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Peter’s stomach was in knots as he forced himself to breath. He was about to come out to his long time best friend, Ned. He knew that Ned wouldn’t care, that he wouldn’t treat Peter any different. But that didn’t make it any less terrifying.
Peter first realized that he wasn’t completely straight when he was in the eighth grade. There was a boy in his class, Mark, who was dating his long time crush, Eliza. For a long time he thought he was jealous of Mark, and he was, but he eventually realized that he was also a little jealous of Eliza.
That realization tore him up for weeks. Yes, New York was a very accepting area. But still. Being different from the status quo is a terrifying thing. He had kept it to himself for years, and he had very recently come to terms with it completely, and was ready to own up to his identity, one person at a time. He had even discovered the term for what he was. Bisexual.
He first wanted to come out to Ned. He wanted to come out to May soon, but somehow it was easier to do so to a friend that a family member, even one you trusted. Funny how that works.
Ned was coming over to work on a lego hogwarts he’d picked up about a week ago. Peter was going to play A Very Potter Musical on his laptop while they built it. And he was going to tell Ned the other secret he’s been keeping from him. He’d be here any minute and Peter was trying to calm his nerves so he wouldn’t back out like he had every single time he’d tried to come out to Ned this week.
“Peter! Ned’s here!”
Okay, here we go.
Ned was bursting through his door like a whirlwind.
“Dude, did you know they’re making another Harry Potter movie? Well, technically not Harry Potter because it’s years before he was born but there’s going to be young Dumbledore! And to be honest it could be a movie about a wizard during ancient times and I will still call it a “Harry Potter” movie.” Ned rambled on as he pulled out the LEGO box.
“Yeah, I saw the trailer, can’t wait. But, uh, Ned, I kinda need to tell you something...” Peter’s voice got quieter as he went on until it was unintelligible.
“Peter, I can’t hear you. Oh my god, you got shot. You’re dying! Peter why didn’t you tell me sooner! Are you going to live? Is Tony Stark going to fix it? Maybe you-“
“Ned, I’m not dying.” Peter interjected. Ned visibly relaxed.
“Oh okay. Stop scaring me like that, man.”
“You didn’t let me finish.”
“Well, then get on with it, dude. I really want to finish the castle today.”
Peter’s throat tightened.
“Do you remember eight grade? When I had that huge crush on Eliza?”
“I mean yeah but what does that have to do with anything? Did you get her pregnant at the tender age of thirteen and she just now told you and suddenly you have to pay child support?” Peter made a face.
“God, no. Ned, you jump to conclusions faster than anyone I know.”
Ned shrugged. “One of my many talents. So yeah, Eliza.”
“So, you know when she started dating Mark? And I was like super jealous and petty about it?”
Ned chuckled. “Yeah, I can’t imagine what it’s like to have the two people I’m crushing on dating each other.”
Peter sputtered. “Y-you knew? But I never told anyone! Hell, I didn’t even know!”
“Peter, whenever he spoke to you, you turned into a tomato. Literally when he walked into the room you lit up. Alternatively, you did the same with Eliza. When they sarted dating, as much as you can in middle school, you’d go on and on about how it wasn’t fair that pretty people always other equally pretty people. My point is, you have the subtlety of a bulldozer.”
Peter let his mouth hang open. He hadn’t prepared for Ned to already guess it. He didn’t know if it eased him or worried him.
Ned must’ve guessed that Peter was starting to get anxious. “Dude, it’s okay. I only knew because I knew you so well. I knew how you acted around people you liked. I never mentioned it because I just didn’t see it as something that had to be mentioned.”
He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Peter smiled lightly at his wonderful best friend. Even though he was okay with Ned finding out, he didn’t want others to be able to tell. Leave it to Ned to know exactly what he was thinking.
“Thanks, Ned. To be honest I didn’t realize until long after then what was going on. I only recently figured out the term that fit me, which is bisexual.”
“No problemo, my dude. Just know that through whatever you struggle with, I’ll be right bi your side.”
Peter stared at Ned.
“That is the worst pun I’ve ever heard please get out of my house, thanks”
Ned started to double over laughing, and Peter wasn’t far behind and fell over on his bed. Apparently Ned wasn’t laughing hard enough to stop talking, though.
“I’m so lucky that my best friend is sp-bi-der man.”
Tears were spilling out of Peter’s eyes as he said “Ned, that doesn’t even work!”
After a couple minutes of incessant jokes and laughter they finally started to do the thing they actually met up to do.
They were halfway through the castle and the musical when Ned cleared his throat.
“Hey Peter, I just realized that you’re Harry Potter.”
“Explain.” Peter glanced at Ned as he put the doors to the Great Hall in place.
“Well, Harry is, like, hella bisexual and both of his crushes started to date each other and Harry had a crisis. That and he’s a self sacrificing idiot who almost dies everyday.”
Peter blinked at him. “Do you mean Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory? And I’m not a self sacrificing idiot.”
“No, Pansy and Goyle. Yes, Cedric and Cho. God, Peter, it’s like you didn’t even read the books. Harry was obviously angsting about it for half of The Goblet of Fire. And, y’know, Voldemort. But he’s irrelevant. And yes, you are.”
Peter was full on laughing by then. And feeling a little indignant. But Ned was right, about all of it. He never looked at it like that, but as Ned said it, it was like all the puzzle pieces fell into place.
“I agree on the Cedric and Cho thing, but what about his obvious hard on for Draco? Also, Voldemort isn’t irrelevant. He’s literally the main villain.”
“Agree to disagree.” Ned said nonchalantly. “But you’re still the real life Harry Potter. Except you’re not a wizard. But you know, details.”
“Yeah, Ned, I’m Harry Potter. About to cry and hella bi.”