It’s disheartening to stand across the battlefield against someone you love. Especially when it’s not just your found family, but your partner. Your family and you against more of your family and your crush, who happens to be one of your best friends.
But now here the team was, split apart and facing each other, not wanting to fight but everyone knowing that people were going to get hurt no matter what. Half of the team was led by Steve, the other half led by Tony. With Steve, there was Bucky, Sam, Wanda, Clint, Scott, and Peter. With Tony, there was T’Challa, Natasha, Vision, Rhodey, and Harley. Honestly, the teenagers shouldn’t have been involved, but Wanda was like the older sister Peter never had but had always wanted, while Harley felt like he owed Tony and said he would fight beside him. Neither of the boys expected to see the other at the airport. They were hoping that the other was safe at home.
Which is why Peter’s heart rate had doubled just from seeing his friend, his crush, in his Iron Lad suit standing there alongside the rest of Tony’s team. Like Tony, his helmet wasn’t deployed, but the rest of his suit was. He had a panicked look in his eyes from seeing Peter in his full Spider suit, trying to hide it even though he had a feeling Peter could see it anyways.
While Tony and Steve bickered, the boys couldn’t look away from each other, Peter being grateful that his mask was on to disguise any visible emotions. Wanda knew, though, she could sense it. She gently grabbed Peter’s hand beside her, rubbing her thumb on his palm as a soothing gesture. She knew about his feelings for Harley. They’d talked about it before. She also knew Harley had those same feelings even if he didn’t say it. It probably didn’t take a mind reader to know, but she still never said anything about it, fearing it wasn’t her place to do so.
But now she had kind of wished she at least told one of the boys about the other’s feelings. Maybe if she had, they’d be safe at home with each other, not on the makeshift battlefield where it was ideal to put emotions to the side. A situation that should have only involved the adults.
Unfortunately, the men leading each side couldn’t compromise, and now they had to go through the fight plan they had loosely discussed. It wasn’t just punches that were thrown. Fire, vehicles, magic, anything that could possibly be used as a deterrent was thrown. “Peter, I need you to scale the building and make sure Sam and Bucky get on that quinjet, got it?” Steve said through the comms. “Yes sir.” Peter responded, adrenaline keeping him fully alert but grateful that he would probably be fighting less in the airport. He made sure the men were always in his sight, relying on his senses to alert him if anyone else from the other team were a threat nearby.
They were about halfway to the jet when Peter heard the whirring of repulsors behind him. They were a different sound from Tony and Rhodey’s. He stopped following the men, but looked at them as a silent way of saying “keep going, I got this.” He stopped on one of the platforms inside the airport, turning around to see Harley’s Iron Lad suit, helmet now on. “Why are you with them?” Harley asked, lowering onto the platform and standing a few feet from the other boy. “I could probably ask you the same thing.” Peter replied, feigning confidence.
“Tony needed my help, even if he didn’t ask for it. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you involved. Now answer the question I asked.” Harley kept the helmet on as he spoke. “Wanda needed my help. She needed everyone’s help. I don’t want to fight but I don’t want to see my family locked away.” Peter began to tear up, grateful that his mask hid his watery eyes. “She won’t get locked away if she signs the accords and follows the rules, no one will.” A beat of silence. “Why can’t everyone just like, compromise? I don’t want to do this.” The adrenaline keeping Peter’s emotions at bay was beginning to slip. Harley did his best to ignore the way the other boy’s voice wavered. “I don’t want to do this either.” He replied, lifting his arm to aim one of the repulsors. Peter thanked his reflexes when he was able to jump away from the blast easily on time.
He swung a web onto one of the many beams in the airport, dodging the blasts before deciding that he’d have to also do something he didn’t want to. He landed back in front of Harley, this time only a foot away. “KAREN, have taser webs on standby, maximum voltage.” He said, mirroring Harley’s stance while standing as stoically as he could manage. Harley’s helmet retracted, his upset expression looking more like sadness than anger, but his repulsor was still aimed. They both knew that because Harley’s suit wasn’t as advanced as the ones the two older men had, the taser webs would completely incapacitate the Iron Lad suit. He would only be able to get out of it using a mechanism that didn’t need power. He would just be a teenager, no powers or abilities or even much combat training at all.
