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diazevan · 4 years

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11. Psych 101 “Crying”

While stranded, in the past, Peter crosses paths with a familiar face.

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Following the final battle, which became the ‘resting’ place of Thanos and his children, the world returned to a somewhat, normal state.

A couple of months passed when it became apparent that followers of Thanos, were on the move again, ready to stop at nothing to avenge him.

They were only small squadrons, of brainless beings, that were usually quite easy to take down.

Peter, after weeks of pleading, with Tony and May, was granted permission to tag along, with the team, to help. It gave him peace of mind, being able to watch over Tony, because at least, together, they could keep one another safe.

They managed to direct the fights, to the abandoned site of Sokovia, to make sure no civilians were caught in the crossfire.

Peter was standing alone, disarming the weaker forces of the army, “Wow,” He spun, sending out a laser web, disabling a lone Chitauri, “This isn’t too hard.”

Tony’s voice cracked through the commlink, “Don’t jinx it, kid.”

Peter rolled his eyes, “Didn’t think you were superstitious, Mr. Stark.”

“I’m not, but, it’s good to be careful.”

“Gotcha,” Peter spun, noticing a herd of space dogs, heading straight for him, “Uh…” He hung his head back, “I hate these guys.”

He activated the Spider-Legs, on the Iron Spider suit, and readied himself, for the onslaught.

“Peter!” Wanda flew down, arms raised to her sides, “Stand back.”

He nodded, running aside, “Got it.”

Wanda waved her hand, sending the crowd hurdling to one side.

“Woah!” Peter’s eyes widened, “Thank you!”

He turned, and before his powers could even alert him, a space dog crashed into his chest, knocking him back a few paces.

“Ugh…” He shot a web, rendering it unconscious, he pushed it away, “Gross.”

Rhodey screamed, from nearby, “Spidey-Man stand aside!”

Peter turned, looking around, “What?”

Tony’s panicked voice followed, “Kid, move!”

Wanda squealed, “Peter!”

Peter twirled around, fast, “Oh—” It was too late, Wanda’s blast, hit him square in the chest, knocking him back, through the air, the last thing he saw before hitting the ground, was her haunted face.

“Ugh,” He reached for his head, he blinked rapidly, “I’m fine,” He felt the urgent need to reassure Wanda that he was okay, considering she hadn’t meant to hit him, “Wan—”

He sat up, realizing quickly, that he was no longer on the battleground.

“What?”

He was sprawled, on the corner of a sidewalk, stuck in the middle of the hustle and bustle of New York, which was probably why nobody had questioned Spider-Man randomly laid across the street.

“Okay…” Peter pushed himself up, onto his feet, “What?” He headed to the closest wall, to survey his situation, “Can anybody hear me?”

Radio silence.

Peter darted his eyes around, when he realized, something wasn’t right.

He was in the centre, of Times Square, but it didn’t look normal.

The people rushing around were dressed differently, mostly in suits, and formal dresses. The cars, on the road, were old fashioned, makes from the 60s and the 70s, ones that Peter had seen stocked away in Tony’s garage.

Peter yelped, “What?!”

He stepped aside, deactivating the Iron Spider suit, he thanked the stars that he wore under armor, which was basically a fancy tracksuit.

He didn't have shoes.

“Shit…” He turned, making his way down the road, trying to blend in with the crowds, “This isn’t real, this can’t be real...”

He hurried around, until he found a street, that not many people were on.

Peter perched on a brick wall, taking a second to breathe, “God…” He caught a glimpse of a newspaper, hanging out of a trashcan.

He strode over, grabbing it, to check the date.

September 16th 1976.

“Oh, Wanda…” He dropped it, “What have you done?”

He paced, wondering what he could do.

The hairs, on the back of his neck, stood on edge.

He leaned forward, listening out.

The cry of a child came from nearby

Despite, being lost, in the past, Peter couldn’t ignore it.

He circled the corner, “Hello?”

Tucked up, on brick stairs, was a little boy, with neat, combed brown hair, and a puffy red face, he was hugging his knees.

He was well dressed, in a tailored suit, not the usual fashion for a kid, even for the seventies.

“Hey,” Peter kneeled, “Are you okay?”

The boy jumped, startled, “Um…” He looked up, “Mummy says I’m not meant to talk to strangers.”

“That’s true,” Peter shuffled back, “My name’s Peter.”

“Uhhh,” The boy straightened his back, “I’m…” He held out his trembling hand, “I’m Anthony Stark.”

Peter bit down, hard, on his lower lip, concealing a yelp.

“Everybody calls me Tony.”

Peter took Tony’s hand, to shake it, “Nice to meet you, Tony.”

Tony moved his other hand, away from his face, and Peter could suddenly see it.

He’d seen pictures of Tony when he was younger, but he hadn’t recognized him behind the red-rimmed eyes and puffy cheeks.

Peter looked around, “Are you lost?”

“I was out with Mum and Dad…” Tony’s leg nervously rocked, “I tripped over my laces and broke a vase.”

Peter settled, on the heels of his feet.

Tony spoke formally, not like a child should, “Dad got mad, so I ran, and I can’t find them.”

“I see,” Peter nodded, “Well, that wasn’t your fault.”

“I’m—” He stuttered, “I’m not very good with laces…” He ducked his head, “Dad said it’s stupid.”

“No, it’s not,” Peter leaned, tying Tony’s laces, “We all need help with little things sometimes.”

“Thank you.”

Peter swallowed the lump in his throat, “Do you want me to help find your parents?”

Tony nodded, reaching out to take Peter’s hand, “Yes, please.”

Despite not wanting to see Howard, in fear of what he’d do, Peter wanted to make sure Tony got home safe, “Do you remember where you were?”

“I ran quite far,” Tony said, darting his eyes around, “But I think Uncle Jarvis’ and Aunt Ana’s house is close to here.”

Peter’s mind twigged because Tony spoke highly of Jarvis and Ana, he loved them like they were his parents.

He’d driven passed their old house, pointing it out, gleefully on multiple occasions.

Peter looked at Tony, with a smile, “Do you know which way?”

Tony swung Peter’s arm back, “Yeah, I think so.”

They wandered down the street, in silence, for a while.

Tony hung his head, “Peter, you’re not wearing any shoes!"

“Oh,” Peter sighed, “I know, I lost them.”

Tony didn’t question it, “Does the ground hurt your feet?”

“Not really,” Peter said, “I’ll get new ones.”

Tony grinned, “Uncle Jarvis probably has some you can borrow.”

“It will be fine, thank you,” Peter said, “I’ve got some at home.”

“Okay,” Tony sang, he leaped over the cracks in the sidewalk, “Do you read comics, Peter?”

Peter turned his face away, hiding a fond smile; Tony had a knack for changing the subject, whenever he could, “I do sometimes.”

“I like Batman,” Tony smiled, with a jump, “He’s cool.”

Peter snorted a laugh, “One day, you might be a superhero.”

“I wish I could be.”

Only if he knew.

Tony guided Peter around another corner, “What do you do, Peter?”

“Um, I’m at high school,” Peter told him, “What about you?”

“I have tutors, at home,” He shrugged, “And I’m gonna go to boarding school when I’m bigger.” He slouched his shoulders, “Daddy wants me to go to MIT.”

Already thinking of college at age six, was not normal.

Tony truly had his childhood swept away.

Peter massaged the back of his neck, “That’s where I want to go too.”

“It’s very good.”

