Peter ran.

He ran towards where Harry had walked off to. There were still a few people wondering about in the streets at this time of the evening. He looked around, trying to spot the familiar set of blond hair. But Harry was nowhere in sight. Where had he gone off to? Peter combed his hair with his fingers in frustration. It was as if Harry simply vanished into thin air.

Peter had so many questions running through his head. What the hell did the text mean? Dont see him again? It didn't sound like a warning, not with the please at the end. It also didn't sound as if Harry was trying to be patronizing or rude. Could it be possible that Harry was...jealous? Perhaps that Harry didn't want Harry to see anyone other than himself.

Peter groaned into his hands.

He couldn't get his hopes up like this.

Harry pulled out his phone to call Harry, but his phone rang at that precise moment. For a fraction of a second, he got excited, thinking it was Harry, but it was Adrian. Peter wasn't sure whether to pick up or not. Not only did he need to talk tp Harry, but he was still very, very bitter about the night's event. Yet, curiosity got the best of him, and he wanted to hear what Adrian had to say.

"What do you want," Peter answered bitterly, surprising himself with his own voice.

"Peter, I'm so sorry, I got a phone call that my grandmother had an accident and was being sent to the hospital on an ambulance. I know I should've explained to you but I wasn't thinking and I just rushed out, and I'm so, so, sorry. I know I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry-"

"Is she OK?" Peter blurted out. This was not what he had been expecting to hear.

"Yeah, we managed to get her to the hospital on time. I'm going to have to stay with her for a few days though. But...can we see each other again afterwards?"

"Yeah, uh, of course. Um, take good care of her and...if there's anything I can do for you, let me know," Peter answered, slowly registering the information. So Adrian hadn't bailed on him. Adrian's grandmother was ill and he had run to be there for her. Peter sighed softly as he hung up. A strong sense of relief washed over him as he lowered his arm.

Adrian and he weren't over. Adrian still wanted to see him. So why wasn't he jumping up and down in excitement?

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Harry was lying down with his face buried into his pillow. Why couldn't he have just gone straight home, straight to bed without sending that text? What was he thinking? Actually, why did he even type that up in the first place? He hated the thought of Peter seeing that asshole again, because really, the fucker had no right to toy with Peter when he had a wife waiting for him at home.

But he knew there was something deeper than that. Even before he knew that Adrian was a scumbag, he didn't like the idea of the two together. And he wasn't stupid enough to not recognize the reason why.

And that scared him. The very notion that he might have feelings for Peter scared him. He wasn't supposed to get attached to anyone. He dated models, but that was strictly physical. He assumed that's what rich guys like him were supposed to do. Date super hot women and be photographed with them.

But Peter. Peter was something else. Peter was an intern. An intern with a genuine and goofy smile. With long limbs that were undoubtedly masculine. And he knew that being emotionally attached to Peter was bad news for someone like him. He was the newly appointed CEO of one of the biggest corporations in the world. He had responsibilities. He was kept under constant surveillance, both by the people who wanted to protect him and those who wanted to bring him down.

He couldn't bring Peter into his world. His world was ugly, full of lies and betrayal. Peter's world was filled with all the light the world had to offer.

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Days later, Peter found himself grabbing coffee with Adrian. Something seemed slightly off about the older man, but Peter chalked it up to his grandma's health.

"I'm so sorry for that night."

"It's OK. I understand. How is she?"

"She's doing much better."

"That's good. You and your grandma must be quite close."

"Yeah. She's a great lady. So, how have you been? Missed me?"

Peter laughed nervously. He was a horrible liar and he knew it, so he was going to have to change the subject quickly.

"I've been good. You must be busy catching up on work."

"Luckily, my boss has been understanding. So, why don't we grab lunch while we're together? My treat."

"Shouldn't you be with your grandma?"

"She's stable now, and plus, I've been dying to see you," Adrian replied with a sweet smile as he took Peter's hand. Peter looked down at their joined hands and swallowed hard. He didn't know what it was, but something didn't seem right about their touch. He should be happy that Adrian was still so into him, so why...?

They ended up dining at a local Italian restaurant. Peter shifted in his seat as he listened to Adrian talk about his recent trip to Italy and a wonderful little restaurant he had stumbled across while there. Peter found it odd that Adrian continued to avoid the topic of his grandmother, but he guessed it was still a sensitive subject.

"So what about you? Busy interning?"

