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Harry,
I think Peter might kill me. Okay, that's harsh, I don't actually think he might kill me. Peter can't even kill a fly and I've watched him have whole conversations with an ant colony as he helped them cross the street. For someone that literally screams if a spider comes near him, he's way too soft hearted to cause harm on purpose.
Anyway, I'm annoying him, I can tell. I just can't help it! You're coming home! Like… home home. And you haven't been home home in like seven years.
Sometimes I think it's really strange that you two fell out of contact. You guys have so much more in common than we do and yet you guys stopped talking and we've just grown closer. Not that I'm complaining. It's honestly a little nice to have something that's just… mine .
That sounds weird. You're not mine, you don't belong to anyone but yourself.
Ugh, I'm sorry, I don't know how else to put it, though. It's just really really nice to have someone that wants to talk to me more than they want to talk to Peter or MJ. I love them both so much and I wouldn't trade them for the world but I've been starting to feel like Peter's sidekick and their third wheel so it's… I don't know… nice to know I'm not. Not for someone anyway.
Vanessa just gets this stupid grin on her face whenever I mention you coming home. It's a little rude. I think she thinks she knows something that I don't.
Anyway, you're coming home! Home home! New York home! I can't wait to kidnap you from the clutches of your responsibilities and show you everything you've missed. Do you remember that you used to be really good at ice skating? Have you been doing it still? Think you remember any of it? Or we could go look at Christmas lights! I know a few parks have whole nights where you can do a walk and just look at them. I think the theater down the street - the really vintage one - is playing White Christmas and the really old classics. We could go see those and then grab some cocoa or something from one of the little coffee shops. Like we used to when we were kids! With or without Peter and MJ. I'd prefer without for some of it, to be honest. I sort of just want to hug you and never let you go.
Okay this is getting really long.
Eagerly awaiting your arrival!
Love,
Ned
“Ned,” Peter said with barely restrained frustration, which was very hard to cause, Ned knew Peter was the sort of person that was usually able to hide his frustration rather well. “If you don’t stop vibrating I will web you to the wall.”
It was a fair threat, one Ned was pretty sure Peter would follow through with if he needed to, and one that Ned had to admit was needed. He hadn’t been able to stop fidgeting since waking up that morning, he was so excited. Not only for the beginning of Christmas vacation which meant Ned could blissfully sleep in, but also because… well… “Sorry, Pete.” Ned winced.
Peter watched him over the top of his safety glasses with a rather disbelieving look, although it was teasing. “I get it,” he reassured. “You’re excited.”
But they were supposed to be mixing some rather volatile chemicals and Ned vibrating was only making it more likely for them to make things blow up in a way that the two of them tended to try to avoid during school hours. “I haven’t seen him in years.” Ned enthused and Peter smiled, not unkindly, but in the soft way that usually saved for May or MJ.
“Has anyone seen him in years?” Peter asked dryly.
The answer was, frankly, no. Sometimes Ned forgot that their duo had once been a trio, until private school, a spider-bite, and one too many funerals. Peter had met him first, technically Ned was the add on, but Ned could barely remember the awkward moments between the three of them as they got used to one another. That being said, while Peter and Harry had fallen out of touch over the years, Ned had valiantly tried for the opposite, even going as far as handwriting letters to send overseas when his parents had started complaining about long distance charges.
Ned shrugged at Peter’s question, he didn’t have an answer that Peter wanted and while Ned was pretty sure Peter also was looking forward to potentially seeing Harry Osborn again in the flesh, Ned wasn’t shocked that he was the one looking most forward to it. After all, Peter had MJ now to take up a good deal of his time (as well as the rest of the city). Things between Peter and Harry were bound to be rocky, anyway, Ned told himself. After all, Peter had become Spider-Man because of an OSCORP mishap and while Peter was the sort of person to not hold Harry of all people responsible for it, it was his last name that had greenlit the experiment in the first place. “He gets in today.” Ned reminded him for what had to be the tenth time just that afternoon.
