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It took about three months for the Avengers to let Peter Parker live down the fact that not only is he helplessly in love with his best friend, but that his best friend is also Harry Osborn, CEO of Oscorp, and Tony's business nemesis. Even Thor gets on the joke when he is hailed back down to 'midguard' for a few weeks in summer. His only saving grace was that Captain America didn't ever make a big point about it... until a villain he was fighting caused some minor damage to the Oscorp skyscraper in Manhattan and he haphazardly mentioned that Peter should 'give that boyfriend of yours an apology on his behalf.' That was possibly the worst day of Peter's young adult life. It might remain up there for the rest of it too.

Every once in a while, whenever Harry or his company would do something to get into the news, a magazine would find itself in the guest bedroom Peter likes to stay in (and he can tell when it was Hawkeye that brought in the paper, since there are scribbled hearts on it.) Eventually though, everyone finds something else to talk about and it's left behind. Until, that is, until Tony Stark goes to a Valentine's Day gala with Pepper almost a year after the initial incident.

Another day, another charity gala. That's how it goes for Tony when he's not in the Ironman suit. Especially around holidays. Pepper has his schedule packed with dinners and dances and press appearances. He was born into this business, he understands why it's all necessary, but he really would like to get to spend a holiday or two with his chosen friends and not be stuck in stuffy suits in too-warm ballrooms. Great food, okay drinks, but the company gets tiring quick. Tony knows every face that passes in and out of the great mahogany doors in this mansion's grand entry room. He also knows all of the dirt on them and their companies, just in case.

Nobody is piquing Tony's interest tonight, so he begins to settle in beside Pepper and mentally prepare himself for the coming hours. And then there's a familiar head of fluffy brown hair across the room in the very opposite corner, which Tony only got a glance of before it was swallowed back up again by the crowd. He immediately recognizes that head of hair as belonging to his beloved intern, Peter Parker. Tony thinks for a moment about why the hell Peter is at this gala before it hits him that yep, Harry Osborn is definitely on the guest list tonight too, now that he's trying to recall it.

Tony tugs on Pepper's arm while she is engaging in pleasantries with another party-goer and she lightly hits his hand back down. Tony tries again. He gets a very similar response and this time with the added bonus of getting a dangerous look shot towards him by the woman; Tony rolls his eyes and lets out a childish, exaggerated sigh. Well, if I go and do something stupid, it's pretty much Pepper's fault for not giving me her attention. Tony starts to slip away from her and walk towards his intern.

Before he can get away though, Pepper snags the edge of Tony's suit and yanks him back. She apologizes to who she was speaking with and excuses herself to speak with him. Tony only feels a little guilty as a result of the mean look Pepper gives him. "What?" She says in a harsh whisper-shout.

Tony stands there awkwardly, looking elsewhere. "Sorry about that Pep. You can ignore me."

"Well I'm done talking anyways now, and you've got that look on your face. What stupid idea has sprung onto you?" She crosses her arms to make sure her frustration gets across to Tony.

"Okay, you'll get a kick out of this though—"Pepper doesn't have to verbally say it; Tony can tell she disagrees with that. "Peter is here! I saw him across the room with that evil little Osborn!"

She raises one finely manicured eyebrow, "...alright?" Tony tilts his head forward, waiting for her to catch his drift. "That's cute, good for them."

Tony not-so-subtly motions across the room to where he last saw the boys together. "I need to intervene! That's my intern, my protege!"

Pepper's eyes widen, "oh, no you don't." She starts dragging Tony with her, further away from where Tony motioned that the duo were located. "If you try and mess this up for Peter, I will make sure that you're fully booked for the next three holidays. Photoshoots and interviews, the whole shebang."

"Photoshoots and interviews?" Tony whines. "I can't—we can't, in good conscience, let our boy hang around with that—that delinquent!"

Thoughtfully, Pepper tilts her head. "You know, this is why Peter didn't mention that he knew the kid earlier, Tony." Tony does not like that she has a valid point, and he reels his head back. "Have you ever actually spoken to him? Or are you just making assumptions off of his dad?"

"I know the Osborn's don't fall far from the tree," Tony says and stands his ground.

