Title: Trouble By Design
Rated T for mild swearing and probably violence later on, because honestly, people swear more casually than any of us like to admit… (save for those people who swear as often as they can to prove they're "something else" that is)
Disclaimer: lol, like I have the skills to own any part of spiderman.
"No turning back, no where to run, nowhere to hide"
(Psssst. I find this lyric perfect for this chapter, as Ada can't escape from the shopping date, even better is the lyrics have all been in order so far haha!)
"Harry," he glanced at me, "must I shop? Please let me leave my personal hell!" I pleaded for my escape, but Harry just laughed, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the mall's motion activated doors.
"Nope," I struggled against the skinny boy but he was surprisingly strong, "I told you I'd take you shopping, what better way than to make it another date?"
"You're the absolute worst, you know that right?" He laughed at my antics, and I gave up trying to escape, instead opting to walk next to him, leaning subtlety into him, our hands still clasped.
"I wouldn't be a rich kid if I wasn't the worst right?" I groaned and he led me to a fancy ass looking store, I whimpered, "what?" He stood to ask me.
"It's looks so expensive, like if I breathed the wrong way I could be in debt for thirty years Har, how about no?" I tried to hold firm.
"Ada, stop fussing, we're just trying clothes, you don't need to buy anything," he coaxed.
"Well then I won't buy anything it'll be a waste of time, so instead let's go to goodwill, I can buy like, 20 sweaters for $50 instead of the one sock, not even a pair, that I would get in there with it, please?" I was adamant in my pleading.
"Don't worry about any of the cost, it's my treat," my draw dropped, nu'uh was I gonna let him pay for expensive ass clothing for me!
"No, I'll pay for my own clothes!" I stated firmly.
"Your billionaire boyfriend is offering to pay for any clothes you want, take advantage of it Adeline!" He had grabbed me by my shoulders here, another way to persuade me.
"As much as I appreciate your offer, still no!" I continued.
"Oh come on, I am basically giving you money! Take it!" I rolled my eyes at him.
"I don't want your money doofus!" I screeched, and he paused, shook his head with a strange smile and a stranger laugh a few times, and then drew me into a bear hug.
"Ada you're absolutely lovely, you don't want my money and you use words like doofus," he rested his forehead on mine as I returned his hug, laughing at his exaggerated actions, "why couldn't Peter make us meet earlier" I shrugged in his grasp, not really wanting to push him away.
"Well if you weren't in Europe maybe we could've been friends earlier on," I unwrapped myself from him, conscious of the few rich people in the mall staring at us.
"Ada, I'm set in buying some clothes for you okay? And if you decide not to get anything for yourself, I'll make sure to buy you things and give them as gifts later, with the price tag still on and no gift receipt," he proposed to me and I sighed.
"Fine. If that's how you're gonna be, I'll let you get me a few things" I spat out and he pumped his arm in a yes motion and a smile lighting up on his face, "but I am NOT going in that high end of a store, take me somewhere with cheaper clothes okay?" He let out another small laugh.
"Alright, alright, we'll go to a less expensive high end store," I sighed, it was a compromise that I would eventually deal with. I nudged him.
"Lead the way my belligerent but brilliant billionaire boyfriend," I said with a grin glued on my face.
"Why would you purposefully use alliteration as such my gauche, gorgeous, great girlfriend?" I cackled rightly at his antics.
"We're terrible aren't we?" I laughed out, grinning up at him.
"Most definitely," Harry responded, grabbing my hand as per usual and leading me to the less expensive store, which turned out to be a store that looked like if I breathed the wrong way I would be in debt for ten years as opposed to thirty.
Damn rich kids.
He led me inside and I stepped in gingerly. The girl at the counter glanced at us during our entrance, a fake smile gracing her face.
"Hello, would you like any help?" We paused for a moment.
"No, we'll be fine," Harry started to walk towards a rack of clothes, pulling me along, I looked back at the cashier who seemed to have an annoyed look on her.
