Disclaimer: I only own the plot and my OCs. Anything you recognize as not mine belongs to Marvel Studios, Disney, and/or their otherwise respective owners.
Author's Notes: Yes, I changed the chapter title. Idk, True Love by Coldplay just fits better to me :)
I am going to have to go on hiatus like I previously said, so this is probably going to be your last chapter for a while unless I'm able to accomplish more writing on my hiatus than I expect to. I doubt it, though.
As always, I hope you enjoy. Until next chapter,
~TGWSI/Selene Borealis
~the heavy souls 'verse~
~life in technicolor ii~
~chapter 13: true love~
"Do you really have to put your hands over my eyes right now?" Harley complained.
"Yes."
"But when we're all the way up here?" he said, referring to the fact that they were still on the floor of her and her dad's penthouse and she was leading him over to the elevator, literally standing on her tiptoes to do it. If he got any taller, she was going to riot. To what/whom, she didn't know, but she would. "Whatever the surprise is, I don't think I'm gonna see it from here when the party's on the communal floor."
"Don't care. And hey, we got safely into the elevator. You don't have to worry about banging your head on the wall," Penny quipped. "FRIDAY, take us down, please?"
"Of course."
As the elevator began to descend, she felt like a ball of nerves. It was lucky she didn't have a heartbeat anymore, otherwise it would've been absolutely pounding, and that she couldn't sweat, otherwise her hands would've been slick with it.
She really, really wanted things to go well today. She wanted Harley to be happy with the gift she'd gotten him (well, she'd gotten him another gift on top of it, but it wasn't one she was as nearly concerned with as the first one). Because if he wasn't, if he got upset when this had been her choice to make and not the other way around...
"...Are you alright?" Harley asked her, worried.
He'd already asked her that today. Twice. "I'm fine," she insisted. "'M just excited for you. You're sixteen now! You can drive a car unsupervised!"
"Only when I get my license," he deadpanned.
"You already have your temps," she reminded him. "It won't be too long for that."
Before he could come up with a reply, the elevator dinged. The doors began to open.
She sucked in a breath.
It was now or never.
"Happy birthday, Harley!" several people shouted.
Penny flinched at the noise but grinned nonetheless. She removed her hands from Harley's eyes. "...Wow," he said, taking it all in as she walked out from behind him, practically skipping from the apprehension.
The adults had done a good job at setting up while she'd been playing the distraction (and yes, she'd told Harley that was her job, and he hadn't minded). There was a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARLEY! banner hanging on one of the walls, homemade by Steve (and it showed, because he was a really good artist), Abigail, and Pietro. The dining table had been converted into a party table, laden down with food: vegetable samosas, fried cauliflower, mozzarella sticks, quesadillas, wings – basically, a bunch of finger foods in a combination of Indian and American cuisine, per the birthday boy's request. There was also a cake, as was necessity: it was a chocolate cake with caramel cream cheese frosting homemade by his mother, and she knew just from how everyone praised Evelyn Keener for her cooking that it had to be really good. Music played from the speakers, alt-rock stuff that was to his style (and hers) but kept the tone light.
But what made the party, what made any party, was the people. All of the Avengers were there, along with Harley's mom and sister, her aunt May, Happy, and...MJ and Ned.
Penny had been so nervous when she'd gone to Ned's apartment that Friday night. Her dad was right: so many things could've gone wrong. They hadn't, as her friends had reaccepted her, and now they were here, but that could've not been the result. Things could've blown up in her face.
She was so glad they hadn't.
"Wait," Harley spoke as he saw the two of them, MJ with her arms crossed and a light smirk on her face and Ned not even bothering to hide his grin. It looked like his fanboying over the Avengers had (mostly) passed. But speaking of her boyfriend, his eyes widened as they flitted from them to her. "Wha – Ned? MJ? Penny?"
He was so flabbergasted, it was almost funny. He didn't seem...upset. Panicked, but not upset.
Penny smiled, grabbing him by the hand. "Happy birthday, Harley," she repeated, gently pulling him out of the elevator and into the room. "I hope you like your birthday present."
