Work Text:
8 hours. That’s how long Spider-Man has fought to protect the public safety of the innocents today. He started his patrol at 10 AM and the crime has been nonstop. Robberies, illegal fronts, assaults, sexual assaults, it hasn’t let up.
Because of this, Peter is bruised from head to toe. A broken bat across his back here, a huge bruise from brass knuckles there, and yes, someone even kicked him in the family jewels. Multiple times.
Seemed like not only was the crime nonstop, Spidey was having an off day.
8 hours later, Peter can barely move or stand. He, however, finally found some time to breathe. Once it seemed like he wasn’t getting any more alerts of crime, he, very gingerly, swung onto a typical New York rooftop to catch his breath.
After landing on the building, Peter slowly walked to the air vent on top of it and leaned back on it, coughing as he did.
“God,” he muttered to himself. “why did you have to be so cruel today? Between my personal issues and now this, I can’t catch a break.”
Oh yeah. Peter has had some personal problems going on as well, mainly from this past week. The Human Torch and him had a minor falling out and Johnny hasn’t talked to Peter in days, his job working as an assistant teacher turned out to be a bust once again and they let him go, and now he has to find a way to make rent this month.
Typical Parker luck.
Peter groaned, a groan filled with physical and mental strain. “How could this day get any worse?” He asked himself quietly.
And then he spotted Deadpool on an adjacent rooftop. They made eye contact.
“No.” Peter mumbled in agony. “Oh god no, not now.”
Even though Peter didn’t want it, Wade didn’t know and probably wouldn’t have cared. He made his way over to Spidey and announced his presence in a dramatic fashion.
“Hey there hot stuff! Your big strong sexy Canadian step b-…I mean friend is here! How’s it hanging? Hah, get it? Cuz you’re Spider-Man?”
“Yes Wade,” Peter replied in pain, from what, at this point he had no idea. “I’ve heard that one a thousand times over. As for how I’m doing, be real, do you even actually care, or are you just here to make jokes and be loud and get on my nerves?”
Wade knew something was wrong with Spidey immediately. Yes, Spider-Man always made mean spirited jokes towards Wade, but what he said right there was harsh. Deadpool straightened up a bit while still maintaining his care free, playful tone, looking down at Spider-Man as he stood across from him.
He scoffed. “Well isn’t that just rude! Here I am, wanting to have a nice chat with my friend and he tries to blow me off, how phallic.”
Spidey was confused if Wade even knew what that word meant, but nevertheless, he groaned again before responding.
“Sorry, just a bad day, that’s all.”
Ah, Wade thought, there it is.
“Bad day eh? Ok baby boy,” Wade shuffled to sit next to Peter, for once actually letting him have his personal space. “I’m all ears, tell papa ‘pool what’s going on.”
Pet names. Why did Deadpool always have to use pet names? And why did he especially have to use that second one? Also, was he…caring? Him? Deadpool?
Peter’s mind was scrambled.
“I…wait- I don’t- I don’t understand. Are you trying to…listen or something?” Peter asked.
“Well what do you think? Of course I am honey buns!” Wade responded with a hum.
“Didn’t you once tell a girl, who was gonna jump off a building, that you quite literally weren’t the guy to help her?”
Deadpool was startled Spidey brought that up, but after a brief pause, he went on to explain himself.
“Yeah, I did. And I was mad that I had the right words for her after she left my sight…and then I stepped in dog shit but that’s not the point-“
Spidey chuckled a little. Dry, but his first laugh that whole week. This made Deadpool smile a little under his mask.
Wade continued. “What I’m saying is…I’ve been trying to get better at listening and…stuff. Hell, you’re great at it, you always listen to me on the very rare chance that I feel open that day…it’s- it’s inspiring you could say, and- god this hurts- maybe I can help you…if you let me.”
Spidey, even in his pain that was making it hard to think, could tell that Deadpool was being genuine. He struggled to get that message out, that’s not like your typical unfiltered merc-with-a-mouth.
Spidey groaned once more, wishing his healing factor would kick in already. “Ok…I’ll tell you. This may go very wrong and I may regret it, but…I uh, I appreciate you making an effort.”
“Don’t mention it, baby boy.” Deadpool took on an unusual somber, more tender tone. “Now then…how’s it actually hanging?”
Spidey told Wade about his bad week. His falling out with Johnny-
“The flames guy? You two are friends?” Wade questioned.
“At least I hope we still are…” Spider-Man responded with uncertainty in his voice.