Peter hummed.
Ned and Harry had been pen pals since Harry had left - it had started out as a silly joke between friends, sent even though they exchanged texts, and then, a few years in, the letters had turned full of secrets and confidence and things they wished to say but were too nervous to in person. Ned told Harry about all of his insecurities, about his fears, about the financial troubles his sister was struggling with, about his ever growing worry about being left behind while Peter changed the world and forgot about him. In turn Harry told him about the expectations weighing his shoulders down, how he was pretty sure his father didn’t even like him, about his fears over his mental and physical health, whether he had inherited the Osborn Curse or simply was experiencing normal anxiety. Ned knew about Harry’s friend Gwen and Harry knew about MJ and Ned had, perhaps, grown a crush, a yearning , for something he hadn’t even known was possible to want.
So Ned was excited for Harry to be coming home. He was excited to see his face. Excited to see if the easy banter flowed between them as neatly as it did on paper or if it was all simply a farce of distance.
But his excitement were also nerves and Ned managed to hold them in for the rest of Chemistry all the way until he was standing outside of the tall office building that was OSCORP’s corporate offices, rocking back and forth on his heels in apprehension. Nervous didn’t even begin to explain how Ned felt. He was more than nervous. He was more than anything , really. There were incredibly low stakes to the entire mess, Ned reminded himself. If things went wrong his life wouldn’t be that disrupted.
Or, who was he kidding, really. If things went wrong then Ned would be down a best friend.
If things went wrong Ned would be alone.
He gripped the handle and then stopped, chewing on his lip.
Maybe he should just go home. Try again another day, if he would try again at all. What he had with Harry now was good. It was more than good. He didn’t want to disrupt it and be left with shattered remains of what they had been in a pile at his feet.
The universe, as if sensing his indecision, made the decision for him.
He blinked and on the other side of the glass was Harry Osborn, all five foot something of him, slender, orange hair stuffed under a beanie, and glasses perched on the line of his nose. He blinked at Ned, Ned blinked at him, and then he beamed and Ned lost his breath completely. Harry pushed through one door and Ned another and they met in the middle, Ned’s arm tight around Harry’s slender waist and Harry holding on just as tightly to his shoulders. He felt the weave of the beanie pressed into the tip of his nose and inhaled; the scent of Harry unlocked some long forgotten memory from years before at an airport hugging goodbye just as tightly as they were saying hello. To say that the world slotted into place would be an exaggeration, but something clicked into place and Ned didn’t want to let go, couldn’t let go if he even wished to, at least until Harry did as well.
They pulled away, Ned’s fingers trailing over Harry’s hips and Harry’s arms keeping him at a much closer distance than Ned had expected to be held at (not that he was complaining, not that he would ever complain). “You look great.” Harry said in a jumble.
“I missed you so much!” Ned said at the same time.
Harry let out a little noise from the back of his throat, leaning closer again so that his breath brushed over Ned’s lips and then rubbed their noses together, slow and with fluttering eyelashes, and Ned forgot to breathe until he was ducking his head, dropping it to his shoulder and hugging him close once more.
They would have to talk about this - whatever this was - or perhaps they wouldn’t have to at all. Perhaps they would just let it progress without ever speaking of it again. Perhaps it could just be , whatever it was that it was. “I’m on vacation all week.” Ned said instead, because keeping quiet had never been his strongest quality.
“Funny that,” Harry muttered, the twist of his voice slightly unfamiliar, sprinkled with the rounded vowels of an accent that was unfamiliar enough for Ned’s ears to pick out. “I’m on vacation all month .”
Ned nudged at his hips and Harry pulled him tighter in retaliation. “Posh.”
“Brat.”
Ned,
Peter wouldn't be able to survive if he killed you. We both know he's hopeless on his own. I know you think MJ is a good replacement but she's no Edward Leeds and Peter would do well to remember that. Anyway, I'm about as excited as I can get to come home too! Aside from the mountains of "bonding time" I'm going to be dragged into, I'm pretty sure anything is better than the holidays at a private school in California.
