Osborn Heir

“Yeah but that’s just a side thing for now. I’m really trying to get into Graphic Design.” he explained. Miles eventually saw a pizza parlor and tapped Harry’s shoulder. “You hungry? Cause I am starved. Let’s get some grub. Hopefully peter is done at the uhm..animal shelter and can join us after.”

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   “That sounds pretty cool, if you’d like to try something I’m sure Oscrop could use some new promotional content?” Harry nodded his head as the other tapped his shoulder “yeah sure I could eat, working at an animal shelter? Why didn’t he think to invite us I mean 6 hands are are better than 2?” He replied offhandedly as he entered the pizza parlor.

Her head shook, vision turning blurry at his denial. “There’s no such thing as a little drink for you Harry…” She wanted to believe otherwise but the past had proven her wrong time and time again. She and Peter were all Harry had to keep him on the wagon, to keep him moving forward and not throwing his life away. It was a heavy responsivity but MJ wouldn’t trade it for the world, she loved Harry far too much. Then he was whispering, begging, pleading, becoming a bigger mess then he had been mere moments ago. Her eyes were glassy seeing his disarray, his panic and fear. She never wanted to cause it, and even knowing logically she was doing the right thing didn’t stop her heart from breaking at the sight of it. Of him. He was crying, shaking, and MJ so desperately wanted to wipe it all away. She wanted to party with him, have fun, like in the old days before his father and Gwen died. Before they were suddenly grown ups and there was no going back to how it used to be. A sob of pure relief left her lips at Harry’s agreement to leave the club. Thank God. “I’m gonna call a car to get us, okay?” She reached forward, wiping a tear from Harry’s cheek and wishing she had the power to make them all disperse. “We’ll go to my place, get you cleaned up, and we’ll figure it out from there.” She promised, taking hold of his hand tightly within her own. “It’s gonna be okay Harry, I promise.”

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Harry didn’t like her words; they reflected Peters more often than not; he could handle drinking once in a while when it came down to it. He was grown and could do what he wanted after all he lived most of his life that way given the fact his own father didn’t give a shit about him. This was the part of drinking and drugs he hated, the part when you came down and everything hit you all at once. When MJ mention Peter he felt like a wave hit him over and over again as his memories came flashing through his brain making him want to stop everything. He wanted to escape, he’d tried to end it all once only Peter and MJ hadn’t let him, he could still remember hearing Peter's word, the sweet boy torn between intense rage and fear of losing another person he’d come to care for. “Okay okay…Don’t tell peter, please…It was a mistake please” He continued to beg he’d let them both down so much he couldn’t bear to see that face ever again, the questions that would follow this he knew would be hard to tell but he’d do anything so long as MJ kept this between them. He clung to her for a moment, the tears still falling as all he could do was nod his head at her words, unable to form anything. “It's never okay, I’ll never be okay….” was all he whispered, holding on to her hand to let her lead him out of there.

-

Tony grinned briefly as the younger man spoke. “Yeah, he has some Woody Boyd vibe, for sure – and I realize that reference is way, way before your time, s you can either trust me or look it up.” He snorted softly. “I wasn’t born with this fantastic facial hair, you know,” he said. “Being rich gets you out of a lot, but fortunately puberty isn’t one of those things. As you’re familiar with, considering you’re also rich and got out of puberty a mere five years ago.” He gave a dry laugh. “Yeah, back at you, kid.”

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Harry looked at the other with a bit of confusion at his reference truly being reminded of the difference in age between them “I’m tempted to just take your word for it, especially given I’m not sure they ever  had the technology back then.” He teased the other before laughing “True, you had to age like fine wine. He scoffed “You are an asshole, I’m kinda digging it  though, I’ll have you know I was an early bloomer unlike most in our friend circle.” He replied back before nodding his head.

\

“Well, what is keeping you here?” Felicia countered with a smirk of her own. “That is what I can’t do. Play be these imaginary social rules. If that was the case, I’d be married to some idiot with too much money and be in some lame country club.” She chuckled at the end of her sentence as she looked over to him. “Friends are overrated.” She giggled, brushing off any sort of emotional attachment to the word. “He has a way of getting around. Aren’t you two shacking up together?” Felicia asked, her manicured nail tapping against the bar to the beat of the music. “Me? Oh, I already started.” She smiled as she raised a card between her fingers which wasn’t her own unless her name had changed to Ronald. “Drinks are on Ron.”

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Harry had to resist the urge to immediately say, Peter as his reason for being here, there wasn’t a person in this world who could talk him down or keep him on the right path but he also knew so much that slowly ate at him until it would kill him. “Ahh you know friends, the pursuit of knowledge” He replied smirking at the other smirking “Well we could never imagine such a cage for a kitty as pretty as you are.” He scoffed shaking his head “you say that yet what are we, Miss Felicia?” He raised an eyebrow at her before smirking “Yes we are but I don’t think I love the way you said it like that.” He mused downing his shot “mhmm I do love this game we made” He replied before laughing “My my you haven’t lost a single touch, Miss, we’ll have to ensure Ronald treats you like the lady you are.”

