Chapter 1
He wasn’t nervous. No.
Why should he really?
Maybe, because he is in a building with a lot of people who are in some sense like him and the next conversation will determine his future. Maybe, because already three people groaned as soon as they spotted Wade which is super rude by the way. But he also knows Wade so maybe it’s fair.
Wade told him that everything would be fine and that he had a place to stay here. That he would stay, for some time at least, too. But even though he had a lot in common with the people here, he just wasn’t one of them.
He wasn’t a mutant. Peter was bit by a radioactive spider which gave him superhuman abilities he is barely able to control on a good day. That makes him enhanced? He isn’t even a mutate as he doesn’t have the x-gen.
But Wade told him everything would be fine. And he trusts Wade.
Walking through the mansion with all these nice things everywhere he is suddenly very aware of his dirty old clothes. The backpack on his back was in a similar torn and disgusting condition.
Wade must have noticed his thoughts shift as he threw an arm over Peter’s shoulder and said a cheary “No worries. Professor baldhead is gonna love you little cutie-pie. You’ll get all the clothes and showers you need as soon as we talk to him. I think his office is somewhere around he- Ah! There it is! Come on Petey, let’s get this over with and get something to eat. I’m starving!”
The door they were walking to was dark wooden at the end of the hallway. It looked as nice as everything else. As they closed the distance he became more aware of the sounds coming from the room. Before he only noticed the noises of children and teens all around as well as lectures being given in a few rooms. The wind was rustling the autumn coloured leaves outside and there was a child crying after falling on his knees somewhere. Two men were chatting with each other in the office about dinner plans.
In Peter’s neck his hairs stood a little and he wasn’t sure if it was because of his nerves or because of some sort of danger.
Wade, rude like he is with other people, was about to open the door without knocking but Peter was able to catch his wrist before he did.
“Wade,” he exclaims in a high squeaky noise. Peter clears his throat and tries not to notice the grin the other teen was definitely sporting. “You can’t just barge in. The people inside are talking. I think we should come back later when we aren’t interrupting.”
“Oh, are you nervous?” Wade squishes Peter’s face between his palms before they are swatted away with an offended noise. “Don’t be. I told you, they will love you little bug. Trust me. They lo-ove me here. You have no idea.”
“Wade.”
“Anyway-” Before Peter is able to stop him, Wade turns and walks right through the door with a loud “Ya’ miss me?”
Peter stood frozen at the door only able to watch in horror as Wade sat down on top of the table Professor Xavier and the Magneto were playing chess on.
“Wade,” both say in the most exhausted tone he has ever heard.
The Professor drives behind his work desk where he takes out an expensive looking bottle and two glasses out of one of the drawers.
“Oh, I didn’t know it was happy hour. I would have totally-”
“Wade,” Erik Lensherr cuts him off while accepting one of the now filled glasses from the professor. “What are you doing here?” As he leans against the desk and the doorway Peter was still standing in comes into his view he follows with “And who are you?”
Wade rushed to him and pulled him in by the arm until he was standing just feet away from the two older men. “This is my best friend Petey. He needs a room.”
“Peter,” he blurts out. Because God forbid he’ll let ‘Petey’ just stand like that. Not in front of these two world known people. “Peter Parker. That’s eh- my name. It’s really nice to meet you two and I kinda- Wade told me you are a school who takes people in. People with abilities. Not that you’re like obligated to anything-”
“Peter,” Professor Xavier interrupts him with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Why don’t you take a seat.”
So he did that. Peter also pulled Wade away from some display cabinet he was sticking his hand out to and pulled him down into the chair beside his.
Both Professor Xavier and Mr. Lensherr looked amused by that but didn’t comment. Instead the former asked, “You aren’t a mutant, are you?”
Peter nervously looked between the two and Wade who gave him encouraging and not at all helpful thumbs up. “Well- no technically not. I mean practically also no, but I have this well- Ok, first of all please don’t read my mind if you can help it. I sometimes lose control over my powers so I understand if it happens, but I’m not that comfortable with someone being able to look into my mind. That kinda scares me, so.”
“The Prof won’t do that. No worries Pete,” Wade says with a pat on his shoulder.
The man in question adds, “I won’t go into your mind without permission, Peter. Please continue. I would like to know why Wade brought you here.”
