Narita airport was busy.
Bustling crowds of people leaving the international airport on business, pleasure, and everything in between mingled with those people who were coming to Japan for those same reasons. Or were returning home. Adding to the crowd were people who were seeing those travelers off – or were waiting for loved ones to come home. In the section of the terminal that accepted arriving planes from New York, there was a large crowd of people, and a couple of news crews. When the small group of teenagers and their guardians came out of the jetway, a cheer went up from the waiting crowd.
Nico blushed, happily, as he realized what was happening, and he held up the trophy that he'd been carrying. A large and impressive trophy that was half as tall as he was, and the cheer got louder.
Parents came forward to meet up with their kids and the two groups mingled as everyone congratulated the team for their win (and yes, they knew it was a tie, but they had a big trophy, so it was a big deal) and asked them about their trip to the United States. The initial greetings eventually trickled down to individual conversations as people moved to allow other travelers a chance to greet their friends and families as well. The kids and their chaperones were interviewed and as team captain Nico found himself sought after for this. He was properly modest and was sincere when he told the interviewer for the TV network that he'd been treated well in the states.
It wasn't a secret to the news people that the kids had met the Avengers while on their trip to the competition. Most of the kids (well, all of the kids and their chaperones) had sent home photos and videos of the tour of the compound – and subsequent pictures of them with Tony Stark and the other Avengers. The news knew that the decathlon team returning with a win was going to be a top story, but they also knew that adding in the Avengers was a sure fire way to make sure it stayed there for a couple of days. Because of that, it was almost an hour before Nico's family had him to themselves as they headed home from the airport.
It was then that the boy had a chance to show his father the lighter Peter had given him – and to allow him to read the letter he'd sent along with it.
"This is incredible, Nico."
The boy grinned, watching as his father read the inscription on the back of the watch.
"I know. I told him that it wasn't necessary, but Peter insisted, saying it was right that our family has it."
"What was he like?"
"Considering who he lives with?" he asked, shrugging. "He's nice. Very down to earth, really. And fun." He looked at his mother. "And he has a tattoo."
"Wow." Nico's little brother was a lot more impressed by that than their parents. "Was it an Avenger tattoo?"
"Yeah. I got a picture of it. I'll show you later."
"I can't believe you met Tony Stark," the boy said, shaking his head in amazement. "What was he like?"
Nico's little brother was more interested in Tony Stark then he was in Ironman, which was amazing to everyone but Nico who knew that he was a tech nerd in the making and the technology was more exciting than the superhero who flew in it.
"He was great. He took us on the subway – and bought us lunch before the play."
"Wow."
OOOOOOOOOOOO
"Are you busy?"
Peter smiled, looking over at the door but then looking back up at the TV screen and the video game that he was playing. He moved over on the couch, making room for Natasha to sit beside him.
"Just showing Ned how to beat level twelve in Doom Seeker."
"Hey, Natasha!"
She smiled at Ned's image on the screen next to the video game feed. The boy was wearing a headset similar to the one Peter had on and could clearly see and hear what was going on in Peter's room.
"Hi, Ned. Are you supposed to be up this late on a school night?"
"Are you asking me or Peter?"
"I know he isn't," she told him, amused at the way Peter rolled his eyes. "I assume your mom has at least as much sense as Pepper."
"Maybe."
Neither boy mentioned the fact that she hadn't said anything about Tony having more common sense.
"Did Pepper send you to make sure Peter's in bed?" Ned asked, cheerfully.
"Your mom sent me to make sure that you're in yours," she replied, making both boys laugh. "Go to bed, mister."
"Ugh." He didn't argue, though – and she knew that he wouldn't. "Fine, mom," Ned told her, grinning despite the tone he was using. "I'll see you, tomorrow, Peter."
"Yeah." The game saved where they were and then the TV display went blue when the game disconnected from the network. Peter took off his headset and set it and the controller on the coffee table before turning his attention to Natasha. "Did you really come to tell me to go to bed?"
"No. I just thought you'd be interested in something I saw, earlier…"
"Oh? What?"
"Karen? Display the video feed we were watching in the lounge, will you?"
She was Peter's AI but Karen didn't seem to mind Natasha's request. The display changed, and now it was showing the inside of an airport. An airport in Japan to judge by the writing on the signs and the large percentage of Japanese people who were hurrying to and fro. The video showed a group of people coming from an incoming flight and Peter recognized the Japanese team, immediately. He realized that what he was seeing was a news story; they were greeting the airplane and the Japanese team. Peter watched the crowd cheer when Nico raised the trophy to show it to them.
"What's this?"
She smiled.
"I thought you'd want to see this…"
"I knew they made it home," Peter told her with a grin of his own. "Karen told me when all of the teams got home. The Australians are in the air, right now, and won't be home until tomorrow, but everyone else made it home, safe."
"That isn't what I meant," Natasha told him, smirking. He was so cute when he was being a know it all, but she couldn't help being one, too. It was part of her job description, after all. "Show him, Karen."
The camera was still on the arriving kids and the people who were now hugging them, but Karen focused the display on the wall of the airport, behind the crowd. Peter saw that there were several old black and white pictures creating a sort of a mural. They were old style Japanese airplanes lined up on an airfield and the men who flew them standing beside them.
"What's that?"
The camera froze and Romanoff pointed to one of the pilots.
"Guess who that is…"
"Nico's grandpa?"
"Good guess." She smiled. "That's Ichiro Ito. The airport set up the memorial mural in several different terminals – to honor the people that fought in World War II – and I doubt it's a coincidence that this is where the plane returned his grandson from the meeting with you."
Peter was surprised.
"You think so?"
"I do." She shrugged. "We probably won't really know," she added. "But it's fun to think about, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. It's pretty neat."
"I agree." She hugged him. "Do you need anything?"
"No."
"Then go to bed."
Another eye roll, but he knew he didn't want to stay up too late.
"Okay."
