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There was a pep to Wade’s step as he sauntered through the streets of New York City. Beams of light ran through the city as the sun set for the day. He was whistling a jingle to a commercial he heard earlier that got stuck in his head. For once in a rare blue moon, Wade was going out as himself and not Deadpool – which meant he was sans the suit.
Of course, he was still packing a gun here and a knife there. Just because he couldn’t die didn’t mean he wanted to be unprepared if one of his many enemies jumped him. He quite liked this shirt, thank you very much, and he didn’t want it stained with his blood. It was so hard to get out and that’s why he chose Deadpool’s ensemble to be a bloody-red.
Wade’s skin often caused people to give him a second look and that double-take was often found with disgust, pity, or a mix of the two in their eyes. As confident Wade could be, it still rubbed him the wrong way when so many people did it. In response to that, Wade had the hood of his jacket pulled up as far as it could to hide his face.
That didn’t deter Wade, though, as he continued to his destination. He was off to meet one of his favorite people in the world for a seldom drink out at a bar neither of them frequented. Both of their schedules out of the suits up and Wade had literally squealed in delight when the invitation out lit up on his phone just two hours prior.
The bar came into view and Wade put a little more speed into his gait. It was a dingy thing stuck between a bodega and a dry cleaner with an alleyway that Wade didn’t think to trust just a short distance away. That being said, Wade felt right at home.
Wade pushed his way into the bar and the bartender looked over with a bored glance before going back to serving customers at the bar top. Taking a cursory glance around the bar, Wade smiled when he found his target. Said person also looked up and held up a hand to signal Wade to come over to the booth he had chosen in the corner of the room.
Sauntering over, Wade played up the dramatics as he smiled at his friend. “Hey there, Spidey~” Wade cooed as he slid into the open side of the booth.
Peter wrinkled his nose and looked around. The bar’s noise level was too loud for anyone other than Peter to have heard him but he was still cautious. “Wade, you know I hate you calling me that when we’re meeting like this,” Peter scolded him, gesturing to the plain clothes he was wearing instead of spandex adorned with a spider’s web.
“And you know how much I like it when you call me Wade,” Wade flirted teasingly.
A snort broke through Peter’s nose, softening his features. “That’s your name.”
“Don’t wear it out,” Wade winked.
Peter shook his head with a laugh of a huff and took a long swing of his beer. When done, he motioned to the sealed bottle in the middle of the table. “Hope you don’t mind but I ordered you what I got.”
Wader gasped dramatically with his hands on his face. “O.M.Geee, it’s like we’re on a date,” Wade preened.
This time, Peter shot Wade a flat glare. Inconspicuously, Peter grabbed a peanut shell and flicked it so that it hit Wade in the middle of the forehead. “Be good.”
“I’m always good,” Wade said as he blinked innocently. He grabbed the top of bottle and popped the cap off, flicking it back at Peter. The webslinger didn’t even blink as he caught it and did an uno reverse by flicking it back at Wade. Again, Wade was hit dead center of his forehead. “Damn, you and that accuracy, Pete,” Wade laughed as he rubbed at his abused forehead.
“I’m just good at what I do,” Peter snorted. A sudden wave of sadness rolled over Peter and his lips dropped in a frown. Peter tried to hide it behind his beer but Wade caught it.
“Woah, woah, woah,” Wade frowned and poked a finger into Peter face so close that Peter had to cross his eyes to see it. “What was that?”
“What was what?” Peter asked, playing innocent.
“Cut the shit. It’s not cute,” Wade scoffed.
“Hmmm, I seem to remember a certain merc with a mouth that says I’m cute all the time,” Peter shot back.
“Don’t act like I’m the only one. I know about your fanclub,” Wade said. “Hell, I’m a member of the official fanclub.”
Peter narrowed his eyes conspiratorially at Wade. “…are you one of the admins of it?”
“Damn straight, I am,” Wade scoffed as if in offence and took a sip of his beer. “It’s me, that red head model of yours, and the rich boy with the daddy issues. We meet on the first Tuesday of every month.”
Peter rolled his eyes hard. “I should have never let you three meet.”
“Just wait,” Wade said with a dark smirk taking over his entire face. “I’m still trying to poach that matchstick you hang out with to join.”
“Oh god, the four of you together – my worst nightmare,” Peter shivered in fear playfully.
