I Didn't Say That Out Loud
Summary: While on a mission, Peter and Wade end up bonding in a surprising literal sense.
***
“Alright, tell me what I’m thinking.”
Peter’s nose wrinkled in distaste, and Wade felt a tingle of exasperated amusement on the edge of his mind. “That’s really gross, but I definitely heard it.”
***
For capsing! I hope you like it!
Also on AO3
Biting into another French fry, Spider-woman hummed in agreement, watching Deadpool as he once again tried to chat up an oblivious Peter. The other spider superhero was smiling and laughing with him, but it was obvious by the strained and embarrassed expression on Deadpool’s face that the conversation wasn’t going as he wanted.
"I don’t know which one I feel sorrier for," Clint continued, stealing some of Jessica’s fries. "Deadpool for always striking out or Peter for being so blind.”
"It’s not that he’s oblivious," Jessica commented. "Wade’s just terrible at flirting. I mean, he thought that shaving Peter’s cat was cute and would charm him.” Clint tilted his head in agreement.
"It’s like watching children," he complained. "Is Wade gonna pull on Peter’s pigtails next?"
“Dunno, but if I have to listen to him whine and moan about Pete for another day I’m going to lose it,” she huffed, slapping Clint’s hand when he reached for her food again. “And stop stealing my food.”
“What are you going to do, then?” Clint asked, stretching his arms above his head and leaning back against the couch. “‘Cause they sure as hell aren’t going to declare their love for each other anytime soon.”
Jessica hummed, chewing her food. “We could do what Agent Coulson did to you and Romanov,” she said thoughtfully. “Just keep putting them on missions together until they realize their undying love for one other.”
Clint winced, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s the greatest idea,” he commented. “That was too much time together. Nat and I nearly killed each other before she finally jumped me. Go more for Steve and Tony: lock them in a room until they talk things out.” Jessica snorted, rolling her eyes.
“Nah, I think that would be more dangerous than putting them on missions together. Sitting in an enclosed space for hours with a nonstop talking merc? Peter would figure out a way to kill him and make sure he never comes back.”
Clint nodded thoughtfully, momentarily distracted from their conversation by the dinging of his phone. Pulling it out, he skimmed through the email, a smile growing on his lips.
“If you don’t think this is the most perfect opportunity, then you’re crazy,” he said, watching as Jessica read through the summary of the mission, seeing her mouth curve into a matching, mischievous smirk.
“I’m pretty sure that’s the Universe telling you to help these idiots.”
***
This is so unfair.
Wade bit back a frustrated scream as he watched Peter finish buttoning his black suit jacket, straightening it out in the hotel mirror. The voices in his head were already preparing ways to murder that traitor spider-lady and spy for putting him through the torture of being on a mission with Peter that involved perfectly fitted suits.
"Do I look good?"
Wade blinked and looked up at Peter, who was waiting expectantly for his partner’s response.
Good? Good? Really? Peter looked positively delectable. The teenager never wore anything besides his Spider-man suit and baggy sweatshirts, and seeing him in a suit specifically tailored for him was doing weird things to Wade’s stomach.
“I-I—what?” Wade asked weakly, eyes wide and panicked.
Peter sighed, looking at himself in the mirror again. “Can you see my Spider-man suit?” he clarified, pulling down the sleeve of his jacket to hide the red spandex peeking out. “I don’t want to give us up as soon as we walk in.”
“Nah, I think my face will do that for you,” Wade couldn’t help but joke, ignoring the need to wince at the truth of the statement.
“That’s why you have an image inducer,” Peter shrugged, plucking the watch up from the hotel table and walking towards Wade. “Wrist, please.” He waited expectantly for the mercenary to gather his wits and hold out his arm.
Peter expertly put it on and set the image inducer to the agreed upon image for Wade. The mercenary’s fingertips tingled at the change, his scars turning into tanned, smooth skin. Peter stepped away, looking at Wade up and down and nodding approvingly.
“Go look in the mirror, tell me if you want anything changed.”
Wade stared at himself, mouth hanging open as he touched his face in astonishment. It was…freaky, seeing the face he had before everything, but feeling the rough skin hidden underneath. He was lacking his luscious blond locks, instead having his hair cropped close to his head, but he could deal with it. Even if it was only for a while.
I’m stealing this and no one can stop me.
“Need anything changed?”
“No, it’s…everything’s great,” Wade said dreamily, unable to take his gaze away from his handsome face.
"Alright, then you ready?"
