Avengers Tower was more extravagant than Peter could have ever imagined. The building rose high into the sky and its shiny windows glared brightly in the morning sunlight. Peter wiggled in his spot on Wade's shoulder, finding it hard to remain seated with the thrill of adventure rushing through his veins. He knew that he and Wade must be quite the sight walking along the sidewalk, but at the moment Peter didn't care.
Let the humans gawk - he knew that he was safe with Wade.
The hero came to a stop in front of the building's entrance, his head tilted back as he stared up at the structure. Peter's focus was more on the ground level, the fairy studying the array of doors that stood before them and the flood of humans going in and out of the building at a rapid pace. Peter could see through the glass into the front foyer, and his heart beat wildly as he recognized the flurry of movement inside.
To Peter's surprise, the Tower appeared to be just as busy as SHIELD's headquarters.
"Are all of those humans superheroes?" he asked Wade with an edge of awe in his voice, watching the people beyond the doors with rapt attention.
Wade hummed to indicate that he'd heard the question, but he didn't answer right away. When the silence had stretched on for several seconds, Peter tore his gaze from the Tower and looked to his friend. The hero was staring straight ahead with his hands on his hips and he was shuffling in place as though nervous, his head turning to take in their surroundings. Peter watched him for a moment, concerned, before opening his mouth and repeating his question.
This time his question managed to pull Wade from his anxious fidgeting long enough to garner a reply.
"Naw, I'd wager that most of them are normal people."
Peter furrowed his brow in confusion. "If they're not heroes then why are they in the Avenger's Tower?"
"Avenger's Tower is just the frou-frou name Tony gave to his company's headquarters. All of the people inside are probably his employees and customers."
"Oh."
That made sense, Peter supposed. But then, "Does that mean that Tony owns this entire building?"
"Yep, and all the rats beneath it."
Now Peter was beyond impressed. His face lit up as Wade stood tall and proceeded inside, the hero's head held high despite all of the stares they received. A few of the employees milling about in the lobby even turned tail and fled when they spotted the pair, which struck Peter as strange. Why would someone run from a super hero?
They strolled up to the impeccably carved reception desk, the woman behind the counter appearing nervous at their approach. Peter wasn't sure if it was due to Wade's imposing presence or the array of weapons on his person, but the fairy figured that either was a plausible reason for her apprehension.
"May I...help you?" the woman murmured, her eyes moving from Wade's mask over to Peter. She blinked stupidly at the sight of the fairy, her jaw dropping open to show a gleam of perfectly white teeth. "What-"
"Yeah, hi," Wade cut in, slapping his palm on the counter while a smile pulled at the material of his mask, "we're here to see Tony Stark and the rest of his Brat Pack. They should be expecting us."
"Really?" the receptionist replied in a disbelieving tone, one perfectly manicured eyebrow rising primly. Peter noticed her subtly reach toward the edge of her desk, her fingers curling beneath the wood while her eyes remained on Wade.
The hero leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as they shot from the woman's face to her wandering hand. "Yes, really. And before you hit that silent alarm, could you be a dear and contact Stark? He'll verify that I'm not trespassing." This time, he added in a stage whisper.
The woman pursed her lips but did as requested, using her free hand to dial a number into her desk phone, her gaze never leaving Wade. There was silence while the call went through, and when someone eventually picked up the other line she proceeded to speak quietly into her headset. The conversation mainly focused on whether she should contact the police or allow the hero passage into the private elevators, and as it progressed the woman went from snide to unsure.
Wade merely smiled throughout the call as he rested on his elbow, grin still in place. When the receptionist ended the call, he threw her a shit-eating smirk and asked, "So? What did he say?"
"Mr. Stark said that you may be transported to the Avenger's common area, but you must first surrender any and all weapons you might be carrying." She glared pointedly at the swords crisscrossing Wade's back and the various knives and handguns adorning his hips.
Wade huffed and glared right back at the receptionist. They stared each other down in tense silence, Peter glancing between them with a look of confusion. What was the issue? Why would Tony demand that Wade leave his weapons at the counter? Did he not trust Wade? And in turn, why would Wade be so irritated at the idea in the first place? He didn't need his weapons during a friendly visit, so what was the problem?
