Sorry about such a long wait. But we're back and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The world outside tis a monstrous place

A pittin' land of despair and waste

But alls' not lost so don't lose face

Just help out in all your haste

The trial you face in all dismay

The sharp steel tongues of those who bray

But with your help its easy way

So do your best my little drae

Peter Parker POV

The world outside tis a monstrous place.

Peter didn't know where the old nursery rhyme came from. It was an old song that his uncle used to sing to him on those days when his frustrations were at their peak and everything seemed bleak for his 8-year-old eyes. He recalled sitting on the front cobblestones that made a walkway up to their little cottage, legs pulled to his chest as he glared at the chipper morning. The old willow tree planted near the house swayed in the wind, and the peaceful air of the forests danced with the swaying of long branches and sang with birds.

He hated it.

A pittin' land of despair and waste.

Well, he hated it at the moment.

He'd spent the better part of the morning helping one of Aunt May's friends with her garden, suffering through the long hours as she berated him for ruining her patch of cabbages. He hadn't meant to step on them, but with all the other vegetables she piled in his arms, he couldn't see where he was going. The mishap earned him a cuff on the ear and he returned home nursing bitter feelings.

Uncle Ben had sat next to him on the ground, wearing the dirt-stained trousers he wore for work. His calloused hands handed Peter an apple, which he took after a moment of fighting his desire to keep his anger to himself. Uncle Ben didn't need to use a lot of words to make Peter feel better, and he had a much better singing voice.

But all's not lost so don't lose face.

The tune started melancholy but turned into something more cheery toward the end. Hearing its tune reminded Peter of an old, friendly, wrinkled face that made his heart ache. Uncle Ben knew a lot of those old rhymes and often sang them as he worked.

Just help out in all your haste

So, Peter had expected him to urge him to keep his chin-up and be glad to help where he could, but Uncle Ben's hands gently rubbed the tips of Peter's ears, where they were still red from the harsh blow. He was frowning, which isn't something Peter saw often.

"Did Ms. Watson do this?" he asked, and Peter nodded.

The trial you face in all dismay.

"She's a wrench of a woman," he muttered, and it made Peter balk. Uncle Ben was the most kind-hearted person he knew, and it took a lot to pull an insult from his teeth. He must've looked as surprised as he felt because Uncle Ben chuckled and ruffled the top of his head, the wrinkles around his eyes bunching. "I'm not wrong," he said, "But don't repeat my words. Your Aunt will have my head."

Peter promised he wouldn't say a thing.

The sharp steel tongues of those who bray

"Look, Pete," Uncle Ben continued, taking a bite out of his own apple, "We do good things because it's the right thing to do. What's a world when it's just full of hate and grudges? I believe in doing right by others, even when they may not deserve it, cause everyone deserves, at least, a second chance."

"But," his thumb touched the side of Peter's cheek, gently rubbing the grime of dirt from his skin, "I won't let people use that against me. If their only response to your help is to berate you, hurt you, or ask you of more, then understand that you are to look after yourself as well. Treat yourself kindly and don't let our mission for good turn you into another's servant."

But with your help it's easy way

Peter had looked down, thinking over those words. Even as an 8-year-old he had his conflicts.

"I don't like working with Ms. Watson," Peter said, "She's mean and I don't think she likes me."

"I don't think she likes me either," Uncle Ben admitted, "She's been May's friend since birth, but that doesn't mean she gets to treat you wrong. You don't have to help her out anymore till she apologizes, and even then, I'll have to think on it."

Peter gasped, eyes wide, "But she's a grown-up."

"Even grown-up's need to practice the ancient art of apologies and forgiveness," Uncle Ben smiled, "Especially if they've done wrong by a child."

Peter liked the idea of Ms. Watson apologizing to him, but he didn't say it out loud. Still, he suspected that Uncle Ben could tell in the way his smile got a little wider and he ruffled his head again.

So do your best my little drae.

It's been a week or so since their vessel had sailed from Batl'Ar and the same ache in his heart went out to the cave he'd left behind. He tried to convince himself that it'd be easy to leave the cave behind, all it held were worldly items, nothing that he had a real connection to. But the farther out they sailed, the more impossible it became to forget the hours, days, and weeks he put into making it home. He couldn't help but imagine his books, tables, jars, and furs going up in ashes one flicker at a time. He'd seen the smoke, but he could always pretend it was a different fire – one caused by a disagreement between two dragons.

But that wasn't as easy to conjure either.

So, he did the next best thing which was shrugging it all off and pretending the pain in his chest was because of the lacerations still there from the attack. He threw it all to the back of his head where it'd wither and die. But the nursery rhyme remained. He didn't know when exactly he started remembering it, only that he had been dosing on the deck their first night aboard and had jolted awake when the old tune came wafting through his thoughts like the soft wail of a ghost.

His heart basically melted through his ribs just hearing that tune again, even though, with it, a stake a bitterness followed. The way memories tugged in front of his eyes as if bound by a string made his tongue sour.

The song was about how bad the world could be, and that as bad as it was, there was always a chance to make it better by helping as much you could. One of the many different rhymes he memorized in their learning circles.

As a kid, he never thought too much about it. Helping when people needed it? Yeah, that was the right thing. That's what he was taught to do and it made sense. There was no reason for him to question it.

But now that he was older, he couldn't help but adopt a different view. Helping other people was all he'd ever done before his life had gone to shit and look where that got him. Hunkering in a cave, on an island that was weeks away from the mainland for a reason. (But he reasoned that his circumstances were just as much his fault, even though he didn't like admitting it.)

