A/N: Hello again! Yet another delay in updating. Apologies, but... life and such. Many thanks to unlikey yaoi pairing, donnyd312, Ie-maru, darkangelwp, MysteriousCreep (haha), Requiescat in Pace il Ti Amor, and the anonymous reviewers for their kind words! Special thanks to LokiHetfield for her continued support and encouragement (aka: the person who pep-talked me through the lengthy and painful process of editing)!

Hey! You! Yes, you! Read this. Seriously. I will be changing the rating for this story to 'M' when I update the next chapter (wink, wink). That means, for the readers who just search through recent Spideypool stories for updates, this story will no longer show up in the default search. You will have to change the filter to show 'M' rated stories to find it (otherwise, it only shows stories up to the 'T' rating). I know a lot of you probably already know this, but for those of you that didn't, here's your warning!

Wade was pulled from a deep sleep by a loud crashing noise echoing throughout the apartment. He reflexively bolted upright, looking around in blank alarm, immediately noticing Peter missing from beside him. The merc stumbled out of bed, tangled in the sheets, and sprinted out of the room. Seeing a light on in the bathroom, he burst through the door and was greeted by the sight of Peter on the ground, draped in the now-detached shower curtain, surrounded by numerous broken plastic rings that had been holding it up.

"Areyouok!?" Concern forced his words out in a barely coherent jumble.

Peter looked up like a deer in headlights, shocked by the sudden intrusion. Visibly relaxing upon seeing the older man, he laughed sheepishly, struggling to stand. "Yeah, I'm alright. Sorry I woke you."

Wade rushed to his side, lifting the kid to his feet from the heap of vinyl. "What in the world were you doing?"

"I, um... had to go to the bathroom. I guess I've not quite regained my balance yet, and I got a little light-headed when I was about to leave. I tried to grab something for support, but..." He motioned to the ruined shower curtain laying at his feet.

Wade fussed around him for a few moments, checking for any new injuries. "Why didn't you ask me to help you?"

"You were sleeping. And we may be good friends, but not enough that I'd want you accompanying me when I go to the bathroom. I don't care if I fall and hurt myself. I'll be damned if you're going to 'assist me' with this." He said it in a joking manner, but the look on Peter's face gave Wade the impression that this was one subject he wasn't going to budge on.

"Alright then... Well, do you want to head back to bed, or..?"

"No, I'm actually starving. I've not eaten since before I left to go on patrol yesterday." The older man instantly perked up.

"Breakfast it is then, sweetums!" With that, he scooped the kid up and whisked him away to the living room, gently setting him down on the couch, and wrapping him up in the quilt, burrito-style. Peter watched in amusement as the older man picked up the remote to turn on the television, flipped the channel to the home shopping network, and adjusted the volume to 13 (both Peter's preferences, but ones he hadn't realized the merc was aware of).

"I never would have pegged you as the mother hen type..."

"Well, I just can't suppress my nurturing nature when it comes to you, Petey." Peter smiled and hid his face in the blanket, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks, thankful that the older man had already turned and headed for the kitchen.

After a lengthy bout of bickering, Wade reluctantly agreed to simply pour Petey a bowl of cereal, the kid insisting that was all he wanted. He settled in beside him and they ate, watching television while the merc made numerous comments on the fabric quality of the line of women's high-waisted pleated pants being paraded around for sale on the screen, Peter interjecting now and then with his own critiques.

At some point, around the fourth or fifth pair of pants, Wade found himself getting increasingly distracted. After he had brought him his breakfast, Petey'd pushed the quilt aside, mentioning not wanting to spill on it, and shifted to sit with his knees up to his chest, using them as a table to rest his bowl on as he ate. It was an innocent enough position, and one the merc had seen him take many times before, with the very large exception that this time the kid was still only wearing the over-sized shirt and underwear Wade had put on him last night. It seemed like every time he glanced over, the boxers slipped a little farther up his thighs, making it harder and harder not to stare.

