Peter Stark-Parker was a good boy before Harry Osborn entered the picture. Seriously! He was a smart kid, had a bright future ahead of him. Sure, he was the son of two of the biggest gangsters in New York, but they were gangsters with morals; gangsters that were just fine with their adopted son's dream of being a scientist. The Stark family had plenty of money for lab equipment and a good education for the baby boy of the family, and Peter had the genius intellect to make it work. He was supposed to get away from gangster life and be at the top of his field just like his dads were at the top of theirs. It was all supposed to work out... but, then came Harry.
Harry's family was just as successful in the gangster world as the Stark family. After Norman Osborn's wife, Emily, was the target of mob-related violence due to a case of mistaken identity, Harry's father made it his mission to work his way to the top. The Osborn name was one that was both feared and respected by all in New York. The problem was, Norman was sick. With a son that had been studying abroad his entire life and a life expectancy that dwindled daily, Norman called his son back into New York to take over the family business. It was the life he had been trained for since the day of his mother's funeral. He'd keep the family at the top, keep the city under his control, and all would be fine. It was all supposed to work out... but, then came Peter.
Time was a funny thing. Harry was supposed to spend a few more years in Europe, studying to be the best. Peter was supposed to be away from home and far away from the lifestyle that being a son of the Stark's brought about by the time Harry returned. They were never supposed to meet. Despite coming from the top two criminal families in the state, their timing wasn't supposed to work out that way. All it took to shatter all of the planning that had gone into their lives was one party.
It was held at the Osborn mansion the day Harry came back to New York. Norman was dying. It was bound to happen at any second, and Harry needed to get his face out there before it was time to take over. Naturally, the Stark's had to attend. Peter didn't typically tag along. He had to study, or... do literally anything else with his time. This wasn't a party anyone in the family could afford to miss.
Well, shit.
The connection was there from the second they saw each other. Peter was propped up against a wall, nose shoved in a book he had brought along. He just wanted to read about Dr. Banner's latest research, but damn, that wasn't Harry's problem. If he just wanted to read, he should've scampered off to a library. Harry had to say something. With a drink in hand, Harry made his way over.
"Peter Stark-Parker." His voice wasn't quite slurred yet but was creeping up on the edge of it. The party had only just begun, and he was only on his third drink, after all. That would change.
Peter's eyes went wide as they shot up from the page of his book. He had been hoping to avoid catching the young man's eye, or anyone's eye. He had been hoping on navigating the party without drawing too much attention to himself. He had to say hello to anyone his parents deemed important, and he had. His parents demanded he stay until they left, and Peter knew there would be trouble if he was caught sneaking out on his own.
"--hi. Uh, Harry Osborn, right?" Poor Peter. He was a shy kid, nowhere near as loud and flashy as Harry seemed to be. His eyes were full of innocence that Harry's own hadn't held since his very early teens. It was a sight to see. Harry didn't usually hang around good boys. There was something inside of him that wanted to warp that innocence and turn it into something so much better.
"What're you doing? Not enjoying the party?" Harry asked, head tilted in a form of faux offense. "I thought I threw a pretty nice gathering, but here you are, tucked away in this corner. Where'd I go wrong, Peter?"
Peter gave a short huff of nervous laughter, one hand moving up to run through his hair. He knew the blond was only teasing, but still, holy shit. He had no idea what he should do or what he should say. He blinked a few times before finally forcing out a few words.
"Uh, I just really like to read."
His tone oozed with nothing but pure nervousness. Harry threw his head back in a short fit of laughter. Oh, poor Peter. He just didn't know, did he?
"You like to read? That's cute." Harry grinned, one hand reaching out to rest on the wall near Peter's head. He liked the way Peter's blush spread out. He wondered how far it spread.
“Cute? Ah— ha, I don’t know about that, but, ah, yeah. Love reading.”
Peter held up his book to show the cover, doing his best to keep his smile from looking too awkward as he tapped on it. He was nervous but gaining confidence. That, perhaps, was even more interesting than the pure nervousness. How fun.
"No, no. I know cute when I see it. What're you doing here? I’ve heard you’re not one to socialize with us criminals."
Peter was a rare case in their circles. When you came from the best, you were meant to carry on that legacy. You were meant to stay the best."My dads thought it would be a good idea for me to come," Peter shrugged.
"Mm, okay, I see. You're not really having fun, are you? Do you wanna get out of here, Peter?"
Harry wore a grin that seemed to stretch from ear to ear. It made Peter nervous. It made Peter want to accept the invitation.
"I can think of a few things we could do that would be much more fun than anything going on in here," Harry murmured the words directly into Peter's ear, sending a shiver down Peter’s spine.
Peter didn't know what he was doing. He shouldn't agree. He shouldn't let this happen. He should just get the hell out, say thanks but no thanks, and get the fuck out of there.
Instead of staying friends with his better judgment, Peter nodded.
"I'd like that."