Peter adjusted his tie nervously. Tonight was the night of his senior prom and he was pretty sure not even going up against Thanos had made him this sick to his stomach. He was ridiculously worried that he’d somehow mess something up. After all, his girlfriend had literally flown across the ocean to be with him. She’d never been to prom, or school at all, and Peter feared that she was going to hate it and break up with him.
Okay, it was a ridiculous fear, Shuri would never break up with him over something like that. They’d definitely survived worse since they’d started dating, including the one time that Peter had accidentally set her on fire. (Long story.) Still, he wanted her night to be absolutely perfect.
He messed with his tie once more, looked himself up and down in the mirror, and then took a deep breath and left his room. He and May had moved into the compound the moment someone had photographed Peter and Tony together. They had, of course told the press the intern story, and now Peter had 20 million followers on Instagram because he often posted photos of himself with the Avengers. He had also met Shuri when she had been visiting Tony with her brother, T’Challa. He still remembered it like it was yesterday.
“Peter, this is T’Challa, the King of Wakanda and the Black Panther, and his sister, Shuri,” Tony had introduced.
Everyone had gotten to talking, and Peter and Shuri were talking about Germany with someone who had been introduced as Okoye.
“So I heard from T’Challa that although you are quite young you are quite the fighter. You took on Captain America?” Okoye asked.
“Oh, yeah. I shot him in ze legs because his shield is the size of a dinner plate, and he’s an idiot,” Peter joked.
Shuri’s eyes lit up, “what are thooooose?” She pointed to Peter’s shoes and laughed.
Peter smiled at the memory. It was truly love at first sight. Or maybe love at first vine. Either way, they had hit it off well, and maintained their relationship despite the long distance. It helped that Wakanda had incredibly high-tech and very fast jets and it only took about two hours to get back and forth. The big kicker was the time difference. Both of them had gotten used to strange sleeping schedules on the weekends, as they spent nearly every Saturday together, alternating who went where.
This weekend was going to be a unique case as Shuri had been at the Compound since Wednesday and was planning to stay until Monday. The extra days got Shuri more accoustomed to New York time, which was a good thing so she wouldn’t be so tired for Prom.
Off to Peter’s right, a door opened and Shuri floated into the room. She looked the part of her title as Princess of Wakanda, a purple gown flowing around her. The gown we absolutely spectacular, a modest neckline flowing into a floor length skirt slit on the right side. The back was bejeweled with some sort of purple stone (gems were not Peter’s strong suit) but aside from that, it was completely open. She was wearing an actual tiara, which was adorned with the same gems as from the back of the dress. She also had matching fingerless gloves made of purely tiny gems strung together. Peter was sure his jaw was never going to be off the ground ever again.
Shuri smirked at his obvious ogling, “see something you like, Parker?”
He managers to compose himself, “you’re the most beautiful person in this whole world.”
“Even prettier than Leia?” she jokes. May had informed her that Peter used to have a crush on the fictional princess.
“She doesn’t even begin to compare,” he assures her.
She raises a delicate eyebrow, “you’re not so bad yourself.”
All the adults in the room coo, altering Peter to their presence. T’Challa, Nakia, Okoye, Nat, Pepper, Tony, and May are all smiling at the young couple. Peter had been so busy admiring Shuri that he hadn’t even noticed them behind her, spider sense or no.
Tony claps his hands, “okay, let’s get some pictures and then you two can meet your friends for some more photos before dinner.”
Tony leads them to the private jet, and everyone clambers on. It’s a short ride before they touch down gracefully on the top of Stark Tower, which Tony had ultimately decided to keep it as office space for SI and a city house in case he was ever in need. In this secenario, it served as the perfect location for prom photos. Tony had obviously hired a decorator as the rooftop was tastefully covered in fairy lights and delicate plants. The rooftop had been entirely transformed into a gorgeous rooftop garden.
“What do you think?” Tony asked.
“Wow. Tony this is...this is amazing,” Peter Hughes him, “thanks for already making this the best prom ever.”
“It’s no problem kiddo. I just want you to enjoy all this being a teenager stuff when you can.”
Pepper smiles at her husband, “Tony needs more people to spend his money on anyways.”
“Still, this is amazing. Beyond even my most wild dreams. If anyone had told me freshman year that I’d be going to prom with the most gorgeous, intelligent girl in the universe wearing a custom suit and getting my picture taken professionally on a rooftop specially decorated for the occasion, I would have laughed until I cried.”
Shuri smiles over at him, then turns to Tony, “truly, Stark, thank you. I never imagined even going to America, much less going to a prom like this.”
