They walked through the silent corridors to the workroom, Tony resting his hand easily on Peter's bony shoulder, idly amused and amazed that such a scrawny body had so much power hidden within. Then he lost the amusement when he thought back on the dream that he had. Power enough to hold all the stones? Tony knew that with Alec's help Peter was able to tolerate the mind stone being close. But that was one stone. Surely the effect would be magnified by having more than one close at hand.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" Peter asked, proving that he was thinking about whatever had brought Tony to his quarters, too.

The billionaire shrugged, his grip tightening a little on Peter's shoulder.

"Alec isn't telling you?"

"No. Should I ask him instead of you?"

Tony shook his head. If he was old enough to ask, then he was old enough to be told the answer. Besides, it was Peter. Tony wanted to protect him from everything that was happening, but he knew that this wasn't something that he could hide. Peter should know. Some of it, anyway.

"I had a dream about you. Voice in my head telling me that I can't hide you from what's happening. Telling me that you're powerful and needed to save the universe…"

"Who's voice?"

"I don't know, and it honestly doesn't even matter. You're my responsibility. I just don't know how to protect you from this one, and that has me reeling a little."

A lot.

"I don't think that you can," Peter told him, feeling his own fear fading a little as he tried to reassure Tony. "If he comes here, he could destroy the entire planet, like he did with that planet the guardians were showing us. We can't let that happen."

"We're not going to," Tony assured him. "We have a lot of resources to throw in front of him."

Peter nodded.

"I know. I'm one of them, though. Right? I mean, if I can do something to help, you should let me."

"And if you get hurt?"

Peter gave him a look. Tony read him almost as well as Natasha, and all he could see was love in those expressive eyes of his.

"To help save everyone else? It's be worth it."

"Nothing is worth you getting hurt, Peter. It's my job to keep you safe, and-"

"It's your job to use everything that you can to protect the earth, too. Including me."

"But-"

"Are you going to hide Pepper?"

Peter purposely avoided calling her mom, knowing that the phrasing would make it more intimate and add to Tony's very real fears of injury being done to his family.

Tony scowled.

"She won't let me."

Which made Peter smile, because he knew that wasn't a statement that Tony made very often. There were very few people (one) on the entire planet that could tell Tony Stark what to do, utterly and completely.

"You're making her a suit, though, to keep her as safe as you can."

They were almost to the workroom, after all, to look at it.

"Yes."

"I already have a suit."

"It's not enough to keep you safe, though," Tony pointed out, palming the door to the workroom open. "Not if those stones all end up here. Right?"

Peter didn't even need to ask Alec.

"No. The vibranium in the suit Shuri made me will buffer some of it, though, and Alec can help – and we don't know that all of them will come."

Tony rolled his eyes. They both knew that they couldn't trust the universe too much.

"I want a promise from you, son," he said – and he made sure that he called him son, because he wanted Peter to understand exactly how he felt – and would always feel when it came to him. "If things go bad and if there's nothing that you can do, I want you to haul ass to Asgard. Don't stop for me. Don't stop for Pepper. Just go."

"But-"

"If you're the only one this Thanos can use to destroy the universe, then you need to do everything that you can to keep out of his hands – and if mom and I can't keep you clear, then you need to do it. Do you understand me?"

Peter looked like he wanted to argue, but Tony was dead serious, and there was only one answer, really.

"He's right," Alec said. "You can't be caught by Thanos. Even if it means you leave everyone behind."

The boy nodded, reluctantly.

"Yes."

"Good. Thank you." Tony pulled Peter into a hug, holding him tight. "Not that anything is going to happen, though. You'll see."

Peter nodded, holding Tony just as hard as he was being held – careful not to hurt him, but giving him as much confidence as he could summon, just then. After a long moment, he pulled away, wiping eyes that might have been a little moist. They needed to change the subject, because he couldn't handle any more maudlin conversation, or he was going to end up sleepwalking right into their bed the rest of his life.

"Why are you calling her suit Rescue?"

Tony smiled, walking over to the manufacturing unit, where the transparent barrier was allowing them to see the suit taking shape. Smaller than Tony's and already showing hints of blue metal to go with the silver.

"Because she's rescued me from myself a million times in the many years that she's known me. It's a tribute to that."

"Oh."

"And besides; it's cool."

Peter smiled.

OOOOOOO

Pepper roused when Tony joined her in their bed, once more. She snuggled up against him, reacting to his presence even before she was really awake.

"Everything alright?"

He nodded, kissing her cheek.

"Yeah. Your son and I went to check on your suit."

"He's my son?" she asked, smiling. "What did he do?"

Tony chuckled.

"He's just being intelligent, compassionate and courageous. We both know he learns that watching you."

She nodded, bringing her arms around him, warming him since he was a little chilled from being out of bed.

"How's my suit coming?"

"Production is ahead of Friday's initial estimate. And it looks pretty good."

Pepper smiled, sleepily.

"I better finish reading the manual, then, hmmm?"

"Even better; I think we'll have a simulator for it before tomorrow afternoon so you'll be able to have some practice in it before you go live."

"Is Peter alright?"

"I woke him up when I went to check on him. He's fine, Pep. I took him with me to check the suit, but then I sent him back to bed."

"Anything I need to know?"

She wasn't quite ready to stop worrying, just yet.

"He loves you and I love you," Tony murmured, cuddling her against him. "For right now, that's all that matters."

Pepper smiled at that and let his embrace put her to sleep, again. Time enough tomorrow to double check that there wasn't anything that needed her attention.