Wade slowly looked towards Peter. The superhero was off to the side, lips curled into a small smile as he watched Wade examine himself in awe.
Wade gave him a wide grin, nodding. “Oh definitely, baby boy.”
An unnamed agent knocked on the door and escorted them out of the hotel to a waiting car, where another agent was pretending to be the driver. Wade and Peter climbed into the back of the black car, and soon they were off.
"Oh, I, uh, have a present for you."
Peter watched him warily as he fumbled through his pockets.
"If it explodes, I don’t want it."
Wade’s whole face dropped, slumping against the seat dejectedly. “Aw, really?”
"Oh my God, Wade."
"But they’re really cool!"
Deciding to ignore Peter’s protests, Wade pulled out the small velvet box, smiling at him eagerly. “Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”
"No way in hell."
Wade huffed, rolling his eyes. “Fine. Spoilsport.” He flicked open the box and showed them to Peter.
"Are those freaking Lego cufflinks?”
Wade nodded, smirking victoriously as Peter gaped at them and reached out to take one from the box. “They explode, too,” the mercenary offered. “You push them together, twist, and then you have four seconds before they go boom. Isn’t that such a cool, James Bond-y thing? I thought it would be appropriate when we’re playing super spies.”
Peter laughed, shaking his head incredulously as he put them on, admiring them. “How did you even get these?” he asked, looking at them. One was red, and the other one was blue, as close to Spider-man’s colors as Wade could get.
Threatening a guy until he bought them for me and peed himself.
“Um. The internet. And I did a li’l modifying later on.”
Peter raised an eyebrow, seeing through the lie. “That translates into I don’t want to know, doesn’t it?” he asked. Wade nodded, and he snorted. “Yeah, thought so. Whatever. My love for Legos is stopping me from asking.”
The snow had already started to fall by the time they reached the mansion, slowly swirling down to the ground and gathering in a thin layer. It was a multiple floored building, with lavish accents on the sides and around the windows and a large garden behind it. In the front, valets rushed to finish their jobs, ushering in rich guests as quickly as they could and parking the cars in a nearby parking lot.
When their car finally approached the front doors, Wade and Peter slid on their masks. Wade jumped out first, playing the model gentleman and holding out his arm for his husband.
As soon as he did, though, his heart plummeted. Oh my God. What was he thinking? Why was he being so casual with this whole thing? There was no way that Peter would want to touch him more than he had to. He probably just made this mission ten times more difficult and uncomfortable then it needed to be.
Instead of grimacing, Peter smiled, accepting his arm. Leaning in close to Wade, the couple made their way up the stairs and into the mansion, not missing a beat or giving any indication that they were anything less than a loving couple.
“Sorry if that made you uncomfortable,” Wade uttered into Peter’s ear as they handed their coats over to a waiting attendant.
Peter’s brow furrowed minutely in confusion as he straightened the collar of his jacket. “What are you talking about?” he responded.
“The, uh, arm thing. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”
Peter laughed, dimples showing as he leaned against Wade’s shoulder, squeezing his forearm. “We’re married, you idiot,” he snorted, walking towards the main hall. “Those chivalrous gestures don’t faze me anymore.” Calm down, you’ll give us away.
As they entered the main hall, Peter kissed his cheek, saying, “I’m going to the bar. I’ll be right back.”
“Please don’t leave me.”
Peter gave him an amused, if sympathetic, smile before he left, promising to be back. Objectively, Wade knew what his partner was doing; it was easier to scope out the area and find the target if they split up. Peter would be back in a few moments, after he found the warlock/millionaire or realized he wasn’t there.
Wade swallowed nervously, accepting a glass of champagne from a waiter. He plastered what he hoped was a pleasant smile on his face as he joined the milling crowds, making himself seem approachable. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bruce Banner, the scientist acting as potential backup and as proof that Wade and Peter were who they said they were. The mercenary’s eyes slid off of him, making sure his gaze didn’t linger too long and possibly garner unwanted attention.
Peter returned to his side, already laughing and talking to a middle-aged woman decked out in expensive jewelry. Wade relaxed, breathing out deeply and letting Peter wrap an arm around his waist as the younger man chattered on, drawing in nearby people into the conversation.
“Genetics, eh? That’s quite the difficult field of study, I hear.”
Wade started at the sound of the man’s purr, having been lulled by the droning voices around him. It only took him a few moments to realize that this was definitely their target, Michael Hayword. The warlock was dressed in a light purple suit (really, how much was he going to play up that eccentric millionaire?), his graying hair slicked back and dark eyes focused intently on Peter.
