There have been questions about whether or not this story is wrapping up soon. Well, my best guess is that I'll probably, maybe, not really sure, but I think it'll be done within the next week (dozens of question marks here). I can definitely promise it'll be done before June 17th, because the day after that I'm off on vacation in a place with probably no internet connections :)
I have a few more things to wrap up. One is starting in this chapter. I'm hard at work with the other.
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May got to meet Wade later.
A lot later.
It took Deadpool almost a year into the bond to get his courage up to a level where he felt comfortable just considering the idea of meeting Peter's surrogate mother.
Well, as comfortable as he could be with the idea of showing his face to someone so important to Peter.
His only living relative.
There had been a lot of inner debating going on just before Wade had agreed to a dinner date.
Dopinder was the cab on call for the visit to Queens. He was his usual cheerful self, chatting about anything and everything as he drove them. Deadpool was still wearing his mask and refused to take it off.
Peter humored him, let him handle the stress of this social visit his own way, though he kept a close eye on the fluctuations coming over the bond.
In the past year his grasp of what he could do with the connection to the other man had gotten better. He understood a lot more about the anchoring effect, the balance he provided, and that Deadpool provided for him I return, without ever needing scientific help.
Not that Bruce had ever offered again.
Sometimes the Avengers skirted the edge of that particular topic when he was assisting, but no one outright asked.
Well, except Hawkeye sometimes. Him and Black Widow. It wasn't like they were holding back with anything anyway.
Peter could handle it.
He knew they had all expected a major blow-up, some kind of catastrophe on the horizon, but matters were normal. As normal as they could be for someone like Spider-Man or Deadpool. Spider-Man was still a menace according to the Daily Bugle and Deadpool still took on mercenary jobs, though his death toll was in the one-figure area. He still only ever killed when he got shot at first. Assassinations were off the table in general.
Wade had dressed nicely for the occasion, in a clean pair of black jeans and an equally clean, crisp white t-shirt, though he was wearing his combat boots. A black jacket with a hood hid his masked face, just like his hands were in black gloves.
"Wade."
He fidgeted.
"She'll be okay with it. She really wants to meet you."
"No one is okay with this," he murmured. "Ever."
Peter gave him a pointed look.
"She's gonna run, Pete. Run and hide and curse the day you bonded to this."
"Wade."
"Is she working the burn unit at the hospital? No. She's in general care. She sees the normal stuff. Not…" He made a gesture toward his face.
Peter remained silent, just looking at him. He tugged gently at the bond.
"She'll be okay with your face. With all of you. May isn't like that, Wade. She and I talked about it a lot, and she understands the extent of the injuries."
Wade scoffed.
"For her, these scars are injuries. For me, too. It's what has been done to you. It's not the mutation. It's the result of torture."
He wrapped more of himself around the bond in a non-physical hug. It was something Peter had discovered a while ago.
"Please?"
The mask finally came off, but the hood went up and the hands were now stuffed in the jacket's pockets.
Peter decided not to comment, just unlocked the door with the key he still possessed.
"Aunt May!" he called out. "We're here!"
"Welcome! Come on in, Peter!" was the reply. "And Wade, of course! Still in the kitchen!"
It smelled wonderful and Peter had to smile as he identified pot roast with the aroma of apple pie mixing in.
"C'mon," he whispered. "Kitchen."
Wade stiffened, then reluctantly moved, but he kept his head down, shoulders hunched a little. Peter gently poked at the bond and got a brief, humorless smile in return. The big, bad mercenary… afraid to meet a harmless woman. The woman who had raised Peter Parker, his bonded.
"She's not going to hate you, Wade," Peter murmured, briefly brushing over the other man's arm. "She knows how I feel about you. That I love you. That we're bonded."
"She's going to see this," he replied roughly and gestured at his face again, like in the cab. "That is what's bonded to her son! That's what counts. Nothing else!" The last was almost a hiss.
"Wade."
His defiant look had Peter stop and lean in to briefly brush their lips together. "This… you… all of you… is what I love, idiot. It's been months now. Accept it. I love you, as you are. No one can tell me otherwise. And May would never do it."
"Listen to Peter."
Deadpool snapped back like the kiss had burned him, actually stepping away from Peter as if he had just become jailbait, close to hunching his shoulders.
May Parker stood in the doorway to the kitchen, drying her hands on a dish towel, giving her two guests a friendly smile.
"Hello, Peter."
"Hi, Aunt May," he replied happy and hugged the slightly smaller woman. "It smells incredible in here!"
She hugged him back, then her eyes fell on Wade. She stepped out of the embrace and smiled at the taller man.
"Hello, Wade. I'm so glad to finally personally meet you. Welcome to the Parker home."
May didn't come any closer, didn't hold out her hand for Wade to take it, just stood there, patiently.
"Thank you." Deadpool shifted his weight a little, then expelled a breath. "I'm not really good at this," he managed. "Ma'am."