Peter bobbed his head, “It is.”

Tony stopped walking and pointed, “That’s their house.”

They moved up the stairs, Peter knocked on the door, three times, while keeping Tony’s hand, in his own.

The door clicked open, revealing Ana, she was in her late fifties, but still had vibrant auburn hair, with a couple of grey streaks, “Tony!” She exclaimed, looking at her nephew, “We’ve all been so worried.” She leaned forward, holding out an arm, “You’ve had us running around like headless chickens, sweetheart.”

“Aunt Ana!” Tony rushed forward, wrapping his arms around her legs, “Sorry,” He spun around, waving his hand, “This is Peter!”

“Ah.” Ana stepped forward, holding out her hand, “Nice to meet you, Peter.”

Peter shook it, “Nice to meet you too.”

She kept a hand on Tony’s back, “Thank you so much, for keeping our Tony safe.” She turned, “Edwin, darling!”

Jarvis circled in, the panic on his face morphed into relief, “Thank, Goodness…” He rushed ahead, “Mr. Stark…”

Tony sprinted over, “Uncle Jarvis!”

Jarvis crouched, catching Tony, in a hug, “I’m so glad you’re safe, young man.”

Tony leaned back, rubbing his sleeve over his face, “I’m sorry I ran.”

Ana placed a hand on Peter’s shoulder, guiding him inside, “Edwin, this is Peter, he helped Tony find his way here.”

Jarvis stood, “Peter.” He shook his hand, “Nice to meet you.” He smiled, “Thank you.”

Peter stared, in disbelief, because, for the longest time, Jarvis and Ana were stories, but he was seeing them, for real, “It’s no trouble.”

“Would you like a cup of tea, darling?” Ana asked, “I think you're owed one.”

“Uh…”

Jarvis cut him off, “I’m sure, Mr. and Mrs. Stark would like to thank you, in person.”

Tony skipped over, tugging Peter’s hand, “I can show you my room!”

Technically, Peter had nowhere else to go, “I guess I’ll stay then.”

Ana squeezed his arm, “I’ll bring your tea up to you.”

“Thank you.”

Jarvis looked to him, “How do you like it?”

“Um, not too strong, with two sugars, please.”

“Coming right up.”

“Come on.” Tony lead him upstairs, into his room, “Wanna play Snakes and Ladders?” He asked, rushing over to a bookcase.

“Sure.”

Peter perched, on the edge of the bed.

He watched, seeing how happy Tony was, struck him, knowing how sad, he grew up to be.

Tony was loved, by so many, but grew up believing he was worthless because his dad never looked at him twice.

Tony laid out the Snakes and Ladders’ board, giving Peter the dice.

They were halfway through their third game when Ana brought Peter his cup of tea and a glass of juice for Tony.

Peter placed it, on the bedside cabinet, “Thank you.”

Ana took out a polaroid camera, “Do you mind?” She asked, raising it.

Peter shrugged, “Not at all.”

She held it up, “Smile boys.”

Tony waved, with the widest smile.

Peter watched him, fondly.

Knocks, at the front door, caught their attention.

“I better go and see who that is,” Ana left, taking the camera and photo, with her.

A woman’s voice echoed up, “Hello.”

Jarvis spoke, “Mr. Stark?”

“Jarvis.” That had to be Howard, “Where is he?”

Tony moved away from Peter’s side, and stood, at the end of his bed, with a forced posture.

Maria Stark entered, “Tony?” She smiled, relief in her eyes, “Honey..”

Tony walked over, hugging her, “Mum…”

“Hello, baby… “ She kneeled, taking his hands, “We were so worried.”

“I’m sorry.”

Howard strode in, chin held high, “Maria…” He barked, “He’s a growing boy, he doesn’t need to be coddled.”

Peter stood, clenching his fists by his sides.

Howard glared, at Tony, “You’re in a lot of trouble when we get home.”

Maria stood, “You must be Peter.” She shook his hand, “Thank you, for helping.”

“Son…” Howard took out his wallet, “Let us…”

“I don’t want your money,” Peter held up his hands, “I was glad to help.”

Howard thrust out the cash, in his hand, “Don’t be modest.”

“I can’t.”

Howard pushed, “Take it—"

Peter answered, through gritted teeth, “I won’t accept money from you.”

Howard stepped back, “What?”

“I can’t,” Peter replied, quick, “Not from somebody who talks to their son, like you do.”

Maria’s eyes widened, she stepped closer to Tony.

Tony leaned forward, peering from behind her son.

Howard stared like Peter had punched him, “I beg your pardon?”

“I lost my parents when I was Tony’s age, but I remember how good they were,” Peter informed him, “My Aunt and Uncle raised me, they respected me, and my—” He stopped, having no idea how to explain Tony’s relevance in his life, it was hard, to put into words, instead he pointed, “That’s what he needs.”

Howard frowned; anger bubbling to the surface.

“Your son is six, and you treat him like he’s sixteen,” Peter snapped, unable to stop, “He got lost, he was scared, that’s not something you punish a kid for. You should be asking him if he’s okay, telling him he can have anything he wants for dinner.”

Howard sneered, “You’re not Tony’s father.”

“I know,” Peter narrowed his eyes, “Maybe, instead of seeing him as an investment, or company property, you should see him as your son.” His voice raised, “He’s scared of the dark, and you keep him in it. You’ll be the one to blame when he grows up to resent you.”

Howard’s jaw dropped, speechless.

Peter turned to Maria, “I better go—”

“Yes—” She leaned over, to mutter, “Thank you.”

Tony rushed over, hugging Peter’s leg, tight, “Goodbye.”

Peter squeaked, tears, in his eyes, “Bye.”

He rushed passed, the startled Howard, down the stairs, where Jarvis and Ana were stood, silent.

“It was lovely meeting you,” His mouth twitched into a smile, “You’re good people, and Tony loves you both very much.” He nervously interlocked his fingers, “Thank you.”

He rushed out before they could say anything.

The sun was setting, and the street was desolate.

He needed to find somewhere, to lay low, for a little while.

He wiped tears, out of his eyes, “Shit.” He bent over, a knot in his stomach, “Wow.”

“Peter, wait!” Maria shouted, after him, running down, “All—”

He spun, “I’m sorry,” He quickly said, “I shouldn’t have shouted.”

“My husband is a grown man.” She stopped, in front of him, “He can take it, and you know what? He deserves it.” She nodded, “Thank you.”

“No problem.”

“There’s something about you, that’s peculiar…” She scanned him, “Have we met before?”

He shook his head, “No.”

“You speak about Tony like you know him.”

Peter didn’t know what to do, but he could see the desperation, in her eyes, and the love, she held inside, for Tony, “Can you keep a secret, Mrs. Stark?” He asked, “That nobody else can know.”

She nodded, “Yes.”

“I do know Tony…” Peter told her, “Just not yet.”

“Excuse me?”

Peter tapped his arm, activating the Iron Spider armor, but he kept the mask off.

“What—” She stepped back, “What is this?”

“It’s my suit,” He hiccupped, “I’m a superhero.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Like in real life?”

“Yeah,” He nodded, “Tony’s one too.”

“He’s a child.”

“Not yet…” He stumbled, “In the future.”

She laughed nervously, “Are you saying, you’re from the future?”

“I know it sounds crazy.”

She tilted her head, to her shoulder, “Honey, it’s delusional.”

Peter tapped his arm, “Karen, are you still working?”