Anyone that doesn't want to talk to you is full of shit. You're a much better conversationalist than anyone I've ever met. Endlessly entertaining. I'm not lying so don't you dare accuse me of that. You're amazing, Ned. Please don't let your insecurities tell you otherwise. And I'm sure you're not a third wheel. For one, I don't think you can be a third wheel if you're friends with both of them unless they're making out at every chance. And if they are that's just… disgusting and really unlike the Peter I remember.
Vanessa’s a smart lady. You should trust her more. If it makes you feel any better Gwen says we're disgustingly adorable and Anya's failing horribly at asking her out. Seriously, this girl point blank asked her and Gwen just didn't notice. At least we're not as oblivious as them, right?
I think dad's always low-key disappointed Peter and I didn't stay in touch. Joke's on him, I kept in touch with the best guy out of the two of them.
And all of those sound amazing , Ned, seriously. I don't think I can actually ice skate anymore, you may have to teach me again. There is a lack of ice and snow where I am in Cali so… there hasn't really been a reason to go in seven years.
I promise I'll come up with some date ideas too, my mind is just being melted by finals. You have me for the entire month, anyway. So I'll absolutely be embarrassing you at Midtown.
Tata for now!
Love,
Harry
--
Ned thought that he had smiled more in a day than he had in his entire lifetime. If his family found it odd they said nothing about it, save for a few teasing words from Vanessa about the kiss Harry had planted under his right eye when dropping him off the night before. “ That’s Harry Osborn?” His older sister had asked. She whistled low after he nodded, her eyes sweeping him up and then down as he walked away, hands stuffed low in his pockets and head ducked against the chill of the night until he ducked into the car that Bernard ( still the butler) had driven them home in. “He’s grown up, hasn’t he?”
Ned had nudged Vanessa’s side with the pointy tip of his elbow until she had laughed, hands held high in surrender and apologies dripping from her lips. “I get it, I get it,” she said with a bright, bubbly laugh. “He’s yours .”
“Ness.” Ned whined.
She ruffled his hair as she ducked into the kitchen. “At least you’re over Peter,” She called over her shoulder. “I had no idea how to tell you that he’s stupidly straight.”
Ned blushed and glared at her retreating back, his heart pounding out a tune in his chest that he couldn’t name. He couldn’t imagine a time ever having a crush on Peter, but Vanessa was usually right about this sort of thing. She had, after all, called his crush on Betty and Harry long before Ned had even noticed them. “I was never into Peter.” Ned argued lamely, fanned at his flaming cheeks, and slid into the kitchen after her, grabbing the plate of steaming garlic bread his mother handed him before she could drop it.
Both Vanessa and his mother gave him the look and Ned pursed his lips.
“Are we talking about Ned’s crush on Peter?” His father grumbled, stumbling into the kitchen from the family room, wiping his glasses on the edge of his shirt.
Ned tossed his head back in a groan. “I don’t have a crush on Peter.”
“Not anymore ,” Vanessa corrected. “He got dropped off by Harry Osborn in a very fancy car and even got a kiss on the cheek for the trouble.”
“ Ness ,” Ned cautioned.
“ Oh ,” their father parroted with raised brows and a smirk on his lips. “Harry Obsorn . How long has it been since we’ve seen him now? Six years?”
“Seven.” Ned mumbled.
“Seven years.” His mother hummed. “Do we like Harry Osborn now?”
Vanessa snorted. “Judging from the way Ned blushed when he was dropped off I’d say we more than like Harry Osborn now.” She dodged Ned’s elbow expertly. “You should invite him over. Mom and dad would love to see how cute you two are.”
Ned grumbled but acquiesced, his mother pressing a kiss to the crown of his head and smoothing back his hair. “Go set the table, love, your sister is just teasing you.”
Harry,
Oh no, don't let the finals kill you! I'll miss your endless crankiness. It's your brand we can't go without it. Without you being cranky what would you be? Happy? Enthusiastic? Downright cheerful?! The world isn't ready for that.
