New Again

Chapter 5: Harley's Story

Three weeks later.

Harley sat down next to Peter on the lake house porch as the sun slowly sank below the horizon. The young man watched Peter silently for a moment, stirring his coffee. Peter leaned against the wooden railing of the porch, staring blankly out at the lake.

“Hey, Parker,” Harley said in a casual tone. “I have a meeting at the Stark Institute. Want to come with me?”

Peter turned his head to look at Harley. His eyebrows were furrowed. “No, thanks. I’m still taking a break from superhero stuff, if you remember.”

Harley raised an eyebrow and took a sip of her coffee. “This isn’t a hero mission, Parker. Just a fun little business meeting. And yes, I mean fun Stark-style.”

Peter shook his head and laughed softly. “No, Harley. Thank you very much, but my place is here. The meeting is yours, not mine.”

At that moment, Pepper called out from the living room, "Peter Parker!"

Peter and Harley turned their heads at the same time. Pepper had come out of the kitchen and was walking towards Peter, a file in her hand. She had that familiar look of determination on her face.

“You should take Harley up on her offer,” Pepper said firmly. “You need to get out of the house for a bit. Besides, this would be a great opportunity for you to see the Stark Institute. Tony would love it too.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “Pepper, there’s really no need. Harley will manage just fine.”

Harley laughed wryly. “I definitely would, but it would be more fun with a helper.”

Pepper winked at Harley and then turned to Peter. “Don’t say no, Peter. As someone who carries on Tony’s legacy, it’s only right that you be there. And… do this for Tony and me.”

This sentence silenced the objections on Peter's lips. He sighed softly and bowed his head, giving in. "Okay," he said in a low voice. "I'll come."

Pepper smiled with satisfaction. “Great. But you have to wear something decent. Don’t even think about wearing sportswear around Harley.”

Peter stood up without saying anything and headed towards his room.

Peter paused for a moment when he entered his room and opened his wardrobe. His eyes fell on the elegant suit hanging from its handle. A blue suit with a vest. The suit had been chosen with great taste, and the note on it caught his attention immediately:

"Something you can carry safely. With love, Pepper and Tony."

Peter felt a lump in his throat as he read the note. He ran his fingers carefully over the fabric. The texture of the suit was soft, but its meaning was much deeper.

“Tony’s style,” he whispered to himself. With a faint smile, he began to pull on the suit. When he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he felt strangely more… mature.

Harley was waiting in the living room as Peter came down the stairs. He was wearing a black suit with a loose tie. When he saw Peter, a look of surprise crossed his face.

"Wow, Parker! Looks like you're running for the Stark throne today. What kind of suit is that?" he said, a smile of admiration in his eyes.

Peter raised his eyebrows slightly. “I wore this to complete your look.”

Harley put her hand over her heart and shook her head dramatically. “A devastating answer. Tony would be proud.”

At that moment, Tony came down from his office upstairs. The slight smile in his eyes as he watched the two from the stairs could not hide his admiration.

“Wow, wow,” Tony said, stroking his chin with one hand. “What charisma? It’s like one of them’s going to a wedding and the other one’s going on stage. You both look pretty handsome.”

Harley suddenly posed dramatically in response to Tony's words. "Oh, Tony, we are so honored by your appreciation!" she said in a fake British accent.

Peter rolled his eyes, but there was a slight smile on his face. “I think we should stop flattering and go. Harley’s ego is big enough as it is.”

Tony laughed and put his arms around both of their shoulders. “You’re going to need to take a few Stark lessons to compete with Harley’s ego, Parker. But for now, you’re both exhibiting the ultimate Stark vision. I’m proud.”

Peter felt a lump in his throat at Tony's words. Deep down, he was always grateful for Tony's fatherly presence.

Pepper intervened as she watched the two take a picture of them. “Okay, my boys. This picture is going to go on the refrigerator. I’ll hang it next to Morgan.”

Tony smiled slightly and murmured, "Looks like Tony Stark's family is getting bigger."

Tony stood on the porch watching Peter and Harley walk to the car. He turned to Pepper with a small smile. “I’ve never seen a more compatible team. One of us must have done something right.”

Pepper nodded slightly at Tony's words. "Yes, Tony. But I think we'll have to work a little harder to convince Peter."

As Peter and Harley got into the car, Harley turned to Peter sarcastically. “That whole picture thing was great, but hanging around Morgan is a bit much, don’t you think?”

Peter shrugged with a laugh. “Maybe we’re all fully accepted into the Stark family now, huh?”

Harley opened the door and motioned Peter to a seat. “You may be the hero of the Stark family, but I am definitely the most charismatic member of this family.”