“Oh, yeah, it kind of is,” Peter said modestly, not missing a beat and smiling at the man. “But the labs I’m at are fantastic and I work hard.”
“And constantly,” Wade added jokingly, earning a few laughs. Yes. Score for Wade.
“You’re an intern at Stark Industries, you say?” Hayword asked, leaning closer in interest. “So you must know Dr. Banner.”
“No,” Peter chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve never had the honor to meet him. I work at the branch in Chicago, so we’ve never crossed paths.”
“Oh, that’s definitely going to need to change,” Mr. Hayword scoffed, a hand resting on Peter’s shoulder and pushing him away from the group. “I hope you don’t mind, Mr. Wilson,” he threw out over his shoulder, smiling charmingly. “I’m going to steal your husband for a few minutes.”
Wade felt a weight sit in his stomach as he watched Peter get led away by the dangerous man. God, should he follow them? He desperately didn’t want to leave Peter with Mr. Hayword, but there was no way he could leave this boring as hell conversation without looking suspicious. He was forced to watch out of the corner of his eye as the two met with Dr. Banner, who was introducing himself to Peter politely.
The rest of the night progressed at a snail’s pace, creeping by minute by minute. Peter managed to get Wade back at his side and kept him there, seeming nervous about something. Wade couldn’t find an opportunity to ask him what was wrong, though he highly suspected the nerves were coming from the fact that Mr. Hayword was always only a couple of feet away, gaze constantly finding Peter and lingering on him with a smirk.
That certainly made all the shyness Wade was feeling towards being affectionate vanish. He kept a protective arm wrapped around Peter’s waist, pressing kisses to his cheeks and occasionally complimenting him.
It was shocking at how naturally it was all coming—it was so easy and calming to be able to reach out and touch Peter. The anxiety of being in such a large crowd of strangers didn’t truly bother him when he knew that Spider-man had his back, and wouldn’t just leave him to fend for himself.
The voices in his head kept excitedly telling him that Peter was happy with the arrangement, too. Look at how he’s leaning against you! Spider-man is totally loving having you as his arm candy. You gotta go for it, dude. Wade desperately hoped that that was true, and that he wasn’t imagining the way that Peter seemed to relax when Wade was touching him, or that he was leaning against Wade because he wanted to and not just to play up the role.
“I need to use the restroom, hon,” Peter said, leaning up to press a kiss to Wade’s smooth-seeming cheek. “I’ll be back.”
“Nah, I’ll come with you,” Wade said, abruptly cutting off the confusing conversation he was having with a puzzled millionaire. “It’s getting a little stuffy in here.”
Ignoring the leering smirk one of the woman gave them, the faux husbands left the main hall and went down one of the nice hallways. They made sure that they were alone before Peter’s face turned serious, speaking in low tones.
“We should probably snag Hayword soon,” he said. “It’s almost midnight, and that’s when Doc Strange said he’d try to do his ceremony. Also, if I catch him staring at my ass for the fourteenth time, I’m going to lose it and web him to the wall.”
Seriously, how dare that creepy wizard stare at Petey’s ass. Wade was the only one who was allowed to stare at his stunning behind, damn it!
Wade scowled, grumbling, “If he tries to touch, I’ll be the one to put him through the wall.”
“Thanks, Wade. I’m actually really happy that I have you here to help me.”
They both froze as what Peter had said registered, and red started to creep up Peter’s neck to the tips of his ears. “Um. I have to pee.”
He spun on his heel and fled down the hallway, trying to contain the blush that was turning his face a dark shade of red. “Why did I say that?” he moaned to himself as he entered the bathroom, rubbing . “I’m so stupid.”
“I don’t think you are, my dear.”
Peter squawked in fear, whirling around and seeing Hayword standing behind him, eyebrow quirked and a smirk on his lips.
“Oh! Mr. Hayword! I—I didn’t see you there,” Peter said, stomach tensing as he forced himself to smile.
Mr. Hayword hummed thoughtfully, crossing his arms and taking a leisurely step closer. He stared hard at Peter, and the teenager felt his heart beat faster. He turned to the sink, washing his hands to try and play it cool. He fiddled with the cufflinks when his back was to Mr. Hayword, plucking one of them off and getting ready to get the other one. He felt the warlock step closer, and the superhero went eerily still.
“I’m married, Mr. Hayword,” Peter said carefully when he felt the other get closer.
