To bring back the vanished from infinity war the Avengers somehow mashed two timelines together. This is the explanation Peter got when he woke up at home even though he fell asleep in his room at the tower. Everyone looked at him weird, apparently he died in The Original Timelineas they had dubbed it. Peter was kinda sad because he had the whole day planned out. He and Harley were going to make matching watches that also worked as a communications device since they both had lost phones (plural in Peter’s case) over the last months. Then Peter was going to swing them to a nice rooftop. They were going to eat churros, watch the sunset and Peter was going to tell Harley about his crush on him. Hopefully the night would end with Harley kissing him, or at least letting him down nicely and they could still be friends.
The universe, like the bitch she was, had other plans. Something happened and everything changed. He had tried to be calm and just deal with everything changing. Aunt May had kept him close the entire first day, she had cried when he walked into the kitchen confused asking how he got home the day before. May explained the whole Timeline thing and spent the rest of the day figuring things out, while noticing small differences all day from the two timelines. The next day he spent with MJ and Ned because they hadn’t been one of The Vanishedlike he had. On the third day Peter started really missing Harley, he still hadn’t seen him and he wasn’t responding to any of the texts he had sent the last two days. it had been three days and he still hadn’t heard from Harley, and he missed him and just really wanted to hear his voice. After not getting any response on his texts he tried to call his number, but apparently it was out of service, Peter figured it was another Timeline Thing, one of the small differences showing up everywhere. He probably just never got the Stark phone or something like that. So Peter figured it was nothing to worry about and he was probably going to see Harley when he was going to work in the Lab with Mr. Stark.
However, when he showed up Harley wasn’t there, and Mr Stark didn’t mention anything about why he was not there with them. Peter was disappointed and gloomy but didn’t complain since Mr. Stark was obviously happy he was there and kept looking at him to make sure he wasn’t going to disappear again. Peter noticed, he wasn’t blind. When they ordered pizza and sat down to eat, without Harley, he couldn’t stop himself he had to ask. “Where’s Harley? I haven’t seen him anywhere.” Mr. Stark looked at him like he asked for some pineapples to put on his pizza. He’d stopped mid-bite and looked at him funny. “Harley’s in Tennessee...? I don’t remember telling you about Harley. Why would he be here?” He looked so confused.
Peter’s face paled and he dropped his pizza. He knew the implications but couldn’t force himself to believe it. He just stared trying to comprehend. “What do you mean ‘why would he be here?’ He lives here, since four months ago... Mr. Stark do you have a concussion?” Peter refused to believe otherwise, because that would mean that they had never met each other and never became friends. That would mean they never had movie nights, they had never fallen asleep on the couch together watching Star Wars. That would mean that Harley thought he was a stranger and that would break Peter’s heart. So Peter had to believe Mr Stark had a concussion because the alternative was not something Peter could believe. “Peter...” Mr. Stark said sadly. Peter took in a hitching breath, abruptly stood up and stormed away to his room. That tone said everything. With just that one word Peter knew that this was a Timeline thing and he couldn’t look Mr Stark in the eye as tears had already started to form in his eyes.
Peter knew that Harley wasn’t dead or injured or anything like that, but it felt that way because the Harley he knew and loved was gone. It was all the avengers’ fault, why did they have to ruin histimeline? he had just figured out his feelings and they just had to ruin it and change everything. It was just his stupid luck, his stupid Parker Luck. He let out a frustrated scream and punched the wall, leaving a large hole, before collapsing on his bed in tears.
Peter spent the rest of the day feeling miserable, cooped up in his room in the Tower. FRIDAY helped him keep Tony out when he tried to come and talk to Peter. He was still confused and Peter couldn’t talk to him because that meant he had to explain why he was upset and that would just make it more real. So he spent the rest of the day listening to Harley’s favorite songs and watching his favorite movies, before crying himself to sleep.
He woke up feeling marginally better, he had some texts from May and Ned but couldn’t bring himself to look at them because he wanted to pretend everything was normal and that he wasn’t in the crappiest timeline. He shuffled into the kitchen, and sniffled while eating pizza left overs. He only perked up when he heard Mr. Stark’s voice a couple of floors down. “what do you mean there’s a kid down there demanding to speak to me?” and after a short break he said again. “shit. okay bring him up.” Peter sadness outweighed his curiosity so he just kept stuffing pizza into his face and staring into the space in front of him.
He had just put away his plate when he heard his voice. Harley’s voice. He never thought he would hear it again after last night’s revelation, but there it was two floors down yelling at Mr. Stark. “They wouldn’t stop looking at me like I came back from the dead and Abby was on crutches. Everything is so different and you wouldn’t answer my goddamn calls, this stupid lady kept hanging up on me.” Everything is so different. Peter’s heart was filled with hope and he made his way to the elevator and slammed the button repeatedly while listening to Harley yell at Tony. God how he missed that voice. “so I got on a goddamn airplane, because I am not okay with this, my whole life just changed and I was going to tell him everything, but then everything changed. So you bet your ass that I got on an airplane. I just need to see that he’s okay” and then the elevator dinged and Peter finally got in, and he was vibrating of hope. Tears were streaming down his face, but he still had the biggest grin on his face. five seconds later the elevator opened revealing Harley, real and okay, and possibly Peter’s Harley.
The ding signalizing his arrival caused Harley to look up and see him. He gasped and whispered “Peter...” Peter choked on a sob of relief before running over to hug him. “Peter, oh god, I thought I’d lost you” Harley whispered while clinging onto him with all his might, Peter didn’t mind, he was holding him just as tightly. They were both a crying mess when the hug ended. Peter pulled away and put his hand on Harley’s cheek wiping his tears away. “Harls, tell me this is real.” he whispered. Harley nodded, started leaning in and their lips met. It was their first kiss but it was perfect and everything Peter had wanted ever since he had noticed just how breathtaking Harley was. “excuse me? what the hell is happening” Mr. Stark exclaimed, but Peter didn’t care because he was kissing the boy he had been crushing on for a month and everything was how it was supposed to be.