Don't Tell Harry
By Ang D.

A/N: More thanks and blame to Alicia and to MoonyGirl, my betareaders this time around (Alicia, you SOOOO write Harry better than I do, so Shaddap!). I just decided that I'd written a billion craptastic little Norman fics, and that it was time to try my hand at Harry. Hopefully it doesn't suck too badly. Feel free to tell me if it does, I like to know if it needs work.

You ask me how I am,
I lie and say I'm doing fine
And with your sugar-sweetened alibis,
There was a truth I never knew...
~ Goo Goo Dolls, "String of Lies"

"Incredible."

Maybe that should have been my first sign that something was wrong, way back then. What do you mean, he's incredible? .... I'll buy you something, that should make you feel better. It always did when you and Flash fought, when he'd show up later that day in his brand new car, or with that necklace or those Godiva chocolates.

I guess heroes are worth more than convertibles or carats or chocolate.

But what I don't understand is ...

Why didn't you tell me?

Why didn't you tell me you were working at the diner, pouring coffee and wiping down tables? Why didn't you tell me that you liked Peter more? Why didn't you tell me that maybe... maybe it wasn't my father's words that made you leave me?

"I'm going to make it up to you, Harry."

Why did you say it to me, then? It took you such a long time to realize that I needed you. ... What made you think of it? .... You paid for the apartment, you sent me from school to school. You always made sure that I had what I wanted. But back then, it was to keep me quiet. When little children cry, you give them toys to quiet them, I know that now.

But something gave you a change of heart, and you made me wonder what it was.

Why didn't you tell me?

Why didn't you tell me that they had fired you, before the accident at Oscorp? Why didn't you tell me that you wished Peter was your son, too - even though, I could almost tell? Why didn't you tell me how scared you were that you might lose it all, for both of us? I would have listened ... I swear, I would have listened. I was proud of you. I wish you could have heard me telling Mary Jane I wanted to be even half the man you were. Why didn't you tell me?

And ...

I know ... I know there are a million other things you didn't tell me that I'll never know.

Your favorite flavor of ice cream - why do I find myself thinking about tthings like that? How you met Mom... we could put the Mom stories in a whole other category. I didn't even know why you collected all those masks.

Why wouldn't you tell me?

And... you, too ...

Why won't you tell me where you go?

Why won't you tell me why I found two icepacks and an empty box of band-aids on your desk?

Why won't you tell me why you couldn't help me study for that final?

Are you hiding from me, too?

Why don't I know what's going on? ....

Maybe .... maybe there's something I'm not telling myself....