Chapter Text
Steve sat in the middle of the living room, doing inventory with Natasha, Sam, Clint, and Bucky. They were surrounded by blankets, coats, bottles of water, food, and various other items that would be used for camping. There were even a few cans of gasoline.
"This is insane," Peter said when he walked downstairs with Wade, "This is literally insane."
"These were our conditions for you to go on this trip," Steve said simply, looking down at the list, "Charles thought it would be a good idea and I don't mind organizing things like this."
"There is enough stuff here to last for months," Peter said, looking around, "We're going for a week."
"Better safe than sorry," Bucky grunted.
Wade rolled his eyes and grabbed a bag of trail mix, going to eat it.
Bucky grabbed his arm instantly, using his metal hand. He gave the teen a withering glare, "That's not for you," he snapped.
"Bucky," Steve mumbled.
"Fine," Bucky growled, letting Wade's wrist go.
"You uncle is nuts," Wade said bluntly to Peter. He sighed and looked down when he saw his coat, "Seriously? Did my dad just give you my stuff?"
"Yes, he wanted to make sure everything was properly organized," Steve shrugged.
Wade groaned and went in the kitchen, "This is insane. We're going away for a week! It's not like we're going on a mission. Do you see us doing this when you guys go off on SHIELD missions? No."
"You're kids, we're adults," Nat said simply.
Wade rolled his eyes and so did Peter.
Peter grabbed his phone from his pocket when it started to ring and he sighed, hitting ignore and looking down at it.
"Hey," Wade said gently, touching his hand as he looked down at the phone as well, "Everything okay?"
Nat hit Steve's arm suddenly, causing him to look at her, offended by the hit. She gestured for him to look over in the kitchen area quickly and the others did the same.
Peter was looking down at his phone, Wade had his hand on Peter's, and their heads were ducked, almost touching foreheads.
"I think they're passed the age where the hand holding can be considered innocent," Bucky said bluntly, keeping his voice now, "Peter also has a boyfriend. A nice boyfriend, I might add."
Steve sighed, looking at his son. He shook his head and quickly went back to working on the list.
"What do you make of it?" Sam asked quietly.
"Peter should be with Wade," Steve said bluntly.
"Steve!" Clint said, his eyes wide, "You can't just...say things like that."
"It's true," Nat shrugged.
They all looked at her with wide eyes.
"I mean...c'mon," Nat said, sighing, "We've watched the kid grow up with Wade. He was always with Wade, all the time. He doesn't act like he does with Harry that he does with us and Wade. He tries to make himself different for Harry."
"That's true," Sam shrugged.
"Wade is also crazy," Bucky snorted.
"You're crazy and I'm with you," Sam joked, a smirk on his face, bumping his shoulder.
Bucky glared at him playfully and bumped him back.
Steve just shook his head, "Let's just get back to packing. I won't control my son's love life."
"He's just kind of pissed, I guess," Peter sighed, not pulling away from Wade as he shook his head. Wade made him feel so comfortable and safe, he didn't want to pull away right now. He'd been fighting with Harry for weeks about what seemed like everything. He kept telling himself it was a rough patch but the patch didn't seem to be ending anytime soon.
"His problem," Wade shrugged, "You made your decision about what you wanted to do during break. He doesn't get to dictate what you do."
Peter nodded slowly, sighing, "He's kind of pissed Gwen wanted to go with us too. He said he felt like all his friends were abandoning him."
Wade shrugged, "MJ went with him and so did Flash. On top of that bastard Francis. He has all the friendship he needs," he snorted, rolling his eyes.
Ajax was basically Wade's enemy. They didn't get along, mostly because Wade found out his real name when he broke into the school's office and he called him that every chance he got. Ajax also beat Peter up when they were in first grade, causing Wade to beat Ajax up. They'd just never gotten along. Then, a few months ago, Harry suddenly started hanging out with Ajax after they were deemed lab partners in class. They became friends fast and Peter didn't like it, causing the first wave of problems.
The second wave started a few weeks ago, when they were planning what they wanted to do with their breaks. Harry convinced his father to let them use their beach house in Malibu and he said it would be great to get away from the cold. But Pietro had insisted on a ski trip because he wanted to try skiing. Wade had already pointed out that Peter's dads owned a cabin and Peter had already thought about asking. Harry practically threw a fit about it and Peter didn't know why. But still, he asked his dads, they eventually agreed, so Peter invited all of their friends at school and the ones who were still at home and not off to college at his neighbor's house.
