"This is not what I expected," T'Chaka said as they all walked into the house, and he looked around with interest.
"Oh?" Tony set Peter on his feet as soon as they were inside. "What did you expect?"
"It is the house of Tony Stark," the Wakandan said with a smile. "I expected fountains and statues and Ironman suits in display cases all about."
Pepper smiled, too.
"You missed them," she assured him. "When I moved in I had him shove all of that stuff out to the garage."
"She's kidding," Peter told them, grinning. "We don't have any Ironman suits in the garage. Mine's in the game room."
"You have an Ironman suit?" Ramonda asked, surprised.
Not as surprised as Shuri, though. She turned to look at her friend.
"Really?"
How had she missed that?
Peter nodded.
"Yeah."
"It doesn't have rockets," Tony added. "And it doesn't fly."
"And it has a Batman on it," the boy said. "Want to see it?"
"I do," Shuri told him, eagerly, sliding out of her mother's arms, now, and looking hopeful and excited.
"Later," Stark said, holding his hand up to stop Peter from replying. "We're entertaining company, son," he reminded the boy. "You know what that means."
"Yeah." Peter gestured to the couch. "Sit down," he offered. "Do you want some chocolate milk?"
Pepper smiled and Tony rolled his eyes, reaching for Peter, again, to pick him up.
"Or we'll give them more choices," he told his son. "We have pretty much anything," he said to the Wakandan delegation. "Pick your poison."
Okoye frowned at the phrasing, but T'Chaka wasn't at all concerned.
"Something with alcohol would go down, nicely," he admitted. "It has been a long day."
"Agreed," Ramonda said. She smiled at Peter. "I will try some chocolate milk another time. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Tony handed Peter over to Pepper.
"Nick? Natasha? Steve? Your highness?"
T'Challa smiled, pleased to be addressed so casually, despite the title. It was somewhat refreshing, really, and it showed in his demeanor.
"T'Challa," he corrected. "Thank you. I will have tea, if you have any."
"We have plenty."
The others made their choices – including Okoye and the rest of the security people when T'Chaka gestured for them to do so. It was all well and good that they were responsible for the safety of he and his family, but it was also supposed to be a sign of goodwill that he was willing to trust Stark to keep him and his safe while visiting in his own home.
This was new for all of them, after all, and he wanted to get off on a good start. Luckily, Tony and his family were making it easy. Pepper set Peter on his feet once again.
"I'll get the tea and coffee."
Tony nodded.
"And I'll get the booze."
The bar was in the game room, after all, but while they would all fit easily in the room, sitting on a pool table or a foosball table wasn't as comfortable as being in their living room. There was a couch in there, but it wasn't large – basically a place to sit when playing video games or watching a sporting event on the big screen display on the wall. It was cozy enough for a close group of friends, but not the right place to begin diplomatic relations with an isolationist nation.
Shuri climbed into her mother's lap once she was seated, more than willing (and needing – although she wouldn't admit it) to be cuddled a little. She knew her father would prefer to have his lap free, just then, but that was fine. Ramonda put her arms around her but looked at Peter who climbed onto the arm of the sofa next to where T'Challa had seated himself.
"I hear you're a very intelligent young man," she said, ready to make small talk and deciding it would be easiest with the youngest attendee in the room.
She wasn't wrong.
"I'm in high school," Peter confirmed. "But next year I'm going to be taking some college classes."
"At a university?" T'Chaka asked.
They'd been briefed on Stark and his family so none of them might say something out of line – or potentially offensive. Wakanda was isolated, yes, but their networks and intelligence were top of the line – as Shuri well knew. On their flight, all three members of the royal family had learned everything that could be found about Tony and Pepper Stark – and their adopted son, Peter. Shuri almost certainly knew more about the boy, now, but the others weren't going in blind.
The boy shook his head.
"They're going to have me at the high school, still," he replied. "But the classes will be for college credit."
Ramonda looked at Natasha Romanoff, who had taken a position similar to Okoye's; standing close at hand if needed but mainly just watching everyone in the room.
"Is that common?" the queen asked. "For someone so young to be in advanced classes?"
"Not at all," Romanoff confirmed. "Peter's so advance, though, that there's no sense holding him back. That way he doesn't get bored," she added, smiling at the boy – who grinned back at her. "And it keeps him out of trouble."
T'Chaka nodded, sending a sidelong glance at his daughter.
"Perhaps we need to find something to keep Shuri busy," he said, his voice taking on a firmness that made her lower her eyes, well aware that he was scolding her, gently though it was. "You understand your behavior is unacceptable, right?"
She nodded, not looking at him.
"Yes, father. It was reckless and dangerous."
"And you won't do it, again…."
"No."
Of course, she didn't need to do it, again – although that wisely went unsaid, even though many of them were thinking it. Mostly unsaid, that is.
"She got to meet Tony," Peter said, cheerfully oblivious to the scolding. "And me and Pepper. And we went to the beach."
"But she could have run into someone who might have hurt her," Nick said before anyone else could. "Or someone who might have decided that kidnapping her would make them a lot of money very easily."
"Oh." Peter clearly hadn't thought of that, even though he knew that Tony and Pepper hadn't been happy Shuri had snuck away from home to meet them. He didn't know (or didn't realize?) why. "That's true, huh?"
"Yes."
Peter looked over at Shuri.
"Don't do it, again," he said. "I almost got kidnapped, once. It's scary."
"I will not," she assured him.
"You were almost kidnapped?" T'Challa asked, looking up at the boy who was still on the arm of the sofa. "What happened?"
That hadn't been part of their briefing.
"Natasha killed one and Clint killed one." He held up his hand. "I hurt my arm."
"But everything's fine, now," Tony said, walking back into the room carrying a tray with shot glasses of varying drinks. "It won't happen, again. Right?"
Peter smiled. Tony didn't like thinking about Peter's narrow escape, but it was clear the boy wasn't too concerned.
"Right."
Fury shook his head, walking over and taking his drink from the tray and then handing one to T'Chaka and then Ramonda. Tony handed Natasha one, too, and then gave Steve one before setting the tray down on the coffee table and taking his own. Pepper joined them, just then, with the non-alcoholic drinks – including chocolate milk for Peter and Shuri. She handed them out to everyone else, and Tony smiled, raising his glass to the others and giving T'Chaka a slight nod.
"Here's to new friends."
The king of Wakanda smiled, pleased.
"New friends."
"May I go see Peter's Ironman suit?" Shuri asked, waiting until everyone had taken a sip (or drink) of their beverages.
The initial greeting was over, after all, and she knew the next part would be small talk to get to know each other. She already knew all of them and didn't feel the need to participate if she wasn't going to be required to do so.
Tony shrugged.
"That's up to your folks."
The girl looked at them, and Ramonda stopped just shy of rolling her eyes. They'd just arrived to see her and already she was eager to abandon them just to see a piece of technology. Nothing new there, she supposed.
"If Peter is willing to show it to you."
Now Shuri turned to look at Peter, eyes wide and hopeful.
"Can we?"
Peter looked at Tony and Pepper, wondering if they needed him to stay and help talk to Shuri's mom and dad. Tony shooed him away.
"Go on, son. Stay out of trouble."
"Okay."
