Chapter Text
The bell chimes happily as a customer steps through the door, allowing sunlight to appear through the gap. Peter is grateful for the brief exposure to natural light since it's been hours since he'd last been outside and this place needs more goddamn windows.
Why can't the Daily Bagel have at least one wall that's actually a huge window? Why are the few windows that they have so small in the first place? Why does their new boss Jameson have to be such a stingy bitch? These are all questions Peter asks himself on a daily basis.
Speaking of new workers, Peter sighs in relief as the Newbie takes on the customer, leaving Peter a longer period of free time.
The new guy is pretty quiet in that brooding, sullen type of way, and Peter had previously referred to him as McBrooder in his mind until he figured "Newbie" sounded more condescending. Peter doesn't feel too guilty about still not knowing his name, although Newbie's been working here for at least two weeks now, with a few days off in between.
Newbie speaks very little and when he does it's in a gruff manner, and he has a habit of calling people, "bub." However, he's really very efficient and knows his way around a coffee machine, so Peter figures he's a pretty good asset despite the fact that the very devil himself, Triple J, hired him.
Naturally, Peter is suspicious of Newbie; Jameson doesn't hire just anyone, and even Johnny admits that he's surprised none of the seniors (as he calls the employees who were around before Jameson's tyrannical reign) have been "fired for their incompetency," as the man puts it, yet.
Peter's suspicion only increases when he finally looks up from the book he'd been reading to see that Wade is the customer and he and Newbie are chatting like old friends - Wade is even giggling. And, like, no.
Peter found Wade first, okay, and Peter thought that he was the only barista that Wade opened up to and talked to all the time. Come on, Peter thought that he was special. It won't be long before Newbie has Wade's ordering pattern memorized completely too, and Peter thinks that that simply cannot happen. Wade is his, thank you very much, even if the man himself doesn't even know it yet. Peter is, needless to say, quite affronted.
Peter is also, needless to say, a drama queen.
"Quit pouting, Parker. You look like Jameson proposed to your Aunt May and is now your new uncle."
Peter's face contorts and he gapes, expression one of utmost disgust and disbelief, as he turns to face Johnny.
"What the fuck, dude?"
The blond shrugs nonchalantly, as if he didn't just further ruin both Peter's entire day and his appetite, and nods his head towards Peter's ... Well, his everywhere.
"All I'm saying is, you look really bummed."
Peter tries not to glance resentfully at Newbie and Wade but of course fails miserably, and Johnny, being Johnny, notices.
"Ah," he says, eyes widening in understanding. "You got your boyfriend taken from you by Logan."
"His name is Logan?" Peter asks, blinking in confusion.
Johnny stares confusedly right back.
"Uh, yeah? What the hell did you think his name was this whole time?"
This whole 'name situation' completely throws Peter off-guard, but luckily, he knows how to choose his battles.
"Wade's not my boyfriend," he corrects, opting to ignore his friend's question.
"You wish he was," Johnny points out, jerking his head towards where Wade and Logan are acting pretty chummy.
Feelings of bitterness and loneliness begin to rise within Peter, but they're so common in his everyday life that he barely even notices anymore. What he does notice are the feelings of unease and irrational jealousy that occur whilst looking at the couple.
"Leave Petey alone, Storm," Gwen chides gently as she sweeps past them, movements as fluid and graceful as ever, even while struggling to hold a plethora of cups. "He's obviously pretty upset, so just drop it, okay?"
Peter constantly thanks the Lord for Gwen Stacy.
"Peter," she says after dumping all of the cups onto the back counter, "I'm really sorry about the loss of your boyfriend."
Peter constantly curses the Devil for Gwen Stacy.
"He's not my boyfriend," the brunet hisses in reply, shooting a cautious look at the man in question to make sure he can't hear them.
"Be that as it may, Howlett totally stole him from you and that's not cool."
"Howlett?" Peter echoes, blinking owlishly.
"Logan," Gwen clarifies, clearly exasperated with his response although she doesn't question it, bless her.
"Oh. Right. Well, we don't know that for sure," Peter says hopefully, although he sounds quite uncertain. "Maybe they're just chatting as friends. He doesn't seem to be making a move on Wade or anything."
"Yet," Johnny mutters under his breath, and Peter resists the urge to pour hot coffee all over his stupid face and his stupid shiny blond hair. Johnny Storm is stupid. Peter knows this for a fact.
"Why don't you just go over and talk to Wade?" Gwen asks as if it's the most obvious solution in the world. In Gwen's mind, it probably is.