After a moment Wade finally seemed to relent, his expression softening into a jovial smile. Peter gave a sigh of relief at the man's apparent consent, but the sentiment quickly faded into dread when Wade threw his arms into the air and feigned discontent.
"Golly jee, I guess we're not welcome, Petey. Damn, and I was really looking forward to this meeting with Iron Dick, too." Wade shook his head dramatically and turned on his heel, his boots slapping heavily on the tiled floor as he marched toward the entrance. "Ah well, Baby Boy. We tried. What d'you say to another TMNT marathon? TV Guide said they're going to play all of the classic cartoon episodes. That's enough '90s cheese to last us a week!"
"Wade?" Peter asked gently, effectively breaking into Wade's one-man conversation about his favorite ninja turtle. The hero paused in front of the building's front doors at Peter's soft question, though he didn't turn his head toward the fairy.
Peter shifted closer to the man's ear and rested his hand lightly on the material of the other's mask. He waited until Wade's jaw pushed against his hand before pleading, "Come on, just leave your weapons here." He pet his friend's face soothingly. "You won't need them. We'll be safe with Tony, I'm sure of it."
He felt Wade tense beneath him, the hero crossing his arms haughtily in front of his chest and stewing quietly for several seconds before snorting and turning back to the receptionist.
Wade dropped his arms and stomped his way over to the desk, shouting "Fine!" to no one in particular before sloughing off his swords and practically throwing them at the shocked woman. "Take them, you harpy!" he snapped, his hands moving to snatch the rest of his knives and handguns from their holsters. He laid them down on the counter between them, the area soon overflowing with dangerous goods.
Now completely unarmed, Wade shoved a finger in the woman's face and snarled a warning. "But if I find even one scratch on those babies you'll be hearing from my lawyer!"
The receptionist gaped at him in silent shock, Wade's swords still held loosely in her arms. "I'll...I'll buzz you up," she managed after a long moment, fumbling with the bundle in her hold to reach a keypad embedded in the counter. She typed in a long sequence of numbers and with a ding, the elevator directly behind her opened and the calm robotic voice of FRIDAY floated out into the reception area.
"Good morning, My Dope-Ass Fresh Prince, Mr. Peter. I'm glad to see you both well."
Peter's excited greeting was drowned out by Wade's less enthusiastic, "What's with the strip search, FRIDAY?"
"I apologize, but Mr. Stark has expressly forbidden carrying weapons throughout the facility unless in a dire emergency."
Wade tutted as he entered the elevator and watched the doors close with a huff. "Bullshit," he snapped as they began to ascend. "I know for a fact that he lets Romanov and Barton carry pistols while they're watching cartoons, or playing Scrabble, or whatever it is they do in their spare time."
"Agents Romanov and Barton have a higher security clearance than yourself, Mr. Dope. Would you like for me to lodge an official complaint with Mr. Stark on your behalf?"
"See that you do."
Peter listened to the back and forth banter with a smile on his face and his hands in his lap, his gaze roving over the inside of the elevator as they rose. He wasn't sure where exactly they were headed - something about a common area? - but he hoped they'd have the opportunity to see Tony's lab. The promise of more technology and wondrous inventions had Peter practically salivating.
The elevator ride ended with another ding, the doors opening to reveal a large, spacious area awashed in bright sunlight that streamed through the wall-to-wall windows. There were multiple comfy couches surrounding a coffee table near the back wall, several flat-screen t.v.s hanging from the ceiling, a bar area, small kitchen, and enormous bookshelves overflowing with books.
It was the most breathtaking room Peter had ever seen.
"Where are we?" he whispered in awe, his head turning to take it all in.
"Prime real estate, Petey," Wade piped up, whistling lowly. "Only the best for Iron Lung."
"This is the Avenger's common room," FRIDAY offered in her accented voice, the sound coming from all around them. "Please make yourselves comfortable. Agent Romanov is on her way to greet you."