"You've known one Osborn." Pepper's gaze flickers back towards the opposite corner. "And if you had ever actually read those articles Clint brings in, you'd know that Harry Osborn is actually trying to better Oscorp. He's making the company run cleaner—"

"A trend I started. And I bet it's all propaganda anyways."

Pepper gives him a nasty look and Tony decides to not interrupt her for the rest of the night. "He's trying to be better than his father, but some people won't give him the chance." Tony looks down at his shining leather shoes and bits at the inside of his lip. "A kid who has been brought up for the spotlight, orphaned suddenly, and then put in charge of a massive company; hmm, sounds like a familiar story to me. Hell, he's even younger than you were, Tony!"

Reluctantly, Tony lets that comparison sit on his mind. He mulls over it in silence and then lets out a long sigh and tries to catch another glimpse at the kids across the room from him. Is he... sympathizing? with Harry Osborn? "You are a grown man, Tony; and Peter is not your son. You are not going to ruin their night, do you understand me?"

Tony nods and in a dejected voice, responds "yes ma'am."

"That's what I like to hear!" She gives him the classic, tight-lipped business smile and pats him in the shoulder. "If I even see you thinking about it, it's public dinners and bad interviewers for a month," she ever so kindly threatens in a sickly sweet voice that Tony knows is not empty.

"Great, alright. Let's get to our table now, I think the banquet is about to start."

If Pepper thought that Tony would have moved past this by the end of dinner, then maybe she doesn't know him as well as she thinks.

-

"I'm telling you dude, my tingle is going batshit crazy," Peter mumbles into Harry's shoulder as slow, romantic music trickles over the ballroom.

"You have been saying that all night to me." Harry nods his head in time to the waltz and takes another look at the room around them. He's known most of these people longer than he would have liked to (that is, not at all) he doesn't need superpowers to feel uncomfortable in the stuffy room. "Look, you've probably kicked half of these old guys' asses, Pete. Or like, their henchmens'."

It's the unfortunate truth. And yet, Peter shakes his head in a disagreeing way, "no, like I feel someone watching us." Call him paranoid, he called his father the same, but Harry tilts his head up towards the skylights and stares out into the cold night sky above this mansion in Albany. There's no stars visible for the overcast, but to Harry's pleasure, there's no scope glinting from up there either; shining a dangerous little red dot into the room.

"It's probably because they think we're gay," Harry says, straight-forward and matter-of-fact.

Peter shrugs, "well they're not wrong."

Harry chuckles, "no, I don't suppose so."

Peter never really thought he would have to learn to waltz and yet now he completes the simple repetition as well as anyone else. Harry has made sure of it; taking out vinyl records from his father's old, dusty collection and playing them on a operating gramophone that his mother kept up for years. Harry taught Peter to waltz when they were eighteen and Harry got caught up in some weird debutante stuff. They haven't since let their skills get rusty.

Harry enjoys Peter leading, and turns as he does through another set of progressive spirals. "Maybe you have an admirer. It is a Valentine's gala after all, and you've turned out very nice." Peter raises a brow, "I'm not uprooting your dance card, am I Mr. Parker?" He bats his eyelashes and gives his friend a lazy smile.

"If someone else wants to dance with me, then they should have invited me instead," Peter states simply, raising his left arm up as Harry travels under it and around, before rejoining him in a box step.

Harry, with his hand cupped at Peter's ribs, gives him a small squeeze. They're quiet for another moment, both listening to the music and making sure they're in time. Quietly, Harry adds, "thank you for coming to this with me."

"Of course, Hare," he shrugs, "it's not really like I have anywhere else to be."

Harry gives him a sympathetic look, "I mean… you do, really. That's what I'm saying; thank you for taking time out of your night."

Peter catches up to what Harry is implying, "there are other people in the city that help me, Harry. The city will be fine without me for a night or two." The waltz fades out and the duo comes to a stop.

The evening is coming to an end after a pleasant dinner now, and it looks like more and more people are starting to bid adieu. "Will you be going out tomorrow night?"

Peter nods, "you'd be surprised how common I'm needed on holidays. But you have that meeting in the morning, right?"