"They're in the middle of a conversation," Peter protests. "I can't just do that, I'm not rude!"
"Ever the gentleman I see," Johnny teases. "Alright dude, if it means this much to you ..." Johnny turns away from Peter and yells a quick, "Yo, Howlett, I need you for a moment," before turning back and grinning. "Go talk to him."
Peter shoots him the most grateful look he can muster and walks over to where Wade is sitting alone. He's swinging his legs on the stool and stirring his spoon around in his cup and he looks so adorable that Peter wants to melt.
"Hey, Wade. I didn't notice you come in," Peter says, resting his arms on the counter.
Wade looks up in surprise, then beams as he realizes who it is.
"Petey!" he greets, face bright enough to light the city in a blackout. Peter feels more than a little pride at the fact that he's the reason for that expression.
"It's been so long," Wade sighs, shoulders slumping.
"It's been two days since you last came here," Peter points out, eyebrow raised.
"Two days without seeing my Petey is two days too many," the older man replies matter-of-factly, and Peter most definitely doesn't get butterflies.
"You're such a sap," Peter laughs, shoving Wade's shoulder gently, and they continue on like normal from there. The irrational jealousy from earlier is already fading, and he wonders why he was even worried in the first place.
Logan who?
Logan Stupid-Awful-No-Good-Man-Stealing Howlett, that's who.
Peter supposes he shouldn't feel so resentful towards him seeing as he's really an okay guy, but Wade has come to visit again a few days later and Logan has, once again, stolen him from Peter. And really, that just won't do.
"Hey, Wade," Peter says as cheerfully as he can muster what with Howlett sitting there glowering up at him.
Wade makes a noncommittal sound in reply, not taking his eyes off of Logan as he barely nods his head at Peter before continuing on with their conversation.
And that just really, really won't do.
Peter begins to properly panic, complete with the whole, Wade-doesn't-like-me-anymore-he's-found-somebody-better-our-friendship-and-any-hopes-of-a-possible-relationship-are-now-completely-ruined bit that every jealousy-inspired panic requires. If he weren't in such a state of anxiety, he'd be extremely impressed with how much of a complete drama queen he is.
Peter forces a smile and sweeps away, intending to brush the whole encounter off as a mere, I-was-just-passing-through-and-thought-I'd-say-hi-on-the-way kind of situation, and heads towards his friends who are giving him sympathetic looks.
Once he approaches, Johnny whistles lowly.
"Man," he says, resting a hand on Peter's arm, "that was the roughest rejection I've ever had the pleasure and misfortune to witness."
"Thanks, I'll let you know when I want your useless opinion again," Peter snaps in reply, although it's missing its usual bite. Now, it just sounds tired.
"Hey man, this must be hard on you. I get it. But you need to relax. It's not like you've been head-over-heels for this guy for like a year or anything," Johnny scoffs, rolling his eyes.
"Don't be stupid," Peter retorts, crossing his arms. "It hasn't been a year yet, more like half a year. It's only June."
Johnny rolls his eyes once more, this time more exaggerated, and he groans.
"Can you even hear yourself right now? Jesus, Peter, I really hoped I wouldn't have to live my life as a sappy romance novel but it turns out I'm just a supporting character in yours!"
"Johnny, stop it. Peter, I don't see why you can't just ask Wade out," Gwen points out.
"Because I don't want to ruin our friendship," Peter replies easily.
"Bullshit, Parker," Johnny says, crossing his arms. "You've always been kinda grumpy, but ever since Wade came along I could tell that you've never been happier." Johnny's expression becomes more soft and affectionate, and he reaches up to place both hands on Peter's shoulders comfortingly. "You don't want to ask him out because you're scared he'll say no, and then you'll lose the best person in your life and you don't know what you'll do if that happens."
Peter stares in surprise at the other boy, astounded that he was able to figure him out so quickly. Perhaps he should give Johnny more credit as one of his best friends - it's almost as if he read his very soul.
Peter's more than grateful that the blond boy knows him so well, and he does something rare. He pulls Johnny into a hug.
They don't speak, but they don't need to. Johnny already knows everything Peter is trying to say.
"What was with that hug with Storm yesterday, baby boy?" Wade asks, eyebrow raised curiously as he sips his iced capp.
Logan has taken the day off, praise the Lord, and so it's just Peter and Wade again, like the good old days.
"You saw that?" Peter replies, looking sheepish as he blushes slightly.
"Of course. I always keep an eye out for you, Petey, and Stormy looked like he was gettin' pretty affectionate."
