Okay, so I may have taken a very long break from this fic. Oops. Sorry about that hehe. I am back now, having re-read it and fallen in love with it again. Hopefully I should be updating regularly, but don't quote me on that. Anyway, on with the story....
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Peter woke up feeling significantly better than before. His head felt kind of fuzzy, but it was a usual side effect of taking such strong pain medication, so he paid it no mind. He stretched his arms above his head and noticed he was alone. He couldn't help the small spike of anxiety shooting through his gut at the thought of Harley slipping away when he was asleep. Maybe he had done something to make him want to leave?
He sighed and pushed himself up from the bed. To his left, he noticed a glass of water and a muffin, accompanied by a note. It read, 'I thought this might make you feel a little better when you wake up. There's a video of you getting whacked by Captain America circulating the news, so I'll probably be attempting to contain Tony's rage by the time you read this'.
Peter immediately blanched at the thought. Tension was already high between the rogues and Mr Stark, and the last thing Peter wanted to do was make things worse for everyone involved. Even if Captain America was turning out to be a huge asshole.
He quickly scrambled into his bathroom after having inhaled the muffin to make sure the bruise on his jaw had healed before he left his room. It would look too suspicious if an Avenger had punched Spider-Man and Peter magically appeared with a bruise in the exact same place. Thankfully, his healing factor had cleared it up pretty quickly and there was no noticeable mark on his face.
Peter anxiously walked through the hallways towards the elevator, where he politely asked FRIDAY to take him to the lab. Tony was sure to be there, hopefully not tearing apart America's sweetheart for hurting Spider-Man. But of course, things never went how Peter wanted them to. He quickly stepped out of the lift into the lab and was greeted with some very angry faces.
The first thing he registered was that the number of Avengers in the room was unnaturally high. The Black Widow was leaning against one of the workbenches towards the edge of the room, looking scarily calm. Her eyes had immediately flicked to Peter when he entered the room but she remained impassive. For some reason, he would have preferred a reaction from her because the eerie neutrality she seemed to have adapted made her extremely difficult to read.
The Falcon was stood besides Hawkeye near the center of the lab. They were stood with their arms crossed, making them seem quite large and menacing. Peter didn't know if it was intended as an intimidation tack-tick, but it was definitely working if it was. They had stern looks adorning their faces and Peter definitely did not want to be on the receiving end of their stares. They were lingering behind Captain America, who was stood face to face with Mr Stark. Harley was stood to the side, scowling and watching the scene unfold. He seemed ready to intervene and for a moment Peter's heart warmed at the thought of Harley being protective over Mr Stark.
Once his brain had caught up to what he was seeing, his stomach began tying itself in knots. Many of the eyes in the room had turned to him and he tried his best not to curl in on himself. For a moment, no one moved, and Peter thought dreadfully that the awful silence would last forever. Then, Mr Stark seemed to snap out of his daze and he rushed over to Peter.
Before he knew what was happening, Mr Stark had dragged both Harley and Peter into the elevator and was stepping into it himself.
Captain America looked even more angry and began thundering towards them.
"Where do you think you're going, Stark? We aren't finished here." He said in a cold tone. Mr Stark didn't appear to be listening and quietly asked FRIDAY to close the doors of the elevator. Once they had closed and the lift began to move, Peter heard him let out a frustrated sigh. Mr Stark turned to him then and tilted his chin with his hand. The contact made Peter jump a little, but no one took any mind. Once he seemed satisfied that Peter was unharmed, he dropped his chin and span around.
"I-" Peter didn't know what to say, "What's going on?" He questioned. He understood, to a certain level, that this was probably about Spider-Man and his interaction with the rogues in the previous battle, but he didn't know what had transpired while he was asleep. Mr Stark didn't respond, instead pinching his brow and turning his face to the ceiling. Peter rarely saw him this openly stressed as the man would usually hide it under sarcastic comments and excuses, so it set Peter extremely on edge. This was obviously more serious than he had previously assumed.
Harley began explaining in Tony's stead, probably understanding the older man needed to gather his thoughts at this moment. "Captain Dickhead wants to put out an arrest warrant for Spider-Man. And not a normal one; a SHIELD level warrant, meaning he basically wants the Avengers to hunt you down and capture you, like a fucking animal." Harley said with frustration very clear in his voice.