Still, giving a helping hand never helped him. All it did was bring in a bunch of sneering, greedy hands that wanted more and more once they realized he was willing to give. As soon as he gave them an inch, they wanted a mile, and there was only so long he could go before his feet began to wear. Uncle Ben had warned him about it, and he'd fallen victim to the worlds' greed and cruelty all the same.

Despite all his planning and caution, he still found himself on a giant vessel, inbound for the mainland where all his problems had taken root. The cruel irony of it made him want to throw his body around and stomp his feet like a spoiled lord.

How had this happened? How could he let this happen? His plan was to live out the rest of his days in isolation and loneliness until, somehow, everyone forgot his mistake and wouldn't skin his hide the moment they spotted him.

To prevent himself from launching into the air and returning to his demolished cave, Peter – turned into his dragon half (Spidey) - grumbled and tucked his head under his wing, taking a deep breath of salty air. It was his turn on deck, having spent the majority of the day swimming in the water. Despite leaving the island far behind days ago, Spidey still couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

It could've been the eyes of the crew, but his paranoia didn't like to take the easy option. His and Wade's entrance had been a bit of a spectacle, and it raised a lot of questions from the shipmates and knights. Thankfully, since it was the last day of the treaty, Banner theorized that it was because they were late, and the bitter dragons didn't want to waste of second of running them out. So, that worked out at least.

Regardless, he was still healing from the beating he took from the native dragons. A few of them had managed to scrape his soft scales and they were still sore and hurt to touch. His muscles ached from his fleeing and after swimming for so long, the pain hadn't alleviated. Banner was keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn't push himself, but Spidey felt on the brink of collapsing.

He'd shuffled onto the deck after Bucky gave him the go-ahead to return to the ship, and slumped onto the wood floor, huddling instantly with his tail curling around him. He tucked his head beneath his wing and let the weak rays of sunlight warm his scales.

A heavy overcast had hung over them for the past few days. It had lightened today, but only barely. When Spidey sniffed the air he could smell the rains coming, the kind of calm that soothed them before the actual storm hit. It would've made his hair stand on end if he had hair.

Thankfully, the shipmaster, Captain Bench, was incredibly skilled at sea and was all too aware of the upcoming storm. The crew and knights were busy at work preparing for its inevitable strike.

A part of Spidey wondered where Wade had gone off to. Either scrubbing the deck or helping in the kitchen, no doubt. Apparently, he was a good cook and helped with the meals when the ship cook was overloaded with work. But Spidey was so tired he couldn't muster the strength to expand his curiosity beyond a thought. He was sure Wade would show up on his own accord, eventually.

And he was right, for only a small time passed when Spidey felt a small knock on his wing and he instantly unfurled, nose bristling into a snarl before he realized who it was.

"Bite me and I'll bite you back," Wade laughed, settling down next to him. "I was just bringing you something to eat." He held out the fish he'd likely smuggled from the kitchen and Spidey snorted, muscles easing. He was pretty sure that was against the rules, but who cared, he was hungry. He snapped up the fish gratefully and put his head back down with a groan.

"I hear ya," Wade said, stretching his back until it popped. He sagged down, turning to lay next to Spidey with a sigh. "It's been extra grueling lately. Captain Rogers is gonna have our skin at this point. May as well stitch them into a flag and become a pirate, that'd give him a reputation."

Spidey recoiled, nose wrinkling.

Gross.

He slapped Wade with his tail, who laughed heartily and swat him away.

His cowl was over his face and it muffled his laugh. Having gotten so used to Wade's skin, to see it hidden behind folds of clothes made Spidey feel surprisingly melancholy. He knew it was because of the joking and jeering of the crew - mostly from an annoying man Wade referred to as douchebag (or Francis if he was feeling generous) - and it angered Spidey that they treated their own comrade like this.

Yeah, Wade was crass and lewd, but to openly joke about him, right to his face. Spidey was pretty sure that if not for Captain Rogers, Wade would've severely injured one of them by now.

Spidey hummed and lay his head back down, eyes closing. He let the swaying of the boat rock him into a light doze that was interrupted by Wade giving a loud groan as he stretched his limbs widely, almost knocking into Spidey's head. Spidey grumbled at him, cracking an eye open, noting that Wade looked as exhausted as he felt.

How much longer were they going to be on this rotten boat? He knew it was going to take a week or so, but it felt like they've been there for years. Surely it hadn't taken this long the last time he made the journey? Then again, he hadn't been helping run the ship then as much as he'd been hiding in the brig, hoping no one would find him. He would never make it as an official ship-hand, that was for sure. Besides, as much as he liked swimming, after this trip, he was never going to be able to look at the ocean again without feeling a bone-deep ache.

He had a feeling it wasn't going to get better through the next few days. The oncoming storm was going to be a doozy if his guts had an indication, and it was going to take Bucky and the strength of all the other swimming dragons to make sure the ship wasn't overturned by waves. Just the thought of battling underwater currents made Peter shudder.

It was going to be a long day.

Unfortunately, neither of them got to enjoy time for themselves for much longer as they were roused to their feet by one of the Captain's men and sent to do more jobs. Spidey returned to the water after a brief time of escape and swam with the currents, occasionally looking up through the ocean waves when a flash of lightning lit the top of the water. As a half water-breed he could hold his breathe far longer than the other dragons, who periodically breached the surface to gulp air before resubmerging - or simply swimming over the top of the water - but even he needed to fill his lungs. When he did, he was greeted by the ever-looming storm as the clouds thickened and the waves got more violent.