“You threw the first punch.” Peter said, still prepared to deploy the webs if he needed to. “Pete,” Harley had tears in his eyes as he lowered his repulsor. Peter kept his stance, not wanting to show that this fight was making him weaker. Harley took a step closer to Peter. He had a few inches on Peter, so Harley had to look down and Peter had to look up. They were silent for a moment, crashing and explosions happening just outside of the building they were in.
“We’re on, Spidey.” Sam said through the comms. With one arm still out to shoot his webs, he placed the other over his earpiece. “Copy.” He said simply. He didn’t need to alert Steve, he was already connected to them. Peter ripped his mask off, maintaining his stance and eye contact with Harley. He didn’t move a muscle as Harley stepped closer until they were inches apart.
His expression was one Harley had never seen on him before. His anger was on full display, crystal clear even with tears forming in his eyes. He didn’t know why he was still there; his job was done, they were on the quinjet. He should’ve been out there fighting the rest of Tony’s team, after taking down Harley’s suit.
But the atmosphere between the two boys was tense and confusing. Neither of them could move. “You tried to hurt me.” Peter said as his body shook. A tear fell from Harley’s eyes. “I’m sorry.” Peter still didn’t move his hand. “Peter.” Wanda said through the comms. Peter instinctively looked through one of the full length windows that showed the fight on the tarmac. Wanda was on the ground, Vision holding her. “Tell him. Now.” She looked up at him through the window, staring into his soul.
He looked back at Harley, who was fully crying now. “Listen to me.” Peter instructed, trying to get his emotions together while acting stronger than he felt. “You probably don’t like what I’m about to tell you. You will probably aim at me again. But I want you to know that if you do, I will not hesitate for a second to take down your suit.” Harley nodded.
“I like you a lot,” Peter started before being interrupted by the other boy. “I do too.” Harley said. “I’m not finished.” Peter scolded as his fists clenched around the mask in his hand. “You will let me speak.” Harley shut his mouth at Peter’s outburst, but nodded again. “I like you a lot. More than you think. Honestly, I think I’m basically in love with you. I trust you, you are the first person I actually told my identity to. You didn’t just TRY to hurt me, you DID hurt me. I don’t care if you don’t feel the same, but the fact that you went after me to shoot me hurts more than if you looked me in the eyes and told me you hated me.” The full tears finally started flowing from Peter’s eyes.
“I love you.” Harley said. Peter scoffed. “No, Peter, I’m serious. I know I AM in love with you. You inspire me. You make me so damn happy. You are the reason I decided to permanently move to New York. I’m so, so sorry I tried to hurt you. It hurts me to see you hurt. It kills me that I’m the one who hurt you.” Peter was speechless, eyes wide with no clear thoughts going through his head.
Harley pressed a button on the suit, making the glove on his right hand retract. He carefully took a step towards Peter, gently placing his hand on his cheek. They were both crying now, but Harley brushed one of Peter’s tears away with his thumb. Peter put his hands on Harley’s face and let his instincts take over.
This wasn’t how either of them pictured their first kiss with each other. They didn’t want it to be in an airport in Germany as their friends and family fought. They didn’t want to be crying. They didn’t want to be fighting. Warmth spread through both of them as they leaned in even closer and the kiss got deeper. They pulled away after a few seconds, not wanting to stop but they needed to take a breath. They looked through the window down to the tarmac, noticing that the fight, this one at least, was over.
“Do you guys need a ride?” Wanda said through the comms, now standing but with Vision’s arm around her. “Yes, please.” Peter responded. “Do you think Tony will let me come back home?” He asked Harley, looking fearful. Harley grabbed his hand and began to walk him down to the window they had broken to get into the airport. “I think so. It’s hard to stay mad at you.” Harley said with a slight joking tone. Peter bumped his shoulder against the other boy’s with a small smile on his face.
Peter placed his free hand on his earpiece. “Thank you, Wanda.”