Peter paled at the thought.
He allowed himself a couple seconds to let the information sink in. The first thing he realized is that it hurt. His childhood heroes thought of him as a threat. They believed him to be dangerous- someone deserving of being hunted and locked away. Had he really failed his duties so badly that people thought he was a villain? He would never hurt anyone. He didn't even hurt the bad guys he webbed up. He always used minimal force and non lethal weaponry. The next thing he felt was anger.
Who the hell did the rogue Avengers think they were? Demanding his arrest? Storming in and acting like they know what's best, after the broke the law and became fugitives? Peter accidentally let out a scoff, and Tony hummed in agreement.
"I told them," Tony said with quiet rage, "That Spider-Man was under my advisement. I told them that you're harmless, that you're looking out for the little guy. You help old ladies cross the road for god's sake! And they still believe you to be a threat. They need their fucking psyche's checked." He began cascading his hand through his hair. They had long since reached Tony's private level, but they remained in the elevator. Peter had a sneaking suspicion that this was to prevent the rogues from calling it back to the lab and following them.
The three of them stood in silence for a couple moments longer before Tony ushered them out of the elevator. Peter had an extremely bad feeling settling in his chest, and the look on Mr Stark's face was not helping.
He blew out a breath and wiped a hand down his face while turning back to Peter. "Alright kid. You are gonna hate me, but this is for your own good. No more Spider-Man till this blows over." Tony said, his tone leaving no room for argument. Peter felt like the air had been knocked out of him as he gaped at his mentor.
"Are you kidding me?" He practically yelled, "No! No way! People need me- People need Spider-Man! I'm not just going to cower away because the rogues think they have the right to arrest me. They aren't the law- even if they were, I evade police officers all the time! You can't take away Spider-Man." Peter glanced desperately at Harley, hoping to be met with some kind of support. Instead he saw him smiling sadly back at him. Peter's breathing had sped up considerably and he was close to begging at this point.
Mr Stark put his hand on Peter's shoulder, effectively grounding him. He looked desperately at the man in front of him and shoot his head softly.
"Please," Peter whispered, "Don't do this."
"I'm sorry Pete." Tony replied, looking more genuine than Peter had ever seen him. He could tell that Mr Stark didn't want to do this. He knew how much Spider-Man meant to Peter and he knew the guilt complex the boy had often rivaled his own.
Tony let go of him and walked away, leaving the two boys by the elevator.
Peter was too flabbergasted to move, still feeling like his body hadn't quite caught up to his brain. He felt a hand slip into his own and the warmth grounded him. He looked towards Harley who towered over him. The blond gently guided Peter back into the elevator and took them back to Peter's room. On any other occasion, Peter's heart would be palpitating at the prospect of Harley holding his hand and being so close to him, but he was struggling to feel excited about anything at the moment.
"Come on, Peter." Harley said softly, pulling him towards the bed. Peter followed silently and sat down next to him. Their thighs touched, and Harley's body head seeped into Peter's skin.
"He can't make me stop being Spider-Man, Harley." Peter said quietly.
Harley sighed and wrapped his arms around the brunette's waist. "I don't think you have any choice darlin'. Stopping muggings is one thing, but having the Avengers coming after you? It's too dangerous. He doesn't want to see you get hurt. I don't want to see you get hurt." Harley whispered into the cold air of the room.
Peter's hands turned to fists in his lap as he felt anger course through his veins. How dare these people come barging into his life and strip away the one thing that meant the most to him.
"You can't stop me, Harls." He whispered. It made the tension in the room thick. Harley had tensed at Peter's words, and Peter wasn't surprised. It was the closest he had ever come to making a threat in his life. He was blinded by the emotions surging through his brain, and he stood up abruptly. Harley also stood, looking extremely nervous. The sight make Peter's heart ache and he felt a deep shame curl in his belly for causing him to feel that way.
