They didn't stay inside the rest of the day.

Peter hadn't tried out the tire swing, yet, and was anxious to do so, and Tony had no intention of allowing the little boy outside in the boonies, alone – although he wisely didn't mention axe murderers, again. Even a genius could learn a lesson, after all, and he wanted the boy to be able to sleep that night. He bundled back into his jacket – although he didn't bother with heavy boots, since they weren't going hiking – and he followed Peter out the door, with Pepper assuring them that she would be joining them in a few minutes.

By the time she'd finished the article she was reading, and had put on boots and a jacket, Peter had already cleared all the snow from around the swing and Tony had checked the rope to make sure it wasn't going to break in the apex of a swing. Then he'd turned the boy loose. Peter was swinging in broad circles, hanging upside down and giggling, reaching out, fully, and trying to touch the ground or the tree trunk each time the tire came close.

When Pepper walked over to stand beside Tony, who was watching the boy from far enough away that there wouldn't be any collision with the tire, but close enough that he was there if he was needed, he smiled a greeting to her.

"He looks like he's having a good time."

"Because he is," Tony agreed. "I thanked you for having us?"

"You did. I'm having a good time, too," she added.

"Good. We'll do it, again, sometime."

She nodded.

"Have you heard from SHIELD?"

"SHIELD in general?" Tony asked, softly. "Or Natasha, specifically?"

"Natasha."

"I've sent her some pictures of Peter," he replied. "But I gather she's a little busy, right now. I haven't tried calling her."

"Think she's alright?"

"I think she is, yes." He hadn't heard otherwise. "She's extremely competent – and she isn't alone."

"True."

Pepper didn't know everything about the SHIELD organization, but she knew some of them, and she was impressed by them. And relieved that they were watching over Tony – and now Peter.

She watched the little boy swing for a while and then decided to go over and join him. Peter's welcoming smile was enough to get her to accept his offer to let her swing, and she sat on the tire – a little awkwardly – and he pushed her a few times, until she was spinning and twisting, wildly.

"It's fun, isn't it?" Peter asked as he helped bring the tire to a stop, eventually.

"It is. You should see about having Tony put one in your backyard at home."

Hearing his name – or maybe just ready to join them, since his feet were getting numb with cold – Stark walked over.

"Let's call it a day, buddy," he told Peter. "It's getting dark, and I'm ready for dinner."

"We're having s'mores, right?"

"Yup. I didn't lug those marshmallows all the way out here for nothing. We'll find you a good roasting stick after dinner."

"Yay!"

Peter ran into the house, abandoning the two adults, and Pepper's smile was amused.

"That was easy."

"It was the only thing I could think of that would get him to give up swinging."

"You'll never get him to sleep, tonight."

Tony shrugged.

"It isn't a school night, and he can sleep on the way home, tomorrow."

"Good point."

OOOOOOOOO

"That was probably not a good idea," Pepper said, softly, her brow furrowed as she watched Peter seat himself as close to the hearth of the fireplace as he could.

In one hand he held a marshmallow roasting stick that they'd found in the closet and washed. In the other, he had a small bag that contained a package of graham crackers, a bag of marshmallows, and several chocolate bars.

Tony and Pepper were settled on the couch, watching as he sat down and opened the bag.

"What isn't?"

"Letting him have all of that. He'll make himself sick."

"He won't eat all of it, Pep," Tony assured her. "He's too smart to do something that dumb."

"He's a little boy."

The billionaire reached for his tablet, ready to do a little trolling on social media, or maybe catch up on any new emails.

"He'll be fine." When she raised an eyebrow, though, he rolled his eyes. "Peter?"

The boy turned, already shoving a marshmallow into his mouth.

"Yeah?"

"Don't eat them all. Okay?"

"Okay."

Peter turned back to the task of unwrapping the chocolate bar and Tony gave Pepper a somewhat smug look.

"See?"

She shrugged, and picked up her tablet, too.

"You're his father."

"Yup."

OOOOOOO

"I told you not to eat them all."

Peter's eyes were wide and innocent.

"I didn't."

Tony rolled his eyes, holding up the marshmallow bag.

"There's one marshmallow in here."

"And I left a graham cracker, too."

Pepper snorted, making both of them look over at her.

"Can you believe him?" Stark asked.

"He's right," she pointed out. "He didn't eat them all. There's even a piece of chocolate left."

Tony scowled, but turned back to his son.

"How do you feel?"

"Good. Can I have a pop tart?"

Pepper's amused giggle made it hard for Tony to keep his expression straight.