"It's virtual, ten in the morning with my board members in Berlin," Harry responds. "It's eleven now, so we'll go home and you can stay over if you want. If you're not going out until the evening, I would like to invite May and any of our other friends with nothing to do over and I'll make lunch."

"May might have 'galentines' with her book club, but I'm sure she could find time," Peter winks. Cooking is one of the few skills which Harry actually enjoyed learning from his father, but those days have been long gone even since before Norman's death. He still has a family cookbook that his dad's friends fashioned as a wedding gift for his parents of all of their recipes. And even better, much to Peter's pleasure, Harry is a wonderful cook.

Harry always tries to teach him, but Peter gets distracted. He complains that it's not difficult Pete, it's just measuring and timers, but Peter too easily gets lost in the seriousness of Harry's focused gaze, the wrinkles on his forehead and how he sticks the tip of his tongue out when he's zoned in on a task. That is to say, there are a lot of things Peter would rather be paying attention to rather than the ounces of milk he's poured into a measuring cup. Harry only pretends to get annoyed anyways; Peter knows he likes to show off.

"I'll make sure it happens," Peter says confidently and gives Harry a soft smile. "Let me use the bathroom real quick, then we can blow this popsicle stand."

Harry rolls his eyes at Peter's colloquialism, "you spend too much time with Stark," but pats Peter's back as he slips away towards the restroom down a wing of the home they've been invited to. Harry figures they'll meet back up at the door, so he starts moving that way and pauses at the bar. Dinner finished off with dessert and coffee so Harry doesn't really feel like drinking anything alcoholic and Peter generally discourages it anyways. He settles for a tall and chilled glass of soda water with a lime and leans himself up against the marble countertop.

He nods to a couple as they leave, raising his glass in their direction and giving them a smile. He watches them slip through the grand doors into the foyer and he changes his attention to another leaving couple. He's vaguely aware of someone coming up beside him at the bar but doesn't think about it as a business partner begins to approach him. A weird look rolls over the other man's face however, and he looks over Harry's shoulder at someone else before giving him a 'we'll catch up later' kind of look, which Harry thinks is extremely odd as he was the one trying to approach Harry.

He turns to see what scared that other man off and holy shit it's Tony Stark. Harry takes a small step back and his eyes widen as he looks down at his rival (because try as he might with his heels and internal shoe lifts, Harry Osborn is taller than Tony Stark) and he mumbles, "oh, Jesus Christ."

"Worse," his newly found company says belligerently. Harry can't help but roll his eyes and then makes a point to put more space between them.

Looking him up and down, Tony Stark looks how he normally does at events like this. A slate gray suit with a nice black button down underneath and holiday-appropriate deep red details. "I can see that," Harry shoots back. Tony places down his own cup, just ice at this point with a little bit of brownish color from whatever nice whiskey was mixed in an hour ago. He turns himself so that he is fully facing Harry in a confrontational manner. "What do you want?" The younger asks in a pointed tone.

He crosses his arms across his chest. "What? I'm not allowed to talk to other people at a party I was invited to? I haven't been seeing you around as much in the past—I don't know, year or so?"

Harry's starched collar is starting to feel too tight, but he takes good care not to start squirming under his competitor's gaze. "Some CEOs actually have work to do, Mr. Stark." Harry waited to see how he takes that jab before continuing. Happily, Tony scoffs at him, so he feels encouraged to continue; "I don't know if you heard with how far your head is shoved up your ass, but my father passed away and I have taken over Oscorp."

Tony reels his head back and looks at Harry, surprised. He makes a little click with his tongue and teeth and then pauses again for another moment. "Well, that felt a little rude, Mr. Osborn. I am sorry for your loss, I was put into a similar situation a long time ago."

Of course you were, Asshat, but Harry has the poise not to say that aloud. His father raised him better. "Mhm," Harry makes a noncommittal noise. "Get on with it, Tony. I know why you approached me tonight. We have seen each other in the last year."

"Ah yes, but there is a key component that was missing that previous time. It didn't feel right to bring it up."

"And yet you only approach me when he's not standing here either."