"I can't believe you told them," Harley marveled for the sixth time in an hour and a half.
MJ snickered. "I think you broke him."
Penny hid her smile with her hand. The four of them, Ned included, were sitting on the couches, along with Pietro, Wanda, and basically everybody else except for Evelyn, her dad, Matt, and Natasha. MarioKart had been broken out again, except she was still disbarred from playing it after the last time (which wasn't fair, but whatever). Sam, Wanda, Abigail, and Ned were playing it. Ned looked like he was having the time of his life...and also that he might die at any second from how he was in second place, right behind Sam. She hoped she wouldn't. That would be awkward to explain.
Harley scowled, throwing a samosa at her. It landed on her shirt, making her splutter indignantly. "She didn't break me," he snapped. He paused, before gesturing between the two of them and Ned with his free hand. "I just...I never expected to see all of you guys in the same room ever again, much less that room being in the Avengers Tower."
"Well, congrats," Penny said, kissing his cheek. Usually, she wasn't one for PDA, she hated PDA when it involved her, but she was willing to make this one exception. Harley was happy. He wasn't making a show of it, but he was. That made her happy. She felt like she was walking on clouds or falling, flying, and gliding with grace with no ground for her to have to worry about smacking onto like a pancake. "Now, you're seeing it."
He gave her a genuine smile. "Yeah."
MJ watched them with a distinctive bittersweet cast to her eyes. Penny knew why. Here they were, one of her best friends and another friend from over a year and a half ago, and they'd gotten close...more than close, while said other friend had been missing and the only people who'd known for sure they'd been alive were him, Matt, and Natasha. There had been no watching their relationship develop as it should've at school. There had been no getting to know her better on MJ's part like Penny had her, due to how closed off and silent she'd been during their lunches. There'd been no Homecoming dance they'd all gone to together, her, Harley, MJ, and Ned...and there never would be in that regard.
Penny was still adamant about that. A school where she had to show her face, under a photostatic veil or not, wasn't in the cards for her. The dice hadn't rolled that way.
"So," MJ said, dragging her out of her train of thought. The girl's right foot gave an instinctual jerk. "I have a better idea now of what Harley's been up to this summer – "
"I told you I was going to be mostly focused on my internship," he grumbled.
"Yes, and you conveniently left out the part that your internship is with Tony Stark," she retorted without missing a beat. She continued over him as he tried to repeat his reasons for not telling them (mostly related to nobody wanting the press to find out about him, which was perfectly valid), "Although maybe I should've guessed that when I figured out you had a metal leg and I knew your boss' name was Tony. But anyways, I don't know what you've been up to this summer, Penny, or in general ever since December. So, spill."
"Yeah!" Ned chimed in, setting down his controller. It looked like the game was over, and Sam had won. No surprise there. "What has the Amazing Spider-Woman been up to?"
Penny laughed surprisedly. "Where did that moniker come from?"
"He didn't come up with it. J. Jonah Jameson used it ironically a few weeks ago and it's been sticking un-ironically ever since," MJ supplied. "But, come on: what have you been up to?"
A slight uncomfortable feeling creeped up on her. Penny had never liked talking about herself around people, most of the Avengers (Vision and Steve were the glaring exceptions, now that she was getting used to Sam. She never had any idea how to act around the android, and Steve...the reasons why went without saying), May, and Harley being the ones she didn't mind doing it with. Talking was a dangerous thing. Because if she talked, if she let something slip...
But you don't have to worry about that with MJ and Ned, she chided herself. They already know basically everything.
"Oh, not much," she deflected a little. "Mostly just Spider-Woman stuff and school until the school year was over."
"You do online school?" MJ guessed.
"Yeah."
"My parents were considering that for me before I got accepted into Midtown," Ned said. "What's it like?"
She shrugged slightly. "Different than regular school. I work at my own pace, so the days weren't nearly as long as they used to be. Technically, I'm taking college classes, but the credits won't count until I actually enroll in a college, if I want to." Both Ned and MJ looked surprised at that, although she not-so-subtly elbowed him before he could say anything upon opening his mouth. It wasn't like Penny didn't understand where they were coming from, though. "I think the coolest thing about it was that I had to read a book every week for my English class and do a book report on it."