During one break to the surface, Spidey lingered there for a few moments, growling lowly at the storm. He didn't like it. A part of him yearned to duck into his cave, sit snug by the fire and nap - or maybe read a book if he felt like going in human form - but all it did was leave a panging sadness in his chest. What home did he have to go back to? His cave was gone. All he had now was this big, creaking ship where there was hardly enough space to stretch your wings without bumping into a mast, a ship crew, or another dragon.

He huffed softly, but nearly jumped out of his scales when he turned to see a dark, looming head hovering just above his. He jerked in the water, accidentally ducking too close and swallowing a mouthful of the ocean before he realized it was only Bucky. Captain Roger's was his bonded. Spidey coughed the water back up, shaking his head roughly, and stemmed the urge to let his frills out to scare him away - as if it'd actually work. Bucky made it obvious that he wasn't a threat, but Spidey's frills trembled where they were pressed to the side of his head anyway, barely able to keep in place, and he turned away awkwardly when Bucky kept staring at the sky.

"Bad storm," Bucky growled after a tense moment, "It'll be tough to fight."

Spidey looked back up at the storm again and nodded his agreement. He didn't really know what to say. What was he supposed to say? It's not like he's practiced any social skills on the island, in fact, it was something he tried to avoid. Which was funny because his Aunt used to joke that nothing could shut him up.

After another moment, Bucky looked down at him, "You are a good swimmer," he hummed, voice deep, dark eyes glinting, "It will be tough, but I think you can handle it. I will need you to help me keep the ship afloat."

Spidey tried not to glower. "Yeah," he grumbled, sulking in the water, and to his surprised, Bucky gave a small, barkish laugh. He nudged Spidey slightly with his head, gave him a quick, "Stay strong, soldier," which sounded, oddly, like something Captain Rogers would say, before retreating back under the waves. Spidey watched the ship sail past him for a bit before sighing and ducking back under as well.

As Bucky predicted, it was a bad storm. A very bad storm.

Master Banner was smart enough to call in the dragons flying by the ship back in.

The storm hit later that day, starting with nothing but light rain, before growing into something truly monstrous. Lightning flashed like the bright fangs of some cloudy sky beast and rain pummeled them like little stones. The guttural sound of thunder was like an immense roar, threatening them with gnashing teeth for entering its domain. Spidey fought against the waves, pushing into raging torrents with Bucky and the other dragons he elected to help fight through the storm, sticking close to the sides of the boat to make sure it wouldn't topple. Whenever he breached the surface for air, he felt as though he was gulping down water anyway and fought to fill his lungs.

After several, several grueling hours of that, when the storm lightened some, Spidey and the rest of his group were permitted to rest on the ship as another group of dragons took to the water. He managed to gulp down a barrel of fish offered by little Miles, before promptly passing out in an exhausted heap on the deck, despite the rain still coming down on them.

He was awoken sometime later by Miles again. The little boy was clutching a small blanket around his shoulders, knobby-kneed as he walked against the buffeting winds. He yelled something that was lost in the wind and pointed down at the water and Spidey understood that it was his turn back in the ocean. Still, he made sure Miles was back in the safety of the ship, afraid that the little human would be swept clean off his feet and carried into the clouds if he was sheltered, before diving back into the water.

He gave a grunt to Bucky to let him know he was there before taking his spot next to the hull. Faintly, as he swam, he wondered where Wade was. He hadn't seen him while he was resting, and despite the ever-present rope tied to his ribcage telling him Wade was fine, Spidey was irked that he felt the need to check on him anyway. Were the other crew members still giving him a hard time? Had he eaten his meal yet? His odd healing capabilities made him extra hungry, so he needed more than the other crew member. Did the cook know that?

Spidey roughly shook those thoughts away. That was the last thing he should be worrying about now. Saints, Wade was an adult, he could handle himself. Besides, Spidey should be concerned about the storm. So, he tossed any thoughts about Wade aside and focused on the task at hand.

It went by as grueling as ever, but the worst it ever got was the occasional pushing against the ships' hull to keep it on course. Spidey didn't know how Bucky could tell when they were pushed off their ocean-trail, maybe it had something to do with his connection to Captain Rogers, or maybe he's swam this route so many time he knew it by instinct alone, but every so often he'd swim to the ship sides and nudge it on course with his body.

Everything was fine.

Until it wasn't.

The wave came out of nowhere, but when Peter felt its tug he knew it was big. He quickly swam up to the surface to peer out of the water and recoiled at what he saw. A wave was growing in the distance. A high, towering, monstrous wall of water that was steadily climbing higher and higher, as if trying to touch the very sky. Spidey already knew it would be bigger than the ship itself, even from that distance.

He resubmerged, going straight for Bucky, who already seemed to know. Bucky pushed through the water, an immovable mass of rolling black and silver scales as he took the side of the ship that would hit the water first when the wave got to them.

He roared in the water, sending a torrent of bubbles to the surface, and they all converged on his location. Peter put his shoulder against the wood, thankful that he already refilled his lungs. He could sense the wave approaching, it's powerful hand almost dragging at his body. He glanced back at Bucky, but the bigger dragon was too focused on what was to come to notice his anxious look.

Spidey looked down again. He wondered what the crew was doing to prepare. It was impossible that they hadn't seen the wave coming. It would pick up their boat like it was a child's toy, pulling them up into the sky, before crashing down on them, crushing their ship against itself. The only hopes of this ship surviving such an afront to nature was the dragons around Spidey, pressed against the algae sides like he was.

