"Boys, you have to get moving eventually," Pepper sighed as the rest of the Avengers looked on in amusement.

Peter looked up at her with his big eyes. His head was resting on Tony's lap, he was on his phone, and his long legs were sprawled out along the length of the couch. Tony tossed his head back and smirked at her. Pepper groaned. Why did they have to be so cute?

"But I need to rest," Peter whined.

"And I'm assisting," Tony added, still smirking.

It was true that Peter was supposed to be taking it easy since he had woken up screaming three times last night. Tony hadn't gotten any sleep so he could rush over to Peter's room whenever he needed help. Tony had yet to perfect a sleeping pill that would work on Peter so the kid had to take cat naps to regain his energy.

"The gala was already moved back once, we can't push it back again," Pepper said. "And after this, you won't have to show up to any more of these events. Don't you want to get this over with?"

"Yeah, but that involves movement," Peter said while texting his friend.

MJ still felt bad about yesterday's events even though Peter had assured her that he made a full recovery. When she called him frantically last night, he admitted that he was Spider-Man. She said that he was an asshole for telling her over the phone in response.

"It's a lost cause, Pep," Natasha quipped as she destroyed Sam and Clint in Mario Kart. "They won't budge until you start threatening violence."

"I could skip right to that stage," Pepper muttered.

"Honey, the gala doesn't start for another two hours. Why do we have to get ready now?" Tony asked.

"Because we have to show up early for the press to get pictures of Peter. Besides, we're the ones hosting this gala. People would be offended if we weren't there to greet them. Can you please get up already?" Pepper begged.

The boys let out identical groans before getting up reluctantly. Peter yawned and rumpled his already messy curls, prompting Natasha to coo teasingly at him as if he were a baby waking up from a nap. He signed something at her that made her and Clint laugh. Peter wandered over to the elevator groggily. He must have been close to falling asleep again.

"I'm not sure that I like that only the three of you are able to communicate that way," Tony said to Natasha and Clint.

"Four," Bucky corrected. "I know sign language, too."

"That doesn't help, Barnes," Tony said.

"Last chance. Anyone else want to tag along?" Pepper asked.

"We have a mission in the morning," Steve said, gesturing to himself, Sam, and Bucky. "Otherwise I'd come and drag them with. Sorry."

"It's fine, Rogers. You're bad at socializing anyways," Tony replied. Steve snorted but didn't deny it.

"We should stay out of the public eye for a while longer," Wanda said, speaking for herself and Vision. Since she had used to work for HYDRA and part of Vision's programming was Ultron, many distrusted them.

"Bruce and I have plans," Natasha said as Sam and Clint threw down their controllers in disgust. She had beat them for the fifth time in a row effortlessly.

No one was brave enough to ask what those plans were, so Clint said, "Laura would kill me if I went without her."

"I still can't believe that Barton was the first one to settle down," Tony teased.

Pepper whacked his shoulder. "Go change or I take Peter by myself."

Tony rolled his eyes but obeyed. He didn't feel like being on the receiving end of Pepper's wrath.

An hour later, the three of them pulled up in front of the gala. Reporters and cameramen were already staked out front. They were avidly photographing the arrivals, and even began photographing the Stark's limo. The Starks decided to wait a few more minutes before getting out to warn Peter yet again about what to expect.

"After we get through the doors, your job will basically be done. A few people might want to speak to you, but most of the attention will be on Tony and me," Pepper explained. "They're going to want lots of pictures, but it's the questions that are the problem. They're going to want to know about the Web-Shooters and how Tony hired you. Stick to the story you've been saying. Consistency is key. And if they ask about how close you are to the Avengers, be as vague as possible."

"What do I do if they ask if I'm wearing the Web-Shooters now?" Peter asked, tense. He was light years away from his comfort zone.

"Be honest and show them," Tony said.

"You're wearing them right now?" Pepper asked, exasperated.

"I always have them on," Peter said defensively. "Actually, I have the whole suit on underneath. Is that a problem? Tony has his wristwatch repulsor on and can summon his suit in seconds."