Here goes nothing. Peter thought to himself and braced himself with a deep breath. “Ok so, I was on this field trip with my school to Oscorp and I got lost at one point and ended up in this room with spiders. They were experimented on with radiation, I think? Anyway, one of them bit me and after a week of being sick I got these abilities. Then my uncle got shot and I decided to fight crime. That’s where I met Wade. And then after some months I fought this big villian guy who turned out to be my homecoming date’s dad and I won but I got really hurt in the process. That’s how my aunt found out that I’m Spider-Man and she totally freaked out which ended in her kicking me out. I kinda understand it because we weren’t blood related and it’s a lot to take in and it’s not like she thought she would have to raise me after my parents dropped me off before dying in that plane crash. Still, she was my last living relative so that really hurt. Anyway, I’ve been living on the streets for a few weeks until Wade found out and brought me here. Not like there is anyone who’d miss me in New York.” He laughed humorlessly before rambling on, “I know I’m not a mutant per se, but I have powers, too, so I thought maybe I could go to your school? It’s totally cool if not. I’ll figure something out. Oh- and please don’t tell anyone I’m Spider-Man.”
Wade nodded animatedly and Peter could practically see the smile under his mask. The two men seemed kind of shocked on the other hand. Yes, maybe he could have gone about that better. He can admit that to himself.
“You are Spider-Man? How old are you,” Magneto asked him, a little stressed.
“Oh wow, you heard of me? How cool,” he says under his breath before adding more clearly, “I’m fifteen, sir.”
“‘Course they heard of you. There are so many cool videos of you online and you made big news after Stark’s plane and the Vulture guy.” Wade exclaims beside him like it’s the most natural and self explanatorything on the planet. To him it probably is. But who is Peter to judge. He is as obsessed with his best friend as he is with him.
The Professor cleared his throat effectively getting both Wade’s and Peter’s attention again. “That was quite a lot of information and we should go over some of that at a later point but first of all, I can assure you, you have a place to stay here and we won’t share your secret.”
“Really? Oh wow, thank you Professor, sir. You really don’t have to. I have nothing to my name so I can’t pay you or anything.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
“Why don’t you tell us what your ‘powers’ are if you aren’t a mutant,” Magneto suggests, which sounds more of a demand and greatly unconvinced in his so-called powers, too, judging the way he vocalized the word.
Which - rude, but he’ll ignore that for now. Peter is definitely closer to being one of his precious mutants than humans.
“Yes, of course.” He cleared his throat before starting, “I have super strength though I don’t know how much I can lift. Before I stopped the Vulture from stealing the plane he dropped a building on me and I was able to lift the stuff on top of me off me so that was probably a few tons. Though it was really hard and I almost couldn’t make it.”
Magneto gave Xavier an exhausted, stressed expression. “A building dropped on him.”
Xavier’s voice was calming but a little tight as well, “That is quite a lot. So that is your power, strength?”
“Yes, as well as enhanced flexibility and durability. I’m faster than normal humans and also very lightweight. And that’s not because I didn’t have any access to food. I mean, probably that, too, but my bones are different from normal human bones and I’m lighter because of it. How can I explain it best? Like, bendy? Does that make sense?”
“Bendy. Right.”
“I also stick to things. I can stay upside down without blood rushing to my brain. I have heightened senses and a sixth sense which warns me from dangers and stuff. I think that’s all. Is that all?” Peter turned to Wade after listing everything he could think of.
The older teen added, “You also shoot webs and have a healing factor.”
“Yes, you're right. That, too.” Peter nodded to himself. Sometimes he stupidly forgets some of his long list of powers. He turned to the two men again. “I have a high metabolism so some of the stuff isn’t working up to its full potential right now, like my healing factor. My healing isn’t as good as Wade’s. I can definitely die. But we compared, his bullet wounds heal in seconds or minutes, mine take a few hours and another day or two until the scar is gone.”
“Compared bullet wounds. I can’t believe it.” Mr. Lensherr exclaimed, exhausted, shaking his head and taking a big gulp from his glass of bourbon. (Peter figured from the smell)
“That’s an impressive list of powers, Peter. I’m sure you’ll fit right in with us.”
“All that you got from a spider bite,” Magneto asked a bit wary. Which is fair. Peter would be, too, if a random teenager came by and just told him about all different kinds of enhancements after announcing to be a famous vigilante without even being a mutant. It is unbelievable and the man is known to be guarded around unknown people because of his past. But the Professor was there so he could definitely back Peter up.