They'd have to be careful though. If they smashed through the ships side, it wouldn't matter if the wave toppled them since they'd already be sinking in the water. He hoped the rest of them understood that. They had to be both delicate and strong to keep the ship upright.

Adrenaline buzzed through Spidey's systems and he shuddered. Heart pumping, muscles burning, he waited.

Then the wave hit.

He thought he was prepared for its strength, but even knowing it was going to be powerful wasn't enough. The ship lifted with the wave, pulling them up and it took all of Spidey's strength not to be pulled with the currents. Thankfully, the other dragons Bucky picked for their group were either water species, part water species, or very strong – Angel Dust among them. They all managed to hold, but several had to dig their claws into the wood to keep themselves in place.

Get ready, he thought, then the wave crashed. For a moment all Spidey could see was the side of the ship falling over him, intending to crush him against the water. Instead of running from it though, he met it, pushing his shoulder against the ship's side and swimming with everything he had, pushing it back so it wouldn't succumb to the wave.

His eyes clenched shut from the exertion and faintly he wondered if anyone else was actually pushing. But he felt Bucky's presence and knew the bigger dragon was taking the front of it. They all pushed back against the power of the wave, and faintly, Spidey heard the wood groan and creak.

Then, a moment later, the wave receded. The ship, while slanted on its side, hadn't been pulled under and quickly bobbed upright again. Water flooded off its ducks, running down its sides, and several crew members were already tossing pails of water over the side to empty the brig of any that made it below deck. Peter let go and debated just letting himself sink into the ocean depths. Saints, he felt as though he'd been crushed by an avalanche of rocks. Ever muscle in his body ached and burned.

Thrashing in the water caught his attention though and he noticed the flailing figures of a few people, and dragons, who'd been knocked overboard. Bucky, who was still close to the ship's side, gestured with his head and Spidey went to their aid. He wrapped his arms snuggly around the closest struggling human and flew them back up to the safety of the ship.

Every inch of his body earned for him to touch the deck as well and go to sleep, but he turned away and flew back to help those still struggling in the water. The storm was still going around them, and if they weren't rescued from the ocean's anger then they wouldn't' make it out. They were lucky to survive the wave and the ocean wasn't so forgiving, so he ignored his weariness.

Once they were all back on the ship, he returned to the water with Bucky. He continued for a while longer before Bucky finally nudged him and gave him the order to head back on the ship. Spidey nearly whined in gratitude. He climbed up the ship's hull, too tired to fly, and pulled himself onto the deck. It took a lot for the cold to seep through a dragon's scales, but Spidey could feel a sharp chill deep in his bones. It was tired, cold, and so achy his limbs trembled. He contemplated collapsing right there on the deck, but somewhere through the curtain of rain, Wade appeared.

He was saying something, but Peter was so water-logged, and the winds were so loud, he didn't hear it. After a moment of ceaseless arm flailing, Wade's hands wrapped around Spidey's muzzle, where it was slumped against the floor, and pulled. Spidey got the message and weakly allowed Wade to tug him across the deck and descended below, into the ship's stomach. The special ramp designed for dragons was slick from the rain, but once they got below, and journeyed farther in, it was nothing but dry wood. Spidey got a little farther before he collapsed in a corner of the room, away from the other dragons who were either dozing or curled up for warmth. Spidey wondered if any of them regretted the idea of the Dragon Guard now that they were tired and sore.

Wade rolled a barrel of fish for him, but Spidey was exhausted. As Wade rubbed him down with a blanket and massaged the achy muscles of his wings, arms, and back, Spidey swallowed a few fish before succumbing to sleep, the bass of Wade's rambling voice lulling him to sleep.

They made it to the mainland a few days later.

After the battle against the wave, the storm held out for the rest of the night before finally splitting, leaving clear skies and open seas in its wake. The dragons who had spent a majority of the storm in the water were permitted the day off to recover and gather their strength again. Thanks to the still waters, Bucky resubmerged.

Even Spidey could see how much the storm had taken a toll on the bigger dragon. Being the biggest and most experienced of all of them, he had spent all his time in the water, hardly getting a chance to sleep as he protected the ship. So, now, he floated on the top of the water, eyes closed, and slumbering peacefully. A large, dark mass of sharp spines and rolling muscle that trailed behind the boat like a small island. If Bucky ended up trailing too far behind, Steve would look out toward him, eyes concentrated, and Bucky roused suddenly from his slumber and would swim back to the ship before falling asleep again. Sometimes, he'd swim farther ahead and let them catch up to him.

Peter had slept a majority of his day off too, letting his body work on healing and resettling after the beating they took. Wade spent as much time with him as he could, continually rubbing his sore wings with a potatoe sack to protect his hands from the sharp scales, and even flung a small blanket over Spidey's back, before he was pulled back to his duties on the ship. Still, he always found a way to sneak back down to see Spidey, usually to make sure he was eating and that he was warm and resting.

For all of Wade's large stature and thick muscle – and the way he scared the rest of the crew and knights away with nothing but an angry eye - he was such a mother hen it made Spidey laugh. All his flittering and worrying was nice, Spidey would admit. Having someone fawn over him made his heart warm. He isolated himself from all the other dragons and humans on the ship, almost instantly, but he found himself getting used to Wade's presence. Miles too. The little boy was fun to have around, and Spidey was surprised with how taken with the little human he was. When Miles wasn't running errands for Rogers, Master Bruce, or the ship's captain, he was down in the ship with Spidey, climbing over the spines of his back and playing with the frills pressed to the side of his head.

