If I Could Say I Love You

First Chapter

Harley Keener Stark let out a sigh as he wandered down the hallway of Avengers Towers. He usually did this, finding it comforting to listen to the machines at work, people doing things. Harley was probably smarter than they were, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy walking around the halls.

It was one of those instances Harley could walk around alone, unaccompanied by bodyguards that his father insisted he have. Harley could see where Tony was coming from, but Harley absolutely hated someone following him around all day long.

Harley stopped when he came to a window, peering into the intern's work space. They were huddled around a teenager who was writing fast on a white board. Harley was shocked at the complex equations the teen was able to write. Harley only knew a few people who could do that: him, his father, Reed Richards, and Bruce Banner.

Harley was curious as to who this mysterious teen was, his curiosity getting the better of him as he just stared at the teenager who turned around.

Harley could feel his cheeks start to burn as he realized how cute the teenager was. The boy had soft brown curls that stopped to reveal his doe brown eyes. He had an awkward but kind smile as the other interns congratulated him.

Smart and cute, Harley realized. He had to turn away, hoping his cheeks weren't completely red. Harley knew that the boy wouldn't love him for who he was, instead loving his last name. But Harley couldn't help but imagine, wondering what it would be like if that kid was gay.

Harley turned to walk down the hall, keeping his head down in case his cheeks were still blushing. But Harley got the chest of someone, stumbling back a little. Harley looked up to see the adorable for brown eyes of that boy in the room.

The boy smiled at Harley kindly, making Harley's cheeks light on fire. The teenager didn't seem to notice, instead putting out his hand for Harley to shake. "Hey, I'm Peter Parker, who are you?"

"Uhh... Harley Keener," The boy said, avoiding saying his last name. Maybe Harley could make his fantasy come true, maybe he could get a friend out of Peter. Harley grabbed Peter's hand, a tingling stretching from his hand to his beating too fast heart, and shook it.

"I'll see you around, Harley," Peter smiled again walking away, back down the hall, leaving the blushing Harley who couldn't seem to breathe despite his rather desperate attempts at the process.

"Do you feel well, Mister Harley?" FRIDAY asked, her voice ringing in the now quiet hallway. Harley was still frozen in place, his cheeks only calming down enough to be a pink color. But a funny smile stretched on Harley's face, his memory floating back to his encounter.

"I think I have my first crush, FRIDAY," Harley whispered, swaying down the hallway as his new found love made him feel weird. He felt light than air, but still grounded. He felt like was in a fantasy, but the details of reality were really vivid. He felt like anything could happen, and he felt invincible. In short, Harley felt like he was in love.

****

Peter wasn't crushing as hard, but he could definitely say he had a mile interest in that Harley character. But Peter had other things to worry about, not having time for silly crushes that would never work.

After losing his entire family in different accidents, Peter gave up on family. After his best friend, Gwen Stacey, died at the hands of his other friend, Harry Osborn, Peter gave up on friendship. And Peter gave up on love the first day he met Skip Westcott.

When Peter's family died, Skip Westcott was the man to adopt five year old Peter. But Skip abused Peter in all manners, and even raped him more than once. Peter had only just gotten out of that toxic relationship, now living at an orphanage.

But, Peter had gotten powers from being bit by a radioactive spider, and now was the famed superhero, Spider-Man.

Peter felt a sense of pure joy when he was Spider-Man, swinging through the hall buildings and delivering justice. Seeing the city from a new angle that no one would be able to see. Peter saw that as the best part of his life, his internship being the second.

Everything else was Hell for the arachnid. The orphanage kids and a school kid bullied him, and Peter had no friends to help him through life. The person running the orphanage neglected Peter, and paid such attention to the other kids, making Peter a little bit jealous.

It was that night that Peter was swinging through the sky, yelling with a satisfying joy at the feeling of flying. It was a shame no one could feel this way, but it also was a unique benefit to all the hero work.

Speaking of hero work, Spider-Man was able to stop a robber and save a little girl from getting hit by a car. So it was a decent day at work for Peter, from the internship to this.

Looking back at the internship, Peter couldn't help but think about that boy he had met. The teenager was pretty cute, and it was funny how his cheeks were always red, a unique feature that made him better looking, if that was even possible.

But Peter pushed away the thoughts as he changed into his night clothes, knowing that any relationship he would ever have was doomed to fail. Even if it would be a sweet relationship, it would eventually end in their huge break up or his death. Or maybe Harley wasn't even gay.

Peter sighed, rubbing his arm as he laid on the ground, wrapping his small blanket around him, wishing he could start a fire or something in the small, closer sized room that thankfully had a window for his later identities escapes.