It all felt like a nightmare, only in the flesh, it was painfully skin deep.
The Osborn Curse - his obsessive and neglectful shit of a Dad called it.
Harry could feel it not too long after his Dad's death and the symptoms showed shortly upon taking the reigns as Oscorp's new CEO...which wasn't as glorious as he thought. Sitting despondently in his office, he thought of nothing but hope...support.
He thought of the only person who could help him, his boyhood friend Peter Parker.
Peter was currently swinging his way through the streets of New York, looking for crime.
He swung past Oscorp, seeing Harry inside. He stopped on a nearby building and sighed, looking towards the building.
He missed Harry, sad that life had pulled them apart. It sucked and then there was the fact that he had been the bane of Goblin's existence.
He was just glad that Harry didn't know. He just wished they could talk more often.
Harry's skin pale white, eyes bloodshot, the sickening turmoil coursing through his veins almost struck a mental chord about to snap.
He always swore from the first day his father sent him away to the minute he took office-he would never end up like him.
The one wish he wanted for the most was a chance at life, at not being the underestimated weakling everyone perceived him to be.
Looking at his mobile phone, he held a hand over it, wanting to jerk away but unable to.
Catching a glance of himself on a wall mirror, it reminded him that he was losing it day by day, he needed to fight it but couldn't overcome his inner demon alone.
He dialed the number of the sole person he trusted at this point.
Heart beating at a drum's pace as he waited to hear his friend's voice.
Harry tapped his fingers in time to reach ring. He wanted to hear his friend's voice if nothing else.
Peter got the call and went to a more hidden area to check it. It was Harry.
He was very surprised to see that he had called. He took off his mask and answered.
"Hello? This is Pete." he said, leaning against a pipe. "Is this Harry?" he asked formally.
"Hey Pete...how're you?" Harry couldn't help but smile while it hurt to do so but Peter always had such a beautiful voice.
His first time back in the Big Apple, he was taken not by how he changed personally but grew up handsome.
"Hey, Harry. I'm good. What about you?" he asked, looking around him in case he needed to pull his mask down again.
"It's been awhile." he said softly.
"A bit under the weather.." which was an understatement. He was nervous he'd puke if he saw his own reflection again.
"It's been way too long," he agreed and then the urge pushed him to ask the question.
"What're you doing tomorrow? I'd really like to catch up with you."
"Oh I'm sorry! Is it bad enough to need a doctor?" He asked.
"I'm free tomorrow. What do you want to do?" He asked brightly, sounded excited to talk to Harry again.
"No, no. Just been tired a lot. How about we have lunch, chill around town..." he always cherished the time he spent with Peter when they were kids and was interested to see how the years have changed him.
"Are you sure? The way you talked about it.." He sounded worried, but cut himself off. "Lunch sounds good. I'll just need to work or something," he said.
"I'm totally sure," Harry answered not wanting to give Peter any impression of casting doubts. "Text me when you're free, see ya tomorrow Pete."
Ending the call, Harry ran his fingers through his blonde hair, he wanted so much to get out of the hellish existence he was living. What felt like a migraine bounced around with the force of a basketball in his head.
He couldn't make it through the rest of the day. Paging his secretary Felicia, he cancelled his following appointments and called his limo driver to take him home. Not that sleep would do him much good, but he didn't want to be conscious of his situation for a few hours.
"Okay, if you say so," he said, still sounding worried. "I will text you when I wake up." He said. He put his phone away after Harry hung up and pulled his mask back on before going to the top of Oscorp to look for any crime. He sighed softly, beginning to search.
He ended up deciding to go to work at tutoring to get some extra cash for the next day. Knowing Harry, the place might be somewhat expensive. He smiled to himself, just happy to know that he would be seeing his childhood best friend again.
On the ride back to his mansion, Harry read the recent NYT bulletins. Another heroic deed performed by the anonymous Spider-Man. His right eyebrow raised and lips squirmed, Harry was intrigued perhaps more than he should by this strange daredevil of a hero.
Entering his house, he put the thought out of his head as he retired to his room, the only thought keeping him from breaking the furniture, seeing his best friend tomorrow.