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Stumbling around New York in the early stages of heat had to be one of the worst decisions Harley’s made and he’s made a lot of bad decisions. There was the time in the fifth grade when he told the school about Tony Stark because he was too excited after their meeting and Arthur Hannigan used it as a reason to tease him until Harley used the flash grenade which earned him a week of detention but also a new friend. Then there was the time in sophomore year after he presented and he followed Arthur into a bar because he wasn’t about to let his friend make bad decisions and ended up cornered and alone until Mrs. Harris knocked the alpha’s down. There was also the time he was hit by a car a week after moving to New York because he had the great idea of ignoring traffic laws and was quickly reminded that New York was absolutely nothing like Rose Hill.
“Hey, sweetheart, where ya going smelling so nice?”
But this was definitely the worst. “F’ck off,” he snapped with a growl for added effect. The alpha rolled his eyes but didn’t give chase. For years Harley relied on his assholish personality to keep alpha’s away and for years his sarcastic quips and fierce words had kept them at bay but Harley was starting to realize there were differences between the middle of nowhere Tennessee where everyone knew everyone and their mama and New York City where you could pass someone once and then never see them again.
Harley huffed in annoyance. He was in New York in the middle of winter, he shouldn’t be this hot. A part of him, the part already lost to the desire to be mated, told him to give in and take off the sweatshirt but the rational part reminded him he was already in the middle of one stupid decision, he better not make it two. He did roll the sleeves up. The cold nipped against his skin but it wasn’t enough.
Really, this was Peter’s fault. He had gone patrolling, forgetting the previously established Star Wars marathon. It wouldn’t have been so bad had he not also left his sweatshirt behind last night. It wasn’t like Harley could just not snuggle up into the clothing. He was an omega who happened to have an alpha friend, maybe something more, with a pleasing scent. Harley didn’t know the comfort he felt from being wrapped up in the slightly too small sweatshirt was going to be enough to send him into an early heat.
Harley could see Peter in the distance. The alpha was swinging through the city. If Harley closed his eyes he could imagine how the wind felt against his face when Peter would tell him to grab on and swing them out of danger. The alpha would always leave Harley up high on some building with the promise of coming back for him and he always did. Harley trusted Peter with his life. They hadn’t talked about it except in passing, a mention here or there with no discussion about how it would work or when it would happen. Harley didn’t even think it was important, not with the suppressants doing their job. It was just his luck they’d fail before he could actually vocalize what he wanted to Peter. And Peter...Peter was sweet. He was kind and more than Harley could ever deserve. He wouldn’t do anything, not without Harley’s explicit permission which he couldn’t give in the throes of heat.
He stopped. Why did he even come? Peter was going to see him and take him back to the compound where Harley would spend the next week alone and without his alpha. Harley whined. This was pathetic. He was pathetic. He was an eighteen-year-old omega who ran out of his nest in the beginnings of his heat to find an alpha that wouldn’t even claim him.
It wasn’t too late to call Tony to pick him up. He just needed to find a phone. Pay phones were a thing, but he didn’t think to bring his phone, much less his wallet. He thought back to his first week in the city. At Tony’s request, Peter showed him around. The alpha pointed out the best places to shop, grab food, and hide in the case of an emergency. He wasn’t too far from one of the convenience stores Peter recommended because of their amazing selection of slushies, just a few blocks away, but New York City blocks were triple the size of those in Rose Hill.
Harley started walking. He ignored the ache that came with walking away from his alpha. He listened to the awe of strangers at seeing Spider-Man in the streets. Harley understood. He knew who it was behind the mask but seeing shy Peter Parker dipping into an alley because four blocks away he heard a robbery was amazing. Inside the suit, Peter was a completely different person and Harley loved it, but he also loved the alpha who geeked out over Star Wars and brought his friends over to work on a ten-thousand piece LEGO set Tony had somehow purchased.
He had gone two blocks when it happened.
“Hey there, beautiful,” a voice said while grabbing onto his forearm. Harley thought it was pretty daring considering it was the middle of the day and Spider-Man was not even a minute swing away. Not that this guy would know how fast Peter could travel. “You look lost.”
“I’m not.” Harley tugged, testing the hold. It wasn’t strong but it wasn’t weak either. Breaking away wouldn’t have been a problem had the alpha’s scent not sent Harley’s instincts into overdrive. He wanted to whine, fight, and submit. Instead, he said, “You can let go any day now.”
“Don’t be like that, darlin’.” The voice pressed themselves against Harley’s back. He froze and stopped trying to pull away.wrong, something inside his head whispered. “We can have a good time.” w r o n g.
“I’ll pass.” People walked by. A few glanced over and then looked away as quickly as possible. Harley was obviously uncomfortable, so why was no one stopping this? In Rose Hill half the town would jump up to fight if something happened to one of their own but the people here walked by as though nothing was happening.
The alpha rubbed their cheek against the scent glands on Harley’s neck. He whined and tried to step away. “You’ll be begging for my knot soon enough, baby. Why don’t you come on with me and let me show you a good time, yeah?”
Harley stumbled along behind the alpha. The alpha’s hand had come to hold onto his wrist, Harley could already feel the bruise coming. He was finally able to see them now that they were no longer back-to-chest. There were taller than him and had unruly brown hair that reminded Harley of the alpha he actually wanted. He whined again. The alpha turned and smiled at him in a mock gesture of comfort. Harley wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and die but he couldn’t when the alpha was dragging him into an alley and pressing him up against the brick. They were still in the viewing point of the street but no one turned to look. No one cared about the distressed omega.
“So pretty, how are you not claimed yet?” The alpha nipped at Harley’s neck. He yelped and tried to jump away but the alpha pressed him harder into the brick. The alpha shoved his hand into the back of Harley’s jeans. “Don’t do any of that. No one likes a resistant omega.”
No one likes a resistant omega.
Harley didn’t like having to be one. He didn’t like this, he didn’t like the alpha, and he didn’t like how confused his body was. Harley’s instincts didn’t care he didn’t want this, they just wanted an alpha.
“What the actual fuck do you think you’re doing.”
Harley was dropped. He crumbled to the ground and curled into a ball. He didn’t know why the alpha dropped him. Everything hurt. He hurt. He felt weird. Broken. He wanted something. He wanted an alpha. He wanted his alpha.
“Harley?”
Everything was sticky and gross. The back of his legs were covered in slick and he hated it.
“Harley.”
He hated himself for being weak. He was weak and an idiot. Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.
“Harley.”
Alpha.
Harley peaked up. Peter was there, not the alpha, not Spider-Man, Peter. Harley whined again.
“Harley, I’m going to pick you up, is that alright?”
Harley uncurled himself and reached up for Peter. He felt like a child but he didn’t care. He wanted Peter. Wanted his alpha.
“I’m taking you back to the compound. Tony has medical waiting for us.”
Harley wrapped his arms around Peter. He shoved his face in Peter’s neck and inhaled. The mask was back on but Harley could still smell his alpha under it.
“Are you okay?”
He nuzzled into Peter and purred. He’d probably be embarrassed if Peter didn’t smell so good. He smelled like home. Like apple cinnamon and pine trees.
Harley closed his eyes.