"I think you've had enough to eat, tonight, little man," he assured the boy. "Go get ready for bed."

"I thought we were going to go to Pepper's room and watch a movie?"

"We are…" Tony told him, looking over at Pepper to make sure she was still good with that. "But you can watch a movie in your pajamas."

"Okay."

Peter left them, stopping long enough to scoop up the remaining piece of chocolate and put it on the graham cracker before shoving it into his mouth. Then he went into his room.

"I can't believe he ate all of that," Pepper said, shaking her head.

"Neither can I."

"Maybe it's one of his superpowers that we haven't discovered, yet. Super gut."

"I hope it's elasticity," Tony said. "He's going to be bouncing off the walls any minute."

She smiled.

"I'm going to go get ready for bed, too. I'll meet you both in my bed when you're ready."

He forced down the inappropriate reply – a sign of growth, clearly – and headed for his bedroom, too.

OOOOOOO

They put Peter between them. Both because he was a perfect buffer, and because he climbed over Tony when he arrived in Pepper's room and plopped himself in between them with a happy smile and a sigh of contentment.

"What are we going to watch?" Tony asked Pepper as he settled himself more comfortably before getting Peter covered with her blankets.

"We're in luck," she replied, reaching for the remote and turning on the television that was hanging on the wall of the master bedroom. "There is a streaming device. We can do a Disney movie, if we want."

"Lego Batman?" Peter suggested, hopefully.

"Peter Pan?" Tony countered.

That made the little boy smile, and he nodded, snuggling down into the blankets and soaking up the warmth from the two adults. Not to mention the fact that he was being cuddled – even though neither was actually holding him.

"Okay."

Pepper smiled, searching for – and finding – the movie he'd named.

"Smooth."

Tony simply smirked, and brought an arm around Peter, bringing him up against his side to allow Pepper to decline being a living teddy bear if she wasn't up for it.

"I happen to like Peter Pan," he said. "Peter is one of the best names in the world."

Not surprisingly, the boy shivered, happily, and cuddled up to Tony's side, ready to settle in, now, and watch the movie and be held. Pepper reached over and turned the lights down and started the movie.

Then, to Peter's absolute delight, she scooted a little closer to the boy and put an arm around him, too.

OOOOOOOO

Tony was surprised when Peter fell asleep during the movie.

Like Pepper, he thoroughly expected the boy to be restless – a product of the sugar that had to be coursing through his system from all of the s'mores that he'd eaten. Instead, he made it most of the way through Peter Pan before a soft snore told Tony that he'd fallen asleep.

Pepper noticed, too, and in the light of the TV and the lamp on the bedside, he saw he look down at Peter and then over at him.

"I can't believe he's asleep," she said, softly.

"Right? I'll put him to bed when the movie's done. Start getting yourself free."

Over the course of the remainder of the movie, Pepper and Tony both carefully slid their arms out from under Peter without waking him, although they kept the blankets on him, and they were still pressed against his sides when the final credits rolled.

"Do you have him?" Pepper asked when Tony rolled out of the bed, and scooped Peter carefully into his arms.

"Yeah." He kissed the boy's cheek when Peter roused, and crooned softly in reassurance. Peter went back to sleep, immediately. "Thanks for the nice evening."

"Disney cartoons in bed is your idea of a nice evening, now?"

"What can I say?"

She smiled.

"Good night, Tony."

"Night, Pep."

He carried Peter into the boy's room and settled him on the bottom bunk, rather than the top, since it was easier to get him into bed that way. Then he covered him up, kissed him, again, and tucked his bear into the crook of his elbow before he left, closing the door behind him.

A quick check of the cabin to make sure all the lights were off – they already knew the fire was dying down, safely – and he went to bed, too.

OOOOOOOO

"Dad…?"

Tony mumbled something, but didn't open his eyes.

"Dad…"

His sleepy mind told him that the voice was important, and the address sounded somewhat urgent. Urgent enough that he managed to open his eyes – and found Peter standing beside his bed, his little face pale and his eyes uncertain.

Tony sat up.

"Peter? What's wrong, son?"

"My stomach hurts."

"Like something's going to happen?" Tony asked, feeling a pang of concern.

Had he checked the locks on the door?

"No. It hurts."

As if to emphasize that, the boy's hand went to his abdomen.

"Do you want to sleep with me?" Tony asked, reaching for Peter, who tensed the moment his father took hold of him and picked him up, disturbing what little equilibrium he had, just then.

"Wait-"

The word was cut off as Peter's stomach erupted, and he threw up. All over himself. And his father.