Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel.
TW/CW: needles, kissing
3rd Person P.O.V.
Harley stepped out of the elevator, grocery bag in hand. Peter smiled at his boyfriend, eyeing the bag suspiciously.
"What's in the bag?" He questioned, watching the blond boy as he walked into the kitchen. Peter jumped to his feet, following him. Harley rolled his eyes playfully, shaking his head at the smaller boy.
"Nice to see you too, darlin'." Harley started unpacking the bag, purposely going slow. He pulled out a carton of milk, a package of cookie dough, a box of condoms (which made Peter blush), and finally, a tub of ice cream.
"Ice cream!" Peter exclaimed, grabbing the container excitedly. Harley laughed, wrapping his arms around his lover.
"I thought we could eat it while we make cookies," the taller boy suggested. Peter's smile grew, tilting his head up to look at Harley.
"Hmmm..." The brunette pretended to think about it for a moment, a huge grin still on his face. "Can I have some now?" He questioned, doe eyes pleading silently. Harley chuckled, pressing a kiss to Peter's forehead.
"Of course, sweetheart." He grabbed two bowls, and two spoons, taking the tub of ice cream from his boyfriend's arms. Harley started scooping it, handing a bowl to Peter.
"What flavor?" He wondered.
"Peppermint stick." Harley scooped more ice cream into his bowl, putting the half-empty carton into the freezer. Peter was already digging into his frozen treat, not wasting a single second. Harley let out a laugh, eating his ice cream slowly as he watched his boyfriend lovingly. Peter finished up the last of his bowl, placing it in the sink (balanced on top of the other dishes nobody wanted to take care of).
"Hurry up!" Peter exclaimed, watching Harley eat painfully slowly. The spider-powered teen bounced his leg, drumming his fingers on the countertop. When Harley finally finished eating, he stacked his bowl on top of Peter's.
"It's about time-" the brunette was cut off by a swift kiss to his lips, the slight peppermint taste on Harley's lips causing Peter to giggle into the kiss. Tony walked into the kitchen, spotting the two.
"Get a room!" Tony yelled, throwing his hands up as he left. The pair broke the kiss, laughing. Harley wrapped his arms around Peter, resting his chin on the shorter boy's head.
"How come he always walks in at the wrong moment?" Peter wondered, sighing.
"Dunno. But how about those cookies, hmm?" The blond suggested, humming softly.
"Yeah!" Peter exclaimed, wiggling free of Harley's grasp. They grabbed the cookie dough, peeling off the wrapper. Harley read the instructions while Peter tore off chunks of the dough and ate them.
"Darlin', can we maybe save the dough for actual cookies?"
"Shut up, Keener." Peter fed Harley a chunk of the cookie dough.
"Mmm, that's pretty good," the blond admitted. Peter giggled, shoving another piece of cookie dough in his mouth.
"Told you," he laughed. Harley shook his head playfully, chuckling.
"'Kay, darlin', but why don't we bake the cookies first?" Peter ate one more piece of cookie dough, nodding.
"Okay," he sighed. Both boys began spreading out the chunks of dough, preparing the cookies. Right as Harley was about to pick up the tray to put in the oven, Peter sat down at the counter, putting his head down.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Harley questioned, concern laced into his voice. He pushed the tray of cookies aside, leaning down on the counter to be closer to his boyfriend.
"I don't know... something doesn't feel right," Peter frowned.
"What do you mean?" The blond wondered, tilting his head curiously. The smaller boy sighed, looking up at Harley miserably.
"I feel kinda sick."
"Maybe you shouldn't of eaten all that raw cookie dough, darlin'." Harley helped Peter to his feet, escorting him to his room. "Lay down for a while, maybe that'll help," he suggested. The brunette nodded, curling up into a ball. The taller boy turned off the lights, and went to leave the room.
"Wait!" Peter cried. Harley turned, looking at his boyfriend with concern. "Stay?" The blond's expression softened as he climbed into bed with the sick boy. They spooned, Harley curled protectively around the smaller boy. The blond slept peacefully, while Peter's sleep was restless and uneasy.