Peter glanced wryly at Harley as he sat down. “I sure do, Keener. I sure do.”

Laughter echoed through the car as Tony continued to watch from the porch, a gleam of pride in his eyes, but a slight sadness hidden on his face.

As the cars pulled up in front of the Stark Institute, Harley spoke with some excitement, not losing control of the steering wheel. "Here we are, Parker! We're stepping into Stark's heart!"

Peter rolled his eyes when he heard Harley still cracking jokes from the morning. “I’m not so sure you’re so keen to let me in.”

As Harley tried to park the car, she lightly bumped into the car in front of her. The impact was so small and unnoticeable, but it still caused a jolt. Harley immediately panicked. “Wow, that’s a great start,” she muttered, resting her head on the center of the steering wheel and taking a deep breath.

Peter looked out the windshield, leaning forward a little. “Harley, stop now! They’re going to get angry now.”

Harley opened the door while trying to park the car, but at that moment, a girl got out of the car and completely distracted him. The girl got out of the car elegantly, and she was so beautiful that she made the surroundings shine.

“Harley, what are you doing?” he shouted as Harley turned her eyes to him and was momentarily silent in surprise. The girl’s long, wavy brown hair and elegant figure appealed to him so much that the panic from earlier disappeared.

The girl smiled, noticing Harley's silence. "I wonder how we're going to handle this after you hit me," she said with a slight laugh, a sarcastic tone in her voice.

Harley froze for a moment, but quickly recovered. “Ah, ah… I’m sorry. I didn’t pay attention. But I really am sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”

The girl quickly took another step forward and extended her hand to Harley. “Don’t worry, I’m Sara,” she said with a smile. “I’m Steve Rogers’ daughter. I’m also the Stark Institute’s lawyer.”

As Harley stared at him with wide eyes in shock, Peter got out of the car and walked towards her. “What? Steve Rogers’ daughter?”

Sara smiled slightly and nodded. “Yes, yes. Unfortunately, heroes never leave our family alone.”

Peter was still trying to process this situation when he noticed the other girl getting out of the car and walking towards them. After meeting Sara, Peter turned his eyes carefully once more. The girl was truly beautiful. With her long blonde hair and blue eyes, Peter's heart beat fast for a moment.

“I’m sorry, really,” she mumbled as the girl smiled and walked over to Peter. “No problem. I’m Saly,” she said after a moment, reaching out to shake Peter’s hand. “I’m Sara’s twin, and I also work in the research department at the Institute. So, you’re very lucky.”

Peter smiled gracefully, but suddenly found himself in a complicated situation. Both girls were very beautiful and charming, and his heart fluttered a little when he met both of them.

“I totally agree with you,” Harley said, smiling. “If I could survive today, I think it would be a great accomplishment.”

Sara, noticing that Peter was still a little dazed, spoke up. “I can help you a little, Peter. I don’t want you to be so nervous.”

Peter stared in surprise for a moment before smiling. “Thank you… I guess I got a little too excited.”

Harley winked at Sara and said, "Yeah, it seems that way. Sometimes Peter can be a little too considerate."

Sara and Saly made sure they were both comfortable getting acquainted and then headed inside.

When they arrived at the Stark Institute, Harley and Peter got out of the car and began to walk through the doors of the large, modern building. As soon as the door opened, several employees and students around them suddenly noticed them. They immediately began whispering to each other, their eyes focused on Harley while Peter kept up with her with careful steps.

“I can’t do that,” Peter said between his teeth. “No one here knows me, do they?”

Harley leaned over to Peter and said, "There are a lot of people to meet, Pete. Don't worry, everyone will know you in no time." She continued to walk with confidence.

A few people around them turned their heads and began whispering among themselves. “Harley Keener is here, isn’t he?” a man said, recognizing Harley. “But that young man with you… who is he?”

Peter looked a little uneasy about the eyes watching Harley as he calmly walked forward, keeping a careful eye on his surroundings. “Harley, are they always like this?” he asked in a slightly mocking tone.

Harley smiled at him and nodded. “Yeah, and as you get a little older… the Stars will get to know you a lot more. But that’s a good thing, Pete.”

As they made their way towards the meeting room, a few more people turned their gazes towards them, their eyes filled with curiosity and admiration.

When they walked in, Harley immediately started talking. The moment she entered the room, she made eye contact with several people and quickly introduced herself: "Hello everyone! This is my friend that I brought with me, Peter Parker. He is Tony Stark's adopted son and heir."

Several people in the room looked at each other in surprise at this statement. Sara and Saly, looking a little distracted, got up from around their table and walked towards them.