Tony shrugs and shoots down the rest of his watered-down whiskey. "No, it's not that. Pepper has been keeping me on a leash the whole night since I saw you two. I just finally had a chance to get over here." So that's probably what Peter was feeling when he was talking about sensing someone watching them, Harry concludes.

He huffs out a breath, "just cut to the chase, Mr. Stark," Harry clenches his jaw and gives Tony a clearly fake smile. "I don't really care what you have to say anyways."

"I'm glad we're on the same page, Osborn. In that case, I'll tip you on to the fact that I didn't just come over here to insult you though." Harry tilts his head a little and raises up his eyebrows in surprise. "This actually hurts my soul to admit, but you two look... nice together."

Harry can't help the surprised chuckle that escapes him. Tony continues, "I've never seen him happy to be at one of these stupid events. I saw him voluntarily having conversations and—not obviously dying." Harry hates that he feels a sense of pride over that, dammit man, you have some serious daddy issues. "So I was—and again, I'm going to stress just how much this hurts me—I want to congratulate you two."

Neither man is strong enough to look into each other's eyes as this fact is stated. It rests in the air, suspended in awkwardness as Tony nods and Harry distinctly looks to the side and fights the urge to start picking at his cuticles. He instead rolls from his feet from the ball of his foot to his heel and then back again. "Oh. Well, thank you Mr. Stark but you know we aren't—"

Harry is glad his awkward description of his relationship with Peter got cut off, although it was done by said man. "Oh my god! Oh my god, Mr. Stark, I thought we were done with this!" He can actually hear Peter's stress level ramping up as his speech gets quicker.

Gently, Harry puts his hand out to Peter's back to calm him down and he wants to begin explaining. Peter however walks right past Harry and puts himself between the two billionaires. He steps out in front of his friend in a protective way, making it obvious which side he's on; it's a small motion, stupid body language that Harry knows how to read too well, but it means a lot to him.

Tony laughs, "well, look who decided to show up!" He says and props his hands up on his hips. "It's good to see you too, Peter. I was just talking to your friend here—"

"Harry, I don't know what he's said but I'm already sorry on his behalf—" Peter starts to ramble on, looking back at Harry with one hand hovering in his direction like a peace treaty to be taken up. Tony stops talking for once and gives Peter a wierd, taken aback look.

"Wow, alright kid, you were pretty quick to jump to conclusions there," Tony says, and Peter whips back around to face him. "Taking sides and all; I'll let you know that I approached Mr. Osborn here with only the most poise and camaraderie."

Peter gives him an incredulous look and turns back to Harry to gauge his response. In his defense, he looks down at the hardwood floor with a guilty look and shrugs. Peter lets out a slightly disappointed but unsurprised noise. "Okay so maybe I started off a little hostile—" Harry trails off for a moment and brings his head back up to face Peter and Tony. "I was pretty sure you were coming over here to bless me out though, Stark. I feel like that was a reasonable expectation, too."

"What? No! Why would I do that!" Doubtful looks are cast towards him. "Back me up here, Osborn; 'cause it looks like my intern here wants to put my head on a spike. I was just saying that—" Tony looks off to the side and fakes a gag, "you two look good as a couple. And I support you."

Tony was expecting this to be a nice, heartfelt moment; the crowd is thinning and the ambient noise is pleasant, the room is cooling off and everyone is content after their meals however there is a distinct air of confusion. "Don't tell Pepper because she specifically told me not to bother you two tonight, but I've kept an eye out on you guys. Harry, you've surprised me; I think we've both seen how nasty relationships in these spheres can be and I really didn't have much hope for you."

Peter expects to look back and see Harry insulted, but he just looks indifferent and a little awkward. Tony continues; "I'll be dead honest with you; I was expecting that you were using Peter." Harry simply shrugs and nods a little, like he was expecting this which only pisses Peter off a little bit more. "So I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions, Harry; you're not your father, and you've proven that to me."

The words 'you're not your father' coming from the mouth of Tony Stark will definitely haunt Harry Osborn in the deep, dark night. He's too caught up in a whirlwind of other thoughts to be able to emotionally comprehend that, but it gives him chills in the moment. He doesn't have anything to say, he just looks at Tony and tries to look casual about this entire situation.