Nubile was the perfect word to describe Spidey's body. The lines of his frame flowed in a mesmerizing fashion, drawing the merc's eyes up from his slim ankles, over the bend of his knees, and back down to the tantalizing dip where the back of his thighs met with the curve of his luscious little ass, ever so slightly visible now beneath the teasing hem. His skin looked so silky smooth, a lovely shade of ivory, and despite Petey being firm and toned, Wade was willing to bet that it would have a deliciously supple give under hand. The urge to reach out and test his theory was rapidly chipping away at the merc's already limited self-control. Luckily, for once, the voices acted as ones of reason.

[Pervert.] It was enough of an interruption to draw him out of his reverie, and still the hand that was slowly creeping across the couch towards the kid of its own volition. He actually jumped slightly. What? No, no, I was just... sitting. Wait, what do you mean with that accusatory tone? [I mean you're a pervert, obviously.] Well, of course I am! I don't need you to tell me that, but why are you saying it like it's a bad thing? [Because it is a bad thing.] (No it's not, you prude.) [It is when you're contemplating groping your seriously injured BFF.] I was not! (I was.) [...] Fine, but come on. Look! He's all... indecent, and sensual. [That doesn't make it ok to grope him. And he's not indecent! We're the ones who dressed him.] Ok, alright, but really! Look at that cute little butt! [Yes, I know. It is quite lovely.] (That alone should be enough to award the inventor of spandex a Nobel Prize!) [Shut up. We're having a discussion.] (Rude...) [Anyways, there's a difference between admiring our friends lovely attributes, and leering. You, mister, were leering.] I was not! It was just a more advanced form of admiration. [Pervert.]

The merc shook himself, managing to silence the voices for the moment. He was not a pervert. Well, he was, just not the bad kind. He glanced over at Peter. The kid was giving him a quizzical sidelong look, but said nothing.

"What?"

"No, nothing... I've just never seen someone eat cereal quite so... violently." The older man realized that he was gripping his spoon in a tight fist, and there were little spatters of milk covering his arm and lap (and probably his face, from what he was feeling). He'd apparently been too lost in his inner conversation, and his emotions had slipped out, manifesting in rabid spoon-to-mouth action.

"Ah, no. I was just thinking!"

"About murder?" Wade laughed a little too loud.

"No. About happy things!" [Pervert.] "Such as... why don't we live together?" There was a long silence.

"What?"

"I was thinking it might be nice to live together." The merc had blurted it out, grabbing for the first thought that came to mind, but it was actually something he'd been giving a lot of thought to in the past few weeks. Peter, however, didn't seem quite so interested, giving him a skeptical look. "Come on, it would be beneficial for both of us! You're a hardworking kid, but you're stretching yourself thin between school, being a hero, and trying to support yourself. Not to mention you don't even charge for your hero-ing services." Wade ignored the exaggerated eye-roll Peter gave him and continued. (That was a discussion they'd already had too many times before.) "I make a lot of money, so if we lived together, you wouldn't have to worry about expenses! And if you get injured again, I'll be right there to lovingly nurse you back to health so you don't almost bleed out on the living room floor! I'll even clean up after myself, and cook whatever you want! It'll be great! It'll be fun!" The merc clasped his hands in front of him, gazing off into the air dreamily. He had actually managed to work himself up while speaking. It was the best idea! Just two guys, best friends, living the life together!

"So how do you benefit?" The question, and Spidey's less-than-enthusiastic tone brought him back down to earth.

"What?"

"How do you benefit? If I were into mooching off of people, everything you mentioned would be great for me, but how could you possibly benefit from taking care of me?" Wade realized that not only was Peter not as excited as he was, he actually seemed a little irritated.

"Well, uh... friendship?" The kid sighed and looked away.

"Listen, I understand where you're coming from. You're a nice person and a good friend, and you probably want to help me out. I appreciate the thought, I really do, but I'm doing alright on my own. Sure, it's difficult, but this way I feel like I'm actually accomplishing something. I don't want to be taken care of. I want to be self-sufficient." The older man watched him carefully. There was an air of determination in his voice, such that Wade could tell it would be useless to argue. The kid looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "Really, thank you though. You already spoil me too much as it is. I can't have you making me completely useless. Not to mention that I have a lease on the place through the end of the school year." Not to mention I'd probably end up jumping you if we lived together...