“Yes, Peter, I am running on backup power.”

Maria looked around, “Who was that?”

“The suit.” Peter answered, “Karen, can you show me files on Tony Stark?”

“Of course, personal or work?”

“Personal, please.”

Karen projected a picture, of Peter, Tony, and Morgan, sprawled across the couch together.

“That’s extraordinary,” Maria pointed, “He looks just like my father.”

“That’s Tony,” Peter said, “In 2023.”

She shook her head, “2023?”

“Yeah,” He moved his finger, “That’s my sister, Morgan.”

She looked at him, with wide eyes, “Your sister?”

“Karen, play, please.”

The video played.

Tony jumps onto the couch, ruffling Peter’s hair, with his hand.

Peter whines, “Mr. Stark…”

Tony shakes his head, with a laugh, “What movie should we watch?”

Morgan throws her arms, into the air, “Finding Nemo.”

Tony grins, “Again, really?”

“Yeah.”

Peter closed it and lowered his arm.

Maria blinked away tears, “That’s my Tony?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re his son?” She asked, “My-My grandson?”

“Basically,” Peter nodded, “He took me in…”

“And he’s happy?”

“He gets there, in the end.”

Maria leaned up, pulling him into a hug, “Thank you for showing me.”

Peter tangled his arms around her, “It’s so good to see you.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, honey.” She leaned back, “You tell him from me, that I’m proud of him, and all he's done,” She cupped his cheek, “And you give your sister, a big hug from your grandma, okay?”

“Okay,” Peter’s face contorted, “I don’t know if I-“

Wanda’s voice echoed, from nearby, “Peter!”

Peter turned his head.

“Peter, it’s me.”

He breathed, “Wanda?”

Maria frowned, concerned, “Are you okay?”

“I think my friends have found me,” He squeezed her hand, “I have to go.”

She kissed his cheek, “Stay safe.”

“Bye.”

Suddenly, he was flying, through a blanket of red.

He landed, on a laminate floor, with a thump, “Woah.” He was inside the training room, of the Headquarters, surrounded by the team.

Scott cheered, from behind the quantum tunnel, “He’s back!”

Cheering filled the room.

Rhodey applauded, “It actually worked!”

Peter looked around, his eyes finding the one person he wanted to see, “Tony…”

Tony bent down, pulling Peter to his feet, “Oh, kid…” He dragged him, into his arms, “That was the longest week of my life.”

Peter peeled back, stunned, “It’s been a week?!”

“I’m so sorry, Peter,” Wanda stepped out, “I didn’t even know I could do that, I was trying so hard-“

“It’s okay, I know,” He leaned over, hugging her, “It’s fine, I’m back.”

“You’re lucky, that Friday recalled something, from my archives,” Tony held out the polaroid picture, that Ana had taken, “Turns out, you’re real,” He laughed, “Thought you were imaginary.”

Peter laughed, “Surprise.”

Tony tugged him into another hug, kissing his cheek, “Thank you.”

#whumptober2020 #no.11 #psych 101 #crying #peter parker #tony stark #ana jarvis #edwin jarvis #maria stark #howard stark #irondad #irondad fanfiction #irondad but the roles are switched....it was fun to turn it around!#liberty's writing

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lyssismagical · 4 years

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paint me in trust, i’ll be your best friend

Febufluff Day 1 & 2 - Snuggles & Rainy Day {Parkner}

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Peter wakes to the sound of rain bouncing harmlessly off his window.

For a few moments of absolute solitude, that’s all he does. Watches the rain clinging to his window, racing their way to the bottom.

His breaths are even, no fear hanging onto his bones, no remnants of nightmares playing out before his eyes, no worries filling his head. Just simplicity and peace.

Harley’s arms tighten around his waist, maybe somehow knowing Peter had woken up, and slowly blinks his eyes open, gazing down at Peter with a squinted expression.

“You ‘kay?” he asks, voice rough from only just waking up. His arms are tight around Peter and his eyes only shine with concern, no nightmares on his end either.

Peter smiles up at his boyfriend, resting his head on Harley’s chest to continue looking out the window at the cloudy sky.

“Yeah, I’m good… Really good,” he murmurs against Harley’s warm skin. “Guess the weather means no Spider-Man?”

Harley squeezes him. “It’s comforting to know you’re aware I’d never let you out in weather like this.”

“A little rain never hurt anybody,” Peter says, but the acceptance is clear in his voice. He doesn’t really want to leave either.

It’s still early, sun barely peeking over the horizon through the clouds, but they don’t bother falling back to sleep. They’d gone to bed early the night before after a long week of hard working.

They’re both at MIT, their last year before they’ll be graduating and taking over Stark Industries full-time. Harley works as a mechanic, mostly odd hours, and Peter works at the library. Between their jobs, their classes, their homework, and Peter’s Spider-Manning, it’s been tough week after tough week after tough week.

It’s nice to just lay in bed, limbs entangled beneath a pile of soft blankets, and watch the rain fall outside their window.

Peter grabs Harley’s hand, one of the two wrapped around his waist, and presses a kiss to his knuckles.

“Love you,” he murmurs, blinking up at Harley who grins dopily down at him.

“Love you too, darlin’.”

Eventually, they do have to drag their way out of bed. It’s not possible, especially with Peter’s grumbling stomach, to stay tucked away from the world for all of Sunday.

Harley had laughed when Peter’s stomach wouldn’t stop making noises, pressing a gentle kiss to Peter’s forehead, before stretching to get up.

Harley makes the batter, falling for Peter’s puppy dog eyes when he asks for chocolate chips, and Peter’s the one who cooks them. It’s a simple system, but it means a lot to them. The first time they hung out, they made pancakes just like they are now. Pancakes are like a little tradition to them.

Harley wraps his arms around Peter from behind as the hero sleepily starts working on cooking the pancakes, pressing little kisses to Peter’s neck and shoulders.

“I should write that paper I’ve been procrastinating,” Peter says, leaning back into Harley’s warmth.

But Harley just rests his forehead against Peter’s shoulder and smiles. “Another time?”

Rolling his eyes, Peter tries his best to bite back a smile. “Yeah… Another time.”

As soon as the pancakes are finished, they curl back up on the couch together, tugging an old quilt over their legs and putting Jeopardy on the TV.

It’s another one of their little traditions to watch Jeopardy together. They have a little competition to see who can get more right answers, faster than the contestants. They almost always tie, but it’s still a fun game. If somebody loses, they’re the one who has to do the dishes that day.

“That’s not fair!” Harley exclaims when Peter gets an answer before him. “My mouth was full!”

Peter laughs, rolling his eyes. “That’s just how the game works, Keener. You snooze, you lose… Or, well, you chews, you lose.”

“That’s not even grammatically correct,” the older boy whines, grabbing a bite of Peter’s pancakes. “Therefore, you lose a point.”

“You lose a point for saying therefore unironically,” Peter says.

Instead of arguing, Harley just pushes a forkful of pancakes into Peter’s mouth and shouts out the answer of the next question.

“That’s cheating,” Peter pouts, swallowing the food. “It doesn’t count.”

Harley tries to hide his smile, but his eyes are so bright, so lively, that it’s hard not to notice. “Fine, you win, Parker. I’ll do the dishes later.”

He starts pulling away from Peter to start on the piles of dishes on their counter, from days upon days of saying they’ll do it and things getting in the way, but Peter grabs his wrist, pouting.

