A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Review is love!
Harry was glad that there were no work emergencies during the few hours spent unconscious at Peter's. He had half expected a string of missed calls and unread texts when he checked his phone, but there were none. No one was demanding his presence over the weekend. He wasn't sure whether to be worried or relieved.
Harry was back home after having properly thanked Aunt May and Peter for all their troubles. They were such sweet, lovely people, and Harry wondered how he had never come across anyone like them during his entire life. Aunt May told him that he was welcomed to drop by any time, and he truly did appreciate the offer.
The young CEO was now in the living room, looking out the window. It was so quiet in the mansion, as always. Every once in a while, he would hear a maid walking about in the hallway, but none of them talked to him. They greeted him, but solely on a professional level. They asked him if he needed anything, but other than that, they didn't talk to each other. He didn't even know their names. He had someone else to take care of all the hiring and firing.
He sighed deeply as he sunk deeper into the couch. He was really starting to hate this place. He couldn't help but compare the mansion to Peter's house. Sure, the latter was much much smaller and a lot messier, with questionable furniture and decorative choices, but the place was so...cozy. So warm and welcoming, just like its two occupants.
He was going to have to find another place to live. He wouldn't sell the house, but he was definitely going to look into buying a smaller place that was more him. Because nothing in the house was him. It was just a collection of expensive furniture that he held no fond memories of. That was going to have to change. He didn't need to live a continuation of his father. He was a different person.
Harry spent a few more minutes sitting around and decided that he sort of missed hanging out with Peter already. It had been only about a couple of hours since he left the Parker residence, and he was already thinking about the other. What the hell was wrong with him? First falling asleep outside and now being all mopey because he wasn't hanging out with his new friend? He grimaced at the notion. It was sickening. An Osborn simply didn't do those things.
But damn it, he couldn't stop thinking about Peter. Peter Parker. Damn Peter Parker and his dopey grins. Peter was the first one to try to get to know him without wanting something from him. Peter didn't want money, or a fancy car or a business favor. Without wanting anything in return, Peter sent funny texts to make him smile, introduced him to great places to eat and even took him to that special container by the pier for stargazing. It was insane when he thought about it.
Harry found himself trying to come up with excuses to see the other again.
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"He's so cute, Peter!" Aunt May commented with a teasing smile as soon as Harry left.
"Are you really going to do this to me?" Peter asked with a pointed look.
"Oh you know I do it out of love."
"I love you too, but nuh uh, not letting you do that to me too. I already get plenty of that from Gwen," Peter replied rolling his eyes. He retreated to his room and glanced at the bed that he had dumped Harry onto. He had never seen anyone so deep in slumber. He wasn't joking when he told Harry that he thought the other was dead. Harry was out cold, and it made him wonder how tired Harry must have been.
Was interning at whatever department really that tough? Or was Harry insomniac?
Peter hopped onto the bed as well and sighed as the image of Harry's sleeping face popped up in his head. Harry had looked so peaceful, and he really, really didn't mean to stare, but the fact is, he sort of did. He didn't miss the way Harry's lips parted ever so slightly or how his eyelashes fluttered once in a while. He hadn't planned on being creepy, but it happened and now he had to face the consequences.
He groaned as he rubbed his face with his hands.
He couldn't shake off the feeling that he had gotten himself into something he probably shouldn't have. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but he knew he was in trouble. There was something about Harry that was oddly alluring. He looked both vulnerable and dangerous, and his eyes were a blue whirlpool of mysteries that were just begging to be discovered.
Harry didn't reveal much about himself. Peter noticed that he didn't know much other than that his name is Harry Wilson and that he was an intern at Oscorp. Oh, and the fact that his father passed away not long ago. What else though? Nothing. He didn't know anything about Harry's mother or if he had any siblings. Didn't know the kind of food he likes or what he didn't like.
Had he been forcing Harry to hang out with him all this time? Perhaps Harry didn't want to hang out with him or get to know each other. Peter grimaced at the notion and groaned yet again. He was doing that to himself again. He had this habit of over-analyzing things sometimes, and he really needed to stop.
"Dang it! I missed him?" Gwen shouted as she bursted into Peter's room, sending the teen backing into the wall in surprise.
"Jesus! You scared the shit out of me!" Peter yelled back, clutching at his heart.
"You'll live, plus that's not what's important here."
"What are you even doing here?"
"You owe me lunch for bailing remember?"
"What?" Peter asked stupidly, pulling himself up into a sitting position.
"You bailed on the party and said you were gonna get me lunch today."
"Oh, oops," he replied, vaguely remembering texting those words to his friend.
"Yeah, oh oops. Dang it Peter, you should've told me Harry was sleeping over!"
"You know you sound a bit creepy right?"
"I'm curious!"
"I know you are."
"So what did you guys do?"
"OK, you're doing that thing again."
"What am I doing?"
"You know exactly what you're doing."
"No I don't."
"Gwen, he just slept over and had breakfast."
"That's it?"
"Of course that's it. Harry's straight, remember?" Peter answered, suddenly averting his eyes to a random point on the floor.
"Oh no...no, no, no, no, no. Peter!"
"What!"
"You like this guy."
"No I don't. I mean, I think he's cute. He's fun to hang out with, but I would't go for a straight guy. I'm not that masochistic."
"But you do like him."
"As a friend!"
"Oh, Peter, I don't want you getting hurt..."
"Oh jeez, I'm not into the guy, Gwen..."
"Don't bullshit me, Peter."
Peter bit his lower lip. Why did he think that he could get away with lying to Gwen?
"OK, maybe I'm sort of kinda attracted to him a tiny bit, but it's nothing. He's just really cool, OK?"
