Possibility of Tomorrow - 20

Cont...

 After patrol on a Friday night, Peter came flying into the lab, "The Reaper's back in town!"

 "Please tell me you didn't let her in this time." Tony didn't look up from his workbench. 

"And die of embarrassment? Fat chance." Peter tossed his mask to his own bench, rolling his eyes.

 "Who's the Reaper?" A third voice piped up from a third workbench that had been cleaned off for that week. 

"The Reaper, Mr. Keener is a friend that you cannot acknowledge outside of when you are either in the Compound or in my presence," Tony said, leaning back putting his work down. 

"So she's a Rouge?" Harley Keener clarified.

 "Yes." Peter said at the same time Tony said, "No." 

"Which one?" Harley looked between the two. 

"To the world, she didn't exist. Unofficially she's the Rouges' secret weapon. When the feud happened, she wasn't in the picture, so officially no, unofficially, yes." Tony explained. 

"So she's a secret?" Harley looked between the two.

 "Pretty much. That and she's trying to prove that Ross is corrupt in every sense of the word." Peter nodded. 

"Man, you New Yorkers have it going. I come up for one week, and I get pulled into a government conspiracy." Harley laughed.

 "Yeah, something like that. By the way, kid," Tony turned to make sure Peter was listening, "I invited her to come over for dinner tomorrow night; that okay with you two?"

 "Really?" Peter sat up straight, "That'd be great!" 

"Sound good?" Tony turned to Harley.

 Harley shrugged, "Sounds cool to me."

 "Then it's settled. Goodness, I can see it now, the three of you burning the whole place to the ground." Tony shook his head. 

"Watch out, old man, world domination is within reach!" Harley grinned as Peter crackled. 

"Whatever. You two gremlins clean up. No suit on at the table, Pete." Tony headed for the elevator, "Dinner in half an hour."

 Peter changed as Harley secured some of the more dangerous items. "What she like?" Harley asked as Peter put his suit on the work table to go over after dinner.

 "Who, Darling?" Peter looked over, "She's cool. Kick butt too."

 "Why wasn't she around for the whole Avengers fallout thing?" Harley followed Peter into the elevator. 

"From what I understand, she found the Rouges when they were on the run and tried to kill Bucky." Peter leaned against the wall of the elevator as they went up. 

"She tried to kill the Winter Soldier?" Harley did a double-take.

 "Bucky. And yes. He apparently threw her out of a building." Peter got out on his floor.

 "Ouch." Harley thought of some of the buildings he'd seen people get thrown out of on TV. 

"I can't really blame the guy. I mean, if someone's trying to kill me, it's self-defense." Peter disappeared into his closet.

 "Why'd she do it?" Harley asked, flopping onto Peter's bed. 

"She doesn't say, and I don't ask. All I know is she is always fashionably late and always had an exit plan." Peter came back out wearing one of Tony's sweatshirts that made him look like he was drowning in fabric and sweatpants.

 "Never thought to?" Harley asked. 

Peter shrugged, "She's giving us Ross free of change, never crossed my mind. Tony might know."

 "Is she like an assassin?" Harley asked.

 "Probably. Or a spy, or both. She doesn't come around often, so I don't think to ask." Peter looked over at Harley, "Why all the questions?" 

"Just curious. This is more your world than mine, and I don't want to do anything super embarrassing." Harley shrugged.

 "Don't worry, nothing can beat what I did the third time I met her." Peter grinned, exiting the elevator.

 "What'd you do?" Harley asked, sliding into one of the bar stools. 

"What didn't you do that day?" Tony countered.

 "I stuck my foot in my mouth in front of everyone to answer your question." Peter grabbed an apple and took another bar stool. 

"After he let her into his room at the compound while she was still relatively unknown to us." Tony added, shaking his head, "You're gonna make me go gray, kid." 

Harley chuckled, "She sounds like a riot."

 "Just wait till you meet her, Keener." Tony shook his head, "Just wait till you meet her." 

Time flew by, and before Harley knew it, it was time. "Relax, she's cool you'll like her." Peter rolled his eyes as Harley figured.

 "Dude, I don't normally meet Avengers or people on Avenger level." Harley huffed back, trying to not freak out. 

"Does someone have a crush?" Tony playfully nudged Harley.

 "I haven't met her; how would that even work?" Harley gave Tony a bewildered look. 

"I don't know, but weirder things have happened." Tony shrugged, "What's it you teens call it, soulmate AU?" 