“Don’t go?” he says, sending his puppy dog eyes Harley’s way.

The older boy grins, flipping Peter’s hand over to press a kiss to his knuckles.

“We’ll regret it tomorrow if we continue to pile up our dishes,” Harley says, shaking his head. “Don’t you think we should get some work done while we have some time?”

Peter rolls his eyes, tugging the quilt up over his head. “Don’t you think we deserve some down time?”

Face softening, Harley sits down on the couch again, grabbing Peter’s ankle to run his thumb gently in little circles. They’re both tired, it’s been a long time since they’ve had a genuine day off from all responsibilities. It’s been a lot of working, especially for Peter who goes out as Spider-Man every chance he gets.

“I know you’re tired, darlin’, but don’t you think it’ll make you feel better if our apartment doesn’t look like it’s been hit by a hurricane?”

Peter pokes his head out from under the quilt, smiling dopily up at his boyfriend. “I will never stop loving hearing our apartment.”

“And don’t you want our apartment to be clean?”

“Says the guy who didn’t clean his room for months at a time,” Peter retorts, closing his eyes. “I’ll help you do the dishes if you promise we can just cuddle all afternoon.”

Harley, never one to say no to cuddles, smiles softly. “Yeah, honey, I promise.”

“You’re worse than Mister Stark is with pet names, you know that?”

Peter sits on the ground in front of Harley, rolling his eyes. “Only you could manage something like this.”

He’s got their first aid kit, constantly stocked thanks to Peter’s Spider-Manning, in his lap, propped open as he digs through it for what he needs.

“It’s not my fault!” Harley exclaims, holding the tissue tightly against his finger.

While washing the dishes, he may or not have sneezed and dropped a plate, cutting his finger.

It’s not a bad cut, but Peter didn’t hesitate before racing off to get their first aid kit.

Peter doesn’t respond, focused on cleaning it up, and then he wraps Harley’s finger in a bright pink Hello Kitty bandaid.

Peter presses a gentle kiss to the bandaid over Harley’s finger before looking up at his boyfriend, a light blush touching his cheeks. “All better.”

“Mm, I think I have another injury,” Harley says, grinning. He taps his bottom lip with his finger. “Can you kiss it better too?”

Peter rolls his eyes, but leans up towards Harley. “You’re such a dumbass, you know that?”

He gives Harley a quick peck to the lips, but Harley’s quick to grab him by the back of the neck, and pull him in again.

Between kissing, Harley breathes, “I’m your dumbass, though.”

Peter grins so brightly, they have to stop kissing. He drops his forehead to Harley’s shoulder, hiding his smile against Harley’s skin.

“We’ve been together for five years, darlin’, and…”

“I just love hearing it,” Peter says. “You’re my dumbass, and I’m yours.”

Harley slides his hand up down, rubbing gentle circles into his shoulders, pressing kisses to Peter’s temple and the crown of his head. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

They stay there, wrapped in their own thoughts about the future. In less than a year, they’ll be running Stark Industries. They’ll be out of University, out of their little apartment in Massachusetts, and into the tower’s penthouse. Just them two now that Tony and Pepper live permanently with Morgan in their cabin.

Five years together.

Five whole years filled with snuggles and Jeopardy, pancakes and doing the dishes. Nights spent in medical together, hand in hand. Five years of being together, of feeling like they belong somewhere for the first time in a really long time.

Five of the best years of their lives.

Peter sniffles, for once the tears that fill his eyes are happy tears, and he presses a kiss to Harley’s shoulder.

“You okay?” Harley asks. “Sorry about breaking our plate, by the way, it was an accident, and I know the Hello Kitty bandaids were yours-”

Peter lifts his head, grinning at his boyfriend, even when a tear catches on his eyelashes, like the rain that continues to pour outside their cozy apartment.

“I just really fucking love you,” he murmurs, leaning in to kiss Harley again.

Harley’s calloused hands are safe against his face, smile making the worry lines smoothen out and his eyes light up, washing away any and all insecurities.

“I really fuckin’ love you too, darlin’.” Harley catches Peter’s tear on his thumb, gently brushing it away. “But I think I promised you cuddles now that we’re done with the dishes.”

Peter smiles brighter, leaning his forehead against Harley’s, trying to control the wildfire of love that burns through his chest.

Peter wakes up cold.

He blinks his eyes open slowly to find the TV playing The Office on mute, characters moving animatedly without sound. Harley’s not beside him, the couch cold where he’d once been. Their quilt is carelessly discarded on the floor.

He heads to their bedroom, blinking blearily when he doesn’t find Harley anywhere in their apartment. He tugs a shirt on over his head, one of Harley’s that smells like motor oil and his cheap soap.

“Harley?” he calls out, turning in a circle. Their apartment is empty and quiet. And then, he realizes Harley’s shoes are missing from their place at the door.

He tugs on his own shoes, a pair of old sneakers, and grabs his keys.

He doesn’t have to go far, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Harley’s in the park across the street from their apartment, worn yellow shirt standing out brightly against the grey sky. His arms are lifted to the sky, wet hair sticking to his face.

“Babe?” he calls out, approaching his boyfriend slowly. “You okay?”

Harley turns to him, a grin plastered across his face as the rain pours around them. He takes the few steps he needs to reach Peter. One hand cups his cheek, and the other wraps around Peter’s waist, almost lifting his off the ground as he presses their mouths together, rain falling heavily over them.

Peter pulls away first, squinting up at his boyfriend, he’s laughing and it makes Peter smile too. “What’s gotten into you?”

“I just really fuckin’ love life, right now,” Harley says, eyes sparkling. They’re soaking wet and cold, standing out in the rain, in the dim evening light, and Harley looks like it’s the best day of his life. “I love you and I love our apartment and I love getting to wake up next to you every morning.”

Peter kisses Harley again, he can’t help it. “And you couldn’t tell me this in our warm apartment?”

“I’ve never had anything permanent before, until you came along. And I just- I guess I just realized that this, us, it’s forever, you know? And I just love that. I love you.”

“Are we in a Hallmark movie now?” Peter asks. Kissing in the rain, professing their love. “I love you too, babe. You’re such a dumbass, though. You didn’t need to come all the way out here to say that to me.”

“I’m your dumbass,” Harley breathes again. He’s still grinning like he can’t help it. “And you’re the love of my life.”

Peter shakes his head, kissing Harley again. “You’ve lost your mind, Keener.”

“One day, I’m going to be a Parker,” Harley says, smiling against Peter’s mouth. “One day, I’ll be a Parker and- and we’ll get married and we’ll have one of those sappy little weddings where Tony will cry. And we’ll- we’ll run Stark Industries together and live in Manhattan together. And we’ll- we’ll- I don’t know, adopt a bunch of lost kids like we were, because you’re such a good person. And I’ll get to wake up next to you every day and tell you I love you.”

Peter’s expression softens, catching the tears that fall from Harley’s eyes, even as they mix with the rain water. “You promise?”

“Fuck, darlin’, I promise. I love you, whatever happens, sweetheart, I love you.”

“I love you too. Always, babe, I’ll always love you.”

#lyss writes #febufluff #parkner #harley x peter #harley kener #peter parker #ignore that i'm bad at writing fluff #i never write fluff #this is bad but i need validation #fluff

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loserholland · 5 years

Text

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞

𝟎𝟎𝟐 ➺ 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬

Pairing ➺ Peter Parker x Reader

Warning ➺ angst, flashbacks (italicized) (bold text is the letter)

Word Count ➺ 2,247

Summary ➺ She always thought he felt the same way, yet I guess she was wrong.

