"I can't believe you're not hovering over him…"

Strange ignored the remark, but did glance over Natasha's shoulder at Peter, who was dancing with Lila Barton, who had found him only a few minutes into the first dance that the boy had started with Shuri. Lila had been delicately briefed by her parents and was being very careful not to hurt Peter's injured arm and hand. She was chattering away as they danced but was only holding his left side.

"He doesn't need me to hover, right now," the doctor told his dance partner. "He has Lila and Shuri."

She smiled at that and settled her cheek on his shoulder, always enjoying the fact that he was just the right height for her to do that.

"And later?"

"Then I'll send him to bed. It was clever of Tony to make him rest all afternoon so he could have a good time this evening, but he's not ready for prolonged activity, yet. He'll be ready to go back to bed in a few hours."

"You told him two."

The doctor smirked.

"So I could allow him to talk me into a little longer…"

She chuckled.

"Smooth."

"Old doctor trick. They teach us that in our first year. I'll end his party around eleven – earlier if he starts flagging."

OOOOOOOO

"I don't understand the custom…"

Quill looked around the gym, smiling, before he turned to Drax.

"It's not complicated. You find a partner and dance – or sit around and eat or drink."

"I'm going to drink," Rocket said.

The guardians were all invited, of course, and had willingly gone to the homecoming dance that was set up for Peter. Most of the participants already knew about the more alien members of the group and had become used to their presence by now.

"Dance with me, Gamora?"

She smiled, charmed by Peter as she usually was when he was in a cheerful mood like he was, just then.

"Yes."

Star Lord led her out onto the dance floor, while the others moved toward one of the tables of food and snacks.

"They are all happy," Mantis said, looking around. "It's very relaxing."

She was relaxed because of it, and her friends approved.

"Puppy!"

A squeal of delight was the only warning Rocket had before tiny hands grabbed him, and little arms wrapped around his neck from behind. His ears went flat to his head and he bared his teeth, showing the razor-sharp canines.

"Nate!"

Clint Barton was quick to rescue the racoon from his toddler son, who had homed in on the walking teddy bear almost as soon as his father had put him down. The archer scooped Nathaniel up into his arms and the little boy chortled, happily, more than willing to be held.

"Hey," Rocket complained. "Keep your offspring in check, will you?"

"Sorry about that," Clint said, smirking now that his boy was safely in his arms. "He's excited, is all."

"I am groot…?"

"He wants to hold it," Rocket translated.

"It is my son. Nathaniel," Clint said. He looked over at his wife, and then shrugged and handed the toddler over to the tree, who took him with exaggerated care. "Don't drop him."

"I am groot."

The toddler squealed, happily, grabbing several limbs at once.

"He says go dance; he'll watch him."

Laura looked a little uncertain, but Rocket shrugged.

"He's not going to eat him. Go ahead."

The archer smiled at his wife and offered her his hand.

"You heard the puppy. Let's go dance. Let us know when you get tired of him."

Groot was already studying the small human with interest, and Rocket rolled his eyes, waiting for the adults to walk away.

"You can't keep him."

"I am groot."

"I know they have three, but yes, they will miss one."

OOOOOOO

"Can I cut in?"

Lila looked like she wanted to say no, but she was learning the etiquette of formal dances and knew that saying no wasn't acceptable. Besides, she liked Pepper – and Tony.

"Yes."

Peter smiled down at her.

"Thank you for keeping me company."

Which made her smile.

"You're welcome."

She skipped off to find someone else to dance with.

"Where's Tony?" Peter asked, curiously, as he offered her his hand, and she carefully tucked the other near his side, under the sling.

"Dancing with Shuri – who I know would rather dance with you."

Which made Peter smile.

"Thank you," he said. "For the dance, I mean."

"I know it isn't as good as the real thing – with your school friends – but we thought it might be better than nothing."

"It's great. Really."

He was just amazed – as he always was – by just how much they were willing to do for him to make him happy.

"Because they love you," Alec told him. "Don't be dumb."

The boy rolled his eyes and put his arm around the woman he called mom.

"Thank you," he said, again.

"You're welcome."

OOOOOOOO

It was closer to ten than it was to eleven when Peter finally started to tire.

Technically, it was a lot earlier than that when he started feeling tired, but he was reluctant to say anything – and unwilling to stop the party that he was enjoying so much. He'd danced with every female in the room – including Gamora, who was graceful, Mantis, who was enigmatic and seemed to actually be having a conversation with Alec and not himself.

Peter walked toward the bar, and was greeted by Grady, who was wearing a formal uniform rather than a suit. The colonel was talking to Lyle and Nick Fury.

"Great party, Peter," Grady said, looking around with approval. "I'm going to miss the spontaneity Tony Stark is capable of coming up with."

"You guys are leaving?"

"Tomorrow," Lyle confirmed. He offered Peter his hand, cheerfully. "My general needs me."

"And I'm taking my men home. We aren't needed here, and we're always able to find some trouble to get into back home."

"Thanks for coming."

Both military men nodded.

"Come for a visit when you're feeling better," Grady invited.

"Thank you."

Not surprisingly, Strange found him almost the moment he decided to find a place to sit once he separated from Fury and the military guys.

"Taking a break?"

"Yeah."

The doctor nodded, the inevitable hand coming to Peter's forehead.

"How's the hand?"

"Aches a little," Peter admitted.

"Find someone to have your last dance with," he told the boy. "Then we'll call it."

Peter smiled. He wasn't going to argue; he figured that he was lucky to have had as much time as he'd been allowed.

"Where's Natasha?"

Strange rolled his eyes and looked to his left, where Natasha was waiting – as if she'd known who Peter's last dance of the night was going to be with. Which she did, of course. Peter's glance followed the doctor's and he got up, offering her his hand, which she took with her own smile.

"Hi, baby. Got enough left in you for one more dance?"

Peter nodded, and Stephen watched as they walked out onto the dance floor, just as another slow song started.

"Is he alright?" Tony asked, walking over.

"He's fine. Just ready for his dance to end. It was a good idea, though."

"All my ideas are good ideas."

"This one was Pepper's idea, from what I understand."

Stark smirked.

"We're married. What's hers is mine."

"Including credit for good ideas?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Why not indeed? Strange simply shook his head, and then gave the billionaire a smile of his own.

"I think I'll see if that wife of yours wants to dance…"

Since his partner was taken by the guest of honor.

"You do that. I'm going to see what Lila is doing."

The dance was winding down, after all, and he hadn't had many chances to dance with her. He passed Shuri, who was dancing with Steve; he and Carol were going back to the farm for the rest of the weekend, but they had come for the dance. The princess had worked her way through several partners, as well – including Cooper, Barton's son, who was clearly smitten with the idea of dancing with a princess.

He hadn't been the only one, of course. Shuri had even convinced Groot to dance with her – and Rocket, once. Only Drax had refused her advances, and he'd admitted that it was because he didn't like women in yellow.

And dancing.

Or princesses.

"Where's your daughter, Clint?"

Barton winked, gesturing toward a sofa that was along the wall. His daughter had fallen asleep and was being cuddled by Sirah, who looked about as relaxed and calm as Tony had ever seen her in the short time that she'd been in the compound.

"Turns out she's really good with children," Clint said, softly, even though there was zero chance that he was going to wake his daughter from across the room.

"Yeah? That's good to know."

But now he didn't have anyone to dance with.