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It had been one of those days. Peter had spent hours chasing Doc Ock all over the city and hadn’t made any progress. His suit was damp, his hair stuck to his forehead, and he was exhausted, quiet, fraying-at-the-edges. Wade wanted to go with him, but Peter insisted he go alone. Doctor Octavius was his problem. And he didn’t want to drag Wade down, even though he did miss him today.
Peter stumbled into their apartment just past 10 p.m., expecting darkness and silence, maybe a handwritten note in crayon from Wade sprinkled with glitter glue on the fridge that said something like – Petey-pie-my-web-crawling-guy <3 <3 <3 Went out to get emergency tacos. Don’t wait up unless you want to be cuddled to pieces.
Instead, there was a smell. A good smell. Cozy, cheesy, buttery, oniony smell. A soft glow of fairy lights was flickering over the living room, strung all around like a canopy of stars. Two steaming bowls of mac and cheese sat on the coffee table, each topped with little hot dog octopuses.
Peter blinked. “Wade?”
“Mmf, there’s my baby boy.” Wade’s voice was a little muffled by the fuzzy pink blanket he was cocooned in on the couch. He was wearing Spider-Man jammie pants and a shirt that read, I Miss My Boyfriend. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in, woulda squeezed you with a big ol' I love you hug. Gotta little dozy after setting up for us. But! You’re just in time for the moonlight mac ‘n’ cheese cuddle sesh.” He patted the cushion next to him. “C’mon, I’ve been keeping your spot warm.”
“Just a sec, I smell… uhh—” Peter took a whiff under his arm, grimacing. “—not so good.”
“Petey-pie, you probably smell like justice and jelly beans.”
“What kind of jelly beans?” Peter called from the bedroom.
“Oh, the fancy kind,” Wade said immediately. “Like toasted marshmallow mixed with bubblegum and a little buttered popcorn. Gourmet. Sexy.”
Peter peeled off his damp suit and tossed it in the hamper, emerging in a pair of sweatpants and a tee with a graphic of a proton that said, I’m Staying Positive. He flopped beside Wade, instantly melting into his side. “Marshmallow, bubblegum, and buttered popcorn, huh?”
Wade tucked the blanket around them both like he was wrapping up the most precious package in the world. “I’d eat you.”
“Heh. Missed you today,” Peter mumbled, resting his head on Wade’s chest.
“Missed you, too, Webs.”
“What did you do today?” Silly question, Parker. Are we really going to do how was your day pleasantries? Besides, Peter didn’t feel up to explaining how his day went.
“Well, after missing you for five billion years, I watched The Notebook and then went on a Pinterest spree, and got some inspiration,” Wade beamed. “Ended up on some cutesy-wootsy food board where I found these little guys and thought they were perfect because I know you love hot dogs, and we had a box of mac and cheese in the pantry. Figured you could use a little celebration.”
“Don’t think I deserve much of a celebration,” Peter pouted. “I didn’t make any headway with Ock. He’s… still out there. Feel like I wasted my whole day.”
Wade pulled him tighter. “Bugaboo, my heart can only take so much sad kitten Peter. Besides, we have plenty to celebrate. We’re celebrating the most important thing: I love you. So there’s that.”
Peter's eyes softened, like a cloud parting to let the sun through. “You’re… the best. I just… didn’t know I needed this.” Peter blinked over at the bowls. “Wait. Is this supposed to be—”
“An edible metaphor? Yes. A triumph over your mortal enemy in meat form? Also, yes. Yours truly, trying to get you to laugh? Triple yes.”
“You made this whole thing just to get me to laugh?”
“Well, yeah. That and mac ‘n’ cheese is the only thing I can cook that doesn’t explode.”
The mac was warm, creamy, nostalgic, smoothing over Peter’s tongue and warming his insides, Wade occasionally making a hot dog octopus dance on Peter’s spoon until he cracked a real smile. When they finished, Wade gently tucked the bowls away and replaced them with both arms around Peter.
“You know what else I made?” Wade asked sweetly. “A playlist called My Spidey-Widey Deserves Softness. Wanna hear it?”
A little flutter filled Peter’s chest, and he nodded sleepily. Wade clicked play, and a soft, sweet guitar filled the room, the kind that made everything feel like it was in the right place.
“I don’t even fucking listen to Jason Mraz, but this song found me. Just like you did, bug.” Wade interlaced his fingers with Peter’s. “I’m better with you, I’m better with you-ooh-ooh-ooh-oooh.”
Peter sighed the entire day out of him and let himself go boneless against Wade’s chest. “Love you.”
Wade’s stomach did a little flip. In a good way and not the ‘I ate bad taco shop’ way. He kissed Peter’s curls. “More than mac and cheese?”
“Even with the octopus hot dogs.” Peter paused, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Wade. “I think I know how I’ll get him tomorrow.”
“Oh? How, my sweet little spider succulent?”
“You’re coming with me,” Peter said, then paused. “I’m better with you, I’m better with you,” he singsonged, just to see if Wade’s face would do that soft, melty thing.
It did. Maybe today wasn’t so bad after all.