When Harley woke up, he couldn't help but notice the damp spot on his shirt. Peter was completely soaked in sweat, shivering. His cheeks were flushed, not with embarrassment, but with fever. Harley placed a hand on Peter's forehead cautiously, his frown deepening at how hot the brunette felt under his palm.
"FRIDAY?" He spoke quietly, as not to wake the sleeping boy. "Tell Bruce to set up a bed in the med bay." He waited for confirmation that the bed was ready before getting up. Peter groaned, rubbing his eyes.
"Harls?" His voice was rough and scratchy, but he sounded confused.
"Yeah darlin', it's me." Harley picked up the spider boy, carrying him to the med bay. Peter mumbled quietly, his arms loosely wrapped around Harley's neck. The blond set him down on the bed carefully, worry in his eyes as he spoke to the doctor.
"He was fine this morning... I don't know what happened," he admitted. Bruce looked over the half-conscious teen, noticing something familiar.
"Did he have peppermint this morning, by any chance?" He questioned. Harley's eyes were wide as he nodded.
"Peppermint stick ice cream... is he allergic? He didn't say anything to me about it," the taller boy frowned, wrapping his arms around his chest anxiously.
"Not exactly, but he still should've known not to have any." At Harley's confused look, Bruce continued. "Peppermint is toxic to spiders. Since his DNA is part spider, peppermint has an effect on him too." The blond boy looked terrified, glancing back at his sick boyfriend.
"I didn't know..." He trailed off, feeling guilt wash over him in waves.
"It's not your fault, Peter should've told you," Bruce stated. "He'll be ok. I made a solution the first time this happened, and I think there's enough left." Harley nodded, watching as he left to fetch the solution.
"Darlin', why didn't you tell me?" He said softly, grabbing Peter's limp hand. "I thought we agreed to tell each other everything." Harley brushed his thumb over his lover's hand, staring sadly at Peter's flushed skin. The taller boy pressed a gentle kiss to his boyfriend's forehead, feeling the warmth radiate off of the brunette.
"I've got it," Bruce confirmed, quickly setting up an IV. Harley cringed, knowing how Peter felt about needles. Bruce swabbed the sick boy's arm, inserting the IV quickly and cleanly. The clear fluid was pumped through the needle, and Bruce was satisfied with that.
"That should cure him. If he doesn't wake up within the next 10 minutes, ask FRIDAY to get me." The doctor left, avoiding Harley's wrath. He knew how protective the boy was over Peter, and he also knew that the blond would not hesitate to yell at the spider-powered teen. Bruce didn't want to be there for that.
"Thanks," Harley mumbled, focused more on Peter. The brunette was beginning to stir, but was not yet awake. After 5 minutes had passed, Harley began to worry. What if the solution didn't work? What if Peter got worse? What if he never woke up?
Harley's panicked thoughts were interrupted by a soft groan.
"Harls?" Peter mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. The blond watched as the smaller boy slowly woke up, realizing there was a needle in his arm. Harley held his hand back, meeting Peter's terrified doe eyes.
"Don't take that out, it's helping you." Peter nodded, eyes wide with fright.
"What happened?" The brunette wondered, confusion clear in his eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me peppermint made you sick?" Harley asked, answering the question with another question. Peter's eyes widened even more, realization flashing across his face.
"Shit."
"Yeah, no kidding! Do you have any idea how scared I was? Darlin', I didn't know what was happening, you were so sick..." Harley trailed off, shaking his head. A couple tears slipped down his cheeks, which the blond boy quickly wiped away.
"Harls... I'm so sorry, I forgot about the peppermint thing..." Peter admitted, looking away guiltily. Harley could see the truth in his words, sighing.
"I'm just glad you're ok, but from now on, no peppermint for you." Peter nodded, a small smile on his face. He looked much less feverish, the flush nearly gone from his cheeks. Harley leaned over the bed, planting a kiss on Peter's forehead.
"How long do I have to stay here?" The brunette wondered, staring up at the taller boy curiously.
"Until that IV bag is gone, darlin'. Doctor's orders." Peter frowned, gaze turning to his lap.
"Then... will you stay with me?" He asked, doe eyes pleading. Harley shook his head, a smile on his face.
"I thought you'd never ask."