Chapter Text
Wade raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, stamping his foot impatiently. Eleanor rolled her eyes in response.
"I didn't do anything, dad! I swear!”
"So why is your teacher asking to meet me?”
Looking back at the television, Ellie seemed hurt, and her father could tell just by her habit of turning up her nose and looking away when something was bothering her. Wade bent down, leaned over the arm of the sofa, and put his hand on the little girl's arm.
"You know I'm not gonna get angry, right? I just want you to be honest with me.”
She looked at him for a second but went back to the cartoon she was watching. "I'm being honest.”
Wilson smiled shyly and stood up.
“Then I believe you.”
The daughter smiled back, her smile turning into laughter as Wade lifted her and put her over his shoulder. When she saw the path her father was taking, Ellie began to fight, she knew what awaited her: bath time.
They had a whole routine for these moments: Wade waited outside the bathroom until Ellie called asking for help to wash her hair, after getting into the bathtub complaining about everything and everyone. Once he was finished with her hair while the little one played with a white rubber ducky with colored dots, Wade would walk out and wait until she asked for help again.
After that, the two would have dinner, Ellie with her red Elmo cup, and Wade with his blue Groover plastic mug, the best character on Sesame Street and according to him, far superior to Elmo. They didn’t talk much, usually about a movie Wade saw while his daughter was at school, or some silly joke someone made in class. Before going to sleep, they would lie on the couch and watch tv together in the living room, until Eleanor fell asleep and was taken to her bedroom.
It was on that same night, after putting his daughter to bed, turning off all the lights (except for the green night light in the girl's room), and going to his room that Wade remembered, looking up at the dark ceiling, that he had to meet the new science teacher the next day.
"For fuck’s sake, why didn't he send a note like a regular teacher?" He buried his face in the pillow, hoping that a comforting and sweet dream would get him out of that awkward situation.
Wilson was never the type to get nervous about a meeting or any kind of date. But of course, war scars and undiagnosed mental illnesses aren’t good for anyone's self-esteem. Suddenly, the looks on the street were menacing or frightened when they crossed his, and even though Wade would never admit it (as in never ever, he would take it to the grave, along with his autographed copy of Logan), that fear made him feel like a monster, even though he hadn't done anything wrong. It was a figure of speech, of course, he was aware that he had done a lot of wrong things in the past. A lot. But he changed, for Ellie, and a little for himself. He learned to cook things other than microwave snacks, learned to comb and braid hair, memorize almost every line in Toy Story 2, and knew it was all worth it just for his daughter's smile.
Yet here he was, lying on the cold sheets, almost as cold as his own body, bracing himself for the worst-case scenario.
It was 2:40 PM, Wade was sitting on the wooden bench in front of the classroom, waiting for the bell to ring, almost as anxious as the kids on the other side.
"Just a conversation.” He whispered to himself, trying to stay calm. "It's not gonna last more than half an hour, everything will be fine.”
The bell rang, Wade felt butterflies in his stomach and got up almost immediately, as if on impulse. After the entire class had left, Wilson heard Ellie saying goodbye to the teacher, and soon left with two little girls. She asked them to wait and went to hug her father, who knelt down to match her height. It was a tight hug, the type of hug that says 'I know we saw each other this morning, but I missed you'.
"I told the teacher that you were coming, and he said he would wait for you in the classroom. Can I stay with Erica and Suzy on the playground while you guys talk?”
Wade smiled, standing up.
"Please!” She hummed, with pleading eyes.
"Okay, sweetie. But it won't take long, we'll be leaving soon.”
The little girl thanked him, raising her left hand and getting a high-five from her dad, then walking towards her friends, who were waiting for her near the exit.
Wilson tried to reassert himself as he took slow steps toward the door. He told himself he was about to walk into a normal classroom, with a normal boring science teacher, just another nerd who probably didn't get his daughter's totally hilarious and not-inappropriate jokes (fart jokes aren't inappropriate, Ms. Hudson…). He told himself that he was a grown man, almost 7ft tall, who had been through a lot of scary things that would make that stupid teacher shit himself, and that he was brave. Very brave. Wade could do that.
"I can do this.”
What Wade didn't realize is that he'd had his hand on the doorknob for nearly five minutes now, staring at it, apparently not brave enough to turn it and enter once and for all. In a sudden movement, perhaps even impatiently, the door opened from the inside and pulled Wade, who was still clinging to the handle. His eyes found a man in a white lab coat, he looked quite young.
"Mr. Wilson?”
His voice was good to hear, a bit low too. Maybe that's why Wade was looking foolish, staring at the other man as if he’d turned into a statue.
The man in front of Wilson cleared his throat and held out his hand, repeating the question. "Mr. Wilson?”
A shiver went down Wade's body, but he kept on, “Yes, that's me.”
His handshake was firm. Okay, okay, he looked relatively confident, had a nice voice, and cool hair. It didn't make him any less of a nerd.
"Parker, but you can call me Peter. I am very happy to finally meet you, sir, Eleanor talks a lot about you.”
Wade walked into the classroom, following the teacher and sitting in front of his desk. He recalled why he was there and took his best stance.
"Look, whatever Ellie said or did, I'm here to defend her. Most teachers don't understand their students' side, and I think that's really unfair–”
"Mr. Wilson.”
"Wade.“
Peter looked at him with an understanding expression, one Wade wasn't used to.
“Mr. Wade,” he had a comical tone, and he saw the other look away as he crossed his arms. “Eleanor is a great student, and I didn't call you here for bad reasons.”
Though he hesitated, Wade looked back in Peter's direction, keeping his arms crossed. Peter rummaged in one of the drawers and pulled out a brochure, which he handed to the man in front of him.