There was that odd jolt yet again, and the merc was stricken by the thought that he wouldn't mind at all if Peter became reliant upon him (though he knew the kid would never allow it to happen). "Well, at least think about it."

Wade washed the few dishes they'd made, and fetched Peter's laptop for him so he could email his professors to let them know he'd be missing class (using the excuse that he was sick, rather than trying to explain his injuries). It didn't take long before Peter dozed off to sleep afterwards. Wade sat watching infomercials for a bit longer, but decided to use the time to run a few errands. He'd left his apartment in a rush, and if he was going to stay with Petey for a few days, he'd need to retrieve some things. He wrote a note and left it on the counter for the kid to find if he woke up, tucked the quilt around him snuggly, and headed out.

When Wade returned about a couple of hours later, carrying a backpack loaded with clothes and various odds and ends he needed, as well as an armful of bags of groceries, the kid was still napping on the couch. He put everything away as quietly as possible, including hanging up the new shower curtain he'd bought, and sat down at the opposite end of the couch with his sewing kit and the tattered Spider-man suit he'd helped Petey out of the night before.

It was only about twenty minutes later when Peter woke up, finding Wade sitting at his feet, mending the numerous slashes and tears in his suit, quietly humming. He shifted to sit up straight, having sunken down into the corner of the couch while sleeping. The merc looked up at him over a pair of reading glasses, causing him to forcefully exhale in laughter, mid-yawn.

"Sorry I fell asleep again. I'm just feeling pretty worn out still."

"It's no problem! You need your rest while you're recuperating. Can I get you anything?"

"No. I'm fine, but thanks. And thank you." Peter motioned towards the suit in the older man's lap, smiling. "You don't have to though. I might not be as proficient as you, but I usually do my own repairs."

"Nope. I've got it." Peter conceded, instead turning his attention to the pile of homework that needed doing. They sat for a few hours, Wade sewing and rambling away, Peter, surrounded by stacks of textbooks and notebooks, nodding every now and then. Finally, when the shadows from the window were growing long and the light was fading from the room, Peter set his laptop aside and groaned loudly, rubbing his eyes.

"Done at last! All of the homework that was assigned today through the weekend is completed! Now I can do nothing but sleep for the next two days." He sighed contentedly and slumped into the cushions. The merc perked up from his seat.

"Hungry?"

"Yes!"

After dinner, they watched more television, coloring with crayons on construction paper, supplies the merc picked up while he was out. Eventually they both grew exhausted, and Wade once more helped Peter bathe and redress his wounds. The older man showered separately, and both of them headed to bed.

The weekend passed, and they fell into a comfortable rhythm, Wade tending to Peter's every need despite his resistance, the kid constantly, stubbornly insisting that he could do this and that perfectly fine on his own. More than once he told the older man that he was spoiling him, and more than once Wade thought that he didn't mind at all if he was. He did a couple of small hits close by. He didn't need the money, but he wanted something to do during the day so he could give Petey some alone time, not wanting to annoy him with his constant presence.

By Monday evening, Peter was finally feeling well enough to return to classes. Neither of them mentioned it, but there was a shared awareness that it meant Wade would be leaving, and it left both of them feeling rather listless.

Wade was already laying in bed when Peter entered the room, still damp and flushed, fresh from the shower and wearing only boxers, his torso wrapped up in gauze he'd haphazardly taped over his mostly healed wounds. He had stubbornly insisted upon doing it himself that evening, despite a large portion of his injuries being on his back. As he moved to lay down, he realized his favorite pillow, the best and fluffiest one, had been taken from his side, and was instead beneath the merc's head. He crawled onto the bed, catching the older man's attention in the process. Putting on his best accusatory expression, trying not to crack a smile, Peter narrowed his eyes at the merc.

"I see you've taken something that's mine."

