"What's wrong, sweetie?" Aunt May asked as she tentatively took a seat next to Peter at the dining table. Peter had been unusually quiet for the last couple of days, hardly eating. The only time he left the house was to go interning at Oscorp, and it was starting to worry her. Peter was never this quiet. Ever.

"Nuthin," Peter drawled, picking at the hardly touched food in front of him.

"Oh, Peter, you were never a good liar. What happened?" she continued, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Peter looked up from the plate, his eyes full of sadness and hurt.

"It's nothing, Aunt May. Just a little something. I, uh, I'm going to go hang out with Gwen. Need anything?"

"Peter..."

"Shoot, I think I'm late. See you later!" Peter exclaimed with a forced grin and hopped out of the house, leaving a very confused and concerned Aunt May behind. Peter knew he shouldn't have done that, but he wasn't about to tell her that Harry ended up with a homophobe. She would be furious. She had always been quite protective of her little boy, and she was more likely to slap Harry across the face than tell Peter that everything was going to be alright.

Peter sent a quick text to Gwen asking if she can hang out. He knew he was risking having to tell Gwen the truth, but he was starting to think that it might be a good idea. Gwen always had answers to everything. She may be blunt and a bit harsh at times, but she wouldn't bullshit him or say things just to make him feel good about himself.

The two were in Gwen's room again, with Gwen watching Peter with her arms crossed across her chest. She knew something was up. This was either going to be about Harry or Adrian, and her money was on Harry. Whoever this Harry Wilson was, he needed to stop making her friend so goddamn miserable.

"OK, what did Harry do?" she asked, leaning forward. Peter looked up, his eyes practically a full circle.

"I didn't say anything about Harry."

"But it is about Harry."

"How do you know these things?"

"I just do. Now spill. What happened."

"I told him about Adrian," Peter began after a moment of silence. Gwen raised an eyebrow, waiting for her friend to continue. "And...let's just say that he didn't take it well."

"What do you mean?"

"He... he said he got sick and just...walked off."

"He walked off."

"Yeah. He just walked off! It was as if...the thought of me with another guy got him sick. I don't understand why he pretended to not be homophobic all this time, like what the hell!" Peter hissed out angrily. All the pent up confusion and frustration came rushing out as he opened up to Gwen.

"Start over. Tell me exactly what happend."

"We were at the fair-"

"You two were at the fair? Just you two?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nevermind. Go on."

"We..rode the merry-go-round, had ice cream, I got it all over myself, he wiped it for me, and then I told him, and then he said he was sick and needed to go home and rest, and he went off and we haven't been in contact since then," Peter shot off rapidly, his face turning red. Gwen continued to watch in scrutiny with her big green eyes. "I don't get it. I...I thought we're cool, you know?"

There was a stretch of uncomfortable silence.

"And Harry had never given you any indication that he might be homophobic?"

"No, none. And if he was homophobic why would he want to hang out with me?"

There was another stretch of silence.

Gwen pinched the bridge of her nose suddenly.

"Peter, Peter, Peter. You're my friend, but you're a complete idiot."

"And where is this coming from?"

"Look, have you even given any thought to the possibility that Harry might be..you know, not as straight as you think he is?"

"What?"

"Peter, stop being so dense."

"He said he's straight, and I'm pretty sure he is."

"And no part of you think that he might be into you?"

"What! That's crazy. Harry and I are just friends, I mean, were friends, whatever."

"And you're completely, absolutely, 100% positive that's the case."

"Don't put it like that, that's not fair!" Peter countered with a huff. There was no way that Harry was gay right? Or bisexual. Yeah, maybe Harry's bisexual but doesn't know it...

Peter had to mentally slap his brain for thinking that. He did not need to get any hopes up.

"Look, why don't you just call him and hang out and just, ask him straight up?"

"I can't ask him that!"

"Why not?"

"What am I going to say? Hey Harry, I was just wondering if you're secretly homophobic or if you're secretly into me?"

"Um, yeah, I think that's about it."

Peter shot his friend a dirty look.

"But," Gwen continued. "I think you should sort things out with Adrian first. Figure out if you really want to date this guy or not."

"Why is this so...hard," Peter groaned, pressing a pillow against his face.

"Stop being a baby," Gwen replied with a chuckle.

"I hate you," Peter mumbled into the pillow. Gwen was making his life difficult, but there was no denying that she was absolutely right.

0

Peter was a teenager, so a wet dream was neither a foreign nor surprising concept for him.

But having a wet dream about his straight friend? That had Peter horrified.

Peter quickly gathered the sheets off the bed and rolled them into a bundle, ready to throw them into the laundry. Truth be told, he felt a bit sick. He hadn't meant for the dream to happen, and he knew that he had no control over it, but the vivid image of him on top of a panting, mewling Harry who was clawing into his arms in a moment of heated passion, was sending him on a long-distance guilt trip.

He felt as if he had just violated his friend, and that was not a pleasant feeling.

He was really going to have to direct his attention to something or someone else, because he can't go on like this. Having these impure thoughts about his unsuspecting straight friend.

Even if there was a minute probability that Harry might not be so straights (thanks again, Gwen).

After starting up the laundry, he rushed back to his room to text Adrian. He felt a strong need to just see Adrian and be attracted to him. He knew it was sick and twisted, but he had to. He needed an opely, undoubtedly gay man to get involved with.

He had to do his best to ignore the voice of reason (Gwen) inside his head.

He rushed to work that morning, having spent too much time in the shower trying to get his thoughts in order (and failing miserably). The day went by slowly, and Peter wondered for the millionth time if he should text Harry.

