Archive of Our Own ^beta

The rain hit the concrete in uneven pattering sounds as people walked along the sidewalk. The more minutes spent walking, the more soaked through shoes and jackets became. 

On one side of the street, a man stood in a dripping wet hoodie, burgundy from hours walking in the waterfall of the city, with his hands stuffed deep into his pockets and his head down. His feet hurt from soaked socks rubbing against his water-softened skin, but he kept walking. The rain was starting to let up, but he still needed to blink drops from his lashes as he crossed the street, keeping an eye on the little white walking man. The trees on the other side of the intersection still dripped heavily from the water captured on the leaves. His hand brushed the opened gate doors from force of habit and it continued to graze the tops of the stones he passed as he walked farther on the worn down path. His hand paused as he saw what he was looking for. He tugged his hood back to reveal a bald and scabby scalp. In front of him was a shrine of monumental proportions. A shrine made for a king. The man fell to his knees and rested his head on the stone in front of him. A strangled breath passed through his lips as he pressed a hand over the name engraved there.

Peter Benjamin Parker .

He was so focused on the ground that he didn’t see blue speckles start to gather around him. They collided and solidified on top of the stone. First boots then lean and strong calves. To an outsider, it looked like blue fireflies flickering around the grieving man.

As more formed, the figure became brighter and soon the man on the ground realized that he hadn’t been here long enough for the sun to come up, but a strange blue light was becoming more defined above his head. He tensed and looked up into the face he had been mourning.

“Didn’t think you’d miss me that much, Wade,” the figure of light chuckled.

There was a moment of silence when the two made eye contact, then Wade started to scream. Blue Peter disappeared into the mist, cutting off Wade’s scream when he dissipated.

Wade was breathing heavily when Peter vanished and he scrambled away from the tombstone, making a mess of the gifts left around it. He stood quickly and turned to run when Peter appeared in front of him only inches away. Wade couldn’t feel any breath coming off the Blue Peter and it made him feel sick to his stomach.

“Good to see you, Petey,” Wade breathed out disbelievingly. He was seriously going to need to see someone after this illusion was over.

“So, you can see me?” 

Wade caught his breath in his throat. The voice reverberated through his head; like pings of bells from a children’s melody. He didn’t think he would ever hear it again.

“Peter,” he whispered. He felt tears prickle behind his eyes. Despite the sickening blue coming off the man in front of him, it really was him.

Peter laughed softly. “Are you going to be able to say more than my name?” He reached for Wade’s hand but all Wade could feel was a cold mist flow through his hand.

The world stopped spinning in that moment, Wade was sure. He barely felt his heart beating while he saw the light dim in Peter’s eyes. He would give anything to bring it back, to bring Peter back. They didn’t have anything romantic when Peter was alive because he had MJ. That, of course, didn’t keep Wade’s heart from beating wildly every time he saw the webslinger. It didn’t stop it from speeding up now while looking at Peter’s ghost.

“You don’t look so good, Pete. The afterlife not treating you so well?”

The ghost laughed as he fidgeted with his fingers. “You could say that. You’re the only person who’s been able to see me. Not even MJ…” Peter trailed off, but Wade knew what laid beneath the surface of what he was saying. Not even the love of Peter’s life could see him. Just drive a fucking stake through Wade’s heart already.

“Sorry I wasn’t what you were hoping for, Spidey. Guess you’re stuck with this,” Wade said as he gestured to his rain-soaked sweatshirt and mud-covered pants. He couldn’t look at Peter who was staring at Wade curiously, like he was a puzzle Peter was still trying to solve.

Before Peter could get another word in, Wade spoke up again, “So, are you stuck here, or do you want to come back to my place?” 

When he looked back at the ghost, Peter’s eyes were wide and he had leaned back in his surprise. “I hadn’t thought to try.”

“No better time than the present to find out.” Wade tipped his head in the direction he came from to leave the graveyard. Peter nodded in agreement and the two men headed out. Wade found himself trying to listen for the crunch of an extra pair of feet walking behind him. All he could hear were the sounds of his own breathing and the occasional branch crunching under his boots. A shiver slid down his back as his shadow formed from the blue light behind him, the only way Wade knew Peter was still following.

Once outside the gate, Wade’s shuffling stopped and he turned to see Peter floating at the edge. Just the tips of his Spidey boots brushed the ground as he hovered. There was a look of hesitance that looked foreign on Peter’s face. Wade had only ever seen him confident and sure about anything and everything he did. Seeing him question the next move made Wade want to vomit.

“C’mon, baby boy. It’s just a sidewalk.” Don’t leave me again.

Wade watched as Peter’s boots touched ground delicately, and then as he made the first step forward outside of the cemetery. He paused and flinched for a repercussion that never came. Another foot followed the second. Wade felt his heart stop at every step Peter took until the ghost was standing in front of him again.

“Looks like I get to take the lost puppy home,” Wade murmured.

Peter shook his head with a smile. Wade couldn’t help the tug at his lips, seeing Peter still appreciate his sense of humor. He had to fight the urge to grab for Peter’s hand and walk him back to his place. He could settle for walking side-by-side, though. The city was quiet this late at night. The occasional car would pass them by as they walked, but the drivers would only see Wade as he walked. Words got caught in his throat every time he tried to speak, to see how Peter was doing. Each step felt like something tightening around his lungs, and he knew if he could say even just one thing, he would be able to breathe again.

By the time he was able to pull in a breath to say something, they were standing in front of his apartment complex.

“We’re here.”

Wade felt something pass through him, almost sending him to his knees. He grabbed the wall next to him to keep himself standing. His question of what the hell was that was shortly answered when he saw Peter standing in front of him, looking up at the many floors of the building. When Peter turned back to look at Wade, it was with a genuine smile.

“Well, aren’t you going to invite me in?”