A/N ➺ As requested, here’s part two of out of love the overall mini series is named One sided love. This is filled with angst again, i’m truly sorry. My request are open! They will be open till July 14 <3

✿ 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓣𝓪𝓰��𝓲𝓼𝓽 ✿ - @loveyathreethousand @taronxfiction @killerqueen-gunpowdergelatine @spideyyypeter @lou-la-lou @babebenhardy @rivervixenbaby@acklesholland @zabdisamor @keepingupwiththehollands @sweet666pea@sspider-parker @jackiehollanderr @iloveyou3000morgan @caro0512 @random-things-i-love

@yulisaangelica

@oyoke

@buckloveshisplums

@spideysimpossiblegirl

Song

☞ Masterlist ☜

I'm jealous of the rain That falls upon your skin It's closer than my hands have been

Would you believe me if I told you, the two who were once best friend’s haven’t spoken to one another in a year? Would you believe me if I told you, they’d past by one another without a glance. Would you believe me if I told you, they were stranger’s to one another?

Would you believe that?

It was drawing closer to graduation, closer to (Y/N) moving out to the west coast. She had been accepted into UCLA, though that wasn’t her first choice nor was it her second. Her first choice was MIT, her second would be NYU. But, that was her and Peter’s plan. They’d attend the same university, and find an apartment.

Those were expectations, those plans were dreams that wouldn’t come true.

(Y/N) hid under the shade waiting for her mom to come pick her up, she had stayed after school to study in the library. Finals were coming up and she wanted to get in as much information as possible. It was raining cats and dogs in New York, the weather some how matched her mood when she heard two distant voices exit the building.

She could see the two figures from the corner of her eye, praying and hoping it wasn’t who she thought it was.

“Hey (Y/N).”

It would be rude to not say hi back, her parent’s didn’t raise her to be rude.

(Y/N) turned her head to see Mj and Peter standing beside her, she felt her heart clench. It’s been a year, a long year since they had their last conversation.

“Hey.” (Y/N) gave her a small smile before moving her gaze back to her shoes, she couldn’t help but feel such envy. She didn’t want to, oh god she didn’t want to feel green. But she did, she did because her feeling’s for Peter was still there.

“I better get going, I don’t want to miss the subway. I’ll text you later.”

She looked up slightly watching as Peter ran through the rain, she wanted to talk to him. She missed their conversation’s, even if it was over something stupid. She missed it, she missed him.

I'm jealous of the rain

Peter laid in bed that night, his eyes fluttered shut as he thought back to the night. He should’ve gone after her, he should’ve done something. Yet he sat there and watched as he lost his best friend.

“I absolutely hate the fact that no one else has the ability to break me or to make me feel happy like you do. You are the only person who can ruin my day and you are the only person who can fix it.”

How could he have not seen it? How could he have not seen the signs?

I'm jealous of the wind That ripples through your clothes It's closer than your shadow

(Y/N) sighed to herself as she walked around Central Park, usually to let off some stress she was feeling. A walk in the park was always the cure, though it was different. Usually she’d invite Peter to come along to walk with her, yet she didn’t.

After spending about an hour walking around Central Park, she decided it was time to head back home. When she was heading towards the subway a gust of wind had passed her along with a blur. (Y/N) quickly turned her head to see Peter, well Spider-man swinging through. Her heart had stopped for a moment.

Did he know he passed her?

Oh, I'm jealous of the wind

Dear Peter,

I honestly don’t know why I’m writing this letter. It’s been a year. A year since we last spoke. I can’t believe we’re stranger’s now. We use to be so close, what happened to that?

'Cause I wished you the best of All this world could give And I told you when you left me

If I knew we were gonna leave things the way we did, i wouldn’t have told you to come over. I wouldn’t have told you how I feel about you. If I knew telling you how I felt would lead us to being strangers, I would’ve left it alone. But now, I can’t seem to help it but blame myself.

There's nothing to forgive

I shouldn’t ask for an apology. What is there to apologize for? I should be the one to apologize, for assuming you felt the same way. I should be the one to apologize for hurting our friendship.

But I always thought you'd come back, tell me all you found was Heartbreak and misery It's hard for me to say, I'm jealous of the way

You know what sucks? You wanna know what was horrible for me to do? I hoped and wished that you and Mj’s relationship wouldn’t work out. That you’d come back, or show up at my window to tell me that you weren’t happy. It hurts to see you so happy, though I should’t feel that way. I should be happy for you, I should be happy that you and Mj feel the same way about one another. Yet, I’m jealous. I’m jealous that you’re happy and I’m not. Worst part is,

You're happy without me

She stared at the letter, unsure if she should burn it or keep it in an envelope. If she was going to keep it in an envelope, she planned on delivering it to Peter before she left to UCLA.

She held the lighter in one hand and the letter in the other.

I'm jealous of the nights That I don't spend with you I'm wondering who you lay next to

"What are you doing up here? Strange people can land on the roof and you wouldn’t have anyone to protect you.” Peter joked removing his mask to lay next to you on the blanket you had spread out.

(Y/N) bumped his shoulder with her’s “That’s why I’ve got you spider-man. And, stargazing.” though you couldn’t see many stars it was calming to be up here and just lay there looking up at the night sky.

“There’s barely any stars.” Peter snorted lifting his left hand to prop under his head squinting slightly scanning the night sky to for any stars.

“Shut it Parker.”

Oh, I'm jealous of the nights

(Y/N) had turned the corner and into the library heading for her usual spot till she heard two voices belonging to Peter and Ned. She had brief conversation’s with Ned, but they were never really close to one another.

“So, have you or Mj expressed your affection to one another?” Ned questioned looking between Peter and the study guide he had in front of him.

Peter scoffed lightly “What? What do you mean?” his brows furrowed in confusion, did Ned mean sex?”

Ned stared blankly at Peter, did he really not get what he said?

“I mean have either of you said I love you.”

I'm jealous of the love Love that was in here Gone for someone else to share

“Oh.” (Y/N) heard Peter mumble, silence slowly took over their conversation she didn’t want to eavesdrop. She wanted to leave before she’d hurt herself more, yet she couldn’t find it in her to move.

“I-I uh, I told her I love you last week. It just slipped and I panicked and hoped she didn’t hear what I had just said. But, she said it back. ”

Oh, I'm jealous of the love

She laid in bed that night, god she knew she should’ve left. Why did you stay? Why didn’t you leave before you could hurt yourself more?

“I love you.” (Y/N) said between laughs, watching as Peter’s smirk turned into a small smile.

“I love you too.”

Though it that moment, she knew she loved him more than just a friend. They had said it to one another before in a jokingly matter, yet she meant it when she said I love you. And when he said it back, she hoped he felt the same way she did.

'Cause I wished you the best of All this world could give And I told you when you left me

Graduation was drawing in closer, which meant exam week was around the corner. The faster she’d get exam’s done, get her diploma, the faster she’d move out to California and away from New York.

Away from Peter.

There's nothing to forgive

There were night’s when she’d sit out on the fire escape and hoped Peter would come by and just talk. She had hoped he’d come by her window and asking her to help him clean a bruise or a fresh cut.

