[Third Person Pov]
"Aria, where's Spidey?" Nightwing asked as he crouched down beside a couple tied tightly to a pair of dining chairs, his gloved hands already working at the knots to undo their bindings. Two men lay sprawled out unconscious on the floor nearby, evidence of the struggle that had taken place only moments ago when he interrupted the home invasion.
"He's back at the base working on something. I'll let him know you're looking for him," Aria reported back promptly through the comms.
"No need, I'll go find him after I'm done here on my end," Nightwing replied as he carefully pulled the last of the restraints free and helped the couple steady themselves, giving them a quick once-over to make sure they weren't hurt beyond a few bruises and shaken nerves.
Once everything was handled properly, authorities alerted, and the situation fully under control, Nightwing stepped back and opened a portal to their base. Without wasting time, he walked through and headed deeper inside, moving with a familiar ease through the halls until he found Peter.
Peter was sitting behind a computer, hunched slightly forward with his attention locked onto the screen as he muttered quietly to himself, fingers hovering over the keyboard.
"The… importance… of… quipping…"
"What are you doing?" Harry asked with amused curiosity as he approached, his face mask retracting and disappearing to reveal a smirk.
"Hm?" Peter glanced over his shoulder, returning the smirk for a second before turning back to his work. "I'm working on a lesson plan for my lecture with the X-Men, what's up?"
Harry let out a short laugh as he caught a glimpse of what was on the screen. "Seriously?"
He shook his head, deciding not to dig into that any further. "...I need your advice with something."
"Hohoho, my spider senses are tingling," Peter said as he spun around in his chair, crossing one leg over the other and steepling his fingers together like he was about to deliver life-changing wisdom. "Something tells me it's girl trouble."
"Your genius sometimes astounds me," Harry replied dryly, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"What can I say, it's a blessing and a curse. Now come on, speak to the love guru. What do you need to know, my child?" Peter said, rubbing his chin as if he had a full beard to stroke.
Harry sighed, scratching the back of his head as he looked off to the side for a moment. "I want to make it up to Lizzy, but I don't know how."
"Didn't you and Lizzy already make up?" Peter asked, confusion settling on his face before his head tilted slightly. "Wait… how did you and Lizzy even make up in the first place…"
"Well…" Harry began, an awkward grin creeping onto his face.
…
After returning home from a long, exhausting, and stressful day of battling sentinels and dealing with injuries that left her body aching, Lizzy dragged herself into her room and dropped face-first onto her bed with a tired groan. Every muscle in her body protested, and for a moment she just wanted to lay there and forget everything.
But she didn't even get the chance to fully relax before she caught movement near her window. Her head lifted slightly, eyes narrowing as she turned just in time to see Harry climbing in.
"Wha—The hell?" she asked, blinking in confusion as she pushed herself up onto her elbows. "You just dropped me off. What are you doing sneaking into my room? Do you have any idea how much trouble I'll be in if my parents find you here?"
Harry already had one foot inside, offering her an awkward, sheepish smile as he carefully stepped in the rest of the way. "I know, I know, but when I saw you head inside I just couldn't leave it like that. I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing you were still upset at me."
"Upset? Who said I'm upset?" Lizzy scoffed, quickly looking away from him as if that alone would make the statement more convincing.
Harry's smile turned a bit more complicated as he closed the distance and stepped further into the room. Without asking, he fell down right beside her on the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight. "I really am sorry, Lizzy… I let the moment get to me. I never meant to hurt you."
"I'm not hurt," she muttered under her breath. "Just… pissed off is more like it. I leave you alone for one second and the next thing I see is a hot babe in your arms."
"I won't excuse my actions. I know I was in the wrong," Harry said, his tone more serious now as he looked at her turned back. After a moment, he reached over, sliding his arms around her and pulling her into a firm hug.
Lizzy clicked her tongue in annoyance and immediately tried to pull away, swatting at his hands in protest.
Harry only smirked at the resistance and tightened his hold, shifting his position as he wrapped both his arms and legs around her, effectively pinning her down against the bed. He leaned in closer, his cheek pressing lightly against hers as he kept her from escaping.
"Let go of me, you bastard," she complained, her voice coming out muffled and slightly distorted from being squished into the mattress.
"No," Harry said simply, tightening his hold just a bit more. "Not until you hear my apology fully. I'm not letting you escape this one."
Lizzy pouted, a low growl escaping her as she shot him a sharp glare, clearly annoyed but no longer struggling as much as before.
"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, and considering that I have literal superpowers, that should put it into perspective. I don't want to lose you just because I was being stupid and foolish. I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself if I let someone as amazing as you go," Harry said sincerely. He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before resting his cheek against hers again, holding her just as tightly as before.
"Okay, okay, I get it," Lizzy muttered, though the warmth spreading across her face betrayed how much his words were getting to her.
Even then, Harry didn't let go. He kept her pinned in that same position, which would've been incredibly difficult to explain if her parents suddenly decided to walk in.
Nearly a minute passed like that, the room settling into a quiet calm. Lizzy's eyes drifted off into the distance as she thought about everything he said before she finally spoke again, her voice softer this time.
"Can you be honest with me?"
"Always," Harry answered without hesitation.
"…Do you want to build a harem like Peter?"
Harry nearly choked on his own breath. His lips twisted into an awkward smile as he let out a slow sigh. "I said I'd always be honest with you, so here it is. I've thought about it. The idea has crossed my mind more than once. But I wouldn't actually act on it without your approval, and if that's something you don't want, then it's not something I'm going to be upset about."
He paused briefly before continuing, his tone more earnest. "And it's not because I think you're not enough for me, because you are. I love you, Lizzy. If it's just the two of us at the end of the line, I'd look back without a single ounce of regret. And I'm not trying to shift blame, but… seeing Peter with his own group, the thought of 'what if I was in a similar position' does cross my mind sometimes."
Lizzy let out a small huff, her gaze shifting away again. She stayed quiet for a moment before finally whispering, "…I hate that I know what you mean. The thought's crossed my mind a few times too."
"It has?" Harry asked, blinking at her in surprise.
She nodded as much as she could in his hold. "For the same reason. Seeing how well Felicia, MJ, and Gwen get along… how they treat each other like sisters instead of rivals competing for Peter's attention… the thought of 'maybe it wouldn't be such a terrible idea' pops into my head sometimes…"
Harry lifted his head slightly, staring at her in clear surprise.
Lizzy immediately snapped her head toward him and glared. "Don't think this is me giving you my approval. I'm still not okay with it. I know myself well enough to know I'm not mature enough for something like that. I'm just saying I've thought about it."
She turned away again, her voice dropping into a shy mutter. "…And that I'll keep it in consideration, just don't get your hopes up. You hear me?"
Harry's expression softened. He gently turned her face back toward him and leaned in, pressing a kiss to her lips. "You don't have to do that for me. Like I told you, you're more than enough for me, Lizzy."
Lizzy managed to free one of her arms and shoved his face away, her expression flustered as she avoided his gaze. "Don't get too arrogant, you bastard. I'm not doing it just for you… but for me as well…"
Harry raised a brow, only to catch the faintest whisper slipping from her lips, almost too quiet to hear.
"I just… really like the thought of having my own group of sisters…"
…
"Bahahaha!!" Peter burst out laughing, nearly tipping his chair back as he kicked his legs up and clutched his stomach.
Harry stood in front of him with his face buried in his hands, completely done with this conversation, "I really just want to make it up to her…"
"Hahaha, keep this up and you'll have truly inherited and earned the mantle of Boy Wonder!" Peter said between laughs, barely managing to get the words out as he continued cackling.
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