Parley Oneshots

Waltzing with the Enemy

request by Drarry4ever1o1

helloooo friends

enjoy this

3rd Person P.O.V.

"Are you sure about this? What if we get recognized?" Abby questioned, leaning back on her hands from her seat on her brother's bed. "Stark parties are notoriously anti-Keener, you know."

"Relax, Abs." Harley adjusted his tie, picking up a masquerade mask and holding it in front of his face. He turned to face Abby, grinning. "It's a masquerade party. Nobody will even know."

"I don't know..." Abby trailed off, looking uneasy. "It's just risky. And for what? A stupid party?"

Harley scoffed. "This isn't just some 'stupid party', Abs. This is a Stark party," he insisted. "And it's gonna be great. We'll have a good time, I promise." Abby stood up, crossing her arms with a sigh.

"Yeah... no." She shook her head. "You can go, but I'm staying here," Abby decided. Harley frowned, eyebrows furrowing.

"What?! No, c'mon! It'll be fun!" Harley exclaimed. "Don't you ever wonder what it's like? This is our chance to get into a Stark party!"

"I-" Abby sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Sorry, Harley. I'm not going with you." She made eye contact with her older brother, pressing her lips into a thin smile. "Have fun."

"Abs-" Harley started, watching her walk out of his room. "Dammit," he mumbled, sighing. He hadn't wanted to go alone; that was the whole point. Still... these sorts of opportunities were rare, with the Keener-Stark rivalry holding strong. Harley didn't even understand why they hated each other in the first place, but he upheld that extreme dislike nevertheless. He would be damned if a Stark ever got the better of him.

Yeah, Harley would be going to that party. To crash it, of course. Even if that meant going alone.

~

The young Keener could hear the bumping bass coming from Stark palace, a mischievous grin crossing his face as he adjusted the masquerade mask. It was such an obvious disguise, he thought, that it would surely work. There's no way the Starks would believe a Keener would use such a flimsy disguise, and he would be able to sneak right in, undetected.

And he did. Harley grinned, glancing around the crowded palace. He was already forming plans on how to ruin this party...

...until he laid eyes on a handsome young man, fluffy brunette hair partially hidden behind his extravagant mask. Harley had never seen this boy before– well, he couldn't be certain, since his face was obscured by the masquerade mask he wore– but the boy didn't seem familiar to him. Plans to ruin the party could wait– right now, there was a boy who needed a dance partner.

"Why, hello there, darlin'," Harley greeted, approaching the stranger as charmingly as he could. Up close, he could see that the boy had beautiful coffee-brown eyes, a splash of cream to make them a shade lighter.

"Oh... hello," he replied cautiously. "Can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you'd care for a dance?" Harley grinned at the boy, bowing slightly and offering him a hand. The boy giggled softly, grinning as he accepted Harley's hand.

"Alright... maybe just one dance." The boy put his hands on Harley's shoulders, the blond carefully putting his hands on the boy's waist.

"Is this okay?" Harley questioned. The boy quirked an eyebrow in response, moving Harley's hands a little lower on his waist.

"There," he decided, smirking lightly. He let his arms rest back on Harley's shoulders, both boys swaying to the beat of the music. They made idle conversation, discussing whatever came up.

"How about we step things up?" The boy suggested. Harley hummed, nodding.

"What did you have in mind?"

"A waltz?" The brunette switched their position, grabbing one of Harley's hands and intertwining their fingers. "I'll lead." Harley didn't have a chance to argue before Peter swept them away, rhythmic stepping across the palace floors as they narrowly avoided other partygoers.

"Oh!" Harley exclaimed as the boy dipped him, one arm cradled behind Harley's back. "You're quite strong..." The boy laughed, standing them both up straight.

"Thank you." He shuffled his feet shyly, smiling. "I must know... who are you?" Harley swallowed dryly, feigning a smile.

"Oh, but my darlin'... isn't that the point of the masquerade?" The boy frowned, fingers curling around the edges of his mask. He pulled it away, revealing his face.

"The point was for me to dance with a stranger. That's why I requested a masquerade ball..." The boy stuck out his hand toward Harley, inviting him to do the same. "I'm Peter Stark, son of Tony Stark. And you are...?"

"I-I-" Harley stuttered uncharacteristically, shaking his head as he stepped backward. "I'm sorry. I... really must be going." He turned on his heel, and almost got away before Peter grabbed his wrist, keeping a firm yet gentle hold.

"Please. I feel like we have a real connection... I simply must see you again." Peter slowly reached up toward Harley's mask, but the blond pulled away.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Please, just let me know who you are under the mask... surely it can't be bad."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"Really?" Peter hummed. "I don't care about status or anything... if money is the issue then-"

"It's not that."

"Then what?" He questioned. "All I want is to see the face of the boy I danced with tonight... why is that an issue?"

"I-" Harley shut his mouth quickly, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. You just can't know."

"But why not?" Peter countered. "It's not like you're a Keener..." Peter trailed off, staring into Harley's eyes. "Oh. Unless you are...?"

That was enough. Harley tore his wrist from Peter's grasp, making a mad dash for the exit. Once he had pushed past the crowd and was alone on the empty streets, he felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"Wait!"

Peter had followed him out to the streets.

"Look, I'm really sorry, I know I wasn't supposed to be at the party but I-!" Peter cut Harley's nervous rambling off with a passionate kiss, hands holding Harley's head in place as their lips mashed together. Harley quickly grabbed onto Peter's waist, pulling him impossibly closer. Once they broke apart, Peter smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry," he grinned, panting softly. "But I really needed to do that." Harley pulled Peter in for another kiss, quicker this time since they were both already out of breath.

"Don't worry. I liked it."

"Right... now will you take your mask off? I'd like to see your whole face now," Peter requested. Harley gently tugged his masquerade mask off, letting it clatter to the ground as Peter brushed his thumb over Harley's now-exposed cheek. "Alright, Keener... can I have your name now?"

"Harley. I'm Harley."

"Harley..." Peter murmured, smiling softly. "Harley Keener."

"Peter Stark," Harley replied. "This is some Romeo and Juliet bullshit right here."

"Uh- yeah, I guess?" Peter agreed. "But we'll have a better ending. I'm going to talk to my dad."

And so he did. With the strength of Peter and Harley's bond, a decades-long feud between the Starks and the Keeners finally came to an end. The two lovers lived their perfect, alternate Romeo and Juliet-style life together, and their families reconciled enough to share the holidays together. Truly, this was the fairytale ending Peter and Harley deserved.

unsure when I started writing this one but I finally finished it :)