“I think it altered my DNA to be more like a spider’s, but I don’t have a lab to prove my theory,” he told them. But thinking about the statement, Peter could see how he made himself even more unconvincing.
“Oh, Charlie, you will love Petey. He is suuuuper smart. A+ student and all.”
Wade’s voice was full of excitement which was great because that is just him. It was calming constant beside him. Wade was Wade through everything these last months since he first met him on patrol. When he revealed himself and in turn got to know DP as Wade as well, becoming his best friend. After he found him sleeping on a roof and the tearful confession from Peter. The few nights where he stayed on Wade's couch before Peter took up his offer to drive up to the mansion and join the school. Wade who just stayed himself and never once looked at him with pity or anything other than love for his friend.
“Maybe you can learn something from him then,” Mr. Lensherr suggested cheekily to which Wade just flipped him the bird.
Peter swatted the offending hand away and hissed at him, “Be nice.”
To the older two men’s surprise Wade actually stayed quiet beside Peter with only slightly annoyed mumbles under his breath.
“How about we get you settled in and talk some more later,” the Professor suggested, coming around the table and going up to the door.
“Petey and I can share a room.” Wade, too, got up and followed him out the door.
Peter hastily got up and walked out with Magneto. He fumbled a little with his jacket. His nerves still on a high. To be honest, Peter didn’t think this would be as easy as it was. After all he isn’t a mutant and this was a mutant school. He wouldn’t even be mad if they changed their minds later on again.
His thoughts were interrupted when the Professor turned to Wade, took a long look at him and said, “So you want to stay, too?” Which is something Peter decidedly did not expect.
“Well, I can’t just go back to New York on my own.”
“You did last time as well as all the other times.”
“But now I have Pete. I can’t just leave. New York would be way too boring without him there anyway.”
“If you want to stay you need to follow the rules and attend classes, Wade. Are you absolutely sure you are up to that?”
Wade groaned loudly and as he didn’t answer for a tad too long where he tried to level the Professor with a stare, which the man held very successfully Peter noted dully, he piped up himself, “Wade will be good. I promise. Right, Wade?”
“No, I can’t just do that Petey,” the older teen pouted.
He tucked slightly at his jacket sleeve and said quietly, “Please, Wade.”
Another groan and an “Ok- fine,” later they continued their way through the house.
“I think it would be best for you to dorm with someone other than Wade and he can take his usual room.”
Mr. Lensherr spoke right over Wade’s comically hysterical No!, “You can put him with my Peter.”
“That is an excellent idea.” Xavier smiled at the man who offered a small smile in return.
In the elevator Prof. Xavier spoke up again, “May I ask how you two met?”
“Oh, I’m glad you ask my soft headed friend. I was out and about, you know doing my thing, when I heard this scream from down the alley and as your good friendly neighborhood mercenary I looked if anyone might need my help. And I must say what I saw was a sight to behold. Spider-Man in all his 5ft4 glory beating up some old fuck. To be honest I fell a little in love right then and there.” Wade drew him into a side hug, rubbing the top of his head into the crock of Peter’s neck like an oversized cat. He had to suppress a smile and shoved his friend off himself half-heartedly.
“We don’t condone violence at this school,” the Professor stated firmly, looking at the two of them, but fixing Wade with another intensity in his gaze.
“Of course. I would never start a fight with anyone, really. But in my defense, I don't kill and that guy was about to sexually assault a girl, so like, I think he kinda deserved it,” Peter rushed out. His voice got quieter in the end.
“You’re right.”
Peter had to hold back a snicker at the look the Professor sent Mr. Lensherr and the way the man shrugged unapologetically.
On the walk through the mansion Wade babbled about some people and all the ‘fun’ stuff they could do here. Following that was him announcing that all those things were just ‘jokes’ and that the two men can just forget about it, that they’ll be the nicest, most disciplined students that they ever had. Following that was Wade winking at Peter, bumping him into his side with his elbow.
He even went so far and told him about certain teachers and who to avoid with pranks or who to target specifically as the reactions would always be top tier comedy. “The blue fur ball is definitely the most funny one reaction wise. But I guess we’ll have to be nicer ‘cause of your science stuff. Urgh- but I so wanna see your face when you first met him. You won’t be able to handle it.” Even Magneto smirked at that.
