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ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING
xxii. RILEY'S REVOLUTIONARY REVELATION

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   SOMETIMES, RILEY WAS SURE that her alleged "one-time" babysitting gig was never going to end. Those days didn't seem all too far away; the days in which Tony pretended to adopt her just to hold it over her head, the days in which Riley pretended to be a student at Midtown High all to fulfill a stupid mission that required babysitting a 15-year-old boy. In all honesty, Riley knew deep down that her babysitting service would live on, but she had always thought she'd be stuck babysitting Morgan—not her grown-ass father.

   "You're acting like a child," Riley ridiculed, her arms crossed.

   "Am not."

   "It's just a tie. Just pick one!"

   Tony scoffed. "Just a tie," he mocked, ripping his concentration from the full-length mirror to eye his daughter. "It's not just a tie—"

   "It sure looks like one."

   "—It's the tie I'm marrying your mother in," Tony continued, ignoring her words.

   Swallowing an aggravated sigh, Riley fired, "You guys have basically been married for five years! Just without the whole wedding thing. What's the big deal? Pick one! They're practically the same color!"

   Tony raised an eyebrow. "There's a specific distinction between Onyx and Noir, Riley!"

   "They're both black!"

   The wedding officially uniting Tony Stark and Pepper Potts was in approximately one hour. It was arguably the ceremony of the century. After all, it was a significant day not just for the Starks, but for the universe's heroes altogether. This wedding would serve as the first happy memory everyone would share after the war. And what was the groom doing to prepare for it? He was arguing with his teenaged daughter.

   Then again, Riley would take this over murderous aliens any day. Things had surprisingly been good in the world for the first time since 2012, and if she had to deal with the melodramatics of Tony Stark, then so be it.

   "What is the matter with you?" she demanded Riley. Her purple bridesmaid's dress shifted as she marched forward, her curled hair falling onto her shoulders. "You're getting married to the love of your life, not swimming with sharks!"

   Tony, clad in his designer suit, silently stared at her. She studied his facial expression and body language carefully. Although he could mask his feelings particularly well, Riley had known him long enough to know better.

   "Oh, you're kidding," Riley mumbled in disbelief. "Don't tell me you're actually nervous." Tony scoffed, but he didn't exactly say anything to deny it. "I don't believe this. You're the last person I expected this from!"

   "I just want this day to be perfect, Riley!" Tony emphasized, defensive. "I'm only human!"

   "Yeah, yeah, trust me, I hear you," she dismissed, waving a hand. "But we can't have you nervous on your big day. You really leave me with no other choice. FRIDAY, play the family playlist please!"

   In a matter of seconds, Welcome To The Jungle proceeded to blare throughout the room. Tony gave her a pointed look. "Seriously?"

   "Yes, seriously!" Riley confirmed with a bit of attitude. "You need to loosen up! We're gonna dance until you stop acting like a baby! Get over it!" Tony snorted at their aggression as they started to carelessly dance, flailing their limbs to the loud music as they always did. It was times like this where Tony could really see his and the Avengers's combined influence on Riley.

   Nearly an entire month had drifted by since the war. Rather than waiting it out for their injuries to heal, the majority of the heroes traveled to Wakanda. With their superior technology, many of them were able to heal from (most of) their wounds in record timing. The way everyone saw it was that the sooner they recovered, the sooner they could return to their lives, and the sooner they could move on to better days.

   Of course, the Avengers would never forget what happened. No one ever would. Each of them left the war with something personal to remember it: scars, nightmares, PTSD, broken bones. They shared a unique trauma that could last them seven lifetimes.

   And the worst part about it was that, in comparison to everyone else, Riley was incredibly lucky. That was really saying something.

   After a few songs played, Riley's dancing ceased. She knew Tony still needed to gather himself (Riley wasn't all too shocked to see that he and Pepper were both in states of frenzy). This caused her to declare, "I'm gonna go see if Steve's back from his time heist! If you're not ready by the time I'm back, I won't hesitate to kick your ass!"

