Deadpool was back come morning, paying Dopinder enough that the man wouldn't have to drive a single fare for the rest of the year. As Deadpool's Private Taxi Service he made a lot of dime, which he probably didn't declare anywhere. Not that Deadpool cared. Dopinder was there when he called.
He found a note stuck over the one he had left there yesterday, pinned to the fridge, written on bright pink paper. Peter was off to meet with Stark again today. Another post-it told Deadpool that there was leftover food in the fridge. And Peter's contract with SI was on the kitchen island.
Deadpool had the sudden notion to swing by Stark Towers/Avengers-fucking-HQ and hover, but he bit down on that. The chimera was churning restlessly, but he kicked it back into the void.
Peter was a grown man. He was able to take care of himself. He wasn't in danger from Tony Stark or any of the Avengers.
And if he repeated that ten more times he might just believe it.
He grabbed the food, nuked it, then took the contract with him as he plopped down on the couch to read through it.
SDSDSD
Peter found his partner on the couch, still in full gear, sans mask, feet dangling over the side. The TV was running some inane daytime soap.
And there were a bunch of fast food wrappers and empty chips bags dotting the ground.
"Party without me?"
The SI contract lay on the couch table.
"It's never a party without you, baby boy. Or some booze. I'm sadly booze-less. But now I got you back!"
He made grabby hands toward Peter, who chuckled and shook his head.
Peter dumped his bag on the floor and looked through the fridge for something cold to drink. He was still amazed that there was so much stuff in there, even if he did most of the grocery shopping. Wade brought home most of the fast food and stacked it next to everything else.
He found a bottle of water and went back to his bonded. Wade smiled widely, launching a myriad of emotions inside Peter.
He had no words for what this was, between them, was barely able to express what he felt, but Wade felt it, too.
Soul-deep, intense, intimate beyond belief, and just them. He let it happen, wash over him in gentle waves as they came together. Lazy movements, sloppy kisses, warm skin against warm skin. It didn't always end in sex, both hovering at the fringes without the pressing need to reach completion.
It was nice.
Wonderful.
"How was the Frat Part at Avengers Tower?" Wade asked, his faux disinterest plain to hear. The tension was a blatant giveaway.
"Not a party. I got a job," Peter replied, thumb gliding over the droplets of water on his bottle. He nodded at the contract.
"Huh. Never doubted you'd be smart enough to land something at SI. Two thumbs up. I'll buy a cake. And candles. Nice dinner, too, if you want."
Peter nuzzled against him, pliable and warm. "I talked to Banner. And Stark. They gave me a good deal on juggling work as a regular human being and being Spider-Man."
Wade sat up a little straighter, his expression a little sharper.
"Part-time with flexible hours, the rest freelance if they require it. I can turn them down."
"I see."
Peter met the brown eyes, saw the wariness in there.
"You probably read the whole thing, right? Including the fine print and the foot notes. I'm not an Avenger, Wade. Stark made it clear that I'm invited to tag along, to assist, but I'm not officially part of them."
"Unofficially?"
"Nope. Still freelancing there. And I'm not doing this without you. Ever."
It got him widening eyes and a burst of something across the bond. The chimera seemed to wrap itself around him, wings and claws, as substantial as he had ever felt it before. Still not a shape he could discern, but so very real now.
"Not doing this without me," Wade vowed, echoing the words with a fervor that relayed his intent. "Ever."
Warm eyes regarded Peter, the depths of the emotions taking his breath away. Possessive.
Peter felt a mirror response race through him.
Mine.
Won't let you go.
Ever.
And he wouldn't go. Ever.
"How much havoc did you and Dopinder wreak?"
"None at all. And shooting Wolverine can't be counted as bad. The guy heals as fast as I do. My role model, really. I think they shot some of him into me, but not in the fun way."
Peter blinked. "You shot Wolverine?"
"Only in the arm. Non-lethal. He was being a grumpy, growly ass."
"So you shot him."
"Yep. Also had a nice talk with the Professor, detailing to him my position on his threats against my mate."
"He didn't threaten me, Wade," Peter sighed. "It was a normal talk."