The moment is cut up by the sound of angry stepping in high heels that Tony can recognize from half a mansion away. He tenses his shoulders and the muscles in his back as the one and only Pepper Potts calls out his name with a certain fury that Tony regularly tries to avoid. "Anthony Edward Stark!"

"You're going to be the death of me if I don't kill you first," she claims and then turns her body to the boys. "I'm so sorry that he is causing problems; Peter, Mr. Osborn. I specifically told him not to do this." She nods her head as she acknowledges each of them and then gives Tony a hard stare as she emphasizes that she specifically told the man not to bother them.

Tony puts up his hands in surrender, "I was being nice!"

"I'm sure you were," Pepper responds sarcastically. She turns her attention to the boys in front of her and with one hand on Tony's shoulder to keep him from running off again she says; "he'll be facing the consequences of his actions for the next month, don't worry."

Harry laughs and Peter picks up on the anxiety there too. He's falling back into his 'Business Mode' as Peter calls it and he sticks a hand out towards the woman. "It's all fine, no harm done. It's Ms. Potts, correct?"

Pepper gives him a sweet smile, "yes, that is. I think we have met a handful of times before." She shakes his hand firmly, "I think you're a good man, Mr. Osborn; I've been watching your work since you took over Oscorp. You've impressed me." Harry begins to thank her, but she cuts him off; "just know that if you ever cross our Mr. Parker here, I will personally bring your entire image down with your company, too."

"Pepper!" Peter exclaims and there he goes again, protectively putting himself between Harry and his bosses. "Are you really—I can't believe you're giving him a shovel talk right now—"

There's a slight noise that Peter notices; it's the buzz of Harry's watch. Everyone around Peter, though lacking in spider-sense, has successfully been Pavlov'd by the noise and for a moment, in the middle of this storm, they're all quiet and looking down at Harry's wrist. The attention only makes him more uncomfortable. He reluctantly tilts his electronic watch face up towards himself, reads the message from his secretary, and groans.

Peter gives him a questioning look and Harry answers it with; "that meeting at ten in the morning just got moved to ten their time. So that's four AM our time."

"Aw, what? But it's already midnight," Peter pouts. "That's actually so cruel and unusual, I'm sorry Harry. Do we need to go home?"

Peter sees Tony raise an eyebrow at the mention of 'we' and 'home' but doesn't make a comment with Pepper still haunting him over his shoulder. "Yeah, we should get back to the flat." Harry looks back up to Tony and Pepper with a sorry look, "I'm sorry to have to run off like this."

Peter doesn't really think he is, but that's alright. Pepper gives Harry a sympathetic smile and nods her head. "It's perfectly fine, our car is outside waiting on us anyways." Pepper starts backing away towards the door with Tony before she calls out, "Again, I'm very sorry for Tony's interruption; you two have a good night. We'll see you tomorrow afternoon, Peter!"

Pepper quickly gets back to herding the billionheir back towards the door. But being Tony Stark, he needs to get the last word in. He calls over his shoulder, "be safe and use protection, kids!"

Peter stands agasp and then turns his head swiftly to look at Harry. His friend is still watching Tony and Pepper disappear towards the doors, slack jawed and with wide eyes. Now, Peter loves flustering his friend but he doesn't think he's ever actually seen Harry this shade of red. He slowly closes his mouth and swallows down whatever was keeping him quiet and he turns his head slowly and slightly back to Peter. "Have you been—telling them we're dating?"

"No, I haven't!" Maybe he said that too quickly. He's feeling his own embarrassment get worse as he turns to Harry and puts a hand out to him so that he looks back towards him. "I genuinely haven't been, I swear dude. I wouldn't do that, they just—"

Harry laughs, a warm smile splitting his lips and Peter internally sighs with relief. "It's alright Pete. No harm no foul, yeah? Let's just get back to the house so I can get everything in order for the meeting."

-

The drive was painfully long, and they didn't get back to Manhattan until one in the morning. To add to the tired ache, the drive back was remarkably awkward. They didn't talk much, too embarrassing and too tired, and they backed themselves up into the corners of their seats and looked anywhere but back at each other. Peter managed to psyche himself up so much that he was feeling sick by the time they opened their doors to get into Harry's building.

