He managed to make it through the remainder of the meal without drawing further attention to himself.
The time after the meal was one for less formal socializing, and mingling, but Tony wasn't quite ready to release his son to anyone else, just yet. As Ned went over to talk to Shuri and a few of the other people is age, Tony made a motion with his head, clearly asking Peter for a minute, alone, and walked with him toward a corner that was a little more private.
"Everything okay?" he asked, watching as the efficient servants began removing the tables and making space for the guests to chat.
"Yeah. I'm sorry about that."
"The hand isn't bothering you?"
"No."
"And you'd tell me if it was?"
Peter nodded.
"Yeah. No. It's okay. Really."
Tony took him at his word.
"Need anything?"
"No. I'm good. I'm going to make my rounds and then I think I'll call it a night."
He was beat, and wondered why Ned wasn't just as tired.
"Because he took a nap during study period," Alec told him. "And the others all took naps before they came, earlier. You were the only one who didn't."
"I was too excited."
Alec was amused.
"I know. Make your rounds and get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day."
"Wait. We're not done with our conversation, yet."
"Tony's waiting," the ancient sorcerer reminded him, and then fell silent in the back of Peter's mind as the boy looked around the room, once and then back at Tony.
"We'll come check on you before we go to bed," the billionaire told him. "Just to make sure you're asleep and not playing video games."
"And because you love me and you worry about me."
"What? No. Who are you, again?"
Peter chuckled, and Tony caught him in a rough hug.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. I'm going to go report to mom."
"Tell her I'm fine."
"That's the plan."
Peter turned and headed for Ned, while Tony walked the opposite direction and went to where T'Challa and Pepper were speaking with Steve and Carol, who had joined them, just in time to miss dinner, but not happy hour.
OOOOO
Shuri smiled at Peter when he walked up to her and Ned, and introduced him to the young men who were gathered around. They all knew who he was, of course – he was the reason for the gathering, in the first place, after all – and Peter could see the speculation in their eyes as he was told each one's name. The young men – and most were a year or two older than he was, with the tattoos that signified they'd passed their manhood rituals – offered him the ceremonial handshake so common in Wakanda when differing tribes met.
"What is it like to live with the Avengers?" one asked, curiously, glancing over at where Tony was standing by Pepper and T'Challa.
"It's great."
"It's better than that," Ned said, grinning. He'd already been introduced to the other boys and had fielded questions about Peter and his relationship with Tony and the others. Heroes so famous that even tribal noblemen in Africa knew their names. "Thor came to Tony's wedding. And Black Widow and Captain America are teaching me hand to hand – and taught Peter. He's amazing."
Which amped up the speculative looks. Luckily, some of those same young men had been present when Peter had taken on Okoye, many months before, so they didn't doubt Ned's claim and didn't ask for proof.
"Peter is also fluent in many Wakandan languages," Shuri added, resting her hand lightly on her friend's arm.
Which earned him more looks. He didn't mind, though. Not even when a few of the others tried to test him with their own very obscure dialects. They'd ask him something and he'd reply in the same language, which impressed them all, of course. Not that Peter really had anything to do with the ability, but he couldn't tell them about the Mind stone, so he just shrugged off the impressed looks with polite appreciation. Not surprisingly, since they all knew who he was and why he was there, they started showing off, almost naturally, to impress upon him (and Shuri, of course) just how much better one was than the other.
It was beginning to get just a little rowdy – especially when a few others who were several years older than Peter and Shuri arrived and began shouldering the younger ones aside to afford themselves the chance to get better acquainted with their princess as well as their guests. Peter started feeling edgy, and wasn't sure if it was his spider senses telling him things could go bad, quickly, with this stiff-necked group of young men or if it was just his plain old common sense.
Either way, he stayed between Shuri and Ned, keeping an eye on those around him. Which put him right in the mix when two noble sons of the same tribe – cousins who had always been competing between themselves for their entire lives and maybe had imbibed in a bit too much wine that evening – began to snipe at each other about an argument that had started at the market, much, much earlier. They weren't loud, but the low voiced berating was even worse, and even Ned – which didn't know what they were saying since they had switched to their own tribal dialect – fell silent, and looked over toward Tony and T'Challa, clearly wondering if he should call for help.
Instead, it was Peter who took the few steps forward to place himself right between the two – both of them towering over him and outweighing him by plenty.
OOOOOOOO
"You're not worried about having so many young men around your sister?" Pepper asked T'Challa, looking over at the small cluster of boys who were all gathered around Shuri. The Wakandan princess was clearly enjoying the attention, but there were more gathering every few minutes – including Peter, now. "That's a lot of hormones in one little spot."
"And surrounding one little girl," Tony added.
"He is watching her much more closely than he seems to be," Ramonda assured them before T'Challa could say anything. "But the tribes do not gather like this more than once a generation, at times, so it is customary to give those who might normally have a chance the opportunity to attempt to impress Shuri."
"Do any of them have a chance?" Steve asked, curiously, also looking at the crowd of boys.
"Probably not," T'Challa replied. "While many of them are very fine young men, very few will impress her. She will be polite about it, but my sister is too intelligent to be willing to spend time with someone who is only interesting because of their bloodlines. They can preen all night, though, as long as they stay out of trouble."
"Speaking of…" Tony muttered, noticing the posturing of the two men who were standing much too close to Peter and Ned for Tony's comfort. He couldn't hear what they were saying – and they weren't looking at Peter or Shuri, instead facing off against each other, it appeared – but he had no trouble reading the body language even from a distance. "Maybe we should take a stroll that direction…"
T'Challa clearly read the same signs and nodded – and several of the royal guards were starting to look that way, as well.
"Yes. Maybe it is time to call an end to the evening," the young king said, taking a step toward his sister and then stopping when he saw Peter move his slight frame between the two men.
They both scowled down at him, but once he made certain he had their attention, Peter spoke to them – and T'Challa was too far away to hear what he said. The entire group of young men and boys froze at the softly uttered words, and Shuri stared. Didn't say anything, though. He was watching both men, his attention only for them, just then.
The one on the right nodded, and looked at the one on Peter's left – who also nodded. As T'Challa watched, Peter offered his arm to Shuri, who smiled, demurely, and accepted it, gesturing for Ned to follow them, as well. The pack of boys and men watched them go, but the three didn't look back as they walked out of the room, heading for one of the balconies.
T'Challa waved over the guard who had been closest, rather than walk over himself and make the scene something more than it needed to be by bringing the royal presence to bear.
The guard saluted, smirking.
"What did he say?"
He didn't need to specify who he was referring to, and the guard's smile broadened.
"He reminded them both that the weekend was his celebration and that if either of them started a brawl and ruined it – and brought dishonor to their families on his day, he'd own their lands, their goats and would have them both gelded."
Tony snorted.
"I bet that got their attention."
T'Challa's smile was approving.
"It would be within his rights," the young king pointed out.
"And they know it," Ramonda added. "That was probably the best threat he could have used to diffuse the situation."
"I will have to thank him, later," T'Challa said. "A scuffle would have been a bad omen."
"You don't have to thank him," Pepper replied. "I imagine he was just making sure he didn't have to deal with any more honor issues."
Tony nodded his agreement
"We don't have room for any more carvings – and we're not bringing a bunch of goats home."