Wade felt his smirk fade into a smile but shook his head to clear it. “We’re getting off topic,” Wade said. He leveled Peter with a flat look. “You are upset. Tell me.”
“I’m not upset,” Peter protested weakly.
“And I’m a runway model,” Wade jeered. Peter’s face shown the internal battle he was having, not able to hide it. Wade took a sip of his beer as he waited for Peter to lose his internal battle and held speed along that loss by pointedly staring at Peter. Wade’s victory came when Peter sighed deeply. “There we go. Now tell your ol’ pal what’s eating at you.”
Peter pressed his lips together as his frows pinched together. “Did you see the Bugle’s newest story?”
Wade thought back and came up blank. “Can’t say I looked at what trash they printed today.”
Peter fidgeted in his seat. “They ran a story about how Spider-Man getting in the way of the real heroes doing their work. Said that I—Spider-Man was being reckless and getting people hurt.”
“You know that’s not true,” Wade scowled. Shit, he really hated that newspaper.
“Yeah, I know,” Peter murmured, his eyes unfocused. Condensation ran down the side of his bottle and he wiped it away with his thumb. “You all have drilled it in my head that they just run those stories for the ragebait tabloid profits.”
“And you best never forget that. But that’s nothing new and we both know it.” Wade noted, drinking his beer. “What’s really got your spandex in a twist?”
Peter sighed and stared at his beer, turning the bottle to unseeingly stare at the label. “I don’t know, Wade, it’s just…” Peter trailed off.
“Just what?” Wade pushed gently. Sometimes with Peter, he had to lead the conversation back to the problem Peter was having when he trailed off. It happened often enough when real life responsibilities started to become fuddled with the super hero life and Peter couldn’t figure out how to balance them.
“I don’t know how much longer I can do this, Wade,” Peter sighed deeply. He slouched in on himself like the weight of the world he held up on his shoulders for so long was finally breaking him down.
Wade put down his drink to give Peter his full attention. Reaching out, he grabbed Peter’s hand and squeezed it. “What’s going on? Do I need to kill someone?”
Peter rolled his eyes dismissively at the offer. “No, I don’t want you to kill someone.”
“I said need, not want,” Wade corrected.
“No, you don’t need to kill someone,” Peter corrected with a hint of a smile. Wade cheered inwardly at the small momentarily victory. Peter tapped the side of his bottle with a finger as he looked to the side, drifting away into his thoughts. “I just…I don’t think I can do this anymore. The city doesn’t need Spider-Man.”
Wade sputtered in shock and pulled his hand back. “Doesn’t need Spider-Man? What the hell are you talking about?” Wade demanded.
Peter slouched to the side so the hand that Wade had just been holding was propping him up by his chin. “No matter how much good I try to do, it feels like I do the opposite. I just keep making more enemies and the smear campaign against me just continues.”
“Uh, just to note there, it’s just the Daily Bugle that shits on you,” Wade added. He pointed the opening of his bottle at Peter. “I can burn down their building if it helps.”
“No arson,” Peter deadpanned, smacking away Wade’s bottle with his own. “’side, Jameson will just blame me for it anyways.”
“Yeah, he would,” Wade grumbled to himself. Wade would have done the hit on J. Jonah Jameson a long time ago if Spider-Man gave the word but, of course, the webslinger was a pacifist that didn’t want the one person that openly slandered him at any given chance -ahem- taken care of.
Peter took another swig of his beer. “I just feel like the entire world is against me, no matter what I do,” Peter admitted quietly, slouching more to the side so his arm was more of a pillow than a pillar. “Maybe it’s time to hang up the suit. The city doesn’t need Spider-Man anymore.”
Wade stared at Peter for a long moment. So long that Peter was getting concerned. Peter was sure that Wade hadn’t blinked once.
“Fuck, I do hate that Spider-Man!” Wade yelled suddenly, his voice carrying over the clamor of the bar.
Peter jumped at the yell and looked around. The bar had silenced at Wade’s proclamation and one-by-one, the heads of the New Yorker’s filling the room slowing turned towards Wade. Peter ducked down and used one hand to cover his face. “Dude, what the hell are you doing?!” Peter demanded in a harsh whisper.
Wade was undeterred and held his beer bottle up in one hand. “That Spider-Man sure does suck! Maybe that web head loser should just scurry back to his hole and stay out of the way of the real heroes at work!”