They remain quiet in the elevator. Peter takes a step closer to Harry in there and brushes their shoulders up together. Exhausted, Harry responds by leaning his head down onto Peter. Peter wraps his arm around Harry's back and they stand in the quiet hum of the elevator and the sound of Peter's hand rubbing circles into Harry's back. The steel doors open and they amble the few steps down the hall to the door of Harry's sprawling flat.

Leaned against the door, Harry fishes for his key while Peter stands close. "I think it's funny that Tony and Pepper both think we're dating," Peter says quietly, watching Harry stab at the keyhole until he finally gets it. He turns the doorknob and pushes the door away and into his home and he walks in without looking back or waiting on Peter.

"Yeah, I guess," Harry says in a noncommittal tone. It makes Peter shrink back into his shoulders. Harry slips off his loafers and shrugs off his blazer onto a barstool and Peter automatically follows suit. Looking over at the clock on the kitchen counter, it reads 1:18 and when Harry gets sight of that, he lets out an exhausted sigh.

Peter sits down at another barstool as Harry maneuvers around the kitchen. "If you want me out of your hair, I'll head back home," Peter offers. "Thank you for the night though."

Harry shakes his head, "no, you know I enjoy having you here. I won't be able to sleep anyways." He pauses and looks around at his options; "what do you want to drink? I have scotch or coffee, or water if you want to be normal I guess."

Peter rolls his eyes and scoffs, "and you say that I'm going to die young."

"Well you're the one running around in spandex bringing cobwebs to knife fights," Harry says and throws Peter a smile that only makes his stomach do a little somersault.

"Okay, whatever. Yeah, I'll take some coffee."

Harry nods and starts piddling around the kitchen as he enjoys doing in the wee hours of the morning. He's come into his own in the past few years and in doing so, it's domestic moments like these that he finds he's able to recall the best. It feels so normal, but neither of them have known normal for a long time.

Harry pulls milk out of the refrigerator and pours some into a milk frother. On the counter behind him, he pulls forward a small espresso machine he got for his room back in Horizon, deciding he would rather make his own good coffee whenever he needed it. Peter watches him and zones in on all the small movements he makes with his hands which leave the counter to sweep hair out from his eyes and then leave Peter stranded looking at Harry's face.

Harry knows he's being watched, but he has always liked to pretend he doesn't notice. When they're running around town and Peter has his camera, Harry refuses to look down the lense unless he's making a stupid face. Peter doesn't understand why, I mean look at the man, he's gorgeous. Maybe it's embarrassing to him; but Peter keeps taking photos, regardless, until Harry actually tells him to stop (which he never does).

Harry turns around and Peter straightens himself back up. The espresso machine whistles and cries and Harry shuts it back off, then pours the two shots of caffeine left below it into two glass mugs. Over the years since this acquisition, Peter has watched Harry become skilled in latte art which he thoroughly enjoys showing off. He gets ready to pour the milk before pausing and looking back around to Peter and asking, "do you want any flavoring in this, Pete?"

"No, I'm fine Hare." He nods and turns to focus back on his concoction. Peter tries to watch from around his body but quickly gives up, and Harry turns back around anyway.

He sets the glasses down and slides one carefully to Peter across the cold marble tabletop. Peter easily catches it and looks down at the top of his drink. He's expecting something normal and not—a pony?

"It's a pegasus, Pete," Harry says as if he's reading Peter's mind with a touch of oh my god, I can't believe my friend doesn't know his mythical horses. He then points down to his own drink and in a very proud voice announces that "mine is a swan."

Peter laughs aloud, a good, genuine laugh. He ducks his head down and laughs into his coffee while shaking his head. Harry rolls his eyes and takes his own coffee, he slips around the kitchen island to the stool beside Peter's and he sits down. It's quiet.

Peter turns his head towards Harry and says his name aloud. Harry is actually already looking back at him and he said Peter's own name at the same moment. Before any awkward 'oh you go' 'no, no you should go' Harry gives him complete attention to Peter and nods for him to go first.

