them made up for it. The limo was ahead of them and looking in his rear-view mirror Peter could see Natasha's car behind them, with her and Stephen occasionally waving in response to one of the teens turning around and waving at them.

Not Peter, of course, but one of the others.

The restaurant was ready for them when they arrived. Tony had warned the management that they could expect several more of them, that morning. In response, they put another couple of tables in the room they normally used to accommodate them. Having Shuri out in the main dining area wasn't an option, after all – even though none of the staff knew that the girl was the only princess of a foreign nation.

When the limo pulled into the valet, the kids all piled out, chatting with each other and gathering near the entrance. Peter pulled to a stop at the valet entrance, as well, and one of the attendants opened the passenger door for Shuri and MJ, while Peter simply hopped over the door, and Ned did the same – with a bit less gracefulness.

"How was the drive?" he asked Tony, handing his keys over to the valet and watching as two of the men silently wrestled over who got to go meet Natasha.

Her car was well known to them, by then, of course. Peter had his doubts about whether it was the sleek sportscar that held the appeal to the young men, or if it was Natasha, herself, but he supposed it didn't matter.

"Scintillating," Tony replied, blandly. "We're riding home with you."

He laughed, watching as Shuri, Ned and MJ went to hang at the door with their classmates.

"You were the topic of conversation most of the way here," Pepper told him. "You and Shuri."

"What did they say?" He asked, curiously – although not at all surprised.

"Oh so many things," Tony told him, putting his hand on Peter's shoulder to steer him toward the door – and the kids waiting for them. "But I'll let you answer all of those questions, yourself. You and Shuri, that is. Those are things that dads don't know."

Peter shrugged, but smiled when Shuri turned to look at him, interrupting a conversation she was having with Abe and Flash, asking them about the ride and making small talk with them as they waited for Natasha and Stephen to join them, as well.

"I don't have to remind you guys that we're going to be well-mannered and not act like savages at the buffet, right?" Tony asked, making sure he had everyone's attention. "I want to be allowed to come back, sometime."

The kids nodded, smiling. None of them were going to do anything to embarrass themselves – or make it so they weren't invited to whatever incredible event the avengers had at the compound, next. True, they couldn't post anything about it on social media, just yet, but the ban was lifted on Monday morning, and the kids that went to Peter's school with him (with the exception of MJ and Ned) were looking forward to bragging about what they'd done that weekend, certainly. And where – even if they couldn't really give details on the who. They could mention Peter, of course, but not Shuri, specifically.

The manager met them at the podium where the hostess usually stood, and led the group to their usual room. Shuri walked beside Peter, her hand finding his, automatically, until they found their seats. Then he ended up flanked by Ned on one side and Flash on the other, with Shuri across from him beside Stephen and MJ. Happy came in to join them just as the staff took drink orders, and the kids were turned loose on the buffet.

"Are you really dating Shuri, now?" Flash asked, incredulously, as he stood beside Peter at the pasta bar.

Since the others – including Shuri – were starting with the salad bar, Ned was the only one who heard the question, besides Peter, of course.

"Yeah." He debated spaghetti or penne, and opted to just get both. "We talked about it, last night."

"Huh."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ned asked, curiously. "Shuri's perfect for Peter, really. Super smart and funny – and rich, already, so he doesn't have to worry about her being a gold digger."

"I wasn't worried about her being a gold digger," Peter assured his friend. "Ever."

"There are more important things than money," Flash said. "But how are you going to date someone who lives 10 thousand miles from you?"

"We've been friends," Peter pointed out, grabbing a breadstick – and then another. "And that worked out, pretty well. We'll have to figure it out."

"She's going to be a queen, some day?" Flash asked. "Would that make you the royal concubine?"

Ned snorted.

"It's not a concubine," he corrected. "It's consort. A concubine is a mistress."

Ned had, of course, already figured all that out. Months ago, although he wouldn't tell anyone. Including Peter and Shuri.

"We're not getting married," Peter said, blushing a little. "We're just dating. Besides, when her brother gets married and has a kid, then she's out of the immediate line of succession – although she could still challenge her niece or nephew for the throne, if she really wanted it."

"Seriously?" As they were talking, they'd loaded up two plates each (they were teenaged boys and were hungry, after all) and had entered the little private room, once more. "She can do that?" he looked at Shuri, who was seated, already. "You can do that?"

"Do what?" she asked, curiously.

"Challenge for the throne of Wakanda."

She frowned at the question, looking at Peter and Ned. When both boys shrugged, so did she.

"It is tradition to open the contest for the throne to all of the blood. I would not do so, however."

"Why not?" Abe asked, curiously. "You'd be queen."

"At the defeat of my brother," she pointed out. "I would not challenge him. Not only because I love him and I am loyal to him, but because he is a much better ruler than I could ever be."

"Not to mention," Tony added, proving that he was listening, since he hadn't, yet, gone to get his own lunch. "Being in charge would keep you away from your research and your technology."

She nodded.

"That is definitely true. And would be unacceptable."

"That's why Pepper is CEO of Stark Industries," Tony pointed out. "So I have time to create things."

His wife didn't disagree with that, and only a few of the people at the table knew that there was a lot more to the story than that. It didn't need to be bandied about, though. Especially to a group of teens with social media presence.

"That makes sense," Abe decided, shrugging. "But with your karate moves, you could probably put on a good show if you changed your mind."

The other kids all nodded their agreement to that.

"Did you know Shuri could fight like that Peter?" Stephen asked, curiously.

"Peter shook his head.

"No. She's amazing, isn't she?"

Before Stephen could say anything, though, it was Ned who spoke up, and he smirked – which warned those who knew him best that whatever was coming was going to be amusing. To the boy, anyway.

"Your girlfriend isn't the only bad-ass at the table, Doctor Strange."

Romanoff smiled, too.

It was true.