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Betty Brant was so over her school’s attempts at field trips. They never failed to end up with her and her classmates in ridiculously dangerous situations. She could admit they made for wonderfully interesting stories, though.
The only reason she agreed to go on this field trip was because it was to Avenger’s Tower, and she couldn’t really imagine there was anywhere safer in New York than the tower where the most beloved superheroes lived.
Also, Peter Parker wasn’t going to be there, and she was 90% sure every field trip catastrophe had something to do with him.
Also, she didn’t want to miss out on the final field trip of her life. That’d like totally suck.
“Do you think we’ll meet any of the actual Avengers?” She overheard Ned asking MJ on the bus. Betty watched her give Ned a look that could only be described as ‘you’re an idiot and I can’t believe you’re subjecting me to it’. “I wish Peter was here.” Ned continued. MJ shrugged and gave Ned a small, sad, smile.
Peter had officially left Midtown 3 months earlier. He’d already been missing most days or showing up late and then leaving early for a long time, but then one day Flash realized it’d been two weeks since he’d seen Peter. Ned was the obvious first person asked and all he’d said was Peter tested out of high school and was working in a lab.
Sometimes, Betty found herself missing Peter’s presence. He was always so…interesting…and genuine. It was refreshing in a school full of teens who were pretending to be somebody they’re not to fit in, to have Peter who just never seemed to care about that.
“Did you tell him?” MJ asked Ned.
Ned shook his head. “It’d only make him stressed.”
Betty had no idea what that could mean. Were they still talking about Peter? Had she missed something? Why would Peter be stressed he’s missing a field trip to Avenger’s Tower? It’s exciting, sure, but not stressful.
She digressed. Listening in to other people’s conversations was good for her journalism, but bad when all it amounted to was silly gossip. She had no desire to know more about Peter Parker. He was just her ex’s best friend afterall.
She sat quietly, working on her morning announcement scripts for the following week, until Mr. Harrington let them know they were five minutes out from their stop. She put away her laptop and looked out the window.
Avenger’s Tower was truly grand.
The inside of the building was just as spectacular. The lobby was huge, and colourful, and full of interesting decor. She wanted to look closer at the multimedia mural of the founding Avenger’s, it was at least ten feet tall, but Mr. Harrington ashured them all to a front desk.
“Goodmorning, Midtown!” A young woman said. “My name is Julia! I’ll be showing group A around today. Marty will be showing group B, Cindy will be taking group C, and Lauren will have group D. You will each be receiving a security pass.” Another employee started handing them out with small dry erase markers. “They have your name and letter. Keep these passes on you until the end of the tour. You won’t be able to enter most rooms without them, and they help us find you if you get separated from the group. Got it?”
Everyone nodded.
“Good. Please go to your designated guide.” Betty stayed in place with her letter A. She noticed MJ and Ned stayed too, and cringed internally when she saw Flash did as well. “We’ll begin with the lobby, and then I’ll show you to the locker room where you can leave all your stuff.”
“Harley.”
“Mhm.” Harley had his eyes closed. Harley was asleep.
“Harley.”
“Nmmm.” He replied pointedly.
“Harls.”
Harley opened one eye to glare. “What do you need, Peter?”
“You said we’d work on the dragon today.” Peter was kneeling on the bed, clearly antsy. Their current labour of love was a ten foot long mechanical dragon that could move on its own and breathe fire. Today, they were supposed to test out if they could use Iron Man tech to make it fly.
“Uh huh. And?”
“So, you gotta get up!”
“The pieces will still be there in an hour.” He groaned. “What time is it anyway?”
“10:30.”
“Too early.” Harley closed his eyes again and turned to face away from Peter. “You can start without me.”
“You know I’m not as good at the mechanical stuff as you are.” Harley could hear Peter’s pout.
“Fine, fine.” Harley sat up. Peter looked like he’d won the lottery. He leaned close to give Harley a kiss, moving back before Harley could even reciprocate. “You’re the best. I’m gonna start breakfast!” Peter rushed out of the room, leaving Harley dazed and amused.
He looked at his pillow consideringly, but he’d much rather see Peter giddy about working together than get him upset by falling back asleep.
He walked into the kitchen, their kitchen, in their shared apartment in the tower. How fucking lucky were they?
“Smells good, sweetheart.” He said as he grabbed his coffee, already prepared by Peter because he was the best. “Waffles?”
Peter nodded. “I thought it’d be nice to do something special, cause, you know.”
Harley feigned confusion. “Cause?” He moved towards a cupboard as Peter wasn’t looking and grabbed a wrapped present.
Peter laughed. “I know you know it’s our anniversary.” He said and turned to face Harley, who was holding the package out for Peter to take. Peter’s eyes softened as he took it.
“Happy one year anniversary. I love you.” Harley said.
