Peter was in peak health. There was nothing wrong with him. The terrible injuries were gone. His EKG and EEG were absolutely perfect. His strength as up to par, his coordination excellent. His spider abilities were unchanged. Peter could stick to all kinds of surfaces with the same ease as before, and he demonstrated it repeatedly.
His sight, hearing and sense of touch were as he was used to as Spider-Man, and he had no cognitive disabilities. His memories were all there, too.
Peter had no memory of his death, though. It was the only gap in his brain, but not one he was actually worried about.
"You were unconscious when you died," Bruce said thoughtfully. "Theoretically you don't feel yourself dying when unconscious, so that might be an explanation. What's far more likely, given your bond, your mutation, sharing the chimera's abilities, is that your brain protected itself from possibly negative feedback. You aren't a preternatural, Peter."
"Uh, yeah? I know?"
Peter was only wearing scrub pants, his upper body was naked, and there were electrodes sticking to his skin. He felt a little exposed, but then again, it wasn't the first time he was treated for injuries, not wearing much, not even part of the Spider-Man suit. This time was a little different, though.
"Deadpool's mindset has made an adjustment to dying." Banner glanced at their watcher. "It's his nature, so he can handle it. Well, in his own way."
Peter twitched a little smile.
Deadpool was standing in one corner, eyes on the proceedings. He had been silent the whole time, not even twitching a muscle.
Like a statue.
A deadly statue who wouldn't stop at taking on the Hulk if he had to. Armed with more weapons than a small army, katanas strapped to his back, hands resting lightly close to the two massive guns.
Bruce had been very much aware of his watcher, but his heartrate and pulse had remained within limits. While Deadpool was a very dangerous, unpredictable opponent who wasn't to be trifled with, having Peter in the room lessened the threat level in a way. It didn't make Deadpool any less unpredictable, unstable and dangerous, but it shifted the man's focus on his mate.
Peter kept him anchored.
The energy levels were well within reason. Jarvis would alert him the moment something spiked.
"For you, it was a change that came along with the life-bond. So it stands to reason that you need to adjust. Your brain does it for you: you have no memory of the actual moment."
He nodded. "It feels like I just fell asleep and woke up. I mean, I remember the fight and all. Just nothing after the black-out. I'm a little sore, like always after a fight. Nothing else."
Bruce nodded as Jarvis presented him the last scan.
"You're perfectly healed. Nothing out of the ordinary," he told the half-naked man sitting on the examination table. "Well, ordinary for you."
It got Peter another little smile. His mutated cells were ordinary.
"Told you," he quipped.
"We had to make sure."
"I know," was the calm reply as Peter peeled off the stickers. "And I'm thankful. No one knew whether or not the whole thing would really take and how far I'd adopt the chimera's abilities."
"Looks like, aside from the time delay, you have them completely. I'd advise against testing it, though." The last was said with a twinkle of amusement.
Peter chuckled. "Believe me, I'm not going to."
He felt immensely energetic. Bruce had shown him recordings of when he had come back to life and it had been amazing to watch the outpour.
Maybe the chimera had overshot the whole thing a little. Who knew? No one had any idea how it all worked and aside from killing Peter again and again, recording his resurrection, there was no way of testing it.
From the way Peter looked at him, he was thinking the same.
"I'm erasing the tests and the results as we speak," Banner said seriously. "Jarvis won't have a single recording anywhere."
"Already on it," the AI piped up.
"Thank you," Peter addressed them both, looking at the ceiling, even though Jarvis wasn't installed there.
Deadpool was suddenly right there, moving silently, almost soundlessly, and with a determination that had Bruce back off a few steps to give the two men room. The merc was flexing his hands and the tension was hard to stomach. The whole aura was driving him into defense and he calmed himself to stop the Other Guy from accidentally making an appearance.
His pulse monitor stayed green, though his primitive hind brain was pulling all the stops and wanted him to leave. Right. Now.
