Author's note: Hey, readers! In my main fic, The Stray, I write about a pre-established relationship between Spiderman and Deadpool. This is the story of how they got together. It's three chapters long, (you'll get chapter 2 tomorrow and so on) and I hope you enjoy it! It can be read without reading The Stray, but the experience will be better if you read both. Read and review, please!

Peter Parker was exhausted. After a long day at Empire State University, the last thing he had wanted to do was to have to sit down with his Aunt May and have "the talk."

"Oh, but Peter, I have you!" She had protested when he suggested a nursing home.

"I know, Aunt May, but I'm not always here." She stood firm.

"You're too busy with your education, you need someone here to help you." Peter sighed, running his hands through his unkempt brown hair.

"And I'm sorry, but maybe you're just…"

"Just too old?" She said, with a sad look in her eyes.

"Aunt May, you already had your license confiscated by the city." She folded her arms indignantly.

"I would have been fine, if they hadn't hidden the stop sign so well."

"Please? Just think about it?" She sighed.

"I will. I promise I will, Peter, but it's a hard decision to make. I'd miss you."

"And I'd miss you too, Aunt May." Peter stood up and wrapped his Aunt in a hug. She smelled, like always, of lavender shampoo and dryer lint. He was determined to remember as much as he could about her in case… he could never really bring himself to think about what he was preparing for. He pulled away and took her hand, helping her step by step up the stairs to her bedroom. As he flicked the light off and left her room for his own, he couldn't help but feel like a worried father. The roles reversed. He sat down with a long exhale in the office chair in front of his desk. He looked at the clock; it was eight fifteen at night. He really should be getting to bed. He had some early-morning classes he couldn't miss.

Ah, what the heck. He thought to himself as he pulled open his laptop computer and logged onto his favorite My Little Pony fansite. This was his secret shame. His guilty pleasure. Yes, the friendly neighborhood Spiderman was a Brony. Forget Spiderman; if even regular old Peter Parker was found out, there would be no end to it. He browsed the forums, looking for replies to some of his topics. Nothing. Then he saw, in the corner of the screen, a private message. He clicked on it and smiled. Ponypool again.

He and this Ponypool guy had been exchanging messages for weeks now. They'd met in a forum discussion of Pinkie Pie vs Rarity. Of course, Pinkie Pie was the obvious choice. And this Ponypool guy had agreed. Something had clicked, as much as it could when all Peter had to go on was the avatar, and they'd been friends ever since. Even Ponypool's avatar was something unique; it was all red and black, and its cutie mark was an explosion. A mushroom cloud. Peter read the message.

Hey, Ponypool here! Listen, I get what you're saying about Rainbow Dash, but we both know that in terms of pure charm, Pinkie Pie kicks ass. BTW, saw your high score on the trivia game; I will obliterate it soon. Hey, here's a thought; why don't we get together? Put faces to the avatars?

-Ponypool

Peter was surprised. And, at the same time, delighted. Aunt May's voice rang in the back of his head;

"Don't ever trust anyone you meet online, Peter! It's easy for people to lie from behind a keyboard." He pushed the thought away. He was twenty two years old, he could decide these things for himself. He hesitated. Then hit the reply button.

I'd love to meet! Where and when?

-Sugarcookie

Yes, his avatar's name was Sugarcookie. Blame an affinity for sweets. Almost immediately, the message box pinged with Ponypool's reply.

There's this coffee shop in Forest Hills that has the best cinnamon buns you have ever tasted. My treat! I dunno about a time, I'm pretty much free all week. Until Sunday; Sunday I have a thing with an international superstar someone wants dead.

-Ponypool

Peter chuckled. Ponypool liked to pepper his messages with random little statements like that. Last time it was some gibberish about chimichangas… whatever those were. He put his fingers to the keyboard.

I know the place you're talking about, it's right near me. How about Wednesday, say around four?

-Sugarcookie

Sounds great! I'll meet you there!

-Ponypool

Pete frowned.

But… how will I recognize you?

-Sugarcookie

Oh, don't worry, I look just like my avatar.

-Ponypool

Peter raised one eyebrow, confused. He looked just like his avatar? That seemed a little far-fetched. He sent another message.

What do you mean you look just like your avatar?

-Sugarcookie

He waited, but got no reply. He finally crawled into bed at around nine thirty, and fell asleep wondering just what Ponypool might look like.

"Ooh, mysterious!" Mary Jane said when Peter told her about the meeting. Mary Jane Watson was Peter's long-time girlfriend and confidante, and since Harry had passed, she was the only person in the world who knew about his secret identity as Spiderman. "You even have code names and everything!"

"They're not code-names, they're usernames."

"Still, it must be nice to meet someone with the same interests as you. I mean, I'm no dunce, but even I can't keep up when you talk physics!"

"Yeah, right." Peter had told MJ that he'd met Ponypool on an online physical science board.