Peter would have grinned at the stiffness if this wasn't so serious and important. He stayed close to his partner, keeping even closer to the bond, but the chimera wasn't even looking. The darkness was impenetrable, the preternatural curled up and hiding in a way no one would believe it capable of.
"No one is," she said easily. "And please call me May. Ma'am makes me feel old."
Wade hesitantly pulled out his gloved hands, balling them into fists. Peter didn't interfere. He knew that this was a huge hurdle he had to take on himself. Peter would always be there as a support and he touched the bond, caressing it reassuringly.
The chimera seemed to shiver, but it didn't make an appearance.
"Come on. Food's getting cold," May announced cheerfully. "You can tell me all about your latest adventures."
"Adventures?" Wade whispered.
"She follows all news reports about Spider-Man. And Deadpool," Peter told him in a low voice. "TV, internet, paper. Whatever."
It got him stunned silence. Then, "Fangirl." There was some of the old teasing back in Wade's voice.
Peter smirked.
They walked into the kitchen and sat down at table. Peter could already spy the apple pie that had clearly been reserved for dessert. He was keeping his fingers crossed for whipped cream or ice cream.
Wade had his hands under the table, fiddling with the gloves. When the food was on the table, he took the cutlery, not even looking at May.
She ignored the covered hands.
He fidgeted with the knife, movements elegant and displaying his ability and finesse with the weapon in his hands.
Finally, with a close to decisive move he placed the knife back onto the table and stripped off the gloves, revealing the scarred hands. He reached for the hood, slowly pushing it back. Wade kept his eyes lowered, looking at the plate, waiting for a gasp or any kind of reaction.
There was none.
"So, Peter, tell me about your job at Stark Industries," May addressed her nephew as she filled a plate with food.
SD
Wade suddenly had pot roast and potatoes in front of him, listening to Peter recap how Stark had offered him the job, how he freelanced on special projects, and everything in between. He threw in some Avengers stuff, but it was mostly the non-classified cases that had also been all over the news.
He poked at the food, then tried a bite and found it amazing.
He dared to glance at the woman sitting across from them and she was listening to Peter, smiling, a warm expression in her eyes. Wade swallowed as that warmth met his own gaze, never faltering.
"I'm so glad you're doing so well," she said, her eyes lingering a little longer on Wade. "You earned it, Peter. You worked so hard and I couldn't help you the way I wanted…"
Peter shook his head. "No, Aunt May. It's okay. I never asked for it. And like you said, it all worked out. In several ways."
She smiled, that warm expression embracing Wade as well. He wondered where the need to hug her suddenly came from.
Peter and his aunt continued to talk, somehow managing to include Wade into the conversation, even though he didn't say a single word, just nodded once or twice. He ate quietly, enjoying the home cooked meal, and his eyes lit up when May exchanged the pot roast for apple pie with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.
Heaven.
Absolute heaven.
Peter grinned a little as he watched him devour two slices of apple pie.
"You two share the same healthy appetite," May remarked, humor clear in her voice. "Advanced metabolism?" she asked, addressing Wade.
He shrugged around the mouthful of pie and gave an affirmative grunt.
"He's a bottomless well, but usually for Mexican," Peter elaborated.
Wade glowered, chewing.
"But he eats just about anything else, too."
The glower intensified.
"I'll see if I can find a recipe," May only remarked.
He froze.
That… was a clear invitation for another visit if there had ever been one.
"Uhm," Wade mumbled. "Thanks."
His mind was a whirlpool of conflicting emotions and thoughts.
SD
She packed them all the leftovers into a bag, which had Peter protest, but May wouldn't have it.
Wade just thanked her politely.
She still didn't seem to be bothered by his scars. The merc wondered if she had some kind of superpower that let her ignore the way her adopted son's mate looked, how hideous that person was, and what he truly did… and had done… as a job.
Because May Parker knew. She was following Deadpool and Spider-Man, and Peter had been quite open concerning Wade's occupational hazards and all.
She caught him on his own as Wade walked into the living room after a quick pit stop. For a second he almost panicked that Peter was gone, then May Parker had his complete attention, and something inside of him tensed, ready to fight.
"Wade."
Her voice was calm, soft, but also with a core of steel that spoke of a past filled with struggle and survival. The chimera reacted to it, tilting its head, intrigued.
"Peter has gone upstairs to pick something up from his room," she told him without Wade asking where his partner was. "He'll be back in a moment. Please sit."
And he did.
Like following an order.
"I know that coming here, to meet with me and have a family dinner, was a big step."
Family… dinner… echoed through his mind.
"I told Peter that I'd never pressure you into any kind of get-together. I'm very much aware of your past, though Peter hasn't been very talkative. I pieced it together from internet searches after I discovered your relationship."
"Huh," he murmured. "Not the best place to get some solid intel."