"Promise me you won't hurt yourself?" Gwen asked carefully. She knew this was a sensitive subject, especially because this was the first time Peter was remotely interested in anyone. And she knew Peter well enough to know that he was one of those guys that would fall helplessly in love with someone. Peter was just naive and sweet like that. It was one of her friend's endearing traits, but she was also sure that it was one of his biggest weaknesses.
"Yes, mother."
"I'm serious, Peter."
"I know. I know," Peter answered quietly, breaking eye contact with Gwen. She knew him too well, and that was working against him today. It was true that he came to harbor the tiniest of feelings for the other man, but he could easily get over that. It wasn't a big deal. He just had to spend more time with Harry, and soon, they'll just be awesome friends. Bros, or whatever people called it these days.
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Harry threw his phone onto his bed. He had mustered up the courage to ask Peter what he was up to, only to find out that he was having lunch with Gwen. He grimaced when he realized that perhaps he was a little bit jealous. Such petty feelings didn't suit an Osborn. He felt as if he was bringing shame to the family name with that thought alone.
He crawled onto his bed as well, not knowing what else to do. He was moping, he was fairly sure of it, but couldn't bring himself to stop. And consequenly, his mind began to roam, until he was now brooding in guilt at having lied to Peter all this time. Goddamn it, he felt like such an asshole. He had to tell him the truth sooner or later, but when?
Would Peter hate him? Probably. He knew that he'd feel betrayed, and knowing that Peter would feel the same way was torturing him. He wanted to go back in time and fix things, but would Peter have behaved the same way if Harry had revealed his true identity? Probably not. Nobody treated him with sincereity. People either kissed his ass or avoided him. They would never have become friends, and that itself would have been one of the most tragic things to happen in his life.
What was the deal with him anyway? Did he crave some kind of companionship so badly that now that he found a friend, he wanted to spend time with the said friend all the time? He wouldn't be too surprised if that was the case. He knew he was an emotionally-deprived individual (he was a textbook case), but he had never minded not having friends. It wasn't as if he didn't have people to hang out with if he wanted to. He just preferred to be alone and then go on pointless dates with hot models from time to time. He was never lonely. He never had time to be lonely.
So why was he feeling so uttely alone now?
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The next day, Harry found himself strolling through the Grand Central Park. He didn't forget to wear a pair of sunglasses, in hopes that it'll conceal his identity better. He did not need someone from the office or elsewhere recognizing him and approaching him. Not now. Not when Peter didn't know yet. He was going to have to tell the other soon.
"The weather's really nice today," Peter began with a genuinely content smile on his face.
"Yeah. A bit too sunny though."
"You would say that," Peter replied with a low chuckle but stopped immediately. "I didn't mean that as an insult or anything."
"I know," Harry reassured with a smirk. "So what do you want to do today?"
"Well, we're going to go to the best hotdog stand in New York and then uh...walk around, I guess?"
"The best pizza, burger and now hotdog? I'm impressed."
"What can I say. I like to research. It's right over there. Wait, you eat hotdogs, right? I kinda forgot to ask."
"Isn't that like a requirement in New York."
"Ha! I know right?" Peter replied with a laugh. Harry couldn't help but think how pleasant and contagious Peter's laugh is. "Right here, the best hot dog in New York."
"Hey Pete!" the hotdog stand man greeted as soon as the two approached, which had Harry rollin his eyes. Of course they were on first name bases. Of course. Peter knew everyone in New York. Except Harry Osborn apparently.
"Hey man, was just telling my friend here that this is the best hotdog in New York," Peter continued, pointing at Harry with his thumb.
"That's right! Nice to meet you, man. What can I get you two? The usual for you, Pete?"
"Yup."
"I'll have whatever he's having," Harry answered quietly, because frankly, he's never had hotdog off a stand before so he had no idea what to get. And he trusted Peter's taste in...well, pretty much everything.
"Ah! So you finally bring a man, way to go Pete! You got yourself a handsome one!" The man exclaimed, spreading his arms dramatically.
"What? No, no, no, not my boyfriend, just friend. Why does everyone say that! And I never told you I'm gay!"
"But your friend did."
"What?"
"You were with that uh, blond girl last week, and when I said you guys were a cute couple, she said you're gay."
"Ugh, Gwen!"
"Chill, man, we're in New York. No one cares," he hotdog man continued with a booming bark of laughter. "Alright, the hotdogs are on me."
Harry couldn't help but find the situation amusing. Peter was blushing furiously, squeezing the ketchup bottle with perhaps a bit more force than necessary.
"Sorry about that," Peter mumbled apologetically, receiving a confused glance from Harry.
"For what?"
"The whole...people thinking we're a thing thing."
"I don't mind," Harry replied honestly. He really didn't. In fact, he thought it was quite funny.
"You don't?"
"Why would I?"
Peter stared blankly at the other for a brief moment before offering him the ketchup bottle with a grin. With a hotdog each, the two begin walking around the park, making fun of the fat pigeons and making random comments about an overly excited dog that was playing fetch like his life depended on it.
"How's the hotdog? Good, right?" Peter asked, finishing his up. Harry noted how much of a quick eater Peter was.
"Yeah. You really know your food," Harry replied with a low chuckle.
"Hey, you got a bit of that, uh..." Peter begin, pointing at a spot on his chin. Harry reached around his chin, trying to get it off but failing miserably.
"Here," Peter reached out and wiped the little bit of ketchup smeared on the young CEO's chin. "No homo," he added quickly with a slight blush.
"You don't need to be all careful just because I'm-" Harry begin to comment but fell silent as he watched Peter take the finger to his own lips and lick the ketchup off. "-straight," the young CEO finished, almost as an afterthought, as he eyes locked onto Peter's lips.
...What...?
Harry scowled internally with the realization that he had been mesmerized for that brief moment.
What in hell just happened?
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