Peter would open and close his frills, letting them quiver and shake just to see Miles giggle. He liked this little human. This little human would have his protection.

As soon as his recovery day passed, he was back in the water. Bucky still slept, but after a few more days he woke up, went off to find enough food to feed his appetite, returned and was back to guarding the ship.

Then land appeared on the horizon. The crew whooped loudly as the first call from the crow's nest was heard and the blue outline of land drew near, throwing their hats and bandannas in the air as the dragons roared happily. As they got closer, fishing boats and the odd merchant vessel went in and out of the harbor. Some whooped and wave at the upcoming vessel, which sparked more cheers from the knights and sailors. As they drew closer, Peter noticed more and more of the town seated on the mainland's coast.

Its design wasn't far from the settlement on Batl'Ar, but it was vastly bigger. More like a small kingdom than a town. The buildings and docks hugging the coast were bigger and in better condition, and spanning past them was a myriad of buildings and walkways built like a rugged maze on land.

Over the smell of salt and fish, Spidey could smell something else. Something sweeter. Baked sweets. Roasting food. Incense. Perfumes. The scents of a festival.

He was on the deck at the time, inhaling the new smells jarring his nose and peering over the side anxiously. Wade was next to him, leaning against the banister casually, something akin to a smile on his face. He took a deep inhale as if smelling the scents too.

"Good to be back," he sighed, and the muscles of his back seemed to melt into wet clay.

Spidey looked down at Wade, tail curling around his body nervously. It's going to be fine, is what he was trying to convince himself. No one would recognize him. No one knew who he was or where he came from. He was going to be fine. Perfectly fine. Nothing would go wrong, and he'd start scouting out new places to live as soon as his claws touched the ground.

At their back, Captain Rogers was on his feet, yelling orders and organizing his troops. "All knights stick with your dragons. Line up. Prepare to dock. Tandy, where's your dragon?"

"Throwing up over the ship, sir."

Steve winced, "Right. Make sure he's okay."

"Yes sir."

Wade snorted, stared at the approaching town for a moment longer, before straightening up. He pulled his cowl more snuggly over his face and tugged the hood over his head, and looked up at Spidey, "Ready?"

Spidey shuffled on his feet, glancing over the edge of the ship, half contemplating just swimming away. How far would he make it? Would Bucky stop him? Would his Bond stop him? Would that just make it worse by inciting more suspicion?

Wade edged closer, putting a gentle hand on one of Spidey's arms, and Spidey tensed.

"Hey, I'll be right here with you," he whispered, blue eyes genuine and imploring past the hood. "You'll be okay."

Spidey grunted and with his wings pressed tightly against his sides, he followed Wade across the deck and stood beside him as he lined up. They got closer and Spidey focused on controlling his breathing to ignore the growing dread in his stomach. He ignored how close the other dragons were to him, and all the swords carried on the waist of their knights. Pretended the weight of their presence wasn't suffocating, despite having shared the ship with them for a fortnight. Unconsciously, he scooted closer to Wade, tail curling slightly around his body again.

Wade turned to pat him once more, shooting him a cheery thumbs-up, with an equally cheery, "Let's kick some ass!"

The ships' crew worked in a frenzy of tying notes and shifting sails. They pulled a little way in front of a docking zone for a ship of their size and many of the crew members descended in rowboats, which they took back to the docks, and with the help of several other people on land, they pulled the ship into port. Over the ship's edge, a crowd of people had amassed from the town, all screaming cheering, and waving small banners and flags. When Peter squinted, he could make out some of the markings. The flags were red or gold with black and silver stitching in the shape of a dragon curled around a sword. He recognized it as the popular symbol of their nation and the most celebrated holiday of the Stark Province.

Today would be the final day of Eiri Paxdie – The Day of Peace. A national holiday celebrated throughout all three provinces, though the Stark Province had always been the most excited for it. Spidey recalled his human half slinking around these parties when he was younger and searching for food. He hadn't necessarily celebrated this holiday, because not many draeconus did. The war was terrible for his kind, and even with the union of human and dragon, it hadn't gotten any better. What was there to celebrate?

But most of the food had been free, so there was that.

It was in celebration of the ending of the Dragon War and the party usually lasted a week. The first few days were spent setting up decorations and preparing for the festivities as caravans and travelers journeyed far and wide – a lot to this very town. Over the next few days, the streets would be full of stands selling painted dragons masks and swords made of smoothed wood. Peddlers would sell trinkets and jewels, small painted statues of dragons and knights, necklaces with gold and silver chains, with jewel-encrusted dragons attached, and glass colored red, gold, and white like petrified fire. The nights would be spent watching plays that retold the settling of this land and the beginning friction between humans and dragons.

Spidey recalled his human half attending one of these plays. He remembered looking up from the crowd, with his thin knees pulled close to his chest as stage actors adorned in shiny army fought against a dragon composed of a head made of wood and straw, it's body a shimmering mass of painted silk and fabric, as the people inside swept the dragon across the stage floor in an attack. He never liked those plays. Didn't like knowing what they would eventually lead to, and it didn't take long for him to leave with a sick feeling in his gut.

Today was the final day of Eiri Paxdie and it started the moment the knights and their new dragons arrived. Spidey didn't usually hang around this time of the holiday though, so he wasn't sure what that entailed. His nerves ate away at him as the gangplank lowered and the first in line began their descent.