Wade sat up, his presence sharpening, the eyes suddenly ringed in silver. "Every fucking do-gooder is poking their big, bald head into our relationship to give us an unasked for piece of their mind! I don't care who they think they are, the holier than thou attitude is grating!"
"I know. It'll pass. We'll be old news. Right now they're just curious."
"They can curiously fuck off!"
Peter let himself sink back against his bonded, using the physical contact and the bond to anchor him again. The chimera was angry, but it was deferred to its mate, grumbling softly to itself.
"We should make a list," Wade snarled, though it lacked the fury of before. "Gonna send all of them a poop plushie."
Peter laughed. "I'm sure Professor X will appreciate the gesture."
"Wolvie will get the biggest one."
He snorted, the amusement real.
Wade whipped out his phone, furiously typing. Peter glanced at the page, found his bonded had already called up a shopping site page, and he quickly plucked it out of his hands.
"Hey!"
"No plushies."
"Not even a Deadpool one?"
Of course he would have had those stored somewhere. Of course.
"Hallmark is fine, too."
"Bah."
Peter tossed the phone onto the armchair not far away as he leaned over and brought their lips together.
"Hallmark, huh?" Wade whispered when they parted, pupils blown a little wider than before.
"Hallmark."
"Okay."
Peter kissed him again, pushing experimentally and when Wade let himself fall back, he climbed onto his lap.
Never breaking the kiss.
SD
The heavy make-out session that followed had both of them hard and wanting.
SD
They didn't make it off the couch.
Peter knew Wade had a kink that involved him in full gear.
And yes, it was hot. Really hot. Especially to feel the spandex and leather against naked skin.
"Do I get to fuck you in my Spider-Man suit next time?" he breathed as he went down on the really invested merc.
"Oh hell, yes!" was the groaned answer. "You're such a filthy little spider!"
SDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSD
Patrol was a relaxing affair, with a few small time criminals that weren't too hard to take care of. Deadpool was almost holding back, letting his partner web the crooks and call the police.
"You okay?" Spider-Man asked when they walked into their home.
"Hm. Sure."
Peter pulled off the mask, a frown marring his features. "Pull the other one, Wade. Spill."
He shrugged, disarming and dropping the weapons on the kitchen counter, taking his time.
Stalling.
Peter scowled.
"What did Professor X tell you?"
Yep, he had hit the bull's eye. He could see it in the tensing of the broad shoulders, the way Deadpool froze for a second before dumping his katanas next to the guns.
"Wade."
Deadpool slammed his hands into the counter, rattling the guns and knives on it. He expelled a sharp breath that sounded almost like a hiss.
"The chimera has made up its home in you!"
Peter blinked at the flatly delivered words. "Uh, what? I mean, we knew that, right? You and I are bonded. I know it's in my soul…"
"I'm contaminating you!" the merc hissed, whirling around. "It's not just in your soul! It's everywhere! It's in your mind, too! And I don't even know how to stop it!"
"What are you talking about?"
Wade flexed his fingers, starting to pace. Peter knew it was his imagination, but it seemed that the chimera was a black shadow, insubstantial and not really there. Like an afterthought. And fi he looked too hard, it would be gone.
But he felt it.
It was insanely there, a solid fact in their lives, and it was agitated.
"I'm immune to mind-readers. Xavier can't tap this." Deadpool pointed a finger at his temple. "Since the chimera became unchained, I've also disappeared off the topographical map of preters and supers he can see with his fancy gadget."
Peter nodded. He knew of Cerebro.
"Looks like you did, too. Disappeared. Bam! Gone!"
"Oh?"
Even still masked, the other man's face was easy to read for Peter. Wade's face was twisted in a grimace of emotional pain.
"The chimera isn't just clinging to you like its favorite toy, I'm also making you invisible."
"That… doesn't sound too bad."
"What else are you going to catch from me?!" Deadpool exploded, flinging his arms out. "The scars? The insanity? The unstable moods? What?! Isn't it enough that you're already bound to my life? A life that won't ever end?!"