Ned's mouth dropped open. "You read a new book every week for a class? Not for fun?"
"Well, it was pretty fun," she admitted. "Most of the twenty or so books I read were interesting."
"Which one was your favorite?" MJ inquired.
Penny had to think about it. It was kind of hard for her to narrow it down to any one book. She'd liked Persepolis: the insights into the Iranian Revolution had been really fascinating for someone like her when the topic had barely been covered in her history classes. The Great Gatsby had been so over the top, but remarkably enjoyable. The language in Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin had been delightful, doing more than simply painting a picture with a thousand words.
But, if she really had to choose...
"Probably The Color Purple by Alice Walker," she said. "Do you know – ?"
MJ rolled her eyes. "Of course I know what that book is," she went, but her tone wasn't unkind. "It's a good book. And you've seen the movie with Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah, right?"
"Yes!" Penny exclaimed. "It was so good..."
She and MJ chatted for a little bit longer, Harley looking bemused between them the entire time. They were only interrupted by Evelyn clapping her hands and announcing loudly, "Alright, birthday boy, I think it's time for cake. What about you?"
Penny liked Harley's mom. That Christmas, before her dad had woken up and come into the main room of the penthouse, Harley had come up with his mom and sister. She'd been so nervous upon seeing Evelyn Keener, because from the time she'd spent at their apartment (occasionally hiding in Harley's closet or just outside his bedroom window when Evelyn had come into his room to check up on him), she'd seemed like one of the nicest people alive – and she was.
And Penny...just so very much wasn't.
But Evelyn had taken one look at her as she had the night before, and her eyes had gone soft. "Good morning, Penny," she'd said. "I hope you don't mind us having Christmas breakfast up here?"
Matt and Natasha had already gone over it with her. She'd shaken her head. "No."
Evelyn's eyes had then darted from her to Harley and then back again, turning a touch mischievous. "You know, ever since August, I did wonder from time to time if Harley had found a girlfriend and wasn't telling me about it." Harley's face had paled as he'd whirled around at his mother, but she'd ignored his protests. "And I can see now that I was right. Welcome to the family, dear," she'd added as she'd walked past Penny, grabbing her hand and squeezing it lightly.
Penny had stared at her, baffled. It'd seemed impossible that the woman had accepted her so brazenly, no comments about her (past) eating habits or her being a killer. Nothing.
Empathy was a Keener trait, that was for sure.
Abigail had behaved in a similar manner, although with a childlike wonder. "I can't believe you're really Spider-Woman!" she'd gushed, practically bouncing on her feet. "You're, like, the coolest superhero ever!"
"Abigail," Harley had groaned.
His sister had pouted. "What? She is! And you've kept it from me all this time that you're dating her!"
Harley, it was the least to say, had looked like he'd been about to die at that.
They crowded around the dining table which now only had the cake on it, the rest of the food being put in the kitchen. Sixteen candles had been put into the cake, and her dad began to light them with one of those lighters with the long nozzle to prevent being burned. Once they were all successfully lit, he stepped back.
"Happy birthday, to you," they all sang. "Happy birthday, to you. Happy birthday, dear Harley, happy birthday to you!"
"And many more," Abigail added in a purposefully loud, obnoxious way.
Harley scoffed. "Brat."
She stuck her tongue out at him.
He blew out his candles in one go, squeezing Penny's hand – she'd slipped her hand into his during the singing – as he did. When he was done, Evelyn came around him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she ferociously began to pepper kisses into his hair. "Mom!" he cried out.
"Sixteen kisses for sixteen years," she singsonged to him when she was done. "You know the drill."
Penny knew he wasn't nearly as displeased or embarrassed as he acted. He loved his mom.
Evelyn divided up the cake, putting the slices on paper plates on the table for them all to collect. Harley, MJ, and Ned were the first to get cake; they took their plates over to the couch again, and she trailed after them.