But I always thought you'd come back, tell me all you found was Heartbreak and misery It's hard for me to say, I'm jealous of the way

There was a light knock on her window causing (Y/N) to stir around in her sleep lightly, her conscious telling her it was just a dream. Though the knocking became a little louder causing her to wake up, there stood Spider-man holding onto his side.

(Y/N) quickly moved over to the window pushing it up allowing Peter to crawl inside, “It’s okay Pete, I got you.”

You're happy without me

Peter fixed his tie one last time before slipping on his graduation gown and grabbed his cap from his bed. He was finally graduating High School and was going to NYU. Though he had a choice of going to MIT, he choice NYU instead. MIT was suppose to be for him and (Y/N).

As I sink in the sand Watch you slip through my hands Oh, as I die here another day, yeah

Ever since she had told Peter how she felt, (Y/N) felt like she was losing herself. So when it came around the time to apply to college’s she had settled on UCLA even before applying. She thought maybe taking time away from New York, time away from her family, and time away from Peter she’d find herself again.

'Cause all I do is cry behind this smile I wished you the best of All this world could give

“Congratulation’s (Y/N)!” May squealed giving her a big hug swaying the two side to side causing (Y/N) to smile she had caught Peter’s eye. He was standing awkwardly behind May with his cap in one hand and his diploma in the other.

“I miss having you over! You should come by tonight.”

(Y/N) frowned at the thought of going over, she would’ve loved to but she knew it would hurt her more. Pulling away from May (Y/N) smiled weakly, “Thank you for the invite May, but my family and I had made plans.” Lies, she had told her family she didn’t want to go out to dinner or have a huge party. She just wanted to stay home.

“Oh, well feel free to come by anytime.”

(Y/N) nodded before bidding May goodbye and heading back to her family.

And I told you when you left me There's nothing to forgive But I always thought you'd come back, tell me all you found was

Peter sighed, brushing past May and after (Y/N). He tapped her shoulder lightly, causing her to jump at the sudden action.

“Flash would y-Peter?”

(Y/N) blinked a few times, god this couldn’t be happening. Peter Parker was not standing in front of her right now. This has got to be a dream, she just needed someone to pinch her.

“I-I just wanted to say congratulation’s on getting into UCLA and hope nothing but the best for you.”

Heartbreak and misery It's hard for me to say, I'm jealous of the way You're happy without me

Peter pressed his lips into a thin line unsure if (Y/N) would respond or just walk away, “Good luck at NYU, I wish you and Mj nothing but happiness.” she quickly turned on her heels and pushed through the crowd. The tears that had she held back were now staining her cheeks, after not speaking for a year that was all they had to say to one another?

(Y/N) knocked lightly on the Parker’s apartment door, praying May would answer the door. She gripped the letter in her hand pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as a sudden wave of worry washed over her.

The door creaked open lightly revealing May, causing (Y/N) to sigh lightly. This was her last stop before the airport, the past four months was a blur. First they were graduating and now she was headed off to college.

“(Y/N)! What a pleasant surprise! Should I call Peter? He’s asleep ri-”

“Oh no it’s fine May, I just wanted to drop this before I head to the airport.” (Y/N) handed May the envelope that had Peter’s name written on it.

She didn’t burt it after all.

I-I-It's hard for me to say, I'm jealous of the way You're happy without me

“The worst part is, your happy without me.”

Peter read aloud, May had left the envelope on his desk. That was the first thing he saw the moment he woke up and now he was left in tears. How could he not see how hurt she was? Why did he not check in on her? There’s so many thing’s he could’ve done yet, you can’t turn back time to make up for it.

She broke her own heart, loving him.

#peter parker #peter parker imagine #peter parker fluff #peter parker angst #peter parker smut #peter parker x reader #peter parker x you #peter parker x y/n

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felicitasdumas0-blog · 7 years

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However This Is Exactly how You Cope with The Blunder That Issues.

You do not intend to just be actually a good hubby; you desire to be an outstanding other half as well as daddy. Given that you inform all of them that the inspection engine light is actually on, auto mechanics are actually not mind visitors nor perform they automatically know exactly what's inappropriate along with your vehicle merely. One more popular cars and truck garage error cars and truck proprietors create is actually dismissing the advise of the auto mechanic. If you loved this information and you wish to receive more info relating to yellow pages residential uk (Continue Reading) generously visit our web-site. P.S. Oversight # 6: If you have no wall structure messages on your page it means there is no socializing on this earth (account). You can also hear records that will definitely verify simply exactly how enterprising these identification criminals have ended up being that they even use modern technology to conveniently collect personal particulars easily. Or else, if the criminal accused can confirm that the mistake sensibly negated a factor from the unlawful act, the defense will generally be actually held to acquit the accused and administer of responsibility. This puzzle, showcased here, is going popular considering that that is actually produced several smarty-pants seem like simpletons. You pull into your lifestyle exactly what you focus on. Considering your mistakes are going to not shield you coming from making future mistakes. If it helped make folks examine your expertise, placed much more records reveal there certainly to fix their leave. When there is actually a component oversight about a product facet of the contract, the important objective of the agreement, there is actually the inquiry of the expectation of the threat. In some cases oversights are actually pretty small as well as cause very little damage or trouble. The checklist can continue. Having said that, my knowledge as a card-carrying member from the POPULAR CULTURE delivers me to the conclusion that the perfect error is actually the fake . Enable your own self to hope and assume large, dare one thing deserving, create lots from oversights along the way-- and also fill up your expertise box to the edge! So many folks are afraid to even take a handful of sure things because they could cause a blunder." So they do not try just about anything brand-new. Still, this is not where very most identities are actually stolen as well as it is a significant mistake to believe that just shielding your personal things may produce a major difference in your identity burglary danger. Already that was actually practically impossible for me to track down the identification and place from the pet dog manager so I had to decrease the situation (which I believed possessed a settlement value of at the very least $50,000 to $75,000). 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The Birdman superstar was introducing the candidates for Finest Assisting Actress in a Motion Picture when he reached Octavia Spencer's name and claimed she became part of the film 'Hidden Fences'. No matter what mistakes you make, and you will continue to make all of them, don't quit. Do not permit on your own be or think defeated. After this is actually around, as silly a fellow as I am actually could find that mistakes were actually made. The very first thing to accomplish after creating an inaccuracy is actually to approve obligation for this. Some folks make the blunder from denying obligation and delay positioning blame on others. You are going to be actually surprised through just how promptly you react to mistakes in the future and also your ability to stay away from identical scenarios entirely. When you try to find as several traits as you may to become thankful for in an oversight, you amazingly change the blunder into benefits. . The first step in error proofing is to identify the sort of inaccuracy, or even mistakes, that triggered the defect. To oversight A for B → A mit B verwechseln, A für B halten; it can certainly not probably be actually misinterpreted for everything more → das ist doch unverkennbar!, das kann guy doch gar nicht verwechseln! A blunder, as it seems to be to me, is none the much less a blunder considering that it is actually made deliberately in the pursuit of an incorrect motive. Lastly, the last major error that lots of ladies create is overcomplicating their program. The elimination of error-prone steps in a procedure is actually another method of blunder proofing. Filmed under the functioning title The Cellar, no person expected the film up until an unanticipated trailer decreased in January. Do certainly not let the fact that you have made a handful of errors to quit you coming from aiming to take care of the relationship. We merely have one chance to present our kids the determination and willpower necessary to allow all of them to pick up from the errors that we have actually all brought in. In this particular short article you will definitely check out a number of usual oversights produced when individuals check out body language. A typical error created is actually using the inappropriate pads or shoes for an automobile. Therefore allow me give you a run-through of the 10 most usual mistakes I observe fellas creating when they first approach a woman - and this really isn't just students - this applies to normal individuals I note when I walk out. Move toward the individual as well as deliver an earnest apology if your blunder has induced an individual to lose trust fund in you. 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Many individuals create the oversight of not safeguarding the pre-approved loans before searching for houses.