"Oh, my word. Peter, kill us both now cause we deserve to die. How do you even know fan fiction language?" Harley buried his face in his hands. 

"No, Mr. Stark, it's called Fate." Peter grinned cheekily as Harley groaned more.

 "I know it because I made the mistake of googling teen slang and not knowing what I was looking for. What's your excuse?" Tony retorted. 

"I have a teenage little sister, or did you forget?" Harley gave Tony an unamused look, "You're tripped, old man." 

Tony faked offense, "How rude!" 

"He insults you and then calls you old, and all you have to say is "how rude?' Did you hit your head?" The feminine voice, that made Harley jump, sounded amused. He turned around to find a teenage girl sitting on the island counter bottle of soda in one hand, eyebrow raised, smirking at the three of them. 

"How long have you been sitting there?" Peter voiced the question that was stuck in Harley's throat. 

The girl, Darling, he assumed, grinned, "Do you really want me to answer that?" 

"FRIDAY, I am going to reboot you one of these days." Tony threatened, getting up, "How's New York treating you?"

 "Well, I traded terrorists for drug dealers. Same old same old." Darling smiled, hugging Tony.

 "Pretty seedy, right?" Peter grinned, coming over.

 "Something like that. I honestly don't know how you do it. Over there, we blow them up, they get the message and move on, maybe go underground for a few years. Here they just go get their friends and come back all mad." Darling shook her head and leaned back.

 "Yeah, he gets stabbed." Tony shook his head, "Get off my counter, young lady." 

Darling grinned, hopping down, "So what's for dinner?" 

"Make your own pizza!" Tony tossed a container of dough on the counter. 

"Oh! The last time I did this, Sam almost got murdered, and we got dough on the ceiling." Darling nodded excitedly, "Nat banned us from doing it again."

 "How did that happen?" Harley blurted as his feet brought him to the island.

 "Sam 'accidentally' got dough in Wanda's hair. While trying to get it out, he got sauce all over Bucky's pizza. The Boys are very particular about their pizza." Darling turned to him, "You're Harley, right? We haven't been introduced." She stuck out her hand, "Darling." 

Harley shook it, glad that his hand wasn't sweaty, "Harley Keener." 

"I heard about you. You're the one who builds the robot out of the super random stuff, right?" Darling waved her hand, trying to find the right words for it.

 "You can say trash. I build them out of trash. That's the point." Harley supplied. 

"I don't want to be rude, but that's super cool." Darling smiled.

 "Hey, I used to build computers out of trash too!" Peter piped up.

 "But you don't any more! Besides, Harley's stuff is designed to be built in the less fortunate areas so that everyone can have access to normal things. That's why you're in New York this week, right?" Darling turned to Peter and then back to Harley. 

"Right-O. You remind me of Pepper. Oh goodness, I just had a vision of you and Pepper working together." Tony grinned, laying out pizza toppings.

 "And?" Darling prompted. 

"And you were dominating the world." Tony nodded with a warm smile, "Now, I have three different sauces and a mountain of mozzarella for Harley to eat raw, and I even have pineapple for Peter's heathen tastes." 

"Hey!" Peter protested.

Harley made a face. "Pineapple on Pizza? When did you last hit your head?" 

"What do you think, Darling? Pineapple or no?" Tony asked, handing Darling a wad of dough to begin flattening. 

"I feel like I'm stepping onto a battlefield here, but I've never tried it. Sam mentioned it, and the Boys blew a socket." Darling dipped her hands in flour and began stretching the dough.

 "The Boys?" Harley asked, beginning to shape his pizza.

 "Bucky and Steve. It's Nat's nickname for them." Darling clarified. 

"I'd imagine they have some opinions on pizza?" Peter chuckled. 

"Brooklyn or bust." Darling agreed. 

"So Harls, how's the patent and grant going?" Tony asked, putting his simple pizza in the oven. 

"I am going to either die of boredom from all the meetings or commit murder myself because the idiots can't seem to listen or retain information. I swear I've repeated the synopsis of my designs thirty times, and they still can't remember it." Harley shook his head, "Thank goodness I get to go home in three days, or I'd die 100%." 

"Politicians and rich men in suits will be my death. I'm calling it now. Not some freaky monster or aliens or gang banger. It's gonna be some boring-as-death suit guy." Peter nodded. 

"Aye! I feel that." Darling nodded, putting her pizza in.

 "What are you two doing?" Tony squawked at the two boys' pizzas, "It's supposed to bake with all that stuff on it; it's gonna steam and then fall apart!"

