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When Peter walked in, Norman was over again, but at least he seemed to be busy with his phone. He nodded at him politely, threw the jacket off and approached Harry, who seemed buried under his homework. Harry was buried under his homework a lot. Peter knew he would never really go to college if his father didn’t make the choice for him, but that was how it worked at the Osborns. Harry didn’t get to make his own choices. Ever, really.
And then there was him. In college by his own design, with academic debt and plans that were falling apart because he just had to decide to play superhero too.
„Stormy Norman is making his weekly inspection.” Harry didn’t seem happy about it. He never was, although Peter knew half the time he was just annoyed and embarrassed that Norman invaded both their lives, and unlike Harry, Peter wasn’t used to it. „Spent half of it on the phone.”
Harry looked back into his books and Peter wished he could kiss that frown away, but on the phone or not, Norman was still there. Soon. He settled on leaning against the table close to Harry and whispering into his ear.
„At least the more time he spends on his phone, the less he bothers you, and us, before he inevitably gets something important that requires his invaluable presence and disappears.” That got a smile out of Harry, at least until he noticed Peter wasn’t smiling with him.
„You alright? You look like you just got second place at the science fair.” Harry tried for a joke and Peter cracked a smile, because it was funny, and Harry knew him all too well but this was really, really not good.
„No.” He sighed. „I was late for work again and Dr Connors fired me.”
„You were late again?” Harry was trying to whisper but his tone was urgent. „I don’t get it! Where do you go all the time?”
He looked Harry in the eyes and tried to find the answer. God, maybe it would be easier to just tell Harry.
„Around.” He could consider that once their little problem left.
„Peter Parker!” Speak of the devil. „Maybe you’ll tell me who she is!”
„Who’s that?” He threw Harry a look but his boyfriend refused to meet his gaze.
„This mystery girl Harry is dating.” Norman smiling, looking between the two of them, and Peter felt about the way Harry looked - like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. Oh, Harry dug that hole, he could sit in it.
„Dad!” He tried to protest weakly, but with Norman Osborn, that wouldn’t cut it.
„What? When do I get to meet her?”
How about never? Peter thought, but instead he put on his most innocent smile as he addressed the man.
„Well, sorry. Harry hasn’t mentioned her.” He shot Harry a look that promised pain in the future just in case. Sweet of him to have warned Peter that he had a girlfriend now. But Harry, the traitor, changed the topic instead.
„Hey, Pete, you’re probably looking for a job right now. Dad, maybe you can help him out?” Yes. Peter was definitely going to murder Harry later.
„No, no, I appreciate it, but I’ll be fine.”
„It’s no problem.” Norman jumped on it, as he always did. The man tried to offer Peter a job already in the past. „I’ll make a few calls.”
„No, I couldn’t accept it.” He offered a fake smile. „I like doing what I can to find my own work.” And it was bad enough Harry was dependent on the asshole, Peter didn’t need to be too.
„I respect that.” Peter’s heart broke at the way Harry buried his nose in the book again with a slightly broken look. „You wanna make it on your steam. That’s great.”
It was not exactly a secret that Norman would probably rather have Peter as a son than his own. Peter really wanted the man to just leave already so he could forget the unpleasant encounter, grab Harry, hug him, and spend the rest of the day watching musicals on the sofa. He went to grab a glass of juice, partially just to have something to do with his hands, when the front page caught his eye.
„What other skills do you have, Parker?”
He didn’t look up at Norman as he answered.
„I was thinking of something in photography.” He had a rather unique predisposition for the job, and it had a bonus of getting Norman off his back. Oscorp didn’t need photographers. It took another painful and long ten minutes, mostly involving interrogating poor Harry while Peter tried not to feel awkward in his own flat, before Norman got another phonecall and disappeared.
Peter could see Harry physically deflate once he was gone.
He put his glass in the sink and came over, hanging himself over Harry and kissing him, upside down.
„Hey for real this time.”
„Hey.” Harry smiled, and it was nice to know he had that effect on him. Peter moved away, trying to drag Harry away from the homework and to the couch. Harry protested, even as he stood up and followed him. „I need to finish this for class.”