Hayword chuckled, his voice going dark. “I think we both know that whoever that is out there isn’t your husband. What, is he an escort that you hired for tonight? I’m flattered you would go so far to impress me.”
Peter fought back a gag. Ew. Ew, ew, ew. Ugh, he smells like sulfur, just get away from me.
“It doesn’t really matter, though,” Hayword continued conversationally, “since everyone at the party’s going to die tonight.”
“Oh, really?” Peter asked faintly, already slipping the other cufflink off. He knew that his cover was blown—if he had had any cover in the first place. Plus, he’d heard the ‘everyone’s going to die’ line dozens of times before, and it didn’t really faze him anymore.
“Don’t play coy. I know you’re with those pathetic SHIELD agents—knew it as soon as you spoke with Dr. Banner. Do you think I’m stupid, boy?”
Peter pressed the cufflinks together. They fit perfectly, and he gripped each of the red and blue Lego pieces, getting ready to turn them. He wanted to wait until the end of Hayword’s stereotypical supervillain rant, so he could hopefully glean some information on where his actual lair was.
“No, I could practically smell SHIELD on you after—”
Okay, this was getting creepy again. Time to shut up him.
Twisting the Lego pieces sharply, Peter heard a ticking sound and tossed the bomb at Hayword’s feet. He ducked for cover in a stall right as the bomb went off, the blast surprisingly large and taking out a sink and a bathroom stall. An inhuman roar of rage shook the room right after the explosion, and upstairs, Peter could hear the muffled sounds of people screaming.
He managed to duck just in time to miss the swipe of a reptilian tail that ripped easily through the wood that separated the stalls. Shreds of purple fabric slid off the dragon like creature as he crashed through the door, blinded by the bomb and rage.
Peter grabbed his mask and gloves from the inside pocket of his suit jacket, jumping over debris and rushing after Hayword. Wade joined him, his mask already in place and a gun in his hand.
“What the fuck was that?” he yelled as they ran, taking the stairs two at a time.
“Our Mr. Hayword,” Peter responded, pulling his gloves on. “Also, thanks for those cufflinks. They worked awesomely.”
“That was the Lego cufflinks? Wow, I didn’t know they were going to be that strong.”
“That’s…really not comforting, Wade.”
The trail of carnage led them to the main hall, which was being rapidly evacuated. Bruce had already changed into the Hulk, who was pulling overturned tables away to release the guests trapped under them. There was a large hole smashed in the glass window, letting in freezing air and snow.
“Hulk, we’re going after him,” Peter called to the green giant as Wade stole a heavy winter coat from a passing by waiter. “Call Doc Strange and Tony and tell them to get over here already!”
Not waiting for a response, Peter and Wade took off running into the blizzard.
***
Okay, so running off into a blizzard at night while only wearing a Spandex costume and a suit probably wasn’t the smartest plan. Wade had had the right idea when he’d stolen that coat, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep the bitter cold out. By the time they’d realized this, it was too late to turn back—if they left, the blizzard would completely cover Hayword’s tracks, and they would no doubt get lost.
The second not-so-smart move was immediately entering the mysterious cave that Hayword had gone into. The monstrous skulls littering the entrance and the light green mist hovering over the ground should have been deterrents against entry.
The tunnel led into a large cave where they found Hayword, looking as monstrous and as scaly as before. He was standing in the middle of a circle of symbols, chanting with his gnarled hands raised. The green mist that had been outside was swirling around him, glowing brightly.
“How should we do this?” Peter whispered, hiding behind a large rock and watching Hayword nervously. “I think—“
BAM BAM BAM!
Peter flinched when Wade decided he was tired of plans and fired his gun, each bullet hitting Hayword in the chest. The shape-shifting warlock violently spasmed with each shot. As he crumpled onto the stone floor, the green mist shot out, going in all directions. Peter tried to yell a warning at Wade to get down, but it was too late. It shot through both of them, dragging through them like slime and making everything go blurry and eventually dark.
It took a few minutes for Wade to regain his senses, and when he did, it was because Peter was dragging him across the ground. The whole room was rumbling, bits of rock and dust falling off of the ceiling as the cave started to collapse. Wade managed to turn his head to the side and saw that Hayword had disappeared, blood staining the area his body had been.
Peter dragged Wade into a hole in the wall, which turned out to lead to what must have been Hayword’s bedroom in his weird lair. There was only a fireplace, a planet in the corner, a ragged pillow and a bird skeleton.
As soon as they entered, the ceiling of the main cave came tumbling down, sending out a plume of dust into the room that choked Peter and Wade and effectively sealed them in.