But then again, Harry hadn't made any attempt to contact him, so he shouldn't either right? No? But what Gwen was right? And he had hurt Harry's feelings without knowing it?

No, he really shouldn't go down that road.

Eventually, the day came to an end and to Peter's surprise, he found Adrian right outside the building, dressed as if he had walked out of the latest issue of GQ. Peter looked down and grimaced at his outfit. He was dressed way too casually.

"Hey, uh, I didn't expect to see you here," Peter began, feeling nervous for some reason. "I mean, yeah, we're supposed to hang out but um, here you are, uh, hey."

"Is there a problem?" Adrian asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, just surprised. So where're we going tonight?"

"I made a reservation at this one restaurant I've been wanting to try out."

"Sounds good," Peter nodded, wondering if he was dressed appropriately for the place they were going to. Adrian had a tendency to go to some fancy places, and the fact that the place needed a reservation was already a bad sign.

And of course, Peter found himself passing by tables after tables of people dressed in suits and dresses, laughing delicately over a glass of seemingly expensive wine. Once they were led to their table by a woman in heels that couldn't have possibly be made for walking, Peter hesitantly took a seat. He didn't feel comfortable being the only guy that wasn't dressed in suits. Why did he have to wear a red hoodie today?

Adrian, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease as he began looking through the menu while talking about which entrees his friends recommended. Peter laughed nervously and reached for the menu as well. Even the menu looked expensive.

And Peter had to suppress a gasp as he looked at the price of the entrees. There was no way in hell that he was going to be able to afford a piece of bread at this place. This was ridiculous!

Peter was sweating now. Was he going to have to text Gwen to save his ass? Adrian had paid for the last meal (at a fancy french, yes french, restaurant), and Peter had offered to buy the next meal. He should've kept his goddamn mouth shut.

"Anything looking good?" Adrian asked with a smile that had Peter laughing dryly. One, he didn't quite understand the things on the menu, and two, he was starting to think that he needed to sell an organ.

"Um, I don't know...uh..maybe I'll ask for recommendation?" Peter answered, hoping that it'll buy him enough time to pick the cheapest thing on the menu.

He was so absorbed in this mission, he missed Harry walking into the restaurant. Harry, however, spotted Peter immediately, mostly because of the way the intern was dressed. Harry turned his face immediately to hide himself and moved towards the wall in a lame attempt to be less visible. He was glad that the restaurant was fully booked at the moment.

Harry could make out another man sitting across from Peter. A man with a bigger build and blond hair. Harry took a few steps forward to get a glimpse of the man's face, but succeeded in only vaguely catching the man's eyes and nose. The man was quite young, too young to be an uncle or a father-figure. Harry wondered if this was the guy Peter was seeing.

Harry growled internally. So Peter was dating some rich, pompous bastard, huh?

Harry rushed to his usual table, doing his best to look inconspicuous. He didn't want to be recognized by the intern here. Not when he was scheduled to have an important business meeting two tables behind him. And definitely not when Peter knew him as Harry Wilseon, a run of the mill intern.

Harry sighed in relief once he realized that his table's at the opposite end of the restaurant. He sat down and placed the menu in front of his face as camouflage. Now, he had to ask himself, why was Peter here anyway? This was one of the most expensive restaurants in town, and while Harry didn't think Peter was too poor for the place, he was under the impression that Peter didn't like such fancy restaurants.

Was Peter into rich guys? Harry was never under the impression that Peter was the gold-digger type. Or was Peter rich and he didn't know about it? Harry knew rich boys, and Peter hadn't behaved like any of them, so what was the deal?

Harry was not appreciating the mystery.

Harry then began cursing Felicia for scheduling the meeting tonight at this restaurant of all places.

Before his thoughts could turn darker, the man he was scheduled to see arrived. They shook hands amicably and engaged in small talk, but Harry's mind was elsewhere, still wondering why Peter was here. To say the least, Harry was not a happy man.

After ordering, Harry excused himself to the washroom, needing a moment to himself to get his thoughts in order. He was too distract for this business dinner.

Harry entered the washroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked like shit, and he did not enter the restaurant looking like that. Harry inhaled and exhaled slowly, needing to just get through the dinner and return home.

Harry was about to return to his table when the door flung open and a vaguely familiar man entered. It was the blond Peter was it. Harry had to suppress the urge to growl as he watched the man flashed Harry a smile that seemed way too friendly to be innocent. Harry decided to stay a bit longer to see what the took was up to.

The blond douche (that's what Harry was calling him now) was on his phone, so Harry pretended to wash his hands.

"Ha, like I care. My wife has no idea. She thinks I'm in Hong Kong...I know right?...this one's not bad and a total virgin, well not for long, but...Yeah...Don't worry about it...Ha, yeah, alright man...Talk to you afterwards, bye man."

The man hung up, and it didn't take Harry long to figure out what this total douchebag was up to. Harry felt anger starting boil with him. He had never felt this angry about anything in his life. He hadn't felt such a strong need to punch someone in the face even when his father had made his life miserable. The rage was blinding, all-consuming. He wanted to slit the scumbag's throat right then and there but he held onto the barely visible sliver of self-control

Peter was too innocent for something like this. Peter didn't deserve to know that this piece of shit was married. And Peter definitely didn't deserve to find out that his first potential boyfriend was pretty much trying his best to use him for sex. He couldn't do this now. Not here. He couldn't afford to have his face printed all over the papers the next morning, and he didn't want to have to explain to Peter why.

But, did he care? No, not really.

So Harry did what seemed to be most reasonable course of action. He punched the blond douche right in the nose. Hard.