   Surprisingly, the Avengers still hadn't returned the Gauntlet back to 2018. Unsurprisingly, they had been procrastinating the notion.

   No one wanted to think about the war, and having the Gauntlet around only made it harder to ignore. Everyone knew the right thing to do was return it to its time, but the problem was that no one wanted to time travel again.

   Bruce had been nagging everyone concerning the importance of returning the stones for weeks. As time went on, they all soon realized that if they didn't do it sooner rather than later, something was bound to blow up in their faces. Well, that was what Bruce had implanted in their brains, at least.

   Now, Steve Rogers was finally doing the job for the others... on the same day as Tony's wedding, June 2nd, 2023. It was impeccable timing, really.

   Riley wandered down a short trail into the woods until she came across a small group crowding around a time machine. It was the same one that had been harbored in a weathered van that belonged to Scott's best friend. From the looks of it, Bruce, Bucky, and Sam were packing up.

   "Hello, boys," greeted Riley. They were also dressed up, ready for the wedding. "You know, I think I like us looking like we just got the shit beat out of us more than this."

   Sam, who had oddly been holding onto Steve's shield, lightheartedly replied, "You're just sayin' that because I showed you up again."

   "All that talk for someone whose date to a wedding is a bird."

   "A robot bird, as a matter of fact," Bucky commented with a low voice, causing Riley to snicker. She had become particularly close with Sam and Bucky while in Wakandan recovery. Bucky motioned to the side. "Steve's over there if you're lookin' for him."

   Sporting a smile, Riley thanked the Winter Soldier. Before she sought out Steve, Riley couldn't help but notice that there was something about the duo that troubled her for just a moment—like there was something they knew that she didn't.

   Dismissing her suspicious thoughts, Riley's mind wandered to Steve and his mission. It didn't take her long before she located Steve sitting on a bench that overlooked the lake. Riley sat beside him, extracting her heels. Together, she and Steve wordlessly took in the scenic view before them.

   "The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes, the best we can do is start over." Riley furrowed her eyebrows together, disconcerted. Steve kept his gaze on the lake as he added, "Peggy Carter once said those words to me."

   Riley gradually turned to face him properly, only to be startled by how different Steve looked. "I..." she dawdled, unsure of what to say. Was it rude to comment on his newfound appearance? "...I don't think I'll ever get used to you wearing normal clothes. I think I've spent most of my life seeing you in that uniform."

   Steve hummed. "Me, too."

   "So..." hesitated Riley. "Did Thanos have a secret mall or did you make another pitstop with the extra Pym Particles we gave you?"

   "Well... I returned the stones. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be," he exposed. "Right before I was gonna come back, I, uh, I thought I'd try getting some of that life Tony was... always telling me to get."

   "I can see that," professed Riley. "...What happened?"

   A small smile appeared on his face. "I saw Peggy. We were happy."

   "But...?" When Steve gave her a look, Riley shrugged and reckoned, "You came back looking the exact same as you did when you left, just in a '40s tuxedo instead of your uniform. Obviously, there's a but."

   Steve inaudibly sighed. "A few days after we reunited, she said: The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes, the best we can do is start over."

   "She... She wanted you to come back," she realized.

   Steve nodded, his face falling. "She wanted me to move on and... live my life."

   Riley shifted. "Steve... you know I love you, but you're an idiot for thinking you could run off and live a life meant for someone else," she scrutinized with a tender voice.

  Steve chuckled, bittersweet. "I figured you'd say that." 

   "I'm sorry, but I don't understand," Riley confessed. "Why would you do something like that?"

   "I'm a man out of my time," he somberly answered. "All I wanted was to settle down with a girl who loves me and... watch the world set itself on fire without worrying about how to extinguish it."

   Her heart clenched at his heavy words. "Steve... You've said it yourself: you're not that man anymore. A different man came out of the ice all those years ago. You can't change what happens to you, only what you do in response."