Peter shot him an apologetic look, which Bruce waved off. He turned to his computer, which was free of any and all results.
Deadpool's gloved fingers deftly removed the last electrode, flicking it with unerring accuracy toward the trash can. The white eyes scanned over the half naked man and Peter gave his partner a smile.
"Ready to go?" he asked lightly, like it was just a movie date with a dinner after that.
Deadpool nodded wordlessly.
Like talking was no longer an option.
Maybe it wasn't.
That was troubling in a way. Deadpool was the Merc with a Mouth, talking all the time. Nothing had ever stopped him, short of blowing him to pieces too small to articulate any longer.
This…
Serious, serious problem.
Bruce watched as Peter dressed. He briefly touched his bonded mate, drawing the tightly coiled energies toward him with an ease that spoke of familiarity and acceptance. Bruce marveled at fate, at the fact that these two men matched so perfectly, for all their apparent imperfections.
Peter gave him an easy, bright smile as they left the room, the chimera hovering behind him like a vengeful nightmare.
Bruce felt himself breathing so much easier when Deadpool left the room.
SD
No one stopped them.
Tony just told him to take a few days off work and not to show his face before next Monday. He was on sick leave.
"I'm okay!" Peter argued.
"You died, Parker. You understand what that means? Good! You only came back a few hours ago. No matter what Bruce says, you're on sick leave. I don't want to see your face around here till Monday. Understood?"
"Sheesh. Okay, okay," he muttered.
He knew he had died, but he didn't feel any kind of trauma.
It had happened.
He had survived; and come back.
No need to treat him like a fragile doll. Or coddle him.
Deadpool was at his side the whole time, his bodyguard, protecting, guarding, and still radiating the need to be this close for absolutely different reasons along the bond. He wanted to be out of this place, away from an AI aware of their every step, their very heartbeats, and the Avengers.
While Peter had only ever seen Bruce and Tony, he knew they were being watched. He would bet a month's salary on Hawkeye and-or Black Widow shadowing them.
SD
It was one of Tony's limos that took them home, though Deadpool had the guy stop a few blocks away from the building, then took the long way through a maze of alleys to the back entrance.
Peter didn't comment. He understood the necessity of being careful, though he suspected the Avengers probably knew where they lived, even if they didn't say it outright.
The moment they were inside their highly secured four walls, Deadpool took off the mask and crowded close, backing Peter against the wall. There was a second where time seemed to stand still, where the chimera looked out of the human shell, regarding its mate.
With human eyes, all dark brown and without a trace of the normally tell-tale silver. Human eyes that still reflected the preternatural, that expressed everything that words couldn't.
Peter raised a hand, cupping the scarred cheek, then leaned in and let their lips touch in a gentle kiss.
Wade kissed back, slow at first, like it was their first time, then with more hunger and almost something close to desperation.
They separated slowly, teeth catching at his lower lip. The bite was so soft, it was barely felt.
Still, the chimera reacted with a tremor deep in its nightmarish core.
"You scared me," he whispered, sounding raw and vulnerable. "You died. Didn't come back."
There was nothing Peter could say. He just held his partner as Wade buried his face against the younger man's neck, hands clenching into the fabric of his sweater, holding on tightly.
He pressed his lips against Wade's temple.
"I'm not going to leave you," he murmured after a moment. "Ever."
"I love you," Wade blurted, raising his head and the dark eyes were brimming with emotions.
The next kiss was warmer, less needy, and Peter savored it. He let himself fall into the embrace, the kiss, and he felt the chimera's wings brush over his whole being. It wrapped itself around Peter like a wispy blanket.
"I love you," he replied.
Wade leaned forward, resting his forehead against Peter's, the contact so much more intimate than anything else. His other hand slid over Peter's hip and around his back. Strong fingers traced the small portion of the younger man's spine. Dangerous, deadly hands on his body, so soft and gentle in their caress, so intimate.