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ronaldmrashid · 7 years

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A $500,000 Redo: How One Couple Got Their Mojo Back

About once every couple of years, a Financial Samurai post goes a little nuts on the internet. Recently, Twitter got a hold of “Scraping By On $500,000 A Year: Why High Income Earners Can’t Escape The Rat Race” and consumed it like a rabid dog shaking a rag doll.

I first started noticing Twitter activity Friday morning, March 24. Overnight, it seemed, about 500 new tweets of the post had appeared. By Monday, March 27, the tweet count had risen to a whopping 40,000+! What the heck was going on?!

Apparently, the internet found the $500,000 a year couple’s budget so absurd it started poking fun at the post. Some say my chart has even reached meme status. Well pinch my nuts! I get to check off another bucket list item before I croak.

The budget I originally posted is actually a real life couple’s budget shared with me to share with you. Their budget has been corroborated by hundreds of other couples and individuals making similar incomes while living in an expensive city like NYC, SF, London, Paris, LA, and Hong Kong. Financial Samurai already gets over 1 million organic pageviews a month, so it’s easy to gather feedback. Just check the comments on the post to see for yourself.

Here are some points I wanted to make from the post:

1) It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep. Without discipline, it’s easy to spend everything you make. Lifestyle inflation is the biggest culprit for why folks never feel like they have enough. It’s not just the cars and houses that people compete on, it’s also the schools parents want their children to attend. Hopefully, the post encourages everyone to take a hard look at their own finances or if they haven’t already done so, create and monitor their own budget. “If you can’t manage it, you can’t improve it.” – Peter Drucker.

2) High income comes with high costs. Yes, it’d be nice to earn big bucks living in the heartland of America, where I’m bullish, but in the heartland, those high income jobs are harder to come by. If one shouldn’t spend any more than 3X – 5X their gross income on a home, how much does one have to make in order to afford the $1.2M median home price in SF or NYC? Answer: $240,000 – $400,000. Unfortunately federal income taxes do not account for cost of living.

3) Think about geo-arbitrage. Technology and the internet are allowing people to untether themselves from an office. Find companies that allow you to work remotely in a lower cost area. You might not get to relocate to Bali, Indonesia, but there are plenty of fantastic cities that are much cheaper than NYC, SF, LA, Boston, and Washington DC. I’ve interviewed several CEOs in SF and they all say that given SF’s tight labor market and high cost of living, they are hiring more remote workers. Better yet, have your own internet-based business. Take advantage of the best technological shift in history.

4) Save and invest often over the long run. There’s great value in maxing out your 401k and building home equity over time, even if you have very little left over. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about 55% of the American workforce has access to a 401(k) and only about 38% of the total workforce participate. Doing some low level math, that means roughly 31% of those who have access to a 401(k) are not participating. I strongly believe that over time, home equity is one of the major reasons for a widening wealth gap between home owners and renters. Find a place you know you’ll be for the next 10 years and try and get neutral real estate by owning your own place. Of course, be responsible with your purchase.

5) What it’s all for at the end of the day. I know plenty of high earning people who are not happy because they are stressed at work and can never spend as much time with the people they love. Not only that, they know the work they’re doing isn’t really helping society so they feel they’re selling their souls. They can’t leave due to an unhealthy desire for prestige, money, and power. Realize there’s a wonderful life beyond just making lots of money. Seek your happiness before you look back on life full of regret.

I realize it’s only human to judge others, even if we’ve never walked in their shoes. However, simply judging others does nothing to improve our own situations. Therefore, let’s do our best to approach things with open minds. With open minds, progress can be made.

Financial Samurai has always been about finding solutions to problems. I’d like to provide an optimized budget for this $500,000 couple. I’ll conclude by highlighting some interesting observations I’ve made about the public’s reaction to my original post as well.

Making A $500,000 A Year Couple Rich Again

Original budget:

Optimized budget:

Let’s go through the major line-items one by one!

Income Taxes ($9,280 savings): I’ve brought the couples effective total tax rate down to 38% from 40%, saving them $9,280 a year. Their total tax bill of $176,320 includes federal income tax, state income tax, city income tax, FICA tax, and sales tax. It’s very hard to bring your tax liability down as a W2 wage earner. Having a business is consistently one of the key differentiators between the rich and the rest of us. If you’ve got a business, you can deduct many of your overlapping life expenses as a business expense e.g. business trip to Honolulu for a semi-annual offsite. You can also contribute more to your pre-tax retirement savings.

Property Taxes (* $10,595 savings): The property tax rate in Park Slope, Brooklyn (King’s County) is surprisingly only 0.627% compared to the New York State average of 1.5%, and the national average of 1.2% (that’s what it is here in California). Therefore, on an assessed value of $1,500,000, the couple really only pays $9,405 in property taxes versus the $20,000 originally estimated. However, because there are all sorts of weird property tax assessments in NYC, I’m still inclined to believe the figure is higher. If anybody owns in Brooklyn, please share your wisdom.

Childcare ($6,000 savings): If you haven’t figured out by now, children are expensive! Every parent wants their best for their kids, which is why demand is relatively inelastic the higher prices for child-related expenses go. Given all the backlash from the internet, the couple decides to find a better deal, a little father away. They’re now spending $1,500/month per kid compared to $1,750/month per kid. As their kids enter kindergarten and spend more time on lessons, childcare costs will naturally decline.

Food For Four ($2,400 savings): Unfortunately, date night every two weeks has got to go! Each date on average cost the couple $200 when you add up transportation, food, wine, tip, taxes, and a Broadway show. Try landing a ticket for Hamilton for under $50. Good luck! Therefore, the couple is now saving $2,400 a year. Instead of going out to eat they start cooking more at home and ordering from a variety of food delivery services. Not only is this couple saving money, they’re also eating healthier for a double win.

Home Maintenance ($3,800): Both parents start spending time getting smart on YouTube to fix their own toilets, paint their own walls, and unclog their own faulty dishwasher valves. They also do all their own cleaning. Nothing is more attractive than being handy with a wrench and smart in the office. Total annual savings: $3,800

Three Vacations A Year ($3,000): By deciding to vacation in NYC for one of their three vacations, the couple saves $3,000 on airfare, hotels, and activities. NYC is the greatest city in the world for six months of the year. There are so many free and fun activities all around. There’s a reason 48.8 million people annually visit NYC! Yes, $15,000 still seems like a lot of money, but it’s divided among four people across 21 days. Without living it up a little on vacation, this 60+ hour a week couple might burn out at work or blow up their marriage because they hate life so much.

Children’s Lessons ($6,000 savings): Screw violin! I learned violin for three years and hated it. Even if I got any good, it’s not like I’d bust it out at a party and play. That’s what a guitar is for, which can be easily learned online for free. Athletics is part of Americana, so the kids are still receiving swimming and tennis lessons. Who knows, both of them might get athletic scholarships one day. At the very least, college admissions officers and employers look much more favorably on scholar athletes. Just having a 4.0 GPA and a near perfect SAT doesn’t cut it anymore, especially if you’re Asian.

