#harkner

The day Peter turned 18 was the day he got his first tattoo. After months of slaving over a design, he finally picked the perfect one: something to commemorate his late mentor turned father-figure, Tony Stark.

Was Peter still working through some things post-Thanos? Probably. Did he also just want a badass tattoo? Definitely.

Peter assumed needles piercing his skin would be the worst part of the experience, spidey-senses amplifying everything to a tenfold. The friends and family he consulted all assured him that if he could get through the pain, the rest would be easy.

What no one told Peter, however, was how hot the apprentice working at the shop would be. Was "currently sitting in the waiting room the day of my appointment" considered too late to reschedule? Preferably with the hot apprentice? Wait, no! Peter mentally backtracked, initial giddiness turned to dread as he panicked. No, there was no way in hell he would allow hot guy that close to him while he was shirtless. And being stabbed for hours by tiny needles (but mostly the shirtless part).

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Harley Keener just finished freshman year at Columbia's School of Engineering and Applied Science. He was a certifiable genius, on the fast track to becoming top of his class and incredibly handy with a wrench. If you asked the moms back home in Rose Hill, they’d also tell you he had charm to boot.

Due to the aforementioned accomplishments, Harley only felt a little deflated at his newfound part-time job. While his classmates were interning for bigwig companies, Harley was tattooing in the back of a seedy tattoo parlor.

Reputable establishment, but still seedy.

This was fine though, Harley didn’t need an internship until at least Junior summer, especially if he made top of his class by sophomore spring. Internships at the companies Harley had his heart set on involved clothes and a lifestyle he couldn’t afford at present. The bills didn't pay themselves (even when it was just a shitty studio apartment), and Harley found through his intro to design class that he was pretty handy with a pencil.

Hence the apprenticeship.

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