The overwhelming surge of darkness didn't really catch him unprepared. Peter didn't need a lot of warming up to handle the chimera, no matter how strongly it came upon him. Actually, there was no warming up required at all.
He did what came naturally to him.
The vortex yawned at the other end of the bond, alive with rage, anger, fear and emotional pain.
Peter instinctively held on, wrapping his very soul around it.
The chimera screeched in protest, twisting around the darkness, but Peter wouldn't let it go. Sharp claws glistened and the surreal wings flared. It was snapping at him, teeth clicking dangerous, but it didn't even get close.
He poked it hard.
The night terror huffed, then curled up into a tight ball of unhappiness.
"Wade," he said softly and approached him, unafraid of the still threatening air around him. "I'm with you all the way. I've told you so already. Several times. Being immune to a telepathic intrusion is an advantage. I wouldn't say it's bad."
"But where does it end?" he asked sharply. "We have no idea how much further this'll go!"
"I'm not going to catch something bad, Wade." Peter told him reasonably. "All that has happened so far insures my survival as your bonded. You're keeping me safe." He put a hand against the broad chest. "Which I very much appreciate. Protecting my mind is important."
"What if something else spills over?" Deadpool breathed after a moment. "Like the fucking ugly?"
"Your scars are a result of the DNA grafts and the mutation of your preternatural gift. I'm no preternatural. I'm human. I was just bitten by a mutated spider. Noting else."
"It's not just the outside. The inside is worse."
"I'm not going to catch insanity from you. You're not insane, Deadpool."
"Objection, your honor."
He shook his head. "You're a little unhinged, maybe. Unstable. But you have me for that. That's my part in this partnership. I give you the stability, I freed the chimera to be what it always wanted to be. You're not going to go over the edge from giving in to your true nature. I'm not going to become a chimera in return."
"You make it sound so cuddly, fluffy and warm," the merc muttered.
"No. It's not. I know it's a lethal, cold-blooded creature that kills within a heart beat. But it's also something that it guards and protects with a ferocity that would tear apart whoever dares to challenge it. I know it's not kittens and puppies. But it's mine, too, Wade. Not just your hell to bear. It was never hell," Peter insisted. "It was never a mindless beast. It was held down and caged, shackled inside you. Now it's free and yes, it's still extremely dangerous. But not to me."
Deadpool finally raised a hand and cupped Peter's face. He stroked a thumb over his skin.
Peter leaned in and pressed his lips against the masked ones.
"Partnership means I take part in this," he said softly. "And I appreciate the psychic protection."
"Pretty neat, huh?" was the weak quip.
"Really neat," he agreed with a quirky smile.
Deadpool finally undid the mask and pulled it off, revealing a pair of almost despairing brown eyes.
"You didn't sign up for this."
He dropped the mask onto the floor.
"I did. Fully informed. I knew I was getting into a life-bond, Wade. To an artificially created preternatural. An immortal one."
Peter stroked over his chest again, the contact quieting the chimera once more. It huffed softly, then snorted, one eye cracked open to watch its mate.
"You might want to take notes now. Look into the files. Do some tests." The last was said through gritted teeth.
"No."
"Might give you a better insight into what to expect."
"No."
"Petey…"
"No," he repeated, voice absolutely flat, eyes like granite.
Wade opened his mouth, but Peter placed his other hand over it.
"I'm not going to research the bond. There will be no files, no notes, no readings. Not even temporary ones. Nothing of what we are is going to be stored anywhere, electronically or any other way. Nothing, Wade."
"Okay," he mumbled against the fingers, then kissed them.
Peter grinned and dropped the hand. He stepped back and started to pull the upper part of his costume over his head.
"I need a shower. There's a CSI marathon on tonight. Haven't watched some of the old seasons in ages."
Wade ran an appreciative eye over the lean lines exposed. "I'll bring the popcorn?" he offered.
Peter grinned more. "You got a deal."
SD
They were happily curled up on the couch no twenty minutes later, watching early CSI seasons, Peter commenting on the science involved.
Neither man brought up Xavier or anything linked to him again.
tbc...