"Black Widow is coming?" Wade mused, pretending to fix his hair as he wandered further into the room. "My, my, and here I am looking a mess."
Peter glanced up at the ceiling. "Is Tony here as well?" he inquired, his question ending in a squeak when Wade plopped heavily onto a sofa, the sudden drop jostling Peter in place.
"Mr. Stark is currently in his lab with Dr. Banner. They have been informed of your arrival and will meet with you shortly."
Peter grinned at the news and hopped to his feet, far too excited to sit. He waited with Wade on the couch, his friend mumbling to his boxes as he glared at nothing. Peter's mood soured in the face of Wade's obvious distress and he stepped over to press himself against Wade's neck in an offer of comfort.
It was hard watching Wade act as though they were there to face down an enemy instead of simply seeing friends. Peter remembered the hero explaining that he was afraid of what they'd say about him - that they'd somehow chase Peter off with their words. He wasn't sure how to build Wade's confidence in their relationship; to assure the hero that he cared for him no matter what SHIELD or the Avengers said.
Peter snuggled against Wade's heated mask with a soft sigh, listening idly to his whispered conversation with Yellow and White. Face pulling into a worried frown, the fairy continued to run his fingers over the other's mask in slow strokes, silently hoping that Wade would soon realize the truth behind Peter's words of acceptance and friendship. Until then, Peter would support the other man in any way he could.
The sound of the elevator chiming caught the attention of both hero and fairy, the two of them looking over to see Black Widow strutting into the room. She was no longer wearing the tight cat suit from the night before, instead dressed down in jeans, tennis shoes, and an overlarge t-shirt.
"Hello boys," she said in greeting, a coy smile turning up her lips, "how kind of you to drop in."
"Stark must be trying to butter me up if he's sending you in here first," Wade joked, getting to his feet slowly. His gaze never left Natasha as she approached them with muted steps, the woman coming to a stop nearby without taking a seat.
"Stark knows that you can be unpredictable. I'm here to see what kind of mood you're in today."
"Oh, well, in that case," Wade started, throwing his arms out to his sides and jostling Peter in the process, "I'm having a Moody Monday. How about giving Pool Daddy some sugar to make him feel better?" he asked, taking slow steps toward Natasha.
"It's Tuesday," Natasha pointed out as she easily side-stepped Wade and backed away, putting a good three feet of space between them.
Wade pouted visibly through his mask. "A Testy Tuesday, then. Those are even worse than Moody Mondays."
"You're incorrigible."
"Gesundheit."
Natasha huffed out a laugh before turning her attention to the fairy on the man's shoulder. "Good morning, Peter. It's wonderful to see you again."
Peter perked up at the woman's words, his eyes wide but bright. "Good morning!" he crowed, rushing forward on Wade's shoulder to teeter on the edge. "I'm so glad to be here! We're so glad to be here!" he added, gesturing to an uninterested Wade. "The Avenger's Tower, wow! Thank you so much for inviting us!"
Peter paused in his rambling as a thought crossed his mind, his back straightening in sudden panic as he started to babble anew. "I-I mean, I thought you invited us. You invited us, right? Clint invited us. Clint Barton. You know him, right? He's an Avenger, too. He said we could come visit with the team today." Peter's arms jerked at his sides as nervous sweat broke out on his palms, his wide eyes watching Natasha's amused face with growing trepidation. "He did say that, didn't he? Oh man, I'm so sorry if I misheard him! It's okay, we can come back la-"
His anxious chatter ended in a squeak when one of Wade's gloved hands reached up to pluck Peter from his shoulder and bring him around in front of Wade's chest.
"What Petey is trying to say," Wade started, poking the now furiously blushing fairy in the cheek with his free hand, "is that it was super nice of Clint to invite us up. That man is cooler than Ranch Doritos." The hero paused then and looked around the room, stretching his neck comically to get a look around the obviously empty common area. "Wait a minute, where is Barton?"
"He's out getting some breakfast. He should be back later," Natasha replied as she pushed her hair behind her ear with a delicate brush of a hand. She appeared extremely at ease in the presence of her two guests, all of the previous night's malice apparently forgotten. However, despite her calm demeanor, Peter couldn't help but notice that her gaze was harsh and calculating.
