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Peter can't stop saying 'hella', and Harry can't stand it.
It's not just every once in while, because Harry could handle that, but the phrase has somehow become part of his everyday vocabulary. "How was work, babe?" Harry asked one night when he managed to make it home before Peter did.
Peter smiled, "Hella," He responded.
Harry didn't think much of it then. It was the first time he had heard Peter say the word, and Harry shook it off. But then it became a recurring word he used to describe everything: in the mornings when Harry asked Peter how he looked before work, what Peter thought of date ideas, after sex, and even on the news once, when Spider-Man was on the scene of a local fire and was asked how saving victims felt. To all of those scenarios, the word 'hella' somehow snaked its way out of Peter's mouth.
When Harry thought it couldn't get any worse, it did.
For dinner that night, they decided to stay in as opposed to going out somewhere fancy as usual. Instead of ordering Chinese takeout or pizza, Peter decided that he should give cooking a go. Harry supported the idea, deciding that it was a really romantic gesture, and those were there plans for the night.
After Peter served up his home-cooked dinner, the two talked about their day. Peter told Harry about the never ending adventures of Spider-Man, and Harry complained about the people Oscorp. This is what they did every night at dinner, and never once was their a boring story to tell.
Something was different about tonight, though. Peter wasn't saying 'hella' at all, and Harry was conflicted as to whether or not this was a good thing or a bad.
"So how's dinner? I tried to make all of your favorites," Peter grinned.
"It's hella," Harry said, and as soon as the word rolled off of his tongue, he realized what he said.
Well, shit.
Peter almost choked on his dinner, "It's what?"
"Uh," Harry said, searching for something to say, "It's good. That's what I meant."
Peter smirked, "But you said 'hella'. I thought you hated that word."
"I didn't say 'hella'," Harry insisted, "You must have misheard me, I said it was good."
"You're in denial, Harry. The power of the 'hella' has been vested upon you," Peter lifted an eyebrow at the defensive Harry.
Harry scoffed, "What the hell does that even mean?"
"It means the 'hella' is victorious. I made a bet with myself that if I used an annoying catch phrase, I'd eventually get you to say it."
"Oh? So what's the reward for this bet?" Harry asked, teasingly.
"Uh, I really didn't think that through," Peter admitted, "I just wanted to get you to say it."
Harry stared at him for a second, formulating his own solution to Peter winning the bet. "If you say that I'm not in denial and I never said the word 'hella', then I'll-" Harry leaned over and whispered something dirty into Peter's ear.
Peter's eyes lit up, and they sealed the deal.
♡
Harry and Peter cuddled together bare under the sheets of their bed. Harry gazed up at his boyfriend from under his arm, and asked, "So, how was it?"
Peter smirked, and responded, "Hella."
For the first time, Harry laughed at the word. "It was hella, wasn't it?"
fin.