ꨄ tangled hearts • spideypool ꨄ

10 • haunted

Wade let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head at the irony of it all. The unkillable Deadpool, brought to his knees by a spider. It figured.

But despite the pain, despite the fear gnawing at the edges of his resolve, Wade couldn't help but smile a little. Because even if he couldn't have Peter the way he wanted, even if he had to keep pretending that they were just friends, it was still worth it. Just to be near him. Just to hear his voice.

Because the truth was, Wade Wilson had fallen in love with Peter Parker. And no matter how much it hurt, no matter how impossible it seemed, he wouldn't trade that feeling for anything in the world.

He'd been in love before—well, if you could call it that—but nothing like this. Nothing that made him feel like he was falling apart just from wanting someone so much. And right now, the only thing that seemed to keep him together was hearing Peter's voice. Even if it was just for a few seconds.

"Fuck it," Wade muttered to himself, pressing the call button before he could talk himself out of it.

The phone rang, each tone drawing out longer than the last, making his heart beat faster. For a second, he almost hoped Peter wouldn't pick up. Then he could pretend this never happened, go back to his usual routine of pretending everything was fine. But of course, Peter answered. He always did.

"Wade? Everything okay?" Peter's voice came through the line, a mix of concern and curiosity.

Wade's breath hitched. He hadn't realized how much he needed to hear that voice until now, how much comfort it brought him just to know Peter was on the other end of the line. But of course, he couldn't let Peter know that.

"Hey, Spidey," Wade said, forcing a lightness into his tone that he didn't feel. "Everything's okk. Just thought I'd give my favorite spider a call. You know, make sure you're not out there getting your ass kicked without me."

Peter chuckled softly, and the sound sent a warmth through Wade that he didn't know he needed. "You know me, Wade. I can handle myself. But I appreciate the concern. Seriously though, what's up? You don't usually call this late unless something's on fire."

Wade hesitated for a moment, the words he wanted to say sitting on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to tell Peter everything—that he couldn't stop thinking about him, that he missed him even when they were apart for just a day, that Peter's voice was the only thing that kept the darkness at bay sometimes. But he couldn't. Not like this.

"Eh, nothing's on fire," Wade replied, leaning back against the wall. "Just... couldn't sleep, I guess. Needed to hear a friendly voice."

There was a pause on the other end, and Wade could almost picture Peter, frowning in that concerned way of his. "You sure you're okay, Wade?"

Wade swallowed, forcing down the lump in his throat. "Yeah, I'm good. Just, you know, brain won't shut up. Keeps running in circles, thinking about stupid shit."

Peter's voice softened, and Wade could hear the empathy there, that gentle understanding that always made it harder to keep up his defenses. "Yeah, I know the feeling. Happens to me all the time. You wanna talk about it?"

Wade let out a shaky breath. He could feel the walls he'd built around himself starting to crack, just from the kindness in Peter's voice. Damn it, Parker. How did you always manage to get under his skin?

"Nah, nothing to talk about," Wade said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just needed to hear you weren't out there getting all heroic without me. Can't have you hogging all the glory, after all."

Peter laughed again, that warm, genuine laugh that Wade loved so much. "Don't worry, Wade. There's always plenty of glory to go around. But seriously, if you need anything—anything at all—you can call me. Anytime."

Wade's heart clenched at the sincerity in Peter's voice. He didn't deserve this—didn't deserve Peter's kindness, his friendship, or... whatever this was between them. But he couldn't help himself. He needed this, even if it was just for a moment.

"I know, Spidey. Thanks." Wade paused, feeling the weight of the words he wasn't saying. He almost let them slip, almost let the truth spill out. But instead, he swallowed it down, plastering on the usual bravado. "Guess I'll let you get back to whatever it is you do at night when you're not swinging around in tights."

"Right. Sleeping, mostly," Peter said with a smile in his voice. "You should try it sometime. It works wonders."

Wade grinned despite himself. "Yeah, yeah. Sleep's for the weak. I'll catch you later, Spidey."

"Later, Wade," Peter said softly. And then, after a beat, "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Always do," Wade replied, before hanging up the phone.

He stared at the screen for a long moment after the call ended, the warmth of Peter's voice lingering in his mind like a soft echo. He knew he should sleep, knew he should try to shut down the swirling thoughts in his head, but he couldn't. Not after this. Not after hearing Peter, after feeling that connection, even through the phone.

Wade sighed and tossed the phone onto the bed before walking back to the window. The city was still alive outside, still buzzing with energy and life. But all Wade could think about was the quiet that came after Peter's voice faded away. That hollow feeling in his chest that no amount of joking or fighting could fill.

He leaned his forehead against the cool glass, closing his eyes as he let himself sink into the silence. For a moment, he allowed himself to imagine what it would be like if he could tell Peter the truth. If he could just say the words out loud, let them hang in the air between them. But he knew he couldn't. Not yet.

Because as much as he wanted to believe that Peter might feel the same, that maybe—just maybe—there was something more between them, Wade couldn't take that risk. He couldn't stand the thought of losing Peter, of ruining the one good thing he had left.

So, he would keep pretending. Keep cracking jokes, keep being Deadpool, and keep his feelings locked away where they couldn't hurt anyone. Especially Peter.

But as Wade stood there, watching the city lights flicker in the distance, he knew that this wouldn't be enough forever. One day, those walls would come crashing down, and when they did, Wade wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep his heart from shattering with them.

Until then, though, he'd keep moving forward. One step at a time. One joke at a time. And maybe, just maybe, he'd figure out how to survive this.

For now, he'd settle for the sound of Peter's voice still echoing in his mind, a small comfort in the chaos of his world.