Harry and Peter had a huge fight on the last day of school before break. A very public fight in which Harry called Peter's group of friends "a bunch of freaks." Peter walked away without a word and now refused to talk to him. Gwen heard the fight and called off going to Malibu, opting to go with Peter instead.
"You got insurance on this place?" Wade asked, interrupting Peter's train of thought, "It's not exactly wise to bring a blind guy skiing, Pete."
"Matt is more coordinated than all of us put together, you know that," Peter snorted, "Don't be so mean to him. I invited him because he's your friend. I want to get to know him."
Wade smiled slightly and kissed his cheek, "You're the best, you know that?"
"Obviously," Peter laughed.
"What the fuck?" Bucky mouthed to Steve.
"They've done it since they were kids," Steve shrugged, "You know that."
"They're almost adults now," Bucky snorted, "Do you know what Tony would do to me if I was doing that with you? Sure, I held your hand when we were kids, but I don't do it now," he glanced up as Tony walked in the door, "Watch," he said simply, grabbing Steve's hand.
"Hey," Tony said as he walked in, "Are you packing for everyone?" he asked, leaning over the back of the couch and kissing Steve.
"Yes," Steve shrugged, "I don't mind. We're all working together."
"Teamwork! Great job, Avengers!" Tony said sarcastically and then stopped when he saw Bucky holding Steve's hand, "Why?" he demanded instantly.
"See?" Bucky snorted, taking his hand away, "It's weird."
"What's weird?" Tony demanded.
"Look in your kitchen," Bucky snorted.
Tony glanced over and sighed when he saw them, "I gave up when it didn't stop when Peter turned thirteen," he shrugged, "He's not trying to jump him, I don't care anymore."
Bucky just rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say."
Peter sniffled slightly and shook his head, "I just want to stop fighting," he murmured.
"Hey, hey," Wade said quickly, "Don't start crying on me now, Petey. We're going to go have fun up in the snow."
Peter nodded and took a deep breath, "We should get some sleep. Long drive tomorrow."
Wade looked at him and pulled away, "Can we have tacos first?"
"No," Peter said simply, "'Night, guys," he called, walking upstairs with Wade.
"Does he sleep here?" Bucky asked.
"Yeah, sometimes," Steve shrugged, "We're pretty much used to Wade randomly staying the night now. He just does it when he feels like it."
"And you're just okay with that?" Bucky asked.
Steve shrugged, "Buck, it's been years."
"Harry isn't okay with this," Peter mumbled as he looked at Wade. They were lying in his bed together, facing each other.
"Who cares?" Wade snorted, "Does he think I'm going to try to feel you up? You're my best friend."
"Exactly," Peter smiled, "He just...doesn't get that, I guess. He doesn't realize you aren't like that..."
"He thinks I'm a freak, Petey," Wade shrugged, "Just like the rest of my family."
"He was just mad," Peter said quietly, "He's trying to get to me. He doesn't really think that."
"Really? Why haven't you told him about your little spider powers, then?" Wade snorted.
Peter glared at him.
"Sorry," Wade sighed, "He just...gets on my nerves sometimes," he smiled weakly, "But I'll deal with it for you."
"Thanks, Wade," Peter smiled.
"Anything for you, Petey," Wade laughed quietly, closing his eyes.
"Okay, so I packed four bottles of water and four bottles of trail mix in each of the kids' bags for emergencies. There's also a few cans of gas in Peter's trunk in case they break down or something," Steve said, listing off things to Charles, Erik, and Logan as they stood outside, "The house is fully supplied with food and a great security system. Howard and Tony designed it before Howard passed," he explained, "It's really great."
Erik just nodded, watching Pietro carry the bags towards his car with Wanda.
"Um," Steve pursed his lips, still going over the list, "So I have eleven down that are going on the trip. Is that right?"
"Well, five of those are ours," Erik said, seeming annoyed, "Who else is going?"
"Make that six," Alex said, walking out of the house with a bag over his shoulder, "I'm coming too."
"Oh!" Steve said in surprise, "I didn't pack you anything. I can go and get something-"
"Don't worry about it," Alex held up his hand, "I'm just going to keep an eye on them. Someone has to."
"That's very nice of you, Alex, but you don't have to do that," Charles told him.
Alex tapped the side of his head and Charles nodded. They exchanged a few looks before Charles finally nodded again.
Alex smiled, "See you guys next week," he said, getting in the driver's seat of his red Jeep. Originally he was loaning it to Scott for the week, but the more the anxiety gnawed at his chest, the more it convinced him to go with his brother.