"Thank you for the offer though," I called back and her frown lessened, but only a bit.
Honestly, damn rich kids.
I focused my attention on Harry, who had already started looking at some clothes.
"Ada, what size are you?" He asked me, already taking things of the racks.
"Err small," I trailed off, this was not my element, at all…
"Pfft, figures, you're too short for any other size," he grinned to himself as he continued to pick out various clothes: pants, skirts, shirts, and dresses.
"Harry," I began, he halted his pursuit for a moment to give me inquisitive eyes, "could we maybe, oh I don't know, head over to the clearance section? Maybe check out what deals the store has going on? I don't really like spending an unnecessary amount of," I grabbed a price tag for a plain gray shirt, "$45 for a single shirt okay?" Harry sighed again at me, but nodded, putting a few probably more expensive things back while we headed to the clearance.
T god, honestly I don't want him to spend over a hundred dollars on me regardless.
"Here, hold these, I'll look for some more clothes," the rich boy handed me a pile of clothes from the other section before restarting his mission and grabbing clothes from the clearance section, now checking the price tag to hopefully see if it was cheap enough for my approval. In no time I was up to my chin with a variety of clothes.
"Harrrrrryy," he once again paused in his pursuit, "can I try some of this on before my arms fall off?" He laughed, finally noticing just how many clothes I had already, he grabbed half of the stack from me.
"Alright, Alright, let's head to a changing room," we walk over and the strangely attentive worker from earlier unlocks the changing room for me, I step in and place the clothes down, grabbing the ones from Harry and setting them down as well.
"Do you want me to come out for every clothing change, or only the things I'll actually let you buy?" He lets out a chuckle.
"Only the ones you'll let me buy for you, you don't want to be in here longer than necessary do you?" I laughed at him.
"You got me there," I headed into the changing room and began to strip and change into the clothes Harry had picked out for me. Surprisingly Harry had picked out some really flattering pieces, all with darker colours that went well with my abysmal hair and were reminiscent of the normal color scheme and style of my clothes. Gotta give him props, the boy definitely knew fashion that was for sure. I glanced down at a dark green ¾ sleeve length dress, it had a tighter top but flared out at the bottom to reach just below my knee, I put it on.
Dang did I look good in this!
I twirled, observing how the dress flattered my body shape despite me not being in perfect shape or model thin. I smiled at myself, who knew Harry could pick out such quality clothes? I exited the changing room and stepped out to Harry's gaze. He gave me a once over, nodding a few times as his cheeks tinted red.
"Ada, you look awesome in that, is it comfortable too?" I nodded and slightly twirled, ending up in a weird squat pose making him laugh.
"Am i a model yet?" he laughed harder,"surprisingly it's comfy, it was also a clearance dress," I smiled at him again.
"And how do you like the dress itself?" he asked me, I glanced down at the material.
"I actually like it a lot, it's simple, uncomplicated in any way, and best of all, not over $100," I grinned to him and his grin grew as well at me comment, "by the way Har, how are you so good with fashion things? If I had been here on my own I would have never picked something like this?"
"Well I spent a lot of my time in Europe with, well models, who often just really liked me for my money and would always make me go shopping with them," I made an "ah" of understanding nodding once, "I must say it's refreshing going shopping with someone who doesn't want to be anywhere near a mall," I gave him a sheepish smile.
"Glad to have helped you out, I'm gonna try a few more things on okay?" He nodded and I headed back into the changing room. The same process of trying something on, getting the approval and interrogation from Harry, then trying on something else repeated itself for a while until I finally reached the end of the stack, coming out of the changing room relieved and in my normal clothing.
"Blesssss be," I moaned, handing Harry the clothes (which did eventually include a few undergarments as well) he would buy for me and putting a bigger chunk on the return rack, "can we never do this again?" He smirked at my anguish.