Wade couldn’t help but laugh as he walked around the side of the building with a fire escape. “You’re not a vampire, Petey.”

“No, but I have manners.”

With a tug on the bottom step, he had the ladder rolling down and stopping with a loud clang  about a foot off the ground.

“Come on up, Pete,” Wade said without turning around and heading up the chute. He jumped when he lifted his head to see Peter floating before him. It hadn’t occurred to Wade that he might not need the ladder to get up a few flights. The laugh that came from Peter was heavenly. It allowed some of the stress that had built up in Wade’s shoulders and face to loosen.

The window to his apartment opened silently enough and with only a little resistance. Wade watched as Peter shifted through the wall and into the living room as he ducked inside. He was going to have to get used to this whole ghost thing.

“Sorry about the mess. I didn’t expect to bring home any guests from the cemetery.”

The Blue Peter walked around the limited space around him, into the kitchen and peaked around a corner that lead to the single bedroom and bathroom in the place.

“I’m sorry it couldn’t be under better circumstances. Your place is nice, though.”

The sight of seeing Peter sit on the couch without making an indention was one Wade will have issues keeping out of his mind. He so desperately wanted to forget that the Peter in his living room was really here and not just a memory of him. Everything he did, from walking without a shadow to perfect stillness and silence, however, kept striking blows into his stomach; a neon sign over Peter’s head screaming he wasn’t there, that he was dead and not coming back in a way that Wade could hold onto. So many nights they spent on roofs with their masks pulled over their noses and talking. So many chances Wade could have said how he felt then blame it on the adrenaline of the fight or being sleep deprived.

One time stood out the most. They had just taken down a Big Bad that had proven to be a challenge. Once he was down and in the hands of the authorities, Peter had squealed and hugged Wade with a lot of his spidey strength. Wade had, of course, hugged back, but when they pulled away, the air was thick with something unspoken. He had wanted to lift both their masks and breathe the same air briefly before kissing the man standing before him. He could have easily pulled it off with the hands he still had on Peter’s hips. But before he could try anything, Spidey was pulling away and out of reach.

Compared to that, it was like a sick twist of fate as Wade sat on the couch next to his resident ghost. He had the opportunity to have Peter all to himself, but never in the way he had always desired. It was like a jaded game of would you rather. Or that consequence game. You have the opportunity to see the love of your life again, but they wish someone else could see their ghost instead. Is that really what he wanted? 

“Are you okay, Wade? You’ve gone pale.” A hand was in Wade’s field of vision, but it went through his cheek when Peter tried to feel his temperature.

“It’s a lot to take in, Petey.” Wade could only face the wall in front of him. “I thought I was never going to see you again and now you’re here and I can’t even hug you. It puts a damper on the reunion.” 

Peter was silent for a long time, his blank eyes never leaving the side of Wade’s face. Wade couldn’t help the fidgeting and other nervous ticks that decided to pop-up with the scrutinizing look he was getting. He bounced his leg until it tingled and chewed his nails to their quicks before Peter said anything again.

“I get it. You’re the only person who can see me. I felt so alone floating around my grave until you came along. I was almost begging the universe for any kind of human interaction. I didn’t think ghosts could miss touch. Something inside me remembers how nice it was and craves it even in the after life.”

It wasn’t the answer Wade had been secretly hoping for, but it was enough. He knew it was MJ’s touch Peter was talking about. She was the warmest soul he had ever met and lit Peter up like an oil lamp. He could barely watch her eulogy on TV, but he knew he had to. He owed it to Peter and himself to hear someone who loved Peter Parker as much as Wade did talk about Peter in front of all of New York City.

“Are you trying to say you missed me, baby boy?” Wade half-heartedly chuckled as he sank back into the couch, hands folding into his hoodie’s front pocket.

The blue light next to him got brighter. A quick glance let him know Peter had gotten closer. The shock sped up his heart and he felt his pulse fluttering in his neck. He hoped Peter couldn’t see it with how close he had gotten.

“I did miss you.” Peter’s face poked into Wade’s line of sight. “But this ignore him and maybe he’ll go away routine makes me feel like you didn’t miss me. Which I know that can’t be right. You were crying in the rain at my grave.”

Wade’s eyes flicked up and stayed on Peter’s face . He’d give his life twelve times over to see them again in their natural, striking blue one more time. His hair would never be a mess from him yanking his mask again.

“I’d push your face out of the way if I could.”

The cheering in his ear made him smile just enough to make Peter cheer again. “I’ll take that as a yes!”

“In your wildest dreams, baby boy. Those weren’t tears, it was just rain. Hard to tell those apart, I’m sure.”

Peter kept laughing at Wade’s expense. It sent Wade to better times, back on the roof. All of his favorite moments of them were of roofs. That high above the city, neither of them had to pretend they were anything but who they were. Nights where they could eat in silence then crack jokes in a fight. Those were simpler times. But Wade knew he couldn’t keep dwelling on what he had lost. He had something new now, something he had been asking for since Peter had died. Another chance.

“Why the long face, Pool? You with me?”

“I’m confused about why the universe chose me to be the one that could see you. Maybe it’s my connection to death.” 

“But then you’d see more ghosts than just me, right?” 

“Maybe it’s because you were secretly in love with me” Wade responded with a deprecating laugh, “and the world gave you a second chance to confess your undying love for me.”

Wade snorted at the undying part. Usually he was above looking a gift horse in the mouth, but he couldn’t contain his curiosity. Curiosity that piqued higher when he mentioned Peter being in love with him. If ghosts could blush, Wade was sure Peter would be now. He had gone from snarky to shy at the drop of a hat. It took everything in him not to try and reach out to Peter. The look in his eyes was so vulnerable and he had the question on the tip of his tongue. 

Before Wade said anything, Peter beat him to it. “What about you? Maybe you’re the one who’s supposed to confess.”