I can’t see balls in here, Wade thought irritably to himself as his cracked ribs started to heal. Peter had tried to keep any rocks from hitting his dazed partner, but hadn’t been completely successful.
“I know, but I think there’s a fireplace or something in here. Gimme a few seconds.”
Wade frowned. He hadn’t realized he’d said that out loud. Must’ve hit my head or something. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d accidentally said his thoughts out loud.
“There—I think I got it—”
Peter let out a high-pitched shriek as the fireplace abruptly burst into a lime green flame, illuminating the room and flickering like normal fire.
Jesus tap-dancing Christ, I don’t think my heart can stand another fucking scare like this.
“Petey!” Wade exclaimed, sounding surprised and pleased. “I didn’t know you had such a dirty mouth on you! I’m so proud.”
Peter stared at him, confusion clouding his gaze. “I didn’t say anything,” Peter said slowly.
“Huh? No, you totally just did. You said ‘Jesus tap-dancing Christ—’”
“Whatever,” Peter cut him off, still seeming disturbed. “I guess—I must have said it and not realized. It doesn’t matter right now. We gotta get out of here.”
Wade struggled up into a sitting position, leaning against the ice-cold wall. He shivered, rubbing his gloved hands vigorously over his arms. “Where’d Hayword go? And what was that nasty green stuff? Is there any slime on me? It feels like there’s slime on me. I feel like Venkman from Ghostbusters.”
“No, there’s no slime on you, but I know what you mean. Hayword ran off when the cave started falling apart. But I managed to get a tracker on him before he left, so the others should be chasing him down now. There’s an SOS on your image inducer, so all we can do is press it and wait for them to come dig us out.” If it isn’t broken yet.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, oh fake husband of mine,” Wade snorted as he took the watch off, pressing the red button. “What?”
“I know I didn’t say that out loud,” Peter said.
“What do you mean? I clearly just heard you talk.” Is he crazy?
“No I am not crazy, thank you very much,” Peter snapped, breath coming out in fogs in the cold room.
“Then something sure as hell is going on, because I didn’t say that,” Wade said. “Are you a mind reader or something?”
“…Maybe that green stuff did this.”
Okay, that sounded plausible. Don’t freak out, Wade. Don’t. Freak. Out. “Alright, tell me what I’m thinking.” It’s so cold I honestly can’t feel my schlong.
Peter’s nose wrinkled distastefully, and Wade felt a tingle of exasperated amusement on the edge of his mind. “That’s a terrible word to use, but we’re in the same boat.”
Wade closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “I think I can tell what you’re feeling, too,” he finally blurted. “Like, you just found that funny, even if you didn’t want to. And you’re freaking the hell out.”
Peter didn’t respond for a few moments as he stood up, making his way over to folded blanket against the wall. He picked it up and carried it over to Wade, draping it over him, even though he was the one who was shivering so hard he couldn’t talk properly. “Okay. Okay, you’re right. I’m freaking out. But it’ll be fine. Dr. Strange deals with weird things like this, he’ll be able to help us.” At least it’s Wade. If it was anyone else, I think I wouldn’t able to do this. Oh no. He probably heard that.
Wade grinned widely, feeling like some of the cold was melting away when he heard Peter’s thoughts and felt the embarrassed affection. “Yeah, I heard that. Thanks, baby boy.”
He’s such a keeper, the voices in his head cooed.
Peter jerked up, immediately alert. “Who the hell was that?” he asked through his chattering teeth, getting ready to fight.
The warmth he had felt before quickly left. Fuck. “Um. You know how I talk about those voices I have in my head?”
Peter stared at him. “Those…you weren’t just joking.”
“Nope. They’re real.”
He could feel the panic and urge to scream pressing against their bond, but Peter composed himself. “Alright. Fine.” You can work with this, Peter. Don’t lose your head now. “Can they stay quiet while we’re connected? I…don’t think I can handle that many strange voices in my head.”
If it’ll make you feel better, then of course.
I do take offense to that.
“Sorry,” Peter said aloud, strangled. He was about to speak again, but was interrupted by a powerful sneeze.
“Here, let’s get closer to the fire,” Wade suggested, picking up the blanket with numb fingers and walking on his knees towards the fireplace.
“It isn’t really giving out that much heat,” Peter mumbled, clenching his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering. Freaky magic fire…
A pause. “Then we should cuddle.”
What?