"Only if I can buy you clothes as gifts without the gift receipt," I groaned loudly, "I'm kidding, we don't have to do this again, at least for awhile," we had made it to the counter where the cashier was already waiting. She dutifully rang everything up, asking the normal questions of if we found everything alright and if Harry would like the credit card receipt in the bag or handed to him (he took it and put it in his pocket before I could check the total cost with tax included). I grabbed the bag of clothes and we made our way out of the store.
"Do you have it in you to go to another few places?" Harry asked as we made our way past a few more stores, window shopping as we did so.
"No, I'm so worn out from trying everything on and I really, really don't want you to spend any more money on me okay?" He smiled offhandedly, something catching his attention.
"Ada, mind waiting here for a moment, I'm gonna go to the bathroom?" I shrugged an okay and sat down in a bench in the middle of the mall. Not paying attention as he ran back behind us. A few minutes passed and he came back over, with another bag in his hand and began to hand it to me. I stood instantly.
"Harry whatever your middle name is Osborn!" I started, he only smirked, "You did not just buy me something else did you?" He gave me the bag and I looked inside to find a wrapped up box.
"My middle name's Norman, and technically I got you something, but think of it as an early Christmas gift alright?" I sighed at him.
"You better not get me anything else okay? I already feel indebted to you for buying all of these things for me today," He made a surrendering gesture and I glared hard at him.
"Alright I won't get you anything more for a while, if only to make sure you don't hate me," I moved to grab the box out but the evil Osborn stopped me, "wait 'till you get home okay? That is going to be your Christmas gift." I sighed again, tossing it in the bag with all the the other clothes.
"Okay then, thanks for the thought, I hate you buying me things but I do appreciate it none the less," I pecked his check as a show for me gratitude.
"How about I drop you off at your home, you do seem really tired," he proposed and I vigorously nodded.
"Please and thank you, shopping always takes it out of me," he gave me a smile as he texted, who else, his driver, and we made our way to the entrance of the mall, at some point Harry grabbing the bags from me. The now familiar car was waiting out front by the time we got there and Harry put the clothes in the trunk and we got situated in the back of the car. He started up light conversation and in what felt like no time I was home again, grabbing the bag from the trunk as Harry walked me up to my front door. Before I could unlock the front door the she devil walked out, aka my just wonderful mother. I tensed and Harry instantly noticed.
"Oh Ada, you're home, I'm going to that local bar again," she paused, tilting her head in an actions similar to mine, her ratty brown hair full of knots, "actually, could you spot me some cash? I'm running low." I cringed at her, she asked me the same thing a few days ago after I gave her the extra cash from working, again.
"Not this time mom, I just gave you all my extra cash," she frowned innocently.
"But honey, then how'd you buy that bag of clothes that you're carrying right now?" she gasped, "don't tell me you just used up all the money we had left!"
"Mom, you used up all the money I had left," she was about to interrupt me again but Harry cut her to the chase, putting a hand on my shoulder in an almost possesive way.
"I actually paid for the clothes for her today, as my Christmas gift to her," mom's attention moved to him, her owl eyes cynically giving him a once over, she hadn't even noticed he was with me I guess, Harry picked up on that, and held his hand out for her to take, "I'm Harry, Adeline's boyfriend," my mom grasped his hand and gave me an eyebrow upturned.
"Her boyfriend?" we nodded, "ha I didn't think she'd ever manage to catch some guy," she leaned towards my ear, now trying to whisper but being loud enough for Harry to hear as well, "good job honey, you snagged a rich kid, use him to your advantage like I did with your father, and you'll live the good life!" I cringed even more, feeling Harry's hand dig into my shoulder a bit harder.
"That's not my definition of the good life mom, I actually like him enough not to use him and even if I could I wouldn't because no one deserves to be used," I leaned away from mom a bit and she smirked at me.
"Oh how would you know how life works, you're only what? 15?" she stated it like she knew everything and was somehow wise, the alcohol from her breath ruining the effect.
"17 actually, now get going before everyone else finishes up the booze before you right?" Her eyes grew shocked.
