After a long, long absence, we are finally back with a new chapter! This fic has always been my baby and I have always had a huge emotional attachment to it, so I am stoked to be back up and writing it again. I want to send a HUGE thank-you to everyone who has read, liked, commented, and messaged me over the years. Your support means the world to me!
Peter had had a long day, and if he was honest with himself he did not want to patrol later. He was so tired he didn't even notice the person occupying his couch when he got home, or the fact that the door that was broken only last night was now fixed perfectly.
He actually has his shirt half over his head and covering his eyes before the intruder makes himself known.
A wolf whistle and a shout.
"Woo! Petey I didn't know you were shredded under that nerdy little outfit!" Wade, his neighbor, was apparently in his apartment.
Peter quickly shoves his shirt back down to cover himself, face red in embarrassment and anger.
"Wade!?" Peter's glare could level cities, but Wade just laughs and lounges back further into Peter's couch. "What are you doing here?"
"I broke the door, I fixed the door." Wade's smile is contagious even with how dead on his feet Peter is.
"Oh- I... Thank you." Peter doesn't know what else to say so they just stare in silence for a moment.
In that moment Peter realizes he's probably not getting a choice in going on patrol or not because Wade is very hard to get rid of normally but after last night he doubts Wade will accept any reason Peter would give for him to leave. His head throbs and an aura forms in the corners of his vision. He tries to adjust glasses that he hasn't needed since the spider bite, managing to just poke himself between his eyes.
"Mhmm, now would you please sit down before you pass out." Wade's voice is suddenly serious and Peter watches the world fisheye for a second before Wade is snatching him by the arm and pulling him towards the couch.
Peter lands roughly, his face pressed into the thread bare pillows that line his couch and one leg twisted oddly.
"Hey!" His protest is eaten by the couch, he lifts his head and glares at Wade.
"You were going ghost Danny," Wade jokes then looks at Peter with full seriousness. "When did you eat last?"
"Uh? I definitely had breakfast." Peter thinks he did at least.
"I doubt you had one good enough to make up for the blood loss. Which I cleaned up that stain, and the others. Which I would love an explanation on that seemed like a lotta blood Bambi." Wade's rambling just picks up as Peter walks away from him, his plan is to search through the kitchen and try to come up with a plan.
He needs to find a way to cancel on Deadpool without Wade seeing him. Keeping his secret identity is going to be an issue if Wade decides to be a permanent fixture in his life. Even though his intentions are sweet, he doesn't realize how much of a problem he's being for Peter.
"Hello! Earth to Peter? Calling Moon Man!" Wade's voice breaks through the whirlwind thoughts.
"Huh?" Peter stops and turns to look at Wade.
"I said I ordered a pizza, figured you'd be back by now." Wade frowns and waves a hand at Peter, gesturing come here. With out thinking Peter returns to the couch.
Wade grabs his arm again but the pull is expected and more gentle this time. Peter allows his neighbor (friend?) to pull him down next to him. Wade casually drapes an arm over his shoulders and knocks their heads together softly.
"So brown eyes, let's watch a movie while we wait!" Wade acts like they do this all the time, like Peter knew he would be here and have food on the way.
It's too much for his tired brain, so he just goes with it. He lets Wade prattle on about nothing while looking through his DVD collection until the knock on the door signals the pizza's arrival.
Wade insists on Star Wars so they watch that while they eat, eventually Wade gets up to use the bathroom and Peter uses that moment to use Spider-Man's phone to text Deadpool that he's staying in tonight. Only to see he already received a text from DP already saying the same thing. Well he actually said something far more vulgar than Peter would have but whatever.
By the time they finish the movie Peter is over tired and almost loopy from it. When he felt it coming on he tried to kick Wade out but it didn't work. Wade just amped up the jokes. When Peter tried to wrestle him off the couch he ended up in a head lock he would need Spider Strength to get out of so he relented and let Wade put on the next movie.
They settle back in and Peter doesn't mean to but he ends up with his head resting on Wade's shoulder. The weirdly familiar smell of gunpowder and leather soothing him in a way he can't even admit to himself. The last coherent thought he has before falling asleep on Wade's shoulder is that he should go to bed but that Wade was so warm and so comfortable.
When he wakes up in bed in the morning still wearing his clothes from the day before he's confused for a long time until he gets a vague memory of Wade carrying him to bed and then leaving last night. He was surprised the other man was willing to care for him like that. It has been a long long time since Peter had someone tuck him into bed sleeping.
He's thinking it over when there's the sound of a key in his door, that sends him shooting out of bed and grabbing his baseball bat in seconds. He sets his feet and ignores the twinge in his arm from his slash wound.
When the door finally swings open to reveal Wade standing there, key in hand, looking at least somewhat embarrassed.
"Oh, you're up!" Wade's moment of guilt is quickly washed away with a smirk.
"Why do you have a key?" Peter lowers the bat but doesn't put it away. This guy can say all the right things all he wants. He can tuck Peter into bed or whatever, but he's drawing a line here- so help him.
"I figured it would save me from shelling out for another door in the future pretty boy. But if property damage is your thing who am I to deprive you!" Wade wags his hairless eyebrows at Peter. Startling a laugh from deep in his chest.
"Why would you need to break my door down again?" Peter switches the bat from hand to hand, the pros and cons of letting this happen screaming through his still groggy brain.