"Okay," Steve cleared his throat, "So I have Pietro, Wanda, Wade, Alex, Scott and Ororo from you," he read off, "Peter is going...then I have down Matthew Murdock, Gwen Stacy, Claire Temple, Foggy Nelson...and someone scribbled Weasel on here. I don't know who that is but I'm assuming he has parental permission-"
"That's Wade's friend," Logan sighed, "He's fine, trust me, bub."
Steve nodded and smiled, "Well, that's it then," he looked around quickly and saw most of the bags were in place. Peter's new car that he'd gotten for his sixteenth birthday was in the front of the cars that were pulled on the side of the street. Wade was leaning on it as he walked to Peter. There was Alex's red Jeep that now had Alex in the driver's seat, Scott in the passenger seat, and Ororo in the backseat with Gwen. The twins were in the front seat of their silver car that they shared and fought over constantly. Claire had pulled up in her car with Matt sitting in the front seat and Foggy and Weasel in the backseat.
"I'll find out if you don't wear seat belts," Tony called, walking out of their house, "Everything sorted?"
"Yeah," Steve smiled at him.
"Do you know how long it's been since we had time alone?" Tony demanded, looking at Charles, Erik, and Logan, "Before we got that little shit right there," he said, pointing at Peter.
"HEY!" Peter protested, glaring at them.
"You know it's true," Tony said simply.
Alex put his hand on the horn, obviously impatient.
"We better go," Peter sighed, running up and hugging his dads quickly, "See you in a week."
"Call when you get there," Steve called after him.
"Got it!" Peter gave him a thumbs up before jumping in the car with Wade.
Steve watched them drive away with a sigh, trying to ignore the worry eating away at his chest.
"We're letting them go on a ski trip alone for a week. Didn't you see what happened when they went to the movies for one night alone?!" Tony asked suddenly.
"I agree with Stark...grudgingly," Erik added.
"We have to trust them eventually. Besides, they're older now and more responsible. Everything will be fine," Charles smiled, "They have their phones, if they need anything. We just have to trust them to take care of themselves."
"I can't believe they're actually letting us do this," Peter laughed as they drove.
"Hey, we're almost adults, Petey," Wade said, "They have to trust us eventually."
"It's still amazing," Peter laughed.
"Okay, so time to gossip," Wade smirked, "Guess who else is coming on this trip?"
Peter looked confused, "Who?"
"Remy LeBeau," Wade laughed, "Pietro invited him even though Erik hates the guy with a passion."
"My pops kind of wanted to know exactly how many people would be here, Wade," Peter said awkwardly.
"What's one more person?" Wade rolled his eyes, "We just have to make sure the two don't start going at it in your bed!" he laughed.
"Right," Peter sighed, driving. His phone started ringing and he cleared his throat, "Can you see who that is?"
Wade grabbed his phone from the console and snorted, "Harry again."
"Ignore it," Peter shook his head and smiled, "No relationship drama this week, Wade. Just relaxing."
Wade smiled and hit ignore, "Sounds great."
Alex sighed, following Peter's car as they drove, "Okay, I'm going to address the elephant in the room."
"We're in a car," Ororo pointed out.
"You know what I mean," Alex sighed, "Look, we're all suffering because Peter is wandering around like a depressed idiot because he's fighting with Harry."
"True," Scott nodded, "I think he ruined Gwen's shirt when he cried on her shoulder last week."
Alex sighed, "Wade's the problem," he said bluntly.
"Alex!" Ororo scolded.
"Hear me out," Alex said quickly, "Wade is the unintentional problem. He doesn't mean to cause it, as far as I know," he rolled his eyes, "He's basically our brother and I love him, but he's the main problem."
"How is he the problem?" Gwen asked.
"Gwen, come on," Alex sighed, "You're smart. How would you like to have a boyfriend who holds hands with another guy?"
"It's different with them and you know it," Gwen rolled her eyes, "They've done it since they were kids and Harry knows that. Wade is harmless."
"Hey, I'm just saying," Alex said defensively, "Their big fight is because he decided to come with us instead of Harry."
"Yeah, all of us," Ororo said, "Not just Wade."
"Whatever," Alex said simply, "Just an observation."
"I'm going to tell dad, you know," Wanda said as they followed Alex's Jeep in their little line of cars, "If he shows up here, I will tell him the moment we get back."