“No, not like that kind of cuddling,” Wade rushed to say. “Like, the ‘conserving body heat’ kind of cuddling. So we don’t get hypothermia or frostbite or lose any toes. Spandex isn’t really that good at keeping you warm.”
Don’t I know it, Peter grumbled in his head, relenting.
The two of them shared the blanket, shifting so it was covering all of their bodies. Wade wrapped an awkward arm around Peter’s shoulders, and the younger man stiffly leaned against him, shivering violently from the cold. The awkwardness started to fade, though, and Peter was surprised to notice the feeling returning to his fingers as Wade’s affection pushed against their bond.
“I don’t feel as cold when you think nice things,” Peter said lamely, blushing when he realized how simplistic and stupid his wording was.
“You, too? Good, I was hoping that would work.”
Peter felt more warmth seep into his hands and feet as he and Wade shared…whatever they were sharing. Feelings? Thoughts? Memories? All of it was starting to blend together in an intimacy that was vaguely frightening. Everything and anything Wade and Peter had ever felt was open for the other to see, but neither of them dug very far without the other’s permission.
It wasn’t until Wade shyly brought up the memories of the happiness he felt when they were fake husbands that Peter pulled up his own contentment with the mission assignment, and the fondness he felt towards the mercenary whenever they were around each other.
As they shared, the cold retreated away from them. Peter’s legs found their way into Wade’s lap, his head tucked under the older man’s chin. The hologram hiding Wade’s identity was turned off and set nearby, the red light flashing to show it was still sending a signal. They curled around each other, not saying anything, relaxing in their own little area of warmth next to the flickering green fire.
Eventually, there was another rumbling sound, and the rubble at the entranced was removed to reveal Iron Man, Dr. Strange, and Hulk waiting anxiously outside. Peter gingerly sat up, body sore from sitting in an uncomfortable position for so long. He took off his mask and grinned at his teammates, squinting against the bright light.
“I was wondering if we were going to have to freeze to death before you guys showed up,” Wade complained, standing and helping Peter up. Tony raised an eyebrow when their hands stayed interlocked. Wade ignored him, using his free hand to point an accusing finger at Dr. Strange. “And you have some work to do.”
***
The two were taken onto the Helicarrier, where they were looked over by SHIELD’s doctors before Dr. Strange came in to sever their bond. While Peter had his cuts and scrapes dealt with and Wade lounged in a chair nearby, they found out that Thor and Black Widow were the ones who had found Hayword, half-dead and crawling through the snow. He was in custody, and no one at the party had been fatally wounded.
It didn’t take much for Dr. Strange to break the mental bond—only a few words and runes—and it was surprisingly painless in all senses except the emotional one.
“It’s natural to feel confused and empty when a mental bond is cut,” the sorcerer explained as Wade stared at the ground, feeling more lost than he ever had. “It’ll be hard, but in a few days you two will be back to normal and feel as whole as ever.”
Wade wasn’t so sure about that, he thought bitterly as he stared at the gray ceiling of his room in the Helicarrier. It felt like he had had an arm amputated—no, worse. Like half of his body and brain were gone. The bond had only lasted a few hours, but that had been more than enough time for him to get closer to Peter than he had anyone in the past.
And then there was the horrible fear that maybe Peter wouldn’t want to get with Wade, even if he’d already established that he wanted to date the mercenary when they were still bonded. Now that that mental connection was gone, Peter might be uncomfortable with what had happened and not want to be reminded of it by dating Wade.
His musings were interrupted by someone knocking on his door. Dragging himself off the thin mattress, Wade trudged to the door and opened it, shocked to see Peter standing there. His hair was messier than usual, and he was wearing SHIELD-issued, plain clothing.
“Hi,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. He swallowed convulsively. “My, um. It’s really quiet in my room,” Peter confessed. “Can I sleep here?”
Wade moved out of the doorway, letting Peter enter the room. He removed his shoes before climbing onto the cot, Wade laying down next to him. The bed definitely wasn’t big enough for two people, but they made do, pressing in as close as they could until they were pressed against each other, their noses rubbing against each other and lips almost touching.
“This better?” Wade asked teasingly. “Not so lonely?”
Peter chuckled. “Definitely better.”
Months later, Clint would still be boasting about how he was the one who got Wade and Peter together. The couple reluctantly agreed that he had been the one that gave them a push in the right direction, but the mental bond was mostly what got them together. Peter humored his teammate, though, and didn’t correct Clint.
Honestly, Peter didn’t really care about who got the credit for getting him and Wade together. All that he cared about was that they were together, and happy.
