I don't own anything except any original character and/or any original plot

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Chapter Fourteen: Bonding Moments

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The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. I pulled out my apartment key and pushed it into the lock, opening the door. I glanced back at Harry as I pushed it open, smiling slightly.

Turning on the lights as I entered, I kicked off my shoes. I slid into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Peeking out from behind the door I looked at Harry.

"You hungry?"

"A bit," Harry shrugged.

I closed the fridge and took a box of crackers from the cupboard. Bringing them to the living room I motioned for Harry to follow me. I set the snack on the coffee table and settled on the couch.

"They're name brand so I hope they're fancy enough for you."

Harry chuckled and pulled his notebook and textbook out of his bag. I did the same, flipping to the first page of notes he had missed. He would be expected to know everything by the next test, so we had a lot of ground to cover.

"So, having two equations in parentheses means you multiply them. But..."

~*~

I had explained four different subjects to Harry in the last hour, taking breaks to tell jokes and make small-talk along the way. It followed a pomodoro technique more than anything else.

"And done!" I flipped the textbook closed, sighing in relief. I checked the time on my phone. Only four. Harry wouldn't be getting picked up for another hour.

"Wanna watch some YouTube?"

"Only if it's Jenna Marbles."

"I now approve you. I give you my stamp," I grinned, reaching out for the remote.

I pulled YouTube up on the TV, easily finding Jenna's channel. Scrolling through I selected a random video. We leaned back on the couch and watched idly. Curious, I turned to face Harry.

"So, you were raised under Wall Street standards, what's that like?"

"Lonely," Harry admitted, "I mean, you have those 'friends' whose parents work with your parents... Parent, but they don't count."

"You lost your mom, right?" I asked gently, mentally slapping myself for even bringing the subject up. It was probably a sensitive topic, like Uncle Ben was for Peter.

"She was sick a lot, apparently. When I was born it weakened her immune system too much. I was barely one when she died so I don't get too upset about it, but it would have been nice to know her..."

"Not having a mom in your life must be hard."

"Or a dad," Harry muttered bitterly, "I feel like he hates me half the time. But he always worshipped Peter when we were little. He was the son he always wanted, not me."

"I'm sure that's not true. Even if he seems a bit distant, I'm sure he still loves you."

Harry looked back at the TV, and I knew he didn't want to continue the conversation. I brought a leg up to my chest, resting my chin on my knee.

"What was private school like?" I changed the subject, eager to keep up the conversation.

"Boring," Harry chuckled, comfortable again, "Strict rules, rich boys, and no fun whatsoever. I almost forgot what having fun was really like."

"What made you switch to Midtown?"

"I wanted to try normal school. I told my dad it was to build social skills. Rich people aren't the same as the general public. But honestly, what I really wanted was some real friends."

"Well, you chose the weirdest group of people to be friends with but we're tightly knit. We trust each other more than anyone else."

"It seems like you're a family more than a group of friends. I'm glad you've been so nice by letting me in."

We made it through half of Jenna's DIY videos before my mom came home. She squealed and fussed over Harry for a few minutes before she rushed out to make dinner. I was blushing in embarrassment the whole time. I loved being so close to my parents, but it was moments like these I wished we had the classic 'leave me alone' relationship.

We heard the apartment door open again and knew it was my dad, also home from work. He dropped his bag on the floor, sighing. Harry and I peeked our heads over the back of the couch.

"Hey Dad," I greeted.

"Hey (Y/n). Hi boy who isn't Peter."

"This is Harry. He just transferred to Midtown, so I was helping him catch up with our units."

"Right, well, do you want to stay for dinner Harry?"

"Do you want to stay forever?" My mom called from the kitchen.

I groaned, hiding my face in my hands. My parents and their Disney references. They always came at the worst time.

"Sure, I'll just text Bernard," Harry accepted the offer.

"I'm sorry about them. They like making fandom references," I apologized when my dad was out of earshot, "They're really weird sometimes."

"It's fine. Your parents seem fun."

The noises in the kitchen became louder now that both of my parents were working on dinner. Harry glanced at me, then careened his head to peer over the couch.

"Can we help?" He asked.

"Do you know how to use a cheese grater?" My mom set a grater on the kitchen counter, a block of cheese next to it.

"I can figure it out." Harry stood up and walked over. He grabbed the cheese and pressed it against the grater, staying still.

"You need to move your hands," I giggled, getting up to help him.

Putting my hands over his I guided him through the simple process of grating cheese. His cheeks were tinted pink by the time I stepped away to ask for my own task.

"See, moving your hand is an important part of the process," I snickered, chopping up vegetables, "Have you ever cooked before?"

"Not really," Harry stated sheepishly.

Harry soon got the hang of using the grater, and if he was struggling, he didn't ask for help. While working on dinner all of us were talking about our days, my parents asking additional questions to get to know Harry.

When the dinner prep was done we moved to the table with our dishes and glasses to eat.

