A Peek into Peter Parker's Profession

Confusion

The confusion began the next day, when Peter and Shuri walked into the common room at lunchtime . . . holding hands. There was an instant explosion of excitement.

"Yes! I told you, Bird Brain. 'One more month,' that's what I said. Fifty bucks, now."

"No way, Tony. It hasn't been confirmed yet."

Peter interjected, "Um, what are you guys talking about?"

Tony clapped and gestured to their hands, grinning, "Are you two together?"

Their faces showed confusion, before Peter lifted their connected hands, "This? Oh, no, we were just now making a live-action remake of The Lion King, the scene when Scar kills Mufasa, and my hand got stuck. We were actually looking for some grease or butter to try to un-stick ourselves. A crowbar didn't work." Peter and Shuri rummaged through the cupboards while talking, "Stark! Where do you keep the oil in this place? Ah ha! Never mind! I found it!"

Peter held the container while Shuri undid the cap, then poured a little bit of oil on their hands. "This isn't working," he exclaimed, doing a good job of sounding frustrated. Peter and Shuri locked eyes and solemnly nodded. Without warning, Shuri grabbed a pan and wacked Peter over the head, knocking him out and effectively relaxing his body enough to un-stick their hands.

"Why did you do that?!" Steve shouted.

Shuri shrugged, "We agreed it would be a last resort," and exited the room, leaving Peter unconscious on the floor.

_______________

Later, Loki, in his intern form—a pleasant-looking man with brown hair and a short, curly beard—stepped out of the elevator and placed a stack of papers on a coffee table. "Mr. Stark, these high-level projects are waiting for your approval. I was hoping to start my own research on any . . . magical items we may have in storage?"

Peter snorted and pretended he was laughing at something on his phone.

"I'm sorry Tom. Until we receive approval from Thor, I can't give the go ahead."

"Oh well, it can't be helped. Oh, Princess Shuri? Although it is not a part of my job description, I have processed your request for dinner reservations for two."

Shuri grinned as she caught on to Loki's ploy, "Thank you, Tom. You reserved the table I asked for?"

Loki nodded, "It was difficult at first, but a discreet mention of royalty and the spot suddenly became available."

"Thank you Tom!"

After he left, the present Avengers turned on Peter and Shuri, "So," Sam smirked, "dinner reservations?"

The two teenagers ignored them and continued watching vines on Peter's phone.

Two hours later found Peter and Shuri dressed in a fancy suit and undercover-female-assassinesque dress respectively, and the Avengers not-so-discreetly spying on them.

"Clint, hand over the binoculars, your turn is up."

"We brought plenty of binoculars for everyone, Sam. Get your own."

"You idiots are still using binoculars?" Tony harrumphed, tapping his glasses and zooming in on Shuri and Peter's table.

"Tony, how are we supposed to know what they are saying?"

"Relax, Spangles, I found what table they reserved and planted a bug an hour ago. Here," he tapped a screen on the van wall, activating audio.

"-en do you think we should start?"