   Steve grew silent. Then, his smile retreated to his face again. "I guess I thought it'd be pretty hard to find someone who loves me for me rather than... you know, Captain America," Steve supplemented, shooting the teenager a look. "That's only happened to me twice in my life."

   Riley's jaw dropped. "Hey, I was a kid, you jerk!" she cried, laughing nonetheless. She had been secretly hoping Steve had forgotten about the crush Riley had on him when she was a kid.

   "I'm still flattered, really. Honored, even."

   "You totally broke my heart, jerk," she joked before sighing. She leaned her head on Steve's shoulder as he trained his eyes on the horizon again. The sun waved at the two, holding them in a warm caress. "So what happens now?"

   Steve elucidated, "Rhodes and Hill have been talking to me and Nat about doing some work across the globe. It's fieldwork, but it's nothing we've done before as Avengers. It's behind the scenes work."

   Riley paused to consider what he was implying. "So... does that mean the world will never see Captain America again?"

   "Actually, I left the gig for Sam."

   "Ohh, I see," she acknowledged. "He'd be great, actually. You two share the same single brain cell." Steve chuckled. He had gotten a lot better at understanding Riley's generation's humor over time. "I don't know if he's ready to lead all of us, but... I'll trust your judgment."

   "He shouldn't have to worry about that," confidently insisted Steve. "Not when Valor's gonna be in charge, at least."

   Riley froze. She shot upward from where she had been sitting. "Shut up. Shut up. What are you talking about?"

   An amused twinkle shined in Steve's azure eyes. "I'm passing on the role of leader of the Avengers to you, Riley," he coolly clarified.

   "Shut up!" repeated Riley. Her eyes were dilated, heart racing. "Why would you do that? Captain America's supposed to lead the Avengers, not a kid from Manhattan!"

   Steve laughed at her volcanic reaction. "Sit down, Manhattan," requested the man.

   Hesitantly, she sat back down. "I... I don't... get it..." lingered Riley. "Is this a prank?"

   "It's not," denied Steve. "I knew a long time ago you'd be the one to take over when I decided to retire. You've been apart of this team from the beginning. You've kept us connected even when we were all broken up. You're the glue of the Avengers, Riley. You've proven yourself time and time again that you're ready to lead the team."

  She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She almost refused to hear it. "You want me... to lead the Avengers," she repeated, jarred.

   Steve nodded. "I do," he sanctioned. "I know you and I know you're ready for this. Sam isn't, not yet. He's got a lot to learn, especially now that he's taking over as Cap. But this is your time to shine, Riley." He glanced down when he heard Riley sniffling. "Are you crying?"

   Riley scoffed, wiping the lone tear that had traveled down her face. "Ha, no!" she obviously lied. "I just..." She sighed. "It feels like nothing will be the same again, you know? You and Nat are leaving, Thor's leaving with the Guardians, Tony and Clint are retiring. I just want everyone to be together and happy and all... all that crap."

   "Don't think of it like that," he urged. "A wise woman once told me that you can't change what happens to you, only what you do in response." Riley amusedly scoffed. "We'll always be connected in a way. No matter what. You'll be fine. Believe it or not, I'm your biggest supporter."

  Steve wrapped an arm around her shoulder, silence slipping between them. It was a comfortable silence, one they both could live in forever. 

   "So..." she mumbled. "Sam gets the cool uniform and I get the weight of the world on my shoulders. That's a fair parting gift."

   He shook his head. "You've always had it," he countered. "We all have. But this time, someone who isn't a total idiot is in charge."

   Riley leaned back and look up at Steve, smiling. "I won't let you down, Steve."

   "I know you won't." There was a short pause before he added, "Because if you do, I'll tell everyone the hardass, badass Valor had a crush on Steve Rogers when she was 11."

   "Steve!"