A bitter and strangled laugh came out of Wade’s mouth. “My unfinished business wouldn’t keep you here.

Peter looked at him with widened eyes. It took Wade a few seconds, but he caught up with what he basically blurted out.

“Wait. Hold on. Wade? Am I reading into this, or did you just say you’re secretly in love with me and your unfinished business is that you didn’t tell me?”

Wade sunk down into the couch and let his hood cover his eyes. “You’re definitely reading into it. Why would I be in love with you?”

The ghost crouched in front of him and looked up at Wade with the most open look he had ever seen on Peter. He was such a tactile person and it was really only connecting now how much he used to touch Peter. How much Peter let him . He was battling with himself about reaching out and shouting in his head to get over it that he missed Peter moving closer. Wade’s shoulder was suddenly much colder from Peter’s attempt at touching.

“Stay with me. You were confessing, remember?”

Wade covered his face completely with his hood, wishing he had his mask. Why the fuck did he leave without it in the first place? The apartment stayed quiet for a few moments after that. Wade refusing to answer, and Peter incapable of making any noise. 

“Okay, well, if you don’t want to talk about your undying love for me, I’ll give you some space.”

He could see a faint blue glow from the edge of his hood get smaller as it moved towards the window. His breath got quicker as Peter continued to leave and when the light completely disappeared, Wade was off the couch and rushing to stop Peter from going back to the cemetery.

“Wait!”

A quick search led him to look out the window where Wade was surprised to see Peter sitting on the fire escape landing as much as he could without slipping through, knees pulled into his chest, and head covered by his arms and knees. A rap on the glass got Peter’s attention and Wade didn’t know if that was better or worse. He looked hopeful, like he had been the one who fucked up.

“Hey, Petey, don’t be so blue. It’s not a good color on you.”

To Wade’s benefit, Peter laughed and made a come here motion with his hand. He slid the window open and climbed out to join the other man outside. “I guess you should have told me that before I made my Spiderman suit.”

“And have major consequences on the rest of the Marvel Universe? I don’t think so.”

“Wade, we need you to be serious right now. I know you don’t do it often, but I need that from you. I’m a ghost stuck here for who knows what reason or how long and I think you owe it to the dead guy to be honest with me.”

Wade sat on the window sill with his hands by his thighs. It was now early morning so the streets were a little louder from the late-nighters getting home and the early-risers heading out for the day.

“Honesty, right. Peter Parker, do you remember the day that we met? I helped you fight baddies and then we got dinner together?”

“You mean the night you ran into me after I had finished fighting some goons and you held up your grease-soaked bag of Mexican food asking do you want any ?”

“So, you do remember! Well, way before that, I had a little crush on you. From a distance and more like an infatuation on someone famous. But, we started hanging out more, and my stupid brain and my stupid heart were defenseless against your witty charms and that ethics thing you had going.”

Peter snorted with a small smirk. “I was your celebrity crush? That’s a little embarrassing.” 

“You’re everybody’s celebrity crush!” Wade exclaimed while waving his arms in the air.

Another laugh came from Peter. “Still…”

“Do you want me to finish or not?”

“Please, continue,” Peter conceded, but he was still smiling.

“Thank you.” Wade let out a breath and kept going. “We kept hanging out more and I stopped the killing thing. I mostly did that for me. So, I wouldn’t have to stop hanging out with you. Selfish, selfish Wade. It had nothing to do with that I was rapidly falling in love with Spiderman. And if that wasn’t enough, a year or two down the line, you took off your mask for me. Told me about MJ and how happy you were to be marrying her.”

Wade had to stop for a moment. He needed to catch his breath. The rush of nerves sent through him were making it hard to breathe, causing his breaths to come closer together.

“That broke my heart, Petey. Full honesty here: I knew you couldn’t love a person like me. From my grey morals and fugly exterior, I was out of luck and out of the country as fast as I could run. But, then I came back to hear you had died . I don’t really remember what happened after that. Not until I visited your grave.”

Wade could pull a lot out of his ass. Lies being one of them. In fact, he did remember what happened after he found out about Peter’s death. There was a gun in his hand and a plastic mat over his floor in a matter of minutes. The rest was a blackout while his brain and jaw reformed.

Peter shifted and closed into himself more. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you this,” Wade sighed and started to make his way back into the apartment.

“Wade, wait.” Everything paused. “You deserve to hear some things. It’s only fair.”

“I’m not going to sit here and listen to you say ‘thanks, but no thanks,’ baby boy.”

“No, it’s not that. Please, just- come sit with me.”

Wade looked inside at his safe space. Every time he imagined this talk, it was never like this. Maybe it was right after a big win for them as a team and he would just blurt out I love you and Peter would scoff and walk away. Or, maybe a quiet night on a roof and Wade would shoot his shot, but Peter would scoff and web away. But, maybe it’d be-

“Hello? Earth to Wade! I’d snap but, you know.”

With weak determination, Wade sat on the fire escape across from Peter. “Don’t break my heart again, Petey Pie,” he mumbled, staring at his hands.

There was a brief silence between the two. Wade couldn’t bare to look up at Peter to see why he was taking so long to rip off the bandaid.

“I love you, Wade,” Peter whispered and everything stopped from Wade’s breathing to his heartbeat.

“Really? Are you sure?”

Peter smiled shyly and messed with his fingernails before looking back up at Wade. At this point, Wade was sure Ghost Peter wasn’t real. There’s no way the Real Peter would have feelings for him.

“Yes, I’m sure. What have I done to ever make you think I’d make a joke out of your feelings for me?” Peter crossed his arms and kept his eyes on Wade. Wade was sure he stopped blinking too.

“You didn’t do anything, Peter,” Wade mumbled, immediately backing down. “It’s just a little hard to believe. You had MJ and you never indicated otherwise…”

“Or maybe you’re an oblivious doof that didn’t pick up on any of the signs.”

