Chapter Text
“Okay class, as I told you last week, we have a new student with us today. This is Harley Keener, he’s just moved to New York so I hope you make him welcome.” Mr Harrington introduced, gesturing for them to move forward.
The class muttered ‘hi’s whilst the guy made his way to the spare seat next to flash.
The boy - Harley - was tall with dirty blonde hair and kind, blue eyes. He had an almost defensive stance to him but Peter decided it might just be the nerves of starting a new school.
“He looks cool.” Ned commented next to him. It was true; his worn brown leather jacket and ripped jeans was a look Peter couldn’t even dream of pulling off, yet he couldn’t picture the guy in anything else.
“And Flash is getting his teeth in early.” MJ added, watching Flash smack him on the shoulder as he rolled off a joke. Harley laughed, but any idiot - other than Flash - could tell it was fake.
He didn’t give much more thought to the new guy until lunch, when Flash stalked past their dinner table.
“Sup Penis. How’s the fake internship?”
Peter just shrugged. It wasn’t worth answering.
“Answer me when I’m talking Penis.” Flash sneered before turning to Harley. “This is Penis Parker, the loser who lies about everything.”
Harley huffed a laugh, not even looking in Peter’s direction.
“I won’t waste your time introducing you to the rest.” Flash said, finally carrying on to his table.
“Great. Another Flash, just what we need.”
“Give him a chance, he might just be hanging out with him because he’s the only person he knows.”
Ned and MJ didn’t seem convinced as they continued with their food.
The end of school finally came around, and with no more run ins with Flash and his new steed, he jumped into Happy’s car.
“Hey happy!”
“Hey, kid.” The older man greeted in his usual manner, watching out the window.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Not remember? Tony’s other kid is staying for the rest of term. Good job you guys go to the same school, I wouldn’t be taxiing you everywhere.”
Oh no. He couldn’t mean -
The passenger door opened, and in sat Harley Keener.
“Hey, Happy.”
“Long time no see, how’ve you been?”
‘How’ve you been?’ Happy never tried to make conversation with Peter.
“This school blows, but it beats Rose Hill I guess.”
“Tony did offer to home school you. It’s you who wanted to meet new people.”
Harley shrugged and Peter felt frozen to the spot.
Tony had offered -
“You again? Penis, was it?”
Happy frowned but didn’t say anything as he pulled up to some traffic lights.
“It’s Peter.”
“Surely you aren’t the guy Tony’s been telling me about.”
“He sure is.” Happy confirmed. “Never shuts up about him, not that I know why.”
Peter knows Happy meant it as a joke but Harley already seemed to dislike him, he didn’t need other people hanging up on him.
“Huh. You’re not what I expected.”
Peter didn’t know what to say to that, apart from Harley was the polar opposite of what he was expecting too. Tony had said they were practically the same, that they’d get on like a house on fire. This guy seemed like an ass.
“How’s Tony been? How’s Morgs?”
Peter frowned. He knows Morgan?
“Tony’s fine, looking forward to seeing you again, and don’t get me started on Morgan, been chatting my ear off about seeing her big brother all week.”
Harley grinned, looking out the window.
Peter wished he’d taken the subway.
Tony was waiting for them in the drive, enveloping Harley into a hug after greeting him as ‘old man’ as soon as he got out of the car.
Tony hated being called old.
“Peter! Glad you’ve met Harley, you in any classes together?” Tony beamed, wrapping an arm over Harleys shoulders.
“A few.” Peter replied nonchalantly.
“Best friends already then, Huh?”
Peter blinked. For a genius Tony must be blind.
“Something like that.” Harley brushed off, walking into the tower in step with Tony.
“Harley!” Morgan screeched as soon as she caught eyes on the taller boy as they entered the living room.
“Hey Morguna!” Harley greeted, catching her as she flung herself at him. He twirled her around so her legs flew in a circled as the hugged.
Peter couldn’t remember a time where Morgan was that happy seeing him.
“You’re back! You’re back!”
“Sure am, bean. For two whole months!”
“Yay! We can play, and make pancakes, and go swimming and go to the aquarium like you promised!”
“We sure can.” Harley grinned, brushing her hair back in a familiar movement.
“Peter, help Harley with his bags, will you? He’s in the room by Morgan’s.”
Peter nodded, picking up some bags.
“Wow, you some strength freak or something?” Harley asked, eyeing Peter with the heavy bags.
“Uh, no. They aren’t that heavy.”
Harley frowned but said nothing, walking in silence to Harleys room.
It was bigger than Peter’s, with an en suite large enough for a separate bath and shower. He never quite understood why he hadn’t got this room after the blip, instead given one the furthest down the hall.
“When did you meet Morgan?”
“Oh, I’d spent weekends at a time here over the blip, Tony got in touch with me after everyone dusted. Started working in the lab together and everything.”
Peter was too taken aback to form a response, so Harley simply carried on.
“So what’s with the fake internship bull shit?”
Peter shrugged. “Flash thinks I’m lying about having a Stark Internship.”
“Living with the guy is hardly an internship.”
“I had the internship before I moved in and I still have it.”
“How did you even manage to get one? Stark doesn’t take kids as interns.” Harley stated matter-of-factly.
“I applied.” Lied Peter, looking everywhere but Harley.
“Whatever. You can go now.”