“Tony Stark’s adopted son and heir?” Sara said, her lips tightly closed as she tried to come to terms with the situation. “Really?”

"Peter, are you really saying that you are Tony Stark's heir?" Saly asked, her eyes filled with astonishment, in a slightly questioning tone.

Harley nodded with her usual confident demeanor. “Yeah, really. Peter wears Tony’s name with pride. Trust me, this kid is tough, but he’s also serious.”

Peter seemed a little forced during these explanations, but he smiled somehow. “Yeah… It’s still very new to me. But I did it, it was all thanks to Tony’s support.”

Sara and Saly looked at each other in shock, then turned to Peter. “This is truly incredible. And I guess we’re going to have to get to know you better somehow, Peter,” Sara said, trying to adjust to the reality of it all.

Harley noticed Peter's nervousness and joked with him, "As you can see, Peter doesn't normally like to attract much attention. But you're in the right place, Pete. I know you don't scare anyone," she said, laughing.

After the meeting, Peter and Harley walked quickly down the hallway as they left the Stark Institute, a clear tension between them, Peter quickening his pace in annoyance as he followed Harley.

“Harley, why did you tell me this?” Peter said, his voice getting louder. “Why did you reveal that I am Tony Stark’s heir? I don’t want me to tell anyone!”

Harley, walking with her usual relaxed demeanor, suddenly stopped and turned to Peter. "What are you saying?" she shouted, approaching Peter angrily. "You're putting me in a difficult situation and going out without any right! I didn't want to leave you all alone!"

Peter quickened his pace when he heard Harley's voice get louder. "Who are you to talk to me like that? You didn't have to explain it! No one can decide for me!"

Harley was losing her patience now. She was so nervous that she literally raised her voice, "I had to explain this to you because people are going to recognize you! I have to help them understand your existence! But you get angry at me so easily! I can't let this go on any longer!" The anger and tension in her voice were obvious.

Peter took another step forward, tilting the tip of his nose toward Harley. “Is that really how you feel?” “Did you have to explain myself? Even if you told me everything, I don’t want me to know you! You did it, Harley. What right did you have to tell me?”

Harley didn't take it anymore and continued shouting without holding back her voice. "I respect you, but sometimes it's just not for me! Not that much! How would you feel if you were in my shoes, with people who don't even know you questioning you everywhere?" Harley took a step forward and continued shouting. "You're going to have to accept this, Peter! I had to explain you and who you are, but no matter what, everyone is going to try to get to know you. Accept this!"

Peter was a little taken aback by Harley's words, but he couldn't hold the tension any longer and started yelling. "You didn't have to! I don't have to be Tony's heir! You don't have to keep reminding me of that! Is it that easy? Let everyone know that, even if they don't know you!" he said, feeling his anger reach its peak.

Harley nodded sternly. “Yes, yes! That’s what I want. Everyone to know you! You have to live with such a reflected reality, Peter!” she shouted. “If you could listen to me with understanding, maybe things would be different! But you always fall behind!”

Peter grew angrier, feeling the pain of every word. "Falling behind? Have you forgotten that I want to live my own life? Do you always expect me to be like you? Thank you all, but you didn't have to explain it like that!" he said, slowly taking a step back.

Harley took a deep breath, her eyes filled with anger and let out all her anger. “Enough! I want to go my own way too! But you want me to be with you in everything! I wanted to show you the way, but you always choose to stay behind!”

By the time they got home, the tension between Peter and Harley was much more apparent. When they walked through the door, Peter hurried into the room, Harley following behind him and slamming the door.

"Peter, stop!" Harley said nervously, trying to stop Peter. "It's so hard when you make me jealous like that! Is everything more important than you?"

Peter charged at Harley, shouting at her with the pent-up anger inside him, "Yes! Everything is more important than you!" "There's no need to tell you everything about me! There really is no need!"

Harley was losing her patience completely. She pulled his tie off his neck and threw him on the couch. "The more you scream, the more I can't understand you, Peter! Come on! Leave me alone!"

Tony and Pepper came into the living room just then and saw Peter and Harley fighting. Tony quickly intervened, "Calm down! This is the Stark family home, please show some respect!" he said, sensing the tension between them.

Pepper approached Peter with some concern and said, "You can't go on like this. We all have to act with understanding. Please stop," but Peter and Harley were still yelling at each other and making eye contact.

Tony shouted a little more angrily, "Enough now! Everyone go to their rooms! This fight ends right here!"

Pepper responded to Tony's words, "Peter, calm down. Harley, you too."

Peter and Harley's fight had ended with a tense silence spreading throughout the room. When Pepper entered the room with Tony, they saw Peter and Harley still looking at each other, angry and furious.