"Yeah...I guess so."

"Is something wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You just seem really distracted."

"No, just, tired, I guess."

"Hey," Adrian reached out to hold Peter's hand. Peter tried not to flinch under the touch. What was with him today? "I'm sorry about that night, Peter. I shouldn't have done that. Can you forgive me?" the blond man continued, planting a quick kiss to Peter's knuckles. It was a sweet gesture, but oddly unsettling.

Peter forced a smile and nodded slowly, not trusting his voice. He felt so petty. Here his sort-of-boyfriend was, recently having had to deal with his ill grandmother, but right now, all Peter could focus on was a nagging sensation in his gut that told him something wasn't right. And then there was Harry. He should be talking to Harry and not Adrian, but Harry hadn't been returning any of his texts or calls.

"So I was thinking, why don't we hang out at my place tonight?" Adrian asked, breaking Peter's train of thoughts. Peter swallowed hard. Hang out at Adrian's place? In his apartment? Just the two of them? He, as a hot-blooded teen, should be thrilled with the idea, so why was he so reluctant?

"At your place?"

"Yeah, we can watch a movie, fix up some popcorn. How does that sound?"

"How about next time? I promised I'd help Aunt May with some stuff," Peter lied before he could stop himself.

"Alright, next time then."

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Harry couldn't handle it.

He couldn't just run away from Peter's texts and calls forever, because he really missed Peter. He missed their movie nights, their trips to the best hidden dining spots in New York and their silly discussions. He needed those moments back. His company, more specifically, his board of directors and lawyers, had been constantly on his ass for the last week, and he was on the brink of insanity.

He knew being the CEO of Oscorp was bound to be difficult, but he wasn't ready for this constant stress. He had just found out about a group of people within the company doing their best to pin the recent string of accidents in the basement labs on him. His brain was already hurting from all the potential lawsuits from those injured, but now this? He didn't know who to trust, and his constant need to doubt and question everything and everyone around him was gnawing at his emotional stability.

All the physical and mental stress was taking its toll. Harry's hands shook a lot more often now. He was experiencing the worst case of insomnia of his life. The bags under his eyes weren't going anywhere, and his stomach was having a difficult time digesting anything. No amount of painkillers were numbing the dull throbbing in his head, and he knew he was growing increasingly erratic and emotional.

So he did what he had to do to fix this problem. He called Peter. It was already past midnight, but he needed to hear Peter's voice. Harry gnawed at his lower lip, waiting for the other to pick up. After too many rings, Peter's sleepy voice answered.

"...Hello?"

"Pete...it's me"

"Hey Harry...what time is it?"

"...Late? I don't know, I've been up all night...I need to see you," Harry answered honestly. His voice was hoarse, lifeless.

"You alright?"

"Not really, Pete...I need you..." he breathed, shutting his eyes. He was so alone in this overly spacious office, and Peter's voice alone was enough to just curl up somewhere and cry. He couldn't even pretend to be strong right now. He didn't have the energy to act as if he was OK.

"Where are you, Harry?"

Harry blinked and looked around. He couldn't tell Peter that he was in the CEO's office, and he couldn't direct Peter to his mansion.

"I...I'll go to your place."

"Harry, you don't sound so good. I'll go where you are, alright? Just tell me where you are."

"No...just...I'll be right there."

Harry hung up and stood up from his chair, but that had been a bad idea. His head spun, and he found himself toppling over, taking the content on his desk with him. He remained still on the ground, groaning in pain and waiting for the world to stop spinning. Eventually, he was back on his feet, making his way out the office.

When he arrived at Peter's place, Peter was already standing outside, fidgeting and pacing around.

"Harry!" Peter nearly yelled as he spotted Harry stumbling towards him. He rushed towards Harry's side and held him in place.

"What happened to you! You're bleeding!"

Harry hadn't realized that he was bleeding until he followed Peter's gaze and touched an area of dried blood on his forehead. He must have banged it against something during his fall.

"I must've hit it somewhere..."

"Harry, you look...terrible. What the hell happened. You need to see a doctor."

"I...I just needed to see you..talk to you."

"And I'm right here, but can we go to the hospital first?"

"No, I'm alright. Just..."

"OK, Harry. Here, let's go inside."

"No, I don't want to go inside."

"You need to sit down. Aunt May's sleeping so she doesn't have to know you're here. Come on, let's go."

Harry nodded and let himself be dragged inside by Peter.

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