But really I hope your finals went well. I'm sure you did a lot better than you thought you did, you always tend to. I'm honestly a bit excited for ours here at Midtown. I can't explain why - I know I'm going to come in second at the most - but I just really like being able to prove my knowledge, you know?
That sounds so nerdy and really not cool. Ignore that, please.
Really I'm just going to be happy to be around you this month. Exchanging letters and video calls and everything else is great - honest! But getting to hear your voice not through a phone screen will be more than a little nice.
Just a few more days until I get to hug you and never let go!
Love,
Ned
--
Ned had met Norman Osborn approximately three times over the years and Norman Osborn had barely looked at him every time. This time wasn’t much different, the man’s nose pointed towards his computer and eyes glaring at the screen as though that was the root of all of his problems. “You should be revising your English essay.” Norman cautioned when Harry had pulled Ned to a stop outside of Norman’s office to tell him where they were heading for the afternoon.
Harry rolled his eyes and leaned against the door jam, his back a smooth straight line of fabric that stopped right above the curve of his jeans. “I have the rest of the month and Ned only has this week off.”
Norman frowned. “Ned? As in Leeds?” He glanced up from his screen, saw Ned standing over Harry’s shoulder and seemed to do a double take. “Oh.”
Ned didn’t want to try and figure out that oh . That oh could mean anything ranging from happiness, frustration, a passing observation or the oh’s his parents had said when Ned had told them that he was getting Harry and then meeting Peter and MJ at the mall. “Hi, Mister Osborn.” Ned parotted with a little, awkward wave.
Thanks to the letters he had been sending with Harry over the years, Ned was intimately aware of Norman Osborn’s failings as a parent. It was a little difficult to quantify that the Norman Osborn that held Harry to rather impossible standards when it came to school was the same man sitting in front of them with a framed photograph on his desk of Ned, Harry and Peter from kindergarten graduation. But it wasn’t Ned’s job to compare the two. “Don’t stay out too late.” Norman cautioned and dismissed in the same breath, turning back to his work without another word.
“Come on.” Harry mumbled, wrapped his fingers in the sleeve of Ned’s shirt and tugged him forwards.
It was cold outside, the sort of biting cold that warned of snow traveling on the wind, and Ned watched Harry huddle in farther into the collar of his wool coat and hunch his shoulders, his nose already starting to redden at the tip. Ned nudged him with his shoulder and held out an expectant hand after fixing his hat over his ears. Harry’s lips twitched but he seemed to happily thread his fingers between Ned’s own, pulling him tighter against his side and stuffing both of their hands into the deep pockets of his coat. Ned was thankful it was cold - at least he could chalk his reddening cheeks to the snow and not to Harry’s bold penchant for physical affection.
It was different from how Harry had been at his home, and Ned almost asked about it until he remembered Norman’s cold goodbye. His father wasn’t an awfully affectionate man, whereas Harry was a creature that seemed to feed off of it. Ned wasn’t complaining, he decided, settling in closer to Harry’s side, he rather liked being tucked in close to the other boy’s side.
“Oh thank god ,” Harry muttered when they stepped into the mall, shivering his shoulders dramatically and pulling their hands - still linked - out of his pocket to brush his glove against the tip of his nose. “Why is it so cold in New York?”
“Do you want an actual answer?” Ned asked with a dry look.
Harry scoffed but smiled lightly all the same. “Why? Do you have one?”
“New York usually comes under the influence of large arctic high pressure systems,” Ned said brightly and Harry tossed his head back with a groan. “That descend down from Canada -.” He continued until Harry untangled their hands to place his gloved hand against Ned’s lips with a small glare.
“Please,” Harry begged, blue eyes sparkling behind the lenses of his glasses. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
Ned rocked back on his heels and stuck out his tongue. “You asked.”
“I was being dramatic .”
“You’re always being dramatic.”