The failed assistant teacher job, although the details were kept very vague to avoid any secret identity problems-
“Sorry about that. If it makes you feel any better…you’ve taught me some valuable…things.” Wade struggled.
“It…kinda does actually. You don’t have to go further, I understand.”
And the final, main issue on the web head’s mind…
“…I just don’t know how I’m gonna make rent this month.” Spidey could hear a shake in his voice and it annoyed him.
Deadpool, up until this point, had been doing a surprisingly decent job at listening. It left Spider-Man almost in complete shock. As Spidey kept going, the more and more he felt like Wade actually cared and that he wasn’t just there to annoy him or hit on him. It made the web head feel…like he was allowed to be vulnerable again, even if he hated the feeling.
“I’ll pay it.” Wade offered after a slight moment of silence.
“What??” Spidey was completely taken aback by Deadpool’s proposal, flustered even.
“I’m practically rich from what I do. You may not agree with it but…helps pay my bills.”
“That’s- that’s absurd I can’t take that blood money-“
“I thought you’d say that, that’s why I never offered. But I can tell, this time you really need it and I don’t want my precious baby boy out on the street.” Wade reached into one of his many pouches and pulled out a wad of cash. “Just a month. Just take it for one month’s worth of rent.”
Peter took some time to weigh his options. He had none.
“I…guess I have no choice.” He said, a feeling of guilt washing over him. “I’ll take it for this month. Thanks.” Spider-Man took the money from Wade’s hand and put it away.
“No problem webs,” Wade sighed, relieved. “if you ever need a place to stay too, you can always crash at my home. I hardly get visitors these days, so some company wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Yeah…got it.” Spidey scrunched up his legs and rested his head on his knees. He wasn’t looking at Deadpool anymore, as if doing so would cause him too much pain.
Deadpool couldn’t tell if he felt better or worse. He let Webs get out all of his emotions, everything that was bothering him, is he better? Or is he somehow worse? Is it Wade’s fault?
Wade, nervous, scooted a tiny bit closer to Spider-Man.
“Don’t feel bad about the money-“
“It’s not that.” Spidey cut Deadpool off. “I just…I understand that I can’t be picky about it, so that’s not my problem.”
“Then what is?” Wade scooted a few more inches closer, his legs nearly touching Spider-Man’s. Spidey didn’t seem to mind that he was doing this.
“I- it’s just- it’s been so hard. Between all the crime I had to fight today and- and-“
Ah…man. Wade thought. Is he crying?
Deadpool couldn’t tell completely but with the way Spidey was breaking down and how now he was starting to sniffle, it was his only guess.
“…I miss my friend.” Spider-Man managed to get out. “I just…miss Johnny. I hate that I ruined what we had and now I’ll never know if I’ll ever see him again….”
A silence filled the air between them. It was so quiet, all you could hear were the beeping cars from the city below, and the wind.
And Spider-Man softly weeping.
After a moment, Wade broke the silence between them.
“Do you need a hug?”
Spider-Man lifted his head up from his knees and turned to look at Wade, lowering his lenses. Wade couldn’t read the expression at all and he wanted to punch himself for asking that question.
Over the many months, as Deadpool and Spider-Man grew to know each other, the only kind of physical touches they’ve ever done were handshakes, high fives, Wade smacking Peter’s ass, (though that was a one time thing) fist bumps, and the occasional situation where one person had to carry the other.
They’ve never hugged, and even if they did, Spidey never wanted it.
And then he fixed his position and softly wrapped his arms around Wade, resting his head on his shoulder.
“Wow…” Deadpool said in surprise.
He put his arms around Spider-Man, reciprocating the embrace. They each had their right arm over the other’s adjacent shoulder and their left arm resting on their backs.
As they were hugging, Spidey continued softly crying. The tears stung like pins and needles through his mask. Wade sat there, not saying a word. He knew when he opened his mouth, he could and would ruin moments. He didn’t want to ruin this one.
The physical pain in Spider-Man’s body had subsided and his mind was clear. After a few moments, he spoke, still in Wade’s embrace, head still resting on his shoulder.
“Hey ‘pool?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. I mean it, thank you.”
Spidey had always thanked Wade in the past, he even did earlier in the conversation, but this one felt more personal to Wade. It was like he took a big step forward. One that actually mattered.
“Anytime, I mean that too. I love you.
”
“What was that?”
“Oh nothing, just the wind.”
“Oh…could we stay like this just a little longer? Is that alright?” Spider-Man questioned.
“Yeah…of course.” Wade responded with a weird feeling in his chest. He felt different.
He felt…warm.
And so did his baby boy.