“Uh - okay.”
Peter trailed slowly back to the open plan living room, finding Tony making dinner whilst Morgan coloured on the floor, sprawled out on her stomach with a sea of crayons surrounding her.
“You guys getting on well? It’ll be good for you to have a brother figure, especially one your age.”
Peter winced internally. “Yeah… he’s great, dad.”
Tony grinned, like a master plan had all come together. “I knew you would. It’s good we’ll have so much quality time together whilst his family move house.”
“And how longs that again?”
“Best part of two months. Maybe a little more?”
Peters stomach dropped. “Can’t wait.”
“Did he not want help unpacking?”
“Uh- no. Think he’s got it covered.”
Tony nodded, stirring the spaghetti.
“Harley said you spent a lot of time together when I was gone.” Peter started, unable to stop repeating the conversation in his head.
“He did? Well, I guess we did. I reached out to him about half a year after the snap, he’d come for a long weekend every month or so.” Tony explained, clearly not seeing it as a big deal.
“Did you work in the lab?”
“Yeah, Harleys one of the brainiest kids I’ve ever met. Helped me fix my iron man suit when he was twelve, not a lot of kids can say that.”
Peter shook his head, trying not to think about the overwhelming feeling of replacement that sat deep in his chest.
“We should all go down to the lab after school tomorrow. You’ll be blowing up things together in no time.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” Peter muttered, but sounded very unconvinced.
Pepper came home half an hour later, with everyone sat at the dinner table listening to Morgan talk about her adventure in the kindergarten sandpit that afternoon.
“So Harley, made any friends at school yet?” Pepper asked when Morgan finally ran out of breath to ramble.
Harley shrugged. “Maybe one.”
“Peter doesn’t count.” Tony joked.
“Nah, this guy called Flash. Sat with him for most of the day.”
“Wait - Flash?”
“Yeah? I know it’s a weird name but I’m pretty sure his real one is-“
“Eugene Thompson.” Tony finished.
“Uh - yeah. I guess Pen- Peter’s mentioned him.”
“He has. Seems like a nasty piece of work.” Pepper commented, giving Peter a small smile.
At least someone was on his side.
“Well he’s nice to me.”
Tony hummed, but let the conversation drop.
“Hey Tony, why don’t we go for a drive tomorrow? It’s been ages since we’ve been out together.” Harley suggested, taking about mouthful of Bolognese.
Tony nodded. “Sure, we could bring Peter. He needs to learn to drive soon.”
“Well he isn’t driving my car. I don’t want him writing off the Audi you gave me.”
Peter looked down to his plate. The boy must have meant a lot to Tony to give him his first car - and an expensive one at that.
“Don’t worry, I have a car in mind for Pete when he wants to start learning.”
“Really?” Peter perked up, looking wide eyed at Tony.
“Sure kid. I bought it a few weeks ago at a scrap yard.”
Peter frowned, knowing he’d never accept a new car from Tony, but it would have been nice to have been offered the same as Harley.
“Now, before you say anything, I know, Tony Stark never buys anything second hand, but I was thinking we could fix it up together, get it back to working condition. Maybe even get some cool upgrades and stuff.”
Okay, never mind, this was the best thing Tony’s ever suggested. “Serious? Oh my god, thanks dad! When can we start? Can we go now?”
“Hold your horses kiddo, it’s dinner and homework for you tonight. Maybe tomorrow after the drive.”
Peter nodded, letting his excitement dampen slightly.
“Will you read my bedtime story for me tonight, Harley?”
“Sure thing, squirt. I know no one can do all the voices as good as me.”
“No, Petey got it all wrong when he tried!”
Peter’s cheeks reddened, remembering the time he was invited to read her a story, but the dragons voice was apparently more gruff than Peter could manage and the boys accent was completely wrong. Peter didn’t try again after that.
“Hey, I do a great job.” Tony cried, pretending to look hurt.
“But Harleys the best daddy!”
Tony shook his head. “This is what I get bringing my kids together. I get put down in the ranks.”
“Why don’t you and Peter clean up dinner whilst me and Tony get little miss ready for bed?” Pepper suggested, wiping bits of food off her daughters face.
Peter nodded, trying to hide his reluctance.
“Sure, Pep.” Harley said with a shit-eating-smile that somehow made Peter like him even less. Could neither of them see it was all fake?
It didn’t take long after the others had disappeared for Harleys true side to come back out again.
“I want to go out with Tony by myself tomorrow, so make an excuse and dip, will you?”
Peter was surprised by the directness, not the fact he didn’t want Peter to go, that much was obvious.
He just nodded, loading the dish washer.
“And stay out of my way. I didn’t come here to play best friends with you.”
“S-sure, but I do live here so-“
“Yeah, what’s with that? Last I heard you lived with your aunt and now you’re here hanging off Tony and calling him ‘dad’”
Hurt spread across Peter’s face, thoughts immediately going to his aunt. “M-my aunt died. During the blip… Car accident. Tony adopted me when he brought everyone back.”
“Huh, sorry for your loss, that must have sucked.”
That earned Harley his first glare. How could someone be so cold about it?
“I’m going to bed, you can finish off cleaning, right?”
Peter didn’t respond, just like Harley didn’t bother waiting for it before he stalked off to his room.
This was going to be a long two months.