"Go for it," Pietro said simply, "I don't care. What's he going to do? Ground me? I'm an adult, Wanda."
"Pietro," Wanda sighed, "He worries about you."
"I don't know why," Pietro snorted
Wanda glanced over at him and sighed.
Good, she thought to herself. It was good he didn't remember.
"I think skiing is good idea," Matt explained as they drove, "Everyone will have a lot of fun. I like the cold anyways."
"I still think we should have went somewhere that you could have actually done something," Claire pointed out, "I mean...it's great they invited us, but..."
"Oh please," Foggy snorted from the backseat, "Matt would probably ski better than most of us if he really wanted to."
"I don't need to scare everyone," Matt laughed quietly, putting his head back, "I'll enjoy myself."
"Good," Weasel said simply and unbuckled his seat belt. He leaned up and turned the radio up full blast.
Matt's hands instantly went up to his ears, clasping his hands over them tightly and wincing.
"WEASEL, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Claire yelled at him and turned it down. She shoved him back in his seat, a glare on her face. She glanced over at Matt, "Matt, are you okay?"
Matt kept his hands over his ears, but managed to hear her. He shook his head no quickly.
"We need to stop," Claire said. She honked the horn on the car and pulled over quickly. She got out quickly and went to Matt's side of the car and helped him out, "Do you just need some air?"
"Yeah," Matt nodded, still wincing slightly at the ringing he felt in his ears. Without his sight, his sense of hearing was stronger than most people, causing him to have sensitive ears at times. It didn't help him very much in school, with the bells going off.
"What's going on?" Alex demanded when the other three cars pulled over. He was the first to get out and walk over.
"Weasel is a damn moron who decided to turn the radio up full blast," Claire snapped, "Put him in a different car and keep him away from me so I don't break his nose."
Matt laughed weakly, "Claire, calm down. I'm fine."
"What's going on?" Peter asked, getting out of the car with Wade.
"Weasel is riding with you now," Claire said simply, helping Matt back into the car.
"Uh...okay," Peter said, looking confused, "Did something happen?"
"I was just playing around," Weasel groaned.
"OUT!" Claire yelled.
Weasel quickly got out of the car and ran to Peter's car.
"Let's get going," Alex said quickly, going to get in his Jeep. He laughed quietly, "Weasel, you're lucky she didn't deck you."
"I didn't know that would happen!" Weasel called as he ran to the car.
- Stark Cabin
"Holy shit," Wade laughed when they walked inside as he carried three bags easily, "This place is huge. Why didn't you bring us here sooner?"
"Because we were destructive kids," Peter laughed, "I didn't want you guys to break anything-"
Wade's bag bumped the table as he walked passed and the lamp fell off the table. The glass base shattered all over the floor and the bulb broke.
Peter sighed, "Wade, come on."
"I'll clean it up," Wade sighed, "Everyone keep your shoes on and don't touch the glass. Someone steer Matt away from it."
"I know where it's at, Wade," Matt laughed, "You're the only one running into things here."
"Hey, I worry about you, little buddy," Wade shrugged.
Peter swore he saw Matt roll his eyes under his red glasses.
"Scott, watch the glass," Alex said quickly.
Wade rolled his eyes as he cleaned up the glass, "Chill out, Alex. I have it."
"There's rooms upstairs," Peter told them, "I think there's enough...a few people might have to share or just sleep down here-"
Most of them headed upstairs before he even finished his sentence.
"Here, Wade, don't cut yourself," Peter sighed, grabbing a bag from under the sink in the kitchen area.
"Thanks," Wade said simply, "I'd heal instantly, but it's a nice thought," he laughed, putting the shattered glass in the bag, "Sorry about the lamp."
Peter shrugged, "It's just a lamp, Wade."
Wade smiled at him and quickly looked away. He took the bag from him and tied it before throwing it in the trash, "Don't forget to call your dads."
"Got it," Peter said, taking out his phone. He sighed, running his hand through his hair, "Fuck."
"What is it?" Wade asked.
"Ten missed calls from Harry," Peter sighed, sounding frustrated as he sat down on the couch, "I want to make up with him just...not yet. Is that stupid?"
"No," Wade said, walking over, "Not stupid at all, Petey. He's the one that messed up. He deserves a little silent treatment for a while," he sat down beside him and put his hand on his shoulder, "Call your dads then shut the thing off. They know my number if they need anything."