When they sat down, Ned's eyebrows furrowed. "Aren't you gonna – ?" he began to ask, only for his mind to answer his question for him. He flushed badly. "Oh, right. Sorry."
Penny gave him a strained, tightlipped smile. "It's fine."
She'd already eaten before coming down, not wanting to bring her thermos with her. MJ and Ned had taken everything well so far, but there were some things she didn't want to introduce them to yet, like her fangs.
"So," her dad interrupted them with a smirk, sitting down next to her like it was the most casual thing in the world. "You gonna be ready to open presents soon, kid?"
"Please, tell me that you didn't get me a car," Harley moaned before shoving a forkful of cake into his mouth.
Tony acted affronted. "What's wrong with a car? I thought every self-respecting, newly sixteen-year-old wants a car!"
"A regular car, yes," Harley returned. "But you're Tony Stark. Every freakin' thing you do has to come with some grand gesture attached. No wonder Penny's your kid."
Her dad started to crack up at how his protégé was unknowingly paraphrasing the same thing he'd said to her last week. Penny mock-glared at him for it, crossing her arms.
"And if I told you the car isn't that bad?"
"So you did get me a car," Harley accused, pointing his fork at him. He let his head fall back into the couch. "Oh God, this is going to be awful."
"If it's any consolation," his mom spoke up, leaning against the back of the couch so she could ruffle his hair. "He could only get the car with my explicit approval."
Harley narrowed his eyes at her. "Really?"
"Really, really," Evelyn confirmed. "But that gift is for dead last. And it will come with its stipulations." She looked over and winked at Penny, much to her son's chagrin.
"Mom!" he complained again.
For once, Penny found that she wasn't uncomfortable with the teasing.
Unable to put off the presents any longer, Harley scarfed down the rest of his cake so he could use his hands for unwrapping them and opening cards. The gift from his mom and sister were first: they'd gotten him a new pair of Beats noise-cancelling headphones (kind of important when you had enhanced hearing) and a $50 Spotify gift card – which amounted to five months' worth of subscription fees, more or less. Harley tried to protest this, saying it was too much, but Evelyn wasn't having any of it.
"You're my only son, and you only turn sixteen once, Harley James Keener," she told him. "I don't want to hear it."
Since they already knew what Tony had gotten him, they continued on down the line. Sam had gotten him a personalized wallet with his name engraved on it ("You're going to need something to store your license, aren't you?"), Rhodey a watch which the other man proceeded to bicker with him about ("Why is he going to need a watch? He has his phone, doesn't he?"
"I don't know, what happens if he loses his phone? Besides, a watch is a good gift for a sixteen-year-old."
"Maybe when you and Tony were kids."
"Wilson, you're ten years younger than me. You're not that much younger"). Wanda had knitted him a new beanie, and Pietro had gotten him a remote-controlled car which made Penny laugh at the absurdity of it. MJ and Ned had combined their funds to get him a Star Wars LEGO set, which he very much appreciated even if LEGOs weren't exactly his thing because it involved Star Wars. Matt and Natasha had also gotten him a gift, a pocket knife which Penny's dad gave them some ribbing for, and Natasha passed along another $50 Spotify gift card from the Barton family. Steve had made him a painting, since apparently homemade, artistic gifts were his thing; the painting was of the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee near where the Keeners had lived, which Harley was pleased with ("it's almost like a home away from home").
That just left her other gift.
Harley's eyes enlarged once again as he saw the small gift box and the envelope that went along with it – or more specifically, her handwriting on the envelope. "Penny, you didn't," he said.
She propped her chin on her palm, her fingers curled against her face. "What, did you think your only present from me would be getting Ned and MJ here?"
"Yes," he said seriously.
Sam chortled. "You did go kind of out there, kid."
Penny ignored him. "Open it," she encouraged Harley.