When Wade started moving, for a moment Spidey's couldn't go. He felt as though extra claws had sprouted from his feet and kept him rooted to the spot. The dragon behind him head-butted him when he didn't move, and he lurched forward, quickly finding his legs again and scrambled after Wade. He followed him down the gangplank, staring down at Wade instead of the crowds.

But as they drew closer it was hard to resist the urge to look around. It was so loud. People cheering, screaming their greetings, banners and flags slipping in and out of Spidey's vision. It was chaos all around him.

They traveled farther and farther in, entering the town where the crowds only seemed to get worse. Plenty of the knights and dragons were drinking in the praises like it was fine wine. Knights proudly puffed their chests and dragons held their heads higher, occasionally shaking their heads to the side to show off their scales and spines.

Despite his best wishes, Spidey started attracting a bit of attention himself. Many of the spectators ooh'ed and pointed to his three sets of appendages, or his wings, or the frills attached to the side of his head. Many of them wanted to see them open, but Peter shied away, pressing them closer to his head instead. Wade, on the other hand, wasn't getting much adoration. People looked at him, almost seemed to glower at his presence, until they turned a bend in the road and a group of women waved at Wade from the sidelines.

"Welcome back, Wade!" They shouted, flashing their banners and bright smiles.

"You've got a bonded!"

"Knew you would!"

"Congratulations!"

"He's a mighty fine-looking dragon, too!"

Wade's shoulders seemed to lift, and he waved at them, finding his cheer again.

The farther they walked the more clamorous the anxious crowds got. They were so loud. So close. Peter found himself pressing closer to Wade, to the point that his head was right above him, nearly looming over him entirely. When his shadow overcast Wade's, he looked up, eyes growing concerned.

"Hey, you okay, buddy?"

Spidey was not okay. People were so close. Looking at him, shouting, waving things. They leaned in as if to touch him, grabbing for him, and his heart seized. He didn't realize he was breathing heavily until the strain on his chest began to hurt. His frills were trembling against the side of his head, yearning to spring out so he could scare the crowds away, and he barely managed to repress them. He didn't like this. There was too much everything. Weight pressing in on him. Threatening to topple him over like the wave nearly did to the ship. He was sinking deep, filling his lungs and mouth. His chest hurt.

Faintly he heard Wade call his name again, but he couldn't hear it over the pounding of his heart. He finally snapped when an unfamiliar hand from the crowd burst out and touched his arms, feeling along his scales. Peter instantly jerked away, hissing at them violently as he careened from the touch and stumbled over his own arms in his haste to get away. He nearly hit into the crowd on the other side and they split with an array of shrieks and screams, the elations disappearing from their faces in a heartbeat. He knocked slightly into the building there, cracking the wall, before pushing off again.

His frills were out now, spreading around his head in a large, prickly oval, as his wings flared of their own accord, stretching out on both sides of his body. If he looked bigger and meaner, they'd leave him alone. Big. Mean. Hiss. Growl. Threaten them. Scare them away.

He hissed again, though the sound was more frightened then threatening. He whirled around, hating the way the crowd seemed to circle him, tail knocking into a wagon selling dragons and knights sculpted out of wood, and it erupted into splinters and broken pieces. The owner gave a loud, horrific shout, clutching the sides of his head as his merchandise scattered across the ground, "MY CARVINGS!"

By now the crowds had backed up a considerable distance, their joyous clamoring evaporating into a heavy cloud of unease. A figure appeared in front of Peter, holding his hands out, and Spidey flinched away, almost snapping at them until he noticed that it was Wade.

"Spidey," Wade was saying, "Hey, easy. Easy. Listen to my voice, okay? Just focus. Listen to me. It's going to be okay."

Spidey took in a deep gulp of air but lowered his head to get a better look at Wade. He narrowed his focus on his human, letting the crowds and the people and the tight buildings fade into a fuzzy background. Wade's voice was getting clearer now, and he latched onto it.

"That's it," Wade soothed, "Just me and you here. Just like in the jungles. Follow me, okay. I'm gonna get you out of here. Would you like that?"

Spidey whined slightly, wanting to express his distress in this situation and unable to think of any other way. Wade's hand went out to touch the tip of his nose, and Spidey flinched away. Wade withdrew it slightly, but his gentle tone never ceased.

He backed up slowly, letting Spidey skittishly follow him step for step. Faintly, Spidey noticed that Captain Rogers and Master Banner were there too, flickering on the edge of his vision. They were keeping the crowds at bay, ordering them to keep their distance, and reassuring them that everything was alright, he was just spooked. Behind him, Spidey heard laughing, and when he glanced in that direction, he saw Francis and his group of friends laughing loudly, pointing at him in mockery. Behind Francis, Angel Dust snorted, eyes glinting in amusement.

Spidey felt a twinge of embarrassment and followed Wade through the streets more quickly, where the crowds got thinner and thinner. Eventually, the buildings fell back, as did the mass of people, and they passed a line of trees that signaled the borders of the jungles. Wade continued leading him through a well-worn trail till they came upon a large outpost built into the heavy trees and foliage. Its walls were high and made of thick, spiked stone and wood. An outpost camp, maybe.

Wade signaled to the guard up in one of the watchtowers and a moment later the gates opened, and he led Spidey inside. The camp was mostly deserted from what Spidey could see, but that information lingered uselessly in the back of his head as Wade coaxed him farther in.