„I’ll help you later. I wanna hug you now and not let you go. That’s what you get for telling your father I’m your girlfriend.” Harry groaned, burying his face in Peter’s chest as they plopped down on the couch and knocking his glasses askew. He grunted, annoyed, and put them to the side on the table.
„Sorry, I should have warned you.”
Peter pouted.
„It’s fine, I forgive you. And noooo, don’t take them off. I like them. You look great in glasses.”
Harry offered him an extremely unconvinced look.
„No.”
„You do! Very cute.”
„You’re so wrong. Anyway, it’s unfair, why do you get to stop wearing glasses and I have to wear them.” Peter smirked, once again considering telling Harry and eventually leaning in to kiss him instead.
„Because you look much better in them than I ever did.” Harry didn’t seem too convinced but he eventually surrendered and dropped the topic - or changed the topic.
„Peter... We need to talk about this. You don’t have to take a job at Oscorp, and I know why you won’t, even if I hate it, but you need some job. What the hell are you doing? Connors was perfect for you. I know you leave home on time, why are you late?”
„I...” This was it, right? Now or never? Peter was already guilty of lying to Harry despite being in a relationship, but this wasn’t something he could omit, this would be an outright lie. „I have a reason.”
He was a goddamn coward. He moved away from Harry, shifting to sit up and avoiding his gaze. He knew, deep down, that he would have to make this choice some day. Admit the truth or ruin everything that was going well in his life.
„Peter... Are you in trouble?” Harry was so genuinely concerned. Fuck, Peter didn’t deserve him.
„No, no, don’t worry, it’s not...” He sighed. „I’m not in trouble, it’s more that I... go looking for trouble.” There he was. He went there and there was no coming back from it.
„Peter?”
„Harry, do you remember the trip to Oscorp we went on, shortly before graduation?”
„I do? I think I do? What is this about, Pete, you’re sort of scaring me.” Peter avoided his eyes again, but he reached out to link their hands, subconsciously seeking comfort and a way to make sure Harry didn’t leave.
„I got bitten by a spider on that trip. Remember? The ones they were talking about, with the super skills, and one of them was missing... They said it was on purpose but turns out it just escaped, and it got to me.”
„Wait, are you alright? You’re not telling me you’re dying or anything?”
Peter laughed, struck by the irony.
„No, not dying. Quite the opposite. I’m fine. More than fine.”
He risked a glance at Harry, who seemed to be slowly connecting the dots.
„Did you just say... a spider?”
See. Harry wasn’t dumb. Norman couldn’t accept that Harry wasn’t into science, but Harry was incredibly intelligent, his strengths just lay in different areas. Peter wished Norman understood that and stopped giving Harry trauma he would be resolving for years to come. Harry was great at writing, and at talking to people, and understanding how people worked.
„Yeah. Super spider.”
Harry’s gaze softened, and he squeezed Peter’s hand harder, and Peter was just so happy he could cry. Harry drew him into a hug, and Peter melted into it, relieved to finally have someone know, relieved that he didn’t have to lie to Harry anymore, and Harry was still there, wasn’t mad.
„I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
„It’s okay.” It wasn’t. Harry just wasn’t used to standing up for himself. But it would be okay, eventually. „I can see how this must have been quite a secret to keep.”
„I’m so mad at losing the job with Connors but... if I don’t go, people literally die.”
„Oh, Peter.” Harry got that look, that little smile that said he thought Peter had a too damn big heart but loved him for it. „Maybe you should find a more physical job then.”
„I’ll tell you another day why that’s a bad idea.” He didn’t feel like getting into the story about Ben’s death. „But actually, I had an idea.”
He grabbed the newspaper and handed it to Harry, and Harry took one look at it, and then laughed. This was perfect. Normal, or as normal as it got. They were on the sofa in the apartment they shared, Harry’s glasses and homework on the table, Peter’s suit in the wardrobe upstairs, and there were no more secrets between them. This was good. This was the right choice. Harry kissed him, and just like that, Peter knew it would be okay.