 "I'm a growing child, Mr. Stark!" Peter cried indignantly. 

Harley burst out laughing, "Oh my word. Peter, put your pizza in the oven already."

 "You first." Peter challenged. 

"You two are seriously going to do this over pizza?" Darling leaned against the table, watching them. 

"Pizza is life," Peter said sagely. 

"Where'd you get that a fortune cookie?" Harley teased, putting his pizza in and holding open the oven for Peter to put his in. 

"Sounds like it," Darling muttered with a grin. 

They cleaned up the kitchen and somehow managed not to burn the kitchen down. Tony did manage to burn his hand, though.

 "So, Darling, why are you in town?" Harley asked. He felt the shift in the room. The way Peter slowed down looked over at Tony really quickly. The way Tony lowered his piece of pizza to chew but did it too deliberately. 

Darling didn't do anything at all and just shrugged, "Thought I'd stop by and see my favorite people in New York for a few weeks." 

Harley wanted to cry foul, but he knew he was a civilian and that she was not, that none of them were. And he knew sometimes ignorance is bliss. "What these two? That seems like quite the jump." Harley scoffed. The moment relaxed. 

"Am I really chopped liver here, kid?" Tony scoffed back.

 "She's obviously here to see me, Mr. Stark." Peter rolled his eyes. 

"You're both wrong; it's May." Darling deadpanned.

 The laughter made Harley forget the situation for the moment. They played games and watched a movie before Tony called it quits, "I can't run with you youngsters anymore!" 

"Old Man." Harley quipped.

 "And proud of it." Tony shot back, "Peter, don't forget your scary girlfriend wanted to meet up with you in the morning for school details." 

"She's not my girlfriend, Mr. Stark!" Peter whined, getting up. 

Harley gave Darling a look at that. Darling was vigorous nodding at Peter's retreating form. 

Harley snorted, "He's a terrible liar." 

"No truer thing." Darling sighed, "Tonight was fun, but I think I need to run." 

"What, got special plans?" Harley rose with her.

 "No. My place is across town, and I have a full day tomorrow." Darling folded the blanket she had been using.

 "Across town, at this time of night? Isn't that dangerous?" Harley glanced out at the dark skyline that glowed with city lights.

 "I can handle myself." Darling scoffed, putting the couch make together as Harley put the foodstuff away.

 "I have no doubt. Someone doesn't get the name Reaper without knowing a thing or two." Harley laughed, "How did you get that name anyway?"

 Darling chuckled, "When I was starting out, I just grabbed this scythe, and after I could get ahold of anything else so for the longest time, I just carried around this scythe and in the Middle East with the long flowing traditional black robes the women ware you look like the Grim Reaper." Darling explained, coming over. 

"So, do you still carry the scythe around?" Harley grinned. 

"Sometimes, when I want to intimidate big guys." Darling grinned back. 

"What about the robes? Still have those?" Harley leaned forward on the counter across from Darling. 

Darling leaned in, also closing the distance between them, "Black is big. Not all of us can pull off a red and blue onesie." 

Harley smiled, "Very true."

 They were really close now, and while Harley would never admit it to Peter, let alone Tony, he was completely enamored by Darling. They stared at each other for a long moment before Darling smiled, "I really do need to go."

 Harley jerked out of his moment, "Yeah yeah. Of course. You have everything?"

 "I think so. Say, next time I'm in the area, maybe I'll drop by, say hi?" Darling smiled shyly. 

Harley tried not to grin too big, "Yeah, that'd be nice." 

Darling grinned, "Okay."

 They walked towards the elevator, both grinning like idiots. A thought struck Harley as the elevator doors opened, "You do know I don't live here, right? I live in-"

 "Tennessee." Darling finished smiling, "Yeah, I know." She got into the elevator and faced him, "I had a nice time." 

"Me too." Harley said softly, "Can I kiss you?" 

Darling grinned, closing the distance between them, "Tony gonna kill us." 

Harley grinned, "Yeah." He leaned forward and gently kissed her. It was simple and relatively small, but it was perfect. He pulled back, and he could have sworn there was color on her cheeks, "Goodnight."

 Darling stepped back so she was squarely in the elevator and smiled back, "Hope I see you again, Keener." 

The doors slid closed, and Harley was still staring at the closed doors in a daze, grinning. That was as close as he had ever come to a perfect night. He sighed dreamily. 

"Something you wanna share with the class lover boy?" 

Harley cringed inside moment gone. Definitely dead.

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