All that glitters is not gold

December 5th

The party is in full swing.

People mill around the food, chatting and laughing. It's not just Bailey's friends, though. In the mix are foreign dignitaries and, of course, the Avengers. Yet, no matter who they are they look wonderful. Everyone has taken heed of the dress code and theme, they've managed to pull together wonderful outfits.

MJ is off chatting to one of the sons of one of Tony's colleagues, she's fake-flirting with him and he's falling. He doesn't know that she swings for the other team and they're both having fun so Bailey leaves them be.

She walks around the guests for a while, searching for Peter and Ned, but she can't find them. Then her phone rings.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Peter, Ned and I are outside but Ned's having a panic attack, I think? Could you come down?"

She hangs up and runs through the guests to the elevator. When she reaches the ground floor, she runs outside to where Peter and Ned are. Ned's sat on the floor with his head between his knees and Peter stands behind him, rubbing his back. He looks up as she exits the tower.

"Is he okay?"

"I don't think so, he just started hyperventilating and worrying so I told him to sit down."

She kneels in front of Ned and places her hands on his shoulders.

"Ned, listen to me. Breathe with me, okay? In 2 3, hold 4 5, out 6 7 8 9." She repeats that, her voice calm until Ned pulls his head up from his knees. "You okay?"

He nods weakly, smiling thinly.

"Come on, upstairs we go, it's cold." She stands and helps him up, supporting him in through the doors and into the elevator.

"Thanks, I don't know why that happened, I've never had one in public before," Ned tells her apologetically.

"It's no problem, Ned, I'm here for you." She grins, "You both look wonderful, I love the ties." Ned is wearing a white shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, with a black blazer jacket and a fedora while Peter is wearing a black suit with a black shirt. However, for the dress code, they're both wearing ties with constellations on them. They both look very smart but Peter looks... gorgeous. Two buttons are undone at the top of his shirt, unveiling his pronounced collar-bone and his hair is reminiscent of that of a young Leonardo DiCaprio. She finds herself staring as the elevator continues rising.

"You look amazing, too," Peter replies, obviously giving her a once over. He looks at how her dress makes her skin look tanned and opalescent, how her collar-bones glint in the harsh lights, how her hair dangles down her back, swishing against the laces on the back of her dress. He looks at her face and the makeup that covers it, the red lip that makes her lips look even fuller than normal, the silver that emphasizes the green of her eyes, the kind crease of her smile. He thinks how gorgeous she looks.

"Thanks!" She smiles at him, the corners of her eyes creasing, and steps out of the elevator, still supporting Ned. She stops in the kitchen on the way to the roof and hands Ned a glass of water. "You know, Ned, maybe we should skip tonight. If you have a broken bone, you don't keep walking on it, mental illness is the same. Don't pressure yourself." She tells him.

"I'm okay, honestly, but you're right. I don't think I'll stay for the whole party, I might go home early. Peter, you can catch a lift with me or you can stay. But, we should enjoy the time whilst I am here." He hands a waiter his glass and drags the other two outside. 

Their reactions are wonderful to watch. Their eyes turn glazed as they look at the lights strung up over them, the decorations on the table bring wondered gasps. They're like children in a toy store.

They spend the night chatting and dancing. Ned decides to stay for the whole time in the end and he does end up enjoying it but Bailey made him promise that he would rest tomorrow, something that he begrudgingly accepted.

"If I could have everyone's attention, please?" She begins, standing on a platform and addressing the party as a whole. "Tonight has been amazing. First, I would like to thank you all for indulging my whim to hold a night of Shakespearean ideals. It is something that I've been planning for a while and for it to come to fruition so well makes me feel an indescribable sense of happiness. On this rooftop are my friends, family and work colleagues alike that have managed to intermingle for one night without a full-scale war happening."

A giggle titters throughout the room as they remember the Ultron fiasco, the last party that didn't end so well. 

"But, regrettably, all nights must end. The stars have come to greet us, our guests of honor, but I must ask that all guests leave in a few moments. After I say a well done to you all for finding something to adhere to my ridiculous dress code and a shoutout to the random man that arrived with a bottle of vodka and a star costume akin to that of a nativity play. So, one last time, thank you to everyone here, thank you to my dad for helping me to set up, thank you to MJ, my beautiful friend, that helped me to get ready, thank you to Thor for bringing us Asgardian materials to make this ball truly out of this world. As you leave, please, a maximum of seven people in the elevator at once, the stairs are to the right and any rubbish can go in the bin to the right of the door. Thank you."

She ducks off of the stage in the midst of the applause and makes her way to the door to say goodbye to everyone. The stream seems endless but, eventually, the people clear.

She runs a hand through her hair and turns to look at everything she now has to clean up, despairing at the fact that she let the party continue for longer than was planned because now she has to clean everything up. Yet, when she turns, she finds Peter waiting for her.

"You haven't left yet." She says, walking slowly up to him.

He smiles. Her heart flutters. "No, I stayed to help you clean up."

"Oh really?" 

"Yes, really."

She walks closer still, coming to mere inches before him. "You know, Peter, we never got to dance tonight, would you do me the honor?" 

He nods slightly, taking her hand in his. Then they sway. They sway to the gentle sound of Twenty One Pilot's cover of Can't Help Falling In Love playing in the background. She feels his hand on her back, his other in her own, his heart beating gently underneath her head that rests softly on his chest. His chin rests on her head, his eyes flutter closed and he feels completely immersed in serenity.

When the song ends, she pulls away slightly, looking up at him.

"That was a lovely dance." Their eyes lock and, for a second, they're transfixed. Until Peter leans down and joins their lips together. The kiss is soft at first, patient, but it slowly becomes more intense. He wraps his arms around her waist and lifts her onto the table behind them. They only break apart for air a few minutes later.

"That was quite nice too." She grins breathlessly, arms still wrapped around Peter. 

He smiles simultaneously back at her, "Yes, I agree. Now, we've got a fair bit of tidying up to do." 

They tidy up the rooftop together, leaving it as plain and modern as before then Bai sends Peter home with one of her father's drivers.

She immediately misses him. All of the fear of the news that she will receive tomorrow comes flooding back.