Chapter 34
Peter woke up to the smell of food. His stomach growled loud enough to stir Wade. They both groaned, untangling themselves from each other. "Ugh, I love you babe but that was a really bad idea."
"My whole left side is asleep," Peter grumbled struggling to sit up. He had to sift through the blankets to find his phone. "Shit," he hissed noting he slept for over eight hours.
"You aren't on a schedule Pete." Peter didn't reply as he scrambled up to get dressed. "Petey," Wade held his arms out.
"Really Wade?"
"I'm sick," he defended.
"I have to work." He threw on a new shirt.
"Peter," Wade whined. Louder and louder until the hero scooped him up. He wrapped his arms around Peter with an excited cheer. "I love you, I love you," he kept saying as they walked out. Shuri, Nakia, and Bruce were all awake giving them amused looks as they entered.
"Wade," Peter muttered blushing as the Merc pressed his face into his neck.
"I love him," Wade announced making Peter blush brighter.
"I love you too," he mumbled setting him down on the couch.
"Not yet," Wade pouted still clinging to the hero's neck.
"Wade Wilson," Peter huffed exasperated. The Merc let go with a frown, sticking his tongue out when Peter walked to the kitchen.
"Is that why you've been sneaking out of the tower," Bruce asked with a smirk. Peter mumbled a reply into a coffee cup turning his attention elsewhere. Shuri and Nakia said nothing but something akin to understatement passed their faces.
"You created an antidote by the way. Or a consumable one," Bruce said.
"I what?"
"How do you not remember that," Shuri asked with an exasperated expression.
"You even left it simmering for the perfect time. It's done right now." Peter ran to the table finding the breaker of clear liquid waiting by a sticky note. "I already ran it through with an old blood test of yours. Your healing factor fixed came back in about forty minutes."
"Holy crap," he picked up the note to read the formula. He couldn't even remember writing it down.
"We can run Wade through dialysis when he's ready."
Peter turned to Wade who was just gazing at him with a far off expression. "Wade?" When the Merc didn't answer Peter rushed to him. "Wade?" He pressed a pair of fingers under his jaw unable to find a pulse. "Bruce," he choked.
The doctor was already there with a suryng. He plunged it onto Wade's chest. "Where's the defibrillator?"
Peter turned to Shuri who ran over. "I am the defibrillator." Before he could ask her watch wrapped around her hand the way he'd seen Tony's gauntlet do. It pulsed with blue electricity as she placed it on Wade's chest. It sent his body up, concluding before he was coughing. Peter grasped him into his arms as he gasped.
"That's always fun," he croaked.
"I'll set up the dialysis," Bruce muttered.
"Alright Petey, sorry I scared you," he murmured patting his back.
Peter pressed his face into the mercs neck with a stuttered breath. Wade apologized again softly as Bruce and Shuri set up everything in Peter's room. "W-will you be okay to go through dialysis," Peter asked. He pulled back to see Wade's soft brown eyes. Scarred hands caressed his face. Wade nodded.
"Hold my hand?"
Peter picked him up again and had him sitting up against a mound of pillows. Wade kept his eyes on Peter the entire time they set up. Peter talked to him about anything and everything but it was getting harder for Wade to reply. "Not trying to freak you out baby boy but I'm gonna croak again."
Peter gripped his hand looking to the machine. It had just started to filter Wade's blood. "If that does happen I suggest we wait it out," Sheri said giving Peter a careful look.
"She's right," Banner said with a grim expression. "Once the antidote kicks in his healing factor with take care of the rest. Reviving him is just doing more damage."
"But if it doesn't work," Peter began.
"It'll work," Wade assured. "I'm surrounded by the biggest nerds I know." Shuri scoffed and Bruce gave him a lopsided grin. They left the room to give them some privacy. Peter was sitting at Wade's side holding his hand tightly.
Wade started asking him about school work and if he still had his job but at the moment Peter couldn't care less. He was starting into Wade's soft dark eyes trying desperately not to cry. Wade reached up to caress his cheek. Something he found himself doing to suppress his nerves.
"I love you Peter."
Peter blinked away tears holding Wade's other hand in a firm grip. "I love you too Wade." Wade smiled leaning back into the pillows. This time only falling asleep. Peter tucked him in carefully and kissed his forehead before parting. He could see Wade die again. He didn't think he could handle it.