A beer bottle went flying and connected with the back of Wade’s head before Peter could even think about being offended by Wade’s statement. Wade was nonplussed by the hit and took a sip of his drink as the beer dampened the back of his jacket. In fact, he lowered his drink and took a sip of it with a smirk playing on his lips as he looked directly at Peter.
“What are you doing?!” Peter asked again in a whisper. Wade winked at Peter.
“You wanna say that again about our Spidey?” the one who threw the beer bottle growled, slowing standing up from his chair.
Another man from the bar got up from his chair and cracked his knuckles. “Ain’t no one allowed to talk about our Spider-Man like that,” the man sneered.
Wade turned in his side of the booth so he was facing the crowd, his arm laid against the back of his chair. “Your Spidey?” Wade snorted dismissively. His voice dripped with his extra asshole persona that he loved to play up to get a rise out of someone.
“Yeah, our Spidey,” the first man hissed. “You got a problem with that?”
“And what if I do?” Wade challenged, puffing out his chest.
“Then I think you better leave before we all do something you won’t like,” the first man threatened, gesturing to the room that was staring daggers at Wade.
“Wade, let’s just go,” Peter begged, grabbing at the sleeve of Wade’s arm still on the table.
“Hold up, I want to ask them something,” Wade said to Peter. Clearing his throat, Wade looked from one patron to the next. “So, I’m not from around here. Tell me what’s so great about that bug anyways.”
“What’s so great about Spidey?” a woman laughed from her table. “What isn’t great about him?”
Peter felt his cheeks go hot with a blush and he looked down at his lap. Wade grinned to himself in a victory but knew he wasn’t done. “That doesn’t narrow it down,” Wade pushed.
“You want to know why we love Spider-Man so much?” the second man scoffed. “Then you’re going to be here a while.”
“Spider-Man is the only hero that has cared about us little people from day one,” the first man started with a proud smirk on his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I remember when he first arrived on the scene. All snark and power but not looking down on us. He actually took the time to spend time with us when he wasn’t stopping thieves and muggers.”
“Spidey saved me and my nephew from a mugging that almost went deadly a few years back,” the second man reminisced fondly. “Then spent the next hour keeping my nephew entertained while I talked with the cops. Then, just because he’s that nice of a guy, he walked us home and he came by the next day to check on how we were doing and helped my nephew with his geometry homework.”
“I remember that,” Peter murmured quietly to himself. Wade still heard it but was certain that he wasn’t supposed to.
“My daughter got stuck in our apartment when a fire broke out two floors below us,” the woman added with a misting of tears forming in her eyes. “The firemen said it was too dangerous but Spider-Man still swung in to save her. He came out smokey and burnt but with her. If it wasn’t for Spidey, I don’t know what I would have done with myself.”
“I could hear crying in the building,” Peter murmured again to himself. He turned away to hide his blush. “I couldn’t sit back and let her burn when I could help.”
“And let’s not forget that even though he’s worked with the big teams like the Avengers or the Fantastic Four, he always comes back home to his roots and us,” another man said from where he was sat in the main area. “I can just tell that he’s a NYC folk, born and raised. The love he shows it is proof enough.”
“It’s my home,” Peter whispered so quietly that Wade almost didn’t hear it this time.
“And that’s just a fraction of a sliver of what Spider-Man has done for us,” the second man said.
“So,” the first man started as he looked down his nose at Wade. “You want to say what you said about Spider-Man again?”
Wade held his hands in surrender with an easy smile on his face. “Alright, you convinced me,” Wade said. He flicked his eyes to the side to meet Peter’s gaze. “Spidey is pretty awesome.”
Peter tucked in on himself more and looked pointedly away from Wade’s victorious grin.
“Glad to see we’ve come to an agreement,” the first man said. “Now, how about you get out of here before those that haven’t forgiven you yet for dissing our Spidey punch your lights out?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m going,” Wade said and dropped some money on the table for his beer. He tossed the rest back in one gulp and slammed the bottom of the bottle on the table. “Let’s go, Pete.”
Peter, after dropping a couple dollar bills on the table, slid out of the booth and scurried after Wade out of the bar. He gave them an apologetic grimace and incline of his head at the antics of his unfortunate friend. Just to piss them off a little more, Wade flipped the entire bar off as he left.