“Okay, that’s a little too close to what probably happened, which makes it seem like you’re a hallucination with all your knowledge.”

“I don’t have much on me to show you that I’m real and not an illusion, but I promise you that I love you and have loved you for a long time.”

Wade sat back with a thud against the railing and thought back to their team-ups together. Maybe the way he imagined Peter looked at him when he wasn’t wearing his mask wasn’t his imagination at all. Or, every time Peter helped him out of the fighting zone when he had gotten too many limbs cut off. Maybe it wasn’t just a Spidey thing for him to do.

“Okay, things are processing, but I still don’t understand why you were being so open about when you an MJ were planning on getting married. I pride myself on being an open-minded guy, but I ain’t no homewrecker, baby boy.”

Peter laughed and laid down to look up at the sky, hands folded on his upper stomach.

“Have you heard of polyamory?” Peter asked as he turned his head to face Wade.

“Of course I have. Who do you think I am, a twelve year old?” Wade scoffed. “Wait, they probably know what it is, too. The internet is really fun sometimes.”

“Well, our marriage was open. We were polyamorous, and there you were: unabashedly flirting and you stopped killing so we could work together. Basically you did it for me.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.”

“I really didn’t.”

“Pretty sure you did.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I didn’t.”

“Okay, let’s flip a coin. Wait, I don’t need one because you did it for me.”

Wade rolled his eyes as Peter laughed. It felt easy and like they were back to normal just like that. The banter flowed easily like they were back on the streets kicking some serious bad guy ass. 

The silence that followed was thick and almost tangible. Wade could see the yearning in Peter’s eyes that surely matched his own.

“This is a prime first kiss moment that we’re missing out on.” Wade joked.

Peter’s face suddenly turned serious and he crawled over to Wade. The chilly hand was back on his shoulder, shivers sliding down his back. He couldn’t take his eyes off Peter’s face. Peter’s eyes were full of quiet determination as he leaned in closer. Soon, cold spread into his lips but it was the most relaxing thing Wade had felt in a long time. It was nothing he imagined his first kiss with Peter to be, but he was just glad he was getting it. He closed his eyes and sunk into the feeling of coolness spreading across his lips and down his body. It edged between too much and not enough, where his body was torn between burning for more contact and the chill of knowing there would never be more.

When Peter pulled away, Wade had to lick some feeling back into his lips. “I’m sorry it couldn’t be warmer or better, but you were right. Prime time for a first kiss.”

“Thanks, Frosty, but it was actually pretty nice. Your fingers helped numb some of the pain.”

Peter pushed his hair back from his face, the sunlight making him glow a little brighter. The sunlight ? Wade turned towards the street and saw the sun coming up with a vengeance.

“What the actual fuck. You kept me up all night, Spidey.” Wade turned back to see Peter with a mischievous smile.

“All in a day’s work for your friendly neighborhood Spiderman.” Peter stood up and nodded towards the window leading into the apartment. “Wanna go inside and get some sleep, oh mighty Deadpool?”

“You read my mind, Petey Pie.”

The two headed back inside together; Wade climbing through the window and Peter phasing through the wall.

Wade made it to the bedroom threshold before he turned around and faced Peter again who was settling on the couch.

“Do you even sleep?”

Peter sadly shook his head. “Nope. No need to when you’re a ghost.”

Wade looked into his room then back to Peter. “If you get bored out here, you can come watch me sleep. Good night, Peter.”

“Good night, Wade. I love you.”

Wade took a sharp intake of breath. “Love you too,” was the last thing he said before sliding into his room and closing the door.

~*~

Later that day, Wade woke up to find himself covered in blankets. Then, when he opened his eyes, he realized it was because Peter had taken him up on his offer to watch him sleep. Peter was curled up in front of him with his eyes closed. If Peter was still here, it was starting to seem less likely that he was an illusion and Wade was truly being haunted by the love of his life.

Oh . In a blink, Wade remembered their talk from yesterday. How they both had confessed and oh my god Peter Parker was in love with him. And had been a while before he died. Fate really had it out for him.

Blue eyes opened and Peter smiled at him. “Good afternoon, sleepy head. I was starting to worry you would never wake up.”

Wade couldn’t help but smile back. “If my memory serves me right, you were the reason I was up all night in the first place.”

He watched as Peter moved in close and nuzzled into the stacks of blankets on top of Wade. Wade’s brow furrowed. He was sure he fell asleep without any covers.

“Did you put these blankets on me?”

Peter nodded then mumbled into the thick comforter that was on top of the pile, “I found out I can interact with the environment now, so you’re going to find that your apartment is a little cleaner.”

“You cleaned my apartment?”

“I got bored, okay! I didn’t want to leave, and you had take-out boxes everywhere.”

“Is that when you decided to make me into Mt. Everest of Blankets so you could cuddle?”

Wade tried to keep a serious face, but inside he was bursting with affection. This is all he really wanted: to wake up to Peter and know that the feelings were mutual, that he could be happy for once in his cursed life.

“I know I’m cold, but I wanted to be in your space. As cheesy as it sounds, I feel tethered to you and stepping too far away could be detrimental for me.”

“So, you think I’m the reason you’re stuck here as a ghost?” Wade questioned, frowning down at Peter.

“Maybe it’s not unfinished business? If it was, wouldn’t I have left after last night?” Peter responded, looking up and mirroring the expression on Wade’s face.

Wade pushed himself up and leaned back against the wall. There was something shady about the whole Peter being a ghost and Wade was the only one who could see him thing. The feeling of being tethered and it not being unfinished business left not much else for the reasoning behind this funny situation they got themselves into.

Needing to think, Wade pushed the blankets aside and got out of bed and paced from his bed to the other side of the room and back. The universe really had a weird way of showing him that he should be with Peter. 

Wait .

