The group lingered around the table after their meal. It was a relaxed time for all of them (aside from Okoye who rarely relaxed) and Romanoff and Nick who were similar in that – only they were feeling the responsibility of having royal guests to protect as well.
"Are you driving out to the airfield with us?" T'Challa asked, curiously, when the conversation turned to the return flight to Wakanda.
Tony nodded.
"We were planning on it," he replied. "If you're alright with that."
Ramonda nodded.
"I think it is a fine idea."
"We should be leaving, soon," Okoye said, deferentially. "The flight crew have maintained that they and the jet are prepared to go and are just waiting on us."
She was, of course, in constant contact with her security teams. The ones at the hotel that had gone unused by the royal family had gone back to the airfield and had stayed with the plane, wanting to be available if needed, and so everyone else was where they needed to be for departure.
"It's a longer drive to the airfield than the one to get here was," Nick told them.
T'Chaka nodded, and was the first to stand, although the others followed suit as soon as he did. He turned to Fury, who he knew would be going to the airfield, but probably not in the same vehicle that they were.
"I appreciate your courtesy," he said, offering the man his hand. "I know we were unexpected visitors to your compound and that you likely had many other tasks to achieve."
"Nothing as interesting as being host to a king and his family," Nick assured him, shaking the man's hand and smiling at Ramonda. "I'll see you on the tarmac."
"Do you have everything?" T'Chaka asked his daughter, knowing that she had much more to bring home than she'd brought with her on her clandestine journey.
"Yes." Shuri had brought everything from Peter's house with them. Bags, now, with American clothing and interesting things that would remind her of her time with Tony Stark and his family – as well as the Avengers, of course. "It is all in the car, still."
She hadn't wanted to bring it inside and risk forgetting anything.
"Maybe not all of it," Pepper said, smiling. She nudged Peter. "Go get it."
"Get what?" Shuri asked, curiously, as Peter ran off, disappearing from the room.
"You'll see," Tony replied, looking appropriately mysterious. "C'mon; he'll meet us outside."
Shuri made a dramatically disappointed noise and caught Tony's hand, tugging on it and looking up at him, brown eyes wide and hopeful.
"What is it?" she asked, again. "You can tell me…"
He smirked, not at all ready to fall for those adorable eyes or the cute smile.
"It's a…"
He paused, and she smiled, excited.
"A what?"
"A secret."
Stark grinned when she clutched her hand to her forehead, as if in pain worse than anything she'd ever felt, before.
"I hate secrets."
"Too bad," Tony told her, squeezing her hand, cheerfully, before releasing it. "I love them."
"Like how you kept your identity a secret for all of a week and a half?" Pepper asked, amused at the interactions between Ironman and a ten-year-old princess.
"That's different," he said, heading for the exit to the lounge.
"How so?" T'Challa asked, curiously.
"Because I like causing a spectacle, sometimes, more than I like keeping a secret."
"He's not lying," Romanoff said, moving in front of the group.
"Nope."
OOOOOOOOO
Peter wasn't at the small line of cars when they went outside, but several people were. The remaining security people from Wakanda, several SHIELD agents, who would be driving the SUVs that were going to accompany the limousine on the drive, and Happy – who was going to drive the limousine – were all waiting, expectantly.
"Where's Peter?" Happy asked, noting the boy's absence, immediately.
"He's on his way, according to Jarvis."
The security people started dividing themselves among vehicles, leaving the limo for Tony's family and the royal family – well aware that since Tony was Ironman if something happened he could keep things from going bad long enough for more help to arrive. Before anyone could actually get into the cars, the door slammed open and Peter came running down the steps, a large bag in his hand and not slowing him, despite the fact that it looked heavy.
"I got you this," he said, cheerfully, handing the bag to an excited Shuri. "You and your mom and dad – and you,' he added, looking at T'Challa.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Open it."
The girl reached in and pulled out a bright pink shirt – one that had a very familiar symbol on the front of it.
"That's Batman," Shuri said.
"Yeah."
She already had a few Avenger shirts from Tony and Pepper, but Peter knew that even in Wakanda she knew who Batman was – and he'd told her about his birthday and shown her photos of himself in the Batmobile with the man.
"Wow." The girl dropped the bag and slipped the shirt on over the clothes that she was already wearing, admiring it. "Thank you." She looked at Stark. "Was this your idea?"
Tony rolled his eyes and tried to look like it wasn't killing him.
"It was Peter's idea," he told her. Then he looked at T'Chaka. "You have one, too," he told the king.
"And Ramonda and T'Challa," Peter added, unable to wait. He reached into the bag and pulled out a black sweatshirt – which he handed to T'Challa. "I didn't know what colors you guys liked – only Shuri – so I just guessed."
"It is very thoughtful," the prince told him, looking less enthusiastic than Shuri had and doing a little eye rolling himself when the boy – and his sister – both watched him, clearly waiting for him to try it on. He slipped the heavy sweatshirt over his clothing and flipped the hood back before it could stay on his head. "Thank you."
Peter's smile was happy, his eyes shining with cheer.
"You're welcome."
Then he turned to Ramonda and T'Chaka, and the king took the t-shirt he was handed. A blue one. He put it on and Shuri wriggled, happily, while Ramonda smirked.
"It makes you look very handsome," she assured her husband, putting hers on, as well. Like T'Challa, hers was a heavy sweatshirt, but it was green. "This is very warm," she added. "It will come in handy on cold evenings."
"I told you they'd like them," Peter said, looking at Tony.
Now the billionaire didn't bother to hide his amusement – or the eyeroll.
"I didn't say they wouldn't, son," he replied. "I just pointed out that they might want something less hero-themed."
"You suggested an Ironman shirt," Pepper pointed out.
"For Shuri," Tony said. He smirked, aware that he wasn't going to win this conversation. "Don't we have a plane to get them on?"
"Yes."
Happy opened the back door of the car and everyone piled in. Shuri settled across from Peter, Tony, and Pepper, sitting between her parents. The car was plenty big enough that T'Challa had a choice of where to sit, and he opted to sit beside the boy. Despite her excitement at having a fine new shirt, Shuri was ready to settle in. A full belly and a busy morning and afternoon left her in the mood to cuddle, and she climbed into her father's lap before the cars even started to pull out of the parking lot. T'Chaka was a king, yes, but he was also a loving father, and was more than willing to hold her. He settled her against him, pressed a kiss against her temple, and then began talking to Tony and Pepper about his plans to open Wakanda a little more to the world.
"Nothing too profound," he said. "But my people are very isolated. It has kept them safe, of course, but it cannot continue."
"Even baby steps will take a bit of doing, I imagine," Pepper replied.
"Indeed. We will have to start slowly, of course." He smiled at his wife. "This was a good start, too. Despite the reason for it."
"The next visit will probably have to include some actual delegates from our country," Tony said. "The government won't like being kept away from your people any longer than they have to…"
The conversation went on and on and Shuri fell asleep rather quickly. Peter had wanted to climb into Pepper's lap – or Tony's – but he didn't want to copy Shuri, and as such the boy leaned against Tony's side and fell asleep there, instead.
Stark smiled down at him and gathered his sleeping son into his arms, shushing him, gently, when he roused a little at the change of position.
"I'm not sleepy…" Peter mumbled, not opening his eyes as he rested his cheek on Tony's shoulder.
"I know, son. Go to sleep."
"Okay…"
Pepper smiled, too, and then turned to Ramonda.
"You are going to make another visit, sometime soon, aren't you?"
"I think we will have to," she assured Pepper. "I would like another sweatshirt, eventually."
T'Challa snorted, amused, but privately thought he might, too.
Some day.