“I love you, too.” Peter gave Harley a kiss before unwrapping his gift. “Harls, I love it.” In Peter’s hand was a vibranium replica of Spiderman and Iron Lad fighting back to back. Spiderman had a web shooting out of his armband that ended in the air, making the same pattern as a classic spider web. Peter ran his finger nail against it and smiled at the satisfying texture. Iron Lad had a repulsion beam coming off his palm. They looked like a perfect duo, balanced.
“I made it myself. Shuri and Tony helped me out. I’m still new to working with vibranium, but I wanted this to last forever.”
“Harls!” Peter wrapped his arms around Harley’s neck to give him another kiss. “Your gift is in the lab.”
Harley smiled. “How much of you waking me up early was about the dragon and how much was about you wanting to give me your gift already?”
“You don’t know how hard it’s been keeping it a secret from you!” Peter whined.
Harley laughed. They stood there, staring at each other, enamoured, until the smell of burnt batter broke their focus.
Julia absolutely loved her job as a tour guide. It was just the most fun. She got to talk to happy excited people about things she thought were interesting every day and no one could tell her to shut up! She also loved the human connections she got to make. High school students were the best for that. They had the most interesting questions and stories to share with her.
She was also incredibly thankful that the job kept her moving. She couldn’t imagine sitting at a desk all day!
“Okay, guys. You’re all super lucky you’ve got me as your tour guide today, because I’m friends with two of the coolest scientists in the building. They’re actually your age, but they both graduated high school early. Tony Stark himself mentors these boys, and they have given me permission to show their lab space on all my tours!”
That was kind of a lie. She wasn’t special. Peter and Harley were just super chill kids and gave all the tour guides permission to show one tour group their lab each day. Julia just got the lucky straw today. The other groups would still see a lab, it would just be one of the lower level labs where they worked on Stark Industries products.
Peter guided Harley into the lab, ensuring the blindfold was in place, making sure he was facing his gift.
“Okay, you can take it off when you’re ready.”
Harley was slow, hesitant. He really didn’t know what to expect. When his eyes fell on his gift he turned toward Peter. “Is this what I think it is?”
Peter smiled. “I also needed Tony’s help. And Banner’s. But this adhesive will work on all metals involved in the Iron Lad suit. We tested it on one of Tony’s old Iron Man designs.”
Harley didn’t like nano-technology. He found it boring to make and work with. He preferred his Iron Lad suits to be more rustic, but he found the amount of nails and screws he needed to use were overwhelming, and made repairing the suit if something came loose nearly impossible. He’d given in to just welding parts together, but when they were small and numerous the task once again became overwhelming. He’d often said how he wished there was just a super glue for metal that could withstand flight and the hits he took in the suit. Well, now he had it.
“It will withstand high velocity travel, cold and warm temperatures, and take significant force without losing its integrity. Tony and I do want you to still weld or screw the most crucial bits, even if you use the glue, but the surface level stuff is good to go!”
“You’re the best.” It was Harley’s turn to pull Peter close and kiss him. “Thank you.”
Peter hummed. “My pleasure.” And kissed him back. Again, and again, and again.
Flash didn’t really know how to feel about Avenger’s Tower. It was cool and all, but his dad said he couldn’t work for Stark, he had to go to one of Osborn’s companies. Stupid investment loyalty. He felt like everything that excited him was dampened by the fact his father would disapprove of him showing interest in a competitor.
He was therefore, apprehensive, about seeing the lab space where kids his age were living his dream.
He wished Peter was here at least. Then he’d have a distraction. He would have rubbed that time Peter said he knew Spiderman in his face all tour. It would have been so satisfying to watch him flounder.
“Okay, so, when we get there you will see that the wall of the lab is glass. We can look as much as we want, but we can only go inside the lab if they give us permission.”
Betty raised her hand to ask a question.
“Yes?” The tour guide said.
“What if they’re working on something they don’t want the public to see?”
“That’s a great question. They have a blocked off part of their lab for those types of projects that they’d want patented or kept private.”
“What if they don’t want to be observed?” MJ asked.
“Yeah.” Ned said. “What about that?”
Flash will never understand why such random things get Ned nervous sweating.
“Um, well. That’s never been a problem and they haven't ever mentioned it as a concern.” Julia started going through all the memories she had of interactions with Harley and Peter. “They love talking about their work.”
Of course they do, Flash thought. They’re obviously geniuses to be where they are. He’d never shut up about it if he was in their position.
“Okay, let’s head up.” Julia guided them into the elevator.
The doors opened directly across from the lab’s entrance, which was a large glass sliding door, explosion proof obviously. That meant that there truly was no part of the lab hidden from the view of the students as they exited the elevator.
They all froze. Julia included.
“Fuck.” MJ whispered.
