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It's been a year. One whole year since…. Everything. Peter likes to think he's done well, the doctor that Aunt May and Ms. Potts helped set up tells him that he's made great progress but he should still keep working. And he does, he never stops working.When he’s at the lake house, Ms. Potts will sometimes look at him and she'll get misty eyed and just smile. He didn't understand why at first but then he overheard her speaking with Rhodey and she said "he's so much like Tony, it's like looking at the son we never had" and that's all he hears, that's all he has to hear.
He's been working with Stark industries on and off for a few months now, Ms. Potts tells him that he can come and go as he needs and he's grateful, because he still likes being Spider-Man. He likes helping people and the joy it gives him. Sure it can be hard but that comes with the territory as Mr. Stark would say. But he also likes the work he does at the lab. It's a different kind of satisfaction, it's the kind you get when you finally worked through a problem and see a light at the end of the tunnel of a much larger problem. And all of the people are really nice, that's important too.
One day he comes in after not being there for a week after having a particularly hard fight with Doc Oc and he notices a new desk beside his but more importantly there's a new person at the desk.
"Uh hello?" Peter greets unsure if maybe the lab had been taken over for a new project and he just hadn't heard. The new person jumps a little in their seat and spins around looking very alarmed.
"Who are you?" asks this new person. He's older than Peter by a few years it seems, maybe a senior in high school or a freshman in college? Shaggy brown hair, blue eyes. Peter would say he has a nice face if asked. And suddenly Peter recognizes him.
"You were there! At the lake house!" Peter yells without really thinking about it. He doesn't really mean to but he hadn't seen this guy again and it didn't feel right to ask Ms. Potts who he was afterward.
"Yea, how'd you know that? Were you there?" the guy seems confused now. Like that wasn't the answer he had expected. Which you can't blame him really.
"I was yea! Sorry, let me start over, " Peter extends his hand out, "I'm Peter Parker and I'm an intern here." and suddenly the guys eyes light up like the 4th of July.
"Wait you're Peter? The one Tony talked about?" the guy asks.
"Mr. Stark spoke about me? Wait, you knew Mr. Stark?" and now Peter's confused.
"Right sorry we keep messing this up" and he finally shakes Peter's outstretched hand "I'm Harely Keener, I'm also an intern. And to answer your question, yes Tony did speak about you. Quite a lot actually. To be honest I got a little jealous until he explained and I understood why he was talking to me so much about you."
"I'm sorry you're losing me. Why did you understand that Mr. Stark was talking to you about me? What did he explain? Why were you jealous?" He couldn’t help asking so many questions, He was really confused now. Harley motioned for him to sit down and he did. This felt like it was gonna be a long talk.
"To put it simply, I'm a suit designer and builder. I was mentoring under Tony to learn how it was done, and what he explained was that he wanted me to build you a suit- yes he told me who you are. Don't worry that's safe with me," he had cut Peter off before he could freak out, "and…. I
I was jealous because…. It almost felt like he was trying to replace me but now I understand that wasn't the case." here he looked embarrassed to have even thought that "Da- Tony is… was a very important figure to me and it hurt to think that he had maybe found someone else to take my spot."
"Wait, were you about to call Mr. Stark dad? Because I did that right in front Ms. Potts and man that was like, pretty embarrassing." Peter’s face is red even remembering, But Harley snorts and there’s a fond but sad look on his face.
“....Yea, yea I was. It was never an official thing but it didn’t need to be. He was my dad and I was his son even if only a few people knew. We were really the only ones who needed too. I imagine it’s the same with?” and here he looks up from his hands at Peter.
“Yea. When my Uncle Ben died, I didn’t think I could ever look at another person like that but then I met Mr. Stark and it was just so...easy?” Peter’s tilting his head almost like he’s trying to find the right word.
Harley’s nodding his head, “I met dad during the whole Mandarin thing. I didn’t know it when he broke into my barn that he would become such an important person in my life. But you’re right, it was easy, I didn’t have the best parents growing up but after we met he looked after me. The nicest thing anyone had done for me.”
They spend the next 20 or so talking before getting lost in their own thoughts when suddenly Peter jerks his head up and stares at Harley, “You know what this means right?” he asks excitedly.
Harley looks at him clearly confused, and man he even looks a little like Mr. Stark with that look on his face, “What?”
Peter jumps up from his seat and walks over to him “That means we’re brothers!” and he’s practically bouncing when he says it, “I’ve always wanted to have a brother. Ned’s close but it’s not the same but this? This feels right.”
Harley looks at him for a moment and then just laughs and stands up walking over to Peter and puts a hand on his shoulder “You know what I guess that’s right. Having a little brother doesn’t sound so bad.” and he smiles at Peter and it’s almost like Mr. Stark but not exactly. Less like a proud dad and more like a proud brother. And Peter can’t stop himself, He’s a tactile person, He hugs Harley then. When Harley doesn’t move for a few seconds Peters about to back away and apologize but he wraps his arms back around Peter and Hugs him tight. That’s when he feels Harley shaking a little and Peter can’t stop the tears that come to his eyes either. They hold each other as they grieve a little more. Two sons, brothers.