“Wade, I was born and raised in New York.”
“Fair.”
At some point they came to a stop in front of a room and the little walk felt honestly way too long to just be walking around in one house. How big could one building be? This was kind of hilariously abnormal.
“My son, his name is also Peter, lives in this room. I think you will get along great.”
“I told him to meet us here,” Xavier added.
Suddenly, without a warning a voice piped up from directly behind him. “Why are we standing in front of my room?”
And Peter startled hard enough to leap to the ceiling with an undignified yelp, clinging to it. As he looks down at the others the boy really comes into his view. He must be around Peter’s age, had silver hair and a walkman is hanging around his neck. Peter knew right then and there, he would never be as cool as that guy.
“Wow! Dude, ‘you ok?”
It was weird thinking about how all these people are special in a sense that he is. Sure, in New York you meet all kinds of special people but the smallest number have extraordinary abilities like them and those you just don’t meet on the street. The brunt mount of mutants are guarded about themselves around the general public and don’t display their powers. Wade was actually the first mutant Peter got to know. Well, the first he knew of. Now he was in a building full of people who weren’t afraid to openly act with their abilities.
Panic seized through him before he realized that they weren’t looking at him with disgust or alarm at his display of powers but rather amusement, because he was in fact still sticking to the ceiling looking wide eyed at them.
Peter quickly let himself drop and spin to fall into his usual crouch, red faced and embarrassed.
Where the fuck did that guy come from anyway?
“Are you a teleporter or fast? Either way, it’s super fuc- freacking cool.” He blurts out without a thought to it.
“Fast. Kurt ’s a teleporter. You’ll meet him later. I’m Peter by the way.”
“My name’s Peter, too,” he says, bumping the outstretched fist.
“Oh really,” he groans.
Charles pipes up from behind them, “Peter will be your new roommate.”
Another groan. “For real? First you take away my great single room and then put me with another Peter? That’s not gonna get confusing at all. No offense, you seem cool.”
“Peter, be nice,” Erik Lensherr, who is apparently his father, scolds him.
“Fine.” The guy fixes him with a look he can’t place and which turns out is supposed to be threatening as the next thing he says is, “But if you touch my mixtapes, I’m gonna move you out like that.” He snaps his fingers. It took some time but Peter eventually learned, with a lot of teasing and tips from Wade, to be intimidating if he wanted and needed to, so he knows that this Peter is absolute shit at it. He doesn’t get the chance to tell him though as he already rushes on, “And will that thing with the ceiling happen a lot? ‘Cause I kinda run everywhere.”
“Petey will jump at everything. One time he jumped to the ceiling and sniper-shot a fly because it startled him. One other time there was this rat-”
Peter threw his hands to cover Wade’s mouth before he could tell anything else. This was embarrassing enough as it is. While Wade tried to continue his story even though it was muffled by his hands he heard a quiet “Oh, I’m so gonna get that story,” from behind him. And no, he will not. Peter will make sure of that.
“How about you help him settle in? Please, show Peter where the bathrooms are as well as the classrooms. Grab some fresh sheets while you at it. Oh and get something to eat as well. You are excused from your classes today to help Peter find his way around,” the Professor told the silver haired Peter.
“Please meet me in my study sometime this afternoon to talk some more,” he added after facing the other Peter, him.
“Yes, thank you, again. You totally don’t have to do that. And if you want to rethink your deci-”
“Yeah, yeah. We’re all very thankful Chuck for letting us stay in your humble abode.” The fast Peter is funny. And he knows how to deal with the little respect for your elders and or authorities-type.
“You stayin’, too, bean-face?”
“Sure am, knock off Flash.”
“Cool.” Wade and Peter fistbumped each other.
The next thing he notices is him being dragged away from the group by the arm in direction of the other hall. “Come on, I’ll show you the dining hall and kitchen. The most important places here.” Before he was pulled around the corner he heard a shout “I’ll find you later, Petey. Leave some food for me.”
Coming back has always been a double-edged experience. Sure the Professor was welcoming and patient with him or whatever but everyone else? Children were fucking cruel and not even most teachers tried to be friendly or stop them anymore.
Sure, Wade could go about things the normal old boring way and be a reliable, hard-working or at least reasonable student. But as said, that’s fucking boring.
And he had to counteract his ugly mug fucking somehow and a dashing personality always does the job. Or doing a job, does the job. No one will talk shit about your looks with Bea up their ass.
