It Happens to the Best of Us

14: Varnor, Hazelnuts and Italian Mobsters

"Oh, I-hi." Peter stutters, the other boy standing bare-chested in the doorway, his shirt in his hand.

"Hey, Peter. What's up?"

How is he so...chill? That's not fair...

Grow up.

"Ummm..."

Harley smiles, understandingly. "Here, come in." He opens the door wider, stepping to the side.

Peter walks in, seeing that his room had the same dimensions as his, but looked so much different. The spider sits down on his bed.

"I've heard a lot about you," the taller boy says, his voice straining a little as he pulls on a faded spiderman shirt. Peter smiles internally.

That's...kind of adorable.

"All good things, I hope?"

"Are there any bad?" Harley smirks.

Is it just me or is he trying a little too hard to be suave?

"Oh, plenty."

"I find that hard to believe."

"You'd be surprised..."

Harley's face begins to show pity.

Back at it again, making people feel ba-

Shut the fuck up. I'm busy.

"Anyway, what's your story?" Peter asks, changing the subject.

Harley plops down on his side, resting his head on his hand and tucking a curly sprig of hair behind his ear. His eyes snap back to Peter's, sending shivers down his back.

"Well," he puffs up his cheeks and blows, looking up at the ceiling as if it would tell him where to start.

"I met Mr. Stark when I was ten, back in 2012. Remember when his house blew up, and he went off the grid?"

Peter nods.

"Well, he was in Tennessee. In my garage. God, he was an asshole," he chuckles.

"But, you know, he was also a mess. Anxiety and PTSD up the wazoo."

Harley stares at the purple paisleys on his sheets thoughtfully.

"I think that's when I first appreciated how brilliant the man was, even without all his fancy toys.

It's interesting. He treats you like a son-something, I'm sure, hasn't escaped your attention. He did so with me as well, but he was much....colder. It was sort of a tough love situation. He showed me his lack of tolerance, and I shielded myself.

Had I not been used to middle-aged men abandoning me, I probably would have been seriously wounded by his absence."

Peter's eyebrows furrow.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I've had a bit of trouble in the father figure department myself," he murmurs.

"That sucks. What happened?"

"Both of them ended up dead. It would seem Tony's a bit of a ticking bomb."

Harley scoots over and puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, he's always been that way. The only difference is that since the surgery, at least we know he won't go thermonuclear."

Peter giggles, shivering a little as the older teen removes his hand.

"You good? You seem cold."

"That's kind of why I came-not that I don't find you interesting and incredibly seehhhhImeanintelligent, I was just wondering if I could borrow a jacket or something-I've already stolen all of Mr. Stark's."