Pepper quickly approached Peter, placing her hands gently on his shoulders and looking at him. “Peter, calm down,” she said, her tone soothing. “Breathe. Calm down.”

Peter took a deep breath and kept his eyes closed for a moment. At that moment, Pepper gently untied Peter's tie and placed it on the couch. "Come on, calm down. You shouldn't be doing this, either of you."

Harley was still pacing around the living room, looking angry. “I need to breathe,” she said, quickly heading for the door. “Leave me alone for a while, I need to deal with this.”

Tony noticed Harley trying to leave and quickly approached her, "No, I can't let you go. You want to go get some alcohol, right? I know that, Harley," he said firmly, stopping her.

Harley paused for a moment. When her eyes fell on Tony, the thought of a sip of alcohol would relax her mind kept turning. But Tony’s stern gaze and warning directed her in another direction. “You don’t need to know that, Tony,” she said, looking away. “But you’re right. I want to go get a drink. I need to clear my head.”

Tony looked Harley in the eye and said more harshly, "I can't let you do this. Now sit down and calm down. We all need to figure this out tonight. I want a solution, not alcohol."

"You want to control everything too. But I need to be alone," Harley said angrily, looking at Tony in surprise at how determined he was.

Pepper watched the argument in silence, then gently sat them both down on the couch and said, "We need to work together to figure this out. We need to put this current tension aside and talk. Come on, let's calm down a bit."

Peter sat back in his chair, angry, but his eyes were still blazing with heat. "It's all so complicated. And with all your eyes on me, I can't understand it," he said, but the anger in his voice was slowly fading.

Harley took a deep breath and sat up. “I felt something too. But… that’s how tense it gets. I feel like we can’t all go out together.”

Pepper watched them both soothingly. “These are emotional reactions. But we need to find a solution. As we talk, you’ll realize that you just don’t understand each other,” she said, looking into their eyes. “Tony and I don’t get along sometimes. But we have to stick together.”

Tony took a deep breath. “I know, Pepper. But these guys need to explain things to each other a little more. It will help everyone understand.”

Harley looked away from Pepper and back at Peter. “You know, Peter. I’ve always had respect for you. But we need to figure things out together. This isn’t just about you.”

Peter nodded, turning to Harley. “Yeah, maybe… maybe I need to explain myself in a different way. But it was challenging.”

Pepper said softly, "It's a challenging situation. But we'll find a solution together. If you can do that, it'll make it more meaningful for you to be a part of this family."

Tony added: “Understanding each other’s perspectives can be important at times. But remember, we are all in this together. Always.”

Harley and Peter looked at each other in silence, trying to calm down a little more. The atmosphere was still tense, but Pepper and Tony's calming words were helping things get a little better. It was clear they needed to make more of an effort to figure this night out.

The tension in the room had slowly decreased. Harley was silent for a while, struggling with her thoughts. At that moment, she heard her phone ringing in her pocket. She quickly took the phone out of her pocket and looked at the screen. Her uncle's name was on it.

He hesitated for a moment, but finally answered the phone. "What do you want?" he said, with a certain coldness in his voice.

His uncle's voice began to be heard over the phone. "Harley, can you send me money? I have debts. I need to pay off my debts to loan sharks."

Harley's face tightened. "Uncle, I can't do something like that. You can't call me every time you need money," he said, lowering his eyes. "Don't call me again."

His uncle on the other end of the phone continued angrily, "If you do that, I will ruin your life! You left me. We lost your mother and father because we lost everything because of you. Everything collapsed because of you!"

Harley felt a sudden cold wave. She dropped the phone and felt like her eyes were black. Pain entered her chest and she had difficulty breathing. She tried to unbutton her shirt, but her fingers were shaking.

"Harley, calm down. Breathe, take a deep breath," Pepper said, coming up to him quickly, gently placing her hands on his shoulders.

Tony quickly moved over, standing behind Harley. “You didn’t lose us, Harley. We’re here. We’ve always been here,” he said, but there was concern in his eyes.

Peter, noticing this emotional conflict, quickly walked over to Harley's side. "Harley, what happened? Why are you acting like this?" he asked, concerned.

Harley shook her head, struggling to breathe. “I… can’t… do this,” she said, trying hard to get the words out. “I… can’t.”

"Calm down, Harley. We're all here for you. You don't have to do this alone," Pepper said softly, holding Harley gently. "We can help you."

Tony put a supportive hand on Harley's shoulder. "We'll get through this together, Harley. Trust us."

