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Peter smiled dopily as he swung his and Harry’s hands. They were walking through Central Park and holding hands. He and Harry had been dating for almost a month now, and they were still starry-eyed.
They came to a bench and Harry pulled him over to sit at it.
“Are we still on for my dad’s party tonight?” Harry asked, leaning against Peter.
“Of course,” Peter replied. “I’m surprised you invited me, don’t you hate those things?”
Harry laughed. “Yeah, I do. But you’ll make it more bearable. It was actually my dad’s idea, believe it or not. I think your invitation was a bribe to make me come.”
Peter snorted into Harry’s shoulder and said, “Nice. At least he’s been so weirdly supportive.”
“I think he’s already planning the wedding,” Harry joked, playing with Peter’s hair.
The heavy guitar riff of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” rang from Peter’s pocket and he pulled it out and sat up straight, pulling away from Harry.
Harry groaned and Peter apologetically said, “It’s work.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Harry said, waving him off as he straightened his jacket. “You’re a genius at a superhero’s beck and call. Go on, answer.”
Peter opened the call and said, “Hi, Happy!”
“I’m picking you up at seven,” Happy said in that only half-listening way that meant he was driving. “Wear that tux the boss got you.”
Peter frowned, “Tux? Why? Is this a mi—” he looked over at Harry and chose his words, “Job?”
“No, Tony’s got some party he wants to take you to,” Happy explained. Peter could hear him slam on the brakes and shout, “Come on! Haven’t you ever heard of a turn signal!”
Peter waited a moment before saying, “Um, Mr. Happy? I really appreciate the offer and all, but if it’s not an emergency, I already have plans.”
“Then cancel them,” Happy said like it wasn’t a question.
“What? No. I’m sorry, but I made a commitment that I won’t cancel last minute. Tell Mr. Stark that he needs to ask me ahead of time if he wants me to go to stuff with him,” Peter said, surprised at himself for being so assertive to Happy and, by extension, Mr. Stark.
“Wow, kid,” Happy said, shocked. “I guess I’ll pass that along.”
Peter had a moment of panic and said, “Um, maybe don’t pass along how rude I was. Sorry!”
Happy laughed and said, “Don’t worry. Have fun with whatever your plans are. I’m guessing they involve a girl if you’re turning down the boss.”
“Thanks, Happy,” he said, still shocked. He hung up and sat down heavily next to Harry.
“Did you just turn down Tony Stark?” asked Harry, taking Peter’s hand again.
Peter nodded. “I think I just did. I hope I’m not fired.”
“Don’t worry,” Harry joked. “You can always work at OsCorp.”
———
The party was awkward. Peter didn’t know anyone other than Harry and Norman, they hadn’t had a moment alone, and Norman insisted on keeping an arm around Peter’s shoulders and introducing him to at least half of the party.
He could see Harry getting irritated and said, “Sorry,” as Norman dragged him off to meet yet another business influencer.
“No, I should have figured this would happen,” Harry said glumly, trailing behind them. Peter felt like crap. Instead of helping Harry get through this party, he was just making him feel worse.
“Charles!” Norman boomed in greeting, shaking an imposing man’s hand. “How have you been? This is Peter Parker, the young man I’ve been dying to introduce you to. Peter, say hello to Mr. Wadsworth.”
“Nice to meet you,” Peter said dutifully, smiling and shaking his hand.
Wadsworth grinned and asked Norman, “Is this the future heir you’ve been so excited about?”
“No, that’s Har—” Peter started to say, but Norman ignored him.
“A man can hope!” he said affably. “If you’ll excuse us, Charles, there’s still one more person I want to introduce Pete to.”
Peter did not like Mr. Osborn calling him Pete. Sure, he likes the man just fine, but only his friends and Aunt May called him that. And he wasn’t sure how much he liked the man anymore since he’d been subtly slighting Harry this whole time.
Peter let Mr. Osborn drag him over to the next businessman, with Harry again following behind them. It wasn’t until it was too late to back away that Peter saw who it was.
His eyes widened when he saw Mr. Stark, Happy, and Pepper. Happy frowned when he saw Peter, and Tony looked confused and then betrayed for a split second before affecting his usual arrogant mannerisms.
“Tony!” Mr. Osborn enthused, pulling Peter front and center. “So good to see you again. This is Peter—”
“Your prodigy you’ve been telling everyone about,” Mr. Stark said scornfully. “We’ve met.”
His prodigy? Peter wasn’t Mr. Osborn’s anything. He’d turned down all of his offers to work at OsCorp and made it clear to Norman that he worked for Mr. Stark.