○ ○ ○

   Witnessing the universe's mightiest heroes gathered around for a civilized event was one of the most legendary sights in history in Riley Stark's totally unbiased opinion.

   The wedding ceremony was completely extravagant and empyreal. It was full of special moments like Morgan throwing flowers at her parents during the vows, Happy substituting for Tony's deceased father, Riley and Rhodey coming together as the greatest Maid of Honor—Best Man duo in history, and everyone being forced to dance down the aisle to AC/DC because Tony thought the ceremony was too boring for his tastes.

   Now that it was time for the reception, Riley was able to make rounds to meet and chat with their guests. There were some members of Pepper's family, but the majority of the guests were all heroes, many of whom Riley knew personally. An example of this included Sam Wilson. The first thing Riley did when she saw him was pester him about being Captain America.

   "So how's being Captain America?"

   "It's great so far."

   "Lotta pressure, I bet."

   "Definitely."

   "...Can I throw the shield?"

   "No."

   "Steve let me throw the shield."

   "No, he didn't."

   Riley was thankful the guests were nearly all heroes because she certainly wasn't in the mood for awkward small-talk with people who would ask her about the war.

   Then again, maybe Riley spoke too soon.

   "You know, the Guardians actually did that whole hand-holding-while-taking-on-the-power-of-the-stones thing already," Peter Quill bragged to Riley, who just rolled her eyes.

   She'd had this discussion with Quill at least ten times during recovery. Quill was strangely adamant on proving that the Guardians were better than the Avengers, but he seemed to have picked the wrong person to quarrel with. Riley was nothing but ride-or-die for the Avengers.

   "Okay, but did you take on all six stones? Oh, no, you only did the one," fired Riley composedly. "Boom, checkmate. The Avengers are the best."

   "Are you two done being the most annoying people in the galaxy?" Rocket inquired, approaching with Groot by his side.

   "I am Groot," agreed Groot.

   Quill stuck his nose up. "She started it!"

   "Oh, you're so full of—"

   "Riley, Riley!"

   Upon hearing her sweet baby sister's voice, Riley wavered and hollered, just barely saving herself in time, "—jokes! You're... really funny!"

   As the three Guardians around her loudly snickered, the teenager rolled her eyes while Morgan joined them. "Riley, Riley, look!" The child held up a small necklace made of peculiar beads. "Look what T'Challa gave me!"

   "That's awesome, Mo! You should go show Mom and Dad," she encouraged. Morgan's eyes lit up at the idea, giggling and immediately running off to wherever her parents were. Clearing her throat, Riley turned back to the three behind her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, boys, I have to go talk to the better heroes of the universe."

   "Hey—!"

   Riley cackled victoriously to herself as she turned in search of someone else to mingle with. Maneuvering forward, Riley fingered the small keychain she hadn't parted from in weeks. It was a small gift from Carol Danvers.

   "Hey, lose the frown. I'll send you a keychain."

   When the war ended, Carol explained that she couldn't stick around due to issues on other planets that required her attention. Though Riley was disappointed, she would never forget her excitement when Carol actually presented her with a unique keychain—a flashlight made from the light of the star NASA officially named after The Avengers.

   Her lips tugged upwards upon spotting Wanda Maximoff. Riley quickly approached her, greeting, "Wanda, hey!"

   Wanda beamed at the sight of her, quickly pulling the younger girl into a hug. "My sweet sunshine, you look so beautiful!" she gushed, causing Riley to blush as she rattled off a compliment back. "I'm glad you're here, actually, because I heard a little rumor about you. Something about leading the Avengers?"

   "Geez, nothing's a secret these days," she lightheartedly replied, inadvertently confirming her suspicions. Wanda's grin grew even wider, which was certainly a change after... recent events. Riley glanced between the two. "You seem awfully happy. Did something happen?"

   Wanda nodded. "The doctors predict Pietro will be awake by the end of July," she enthusiastically announced.