“Okay, shooting in the dark here, but what if it’s a fate thing? Like we are supposed to be together and the world got salty that you died.”

“Wade, what are you-”

“No, listen. We confessed last night and now you’re able to move stuff around. You couldn’t do that before, and that’s the only thing that’s changed.”

Peter’s eyes widened. “You mean like soulmates?”

Laughter filled the room as Wade doubled over. “No! That would be dumb.” Wade stood back up, completely straight-faced. “But close.”

While Wade was laughing, Peter had stood up and was now standing in front of Wade. “So the universe wants me to be with Deadpool and in exchange I’ll what? Be able to touch you?”

In that moment, Wade didn’t want anything more than for that to be true, but that was a lot to hope for from Fate, a tricky girl. “It might even go as far as taking you from being a ghost to a real boy,” he replied instead.

It was worth it, the lie that rolled off his tongue, because Wade got to see Peter light up and bounce in his spot like he was six on Christmas day. Wade couldn’t help but smile. It was precious, but he couldn’t hold it for long.

“What is it? This is good news, Wade!”

“Yeah, but now what? We’ve confessed, we’ve kissed, slept in the same bed even!”

The look on Peter’s face showed that he would be blushing if he had blood that could rush to his cheeks. “I mean there is something else…”

Wade had to be smug at that as he smirked at Peter and crossed his arms. “Wanna get freaky with the freak, Petey Pie?”

Peter tried to slap Wade on the arm, but it still passed through his body, sending shivers down his back and goosebumps down his arm. They both laughed together, but Peter was also shaking his head.

“You’re not the freak in this scenario, Wade. I’m the one who’s a ghost, remember?”

There was a tilted silence between the two of them. Wade was trying to process that Ghost Peter just propositioned him and that as much as he wanted to say yes and jump into bed with Spidey right now, something in him was telling him that was not right.

“I don’t think that’s the right direction to go, Petey. It sounds like a fucking great time, but not now. Not with you as a ghost.”

Wade watched as Peter’s whole demeanor changed from his shoulders to his facial expression. He expected to see it turn to disappointment, but all Wade could see was understanding.

“Alright, Wade, we’ll wait it out,” Peter said. “Then, I can rock your world,” he ended with a wink.

“You got yourself a deal, Spidey Babe!”

~*~

A day or so went by of normalcy. Well as much normal as a ghost and an ex-mercenary could get. Wade would make breakfast for himself as Peter tidied up the apartment, and they would spend the day together.

It had been three nights since their confession and Peter was only getting stronger. It was no longer an effort to move stuff around and through routine, they noticed other things too. Peter had started feeling things he used to when he was alive, like being tired. While the two of them sat on the couch watching a shitty movie, one of Wade’s favorites, Peter started to slump over from exhaustion.

In the silence, Wade was enjoying this cool feeling of his companion near his shoulder. The moment was ruined, however, when he heard voices coming from outside his window. He pushed off the couch and went straight for the window leading out to the fire escape.

“What is it, Wade?” Peter asked with rising concern.

“There are two people walking on the side of the building and they’re both dressed like you, Petey!”

Wade heard a distant what as he climbed out and watched as the older Spiderman disappeared over the roof.

“Woah! Two Spidermen?” Wade exclaimed at the boy perched on the building.

Peter was behind him in a flash and murmured into his ear. “I know the kid. He was there when I was killed.”

Wade’s eyes narrowed onto the kid who was staring back at him with the widest eyes.

The man on the roof peaked back over the edge. “Wade?”

That made all three of them look up with different versions of shock and confusion covering their features. Wade’s confusion quickly turned into caution and him grabbing onto the gun he routinely kept in the back of his pants.

“Yeah? Who’s askin’?”

He was quickly wrapped into a hug and forced to let go of his gun from the tight embrace. Peter showed up in front of Wade and was gearing up to do something to this stranger as Wade struggled to get out of this seemingly superhuman hold.

“Wait!” Wade yelled mostly at Peter, but it was meant for everything going on.

Everyone paused. Peter stepped back and the kid on the wall relaxed out of a fighting stance. The warm body pulled away from Wade and looked at him with tears in his eyes. The man looked disturbingly like an older and brunette version of his own Peter, but it couldn’t be.

“Who are you, you beautiful man?” Wade said with a wink.

He heard Peter scoff from behind him and Wade had to smirk at that. It quickly fell when the other man spoke.

“You never change, no matter the universe, huh? My name is Peter B. Parker, and in my universe, Wade Wilson is dead.”

“Eye for an eye, then. Our Peter is dead.”

“Yeah, that’s what the kid was telling me.”

“I’m offended,” Ghost Peter chimed in at Wade’s side.

Wade looked over Alive Peter’s shoulder at the kid. “And who are you? Are you from somewhere else too?”

He shook his head. “I’m Miles and I’m from Brooklyn. This Brooklyn.”

Wade took him in from head to toe. He couldn’t have been older than sixteen in that ill-fitting spiderman suit he probably got for the funeral.

“Miles, huh? A bug on the wall told me all about you. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

Wade stuck his hand out to mini Spiderman who was back on the defense, jumping down onto the fire escape hesitantly. 

“Who told you about me?” Miles questioned from behind Alive Peter.

“Well, Peter did, of course!” Wade responded with a clap of his hands.

Both Miles and Peter B. pointed at Alive Peter. “Me?” and “Him?” were said in unison. Their faces were stunned and Miles’ was a little sceptical.

“Nope! This might be hard to believe-”

“Try me,” Alive Peter butted in.

Wade sighed, but continued, “But Peter’s ghost is here and he’s been hanging out with me. We think Fate has bigger and better plans for him.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Wade. You have as much to do with this as I do,” Ghost Peter chided.

Miles started to look around the fire escape, for, what Wade presumed was, his Peter while Peter B. kept his eyes on Wade. “How do we know you’re telling the truth? I never knew my Wade to be so cruel to kids.”

