"If you sleep all day, you're going to miss the parade…"
The masculine voice wasn't Tony's, and Peter felt a hand shake his shoulder, lightly.
He groaned and pulled his blankets over his head.
"It's too early."
Steve chuckled from somewhere above him.
"Do you even know what time it is?"
Good point.
"Karen? What time is it?"
"Five-thirty."
He rolled over, pulling the blankets off, and frowning up at Steve.
"Why are you waking me up at five-thirty?"
The man didn't look at all apologetic, and Peter saw that he was wearing his Avenger outfit. Looking the part, the boy supposed.
"We have to get there early."
"That's pretty early," Peter grumbled, sitting up, now.
"Yup. It'll be almost seven by the time we leave here and get there. Are you awake?"
"Yeah." He grinned, now, excited. "When are we leaving?"
"As soon as you're ready. Get something to eat, though," Steve added. "That way you're not grumpy, later."
"I wouldn't be grumpy."
Rogers laughed.
"I'll meet you in the lounge."
He left and Peter got out of bed.
"Karen? Where's Tony?"
"Asleep, still."
"And Pepper?"
"Also asleep, according to Friday."
"Thanks."
It was a measure of just how much Tony trusted Steve that he wasn't going to be up to see them off. Peter had called Ned the day before, to tell him about Pete going home and also to ask if he wanted to go to the parade and be on the Captain America float, but Ned hadn't been able to. His household was scrambling to get ready for the relatives coming in and he had pretty much been told by his mom that it was the parade or it was pumpkin chucking, but she needed him home one of those days.
Ned had chosen Pumpkin chucking, and Peter was glad, because he didn't want Ned to miss that.
Tony had asked Steve when he thought they would be home, and Rogers had made a guess of somewhere around noon.
"We'll be eating around three," Stark had reminded all three of them (Steve, Peter, and Carol). "So don't feel so rushed to get back that you drive crazy."
Since Carol was doing the driving, she'd smiled and given him an ultra-innocent look, but had assured him that she'd drive carefully.
Peter got dressed, glancing out the window to check the weather as he did. Since it was still dark, he didn't get much of a hint of what to wear.
"Is it cold out?"
"Wear a jacket," Karen told him. "Your Avenger jacket," she added. "It'll be appropriate, being on the float with Captain Rogers."
"You don't think it would be ostentatious?" he asked, uncertainly. "I'm not an Avenger, yet."
"You live here at the compound and spend all your time with them," she pointed out, reasonably. "Not to mention you're Tony Stark's son, and you will be representing them, all, by being with Captain Rogers on the float. The symbolism will be expected."
"Alright."
He headed for the closet and a sweatshirt to put under the jacket, since he didn't know just how cold it might be.
This was going to be fun – especially for a kid who was secretly a superhero but never put himself in the limelight because of it.
OOOOOO
"Here comes the Captain America balloon!"
"The Captain America balloon is making its appearance."
Those who hadn't already been gathered around the display in the lounge were summoned by Friday's announcement – although some had actually heard the announcer's, as well. They were all in the lounge; mainly because it was the best gathering area in the compound when it came to larger groups. A group of four or five could hang out in quarters, or maybe one of the smaller briefing rooms or conference rooms, but for things to do and places to eat, the lounge was the best option.
With some assistance from Stephen Strange, a couple of comfortable sofas had been brought into the far corner and were arranged around the display. Plenty of room for those gathered; Tony and Pepper, Wong, Natasha, and Stephen, Bruce, Nick and a few others who didn't want to spend Thanksgiving with those SHIELD operatives and trainees who were also in the compound, or were responsible for keeping track of what the caterers were doing as they prepared the meal that would be served.
Better than cooking it themselves, Tony had pointed out to Nick. And no sense in adding to the work that the compound cooks already had in front of them feeding the others.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and found places on the sofas, watching as the announcers started talking about what had been needed to create the new Captain America balloon and how many handlers they needed to wrangle it down the parade route.
"If you turn your attention to the Freedom float that is in front of it," the woman announcer said, cheerfully. "You'll see that Steve Rogers isn't the only one who was willing to come and spend some time with New York and the world, today…"
The camera panned down from the huge balloon (and it was impressive Tony was forced to admit to himself) and found the float. Decorated in red, white, and blue bunting and other materials, there were American and POW flags on every corner and several servicemen dressed in their uniforms and waving, cheerfully, to those people who waved, excitedly, back at them. This float was also being swarmed by huge crowds of children every few minutes, since those riding in it were also tossing candies out toward the crowds.
In the middle of it all, Steve Rogers was dressed in his Captain America uniform – sans the mask so the crowds could see that it was really him and not someone simply dressed like him – and was also waving to the crowds and tossing an occasional salute in response to some of the military folks in the crowd.
"In case you don't recognize the young man standing beside Captain Rogers," the male announcer said, taking on the thread of the conversation. "That's Peter Parker, son of Tony Stark and heir apparent to the Stark industries empire."
"This makes one wonder, Bill," said the woman announcer, unwilling to miss out on a chance to comment on what was an incredibly rare opportunity to see Peter in public and without the carefully watchful eye of his father looking on. "Is Peter planning on becoming an Avenger, some day?"
"Definitely a question for the ages," her counterpart acknowledged. The camera stayed on Peter for a long moment before moving back to Steve and then backing away to take in the entire float, once more, and then the balloon. "The next float coming up is a tribute to fall," he said, forced to move from the very exciting float with Captain America and the elusive Peter Parker (who they all knew better than to try and catch alone for an interview) and onto the next in line. "I'm told it's made entirely out of leaves that were raked right here in Central Park…"
"I don't like him being so exposed…"
Stark glanced over at Natasha.
"You could have gone, too," he told her, amused at the scowl on her attractive face.
"Ugh."
Stephen smiled, too, but it was Nick who replied.
"He's not exposed," the SHIELD director said. "Not as much as it seems."
"Got a sniper in the Captain America balloon?" Wong asked, facetiously.
Fury shrugged, but shook his head.
"Not in the balloon, no. Three sniper drones, though, one looking each direction."
"In the balloon?" Strange asked, eyes widening.
"Following the parade route," Fury said. "Keeping an eye on things."
The magicians were waiting for the punchline, or for someone to crack a smile and tell them that it was just a joke, but none did.
"We have people in the crowd, too," Natasha said, still not looking happy. Of course, Peter was right beside Steve, and that meant that he was pretty safe, but she wasn't there, too, now, was she? Not that she wanted to be, though. Spies hate crowds, as she'd told the boy the night before. More than that, though, they hated being seen in those crowds, and she was in the mood to celebrate the holiday, not skulk through the crowd. Like Tony (and Nick) she trusted Steve to keep an eye on Peter – and trusted SHIELD to keep an eye on both of them. "And Carol is close at hand if something happened."
No one needed to mention that if someone did decide to take advantage of Peter's unscripted outing with Steve, the would-be kidnappers would find themselves looking at a world of hurt if things went so badly that Ironman and the sorcerers needed to become involved. But they really weren't worried. If they had been, Peter wouldn't have been invited in the first place, and Tony never would have allowed him to go.
"How long until we eat?" Pepper asked, breaking the slight tension in the room.
Tony looked at his watch.
"Still a few hours."
"Then let's find something to do."
They'd only been watching the parade in order to see Steve and peter – and to check out the new balloon so they could properly ooo and aahh over it when Steve returned.
"Cards?" Strange suggested.
"Sounds good."
They could find a game that everyone who wanted to could play.