“In a few weeks, we're having the annual science fair. I'm told that Eleanor applied in the last few years, but never got around to performing.”
With those words, Wade recalled several times when his daughter would spend the entire week talking about amazing science projects she wanted to do but gave up on Saturday. He never wanted to get in her personal space, he thought those were just plans we make randomly, like New Year's goals or movies on watchlists.
"This year she applied again. I think that if you show interest and support her decision, she may not give up.”
Wilson looked up, and there was Peter, in front of him. His gaze didn't have the judgment or discomfort that the others did. But why was Peter like this, gentle? And why, of all people, did he care about Eleanor? They didn't know each other until a few days ago. Wade's face probably showed a lot of confusion after so many reflections on this Peter Parker guy.
"Why would you say that? I mean, you're not Ellie's psychologist, you don't have to worry about what she does or doesn't do. What made you worry about it?”
Parker cleared his throat again and scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed.
“I was like Eleanor when younger. I was smart, but shy and didn't believe in myself. Unfortunately, I only realized how that fear of failure was holding me back in college, after missing so many opportunities. I don't want to see that happen to any of my students.”
Wade felt a headache coming on. He put the pamphlet in his pocket and wearily covered his face with his hands.
“I know as a new teacher she might not take me seriously, and from the way she talks about you, I thought you were someone she would trust. She's got talent, Wade.”
The man lowered his hands, slowly, with a suspicious look.
"This is your first classroom, isn't it? You'll be bitter in a few years, this kindness won't last long.”
Peter laughed, but it wasn't a normal laugh: he snorted. Accidentally, but he snorted, and then laughed again. And that made Wade blush a little.
"Mr. Wade, this is really my first classroom. In this school. I've been teaching for about four years, but I was an assistant and did internships in schools for another three years before I started teaching on my own.”
The other stared at Parker, taken aback.
“I got pretty 'bitter'." He emphasized the word, still smiling, a little shy.
Wilson, still embarrassed by how the other's laughter got him, leaned closer to the table. "How old are you?!”
"Thirty-two.” It sounded more like another question.
For a few minutes, the conversation continued, with Peter explaining the amusing circumstances that caused him to take the place of the old teacher, Ms. Roberts, in the last semester of 3rd grade (she was a flat-earther and anti-vaccine, and was also responsible for the lice outbreak in 5th Grade B), as Wade tried to ignore how silly Peter sounded when making puns. It wasn't working, the man had a certain charm.
A light knock on the door caught their attention, and when Peter answered it, he found Ellie on the other side, her knee scraped and holding back tears. In a quick move, Wade walked to the girl and asked her what happened, while Peter opened a small first aid kit on the table. Apparently, the warnings about not going down the slide standing up were right. The girl fell near the end of the slide and scraped her left knee and both elbows.
“But I was really brave, you know? Because I didn't cry when I saw the bruises, but Suzy did.”
"Really, honey? I'm so proud of you! You're really strong, huh?” The father replied, his concern lessened to see that his daughter was feeling well and the injuries were not so bad.
"Wade, there's a few Band-Aids here, do you want some to put on her wounds after they’re cleaned up?”
"I already cleaned it, with the tap on the playground.”
Peter looked at the other one, who shrugged with an awkward smile.
"What types of band-aids you got, Mr. Parker?” The girl walked towards the box and leaned on the table.
"Heroes and princesses. Which one do you want, Eleanor?”
"One princess and two heroes, please.”
Lifting the girl, Wade made her sit on the edge of the table, carefully taping the bandages. Finishing, Wade pulled back a little and looked at his daughter, who was stretching her arms as if nothing had happened.
"Are you feeling better, Ellie?”
She nodded, and jumped off the table, standing on the floor and striking a proud pose. Wade sighed and reached out for his daughter’s hand.
"I think we better go. Thanks for the talk, Parker.”
"Right. See you later, Ellie!” He waved at the little girl, who was following her father to the door. "And, Mr. Wilson?”
Wade turned around. Never before had he felt so good with a total stranger’s eye contact.
"I hope to see you again.”
The door closed, and Wilson was staring at it as if there was an answer stuck in his throat but he lacked the courage to say it. Ellie dragged him along until he was back to thinking for himself and walking like an ordinary, conscious person. On the way home, as a reward for being a good student and not giving the teacher any trouble, he would get Ellie McDonalds, but since she had disobeyed and injured herself, Wade would keep the toy until the bruises were fully healed.
"What did he say about me?”
The dad looked at the girl for a moment, smiled, and went back to watching the movie.
"He said you're a good student. And hasn't pulled Samantha B.'s hair in days, even though she really deserved it.”
She laughed and leaned against her father, as her eyelids grew heavier and heavier until they closed completely and sleep took over her body. There, half-awake, Wade tried to remember the last scenes of the movie. But all he could think about was how, in an hour, Peter Parker had so easily won his attention. He thought of his sweet look, his bad jokes, and how, unlike almost everyone else who bumped into Wilson, he didn't seem uncomfortable when interacting with him. For a moment he regretted not asking for the other man's number, but something told him it was too soon, and Peter wouldn't text him anyway.
No problem. For years it was just him and Eleanor, and Wade didn't need anyone else there. He was fulfilling the role of a single parent successfully, at least according to what he'd seen in The Game Plan and other Disney movies. He would be his own The Rock, he didn't need someone else there with him.
But deep down, and maybe that was harder to admit than insecurity, Wade wanted to have somebody again.
Still, it was difficult, and dangerous, not just for him, but for Ellie as well. So he’d stay there. On the couch. Following the same routine as always and not letting the eventual failure consume him from the inside. At least, that was the plan.