Frenemy of Spider-Man (3/3 Y/N Stark's story)

Part 32

~7th March~

It took Coulson around forty minutes to ask you everything he wanted and you managed to answer it all the best you could. What really seemed to piss him off was that he hadn't had a clue that someone had made their way into the base. Once you explained that you had found a way to hide almost every trace and every alarm, he mumbled something about you being too much like your mom. Which he would know, having been her SO and all.

Now, at 9.34, you were making your way to the right side of the palace to meet with Mr. Man. You planned to find a sandwich or something since you have only eaten breakfast today and that was at the hospital.

Maybe you could get something to drink to since Coulson interrupted your search for water. All of those thoughts stopped when you felt someone's gaze on you.

You spun around, landing face to face with the now slightly breathless Harley, who seemed like he had been running to catch up with you.

"Deep breaths." you commented teasingly and he smiled, though it was halfheartedly. "What's up?"

"I- uh. I know that you're going through a lot right now and that I am so selfish for even thinking about this right now-" he started but you shook your head.

"You're a teenager who just came back from a mission where nine of your people died, I think you're allowed to be a little selfish. So, what did you want to say?" you asked, despite having a feeling that you already knew the answer to that question.

"It's about the kiss." he started, a small smile forming on his lips at the memory and it was hard not to blush. "I just want to know if it was the in-the-moment-of-rush kind of thing, or if it was an I-kind-of-like-you kind of kiss." he explained and you nodded, trying to think.

"Wow... just give me a moment to get my thoughts together." you said and he nodded, fear of rejection evident in his eyes. "It's hard to explain. Because I never would have taken that first step if it weren't for the heat in the moment." you explained and hope slowly escaped his eyes.

"But I never would have kissed anyone if I didn't have feelings for them. I can't say what kind of feelings I have for you because I don't have any experience, but I feel something for you. But there is a lot on my plate right now and I don't know if I can be a normal teenager with you. I guess what I'm asking of you is for you to be-" you started, but he cut you off with a soft smile.

"Patient. I can be that. I will be waiting for when you're ready. Until then, I will remain what I have been since day one, there for you." he said and relief washed over you. You brought him in for a tight embrace and he rested his head on your shoulder. It was quite cozy until his entire body froze.

"What's wrong?" you asked, slowly backing away, just as he carefully brought forward a strand of hair, the strand of hair. "I can explain." you hurried to say and he frowned.

"Please do." was all he said and you looked between him and your watch.

"I promise, I will. But I have a meeting." you said and he didn't look very pleased. "I will explain to you- uh... how about this, meet me in my room at 11 pm, I will tell you the whole story, I swear." you said and the frown remained, but he nodded anyway. "Thank you."

***

"Mr. Man, fellas." you greeted as you entered the right room. You hurried over and took a seat by the table, on the opposite side of Mr. Man and his two guards. The same guards as the last meeting with him. "I was told you wanted to speak to me, sorry I couldn't do so earlier, busy schedule." you continued politely and he nodded grimly.

"I can imagine." he said and your face contorted in confusion.

"Please, explain."

"I went to speak to you over a matter when I heard that you and nineteen of your men had gone away. I then heard that you guys were back, but apparently, you were in the hospital." he said and you nodded slowly, thinking of how to tell him everything without telling him everything.

You couldn't tell him that you broke into a Hydra base that you knew had been taken from him. You couldn't tell him that you kind of stole the reality stone from him and that this alliance was pretty much pointless now.

"Well. We had heard a rumor that Thanos was in Romania and the best option at the time was to take a smaller army with us and sneak up on him. Since it was such a delicate matter, we could only bring people we trusted completely, which did not include you or your men for obvious reasons. Many of the soldiers who got there were hurt or killed, but the majority of the group is alive." you explained, not telling him that you had been the one to get the worst damage. What interested you was the panic in his eyes when you mentioned Romania. Maybe he knew what Thanos had been there for.

"You met Thanos?" he asked, instead of putting words to his concerns - probably to not seem weak - and you nodded slowly, confused by the excitement in his voice. "I never met him in person, only over calls. Would you mind describing him for me?"

"Maybe another time. Right now, I am more interested in what you wanted to speak about when you first came for me." you said and he nodded, deep in thought.

Without a second thought, he picked something up from his pocket and threw it your way. Out of pure reflex, you reached out to catch it, having to strain at your wound to do so. A grimace reached your face and he picked up on it instantly.

"What was it that happened to you during the mission?" he asked and you sighed.

"Got shot... it was only in the kidney so nothing too bad." you explained as you held up the small thing he threw at you, trying to figure out what it is. Mr. Man waited impatiently as you eyed it. "What is it?" you finally asked and he sighed.

"My team had an idea of how to steal the stones, this was the outcome. But they haven't been able to perfect it and I was wondering if you could check it out yourself." he said and you gave it another look, before pocketing it.

"Will do. You can send any notes your scientist has to the lab." you said and he nodded.

"Good. If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to." he said, making a sign for his guards to follow as he left the room. Probably to check in with the facility to see if the stone was still there. How long would it take for him to realize that the facility was overrun and that the stone was gone? Would he blame you immediately, or would his thoughts go to Thanos first?

Either way, the alliance was about to break.

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