"Good idea," Peter bit his lip, scrolling through his texts. He had one from MJ, letting him know that they made it to Malibu okay. There were tons from Harry, mostly ones that were apologizing. There was a text from his pops, letting him know that his room was a mess and he was cleaning it since he was gone. Then a text from his dad telling him he found lotion under his bed and a thumbs up emoji.
Peter groaned, putting his head in his hands and dropping his phone.
"Hey," Wade wrapped his arms around him. He pulled him back so they were leaning back against the soft cushions of the couch, "Just relax, Petey. We're here in the snow, it's the holidays soon, and we're going to have tons of fun. No worries here."
"I guess," Peter sighed, leaning against him.
Alex walked downstairs and rolled his eyes. He snapped a picture on his phone so he could rub it in their faces because he told them that Wade was the problem. He loved Wade, he really did. He'd practically grown up with him and treated him like a brother.
But he was so stupid.
"Is all the glass cleaned up?" Alex asked, clearing his throat.
"Yeah, dusted my hand across the floor and everything," Wade said, pulling away from Peter.
Peter got up and walked out on the porch to call his dads.
"Wade, we should really talk about Peter," Alex sighed, "Look, I'm your brother and I love you. I'm saying this for your own good-"
"NEVER FEAR!" someone said, practically kicking open the door, "REMY IS HERE!"
"Fuck," Alex sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Pietro ran downstairs, practically in a blur as he did. The silver on his jacket and the silver hair making is just seem like a gray blur. He jumped on Remy and wrapped his legs around his waist, wrapping his arms around his neck, "Remy!"
"Remy missed you so much, cher!" Remy said loudly, dropping his bags and moving so Pietro's back was against the wall as they kissed deeply.
"I'm calling Erik," Alex snapped.
"ALEX!" Pietro yelled, his head falling back against the wall as Remy held his weight easily, "Just let me HAVE THIS! You can tattle like a five year-old when we get back."
Alex ran his hand through his blond hair.
"I'd do the same for you, y'know," Pietro pointed out.
Alex sighed, "Fine. I'm telling him when we get back."
"Thank you," Pietro breathed out before smashing his lips against Remy's again.
"Okay, I called my parents and yours- oh," Peter said when he saw Pietro and Remy making out, "Should we give them...privacy?"
"Get a room," Alex snapped, "Now. Before I lose my patience."
"What patience?" Pietro snorted, letting go. He smirked and grabbed Remy's hand, "I have a room to myself. Let's go," he said, dragging him upstairs.
Alex rolled his eyes.
"What did you need to talk to me about?" Wade asked.
Alex sighed, "Nothing. I'm going to go and unpack."
"You sure you don't want to come out?" Ororo asked, looking at Peter, Wade, and Matt. They were all getting ready to go outside to ski, aside from Pietro and Remy. They didn't expect to see them anytime soon.
"I'm sure," Peter smiled, "We're going to make pizza for dinner and keep Matt company."
Wade watched as Alex took out something from a box with the STARK logo on it as he sat beside Matt, looking over at them from the back of the couch, "What's that?"
"Mr. Stark made Scott some goggles for skiing," Alex explained, "His glasses could fall off if he wrecks or something...which he's not going to do, right?"
"Right," Scott nodded.
Wade rolled his eyes, still watching.
"Eyes closed," Alex said, taking Scott's glasses off when he was sure they were closed. He helped him put his goggles on and tightened the strap so they didn't fall off, "Too tight?"
"All good," Scott told him, smiling, "This is so cool. I should wear these all the time!"
"Dorky, but okay," Wade rolled his eyes.
"They aren't dorky," Alex snapped at him. He looked over everyone, "Okay. Let's get going."
Claire kissed Matt's cheek, "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"
"I'm not a baby, Claire," Matt laughed, "I'll be fine...I'll help make pizza. Just have fun and make sure Foggy doesn't hit a tree."
"I'm not going to hit a tree," Foggy snorted.
"He's going to hit a tree," Matt whispered to Claire.
Claire laughed and patted his shoulder, walking out with the others.
"Let's make tacos," Wade said excitedly, leaning his head back so he was looking at Peter upside down.
"I already said pizza, Wade," Peter laughed, walking over and messing with Wade's hair, "You look like such a dork right now."
Matt looked confused, listening. He cleared his throat, "Anything I can do to help?"
"No, don't worry, we have it," Peter smiled.
"Peter," Matt sighed, "I know we don't hang out as much as I hang out with Wade, but I think we should. But you should know that I am not delicate and you don't have to act like I'm incapable. Everyone does that, it's annoying," he said, standing up, "So let's cook dinner."