"He was just helping me through some stuff," Peter mumbles as he shrugs.
Wade looks concerned, and Peter is definitely not touched.
"Stuff? Like what? You know I'm always here for you, baby boy."
Peter thinks he must be imagining it, but Wade sounds almost jealous.
"It's all dealt with now, Wade. It's no problem anymore. Besides, you were busy talking to Logan anyways."
At the mention of Logan, Wade lights up and he begins rambling about, "the funny thing Logan said the other day," which leads to, "Logan is so cool, like actually Petey, he was just telling me about how he ..." and it only continues from there. For the next half an hour, it's almost as if the blond man is only capable of talking about Logan and nothing else.
Johnny shoots him a chagrined look as he and Gwen tend to the occasional customers, and Peter returns it when Wade isn't looking.
It's great that he and Wade are hanging out like old times, but talking about Logan and Logan only had gotten old about half an hour ago.
"... And I was telling him that he'd make a good Jean Valjean, you know, from Les Mis, because he kinda looks like Jackman, you feel? I don't know how well his singing is though, probably should have asked him for a sample before I started casting him, but anyhow, I was saying that I could be Thernardier because why not, right?"
Peter nods along absently - he enjoys Les Mis as much as any literature / theatre nerd, but the Logan-talk is exhausting.
"... You know Petey, I think you could be Enjolras, purely because I think he's the most badass character and you'd be great at revolting."
"What, so I'm not Eponine and you're not Marius?" Peter retorts, glad that they're finally talking about him now, which is how it should have been from the start.
"Of course you're not Eponine," Wade scoffs, shaking his head vehemently. "If I'm Marius, then you bet your bottom dollar you're gonna be Cosette!"
Peter's eyes widen at that and he looks away in an attempt to hide his blush.
"Oh, shut up. You'd be Gavroche and I'd be Enjolras and that's all there is to it," he jokes in an attempt to divert the subject.
And sadly, that's really all there is to it. Peter's life kinda sucks.
As the weeks go by, Wade and Logan spend more and more time with each other, and Wade spends less and less time with Peter. Peter even suspects that they hang out outside of the Daily Bagel, and wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if they do.
And, well, so what if Logan's voice is pretty deep and his hair is really nice and his coffee-making skills are way better than Peter's? And so what if it's been weeks since Peter and Wade have last had an actual conversation, since Wade now spends all his time with freakin' Howlett? It doesn't matter. If Wade wants other friends, that's fine. He does have a life outside of Peter, after all - firefighter extraordinaire and all that.
But Peter is lonely, is the thing, and goddammit, what does Logan have that Peter doesn't? Aside from all of the previously-stated things?
"What's your full name?" Johnny asks him as he sets about making a latte.
Peter holds up a hand for him to wait as he finishes taking a customer's order, and turns to look inquiringly at the blond.
"Peter Benjamin Parker?" he replies, staring at Johnny as if he's gone insane. Peter wouldn't be surprised.
"Are you sure?"
Oh, Peter's sure alright. Sure that Johnny is a dumbass.
"Positive," Peter says.
"I don't think so."
Peter is beginning to be concerned that Johnny might actually have something wrong with him.
"Oh?"
"I'm fairly sure your name is actually Poor Pouty Partner-less Parker."
"Oooh, alliteration. How fun."
Johnny flashes him a toothy grin.
"What can I say, I have a way with words."
"Johnny, quit making fun of Peter's plight," Gwen chastises, shoving him gently.
"Careful, coffee!" Johnny yelps, making sure he hasn't spilled his latte, at the same time Peter sighs, "Again with the alliteration."
"Sorry, Pete. For the alliteration and for Johnny being immature," Gwen says, shooting the obnoxious blond a glare.
Johnny merely sticks out his tongue as he delivers the customer their latte, and Peter wonders not for the first time how it's possible that so many people visit their shop and yet none of them have complained about the three of them constantly goofing off at work.
If Jameson knew, they'd all be fired faster than you can say "Spider-Man" (which, Peter has learned, you should never say in front of him; the man has a weird thing about the fictional wall-crawling hero. They've all learned that it's better to not question it).
"Why's Parker pouty?"
The three friends whip around to see Logan drying his hands with a hand-towel, an eyebrow raised as he stares at them questioningly.
"Parker's pouty parce que poor pathetic Peter is partner-less," Johnny sings, grinning smugly.
Peter groans and buries his face in his hands.
