Author's Note: Title may be subject to change. Or it may not. Lol. I do have a tendency to change titles a lot though. It would drive a publisher nuts, but that way, you've considered most of the options and find the one you think is best for the story. By the way, this is AU, so that explains Harry and Peter meeting so early in life. And Peter's parents died in that plane crash, but a couple of months before the prologue starts.

DISCLAIMER: (Man I hate these.) Roses are red, violets are blue, I will be too, if I get sued.

ON WITH THE FIC!

Prologue

Five-year-old Harry Osborn appeared steady as a rock as he entered the kindergarten classroom, but inside he wanted nothing more than to run home, up to his room, and hide under his bed. Not because he was afraid of being picked on-- he wasn't afraid of that. What scared him was the thought of being rejected. He was not a social butterfly.

As little Harry looked around, his mother, Emily let go of his hand and placed a hand on his back to urge him forward. Hiding his reluctance, Harry went further into the room. It was sheer chaos just then. Loud noises of the kind that come from those annoying Tonka toys, and from toy musical instruments were sounding from all over the room, swirling together in a chorus of something even the most hardcore rocker wouldn't dare call music. Two children were chasing each other with jars of paint, dipping their paintbrushes in, then taking aim and splotching each other with paint with a flick of the wrist. One girl was standing on her tiptoes to reach a box on top of a shelf. Several children were fighting over a Barney plush toy. A boy in a corner was screaming incoherently about something being unfair.

The only one besides Harry who seemed to be calm was a little boy sitting at one of the ugly yellow Munchkin-sized tables, putting together a 50-peice puzzle. Harry smiled. He liked puzzles. He seated himelf on a chair on the side of the table opposite the other boy and said, "Hi, my name's Harry. What's yours?"

The other boy looked up and studied Harry for a moment before replying shyly, "My name is Peter. Do you wanna help me put this puzzle together?"

Harry grinned and nodded. Peter smiled back, and shifted the box with the pieces in it so that both of them could reach it and they set to work on the puzzle.

Later

The boys' kindergarten teacher, Ms. Healey, announced that it was time for everyone to go home. As Emily stood in the doorway, she noticed her son's change in attitude. Instead of the deep frown he'd been wearing when she'd dropped him off, he was now smiling broadly. Harry was talking animatedly with another little boy. They both jumped up and down for a moment, then Harry ran over with the other boy in tow.

Looking up at her, Harry said, "Mommy, this is my new friend Peter. Can he come over canhecanheplease?"

Emily smiled. She had been so afraid her son wouldn't make any friends. He didn't tend to socialize much. "If it's alright with his parents he can."

"I live with my auntie, May and my uncle Ben," Peter said. Pointing, he said, "There's Auntie May." He bounced over to the woman and said, "Auntie May I made a new friend today. His name is Harry. That's him and his mom over there. Harry stopped a big kid from hitting me earlier. Can I go over to his house to play? Pretty please?"

Aunt May seemed surprised. "My, Petie, you've had quite a day, haven't you? I suppose we can go over to Harry's a while." She had let Peter drag her over to Emily and Harry, and shook hand with the younger woman as she introduced herself, "May Parker."

"Emily Osborn. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

"Here's our address." Emily jotted it down on a peice of paper and handed it to May, who wrote her address on another piece of paper and handed that to Emily. "See you soon, I hope." Stooping down to Peter's level, she ruffled his hair and said, "And I hope to see you soon again too, Peter."

Peter smiled shyly. "Bye, Harry. See you tomorrow."

"Bye Pete," Harry shouted back as Peter and May disappeared out the door of the classroom.

"Harry, did you really defend Peter from a bully?" Emily asked as she led her son to their car. Usually he just walked away when someone picked on him. It had surprised her to hear that Harry had defended his little friend.

Harry shrugged. "Yeah. No big deal." That last phrase left Emily to wonder. Well, the knowledge that her son had stood up to a bully in any case gave her food for thought.

"Well, honey, let's go home." Emily started the car and they drove off.

I made Harry a bit protective of Peter to set the stage for later. This could prove to be a challenge. (grins) I love challenges! Especially writing challenges! I have lots of ideas for this story. I'm no good at leaving plot lines alone, so this may end up very, VERY AU. Unless I can restrain myself somewhat. Peter will still be Spider-Man,Norman will still become Gobby and die the same way as in the movie (I think) but other things may undergo drastic changes. Don't know if I'll include any citrus. I've never written straight or slash citrus. We'll see, since I never really plan out what I'm going to write anyway.