   As aforementioned, Riley was lucky in comparison to some of her teammates. Most people lost something from the fight. Pietro Maximoff was no exception. The blow he took while protecting Riley had sent him straight into a coma.

   Riley had a special friendship with the Maximoffs, loving them like they were her older siblings since they were so close in age. When she heard about what happened to Pietro, she was instantly guilt-ridden. She'd keep herself up at night wondering if there was something she could have done to prevent his accident.

   But if what the doctors told them was true, then maybe a "happily ever after" wasn't too far out of the Avengers' reach, after all.

   "Really? That's incredible!" Riley enthused, her grin stretching. Now, she could see why Wanda was in such a bright mood for the first time in a month. Even if Pietro wasn't awake yet, he would be soon.

   Riley continued on with their conversation, laughing along until a hand placed itself on her shoulder. Momentarily puzzled, Riley soon discovered Clint Barton standing before her. She still hadn't spoken to Clint in a long time, and frankly, she had no desire to. After all, he had ignored her for seemingly no reason. To say it hurt her feelings was an understatement.

   Like Carol, Clint had skipped out on their Wakandan excursion initially to reconvene with his family. When he eventually showed up with his own reasons, Riley made it a point to avoid him. This was probably the first time they had spoken in a long time.

   "Uh, hi, Clint," awkwardly spoke Riley, subtly shifting on her feet. "I think I saw Lila go inside to use the restroom if you're looking—"

   "No, uh," interposed Clint. "Can I talk to you?" Riley peered over her shoulder, seeing as Wanda had delved into a conversation with Natasha and the van Dynes.

   "...Uh, yeah. What can I do for you?"

   "I owe you an apology," answered Clint. The look on Riley's face made it clear that she was ready to walk away from the conversation. "Please, just... Hear me out."

   Riley clenched her jaw. She had to remind herself that at the end of the day, Clint was still part of her village, which was why she muttered a quiet, "Fine."

   Clint apprehensively reached up and fidgeted with his new hearing aid. He was still getting used to the feeling of them in his ears. Clint was another person who had lost something at the end of the war—or rather, he was beginning to lose something.

   He had been slowly losing his hearing following an explosion by one of the Children of Thanos's outlandish weapons. That was why he joined everyone in Wakanda long after the recovery process had already begun. Though the doctors were hopeful they could save his hearing before he was totally deaf, Riley couldn't help but wonder if he was another person she could have saved beforehand.

   "When I found out you had survived after all these years..." recounted Clint. "I really resented you. I just didn't think it was fair that you could come back from... from the dead, but everyone else couldn't. Like God personally blessed you, only to tell the rest of us to fuck off."

   She sighed. Of course, that was the reason. "I didn't come back from the dead, Clint. I survived," she corrected.

   "I know that now. And I'm sorry," he sincerely apologized. "For everything. I've been trying to figure out how to apologize to you, and I realized that if I don't do it now, I might never get the chance to. I feel terrible thinking about how I treated you."

   "Good," she countered. A small smile yanked at her lips. "As much as I want to punch you, I get it. I do. I'm sure I'd feel the same way if the roles were switched." She paused, thinking about it before she gave in. "I forgive you, Clint. Just... next time, talk to me. Seriously. We're friends, you douche."

   Clint snorted. "There definitely won't be a "next time". You guys can't drag me out of retirement again," he insisted. "Come here, you little shit." He opened his arms, dragging the laughing teenager in for a hug.

   As the two pulled away, Riley couldn't help but notice something not too far away. It was a boy, in particular, carrying a conversation with Shuri, Korg, and Miek. "Excuse me, there's someone I need to..." trailed Riley.

   She couldn't even finish her sentence, her feet carrying her away without realizing. It was almost like she had attained tunnel vision. Nothing could diminish her focus as she made a beeline toward Peter Parker.