Shuri and Nakia were at the door when he walked out. "Leaving already," he asked trying to collect himself.
"Yes, you're lab is very adorable but I miss mine more," she said giving the equipment on Peter's coffee table a smile. Peter scoffed lightly offering his hand. Shuri took it with a firm shake.
"Thank you for all you're help."
"Of course," she nodded. "It was nice working with you both. It's easier when you have people around who can keep up," she smiled. "Hopefully we can work together again. On better circumstances." Her face softened as he held Peter's hand in both of hers, "I saw you're work Peter. Have faith ok?"
He nodded feeling a little at ease. They all said their goodbyes leaving Bruce and Peter alone in the kitchen. Bruce cleared his throat making Peter look up from his untouched food. "I sent some of the medication to Steve. He'll let us know how it works. Peter nodded in a daze. Bruce continued with a grim look.
"Fury sent a few of the others on another mission this morning to take out another facility. Apparently he got what he needed from the last mission."
That made Peter frown turning to the other man. "They didn't call me?"
"Steve, Sam, and Clint weren't either. Looks like you guys are benched."
Peter hummed looking to his plate with furrowed brows. If they weren't called in... Peter turned to Bruce with a dreaded expression. "Tony knows."
"And he's pissed."
Peter sighed heavily taking the mug near his plate. He expected coffee but it was really. He frowned at the doctor or chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Get some rest Peter. You done everything you can. Let us take care of the rest."
Peter slumped against the counter taking that in. He wanted to finish this whole thing with Weapon X and Hydra. But more importantly he wanted to nurse Wade back to health. Thinking of the man Peter turned to his door. He tried to listen in for Wade but it was quiet. Too quiet.
"Peter," the younger looked to Bruce. "You and Wade did a good job. If it weren't for you guys we wouldn't have figure everything out or as quickly as we did. I know it doesn't seem like it but it could have been a lot worse."
Peter didn't want to agree. He knew that dozen other heroes were saved but no the one most important to him.
His phone rang that. He went to it with furrowed brows. It was an unknown number. "Hello," Peter answered in a tired voice.
"Hi, um, Spiderman?"
Peter whipped around to his bedroom door, dread a heavy weight in his stomach. His throat closed as the soft voice continued, "my dad called me yesterday. He said I should call you around this time if he doesn't answer."
"Ellie," he finally said in a strained voice.
"He got in trouble hu?"
Peter pressed his lips together. Tears streaming down his face. What was he supposed to tell her? How was he supposed to tell her.
"He sounded weird like, not normal weird? And then he didn't answer..."
"Ellie I'm so sorry he's...he...." God why was it so hard to say?
"Yeah," she said softly. It sounded like she had been crying too. "He does that sometimes."
There was silence as Peter tried to collect himself. "I know i promised. I know I said I'd keep him safe-"
"My dad does what he wants though. He's just like that. But he promised he'd come to my graduation in May."
Peter sobbed, "I don't think-"
"Sometimes he doesn't promise me. Sometimes he does. Whenever he does though he always come back. My dad is the king at keeping promises," she boosted making Peter smile softly. He glanced at the door. Wade knew he'd have trouble. Wade made sure he had someone there to keep him sane.
"He's the best," Peter admitted. Ellie began telling him about all Wade's visits. He was aways brining her weird gifts but she kept them all.
"He said you were dating but I don't believe him cause he said the same thing about Uncle Logan but he's my Uncle Logan," she grumbled.
Peter's face tinited pink. "I'm, yeah actually, we are dating..."
"What?!" Peter chuckled as she heard the younger girl running around shouting that her dad was in fact dating the Spider-Man. "Oh, Emily says I have to finish my homework now." Peter glanced at the time surprised they stayed on the phone that long. Then again she was Wade Wilson's daughter. They could talk for hours. "Ugh it's math. I hate math."
"It's not so bad, it's universal."
"Whatever that means," she muttered. It sounded like she was arguing with one of the other boys as well. "Okay Spider Uncle I'll call you later if my dad doesn't answer."
Peter actually laughed at that. "Okay Ellie. If you need help with your homework you can always ask me."
"Awesome you hear that? Spider-Man is my tutor now too!"
"Bye Ellie."
"Bye," she sang before the line went out. Peter sighed staring down at the phone when he heard it. Someone coughing in his bedroom.