Help Me Love You

I Know You

The lights shine at a blinding capacity when Peter opens his eyes. He instinctively closes them again, a red hue remaining behind his eyes. He waits for the white spots to stop dancing behind his eyelids before he braves another attempt at looking at the world. This time it goes easier, the lamps appear to be lowered to a more manageable level. For a moment he ponders if he asked FRIDAY to do so, or if it's just more manageable now.

The questions gets answered as he looks around and locks eyes with Harley. The southern boy stares at him with a soft look in his eyes, a gentle smile graces his face and Peter swears his stomach has been filled with butterflies, roaming around and turning everything upside down. Somehow it feels right.

"Hey you." He mumbles when everything has calmed down a bit. He doesn't think they'll ever go away completely again.

"Hello yourself, Darlin'." Harley responds. Sure as ever, the butterflies pick up their speed in full force. "How you feeling?"

He thinks the words over for a moment. A headache pounds behind his eyes, the light still has a sharp edge to it. Harley's voice sounded louder than he remembers it to be. Not to mention that he is painfully aware of the blanket shifting over his body, scrubbing his skin raw with every slight movement sans the spot where he feels a cast on his leg. Definitely broken then, but in no way as painful anymore.

"Not too bad actually. Maybe a bit sensitive sensory wise."

Harley hums, "I guessed so. Tony said that might happen, so I lowered the lights for you when I noticed you waking up." He says, his voice slightly lowered.

"My saviour yet again." He grins. "Wait about that. Why did you have your potato gun with you to counselling?"

"Well, I finished it a few days ago. Thought I'd show you when we were done. Go to the park and try to shoots some leaves, I don't know. Just glad I brought it with me."

Peter shares the thought, but doesn't say it out loud, instead he focuses on the opening door. A familiar head pops out. Tony enters the room, his expression indifferent. "How are my two favourite teenagers?"

"We're the only teens you know." Harley snorts. We're fine, though."

Tony shoots a doubtful look to Peter, not believing the other's words right away. Probably thinks about his kids teaming up against him again, or whatever he said exactly that time in the lab. But Peter puts on his most comforting smile and the hesitant edge around Tony slowly fades away.

"Well that's great." Tony says, loudly clapping his hands together. He looks apologetic for a second as Peter minutely flinches away from the sound. "So, I heard the cat's out of the bag. Or in this case, the spider is I suppose."

Tony takes a seat beside Harley and Peter just takes a moment to look at them. They're both okay. The Reader, Isabella Bennett, hasn't hurt them. Mr. Stark And Harley are both in his room, alive and well. And honestly, he couldn't be happier right now.

"Yup. I haven't apologised for that yet actually. So, sorry Harley."

"That better be an apology for all the bad things you said against yourself when I didn't know it. No apologies needed about anything else."

"But I didn't tell you earlier, or tell you myself. You got involved with me, not knowing any of this and that's just inconsiderate of me."

Tony snorts while Harley looks affronted. "Yeah we have to talk about that. You two being involved with each other that is. I've been left in the dark for way too long now." Mr. Stark says, crossing his arms over each other.

Harley shoots Peter a look saying that they're not done talking yet but opens his mouth to respond to their mentor anyway. "Yeah well. We started a little joke. Couples counselling with a stranger. Genius idea really. We both just got a little caught up in it all."