"Is he alright, Stephen?"
Strange nodded, looking down at the child that had been put in his lap and was now watching him as he wiggled his fingers in front of the boy's face, watching his eyes – which were bright and cheerful.
"He's fine, guys."
Peter hadn't even cried when he'd gone down. Too startled, most likely, and cheerful enough by nature that he wasn't going to cry just to get attention. Of course, the doctor thought when he looked at the small crowd of Avengers watching him, Peter didn't need to cry to get attention. He had all the people around him ready to hold him and love him whenever he needed it. Himself included, if he had to admit it – and a magical relic that was hovering from his collar, watching as well – but keeping carefully out of reach.
"No blood?" Tony asked, almost in disbelief.
Understandable considering teen Peter's track record.
Strange shook his head and picked Peter up, handing him to Pepper.
"Not even a mark."
He watched as Pepper put a pacifier in Peter's mouth and then tucked the boy up against her, cuddling him. Peter accepted the loving, resting his cheek against her breast and watching Strange.
"You have some information, Stephen?" Tony asked, his eyes still on the child, but a coffee cup in hand, now, reassured that no harm had come to Peter.
"Not a lot," Strange admitted, a cup of coffee appearing on the table in front of Steve, who nodded his appreciation and settled in to hear what the sorcerer had to say. "Wong was in China, looking for any kind of references for de-aging spells, or accounts in their records."
"Why China?" Stark asked, curiously.
"Traditionally, as far as records from Earth, China's sanctum has more ancient records. It's the only place that actually has the actual location of the lost continent of Atlantis, for instance – although all of the sanctums have mention of it in many records. They also have more oral histories from antiquity, so we have a broader base to compare."
"You're focusing on Earth based relics, for now?" Steve asked.
"We are. Only because of the four items that were in the area of the explosion that the cloak pointed out to us, three were either formed on the earth, or have been on the earth long enough to have garnered legends or myths. In this case, the fountain of youth."
"Like the one in Florida?" Pepper asked, brushing her hand against Peter's hair, causing him to sigh, happily, and close his eyes.
"Right. There are legends that go back to ancient Greece, and even some places in Africa, about a magical spring where the waters will make people young, again. Obviously, springs don't travel around, so you can understand how we decided fairly quickly that it's not actually a body of water being referenced in the stories."
"You think the fountain of youth is a magical object?" Stark asked.
"That's the direction we're leaning," he answered. "We're not sure, yet, of course, but it only makes sense. It could be a book, with a spell in it that a person has to read, or a piece of jewelry that has to be worn – or even a cup that you drink a certain potion out of. We have one of each, so there's still a ways to go – and obviously, we're not enthralled of the idea of self-experimentation."
"Baby Stephen might be fun," Natasha said, impudently.
He rolled his eyes, but smiled.
"I'd be insufferable," the doctor assured her.
"Thanks, Stephen," Tony told him, leaning back in his chair. "Thank Wong, too, will you?"
"Of course." The sorcerer stood up. "I should probably get back to the sanctum. Do you need anything before I go?"
"No." Stark looked at the child in Pepper's arms. "It's going to be a stay at home weekend for us. The last thing we want is Peter out in the big wide world, right now."
The little boy lifted his head at the sound of his name and stretched his arms to Tony, apparently deciding it was time for a change of location.
"I'm sure you can find something to occupy him here," Strange agreed, watching as Peter settled on Tony's lap, turned around so he could watch the others, but hitting his shoes on the table to make them light up.
Steve looked fairly smug.
"We're going to play in the pool, after breakfast. If you get bored, come find us."
"Thanks."
He wouldn't get that bored.
The sorcerer supreme vanished, taking his magical cloak with him. Stark looked at the others.
"Breakfast?"
OOOOOOO
They stripped Peter down to his pull-up to eat. Not to protect his clothing, since Tony had mentioned that it would be too bad if his new Captain America outfit was stained but it wouldn't be the end of the world, but because they had already learned that it was a lot easier to clean him when he wasn't wearing anything. Which was probably a good idea, since breakfast had been scrambled eggs and toast with a little jelly for added sweetness.
By the time they were done eating, Peter had pieces of toast stuck in his hair and had screamed in frustration when his sippy cup had been stuck to his hand and he couldn't get it free. The adults had managed to avoid getting too messy; they were learning how to make sure he ate without showering them too much, but it was still a messy process by every stretch of the word.
"What are you guys doing today?" Stark asked Natasha and Steve as he tried to get the washcloth that Pepper had brought him out of Peter's hand so he could wash the boy's sticky face.
"I have some errands to run," Romanoff replied, reluctantly. She would have much rather played in the pool with Peter and the others, but some of the places she needed to visit weren't open every day – and one was a specialty shop that only opened on Saturday morning. "I'll be back some time after lunch."
Peter offered the washcloth to her, which made Tony roll his eyes in mock annoyance and Natasha smile. She took it and pretended to wash her face, before handing it over to Stark.
"I'll be around," Steve told Tony and Pepper. "I'm not going to swim, but if something comes up and you need me to watch him – or do something – let me know. Since Clint's kids are watching Jack, I'm free for whatever you might need."
The two left the lounge, then, clearing all the dishes before doing so to make it easier on the weekend staff, and Tony washed the jelly and eggs off Peter's face.
"Do you want to go swimming?" he asked the boy.
"Swim!" Peter agreed, cheerfully.
Stark pulled him out of his highchair and hugged him, not caring if he got a little messy in the process. It was a fair exchange.
"Let's see if mommy can find those Ironman swimming trunks and floaties that I got you, okay?"
Peter wriggled, excitedly, and Pepper smirked, amused.
"I think Steve picked up some Captain America pool toys," she said, picking up the discarded clothing from the table, and making sure to grab the shield so it wouldn't be misplaced. "We could take them with us."
Tony frowned.
"They had pool toys?"
He'd missed that, somehow.
She laughed.
"Come on, Ironman. We need to get that jelly out of his hair before he can go into the pool."
"Coming, dear."