"Whatever do you mean, Petey?" He could see the corners of Wade's mouth curling in a devious grin beneath his mask. Peter crawled a little closer, readying to yank the pillow out from under the older man's head.

"Oh, you know exactly what I mean." In a slip that he would later insist was only caused by his weakened constitution, Peter missed, the merc just managing to pull the pillow out of the way before he could grab it. He leapt, not willing to let Wade have his coveted pillow without a fight. The older man yelped in surprise, failing to dodge. They grappled, rolling around on the bed, too busy laughing to realize the compromising position they were slowly working themselves into, just relieved to have broken the gloom that had befallen them with Wade's impending departure.

After a few minutes, both of them were winded. Peter had managed to pry the pillow from the merc's hands, but Wade had quickly retaliated, pinning him to the bed with the weight of his body so he couldn't wiggle away. He grabbed for it, but the kid held it just out of his reach, his arm stretched above his head. They laid there for several seconds, Wade struggling to shift just far enough to grab it, Peter managing to repeatedly evade him, using his free hand to push against his shoulder, wrapping his legs around the older man's waist to hold him in place. Spidey was much more flexible, and the merc found himself at a disadvantage despite his size and dominant position on top.

Wade chanced to look down, still struggling to move just half an inch forward, just enough to claim the pillow and victory, but he was inexplicably blindsided by the sight. The kid's eyes were glued to the pillow, trying to ensure it stayed well away, and he was grinning while biting his lower lip, his eyebrows knitted in concentration. However, he must have noticed the merc's sudden lack of fight because he looked up at the older man questioningly. The grin slowly faded from his face, and they laid there staring at each other, both suddenly very aware of the full extent of the contact between them. The room was uncomfortably quiet, the silence broken only by their labored breathing. Wade found his eyes drawn to the kid's mouth. His bottom lip looked so invitingly soft and wet. Like gravity, the merc felt his body moving on its own, overcome by the desire to taste Peter again, drunk on the memory of their last kiss he'd been trying so hard to suppress. The kid must have felt it too because his eyes were hazy and half-lidded. Slowly they inched closer and closer until mere millimeters were separating them. Wade's mind was completely blank, but just as he was tottering on the threshold of giving in to the primal need surging through his body, a flash of red caught his eye. He pulled back, looking down to find, much to his horror, blood soaking through Peter's bandages. He immediately jumped up, cursing himself as a wave of guilt filled him, realizing that their wrestling around must have reopened the wounds.

Apologizing profusely, he retrieved the first aid kit from the bathroom and diligently patched the kid back up. By the time Wade had finished, the strange air of tension that had filled the room had dissipated. Neither of them mentioned the incident, but Peter thanked the merc, and they laid back down to sleep, Wade insisting remorsefully that he take the fluffy pillow.

Peter had felt a distinct thrill run through him when their lips had almost met. He was somewhat disappointed by the turn of events, and chalked it up to Wade's usual carefree nature. He was a bit embarrassed that he'd almost let himself get caught up in the mood, but was infinitely thankful that the merc let it drop afterwards. He resolved to not linger on the thought, and fell asleep rather easily, curled up comfortably against the older man.

Wade, on the other hand, was wide awake, laying on his back. [Pervert.] What... was that? (We were going to kiss him.) Yes, I am aware of that, but... [That wasn't going to be an innocent little friendship kiss.] No. No... That was different... (...) [...]

Oh, yes. Wade knew something was different about that near-kiss. Very, very different. There was a deep longing, a hunger almost that had filled him. Even several minutes later, his heart was all aflutter and he was absolutely giddy. [We like him.] There was a rush of... something throughout the merc's body; a tightness in his chest and a burning sensation emanating from the pit of his stomach, radiating out through to his limbs. His muscles tensed up and he suddenly felt very nervous. He slowly turned his head to the side to look at the kid's sleeping face, barely visible in the scant light. He was absolutely stunning. That jolt he'd felt so frequently as of late shot through him with overwhelming intensity, and the full meaning of the voice's words sunk in. This wasn't just joking around, or being perverted, or simply an itch that needed scratching, or lust, or hunger, or desire, no.

I... like him.