Peter clears his throat, feeling a bit nervous but determined. "You know, Harry, I admired your latte art skills. It's like you have this magical touch," he says, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks.Harry chuckles softly, a hint of pink tinting his own cheeks. "Thanks, Pete?" He's obviously a little confused as to where Peter is going with this. "I guess I've had a lot of practice."Peter takes a sip of his coffee, stealing a glance at Harry over the rim of his mug. "Well, I've always thought your skills were pretty impressive. And not just with coffee—"Harry lets out a huff and sits further back in his seat, "Peter Benjamin Parker, and you trying to flirt with me in my own home?" Harry raises an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Well, you know; according to Tony Stark, we're already dating anyway."

Harry has to hide his face away behind his fist, looking out across the wider counter rather than back at his company. "Peter—" he mumbles. "I know what you're going to say."

Peter tries to return to him a reassuring smile, "do you mind if I say it again, then?" Harry sits dead still, and then gives in with a nod and he slowly turns himself back around towards Peter.

"Harry Osborn, I love you," he says it with so much ease and confidence, like it's an undeniable fact. As if he was stating something easily known, like that the sky looks blue. It makes Harry giddy. "I know this, you know this; I've loved you since like, eighth grade."

Peter leans forward, his eyes pleading with Harry. "Please, Harry, can we give it a chance? I know we both have our responsibilities, but I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't honestly think that we can make it work."

Harry sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Peter, you know I care about you too, a lot, but I have so much on my plate right now. You deserve to be with someone with a more flexible schedule who'll always be there." He takes a deep breath. "I don't want either of us to run ourselves into the ground to make it work, and then have it all end poorly."

"But Harry," Peter interrupts, his voice earnest, "we've made it this far! We've managed to support each other through everything. And besides, you're not the only one with responsibilities. I'm Spider-Man, remember?" He gently places a hand onto Harry's shoulder and says, "I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but I really want to give it a try with you."

Harry's expression softens as he looks into Peter's eyes, seeing the sincerity shining back at him. "I know, Pete. And I appreciate that more than you know. But I just don't want to drag you down with me." He hesitates, "you know how I get sometimes—"

Peter reaches out and takes Harry's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Harry, we've faced supervillains and world-ending threats together. I think we'll be fine. Please, just give us a chance to see where this goes."

Harry's heart feels like it's in turmoil, torn between his desire for Peter and just about every realistic bone in his body. And yet as he looks into Peter's eyes, he knows that he can't deny Peter. He knows himself enough at least that he has never been strong enough to argue.

"I—okay, Pete," Harry finally concedes, a small smile tugging at his lips. He lets the tension in his shoulders go and he tilts his head back towards Peter, "we can—try."

Peter beams at him, and any second thoughts Harry is having disappear. Peter turns Harry's barstool so that they're facing each other and he catches one of Harry's legs between his own knees. He leans in and with a sneaky look asks Harry; "can I kiss you for real now?"

Harry tries to act cool about it as he says, "I suppose you can," but he really just looks like a nerd.

Peter grins, his heart racing with excitement as he leans in closer, his lips hovering just inches away from Harry's. With a gentle yet deliberate motion, he closes the gap between them, pressing his lips against Harry's in a soft, tender kiss.

Harry's breath catches in his throat at the sensation, his hand instinctively reaching up to cup Peter's cheek. When he kisses Peter, it's everything he wants it to me. A sweet mixture of longing and affection that leaves him feeling breathless but alive. They pull away, their eyes meet once more and Harry doesn't know how he held off so long because Peter looks so happy. If he knew that Peter would look at him like that before, he would have said yes years ago.

With a smile, Harry leans in for another kiss; this time more confident and eager, knowing that Peter has him, and he's content. It's easier here than it was when Peter kissed him in front of the paparazzi. For a moment, one night now which will lead to many more, Harry is allowed to enjoy something for himself as himself.

Peter shifts around and then he's easily picking Harry up. Harry responds with a surprised noise and Peter is pulling his head away to give him a look, "this is good, yeah?"

Harry nods, out of breath and just happy to be here, "yeah." He interlocks his fingers behind Peter's neck and holds himself closer than Peter originally had him. Their coffee goes cold but even so high up on a February evening, Harry is warm.

The End.

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Word count: 6116