"Peter, you need to calm down and listen to me," Harley said clearly, "I don't know what you're thinking right now, but I need you to remember that all Mr Stark and I want is to keep you safe. The Avengers coming at you full force is pretty fuckin' not safe if you ask me. So you just need to lay low for a little while so we can convince them you're not a threat. Okay?" Harley had placed his hands on Peter's shoulders while he was speaking, probably to make sure he didn't physically run away.
Peter took a staggered breath and nodded, looking Harley straight in the eye. What the older boy was saying was true, and Peter wasn't too stubborn to admit it (in his head, he wouldn't admit it out loud). He nodded, and Harley visibly deflated, leaning closer to Peter.
It was in this moment that Peter realized the position they were in. One of Harley's hands gradually moved and rested on his cheek- which had gone very noticeably pink. He could feel Harley's exhales brushing against his lips and his heart began to gallop. They were stood so close together, and the tension in the room had risen, this time for an entirely different reason. Harley was looking down at Peter, slightly towering over him, but not in an intimidating sort of way. Peter could only think about the light pressure of Harley's palm on his skin, and how the older boy seemed to be leaning closer and closer to him.
Peter licked his lips unconsciously, and Harley's gaze immediately flicked to his mouth. Peter felt a bolt of electricity shoot through his body as he saw Harley's eyes darken. All thoughts of Spider-Man and the Avengers had long since left his brain. All he could focus on was the man in front of him.
Harley leaned down torturously slowly and Peter's eyes fluttered shut as he felt lips touch his own. The kiss was so gentle, Peter thought he might've imagined it. He strongly disliked the idea that this moment was a figment of his imagination, so he leaned forwards and pressed his lips more strongly into the kiss. Harley responded straight away, latching one of his hands onto Peter's waist and pulling him closer. He made an embarrassing sound and he felt the corners of Harley's moth tilt upwards into a smile.
The next thing he knew Harley was guiding his face back, allowing him to kiss Peter more deeply. Peter's head was spinning. No amount of web slinging had ever made him this dizzy. Nothing could wipe away his thoughts like the feeling of Harley's mouth pressed against his own.
After another moment, he felt Harley begin to pull away. He almost whined, and was tempted to chase him back and reattach their lips, but he refrained himself. They parted, and Peter's eyes remained closed for a second before he opened them.
Harley was smiling at him so gently that he couldn't help but smile back. Some wisps of blond hair had fallen in front of his eyes, making him look disheveled and beautiful. Peter couldn't look away even if he wanted to. He was silent in taking in this moment, committing it to his memory so deeply that he would never forget it.
"If I'd have known all it took to make you stop talking was to kiss you, I would've done it a long time ago." Harley teased, laughing softly at Peter's shock.
Peter attempted to look offended, but the grin on his face was difficult to suppress. They both laughed and neither pulled away. They enjoyed being close to each other and felt no need to separate. It felt like they understood one another, and Peter had never felt that way with anyone before. Not like with Harley.
They fell into easy, hushed conversation after that. Neither mentioned the Spider-Man situation, which was probably for the best. They talked about where in New York they could go and how different city life was compared to Harley's home back in Tennessee. Peter didn't even realize when he fell asleep, shoulder to shoulder with the taller boy, both laid on Peter's bed.
Harley made him feel a scary sense of safe and belonging. Peter didn't want to latch onto it, but he found it very difficult not to. Parker luck ensured that the people he loved never stayed in his life for very long, and he didn't want to think about the prospect of loosing Harley. It made his chest feel tight.
So he remained drifting, laid next to the boy he liked, wondering how he could save himself from heartbreak and carry on his duty to the people as Spider-Man. It was because of these exhausting thoughts, that Peter fell into an uneasy sleep, his mind still quietly whirring about the events of today.
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Tadaaaa, I hope you enjoyed this one! I have decided that as much as I do love Captain America, someone has to cause some angst in this fic, and unfortunately, that responsibility has fallen on good old Stevie's shoulders. So, sorry to Team Cap. I might redeem him later IDK.
Again, I'm sorry I kinda abandoned this fic for a while, I promise I'm back now. I'm also on AO3 now too, if you wanna check that out (under the same name).
Love y'all, drink water, get lots of sleep, stay healthy! <3