They passed an empty armory, a stable full of nickering horses, and cut through a small courtyard with a tall building at its head. Eventually, they came across a line of buildings neatly built into rows, and behind them, larger buildings that were positioned toward the outpost's outer walls. They were probably the cadet barracks. He was proven correct when Wade led him into one of the smaller buildings. Spidey had to shift to properly fit and shrank down, down, down, and slipped inside the building, leaving Peter to shiver on the cold stone flooring with his arms wrapped around himself.

His body was still trembling and his heart still racing. He couldn't get the press of bodies out of his head. Their shouting and noise. The claustrophobia. The feeling of being trapped.

A blanket wrapped around his shoulders and Peter looked up at Wade who, in all the excitement, had dropped his hood over his shoulders. His cowl had been ruffled too, exposing the creased lines of worry on his scarred face.

"Deep breathes," he instructed gently, giving Peter his space as soon as he settled the blanket over Peter's shoulders, allowing Peter to sit on the end of one of the small beds, "There you go, Petey. Just like that."

Peter took in gulping breath after gulping breath until he wasn't trembling like a soaked cat, and his heart wasn't at risk of leaping out of his chest. As soon as his thoughts weren't so jumbled and clashing, a flush of embarrassment overtook him and wrapped the blanket around his naked form tightly.

He squeezed his eyes shut and rasped, "Sorry. I didn't...I didn't think it would've been that bad."

Wade sat down in front of him on the floor, legs crisscrossing, "What happened back there, Petey? You went kind of," he made a loopy gesture and Peter cracked him a smile, as sad as it was.

"Just..." he hesitated, "the crowds. It's been a while since I've been around so many people. It caught me off guard."

Wade studied him like he knew Peter wasn't giving the whole truth, but Peter refused to elaborate. He didn't want to and there wasn't a point anyway. It's not like he would be there for very long. Besides, it's not like it'd be a problem, he'd get used to being around people in a day or two. This didn't need to become a huge thing.

Besides, just thinking about those memories made him sick to the stomach.

After a moment, Wade conceded with a tight, "Okay," and folded his arms.

Peter could tell he wasn't convinced, but he was grateful Wade wasn't pushing either. "I'm just tired," he consoled him, anyway, "It's been a long trip and...and I'm just exhausted. I'll be fine after some sleep."

Wade's gaze softened a little more at that, and his shoulders sagged, releasing some of the frustration building in his back. "Alright, I'll-" whatever he was about to say was interrupted by footsteps outside and a shadow appeared beneath the doorway. In the blink of an eye, Peter shifted into Spidey, and by the time the door opened, he was sprawled across the floor and pressed into the bunks, with his tail wrapped tight around his body and his wings half-open in the small space. Wade was on his feet and staring wide-eyed and innocent at the newcomer.

Captain Rogers stared at them in the doorway, seeming to take in Wade's stiff posture and the way Spidey was crunched in on himself. He looked outside the door, then back at Spidey, eyes furrowing, finger-pointing, "How did you get him in here?"

Wade chuckled, a bit too loud and jerky to be normal, and rocked on the balls of his feet, "He's very limber. Squeezed in himself. You know how dragons are."

"Uh-huh," Captain Rogers muttered, looking up at Spidey, who gave him a dragon-ish smile back. "I mean, dragons aren't supposed to be in here anyway, but I didn't think- " he shook his head, "I just came to check on you. Spidey didn't look too good in town."

Spidey simpered at the reminder, head ducking, and Captain Roger's smiled gently, "It's okay, not everybody is used to the attention. Besides, a few of those people were getting too handsy, anyway. It's okay. No one got hurt."

That didn't make Spidey feel any better, but he grunted back at Rogers.

"I'll make sure he's situated," Wade said, saluting Captain Rogers. "He's just not used to the crowds, is all."

Captain Rogers nodded, "You're lucky I came to check on you, if it were Bruce, he would be fussing over Spidey all night," and headed back out the door, adding over his shoulder, "Do you need anything, Wade? I can have someone bring you some food if you want to stay here with him. For the both of you actually."

Wade's eyes seem to shine brighter, "Uh, y-yes sir. Something besides rock hard biscuits and oily cheese would be heaven-sent."

Captain Rogers laughed, and looked up at Spidey, "I'll send over some of the meat they prepared for the dragons. Anything but fish, I assume?"

Spidey nodded and with another inclination of his head, Captain Roger's stepped out. Wade peered out of the doorway until he was sure he was gone and gave Spidey the go-ahead to turn back into Peter.

"That was close," Peter muttered, sitting on one of the bunks he almost squished. Wade offered him the blanket again when he shivered, which Peter took. He noticed the way Wade's cheeks colored whenever he was nude, and it reminded him that people weren't used to going naked like he was. His own cheeks colored too, and he wrapped the blanket around himself, whispering, "Thanks."

Wade sat on the bunk next to him, his big hands in his lap. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Peter sighed, "You can go back to the party," he said, "It's the final day of Eiri Paxdie. You should be celebrating with the rest of your friends."

Wade leaned back, staring at the ceiling, "That'd be easier if I had any friends, now wouldn't it? How do you know about Eiri Paxdie, anyway?"

Peter glanced at him, "I lived alone, but I'm not stupid. Everyone knows about Eiri Paxdie. And I saw those ladies on the street? They seemed happy to see you."

"They work in the town's brothel," Wade said, still not looking at him, "You could say I'm a regular customer. Besides, I escort rowdy customers out of the building and make sure they get home safely, so we're all chums."