Harley tried to take a deep breath, but her heart was still beating rapidly. Tears welled up in her eyes. “But he… he always said that. My mom and dad…” He said, struggling to keep the tremor in her voice from fading. “He blamed me. It’s all my fault.”

Peter's heart clenched when he heard Harley's words. He took another step closer to her. "Harley..." he said softly. "I can imagine how hard it must have been for you to hear that. But no one can blame you. You've always been strong, sister."

Harley was shaken by Peter’s words. Her eyes flashed for a moment, then she lowered her head again. “I don’t know, Peter. I hear it all the time, and it’s so heavy…” she said, her voice starting to falter. “My mom and dad… I lost them.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Peter quickened his pace and walked over to Harley. Slowly but surely, he hugged her. “Harley,” he said, his eyes firmly on her, “my brother… no one could blame you. And I want to carry that burden with you. I’m always here for you.”

Harley lost herself for a moment in Peter's embrace. Tears welled up in her eyes, but this time she wasn't alone. Peter's embrace reminded her that she wasn't alone, that she could get support.

Pepper smiled at Tony. Tony also had an emotional light in his eyes. “That’s the kind of family you have, Harley,” he said. “It’s going to be okay. We’re here.”

Tony nodded at Peter and continued, "Sometimes all a family needs to do is just hug and be together. That's what we do, right?"

Harley was starting to calm down a little. “I… know that too. But sometimes it’s so hard…”

Peter nodded, smiling. “It’s always hard, Harley. But remember, I’ll be with you. And we’ll get through this together. It’ll be okay.”

Harley hugged Peter tightly, and this time, she took a deep breath, slowly. At that moment, the fear and loneliness inside her had diminished a little more.

As the day slowly turned into evening, Morgan came home from kindergarten. With joyful thoughts in her head, she opened the door of the house with small steps. When she entered, she ran to Tony's side as she walked towards the living room.

“Morgan, welcome back!” Tony said, smiling and hugging his daughter. “How was your day?”

As Morgan was safely wrapped in Tony's arms, he looked around and asked, "Where are Peter and Harley?"

When Tony saw Morgan's cheerful look, he answered, "Harley just took a shower and Peter is working at the office. They'll come see you in the evening."

Morgan felt a little happier at his father's words, but then his attention was suddenly drawn to something else. "Harley!" he shouted, his eyes shining. "Harley, I heard you!"

At that moment, Harley opened the bathroom door and started walking towards the living room. Morgan's voice immediately pulled her down. She walked towards Morgan smiling, shaking her wet hair and some of the water splashed onto Morgan's face.

Morgan was shocked by the water and was silent for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Harley, wow!” he said, amused. “Why are you spraying cold water when there’s hot water?”

Harley smiled and picked him up. “I kept the hot water, and you got some for fun,” she said. Then, hugging Morgan, “These are just something to keep you entertained. We don’t want to be without some fun tonight, do we?”

Morgan continued to laugh as he basked in Harley's arms. "Harley, you're always so much fun."

Harley picked up Morgan and lowered him to the ground, a bit more playfully. “Now be quiet, okay?” she said, but her smile still remained on her face. “But if you manage to catch me, maybe I’ll tell you more pranks.”

At that moment, Peter came into the hall from the office. He had an envelope in his hand. He slowly stepped inside and showed the envelope, “Harley, Morgan, I have something to share,” he said, his eyes shining with excitement. “I got accepted to college!”

Harley paused immediately and walked over to Peter. “What? Really?” she said, her eyes bright and surprised.

Peter opened the envelope and took out the letter. He showed the official paper that showed it was from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He opened the envelope loudly and began to read the text inside:

“Dear Peter Parker, We are delighted to announce that you have been accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We look forward to seeing you on campus next semester…”

The excitement in Peter's voice caught the attention of everyone in the room. Harley hugged him tightly. "Peter, you did a great job!" she said, laughing.

"Peter, you got accepted to MIT! This is a huge deal!" Pepper said happily as he watched the two of them.

Peter smiled, nodding. “Yes, this is a big step for me. But it’s not just my success, it’s all of ours. With everyone’s support.”

Tony and Pepper entered the living room, approached Peter and hugged him. "Congratulations, Peter," Tony said proudly. "You're taking a big step. We're always here for you."

Pepper smiled, "You deserve it. You're starting a journey that we can all support."

Peter calmed down a little and said, "I didn't do this alone. I did it with the support of all of you. Thank you to each and every one of you," expressing his gratitude to the people around him.

"I believed in you, Pete. I've always had your back," Harley said with a warm smile as she looked at Peter.

Morgan happily said, "Harley, Peter, let's all have more fun together! It's a day to celebrate!", earning a joyful hug from everyone around him.