"I won't. I have a key now," he continues to grin at Peter.
"Knock first."
"Never gonna happen." Wade finally enters the apartment. "But I can respect the deadbolt."
Peter eyes the other man carefully. It's not like Peter couldn't handle him if he needed to, it's just the whole secret identity thing that makes this not okay. For some reason he does trust Wade. A little at least.
"C'mon Parker I swear it's just for emergencies. What if you get locked out!"
"You'll respect the deadbolt?" He's so hesitant about this, but his Spidey Senses remain quiet so this can't be too bad an idea. Right?
"At first!" Wade holds a hand up like a boy scout swear, but he crosses his fingers and smiles. Peter just narrows his eyes before placing the bat back in its not hiding place.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
finally publishing some writing after nearly two years!! inspired by @mugentakeda's dai li lu ten au, seriously go check it out...
Summary:
Iroh had thought that they would be safe, here within the walls of Ba Sing Se. Here, he and his beloved nephew could build a new life in peace. He had assumed, quite reasonably, that in a city of over four million, he would not have to be confronted with coincidental information that might lead to him piecing together who it was that had killed his son.
He was wrong.
(OR: There is a reason why everyone fears the Dai Li. Iroh's just happens to be slightly different from most.)
Bringing this back for part 6. I haven't been writing lately and just needed something fun and easy to do to bring me back into it. Enjoy.
Jill: Birthday dinner for John tonight at 7. Don’t be late.
Lawrence: Do I need to bring anything?
Jill: If you want to bring a side or a dessert. Oh and some plates.
Lawrence: Sure thing. Do you have a preference of what dish it is or brand of plate?
Amanda: aren’t all paper plates the same?
Mark: No, apparently some are stronger and some are thinner.
*Adam Standheight sent a photo*
Jill: Adam, I normally don’t ask questions I don’t want to know the answer to, but what the fuck?
Amanda: MY EYES!!!!!
Mark: Could’ve gone my whole life without seeing that.
William: It looks broken?
Logan: How did you break it?
John: Have you been to the doctor?
Adam: SORRY!!!!! WRONG MESSAGE THREAD!!!!!
Adam: It was meant for Larry only. I wanted his professional opinion on if I should go to the doctor.
Lawrence: Adam, you have a compound fracture in your forearm. How are you not at the hospital yet?
Adam: Because I am stuck.
Mark: Where? I’ll come get you.
Adam: Funny story. I stopped a robbery. Two big dudes were trying to rob a lady of her purse. I took pictures. They saw me and chased me. They left the lady alone.
Amanda: And they beat the shit out of you?
William: Did they do this to you?
Adam: No. They never got the chance because I ran fast. I made it to the rich people lake houses and went to jump over a canoe.
Jill: Did the canoe somehow break your arm?
Adam: Technically yeah. My foot clipped it and I landed weird on my arm. I rolled down the bank a little and I’m now caught in a net of some sort. I panicked and now I’m just here.
John: Do you know where you are?
Adam: In a net. I feel like a fish. Or a butterfly.
Adam: Oh shit. I hear voices.
Adam: It’s the homeowners!
Lawrence: Adam?
Mark: Adam?
John: Are you okay?
Amanda: What if they killed him?
Logan: I’m sure he’s fine. The homeowners are probably shocked.
William: Mark, you’re a detective. Detect where Adam is.
Adam: I still live. The homeowners helped me out of the net and gave me ice. They called an ambulance for me so now I’m waiting outside on the front porch.
John: Are you okay?
Adam: My arm is throbbing.
Lawrence: Naturally with a compound fracture. Any other injuries?
Adam: None that I can feel right now. My body has pretty much gone numb except my arm.
Lawrence: Try no to move your arm anymore. I’ll meet you at the hospital.
John: Me too.
Jill: Lawrence, what do we need to do to make Adam a bit more comfortable when he gets home?
Lawrence: Make sure he has something to prop his arm on, we’re going to need ice, some cloths to put between the ice and his cast, over the counter pain medicine.
Lawrence: Adam, did you break your dominant hand?
Adam: Whatever the left one is.
Lawrence: You’re right handed so you’re good.
Lawrence: If anyone has a small stress ball, kind of like the ones you use when you give blood, he’ll need one.
Adam: What is all of this for?
Lawrence: You. You’ll need to prop and ice your arm to try to prevent any more swelling, the pain meds is to make sure you don’t get too dependent on the heavy stuff the hospital will more than likely prescribe, and the stress ball is to keep your hand moving.
Adam: Hey Chris and Pam’s daughter just came home. It’s the girl I helped.
Adam: Her name is Claire.
Adam: She hugged me.
Adam: We’re all hanging on the porch. I hear sirens.
John: I’ll meet you at the hospital.
Lawrence: I’m out front, John. You can ride with me.
Adam: I feel bad. What about John’s birthday dinner?
John: We’ll postpone it. You’re more important.
Jill: I’ll order us some pizza. Extra cheese, Adam?
Before I set out on my journey of revenge, I did as instructed and dug two graves. However, in the process, I discovered joy in the physical labor of digging, and the solitude of the graveyard calmed my nerves. So, my revenge temporarily forgotten, I became a professional gravedigger and settled down. Turns out there's quite a bit of demand for gravedigging, what with all the avenging going around. Anyhoo, this was a long way to say I'll pay you three graves worth to shoot the sumbitch who killed my dad.