"They wouldn't finish the booze would they?" she sped down the stairs and walked off in the direction of the bar and I relaxed my shoulder, letting myself breathe easier. I turned to Harry.
"I'm so sorry you had to run into that, she's not really the best with people you know? And her comments were completely uncalled for and I'm really sorry okay?" I gazed up at him, not able to give him a large smile, my mom ruined that for me.
"Hey don't worry about it," he lifted my chin up so I could meet his eyes, "you're not your mother and you already warned me that she wasn't the best," I gave him a weak smile, turning away and unlocking the door and entering to door, "Ada," I turned back to Harry, "don't' be forgetting the clothes that we spent a few hours gathering," I smiled a bit stronger, grabbing them from him.
"Yeah, yeah," I set them to the side and stood in the entranceway of the door, "don't take this as any encouragement from me, but thank you, I hate shopping but shopping with you was a bit less terrible than normal, let's still not do it again," he chuckled and kissed my forehead.
"Got it, now go take a nap," I nodded and we parted after a bye, I made sure to watch as he got back into the car before it sped off.
Well that was eventful.
~Fin
ExTRA, 3rd with Harry
He didn't know when he realized how he felt about Adeline. Maybe it was when she said she didn't want his money? Maybe it was how she posed ridiculously unlike any other girl he had been with when trying on clothes? Maybe it had been when she genuinely didn't want to use his rich kid status? Maybe it was when her smile lit up the room, or when she laughed and he couldn't help but smile in response? Maybe it was because he treated him like a normal human, with his own thoughts and will? Or maybe it was when she stood up for herself to her mother, verbally disagreeing with her and dismissing her in a way Harry could only dream about doing with his father? Or maybe it was from her adorable blush and the way she would become shy sometimes, or when she exposed any of her flaws through her stubbornness and denseness? Although Harry eventually decided that he loved her for all of those reasons, realizing it only after he went back through their interactions.
Yeah. He loved her. He loved the redhead Adeline Namin. A smile fell on his face as he came to terms with his emotions.
Wow, I love someone.
A/N As you can tell I ran out of steam in the end, I hate shopping as much as Ada and even writing about it drains me! But I got in an ExTRA!:P Anyways, this chapter, I realize now that it's done, makes Harry veeeeerrrryyy ooc, rip my soul, however I do like to think he has a more joking nature, 'cause before he's green goblin in ASM2 he's taunting that one business jerk with electro and he not only uses a lot of weird hand motions, but also whistles the jeopardy theme, and says "time for the bonus round!" when electro revives the business guy (which I found to be hilarious, one of the best scenes in the movie for me). Don't forget when he's not insane how jokes with Peter about his rich kid status? Well whatever….
ALSO THO, so I never made this clear or anything but Harry and Ada do hang out, and text more than just what's in the chapters I have, reason being I'm way to unfocused to be able to manage the entirety of a complex, deep relationship in a 16ish chapter fanfiction (lowkey this is the first fic I've ever reached halfway in so yay me). The chapters I write are just kind of the bigger stepping stones in their relationship than on a normal day, a new realization about one another and all that jazz, as in 1. Meet interested 3. Solidify the interest and realize misinterpretations 4. First real bonding + misunderstanding 5. Misunderstanding resolve 6. Date? 7. Love? … it continues in that sense. And for a sneak peak 8. #Deep 's interpretations + OH IS THAT THE PLOT? I THINK IT IS 10. OH BOI PLOT HAS TAKEN OFF 11. OH BOI MR KRABS WE BUILDING UP AND LOVE? 12. OH HERE'S THE DOWNFALL 13. HARRY POV? 14. SHIT GOES DOWN 15. SHIT REALLY GOING DOWN or Epilogue
Haha, now that you're (hopefully) anticipating the rest I'll take my leave!
*tips fedora*
*gets shot at*
*screams and dies with one last thought, at least I won't ever wear an awful fedora again, or make the joke of it*
~toodles