"So, you're new here?" My mom asked a simple question.

"Yeah, I just switched over from a private school."

"Oh, (Y/n) used to go to a private school too. I'm sure it wasn't like yours though." Dad commented. Mom kicked him under the table. He jerked, realizing his mistake, "I mean, she uh, went to a completely normal school with normal people. Nothing weird going on there."

I facepalmed. He didn't have to make it that obvious that there was something special about the school. Harry glowed. I realized that this was his first time experiencing what a real family was like.

"I went to a school for gifted youngsters," I explained, covering up the truth with the truth, "So it was interesting at times. Lots of overlapping talents."

"A school for gifted youngsters sounds better than constant business classes."

We finished dinner in peace, no more kicks under the table. The dishes went into the sink as Harry's phone buzzed, telling him that Bernard was waiting for him by the entrance. I took the elevator with Harry and walked to the street with him where a sleek limo was waiting.

"(Y/n), I was wondering if um, well, if you would maybe want to go out with me?"

"You mean like a date?" I questioned, brows raising in shock.

"Yeah, a date."

My face heated up at the concept of being asked out. That had never happened before. The team always came first at Xavier's, and I didn't socialize enough to get asked out anyway. My mind drew a blank. What was the proper way to respond to being asked out?

"Yeah," I choked out, not processing the short word.

Harry sighed in relief, pulling me into a tight hug. I stood stiff until he let go and stepped away. He gave the brightest smile I had seen all day and walked to the limo. What I had just agreed to sunk in.

"Oh my God I said yes," I ran a hand through my hair, "I said yes."

Robotically, I walked back into the building. Jess was packing up her bag for the day. I paused by her desk, tapping my nails against the sleek marble. Jess looked up from her phone, raising a brow in a silent question.

"Harry asked me out, and I said yes and I don't know what to do," I rushed out.

Jess stared at me in silence before bursting into a fit of giggles. I frowned, frustration bubbling in my chest. I thought she would be able to give me advice.

"Sorry, sorry. I know you need advice right now but that's just too good," Jess took in a few deep breath before continuing, "If you back out of it now you're going to be the bad guy. Go on the date, see if you like him. If you get feelings for him great, if you don't, you gave it a try."

"Thanks Jess," I sighed in relief at the good advice, "I'll give it a try then. I don't wanna hurt him."

"Good. Although, I've never been in a situation like that before. Whenever I'm with a girl, I tend to already have some form of feelings for her. But who knows, girls are different than guys."

"You can say that again. Thanks again, goodnight."

I took the elevator and walked into my apartment again. I said goodnight to my parents and fell onto my bed, taking out my phone to text MJ.

I just said yes to going out with Harry

YOU DID WHAT?!

You're ruining Spider-Tide and you're part of the ship!

I just said yes without thinking! I don't know, maybe the date will go really well??

Wait...Spider-Tide?

Yeah, tons of people everywhere are shipping Spider-Man and Riptide. So go on that date knowing you're crushing their dreams.

Also, there's a big debate over Spider-Tide or Blue-Bug.. As part of the ship, do you have a preference?

MJ this is serious!

I'm sorry!

Fine. Go on the date and see how you feel

I'll be a good friend I guess

Thank you

So... Dating the heir to Oscorp. Imagine what he'll get you for your birthday

See you tomorrow MJ

I threw my phone onto the bed next to me, falling backwards. I didn't not like Harry; he was amazing, but with me still coming to terms with my feelings over Peter, everything was even more complicated.

~*~*~*~

Harry slowly approached the door to his father's study/office. His hand raised into the air, ready to knock.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Norman pulled open the door. His eyes were wide, hair askew. He had only opened the door a crack, far enough to see Harry, but close enough to hide what was inside.

"What do you need Harry?"

"Have you had the chance to eat something? Bernard said you haven't been asking him for food."

"Yes, yes, yes," Norman muttered quickly, "Yes I went to the kitchen when he was gone to pick you up. I made a sandwich and brought it up here to eat."

"Okay," Harry said hesitantly, "Well, try to get some sleep okay?'

"Yes, goodnight Harold."

Harry cringed at his full first name. He opened his mouth to say something else before the study door was slammed shut. Harry sighed, shoving his hands in his pants pockets as he walked down the hallway. He wished his father would at least ask about his first day of school.

Norman Osborn turned away from his study door, looking at the back wall of his office. The pictures and papers taped and pinned to it had doubled in the last twenty-four hours, obscuring the light from the window.

Norman slowly walked towards a small section of the papers, which held messily scrawled blueprints. It was a costume, full of different abilities and traps. Norman grabbed a sharpie from his desk, uncapping it and grabbing another blank piece of paper.

GREEN GOBLIN

He wrote in all caps. He grabbed a pin and connected it to the blueprints. A grin stretched across his face as he stared at the page. Every hero needs a villain. The Vulture was gone, and that left an opening.

Now was the time for action.