“He’s going to kill us.” Ned responded, just as quiet, with his eyes locked on the scene in front of them all.
Peter and Harley would later be thankful that the glass was thick enough to provide significant soundproofing.
Harley had Peter held close to his chest, with the back of Pete’s legs pressing against one of their tables. If he pushed him back just a little more he could lay him down on the table and really show him how thankful he was for his present.
Peter had his left arm wrapped around Harley’s neck and his right hand in Harley’s hair.
The observing crowd could see Harley’s back, and clearly make out that the two individuals were…making out, but they could not see Peter’s face enough to recognise him. Except, of course, for MJ and Ned who knew exactly who’s lab they were in front of.
“Peter,” Harley tried to pull away but Peter chased his mouth. “Peter.” he tried again, breathless.
Peter stopped to let Harley breathe. He liked him alive.
Harley’s voice was breathy but clear as he spoke. “Either we stop this now and get to work on our dragon, we go upstairs and continue this, or,” Harley lifted Peter so that he was now sitting on the desk. “We continue this right here where anyone could see.”
Peter shivered. Then, as one is ought to do when they are reminded their actions are visible to anyone walking by but they don’t want to stop, he checked to make sure the coast was still clear.
It was not, in fact, clear. It took milliseconds for Peter to recognise the faces looking back at him.
Peter was going to puke.
Harley felt Peter tense and knew what to expect before he turned his head. Sure enough, there was a tour guide and her group staring in at them, mouths hanging open, and eyes wide in shock.
Harley stepped further away from Peter, keeping his arms on his sides for comfort. Peter wasn’t looking away from the crowd.
“Hey, hey. Pete? Baby? What’s going through your head right now?”
Peter didn't respond.
“It’s okay. It was just some heavy kissing. I’m sure they’ve seen worse in movies.” He tried to joke.
“It’s my school.” Peter said, so quietly that Harley struggled to make out the words. When they finally computed his head shot back towards the group. He met Ned and MJ’s eyes and saw how worried they were. He wished he could let his now rising panic show like they were, but Peter needed him to stay strong.
Harley walked into Peter’s line of sight, blocking the old classmates from Peter’s view, and Peter from theirs.
“Are you okay? Do you need me to get Tony or Pepper?”
Peter looked up at Harley. “Can you tell Tony?”
Harley nodded and pulled out his phone. He explained the situation and that Peter was now panicking.” He waited to press send. “Do you want him to come here? Right now?” Peter nodded. Harley added that to the message, swallowed what was left of his dignity today, and hit send.
He knew one day, when Peter was no longer as mortified, Tony would never let this go.
“Friday, let Tony know that my message is urgent.”
“Yes, Harley.” Friday responded. “He is reading it now.”
Harley cupped Peter’s face, hoping to get his eyes to focus on him. “Everything is gonna be okay, sweetheart.”
“What if they tell everyone?”
“At school or the public?”
“The public.” Peter’s breathing was starting to become erratic, which was weirdly an improvement from the near complete lack of breathing he was doing previously.
It was true that Harley and Peter didn’t want to be a ‘thing’ publicly. Mostly, they didn’t want Peter to be known publicly. It would be a lot, and would put his identity as Spiderman at risk.
Tony and Pepper did a good job at keeping public awareness of Peter and Harley to an absolute minimum. News outlets and gossip blogs knew that Tony had a daughter, Morgan, and a ward, which was Harley. It was never officially reported that there was another teenager that worked in the tower, as school groups had never had incentive to sell that information to the press, but the occasional post online would circulate when students talked about their tours on social media.
That was fine, all as long as they didn’t have Peter’s face or know his identity.
But now they did. Any one of these kids could go to a reporter, or online themself, and tell the world that Peter Parker was one of two teenagers to work under Tony Stark, and not only that, but he was dating Stark’s ward.
They wouldn’t be able to leave the tower for weeks, maybe months, without paparazzi.
May would probably have to move to the tower to avoid predatory journalists.
Their lives would be under constant scrutiny, possibly forever.
It was always going to happen. They couldn’t hide their relationship forever. They wanted to go out in public without worrying about holding hands.
It just wasn’t meant to happen so soon.
“Breathe, underoos.” Tony said as he entered the lab through the private elevator, directly inside. “I’ll get this sorted.”
Tony walked straight out of the lab and into the hall.
Every midtown student held their breath as they waited for him to speak.
“You’re all familiar with Peter?” Tony asked.
They nodded.
“You understand that if you tell anyone about this, and I mean anyone, that’s including your other classmates and friends, your family, and literally any breathing person who is not right here right now, that you’re taking his privacy away from him forever. If the world knows Peter Parker works for Tony Stark he will be put under all the scrutiny that I face. He does not deserve that.”
Tony waited until he received nods.