A smirk slid onto Wade’s face as he turned to look at Ghost Peter. “Show him what you got, Petey Pie.”

A gasp came from Peter B. and Wade couldn’t decide if it came from the nickname or the sudden cool breeze that passed him as Ghost Peter pushed off his jacket onto the grated floor of the escape. At this point, Wade’s gun was back in his pants and Peter B. was stripped down to his Spider Suit.

“At least take me to dinner first,” Peter B. joked, a twinkle glimmering in his eyes as he looked at Wade.

Gagging noises came from above them, Miles hanging from the landing above them. “Get a room! Jeez, it’s bad enough I have to see this at home from my own parents.”

“Why don’t you come down here, Spideyboy? Unless you don’t believe Peter is here either?” Wade trailed off as he shot a side-long look at Ghost Peter who looked very proud of himself.

“Nope!” Miles hopped back down. “I believe you, Mr. Wade, sir!”

“I was going to teach him how to be like me before...before everything went wrong,” Peter murmured by Wade’s ear.

“I hope this old geezer is going to teach you how to be a real Spiderman like our Peter promised.”

Wade nudged Miles’ arm with his elbow, but looked at Peter B. with slight concern.

“That’s what I was trying to convince him to do when you came out here,” Miles replied with a huff and crossed his arms.

“One, Wade, you’re like two years younger than me, and two, I just want to get back home, but this kid insists that he should come along to help.”

“My name is Miles! And I’m almost sixteen! I’m not a kid,” he said while still pouting. “Plus, I promised Peter I’d stop Fisk,” Miles added a little quieter.

Wade looked up at Ghost Peter who gave him a sad nod, confirming that that’s what happened.

The three of them stared at each other, Wade taking occasional glances at Peter who looked to be filled with guilt over the situation. Wade took that as their cue to leave.

“Well, it has been nice meeting the new Spiderman on the scene. I’d love to help, but me and my Peter have our own problems to solve.”

Peter B. scoffed. “What’s more important than saving New York from multidimensional collapse?”

The window to the apartment slid open for Wade as he was backing out. “Bringing Peter back.”

Before Wade could close the window, Peter B. leaned in, poking his head through the window and keeping his face close to Wade’s.

“Do you love him?” He whispered.

Wade pressed a kiss to Peter B.’s cheek. “Always have, and if us Wades are all alike like you say, yours did, too.”

“I’ll see you again, Wade!” Peter yelled as he backed out the window and swung away.

“Nice meeting you, Mr. Wade!” Miles added as he followed quickly behind his new teacher.

~*~

Back inside, Peter was watching Wade from the couch. 

“That was weird, huh?” Wade asked as the window was finally shut once again. He turned and noticed the different mood inside their home at the sight of Peter curled up on the couch.

“Yeah. Weird.”

Wade walked in further and sat on the opposite end from Peter. He sat there for a little bit, taking in Peter’s demeanor and picking his words carefully.

“I bet it was nice to see Miles again?”

Peter smiled a bit and nodded. “He’s a good kid. I wish I could have kept my promise though.”

“You still can. I have faith we’re going to get you back to the land of the living.”

The other man scooted closer to Wade while shaking his head. “He’s going to be fine. That other Peter, he seems a little off, but he’s going to be better for Miles since he’s here. So Miles doesn’t have to wait on me to be able to be your friendly neighborhood Spiderman.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Petey. Plus, I didn’t see anything off about Peter B.”

“Yeah, because you were too busy flirting with the guy,” Peter said with a snort.

“Awww,” Wade gushed. “Is somebody… hmm what’s the word? Jealous ?”

Laughter filled the air, Peter’s head falling back against the couch as he lost it. “No! Wade, if you wanna flirt with people who are alive, who am I to stop you?”

Wade narrowed his eyes in on Ghost Peter and leaned in some more. “Is this a poly thing for you or your own personal vendetta against being a ghost?”

The blue body before him curled in on itself again. “For someone who doesn’t like to be serious, you sure are observant.”

“Comes with the territory, Petey Pie. Ex-merc have to be observant.” There was a pause where Peter didn’t answer. “And you’re avoiding the question.”

“I don’t want to be dead, Wade. You’re the only thing making this bearable. I love you, but it’s hard to be with you when I can’t touch you.”

As soon as Peter finished his words, the air around them crackled. Peter flashed into color then back to blue. If Wade had blinked, he would have missed it. The lights in the living room all went out and the only light was from Peter’s glowing body. It felt like it took forever, but everything went back to normal in less than a minute.

Wade’s heart was beating uncontrollably, but he felt his arm lift and he reached for Peter. Wade was breathing erratically trying to keep himself calm as his hand got closer. When his hand landed on Peter’s cheek, any breath he had left his lungs.

“I can feel you,” they said in unison.

An overwhelming feeling surged through Wade and tightened painfully around his heart as he pushed forward and kissed Peter, really kissed him. He could feel Peter’s lips and not general cold. The body underneath Wade’s hands was warm. Hands twisted into his sweatshirt, pulling him forward and hovering over Peter. He slid his hand from Peter’s cheek into his hair, the soft strands catching slightly on Wade’s scars.

The sudden shift from nothing to everything made it hard to breathe on top of trying to makeout as long as Wade could stand. It was too soon, but Wade had to pull away to take deeper breaths. This, however, allowed Wade to get a good look at the dishevelled man beneath him. 

Peter was stunning . His lips were plump from kissing and his hair stuck up in wild directions on one side from Wade’s grip. His chest was rising and falling quickly, but no air was coming from Peter’s lips. He didn’t need to breathe, yet he felt the same way Wade did: a world shattering change and hopelessly in love with the man in front of him.

“What happened?” Peter breathed out.

“No fucking clue, but it was something you said, baby boy. This was all you.”

Wade bent down, feeling satisfied with his air intake, and kissed Peter again. It was slower and deeper this time. Something not rushed because now they had all the time in the world to be affectionate with each other. Years of friendship and not once was Wade able to hold Peter in his arms like this. He thought he might never get that chance, but the world was going to be nice to Wade Wilson for once.

~*~

The next morning, when Wade rolled over, the other side of the bed was empty. For a moment, Wade panicked. His breathing picked up as he scrambled out of bed, running out of the room to check to see if Peter was in the living room. The apartment looked liked how he had left it the night before. 

He rushed back into his room to check the connected bathroom. With a huff of relief, he saw Peter standing in front of the mirror.

“What are you doing in here, Petey? When you weren’t in bed, I was so scared everything had been a dream.”

Wade was only met with silence as Peter stared ahead. Wade slid behind Peter to see what he was looking at, but that was just the thing. There was nothing . No reflection, no shadow on Wade from Peter in front of him, and no Peter.

It was kind of trippy, seeing Peter in front of him when he looked down then looking up into the mirror and only seeing himself.

“If you’re turning into a vampire instead of back to being human, I don’t know if this is gonna work out,” Wade tried to joke in a halfhearted attempt to lighten the mood.

Peter turned around and looked at Wade, no sign of finding what he just said entertaining. Two blue hands rested on top of Wade’s shoulders as Peter kept looking at him.

“I promise I’m not changing into a vampire.”

“So you’re just impatient,” Wade deadpanned.

A spark shown in Peter’s eyes, lightening up the mood in the tense bathroom. “You’re not the one stuck as a half-alive, half-dead ghost.” Peter leaned up and pressed a kiss to the corner of Wade’s mouth. “Yes, I’m tired of being dead.”

That moment, the world decided to shake. The lights flickered out like the night they kissed for the first time for real except this time, the building felt like it was collapsing. Wade grabbed onto the wall to keep himself from toppling over.

“What the fuck was that?” They asked together.

Sirens wailed outside alongside screaming civilians. The building kept rumbling and in a blink Wade was in his Deadpool costume and jumping off his fire escape and running into the street. A quick glance behind him allowed Wade to see Peter right behind him. Peter gave him a nod and they set out to try and save New York, or at least decrease the damage made.

In the street, they only saw chaos. There was a series of street lights and other fire hydrants growing out of a singular fire hydrant, buildings were shooting out from the sides of skyscrapers, and the world was disappearing into a colorful void.

“Is this what Miles and the other Peter were talking about?” Peter shouted over the sounds of disarray around them.

“I guess so. Let’s just try to get people to safety and try to find those two soon.”

A fist bump later, Wade was grabbing citizens out of the way of falling buildings and Peter was lifting rubble to get people out from under fallen cement and weird protrusions that must have been the other dimensions coming through to collide with theirs.

Every time Wade glanced over at Peter, he seemed to become more and more real. Color was coming back to his face, and there was a point Peter looked more purple than ghost. However, all Wade had to do was blink and it was gone.

They kept fighting, and Wade kept watching Peter come back to life. Other people started to notice too, but Wade couldn’t imagine what they were seeing. He was seeing a ghost turn back into a man, but they were probably seeing a floating head or something.

It felt like a lifetime before things started to get sucked away. The force of everything being pulled back into the multidimensional hole had Wade flying back with it.

“Peter!” He yelled out.

Someone grabbed his hand as he soared by. When Wade looked up, what he saw took his breath away. Holding him by his hand so he wasn’t sucked into another dimension was a full flesh and blood Peter Parker.

In his Spiderman costume, Peter had a death grip on a still normal street lamp with one hand and a bone-crushing grip on Wade’s hand. Peter didn’t have his mask and Wade was hit by how stunning Peter’s blue eyes were. He had forgotten, gotten used to the full body blue of Peter’s ghost form.

Then, as fast as it had started, New York was back to normal at the sound of a huge explosion a few miles from them.

Wade nearly fell flat on his face. If it wasn’t for Peter, he surely would have, but, thankfully, Peter was high enough to set Wade back on his feet. For his part, Wade couldn’t stop staring. Before him was the Peter he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

“Wade, everyone’s staring at you.”

At the sound of Peter’s voice, Wade blinked out of his stupor. “I don’t think so, Petey Pie. Have you seen yourself?”

“What are you talking about? We were just standing in front of a mirror where I didn’t show up.”

“Try again.” Wade pointed to the shop window behind them. When Peter turned, there was an audible gasp and he hopped down from the lamp post, moving closer to the window.

“I can see me!” He looked down at his hands. “And I’m in color!”

He turned back to Wade with the biggest smile. Wade felt his heart leap, but then he watched as Peter looked around at all the people staring at him. Phones were out snapping pictures and taking videos. To everyone but Wade, Peter was dead, but now he’s back in the flesh after an almost multidimensional collapse.

“We should get you out of here before they mob you,” Wade said as he started to shuffle Peter back towards the alley for his apartment.

“No, we should go find Miles and the other Peter first,” Peter pushed back.

Wade suddenly remembered the kid from yesterday. There was an unusual feeling of concern and worry for Miles.

“You’re right. Let’s hurry, though. You’re a celebrity around these parts.”

Without Peter’s web shooters, the two of them climbed to the top of the nearest building and hopped roofs in the direction of Fisk’s tower.

~*~

They got there just in time to see the police find Fisk webbed up above New York. Wade found it hilarious where Peter had rolled his eyes.

“Let’s find Miles,” Peter turned towards the sound of applause behind him, and Wade was close to follow after taking a picture of the big man in the sky.

They took the alleys to follow Miles to a secluded rooftop. As they approached, Peter stumbled back and grabbed onto his head at the same time Miles turned around and caught them sneaking behind him.

“Peter?” A small pause. “Wait! You’re my Peter! Ohmygod.”

Miles came crashing into Peter, wrapping his arms around him in a way that made him visibly flinch, but also had Peter smiling. Wade shuffled to the side to them have some semblance of privacy for their moment. 

When Miles pulled back, he took his mask off to reveal red eyes and tears mushed into his face from the fabric. Wade was impressed. He would have kept his mask on if he had been crying as a physical barrier between whoever he was with and his emotions.

Just another way in how strong Miles is , his brain told him.

“How are you, Miles? Where’s the other Peter?”

“I’m not too bad, all things considered. I was able to get him and the other Spider-people back to their dimensions in time to defeat Fisk.”

From where Wade could see, the look on Miles face shifted to something more solemn. “He tried to kill me the same way he killed you.” A deep breath. “I got back up, though. I owed it to you and the other Peter, and all my new friends to get this guy.”

There were still sirens going off in the distance that faded out as they got further away from Fisk’s tower. Wade fidgeted with his belt, keeping his eyes off the two Spideys in front of him. He really probably shouldn’t be here for this conversation. Peter was back and that meant not getting every waking hour with him anymore. Something they needed to talk about when they weren’t standing on some random roof with a thirteen year old.

“I’m proud of you, Miles. Seems like you won’t need my guidance after all.”

“I’ll still take a few pointers! Or we could team up and fight the bad guys together!”

Peter’s laugh resonated through the air and down Wade’s spine. It felt so real . Wade looked up to see them hugging again.

“Sure thing, kid. I can make that happen. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Oh!” Then Wade was the one with a bouncing teenager in front of him. “The other Peter left something for you.” Miles pulled out a flash drive with his face symbol on it. “He said to watch it whenever you can, but he understands if you’re too busy.” He glanced over at Peter with a smug and knowing look.

Wade took the drive and pocketed it. “Thanks, Spiderman. Will do.”

“Well, I gotta head home to make sure my parents are okay! See you guys around!” Miles thwipped out to the next building and swung away.

“That wasn’t suspicious at all,” Wade mumbled, staring off where Miles had disappeared.

Arms wrapped around his waist from behind. Wade sank back into the warmth and weight behind him.

“I’m so glad you’re back, Petey.”

“Glad to be back. Ready to head home?”

Home . Wade smiled and nodded. “After you.”

They ran off again, feet coming down almost silently as they jumped from building to building. 

~*~

If you had asked Wade what happiness was only a year ago, he wouldn’t have been able to answer. He believed that it was something out of his reach. 

Now, however, with the fire of three candles burning bright on the table while he ate dinner with Peter Parker and MJ Watson, he might have a better idea of what happiness was. 

Happiness might include the way his partners looked at him in the morning even after having a mental breakdown the night before. Happiness might also be Spiderman fighting beside him, and kissing him after they’ve caught the baddie and called the police. It could be the one-on-one dinner with a new member to their weird dynamic and getting to know an amazing woman, not understanding why he was worried about losing Peter in the first place.

Wade had thought happiness was drinking a few beers and passing out on his old, old mattress that had the springs popping out. He thought it was killing the baddies and getting paid the big coin for it. Payday is what used to make him happy. At least it seemed like it.

But at this table, as he ate a wonderfully made steak, mashed potatoes, and greens, the three of them laughing and sharing light conversation as they enjoyed the meal they made together, his idea of happiness shifted.

It shifted towards listening to his partners when they were talking about their day, and actually being interested in what they have to say. It now includes someone else besides Peter and himself. Not something Wade ever saw himself having, let alone one partner. Some may call it luck, which it could be, but he called it love.

He really loved these two people he had decided to share his life with. He was waiting to say it at the right moment, but knowing him he would probably blurt it out while grocery shopping or during a fight in Central Park. Or during dinner.

“I love you two.”

Silence fell over the group. A fork clattered out of MJ’s hand onto her plate, and he saw Peter shift in his peripheral. When Wade snapped his gaze up from his food after he noticed his slip of tongue, he saw MJ with eyes that were glossy with forming tears and Peter’s face was flushed pink.

MJ reached her hand over and grasped Wade’s. “And I love you, Wade.”

Another hand grabbed Wade’s free one with a firm squeeze. “I love you, Wade. So much. I’ve told you that.”

“I know, Petey, but I haven’t really been open about my feelings for you either. You should know that I love you.”

To Wade, that’s what happiness sounded like. It was hearing the people he loved say that they loved him too, that there was proof he wasn’t alone anymore. Happiness was the sound of his partners’ little noises while they slept. Peter’s quiet snores and MJ’s light breathing. Hearing those also told him they were still alive, still here, still his partners in life and love.

Now Wade knows what the world wants to know: What does happiness taste like, Wade? It’s not that kind of story, but he can definitely say it tastes good .

So, sometimes, Wade hoped someone would ask him what happiness is. What it looks like. But he doubted that when people looked at him, they saw a man who would know the answer to that question. Except that he did . He heard it in the way Peter laughed at his dumb jokes and saw it in the way MJ held his hand in public with no worries toward the people staring at them.

“Wade, are you okay?”

Wade blinked his eyes and suddenly realized he had teared-up and a few had fallen onto his cheeks. He flicked his eyes between the two people in front of him, with concerned looks on their faces and the very vibrant love in their eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Wade swallowed. “You guys are so beautiful that I cried.”

Both Peter and MJ laughed softly at his attempt to relieve the tension.

Wade sat with himself for a little bit, staring down at the mostly empty plate in front of him. He knew he never wanted to go back to how things were before he had Peter and MJ. Even before Peter died, he never enjoyed life the way he does now. His love for MJ and Peter burning on like the dinner candles on the table. He thinks about the rings tucked deep into his underwear drawer that he planned on using in the next few months to show just how much.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Wade repeated to his partners. Looking up, he met their glossy gazes, and smiled, “I’m just happy.”