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Peter had been having a week of being too tired and coughing up flowers that he was hiding. Everyone at school would know he had a crush and he rather not deal with that so he hid any flower that he coughed up. Cause his crush didn’t go to school with him. He had to watch as Harley walked around the lab though. At school, MJ and Ned had started to pick up on the flowers but Peter didn’t let them know the extent. It wasn’t like they hurt, it was just that they always gave away that you liked someone which could be good like Gwen and MJ’s case or be terrible like Cindy’s case who found out that her crush was dating someone else. Peter knew his crush wasn’t dating anyone but it still hurt to think he could be turned down. So he kept it quiet. Sadly though Flash caught on and started teasing him so school became worse.
“Just ignore him. I’m sure your crush likes you back,” Ned told him. How could he though? Harley was too good for him.
“I don’t have a crush,” Peter said instead of telling Ned about Harley or how Harley could never love him like he loved Harley. He wished that Harley loved him but he knew that was just a dream. He would have to live knowing that Harley wouldn’t fall for him like that. He would just deal with the flowers taking over his lungs.
~
Harley hide from Tony as he spit out some flowers. Of course, he had to think of Peter and all that came with loving Peter. Peter had been there for him after he moved to New York. Though Harley was finishing school online before starting at in person after the semester end, then who knew where he would go to school. Midtown would be nice but seeing Peter every day knowing Peter probably just wanted to be friends and knowing he couldn’t be with him like that hurt. Tony had caught on to the flowers but Harley had said it was a ex-classmate that he had a crush on. That the feelings should die. Tony seemed to believe him but Pepper knew better. She saw past that when both boys would look at each other when the other wasn’t. Both believing the other didn’t requite the love when they both did. Pepper watched and told May who just rolled her eyes knowing they both were being silly but maybe eventually they would admit the truth.
~
Peter was out as spider-man. Swinging around and saving the day like he normally did. He should have known that the wizard he was fighting was someone he should stay away from but he didn’t think about it, instead focusing on the fight until he was hit by something. Luckily for him Strange showed up to take care of the wizard before he noticed the spiderling looking confused and passing out. Strange sighed and picked up the spiderling, taking him back to Stark before something bad happen to him.
~
Peter woke to a burning in his lungs. He was confused as he started coughing and before he knew it petals and blood came out. Peter looked surprised as he looked around for someone. Helen was there luckily and had seen. She had been doing an exam on Peter and had seen him when he woke up.
“FRIDAY calls Strange immediately,” Helen said. Peter tried not to panic but he knew that if he was coughing up blood that whatever was going on wasn’t good. Strange got there and did something to look at the magic used against Peter. Peter tried to stay still every so often he would start coughing again.
“Well I have an idea on what the spell was,” Strange said.
“Can you fix it?” Peter asked. Strange looked at him before telling him no. “Okay normally when I ask that you say you need this and that.”
“The spell is an old spell that attacks hanahaki disease and makes it worse until it kills the person,” Strange said. “The only way for you to stop the spell is to kiss the person who you have a crush on and hope they like you back.”
“He doesn’t though,” Peter whined. “I would have told him already if I thought he did.” Helen and Strange seemed concerned but they had to tell May and Tony and hope they had the answer to the issue.
~
Pepper, May, and Tony had all been talking about Peter being sick in medbay so Harley knew he had to slip down and see him. He found Peter playing on a Stark pad looking relaxed until he started coughing up blood and flowers. Harley moved to his side helping him sit up and holding the basket that was by Peter’s side. He rubbed Peter’s back as the other boy held onto his arm. Once he was done he looked at Peter. Peter wasn’t looking at him.
“They won’t tell me what happened but just know I’m here for you,” Harley said.
“I got hit with a spell that made the hanahaki disease that I had worse so I’m now dying from it,” Peter said. Harley paused trying to figure out what to say to that. He got quiet as he waited for Peter to say more.
“There has to be a cure,” Harley said.
“Only the person I like admitting they have feelings for me could save me,” Peter told him. “The only thing is they don’t love me back.”
“Well then they don’t deserve you,” Harley told him. Harley didn’t know if it would help but even if Peter wasn’t in love with him, he decided that knowing would help him more than anything. “Can I kiss you?” Peter froze at that question. “It’s just I have this crush on you.”
“You do?” Peter asked. Harley nodded. Peter looked at him about to respond but a cough fit took him over again before he could say something else. Harley was more focused on Peter than anything else.
Peter stopped coughing long enough to finally talk again. “I would never say no.” Harley smiled before he kissed Peter’s forehead and Peter smiled as he felt his lungs loosen up. Harley could feel a wait in his lungs disappear as he looked at Peter confused.
“I might like you too,” Peter said. Harley laughed as did Peter. They might have liked each other for a while but now they actually were together and it was as if everything was alright in the world for the first time in a long time.