"Thanks for bringing that up," Tony said dryly.

"Fine, keep it on. Show them if they ask. Just don't use them, alright?" Pepper asked. Peter nodded. "Okay. Good. Tony and I will stay with you the whole time. Are you ready?"

Peter took a deep breath. "I guess so."

Tony laughed. "That's the spirit. Don't worry, it will be over before you know it."

Happy opened the door and helped Pepper out. Every camera in vicinity swerved to take pictures of the CEO of Stark Industries. The flashes hurt Peter's eyes, but Tony had let him wear his special sunglasses so it didn't bother him too much. The noise was a different matter entirely. Headphones would be too conspicuous, so he was forced to endure the cacophony.

Tony came out behind his wife and the noise increased drastically. Tony had been so busy with the Avengers that he hadn't shown up to many events like this in recent months. Every reporter was dying to get an interview with him while they had the chance.

Peter gritted his teeth and climbed out. He felt dizzy immediately, but Tony grasped his shoulder and guided him forward. Pepper was the picture of grace and beauty, but it was obvious that Tony and Peter would rather be anywhere else. Peter bet the Avengers were watching this on TV and laughing their heads off.

"Tony Stark and his wife, Pepper, the CEO of Stark Industries, just arrived at their gala. With the iconic couple is Tony Stark's intern, Peter Parker, the teenager who helped the Avengers subdue terrorists at his school. Parker has been seen tagging along with the couple at many events since the attack, so it's no surprise that he's here tonight," a male news anchor rattled off as Pepper and Tony began posing for photos. Peter hung back with Happy. No matter how interested people were in him, Iron Man was the real scoop.

"Peter," Pepper said, gesturing for him to join them.

Peter walked over to them, the shouts echoing in his ears. Pepper positioned them so that Peter was between her and Tony. That made it seem reminiscent of how a child would stand with their parents. Peter decided to trust Pepper's judgement and not comment on that. She only let them take a few photos before forging ahead.

Tony was careful to keep a steadying grip on Peter as Pepper chose which reporters they would talk to. As Tony talked, she would arrange for more staged photos. Tony and Pepper talked to the first few reporters but made it clear Peter wasn't part of those interviews. This led to some confusion as the Starks kept him right next to them. Reporters began dropping heavy hints that they wanted to talk to Peter too. Pepper reluctantly let Tony and Peter step forward for an interview.

"How long has Mr. Parker been your intern?" The reporter asked, looking eager to get as much as possible in the short time Pepper would let them talk.

"I hired Peter when he was a sophomore. He's a senior now," Tony said, discreetly checking to make sure Peter wasn't panicking. He smiled when he saw the kid was okay.

"How did he hear about you? Few people can catch Tony Stark's attention," the reporter said. He shoved the microphone at Peter.

"I applied for his September Foundation and I guess I impressed him enough to get hired," Peter said, not entirely lying. Natasha had been teaching him quite a bit about how to lie convincingly and half of it was mixing in the truth. It helped one seem more honest and trusting even while deceiving.

"Did you have any concerns about hiring someone so young?" The microphone was shoved back towards Tony.

"Seeing as how the smartest person on this planet is Princess Shuri of Wakanda, not really. Age is not a reasonable measure for intelligence," Tony said. Peter wasn't sure if he'd ever seen Tony take an interview this seriously. It was nice to see that Tony was trying to make this as painless as possible for him.

"How long had you been working with Mr. Stark when you made the Web-Shooters?"

Peter said, "I already made the design for them when I was hired. It was part of what landed me my job."

"And how much does he pay you?"

Peter laughed. "I work for free."

"You don't pay your interns?" The reporter asked, looking excited at a chance to dig up dirt on Tony.

"The kid didn't lie, but that's not the whole story. Peter has full access to everything owned by Stark Industries, including my credit card," Tony explained. "He doesn't take advantage of this as much as he should."