“Well, I’m a dramatic person,” Harry noted, plucking off his gloves one finger at a time, and stuffing them decisively into his pockets. “Let me live.”
Ned rolled his eyes but it was with no sort of annoyance. “Let’s go find Peter and MJ.”
“Michelle, right?” Harry asked, following along easily as Ned started forward once more, into the crowd of last minute holiday shoppers - of which they were about to join - and wrapping his fingers in the fabric of the coat at Ned’s back. “That’s what I have to call her?”
“Unless you’re her friend,” Ned agreed with a nod.
It wasn’t that he thought MJ would really have that big of a problem with it, but mostly because Ned wanted to see what would happen if Harry stuck to her rules. MJ was a finicky person and he knew that Peter’s friendship with Harry meant something to her, even if she would never admit it. “That makes sense, I guess.”
“I think they’re up ahead.” Ned pointed and Harry’s eyes followed, crystal blue and glittering with something Ned thought was nerves. He chewed on his bottom lip and rocked on his heels and Ned pulled them to a stop, Harry colliding softly with his back with a tiny umph .
Ned spun on his heel, narrowed his gaze at Harry and brushed the back of his knuckles against his cheek. “What’s up?” He asked quietly.
Harry shrugged, but leaned into the warmth of his hand. “It’s silly, isn’t it?” He asked with a rueful little smile. “I’ve been friends with Peter for years and I’m nervous to see him.”
Ned wanted to kiss him. He wanted to press his nerves so far back into his mind that they never even dared show their face again. He leaned closer, brushed his nose against Harry’s rapidly warming one, and pressed their foreheads to one another. “It’s a little silly.” He admitted.
Harry laughed but didn’t pull away until a while later, breathing in deep and smiling as brightly as he could muster. “I can do this.” He said more to himself than to Ned.
“It’s just Peter.”
“And his scary girlfriend.”
“And his scary girlfriend.”
Ned wasn't sure who did it, but their palms ended pressed together, fingers linked tightly between one another and Ned’s thumb running a comforting line down the jut of Harry’s knuckles. His heart pounded in his chest, nervous even though it was just Peter and MJ . Two of his closest friends. Meeting his… meeting Harry. Again. "Ned!" Peter was standing in front of a table closest to the carousel, hair stuffed under an Iron Man knit cap Ned recognized as one Happy Hogan had gotten him for Hanukkah the year before. He waved with a smile, brown eyes bright, and Ned reminded himself that this was his best friend. His best friend since he was a baby.
Everything would go fine.
And everything did go fine. Shockingly, aside from the glance down at their linked hands and the point of contact that always seemed to be between them, MJ and Peter had nothing to say about the new development in Ned’s life. Peter and Harry had gotten along as though no time at all had passed, trading numbers at the end and bonding over something biological that Ned didn't quite follow. "I like him." MJ had muttered in the Starbucks with a quick, awkward smile at Ned's wide eyed look in her direction. Perhaps it was because Harry had insisted on paying, or perhaps it was because he had a wit that could easily keep up with hers, or perhaps it was because MJ actually had a heart she didn't like to show a lot and she had noticed how happy Ned was. Either way, MJ's acceptance - and Peter's re -acceptance - was enough to leave Ned smiling down at his hot cocoa with a rather goofy expression.
"Me too." He murmured and MJ caught it without a roll of her eyes.
"Good." She said and dumped several packets of sugar in the decaf coffee he knew she had gotten for Peter. "You, uh… deserve that."
Ned flushed, but he sat down beside Harry regardless, closer than was platonic, back knee pressed against Harry's warm back and Harry’s hand landing softly on the curve of his knee. "Ned!" Peter declared brightly and wrapped his arm heavy over MJ's shoulders. "We're going to stop by Midtown comics sometime next week."
"We are?"
Harry nudged his shoulder lightly. "Oh, yeah. Gwen's got this huge classic comic collection she's building. I figured I should grab her something while I'm here."
Yeah , Ned thought, everything was going to go fine.