Now Peter understood why Wade had been acting restless and irritated earlier. This woman was terrifying.
He heard Wade sniff haughtily at the news. "Cool Ranch invites us here and then has the audacity to stand us up? Hmph!"
Natasha shrugged nonchalantly and wandered over to the bar area on the opposite side of the room. She worked quickly to make herself a drink, her eyes on her task, but Peter noticed that she kept Wade in her peripheral vision at all times. The fairy frowned at Natasha's continuing distrust, his mind running over possible ways he could smooth out the situation and set things on a more amiable course.
Deciding that some light conversation was in order, Peter wiggled out of Wade's grasp and fluttered over to land next to Natasha's glass. The heroine's gaze flickered over to him, her head tilting slightly in question. Peter fidgeted under her scrutiny but pressed onward, drawing himself up and staring Natasha straight in the eye.
"Thank you again for having us over," he said, proud that he hadn't stuttered or become tongue-tied. "It's nice to see you, Ms. Romanov. I'm honored to be speaking to a bona-fide Golden Girl."
Silence descended in the room after Peter's comment, the heavy atmosphere only broken by a single aborted snort from Wade. The Black Widow stared openly at Peter, her lips slightly parted as she tried and failed to speak. She blinked once before her eyes slid over to a quietly amused Wade. "What on Earth have you been telling this boy, Wilson?"
Wade shrugged as his lips pulled up into a smile. "I don't know what you're talking about, Agent Romanov. Seems to me that Petey just gave you one of the greatest compliments any human being could hope to receive."
"Yes!" Peter continued swiftly, drawing Natasha's gaze,"Like on the show, Ma'am. You're exactly like the great Bea Arthur - intelligent, witty, and tough as nails."
As understanding slowly dawned on her face, Natasha hid a smile behind her hand and lowered her eyelids coyly. "Ah, I see." She chuckled, dropping her hand back to the bar's counter. "Well then, thank you, Peter, I appreciate the compliment. And it's good to see you, as well." Her grin widened as Peter blushed crimson at her words.
"Yep, we're all happy to be here," Wade half-yelled, startling the fairy as he barrelled over to the bar and into the conversation. "All hero all the time, that's my motto. Do you have a motto, Widow? I bet you have a motto. Something that screams, 'I know 100 ways to kill a man.' I bet they're all hot, too. Where's everyone else, again?" he blurted in rapid succession, plopping himself down on a stool next to a bewildered Peter.
Natasha merely raised one well-manicured eyebrow at Wade's rambling before giving an answer to the last question. "Tony and Bruce should be arriving shortly. I also heard that Steve would be hanging around the Tower today, so he may be able to pay you a quick visit, as well."
"Awesome," Wade said, his fingers drumming noisily on the bar countertop. Peter wandered over to sit down in front of his friend, his legs curled up in front of him. He placed his hands on his knees and tilted his head back to look at Wade, smiling reassuringly.
"I'm sure everyone will have a great time once we get settled in," Peter said, warmth filling his chest when Wade offered him a wide smile in return.
"I think we will, too," Natasha agreed, picking up her finished drink and knocking it back in three quick gulps. She set it down with a soft clack, the noise almost drowned out by the racket of Wade's whistles and appreciative clapping. Natasha shook her head and gave a little sigh at the man's reaction before saying, "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to go see what's taking Stark and Banner so long."
FRIDAY's voice filled the room then, her tone light as she asked, "Would you like for me to summon them, Agent Romanov?"
Natasha waved away the offer. "No, no, that won't be necessary. I'll head down there on my own. FRIDAY, would you please keep an eye on our guests while I'm gone?"
"Of course."
Natasha abandoned her glass on the counter and walked back toward the awaiting elevator, her feet pausing just outside of the open doors. She turned her head to look over her shoulder, her eyes catching Wade's from across the room. "Oh, and Wade?" she started, her voice light and conversational, "I actually know of 274 ways to kill a man. I'd be more than happy to run through the list with you later, if you're interested." Then she was gone, disappearing behind the closing doors.