“No, I’m not—” Peter started to say, confused. Mr. Stark looked mad at him and hurt, and he didn’t understand. Harry, at the edge of his vision, was furious.
“Wonderful!” Mr. Osborn said. “It’s always good to understand our competitors. Isn’t that right, Pete?”
Was Mr. Osborn calling him a corporate spy? Peter shook his head and said, “I don’t under-“
“If you will excuse me,” Mr. Stark said. He turned and somehow politely stormed off. Pepper and Happy followed him and Peter pushed Mr. Osborn away and tried to take chase.
“Mr. Stark,” he called after them. “Wait!”
Happy turned around his stopped him with a hand against his chest. “Stop, kid.”
Tony turned back to him and said curtly, “Don’t come to me for advice or upgrades. Consider our professional relationship over.” He continued walking away.
When Peter tried to follow him again, Happy gently pushed him back and said, “Stop, kid. Just be glad he’s not taking the suit after what you pulled.”
Happy walked away, leaving Peter alone in the crowded room.
———
Peter and Harry were in a hallway off the main banquet room, and Peter was mid breakdown.
“I’m so sorry,” Harry said, pulling on his sleeves nervously. “I swear I had no idea he was going to do that.”
Peter tugged at his hair. “I just don’t understand! I don’t work for your dad, and now Mr. Stark and Happy are acting like I’m a traitor.”
“God, I should’ve known he had an ulterior motive when he said I should invite you,” Harry said, angry and disgusted.
“I got fired, Harry!” Peter cried.
“Not to worry, my boy.” A hand clapped down on Peter’s shoulder and he jumped. Mr. Osborn had come up behind them. “There’s always a job for you at OsCorp.”
Peter heard a door open but paid it no mind, instead focusing on his boyfriend’s dad, whom he thought he could trust. “You wanted this to happen!”
Osborn didn’t deny it. Instead, he held onto Peter’s shoulder possessively and said, “You’re way too good for Stark. Now you have no excuse and can be my heir.”
Peter shoved Norman’s hand off and shouted, “I’m not going to work for you! Just leave me alone!”
His spider-sense flared, but there was no way Harry’s dad was a threat to him.
Suddenly, Norman grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and slammed him back against the wall.
Harry shouted, “Dad!” and Peter stared up at Norman’s furious face, gobsmacked. Sure, he hadn’t been expecting an attack, but to grab him with that speed and force, Norman had to be enhanced.
“Don’t play dumb. You wouldn’t be dating my loser of a son if you weren’t interested in my influence.”
A familiar whirr accompanied a familiar voice that said, “You heard him. Leave him alone.”
Peter looked over Norman’s shoulder and smiled, relieved. “Mr. Stark!”
Tony had a gauntlet on one hand, which he had a few inches away from Norman’s head. He looked furious, but not at Peter.
Norman let go of Peter, who slumped down to stand normally. He turned to face Tony and ground out, “Stark. Don’t point your weapons at me.”
As Peter scrambled to go stand with Harry, Mr. Stark said, “Don’t put your hands on kids.”
Reluctantly, Norman relented. He stepped away from Harry and Peter, glaring at Mr. Stark.
Happy came half jogging into the hall and stopped short. “What the hell happened?”
“Mr. Osborn was just leaving,” Peter asserted, instinctively standing in front of Harry. “Weren’t you?”
Osborn glared at him and Stark and nodded.
“Would you see Mr. Osborn out?” Tony asked Happy, not lowering his repulsor.
Happy gestured for Osborn to walk.
Norman scoffed and said, “Harry, we’re leaving.”
Harry’s eyes widened and grabbed Peter’s arm, not wanting to go with him.
“We’ll drive him home,” Tony assured Osborn, looking somehow angrier.
Happy grabbed Osborn’s arm and led him out. “Let’s go.”
Once Norman was out of sight, Harry and Peter turned to each other.
“Are you okay?” Harry demanded, grabbing Peter’s arms and looking him over.
Peter nodded. “I’m fine. I was just surprised, not hurt.”
Happy came back into the hallway, and Peter turned to Tony.
“Mr. Stark!” he implored. “I don’t work for Mr. Osborn. I’m not spying for him or anything. I swear. Anything he told you about me being his prodigy or stuff is a lie.”
“Kid, kid,” Mr. Stark assured him, trying to cut into his rambling. “I believe you. I’m sorry for firing you.”
“So I’m not fired?” Peter asked hopefully.
Tony shook his head fondly and said, “No, you’re not fired. We’ll talk about you dating my rival’s son later.”