"He has it, Petey, trust me," Wade smiled, patting his hand as he stood up as well, "Let's get cooking-" he sighed when his phone started ringing, "You two get started. It's probably the superdads," he said, answering it without looking at the ID, "Hello?"
"Wade," Harry cleared his throat, "It's Harry."
Wade glanced over at where Peter and Matt were in the kitchen. He walked outside in the cold and shut the door behind him, "Surprised you'd want to talk to a freak like me," he smirked.
"Look," Harry sighed, "I am...really sorry. I was just mad and it slipped out. It was so stupid...I don't think you're freaks, Wade."
"You look," Wade said quickly, "This is going to be a fun week for Peter. We're going to have fun with no relationship drama. So you can talk to him when we come back on Monday morning."
"Okay," Harry sighed, "Just keep your hands to yourself, Wade."
Wade narrowed his eyes, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.
"Nothing," Harry said simply.
"Have fun with Francis, Harry," Wade said simply.
"Ajax," Harry corrected.
Wade snorted and hung up.
Wade glared down at the phone, "Fucking asshole," he growled. He leaned back on the railing of the porch and took a few deep breaths. He really regretted telling Peter he wouldn't smoke anymore.
He hated Harry for petty reasons, in his mind. He'd come to the conclusion years ago that he really loved Peter. It had moved beyond a childhood crush and became something more. He was in love with Peter Stark-Rogers and he was sure of it. He was also sure that Harry was a relatively good person and would be better for Peter than he would.
Wade sighed, shaking his head. He froze when he heard something in the trees and whipped around. He leaned over the barrier, looking around curiously. He didn't see anything and he suddenly wished he'd inherited his dad's more animalistic side rather than his healing abilities.
He shook his head and walked back inside, closing the door.
"Everything okay?" Peter asked.
"Telemarketer," Wade said simply, "I had to terrorize them."
"Wade, you're so mean," Peter laughed, turning his back to get in the fridge.
Wade rolled his eyes when Matt mouthed "liar" at him and really wanted to punch the little asshole for having such good hearing.
"Can you believe it?" Wade laughed, coming to help him, "I bet no one expected this! Team Red together at last! I bet they didn't expect you, Matt."
"What are you talking about?" Matt asked.
"Nothing," Wade shrugged.
Wade was sitting on the couch in between Matt and Peter, watching a movie on TV. It was some romcom he wasn't really paying attention to. They were eating pizza, still waiting on the others to come in. He wasn't worried about anything happening. Alex wouldn't let them stay out too long.
He froze when a smell hit his nose, "Son of a bitch," he sighed and glanced over at Matt.
"I smell it," Matt confirmed as if he sensed Wade's eyes on him.
Peter wrinkled his nose, "What's that smell?"
Wade sighed, "I'll be right back," he said, walking upstairs. He listened around until he heard Remy and Pietro giggling. He slammed open the door, "Cover up, boys!"
"Wade!" Pietro yelled, pulling the blankets up quickly.
"Okay," Wade snapped, "You're going to open some windows...I don't care how cold your naked asses get," he told them, "This is Pete's parents house! Like...Captain America and Iron Man! You're smoking weed in their house!"
"It's fine, Wade," Pietro groaned, "Chill out. It goes right through me. It only lasts for like...ten minutes 'cause of the fast system thingy-"
"That doesn't matter, dumbass," Wade snapped, "Think about this: Alex is going to come in and smell weed. He definitely knows Peter wouldn't do it or let me do it and I doubt he's going to blame Matt."
Pietro's eyes widened.
"So either he's going to beat your ass or he's calling Erik," Wade said, "Not sure which is worse. So I suggest you figure something out," he said before walking out and slamming the door.
"Is everything okay?" Peter asked when he walked downstairs.
"Everything is fine, Petey," Wade smiled, sitting down again.
"Sure you don't need help there?" Wade smirked.
Alex was sitting in front of the fireplace, trying to start a fire. He'd sent everyone else upstairs to get out of their wet clothes from skiing. Peter had already turned up the heat the moment everyone came inside, but Alex was insisting on a fire. They had come inside about ten minutes ago when it started to get dark out.
"I have it," Alex snapped, "Someone go check on Scott."
"Aww, does wittle Scottie need his big brover's help tying his shoes?" Wade cooed then snorted, "Alex, he is sixteen years-old. There's a point where you have to stop."
Alex sent him a withering glare.
