A weird noise woke Peter.

He woke with a start, like he normally did, and sat up, quickly. The room was dark, but that didn't really matter to him, because he could see just fine, and knew that whatever he'd heard, it wasn't something in his room with him. No axe-wielding murderers hiding behind his doors, or anything like that. He looked around, though, wishing that his room had a window so he could see if there was something outside. His stomach didn't hurt, but that didn't mean there might not be someone with an axe sneaking up on the place, did it?

A little more nervous, now – who wouldn't be with the thought of having an axe murderer waiting for them to fall back to sleep? – Peter grabbed his bear and hopped off the top bunk, landing lightly on his feet. He left his room and made for the door that led to Tony's. If anyone could save him from an axe murderer, it was Ironman.

The door opened, silently, and Peter walked over to the bed, but then hesitated when he saw that Tony wasn't the only one in it. Pepper was sleeping beside his father, her head resting on his chest. They weren't doing it; Peter knew that involved a lot of grunting and banging of headboards – although he didn't understand why. It also involved being naked, and they were both wearing clothes.

He wondered if Pepper maybe had heard an axe murderer, too.

The boy walked over to Tony's side of the bed and climbed up onto it.

"Dad?" he whispered, resting his hand on the man's arm.

"Hmmm?"

Tony didn't open his eyes.

"Can I sleep with you?"

"Yeah, buddy." Tony shifted, bringing an arm around Peter and pulling the blankets back. Then he rolled the boy over his body and settled him in between himself and Pepper, who also moved a little to make room. In the dark, Peter could see that neither adult even opened their eyes. "Better?" Tony asked, sleepily, bringing the blankets back over the boy.

Peter nodded, even though Tony couldn't see it, and he felt something inside him squeal with happiness when both of them turned in their sleep toward him, each cuddling up against him. Pinned as he was between them, he couldn't hug himself, but he definitely wanted to. Warmed immediately, inside and out, Peter closed his eyes and tucked his bear against Pepper.

Then he went to sleep, too.

OOOOOOOO

Tony woke first.

He was vaguely aware of an elbow in his ribs, and a soft snoring that wasn't coming from him. He opened his eyes and wasn't surprised to see Peter in bed with him – although he was a little surprised (and pleased? Touched?) to see that Pepper hadn't left the bed when he'd fallen asleep. He frowned, watching his son and Pepper sleep and tried to remember Peter coming to bed.

He was still drawing a blank when Pepper opened her eyes, also, looking sleep-dazed and a little uncertain where she was. The billionaire watched as she looked over at him, and then down at Peter who was nestled between them under the blankets, looking for all the world as if he didn't have a care in the world, just then.

And he probably didn't, Stark realized.

"I'm a little fuzzy on the details," Tony whispered over Peter's sleeping form. "He didn't come in with you, last night, did he?"

Pepper smiled and shook her head, looking amused and enchanted at the little boy sleeping snuggled up against her – although he was turned slightly on his side toward Tony, his face buried in Stark's t-shirt.

"He wasn't here when I fell asleep," she confirmed, also whispering. "Must have come in, later."

"Think he's okay?"

"He looks alright," she replied. "He didn't wake you?"

"Not that I remember." He frowned. "Maybe?"

There might have been a dream about Peter asking to sleep with him. JARVIS wasn't there to confirm it.

"How did you sleep?" she asked.

He knew she was asking about nightmares, and he shook his head.

"Soundly. Thank you."

Which made Pepper smile.

"Do you normally put him back in his own bed?"

"Nope. I usually wake him up and tell him to get ready for school. Since it's Saturday, though, I might just lay in bed with him – and you – all day."

"Sounds domestic."

The way she said it didn't make it sound like it was a terrible thing.

"I'm pretty domesticated, now," he pointed out. "I was invited to join the PTA at Peter's school."

"And…?"

"I said I'd get back to them. I want to see what I'd have to do before I committed to anything."

"Wise choice."

They weren't as quiet as they were trying to be, or Peter was just not as sleepy, now, because the little boy stirred between them, yawning and rolling onto his back as he opened his eyes. He looked at Pepper, and then over at Tony.

"It's morning?"

"Pretty close," Tony said, reaching out and brushing his curls from his forehead. "How did you sleep?"

"Okay."

"Was your bed uncomfortable?"

Peter shook his head.

"I think there was a axe murderer outside my room…"

"An axe murderer?" Pepper echoed. She gave Tony a pointed look. "I wonder why you thought that…"

Stark's expression was innocence personified.

"No clue."

"Because you said that there-"

He was interrupted with a hand being clasped over his mouth, and Tony's eyes were amused.

"I don't know what you're talking about. And neither do you."

Peter's eyes were happy.

"Okay."

His voice was muffled by his father's hand.

"It's still early," Tony told him. "Are you going back to sleep?"

"Can I stay in here?"

"Yes."

Peter looked at Pepper.

"Are you staying?"

"I'm going to get up."

"Why?" Tony asked, reaching over Peter and catching her hand. "You don't have anything pressing to do, today, right? Stay and keep us company. I like the idea of lounging in bed with my two favorite people."

She hesitated, but then shrugged.

"I suppose. For a little while."

Besides, she liked the idea of lounging around with them, too.

Peter smiled up at them, and hugged himself.

OOOOOOO

Despite just how happy he was, Peter fell back to sleep almost immediately. He was tired, still, and comfortable, warm and protected. All were enough to overcome the happiness of being in the middle of a three person dogpile. This time when he went to sleep, though, he was turned away from Tony and had put an arm around Pepper, as if to make sure she stayed, and had buried his face into her collarbone.

"Did he do that to you when I was away?" Stark asked her, softly, smiling down at the boy and then at her.

"No personal boundaries," she confirmed, also smiling. "Just like his dad."

Stark's expression was amused rather than offended. Besides, it was true – to a point.

"I'm teaching him well."

"You are," she agreed. "He's a very sweet child."

"That's a product of his mom and dad," Tony said. "They were probably amazing people. So amazing that two years with his less than stellar example of an aunt didn't turn him into a little horror. My job is to make sure it stays that way, I suppose."

"You're doing fine," Pepper assured him. "He's happy and well-adjusted."

"It'll be interesting to see what the psychologist says," he murmured. "Maybe see what I could be doing better."

"Are you doubting yourself?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, amused.

"What? No." He pretended to act scandalized. "Of course not. I'm just willing to accept that little boys aren't my specialty and that I might be open to suggestions."

"That's a good start." Pepper brushed her free hand along Peter's cheek, unable to help herself, but careful not to wake the boy. "But he's doing fine, Tony. You made him your priority, and that means everything, I imagine. The psychologist will agree."

"I hope so…" he shifted, and rolled a little more toward the boy, so he could drape his arm over Peter and get more comfortable. "It almost feels like I'll be getting midterm results on a class that I've never prepped for."

That was a good analogy, she decided.

"You're up to the challenge. Go back to sleep. I'm going to."

Why not? As had already been pointed out to her, they didn't have anything that they had to do, right away. She wanted to walk around the property, a little, later when it was light out – and maybe not so cold – so she could see what was there, and what kind of view there might be. And even get a little exercise and run some of Peter's boundless energy off.

"We need to go outside, later," Tony told her, closing his eyes and willing to do what she told him. "I probably should look around for any axe murderers that might be lurking outside his room."

Pepper snorted, amused.

"Yes."

Then she allowed herself to drift off, too.

She was just too warm and comfortable to get up, yet.