"Oh," Peter looked down. "Still, you should go enjoy the festival."

Wade hummed and squirmed on the bunk, his hands going behind his head, "I could go to the festival," he mused, "Probably slink around in the shadows for a bit, knab some food, and avoid Francis and his lackeys till they find someone else's nerves to grind. Or," he elaborated this by looking over at Peter, "I could spend the night here with you, my Bonded, and make sure you're okay after having a massive panic back in town."

"I'm fine," Peter insisted, clutching the blanket closer, "You don't need to coddle me."

That was false. Peter didn't' mind being coddled. He enjoyed it, actually. It was amazing how a single person's attentiveness made him feel like he was safe at home again. Besides, it's not like he had much company for a while there.

But Peter didn't want to keep him from having a good time just because he couldn't walk through a crowd without freaking out like a shy hatchling.

Wade didn't sit back up, but he did say, "Believe me, I'm not missing much. I haven't danced with anyone for a while and most people aren't too happy to see my, well, face. So, it's fine."

But Peter knew it wasn't. He saw the way Wade eyed the little costumes, and the way his eyes lingered where they had been setting up the play. Just because he didn't do the dancing or talk with people, didn't mean he didn't enjoy the reenactment of the Dragon Guard. Wade always got starry-eyed when he talked about it, it wasn't hard to tell that he was infatuated.

Still, Peter didn't say anything. Maybe a selfish part of him didn't want Wade to leave, he was the only one in this place Peter knew, and just the thought of him abandoning Peter here made his heart sputter uneasily.

Stop getting so attached, Peter reprimanded himself harshly, you'll be leaving on your own soon, anyway. As soon as you find somewhere else to hide out, you're stuck here. Don't make this harder than it has to be.

The tether in his chest pulled sadly at the thought.

He nodded without looking at Wade. "I think I'm just going to get some sleep. I probably shouldn't linger in my human form for very long. You never know who's watching."

Wade hummed back.

"Is it fine if I sleep in here?" Peter asked, looking around the barracks, "It's kind of cramped…"

"We have living spaces for the dragons," Wade said, finally pulling himself up. "Come on, I'll show you."

Peter transformed back into Spidey before he left and did have to wiggle his way out of the doorway. It was hard, even for his limber size, and he hoped no one noticed the cracked that remained around the doorframe as he and Wade scuttled away. They went to the cropping of larger buildings that were behind the cadet barracks, that reminded Spidey of a giant version of the stables. There were no doors here and the entry was big enough to fit the biggest dragons they had - Bucky not included.

Still, Spidey grumbled at the rows of stall-like spaces in the room, glancing at Wade sharply, who didn't seem to notice. He wasn't a horse, he was a dragon.

"Just pick one I guess," Wade said, gesturing to the stalls with a hand, "Since we didn't know which type of dragon we'd be getting, they aren't attuned to any of you yet."

Spidey snorted but picked the one closest to the door. The stall was far bigger than any space for a horse, he'd give it that, and roomie enough for his size – which wasn't much to begin with. The walls were tall enough that when he stood, only his head could be seen over the top, and a fresh pile of straw was left for him to nest in inside. Which wasn't bad, he supposed. He still wasn't a horse, but nesting materials would make it easier to adjust to the environment. Captain Rogers and Master Banner really thought this through.

He hummed, approaching the straw-pile and sifted through it, scooting and molding it into a little nest that he could curl up in. It took a couple minutes before he was satisfied and sunk into it with a tired sigh, with his wings folded over himself and his tail curled around his body. Wade had sat against the wall as Spidey made himself a nest and watched silently as he pulled a knife from his boot and played with it. Now that his own task was finished, Spidey watched him as he twisted the weapon expertly in his fingers, repeatedly, in a hypnotizing rhythm.

Spidey wouldn't call Wade a quiet person, he was quite the opposite, even when he had thought Spidey was just a dragon. He'd spent up the time telling Spidey anything and everything, even in the silence when all Spidey could do was listen and laugh. But Wade wasn't talking now and for some reason, that unsettled him. Wade sat almost tiredly, fingers now flipping the knife up and down absentminded, with his head tilted toward the ceiling.

Spidey wondered what he was thinking.

Was he mulling over his freak-out? Or thinking about their trip back? Was he thinking about their time on the island? Or was he thinking of nothing at all?

Even as his human half, Spidey wasn't good at reading people. Understanding the body language of dragons was so much easier than translating human behavior. It was simpler to tell if his winged species was willing to snap at him or welcome him into their group. Humans were complicated, and by Anthromni, Spidey couldn't tell what they were thinking unless they were waving a knife in his face and threatening him vocally.

He sighed again, tucking his head under his wing. Still, he appreciated Wade staying with him. His skin crawled like an uneasy mound of ants in this new terrain, putting him on a sword's edge. so having someone familiar was nice.

He snorted softly. When had Wade become familiar? They couldn't have known each other for more than a fortnight yet being in his presence soothed Spidey's nerves. Could that just be the effect of their Bond? Lulling him into a sense of ease around his "other."

He didn't know. It was strange and confusing, and he wasn't sure if he could trust his own instincts anymore. Wade Wilson had completely twisted Spideys' entire outlook and taken over his mind.

But at least he had warm straw.

The silence, while strange, was better than the braying of the crowds, but it was Wade's presence that essentially lulled Spidey to sleep.

The amazing artists Cylopsbunny (on Instagram) drew fanart for this fic! So go check it out, it's absolutely amazing! Hope you enjoy this chapter and will free to comment below! :3