   Similar to Carol and Clint, there were a lot of soldiers who didn't travel to Wakanda for recovery, each with reasons of their own. Peter had responsibilities of his own to fulfill. He was one of the few Avengers who had been able to get a jumpstart on a normal life. Because of their busy schedules, Riley hadn't seen Peter since the fight against Thanos's soul, which was easily the quickest three minutes of her life.

   "Peter!" Riley called, squeezing past anyone in her way. She was thankful his hearing was enhanced because there was no way she could scream his name without attracting unwanted attention. Whipping his head around, Peter's eyes immediately met Riley's. Riley wasn't sure what he had said to the group, but she could tell that he was suddenly eager to end their conversation.

   The teenagers darted forward in the other's direction and before either of them could speak, they pulled each other into a tight embrace. Riley couldn't begin to explain the relief that swamped her. She had missed Peter more than she was letting on to the people around her.

   They could have stayed like that forever. Peter wanted to. He had been worried sick about Riley ever since they were in outer space. He thought she was dead. He thought he was never going to see her again. Reuniting with her during the final battle wasn't enough for Peter. He just wanted her back.

   When they pulled away, they wore matching smiles. The teenagers stood awfully close to one another, taking in each other's presence before Riley breathlessly mumbled, "Hi."

   "Hey," Peter joyously greeted. He paused as they took a step back. He glanced down at her appearance, feeling a wave of deja vu. "Wow. You look, you look pretty." Riley's eyebrows shot upward, causing Peter to restlessly continue, "Um, good! Pretty good, you look pretty... pretty good."

   Riley melodically laughed and complimented, "You look good, too, Pete." Her cheeks stung with warmth. She cleared her throat. "So..."

   "So," mocked Peter.

   "I didn't die," Riley revealed as if it wasn't obvious.

   "I'm really glad," he replied without hesitation. His eyes widened again. "N...Not for any reason in particular! I mean, obviously, because I missed you and we're friends, and—!"

   "I missed you, too, Bug-Boy," she interrupted, lightly punching his shoulder. "Don't think you can get rid of me that easily."

   "Pfft," Peter scoffed, "I wouldn't dream of it. What other crime-fighting duo can take over New York the way we do?" Riley laughed at this. Those days felt so far away. "So did you know Doctor Strange is an actual doctor? I thought he just had a weird name for fun!"

   Riley furrowed her eyebrows together, erupting with giggles. "Why else would he call himself Doctor Strange?"

   "I dunno! Mr. Stark isn't actually made of iron!" insisted Peter.

   "Nor is he a man," Riley pointed out. "He's a big baby! Seriously. I took a video of him crying over what tie to wear earlier. I was gonna send it to you later."

   Peter's face lit up at the thought of this aforementioned video. "I don't think I've ever loved you more," he jokingly declared.

   "I know, I know. I'm kind of the best. Now, you gotta let me fill you in on everything. Like the time the Hulk made everyone tacos. That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen."

   "Really? What about the time you got MJ to shoot a grape out of her nose?"

   "Pete, I don't think anything can beat MJ's weird ability to shoot things out of her nose."

   And so, the pair proceeded to catch up, acting as though nothing had changed when clearly, everything had.

   Arms linked, Riley dragged Peter around and introduced him to all of his favorite heroes. She might as well have taken him to Disneyland with how thrilled he was just to be in the same vicinity as his childhood heroes. Riley would never forget how Peter nearly fainted when he discovered his best friend was the newest leader of the Avengers in a mere conversation with Valkyrie.

   "Pete, this is Brunnhilde, but everyone just calls her Valkyrie. She's the King of Asgard now. Hey, isn't it cool how you're the King of Asgard and I'm the new leader of the Avengers?"

   "Wait, you're what!?"

   Peter was fascinated by how Riley could talk her way through any conversation. It seemed like everyone liked Riley. Peter remembered how Riley would speak of her coworkers growing up. It warmed Peter's heart knowing that Riley was surrounded by people who treated her the way she deserved to be treated.