The fingers wormed underneath the sweater, sliding over warm skin, and Peter pulled the piece of clothing over his head. The fingers were back, the palms brushing over Peter's chest and abdomen, finding no traces of the terrible injuries.
There wasn't even a faint scar. It was as if it had never happened.
"You didn't heal," he repeated, sounding almost desperate. "Not right away."
"I'm not you, Wade. Or anyone else with a healing ability like yours."
Wade closed his eyes, still looking shaky. "Yeah. Weapon X didn't splice you apart and glued you back together again. Thanks for that."
"I'm still me. Human. With a mutation." Peter undid a few clasps of the suit. "This was you, Wade. The chimera. You brought me back."
"It won't let go. I can't. You couldn't make me," he promised, low and dark.
"Thank you," Peter murmured, pushing back a little. "I'd like a shower now. I smell like a hospital."
The brown eyes lit up. "I think that can be arranged."
Peter smiled, then walked toward the bathroom.
Wade followed close on his heels.
SD
There was no shower sex.
Peter used a liberal amount of shower gel to wash off the unfamiliar scent, then toweled off. From the way Wade watched him as he walked out of the bathroom, his partner wanted to touch, to caress, but he held back.
"I'm not going to break," Peter commented, towel slung around his hips.
And he felt the hunger, too. His whole body seemed to thrum with energy, left over from the resurrection, he supposed.
"Hope not," Wade commented and swallowed the reply in a kiss.
SDSDSDSDSDSDSDSDSD
He woke in bed, wrapped in a familiar embrace, feeling warmth along his back and side, ensconced in the arms of his bonded. The warmth wasn't just physical but also in his mind, and memories lapped at his consciousness.
He felt the heat rise in his face and fought down a very physical reaction to what he recalled from last night.
Very passionate, intense and hot memories.
Well, fuck, Wade thought.
In every sense of the word.
Peter was still as flexible as before, still as hot and gorgeous, and still as sexy. Also demanding. And powerful. Switching had become normal, though Peter seemed to prefer to bottom.
Wade didn't mind.
There was little he would mind when it came to sexy shenanigans with is mate.
Something bloomed inside him, something powerful and warm and overwhelming. He buried his face against the warm neck, inhaled Peter's scent, felt a calmness spread through him.
Mine, he thought.
Peter was his.
The chimera had pulled him back and he had recovered. Completely.
The pleasantly hard, warm body next to him moved a little.
"Petey," he murmured.
"Here," was sleepy reply.
Wade smiled more and nuzzled against the warmth. He felt incredibly relaxed. The connection between them was close to alive, an almost physical sensation.
Peter trailed his fingers over the naked, bumpy skin within his reach, all comfortable heat and well-known scent.
The merc felt something else shiver through him. It was powerful and pushy and hungry.
He ignored it.
This was nice. Not just hard and heavy sex. Just this.
"You're purring," Peter laughed softly.
"Am not."
"Are, too."
"Not," was the petulant answer.
Peter snorted and trailed kisses over his bare head. Wade raised his head, catching the lips and kissing back, tongues involved and pretty much getting dirtier by the minute. Peter pulled back with a groan.
"I hope this is just a side-effect of the regeneration, but I really want to blow you."
Wade felt something inside him sit up and take immediate notice, its tail wagging with enthusiasm. He really didn't need the input of his preternatural side to get with that particular program.
"Fuck, yeah," he breathed.
SDSDSD
"I don't care what brought that on, it was fucking fantastic," Wade groaned, feeling spent and like even his refractory period might be taking a short vacation.
Resting his head against Peter's shoulder, panting softly, he enjoyed a rush that shouldn't end. Like taking a rollercoaster ride and plunging deep, only to stop and realize it was over. Adrenaline high. Sugar rush. Whatever it was called, it had been damn good.
Peter grinned, hovering over him, looking pretty pleased with his handiwork.
And he could be.
It had blown more than Wade's balls; his whole mind was a goner. Not to mention the nightmare inside him was flat on its back, paws in the air, whining with pleasure.