She was mostly referring to the box, but of course he went ahead with the envelope first. Opening it up, his mouth dropped open when he pulled the birthday card out, homemade. She wasn't nearly as good of an artist as Steve, that particular medium wasn't her thing, but she'd put a lot of detail into the card. Everybody "ooh'ed" and "ah'ed" as he opened the card, putting the cover of doodles of his favorite DC comic book characters surrounding a birthday cake with sixteen candles on it on display.
He read through the card quickly, his blue eyes darting from line to line. When he was finished, his eyes were shining as he gazed at her over the card. He didn't say anything at all, not that he needed to.
Penny smiled back at him warmly.
"What does it say?" Evelyn asked curiously.
Harley merely shook his head, which caused some protests. He put the card back in its envelope, then untied the ribbon off the gift box. Taking off the top, he reached inside and pulled out –
"A necklace?" Pietro asked, making a face.
She got why he would think that, and technically he wasn't wrong: it was a necklace. The cylindrical, titanium pendant was hanging from a chain, catching in the light.
Carefully, Harley twisted the bottom half of the pendant.
"She got you a flash drive," Ned realized.
"No, she made it," Harley corrected him.
Penny felt herself flush as all of the eyes in the room fell on her.
"What did you put on there?"
She gave a cryptic answer, knowing none of them would think anything untoward:
"He'll find out."
Later that night, Penny crawled in through the window to her room after a mostly easygoing patrol and saw Harley laying on her bed, watching the Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie. "Hey," she greeted him. She didn't mention how he technically wasn't supposed to be here right now since it was a Sunday night, but back at his mom's place instead.
"Hey," he said back. It was a short answer for him, what with him not asking about her patrol or anything, which made her a little nervous. But he didn't sound mad, or angry, or something else like that...rather, he sounded pensive.
He didn't say anything as she switched out of her suit for her pajamas and then went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. It was only when she settled down next to him that he spoke. "So, I plugged that USB in to my computer and saw what you put on there."
She had the feeling of her heart fluttering, at least as much as it was able to. "Yeah?"
"You basically made me a mixtape," he stated. "And a photo album."
She had. She'd made him a 6-hour playlist of songs – specifically, as she'd written in his birthday cards, just without mentioning them, songs that represented how she felt about him with notations about why she'd chosen them – and a folder of various photos. Most of them had been taken since Christmas Eve, but some of them before that too after she'd revealed her identity to him after her birthday. And there were a few drawings in the folder as well of him, since again, she wasn't as good of an artist as Steve, but she could still draw.
"What'd you think about them?" she inquired. "And, uh...your other birthday present?"
They hadn't had a chance to talk about that before she'd gone off on patrol. She knew he'd enjoyed MJ's and Ned's presences today at his birthday party, but enjoying and appreciating were two different things.
He grinned, letting her know that everything was alright and sending electricity through her veins. "I loved both of them," he assured her. "I mean, telling Ned and MJ about you was not at all what I intended when I you I wasn't inviting them over to my mom's place – "
"It wasn't just for you," she interjected. "It was originally, but the more I got to thinking about it – "
"I know," Harley said. "I get it." He shifted closer to her so he could nuzzle her neck, which she appreciated. She wasn't really cold, but she still liked his warmth and how he felt like a space heater when she was next to him. It was comforting. "I started listening to the playlist you made for me, too. I gotta make a correction, though."
Penny stilled slightly. "What's that?"
"The first song on the playlist," he replied. "True Love by Coldplay. I know why you put it as the first song, I saw your note, but just lyrically-speaking...you're never gonna lose me, Penny, no matter what you do. And I'll never lie about loving you. You are my true love."
A breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding escaped out of her mouth in the form of a half-laugh. "Well, that's good," she responded, rolling over onto her side so she could face him better. "Because you're my true love too, Harley Keener. Happy sixteenth birthday."
"Thank you," he went, before sighing dramatically. "Now I just gotta figure out what I can do to top you for yours."
"As long as it's not a car."
"No, the brand new shiny red Volvo Tony got me is enough. I can't believe my mom agreed to let him buy me that. Besides, where would I get the money for that?"
"Oh, I'm sure you could find a way..."
Word Count: 4,124
Next Chapter Title: leather and lace