May smiled. "I'm versed enough to ignore the lies and propaganda. Believe me, since I realized Peter was Spider-Man, I've become a true pro at that."
Wade had to chuckle at that.
"He loves you."
The smile died on his lips and his eyes flew up to meet May's. She nodded, still smiling.
"Head over heels, I'd say. But not in a teenage way. It's a dedication I've never seen before, but I suspect he hasn't felt anything like he did for you either. The bond didn't come unexpectedly out of the blue. It formed slowly."
Wade felt a new kind of tension and bit back on the emotional surge.
"To find that special someone who you trust enough to bond with, that's something to treasure," she told him, voice wistful. "I read so many romance novels with bonding and mates, I might be a little skewed, but I know one thing: a bond cannot be faked. What you and Peter have is real. It's based on your complete trust in him and his acceptance of you, Wade. He loves you and you must love him to allow him to connect to you on such a deep and intimate level. That's all I need to know."
Wade wanted to make a rude comment on the intimate part, or the connecting, but he held back. He was being good today. He knew how to be polite and how to behave.
Especially around aunts.
"Thank you," he only said. "I mean it."
"I know."
She didn't try to take his hand or touch him otherwise. Wade was grateful for it. He had no idea what he would do if she touched him in a motherly or auntly fashion. Bawl like a little kid, bolt from the house, shoot out the cupboard or just kiss her soundly on the lips for being such a magnificent woman.
"I don't judge people on what the news spread about them. I make up my own mind. You're family now, Wade. That's what I want you to know."
Okay, bawling time soon. Very soon.
That lump in his throat was worse than getting said throat slashed.
"I… thanks," he managed, voice rough.
"Call some time." May's lips twitched a little. "Peter says you like to talk a lot. After today I would doubt him, but if you ever feel like it, my number is in Peter's phone."
"Uh, thank you, Ma'… May."
She smiled at him, expression soft and warm.
"Take care of Peter. I know you would without me asking it, but he's like my own son. I love him. Like you love him. Very much. What he does as Spider-Man is dangerous, but it is what he wants to do."
"I won't let anyone hurt him if I can help it," Wade promised, voice serious, level. "I'll be there for him. Always."
She looked into his eyes, her face reflecting no disgust. He could see that she believed him.
May held out a hand.
Wade hesitated, then stretched out his own and she took the scarred appendage in a firm grip.
"May I hug you?" she asked.
Wade was stunned, but he found himself nodding, and then then he had the smaller woman hug him firmly. It was a very brief hug, but it launched something inside him Wade Wilson hadn't felt in a very long time.
Aside from Peter, no one had ever been this intimate in their affections.
"Take care. Both of you," May said and stepped back, smiling softly.
SD
Deadpool was uncharacteristically silent on the ride back home. Dopinder was listening to the radio, humming along to some songs, but he didn't try to engage his passengers in conversation.
Peter didn't either.
Wade had the mask on, the hoodie over his head, and he was gazing out the window.
Not talking.
SDSDSD
"She told me I can call her whenever I need to talk."
It had been half an hour since they had arrived home. Peter had switched on the TV, finding an old rerun of his favorite crime show, and Wade had joined him on the couch. He lay with his head against Peter's upper arm, eyes far away, lips pursed like in deep thought.
"Aunt May?"
"Yeah."
"Okay."
It got him an incredulous look. "She offered that to me," he repeated. "I can call her. To talk, baby boy!"
"And?"
Wade opened his mouth, then closed it again.
"You're my bonded, my partner, my mate," Peter told him. "She likes you. You make me happy. She invited you to dinner. Why wouldn't she want to talk to you?"
"Because?"
"Doesn't work on Aunt May. She's immune to 'because'. You're family, Wade. Get used to it."
It got him a soft grunt.
"And thanks," Peter added softly after a minute.
"Huh?"
"For coming along. She was happy to finally meet you."
Wade was silent again.
"She… didn't ask. I thought she would. They either ask or judge, talk about it like they know everything about me. She didn't. Now I know where you go that from," came the quiet mumbling after a while.
"Not everyone's a judgmental, bigoted bastard."
"Just most of them."
Peter rested his cheek against the bald head. Wade made a happy little noise and he closed his eyes.
"I like her."
Peter chuckled. "The feeling's mutual. There are also no strings attached. May doesn't expect you to come every Sunday or spend Easter and Christmas. If you want to tell her who you are, that's up to you."
"She asked you," he stated.
"And I said it's your story to tell. To her, the scars are burns and they are your past. Part of you. If you never want to tell her, she won't prod."
Deadpool sat up and looked at him, expression unreadable. Finally he shook his head.
"Your aunt's just as much fluff and rainbows as you are, Peteybabe. Must be running in the family. You Parkers are way too good for this world. She'd be a great Alfred or Robin for your Spidey-man."
Peter didn't even try to decipher that.
tbc...