Just for that, a beer bottle broke on the doorway next to Wade’s head as they exited through the doors.
The darkness of the city now in the nighttime hours of the day greeted the two men. Cars honked a few streets over and smog covered most of the sky. Wade placed his hands on his hips and took in a deep breath. “Ah, gotta love the city,” Wade grinned brightly.
Peter groaned and shook his head. “Did you have to piss off the entire bar like that?” Peter scowled at Wade.
“Eh, it got the job done,” Wade smirked with a shrug.
“Yeah, and what was that?” Peter asked with his scowl deepening.
“You got to see how much just a teeny tiny percentage of the NYC citizens love their Spidey,” Wade grinned with his eyebrows bouncing. “And, trust me, that is how almost everyone else in the city cares about you.”
The blush that had begun to rescind from Peter’s face returned in full force. Peter ducked his face to hide it. Wade, of course, didn’t miss it and grinned.
Wade bent down and around to see Peter’s face. “You’re cute when you blush like that,” Wade teased.
Peter scoffed and covered his face with one hand, pushing Wade away with the other. “Alright, I get the point,” Peter grumbled.
Wade, snickering, stood up straight. “Still feel like the city doesn’t need you?” Wade asked.
“Are you going to piss off the entire city like you did in the bar if I say no just to prove me wrong?” Peter asked.
“Absolutely,” Wade answered immediately.
The sass returned to Peter demeanor as he cocked out a hip and placed a hand on it. “Then I guess I have no choice.”
“There we go,” Wade winked.
“Well,” Peter started and turned on his heel. “Where should we go now? I’m sure we’re not welcomed back there there…well, you aren’t. We’re starting to run out of places to go that you aren’t banned at.”
“You want to continue this?” Wade asked. He was sure now that Peter’s spirits were up again, that he would go off and do his own thing.
Peter shrugged. “We haven’t hung out as just us in a while. Good to take a break every so often.”
As if he angered the gods himself, no sooner than Peter finishing that sentence did a swarm of sirens fill the air. Both men looked up and saw the red and blue lights go zipping by off into the city. Wade snorted and jerked his chin at the back of the police cars. “What did you say about taking a break?” Wade teased.
Smacking a hand to his face, Peter shook his head. “I swear, the universe is out to get me.”
“You do have some of the shitiest luck I have ever seen,” Wade laughed. “Well, you going to go help?” Wade smirked, leaning back on one heel with his hands in his pockets.
Peter looked conflicted as he glanced between Wade and the siren lights growing farther away. Wade watched as steely determination settled in Peter’s eyes and took a starting step back from Wade. “I’ll text you when I’m done with this and we can continue at another bar,” Peter said.
Wade gasped playfully and poked a finger to his lips. “We’re continuing our date? How fun!”
“It’s not a date!” Peter yelled over his shoulder as he ran into an empty alleyway. Wade could see him pulling off his shirt that hid his suit underneath.
“So you say but I know the truth!” Wade cackled. Peter gave Wade a departing middle finger before jumping behind a dumpster.
Wade turned his back to the alleyway and whistled as Peter quickly changed, making sure that no one accidentally ventured in and saw the city’s favorite hero changing. Peter had gotten the art of getting into the suit perfected and not even half a minute later, Spider-Man was swinging away above Wade’s head. Spider-Man looked down at Wade for a brief moment and Wade made sure to blow him a kiss with two fingers and wink.
Wade stood there watching Spider-Man go swinging away on his web shooters until he was completely gone from sight. Even then, Wade waited until the thwwwps of his web strands couldn’t be heard. The entire time, Wade watched as civilians noticed the webslinger above their head and how they cheered his name and waved at him. Spider-Man waved to as many as possible on his way.
Shaking his head, Wade turned on his heel to make his way away from the alleyway. He pulled out his phone to look up bars that he hadn’t been banned from yet. If he played his cards right, he could find another Spider-Man loving crowd and watch as Peter’s entire face turned scarlet from embarrassment as he was unknowingly showered with praise by the crowd defending the honor of their hero.
What was the harm of an angry crowd’s wrath if it meant Peter learned more about how much he meant to the city?
(And if Wade got jumped by a few patrons that couldn’t let go of their grudge of someone trash talking their Spider-Man a few minutes later…well, it was worth it.)