"A Golden Girl, indeed," Wade muttered as he lay his cheek in his hand. His fingers continued to rap incessantly against the surface of the bar, his head turned and his gaze far away. Peter watched him for a moment before climbing back to his feet and waving to catch Wade's attention. When the man tilted his head to glance in Peter's direction, the fairy hopped into the air and fluttered up so he was level with Wade's face.
"I'm starting to feel a little nervous about meeting everyone again," Peter confessed shyly, his hands fidgeting at his sides. "Clint and Natasha are nice, and Tony and Steve seem to like me, but I haven't met this 'Dr. Banner' person. Do you think he'll like me, too?"
Wade dropped his hand back to the bar counter and straightened up in his seat, his grin wide under his mask. "Of course he will! Brucey B. is a scientist like Tony, so he'll think you're pretty cool. He's usually a mellow guy, too, when he isn't transforming into a giant green rage monster."
Peter's stomach flipped. "Um, rage monster?" he repeated in a fearful squeak.
"Yep, we call it The Hulk. He's huge, green, has an affinity for smashing buildings, and he has the tightest pants you'll see this side of the Atlantic. Seriously, it's a mystery how he doesn't explode out of those things like a stripper from a birthday cake."
Peter nibbled on his lip as his mind raced and his heart thumped in his chest. The Hulk sounded like a terrifying individual. "Why does Dr. Banner turn into this Hulk person? Is that part of his super power?"
"Naw," Wade said, shaking his head. "Apparently old Boring Banner was experimenting with gamma radiation and zapped himself with too much juice. Now he transforms into Hulk whenever he's angry." Wade suddenly raised a hand and wagged a finger in Peter's face, his expression serious. "See, there's a lesson to be learned there, Petey."
"Don't dabble in dangerous experiments?"
The hero screwed up his face in confusion. "What? No. No, the lesson is to invest in baggy clothing if you ever gain Hulk powers. Believe me, the world will thank you for your modesty."
"Ah."
It was then that the dulcet tones of FRIDAY's voice filled the room. "I apologize for interrupting, gentlemen, but Mr. Stark, Dr. Banner, Captain Rogers, and Agent Romanov will be arriving shortly in the common area."
Peter's nerves instantly flared at the news and his stomach fluttered with nausea. "Oh geez, oh man!" he gasped, flapping his wings to turn and stare at the elevator doors. "Wade, I'm scared!"
"Just play it cool, Baby Boy," the hero assured him, bringing his hand up so Peter could land delicately on his palm. "Be your usual cute self and you'll have nothing to worry about."
"O-okay," Peter muttered, his heart jumping into his throat as the elevator doors opened and four humans piled out. He recognized Natasha, Steve, and Tony immediately, the latter two also dressed in casual clothing as they lead the way into the common room. Natasha trailed behind them at a more languid pace, while an older man with greying hair brought up the rear. He wore wire-rimmed glasses over tired eyes and his clothing was rumpled. Peter couldn't help but feel sympathy for the clearly exhausted man.
As the new arrivals approached the bar, Wade stood up with Peter balanced precariously on his palm and greeted the others with a mock salute. "Good morning, fellow Avengers! Glad to see you all looking so well!" He then glanced over to Steve who had come to a stop next to Tony, the Captain's bright blue eyes filled with a sort of fond exasperation. "Why, if it isn't Captain Dorito! We were just wondering where Cool Ranch had run off to."
"Who?" Steve asked, clearly confused.
"Dorito?" Tony muttered, throwing Steve a questioning glance.
Wade ignored their reactions and instead turned to face who Peter assumed to be Bruce Banner, Wade's arm flung out to the side as though offering the other man a hug. Peter's hunch as to the person's identity was proven correct when Wade addressed the man cordially.
"Brucey, your eyes are aglow with childlike wonder and delight! You don't look a day over 60. Tell me, what's your secret?"
Bruce sighed from his spot behind the rest of the group, his hand coming up to rub at the bridge of his nose as though he were fighting off a headache. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, then dropped his arm and stepped forward to make his way toward the front of the group.
