"They must have been banging."

"Harley!"

"Dude, you look at these and mean to tell me that you don't think the same?"

Peter reached for the sketchbook but Harley held it away from him. Crossing his arms in defeat, Peter looked flustered. "I don't know! What do you think we should do?"

"What do you mean we? You're on your own with this drama."

"Harley!"

"Nuh-uh. I'm just an innocent youth. My virgin ears can't bare to hear about any of this."

"You're such an ass," Peter sighed. "Fine. What do you think I should do?"

"Well, they couldn't have been banging in secret with a tower full of spies and superheroes. Ask one of the original crew about it."

"That's a great idea. Harley, you're a genius!"

"I know," the teenager smirked as he turned back to his project.

XXXX

Peter was in his room at Aunt May's staring at his cell phone. Natasha had given him her number in case anything of importance happened.

"We spiders have to stick together," she had winked at him while programming her number at the time.

Dialing the number, he waited half a beat before she answered.

"Ms. Widow! Hi! It's me, Peter Parker."

He couldn't see her but wondered if she was smiling when she replied, "I know it's you. What do you need?"

Blushing, he stammered, "Oh, um, well, I have something to ask you. It's kind of...embarrassing? Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Not at all, love. What's on your mind?"

"Um, well, you have to promise not to say anything to Mr. Stark first."

"Peter...did you forget protection?"

"Protec- what? No! It's, Jesus, it's not that! We watched the sex PSA by Captain America in health class. I - I know all about that stuff!"

God, he wanted the earth to just swallow him up right then and there.

"I'm glad to hear it." She was definitely laughing at him. "Your first time should be enjoyable."

"Oh my god," Peter groaned, putting his head into his hands. "I didn't have sex!"

"I know, dear, I'm just teasing you. I would be the first to know if you did."

"How would you...? Never mind, that's not what I needed."

"What's up?"

Sighing, Peter steeled himself. "When you were living in Stark Tower..."

"Yes?"

"Did...were...were Mr. Stark and...Captain America...a...a thing?"

A brief stretch of silence happened on the other end.

"Why do you ask?"

"I found Mr. Rogers's sketchbook while I was performing inventory for Mr. Stark," Peter explained quickly. "It...well...the drawings weren't done by a blase amateur."

Natasha hummed on the other line but didn't elaborate.

"It's just, I mean, I obviously have no problem if they were a thing, or, or anything. I know Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts were engaged for a while. I just...I'm confused. He - Mr. Stark - looked so happy in the drawings. But now him and Captain America aren't talking. It's...it's really bad," Peter admitted, his voice falling to a whisper. "I want to help but I'm not sure what to do with the sketchbook. Do you think it would help anything?"

Natasha was silent for so long that Peter was about to ask if she was still on the line when she said slowly, "There's a lot of hurt on both sides. But Tony has a point in believing that bigger things are coming and we're going to need all hands on deck. It might not mean that they have to go back to being buddy buddy, but the world will need Iron Man and Captain America for whatever's coming next."

"So what should I do?"

"I think you know the answer to that, Peter. Just...be mindful of what you say when you show him. Tony has the tendency to lash out when he's hurt rather than logically think through the situation."

"I just want him to be happy."

"So do I, Peter. So do I."