"Do you think I can meet this… what was it?"

"Er, Helix321."

"Right. Well?"

"Somehow I think I should meet the guy first, make sure he's not a psychopath?"

"You're so paranoid!" The redhead smiled as she took Peter's elbow in her arms, and they walked down the halls together.

"And you love it, right?"

"That's right." They stopped; this was where they parted ways. MJ had an acting class, and Peter was taking advanced physics. He gave her a little peck goodbye, and began walking through the halls to his class. His mind wandered the entire time the professor was talking. He was normally hanging on her every word, but he couldn't help but imagine what would happen later that day, when he was scheduled to meet Ponypool in the coffee shop. By the time he actually walked through the doors of the friendly little shop called "Dave's Place", he was nearly bursting with the curiosity. The place was small, but cozy. There were couches and armchairs set up in some corners, and a counter with a girl standing behind it. Other than her and Peter, it was empty.

"Hey there, what can I get for you?" The girl behind the counter asked.

"Er, just a coffee, please. Light and sweet." As the girl was counting his money into the cash register, he saw her expression change from concentration to pure disdain as she looked up at the door. He heard the bell ring, and turned just in time to see him enter. Yup; it was Ponypool alright. True to his word, he was dressed in his avatar's colors; a red-and-black body suit, complete with mask. There was a belt slung around his waist covered in pouches, and… were those swords on his back?

"Hey, Trixie!" Ponypool said, swaggering up to the front counter. "You miss me?"

"No, no I didn't. You were banned last time you came in here."

"Oh, come on! It's not like I did anything permanent!"

"You burned the shop down." Trixie folded her arms.

"You rebuilt! And besides, my idea totally would've worked if-"

"If it weren't for the laws of physics?" They had a brief stare-off. Then Trixie sighed, and threw her hands up in the air. "Fine. What are you here for, then? Come to finish the job?"

"Nah, I'm meeting someone."

"Really?" A mischievous glint flashed in Trixie's eyes. "A girl?" Peter bit his tongue to keep from snickering.

"Well, her avatar's name is Sugarcookie, so…" Peter coughed loudly, and they both turned to him.

"Um… that's me." Peter could see Ponypool's eyebrow raise even under the mask.

"Really? Somehow I thought you'd be a bit more…" He traced out a curvy, female figure in the air with his hands. Peter scowled.

"Well, excuse me for being born male!"

"Oh, I know. I regret it all the time. So, what's your real name?"

"Peter. Peter Parker." Peter offered his hand, and Ponypool shook it.

"Ooh, nice name. Can I call you Pete?"

"Um, sure." No! What are you doing? A voice in Peter's head began to chastise him. We hate the name Pete! He pushed the voice to the back of his mind. "So," He said. "What can I call you?" Ponypool seemed to think for a moment.

"You know what? You can call me Wade. Wade Wilson." They sat down, and Trixie brought over two cups of coffee.

"Aww, you remembered my order!" Wade said as Peter sipped his own drink contentedly.

"Yeah, of course I did. You're the only one brave enough to drink it." She turned to Peter. "It's the strongest stuff in the house; black. I personally think he's just being macho."

"Hey, this is good stuff!" He dug into his pocket and pulled out a wad of singles.

"You expect me to count this?" Trixie eyed him disapprovingly.

"Ah, to hell with it. Just keep the change." She walked away back to the counter. Wade turned back to Peter. He lifted his mask, revealing just a sliver of skin around his mouth, and took a sip of the coffee. For a second, Peter thought his face looked like it had been hit with a meat tenderizer, but he didn't get long to study it before the mask went down again. "So Pete, I gotta ask; why the name Sugarcookie?" Peter's cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink.

"I like sweets."

"Yeah, I can smell the sugar in that cup from here." This was getting a little awkward… what would be a good icebreaker?

"So, what do you do for a living, Wade?" Wade raised his eyebrow.

"I'm a merc, dumbass. Didn't I explain this to you on the site?"

"B-but… I thought you were joking!" Peter sputtered.

"Nope, serious as… well, as something really serious." Peter noticed Wade's hands and feet start to jitter. The coffee he was drinking must have been really strong.

"So, you kill people for money?"

"Yup! Love it, too. I don't just kill people, though. Sometimes I get to go on super-secret missions. Which usually involve killing people."

"So, those swords…?"

"Aren't just for show. Check it out!" He pulled one of the swords out from his back, and held it above his head.

"Wade, don't!" Trixie shouted. It was too late. He brought it down with a crash on the table, splitting the whole thing right in half. Peter wondered why he felt like hot coffee had been splashed all over him, until he realized it had; he had cut his cup clean in half, too.

"Epic, right?!" Wade said excitedly, oblivious to the damage he'd caused.

"Out." Trixie growled, marching toward them. "Out, out out out!"

"Whoa! Looks like it's time to split!" Wade grabbed Peter's hand and pulled him out the door. "Call me!" He blew a kiss to Trixie as they ran.