MJ didn’t know what could have happened to trigger Harry to this point. He had made such tremendous progress and now all of it was out the window and he was back to  negative one day sober. There was a deep morose sorrow in her chest for everything her friend had lost in a single day with a single drink and everything that came after it. Her vision blurred obscured by the wetness in her dark hues. “Please Harry, I hate seeing you like this and I love you. So please. Come home with me, do it for me. If you can’t do it for you then do it for me. Please.” She begged, her heat in her voice. “Don’t make me call Peter.” It broke MJ’s very heart to see Harry this way and she was confident Peter would feel the very same. They were all Harry had, they loved him. How couldn’t he see how much seeing him like this broke their hearts? She tugged on his arm gently, a small tremor in her hands. “I am begging you Harry. I really really am. Please.” She didn’t want to call Peter and she didn’t want to drag him out but MJ would do whatever it took. 

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Harry had kept so much bottled up since his father’s death, Gwen’s affair with his father while dating Peter, not to mention that fact his fucking father was the Green Goblin the one with Spiderman who caused Gwen’s death. Seeing any version of her was too much to bear, he was always born to be the fuck up in their group and no amount of time or money could ever change that.  Seeing and hearing MJ beg him through him back into another memory one that had him laying in a hospital bed slowly being nursed back to health after Peter had stopped him from killing himself.  “MJ….Please I’m fine just having a little drink really” he tried to blow her off then too only it wasn’t just a drink even now he could feel the drugs in his system trying to keep him buzzed enough not to care. At the mention of Peter, it was like a bucket of cold water dumped on him and he say the disappointment and hurt in his friend’s eyes, that never failed to break him out of his own mind. “no …No Please don’t” He let out barely a whisper but he knew she heard him as he shook his head to try and stop the tears from falling but it was too late the buzz he had worked up was crashed and all the remind was the pain and overwhelming pressure that sat heavily on his shoulder. “I’ll come just please don’t tell Peter….Please MJ…” He all but begged her.

Peter: Are you staying there for the weekend?

Peter: Oh....

Peter: Are you drinking again?

Harry: No, I'll um be home tonight, if you don't mind?

Harry: ....I was drunk when I ran into her yes...

Peter: Okay good

Peter: Yeah, it's weird but she's cool

Peter: How did you meet...?

Harry: I didn't mean to worry you, I'm just chilling at MJ's

Harry: Yeah She looked cool

Peter: Like away from the apartment or Gotham?

Peter: A Gwen?

Peter: Oh you mean, Gwen Gwen

Peter: Yeah, Gwen is Gwen but not our Gwen

Peter: She's cool

Harry: Just from the apartment worry wart, I couldn't leave you in Gotham alone.

Harry:.....Yeah It's...Odd

Peter: Harry?

Peter: Are you coming home soon?

Peter: You've been gone for a couple days...

Harry: Pete Hey

Harry: I'm okay just needed.....a little time away for a moment.

-

Tony snorted softly as Harry spoke. “That kid looks like he’s 17 years old, he probably always will,” he said, though his tone was warm with fondness. “I used to have a baby face, too, but the years caught up with me like the Feds catching Al Capone.” He gave a little shrug in response. “Yeah, I guess that’s true. A lot of the media liked to portray me as a conceited jackass. Which is accurate, but people should hear that from me.”

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Harry looked at the other chuckling “I’d say it has something to do with how innocent he is reflected on his face, either way he is the best friend I’ve had.” He replied fondly before laughing at the other “You had a baby face? I find that so hard to believe given that rocking goatee you are wearing” He mused before laughing “It's good to see I’m not the only jackass in Pete’s life, either way I think I’m going to enjoy getting to know you Stark.”

\

“I honestly don’t get you people.” She shook her head as if she wasn’t one of them. “You all feel this obligation just to do what people tell you to do.” She said, wondering why he would stay with the company if it meant that he was miserable with it. “Oh now that does sound fun.” She grinned. “But you would stick out like a sore thumb. You’d get needy for Parker.” She teased, knowing the two were friends. As he mentioned shots, Felicia cheered. “Tequila!”

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“You people and just what group have you linked me to this time?” Harry replied, looking at the other smirking softly, “I feel no obligations to any one but myself….and maybe my friends” He mused knowing that with the passing of his father plenty of people wanted things from him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? I’ll have you know Peter and I aren’t always a package item. He’s got all these new friends lately, don’t even know how he met them.” He replied before smirking, ordering shots of Tequila. “Any ideas on victims yet?”

“No but money is. And that is something i am sorely lacking in. No big though. I make sweat pants look good.” Miles said pointing finger funs at Harry. He was supposed to be stalling Harry for Peter but frankly Miles wasn’t good at the whole entertaining the guy. “Relax, I have practice later right now we’re gonna do something fun.” he said racking his brain for things to do around. “And Pete will meet us later.”