   It was times like these where Peter forgot that one of his best friends was also one of his childhood heroes. Maybe it was because he had grown to like Riley as a person rather than the superhero he used to watch on TV. Peter just really liked Riley. Their friendship was something he cherished on a level that was just different from his relationship with his other friends. There was just something about Riley that made her stand out...

   "Don't look now, but have you noticed that Happy and May have been talking this whole time?" Riley pointed out, nodding her head toward the two adults. Rather than being discrete, Peter fully twisted his body around to see Happy and May chatting. This caused Riley to add, "You'd be an awful spy."

   Peter snorted at her comment while wondering, "I don't get it. Since when are they friends?"

   Shrugging, Riley replied, "No idea. But I don't think I've ever seen Happy laugh that much... Hey, what if Happy has a crush on May?"

   Peter shook his head as he turned back to face the shorter girl. "No way," Peter doubted.

   "I think it'd be cute!" Riley opinionated. "Uncle Happy has a nice ring to it, you know."

   Peter's face twisted with disgust, physically cringing. "Don't say stuff like that! There's no way Happy has a crush on May."

   "What makes you think that?" Riley interrogated.

   "Because..."

   "Because...?"

   "I dunno! Because it's Happy," he tried to explain.

   "What makes you think Happy can't have a crush on May?" Riley continued, poking his side humorously. She honestly didn't care that much about Happy and May's relationship, but if it made Peter squirm, Riley would happily tease him. She giggled. "Face it. You wouldn't even know if someone had a crush on you until they said it to your face."

   Peter scoffed. "Pfft... Yeah right. I have a sixth sense, you know."

   "Just because you have a Spidey Sense doesn't mean you have common sense, Pete," she teased.

   "Hey!"

   "Kidding!"

   Before either of them could continue, a high squeal attacked their eardrums. The feedback of a microphone grasped just about everyone's attention.

   "Excuse me, excuse—Actually, it's my wedding. I don't need to pardon myself."

   Riley and Peter shifted their attention to Tony Stark standing a few feet away from them, a microphone in his hand.

   "Everyone, listen up!" continued Tony, his voice booming throughout the open area. "Is this thing on?" He tapped the microphone despite knowing it was on. He only did so to send an even higher squeal into everyone's ears, causing the guests to groan. Tony snickered to himself.

   "You should never take up comedy!" Rhodey yelled from the back.

   "What's that? I should start my One Man Iron Man stand up show? Great idea, thanks, buddy," Tony deadpanned. Riley rolled her eyes, laughing nonetheless. "I'd like to make a toast, so if you could all gather around..."

   "You didn't say Simon Says!" Riley shouted despite moving forward just as her father requested. Everyone took their seats. Riley had managed to squeeze her way to the front where Steve, Thor, and Natasha had gathered at a table. She wished she had a camera to photograph how ecstatic Peter looked when he realized he was sitting amongst some of the original Avengers.

   "You're hilarious, Tink," Tony sarcastically declared. "She gets it from me."

   "I'm adopted!"

   "Yes, you're annoying, we know!"

   "That's not what I said!"

   "Anyway," Tony dismissed. "As I said before I was rudely interrupted, I'd like to be the first to start the round of toasts. Pepper wanted to start first, but I had to beat her to it."

   Pepper shook her head at her husband, chuckling alongside the others. She couldn't believe it had taken them this long to finally get married. This was easily the happiest day of her life.

   "I actually had flashcards for this, but hey, who doesn't like a little bit of improv?" Tony reported. "Everybody wants a happy ending, right? I think everyone in this room knows that it doesn't always roll that way. All the castles and knights in shining armor crap? That doesn't happen. Not for most of us, at least."

   Riley leaned her head on Peter's shoulder as Tony digressed, "I was in a dark place for a long time. I can't tell you when it started, I can't tell you when it ended... Frankly, I'm not even sure if that dark cloud will ever go away completely. What can I say? I'm a cynic. What I can tell you is when I started to realize that maybe going through all this... crap was worth it."

