Dinner wasn't fancy, but it didn't need to be. Peter had been to the sanctum and spent enough time with both magicians that they knew what he liked and what he didn't care so much for, so there was very little chance the meal wouldn't live up to expectations. Even less chance, when it was tacos and was set up as a build it yourself type assembly line. If there was something he didn't like, and he put it on his taco, then he only had himself to blame. The four of them ate at the kitchen island, and all three adults were relieved to see the boy had a hearty appetite.

"Did you finish what you were working on?" Strange asked Wong and Natasha as he pulled a cola from the fridge and set it in front of Peter, who nodded thanks, but had a mouthful of food and couldn't say anything.

"We did," Wong replied. "If Peter is up for it, we'll start training tomorrow with staffs that are the same length and weight as the spear I modeled them after – to give you an idea of how to wield them without hitting yourself."

"Is that a thing?" the boy asked, dubiously, washing down the mouthful of food with a drink of his coke.

"Absolutely. Until you get used to it, you're more of a danger to yourself than your sparring partner will be."

Peter looked over at Natasha, who nodded her agreement.

"He's right."

"Huh. Then I'm even gladder that I asked for some lessons."

"Wong and I were comparing techniques," Natasha told him – and Strange. "I think we're going to let him be your primary instructor for this, and I'll follow up once you've got the basics. Then we'll see what Steve wants to add."

"Not Doctor Strange?" Peter asked, looking over at him to see what he thought about being left out.

"Wong and I are compatible," Stephen said. "We had the same instructions – many years apart, though. He's a good choice."

"But they're similar enough that if you want to spar and Wong isn't free, Stephen can step up."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Is there anything that you have planned for the next couple of weeks?" Strange asked the boy. "Anything you want to do, I mean?"

"Spend some time with Ned and MJ – since I'm in the city. Maybe a movie, or something? Hang out with you guys. Do a little Spiderman, probably. Ned said that they opened up a new place down the road from his apartment that's supposed to have a good sub. Maybe go to the waterfront… Nothing too interesting."

He didn't notice the tightening of Strange's expression, since he was focusing on his meal more than the adults around him, but Natasha did. And she smiled when she realized what the sorcerer hadn't liked hearing. When he didn't say anything, though, she didn't bring it up, either.

"That could probably all be arranged." Strange looked at Natasha. "Do you Avengers have any issue with him being unescorted in the city? Or are we playing chaperone when he wants to go outside?"

"The Avengers are fine with him having fun with his friends," she told him, seriously. "As long as he is checking in with you or Wong, and he doesn't go crazy on social media, posting his activities until after he does them, so no one knows where to find him if they wanted to try and make a play on him."

Peter nodded; this was nothing new to him. Not that he spent that much time running around in the city, but he knew all the security protocols that were there to keep him from being any more of a target than he already was. He wasn't surprised that Strange and Wong didn't, even if Strange was seeing Natasha.

"Yeah. Ned and MJ know, too."

They talked about other things he might want to do – aside from things in the sanctum, but once his stomach was full, Peter's day was crashing down on him and he was beginning to feel it. He was tired. When they were finished eating, Wong waved away his offer to help clean up, pointing out that there weren't many dishes, and he could do them.

"You look tired, Peter," he said. "Go get some sleep. There will be plenty of dishes to wash, tomorrow, too."

Normally Peter would have said he wasn't, and told them that he was fine – and probably would have ended up falling asleep in the middle of a conversation, or a game. This time, however, he somewhat surprised all of them when he nodded.

"Yeah, I think I will. I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Night, baby."

He turned and left the kitchen, with the cloak hitching a ride and rubbing on his ears, and Natasha smiled and looked at Strange.

"You didn't look too enthused when he mentioned going out at night."

"I have to admit that I'm not thrilled with the idea. What if something happens?"

"He's cautious. He has the safehouse, and his watch to call for help if something comes up. He'll be fine."

"Tony didn't mention him going out."

"Probably because it's an automatic thing." She put her arm around his shoulder, amused and touched by how concerned he looked at the idea of Peter risking himself. "He doesn't go out every night, after all, and will probably only go if he feels he's needed."

"I don't know, Natasha…"

"Don't look so worried," she told him, hugging him – because he did look worried. "Otherwise I'll have to give you the same speech about letting him do his thing that I gave Tony."

Strange sighed; but let it drop – for the moment, at least. It wasn't something that he had to worry about that evening, after all, and he'd talk to Tony about it when he spoke with him, next. He did wonder how she could be so calm about the idea of the boy being out at night. All alone. He was so young, after all.

"He's not going anywhere tonight," Wong pointed out, as if reading his mind. "We can sit down and talk to him about whatever concerns we have, later. He's sensible."

Wong didn't look quite as uncertain as Stephen did, she noticed, but he was better at hiding his feeling, too, so it was possible that he wasn't enamored of the idea, either. Natasha smiled, thinking that both men might have a better understanding, now, of just how much stress was involved in being responsible for a teenaged superhero – and maybe understand why Tony was so protective of his boy.

"I'm going to go stay with him, tonight," she reminded them. "If not for the stress earlier, I might not be so concerned, but we all know how close he was to a panic attack and it might catch up with him. Better to nip it before it happens."

"You know where to find me if you need me," Stephen reminded her, brushing a kiss against her temple before she let him go. "Don't hesitate."

"I never do."

"Well… that one time with the skunk, I'm pretty sure you hesitated…"

Wong chuckled and so did Romanoff.

"That's what taught me not to hesitate. Good night."

"French toast for breakfast."

She waved to let them know that she'd heard him, and then headed for the staircase. She'd go change for bed, first, which would give Peter a chance to get ready for bed, too.

OOOOOOO

He looked up at the tap on his door.

"Come in."

Peter wasn't at all surprised that Natasha was the one to stick her head into his room.

"Decent?"

He smiled.

"Yeah. Come on in."

He was sitting on the edge of his bed, wearing sweats and a t-shirt, with the Cloak of Levitation curled around his bony shoulders. His phone was in his hand, but he set it to the side when she waked over, putting it beside his polymorph on the stand next to his bed.

"It's cold in here," she complained, sitting next to him.

His air conditioner was on high, and she knew why, but it was still pretty chilly in his room. At least it was summer, now, so it was refreshing as opposed to annoying when it was cold outside, too.

"Yeah." He leaned against her. "You're staying with me tonight?"

Peter wasn't dumb. He knew that they would all be worried about him sleepwalking after his rough afternoon, and he knew Natasha was his best bet to keep him from ending up in Tony and Pepper's bed sometime in the middle of the night. Or worse, since it was the middle of the night in New York, and well into the day in Wakanda. Who knew where he'd end up with the cocktail; of Mind stone and teleportation rock?

"You don't mind?"

"No. I appreciate it. We'd probably have a bit of an explanation if I ended up in Wakanda three hours after they were told I was in New York."

"And without a plane to have taken you," she added.

"True." The boy sighed. "Just for tonight, though," he promised. "I'll probably be good to go, anyway."

"Yeah."

She reached over and picked up the Ironman doll from his pillow and smiled.

"Huh," Peter said, reaching for it. "I wonder how that got there?"

"I wonder…"