“You’re both very welcome! Now, let’s move on from this emotional shi-stuff,” Tony quickly corrects, “you know how I get.”
Peter smiles at him, “how about we get some pictures?”
They spend a long time posing together under the arch of fairy lights, which conviently has heaters surrounding it so it’s nice and warm for Shuri, who isn’t wearing a jacket. Tony has, of course, hired a professional photographer, because he’s like that. They get plenty of photos together, as well as with their respective family members. At some point, Peter’s friends arrive, and they get plenty of photos with them too. By the time they are finally finished, pretty much everyone has a photo with everyone, as well as several solo photos.
They all make their way back to the ground floor, where a limo is waiting to take them to their dinner reservation. They all clamber into the car, Peter and Shuri sitting next to each other, Ned and Betty across from them, and MJ in the seat opposite the door. Nat and Nakia, who are coming along just in case of any problems, slip into the front seat. They had been chosen for the job as Nat was kind of like Peter’s cool older sister, and Nakia the same for Shuri.
Dinner passes fairly quickly, the conversation flowing easily. MJ makes sure to throw in plenty of gagging motions at both the couples, but everyone knows she really is happy for her friends. MJ had come out as Aro to all of them six months prior. None of them had been too surprised. MJ was a force of nature, and in Peter’s opinion, no one would be good enough for her anyway.
~*~
They arrive at prom exactly thirty minutes late, what Tony would call “fashionably early”. The again, if Tony had arrived less than two hours late, that would be on time for him. Even being thirty minutes late, there was a crowd of paparazzi waiting outside the doors of the venue.
“Okay, gameplan: Ned, Betty, you two go out first. MJ, you can follow them. It’s Shuri and I that they want pictures of, so if you go out first, you should be fine.”
Shuri squeezes Peter’s hand reassuringly, “we will come out once you’re past the bulk of the vultures.”
“Alright. Good luck you two,” Betty says, and presses the button to open the door. She steps out before Ned, then pauses to wait for him. As soon as Ned is out of the car, they begin walking towards the door. MJ follows quickly.
“You ready?” Peter asks.
Shuri takes a deep breath, “yeah.”
Peter steps out of the car first, and the cameras start flashing. He turns back to give Shuri a hand. She steps out movie star style, and the camera flashing intensifies. Peter tries his hardest not to wince. His enhanced senses make the camera flashes nearly unbearable. Shuri knows this, and squeezes his had reassuringly. He’s already wearing his special contacts that make scenarios like this more bearable. He also has in tiny earplugs in to moderate the sound. They were probably the only reason he wasn’t going into sensory overload right now.
Somehow, they make it inside the venue, Nat and Nakia trailing them. As soon as the door shuts behind them and they’ve presented their tickets, Shuri takes Peter’s face in her hands and runs him through his breathing exercises.
“What’s the matter Parker? Never seen anywhere this nice before?” Flash sneered.
“He lives with Tony Stark and I’m his girlfriend. He’s seen places that you can only dream of,” Shuri counters.
“So he just decided to gain a little sympathy by having a fake panic attack then?”
Peter is dimly aware of Nat and Nakia, whose faces are veering into the pissed-off mother hen faces, “no, Flash,” he explains tiredly, “it’s called a sensory overload and I got it because of the paparazzi outside.”
“You obviously weren’t affected because no one wants to take a picture of you,” Shuri adds.
“Yeah, where’s your date tonight, Eugene?” MJ asks, voice honey sweet.
“I um. Um. Where’s your date?” is Flash’s pathetic counter.
“I don’t do the whole dating thing,” MJ deadpans, “but I can’t say the same for you, if the way you were throwing yourself at Marissa last week is any indication.”
“Well, she had some other plans,” Flash mutters feebly.
“With Erik, it looks like,” Betty jumps in, pointing out a couple on the dance floor.
Ned makes a sympathetic noise, “oh, to be outshone by the president of the Nerds R Us club.”
“Funny that you think you outshine me, fatso.”
There is a tsking sound from behind Peter. He doesn’t have to turn around to know it’s Nat. “Oh, he doesn’t think it. He knows it. But how about we have a conversation about how we can attempt to make you a quarter of the man he is.”
“Nat…” Peter warned.
She rolls her eyes, “I promise. It will only be a conversation.”
“Will this conversation involve you using weapons?” She stays suspiciously silent, “just a conversation.”
She rolls her eyes again, “fine.”
Shuri looks like she’s trying not to laugh. Peter shakes his head at his girlfriend. Sometimes, Peter wonders if she had met Nat at a younger age if she wouldn’t have also become an elite spy/assassin. It’s certainly a possibility. She’s certainly smart enough to be good at it. Peter hadn’t met many spies, but if they were all like Nat, Shuri would probably qualify.