   Pepper's smile grew as he peered back at his wife. "Everything changed when I met this woman right here. I didn't know it then, but she's the one. I know she is because I'm always right. It's always been her," Tony swore. "She's the one who made me believe in those God-awful happy endings everyone's been raving about."

   Riley couldn't help but tear up at his loving speech for Pepper. She wondered if she'd ever find someone she'd love just as much as her parents loved each other. Maybe they were proof that soulmates really did exist.

   "People used to say I didn't have a heart. I used to think it was funny because, you know..." He shrugged. "But I'm looking around and I know they were all wrong. Because I didn't just give my heart to the love of my life. I gave it to the people that have touched my life in one way or another. Pepper, the Avengers, my kids—they've all touched me in one way or another, even if it was to break my arm," Everyone chortled at this, "or even if it was just for a quick pitstop in Tennesse or an awkward hug in a car." Tony nodded toward Harley Keener in the back before winking at Peter.

   Riley found herself trailing back to memories she had of Tony and Pepper back in the day. She remembered all the sly comments, the endless bickering. She remembered how proud Tony would look whenever Pepper would outsmart him, she remembered all of the longing stares.

   "Part of the journey is the end," Tony declared, "and while I close one chapter of my life, I'm opening another. This time, with a family, friends who I'll keep forever, and the woman who's kept me on my toes since we first met. I love you 3,000, Pep."

   Riley kept going back to the same thought. Would she ever find someone she loved the way her parents loved each other? Or would her work continue to weigh down on her life?

   Don't get her wrong. Riley was strong and independent, but she was still curious. Even if she had a full life ahead of her still, Riley wondered if she'd find that "special someone"...

   Someone who made Riley smile despite the crushing weight of the world on her shoulders; someone who didn't mind her quirks; someone who didn't mind staying up all night to watch movies they'd seen millions of times before already; someone who made her want to be an even better person every single day; someone like—

   Wait a second.

   Bruce stepped forward and whispered something into Tony's ear. Tony furrowed his eyebrows together. "Toasting?" he repeated. "Oh, shit, right. We still have to toast to something." He paused and glanced down at his 5-year-old daughter beside him. "Hey, Morgan, what should we toast to?"

   He squatted down, lowering his microphone to his youngest's face. "Uhh... How about..." she trailed. "Hm..." She pushed the microphone away and leaned forward to whisper in her father's ear.

   Tony shrugged, standing straight again. "Sounds good to me," he commented. He raised his glass into the air. "To cheeseburgers!"

   Laughter exploded throughout the area as everyone chorused, "To cheeseburgers!" Glasses clinked, champagne nearly overflowing at the brim with all the movement.

   Meanwhile, Riley's thoughts were racing at the speed of light. It was all making sense. All the signs were right in front of her. She hadn't felt this way since she was 11 with Steve Rogers. It was all making sense now.

   All the longing looks, the innocent laughs, the sleepovers, the inside jokes; how they treated each other like no one else in the world mattered, how he made her blush excessively, how he was constantly on her mind because somehow everything reminded her of him, how deeply they cared for each other...

   For the first time, Riley was seeing everything clearly. There was nothing in the way: no missions, no supervillains, no aliens, no ongoing wars. It might have taken her some time, but now that she was realizing it, she felt so incredibly stupid not to have thought of this before. And now, Riley couldn't believe it.

   Her heart thumped erratically, eyes widening as she slowly picked her head up from where it laid on Peter's shoulders. Her gaze slowly fell on the boy as he smiled, cheering while Pepper was given the microphone to continue the toasts.

   She felt like a total idiot. How could she have missed all the signs? How could Riley fucking Stark—of all people—completely overlook everything? She wasn't sure. She honestly had no clue. After all, she'd never been trained for this kind of thing before. But, boy, was she scared—no, petrified. Because this could all mean one thing, and one thing only:

   Riley Stark had a crush on Peter Parker.

END OF ACT TWO: ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST