Archive of Our Own

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Wade sat in his by now usual perch in the rafters of the arena as that night’s Stark Expo main presenter demonstrated this and that of the future. He was slightly saddened that tonight featured the man himself as only the initial emcee, but seeing Tony Stark once was better than nothing!

He kicked his feet as he sat in his Deadpool suit, mask pulled up just enough to eat a range of food from the expo’s vendors. Tony sure had good taste in food, Wade thought. The voices in his head challenged that it was probably Pepper Potts who planned those, but he pushed it aside. Surely Tony approved everything at the end of the day, so Wade only had him to thank for this dish…whatever it was, it was tasty!

A bag of Stark merchandise sat next to him, and Wade smiled as he looked at it. Top of the pile was his latest prized possession - an Iron Man plushie!

“You are going to be amazing to cuddle with!” Wade cooed, booping the plushie’s nose area with a gloved finger. “We’re going to have so much fun together! And we have so much to talk about!”

“You know that’s not real, right?” the voices sighed.

“I know, the real deal is a bit taller,” Wade mused, shrugging. “Maybe I should see if the shops have a life size cardboard cutout of him? Do they even do that anymore? I don’t think it would do his hair justice. Today his hair looked especially good, do you think it’s as fluffy as it looks? I bet it is…”

He shrugged again and turned his attention back to the stage, wanting to soak in every detail for when he eventually talked to Tony himself. One day it would happen, he dreamily sighed. One day…

___

How and why had Wade’s crush on the Avenger started? He wasn’t fully sure. Tony wasn’t the first love of his life, that was for sure. But when you become essentially an immortal killing machine, well, you become pretty open minded in who and what you like.

To be fair, Tony Stark was an attractive guy, so it wasn’t exactly hard to have a crush on him. Born with a silver spoon, the guy must have never had a bad hair day in his life, and certainly no awkward teenage emo goth phase, at least not in public. And Wade would know, having spent hours upon hours looking at everything Stark related since he developed feelings.

And for Wade, anyone else in red head to toe naturally caught his eye. Spiderman was fun to patrol with and exchange banter with. Daredevil was a jerk…in a good way, but not a swoon inducing way like Iron Man. Plus, what was it Black Widow had written in the man’s initial SHIELD report? Iron Man yes, Tony Stark rejected? (Because when Wade meant he looked at everything Stark related, he meant absolutely everything.) Anyway, anyone like that was a perfect 10 in his eyes. Personality on the rough side, but people loved the public image? Yes, please! Wade assumed people loved Deadpool, there were certainly some fans of him, so that had to mean something too.

Did Iron Man know about him? Surely he did, he made the news more than enough times to not at least be on his radar. But did he like him, Wade wondered? The Avengers didn’t necessarily trust or believe in him. Apparently being a mercenary isn’t “hero quality” though Deadpool fought the good fight these days, thank you very much. Usually, at least…

Wade frowned at that as he stood in his favorite frilly apron cooking eggs one night. Or morning, it was one of those weird hours of the night/day that made his eyes cross if he thought about time too much.

He shook his head to focus.

“I need to finish my latest semi-heroic mission (contract, the voices reminded him) before seven tonight, since that’s when Tony gets to the arena,” he reflected as he stirred the eggs. “I can watch him stop for pictures on his red carpet before he goes in to change for the night. I wonder what he’ll wear tonight? Ooh, or will he show up as Iron Man?” Wade shook his head. “Duh, even if he comes in his flight suit he’ll undress to show off his expensive suit,” he reminded himself.

He let the eggs cook as he checked his employment details on his phone. “Probably not that bloody, but I’ll bring a towel just in case. As long as I don’t get stabbed or shot in the wrong place I can just head to the expo. Let’s see, I could lose a hand, but nothing with my feet, or climbing up high would be way harder than I need it to be…”

___

Wade sighed as he got home that night, groaning as he stumbled into his apartment. The job had turned out to be full of incorrect information and while it had not been impossible for him, it had been rougher than expected.

Bloodied, battered, and bruised, he collapsed sitting on his bed, sighing heavily as he took his Iron Man plushie into his arms, cuddling it.

“The bad guys kept me away from you!” Wayne told his stuffed Tony. “It took longer than expected, and I had to miss the expo! The nerve of them, trying to actually live and not just all die or run away in twenty minutes or less!”

He held the plushie at arms length, looking at it.

“What did you say?” Wade asked, as it looked back at him. “That’s right!” he agreed. “It is unfair that we only see each other from a distance. We should actually meet in person,” he said, nodding as the plushie remained silent.

Wade curled up with it again, laying on his side spooning it.

“Let’s take things to the next level,” he mumbled, as he fell asleep with stuffed Tony in his arms.

___

Wade put a new plan into action the next day. After all, he mused, why stop at only seeing Tony from afar at the Stark Expo? No, Wade would find Tony wherever and whenever he could!

First thing first, Wade needed to know the man’s schedule. It was not the easiest thing to achieve, but he knew people who knew people who knew people, and before long he had access to more information on the man’s whereabouts. Most of it was boring and nothing Wade wanted to truly interrupt, but at least it gave him more places to Tony-watch from afar.

He could now plant himself on different buildings and corners to watch the man coming and going from meetings, meals, and events.

Wade scowled at women who tried to throw themselves at Tony; had they forgotten the man had come out as bisexual, and that they were not the only ones he would be interested in? Did they really think they could catch the billionaire’s eye?

“Not that we care about his money,” a voice mused in Wade’s head.

He nodded, agreeing with himself. “Right! We’re doing this because he’s amazing,” Wade happily sighed, cupping his masked face in gloved hands as he looked at a magazine cover of Tony he kept with him.

“Deadpool, it’s so nice to meet you!” he imagined Tony saying. “No, ‘Wade, you’re so cool!’” He nodded again. “That’s better!”

“And if he sees you in person? Without the suit? You think he’ll like your ugly mug?” a voice challenged.

Wade internally scowled at it. “Tony is about more than someone’s looks!”

“Sure,” the voice sarcastically agreed.

“I’m handsome, as sexy as I’ve ever been,” Wade declared. “Just you wait!”

He pulled out a snack and ate it as he waited for his crush to leave the building he was in, checking the man’s schedule to see what the next agenda item was.

He also reviewed the mental dossier he kept (along with the two binders’ worth of information and scrapbooking he had at his apartment) to review other things he knew about him. Favorite foods, sports teams, movies, likes and dislikes. Preferred fighting style as both Iron Man and as Tony Stark. Favorite places to go for work, play, training, and whatever else. Wade would have to start to experience some of these himself, so that they could totally bond over it, as well as introduce Tony to his own preferences.

But the overall creme de la creme would be Stark Tower (because why call it Avengers Tower when all Wade cared about was Tony?).

“How do I get into you?” Wade muttered to himself as he looked at the building one night while sitting on a rooftop several blocks away. The tower sang its siren song to him, but he knew that it was impenetrable. Others with better technology than he had tried, and no individual hacker wanted to attempt it. One day Wade had strolled in wearing regular clothes to scope out the lobby, but it only showed that he needed a high class guest ID card issued there to enter, and it turned out to be harder than expected to get that. So that was out of the question…

However, seeing as Wade wasn’t the only hero in New York City, he tried to use that to his advantage. Imagine his surprised Pikachu face when Captain America was friendly but not exactly supportive of him coming to the tower. Black Widow had tried to shoot him (Wade knew they’d become fast friends one day after that), and Bucky Barnes had just ignored him.

So, Wade turned to the only one on the team who was friendly to him, Spiderman.

“Webs, just get me in, I have to meet Tony!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, the team isn’t that fond of you,” Spiderman had cautiously replied.

“I can’t imagine why,” Wade gasped.

“Well, you did kill twenty guys last week…”

“They were international arms dealers with a hit placed on them,” Wade argued, but received an unimpressed masked look. “Okay, I mean, they were really bad people and I did keep ten alive, it’s not my fault that some of them didn’t dodge my bullets.” He paused at the other man’s gaze. “Or katanas. Or grenades. Or my favorite knife…okay, okay, sheesh,” he sighed. “But come on, Tony and I are meant to be!”

“Meant to be what?”

“Together!” Wade declared, pulling Spiderman into his side, an arm around narrow shoulders as he waved ahead of them with a gloved hand. “Deadpool and Iron Man, saving the world! Then Tony and me, hand in hand in Central Park! Can’t you just see it?”

“No,” Spiderman said, shaking his head. “Not at all. Isn’t he dating Peppers Potts?”

Wade gasped and moved away. “No! They’re just really good friends and Tony takes advantage of her administrative support sometimes, to her chagrin.”

“That’s…a lot of information to process,” Spiderman mused. “And how do you even know that? Wait, I don’t think I want to know.”

“I know all about Tony,” Wade sighed happily.

“Stalker much?”

“Just a little,” Wade whispered. “But I do it from a distance, so it’s okay. So, Spidesy my Spidesy, are you going to help? Put in a good word or two for me?”

“Probably not,” Spiderman said, shooting webs out to start to ascend a building.

“That wasn’t a full no!” Wade cheerfully called out. “Thank you!” he added, though he received no response. “Progress!”

____

Tony’s schedule involved a lot of Pepper’s schedule, Wade realized, and he found himself learning more and more about her. Sometimes, if Tony wasn’t really going to be out and about, Wade would keep an eye on Pepper (because as Tony’s right hand woman, why not?) while daydreaming about surprising Tony while he worked in his labs, bringing him a favorite coffee or muffin. Then Wade would spin around in a chair to amuse himself while Tony worked, listening to music together, and they’d watch (re-watch) favorite movies in the evening while they cuddled and ate popcorn! Amazing!

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and sighed, that was in the future, this was now.

Wade frowned and tugged his baseball cap down more over his face, his black hood from his sweatshirt pulled over that as well. It was nighttime, and he had dared to be out in public as himself while he kept an eye on Pepper as she was at a newly opened restaurant. Tony had the day blocked off to work on a project in the tower, and Wade had been itching to get out of his apartment. While he hadn’t wanted to be on patrol per se, Pepper Patrol was a fun option, so here he was.

A light rain started to fall and he sighed. Maybe he’d head home soon, he thought as he leaned against a lamppost across the street and down a ways from where Pepper was, his red scooter parked next to him. Pick up some Thai food on the way and watch a Disney film…

He pulled out his phone to check the cable listings, sometimes liking flicking channels more than just streaming something, but his years of training alerted him to…something.

Glancing up slightly, Wade noticed two black cars were now parked right outside of where Pepper was dining, but that didn’t really strike him as unusual, as other cars were parked along the street. His eyes darted this way and that as he continued to take stock of his surroundings. A few burly men were dotted here and there, that was new, he thought to himself. A young couple passed by behind him, giggling about something, and his eyes narrowed as he looked at his phone. It was a public street, and not empty, but for the other men to just be…seemingly stationed…well, something didn’t sit right with him. Was he being paranoid, he wondered? Maybe, the voices cheerfully offered!

Wade tucked his phone into his pocket and mentally ran through the weapons on his body, hoping that he wouldn’t be taking any bullets tonight. He was wearing one of his favorite Iron Man shirts underneath his hoodie, and really didn’t want to mess it up!

A few moments later and Pepper’s driver arrived, but Wade tensed up when he realized that the cars he had taken notice of were essentially blocking her car from driving right up. Time seemed to slow when Wade realized, too late it seemed, that the restaurant's valet was gone, as surely the man wouldn’t have allowed the two cars to idle there and block patrons’ cars?

“Shit,” Wade cursed, as he began to walk towards the restaurant, keeping to his side of the street. He had to wait and see what would happen, as he couldn’t alert her driver to…to what? He had no evidence. Maybe the burly men were waiting for their own boss people in the restaurant. Or maybe they were waiting for her, Wade realized, as she exited the building as her driver left the car with lights blinking, umbrella in hand as he hurried to escort Pepper to the car just as the bigger men moved in.

Wade darted across the street, sliding over the hood of the car, made easier by the rain.

“No one’s even noticing my super cool superhero move!” he muttered to himself as Pepper and her driver exclaimed in surprise as the men advanced on them, guns drawn, moving to separate the two.

“Oh no you don’t!” Wade shouted, moving to pull Pepper away from the man holding her, before throwing a punch to the man’s nose, breaking it.

Wade whirled around and kicked up at another man’s hand, getting the gun out of it before sparring for a moment with him, leaving the man in pain on the ground.

“He has a gun!” Pepper shouted, and Wade looked up as he drew a knife out, throwing it with deadly accuracy into the would-be attacker’s arm, leading to the man crying out and dropping the gun.

“Pepper, get out of here!” the driver shouted, as he tussled with the other two men, as people streamed out of the restaurant to try to help.

“Let’s go!” Wade shouted, grabbing her wrist and pulling her along with him, picking her up to run as she was unsteady in her high heels.

“Wait! Put me down!” Pepper yelled at him, but he just stopped at his scooter, got on, pulled her on the back, and took off.

“Hang on!” Wade told her as he began to zip around the city.

“Where are you taking me?” she shouted into his ear to be heard over traffic.

“The safest place for you,” Wade said, and ignored further questions as she gripped his sweatshirt for dear life.

All too soon, he stopped outside Stark Tower, staying on his scooter as she shakily dismounted.

He kept his face pointed to the ground and away from her, not wanting her to see him.

“Thank you, who are you?” Pepper asked, and he shrugged.

“Just someone in the right place at the right time,” Wade replied. “Get upstairs safe.”

“Come inside and talk to us,” she requested, but he shook his head again and began to set off.

“Thank you, again!” Pepper called out, and Wade couldn’t help but smile as he headed home, where he recounted the night to his collection of Iron Man toys, acting it out before flopping onto his bed, twirling a knife around his fingers absentmindedly.

“It would have been nice to have gone up, but what if I had met him? I’m not dressed for it!” he sighed. “This was the perfect start to a romcom! A meet-cute with the star’s best friend! But what to do now? I’m kind of in his good graces for saving her…but what to do, what to do?” he muttered, as he fell asleep trying to find a solution.

____

It took him a day to figure out what to do, while unbeknownst to him, Tony, Pepper, and Happy had reviewed as much of the action as possible through her accounts, her driver’s report, and any and all street cameras they could access.

Happy had been with Tony that night and was frustrated he wasn’t there to protect Pepper, but then again, no threat had been made against her or Tony lately, so this completely blindsided them. They had considered that her hero had been part of it, but considering the guy hadn’t even showed his face, given a name, or accepted her invitation to come inside the building, it seemed unlikely. Still, Tony used all his resources and technology to try to get something on the man, admiring his fighting skills as he watched security camera footage from the restaurant’s exterior over and over.

“The guy is good, really skilled. Professional,” Tony mused as robots hummed in the background in agreement. He flicked through more and more footage before he was able to grab a snippet of the license plate on the man’s scooter, amused by his choice in vehicle.

“Jarvis, get me any information on the plate, and see if you can track it after he leaves Pepper,” Tony said aloud, and the AI began to do as asked.

“It’s a false vanity plate,” Jarvis informed him, and Tony paused.

“That’s unexpected. This guy gets more and more interesting. Where did he go?”

“A large residential building, but there’s nothing further.”

“No video in the building?” Tony asked.

“Nothing. He enters the garage but no other sign of him is shown.”

Tony frowned. “A regular ghost, hmm? I’ll have to ask the team to keep an eye out…”

Just as Tony was learning all this, Wade was leaving a florist, having placed a large order. A staff member brought it to Pepper’s office several hours later, and Tony whistled as he entered.

“Who sent you half a garden?” he asked, looking at the large arrangement of mixed flowers.

“I don’t know,” Pepper said, looking for a card. She pulled it out but it was snatched out of her hands. “Tony!”

“Just helping you,” he said, moving away to read it. “‘Dear Pepper, hope you got in safely and aren’t too shaken up from the other night. I’ll find who did it and will leave them on your doorstep.’ Signed, Deadpool. Is this a joke?” he asked her, and she shrugged, eyes wide.

“I don’t know,” she said, looking at the card as he passed it to her. “Do you think it was really him?”

“I don’t know,” he repeated. “You’re staying in the tower until we know anything more,” Tony infomed her, as he walked out. “Jarvis, where’s Cap?”

An hour later, Tony called her.

“Well, you got your present, as expected.”

“What?” she asked, hanging up as Tony came in as he hung up his phone as well.

“We got a gaggle of bad guys dropped off in our lobby, the police are with them now. Kept saying ‘Deadpool this’ and ‘Deadpool that’,” Tony replied. “But they’re all wearing Iron Man masks, I kid you not.”

Pepper laughed. “Deadpool saved me, but could it be he’s also trying to get your attention?”

“Me?” Tony asked, surprised. “I mean, I know I’m handsome, rich, powerful, a mighty hero, philanthropist, and all around badass, but why me?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, why you?” Pepper sarcastically said. “So now what? We find him and thank him?”

“Maybe, but the Avengers haven’t really always played well with Deadpool…” Tony admitted.

“Now’s as good a time as any,” Pepper suggested, returning to her work. “So you’d better think of something.”

____

Wade smiled as he watched Tony give a speech at the Expo, wondering what the other man thought of the recent unexpected turn of events?

“Who’d have thought that my in could be with Pepper Potts and not Webs,” Wade mused to himself. “Did he put it all together? Does he like me? Is he thinking about me now? Should I have made a Deadpool doll and included it, like the Iron Man toys they sell here?” he wondered, tapping his masked chin. “Nah, probably too much too soon…”

Once Tony was off the stage, he resumed his current mission of finding a way to connect with Deadpool, ignoring the paparazzi as he got into his limo, Happy driving him back to the tower.

“Think, think,” Tony muttered, massaging his temples.

Who on the team could help? Steve had been unsure, Natasha had declined, and Bucky had stared at him before leaving the room. Rhodes didn’t have the intel on him but was supportive, Bruce was busy, and Thor was literally out of this world. What about…

“Peter,” Tony said, smiling at him the next day. “How are you, kid?”

“Okay, Mr Stark,” Peter awkwardly replied. “How are you?”

“Sad.”

“Sad?”

“Sad,” Tony repeated. “I’m trying to find a way to get in touch with someone, and so far I’ve been unsuccessful.”

“What?”

“I’m just going to be straight to the point. You wouldn’t happen to know where to find Deadpool these days, would you?”

Peter’s mouth dropped open and Tony smirked, he had struck gold.

“What? Uh, no, why?”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Come on, let’s not play pretend. He’s peaked my interest lately, and I want to say hello. So help us out.”

“Uh…I mean…I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Peter weakly offered. “He’s…he’s Deadpool.”

“And I’m me, what’s the problem?”

“He’s uh…and you’re you…and he’s…the Avengers haven’t really liked him!” Peter blurted out.

“So?” Tony asked. “We can change that.” He paused and narrowed his eyes. “Do you know who he is? His true identity?” he asked, but Peter shook his head.

“No, we only work together when wearing our suits.”

Tony nodded. “Well, arrange a meeting.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I want to meet him, so book it, schedule it, reserve a dining room, whatever he wants. Just let me know when and where to be.”

“Are you sure?” Peter weakly asked, and Tony nodded. “He can be a lot. Intense, you know?”

“Intense is my middle name,” Tony grinned, and Peter sighed.

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do…”

___

“OMG!” Wade squealed, picking Spiderman up and twirling him around as he danced in circles. “Tony Stark wants to meet me? Me? Moi? I’m so excited!”

Spiderman wriggled out of his arms, no easy feat. “Yeah, well, this is your big chance, so don’t mess it up.”

“Messing things up is my middle name,” Wade told him, and Spiderman cringed at the flashback to the other man’s similar comment. “But thanks, Webs, you’re the best spider friend a guy could have.”

“Don’t mention it, really, don’t,” Spiderman sighed. “What do you want me to tell him, where and when to meet you?”

“Oh! I hadn’t thought about that,” Wade said, tapping his foot on the ground as he thought. “Oh wait, I know! I’ll meet him at his Expo, in two nights. We can have whatever’s being served for a late dinner after his opening speech that night.”

Spiderman nodded. “Okay, I’ll tell him,” he said, moving to leave. “Oh, and, good luck.”

“Thanks!” Wade said, making a heart with his hands over his chest. “Love you!”

“No, just no,” Spiderman replied, shaking his head as he took off, leaving Wade alone in the alley.

“Me and Tony! Soon!” Wade happily sighed. “Good thing I have a contract to fulfill tomorrow to keep my mind occupied! But let’s try to not lose any limbs, okay?” he said to himself before wandering off.

___

On the designated night, Tony checked in with Happy once he was off the stage at the Expo.

“Everything set?” Tony asked, and Happy nodded.

“Area secured, no one else is there. Food from all of tonight's’ vendors in your suite.”

“Good,” Tony said. “Well, wish me luck.”

“You want me to go with you?” Happy asked, but Tony shook his head.

“Nah, I’ve got this. Take the rest of the night off, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And with that, Tony went to his suite, unsure of what to expect. He figured he’d get in and get comfortable, relax for a bit before the merc showed up, but to his surprise when he unlocked his very secure door, the man was already lounging on the sofa.

“Hello!” Wade greeted him through his red and black mask, sitting up.

“Deadpool,” Tony replied. “How did you get in?”

Wade shrugged. “I just did.” He patted the sofa seat next to him, but Tony moved to the bar.

“Drink?” he asked, and Wade nodded. “Anything in particular?”

“Surprise me.”

“Just like you did to me,” Tony quipped, pouring them both some of his favorite whiskey. He brought the glasses over and sat across from Deadpool in an armchair.

“So,” Tony began, taking a sip. “Thank you for protecting Pepper.”

Wade shrugged. “It was nothing, and finding their boss and the rest of the group was actually pretty fun.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “And just what were you doing there to begin with?”

“Just hanging out.”

“Just hanging out, outside on the street for thirty minutes?” Tony posed.

“You were watching me?” Wade gasped.

“No, but I did review security cameras. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure for a while if you had actually orchestrated it all.”

“I would do no such thing!” Wade replied. “I was there because…”

“Because?”

The room was silent for a moment, before Wade internally said fuck it.

“You weren’t there, so I thought I’d keep an eye on her.”

“What?” Tony asked, surprised, before composing himself. “Why did it matter that I wasn’t there?” he asked, before wondering if maybe Peter’s reluctance to have them meet was warranted after all…

“I’m a fan, your biggest fan!” Wade said, because why not? When might he get another chance to tell the man how much he admired him? (That’s putting it mildly, the voices reminded him.) “I have so much Iron Man and Tony Stark merchandise, and I come here whenever I can!”

“I think I’d remember reports of seeing Deadpool at the Expo, or anywhere near me,” Tony quipped.

“Well, duh, I don’t make it known! I have hiding places to watch,” Wade mused.

“Like?”

“Nope, not telling. But they’re out of the way and don’t hurt anyone. If anything, were someone to use one of my spots as a vantage point to hurt someone, I’d take them out,” Wade assured him, gesturing to his guns and katanas.

“Nice collection,” Tony commented, and Wade mimicked fanning himself with his hands.

“Flattery will get you everywhere with me!”

Tony pursed his lips. “So this was all happenstance, rescuing Pepper?”

“It was. But I’m curious, why did you ask to meet?” Wade posed. “Not that I mind.”

“It was unexpected to find bad guys in my mask on my doorstep,” Tony told him. “It seemed like a normal next step.”

“Cheers to that,” Wade said, raising his glass and turning away to move his mask enough to quickly sip it. “That’s nice stuff.”

“I like it. So, who’s under that mask?”

“Straight and to the point, no playing hard to get, hmm? I like that too,” Wade mused. “It’s a secret,” he whispered.

“Why?”

“Because I’m too hot to handle without it. One look and I melt hearts, you’d die instantly out of true love.”

Tony laughed, making Wade see rainbows and glitter.

“Capsicle says you’re a handful,” Tony commented. “Spiderman seems flustered by you. Natasha just rolls her eyes when I bring you up.”

“And you?” Wade dared to ask.

The room sat in pregnant silence.

“I’m interested,” Tony told him. “A little spooked that you seem to know enough about me to know Pepper’s schedule, but we’ll talk about that later and discuss some healthier boundaries to set. In the meantime, our food will get cold, so let’s eat and you can tell me more about how you tracked down the gift you delivered us?”

Wade agreed and they did just that, with him covering any exposed skin with his napkin while they ate, talking first about crime, then the Avengers and Stark Expo, and Tony circling it back to the footage of the fight he saw.

“So, where did you learn to fight? Privately, military, what?”

Wade shrugged as he pulled his mask back over his chin and set the napkin down. “Picked it up here and there.”

“Where do you live?”

“New York.”

“What’s your real name?”

“Tsk tsk, Tony,” Wade chided him. “Thinking you can ply me with alcohol and good food and I’ll tell you what you want, do what you want? Because you’re not wrong, but I don’t know that I want to put out on our first date.”

Tony barked out a laugh, making Wade blush underneath his mask.

“This is the cheapest date I’ve ever been on,” Tony mused. “And anyway, this is a one-sided blind date, so I’m not sure it’s even a date. But it has been fun.”

“Yeah?”

Tony nodded. “You’re okay company, Deadpool,” he said, and Wade fought to keep from squealing like a schoolgirl. “Call me if you need anything or want to train,” he said, pulling out a business card and passing it to him.

“You mean that?” Wade asked, looking at him in surprise.

“Yeah. It’s a nice break from my usual company.”

“And this is really your number?”

“Try it.”

Wade did just that, taking out his phone and calling it, eyes widening when a phone in Tony’s pocket rang.

“See?” Tony said, showing Wade his phone.

“What about when you’re in your suit? Can I call you then?”

“Sure,” Tony told him. “You want to see it in action someday?” he asked, preening like a peacock.

“Do I?!”

“Okay, well, call me to patrol someday and we’ll see what we can do,” Tony offered, as his phone rang again. “This has been nice, but I have an interview to do in a bit and Pepper will kill me if I’m late.”

They stood and walked into the deserted corridor together.

“See you around,” Tony said, putting on his glasses as he left.

“Bye, Tony,” Wade sighed happily, watching him go. “Progress!” he cheered, heading home himself, where he replayed the meal over and over.

___

To Wade’s surprise, Tony was serious about his offer and they did begin to train and patrol together. This led to general banter when out and about, and while Tony tried to learn more about who Wade actually was, the masked man kept that out of reach.

Tony did try his best to gather any information through other means, but no one seemed to really know who Deadpool was, and his phone number was untraceable in terms of who owned it or paid its bill. How, Tony wasn’t sure, and neither was Jarvis. The most that Tony could do was trace it when it was used, which had led to the first time speaking by phone for a considerable period of time while Jarvis worked. Tony actually hadn’t minded, as Deadpool was good company even by phone. He was funny, and smart, and it was just a perk that Jarvis had confirmed the building that it was being used at, as Deadpool had claimed to be home.

Other long conversations were part of trying to triangulate the exact floor, if not part of the building, but only so much was really figured out, and even then Tony couldn’t pull up anything about residents of the building.

So much for figuring out who Deadpool was, but in the midst of that Tony had begun to form a friendship with the other man, enjoying the banter and opinions exchanged. Sometimes it was when Tony was working as Iron Man, other times when he was just himself. Pepper had even requested to meet Deadpool, seeing as he had saved her life, and once she got over the initial shock of being in his presence (he had at least left his katanas at the door), she was beyond kind to him. Soon she was more than used to his presence in Tony’s office, or his suite in the Expo center, learning his favorite foods and drink to keep stocked but still reminding him to keep his feet off the furniture.

And if the masked man was helpful in fighting crime in the city, well, that was a delightful advantage too. Tony never gave information to him, but he did begin to learn of Deadpool’s signatures in fights, or rather crime scenes. Wade, on his end, would kill less and maim and knock out more, figuring that Tony wasn’t the biggest fan of kill, kill, kill.

Were they dating? Wade knew better than to think that they were, but they were friends at least, and he reminded himself that friends were allowed to have crushes on their friends. As time continued, he realized that Tony probably wouldn’t ever see him as more than a friend, more than Deadpool, but it was better to keep Tony in his life in any way possible rather than risk seeking more and pushing him away. At the end of the day, who could ever really be interested in an ex-special forces soldier who was a little crazy, couldn’t die, and had a face like his, even if his body was smoking hot?

So, time continued, but so did crime in the city. Wade had accepted a Stark tracker to keep on him so that if anything happened Tony, if not the team, could assist, though Wade was unsure they would come through with that. Still, it was nice to have it, and when he was in his darkest recesses of his mind, patting the small tracker through his suit helped to ground him, and even let his mind wander into a happy place where he and Tony were actually he and Tony.

Wade recognized that this also informed Tony of his exact whereabouts when he was off the clock, a victory for Tony if there ever was one, even if he still couldn’t learn exactly who the apartment was rented to. Or bought by, it was hard to tell…

Contract after contract rolled in for Wade, and his life became a mix of patrols with Spiderman, doing his own dirty work, and hanging out with Tony, or even just long phone calls while home, perhaps talking about work, shared interests, or watching the same show or movie and offering commentary. This was especially helpful for Wade, as the contracts became more and more difficult. Gangs were getting ruthless, and sometimes he was lucky to have only lost one limb in a fight, but it kept things interesting for him so what did it matter? He would rest and recuperate at home, talking to his collection of Tony items about his day, or talking to the real Tony, and go back out when he was healed.

One rainy night, he sighed when he realized he had to skip the Stark Expo as he had finally tracked down a gang that had taken him two weeks to nail down.

Wade was feeling a bit tired and restless, as it had been long days and nights to monitor them, but tonight was the best time to make his move lest they pick up and run, again.

It was a long, drawn-out fight, and when it was over and done with, the warehouse was littered with bullets, dead bodies, blood, and stray limbs, including Wade’s left hand and part of the arm. His right leg felt broken, his suit was torn, and fatigue and shock were setting in as he collected and cleaned off his assortment of sharp objects.

Stumbling outside, he sat against a wall of the building in the rain, legs splayed out in front of him as he looked at the cloudy sky, searching for stars. His arm throbbed as the cancer worked to start to rebuild the missing limb, and his body grew colder and colder, though he knew he was in no danger of dying from it. Being miserable and not wanting to move, yes, but dying? Ha, as if!

He sighed wearily. This was one of the worst parts of being him. If he had planned ahead, he’d at least have a snack on him, but instead he’d skipped how many meals recently while tracking the group?

“Contract done, at least,” he said as he yawned. “Maybe I’ll take a nap, and dream about getting home and drying off…”

As his eyes weighed heavily, he looked at the sky again, rain spattering onto his mask. To his surprise, he was finally able to see a star.

“Ooh, a shooting star!” he said, smiling wearily. “That’s nice. But why is it getting bigger and bigger?”

His eyes widened when the star came towards him, and he realized it wasn’t a star, but instead Iron Man!

The armored suit landed in front of him and the visor moved back, revealing the concerned face of Tony.

“What are you doing here?” Wade asked.

“I thought something must have been wrong when you weren’t there tonight, you’d never miss chimichanga night at the Expo,” Tony informed him. “And you’ve been a bit out of contact lately…”

Wade shrugged. “I’ve been busy,” he said, gesturing with his lone hand.

“Do I even want to know?”

“Probably best to leave it for the NYPD to clean up,” Wade said.

“Are you missing a hand?!”

“It happens,” Wade said, shrugging and yawning. “My leg’s a bit wonky too. It’s nice to see you, Tony, but it’s been a long night and I’m tired. Growing a limb back really takes a toll, you know?” He yawned again. “I’ll call you when I wake up,” he said, and as his eyes closed, the concerned face of Tony grew closer, and his last thought was how stupidly handsome the man was no matter the time of day.

____

Wade woke and stretched, feeling much better. He now had two hands and both legs were firm and working. He paused, sensing something was off. He was in his room, and his bed, but it felt different.

The sheets were different, he realized, and not just different than what he had on. Different like ones he didn’t own.

He sat up, frozen from shock. His bed was made differently than usual, with new sheets, blankets, and pillows. And he was in real pajamas, expensive looking ones!

Wade heard a voice in his living room and slowly stood, grabbing two knives as he left his room, stalking down the hallway. Something delicious was in the air, and he winced as his stomach grumbled.

“I know,” a familiar voice was saying, and he paused. “As if I haven’t cooked in a while, thanks, Pepper. I’ll let you know if I have any problems. Uh-huh, okay.”

Wade’s mouth fell open as he walked further, finding Tony standing in his kitchen, cooking on the stove while he was on the phone.

As if sensing him, Tony turned and smiled.

“Okay, Pepper, well, sleeping beauty is up so I’m going to go. I’ll talk to you later, bye,” Tony said, hanging up. “Morning, sunshine. Well, early evening, but you know how it is.”

“Tony?” Wade asked. “What are you doing here? What’s going on?”

“I found you after your latest escapade,” the other man said. “And when you passed out, sans a hand, I brought you home to rest. Pepper helped to bring in the calvary to make a few upgrades, since your bedding wasn’t as nice as I thought it should be. Really, your thread count was atrocious,” Tony said, shaking his head. “I made souvlaki, if that’s okay?”

Wade numbly nodded, trying to process it all.

“How did you know where I live?”

“The tracker,” Tony replied, shrugging, before Wade cursed.

“My face! Shit!” he cursed again. “Get out, go away! Forget you know me!” he yelled as he ran to hide in his bedroom, slamming the door.

Wade’s heart hammered in his chest as he leaned his forehead against the door, eyes closed, groaning. How could he forget that not so minor detail? If Tony was here, and it was at least a day later (maybe more, really), then the man must have seen his face. No, if he was changed into pajamas, had he seen everything?

“No, no, no,” Wade groaned, ignoring the judgmental eyes of all his Tony and Iron Man merch around the room. The same merch that Tony would have seen, oh no! It was one thing to tell the man he was a big fan, it was another for the man to see it all…it was too much for Wade, and he began to plan for what to pack for an overnight bag to make a quick escape. No, more like a move away forever bag…

“Deadpool,” Tony said from the other side of the door, interrupting his thoughts. “It’s okay.”

“Who’s Deadpool? I’m just dead,” Wade called out. “Thanks for your help, now go away.”

“I don’t mind, whatever you’re embarrassed by. I’m flattered you have so many items with my face on it, just shows how much you like looking at me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

There was a long pause before Tony spoke again.

“If it’s your skin, I don’t mind that either,” he softly said.

“What?”

“Sure, it was unexpected, but it’s…fascinating,” Tony said, and Wade’s eyes opened wide. “How it moves, and grows, and changes.”

“I look like a nightmare,” Wade sighed. “I look like something was left out, went bad, wrinkled more, had an ugly baby, and that baby was born with wrinkles.”

“It’s unusual, sure, but you’ve got nice features. I bet you have a nice smile,” Tony teased, and Wade’s mouth dropped. “Look, I know there’s dissertations written about how much people think I’m vain, but I do look beyond looks. I like you for you, so I don’t mind what you look like, though really, it’s not bad.”

Wade narrowed his eyes as he opened the door slightly to look at Tony, who smiled his award-winning smile.

“I bet you’re hungry, since you regrew a hand,” Tony mused. “At least eat before you flee?”

“How’d you know I was going to run?” Wade asked, and the other man shrugged.

“I know sometimes running can be easier than talking. Come on,” Tony said, and Wade took a deep breath before following him back to his kitchen, where food that looked and smelled amazing sat.

Tony served them and they ate in silence, Wade glancing at the other man here and there, who just smiled or wiggled his eyebrows each time.

“When you said you like me for me…” Wade ventured after they had eaten, trailing off.

“I do. I think we’ve gotten to know quite a bit about the other since you rescued Pepper, all the conversations and working together. Pepper teases me about my crush on you,” he admitted.

“What?” Wade asked, surprised, as the voices in his head were too stunned to chime in, for once.

“Sure. Who knew Deadpool was a cool guy and fun to be around? Though it has been…unexpected…to only know that part of you.”

Wade looked away for a moment before glancing back. “Wade,” he finally said. “Wade Wilson.”

Tony smiled warmly at him. “Nice to fully meet you, Wade.”

Wade couldn’t help but smile back, and felt a weight lift off when it made Tony’s smile widen.

“So,” Wade began, “was it you who changed me into these pajamas?”

“It was.”

“And you saw…?”

“Everything.”

“Everything?” Wade asked.

“Everything everything,” Tony repeated, winking.

“And you didn’t run screaming into the sunset?”

Tony laughed. “You like me for my quirks, I like you for yours.”

“We’re a strange match made in heaven,” Wade commented, and Tony laughed more.

“Something like that. Now come on, you still need to rest, and we’ve got the next episode of our show to watch,” he said, standing and holding out a hand.

Wade accepted it, looking at the other man holding his scarred hand in his own, and Tony lightly squeezed it before leading them to Wade’s sofa, pulling a blanket over them as they settled in to watch, side by side.

And as he soon fell asleep, head on Tony’s shoulder, Wade smiled as he thought about how yes, the man’s hair was far softer than he had ever thought it was.