She certainly had the walking in heels down. Her heels were a light grey, the same color as Peter’s suit. She also had a matching grey jacket. Peter, in turn, had plenty of purple accents peppered throughout his outfit. Their outfits are perfect complements, courtesy of one Tony Stark.
“Well that wasn’t the best way to start the night,” Shuri sighs.
Peter blushes, “sorry.”
Her gaze snaps to him, “no no no. None of that. What have you been working on with Stark?”
Peter averts his eyes, “not apologizing for situations I have no control over and then internalizing these situations.”
Shuri gives him a brief peck on the lips, “exactly! Now, we’re gonna put what just happened behind us and go drop off our stuff in coat check and enjoy the rest of the night.”
Peter follows her dutifully to the coat check, bringing her coat up for her so she doesn’t have to wait in the line.
He drops off the coats and begins returning to where he left Shuri. “Oh my god,” comes a voice, “that’s the most gorgeous dress I’ve ever seen.”
Peter easily follows the voice and sees a girl named Crystal from his English class talking to Shuri.
Shuri looks startled, “thank you.”
Crystal seems enthusiastic though, “where did you get it?”
“From Dior. It’s a custom piece.”
The girl’s jaw literally drops, “no way. How did you afford that?”
By this time, Peter has reached them. Shuri looks uncomfortable but she responds to the eager girl anyway, “I’m the Princess of Wakanda?” Her reply sounds more like a question.
If Crystal’s jaw could physically hit the floor, it’d be there. “What are you doing at our prom?”
That’s Peter’s cue. He steps up and clasps Shuri’s hand. “She’s my girlfriend.”
Crystal looks like she’s actually going to explode from shock. Apparently, the photos of the two of them on Peter’s Instagram had not informed the general public that they were dating. He’d have to fix that.
“Well,” Shuri says, “it was nice to meet you, but Peter here promised me he’d dance and I never get to see him dance so I’m very eager.” With that, she whisks him away to the dance floor.
One there, she wrinkles her nose, “are all the people at your school like that?”
Peter shrugs, “a fair few.”
“I cannot believe you tolerate this place.”
“Not all of us get private tutors until they surpass what the tutor knows,” he gently teases.
She gives an exaggerated sigh, “too bad.”
“You want to dance?” Peter asks, changing the subject.
Her eyes gleam wickedly, “I do believe you promised me you’d show me your moves.”
Peter also gains a wicked look, and he moves in closer to her ear to whisper, “just remember when you get shown up that you’re literally dating Spider-Man and you didn’t have a shot.”
“Oh, we’ll see about that.”
The rest of the night passes in jovial fashion, Peter and Shuri dancing together and with their friends late into the night. They all do the mandatory post prom midnight breakfast at IHOP, and then part ways. By the time Peter is in his pajamas, he’s so tired he can barely think straight, but the grin across his face is a mile wide. He’s just about to sink into his bed and sleep for twelve hours when he remembers he has one thing to do first.
“Hey Karen,” he mumbles tiredly, “can you download all the best photos from tonight on to my phone.”
“Of course, Peter. Are you planning on making an Instagram post? I can suggest ten for you?”
“Go for it,” he says, and his phone automatically loads to Instagram. The first photo is of Peter and Shuri kissing. Shuri has her heels just barely lifted off the ground, and a hand on his jaw. It’s the perfect photo for letting the world know that he’s the luckiest boy in the uncovered and is dating the most brilliant girl he’ll ever meet.
In Karen’s selection, there’s also photos with his friends, and with all the Avengers. All the photos look nearly fake, the flower arch in front of the sun setting on the New York skyline a practically unreal backdrop. Not to mention, Shuri looked like an actual supermodel.
Even being as tired as he was, Peter spent a few moments just admiring her total flawlessness. He then got around to actually writing the caption.
I couldn’t be any happier to have spent my senior prom with all of my favorite people. My amazing girlfriend and her family literally flew across the ocean to be here tonight (well I guess technically now it’s last night) and my friends were willing to tote their families to the top of Stark Tower for photos so the paps wouldn’t find us. Not to mention, Tony set everything (even prom itself) and Nat acted as my personal security. Truly, I cannot even say thank you enough. I love all of you more than anything.
Okay, it was sappy. He thought about going back and changing it, but it was really truly how he felt so he decided to just leave it. At least now the whole world would know that he was absolutely 100% not available. Hopefully he’d even stop getting thirst tweets, at least as Peter Parker. He then posted it, shut off his phone and went to sleep. He could deal with the internet exploding tomorrow morning.