"I swear to God, if anyone makes one more alliteration with my name -"
"Petey-pie'll probably punch a plethora of people," a new voice chirps, and the four employees look towards the sound to see Wade leaning on the wall by the door. He has a white muscle tank on paired with his firefighter pants that Peter knows he wears occasionally out of laziness to change clothes. "Us included," Wade adds in a stage-whisper.
"Shut the fuck up, Wade," Peter snaps, crossing his arms. "I mean, you're right, but shut the fuck up."
Wade has the audacity to look affronted and he too crosses his arms, expression hurt.
"Petey," he exclaims, eyes wide, "we don't talk in weeks and the first thing you say to me when we do talk is 'shut the fuck up'?!"
And that's it - Peter has had enough. He jumps over the counter even though he could have easily walked through the employee gate (but Peter has always been one for theatrics) and stalks towards Wade, expression livid.
"That's correct, Wilson," Peter spits, stopping a few feet in front of the taller man. "And whose fault is it that we haven't talked in three weeks?"
Wade says nothing to that but genuinely looks like he doesn't know the answer, and so Peter huffs out an angry breath and jabs the older man in the chest.
"Yours, Wade. It's your fault."
Wade stares at Peter with disbelief that borders on outrage.
"Mine?!" he exclaims, arms flailing. "How the hell is it my fault that you've been straight-up ignoring me for three - and a half, mind you - weeks?"
If Peter weren't so incredibly fucking angry, he'd be endeared that Wade had actually been keeping track.
"I haven't been ignoring you, you're the one who's too busy to hang out with me!"
"Busy? Peter, I come in here all the fucking time, how in the shit am I too busy to spend time with you?!"
As the two bicker, Gwen and Logan watch on in keen interest, not even bothering to hide their speculation, while Johnny sneaks past the arguing couple to change the sign on the door from "OPEN" to "CLOSED". He figures now is not a good time for customers, unless they're interested in a show. Maybe he could make some money off of dinner theatre. Lunch theatre? He'll figure it out.
"Don't act like you don't know, Wilson," Peter scoffs, rolling his eyes.
"No," Wade confirms coldly, "I really don't. Care to enlighten me, Parker?"
"Fine, I will," Peter shouts, stomping his foot. He knows he's acting like a kid. He also doesn't care.
Wade stalks off to one of the tables to grab a chair, then makes a point of sitting down and staring at the young brunet expectantly, even tapping his foot for emphasis.
Peter growls and paces the floor in front of Wade before finally rounding on him.
"You and I have been best friends for half a year now and things are fucking great and shit because yay, I finally have someone to call a best friend! And then - then all of a sudden you come over here to visit like usual, yeah? And you meet fucking Newbie over here -" Peter pauses his rant to turn to Logan, who's eyes widen oh-so-slightly but he doesn't appear to be too surprised, and Peter points a stiff finger at him, "and all of a sudden the two of you are besties or some shit, and you come in every day but do you talk to me? No, you hang out with goddamn Howlett like he's your lifeline or something, like is that just a thing you do? Visit coffee shops and become BFFs with all the baristas? Because I felt really special and you went and ruined my feelings or something because - because, what? Was I just someone to hang with for a bit until you got bored? You probably hang out with Howlett outside of this place, don't you?"
Wade's frigid silence (and Logan's smug nodding) indicates to Peter that the answer is yes.
"Dammit, Wade, you and I never hang out outside this place! Is Newbie more special than me or something? Do I mean nothing to you except for someone to talk to when you're bored? Because I can't deal with that, Wade. I really fucking can't, because I have had a huge raging crush on you for half a goddamn year and you hanging out with goddamn Howlett all the time makes me so frickin' jealous! Jesus, I just - if this is how you're gonna be, then I can't fucking do this anymore."
Peter pauses when he realizes he's stepped closer and closer to Wade until they're almost nose-to-nose, and he steps back and hangs his head, panting. His hair is mussed from the amount of times he'd ran his hand through it in anxiety, and he knows that his face is most-likely red from the exertion.
Johnny, Gwen, and Logan have taken to eating some biscuits in lieu of popcorn, watching in anticipation to see what Wade says next.
Wade, who has been attentively listening to Peter's rant coolly, stands suddenly and stares at the younger boy, eyes wide.
"Wait a minute - Peter, you ... You like me?"
The question is so simple, and yet to Peter, the reality of it makes him stop short and he finally realizes that no, that's not the case at all. What the hell was he thinking?
Peter looks Wade in the eye and shakes his head firmly.
"No."
Wade's face falls, but Peter only grins at his epiphany.
"I love you."