And even though Wade dreaded going to classes again or having to deal with the shit-students, he’ll do it. For Pete's sake. And oh man, wouldn’t he go through hell to give him the life he deserves.
Meeting Peter was undoubtedly the best thing that ever happened to him in his shitty life. After the cancer, the experimentation, all the killing (which to be honest he has less of a problem with) Peter brought a new light into his life he never could have imagined being blessed with.
Especially seeing under that suit. Man is shredded.
That his little bean had ended up homeless broke his heart. Turns out Life wanted to fuck them both over good in the little time they had been walking on the big blue planet.
The second he found his best friend on that roof and he heard his tearful confession about what had gone down between him and his aunt, he knew that the Prof’s school was the only real option. No way, he’ll try and convince Pete into the system or worse to do the shit he had done to survive. Plus, his moral code would prevent him from that anyway. Which is great, don’t get him wrong.
Sure, Wade would have loved to just let Peter live with himself and buy him all the Mexican food they could possibly find, take care of him and beat people up while growing old together. But that’s not what Peter wants and needs. He is more independent than others his age due to the circumstances but not to Wade's degree and not wanting that either. Not yet. School, education, a stable environment, that’s what he seeks now more than ever.
Xavier’s school will give that to him and Wade will be by his side as long as he can and wants.
And yes, maybe he fears that if Peter gets to know other cool people with abilities who are way less screwed up than him that he won’t want him around anymore.
But you know what? Good for him. Not like he would be the first to walk out on Wade.
He turned to Charles and Erik, grin audible in his voice as he said, “Let’s talk some more my lovely old enemies-to-lovers-slow-burn-fanfic-inspiration-since-2000.”
Something in his voice must have given him away as neither (Not even Mr. Metal, like wtf?) commented or protested him and just followed him where he skipped off in direction of his old room.
It isn’t on one of the children's floors and instead near the adults' rooms. When he first got brought here by the russian metal ass and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (-still, the shit-coolest name ever-) he just had killed a bunch of Francis’ guys so they didn’t want him anyway near the little shits. Since then he had come and gone a couple of times, always with a few months in between each visit. His room and all his shit stayed his throughout all this time.
Opening the dump of a room, with a shit ton of clothes, weapons and just general junk lying all around, covered in a layer of dust he almost felt nostalgic. It had been longer since he last stayed because (what a surprise) he had met Spider-Man/Peter, therefore never felt the need to come back.
Wade threw himself bodily into the bean back in one corner as the two older men trickled in after him, closing the door after themselves.
“What is it you wanted to talk about Wade?” Charles asks him, patient as ever.
“Look, I know you will make sure Pete is fine here. You even let me back in here after all the shit I’ve done.”
“Wade, we talked about this. We-”
He doesn’t want to hear it and just cuts the Prof off. “Yes, yes. I know the spiel. That’s not the point. The point is that Peter comes with a whole shitload of trauma which he needs help with. I can only do so much as his bestie and I’ll do my part, but I need you to do yours. Many people here still have parents to their name or some sort of role model. Peter has lost every single person he has somehow seen as a parental figure throughout his life. That last shit with his aunt has just been the tip of the iceberg and he is like, still in denial about it. He doesn’t think his aunt did anything wrong, at all. He is super fucking smart, a great fighter and just begs to cling to the next adult who gives him some sort of comfort or shows him love. And he is- We’re still just kids-”
“So if you exploit him for either your shitty boy bands, X-Men or Brotherhood or whatever, just because you see his combat skills, his use - I will make sure to hunt you down and make you suffer like you can’t imagine. I will make you beg for death, to release you from the torture I will put you through. Do you understand?”
The silence almost suffocated him. His throat was dry and they must have heard the emotion seep through even though he tried to stay cold, threatening. If something happened to Peter- if anyone hurt his friend? They will suffer.
Magneto almost looked…proud? Wade didn’t know how he was supposed to interpret that look directed at him but the small, sharp nod he got was enough of a confirmation he needed from him. His view turned to the Professor looking at him with a kind of softness he hadn’t seen since he allowed the man to look into his mind.
“You have my word,” he answered.
Wade nodded shortly in acceptance before jumping up from his seat to push them both outside his room. Enough with the mushy stuff. “Now go- I need to get myself settled in or whatever you say.”