Charity ($6,000 savings): Sorry alma mater, your tuition and endowment are already massive enough. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford all have endowments over $20 billion. MIT, U Penn, Michigan, Texas A&M, and Columbia all have endowments over $10 billion. It’s best they save their money for those who really need help. Giving $1,000 a month to Feed The Children means a lot to this couple. 300 million children go to bed hungry every day while 68% of America is obese. Something is wrong with this picture and they want to do their part in making a difference.

Miscellaneous ($5,000 savings): Something always comes up, otherwise why doesn’t everybody have a perfect financial record? Because this couple is now more self-sufficient, they should be able to minimize any excess spending or surprises. Financial independence is all about generating enough passive income streams to cover your expenses indefinitely. If you can also build cooking, cleaning, fixing, and maintenance skills, you’re going to be golden. Not too long ago we had to start our own fires and hunt for our own food. A self-sufficient woman is a rich woman.

College Savings ($12,000 expense): One glaring expense the internet pointed out was that this couple wasn’t saving for their children’s college education. Annual tuition alone now costs $15,000 – $55,000 at many universities (William & Mary in-state tuition = $16,370, Columbia University tuition = $52,476). Add room and board and we’re talking $30,000 – $80,000 annual outlays for four years! Can you still afford to give money to your alma mater? In 10-15 years when this couple’s kids attend college, the cost could easily climb by 50%. Let’s hope these kids get into public Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant High School, or Brooklyn Technical High School to save their parents the expense of private grade school tuition. Related: Public Or Private University: Depends On Your Fear And Guilt Tolerance

Total Cash Flow Improvement: $48,875

Total Cash Flow After Improvement: $56,175 ($48,875 + $7,300)

Total Cash Flow + Net Worth Addition: $117,175 after contributing $36,000 to their 401ks and paying down $25,000 in mortgage principal.

$117,175 equals a respectable 23.4% gross savings rate or an impressive 36% after tax savings rate once we adjust for paying taxes on the $36,000 401k contribution amount. This couple should be able to build their net worth by at least $1.2 million every 10 years, assuming their incomes don’t continue to rise and their expenses stay the same.

The problem with this new scenario is that despite optimizing their budget by $48,875 a year, they still have a $231,505 annual after-tax nut to cover. Given they have no other significant passive income streams, they need to likely work for at least another 18 years until after their kids graduate from college to even consider doing something other than 60+ hour workweeks in the law office. But given 80%+ of people wash out of big law by year eight, anticipating to last for 18 years isn’t very prudent.

The point of aggressively saving and developing a side-hustle when you’re young is so that you one day have the OPTION to do something else with your time when you start hating your life. Believe me, that day will come because everybody will hate their job at one point. Unfortunately, to many people start aggressively saving and side-hustling AFTER they start hating their jobs. Misery ensues.

There is NO rewind button in life, which means we all have to try and anticipate the future today.

How Much Savings Should I Have By Age

Ranking The Best Passive Income Streams

Observations From The Internet’s Response

With over 42,000 tweets, 5 million+ views of the chart, and media mentions from CNBC, The LA Times, Jalopnik, MarketWatch, Apple News and many more, it’s been fascinating to observe the reactions. Here are three common threads I’ve observed:

1) Shoot first, ask questions later. A study by the Media Insight Project, an initiative of the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the American Press Institute highlighted that 60% of readers just read headlines, and not the actual article. As a result, the use of “Scraping By” instigated many people to condemn this couple’s budget (and me by extension) because they hadn’t read the substance behind the post. The featured image in my post with the caption, “Help! I’m drowning from all my money!” provided a clue to the astute reader that I was being facetious.

2) People see what they want to see. With over 100,000 comments left on Financial Samurai since it started in 2009, I’ve observed this phenomenon many times. There is a perpetual echo chamber of people refusing to see the other side. It plays out in politics, stubborn arguments with friends and loved ones, generational wars, and in the work place all the time. The more we can try and understand another’s point of view, the more we can improve. Trying to see the other side is why I’ve given over 500 Uber rides, keep up with my Mandarin, coach high school tennis, constantly travel abroad, and invite people from different backgrounds to write guest posts. It’s easy to contract Dunning-Kruger disease and think anybody can do it if they just work hard enough. When you see the other side, you gain empathy and understanding.

3) Humor is incredibly effective. Understandably, a lot of people were mad at the budget because 99% of households earn less than $500,000 a year and must make tough choices to make ends meet. You can take a negative stance like Pulitzer Prize winner, Michael Hiltzik did with his column in the LA Times. You can focus on class warfare like wealthy Boston University millennial alumni, Jeremy Binckes did in his Salon article. Or, you can take Kristen Lee from Jalopnik’s approach and focus on humor to get things across.

Remember, the way you approach anything is a reflection of your own state of mind. You have a choice to look on the bright side or on the dark side. I’d certainly much rather grab a beer with an uplifting person like Kristen, than listen to Jeremy attack the woes of high income earners. When you come from a privileged family, it’s quite interesting to witness his negative viewpoint on wealth. Perhaps there’s an area of “rich guilt” that I can delve deeper in a future post.

Making $50 Million A Year Can Still Feel Average by Kristen Lee from Jalopnik

Got Me Some Body Doubles To Throw Off The Assassins! by Dan Amira, Daily Show writer

Control What You Can Control

Writing about personal finance is generally pretty boring. After all, if everybody spent less than they made, everything would be just fine. But we know nobody is perfect. Some people actually make mega millions over their careers and still file for bankruptcy! We’re all trying to get a little better.

Love or hate my article, I’m just happy that so many more people have decided to take a good look at their finances. Many have written in to say sheepishly they’ve finally created a budget of their own, but have not told anyone for fear of judgement. Who knows, maybe the next financial crisis won’t be so bad because millions more people are more prepared after reading this post!

Making a lot of money is great, but building wealth that can generate money for you so you don’t have to slave your life away is even better. Sooner or later you will tire of the same old grind at work. When the time comes, you want to be armed with multiple income streams and a war chest of savings to carry you through to your next adventure.

It’s been a little over five years since I had a day job. Even though I don’t make a lot of money, I’ve got enough to be happy. It feels amazing to help other people with their financial problems. Find your enough and you’ll feel like the richest person in the world!

The Rise Of Stealth Wealth: How To Stay Invisible From Society’s Rage

Once You Have F You Money, It’s Really Hard To Tell Others To F Off!

What We Can Learn About Rich People Who Are Bad With Money (Lifehacker’s Kristin Wong provides my favorite response yet)

Rich And Marcus’ Entertaining Podcast – I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing at some of the commentary about the couple’s budget.

Readers, anybody want to try optimizing this $500,000 a year couple’s budget further without causing them to spend money for marriage counseling? Anybody want to verify the property tax amount in King’s County, NY? What else have you observed from other people commenting on this rich couple?

Why is there is much hatred towards people who pay over $176,000 in income taxes AND contributes to help eliminate child hunger? I never presented this couple as whining about their money as some in the media have portrayed. I simply highlighted how a couple can easily spend almost all their $500,000 salary if they aren’t careful.

Finally, if anybody in the media or who has a podcast wants to chat about this important subject, my door is always open. Just shoot me an e-mail found towards the end of my About page.

from http://www.financialsamurai.com/a-500k-redo-how-one-rich-couple-got-their-mojo-back/

#Financial Samurai

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