It Only Takes a Second

- XXXVII -

"It's raining cats and dogs out there," Peter laughed, stepping out of the elevator, sopping wet curls flopping limply into his face.

Harry rose from his spot at the kitchen counter with a smile, walking over to where Peter was dripping in the entry way and planting a kiss on his lips.

"Peter, you're freezing," Harry commented, pulling away from his boyfriend. It was mid-September now, and the rain had brought an early cold front through the city- a stark contrast from the mid to upper 80s that it had been in weeks prior. "Did you walk here all the way from school in the rain?"

"Yeah- it's not too far. Don't worry, I can't get sick. Just cold," Peter explained.

"But you're cold to the touch, and normally you run warm, so regardless of whether or not you can get sick, I'm making you hot chocolate and you're going to go take a hot shower and put on some fresh, dry clothes," Harry ordered, guiding Peter down the hall towards his bedroom.

"Harry, really, I'm fine," Peter reassured, but his skin betrayed him as it broke out into goosebumps, and he began shivering.

"I know you say you're fine, but you can still get hypothermia, and it would even be easier for you to become hypothermic than it would be for anyone else. So I'm telling you again- go take a hot shower, and I'll get you some dry clothes."

"Fine," Peter whined, as they entered Harry's room.

"You go ahead and get in the shower," Harry rummaged through a drawer and found one of his largest sweaters- he knew how much Peter liked his sweaters big- and a pair of jeans that were still too big for his prominent and bony waist.

"Here are some dry clothes, they should fit you," Harry handed the clothes to Peter.

"Umm..." Peter's face blushed bright red, despite how pale and clammy he had previously been.

"Are you alright? What else do you need?" Harry asked, eyebrows furrowing, hoping he hadn't offended Peter with his comment about the clothes fitting.

"I, um..." Peter stuttered. "I need underwear."

Now Harry's face flushed bright red as well, and he pointed to the drawer at the end of the dresser.

"It's... they're... it's in that drawer. I'm- I'm going to go to the kitchen and, erm, start on the hot chocolate."

"Okay," Peter replied, waiting until Harry left the room to reach for the drawer.

*

"Hey- ooh, what are you making?" Tony spoke, entering the kitchen. Harry jumped a bit- he hadn't heard Tony's footsteps

"Hot chocolate. Peter walked from school in the rain and he was really cold when he showed up," Harry explained, stirring the steaming liquid on the stove.

Tony frowned. "Where is he now? He should have called me and I would have gone and picked him up- he knows he can become hypothermic easier than most."

"He's taking a hot shower, as per my command. I told him the same thing," Harry nodded, turning to grab two mugs from a cabinet behind him.

"Those are new, where did you get them?" Tony smiled, looking at the two mugs that Harry had pulled from the cabinet.

"May. It was a thank you gift, for... helping Peter," Harry responded, looking at two ceramic mugs and smiling sadly at the memory of Peter on that fire escape.

The mugs were adorable- one was pink and had the face of Piglet, and the other was yellow, with Pooh's face on it. Peter had mentioned Winnie the Pooh while Harry had stayed with him and May, and Harry's face had lit up with recognition.