"My secret is insufficient amounts of sleep paired with copious levels of stress. Now, enough about my health. I came here to meet the Avengers' newest associate," Bruce said, his eyes widening visibly behind his glasses when he finally got his first look at Peter. "Oh my…"
Peter perked up immediately at Bruce's words, his own eyes wide in wonder. "Associate?" he asked, his gaze jumping from one Avenger to the next for confirmation that he hadn't misheard.
"Associate?" Wade parroted from behind him, the hero's tone both irritated and incredulous. "What the hell, guys? It took me forever to join the team! How come Petey gets invited after one battle?"
"Because Peter isn't an annoying oaf," Tony answered easily, his immaculately trimmed beard shifting as he smirked.
"Oh Tonykins, you come up with the cutest pet names," Wade swooned, placing the back of his hand to his temple. "How could a lady possibly resist your smooth charms?"
Tony grimaced and mimed a gag behind his fist. "Ugh, please don't ever say that to me again."
"Your wish is my command, Snookums!"
Tony groaned and covered his mouth. "I think I might actually throw up."
"Enough you two," Steve cut in, moving to stand beside Bruce. "What Tony meant to say is that Peter has impressed us with his bravery and skills in battle and has therefore been named one of our honorary associates."
Peter clapped his hands together in glee, an enormous grin on his face. Natasha cleared her throat as she watched him with lowered eyelids, adding, "Remember that your security clearance is still on par with a regular citizen, Peter."
"Th-thank you!" Peter cried excitedly, bouncing in place on Wade's palm. He grinned up at Dr. Banner and the rest of the Avengers, thrusting his hand out in front of him. "I would be honored to be a friend to the Avengers!"
The group of heroes offered him friendly smiles, Bruce and Steve even stepping forward to shake Peter's hand. Granted, Peter couldn't do much more than grip their pointer fingers, but the gesture was still appreciated.
As everyone milled about beside the bar and devolved into small talk, Peter looked at Wade over his shoulder with a grin. His expression quickly wanned into a concerned frown when he realized that his friend's face was pinched into a pensive glower. The man's masked gaze was focused on the Avengers, his eyes narrowed as Tony said something to Bruce about Peter's impressive flight capabilities.
Peter let out a deep breath through his nose and wandered over to the heel of Wade's hand. He wrapped his arms around the man's large thumb and pressed his cheek against the material of the glove, his eyes on his friend's face.
Wade glanced down at the sudden pressure on his digit, his expression smoothing out when he saw that it was Peter. "Having a good time, Baby Boy?" he asked in a low voice.
"Mmhm," Peter hummed, his grip tightening. "Thanks for bringing me here."
Wade dipped his head. "Anything for you."
Peter gave Wade's thumb one final squeeze before pulling away and taking to the air to flutter above the bar, the movement capturing the attention of the rest of the heroes. The fairy raised a hand shyly, a blush heating his cheeks as all eyes fell on him.
"I'd just like to say that it was wonderful seeing you all again, and it was nice to finally meet you, Dr. Banner," Peter started, his confidence growing slowly at the friendly responses he received. "I'm so, so happy to have been invited here today, and I certainly don't want to impose, Mr. Stark, but, um…"
Peter's words petered off into silence as his blush intensified under Tony's curious gaze. The fairy's belly flipped nervously as he fought to get the request out, internally screaming at himself to just ask already, Peter, jeez!
After a few deep breaths, he was able to find his voice. "Um," Peter continued, almost choking on the word, "I was wondering if I could maybe, possibly, hopefully, if it's not too much trouble, see your lab?"
The silence that descended over the room was almost palpable. Peter cringed and shrunk in on himself as he waited for Tony's answer, sure that the man would turn him down. However, to Peter's surprise, Tony huffed out a friendly sounding laugh and came over to the bar, his hands in his pockets.
"You interested in science, Peter?" he asked, regarding the little fairy with a critical eye.
Peter jerked up straight and nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yes!"
Tony smirked at the answer, then flicked his head in the direction of the elevator. "Well then, prepare to have your mind blown, kid."