“And if it is mentioned anywhere that my son is dating anyone at all, they will hound him until he cannot leave this building unescorted, until he cannot blink without seeing camera flashes and hearing reporters yells. Now imagine if they learn he’s dating a man? Imagine putting Peter through that same trauma.”
He let the silence linger.
“Those are my boys. I care very deeply for them and I have promised to never let them be hurt as long as I can help it. This is your only warning. If I see that any single one of you has shared information about Peter Parker working here, or about my son dating, I will make sure each and every one of you pays for it. I have no problem with collective punishment. Am I understood?”
They all nodded.
“Before you leave the building you will be asked to sign an NDA agreeing to your silence pertaining to everything you saw and learned since exiting that elevator. We cannot hold you hostage in the building, but if you refuse to sign you will have a close eye kept on you at all times. Clear?”
They nodded again.
“Now, stay here until I tell you you can leave.”
Tony returned to the lab and explained the situation to Peter and Harley.
“Do you want to talk to them?” Tony asked.
“Why would I want to talk to them?” Peter yelled. Harley brushed a hand through Peter’s hair.
“They have questions. You never got to show them all how awesome and totally cool you are. Plus, I recognize that stupid Flash kid. Don’t you wanna rub your success in his face, just a little bit?” Harley said.
“Oh, yes! Please do.” Tony said. “But only if you want to.” He tacked on.
Ned was Peter’s biggest hype man. He was so incredibly happy for Pete when he first told him about Harley, but man, he didn’t ever need to see all that.
Good for Peter, though. He was really living the life.
Ned looked at MJ with wide eyes as they watched Tony come back to the door. What was happening now?
“They said you’re free to come inside and ask some questions. Don’t touch shit and be respectful.” Tony said, before gesturing for them to follow him inside.
As soon as Ned caught Peter’s eye he started apologising. “I’m so sorry, man! I should have told you we were coming to the Tower, but I thought it’d stress you out knowing we were all in your space, you know? And I totally didn’t think we’d be going to your lab! I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Ned. You couldn’t have known.” Peter sounded tired.
“I’m sorry, too.” Julia spoke. “I’ll make sure me and the other guides always check in with you two before we bring a group up here in the future. Or we can cut your lab out of the tour schedule completely!”
Harley looked to Peter, ready to follow his lead. Peter shook his head. “Please, keep bringing groups up here. It’s a lot of fun for us and they really enjoy it. The fact that I know the people today is a one off fluke. And it’s mine and Harley’s fault that we were caught…in a compromising position.” Peter looked at Harley and then Tony. “It won’t happen again.”
“Damn, right.” Tony said. “It was completely unprofessional.” He was clearly trying not to laugh.
“Sorry you had to hear about it, old man.” Harley said.
“Sorry I had to see it.” MJ cut in.
That got Peter to smile. “It’ll never happen again.” He swore.
“Ehhhhh.” Harley shrugged. “Her and Ned are here a lot. Let’s not make promises we can’t keep.”
Peter rubbed his face. “Nevermind all that. Do you guys have any questions? About the lab, preferably.”
Flash raised his hand. Peter hesitated but nodded at him to speak.
“How long have you worked for Tony Stark?”
“2 years and 44 days.” Tony responded.
Peter scrunched his eyebrows. “That can’t be right.”
“I’m counting from the first time we met.”
“I wasn’t working for you yet!”
“You were, you just didn’t know it.”
Peter rolled his eyes. “I’d say it’s more like a year and a half with some odd jobs before then.” There wasn’t really a good way to explain the start of Spiderman working with Iron Man.
“So, you actually do know Spiderman? You weren’t lying?” Flash asked.
That got Peter pointed looks from Harley and Tony. Peter would explain later. He nodded at Flash. “I work on his stuff as part of my job here. I couldn’t really talk about it, it’s confidential.”
“Which means you can’t talk about it either.” Tony said.
Flash felt like his entire life was a lie. Peter Parker wasn’t a loser. He had a hot boyfriend, worked for Tony Stark, and knew Spiderman.
“Okay.” Flash nodded. He had no fight left in him. He’d lost.
Betty raised her hand next.
“Yeah, Betty?” Peter said.
“Do you know Pepper Pots?”
Peter could see MJ smiling out of the corner of his eye, and Tony paying close attention.
“I do.”
“Could you put in a good word with her about me? I’m very interested in the publishing and media department here.”
“Why didn’t you ask me? She’s my wife!” Tony said, wounded.
Betty looked sincerely confused. “You’re just a figurehead of the company, and Peter knows my work ethic and writing is impeccable from first hand experience.”
Peter cut in before Tony could start arguing with a teen girl. MJ was enough for him. “I’ll let her know, Betty. You’d do great here.” Betty gave Peter the biggest smile, and he realized maybe this would all turn out okay.