And Peter was still hard.
Oh, the fun wasn't over yet. Wade grinned back and wrapped a hand around his mate's neck, pulling him into a sloppy kiss.
"Want to get rid of that?" he murmured, sneaky fingers playing over the hard dick.
Peter closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. "Wade…"
He lazily fisted the length, scars adding friction.
Peter groaned, pushing into the grip.
"Think you can keep it up for a longer ride?"
The hazel eyes shot him a challenging look and the primal side of the chimera reacted. Wade wanted to feel his mate. He wanted to taste him, touch him, listen to his every sound, and he wanted to claim the very soul of this man.
And he wanted him inside him.
Peter was only too happy to comply.
Yep, it had been a side-effect of the resurrection.
Lasting a while and both men were very happy to work off the excess energy.
He watched as Wade made his famous blueberry pancakes, nursing a cup of coffee. The scientist inside him was wondering about the physics behind it all. If the chimera had pushed that much energy into him, had it overshot its mark? Would the next time be under more controlled circumstances?
Not that he wanted a next time.
It would mean dying again. No, thanks.
But if it had been an overflow, could they regulate it? It didn't hurt Wade in any way, but what good would pouring more into Peter than was required do?
Well, fantastic sex was one result, aside from bringing Peter back to life, which had been the main goal.
"Wade?"
"Hm?"
"When it happened… did you feel anything?"
Wade stilled, spatula in hand. He finally, slowly, turned off the stove and turned to look at the seated man.
"Feel?"
Peter met the hard, almost cold brown eyes without fear. "When I died. Did you feel it? I know I don't feel any side-effects from when you get injured or possibly killed. What about you?"
He knew he was blunt. Absolutely straight-forward and like a sledge hammer.
"Aside from the need to tear the man who did this to pieces? Nope, not a thing, baby boy," was the suddenly-chipper reply. "Limb by limb, by tooth and nail."
Peter refused to be baited or deterred.
"The energy that got pulled into me… it came all from you. It's your core energy."
"You make it sound so romantic."
"Wade."
He stilled again, the spatula no longer flailing. Hairless brows lowered into a defiant scowl.
"No," he finally answered, the voice more Deadpool than Wade, "no side-effects. I didn't go all weak-kneed and starry-eyed. There was only rage and the abyss. But even if I step over the edge, it won't take me. I can't feel you die. If I could, I'd kill myself every single time. Every fucking single time!" Deadpool spat, voice almost breaking. "Because I wouldn't be able to take it!"
Peter slid off the chair and was around the kitchen island in a second. He wrapped himself around the other man, felt him bury his face against Peter's neck, felt the tremors, and he just held on.
Peter closed his eyes, feeling similar tremors course through him.
"I'm here," he whispered. "Not going anywhere. Neither are you."
Wade's fingers dug into the thin material of his t-shirt, bunching it tightly.
"Not sure I can do this without you, Peter. Ever. I'd find a way to end me, or let them end me. Something out there, in all the timelines and all the universes, can unalive me, too. I'd find it."
Peter shivered. "Not happening," he promised, voice low and rough. "Not ever happening, you hear me?!"
Wade nodded against the soft skin of his neck.
Peter had no idea how long they just stood there, but Wade suddenly let go of him, stepping back, face reflecting a myriad of emotions. He leaned in and kissed him, Peter responding openly, not holding anything back.
The chimera was coiled tightly around his soul, nose buried in the very energy it had given its mate to pull him back.
"Food now?" he finally asked when they separated.
Wade cracked a smile. "Gotta feed my little spider. Keep his strength up."
"Hm, you do that."
And the vulnerable moment was gone, but not like it had never happened, because it had.
SDSDSD
The pancakes were cold, but good. They reheated some in the microwave. The rest was eaten as they were.
Neither man felt like doing much, but Peter wanted to stretch his legs, swing around a little, enjoy the freedom web-slinging gave him.
Deadpool was all for it.
tbc...