The reporter's eyes bulged. "You give your interns the same access that the Avengers have?"

"No. Just Peter. I'd be stupid not to reward him for all the brilliant work he's done for both Stark Industries and the Avengers," Tony said.

"Do you get to work with the Avengers a lot?" She turned the microphone back to Peter.

"I mostly work with Mr. Stark and the other scientists he employs. I'm very lucky that I've met the Avengers at all," Peter said as calmly as he could with a racing heartbeat. He had hoped that no one would ask about his relationship with the Avengers.

"Thank you for your time, but we must keep going," Pepper said, cutting in. "Let's continue our walk."

Pepper tugged them away and whispered, "How are you holding up?"

"That wasn't so bad. Tony took most of the questions," Peter said, glad that Tony was still holding on to him. It helped soothe for his nerves.

"You did good. You're so nervous that it'd be hard for people to tell if you're lying," Tony said. Peter frowned. He thought he'd been hiding his nerves from the reporters.

"Are you ready for more?" Pepper asked. Peter nodded.

They guided him back into the fray.

All seven of the interviews he did after that followed the same format as the first. The had the same kind of questions and switched back and forth between Peter and whoever was with him. He was usually with Tony, but he did one interview with Pepper and two with the both of them. They were careful to never stray more than a foot away from him. Peter appreciated their over protectiveness at first but it was starting to bother him. Did they think he was that fragile?

Actually, yes. They probably did after last night and his breakdown in the car with Tony yesterday. This would have been a blissful reprieve from his thoughts if it weren't so stressful. He finally understood why Tony and the Avengers did their best to stay out of the spotlight.

"Let's go inside before the vultures ask for more," Tony said, looking up at Pepper for permission.

She nodded distractedly. Peter was sure that she was mentally reviewing everything they'd said. She didn't stop them from ascending the steps into the main foyer, which Peter took as a good sign.

Peter expected a bustling, noisy foyer like the chaotic scene outside, but it was almost empty. Peter looked at the Starks in confusion.

"No one stays here. All the guests are provided with their own rooms so they have no reason to linger in the foyer," Pepper explained. She turned to Happy. "We're going up to our room. You're welcome to come with us."

"Thanks, but you know I'd rather be in there," Happy said, gesturing to the doors of the ballroom. "How long should you be?"

"Fifteen minutes at most," Pepper said. "We'll see you inside."

Happy nodded and headed into the ballroom. Tony released his grip on Peter and offered his wife his arm. Peter trailed behind the couple as they headed up the massive marble stairs like a lost puppy. This was not his comfort zone.

"Here we are," Pepper muttered as they reached the suite at the end of the hall. She pressed her hand on the door and it swung open.

The inside suite was as extravagant as the foyer, and very different from the Facility. Everything was expensive but modern at the Facility. The furniture here wouldn't be out of place in Buckingham Palace and Versailles. Pepper pulled off her heels and flopped on a stiff armchair. After sitting in the armchair next to her, Tony pulled out his phone and began scrolling. Peter followed Pepper's lead and sprawled out on the uncomfortable couch.

"So what's the point of this?" Peter asked, gesturing around them.

"It's a short break before we go to the gala. This is your chance to go the bathroom, make a call, or do whatever else you need to do before you're sucked into the vortex of high society," Pepper explained. "It's just a chance to get away from the cameras."

"Bruce texted. Steve, Sam, and Bucky got a call saying the timetable for their mission was moved up so they had to leave early. Rhodey, Natasha, Clint, and Bruce decided to head to the Barton's farm to give Wanda and Vision some alone time," Tony reported, not looking up from his phone.

"Alone time sounds nice," Pepper said.

Tony looked at her incredulously. "Hey, this is a two-sided problem. I'm not the one who has to be in England Monday morning."

Pepper groaned. "The gala hadn't been moved back yet when I planned that."

Peter closed his eyes and tried to rest, Pepper and Tony's playful argument barely reaching his tired consciousness. Fifteen minutes. Maybe he'd be able to take a quick nap...