"Are you alright?" Tony asked, handing Shuri an icepack with a wry smile.
The Wakandan princess smiled, too, holding up a spoon and looking cheerful – despite the bruise she was going to have on her cheek.
"I am fine," she assured him.
Pepper gave her husband a look.
"You realize the next time she comes to visit, T'Challa is going to insist on a security detail, right?"
"It wasn't me," Tony reminded her. "This one's on Steve."
"It was an accident," Rogers said. "I thought she was Clint."
"Hey!"
Rocket walked by, also brandishing a spoon in his little racoon hand.
"I like this game," he told Peter.
The boy nodded.
"I do, too."
"You should have played, Gamora," Quill said, taking an icepack from Peter with a nod of thanks. "It's fun."
She shook her head, tossing him a rare smile as she looked at the people who were breaking up and calling it a night. Several had played, and many were disheveled and sporting bruises – and in Quill's case, even a slight cut on his forehead from hitting the edge of the table during a particularly physical scramble for the spoons.
"Yes, I can see how fun it was."
"I enjoyed it," Drax announced, holding a spoon, too – and clearly not planning to return it to the bar. "A warrior's game, and yet filled with the potential for deceit. Just like life."
Grady had been watching – although Lyle had decided to play once Peter had pointed out that it was a good way to team build and get to know some of the people that were at the compound. The colonel shook his head, as well, watching from the bar, where he was standing with Tony and Pepper.
"This isn't what I was expecting when I got this assignment," he admitted.
"Aliens and talking racoons playing cards and wrestling for spoons?" Tony asked. "What were you expecting?"
"Aliens, yes. But not ones that are allies."
Pepper nodded her understanding.
"It's amazing what you can get used to, isn't it?"
The colonel smiled, looking at Shuri.
"On the plus side, I finally got a chance to meet a real princess."
The girl smiled, reacting immediately to the man's good nature – the same good nature that had made him hit it off with Peter when they'd met, seemingly at random, in Phoenix. Before she could reply, though, Tony spoke up.
"You're going to need to bring up some of those guard troops sometime tomorrow, Colonel," he said. "We're going to be running a test of the shield and it's going to cut across the highway in a couple of places – and will enclose a few buildings. We'll need people to keep civilians out of the way."
"What time?"
Tony looked at Shuri.
"The shield will be ready for initial testing early afternoon," the princess told them, still pressing the icepack against her cheek. "Once we have the program up, it can be raised and lowered in sections. And, of course, can be powered down when not needed."
"That'll save on the light bill," Tony said, winking at Peter who was walking over, holding Nutmeg in his hand and looking as if he'd had a good time. "You okay, son?"
"Yeah." He looked at Shuri. "Are you?"
"I am fine."
"We're going to call it a night," Tony told him – and the others. "Anyone need anything?"
The army liaison shook his head, as did the teens and then the Avengers and the guardians.
"I'm going to bed," Steve said.
"Beating up little girls can wear a guy out," Romanoff agreed with a smirk.
Rogers rolled his eyes, amused, and glanced at Shuri, who was also smiling. It was worth the elbow to the face to get a look like that, she decided.
"It was an accident," he repeated. "And I didn't beat her up."
"Probably scarred her for life," Pepper agreed.
"And caused a diplomatic incident," Tony said. "Once her brother learns of it."
"Do not listen to them, Steve," Shuri told him. "I am much tougher than that, and my brother will understand."
"Thank you, Shuri," Steve said – although he did check her cheek once more. "I'll see you all in the morning."
The others started leaving, as well, saying goodnight as they went, until it was only Tony, Pepper, Peter, Shuri – and Natasha all standing near the bar.
"Stephen's going to come tomorrow with Wong," Natasha said. "He wants to see how the shield works, and will want to know where you want the portal to Asgard to be set up."
"What do you think would work best?"
"Probably the gym."
Tony nodded.
"That's where I was thinking, too." He looked at Shuri. "Would you be willing to take Ironpig home with you when you go? This isn't going to be a safe place for him, and I don't want him being ignored in the run up to preparations."
Shuri nodded.
"My mother will be pleased to see him."
"She doesn't get to play football with him, or eat him," Tony reminded her.
"So I will inform her." She looked at Peter. "Nutmeg is welcome to come, as well."
Peter shook his head.
"Thank you, but him and Jack are going to Clint's farm. Jack's brother lives there, and Lila loves Nutmeg."
"We didn't want to send you home with a menagerie of pets to watch," Tony told her. "You have enough to do back home."
"I will take good care of him."
"I know." He looked at Peter. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Peter knew that it was killing Tony to even think of sending his pig away, but knew that Tony had thought it through and decided that Wakanda was the best place for him to be. Even if Thanos didn't show for months, the avengers – and Tony – would be busy in the preparations leading up to it, and wouldn't have time to spend with the pig. Rather than have him be ignored, he'd send him to his original home and to Shuri, who Tony trusted completely to coddle him. "I'm going to walk Shuri to her rooms and then go to bed."
"We'll see you in the morning, then." The three adults watched as the teens left, and Tony turned to Natasha. "Does he need anything?" he asked, well aware that she would be able to read Peter even easier than Tony could.
It was her specialty, after all.
"He seems to be holding up as well as we can expect. I thought Wanda and Vision were coming?"
"They'll be here, tomorrow."
"Why the delay?"
He shrugged.
"Wanda didn't say," he admitted. "But she didn't sound happy when I spoke with her. If you're around, tomorrow when they show up, I'd appreciate it."
Mainly because he didn't know Wanda well enough to read her – and she could read him like an open book, he knew. If Romanoff had a chance, he knew she'd find out if anything was going on that needed his attention and would pass the information along.
"Yeah. I'll be around all day."
"Thank you. You'll keep an eye on Peter, too?"
Romanoff smiled.
"You don't even need to ask."
"I know. Thanks." He looked at Pepper. "Ready for bed?"
"Yes."
"Good night, guys," Natasha said.
She was going to hang out in the bar just for a little while longer, and give Peter a chance to walk Shuri to her rooms and then if she timed it right she'd catch Peter coming into his own quarters and spend a little time with him, just the two of them, and get an idea of how he was doing – and if there was anything that she needed to address with him, or to bring up with Tony and Pepper.
Tony and Pepper left hand in hand, and Natasha reached behind the bar and found a bag of pretzels. There wasn't any hurry, really; she knew Peter would hang out and chat with Shuri for a short time, at least.