"Wow, Alex, I didn't think you'd have a problem starting a fire," Weasel said, walking downstairs.
Alex's head snapped up, his eyes full of so much rage that it scared Peter.
"Weasel, what the fuck?" Wade snapped.
"You told him?!" Alex yelled at Wade.
"Look, man, he's my friend and we were drunk-" Wade started.
"You were drinking?" Peter demanded, "Wade!"
"You don't fucking joke about that," Alex snapped, standing up and stalking towards Weasel.
"Everyone," Matt stood up, stepping between the two, "That's enough now."
Alex looked back and forth between Weasel and Matt. He could push Matt out of the way, but the kid was blind and then there was a the matter of Claire and Foggy and that would just result in...a mess. A mess with him looking like a total jackass. But he really wanted to punch Weasel.
"Watch yourself," Alex said before walking back to the fireplace, "Little bastard," he said under his breath.
"The pizza is in the kitchen, guys," Peter smiled at them when they walked downstairs. He glanced over at Wade sending him their we need to talk look.
"Later," Wade said simply, turning on the TV, "Okay, kiddos, we're watching horror movies."
"No," Alex grumbled, "I don't want any of the kids getting scared."
"You do realize you're not that much older than us and you still live at home, right?" Wade deadpanned, "You're not some big adult, Alex."
"You do realize I'm incredibly pissed off at you for telling some random guy, right?" Alex growled.
"What did Wade do?" Scott asked, walking over with a piece of pizza in his hand.
"Nothing," Alex snapped and sighed in relief when he got the fire going, "There. Warm up," he told him, patting Scott's shoulder before going to the kitchen.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Wanda yelled suddenly.
"What is it?" Pietro demanded, at his sister's side instantly with a mouthful of pizza.
"I saw something!" Wanda said, looking out the window.
"What?!" Alex demanded, running over to the window and looking as well, "What did you see?!"
"I don't know," Wanda said quickly, "I just...I saw something off the porch, out in the snow!"
Alex swung open the door and looked out off the porch.
The porch was on the second story and it had large set of stairs that came up to it. It was a precaution, in case the snow ever got too high. The downstairs was a large garage for all of the cars.
Tony Stark never really did anything mildly. It was incredibly lavish for a cabin that was only for vacations.
"I don't see anything," Alex squinted, looking around and listening.
"Hear anything?" Wade asked Matt softly.
"Let me go outside and check," Matt said, standing up and walking out the door, into the cold.
"What are you doing?" Alex demanded, "Matt, you're going to fall, go in the house-"
"Go inside and be quiet," Matt said simply, trying to listen, "And make everyone else be quiet."
Alex looked confused and nodded, "Whatever, man," he said, going back inside and closing the door.
Matt took a deep breath and listened. He heard the beating hearts and the murmur of voices from inside. He shook his head and listened closer, focusing on the outside. He heard the branches on some of the trees moving slightly from the wind.
The cabin was slightly out in the woods. It was relatively secluded and Matt knew there was a good security system running through it. He was surprised when he heard the snow crunching under someone's feet. He heard a heartbeat, going a little faster than what seemed like the usual normal pace for one.
Matt turned and walked inside, "I hear one person outside, in the woods."
"Son of a bitch," Alex gritted his teeth, "I'm going out there and I'll-"
"No one is going out there alone," Wade said quickly, getting up, "Ororo, Pietro, Remy, Alex, and Matt, let's go. We're going out there. The rest of you are staying here. You aren't in control enough of your powers to go out there-"
Wade would have suggested Scott but he knew Alex would rip into him.
"Matt doesn't have powers," Foggy cut him off, "You aren't dragging my blind friend out in the woods to talk to some stranger."
"I'm fine," Matt said simply, feeling around for where he put his coat, "Let's get going."
"I'm going to," Peter stood up.
"The hell you are," Wade snapped at him.
Peter raised an eyebrow, "You're not telling me what to do, Wade."
"I am right now," Wade said simply.
Peter grabbed his arm and pulled him into the closet. It was a large coat closet, but it was still slightly cramped.
"You aren't telling me what to do, Wade," Peter told him, "I'm coming with you."
"Peter," Wade swallowed, "I...I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you," he admitted quietly, "It could be nothing, I just...it's better safe than sorry, okay?"
Peter bit his lip, "Wade..."
"Just...stay here, okay?" Wade asked, "Besides, your dads would kill me if I let you go out there."
Peter sighed, "Okay," he said quietly, "I'll stay here."