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“Well you are new to Gotham, I’m sure you’ll find someone who might pay for your Art, Peter tells me you are quite amazing at it.” Harry replied laughing at the other, he didn’t mind Miles at all though he was a bit confused on how the other knew Peter as he doesn’t remember ever seeing them hang out before now. “Sounds good, after all I’m not quite the dancing type when it comes down to it.” he mused wondering what they will actually get up to. “He seems rather busy lately since moving here, do you think he is okay?” he questioned the other wondering if he noticed that as well.

Harry was missing. From texting her back aimless emojis, ignoring her phone calls and straight up pulling a disappearing act- MJ wasn’t here for it. So she took drastic measures. AKA, find a friend. The club name itself was an abomination, but finding Harry there itself was sadly not too shocking. It tended to happen from time to time, it was up to her and Peter to drag him from his rut back into the land of the living. Also known as ‘the place Harry didn’t want to be’. “Cut the BS Harry,” She didn’t know if she was more disappointed or angry. Maybe Hangry. She hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet, she’d spent the whole day trying to find him before resorting to downright tacking him down. “Did you bring anything with you?” She asked, her tone leaving little room for argument. He was coming home with her, it wasn’t a question. She’d sober him up, tuck him into bed (she’d sleep on the couch for a night) and in the morning they’d resolve things. Not while he was wasted. 

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Harry knew he shouldn’t have done this but he couldn’t deal with anything after seeing Gwen again even if it wasn’t their version it still dredged up all the past to the point he just didn’t want to think anymore. He was flooded with thoughts of the sordid affair as well the cackling Goblin that somehow ended up being his father’s alter ego. But most of all he was reminded of his intense hatred of Spiderman, something he had tried to bury when Peter had saved him from killing himself so long ago. He’d took one look at the  hurt, fear and disappointment etched on his friends faces and knew he’d fucked up and that memory alone had stopped him from falling back into this bad habit until the night she appeared. “Very funny MJ, last I checked you were my friend not my Mommy” He mused, choosing to ignore her in favor of another shot, feeling it burn his throat as it went down.  He was planning on continuing to ignore her after all he was hardly done parting as he reach over to lean on the bar “Another, Want something Mommy dearest?” he let out a chuckle not willing to give up his drunken state just yet. 

They gave it a shot once and that was that. MJ loved Harry just like she loved Peter, which ultimately met she wasn’t in love with him. He was her family, her friend, someone she loved and adored even if they didn’t work out in the end. Gwen’s death only brought the inevitable forward, if it hadn’t been their shared spiral of grief that broke their romantic relationship MJ was sure it would have been something else. “Is that a threat or a promise?” She teased of him. She leaned her head against his shoulder with an easy and affectionate smile. “Bitch no, rum and coke doesn’t count as breakfast! You need food! Like… ice cream, or cereal I guess. Just ya know, actual food.” She nudged him playfully. “I could make us pizza bagels?” 

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Harry had loved MJ just as he had loved all his friends but together they were beyond chaotic and crazy there was no denying that. Especially after they’d lost Gwen Harry had turned completely toxin and not even sorrys in the world could make up for how he treated his friends. Part of him wanted to unburden himself with the knowledge of his father but he couldn't because MJ and Peter were the last good things in his life and selfishly he didn’t want to lose them.  “Depends on your point of view sweetcheeks” he teased her back before laughing at her reaction shrugging “So I can’t have rum and coke but Ice cream counts? You sure maybe we both don’t  need Peter's supervision?” He nudged her back nodding his head “I could eat, and to have MJ in the kitchen making me something is social media perfection.”

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         Peter’s awkward disposition faded away when Harry reminded him that he always said off the wall things. “Yeah, right.” A smile formed on his lips, a relieved laugh escaping from him at the feeling of his best friend’s elbow bumping against him. Preferences? Oh no. Nonononono. Peter’s mind kicked into overdrive, panic beginning to set in. There was no way that he knew, right? How could he know? Peter barely knew, himself. Had it been more obvious to the people around him? Maybe that’s why MJ hadn’t seemed too surprised, but she had always been a few steps ahead of them. “I, uh…um, my preferences? You mean…women, right? Women are cool. I like women. Who doesn’t like women? Women..” His voice trailed off as he gestured towards Harry. “Don’t you like women?” He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. “I don’t have a date. I’m not dating.” Peter smiled at Harry. Their playful back and forth always reminded him of why they were best friends despite their differences. They had been friends for so long that Peter couldn’t imagine his life without the other. “A burger sounds great.”

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Harry how easy it was to tease Peter, regardless of the subject matter the male was usually beyond easy to bend. “So glad you are so willing to agree with me” He mused before watching the other go into mini panic mode allowing him to have his freak out instead of saving him. “Last I checked you were straighter then a ruler Pete, unless you’ve had a gay awakening and didn’t tell your best friend?” he questioned before laughing “yes I do like women, but I also have to give it to our own gender from time to time.” He smirked winking at the other before taking a confused look but he pushed it aside “if you are sure, I hope when you do, I’ll be introduce after all someone has to look out for you.” He replied before smiling at the other “I figured it would be right up you alley” he mused locking their apartment before joining the other on the walk towards the place.