"Wade!" Peter shouted. He couldn't seem to hear him over the adrenaline pumping through his system. "Wade, slow down!" That did it. He stopped short, leaving Peter to slam into his backside.

"Guess I can cross another one off my list of places I'm actually allowed in…" Wade said, scratching his head. "Hey, I'll have you know that was all me!" Great, Peter thought as he sat on the ground, watching him; now he's having a conversation with himself. "Ah, don't worry. She'll let us back, she always does." A pause. "Who? Oh, yeah!" He turned back to Peter. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Peter said coldly as he stood up and dusted himself off. "What the hell was that?"

"What was what?"

"That!" Peter gestured in the direction of the shop. For once in his life, he was at a loss for words. "What the… what were you? Gah!" Wade snorted.

"That was a demonstration!" He said. "Did you like it?" Peter stood, eyeing him. Eventually Wade just sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Hey, sorry I got us kicked out, okay?" It was then that a grin spread across his face, so wide Peter could see it even under the mask. "Now there's an idea, Yellow! I knew there was a reason I kept you around!" He swooped in on Peter and slung him over his shoulder, running off through the traffic.

"What the hell, Wade?!" Peter shouted. He probably could have easily escaped his grip, given the whole "superpowers" thing, but did he dare risk it out in the open like this? Not that he wasn't enough of a spectacle already.

"Just wait! I'm taking you to my favorite spot!" When he finally stopped and put him down, Peter stood up and looked around. They were on top of a cliff, overlooking a busy highway.

"What is this?" He asked, eying the scenery curiously.

"My favorite spot. I like to just sit up here and watch the cars, you know?" He sat down, and Peter followed his example. "It's like, you look at them, and they look like ants, you know? And then you think how good they'd be covered in chocolate. They'd probably be pretty damn hard to eat, though. I couldn't fit my mouth around one of those things if I tried. Unless I had a mouth about as big as the Hulk's! I wonder if the Hulk eats cars?" Peter propped his head up in his hands as he listened to him ramble. If this had been one of his friends, even MJ, he probably would have shut them up a long time ago. But somehow he liked listening to him. Of course, there went the voice in his head again; this man just demolished private property, then kidnapped you and brought you here against your will? What are you doing, just run!

"Hey, you okay?" He lost his train of thought when he noticed Wade waving a hand in front of his face.

"Oh, yeah. Just kinda lost in thought."

"I know what you mean. I once got so lost it took me weeks to find my way back." Peter giggled. Wait… giggled? He didn't giggle! At the very most, he would sometimes let out a very manly chuckle… what was wrong with him? "So, what's going on with you?" Wade asked. Peter bit his lip, thinking. Should he talk to him? About himself, about his life?

"Well, if you really want to know…" They sat and talked that way late into the night. Finally, when he realized how dark it had gotten, Peter stood up and announced that he had to go.

"Well, that sucks!" Wade said. "Sure you can't stay a while longer?"

"No, I have to get home to my Aunt May." He froze. Aunt May. He had completely forgotten about her! She could have fallen down the stairs, or wandered out of the house and gotten lost, or- he stopped himself before he could imagine any more gruesome fates. "I really have to leave. Goodbye, it was great." He started to leave, but before he could, Wade caught him by the shoulder. Peter was about to ask him what the deal was, but when he turned around, he was shocked to find Wade planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Bye for now, Sugarcookie!" He said delightedly before disappearing into the night. Peter took a moment to be dazed. Then snapped out of it and quickly ran back to his house.

"Aunt May?" He shouted worriedly through the house. "Aunt May?"

"I can hear you, Peter, there's no need to shout!" He ran through the house and skidded into the living room, where he found his aunt watching the Discovery Channel on their cheap little TV. "I never knew something as simple as salt could be so fascinating!" She remarked, as Peter sat down on the couch next to her and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well then, did you and Mary Jane have fun on your date?" She said with a knowing smile. He furrowed his brow and turned toward her.

"What do you mean?" He asked. She chuckled.

"I've learned a lot of things in all my years. When a young man disappears without a word late into the night and comes back blushing like a bride, it can mean one of a few things. And I doubt you were out for a midnight jog." He nodded.

"Yeah, that's right Aunt May." They sat and watched the rest of the documentary together before heading up to bed. He couldn't help but wonder; was that what it was? A date? When a guy kisses you goodbye… he shook his head violently, driving the thought from his head. That was just it; Wade was a guy. Peter was sure he was just confused. As always, before climbing under the covers, he logged onto his laptop and played around on the fansite for a while. He was getting ready to sign up when a message popped up.

Hey, I had a great time today! Whaddyou say we do it again?

-Ponypool

Peter would love to be able to say he hesitated, at least a bit. But, to tell the truth, he didn't even have to think about his reply.

I'd love to! When's good for you?

-Sugarcookie