Wade smiled, "This is kind of dumb, huh? Me, being overprotective," he put his forehead on his, "Who would have thought."
Peter laughed, "You've always been like this," he smiled at him.
Wade nodded and kissed his cheek. He almost kissed his lips. It was right beside his lips. Maybe he meant to and maybe he didn't...Wade wasn't sure. He wasn't sure what he was doing in the slightest when it came to Peter.
"Keep the others safe," Wade shrugged, "You're the best one for that job, Spidey."
Peter rolled his eyes, "Don't call me that."
He must have thought the closeness of it was an accident.
It was an accident.
Right?
Wade shook his head quickly and they walked out. He cleared his throat, "Let's move out."
"What did you an Peter talk about?" Alex asked when they got outside as they slowly walked down the steps.
"Just that he needed to keep his little butt in place or Iron Man and Captain America would kill me," Wade snorted.
"Right," Alex said, glancing back at the group awkwardly, "Wade, I've been meaning to talk to you about Peter-"
"This would actually work better if no one was talking," Matt said from the back of their group, "I can hear better if no one is talking."
Wade patted Matt's shoulder in thanks, "Okay, buddy, do the creepy thing."
"It's not a creepy-" Matt cut himself off and sighed, "Everyone stay quiet and don't move."
They all stopped walking and Matt even heard a few of them holding their breath. He listened closer and pointed straight ahead, "I can hear someone. They're close."
"Let's go," Wade said, grabbing onto Matt's arm, "Keep up, buddy."
Matt sighed and held onto Wade's arm as they ran.
Wade wasn't thinking about whoever was in the woods. It was probably just some hiker or something. He wasn't too worried. There was an actual ski resort about a mile away so it wouldn't surprise him if some kid decided to explore.
He was more focused on what he did to Peter. Was he insane? Wade fucking Howlett was a lot of things but he wasn't a homewrecker! As much as he didn't like Harry, Peter was with him. He always told himself that they were in high school and it would just end eventually. Then things would get back on track, he and Peter would get married, and that's the end of that.
Wade couldn't believe he almost kissed Peter.
Was he insane?
Well, yeah, probably. But that wasn't the point!
"Are we close?" Alex demanded.
Matt nodded.
"OKAY, ASSHOLE!" Alex yelled suddenly, "ENOUGH SCREWING AROUND! SHOW YOURSELF OR YOU'LL REGRET IT!"
Silence.
Pure silence.
Matt walked forward, listening as he did.
"Hey, there's a light," Wade said quickly, running over. He sighed when he saw a small building, "Goddamnit."
"What?" Ororo demanded.
"It's a fucking rangers station," Wade sighed, "Matt, you heard a rangers station."
"What about what Wanda saw?" Matt demanded, "I didn't...mess up. The source of what I was hearing is gone. This is someone different-"
"Can I help you kids?" a man asked, walking out of the rangers small station. He was dressed in a dark green coat with khaki pants and a pair of boots on. His brown hair was long and pulled up into a bun along with a beard on his face. He looked them over, "Where are your parents?"
"We're, uh...staying at the Stark place," Wade explained quickly.
"We thought we saw someone out here," Alex continued for Wade, "So we just wanted to check and make sure there wasn't anything out there."
"Nothing, to my knowledge," the man told them, "But I'll keep an eye out."
"Thanks, Mr....?" Alex trailed off.
"Rovia," the man said simply, "I'm here most of the time and someone else takes over the morning shifts. You guys are perfectly safe up here. You don't need to worry about a thing. Just have fun."
"Uh...thanks, dude," Pietro said quickly. He watched as the man walked back inside and turned to Remy, "Man buns are a crime against humanity."
"That's very rude," Remy rolled his eyes and put his arm around him, "Can we get back inside? It's starting to get cold and my idiot boyfriend wanted to only wear a jacket."
Pietro glared at him slightly, "Don't be rude, Remy."
"Yeah, let's get out of here," Alex grumbled, starting to walk back towards the cabin.
"Wade," Matt stopped him, grabbing his arm, "Wade, I know I heard something. It was different."
Wade looked around suspiciously, "I believe you," he said simply, grabbing Matt's hand and putting it on his arm as they walked slower, behind the rest of the group, "They probably don't, but I know you, Matty. You're one of the smartest guys I know," he shrugged, "We'll keep a look out," he smiled at him.
Matt nodded, walking with him.
He wasn't able to see the scratch marks on the tree and it was too dark for Wade to see them either.